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Over many years of editing books, it seems I have become a heartless eliminator of exclamation points!!! Seriously, I developed a hatred for them! People tend to WAY overuse them! Not to mention italics and bold, and that oh-so-effective use of ALL CAPS!!!!!!! Here’s a hint to avoid coming across as amateur: Use the above…

I’m blogging over at Books & Such today. Here’s a preview: This week, we’ve been telling you about our experiences at the ICRS convention where we spent the bulk of our time talking with publishers and editors about you — our clients. These meetings put us in the same position you’re in at a writer’s…

Have you ever hated your work-in-progress? I’m blogging about that phenomenon at Books & Such today. Click HERE to read it.

A blog reader wrote, “The topic of posting a rough draft of a novel has become a hot topic with my writing friends. Some of us do it and others don’t. I’ve heard different opinions on this when it comes to publishing. Some folks claim an agent wouldn’t touch the project, while others say having a blog…

I’m blogging over at Books & Such today. My post is titled “Where the Rubber Meets the Road.” Here’s a preview: When I decided to become a literary agent, I received advice from several wise people who knew what I was getting into. They told me it would be a steep learning curve, it would…

I’m blogging over at Books & Such today. Click through if you want to know how to read more books… and How Good Books Can Lead to Spotless Floors.

If you’re anything like me, you want to keep up with blogs that interest you, yet it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the sheer volume of information available on the web. To make sure you’re not missing anything important yet avoid being crushed by the number of blogs, you need an easy way to keep…

If you’ve been writing books for long, you may have come across the challenge of keeping the details straight so that you can be consistent throughout the book. If the hero has blue eyes on page 1, he shouldn’t have green eyes on page 50. If your non-fiction book capitalizes “Servant Leadership” in the first…

I’m blogging at Books & Such today. Here’s a preview of the post: As everyone in publishing deals with a rapidly changing environment, replete with opportunities as well as disappointments, it’s easy to lose sight of the overarching truths that can serve to keep us centered. I think it’s important to go back to basics…

Many of you have been reading my blog for a while, but you might not be aware of how much information is available in my archives. Just as a refresher, I wanted to highlight some posts you might find helpful. Have you seen my DEFINITIVE post on How To Get Published? Do you need to…

I have noticed that our culture is permeated with scarcity thinking, and the world of books and publishing is no exception. Do any of these thoughts sound familiar? ♦ Another author just got a 2-book deal. That’s two less spots for me. ♦ An agent just announced a new client. There goes my shot. ♦ Look how many…

I was reading the blog of an author who had decided to never, ever look at reader reviews of her own books. She gave good reasons for her choice, and I admired her resolve. I also wondered how realistic it would be to never read your own reviews. It’s an issue each writer has to face. How…

Thanks to everyone who submitted jokes to our contest last Friday! If you didn’t get a chance to read them, definitely click through for some laughs. Today I’m announcing the winner. But first, I have to share some honorable mentions:   Best joke for Word Nerds… from Jenni Wiltz: This one’s in honor of Mother’s Day:…

Dear Rachelle, People are always telling me, “You should write a book!” For years I have been ignoring them, but more and more people are telling me that I shouldn’t let my experiences be wasted, that I need to share them because they are not only inspirational, they will make people laugh, make them cry, and…