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Tiffany, I thought this might interest you. I find the stats encouraging! Jane Friedman (maybe you already follow her) is an industry expert (who has a fantastic paid newsletter) and has just looked at this question. Of debut authors (fiction and non) in the US, she found that about 38% of deals were made with people who had “visibility within or connections to the traditional publishing community, [but] rarely online visibility.” Over 20% of people landing agented book deals “didn't appear to have an MFA degree, [weren't] actively publishing, didn't have awards/grants, didn't work in the publishing industry or media industry, and did not have any notable online presence that would have led to a book deal.” Only a tiny sliver - looks like about 1% - of book deals went to online content creators or influencers. Here's the post on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/C_0s7mYAMKp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading

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I actually just read that article! I love Jane Friedman. She has so much industry knowledge. I actually had a chance to attend an in-person event with her in June.

You seem like such a kindred spirit! Any chance you are in the NYC area? I’ll be there in October for a few days. It would be nice to meet you face-to-face. 😊

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It would be wonderful to meet, but I'm in Toronto. Maybe another opportunity will come up. My copy of Theo of Golden just arrived! I might put it in a pile I'm starting to create for books to read while recuperating from spine surgery - not that I know when that will be yet, probably a few months away.

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How lovely…let me know what you think of it after you’ve read it. I’m sorry about spine surgery, however. That sounds daunting!

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Thank you for sharing this. I'm definitely going to check out Theo of Golden. The world needs books and writers like this now more than ever. I'm in a somewhat similar situation as you. I'm working on my second draft of a literary historical novel with a love story and I'm hoping I can write it to glorify our Maker while appealing to a wider audience too. Thank you for sharing your journey too.

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Thank you for commenting, Kieran. Historical fiction, yet another genre I’m interested in trying as a writer! What is the setting of your novel? I truly hope your work can bridge audiences…wouldn’t that be lovely?

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I truly hope the same for your novel. My novel is set over multiple timelines. It's present day is 1947 Cape Breton Island, Canada and England. The multiple timelines include flashbacks in 1935, 1942, and wartime 1944 in Canada and overseas. My very pitchy hook is: A brokenhearted WWII soldier living in Canada decides to embark on a quest to find his lost British love. His only clue? A rare poetry book.

I think I came across you in The Wallflower Journal. I can't remember what I googled at the time, but I'm glad to have found you.

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Ooohh. I like your hook. You had me at lost love and poetry. I look forward to reading it.

Yes, I’ve written a few things for Wallflower. I’d love to do more but Substack, school, and my manuscript have been keeping my writing load heavy. I’m glad we’ve connected. I truly look forward to engaging with your work.

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Thanks, Tiffany. I look forward to learning more about your book. Please keep sharing your experiences. You're inspiring me to consider getting back to writing a blog, but it still feels a little daunting just now.

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So very honest and lovely. I believe perhaps God is calling you to be a Theo in your writing journey...extending His hand to those who might not reach for it another way. I know you will hone in on God's purpose and it will be AMAZING! I'm here for it!! Cheering you on!❤️

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I know you are, friend. I’m so grateful for your encouragement. ❤️❤️

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