Rachelle Gardner
| Publishing, Q4U
Stats… Industry News… and a Q4U
STATS It’s been awhile since I added up any stats. I didn’t do them for October, so here they are, along with November’s numbers. Total queries received in the two months combined: about 720 Pass letters sent: 358 Request for partials sent: 7 Queries unanswered in my query box: 262 Hard copy queries/proposals sent via…
Read More | A Writer's Life
Guest Blogger: A Writer’s Identity
by Robyn Martins If I were one-dimensional, I could define myself with a single word or phrase. I am a mother, or I am a graphic designer, or I am a musician. I cook. I knit. I read books. I like to sing along with James Taylor and The Eagles. I voted for Obama. I…
Read More | Submitting
The Art of the Query
If you’re trying to sell a book to a publisher, or an article to a magazine, you’re familiar with The Art of the Query Letter. Many of you have asked me to write more about query letters, be more specific about what “a good one” looks like, maybe give examples of query letters that got…
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| Agents
10 Traits of a Good Agent
This is the first in my new “10 Things” series to (hopefully) appear weekly, for awhile anyway. If you have ideas for future “10 Things” posts, please let me know. Many of you might be looking for an agent… and it can be hard to know exactly what to look for in your literary representation.…
Read More | A Writer's Life
The Blessing of Everyday Tasks
“The best time for planning a book is when you’re doing the dishes.” -Agatha Christie Lately I’ve been having conversations with a friend about the importance of the menial, everyday tasks in our lives, and how they provide wonderful opportunities to let our minds loose to roam, explore, and process. We live in such a…
Read More | Publishing
Advances Part Two
Yesterday we discussed advances and there were several questions, so today we’ll talk about them some more. First, what is an “advance” anyway? An advance is a “pre-payment” of the royalties the publisher expects you to earn on your book. Let’s say the publisher has agreed to pay you a royalty of 8% on the…
Read More | Publishing
Ask the Agent: Advances
I’d like to know your perspective on advances. What is the average advance, in CBA versus ABA? How are advances paid out? Is an advance negotiable, and if so, to what degree? It’s impossible to give an “average” advance in either CBA or ABA. They’re wildly all over the map depending on so many factors.…
Read More | About Me, Agents
An Agent for One Year
That “no blogging on Wednesdays” thing didn’t last very long! I couldn’t help myself, had to post a blog today. You’ll see why… Another milestone to report! Today marks exactly one year since I made my first submission to publishers in my role as agent. In celebration, I wanted to share some impressions of the…
Read More | Agents
Does the Agent HAVE to Sell Your Book?
Kristi asked: How often do you turn down projects from your clients because you don’t think you can sell them? If you have a client who’s written a good book, will you submit the book even if you think it might not sell? If you won’t submit it, is the client free to sell it…
Read More | Publishing, Self-Publishing
Who Takes the Risk?
ANNOUNCEMENT: I will only be blogging FOUR days a week until further notice. I plan to blog Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesdays and weekends are off. Thanks for being here! We’ve had a lot of talk on this blog about publishers and bookstores wanting “more of the same” rather than unique and original books.…
Read More | About Me, Q4U
Milestones
My blog just crossed two milestones and I didn’t even notice! First, last weekend marked ONE YEAR since I started the blog. Happy blog-birthday to Rants & Ramblings! Second, my cumulative “unique visitors” count just rolled over 100,000. I sure never expected that! So, thanks to all of you who visit the blog, whether you…
Read More | Publishing
But Can They Sell It?
Yesterday, Pam sent a question about Tuesday’s post on The Process of Acceptance: Rachelle said: “At Pub Board, the sales and marketing people usually have the final say about whether to accept the book for publication or not. They have to strongly believe they can sell it.” This is the part that confuses me. If…
Read More | Guest Bloggers, Marketing
Guest Blogger: Sue Brower from Zondervan
Internet Marketing for Authors I can only be described as “technology challenged” when it comes to the latest and greatest on the Internet. Yet, I know that the Internet offers a multitude of ways to promote your books and to develop a community of fans. It’s more than just gathering email addresses for a newsletter,…
Read More | Agents, Publishing
Ask the Agent: The Process of Acceptance
Laurie wrote: A publisher requested my manuscript several months ago. I suspect he’s passed it to someone else to read. Does the reader make a report? Is it discussed by a committee? I’m wondering if my “precious” writing is on a shelf somewhere or being used as a convenient footrest under someone’s desk. All I…
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