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*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,…

How to Plan a Successful Book Signing As a first-time author of two children’s books, God is with Me through the Day and God is with Me through the Night, I was surprised to discover that the most challenging part of the journey has been marketing. I have worked as a marketing writer for ten…

This is probably going to seem like a strange post, but bear with me, I do have a point. Sort of. Recently I’ve been watching “Desperate Housewives” on DVD from the 2007-08 season. Now, that probably surprises some of you. I gather from fellow Christians that we’re not “supposed” to watch and enjoy shows like…

I really enjoyed my blogging break last week, and I’m glad I got a chance to re-run the “Proposal to Publication” series. I hope it helped de-mystify the process for you. As I was reading through it, I noticed there are some lessons you could take away in terms of what you can be preparing…

Last week I took a little camping trip with my family. For some reason it felt like a magical time of connecting with my daughters and husband, totally “away” from the Internet and the phone and the office. I admit I find it challenging, but I worked hard to stay off the Blackberry and simply…

Title, Cover, and Marketing PlansWhile your book has been going through the editing and production phases, the art department, sales department, and marketing department have been busy creating the packaging of your book and planning how to market, promote and sell it. The timing of each of these steps varies, but will be happening behind…

Pre-Production → Once the major editing is completed, your manuscript normally goes to copyedit. A copyeditor will take a detailed look at your manuscript, correcting grammar, typos, and punctuation. She/he will also flag anything that seems unclear; checking footnotes for accuracy and format; making sure all necessary elements are in place; and making sure all…

The Writing & Editing Stage * Now that the contract is finished, you should have some interaction with an editor who will outline your writing/editing schedule and expectations. * You also should receive some kind of “welcome packet” from the publisher, a written set of author-instructions telling you about style requirements, permissions, and other aspects…