Here we are in the middle of the holidays and with Christmas over, we’re rushing headlong into NEW YEAR’S which for many of us means… resolutions. I’ve always loved the feeling of starting a fresh year and optimistically making
Should You Use Sensitivity Readers?
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
Sensitivity readers have been on our radar for the last few years, and in some circles they’ve even become controversial. Here’s a brief overview of what sensitivity readers do so that you can decide whether to consider …
Do You Have a Holiday Writing Plan?
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
No getting around it, the holiday season is here. Next week is Thanksgiving, families are gathering, and stores are already playing Christmas music. The joys, the stresses… here they come.
What does this mean for writers? This …
Does Age Matter for Writers?
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
Hi Rachelle, I’m 62 and about to retire; I’m preparing to dedicate my retirement years to writing full-time. I wonder whether “age discrimination” would enter into my efforts to get published. I realize the quality of the …
Questions to Ask a Small Publisher
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
If you’re reading this, then there’s a good chance you’re a writer and you’re going to be published someday if you’re not already. In today’s publishing environment, there are plenty of options (as you know) and if …
Botched Communication
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
I want to tell you about an incident at a writers’ conference that was sort of heartbreaking for me. We agents have a lot invested in these conferences, just like the writers do, and sometimes we have …
Challenging Our Assumptions
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
I’ve noticed that when entering the writing and publishing journey, people have a lot of assumptions that aren’t necessarily true. Here’s a little true/false quiz to pinpoint some assumptions you may have. Do they need to be …
Will I Have to Pay Back My Advance?
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
Do authors ever have to pay back their advance? This is a question agents hear a lot. Often a writer is nervous about possibly being asked to pay back the advance if the book doesn’t sell enough …
The Power of Negative Thinking
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
Thomas Edison, in talking about inventing, is quoted as saying, “the first step is an intuition—and comes with a burst—then difficulties arise.”
To me this is similar to the bursts of inspiration and motivation we sometimes get …
Side Hustles for Writers
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
I’m a literary agent, but I have a side hustle as an online educator teaching a course for writers at Author School. These days, lots of people have “side hustles” including those who are full-time parents …