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The Contract Stage4 So, you’ve heard that your book has been accepted for publication. Yipee! 4 Your biggest question will probably be: How much MONEY do I get? You’ll be offered an advance which might be lower than your lifelong dream, but more than you have in your checking account right now (if you’re lucky).…

This week I’m going to take you on a journey through the publishing process “From Proposal to Publication.” I’ll give brief explanations of what’s happening at the publishing house during each of the stages, and what’s expected of the author. Please note this a generic overview… the process can vary substantially from house to house.…

I’ve spent the last several days at ICRS in Denver and like most everyone who attended, I’m exhausted! It’s just like any event where you’re “on” non-stop for 13 hours a day. While it can be a blast, it wears you out! I’ll spend the next few days compiling my notes from all my meetings…

Yesterday I talked about the importance of working on your writing as opposed to spending time on social networking. This is crucial if you’re an unpublished fiction writer. It seems I’ve been having this conversation with so many people lately… both authors and editors. It’s come up several times in my conversations with editors at…

So. Wow. Did you see how many people commented on Friday’s post? And did you see how longwinded eloquent everyone was? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you all LOVE giving your opinions about social networking! So the upshot is: some of us love it, some of us hate it, many of us are…

What do you say we blow the lid off this whole social networking thing once and for all. I’ve got questions, you’ve got answers. You ready? What do you LIKE about Twitter, Facebook, or other social networks? What do you DISLIKE? What scares you about them? If you are NOT using Twitter or Facebook, why…

I’m spending most of this week preparing for my meetings at ICRS, so I thought I’d explain it to you in case you’re wondering. ICRS stands for International Christian Retail Show. If you’re familiar with BEA (Book Expo America), ICRS is a smaller version for the Christian publishing and retailing world. It’s a trade show,…

One of the most helpful blog posts I’ve read in awhile was yesterday on Michael Hyatt’s blog: 8 Blog Tips from Tim Ferriss. I’m going to try harder to put some of the tips into practice. But it was tip #6 that really got me thinking and re-examining. “Practice zero tolerance for negative comments.” I’ve…

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the difference between good projects and hot projects; and I followed it up with a post about why your project can sell even if it’s not “hot.” So that begs the question (which many of you asked): Should you try to write what’s hot? Should you be…

Drat, I simply couldn’t come up with a post for today. But I have a cool fireworks picture right? And ten really good excuses reasons for no post. 10. Way too busy Twittering and Facebooking. 9. Negotiating deals for four of my clients this week… it’s taxing, you know! 8. Sunshine beckons. Must. Get. Outside.…

First off (and before we get to today’s post)… HAPPY RELEASE DAY to Deborah Vogts, author of Snow Melts in Spring (Book 1 in the Seasons of the Tallgrass series). This is her first novel… and my first agented novel to be released. We’re both excited! Click the picture to buy the book, and visit…

Before I became an agent, I’d been editing and writing books for years, so I naturally approached agenting from an editorial perspective. Meaning: I look for excellence in the craft of writing, and I also use my editorial skills to help polish a proposal or a manuscript before we send it out to publishers. Because…

Katie asked: I have written three books that I’m hoping to finish revising this summer, all in the same genre. When I’m ready to start submitting, how do I decide which one to submit? And let’s say I submit a book to an agent, they say no. Can I query the same agent with a…

Once again, my blog is all about YOU. We’ve been talking a lot about self-promotion lately. Here’s your chance! Today’s assignment: Tell us about ONE book you’re writing, or have written. If your book is available for purchase, go ahead and include a link. Please stick to a maximum of 100 words per comment in…