by Janet Kobobel Grant
“Badges? We don’t have no badges. We don’t need no badges. I don’t have to show you no stinkin’ badges!” is a portion of a bandito’s dialogue from the 1948 movie, “The Treasure of Sierra Madre.” …
Publishers
Publishing Forecast–Part 2
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
In my most recent blog post, I explored the double-digit growth of digital audiobooks and what that could mean for publishing’s future. Today I want to make another publishing forecast: the use of the subscription …
An Innovative Approach–Case Study
Blogger: Wendy Lawton
What do publishers and agents mean when they say they are looking for books that approach the subject in a new way or books that are innovative? We already know that books that are a rehash of …
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
Are Publishers Too Cowardly to Take on Your Book?
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Do you think publishers are afraid to take on your book? Maybe you’ve decided, after much striving to find a publishing house, that your work is too (pick whichever apply):
- revolutionary
- daring
- explicit
- graphic
- esoteric
- honest
What Does a Book Sales Rep Really Do?
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Most publishers maintain a sales team (or hire a team other publishers are using as well), with each member responsible for calling on his or her accounts. “Calling on” can mean making phone calls or physically …
Making Word Counts Count
Blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Word counts. They ramp the tension for writers on deadlines. They confound new writers who discover too late that the average contemporary romance is not 400,000 words, as are their debut unpublished epics. Word counts are …
Publishing’s Greatest Challenge Might Surprise You
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
In the October 2 issue of Publishers Weekly, the publication revealed the results of its annual salary and jobs survey. One of the questions the 442 respondents answered was, What is the #1 issue facing the …
What Drives an Agent Crazy? Publishers Can.
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
I would be remiss if, in my rants about what drives an agent crazy, I didn’t mention one other group: publishers. Yup, sometimes the good folks at a publishing house can cause us mental distress.
One
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Promo Shock
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Writers who published their first books in the 1980s to 1990s–even the early 2000s–tend to flip out when someone utters the word platform. They’ve never recovered from the sticker shock of seeing a list of what …