Shelby L.E. (The Writer)

Nat 1 Publishing ► Books that make you question your choices. Books that make you question your choices.

Now that the contract has been signed, I can happily announce that my book "The Bargain", has been accepted by Nat 1 Publishing (nat1publishing.com)!
The End Totals
686 Days Querying
104 Query Rejections
4 Manuscript Requests
1 Acceptance!
#writingcommunity #5amwritersclub #amquerying #amwriting

I hope you also gave your kitty tuna as dessert.

Hopeless In my chest there lives a hopeless romantic. Shrouded in a hoodie, she fills notebook after notebook with her dreams and grandiose plans in glitter gel pens. When her long skinny legs are tucked in…

#writingcommunity #amwriting #shamelessselfpromotion #blogsky #5amwritersclub #codependency

themagpiemeditations.wordpress.com/2025/09/06/h...

Perfect. Still counts.

But that is 500 words (even if you hate them) that you didn't have this morning! That's good. And you can usually improve what you hate. Can't improve what you don't have.

I am still alive, #amwriting , and exciting things are happening. Hopefully I'll have a more informative post very soon! #writingcommunity #5amwritersclub #amquerying

But then they'll get their gross human skin in its beautiful prismatic fluids, thereby disturbing the alkaline levels. I am definitely a human and not an eldritch druid in a skin suit.

No worries! And thank you.

Oh wow it's REALLY bad when God is being serious.

Thank you. Don't worry, it got better and my sister, mom, and I are doing great now.

You know it's bad when God is serious.

Snake It’s serious business when we’ve called a sibling powwow. Even more so when it’s before church, in the empty youth group building. There was limited to no privacy at home, and wit…

themagpiemeditations.wordpress.com/2025/08/02/s...

Another new blog-post. #writingcommunity #writing #blogsky #5amwritersclub #shamelessselfpromotion #amwriting

This Circus Never Sleeps This is for you, at 2 in the morning, when the world is still and your mind is a three ring circus combined with an F1 racing event. Each ring holds a different freak of yours, and the shouting cro…

themagpiemeditations.wordpress.com/2025/08/02/t...

New blog post. #writingcommunity #5amwritersclub #shamelessselfpromotion #blogsky

#5amawritersclub is a good one to follow.

Home | The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest A whimsical literary competition for the worst possible opening sentences to novels never written.

I just learned that the "Worst First Sentences" contest is finally retiring. As a parting gift, here's an awful opening sentence:
"The woman who stole my heart was a bombastic vixen with sultry whiskey eyes and hair that reminded me of a sloth’s fur: dense and full of algae." #writingcommunity

@theforge.bsky.social‬

The Riddle-Master trilogy by Patricia A. McKillip.

Spokane Falls #1: The Bargain The Bargain (Spokane Falls #1) by Shelby L.E. Copyright © Shelby L.E., 2025 This excerpt is from a work in progress. All rights reserved. Please do not redistribute, reproduce, or adapt any portion w...

Triple Digits! 100 Rejections as of today - so as a treat, here's an excerpt of the prologue and first 2 chapters of 'The Bargain'.
Read it, steal nothing, share it with your friends!
#amquerying #writingcommunity #5amwritersclub #shamelessselfpublishing

docs.google.com/document/d/1...

It really is. I read slush for 'The Forge', and that helped me a lot too.

It's frustrating when I know it's good. But I just try to remind myself of the subjectivity of the industry. Rarely is it about how good your book is but the market or being a good fit for an agent.

Well they actually have halo's in the show - but it's an awesome show and definitely worth checking out.

Yes and no. I know it's not a personal reflection of my writing, but on bad days it certainly feels like it.

Also I LOVE your avatar. Haibane Renmei is one of my faves.

Thank you! It's definitely a difficult perspective to keep hold of, and I've definitely struggled some days with not taking it personally.

I will!

lol, no worries. And thank you! One way or another my book is getting out into the world.

Mad respect. Depending on how things go I might self-publish, I just really don't like marketing -_- but at the same time I love my book and I know there's an audience out there for it.

99 rejections guys. I've decided, for my 100th rejection, I'll be hosting a party to celebrate my tenacity and shredded spirit. I'm not giving up, but I am tired lol. #amquerying #writingcommunity #5amwritersclub