Just found out I made the 2025 Gertrude Warner Long List for Middle Grade Fiction (as did a friend of mine) 📚 very exciting in the midst of waiting to hear back from queries. Now we wait to see if I’ll make the short list 👀

You can’t control when trends hit. The only thing you can control is finishing the book.

A STRANGER KIND OF MORTUARY SCIENCE ✨elements include: 🍄 Found family 🌲 cozy, atmospheric small town 🍂 Spooky, whimsical vibes 🗡️ If I touch her, she could die 🪦 funeral parlor & embalming room settings 🧪 FMC is a woman in STEM 🌈 queer MCs 🧡 Characters in their 30s & 40s Soon to be on sub!

As a public figure himself, Kirk did not restrict himself to politeness. He was incredibly crude and cruel about the deaths of other people. Reflecting on his life should reflect the truth.

This explains it better than I can

Waiting for agents to open this fall like 👀 because my MG manuscript will be best read in October 🖤🕸️🕷️🕯️🖇️🖋️🗝️

Would appreciate any and all love that anyone has to give this post 🖤

Two of my friends are going on submission soon and I'm 🥹 @victoriabilstein.bsky.social @annametz.bsky.social

Opening line of VIGILANTES ANONYMOUS, my 76k adult spicy dark rom-com that blends the all-consuming, boundary-pushing spice of LIGHTS OUT, with the dark humor and murderous thrill of BUTCHER & BLACKBIRD 🔪🖤 #editors #bookpitch #darkromcom #darkromance #romcom #onsubsoon #onsubmissionsoon

I’m thrilled to introduce my manuscript soon to be on submission, A STRANGER KIND OF MORTUARY SCIENCE, a cozy, adult fantasy novel 🌈⚰️🍄🧚‍♀️💀🪦✨ #editors, I’m represented by the wonderful Ciara Smith at Spencerhill Associates! #editorsguide #cozyfantasy #bookpitch #amagented #soontobeonsubmission

An #editorsguide to VIGILANTES ANONYMOUS, my high heat adult dark rom-com on submission to editors soon! 🔪🖤💋 #editors if you're ready to experience the chaos that is Lana and Nic, feel free to interact or reach out to Aurora Fernandez at Trident Media Group #amagented #writingcommunity #pitch

I want to read this, agents, please

Just coming on here to say, if you can afford to hire an illustrator to bring your manuscript to life, it’s a magical experience.This one is for my MG project, NORA AND THE NIGHTMARE KING. And do not, please do not, use AI. Support human beings 💕 Illustration by Savannah Lazo! (Savannahlazo.com)

Do not ever do this under any circumstances. You will be held to the actual contract, not the AI summary, and the AI summary has no way of knowing which terms you might personally care about or have questions about. Dooooo notttttt dooooo thissssss.

In this post, I talk about what I did differently this time around and share some of the feedback, rejections, and positive comments I received throughout this process.

My second Substack post is up: Writing & Querying My First Manuscript open.substack.com/pub/kirabrun...

I currently have so many books that I want to read bad enough that I've considered just reading them all simultaneously. It's an incredible and also stressful position to be in. Is this how agents and editors feel all the time?

My first ever Substack Post is live! In my next post, I'll talk about writing and querying my first manuscript, including the query I sent to agents, what I did wrong, and querying stats. Let me know if there's anything specific you guys would love to know about!

If any literary agents or editors see this, I'd love to know your thoughts on writers querying in the summer 👀 It seems like so much has changed over the years when it comes to querying. Is summer still considered a "bad" time to query?

Repost w/ the five shows you would be happy to rewatch over and over again for the rest of your life, as your sole TV diet: Parks and Rec Madmen The Wire Game of Thrones Buffy the Vampire Slayer What an insane list I just created.

I don’t want to “streamline” my writing. I don’t want to “increase my output.” I don’t want to “write a novel with one click.” I want to write stuff only I can write. I want to read and write novels with soul and heart and a unique voice. Fuck AI. Long live real writers.

I was going to say that I wish I knew exactly how many hours I've wasted just staring at my queried agents list, but I really don't want to know.

Tell me why on top of my full time job, querying, working on a new project, and just generally trying to stay alive, I decided to start a Substack? Anyway, you can find me there @ kirabruner. Planning to start posting in June, will share updates

Starting my day scrolling through the posts in #amquerying... and celebrating ALL the successes that you are having! Even a rejection is a success, because it means that we've completed an amazing project and are brave enough to put it out there to the world! Keep on! 😀💕 #writingcommunity

Got my first rejection on a full request today, and it definitely hurt more than any query rejection I’ve gotten, but it’s all a part of the journey.

Feeling sentimental tonight, but sometimes you gotta stop and appreciate where you’re at.

I’ve finished 3 manuscripts and queried 2, and even if the world never gets to read those stories, I love them alongside my favorite books and I’m beyond grateful that I got to experience them. All of my characters are with me always, and that is just such an incredible thing.

I hired a friend of mine to do some illustrations for my Middle Grade book and I just saw the rough sketch for one of the illustrations… and I can’t wait to be able to share these. I highly recommend hiring an illustrator if you have the budget for it. Seeing your story come to life is crazy.

Putting footnotes in my book promo like the absolute nerd I truly am. Anyway! It’s graduation season and maybe you’d like some dark and magic academia in your lives? #BookSky #2025Debuts #BookRecs

Big 5 publisher using gen AI art in a social media post about books 🤦🏽‍♀️

This auction is LIVE!!! You can bid on a 1:1 query critique call with me :)

How are my other querying writers doing? Hanging in there?

Trying to very quickly raise $2,000, so I am offering the only full manuscript critiques I will be doing this year for $500 for MG or YA manuscripts: www.32auctions.com/organization... If you see this and can share, I'd so appreciate it!!

Happy Birthday @katemckean.bsky.social Can’t wait to read it! Since my birthday is at the end of May this was the perfect excuse. Double present.

Finally back into writing draft 1 of my new Adult project and I am so excited to be back in this world. Currently sitting at 37,756 words. Can I get to 38,000 by the end of the day? 👀

Need an excuse to buy more books? Now you have one! Saturday is Indie Bookstore Day! Show your favorite indie some love.

Oh I am straight up copying Megan here. If you preorder WRITE THROUGH IT from an indie, @bookshop.org , or @libro.fm today, I will donate $5 to the Freedom to Read Foundation for each book, too. DM me your receipt!

My latest Substack lifts the curtain on my current query inbox and answers the question: Why I haven't responded to your query yet? open.substack.com/pub/kesialup...

An agent's guide to STONEBOUND, an adult dark fantasy infused with romance and lore horror. ✦ Twisted take on The Devil’s Bridge myth ✦ Bulgarian folklore ✦ Eldritch horror elements ✦ Haunting romance #litagents #agentsguide #amquerying

Just a heads up—I am currently booking into SEPTEMBER for editing projects! I have ONE spot in August left for a small project like a query critique. I am very excited about all the sci-fi and fantasy projects I get to work on over the summer! Services here: www.aealexander.com/services #Editing

Can someone tell me what #PosterPit is? I keep seeing the posts and I kind of want to join. Is it for anyone on bsky?

Here's a little hack for your opening pages: make the first physical description of your main character anything other eye color, hair color, skin tone, height, weight, or clothing. "What's left?" you're asking. That's up to you, but you can bet it'll be unique.

Hi everyone! I am continuing solo fundraising. If anyone is looking for a full manuscript critique, I am trying to raise $2,500 this month and can offer a full MS critique for $500 for MG or YA or six PBs. Amounts will go toward evacuations. 💛

Spring is crazy.🌷🌸🪻

Um, immediately added to my TBR.

Because there is such a big writing community over here I wanted to share this incredible planner that my friend, Rae Shambrook, made for writers (comes with some adorable stickers). You can find out more about it at hellostoryshop.com

KINGDOM AWAKENING ✨️Adult romantasy exploring themes of love, betrayal, and sacrifice ✨️The rich emotional contour of FROM BLOOD AND ASH & the toe-curling tension of BRIDE ✨️Standalone with series potential complete at 112k Feel free to DM me if you want to know more! #AgentsGuide #AmQuerying

🐈‍⬛

Got this idea from @jennaschmenna.bsky.social today! Here’s my #agentsguide to Small Things, complete at 67,000 words. #amquerying if you want to know more, feel free to DM me! Or check out my website at kirabruner.com