A Year From Now, You’ll Wish You Had Started Today

Most of the writers I talk to want the same thing: to get signed, get published, and get there now.

So when I mention that our Manuscript Momentum Retreat takes place in September 2027, the first reaction is almost always the same: “That’s almost a year away.”

It is. And that’s exactly the point.

Why a date on the calendar changes everything

A year passes quickly when you don’t make room for your writing.

Think back to last September. Count the pages you’ve written since, and how much closer you’ve come to an agent. For most writers, it’s less than they’d hoped. That isn’t for lack of talent. It’s because life fills every space you don’t protect.

Here’s what I want every writer to understand: getting an agent takes time. You’ll need to refine the idea, define your audience, build your platform, and write pages that hold up. None of that happens in the weekend before you query. If you know next year is the year you want representation, the work starts now.

Saying yes today changes the year that leads there.

Picture a different September

You’re in Florence, at a table with eleven other serious writers. A literary agent is talking through your pages with you. It isn’t a form rejection or a guess. It’s a real conversation about what’s working, what isn’t, and why.

Most writers will never get that chance. By the end of the week, you’ll know what your book is, who it’s for, and how to pitch it.

Whatever stage you’re at, there’s a reason to commit now. Let me take the two objections I hear most.

1. “I don’t even know which book to write yet.”

That’s the best reason to commit now.

Without a date, “someday” stays someday. With a concrete deadline, the next eleven months become your runway. You’ll have a reason to choose between your ideas, to get the first pages down, and to start thinking like an author instead of someone who’s always meaning to write.

You won’t be doing it alone, either. You’ll have our support before and after the retreat, so you arrive in Florence with something real to work on. Then, around that table, it all comes alive.

Most writers spend years developing the wrong book. You won’t have to.

2. “I want to be signed before next September.” (Or: “I’ve queried agents and never heard back.”)

If you’ve been querying agents and hearing nothing, that silence is the market telling you something. Your pitch, your pages, or both need something more.

Here’s the hard part: it’s very difficult to learn what. Agents receive hundreds of queries every week, and they’re looking for something special and distinct. A form letter, if you even get one, won’t tell you what’s missing. Unless you hear it directly from an agent, or work alongside one, you may never find out.

That’s exactly what we’ll do together in Florence: five days of focused, expert feedback.

And if you do get signed before September, wonderful. You’ll still have plenty to build: your platform, your next book, your career as an author. If you’re querying, you’ll sharpen your pitch with insight fresh from a market that’s always changing.

Publishing is a marathon, not a sprint. Agents and publishers invest in authors with long-term trajectories. The writers who build lasting careers are the ones who keep learning after the first yes.

Who this retreat is for

This retreat is for you if:

• You want to know, with confidence, what your book is and who it’s for.
• Your queries have gone unanswered, and you want to understand why.
• You’re ready to treat your writing as a career, not a “someday.”
• A deadline and a community would help you do the work you keep putting off.

If even one of these sounds like you, we welcome you to explore our retreat brochure to see how the week unfolds, where you’ll stay, and what’s waiting for you in Florence.

The year will pass either way

Whichever writer you are, the next twelve months are coming. The only question is what they’ll hold for you.

Imagine this time next year: your book clear in your mind, pages in hand, a pitch you can say with confidence, and an agent who knows your work. That’s not a fantasy. It’s a plan, and it starts with committing to yourself as a writer.

The Manuscript Momentum Retreat September 20–25, 2027 · Florence, Italy Only twelve seats. Priority Access is $6,300 with code LUCINDA500, through October 22.

Ready to claim your seat? Reserve your spot here. If you have any questions, we’re glad to assist and can be reached at [email protected].

A year from now, you’ll be somewhere. Make it Florence.