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About Amy Sue Nathan

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the internet!

I’ve been blogging since 2006, and in 2011 I launched the Women’s Fiction Writers blog, named a Best Website For Writers by Writer’s Digest in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and now again in 2019!

THE LAST BATHING BEAUTY will be published by Lake Union in 2020. My first three novels were published by St. Martin’s Griffin and include Left to Chance (2017), The Good Neighbor (2015), and The Glass Wives (2013). All fall under the women’s fiction umbrella (which shouldn’t surprise anyone).

I’m a freelance fiction editor and writing coach helping writers make their books the best they can be. If you’re looking for help with your writing, just click in the sidebar for more information. I’ve published articles and essays in dozens of magazines and newspapers in print and online, taught workshops on writing, social media, and editing.

I was born and raised in Philadelphia and am a graduate of Temple University with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. I’ve lived in Hershey, PA, Maplewood, NJ, Cleveland, OH, Tucson, AZ, and Chicago, IL (twice). After leaving Philadelphia in 1990, I moved back at the end of 2016, and now, with my fifteen-year-old shepherd mix, Mitzi, I live fifteen minutes from where I grew up.  My son and daughter are in their twenties, and the most amazing adults I know.

If you want to email me about book clubs, books, this blog, or just to say hi, you can do so at amysuenathan at gmail dot com.

Amy xo

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ferrisrobinson says

    March 30, 2011 at 1:47 pm

    Am thrilled to find this blog! Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg is one of my all-time favorites. I would add Anna Quindlen, Cathy Holton and Ann Patchett, and can’t wait to read your list of Authors to Consider. Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Women's Fiction Writer says

      March 30, 2011 at 1:52 pm

      Ferris!!! Welcome! I can’t wait to read the authors everyone is mentioning. How am I ever going to have time for more writing?? 😉

      Amy

      Reply
  2. Janna Qualman says

    March 30, 2011 at 3:01 pm

    Great first comment up there! Berg is my most favorite author, and I’m *currently* reading Talk Before Sleep. Love that little nudge of coincidence.

    Anna Quindlen is also a favorite of mine, and I’m inspired by how she has her hand in women’s fiction, essays, narrative non-fiction, and columns.

    Reply
  3. Terri DuLong says

    April 18, 2011 at 8:42 am

    How great to find this informative blog! Because I read and am also published in the women’s fiction genre. It is also timely because next month I’ll be doing a workshop at the Write on the River conference in Washington state that I’ve titled “The Mystique of Women’s Fiction.” It is indeed confusing to readers and writers alike and I feel you did a super job with your explanation and definition of this genre, Amy. Look forward to your future posts.

    Reply
    • Women's Fiction Writer says

      April 18, 2011 at 9:00 am

      Terri, welcome! How exciting to know there’s a workshop on women’s fiction — I only wish it was in Chicago! I’m scheduling published women’s fiction authors for Q&As and guest posts and would LOVE to include you. Let me know if you’re interested! And…I just visited your website and added Spinning Forward to my TBR list. With all the new-to-me authors I’m learning about, I’m not sure how I’m going to finish these revisions on my book — but my agent is waiting (and hopefully so are readers)!

      🙂
      Amy

      Reply
      • Terri DULONG says

        April 18, 2011 at 10:28 am

        Absolutely, Amy! Thank you for the invite…I’d be very interested in doing Q&A’s and also a guest post. If it’s okay with you, I plan to mention you and your blog at my workshop and I’ll put your URL on my hand-outs.

        Reply
    • Women's Fiction Writer says

      April 18, 2011 at 10:41 am

      Terri,

      Wonderful – and thank you! Email me anytime at womensfictionwriters@gmail.com and we can figure out the details and get you on the schedule. Would love to learn more about your workshop too — and I bet so would the readers here.

      Amy

      Reply
  4. Katie Dodge says

    May 19, 2011 at 2:35 pm

    I’m so glad I found your blog! I write Women’s Fiction and I’ve been finding a ton of blogs with YA writers, but not a lot of Women’s Fiction. Looking forward to reading more! 🙂

    Reply
    • Women's Fiction Writer says

      May 19, 2011 at 3:04 pm

      I agree, Katie — and that’s why I started this site! Glad you found us. Come back soon!!

      🙂
      Amy

      Reply
  5. Karoline Barrett says

    July 29, 2011 at 8:40 pm

    I am working on my novel, Park Slope, which is women’s fiction, and am happy to have found your site! It will be done in October, then time to polish my query letter and find an agent!

    Reply
    • Women's Fiction Writer says

      July 29, 2011 at 8:54 pm

      Congrats, Karoline. Getting to the point of querying is so exciting. After so many months (or years) of writing and revising and rewriting and revising again — it’s the next step!!!

      Hope you’ll visit us again! 🙂
      Amy

      Reply
      • Jimmy says

        October 8, 2016 at 11:48 pm

        A bit suresirpd it seems to simple and yet useful.

        Reply
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      • http://www./ says

        October 24, 2016 at 5:25 am

        Is that really all there is to it because that’d be flabbergasting.

        Reply
      • http://www./ says

        November 15, 2016 at 3:55 am

        Really enjoy receiving your blogs Jim and then passing them on even though I suspect the people who receive them are subscribed to you too! You are a great resource and you really make blogging seem like a good thing to do, not with a hidden agenda to get ripped off.

        Reply
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  6. Karoline Barrett says

    July 29, 2011 at 9:35 pm

    Thanks, Amy! I’m sure I’ll visit again – your site looks really interesting!

    Reply
  7. sorealtonight says

    December 12, 2011 at 1:12 pm

    I am so glad I found this! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  8. Lisa Ann Hayes says

    February 27, 2012 at 8:47 am

    Passed on 3 blog awards to you today – Kreativ, Inspiring & 7×7. I know you’re busy and already successful, so I don’t expect you to deal with them, just wanted you to know how much I appreciate your blog!!!

    Reply
    • Women's Fiction Writer says

      February 27, 2012 at 9:18 am

      Lisa Ann,
      Thank you so much! I’d love to know more so I can acknowledge these in a future blog post. You’re a dear — and I am so glad you are enjoying WFW!!
      xo
      Amy

      Reply
  9. Chloe Blaire says

    April 4, 2012 at 11:35 pm

    Not a comment but a quest. Ready to sub an 80k WF to Agents/ Publishers, but am finding the list of those accepting Women’s Fiction slim. And to make things more difficult, of those that are interested in WF, most are refusing unsolicited queries. My list gets smaller each time I sub.
    The most shocking is Greyhouse, which last October listed its e-mail address & requirements, but no longer does.
    So far I’ve subbed to Inkwell and BookEnds
    Anyone care to comment?
    Chloe Blaire

    Reply
    • Women's Fiction Writer says

      April 5, 2012 at 8:19 pm

      Hi Chloe,

      Do you have a list of agents? Try querytracker.net to search. Things change, but I sent 116 queries so I know that there are agents out there who want WF! Good luck! Keep us posted!

      Amy 🙂

      Reply
      • Chloe Blaire says

        April 5, 2012 at 8:48 pm

        Thanks, Amy!

        Reply
  10. karolinebarrett says

    April 6, 2012 at 4:50 am

    Hi Chloe. I am also shopping for an agent for my WF. I have one agent with a partial ms. and one with the full ms. right now. I have a list of 121 agents that all took unsolicited WF queries, including Scott Eagan at Greyhaus. He started accepting queries as of March 1, unless he is closed again. I would be happy to email you my list of agents if you like. My email is karolineb@ymail.com.
    Karoline-

    Reply
  11. Missy Frye says

    June 9, 2012 at 11:11 am

    Hi Amy Sue, I’ve nominated Women’s Fiction Writers for the Sunshine Award: http://missyfrye.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/the-sunshine-award-thanks-for-noticing-me/ Your blog is awesome! Congratulations!

    Reply
    • Women's Fiction Writer says

      June 9, 2012 at 5:00 pm

      Missy, thank you!!!

      Reply
  12. Terri Weiss says

    June 23, 2012 at 12:29 am

    Hello!

    I stumbled across your blog after finding you on Andrea Hurst’s site — I just sent her the first 50 pp of my novel – fingers crossed! : )

    You’ve got some good stuff here- informative posts (my 17-year-old daughter also gave me pointers on my book, using her Honors and AP English-based insights just like yours – ha!), and terrific interviews.

    I’m in!

    : )

    Reply
    • Women's Fiction Writer says

      June 23, 2012 at 7:42 am

      I’m glad you’re in!!!

      Reply
  13. Linda L says

    November 1, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    Congratulations!!!!!!

    And many thanks for your wonderful women’s writer blog…!

    Best Wishes,

    Linda

    Reply
  14. Kelly says

    December 1, 2012 at 12:29 pm

    Hi! I’m new to the site and love it! I have queried my first novel with one request for a partial. Very excited to see what happens!

    Reply
  15. Susan Malter says

    December 24, 2012 at 10:29 pm

    Hi! I am new, too! I sent about 70 queries for my first novel, and have listed the agencies on my blog. They are all places that accepted unsolicited queries. Not positive about whether they take WF, I thought that my work was literary fiction until I read Amy’s blog today. Thanks, Amy!

    Reply
    • Amy Sue Nathan says

      December 25, 2012 at 6:23 am

      Hi Susan! You’re listing the agencies you’re querying and the rejections on your blog? I’m curious why you would do that in such full disclosure mode. Do you think if an agent who falls in love with your manuscript might look at that list and wonder why all the others said no, or why he or she was #78 and not the 12th choice? There is no right or wrong of course. You have to do what works for you.

      I sent well over 100 queries from January to October 2010. Found my agent around March or April through a contest, but didn’t sign til October so of course, kept querying until it was a done deal. I totally understand the drive to continue. And remember, just because your women’s fiction manuscript is WF doesn’t mean it’s not literary. There’s a lot of overlap in genres, so don’t pigeonhole yourself! I am starting to prefer the term book club fiction for my own work, along with WF.

      Happy Holidays!
      Amy 🙂

      Reply
      • Susan Malter says

        January 7, 2013 at 10:14 pm

        Hi, Amy. That’s an interesting question. If I were looking for a mate, I would certainly not list the men who rejected me. This feels completely different.

        Oh, no, wait. It seems exactly the same. I went on over one hundred blind dates when I was single. People do not do that so much anymore, but dating was different then. Almost every man in the world was the wrong guy for me. Then I met the right guy.

        I think that the same is true for agents. Most will not be right for me.

        I appreciate the input. I thought that having the list would make the page a resource for other people. If I take it down, will it mess up the internet universe? Should I not worry about it?

        Reply
  16. Karoline Barrett says

    December 25, 2012 at 7:29 am

    I tend to agree with Amy. I definitely wouldn’t put that information on my blog. The only thing I put on my blog was signing with my agent last October. The ones who turned me down don’t matter.

    Reply
  17. Susan Malter says

    January 7, 2013 at 11:05 pm

    Thanks, again. I decided not to worry. I thought that it was a pain to find the names of agents that seemed right. I hope that someone will find my list and save themselves the trouble and time. I am so happy to be writing again. After a few months of marketing and reading about the industry I am back where I want to be. Now, though, I have found a community of writers. This is lovely. Thank you for the encouragement.

    Reply
    • Susan Malter says

      February 5, 2013 at 8:32 pm

      That was the wrong link If someone wants to find the easy list of agents, it is at the site I will link to here. Sorry about that.

      Reply
  18. quirkywritingcorner says

    June 6, 2013 at 6:14 pm

    I found your blog while reading Writer Unboxed. I read Ms. Nash’s article and fell in love with her and your site. I’m always interested in finding sites that can help my writing skills. I’m in the process of writing those dreaded (for me) query letters to find an agent. I self-pulbished my first book, but I don’t want to do that again.

    Reply
    • Amy Sue Nathan says

      June 6, 2013 at 7:26 pm

      Welcome!!! 🙂

      Reply
  19. Ruth Harris says

    July 27, 2013 at 9:12 am

    Amy, so happy to find your blog & have added it to my Feedly list! It was mentioned today on this Writers’ Cafe thread about Women’s Fic.

    http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,157844.0.html

    Reply
  20. Miss Millennia Magazine says

    September 20, 2013 at 12:18 am

    Hello Amy! My name is Karin Brown and I am the Public Relations Manager for an online women’s magazine called Miss Millennia Magazine, For the Woman Who Wants It All, located at MissMillMag.com. Our theme for the month of October is Literature and we would love to have a published and accomplished female author as our Cover Girl! Email me if you are interested in being involved in our mission!

    Reply
  21. MaryHogan says

    November 18, 2013 at 10:24 am

    Oh blog, where have you been all my life! Finally, I’ve found a sisterhood of women who love the books I love: well-written fiction about REAL women. Ahhhh. It feels good to be home.

    Reply
    • Amy Sue Nathan says

      November 18, 2013 at 10:25 am

      AH! Welcome home, Mary! 🙂

      Reply
  22. Shannon says

    February 10, 2014 at 1:08 pm

    I have to say, the tag: “no heroes. no zombies. no high heels. well, maybe high heels.” bothers me a bit. I am a woman, I am a fiction writer and I write about heroes and zombies at times. It kind of sends the message that only men write about those subjects. Sorry, I don’t mean to stir anything, I just don’t see how or why women and zombies and heroes don’t mix.

    Reply
    • Amy Sue Nathan says

      February 10, 2014 at 4:01 pm

      They don’t mix for me, on this blog, Shannon. Women can and do write many things. This is a WOMEN’S FICTION WRITERS blog. Not a women writers blog. I’ve had men on here who write women’s fiction.

      Make sense now? 😉

      (And the beauty of having your own blog or website–which you likely know–is that the rules are yours and yours alone!)

      Reply
  23. Carol Balawyder says

    October 14, 2014 at 7:41 pm

    Hi Amy-

    Would you be interested in being a feature writer for my blog series How I Got Published?

    http://carolbalawyder.com/category/how-i-got-published/

    Carol

    Reply
  24. terri tiffany says

    November 12, 2014 at 12:22 pm

    Just what I’ve been searching for! A group of writers who write WF! I kept thinking I was the only one. 🙂

    Reply
    • Amy Sue Nathan says

      November 12, 2014 at 7:55 pm

      Welcome, Terri! You’ve found your tribe!

      Amy xo

      Reply
  25. Jordan says

    March 5, 2015 at 7:14 am

    Hi Amy

    Great resource for women’s fiction writers here, thank you. We’ve included your blog in our uber-list ‘151 must-visit writing websites’. Do have a look and let us know your thoughts, and share it too if you like. You can find it via our blog.

    Happy Writing 🙂
    Jordan Kantey
    Now Novel

    Reply
  26. Julie Christine says

    April 16, 2015 at 7:38 am

    I could spend all day here, Amy. What a beautiful site. Delighted to be “bound” in writing with you. My first WF is set for release next February and the second is on sub as we speak. Can’t wait to read The Good Neighbor- congratulations!

    Reply
    • Amy Sue Nathan says

      April 16, 2015 at 10:50 am

      Thank you for your kind words, Julie! Congratulations!!!

      Reply
  27. laurenjeffreywriter says

    June 27, 2015 at 9:43 pm

    I enjoyed your recent article in Writer’s Digest – Making More Room for Writing. Thanks for some good reminders and suggestions. I think that I might have to follow Cathy Lamb’s approach and stay up a little later at night!

    Reply
    • Amy Sue Nathan says

      June 30, 2015 at 7:50 pm

      Thank you so much, Lauren! 🙂 Good luck staying up late! I’m an early to bed, early to rise kinda gal! Nice to *meet* you.

      Amy

      Reply
      • laurenjeffreywriter says

        July 1, 2015 at 7:35 pm

        I’m with you on the early to bed early to rise thing, so it’ll be a challenge!

        Reply
  28. laurenjeffreywriter says

    August 13, 2015 at 6:33 pm

    Hi Amy! I just finished another article in the October issue of Writer’s Digest. When I finished it and saw who wrote it (backwards, I know), I thought – ‘Hey! I know her!’ Well, in an online, wordpress kind of way. 🙂 Once again I appreciate your advice as I’m getting close to having my finished product. Thank you for your advice, and good luck with your new novel. I’ll make sure to put it on my reading list this fall.

    Reply
  29. Janet Roberts says

    January 24, 2016 at 1:04 pm

    Hi Amy
    My Temple alumni magazine just arrived today and I checked the ’80’s section to see if they listed a note that I’d published my first novel. They did but that’s when I noticed a note about Amy Sue Nathan and her new novel The Good Neighbor, plus her interesting blog. So I’ve signed up for your blog – it looks so fun! I want to read your book. And I just learned about the women writing association through your interview here! What a great discovery on a cold, snowy Sunday!

    Janet Roberts

    Reply
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    July 22, 2017 at 8:27 pm

    I enjoyed your recent article in Writer’s Digest – Making More Room for Writing. Thanks for some good reminders and suggestions.

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  36. David Bender says

    November 20, 2017 at 6:35 am

    Hi Editor,

    Do you accept do-follow backlinks on your existing articles?

    I was thinking if we could place my blog’s link to your existing article in return i will pay you via PayPal.

    Let me know if it’s possible.

    Best regards,

    David

    Reply
  37. Kenneth Meyer says

    January 8, 2019 at 10:51 am

    Hi Amy, thanks for the graphic from your friend on the difference (according to one definition anyway) between upmarket, commercial and literary fiction. I have been grappling with these terms as I send off queries for my own novel to various agents (it looks like my work is squarely in the commercial camp). You helped your writing colleagues!
    Best wishes to you in 2019.

    Reply

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