"Everybody's looking for the next big thing -- a work of great literary fiction from an unknown writer who's never been published." That's according to Jay Schaefer, an editor-at-large at Workman Publishers in New York City and its subsidiary, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, North … [Read more...]
The blog for writers
The Book Deal
9 tips for successful author readings
Readers are fans. They love author appearances! What's more, a successful author reading can spark sales and help build a following for a new book. Publishers know this, but unfortunately, the days of big budgets for glamorous book tours and star-spangled author events are now largely behind … [Read more...]
Ask the editor: The top 5 secrets to getting a book deal
Q: I haven't had any luck finding a publisher for my book. What's the secret to getting in the door? A: Here's my advice on how you can beat the odds and overcome the biggest reasons most books get rejected. But first, I'd like to give you an idea of what it's like behind the scenes at a … [Read more...]
Why book publishers love short stories
Short story collections are big business. Thousands of anthologies are in print with many more published each year. A quick look at Amazon shows 29,000 story collections listed. Of those, more than 3,500 are anthologies of stories by a single author. That may surprise some short story writers, … [Read more...]
Why a video will help sell your book
A shopper who watches a video about a product is more likely to buy it. That's why publishers and video producers are rushing to collaborate on low-cost video book trailers. Publicists and marketing professionals believe these videos are the best new way to create the kind of buzz that attracts … [Read more...]
Choosing a freelance editor: What you need to know
In the increasingly difficult competition to get published, writers know they must put their best foot forward by sending out only a professional, polished, and persuasive new proposal or manuscript to any prospective literary agent or publisher. Many authors have come to understand the value of … [Read more...]
Author alert! What you don’t know about BookScan can hurt you
An author friend of mine couldn’t figure out why he was having so much trouble selling his new book. He had a respectable list of published books to his name, a regular schedule of speeches and workshops, and a solid platform in print and broadcast media. So on a hunch, I looked him up on Nielsen … [Read more...]
Let’s hear it for neighborhood bookstores: Here’s mine
We all know it's cheaper to buy books online or at the big box national discount chains. I could have saved $12.10 the other day if I had gone on Amazon or over to Barnes & Noble. But if we're lucky enough to have a local bookstore nearby we ought to do what we can to help keep it alive, right? … [Read more...]
Literary agent stars online: Nathan Bransford, blogger extraordinaire
Every day legions of writers and wannabes trek over to literary agent Nathan Bransford's blog for a dose of some of the smartest, most honest, entertaining and generous advice on the book business I've seen online. Leading the charge Bransford, 28, an agent since 2005 with the venerable Curtis … [Read more...]
Web marketing wizardry: Q&A with an expert
Book publishers know that web promotion is the best way to reach readers directly, so for help they turn to experts like Fauzia Burke. "It's our job to find an author's audience online," says Burke, founder and president of FSB Associates, one of the first firms to specialize in internet book … [Read more...]
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