Carly Hayward

“PLEASE DON'T SEND: The Chosen One trope, Typical medieval settings, Classically "good" heroes, Insta-love, Good vs. Evil with no moral ambiguity, Sick-lit or other similar stories that make disability overly romantic/tragic., Sexual assault or dubious consent, Nazis”

“GET MORE DETAILS: Read a Q&A with me, learn about the other participating editors, and get all the requirements to enter at the RevPit website (link in bio). Submissions are open March 12-15, 2026”

“#RevPit Season has begun! All the discussions are on Bluesky! Swipe for my MSWL”

“MY MSWL. Age Category: Adult -Romance (paranormal, historical, fantasy) -Sci-fi -Fantasy (either gritty, romantic, or cozy)”

“ELEMENTS THAT WILL MAKE ME FLIP: Diverse characters (including but not limited to LGBTQA+, BIPOC, and disabled characters) - I don't want the diversity to be the only focus of the book. People are more than their marginalization and are complex characters. Don't distill them to just one thing., Retellings that are unique (think representation from a marginalized group)”

“ELEMENTS THAT WILL MAKE ME FLIP (Cont.): Complex non-romantic relationships (friendships, found families, siblings), Very character-driven plots, Cozy fantasy or sci-fi, Spooky or gothic vibes in a fantasy setting, Steamy romances with compelling love interests and main characters (nothing is more boring than a perfect love interest), Fantasy romance that is cozy, cute, or humorous”

That’s right, it’s #RevPit season! RevPit is an annual contest where winners can receive edits from prof editors (including me!). Come join our lovely community and talk all things writing and editing (even if you aren’t planning on entering).

#AuthorServices #AuthorCommunity #Editor

Aw you're the sweetest!

This! It's. Not. A. Trap. Promise! #RevPit

For anyone who has previously participated in #RevPit (in any capacity!), we’d love to hear your stories!

🌱 What did RevPit teach you?

🌱 Did you meet any writing friends?

🌱 Did you get picked for #10Queries feedback?

🌱 Do you have any advice for RevPit hopefuls this year?

#RevPitReflections

This is such a lovely idea! Thank you for putting it all together!

A water lily on a pond is centered around its reflection. The text above it says: Reflections one year after winning #RevPit 2025: Below the water lily, the names "M" "Iris" "Marena" "Rakan" "Ree" "Nadine" and "Wera" float

When I submitted to #RevPit last year, I was curious about what happened to the previous year’s winners. In the comments below, a few folks from the 2025 cohort have reflected on their experience! We'd love to hear stories from others as well!
#reviseandresubmit #revpitcommunity

Don't forget to add songs to the #RevPit playlist! (you don't need to be planning on subbing to me). Add a couple of songs that remind you of your MS or that you like to listen to while writing! I listen while I'm reading subs and I find so much great music this way.

Seriously! I always find such great music this way

Definitely!!

If two eds want the same MS they usually talk it out and decide together. We have a chat going to try to make sure everyone is happy. Honestly, it's always a tough decision so sometimes it's helpful when an editor picks one you like, it helps narrow it down!

Numbers even out based on a genre curve

Yeah, I think probably not. But if you aren't finding another better fit, feel free to add me to your list!

Ooo this is a tough one. Is everything else contemporary? It sounds really good, but I definitely want a strong fantasy twist to it.

I'm not an insta-love person. I like seeing a relationship build and blossom. Lust at first sight is fine, but not love. Show how they make each other better.

I think I'd name them Poe. I tried to get my sister to name her cat that but she didn't and I'm cross about it.

That's totally fine. As long as it's not inspiration porn/tragic I'm on board. It's part of life and it can affect things/the world/plot for sure!

Haha exactly! They are heat-seeking babies!

Yay!

YES. Gimme all the familiars plskthanks

I hope that answers your questions!

- Larger issues tend to resolve smaller issues more often than not. But I always note when there is a pervasive small thing. Usually that's stuff to save for the publisher though.

- It's okay to only meet one character to start, just make sure they have a strong voice to make us want to meet the others.
- It comes down to voice. Write a scene that they are all in from each of their perspectives. What would they notice that is different? How would the react uniquely?

In order:
-Definitely not off-putting!
-It comes down to the lie the characters tell themselves and how they overcome it. Are they pushing to change or are they letting themselves stagnate? www.storychatradio.com/free-guy-the...

As long as there is something new and interesting about it, I'm good. I just don't want a LOTR spin-off that we've seen a bunch of times.

Of course! You did an amazing job. I'm so thankful for all of your work!

No problem! Something like: "comp" meets Grumpy/Sunshine

In the first pages I want a strong sense of character. Fantasies can get too bogged down in lore. Give me a character connection framed by the fantasy world.

I'm neutral on portal fantasy. As in, if the story is great I'll love it. Portal is neither a mark against nor a selling point for me (though I did have dreams of stumbling through a wardrobe for years).

a framed metal image of the Book Light Editorial logo, laying on a couch.

a framed metal image of the Book Light Editorial logo, leaning against a christmas tree

Here they are when I unpacked them! He is truly amazing. The colors were painted by my mom and my uncle did the rest.

Yes, that's definitely a flavor of active. I think it will come down to interiority and showing that they are trying. Trying and failing is very different than being passive. As long as you show those attempts, you should be good to go.

Perfect! I love that!!!