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Ninety-seven comments, woohoo! Every once in awhile I get exhausted and over-scheduled and I wonder if I should stop writing the blog. Or at least post less frequently. Usually that thought lasts about five seconds because I can’t quit. I can’t help it -I love blogging, I love connecting with you, I love the conversation,…

I’ve said many times on this blog that we are all salespeople. Everyone along the chain of writing, publishing and selling books has the ultimate goal of getting the book into the hands of the end user – the reader. In order to do that, we have to sell our stuff. From the query letter…

Last week I received a query for a YA story and after taking a quick look, I sent a standard pass letter. I soon received a plea from the writer for me to explain why I passed. I find myself in a difficult spot whenever this happens. I enjoy helping people and steering them in…

I got an email last week from a guy who turned down my offer of representation a year ago in favor of another agent. He said he thought he’d made a mistake, was pretty unhappy with the agent, and wanted to talk to me again. The agent had submitted his non-fiction proposal to a round…

I’m teaching a webinar this coming Thursday at 1pm Eastern, all about queries, elevator pitches, taglines and all the ways you sell your work to agents and editors. There are some simple strategies to make sure you’re presenting your work in the best light. Learn what they are! The webinar is both audio and visual…

Today’s my kids’ last day of school, so summer is officially starting around our house. I love summer – the hot weather, the vacations, the feeling of “freedom” that I experience vicariously through my kids. When I think of the summers when I was growing up in California, I remember spending days at the beach…

Yesterday I touched briefly on the agent’s need to protect both their client’s and their own reputation. This reminded me that I wanted to talk about reputations in general. As an author, you should always be aware that when an agent takes you on, and when an editor is interested in acquiring you, they’re putting…

As if it’s not stressful enough getting an agent based on that first book, it seems everyone wonders the same thing. What if they love my first book but hate my second one? I’ve had a few of my authors ask me this about their publishers – the ones that signed them to multi-book deals.…

Last week in Secrets of a Great Pitch I gave you some tips about talking to agents and editors at writers’ conferences. A few people raised a good question: Why pitch verbally at all, when it’s the writing that matters? Yes, the writing matters most. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be gained from…

For most of today, I’ll be at my kids’ school. It’s Civil War Day for the 5th graders, a tradition that’s the highlight of their school year and concludes their study of the War Between the States. On this day, all the kids are dressed in 1860’s garb, either as southern belles or soldiers (half…

Do the Write Thing for Nashville is raising money to help the flood victims in Nashville. They’re donating the money through The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Authors, editors and agents are donating books and services that are being auctioned off to raise money. I’ve contributed a 30-minute phone call. You can bid on it…

Yesterday, many of you shared your fears of the verbal pitch, and some of you told stories of being treated rudely or dismissively by harried agents or editors. I’ve heard these stories before—of writers being made to feel scolded or, even worse, like losers upon leaving the meeting. Part of me wonders who would treat…

I often hear from moms with kids still at home who are working toward becoming published authors. No question, it’s a difficult season of life in which to find the time (and the focus) for a writing career. There are the usual frustrations of trying to find balance (whatever that means) like so many of…

Over the last couple weeks, the blog discussion has turned to whether writing is a lifestyle or a mindset or a calling. We’ve talked about how we fit it into the margins of our lives, or make it a priority. We’ve hovered around the edges of the question: What do we give up in order…