Updates

IT IS FINALLY FALL WEATHER! It took to almost mid-October, but we are finally in the 60s!!! IT IS CURRENTLY RAINING. THERE ARE GRAY SKIES. I AM SO HAPPY.

(Seriously, though, I was getting depressed with how hot it stayed for so long. My heart yearns and thrives under gloomy skies.)

October has been an interesting month. The main event: getting my partner’s dying kidney removed, which happened on the 20th! Recovery is going to be slow and long, but the surgery was successful and he is home! I did not anticipate how long I’d be spending in the hospital (over 24 hours across two days), nor how exhausted I would be. We’ve both ended up taking it easy. On top of healing, I also have Halloween and my birthday (November 3rd) to look forward to!

Freelancing

I am so beyond grateful for my authors and making it as a freelancer so far. I wouldn’t have been able to navigate my partner’s surgery with as much care and rest as has been needed so far without it (as my university never would’ve given me two weeks off, whereas my authors were happy to adjust schedules to accomodate me). Thank you, thank you, thank you! 😭

• Openings: I AM BOOKED OUT FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. 😭 WHAT IS THIS LIFE!? I am currently booking Feb. 2026 onward and my new rates go into effect on January 1st! If you’d like to get lower rates for next year’s work, book before the end of the year by fill out my contact form here!

• Discounts: as always, an evergreen reminder: if you’re a marginalized or self-publishing writer, you always get 10% off full manuscript edits.

• Client Highlights: Here’s some cool things my clients are doing that you might have missed:

  • E.K. Earle’s 2nd installment of her fantastic urban gothic filled with humor, whimsy, mental health rep AND the absolute grotesque, SECRETS AND SUMMONINGS, comes out this Halloween! Plenty of time to read the first book, WRAITHS AND WANDERINGS!

  • Minyue Fu’s debut, A STRATAGEM OF FATED WINDS, hit the shelves October 1st! Go for the MM fix-it historical romance, stay for the tears.

  • Did you see that Christina Juhlin’s cover for her debut, SUNDERROOT, was revealed? Isn’t it STUNNING? Artwork by Zoe Badini!

  • Speaking of stunning artwork, don’t miss Sean Van Damme’s debut, A TREACHERY OF SHADOWS, cover reveal! Artwork by Rose Kettles!

  • Go give Rachael Bell-Irving’s fantastic latest YA urban fantasy, EYE OF A LION, a look!

Writing

So, writing kinda took a backseat this month, thanks to the whole “partner losing an internal organ thing”. BUT. I have hit 80K AND I am spending most of next week writing to see how far we can get into the story. And I may be starting to reach out to cover artists, sensitivity readers, editors and beta readers to prepare for publication in 2026?

Am I doing all of this before I’ve even written Act III? YEP. I am living my most unhinged life!

Want more in-depth details on my writing? Join my Patreon (free or at a paid tier) to get biweekly writing discussions, hot takes, updates and exclusive early access to everything related to my books!

Highlights

I wanted to have a section of things I’ve been enjoying lately, as well as a space to highlight what others are working on, highlight client wins or just share cool things. Behold the good things!

• I haven’t been reading a ton, alas. Hopefully I’ll get into it more as the year gets closer to the end!

• Beat Borderlands 4, which I enjoyed. Very excited for Outer Worlds II to come out next week.

• Been able to talk my dog on walks in the wetlands lately and it’s been lovely. We’ve seen so many catepillars and butterflies and grasshoppers, but also some snakes, frogs, turtles and an otter!!!

ICYMI, here’s some highlights surrounding those I care about:

• Please help us support an important pillar of the publishing community as they face a hard time. Can’t donate? Then please share to help Michael LaBorn and his family.

  • Also, did you see that, if you donate any amount, I’ll edit your query letter for free? And, if you match my donation of $50, I’ll edit your first chapter for free?? Send me a screenshot of your receipt in my DMs on socials or to my email to redeem!

Musings

If you’re not interested in long-form random personal musings, this is your time to close the newsletter! Thank you so much for reading and being here. I’ll see you next month!

If you want to read more personal thoughts, read on!

Skipping this section for most likely the rest of the year, as I’ll be doing some seperate long-form newsletters in the coming weeks about various topics, including:

• Raising my rates for the first time since 2019

• Birthday celebration post!

• Mental health and work

• Yearly wrap-up (general)

• Yearly wrap-up (freelance)

So, the last two months of the year will be a little more newsletter heavy than normal. Thanks for sticking around!

Wrap-Up

Thanks so much for reading, no matter if you read the entire newsletter, only parts of it or anything in-between. I’d love to hear your thoughts, whether here or on socials. Plus, tell me how you’re doing. What are you working on? How can I support you? 🖤

Take care of yourself and each other, okay? It’s important that you’re here and you deserve happiness, joy and safety. Never forget that, no matter how hot the fire grows around us (also, please take initiative to help put the fire out, in any way that is accessible and makes sense to you. Call your reps, invest in your community, donate to mutual aid, read books, protect queer people, our environment, our planet).

Until next,
Nicole 🖤

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