by Janet Kobobel Grant
Some authors choose to write discussion questions that will appear at the back of a book or to be available on the writer’s website. Having written a slew of such questions and having been trained in …
Nonfiction
Proposal Prep: The Competition Section
by Janet Kobobel Grant
After a client submits his nonfiction proposal to me, I suspect he thinks I’ll have that baby in the hands of an editor within the hour. Not exactly. Before that big event occurs, I’ll take a …
Writing Obsessions
Janet Kobobel Grant
What stimulates you to write a story or to compose a manuscript about a certain topic?
Writing Hints
I find it instructive to listen to interviews with highly successful authors. They often are asked–and love to talk …
Is Your Personal Story a Memoir?
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Friends tell you that you need to write the story of your experience. And your story burns within you–you need to write it. So you set out to construct your memoir.
Before you take another step, …
Great Books to Buy for others this Christmas
Blogger: Rachel Kent
If you are shopping today, or planning to do any Christmas shopping this year, please consider adding a book or two to your gift list. I’m sure someone on your list loves reading and there are so …
Help a Good Cause and Your Author Platform
Blogger: Mary Keeley
Last week a client received a request to do an advertisement to help promote a good cause. She wondered if it would be wise because it didn’t appear to relate to the books she writes. She was …
Author, Check Your Online Presence
Blogger: Mary Keeley
When your book proposal interests agents and editors, the first thing they’ll do is investigate your website, blog, and social media activity. That’s why it’s so important that each area of your online presence compliments the others …
How to Get the Most from Your Beta Readers
Blogger: Mary Keeley
I highly recommend participating in a critique group. You can improve your own craft as you critique your partners’ work often as much as you can by receiving their feedback on your work. But this can’t replace …
How Has an Editor’s Job Changed?
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
The other day, my assistant, Michelle, asked me how an editor’s role has changed since my first book released, which was in the mid-1980s. Some of my responses surprised her; so I thought it might be …
In Search of Inspiration and New Ideas
Blogger: Mary Keeley
It’s been a few years since I blogged about where to get inspiration for your writing. One suggestion I gave for engaging readers back then was to relate to current events and the cultural issues they illicit. …