Rachelle Gardner

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…

*Snark Alert! So the other day this guy tweeted me: “Any advice for a new author trying to find a literary agent?” I feel really bad for the guy. I’m sure he’s nice enough, and a good writer, and he’s doing his due diligence researching agents. But in the moment, the question dumbfounded me and…

A lot of people wonder how they can do all the online networking they’re “supposed” to do without it completely draining all their time and energy. Well, I don’t have all the answers, but I’ve developed a strategy that works for me, so I thought I’d share it with you. Blog 1. I write my…

“My mother [best friend, husband, Great Aunt Matilda] told me I needed to write my story.” “For years, all my friends have been telling me I should try to get my work published.” “God told me to write this book.” Believe it or not, none of this is relevant in a query. It doesn’t help…

“I got up today and decided to wear purple socks.” Now, I’m sure you can see how a line like that wouldn’t help your query. Does it tell me something about you? Yes. Is it relevant to your book? No. Does it help an agent make an informed decision about whether to represent your book?…

Over the weekend, Janet Reid wrote a blog post called Exclusives STINK. It was great, and I’m unashamedly stealing her wording because I can’t think of a better way to say this. Rejection STINKS. I suppose I could also say Rejection Stings. That’s true, too. I have a whole lot of projects out on submission.…

*and Sometimes the Fish Do I had so much fun reading your responses to Friday’s blog post. I think my favorite sweatshirt saying was, “Jesus loves me. Everyone else thinks I’m a jerk.” It was fun learning a little more about each of you. Thanks for contributing! I apologize if you’re getting tired of my…

Last week when I was camping with my family, I couldn’t help but notice how our attire advertised each of us perfectly. I was wearing a sweatshirt that said, “So many books, so little time.” My 12-year-old’s sweatshirt said, “I’d rather be riding” (she’s my budding equestrian). My 10-year-old’s sweatshirt said, “Gymnastics–it’s not a sport,…