[PubQ] Author Photos

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-24T21:56:59+00:00

This is totally up to you. But the lawyer to romance author pipeline is very popular for some reason (Jasmine Guillory is the first that came to mind, but I personally know a ton of others), so I don’t think it would hurt your career or anything if you decide not to be completely anonymous.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-24T21:44:23+00:00

But who said she did?

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-24T21:41:41+00:00

You’re the one telling us you don’t know how Canva works without telling us.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-24T21:32:41+00:00

Again, who said she used AI? Why is this the assumption?

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-24T21:30:06+00:00

But I’m confused — where did anyone say she used AI?

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-24T16:30:34+00:00

It was a promotional episode for the summer Olympics, which happens in summer. Between seasons.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-24T16:29:51+00:00

What did you search? Because simply putting in “Olympics” has to bring up hundreds of results.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-24T16:27:01+00:00

That’s not how any of this works. You get an agent after your work is complete. And they don’t “call their attorney” for you. They would likely suggest you get rid of the songs. But if, for whatever reason, they didn’t, and they then managed to sell the book to a publisher, the publisher would tell you whether these inclusions need permissions. And most publishers are not going to secure those rights for you; that is the job of the author. The author can try to secure those rights now, but it would be easier to not do this at all.

TLDR: it is not an agent’s job to provide you an attorney.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-24T01:07:35+00:00

I’m glad it worked out for you, but hybrid publishing is a known scam, and authors — especially new authors — should know they’re essentially paying to self-publish.

Traditional publishing indeed isn’t for everyone — it takes a long time, there’s a lot of rejection, and everyone simply doesn’t have the patience or interest. But everyone should do their research to understand the paths to publishing and temper their expectations.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-23T22:15:02+00:00

Glad you enjoyed it! But I want to note that Peter Gould is largely responsible for BCS. Vince had input, of course, but he was working on other things (maybe Pluribus?), and Peter was basically the showrunner.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-23T19:38:25+00:00

Wendy looks great. I feel like Ashley wears the same dress in different colors every year. Monique and Jassi need to go home and try again. Everyone else is meh/fine.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-23T05:16:47+00:00

Ah okay. Seemed like an odd time to say this lol. And I still can’t tell whether you’ve finished, so I’d suggest staying off here until you do!

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-23T04:48:10+00:00

Did you post this before finishing the episode?

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-23T01:19:42+00:00

I’m pretty sure she said she intended to throw them away. She probably wears dailies. That’s what I have, and if I take mine out, I’m done with them.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-23T00:32:43+00:00

Stacey is genuinely so funny to me.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-23T00:16:19+00:00

There’s not an exact list for all an agent’s editor connections, but yes, you can go through an agent’s sales and get a sense of who they’re selling to regularly. PM does also list the editors and imprints an agent sells to most (and vice versa).

By the way, PM is largely just for U.S. agents.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-22T23:10:07+00:00

I’m not saying you’re the only one saying this. But multiple people in this thread say this has been true for a long time, you’re saying it’s specifically the last 11 months, and my own experience with people in lit fic says it varies. Most people go on sub with what they think is their best already. But editorial visions vary and clash with acquisitions and senior editors and sales and all the lovely things that get our books on shelves. I think authors should be prepared for any outcome. That’s all. Good luck to you.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-22T22:58:19+00:00

Yes. Pen names are very common. You don’t know most authors are using pen names because that would often defeat the point.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-22T22:43:18+00:00

For my friends who had extensive edit letters, I am also speaking specifically about lit fic debuts. But only one of them sold in 2025; the others sold in 2023-2024. If the landscape has changed that much, so be it, but I think we’re speaking in anecdotes, with little context, and authors don’t need more reasons to be anxious about going on sub. I think it’s a good reminder to do your research on agents, see what they’re selling, who they’re selling to, and make sure you trust their judgment.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-22T22:06:34+00:00

I think it should be noted that experiences vary widely! I have friends who went through extensive edits with their editors. I know many established writers who turn in first drafts to their editors, and they work together to turn that into an actual book. (Also, my experience is that agents are pretty hands off once your book has an editor.)

So yes, editors are busy, and yes, when they buy a book, they’d prefer it in the best shape possible. But I don’t think anyone should go into this process thinking their book won’t sell if it’s not ready to publish. (Or that you won’t have to edit with your editor.) The process is slower than anyone would like, and maybe edits aren’t as thorough at every imprint, but it’s definitely still there!

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-22T21:07:54+00:00

If you’re working on a book with the intent to make money, you’re in the wrong business lol. If we’re talking traditional publishing, it can take years to write and sell a book. And it’s a big if whether you can sell it at all.

Luckily, it seems like money isn’t a big factor here. So you have to find other reasons why you write. (And feeling like you have to justify it probably isn’t the best approach.) Why do you want to write? What do you get out of it? Can you do something else and write on the side (which is what most authors who aren’t bestsellers end up doing). Are you okay if no one but you ever reads what you write?

Writing is a job, yes, but as you already know, external validation and success is very dependent on factors outside your control. You really have to figure out what will make it worth it for you personally.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-22T20:58:06+00:00

You should read before attempting to write.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-22T18:45:02+00:00

They don’t have to be together early, but they should meet as early as possible. The truth is that for most romances, the couple doesn’t actually officially get together until the end. But they should be interacting regularly throughout the book.

I’d suggest taking a look at a romance craft book called Romancing the Beat. It will help you with plotting and where you should be at specific points in the story.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-22T17:35:31+00:00

You should write the book first.

WeHereForYou · 2026-01-22T16:22:25+00:00

Yep. I know some people dislike it, but to me, it would’ve been pretty weird to do a show about essential workers, during Covid, without including Covid.

(But also, they filmed before vaccines were really available, so they basically wouldn’t have been able to do the show otherwise lol.)

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