Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
I never intended to spend so much of my time ushering books into movies. Oh, I know that most authors pine to see their books turned into film. But I also know what an arduous journey …
Agents
Beefing Up Your Author Bio
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Writers are often asked for a bio–usually 30-50 words. Sometimes 100. A strong, compelling bio says a lot about an author.
How can we make sure we’re truly beefing up our author bios without making them muscle-bound?…
How Not to Query an Agent
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
You know how you have a bad feeling before you even open an email? Last week I felt obligated to click on an emailed query even though I suspected reading the missive would be a waste …
The Right Agent for a Debut Author
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
You’ve probably heard about the importance of finding the right agent for you and your body of work, rather than just saying “yes” to the first agent who comes along. There are plenty of criteria upon which …
Acting and Writing
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Acting is a unique artform, but it’s also a vital skill for writers.
Accomplished actors become the characters they’re tasked to portray. They “crawl into the skin” of the hero, heroine, villain. Actors often talk about enjoying …
Seven Deadly Sins and the Writer
Blogger: Michelle Ule
Sitting in for Wendy Lawton, whom I hope is no longer waiting for a plane in Duluth . . .
What are the seven deadly sins for a writer?
The usual ones:
- Lust
- Gluttony
- Greed
- Sloth
- Wrath
Hold These Truths as Self-Evident
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
What truths do we hold as “self-evident”? With the United States’ Independence Day just behind us, many of us are still eating cake with strawberry stripes and blueberry stars, picking up yard evidence of expired sparklers, and …
Your Agent Has Skin in the Game
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
I was talking with a writer who was agented by someone else, and considering changing agents. This person wanted to talk with me about possibly being their agent. I asked a lot of questions to determine the …
How to Make an Agent Squirm
Blogger: Wendy Lawton
Want to know how to make a CBA literary agent squirm? Wait until he or she is on a panel at a popular writing conference and ask, “What’s the best book you’ve read recently?” Surely that …
Don’t Call Me a Gatekeeper
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
People in and around this business have long used the word “gatekeeper” when referring to those in publishing tasked with choosing which books to publish or represent.
Since the rise of self-publishing, it has become popular to …