Welcome to My Substack

Hello, new friends, long-time readers, and fellow writers!

By way of introduction, my name is AJ (Amy) Eversley, and I’m an author of YA/NA Sci-Fi and Fantasy books. I’m also a screenwriter and story analyst for the film and television industry. My hope with this new and improved newsletter is to share my journey, experiences, and advice on all things storytelling!

But first, let me tell you a bit about how I became an author.

In 2014, a back injury forced me to find a new hobby and led me to discover a new passion—writing. That’s when I began my first book, Watcher. Fast forward to 2018, and I self-published The Watcher Series, a YA Sci-Fi Dystopian trilogy I like to pitch as “a YA version of Terminator for fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games.” After this, I created The EverMarked Series, set 150 years after Watcher but I needed a new editor. While searching for an editor for EverMarked, I found Rebecca Jaycox, who not only polished the first book, she also suggested I submit it to the small press she worked for. That press picked up The EverMarked Series and republished The Watcher Series.

Unfortunately, in 2022, that small press went out of business. When my rights reverted back to me, I chose to independently republish all seven books—a bittersweet but empowering decision.

Meanwhile, a new adventure was unfolding. In 2020, like many others during the pandemic, I was suddenly out of a job. Writing became my full-time focus. In just a year, I completed six books and four screenplays. This led me to an internship in film and TV, sparking a love for screenwriting and setting me on the path to finding an agent. After nearly two years and over 200 queries, I signed with Bethany Hendrix (now at Spencerhill Associates) in 2022. Together, we revised my YA/NA Fantasy novel (Soulless) and went on submission in 2023. In 2024, we went out with my first Adult Urban Fantasy, and I’m gearing up to take a third manuscript—another YA Fantasy—going on submission in 2025.

It’s been a journey of highs and lows, and I’ve learned that every author’s path is different. Some are fast-paced and thrilling; others, like mine, require patience, persistence, and a whole lot of stubborn optimism.

Here’s a quick timeline of my writing journey:

• 2014: Started writing

• 2018: Self-published my first book

• 2020: Signed with a small press (republished The Watcher Series and launched The EverMarked Series)

• 2022: Small press went out of business; republished all books independently

• 2022: Signed with my agent after 200+ queries

• 2023: Went on submission with my first YA/NA Fantasy

• 2024: Went on submission with my first Adult Urban Fantasy

• 2025: Planning to go out on submission with a new YA Fantasy

I share all of this to remind you that the road to becoming an author isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s messy, unpredictable, and unique to each writer—but it’s always worth it.

Through this newsletter, I aim to share my ups and downs, offer tips and tricks that have worked (or failed!) for me, and explore the connections between book writing and screenwriting. I know I’m not the only one curious—yet a little intimidated—by the idea of switching between mediums, and I want to help bridge that gap.

If you have questions about my journey, writing in general, or just want to say hi, drop a comment or slide into my DMs—I’d love to hear from you!

And if any of this resonates with you, please consider subscribing to this newsletter.

Until next time,