Turning Rejection into a Murderous Novel

🎙️ New episode: Emily J. Smith on querying, revising, and killing it (on the page)

Hi Bleeders,

I have a treat for you today. I finally dropped an interview I recorded back in October 2023 with

Emily J. Smith

, author of Nothing Serious, which is officially out this week from William Morrow. I’ve been holding onto this unpublished gem for 16 months, eagerly waiting for the perfect moment to share it—aka the week of Emily’s publishing debut!

Emily’s journey to publication is a very relatable rollercoaster. She went from getting an agent (who then left the industry), to going on submission with a nonfiction book that didn’t find its home, to breaking her foot (which, weirdly enough, led to her writing a novel with a plot for the first time), to launching a dating app, to pulling her “murder book” out of a drawer and revamping it. Eventually, she landed an agent who loved it as is—no forced thriller twists necessary—and that same book sold to a publisher in just two weeks. What a wild ride, right?

In our conversation, we talk about:

• The false starts, detours, and distractions that actually helped her get to the right book

• How breaking her foot led her to write a book with a plot (which, honestly, she wasn’t originally thrilled about)

• Why she *almost* turned Nothing Serious into a thriller but ultimately stuck to her vision

• How long the querying process can take (she queried about 70 agents for her initial manuscript and 41 before landing the one for Nothing Serious!)

• The importance of writer friends to survive the waiting game

Basically, if you’re on the rollercoaster of writing, rewriting, and finding an agent and/or publisher for your debut, this episode is a must-listen. Emily’s story is a testament to patience, persistence, and trusting your own storytelling instincts—even when the industry tries to steer you in a different direction.

🔗 Listen to the episode.

Happy bleeding,
Courtney

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I’m teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:

• Podcasting for Writers: How to Start, Sustain & Grow Your Podcast

• How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought

• Land Big Bylines by Writing for Columns

• Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Platform, Network and Business

• The Multi-Passionate Writer’s Life

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So… ROLL CALL! 🗣️

I’m hoping to do a follow-up interview with Emily now that she’s officially a published author, so if you have any burning questions for her, comment below and let me know!