Landing a literary agent may be difficult, but that doesn’t mean you should be getting ignored. If you’re sending out queries and not hearing back at all, you’ve got a problem that needs to be addressed.
Here are some possible reasons you’re hitting a wall:
Read MoreVanity publishing still exists. I’ll tell you what it is, how to avoid being scammed, and how to recognize a reputable company. If you’re considering self or hybrid publishing, pay attention to these red flags so no one takes advantage of you.
Read MoreOne of the fastest and most powerful ways to build your author platform is to be featured in big media, either as an expert source or by writing the right kind of piece yourself.
Read MoreWe all face writer’s block, so I decided to research the science behind a few of my favorite ways to get unstuck. I’ll admit it may have been another way to procrastinate, but I think you’ll like what I found.
Read MoreWhile non-fiction books are generally sold on proposal, novels are not. With fiction, they don’t just want an idea of what they’ll get, but they’ll want to read exactly how the whole thing pans out. Ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s the execution we all struggle with.
Read MoreWe all suck at something, but as counterintuitive as it sounds, those weaknesses can be used to your advantage.
Read MoreI recently had the pleasure of connecting with Lucinda Halpern, owner of Manhattan-based literary management firm Lucinda Literary. I talk with her about traditional publishing, self publishing, how to stand out as an author, and what she’s looking for.
Read MoreAs a writing coach and editor, I rely on these tools myself and frequently recommend them to my clients.
Read MoreDevelopmental editors, line editors, copyeditors, acquiring editors…Who are are these people? How and when should you hire and work with them? In this post, I’ll go over the different editorial roles, and then I’ll offer my thoughts on who might be best to hire and when.
Read MoreIf so, you’re far from alone. No need to be ashamed about the past, but now’s the time to clean up your act. Master these 8 English language potholes, and your writing will be more professional, saving you embarrassment and/or the cost of a heavy copyediting job.
Read MoreA good beta reader can save you time and money before you hire an editor....a bad one, not so much. Here are my tips on where to find beta readers, what to avoid, what to ask, and how to make the most out of working with them.
Read MoreThese are the books on writing that have helped me and my clients get published.
I’m a sucker for a good writing how-to. I’ve picked up dozens over the years, and no matter how many books I’ve purged over my 21 moves between cities, states and countries, I can’t get rid of a single one on writing.
Read MoreGod knows I do. I think about this all the time, so when Lauren Groff famously refused to answer the Harvard Gazette’s question about work-life balance, I was thrown. Like many of us, I cheered her on, but I was also frustrated. I reached out to some of the most prolific writing mothers (mothering writers?) I know and asked what advice they had for us.
I came home and fell into a serious funk. So did my husband. It took us more than a week to shake it off. (If I’m completely honest, I’m still not 100% back. In a minute I’ll get to how I’m addressing it and ask for your suggestions.) Here’s the weird thing, we were especially thrown by our malaise because we’re both lucky enough to LOVE our work and our home and our neighborhood, and now that we’re back home we aren’t sharing an itty bitty stateroom with two kids. So, why?! Why were we so deeply burned out on our lives mere days after returning from a restorative vacation?
Read MoreNope. You don’t. You definitely, absolutely, 100% do not have to write every day to be a writer.
So why do some writers claim you do? Because they do. It’s fabulous that they can sit down and write every single day of their life. Plenty of successful authors do that. Plenty of successful authors don’t.
If a daily schedule works for you, beautiful. But if it doesn’t, that’s okay too. Like athletes, many of us need breaks to recover, adapt, recharge, and prevent burn out.
Want some proof?
Read MoreIf you want to sell your book to a major New York publisher, you need an agent, no question. As with anything in life, there are rare exceptions, but do you want to drastically narrow your chances in hopes of winning the lottery? If so, why? A good agent has relationships with editors and publishers, they know who’s looking for what, they know how to sell a book, they know how to negotiate a good contract, and
Read MoreYou’re trying to juggle a dozen things at once – an unforgettable first line, a fresh voice, an original theme, complex characters, mood and tone and conflict and a sense of mystery, and so on and so forth. In so doing, there’s a good chance you’ve inadvertently lost the most important element of all – clarity.
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