In this video, I’m basically turning my “I keep saying this to every writer friend” voice memo into an actual resource: the lessons I wish I’d had when I was in the query trenches. I’ve been talking to writers who are about to start querying, and I noticed I was repeating the same reminders—so I’m sharing what worked for me, what would’ve saved me stress, and what I wish I’d known earlier. And yes, I’m still permanently haunted by impostor syndrome, so please take what resonates and leave what doesn’t. The core of it is: querying is a long, emotionally weird process, and you need systems that keep you steady—tracking, routines, and a way to protect your attention so you’re not spiraling every time you refresh your inbox. I talk about approaching querying like a project (with clear steps and a plan), building consistency without burning out, and staying grounded while you’re waiting on responses. The goal isn’t to “optimize” your humanity—it’s to create enough structure that you can keep writing and living while the industry does its slow, mysterious thing behind the scenes.