Rachelle Gardner

Today is Labor Day. Plus, yesterday was my birthday and I’m getting really, really old. Don’t you think I deserve a day off? Yep, I do too. See you tomorrow!.

**Please note, blog contest ends tonight! See last Friday’s post for details. You may have noticed from some of my posts that sometimes this job gets a little frustrating (like any job). If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile or if you follow me on Twitter, you know I love my job, so that’s…

One of the most common questions I hear about CBA is why it exists in the first place. (CBA means “Christian Booksellers Association” but refers to the entire Christian publishing industry including publishers, authors, agents, bookstores, etc.) Many are concerned that it means Christians are trying to stay set apart. Others wonder about the value…

Catherine M wrote: “I know you can send out multiple queries, but what if there are three agents who have asked to see your manuscript after a verbal pitch at a conference? Do you send to all three?” The protocol is always the same. If you’re querying multiple agents at once, simply mention that fact…

Many of my blog readers have expressed frustration about current trends in publishing. Memoir is out unless you’re famous.Chick lit is dead.Literary fiction doesn’t sell.Nobody wants books over 100k words. Yep, these are all trends. And if you send me a query for a book in any of these categories, I’ll probably send a pass…

On my August 21 post about publishing myths, David commented: “The thing that worries me the most is that a vast majority of stories about finding agents I hear or read about in blogs, message boards, or authors’ websites involve some lucky break or some connection.” That’s a good point, David. Like many businesses, publishing…

I sort of stole this idea from Nathan Bransford but he’s a pretty cool guy so I don’t think he’ll mind. (Think of it as flattery, Nathan.) You’ve no doubt noticed that I often use guest bloggers, usually on Thursdays. I typically get the guest posts from amongst my clients and other friends in the…

Mary Bailey wrote: “What discourages me is the huge emphasis on continuing education, joining writer’s groups, attending conferences, etc. This really puts a crunch in the budget!” Good point, Mary. Believe me, I understand about having a tight budget. But this is one of those times when I will encourage you to make a paradigm…

An anonymous commenter on my blog Friday wrote: “I hear the data about how few authors get published. But then I read so many published books that are simply awful.” Many other blog readers have shared this perspective in the past, including a few of yesterday’s commenters. You know what? Sometimes I turn on the…

The comments on Friday’s post confirmed that myths about publishing are alive and well, as they always have been. Of course, every myth has its basis in some kind of fact, and it’s not always easy to tease apart the truth from the lie. I’ll address a few common myths here, but just realize, for…

Almost everyday a writer tells me they “heard” something about the publishing industry – something they don’t like, something that scares or discourages them, something they’re not sure is true. In an age where so much is being shared on the Internet, you have access to a lot of great information but also a lot…

I’ve had a pretty good summer as far as book deals go. In the last week I wrapped up three exciting deals that I’ll tell you about when the contracts are signed. Just prior to that, Kathi Lipp (author of The Husband Project) signed on with Harvest House for two more books (making a total…

People frequently ask me whether they should invest the time and money to go to a writers’ conference. In my opinion, it can be a valuable experience whether you’re agented or not, published or not. But especially if you’re neither. I could write pages and pages about the value of a conference, but in the…

There comes a time in every writer’s life when an editor requires them to reduce their word count. Ack! Not my precious words! Even if an editor hasn’t asked you to do this, most writers would benefit from tightening up their manuscripts before submission. (I, for one, would appreciate it. ) But how do you…