I’m married to a man who once despised brainstorming. He calls himself a non-writer. I disagree, but that’s a story for another time. Somehow, he’d become convinced that brainstorm was a word on a par with earthquake or tsunami or …
book proposal
How to Shape a Proposal
Most times my clients’ proposals are constructed not just by the author but also by me. I thought it would be helpful for you to see how that type of teamwork unfolds.
Consider the Challenges
This particular nonfiction project was …
Making Changes
Blogger: Rachel Kent
Sometimes authors are faced with the decision to keep a query letter or project as is or to revise. Most authors feel pretty confident about the direction of a project when the project is sent out. It …
Finding Title Comparables #Publishing
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
On Thursday, Mary wrote about how creating a synopsis for a proposal confounds many writers. Another part of the proposal that I frequently hear questions about is the Title Comparables or Competition section.
The first thing …
How to Know Your Book’s Audience
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Sometimes a book idea is born out of awareness of your reader’s need that you can meet. The audience is probably a lot like you, or your platform is developed around these folks.
But often, when …
Tips to help you define your nonfiction audience
Blogger: Rachel Kent
Writing a nonfiction book that has been on your heart is great, but figuring out if that book has an audience and who those readers are is essential before you decide to pitch your project to publishing …
Make sure your book is ready
Blogger: Rachel Kent
Recently, I’ve received a few query letters for top-notch ideas, but when I look at the proposal or manuscript, I realize the author shouldn’t have submitted the project yet. The idea and bones of the book are …
The “Why” and “How” Question
Blogger: Rachel Kent
Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
I want today to feel like a Friday free-for-all, so opening this comment section up for you after I describe what I see as the most important “why” …