We were hunkered down debating whether to make an offer on a self-help book written by a seemingly well-qualified psychologist. Then one of our dogged marketing assistants dashed in, shouting "WAIT!" She tossed us a bunch of comments she'd unearthed from an obscure online forum: jaw-dropping, … [Read more...]
The blog for writers
The Book Deal
Getting the most out of a rewrite: Tips for authors
You thought you’d finished up a darned good manuscript ready to send out into the world, so you decided to give yourself a well-deserved vacation. Upon your return, you started rereading your opus and began unexpectedly to channel your stern fifth grade teacher Mrs. Spellman. Remember her? In … [Read more...]
Ask the editor: The #1 issue for writers today
Q: There’s so much for a writer to think about: platform, query letters, agents, marketing. What’s the most important thing to focus on? A: That’s easy. Focus on the content of your book. There’s nothing more important. Content is king Before all else, keep your attention on the core … [Read more...]
How an iPad App can add sizzle to your book
The most creative minds in publishing are racing to develop iPad app editions of upcoming titles that will utilize the new device’s unique audio, video, interactive and social networking capabilities. The excitement is contagious! As a writer, you may want to start looking at how these apps … [Read more...]
The writer’s toolkit: Eavesdropping for dialogue
Listening in on random conversations -- okay, blatant eavesdropping -- is a time-honored technique for writers fine-tuning their ear and seeking authentic feelings with distinctive ways of expressing them. Norman Mailer did it If you practice eavesdropping, you're in good company. Norman Mailer … [Read more...]
How writers build courage
It takes courage and character to be a writer. It means accepting the risk of revealing yourself and overcoming fears of putting your honest feelings and dangerous ideas right there on the page. Facing that blank page in the privacy of your own mind and stripping away your defenses to confront … [Read more...]
Shelf wars: What authors need to know about bookstore visibility
Picture this: An irate local author can't find his latest title on the neighborhood bookstore shelf. So he slips into the storeroom, grabs his books from the back stock and heads straight for the store's most exclusive patch of real estate - the front table - where he elbows aside the bestsellers … [Read more...]
Insider tips for preparing and delivering a winning pitch
A great pitch is often the first encounter in a successful publishing relationship. As an acquisition editor, I listen avidly to every writer's pitch, hoping each time to find a terrific new prospect for publication. For the uninitiated, a pitch is an author's brief, face-to-face verbal … [Read more...]
Is a bestseller hiding in your academic papers?
Agents, editors, and publishers receive queries every day from professors, scholars, clinicians and other academics who say they have a great idea for a trade book based on their research, thesis, journal article or latest discoveries from the lab or clinic. Sharp editors also scour the daily … [Read more...]
YA writer lands 2 multi-book deals: How she did it
She grew up in a tiny Mormon town in Idaho (pop 841,) she writes poetry, reads kids' books and says she avoids the internet as much as she possibly can. Kristen Tracy sold her first book in 2006 to Simon and Schuster. The title was Lost It, a story about a girl losing her virginity underneath a … [Read more...]
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