One of the biggest challenges for an author, a publisher AND readers consists of the increasing difficulty of matching a wannabe reader with the type of book he or she is looking to buy. A new survey recently was conducted …
Business of writing
What is your marketing slingshot?
Marketing your book is difficult, and it’s hard to discover your unique marketing pathway.
There’s a familiar Old Testament story about David and Saul that struck me. David is ready to face the giant Goliath, so he slips on the …
Trash or Keep?
In this age of minimalism, do you ever wonder what things as a writer you should trash and what things you should keep? This dilemma became very real to me recently when my publisher announced they had decided to reissue …
Twelve Words of Christmas
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
For a writer, the idea of having only twelve words of Christmas may seem like an impossible word count limit, doesn’t it? With minimal commentary, let’s ponder twelve important words for writers inspired by the one word–…
World Reading Stats
I came across a really fascinating infographic created by the folks at Global English Editing. It’s an overview of reading habits around the world, and a quick snapshot of how 2020 looks when it comes to reading.
I was …
Flip Flop
At a staff meeting recently, we discussed how many things have changed in publishing. I’ve been a full-time agent for fifteen years and when I think back to what I taught or espoused back then and in the years since, …
What Does an In-House Editor Do for You?
Some publishers have chosen to downsize the number of in-house editors but instead to rely on freelancers. That decision raises the question, What does an in-house editor do for you?
Having been such an editor, I have personal insights into …
Why Would Someone Want to Read Your Book?
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
You probably know why you’re writing your book. But do you have a good handle on what would make someone want to read it?
It’s important for you to not only know this, but make sure …
Picking the Right Agent for You
Once you’ve created the best query you can (a la my most recent blog post) and have your proposal ready to submit, you’re mind will turn toward finding an agent. Let’s be clear about one thing: You don’t want …
Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Query
The first thing to do in writing a query is to…not write the query yet. Give it some incubation time.
Rather than jumping into your query, take your time to force yourself to define–really define–the project.