Rachelle Gardner

I was out with my husband hiking the Manitou Incline here in Colorado – it’s only a mile to the top but 2,000 feet vertical gain. Then it’s about a 4 mile hike on a gentler trail to get back down. A nice morning’s workout. I got to thinking about all the ways I try…

or… A Platform is More than a Bunch of Twitter FollowersPeople are always asking me, “What constitutes platform? How many Twitter followers? How many Facebook friends?” Listen, a platform is not all about those numbers. Take a step back, look at the bigger picture, and ask yourself: What have I done to bring potential book…

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” ~Ancient ProverbI frequently receive emails from writers asking me if the process they’re experiencing is “normal.” Maybe they’re seeking an agent, and they’re in the midst of a convoluted and confusing…

I have a few clients who are very prolific. As soon as they’ve finished a manuscript (including getting outside feedback and going through a few rounds of revisions) they’re always excited to move on to another. They immediately brainstorm a new story and get going on it. They can write two or more terrific manuscripts…

It’s that time of year again… Idol is back on, and as far as I can tell, better than ever. I can’t help it – I’m a fan. I love watching people pursue their dreams. I love the idea of talent being discovered. I love seeing people step up, be brave, lay it all on…

A WordServe client wrote me: I’m always trying to figure out what magic widget I need to put on my blog and my website to encourage people to be followers. It would be a HUGE BENEFIT to clients if you could get some techie to give a clear easy answer to this: best practices for…

Like most people these days, agents tend to keep pretty busy, and one thing we’re always doing is READING. My desk is piled high with manuscripts. Okay, I’m lying. There are no piles. There are files in my computer, and more files on my brand new 3G Kindle. They’re virtual piles. At the top of…

Today our country recognizes and remembers Martin Luther King, Jr. Please take eight minutes to watch this clip from his “I have a dream” speech of August 28, 1963. Do you have a dream that is bigger than yourself? What is it?

Next to the defeated politician, the writer is the most vocal and inventive griper on earth. He sees hardship and unfairness wherever he looks. His agent doesn’t love him (enough). The blank sheet of paper is an enemy. The publisher is a cheapskate. The critic is a philistine. The public doesn’t understand him. His wife…

Blog reader Katharine asked: What’s with all the bonnets? Why is it that the best sellers in the CBA are of the Amish/historical fiction/period romance type of book? Not every Christian reader is drawn to those type of novels, yet that seems to be the trend. Do CBA publishers drive the market toward what is…

My post last Wednesday, When Publishing Dreams Become a Nightmare, sparked quite of bit of debate and outrage, including several people writing responses on their own blogs. I want to reiterate (as I did several times in my post) that the scenario I described is unusual—generally my clients are happy with their publishing experiences. We…

A blog reader wrote…I think your in-box is being filled faster and faster as a result of agents now accepting electronic queries. I would bet that before you accepted email you got only a fraction of the number you currently receive. Now anybody with a computer can hammer out 80, 000 words and hit the…

Most of my clients have had terrific publishing experiences. They enjoy working with their editors (even when the revisions are very challenging), they like the titles their publisher comes up with, and they love their book covers. Then there’s Allison. Allison’s journey hasn’t been so rosy. I’m not even using her real name here because…

(Repost) I suppose there are several good ways to make sure you don’t get an agent. You could, for instance, never try to get an agent. Or you could lack writing skill. You could pitch books that nobody finds interesting. But let’s say you are trying to get an agent, and you are a good…