Newsletter Reminder

 

Remember to stay connected to Greyhaus Literary Agency!

• Sign up for the newsletter!
• Instagram @greyhausagency
• Facebook @GreyhausLiteraryAgency
• Twitter/X @greyhausagency
• Bluesky @greyhausliterary
• TikTok @GreyhausLiteraryAgency
• Substack Greyhaus@substack.com

Developmental Editing Is More Than Grammar

You have your story going and now it is time to get some editing done. You want to make your story even better. Unfortunately, so many people are missing the mark when it comes to their editing. This is even something that is promoted in many creative writing classes when people are "workshopping" their stories. This is probably done unintentionally and unconsciously, but it is happening. 

For so many writers, they live on that "Track Changes" tab in their MSWord program. While this has some benefits, it also tends to limit the type of editing people do. They wordsmith the document to death! Change this word, fix this grammar error... the list goes on and on. While these are certainly important things to fix, the question comes down to, "Does this really make the story better?"

When we focus on this line/copy editing, all we are doing is making our stories "grammatically correct." Think of this, did it really make your story better when you changed the word from GOOD to FANTASTIC? No.

Developmental editing focuses on "the big picture" of your story. Do you have enough information about your characters? Have you given us too much? Is the information you are providing about your characters actually relevant or authentic.

Looking at your character is just one of the areas. Consider...

• Dialogue - realistic? believable? driving the story?
• Narration - showing vs. telling? information dumps? 
• Tone/Voice - Are you conveying the right tone of the story?

Just something to consider for the day...

If You Need A.I. To Write Your Query - Rethink Your Decision About Being A Professional Writer

NOTE: This is a bit of a rant. If I hurt your feelings, I am sorry, but sometimes, the truth hurts!

I was at a conference earlier this summer and after hearing another agent recommend using A.I. to draft query letters, I screamed in anger. OK, maybe not screaming since the room was full of real people, but honestly, I was pissed. In front of that room, I made a simple statement that I still believe. "If you have to use A.I. for your writing, you are admitting you do not know how to write. And, if you have to use A.I. you should rethink your career choice."

Some in the room were really shocked when I made that statement. The other group applauded my statement. 

I bring this up because, as I was going through submissions this last weekend, I was bombarded by a ton of authors doing just that. If you are wondering how I know, it is the same common phrases I see over and over again that have nothing to do with anything I have either said in public or here on line. Consider this"

I am reaching out to you because of your interest in emotionally rich and imaginative fiction. I believe my novel, [insert title here]—a story exploring love, and relationships—would be a strong fit for your list. (note, this was edited some to protect the author).

I am constantly amazed by the number of authors who are trying to justify to themselves and the world around them that using A.I. is fully justifiable. This isn't correct. All of these A.I. programs out there create nothing but a blah, generic, boring and, in many times, incorrect statements that you believe are accurate. 

Look, I get writing query letters is not easy. As an agent, I write them all of the time for my clients. But the thing you have to remember is that your writing must show YOUR voice and not that of a mindless machine. Now, if you are arguing that you are using it to show you "a model" of what your writing should look like, consider this. Agents like myself, and editors and other professionals have been showing you how to do this for years. It doesn't take much to get online and find people such as Janet Reid, Jessica Faust, Paige Wheeler, Rachel Gardner and many others providing templates and ideas. We provide the general ideas (without writing it for you) and it is up to you to tailor those ideas to your own unique point of view. 

Consider this... I made up a fake story and had A.I. create a letter.

Dear Mr. Eagan,

I’m seeking representation for The Billionaire and His A.I. Lover, a completed 87,000-word contemporary romance that blends classic emotional beats with a high-concept twist—perfect for fans of Alisha Rai’s The Right Swipe and the emotional complexity of works by Robyn Carr.

Tech billionaire Evan Langley built an empire on innovation but hasn’t felt a real human connection in years. When he secretly tests his company’s new artificial intelligence companion, “Ava,” he’s shocked by how deeply she seems to understand him—until he discovers that Ava’s personality was modeled on a real woman: Lena Chen, the quietly brilliant linguist he fired six months ago.

Lena never agreed to be the blueprint for a digital girlfriend, but when Evan returns with a public apology and a business proposal she can’t refuse, sparks fly—professionally and personally. As their relationship deepens, both must confront what’s real, what’s artificial, and whether love can exist without full consent and trust.

Set in Seattle’s tech scene and told in dual POV, The Billionaire and His A.I. Lover examines intimacy in the digital age while delivering the heartfelt slow-burn romance readers crave.

I’m querying you because of your strong track record in romance and your interest in stories with emotional depth and modern themes. I hold a degree in [your degree, if relevant], and my writing has appeared in [any publication credits or contests, if applicable].

Thank you for your time and consideration. I’d be happy to send the full manuscript upon request.

Sorry to say this, but I would never buy the story. Notice also the generic phrasing? How in the "you know what" does the computer know how your story is similar. It made up EVERYTHING! Then consider that last line. I have NEVER made that statement about my interest in stories with emotional depth and modern themes

Just like the prior person who said I had an "interest in emotionally rich and imaginative fiction."

I am sorry to say this, but you have to admit to yourself, if you are using this tech, that maybe you need to take some more time and learn to actually write. 

Calling Romantic Suspense Authors! #MSWL

ICYMI... Harlequin just sent out a Manuscript Wish List for Romantic Suspense authors. Here is the link if you wish to check it out on your own!

READ IT HERE!!!!

Now, with that said, if you have a completed story that is what they are looking for, let me know! Send me a query at the agency and make sure to state you heard about it here!

I will also add that if you are currently a Harlequin author in another line, or even in this line and are interested in advancing your career, reach out to me. 

I am ACTIVELY looking for find authors in this category!!!!!!!

Do You Have Your Copy Of Scott's Book?

 

Buy it here!!!!!

Understanding Social Media Presence

It's all about getting your name out there! In publishing, being successful is about making sure your readers know who you are and when your next book is coming out. This, however, is not an easy task considering how many authors are out there trying to promote their books. For new authors, it is even harder. Consider this...

Before posting this, I jumped over to Amazon and did a quick search. Try this for yourself and you will see what I mean.

I just looked up Romance Novels and then sorted the list from low to high in terms of the price. I was easily 15 pages in and over 300 books all being given away for free (I finally stopped just to get back to the blog). Now, the idea behind "giving away a book" is to get your name in front of a reader and hope that the reader will go on and "buy" your other books. We all love great deals, right? The point of this is simple. Somehow, you have to get your name up that list and out of that mess of other authors.

Not an easy task.

It becomes even harder if you are someone trying to do this entirely on your own without a publisher promoting the heck out of your book.

So, we have to find another way to get your name out there and that would be through social media. Again, this is NOT an easy task. Remember, people will only read your blog, follow you on a social media site, or go to your website IF they know who you are. I don't care how hard you work to put your name out there, it will only get to your followers. And again, you have to get those followers.

This is where a lot of new authors realize that publishing is harder than writing those books. You will now find yourself spending 50% of your time marketing your book and getting your name out there in as many places as possible. To add to this, you have to have content that people will want to read. 

Let's consider having an Instagram account. You have to be out there posting multiple times a week. You want your readers to be waiting to see the latest information you put out there. If you don't have anything interesting or at least relevant, they will quit following you. For example, I started following several authors recently, only to quit following them because their content was either information not about their writing, or it was simply the same thing over and over again, or it was not exciting. 

So, as you think about your social media presence, here are some things to consider:

1. Where do your readers go to for their information? Remember, not everyone is on TikTok.
2. What are you going to share?
3. How often are you going to post?
4. Can you post to multiple sites?
5. Can you work with other authors to promote each other?
6. Do you even have anything to promote (I put this out there because if you don't have a book to sell, then there is no reason to promote anything).