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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

To the writer who did no work on their book today: Did you... Think about your villain's motives? Read another novel and admire the writing? Overhear a conversation and jot down a line of dialogue? Talk about your story to a friend? That sounds to me like you DID work on your book today!

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

✅ Any writing credentials you might have. If not, it's OK, I promise! Just leave it out. ✅ Your professional background ✅ Where you're based Agents will want to know a little bit about you, but it doesn't need to be long. 2-3 sentences is perfectly fine.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

SO many querying authors stress over their author bio, but honestly, it should be the easiest part of your query. And no, you do NOT need a bunch of awards and publications to be taken seriously! Don't overthink it. Your bio really only needs 3 things:

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

When writing a tense dialogue scene, always ask yourself: What is this conversation ACTUALLY about? And how can I convey that to the reader without having the characters name it explicitly?

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

✅ With subtext: "It's fine. I'll just do it." She set the plate down hard, and the sound jolted her. He didn't look up from his phone. Same exact moment. But the second version lets the reader feel the weight of everything the female character isn't saying.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

❌ Without subtext: "You never help around the house," she said. "I feel like I do everything myself and you don't even notice." When dialogue reads as too literal and on-the-nose like this, it doesn't hit emotionally.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

In good dialogue, subtext is everything. The best dialogue scenes aren't about what's actually being said. They're about what's running BENEATH the conversation. The things we know the characters are feeling, but can't bear to say aloud. Here's what subtext looks like on the page:

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

If a professional editor who's paying close attention didn't catch it, a bunch of your future readers will probably miss it too.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

But if there's a place or two where they were confused, look at it again, even if YOU think it's crystal clear. It's probably worth emphasizing that element a little more so it sticks better in our minds.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Now, if your editor is missing a BUNCH of things that are clearly and consistently established in the story, that's a problem.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

And that's a good thing, because that's not how your actual readers will experience the story either. They'll be absorbing the story as a whole, not keeping a database of every name and place and detail.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Remember that when you hire an editor, you're working with a human reader — they're absolutely reading closely, but they're not machines that scan for keywords and can recall every single detail perfectly.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

It means she wasn't able to visualize the scene, even if the location was technically mentioned. This writer probably needed to do more to integrate the setting into the scene than just name-drop the place once.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

He replied that he DID mention the location, once in passing, and said that his editor must not have read the manuscript closely since she missed it. But the fact that she missed it IS valuable feedback.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

This might be a controversial take, but here goes... A writer complained that his developmental editor had flagged in one of his chapters that the scene's location wasn't clear.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

So don't get down because it's not a work of art yet. What you do with it from here is where the real artistry begins. ✍️

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Too many writers forget this: Your first draft is NOT your final draft. It was never supposed to be. It's simply the raw material — the clay from which you'll craft a beautiful sculpture.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

In this week's video, I'm unpacking: ✔️ What upmarket fiction actually is ✔️ Why it's so popular ✔️ Well-known examples ✔️ How to tell if you're writing upmarket fiction youtu.be/BxU0E1sh1XI

youtube.com

Everyone Loves This Genre. But No One Is Writing It.

The first 500 people to use this link will receive a one month free...

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I discovered something interesting this week... On QueryTracker's list of Most Requested Fiction Genres, upmarket is #3, but it's not on the top 10 list of what genres writers are submitting. So what's the deal? Are writers really not writing upmarket fiction, or do they just not KNOW they are?

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

It helps them assess: ✅ the overall viability of your plot ✅ whether your story suits genre expectations ✅ major plot holes or twists that don't work ...without having to spend 8-12 hours reading the entire manuscript. So don't fear the synopsis! Here are my 4 biggest tips to help.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The most brutal part of querying isn't the rejections. Or the waiting period. It's writing a synopsis. 😫 As much as it feels pointless, the synopsis is a strategic tool that gives agents crucial information about your story.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Which of these do you struggle with most?

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Weave in: ✅ small physical actions (a glance, a hesitation, a step back) ✅ internal reactions from the POV character ✅ setting details that shape the moment

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

5️⃣ Missing action beats Dialogue with ZERO physical or emotional beats becomes tiring to read. We can't picture who's speaking, what their body is doing, or how the scene is unfolding.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

They're fine to use occasionally, when really needed, but if you clog your manuscript with them, you'll slow the reader down. Often, less is more.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

4️⃣ Overusing fancy dialogue tags "Said" is nearly invisible to readers. But anything else will immediately stand out, like: 🗣️ "Exclaimed" 🗣️ "Hissed" 🗣️ "Bellowed"

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Find another way to deliver that information — oftentimes straight exposition works fine. ✅ "They'd been friends since they were seven, when their fathers worked at the steel mill."

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

3️⃣ Info-dumping If a character is telling another character something they both already know, purely so the reader learns it, cut it. ❌ "As you know, Bob, we've been friends since we were seven, when our fathers worked at the steel mill..."

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

The gap between what characters SAY and what they MEAN is where all the great dialogue tension lives.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

2️⃣ On-the-nose dialogue Real people rarely say exactly what they mean. In fact, sometimes we say the OPPOSITE of what we really mean. ❌ "I'm angry that you forgot our anniversary." ✅ "No, no, it's fine. Really." She turned back to the sink.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Each character should have their own: ✅ vocabulary and word choice ✅ sentence length (short and clipped vs. long and rambling) ✅ verbal tics or catchphrases ✅ level of formality ✅ way of expressing emotion How your characters think should shape how they speak.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

1️⃣ Everyone sounds the same If you took the dialogue tags away, could a reader tell which character is speaking?

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Bad dialogue is one of the most obvious signs of amateur writing. And it's one of the things that will make a reader set down your story prematurely. Here are the 5 most common dialogue mistakes I see in manuscripts and how to fix them.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

So the next time you are being hard on yourself for struggling, remember it's not a sign you're doing anything wrong. In fact, it might be the clearest sign you ARE indeed a writer.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The authors who inspire you most have bad writing days too. Days where they want to throw every word in the garbage. Or they just can't write at all. You just never hear about them. A writing career looks effortless from the outside, but the reality is anything but.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Saying your book is like "The Hunger Games" or "Gone Girl" may actually be hurting your query letter. If you're wondering... How do you select appropriate comp titles? Should you comp to mega bestsellers? What about classic novels? Here are your answers!

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

So whatever you're feeling — imposter syndrome, anxiety — know that it's 100% normal. Push through anyway. Your story deserves to be told, and you're the only one who can tell it.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

A friend of mine shared today that she's writing a book...and that she feels absolutely terrified. This is a woman who worked in Big Five publishing for years. She has an agent. And has partnered with writers her entire career. Yet she's STILL scared.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Feedback is only as good as the person providing it. Be selective and thoughtful in who you share your story with!

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

So before you hand over your manuscript, ask: ✅ Does this person read (and understand) my genre? ✅ Do they have editorial experience? ✅ Can they effectively articulate WHY something isn't working?

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

It might... ❌ send you down a revision path in the wrong direction ❌ shake your confidence in scenes that are actually working ❌ push your book toward the wrong genre conventions ❌ leave you more confused than when you started I've seen writers get burned by bad feedback so many times.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

As an editor, I deeply believe in the value of getting feedback on your story. But that doesn't mean you should let just anyone read it and give you their thoughts. Because feedback from the wrong person can be actively HARMFUL to your process.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The book that one agent quickly passes on is the same book another agent loses sleep over because they cannot stop thinking about it. A rejection is ONE person's reaction to your work on ONE particular day — it is not a verdict on your talent, your story, or your future as an author.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

To the writer who just got a rejection today: To the writer who has been secretly querying for a year: To the writer who's wondering if it's time to give up: I've sat on the other side of that inbox. And you need to understand that the publishing industry is wildly subjective.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Your first page is arguably the most important in your entire novel. It's where your reader — or a literary agent — decides: do I want to keep reading this? After spending years evaluating queries and editing hundreds of books, I've noticed that the best first pages contain these 4 elements.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

If the answer to any of these questions is no, you probably don't need one. Cut it, or fold whatever's essential into Chapter 1. Does your novel begin with a prologue?

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Ask yourself: ✅ Is the prologue operating as a standalone, comprehensible scene? ✅ Is there information in it that HAS to come before Chapter 1? ✅ Would the story genuinely not work without it?

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

They're where the author is really just forcing some kind of suspense (reads as super vague and cryptic) or info-dumping worldbuilding (reads like a Wikipedia entry). In these cases, it would actually be more effective to take us directly into Chapter 1.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Do you actually need a prologue? Probably not. First, let me clarify: I'm NOT anti-prologue! But I AM against UNNECESSARY prologues. And most of the time, they're not needed.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Before you hand your manuscript to a beta reader, critique partner, or editor, make sure you're ready for what comes back. Even if you don't agree with every point (totally fine), try to see where it stems from. The right headspace will make all the difference!

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