Amy Fellner Dominy's Blog

Welcome to October’s Newsletter Update. This month: From Manuscript to Book. 

When I get asked what happens to my manuscript after I send off the final copy edits, I generally nod wisely and murmur, “the wheels are in motion.”

I have no idea what those wheels are.

For me, it’s one of the joys of having someone else publish my book. I don’t have to know. It’s like a hot dog. Do we really want to know how it’s made? (I’m still scarred from watching a film about hot dog production in elementary sch...

You know how it is at the start of a relationship when you’re getting to know someone? You hear all their stories for the first time and you get to tell yours. Like the time in college marching band when I crashed my cymbals too close to my chest and smashed one of my you-know-whats. When I told that story, it got a great reaction. The first time. But after 35+ years of marriage, my hubby has heard it so many times, it’s safe to say he’d just as soon have a root canal.

That’s what it feels like...

When I went to buy my first new car in my early twenties, I was armed with a detailed analysis and breakdown of what I felt would be a fair price. I even included a dealer profit in my price.

I was so naive.

I still shudder at the memory of that salesman smirking over my added profit. Who knows how much I overpaid for that car but I”m sure it was a lot. Maybe because of that, I’ve worried over every subsequent deal in every aspect of my life. I never wanted to feel that foolish again.

As an auth...

Even when criticism is meant in the best way possible and prefaced by the words “no offense, but”, it has a way of sparking to life our defense mechanisms–all the ways we  cope with anxiety, threats to our self-esteem, and news that we have bad breath. Typical defense mechanisms are denial, avoidance, rationalization or projection: It’s not me, it’s you!

Personally, I’m a...

“Where are you from?”

It’s one of the first things my husband asks when we meet someone. Anyone. Everyone. Seriously. No one escapes without the question. I used to roll my eyes, but turns out it’s kind of genius. (I shudder to use the word genius when I know he’s going to read this.)

Because when he asks the question, he often discovers a connection. It’s random and it’s often small, but it leads to a smile and making the connection leads to well, a connection.

The idea of making a...

“Time waits for no man.”

We’ve all heard the quote, but I never thought about it until I became a writer and starting sending out manuscripts. I’d submit, pat myself on the back, and wait for a what I hoped would be a ‘yes’.

Sometimes, I also waited for the right time to submit. For the perfect person to respond. For Virgo and Scorpio to meet in the seventh moon.

Waiting, as it turns out, is a nice way to postpone rejection.

Even when I had success and sold my first short story, I waited for it ...

Are you wondering what a query letter is? Maybe you’re a writer and you’re wondering what a great query letter looks like. If so, I can’t help you. But, if you’re looking for an example of a query letter good enough to get an editor’s response, then you’ve come to the right place.

This is the first query letter I wrote for MONSTER DOWN DEEP. I had to make a submission deadline so I didn’t have time to finesse. Let me know if you find it helpful by sending a comment. I can also post the query for...

[This is the fourth of a monthly newsletter that follows the process as two manuscripts become books in 2026. Join me for a behind-the-scenes look at how traditional publishing works, step-by-step. To sign up, click the Newsletter tab in the menu. Find past newsletters under the blog tag of my website.]

When I tell people I write children’s books for a job, their eyes light up. It sounds like a dream job.

We often say those two words as if they’re one: Dreamjob. And the emphasis is always on the...

[This is the third of a monthly newsletter that follows the process as two manuscripts becomes books in 2026. Join me for a behind-the-scenes look at how traditional publishing works, step-by-step. To sign up, click the Newsletter tab in the menu. Find past newsletters under the blog tag of my website.]

Imagine you get on an elevator with someone really important to you. This is your one shot to talk to them and if it goes well, completely change your life.

That’s the idea behind the Elevator Pi...

•••

I talk about publishing as if it’s a journey because that’s what it feels like with every new book. And since you’re on this journey with me, there’s something I should tell you.

I crash a lot.

If you read last month’s newsletter, you kno...