Find your publishing home without losing your voice: Literary agent Deidra Riggs reveals insider secrets on breaking into publishing while staying true to yourself—especially for women of color and writers with unconventional perspectives.
In this interview, you’ll discover…
- Insider secrets: Deidra reveals what draws her to a manuscript
- Authors’ authentic voices: Deidra supports clients, helping them navigating publishing without compromising their unique perspectives and voices
- Publishing reality check: Social media followers…do they matter as much as we think?
- Deidra’s wishlist: Learn what genres Deidra’s looking for (and how the main interest surprises her)
- Direct access: Deidra invites you to contact her directly with your work (a rare agent invitation!)
I don’t want authors to feel like they’ve had to make themselves smaller, change their message, change their voice or the essence of who they are just to get a book published.” —Deidra Riggs
About This Episode
Ever wondered what literary agents really look for in submissions? Or how to maintain your authentic voice in an industry that often demands conformity? Literary agent Deidra Riggs shares some of publishing’s hidden realities while sharing her journey from writer to agent at Embolden Media Group.
This isn’t just another “how to get published” conversation, however. Deidra reveals her process for deciding to work with an author, why this is a “risky time” for diverse voices in publishing, how she creates and searches for a nurturing “home” for authors (particularly women of color), and what makes her champion certain manuscripts in an increasingly challenging market.
Guest Spotlight: Literary Agent Deidra Riggs
Deidra is an author, speaker, coach, and consultant. Her extensive background includes writing, editing, and marketing for faith-based, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations. She is adept at shepherding a group or individual to the successful conclusion of a project, offering clear and accessible tools and guidance. Deidra is drawn to well-told stories with fresh viewpoints.
Whether fiction or nonfiction, she gravitates toward engaging, thoughtful, and creative first-rate narrative and out-of-the box perspectives that help us laugh, dream, heal, and grow (and go) forward. A Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), Deidra lives in Connecticut.
The first thing I look at is when I read this first paragraph, Do I wanna read more? And if I wanna read more, then I wanna know, well, Who’s writing this? And that’s when I’ll go and look. And if it says you have 57 followers, I will write you back and say, “This is great. I’m concerned about your platform.” —Deidra Riggs
Timestamps for Quick Reference
0:00 Introduction to the publishing industry challenges
0:58 Welcoming Deidra Riggs, a literary agent who cares
2:07 Deidra’s journey from writer to literary agent
3:04 The influence of blogging on Deidra’s path
7:23 Deidra’s transition to publishing books
10:17 Joining Embolden Media Group as a literary agent
12:22 Building relationships with authors and editors
14:58 Creating a sense of “home” in the publishing process
16:50 Handling rejections and providing feedback
19:03 Assessing submissions and deciding to proceed
22:17 Platform requirements and starting a conversation
24:49 Discovering new writers and using social media
28:17 Encouragement for finding a publishing “home”
29:44 Exploring other publishing options
31:09 Balancing social media and new content for books
33:15 Deidra’s current interests (it surprises her)
35:10 Contacting Deidra and final thoughts
The women that I represent write as women of color, so they’re not trying to make anyone like them. They’re trying to be who they are and put out a message they feel called and led to put out into the world, and that’s a risky thing right now. —Deidra Riggs
Resources:
- Full Episode Information & Transcript
- Embolden Media Group
- Contact Deidra Riggs
- Craft Your Best Book Proposal (free on-demand webinar)
- Related: Interview with literary agent Lucinda Halpern
“I wish that [writers] knew that they deserve a place that feels like home. If they’re going to do it, they deserve a place that feels like home. And, yes, it is a business. I think we have for a long time put an emphasis on the business part of it. And to me, that’s a given. I mean, we live in a capitalist society. Of course it’s a business. Right? But the piece that we don’t treasure or allow ourselves to wish for is a place that treats us well and that we feel heard and seen and valued there. (Deidra Riggs)
FREE ON-DEMAND WEBINAR
Craft Your Best Book Proposal
If you have a non-fiction book inside you, the first step is to write a book proposal. In this training, I’m revealing what it takes to create this essential document and why its necessary for your publishing journey.
The webinar covers…
✅ why you need a book proposal
✅ what a book proposal does for your book
✅ the three things a publisher is looking for
✅ how to start developing your own proposal!
Transcript: You Deserve a Place That Feels Like Home – Literary Matchmaking with Deidra Riggs
(A lightly edited transcript for episode 278 of the Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach podcast; transcript may contain errors.)
Ann Kroeker [00:00:00]: The businessy aspects of the publishing industry can leave a writer feeling kinda bleh, and platform expectations, especially for authors of nonfiction, can feel overwhelming and discouraging. When you’ve got everything all lined up and you’re in the middle of pitching and querying, wouldn’t it be nice to know that the gatekeepers you’re interacting with, the literary agents, the acquisitions editors, wouldn’t it be nice if you knew that they cared? Today’s guest is a literary agent who genuinely cares, and she believes that you deserve a place to call home. Years ago, she and I worked together on an editorial team, and she was my managing editor. Today, she’s a guest on the show. Enjoy hearing what Deidra Riggs has to say about her own writing and publishing journey and about her role as a literary agent. I think you’ll appreciate the vision she has for the authors she represents and for writers everywhere, including you. I’m Ann Kroeker, writing coach. If you’re tuning in for the first time, welcome.
Ann Kroeker [00:00:58]: If you’re a regular, welcome back. Today, you’ve joined hundreds of established and emerging writers who are discovering ways to reach their writing goals and have fun by being more curious, creative, and productive. You’re tuning in to the Anne Kroeker writing coach podcast. This is episode 277. You deserve a place to call home, literary matchmaking with Deidra Riggs. I am so excited to host Deidra Riggs. She’s a literary agent with Embolden Media Group. Deidra is an author, speaker, coach, and consultant.
Ann Kroeker [00:01:30]: Her extensive background includes writing, editing, and marketing for faith based nonprofit and for profit organizations. She’s adept at shepherding a group or individual to the successful conclusion of a project, offering clear and accessible tools and guidance. Deidra is drawn to well told stories with fresh viewpoints. Whether fiction or nonfiction, she gravitates toward engaging, thoughtful, and creative first rate narrative and out of the box perspectives that help us laugh, dream, heal, and grow and go forward. A qualified administrator at the Intercultural Development Inventory, IDI, Deidra lives in Connecticut, and Deidra is here with us now. Deidra, welcome.
Deidra Riggs [00:02:07]: Hi, Ann. I’m so excited to be here. I’m really happy to be connecting with you again after a few years.
Ann Kroeker [00:02:13]: Same here. And in fact, you know, I’ve been part of one of your roles that you’ve held in the writing and editing and publishing journey that you’ve been on. And when did we first meet? It would have been
Deidra Riggs [00:02:27]: I don’t know. A long time ago.
Ann Kroeker [00:02:29]: Yeah. Maybe we shouldn’t say [laughs]. But you were in…first, we worked together where I was looking at some of your work and editing some of your work, and then you supervised me as an editor. So is that where you would kind of trace some of the early stages of shifting from writer to different roles? Maybe tell us a little bit about that journey, the writing and publishing aspect. Even though I mean, if we’re if we’re gonna get into it, you could talk about how that has woven together with other things you were doing at the time, because you were working whether part time or full time in addition to writing and editing.
Deidra Riggs [00:03:04]: Right. Right. Right. I think that writing probably is the thread through my whole life, and all the different things that I’ve done. So I I always look back at my life and I’m like, wow. What in the world? How who no one could have ever planned this, you know? And it’s not like it’s amazing or fantastic or anything. It’s just, like, very eclectic. And I think if you look at my resume and you’re trying to hire me, you’re like, but what what has she I don’t understand. What’s the connection? But when I was little, my mom taught me to read, and that was really important and just a really sweet experience.
Deidra Riggs [00:03:40]: And it opened up a world to me. And then I realized, oh, I can write words too. And I have always been like this deep probably, I don’t know that I’m an old soul. I really think I’m a younger soul, but I’m like a deep thinker and a deep feeler. And in my growing up, I didn’t really have a place to safely put those feelings and thoughts and my questions and, you know, all of that. And so I started writing, and I’m just like, in journals or I would just write on a piece of paper, and I just realized, oh my gosh. This is a thing. And then when I was in fifth grade, my fifth grade teacher secretly submitted an essay to some contest, and I won it.
Deidra Riggs [00:04:21]: And she told me I won this contest for writing, and I got to go to lunch with the governor. You know, it was a whole thing. And my mom got to go. And so that was, like, the first validation of, you can write. I mean, I don’t even remember what I wrote, but it was the first validation of writing is a thing, first of all, and that people recognize and care about and that you can do it. You’re good at it. And so it was just always like, my thing. And then, you know, fast forward to for me, it was 02/2008 when blogging was becoming this thing.
Deidra Riggs [00:05:00]: And I can remember the first time I heard about blogging, I was like, what the heck is a blog? That’s a terrible word. I hate the word. I don’t wanna be part of it. And, then we moved away to we moved to Nebraska, and I had no friends. There was no culture. I was not connecting with the people. It was just a terrible experience on many levels for me. And then I found this community of blogging.
Deidra Riggs [00:05:28]: So that was the thing that connected me. And I think it introduced me as a writer to a larger world of people who had similar ways of expressing themselves and looking at the world. And I don’t know if you remember back then, but we had those link up things. And so, like, people would host those link ups and you’d write your thing and link it up and then go and read theirs. And so through that, I started to see, oh, there’s different ways to write and there are different ways that people express what they’re feeling and what they’re thinking. And, then I got connected to The High Calling, which was you know, and I think back then, blogging was also a way that literary agents, editors, publishers were looking to find people who could write new voices, fresh takes. And it really opened up lots of opportunities for moms and single people and older people who were just sitting in their homes, usually writing on their in their journal, but now publicly, to get introduced. And so the high calling was a community of people who wrote about faith and work in that intersection.
Deidra Riggs [00:06:42]: And, the editor that would they would do that as well. They would have those link up things and so you could meet people through that. And somehow, I got invited to write as a what were we? A country?
Ann Kroeker [00:06:55]: Oh, contributing writer? Contributing editor? Yeah.
Deidra Riggs [00:06:59]: Yeah. And so I would write regularly. And I think that’s probably my first. No. Because I was writing for another group too, Encourage. But it was the first time that I was, like, writing. Someone wanted my writing for their vehicle platform to put out into the world. And so I learned a lot through that.
Deidra Riggs [00:07:23]: You know, people were editing my writing. They were critiquing my writing. They were making it better. They were making me sad. They were making me you know, all of those things. But they were making me better. They were making me a better writer. And so I just continued.
Deidra Riggs [00:07:43]: So and and now that no one very few people will be able to make a living at that. Just like right now, very few people are able to make a living as influencers or, you know, whatever it is. There are very, very few writers actually become New York Times bestsellers. So I had other jobs. You know, I was working at the YMCA. I was in a up an executive director there. No. Not I was in an executive something.
Deidra Riggs [00:08:13]: I can’t remember what it was. But I have to be clear, was an executive director. And, then I went to work for an insurance company, and I was doing marketing for them. So that was all writing. And at the Y, it was membership. So that was also at that time, like, telling the story of the YMCA. And, so that was writing again. And then I got invited to be a managing editor at the High Calling, and I was able to do that full time.
Deidra Riggs [00:08:39]: And that was just so fun. I think we just had a great group of people, and it felt very not hierarchical. It just felt like we were trying to do this good thing for the world with our words and also learning to be better at it. And then, you know, life just kept going. And the High Calling actually was sold, and they moved to Boston and wanted all their people to be in Boston. And I wasn’t going but to Boston. So I went back to insurance. But somewhere in there, somebody contacted me, and I ended up publishing two books.
FREE ON-DEMAND WEBINAR
Craft Your Best Book Proposal
If you have a non-fiction book inside you, the first step is to write a book proposal. In this training, I’m revealing what it takes to create this essential document and why its necessary for your publishing journey.
The webinar covers…
✅ why you need a book proposal
✅ what a book proposal does for your book
✅ the three things a publisher is looking for
✅ how to start developing your own proposal!
Deidra Riggs [00:09:22]: And so then I learned about publishing. I started to learn about publishing. And not too long ago, I was working with a group of women, all women of color, and we were working on an anthology that’s coming out in 02/1926. And it was really amazing. And one of those women had worked as an edit, literary agent for Embolden Media Group. And we knew that there was an opening at Embolden, and I said, well, why not? I’ll ask if this is something that I can do. And since I reached out to Jovan, who I had followed and admired for she’s the founder and owner of Embolden Media Group. And she I think we must have had mutual attraction or whatever to each other because she was like, no way.
Deidra Riggs [00:10:17]: You wanna with this agency? And I was like, I don’t know what I’m doing yet, but, yes, I would love to. And so that was back. It’s almost been a year now that I’ve been working as a literary agent with Embolden and having a blast. So that was a lot of
Ann Kroeker [00:10:34]: No. That was fabulous. I’m really relieved that you were feeling positive about the years you were a managing editor at my calling since I was under your leadership. Amazing. I loved it too, but I am glad to hear that you did. Mhmm. And, that and that writing experience. Yeah.
Ann Kroeker [00:10:49]: I had a similar path that went from blogging to editing to this. Well, I didn’t end up becoming a literary agent, and you did. And so you what you are doing. Well, I do love what you’re doing. I I’m part I feel like I’m part of You are. That that time between, like, I wanna write a book and Uh-huh. I need a literary agent, and they don’t know what to do in that time period.
Deidra Riggs [00:11:10]: Yeah.
Ann Kroeker [00:11:11]: I try to tee them up and send them your way fully prepared.
Deidra Riggs [00:11:14]: Love it. Love it.
Ann Kroeker [00:11:15]: So, yeah, I love this moment too where you realize there’s an opening and you reach out to Jevon, and you said, I don’t know what I’m doing, but I wanna do it. So tell me about that. So she said, let’s do it or something. Right? And then she brings you on. And then is there mentoring involved? Like, what does it take to become a literary agent?
Deidra Riggs [00:11:34]: Yeah. I think that the skill or my natural whatever that helps me a lot is I am able to make deep connections with people. And I also am good at following my gut leads me well. And I just know I’ve learned to trust that. I just know who I’m gonna be able to work with, and I know who I’m not gonna be able to work with. And I’ve learned to see that as a gift for all of us because if it’s not gonna be fun to work with you, you’re not gonna like me, and I’m it’s not gonna be fun. And so let’s just cut this off at the beginning. And so I feel like I am building these amaze these relationships with these amazingly creative people.
Deidra Riggs [00:12:22]: I am telling you, the things that people are writing and thinking and wanting to put out into the world, it is I just feel honored that I am getting a first look that they’re even willing to let me look at, you know, to just look at it. It blows my mind. I just think that the future of literature and writing with it’s just I it’s just only gonna get better. It’s just getting better and better and better. And so I’m excited about that. Why am I telling you that part? I don’t know. But I’m telling you sharing that part with you. Oh, because of building the relationship.
Deidra Riggs [00:13:04]: Because that’s really what it’s about is making for me, I want my authors to know that I am there for them, that I I I’ve been on that side where I’m an author and working with a publisher. Sorry about my dog. So the thing that is really important to me is that I know what’s important to you know, I know my offer and what’s important to them because I want their publishing house to feel like home to them. I don’t want them to feel like I mean, there is a business part to it, but I don’t want them to feel like they’ve had to make themselves smaller, change their message, change their voice or the essence of who they are just to get a book published. If that’s happening, I don’t want I don’t want them to be at that publishing house. And I want them to think that, like right now they’re some of them are like, I have this book, this one book that I’ve been writing for fifteen years. Well, how are you gonna give that to a publishing house that isn’t gonna honor that? Right? I don’t want that. I want them to find the place that honors that fifteen years of your life that you gave to that.
Deidra Riggs [00:14:21]: So that and so it’s building the relationship with the author, but also with the editors. So I know, the acquisitions editors, whether or not they’re gonna be that person for my person. Because I want them to be that person for my person, and I also want my person to be that person for them. Right? Because it’s all for me, it’s all about relationship. And, yeah, let’s do a New York Times bestseller book. But if you feel like you had to compromise your soul for that, is that really I don’t wanna be part of that. Maybe there are people who don’t mind that, but that’s not me. That’s not who I am.
Deidra Riggs [00:14:58]: And Yeah. And I’m not…I don’t feel, I don’t need to have an author who has a New York Times bestseller book. That’s not my motivation. I want my author to get a New York Times bestseller book if that’s what they want and to celebrate that. And I wanna celebrate that with them. But, mainly, I want them to get more people seeing these beautiful things they’re creating. I mean, I can’t do what they’re doing. They are amazing.
Deidra Riggs [00:15:37]: I can make it better. I can push them and challenge them. I can, ask good questions, you know, all of that. But I did not create the essence of what they’re sending out into the world, and that is just an honor. I don’t know if I’m answering your question, but that’s what is going on with with me.
Ann Kroeker [00:15:59]: And as long as some of the terms you’ve used, I want them I want to feel like they’re at a home. Like, this is home. And that’s such a different terminology than what we’re used to, which is we were about this is a business partnership. We have this business document called a book proposal if it’s non nonfiction. And so much of it feels like the business aspect and it’s almost like you’re stripping all that away and saying, yes. I’ll do some business negotiations for you, but only as it serves you in this project. And I’ll do the matchmaking that I feel is possible. And hopefully, you know, they’ll choose you. But does that mean, though, if you’re being choosy on their behalf based on the conversations you’ve had with your authors, does that mean that some projects are just, like, parked until you find the right fit? Or how is what’s that like, that process of waiting for the right fit for your authors?
Deidra Riggs [00:16:50]: It is, like, that’s the roller coaster. It’s like trying to find the person who’s gonna open your email. Right? Who’s gonna open your email, first of all? And then who is going to be able to hear what this author is trying to put out into the world? So sometimes I’ll send it out on submission and I hear right back, like, I just want you to know I got this. Thank you so much for sending it to me. I probably won’t get to it for whatever, but I’m gonna get back to you. Sometimes I get, I need more information. So I’ll send them more information. Sometimes it’s not right away, but they’ll come back and say this isn’t a good fit for us.
Deidra Riggs [00:17:34]: If that happens, I go back and I say, can you just give me some feedback? Can you let me know, you know, what is the thing that held you up the how the house? Is it the writing? Is it the pacing? Is it the concept? Is it the writer? You know, what are those things? I don’t always get the answer to that. But when people do give me the answer, so grateful for that. And I take it back to the author. This is the feedback that I’m getting. And every time I take the feedback to them, the author is like, this is amazing. Thank you so much. They said no to my book, but I know why. Yeah. These are things I’m willing to change. These are things I’m not willing to change, and so I’ll have to sit with this for a while and figure out what to do next. You know, it’s all relationship. It’s all relationship. And just trying to…no one has said, this is a terrible book. Why did you send this to me? Right?
Ann Kroeker [00:18:27]: You wouldn’t send that out, I’m imagining. Yeah.
Deidra Riggs [00:18:31]: It’s all very good positive feedback. I think that right now, especially the way book publishing is changing, and publishers are frightened, to some degree. They’re not as willing to take risks that they may have taken back in night in 2016, 2020. Things are different now. And so there is some hesitation to for me, especially as representing all of my authors are people of women of color right now. Many new voices, mostly new voices, and so that’s risky for a publisher right now. And the women that I represent write as women of color, so they’re not being they’re not trying to make anyone like them. They’re trying to be who they are and put out a message they feel called and led to put out into the world, and that’s a risky thing right now.
Ann Kroeker [00:19:33]: What’s it like for someone to come to you with their project? Maybe you know them, maybe you don’t, but you have to reject them. Tell me about that process of rejection because, you know, we all as authors—I’m saying we’re just sort of collectively thinking about all the writers and authors dreaming of it. They send out their project. They get that rejection. Like, talk about it from your side of the desk.
Deidra Riggs [00:19:55]: Well, normally, like, I will know within five minutes whether I wanna read or hear more about this person or this book. And so they’ll send me something. I’ll open it up, and I…first of all, am I intrigued by what they’re writing? And it really is a quick gut check. Like, yes or no. If I am intrigued, then I will go and research them. Who is this person? Does anybody know them? Because the platform is still a big deal. And then I will, if I feel that they don’t have to have a big platform. If they’re writing a song, they have a big concept, I’m willing to have a conversation.
Deidra Riggs [00:20:36]: Will you send me something I can read? But if I reopen it up and I just am not connecting, I don’t you don’t need to keep hoping I’m gonna you don’t need to be sitting at home waiting for me to tell you no. When you could be talking to other people who might say yes. It doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. It just doesn’t I didn’t I don’t get it. I don’t like it. It’s not holding my attention. But that doesn’t mean it’s not for someone. And it’s better for me to just say, this is not good for me.
Deidra Riggs [00:21:07]: It’s not a good fit for me. And I wanna submit you that. And sometimes I’ll say, I’m sure you’ll find a great place for it. I won’t always say that. But sometimes I’ll say, I’m sure you’ll find a great place. I wish you the best. I have said, if you work on this and feel like you wanna send it back to me at some point, I’d be happy to look at it then. And then sometimes I just get weird ones and I don’t reply.
Deidra Riggs [00:21:37]: Because I don’t even…I feel like they were just, like, maybe riding on the subway and they had an idea and they typed it out on their phone and sent it to me. And I say, I don’t reply to those usually.
Ann Kroeker [00:21:49]: They didn’t understand the process properly.
Deidra Riggs [00:21:52]: Yeah. Yeah.
Ann Kroeker [00:21:53]: Okay. So what would be a starting point? If somebody’s writing non—let’s talk nonfiction first. I know I have people listening in and tuning in who write fiction, but let’s talk about nonfiction, because of the platform element. Where’s the like, if somebody were going to submit, but they really ought to wait to get some sort of threshold just to start the conversation. We’re recording this early in 2025. What would be your current threshold to say? That’s enough to start the conversation.
Deidra Riggs [00:22:22]: Yeah. I would start it I’d start a conversation at 2,500 followers
Ann Kroeker [00:22:27]: on 2,500, not 25,000. Oh, nice. And that’s followers on one platform?
Deidra Riggs [00:22:32]: Or On that one platform.
Ann Kroeker [00:22:34]: And that one platform can be anything, any of the public facing places?
Deidra Riggs [00:22:39]: Yes. But if it’s a good concept and they’re a good writer because I think there’s three things that we’re looking for, a good concept, good writing, and a platform. So the platform is just one of those. And sometimes you might not have a whole lot of followers on Instagram, but people know you. Right? Because you just haven’t focused on social media. But I am gonna want you then to know we’re not submitting this book right away. You’re gonna work on growing your platform because that’s what the publishers wanna see.
Deidra Riggs [00:23:17]: They wanna see that you have people who are gonna buy this book, and I’m not gonna send it to them if you have 2,500 public or followers. But I will talk to you, and I will see if you’re interested in growing your platform. And if you’re interested in growing your platform, then let’s talk about that and what does that mean. And I’m sorry that that’s a real thing, but it is a real thing. And since you wanna be published, it’s something you’re gonna have to work on.
Ann Kroeker [00:23:43]: And what would be a number that would make you feel like, oh, I could take this out right away once we finalize the proposal?
Deidra Riggs [00:23:51]: 250,000.
Ann Kroeker [00:23:53]: Okay. I knew it had grown. A lot of my writers are like, “They keep moving the goalposts!” You know? “But just when I get close, they’re like, boom.” And then…
Deidra Riggs [00:24:01]: That’s for me. That’s for me. I mean, if you, or Oprah sends me something and, you know, whatever. And she somehow has zero followers. Well, something has happened then that she has zero followers. But, you know, if the right—under the right circumstance like, those are not hard and fast. I’m not gonna say no just because you have a thousand followers. I’m gonna look at your concept.
Deidra Riggs [00:24:21]: I’m gonna look at your writing. And the platform’s not the first thing I look at. The first thing I look at is when I read this first paragraph, do I wanna read more? And if I wanna read more, then I wanna know, well, who’s writing this? And that’s when I’ll go and look. And if it says you have 57 followers, I will write you back and say, this is great. I’m concerned about your platform.
Ann Kroeker [00:24:49]: Okay. That’s honest. And it’s realistic given the current state of things. How do you find authors you wanna rep?
Deidra Riggs [00:25:00]: Really? I know people are on TikTok. I don’t understand TikTok. I’m sorry. I like Instagram, and so that’s where I am. And usually, people who are serious about getting published or do you know, like, being influencers or whatever, they’ll say I they’ll I can see I have this many Instagram followers, but they’ll also say, I have this many on TikTok. I have this many on YouTube. Go to these channels. You know? So they’re aware that that’s important.
Ann Kroeker [00:25:27]: What about email subscribers? I have heard that the gold standard is if you have a lot of subscribers.
Deidra Riggs [00:25:35]: I think it’s social media right now. I think email is important. It really is. But a lot of people don’t want emails in their inbox, and so they’re not subscribing, and they’re going to the content that they want.
Ann Kroeker [00:25:49]: So That’s good to hear. I mean, good to understand.
Deidra Riggs [00:25:52]: Yeah. And then, and then people like, for a hot minute, I said, I’m not accepting any more submissions because I wanna do a good job for the ones that I have. And then people were emailing me and saying, my friend said she sent you something, and she got a message back that said you’re not accepting subscribers. So I will accept people referring stuff to me for sure. And then I took that off, and I said, I’m just open. And once I opened it again I got the most amazing submissions.
Ann Kroeker [00:26:26]: Well, let’s see. So the slush pile or whatever do you wanna call it, it works. And you have a process, you process them some way where you flag them, star them, or whatever.
Deidra Riggs: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It’s really interesting. And I’m all I just have always loved to build relationships with people. And that doesn’t mean, like, I’m collecting friends because I don’t have a whole lot of people in my life. But I do feel like when you encounter a person in a day, that’s a relationship. It may be a very short, like, five minute long relationship, but it’s a relationship. And I think that’s my approach to the world, and it’s helpful in this industry.
Ann Kroeker [00:27:13]: Oh, boy. That’s good. Yeah. So that seems like a value that drives everything you’re doing. What do you wish all writers knew about writing and publishing?
Deidra Riggs [00:27:28]: Oh, what do I wish they all knew about writing and publishing? I wish that they knew that they deserve a place that feels like home. If they’re going to do it, they deserve a place that feels like home. And, yes, it is a business. I think we have for a long time put an emphasis on the business part of it. And to me, that’s a given. I mean, we live in a capitalist society. Of course it’s a business. Right? But the piece that we don’t treasure or allow ourselves to wish for is a place that treats us well and that we feel heard and seen and valued there.
Deidra Riggs [00:28:17]: I think we always feel lucky if that happens. And there is that sense of luck. I feel that publishers could work harder at feeling like home. And I feel like the more writers understand that they deserve to feel like they’re at home, that those things could possibly change along the way. And I think it’s fine. I mean, it’s out there. You can find people who feel like home.
Ann Kroeker [00:28:51]: If a writer is just running up against walls, they’re getting rejected, rejected, rejected, rejected. How do you feel about other publishing options available to them?
Deidra Riggs [00:29:03]: Yeah. I mean, I think the world is changing. And, we vote with our money in many ways in America and other places that sell books. And, eventually, things change. And you might get left behind, because there are people self publishing now. Writers don’t have to rely on these big gatekeepers to get their books published. And writers who—I mean, there is this thing. You have to have the resources to be able to do it, and that’s a whole different conversation.
Ann Kroeker [00:29:44]: Yeah.
Deidra Riggs [00:29:46]: But there are ways. I mean, a woman did a story on TikTok that became a book. Right?
Ann Kroeker: Anything’s possible right now.
Deidra Riggs: Anything’s possible. And for publishers, if they’re comfortable in thinking they are the ultimate gatekeeper, I think they’re gonna get left behind because in a minute, they’re not gonna be the ultimate gatekeeper. There are so many other ways. We saw it in a different way back in the blogging days because so many people got book contracts then from blogging. I mean, they got sought out. They weren’t putting their manuscript in an envelope and sending it through the post office. They put it on their computer at home, and people were saying, “I wanna publish a book that you write.” So, of course, things are gonna continue to change.
Ann Kroeker [00:30:42]: Do you feel like people who are writing nonfiction, if they put some of that material out there, maybe a lot of that material that’s gonna go into the book in different formats—maybe one piece that’s gonna be in chapter three, there’s an idea they’re testing on YouTube, and then something else on Instagram, a little quote that’s gonna be in there. And how do you feel about that? About some of it showing up in different places before they’ve published, before they’ve or maybe when they are under submission?
Deidra Riggs [00:31:09]: Yeah. I do think so it’s all…I’m relational. Right? So the author has a relationship with their followers too, and you need to respect that and be fair. And they don’t wanna…they will because they love you, but they don’t wanna pay money for something they’ve already seen that you said for free. So some of that, yes. I mean, like, some people have catch phrases that they use all the time and your reader is gonna expect to see that in the book. But if your book is everything or mostly over 50% what’s already been published, I would feel disappointed in that as a reader. And as a follower of you, I would feel like, if all you did was take your stuff that I already read and put it in a book, and now I’m paying you for it? No. I don’t wanna do that. Okay. And so as an author, to respect your reader, respect your follower, and do some work to come up with some new content for them.
Ann Kroeker [00:32:10]: If somebody did have—you mentioned a catchphrase—if I had something kind of real special that would connect the potential title, the working title and I wanted to test it, but now it’s out there….there’s a fear I’m finding with writers that somebody else will, “Oh, that’s great! I’m gonna use!” Should they be kinda holding some of these things a little bit? Hold them close? Or should they go in and get it out there and connect their name to the idea or phrase?
Deidra Riggs [00:32:35]: Yeah. I think it’s interesting because I was just at the airport and you know, in the bookstore, and I saw some book titles that I have seen before. And they’re out there. So it’s a whole different book, but it’s the same title that’s been used before. I think that if you are talking to your agent, for example, and you have this working book title, there’s a date on your email that you’re talking to them about it, and you can say, I had that title on 03/03/2025. You can see in this email, and then you know it’s yours. If will you ever have to I mean, I’ve had that conversation with people. I don’t wanna put my book title out there.
Deidra Riggs [00:33:15]: Well, okay. You don’t need to put it out on Instagram. But if you see somebody with it, you can say, hang on. I had that title back here. And you can re you can pull up your email to talk about it. I think you can say it if you want to. But also, I I don’t know that I would do that before I had an agent or before I was in some kind of talks with a publisher.
Ann Kroeker [00:33:40]: Yeah. Okay. That’s so helpful. You have really poured out a lot of good information to writers who were wondering and thinking, and how would they know if they’re a good fit for you? Just, like, reread what you’re looking for? And where do they go?
Deidra Riggs [00:33:58]: I’d say send it to me. I mean, I’m not opposed to you sending it to me. I love seeing what people are writing. It just blows my mind every day. And the more that I’m doing this, just so you know, and it’s not on the website right now, I’m really being drawn lately to magical realism. So if people are writing stuff like that, I would love to see it, especially if it’s got a character or they’ve built a world that’s mostly people of color, and it connects back to the history of that family or but it also is looking to the future, I love that. Like, A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle, but from people of color, you know, because we have all that. Octavia Butler, right? All of that. And I’m surprised that I’m drawn to it, but I love it. Send it to me.
Ann Kroeker [00:34:50]: Great. So novels and nonfiction, but you just touched right now, that’s current as of this recording, that’s what you wanna see more.
Deidra Riggs [00:34:57]: And I love memoir. I do love that. It’s hard to sell, but I love it. And, I like historical fiction, but that’s also really difficult to sell right now. I just people want to know.
Ann Kroeker [00:35:11]: Yeah. They need to know.
Deidra Riggs [00:35:12]: Anything that you wanna send me.
Ann Kroeker: And things change. Right? The market’s interest shifts over time.
Deidra Riggs [00:35:19]: And I like talking to writers about their writing. And I like to, if they want it, you know, if they want feedback, I’m happy to give that. I love to do that.
Ann Kroeker [00:35:31]: That’s great. I will keep my ear to the ground too just listening for people who might be a good fit. Yeah. Where should I send them? Where should we send them today?
Deidra Riggs [00:35:41]: You can send them to my email, deidra.riggs@emboldenmediagroup.com. I know it’s a lot. Right? And then I’m on Instagram at @DeidraRiggs. Those are probably the two main places to get in touch with me.
Ann Kroeker [00:35:56]: And you don’t mind if they message you, fella? I don’t.
Deidra Riggs [00:35:58]: No. Right. Go right ahead.
Ann Kroeker [00:36:00]: Well, thank you. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your wisdom and for all that you’re learning. You’re kind of just getting going here, and I hope that you continue to find people who just wow you with what they’re doing.
Deidra Riggs [00:36:12]: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thanks for the invite. It was fun.
Ann Kroeker [00:36:15]: If you feel like you and your project are a good fit for Deidra, you heard. You can just reach right out to her. Just to confirm her spelling, she spells her first name d e i d r a, Deidra Riggs. This episode is brought to you by “Craft Your Best Book Proposal.” This free, on-demand webinar tells you what goes into a book proposal and why you need one because I want you to feel confident going forward in your publishing journey. You can learn more at annkroeker.com/bestbookproposal. And I’m Ann Kroeker, cheering you on as a writing coach in your ear. Everywhere we may meet, at my website, on this show, in your inbox, or even in person, I’m always looking for ideas to share with you that will help you achieve your goals and have fun by being more curious, creative, and productive. Thank you for being here.
FREE ON-DEMAND WEBINAR
Craft Your Best Book Proposal
If you have a non-fiction book inside you, the first step is to write a book proposal. In this training, I’m revealing what it takes to create this essential document and why its necessary for your publishing journey.
The webinar covers…
✅ why you need a book proposal
✅ what a book proposal does for your book
✅ the three things a publisher is looking for
✅ how to start developing your own proposal!
