Joel Brigham (Brigham Editorial)
@joelbrigham.bsky.social
Developmental Editor, Writing Coach, #RevPit Editor, MG/YA Author, Educator, and Overall Very Friendly Person.
brighameditorial.com
brighameditorial.substack.com
brighameditorial.com
brighameditorial.substack.com
Info-dumps are cheat sheets. They are notes and maps and guidebooks. Don't make it so easy on your reader! Make them LIVE in the world to figure it out!
"But they'll be confused!"
Yup. And they'll keep reading to get un-confused. Use disorientation and discovery to your advantage!
(2/2)
"But they'll be confused!"
Yup. And they'll keep reading to get un-confused. Use disorientation and discovery to your advantage!
(2/2)
July 11, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Info-dumps are cheat sheets. They are notes and maps and guidebooks. Don't make it so easy on your reader! Make them LIVE in the world to figure it out!
"But they'll be confused!"
Yup. And they'll keep reading to get un-confused. Use disorientation and discovery to your advantage!
(2/2)
"But they'll be confused!"
Yup. And they'll keep reading to get un-confused. Use disorientation and discovery to your advantage!
(2/2)
Reposted by Joel Brigham (Brigham Editorial)
Also huge thanks to Joel Brigham (@joelbrigham.bsky.social), whose newsletter alerted me to the existence of this contest!
Yay, @reviseresub.bsky.social!
Yay, @reviseresub.bsky.social!
June 10, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Also huge thanks to Joel Brigham (@joelbrigham.bsky.social), whose newsletter alerted me to the existence of this contest!
Yay, @reviseresub.bsky.social!
Yay, @reviseresub.bsky.social!
Being a delight is literally my only goal in life. Appreciate the boost!
May 2, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Being a delight is literally my only goal in life. Appreciate the boost!
And may your pondering be fruitful!
April 19, 2025 at 1:32 AM
And may your pondering be fruitful!
It would not surprise me in the slightest!
April 19, 2025 at 1:31 AM
It would not surprise me in the slightest!
Yes! I'm doing that email before the weekend!
April 17, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Yes! I'm doing that email before the weekend!
That's it for this batch, gang. You are all so talented and so creative, and I'm honored to have been chosen to consider your books!
If you're looking for my first batch of #10Queries, you can find them here:
If you're looking for my first batch of #10Queries, you can find them here:
I just finished my second round of #RevPit submission read-throughs, and I think this is a good time for a good, old-fashioned #10queries, where I provide general (anonymous) feedback about ten random submission packages. "Q" = query, and "P" = pages. See if you can find yourself in these!
April 10, 2025 at 4:14 PM
That's it for this batch, gang. You are all so talented and so creative, and I'm honored to have been chosen to consider your books!
If you're looking for my first batch of #10Queries, you can find them here:
If you're looking for my first batch of #10Queries, you can find them here:
P10 – This is a romcom, not a contemporary romance. It’s too funny not to be. I do worry that these opening pages are too banter-heavy, as the conversation keeps the characters from actually doing anything. Let’s give the MC a tough choice to make, and then let’s see how she reacts!
April 10, 2025 at 4:14 PM
P10 – This is a romcom, not a contemporary romance. It’s too funny not to be. I do worry that these opening pages are too banter-heavy, as the conversation keeps the characters from actually doing anything. Let’s give the MC a tough choice to make, and then let’s see how she reacts!
Q10 Adult Romance – We don’t meet the love interest until about 70% of the way through the pitch, which is way too late. Squash the stage-setting and let’s show the agent why these two will make for good romantic reading right out of the gate.
April 10, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Q10 Adult Romance – We don’t meet the love interest until about 70% of the way through the pitch, which is way too late. Squash the stage-setting and let’s show the agent why these two will make for good romantic reading right out of the gate.
P9 – The pages are really well done. Playful, tense, engaging prose and immediate clarity that this is an author who knows how to dance with words. This is basically a novella, though, which just isn’t my jam. Objectively very good, but will be tough to sell.
April 10, 2025 at 4:14 PM
P9 – The pages are really well done. Playful, tense, engaging prose and immediate clarity that this is an author who knows how to dance with words. This is basically a novella, though, which just isn’t my jam. Objectively very good, but will be tough to sell.
Q9 Adult Fantasy – There’s no easy way to say this: your word count is going to hold you back with this manuscript. I’m used to seeing fantasy go way, way beyond reasonable debut author word counts, but going way, way under is less common. This is going to need some bulking up!
April 10, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Q9 Adult Fantasy – There’s no easy way to say this: your word count is going to hold you back with this manuscript. I’m used to seeing fantasy go way, way beyond reasonable debut author word counts, but going way, way under is less common. This is going to need some bulking up!
P8 – The author is talented, and the pages are clean, though the portion I read felt a little devoid of emotional color and tone. Its sensory descriptions could use some punching up with more carefully-chosen descriptive words aimed at creating the mood/tone the author intends.
April 10, 2025 at 4:14 PM
P8 – The author is talented, and the pages are clean, though the portion I read felt a little devoid of emotional color and tone. Its sensory descriptions could use some punching up with more carefully-chosen descriptive words aimed at creating the mood/tone the author intends.
Q8 – Adult Contemporary – Billed as contemporary, the setting of this manuscript is more than old enough to classify as Historical, instead. Also, your word count is way, way too high. Big books are expensive to edit, print, and ship, and publishers tend not to take big financial risks on debuts.
April 10, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Q8 – Adult Contemporary – Billed as contemporary, the setting of this manuscript is more than old enough to classify as Historical, instead. Also, your word count is way, way too high. Big books are expensive to edit, print, and ship, and publishers tend not to take big financial risks on debuts.