Yesterday, I returned home from a week-long writing retreat in Edinburgh, Scotland with 17 other girls from my in-person NYC writing group, affectionately called “Witsy” (aka WITC aka Writers in the City). There has been no shortage of social media posts about this once-in-a-lifetime trip, and either sorry or you’re welcome but there will be A LOT MORE. I’m still processing what a beautiful experience it was, but I wanted to write up a Substack diary entry documenting each of the days on the trip while it’s still fresh in my mind so I’ll be able to remember it forever

Background

I’m not going to go into the extensive planning that went into organizing this trip, but I wanted to shoutout all of the WITC girls who put in so much time, effort, and love to turn what started as a pipe dream trip into something REAL. We formed committees, shared a plethora of documents and spreadsheets in our shared drive, and had to don our most Type A hats to make this happen, and I’m so glad we did. Being extra pays off, friends!!!

The Trip

Day One - Monday

After a wild day of travel (I flew from a bachelorette party in Minnesota to Montreal, then had a red-eye to Edinburgh after a 4-hour layover), I landed in Scotland bright and early on Monday! Several of the girls in the group arrived at the airport around the same time in the morning, so we Ubered together to our stay for the week.

A MOMENT FOR DRYLAW HOUSE:

The mansion we secured for the week was absolutely stunning—right in the heart of Edinburgh with easy access to downtown, the airport, and surrounding towns. A massive, massive thank you to Drylaw House for our wonderful stay. You can find more information about staying here yourself at this site:

https://drylawhouse.com/

After checking in early, we went to Old Town in Edinburgh and explored. Some of the group did a tour of the castle, others broke off to find places to write. I ended up at an outdoor bar called Kick Ass (of course) with an insane view of the castle and an absolutely fire playlist (Miranda Cosgrove included). Some of the girls joined me and we wrote and chatted over beers and suspiciously large nachos.

The red-eye flights had us all exhausted, so after spending several hours at Kick Ass, a couple of us did a quick grocery run and stopped to pick up dinner at Nando’s before heading back to the house. (I literally cannot NOT think of Niall Horan whenever I think of Nando’s)

We ate and chatted in the “drawing room” of Drylaw for most of that evening. This front room of the house served as our informal meeting spot every day; while everyone had their own plans and schedules, you could almost always find someone in the drawing room, either writing or brainstorming or just talking. Words were written here, gossip was exchanged here, drinking games were played here. Definition of girlhood, IMO.

I knocked out early on Monday night in the Tulip Room with my lovely roomies Emily, Trang, and Sam. Missing our late night chats and slumber parties already!

Day Two - Tuesday

Tuesday started out strong as a lock-in day. I knew I wanted to find a balance between writing and enjoying my vacation when I planned my personal schedule for the trip, so this morning was one of my dedicated writing times. I’m a morning writer anyway, and I love giving myself incentives to “earn” to motivate my writing. We had very fun plans lined up for Tuesday night, so I was extra dedicated to getting a solid amount of words on the page.

Trang, Sam, and I went to a café in Stockbridge called Fortitude and got these gorgeous lattes to support our lock in. Emily joined us, and when we felt we’d been productive enough, we went to a nearby spot called PHO & ROLL for a much-needed pho lunch.

I was still feeling the red-eye effects, so went back to the house after for a nap while they continued to write. I consider myself a master napper, and after a well-timed 30 minute cat nap, I felt refreshed and motivated to take more advantage of being in the city. The iconic Dean Village was only a 2.5 mile trek from the house, so I found a nearby rail trail and jogged there.

Tuesday night was one I had been highly anticipating: Lorde and Zara Larsson happened to be performing at an outdoor summer festival a 15 minute drive from our place, and as soon as I found this out months prior, I bought my ticket. We had SUCH a fun time getting ready together, “learning” the Lush Life dance, and taking pictures.

The concert itself was indescribable. It was a stunning summer night, and scream-singing to Supercut and Green Light and Royals with my friends in Scotland felt like a true My Life is a Movie moment. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Day Three - Wednesday

On Wednesday morning, I joined a lovely group of girls for a trip to a nearby coastal town called Dunbar! Liza, Catie, Alexis, Linda, Destini and I made our way to the train station and took a gorgeous trip with many sheep, cow, and hay bale spottings (hay bales, not sheep, iykyk). It was such a quaint and beautiful town with so many cute small businesses and homes. We met adorable Scottish dogs, smelled the sea breeze, and had lunch at a precious café called Wishing Tree by the Sea (c’mon, how cute is that).

Upon returning that afternoon, the picnic committee planned and executed a GORGEOUS picnic for us in the backyard of Drylaw. I have to give serious kudos to these girls, who took time out of their trips to shop and cook for us. Sofia even made a little easel and menu by hand (and sacrificed clothing space in her luggage to make the experience as aesthetically pleasing as possible—a true icon).

We’d planned two full group activities for the week knowing that it’d be tough to do things with all 18 of us together, and this picnic was the first of the two. It was so special to sit together and have sandwiches and sip wine and catch up on our lives, projects, and experiences in Scotland so far. I loved hearing about what everyone had been up to!

That night, a group of us went to a comedy show downtown. We were there during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, so I definitely wanted to embrace it!

Day Four - Thursday

Thursday morning I knew I needed to rest and lock in again after the busy day on Wednesday. I walked to a breakfast spot (called Brunchies—shoutout to Rachael for the rec!!) and grabbed a wrap to fuel my morning writing. It was another gorgeous day out, so I sat on the picnic tables in Drylaw’s backyard and had some rejuvenating solo time. I also got some words on the page in the drawing room with Catie!

By mid-afternoon, I was feeling the need to get up and going, so I decided to go on a jog to another attraction: the Royal Botanic Garden, which was only 2 miles away from the house. I popped on a podcast and walked through the beautiful gardens before making my way back to Drylaw; unfortunately, I chose the most inopportune time to go for the run because school had just let out and I found myself caught in a throng of Scottish schoolchildren lol. It took me a bit longer to get back to the house than I originally thought, but it was entertaining to witness a normal slice of life for these kids growing up on the other side of the pond!

Thursday evening, we had several items on the agenda. First, we made our way to Rare Birds Book Shop in Edinburgh, a wonderful independent bookstore stocking exclusively women writers. Liza had connected with the owner of Rare Birds, Rachel, a few months prior at a publishing event in NYC, and Rachel was kind enough to invite our group for a visit to the shop after hours! We talked a lot about her publishing journey and she gave some invaluable advice as authors. I bought her book, ANNIE KNOWS EVERYTHING, and she signed it for me. This was another major highlight of the trip!

After Rare Birds, I went with Rachael and Julia to a cozy cocktail bar called Last Word while we waited for our dinner reservations. This was a recommendation from two Scottish men on the street, and I’m so glad we got the info, because the place was so beautiful and the cocktails were delicious!

We met up with Trang, Emily, and Liza for a dinner reservation at a family-owned Italian spot called Little Capo. The food was fabulous—the baked trout and tiramisu were the standouts for me.

Lastly, I went with Julia, Rachael, Stef, and Destini to a live music spot I’d been SO eager to visit, Stramash. The venue is a former church that now features live bands every night until 3am, and after a lot of TikTok research, I knew I couldn’t miss it. It was SO MUCH FUN. Both bands we saw were fabulous and everyone was dancing and singing along. We chatted with some locals, had tequila shots, and stayed until around 1:30. I highly, highly recommend Stramash for anyone who loves to dance and is visiting Edinburgh!

Day Five - Friday

Our last full day in Edinburgh was Friday, and I knew I wanted to get more words on the page. Emily was kind enough to offer photography “office hours” in the morning, and after taking some pictures with the girls in the iconic pool room, I went with Liza, Sam, and Daniella to a café in Stockbridge for soup and sprints. We met up with Katie and Sneha while there and snagged the perfect long table tucked away to set up shop and work on our projects. Also, shoutout to Daniella for giving me half of her grilled cheese; I think that was the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had.

After writing, Sam and I met up with Emily at the iconic Waterstones in New Town with a gorgeous view of the castle. We found Trang a little while later and got pictures from an old-fashioned photobooth in an art gallery. We each got keychains and kept one of the pictures from the strip—a new prized possession!

Friday night was the second of the two group events we had planned—our final dinner. A big shoutout to the dinner committee here for another incredibly planned and executed event! They made a delicious meal for us to enjoy in the large Drylaw dining room. We ate together, then did individual champagne toasts if anyone had someone on the trip they wanted to shoutout for helping with the trip/writing projects/etc.

Then we danced the night away to a rotation of Disney Channel top hits and played some final drinking games in the drawing room before turning in for the evening. Several of us had early flights out the next morning, but I never wanted the night to end. There was magic in the air the whole week, but especially that last night, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how grateful I was for the experience.

Final Thoughts

Before the trip, I’d been overwhelmed by the thought of traveling in a group of 18, but I can honestly say that it was one of my favorite aspects of the experience and truly what made it work. Everyone had different schedules and plans, but there were always people who were down to join whatever I had in mind! I loved being able to catch up with different friends during different periods of the trip. We joked that it was like a college dorm; I’d pass people in the kitchen or on the staircase and we’d catch up quickly about where we’d been and where we were going.

We lucked out SO MUCH with the weather. I didn’t have to use my umbrella a single time while we were there! It was so sunny and warm. Thank you Edinburgh for the gorgeous welcome <3

A trip like this required so much time and planning, and because of all of the effort everyone put in up front, it was an absolute success. While we’re posting about all of the fun stuff online, it took WORK to put it together. So worth it, but if you’re planning a similar writing retreat, I highly recommend putting the up-front effort in so that it pays off when you’re there.

To my Witsy crew, thank you all for the trip of a lifetime. Same time again next year??

xoxoxo

Katie

It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for! Without further ado, here is the STUNNING BEAUTIFUL JAW-DROPPING cover for my debut reality TV romcom, WORTH PLAYING FOR (and read on for insights into how this cover came to life!):

I mean, LOOK AT IT!!! It’s the absolute cover of my dreams. The colors! The camera! The crossed fingers behind her back!

The team behind this cover did an incredible job. Credits to the following artists!

• Art director: Jeanne Reina

• Illustrator: Chris Ede (IG: @chrisedestudio)

• Cover designer: Aniella Pettingill (IG: @anniella.vict)

You can pre-order WORTH PLAYING FOR now!!!

Preorder on Amazon

Preorder at B&N

Preorder at Bookshop.org

Additional Links at PRH Page

You can also add WORTH PLAYING FOR on Goodreads!

WORTH PLAYING FOR Goodreads Page

Now let’s talk the cover design process!

Step 1 - The Inspiration Powerpoint

In mid-February, my editor emailed me to say the team at Dell was beginning conversations about cover concepts, and she wanted to get my thoughts on what a “dream cover” would look like. Because I have approximately zero chill, I created a PowerPoint with my dream vision.

Below is what I sent back to my editor (with the spoiler-y info redacted!)

(redacting the covers I don’t like slide because I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum and everyone has different preferences <3)

Step 2 - The Black and White Sketches

My editor sent me an email with the first set of sketches in late April. I can’t share the actual sketches I received, but I got four very different designs. They each had their merits; in some, I liked how the characters were positioned, others I liked specific elements in the background and foreground.

I definitely had details that I didn’t like from each of the designs, too, but this was helpful in narrowing down the specific vision. Wendy and I discussed our ideas back and forth in an email chain until we were satisfied with the direction to give the art team before they embarked on creating color versions of our chosen design.

Here are a few of the suggestions I made:

Step 3 - The Color Sketches

I received a set of illustrated covers in early July based on the specifications we gave after the sketches. While I had an idea of what to expect in these iterations because of the previous round, nothing could have prepared me for seeing a more developed version of my book cover.

It was so thrilling to see the title, my name, the characters with the hair colors and clothing colors I’d written them with, and several of the surrounding elements (like the coconut, Polaroid camera, notebook, and torches) brought to life, and I’m in love with the vibrant, maximalist illustration style.

This round, I had six different versions to choose from, though they were quite similar to one another. Only small elements differed, like the placement of the title, tagline, and overall composition (in some of the versions, there wasn’t the “cut out” look of the main image, which I realized quickly was my favorite).

Again, Wendy and I exchanged thoughts on which ones stood out most to us and why, which elements we would swap among the different versions, and if there were any final details to include. I suggested adding the camera and microphone, because I wanted the cover to really convey the reality TV aspect of the story, rather than coming across to a casual bookstore browser as a deserted island/survival story. I’m so happy with how they turned out, and so grateful to the art team at Dell for working with my vision!

Step 4 - The Final Cover

A few weeks later, Wendy sent me an email with the final illustrated cover—the one you saw above! As soon as I opened the image, I knew we had it. It was perfect. So in line with the elements I’d expressed my love for in my initial Powerpoint:

I’ve been posting these two emojis with nearly every WORTH PLAYING FOR-related social post: 🧡🏝️. The fact that my cover is now so fitting for the vision I’ve always had for it feels so full-circle and fulfilling.

I am so honored to be able to share this with you all, and BEYOND excited to hold this book in my hands!

Thanks to everyone who has been along for the WPF ride, every step of the way. There’s so much more to come :)

xoxo 🧡🏝️

Katie

This has been such a busy season of life for me, and I only know it’s going to get busier next year—releasing my debut novel and getting married in the same year is going to be an ADVENTURE and I’m looking forward to every minute of it. I am so grateful for everything I have going on, but I’ve definitely had to get strategic with my time, especially when it came to managing certain tight deadlines during this process of editing my debut novel. I work a 9 to 5, and I’m not the kind of person who has the easiest time saying no to social plans (resulting from a sweet, sweet concoction of extroversion, FOMO, and the unrelenting desire to people-please), so some weeks this year have been… a lot. And I would never ask for anything different.

So, with that being said, let’s chat about the process of editing my debut novel, WORTH PLAYING FOR, which sold in a two-book pre-empt deal to Bantam Dell, an imprint of Penguin Random House. I must also give the necessary disclaimer that no two editing processes are exactly the same; there’s been a lot of discussion in the 2027 debut group about timelines, number of editing rounds, deadlines, etc. and if I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s that publishing is the opposite of one size fits all.

Edit Round 1 - Developmental

I got my first official edit letter on Saturday, November 1, when I was in the midst of deep cleaning my apartment in preparation for a Halloween party I was hosting that evening. Whenever I get an email that’s in any way remotely related to publishing, I tend to drop everything to read it. When the Gmail notification came through, I set down my vacuum (to my cats’ pleasure and my fiance’s chagrin) and quickly navigated to the edit letter.

Everyone talks about that very distinct feeling authors get when they open up their first official edit letter. I liked to believe that I would be the exception to the rule, that I would read through the document with clear eyes and a full heart and be nothing but excited about the edits to come! I’m Team Editing over Team Drafting, after all.

Reader, I was not the exception to the rule. I scrolled through my edit letter, saw the amount of work I’d have to do, and decided that maybe I did want to continue vacuuming after all. When the party was over and I was (mostly) recovered the following Sunday afternoon, I decided to give the edit letter a thorough read through.

The initial shock had subsided, helped also by the fact that I’d heard so many tales about the fear and panic that hits upon opening htat first letter. I was able to better digest my editor’s (incredible) notes. Though I still knew I had my work cut out for me, I felt more prepared to come up with a game plan.

Step one of the game plan: breathe.

I didn’t do anything tangible with the edits for the next few days. I took some time to think through them and see what ideas came to me. After I felt I’d had proper time to orient myself in brainstorming mode, I opened up a Brain Dump Document (I should probably copyright this phrase, given how often I use it) and let the ideas spill. I went through my edit letter bullet point by bullet point, and wrote down absolutely anything that came to mind. I find this to be such a great exercise to see what thoughts stick; often, I’d write down three or four different solutions to a suggested dev edit, and then I’d highlight the one that felt best. I spent several days on this dump document before opening up the word document with my manuscript.

Once I had a more solid idea of the changes I actually wanted to employ to address my edits, I went through my manuscript in chronological order and left in-line comments for myself on where I could integrate the changes. I cross referenced with my dump document until I felt that everything had its correct spot, even if that meant rearranging scenes, deleting scenes, or adding new scenes entirely.

From there, I got to work on the writing! It felt so strange to be putting net new words into a document that was already on draft seven (I think?? I can’t keep track anymore). But because I’d spent so much intentional time thinking through these edits before diving in, I was able to feel so much more confident about the creative decisions I was making.

While I won’t specify the exact edits I made (sorry, no spoilers, I guess you’ll just have to buy my book…), here is an idea of some of the developmental notes I was asked to address:

• Strengthening character backstory + motivations

• Upping the stakes

• Addressing a certain very important plot point to make it more believable

• Fleshing out the epilogue

• Tightening pacing

I handed this round of edits back to my editors on December 14th.

Timeline for round 1: 11/1/25 - 12/14/25

Edit Round 2 - Developmental (Part 2)

Some authors I’ve spoken to don’t have to do a second developmental round. Some barely have to do a first round! But I received a second round of primarily developmental notes on Saturday, Feb 7. This edit letter was much shorter than the first, but still had some overarching plot/character notes that needed to be addressed. A part of me felt insecure, honestly, that I needed to do another dev round while so many authors seemed to have aced theirs the first time. But, I reframed my thinking: a second dev round didn’t mean that I didn’t do well the first time. It just meant there was even more room to grow, and I appreciated how diligent and thoughtful my editors were with my work. I was excited to dive back in!

Something worth mentioning—in the months between turning in round one and receiving round two, I had an utter lightbulb moment: I needed to change the ending. Not in any significant, plot-altering way, but in a way that would give my main character more agency and add so much depth to the primary relationship in the story. I’d emailed my editors with this idea, proposing the change in the next round, and they got back to me and said they completely agreed with this new plan. I was relieved to hear that, because once that idea stuck in my head, I knew there would be absolutely no way to get it back out.

So! I got to work on the next dev edit round. Like I said, this was a bit leaner than the first, and I followed the same process (dump doc → in-line comments → chronological edits) as round one. I handed this round back on Monday, March 9.

Notes I addressed this round:

• Deepening my male main character

  • I did this by “interviewing” him and writing answers to deep life questions in his POV; it helped me get inside his head and really nail down his flaws and motivations

• Upping the tension throughout

• Tightening the word count

• Employing my ending change!

Timeline for round 2: 2/7/26 - 3/9/26

Edit Round 3 - Line Edits

I was surprised to find that this was my most intensive edit round, even more so than the first. I think this had a lot to do with the tight deadline—I had two weeks to get these done. I received the round of edits on Friday, May 15 and had to return them by the 29th.

In this round, my editors had left in-line comments using tracked changes throughout my manuscript. Many of these edits were insertions/deletions that were easy to review and accept, but I also had several comments to address broader scene questions. There were certain logic and pacing issues I had to address, some continuity errors, and some requests to re-word certain sentences or paragraphs based on whether they were repetitive, overwritten, etc.

I really had to hunker down to get these edits done. As I said, I have a hard time turning down plans, even though I know writing is my second job and I need to dedicate the proper time to it. Previously, I was able to strategically plan my days so that I could write in the mornings when I had plans after work, write extra on the weekends during busy weeks, etc. But for this edit round, I had to dedicate essentially all of my free time to writing. I’d wake up early, write at lunch, and write after work. It was definitely not for the faint of heart, but when I was finished with those two weeks, I was so proud of the work I’d put in. The last thing I wanted to do was to rush through the edits and not feel completely confident in the output. Though I was exhausted when I sent the edits back on May 28th, I was so satisfied with the result. There was no better feeling than receiving an email from my editor after that confirmed her satisfaction, too:

Timeline for round 3: 5/15/26 - 5/28/26

Edit Round 4 - Copyedits

This was the round I just finished up! And I actually had so much fun doing it. Copyedits itch a very specific part of my Type-A brain. I loved receiving the style sheet, where all of the brand names and famous people I’d mentioned were listed. My copyeditor wrote up a little character chart, including the order in which each of the contestants on the reality show in my book were eliminated.

These went by pretty quickly for me! There were a lot of grammar/punctuation notes to address, as well as some continuity errors, lapses of logic, and areas where I was repeating myself way too often without realizing (who knew I could include that many instances of “raised brows”!)

I received these on July 15, and turned them back in on July 27.

Timeline for round 4: 7/15/26 - 7/27/26

And now I’m waiting for the next round—pass pages! I get to see my manuscript formatted like an actual book, and I cannot wait.

I also have some very exciting things in store for next week, so stay tuned—and subscribe here if you want to be one of the first to see the final (gorgeous, stunning, amazing) cover for WORTH PLAYING FOR!

WORTH PLAYING FOR blurb:

A woman begrudgingly takes her identical twin sister’s place on a reality competition show, but there’s more than money at stake when she fakes a strategic relationship with another contestant—her first love—in this thrilling debut romance.

Willa was never supposed to have the adventure. That path was Bernie’s—the golden child and not the twin dealing with a quarter-life crisis while working at Sip & Scrab, their family’s struggling board game cafe. But when Bernie can no longer compete on Rival Isle, a new reality survival show, Willa must secretly take her place in hopes of winning the million-dollar prize. Spending four weeks on a deserted island competing against total strangers is her literal nightmare, but she’ll do anything to save the cafe from bankruptcy.

Her concerns of passport fraud and sleeping in the sand are soon forgotten when she comes face to face, as Bernie, with fellow competitor Noel, the man who broke her heart eight years ago. But she needs to play smart, and upon learning that they’ll need to appeal to their rivals and at-home voters to stay in the game, the two form an alliance and on-screen-only romance. After all, who doesn’t love a love story?

Between underwater endurance challenges, double-crossing elimination ceremonies, and never-ending meals of coconuts and rice, Willa unlocks a side of herself that’s long been buried. But as she reconnects with Noel under the mask of Bernie, it becomes harder to distinguish what’s real and what’s for the game. Caught between the tides of public perception and private longing, Willa must ask herself: Are her feelings really just for show?

ANYWAY. Let’s get to what you came here for. Earlier today, I posted on my TikTok and Instagram accounts about the master planning doc I’ve been keeping for my debut novel, WORTH PLAYING FOR. You’ll be able to see the following screenshots in those posts (if you haven’t already), but I’m here to both re-explain what I use this document for and provide a template for you to create one for yourself (keep scrolling!)

While it may seem like a lot to keep track of, I do find maintaining this document to be worth the time and effort. I figure it could help my publicity and marketing team at Penguin Random House, but it can also help me personally—as self-marketing becomes more and more important for authors (particularly debuts!) this is an organized and easy way to store all resources and ideas I can tap into when I have the ability (and the spoons) to do so. So much of the debut publishing process can feel completely up to fate/out of my control, which isn’t always easy for me to accept (shoutout to my fellow writers with diagnosed OCD <3), and I’m always trying to find ways to harness my own influence and agency.

SO, without further ado, here is the breakdown for the planning document I keep for my debut novel, broken down by tab.

Tab 1 - Marketing & Publicity Ideas

As explained in the screenshot above, this first tab is where I keep a running list of all marketing & publicity ideas I think of that are related to my novel. Because WORTH PLAYING FOR is inspired by the show Survivor, several of my ideas are related to the show specifically or reality TV at large. I include all ideas on this tab—from achievable to “only in my wildest dreams”—because I figure you can’t get told “no” if you don’t at least ask. Plus, all ideas for my debut can be reused and repackaged for future novels if (please, oh please) I have more successes down the line.

Examples of things I include in this section:

• Media appearances (relevant podcasts, local news publications, on-screen news outlets, etc.)

  • If your dream is to be on Good Morning America, why the hell not include it?? It may never happen, but even showing your interest/comfortability in being interviewed on a national outlet could be helpful to your M&P team

• PR Package/Incentives (goodies like on-theme bookmarks, stickers, notes, character art, etc.)

• Social Media Pushes (online campaigns you envision leading up to the publication of your novel that your M&P might be able to help with)

• Brand Partnerships (are there any brands/companies that have something niche in common with your book?)

• In-Person Events (upcoming conferences, festivals, speaking events, etc. that you could attend and talk about your book)

Tab 2 - Personal Contacts

On this tab, I include the names, contact information, and relationship description for all of the personal and professional contacts I’ve made over my years of going to college, interning, and working in full-time positions.

I included names that have associations with certain publications that may help promote my book, connections who have a wide reach/following, and some general media contacts who might have contacts themselves that could somehow contribute to the promotion of my book.

Here, I definitely incorporated connections that I may not have been in contact with for a while, but I figured it’s better to include them than not. I trust my M&P team to know who would be most helpful to contact, and I’m here to provide as much information to them as I can.

Tab 3 - Potential ARC List

This is SUCH an important tab and one that I am most consistently updating. This potential ARC list is ever-changing and ever-evolving, depending on the interactions I have both online and in-person with potential readers.

ARCs of my debut novel will be available in the coming months, so in the meantime, I’m compiling a list of those I think will be most relevant to send to (and most receptive to reading/reviewing based on the interest I’ve received!) I make a note of accounts that comment and interact on my posts about my book, and note what these accounts have said for future reference. This is a list that is MUCH easier to consistently keep rather than having to go in and hunt down all of the contacts in one fell swoop.

I also include a list of influencers with high potential reach who have shown interest in either Survivor specifically or reality TV at large. For example, there was a “Survivor Influencer Experience” that aired recently in tandem with the historic 50th season of Survivor, and I noted down the names of influencers who’d participated, because they all had proven reach AND a proven interest in the show.

Tab 4 - Potential Blurb Requests

I am SO grateful for the writing community. Seriously. There is nothing like a group of people coming together to support one another in our shared passion. It's been such a privilege to connect with other published or soon-to-be published authors on social media and at in-person events. While I would never expect these authors to blurb my debut novel, I find it useful to keep track of who I’ve interacted with, what they’ve written, how we know one another, etc. for when the time comes to request blurbs.

This section of my document includes both personal connections (which I’ve marked off specifically and described my connection) and dream blurbers, who are authors I’ve always admired and would probably spontaneously combust if they were to read and provide a comment about my book.

I shot for the stars with some of these, but again I say: they can only say no if you first ask.

Tab 5 - Dream Readers

This is definitely the most “shoot my shot” tab of them all, but again I ask, why the hell not?? In this tab, I included a list of celebrities who have expressed that they are fans of Survivor and previous Survivor contestants who I either have some miniscule connection with OR have expressed online their interest in reading.

In addition to just being fun to put together, this tab is a good way to dream big and remind myself that I’m doing the damn thing!!! Even if these celebs/contestants are unreachable in the marketing and publicity phase, they’re still human people who could walk into an independent bookstore or a Barnes & Noble and find WORTH PLAYING FOR on the shelf. That, in itself, is a dream. And I’m a big fan of dreaming big, because….

WHY. THE HELL. NOT??

Further Additions

This document is always growing, and in the future I plan to add tabs for:

• Indie bookstores I’ve been in contact with/want to get in contact with

• A schedule of in-person events I could attend in either a professional or non-professional capacity

• A more robust schedule of personal marketing and publicity as I approach closer to my pub date

Template

If you would find it useful to create a document like this for yourself (which may be the only reason you came here and, if so, I don’t blame you—but would love if you subscribed to my newsletter!!!!), here is the document you can create a copy of to make a version for yourself and your book. I am always here to answer any questions, and you can find me on TikTok and Instagram at @katiegwrites.

Novel Planning Document Template

Us authors are in this together, and I wish you the best of luck with your publishing process!

<3 Katie

So, let’s get into it!

In my HIGMA post, I gave my writerly backstory, beginning with my birth. Well, not quite, but you get the picture: I’ve been writing since I was a child and began taking the craft more seriously when I graduated college in 2020 and needed something beyond binge-watching entire Survivor seasons to fill my unemployed days (though, I guess all the Survivor watching ended up working out in my favor). Fast forward to the beginning of 2025, and I was finishing up the fourth draft of my fifth full manuscript, a rom-com inspired by Survivor and The Parent Trap, then titled RIVAL ISLE.

I talk more in my HIGMA post about signing with my lovely agent (shoutout to Aurora!) in March and, at the time of writing, I was working through my first round of developmental edits Aurora had given me before going on submission to editors at publishing houses.

Now, let’s pick up where that story ends and this one begins. Here, I’m imagining the opening scene of Shrek 2—I’ve just finished the storybook recap, and now we’re zooming into the scene of Prince Charming racing through the forest on his white stallion (which, in this scenario, is finishing my edits going on submission—which I felt was as exciting as riding through a forest on a white stallion).

Going on Submission

After three rounds of edits with my agent (one big developmental edit, and two smaller rounds of line-level edits + word count cutting), we decided in late June of 2025 that my book, fka RIVAL ISLE and now known as WORTH PLAYING FOR, was ready for submission! My book baby was about to be birthed into the world of publishers inboxes! I was terrified and exhilarated.

Before the official day we went out on sub, my agent sent me my sub letter and sub list of editors in advance. She made it clear this could be a collaborative effort—if I had any agents I’d connected with via social media or otherwise, I could let her know and we could work them into our submission list. At a writing conference a few months prior, two of my writing friends (shoutout Lex and Allissa!) spoke with an editor about the pitch for my book, knowing she had worked with similar stories in the past. We put this editor on my sub list along with several other incredible editors across various romance-leaning Big Five imprints, and on June 26, Aurora confirmed WPF was on submission!

This was such a fun time to go out on sub, because I was on my way to a writing retreat with some close friends in Virginia, and we got to celebrate embarking on this new and exciting part of my publishing experience. We watched Love Island, drank strawberry margaritas, played the “We’re Not Really Strangers” card game, and basked in the togetherness—I felt so grateful to have met these ladies through our shared love for writing.

I wasn’t expecting to hear back from editors for a while after we went on sub. It was the middle of the summer and the Fourth of July holiday was the following weekend. Aurora and I had established the cadence of monthly updates, meaning I would receive a round-up of editor responses on a pre-determined date so that I could brace myself for the rejections. Because, of course, if there was good news, Aurora would email or call me ahead of time. So, I strapped into the rollercoaster that is submission, my body already familiar with the dramatic ups and downs of the querying rollercoaster. If only you could take Dramamine for the publishing industry.

But, to my immense surprise, I heard back from Aurora before my first monthly round-up date. I joke with Aurora that her name in my email inbox is like a shot of dopamine, so I’m often emailing her random publishing-world questions. I’d emailed her an unrelated question on the morning of July 7th, to which she responded:

DOT DOT DOT? SMILEY FACE?

Cue me losing my absolute mind. I was home at my parent’s house after the Fourth of July weekend (also during Prime Week, which is one of the busiest weeks of the year at my day job) and I remember sitting up stick straight and saying to my mom, “WHY WOULD AURORA SEND ME A DOT DOT DOT SMILEY FACE?”

I also had to go onto a work meeting a few minutes after receiving this email, and my face in the Microsoft Teams box probably looked like the definition of “lights on, no one’s home.”

The next email that hit my inbox was the biggest shot of dopamine Aurora could have ever given me:

WHAT IS THIS LIFE???

We scheduled the call with Wendy—the editor my friends had spoken to at the conference!!—for Wednesday of that same week. My family went out to dinner for my mom’s birthday that night and I ate my baklava in utter bliss.

Having an Editor Call

I was a nervous WRECK the next 48 hours leading up to my call with Wendy. What if I couldn’t sell myself to her? What if I didn’t know how to answer her questions? What if I forgot how to speak entirely?

I gathered up all of the advice that I could from my lovely writing friends (shoutout to the train for keeping me sane) and Aurora helped me prep a ton, too. She reassured me that it was an introductory call for me and Wendy to get to know one another a bit more and discuss my book. Aurora had also sent a few pitch ideas I had for another book ahead of the conversation, per Wendy’s request.

On the evening of the call, I was sweating in a way that can only be described as diabolical. In the few minutes before logging onto the Zoom, I used my lucky pen and wrote encouraging messages to myself in my notebook—a habit I picked up when I was taking agent calls, and one that has been SO helpful in grounding myself before an important moment like this one.

The call went spectacularly. Immediately, Wendy made me feel so comfortable. She told me she loved hearing about my book from my friends and that she’d stayed up until 3am reading it when it hit her inbox. We geeked out about our shared love for board games (which play a significant role in WORTH PLAYING FOR) and bonded over having attended the same college. She talked through some edit ideas she had for my book, all of which really resonated with me, and we also talked through the pitches Aurora had sent along for whatever book I’d write next.

The time flew, we talked for almost an hour, and before I knew it, I was logging off of the call with soggy armpits and absolute euphoria pumping through me. This was a PROFESSIONAL CALL with a PROFESSIONAL EDITOR at a BIG FIVE PUBLISHING HOUSE and we were giggling over my characters and dreaming up possibilities for how the story could evolve. I couldn’t believe my luck.

The (Excruciating) Wait

After the call on Wednesday, I lived in a constant state of nearly-ripping-my-hair-out-of-my-scalp. I am not the most patient person (SO glad publishing as my passion, am I right??), so I was going mad trying to figure out what the silence between my call with Wendy and the next time we would hear from her meant. I think I read every single reddit post I could find about calls with editors, the success rate for making it through second reads/acquisitions, when certain imprints had acquisition meetings, etc.

My lovely, lovely brain is so fond of convincing me that when something good happens, it will immediately be followed by something bad. I have SUCH a hard time getting my hopes up about things, only for my expectations not to be met, leaving my soul crushed. Getting a book deal has been my life’s dream for as long as I can remember, and I had such a hard time believing that this could be it. This could really happen.

Then, on Thursday, I got an email from Aurora:

WHY OF COURSE YOU CAN!!!! IN FACT I WOULD WELCOME IT.

I picked up her call within the first half-second of my phone ringing, and Aurora informed me that Wendy was pre-empting my book.

SAY WHAT??

My brain short-circuited. I actually hit record on my computer’s photobooth app to record my response to the call (for posterity, as one does), and you can see my shock:

Aurora talked me through the different options we had, and explained that the deadline we were given was the following Monday. It was a bit looser than some 24-hour or 48-hour deadlines that pre-empts can come with, but given that it was the summer and that publishing houses often take Summer Fridays, this was still a very tight turnaround. Regardless, I went into the weekend with the highest of spirits knowing that my call with Wendy went fabulously and I would be so lucky to sign with her.

The Deal

After a whirlwind Monday, Aurora closed the deal with Wendy and Bantam Dell. It was a two-book deal, which I am incredibly grateful for and excited about—it felt very validating that Wendy and Dell were eager not only to take a chance on WORTH PLAYING FOR, but to take a chance on whatever book I write next!

I celebrated with a sushi dinner with my fiancé Corey (we had also celebrated with sushi when I signed with Aurora in March, so it felt very full-circle) and then we had some friends over for cake, champagne, and a board game night (which also felt very fitting). Since then, my friends and family have been so supportive and excited for me, and I’ve felt such overwhelming gratitude over the past few months. It is so thrilling to be able to celebrate a dream coming true with people who have been there for me and with me through it all!

In September, I was able to announce my deal publicly, which was another big milestone. I’ll never get over seeing my name in Publisher’s Marketplace, a site I’ve pored over for years, dreaming of the day I get to join the ranks of other authors who are achieving their life’s goals.

Also in the months since July, my incredible foreign rights team at Trident has helped me secure a UK deal with Penguin Michael Joseph, a Spanish language translation deal, and a Brazilian deal.

I also submitted my first round of developmental edits to my editors a week ago, and I am so excited about the direction WORTH PLAYING FOR is moving in and the evolution of the story to become the best possible iteration of itself.

Conclusion

If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for following along! I am feeling so beyond lucky, grateful, excited, and awed at what has happened in 2025, and I am hoping for another productive year in 2026.

A massive, massive thank you to everyone who has touched my writing/publishing journey thus far in some way. I wouldn’t be here without you all!!!!

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Is this thing on??

Hello, Substack! Long time listener, first time caller here.

It’s a Friday night, I’m full of pizza, and I’m working with one of those amazing (and rare) pockets of motivation that drove me to create both my author website (shameless plug for katiegwrites.com) and my first blog post at once. Will I crash halfway through writing this and not finish it until another pocket hits several weeks from now? Remains to be seen.

Until then—onward!

By way of introduction, I’m Katie. Freshly 27, Hoboken resident, cat mother, marketing manager, and aspiring author. I have pored over HIGMA posts for years, ever since I learned what they were (I remember thinking “what is a hig-ma and why do all of these writers have one”). I’ve always dreamed of the chance to write one myself, and after five years of writing, querying, crying, editing, and crying some more, I finally have the opportunity!

So. Let’s begin with the beginning. Buckle up, because the pizza is making me feel particularly verbose tonight.

My Birth (jk)

The classic author anecdote rings true for me: I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I’d staple a bunch of blank pieces of paper together and write stories for my friends during recess in elementary school, which resulted in some true masterpieces including Cats Know How to Build Sandcastles and The Family That Loved Pickles (my magnum opus, pictured below).

But, all creatives need a break, and after The Family That Loved Pickles, I needed to refill the creative well. For several years, apparently. We’ll just say I was “recharging” rather than getting caught up in all of the melodrama that high school and college has to offer. Despite not writing anything substantial during this time, the worms kept wriggling in my brain, and I itched to get back to my true passion.

Then came 2020. Graduating college in the thick of a worldwide pandemic is not exactly what I envisioned, and didn’t make it easy for me to find a full-time job right away. I moved back home with my parents, and after too much time bedrotting, bingeing full television seasons in a day, and posting TikToks that should never have seen the light, I decided I needed something to make me feel productive.

How convenient that my truest love and greatest passion didn’t require human interaction?

With a laptop, a dream, and likely a whipped coffee (iykyk), I got started on my first novel. It was a grounded fantasy that was far too complex for a novelist of my caliber, but it didn’t matter. I wrote my little heart out, and even though the story had no real structure and opened with a waking up scene (canon event), I DID IT. Writing “THE END” on the final page felt nothing short of euphoric. To cheesily quote my MC in my current project, I felt so inspired I probably could have discovered whether the chicken or the egg came first. Overcoming the hurdle of finishing a full-length novel for the first time was something I never thought I could achieve.

Since that point, I have yet to let up on the gas. It’s been full steam ahead for the past five years, and I’ve written five complete manuscripts. I wrote the grounded fantasy, a speculative thriller, a dystopian, a contemporary romance, and my latest is a romcom. Can you tell I’m a mood writer??

Okay, let’s get to the good stuff.

Querying pt 1

I didn’t query my first three novels. Well, I sent out, like, three queries for my fantasy, using comp titles like DIVERGENT and UGLIES (another canon event), but realized quickly it wasn’t strong enough. The next two I wrote felt very much like “for fun” books, where I could play around in the sandbox of my blank documents without pressure. I learned so much from these books, and they made me understand how true it is that writing is a skill that takes practice. The longer and more you do it, the better you’ll get.

Book four, my contemporary romance, was the first I really queried. This story is so special to me, and it’s the first time I finished and really felt like this could be it. This could be the one that gets me an agent! I prepped my query package and fired out a couple. When I got my first agent response, the fire instantly ignited in my gut. I needed more, more, more. More responses, more dopamine hits, more attention on my words. I sent queries to whoever represented my genre; in hindsight, I definitely should have done more research on the agents I was sending to. But the process was terrible and amazing and addicting. I sent out over a hundred queries, and even though I got a couple of bites, the rejections flowed.

The rejections hit HARD. I wasn’t prepared for how emotional I would feel! My poor boyfriend had to deal with the absolute rollercoaster of emotions. I started to go down that negative spiral I’m sure many writers can relate to: but if agents don’t want this one, will they ever want something I write? This is THE book.

Reader: it’s not always THE book. And that’s okay!!! You’ve heard this advice before, but I’m here to sound the bell like your local town crier: write. the. next. thing.

What truly pulled me out of the trenches (pun intended) was working on my next book. A little thing called RIVAL ISLE.

Okay… now let’s get to the good stuff? Sorry this is so long. The motivation is still churning through me, though. ONWARD!!!

Querying pt 2

The idea for an adult romantic comedy hit me one day as I was walking to the train station. The characters and basic plot materialized in my brain, a mix of Survivor and Love Island and The Parent Trap that was too fun to resist. I pitched it to my boyfriend at dinner that night and to my friends at brunch the next day—several mimosas later we were geeking about the potential and I knew I’d be abandoning the dystopian project I’d been outlining for a romp in Fiji.

I started the first draft in April 2024 and finished in August (after one grueling, 8k word day that had me questioning my sanity). Then, I proceeded to take a wrecking ball to this rough draft and completely change it from past tense to present tense. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT RECOMMEND lol. I also added an entirely new backstory; the first draft was not a second chance romance. This was the most intense editing process I’d ever done, and I didn’t stop there.

Enter the best CPs a girl could ask for: shoutout Aleshka, Katie, Isabelle, Makayla and Allissa! They read, commented, and helped make it EVEN BETTER. I took their notes into account and edited again. I am overwhelmingly lucky to also have an aunt who is a published author and creative writing professor (shoutout Aunt Jess!), and she also gave me incredible, thoughtful notes. By January 2025, I felt I’d sufficiently broken this book apart and pieced it back together in a better, funnier way.

OKAY NOW LET’S GET TO THE GOOD STUFF. I need a muzzle for my fingers.

HERE’S THE HIGMA PART I DIDN’T FALSE ADVERTISE I PROMISE I’M JUST A YAPPER

Up front, here are my querying stats, according to QT. Keep in mind, though, that several of these requests came POST offer. Let’s get into it!!

I sent my first query on January 21st. Similar to the first time around, once I got my first response, the fire ignited and I sent out more. I kept to agents who I felt very strongly about, and decided to query in small batches until I got interest. After my first few full requests came in, I decided to “spray and pray” as my writing friends call it—I was too hesitant to fully spray, so I called it “dust and trust.”

Of course, the rollercoaster delivered yet again on its promised ups and downs. I had a lot of low moments when particularly tough rejections wriggled in between my brain wrinkles and told me no one would want this, this book would also die in the trenches, maybe I’m not cut out for this, etc. But having such a supportive and lovely base of writing friends (something I didn’t have the first time I really dove into querying) helped me keep the faith. I sent more, got some more rejections, got some more requests, drank some more margaritas.

Then, on March 5, I got the email. I opened it when I was in the office at my day job and I gasped out loud. My sweet, supportive co-workers freaked out with me in our cubicle as I read the message from the agent: she’d stayed up until 1am reading my book and wanted to talk! And get this: she wanted to talk IN PERSON.

Consider me useless for the rest of the work day. For the rest of the week, really.

That email came in on a Wednesday, and we met for lunch in New York City that Friday. I was freaking out, texting my friends: “SHOULD I HUG HER OR SHAKE HER HAND” (I went with a handshake because I’m nothing if not professional).

We had an absolutely fabulous lunch. The conversation flowed so well, and she is just an incredible person. I came away from it with so much excitement and some cacio e pepe leftovers (that I accidentally left on the floor of the Union Square Barnes & Noble—I apologize to those workers). As is customary, I fired off my nudges to the other agents who had either my full or my query, and gave them my deadline, which we’d set for March 26.

The next 2.5 weeks were sheer madness. The responses poured in, and my fickle mind could not handle everything happening at once—both the good and the bad. It was both the most exciting and stressful time. I was lucky enough to have two more agents reach out for calls, which I took in the office during my lunch break while sweating through my clothes. These agents were also lovely, informed, and enthusiastic. I felt so grateful! What is this life!!!

By the time March 25 came around, I knew who I was prepared to sign with. The next day, I’d be signing a contract and popping the bottle of manifestation champagne I had chilling in the fridge. The jitters were finally starting to calm.

And then… another email. At 4:00pm, on the day before my deadline, I received an email from Aurora Fernandez. She said she saw my pitch on Instagram and asked around her agency to see if anyone else was already considering my work. I did originally have a partial out with another agent there who’d rejected due to time constraints. That agent sent my partial to Aurora, which she read and enjoyed enough to want to read more. In the email, she said she knew my deadline was very soon, but would I consider extending it so she could read the full?

Palms sweaty, knees weak, arms heavy, Mom’s spaghetti, I emailed back and said I didn’t feel comfortable extending the deadline. BUT, I attached the full manuscript on a whim in case she was somehow capable of reading by my deadline. THE NEXT DAY. I skipped off to my friend’s apartment with no expectations and watched 28 Weeks Later to soothe the mind, as one does.

Aurora emailed me at midnight saying she finished. And loved it. And would be willing to meet any time the following day. Cue the most restless night of my existence.

To make a long, and I mean long, story short, we had a call the following afternoon, and something just clicked. Among other things, including Aurora’s passion and vision for RIVAL ISLE, it was truly a gut instinct that led me to my decision. I spent a couple hours thinking about it, talked it over with my mom and aunt and friends, and knew quite soon whose offer I would be accepting. That evening, I emailed Aurora and said I would be so excited to work together!

Then I donned my ole reliable Jeff Probst shirt, popped my manifestation champagne, had an amazing sushi dinner, and watched Survivor (of course). That night will go down in history as one of my all-time favorites.

So, here we are! I am represented by Aurora Fernandez of Trident Media Group, and currently working through the first round of edits for RIVAL ISLE before we go on submission.

I could not be more grateful for everyone who helped in any way, shape, or form to get me to this point. My incredible parents, my one-in-a-million Aunt Jess, my extraordinary Corey, my dear friends, the amazing and rich writing community online, the gracious agents who gave me feedback and their valuable time, and so many more. Also, YOU, for making it to this point of this absolute behemoth of a blog post.

I feel so lucky to experience this! And I am really looking forward to what’s next.

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