A word smith’s beginner’s guide to art and design

Writers have to do more than write. In this increasingly digital world, that often includes some graphic design. Maybe it’s for making your own book covers. But even if not going down the self-publishing route, it could be for pitch contests online, website banners, marketing graphics, and a whole host of other visual material needed in online spaces.

Since April 2025, I’ve been querying my novel Safe Haven — a sci-fi retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth — my first ever writing project to reach this phase. I wish I could come away with some concrete life lessons from this year in the querying trenches, or at least some ‘tips and tricks.’ But the life lessons I’ve gotten from this experience are much more nebulous.

The ups and the downs

On one hand, I’ve been surfing on the learning curve when it comes to the entire querying process from writing the letter, finding comps, researching agents, and dealing with the emotional fallout… some of which I have discussed in previous articles. 

On the other hand, I’m still in a slush pile of my own making. I’ve tried out six different versions of a query letter without any of them having significantly better response than the others (although version six hasn’t gotten enough responses yet to evaluate). 

I mean, I haven’t gotten much response to my querying at all. As of date, it has only one partial and one full manuscript request, both later rejected. The conventional advice is that you should get a manuscript request at least one out of ten queries… so I’m way under the curve. And I can’t tell if its my query letter than sucks, my opening pages that suck, my agent researching that sucks, if my book’s concept/genre combo isn’t marketable (what I’m beginning to suspect), or I’m entirely unlucky (also a culprit, I’m sure). 

What does a rejection even mean?Literary agents responses don’t help. While I completely understand why they do it this way… if the respond at all, their rejections are so carefully and generically worded as to not push you over the edge that they are meaningless to draw conclusions from.

The rejections are so generic and impersonal, the one time an agent specifically said they where intrigued by the pitch in my query but didn’t connect with the sample pages of my manuscript, it was like nirvana. Like, wow, actually useful information to learn from!

Now, I’ve talked many times about dealing with rejection as a writer. But its been more than rejection that has gotten to me during my year in querying. It’s the ambiguity of said rejections. The agents who don’t respond unless interested. The careful meaningless form rejection letters. I don’t know what lesson to learn. 

I’ve used the whole process as an opportunity to get better. Better queries, better comps, better opening pages. I’ve followed the advice to “write the next book.” 

What’s next

But… I believe in the book I’m querying. I believe in the writing and storytelling style I’ve developed over my lifetime so far. Whether through my original short stories or days of writing fanfiction in the past, I know there are readers who enjoy what I write. 

I believe in my book and want to give it its best chance at success. Which is why I haven’t stopped querying despite the lackluster response I’ve received from agents so far. It’s also why I’m contemplating potential self-publishing; not as a plan b but as an alternate path. And one I don’t consider to be easier even if you don’t have to get past traditional gatekeepers. But I’m not at that point. (If I take that step, I want to have a few more manuscripts close to ready as I know frequency and volume of publishing are big part of self-publishing success.)

For years, my big struggle was developing my writing craft and actually finishing a novel manuscript that would be good enough for publishing. Now that I reached that milestone, it turns out querying is just a whole other fight. 

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(Originally published on Medium.) 

My dearest enemy,

Oh, how I loathe thee. Let me count the ways.

You make me burn with enmity every time you foil one of my schemes. Make me scream to the skies every time the news reports on your good deeds. Make malice boil up and over my skin when I even think of your silly flapping cape as you fly into the sunset.

The very thought of you sets my teeth on edge and yet I know I’m my very best evilest self because of the challenge of you. Only that makes my hate incomplete. Makes me hesitate on the killing blow, miss a step in my diabolical plans, worried in fact, this time my victory will be total and — without you — the fun of the cat and mouse game would end. And life would not be nearly as devilishly sweet.

I imagine you as you read this. Will the cardstock crumple in your fists in equally returned rage? Will you scour the words late into the night, hoping to divine some clue to my latest machinations? For certainly why would I send such a thing on love’s dedicated day unless I desired to cause its opposite.

But even I can be betrayed by passing whims of sentimentality. As I write these confessions, I wonder if you, when nursing bruises after the swell of victory, when in the thrill of chasing my steps, and within the cathartic release of cursing my name, ever feel something of the same. Like we are the opposite poles of a magnet, dis-alike yet drawn together by a force greater than fate. That we are less enemies than two parts of a chemical reaction needed for an explosion. That you thrive in the challenge of me too.

Alas, you will not have time to ponder about this too long. I’ve been in a malaise and I miss our games. The clock is already ticking and I’m sure you pick up that implied threat without much riddling.

To my fiercest rival, my most dedicated nemesis, my diametrically opposed, my perfectly aligned other half — I’ll be seeing you soon.
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Happy Valentine’s Day.
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