Posts

I’ve been looking forward to this long weekend – I’ll be busy Saturday and Sunday, but on Monday (Labor Day) I’m taking the day off. Because it’s my birthday. When I’m looking forward to a day off, I sometimes find myself overly stressed about how to make it a “perfect day.” Sounds dumb – does…

As an author pursuing publication, have you thought about the fact that you’re going to need a professional headshot? Many people brush off the idea initially, thinking they can have a friend take some nice shots in the backyard. That might be true and you may think your snapshot looks great, but many people will…

Okay, here are more questions I’ve received lately. I’ll warn you right now, my answers are NOT FUNNY. They are, in fact, boring. Sorry. JR Beasley said:I have queried multiple agents. One agent has requested a full manuscript and three others are reviewing partials. When offered representation by an agent, what is the proper protocol…

Dear Rachelle, Do you have any feelings either way about the value of endorsing someone’s book? Publisher X has sent me a request. It’s an average book but I could probably find something good to say. Thoughts? Signed,Your Totally In-Demand Client *** Dear Ms. In-Demand Author: It’s flattering that someone believes your endorsement might help…

Many of you are involved in the writing community, and as part of that, you write book reviews on your own blog or other websites. But writing reviews is not always an easy task, so I thought I’d offer a few tips. 1. Primarily review books you’d recommend. There has been some debate about whether…

I’m gathering information about what works for writers in the agent/client relationship. So here’s a question for all you agented authors out there: What do you appreciate most about your agent? I’m interested in hearing all kinds of opinions. Some areas you may consider addressing: -The working relationship-Your agent’s style (i.e. more businesslike; more relational,…

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about self-publishing. My thoughts have been evolving – things are changing fast and sometimes our thinking has to change, too. Seems like these days, lots of people are into D-I-Y, and that includes the book world. My latest (but still subject to change) opinion is this: Self…

“When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.” I’ve been reassessing my client list and workload lately, and have had to make some tough decisions. I’ve decided to stop accepting queries until further notice. This could be two months or it could be the rest of the year.…

If you’ve been reading this blog long, you might know that I love reading memoirs. I almost always have one (or more) on my nightstand. I recently finished Lit by Mary Karr, Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor, and She Got Up Off the Couch by Haven Kimmel. Love ’em. Can’t get enough. So imagine…

Kati Patrianoceu asked…Do you get tired of writing about the same things on your blog over and over? Do you enjoy writing dozens of blogs about good-and-bad-queries, or does it drive you nuts?I like writing the same things over and over. I like writing the same things over and over. I like writing the same…

Recently on the blog, Kelsey Sutton asked… I’d like to know why and how you began your career as an agent. Would you change any of your choices? Best and worst aspects of your job?Since many people express an interest in becoming an agent and ask me how to do it, I thought I’d explain…

Last week, guest blogger Camille Eide wrote about her first experience with a Revision Letter. Some of you may wonder, what exactly does that letter address? Simply put, it addresses whatever your particular book needs to make it the best it can be. But to be a little more specific, here is a rundown of…

A few days ago, a commenter on this blog wrote, The Xbox 360 is the greatest writing-avoidance device ever created. How many book ideas have died at the feet of “just one more game” of Guitar Hero, Mass Effect, or Bioshock? Well I wouldn’t know an Xbox if it dropped on my head, but it…

If you’re an unpubbed/unagented writer, then you probably know that writers’ conferences are a great place to meet agents and editors. But today I want to make clear: There are plenty of other good reasons to attend a conference – even if you already have an agent and/or a publisher. First, the workshops can be…