Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
I’m not a novelist. I never will be. But on a regular basis I get to watch fiction writers spin their magic.
Well, it seems like magic to those of us who don’t have the gift …
Stephen King
The Office
Blogger: Wendy Lawton
One of my treasures is The Writer’s Desk, a book of duotone photographs of writers in their private workspaces taken by renowned author photographer, Jill Krementz. Next to each photograph is a paragraph or two written …
Four Elements That Make a Book a High Concept
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
If you had 1-3 sentences in which to convince someone to buy your book, what would you say?
Your answer reveals your manuscript’s high concept. High concept is a phrase used in the film industry for …
Why Sales Numbers and Platform Aren’t as Important as Publishers Think
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Wendy apologizes that you aren’t reading a blog post from her today. She’s traveling and posting blogs, remembering what day it is, that sort of thing, flitted right out of her brain. She’ll be back next …
Why Sales Numbers and Platform Aren’t as Important as Publishers ThinkRead More
Support Your Indie Bookseller
Blogger: Wendy Lawton
A week or so ago I had the pleasure of sitting for a leisurely hour or two on a sunny veranda overlooking Florida’s intracoastal waterway with Cynthia Callender, marketing and publicity director at Vero Beach Book Center…
Helpful Books for the Writing Process
Blogger: Michelle Ule
Janet’s traveling to various publishing houses this week; so I’m filling in for her while she’s in all-day meetings.
Last week I wrote about the genres you should read as a writer (all of them); this week …
Learning to Write from the Masters
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
The other day I read one of my client’s manuscripts and came to the conclusion that the opening paragraphs were convoluted, forced, and confusing. I wrote to him to suggest he delete those first paragraphs; the …
Success: It Goes Beyond the Book
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
We’ve been looking this week at the elements that make a book successful. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t talk about the importance of the author’s …
Writing Within Your Brand
Blogger: Rachel Zurakowski
Location: Camping near Mt. Shasta, Calif.
Weather: Hot! In the 100s.
When an author has established a brand and has an audience, the author needs to work hard to stick with the brand for future projects. That …
The Elephant and the Room–and the Book
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Location: Books & Such Main Office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the technology gizmos and gadgets at BEA because they are the rock stars of publishing. If publishing is …