Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈

@madelynknecht.bsky.social

1.9K followers 580 following 1.1K posts

Fiction editor Writer RevPit Board Member Literary Assistant at @StormLiterary & lover of all things spooky and queer. She/they https://madheditorial.com

madheditorial.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · Aug 16

From the creators of ARCANE x FMA x CRIERS WAR

🦾metal-based magic system
👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨queer romance
😱anxiety rep
💀anti-colonialism
🤖the dangers of propaganda

#PosterPit #YA #LGBT #SF #SFF

Movie poster of black, red, and gold featuring a blonde boy and a brunette boy, and women with metal in their bones. Text reads THIS METAL WAR. When an anxious mechanic named Circuit is recruited into the war between science and magic, he uncovers the truth about the war and his own abilities that puts him at risk of execution by the hands of the very army that conscripted him. To survive, he makes a pact: help the volatile and frustratingly handsome bot Asher get revenge on his creator. Don't fall for their lies. T for Teens. Beware propaganda.

2 17 45

Reposted by Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈

Revise & Resub @reviseresub.bsky.social · 22h

💃THREE more days! 💃

Submissions open in three(!) days for your opportunity for FREE feedback from our lovely editors on your query letter + first pages.

Question of the day: have you queried this manuscript before? What's your journey been like? #amquerying #amwriting #writersky #writersofbsky

4 8

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · 1d

Tell me everything 👀

Revise & Resub @reviseresub.bsky.social · 1d

What are you doing to get ready for #RevPit #10Queries?

What do you plan on sending in? Let us know and connect with fellow writers! #amquerying #amwriting #writersky #writersofbsky #writersofbluesky

1 5

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · 2d

Overall, you have limited real estate when it comes to your pitch. Make it count. If you have a question, find a way to rephrase it into a statement that causes intrigue instead. #writersofbluesky #writersofbsky

1 1

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · 2d

"Will they survive xyz?"
I mean, yeah. Probably. Where do we go from here? Where's the intrigue?

If it's an open-ended question, you risk repeating the same type of questions agents see over and over again. "What does it mean to be human?" "How will she deal with her grief?" #amwriting

1 1

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · 2d

Sometimes this comes down to personal preference. I don't like questions at all in queries, no matter how they're crafted. Some people don't mind. But overall, it's a general 'no' and the reason is simple:

If you're asking a yes or no question, you give the reader nowhere to go from there.

1 1

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · 2d

Had an amazing time at a conference this weekend and came away with my brain full of things to mull over and share.

One thing, that I also keep seeing: Questions in a query letter. Yay or Nay?

Answer: nay
Real Answer: It depends. But usually nay. #writingcommunity #amquerying #writersky

1 3 7

Reposted by Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈

Revise & Resub @reviseresub.bsky.social · 2d

THIS FRIDAY!!! Are you excited, #RevPit?! If you're gearing up to enter RevPit #10Queries, here's everything you need:

⭐Complete query letter
⭐First 5 pages of manuscript

The query and first 5 pages will need to be uploaded to the form in one document and should be a standard manuscript format

3 22 42

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · 9d

So excited for #RevPit #10Queries

I love diving into queries and seeing what everyone's working on 😍

1 1 4

Reposted by Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈

Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 21d

There are a couple of great sales of my books going on this month in the UK!

Audible has THE LAST HOUR BETWEEN WORLDS (with incredible narration by Moira Quirk!) at £3.99! www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Last-...

And the Kindle edition of THE OBSIDIAN TOWER is 99p! www.amazon.co.uk/Obsidian-Tow...

Audio cover for THE LAST HOUR BETWEEN WORLDS

1 9 26

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · 22d

And if you're looking for community, join @reviseresub.bsky.social for our #10Queries event in October! Not only could you get feedback, but also connect with a ton of other writers 💖

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · 22d

I can't emphasize enough how important community is in #writing. I was stuck and feeling insecure about my writing, and one of my groups helped me identify the problem and level up my writing, AND boost my motivation

Make writing friends!! Make connections!! That's so important!! #writingcommunity

2 1 7

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · 26d

Reposted by Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈

Revise & Resub @reviseresub.bsky.social · 26d

🎉We're baaacckk!!!🎉

RevPit's #10Queries October event opens for submissions October 10!

#amwriting #writersky #writersofbluesky

1 28 60

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · Sep 1

I recommend looking up books within the last five years that are in your genre, either in Google or Publisher’s Marketplace, and finding those with similarities in theme, plot, character, etc.

Finding time to read books in your genre is good practice beyond comp titles, though.

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · Sep 1

Comps don't have to be hard. Curious to know more about how comp titles work and how to find the right ones? There's a blog for that! #amwriting #amquerying #writingcommunity

www.madheditorial.com/blog/comp-ti...

Comp Titles: Everything You Need to Know — MadHope Editorial

Everything you need to know about comp titles for your book when querying or pitching, including examples.

www.madheditorial.com

1 2 4

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · Sep 1

3. It shows YOU know your stuff!

Having accurate comp titles shows you've done the research and know your book's potential fan base and where it fits in the market. This is a great quality to have for not only the one book, but for a long-term partnership.

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · Sep 1

2. Shows possible popularity

Choosing comps is tricky, because you don't want to choose something too big or oversaturated like GoT or LOTR. But strong, current titles can show how successful your book *could* be. Potential is a very strong tool

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · Sep 1

1. Shows where your book could fit in the market

For your agent, they want to know if they can sell your book. Aka, is there a market for it? By showing similar titles, you're saying, "hey, there's clearly a market for this book and editors are interested!"

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · Sep 1

Reasons comps are necessary: a thread 🧵
#amquerying #amwriting #writersky
Seeing lots of doubts and confusion surrounding comp titles and whether they're necessary, so here's why agents (and editors!) need them:

1 3 6

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · Aug 22

I feel that 😅

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · Aug 22

This is great, thank you!!

1 1

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · Aug 22

Psst drop your favorite queer indie authors 👇👀 #booksky #writersky #indieauthors

8 13 13

Reposted by Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈

#DVpit - Diverse Voices Pitch @dvpit.bsky.social · Aug 21

📣Official #DVPit Rules & Guidelines are LIVE📣

Please go to dvpit.carrd.co for our official rules & guidelines!

Any official announcements will ALWAYS be made here, Discord, or dvpit.carrd.co ONLY*

#DVPit will be Oct 8, 2025 from 8AM ET-8PM ET!

*No other website or URL represents us or our event!

DVpit

pitch event for creators from marginalized communities.

dvpit.carrd.co

1 55 94

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · Aug 21

Not to be a big nerd, but I love editing 🥰 #amediting #writersky

1 8

Madelyn is ✨Editing✨🌈 @madelynknecht.bsky.social · Aug 18

#PosterPitAwards Most intriguing concept!
bsky.app/profile/rowa...

Rowan Brighton Brown @rowanbrightonbrown.bsky.social · Aug 16

With their attempts at coming out repeatedly thwarted and the attempts on their life getting more and more serious, Andy realizes they’re being stalked by their pre-transition doppelganger—and she won’t stop until she’s taken the life they thought they’d left behind
#PosterPit #YA #H #AG

1 1