Publishing

Neither do I. Here’s a look at some that have hit my inbox: “It’s not clear who the intended audience really is.” “It felt like a class research paper at times.” “I like the plot and hate the execution.” “The setup has so much potential for conflict, yet the story is dull.” “The content and…

Instead of posting here today, I’m sending you to another blog. Michael Hyatt interviewed me via Skype and the video is up on his blog today. Visit Michael Hyatt’s blog by clicking here. In the interview, Michael and I discussed advice for new authors looking for an agent, common mistakes new authors make in approaching agents, the importance of …

When an author gets a contract offer from a publisher, the first thing they want to know is, “How much?” And by that they mean, “What is the dollar amount of the advance they’re offering?” Obviously, the standard way to view advances is, the more the better. Right? Well, maybe… maybe not. A large advance…

“More than half, maybe as much as two-thirds of my life as a writer is rewriting. I wouldn’t say I have a talent that’s special. It strikes me that I have an unusual kind of stamina.”                                                 ~John Irving   How much do you enjoy the revision process? How much effort do you put into revising?…

Yesterday we talked about how it can be difficult to get an agent or traditional publisher if you had a self-pub book that didn’t sell. But that begs the question: What if you have a traditionally published book (or multiple books) that didn’t sell very well? Will that cause problems selling future books? Absolutely. In…

If you’ve been studying the craft of writing for long, you’ve heard all the “rules.” You know that you’re supposed to show not tell, use active not passive verbs, eschew adverbs, maintain consistent POVs, avoid repetition, and all the rest. But it’s easy to get too caught up in the rules and get frustrated at…

I’m so sad about Borders closing. But I’m also the reason Borders is closing. *sigh* I’ve visited bookstores regularly the last few years, even as the digital age dawned and my Kindle filled up. I’ve made it a point to buy books when I visit bookstores. But last month when I visited Borders (this was before their…

Recently I asked my followers on Facebook what question I should answer in my next “vlog,” and the overwhelming response was “What is High Concept?” Here’s my three-minute response,with a written recap below. High concept is primarily a term used in pitching movies but these days, we find it a helpful shorthand to describe a…

I received a query that pitched six completely different kinds of books: A social commentary. A historical novel. A “road” story travel memoir. A compilation of short stories. A contemporary novel about a class action lawsuit. A history of Harley-Davidsons. There is absolutely nothing I can do with this, and it’s a quick pass. First,…

Today’s thought is primarily for novelists: A scene will not be vivid if the writer gives too few details to stir and guide the reader’s imagination; neither will it be vivid if the language the writer uses is abstract instead of concrete. If the writer says “creatures” instead of “snakes,” … if instead of the desert’s…

What do you think of agents entering the self-publishing fray? Several high profile literary agencies have formally expanded their businesses to include a “self publishing” division. (Waxman, DGLM, and Bookends.) And while you may not have heard other announcements yet, you can bet that every single agency is considering ways to keep up with new developments and…

In this age of social media and 24/7 connectedness, people are getting in touch with me via phone, texting, email, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. It’s terrific having all these ways to communicate but I think we need some guidelines! I’m fine hearing from people through any of those media, and if you’ve texted me or…

I feel like I’m living in the Twilight Zone. I only hope I can find my way back to normalcy soon. Thursday I flew to North Carolina for a conference. During my flight I was using my laptop to tweak my PowerPoint and my handouts for my workshop. When I got to the hotel and powered up…

As more and more people venture into self publishing, I’ve noticed that for many, it’s a rude awakening how much help they actually need even though they’re thinking of it as a DIY project. I think that’s because, with traditional publishing, most writers are somewhat shielded from the number of people whose work touches their…