Business is booming at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. Eleven new major book deals nailed down and that was while Sandy was vacationing in Europe. So look out, now that she's back! Widely considered the most powerful agent on the West Coast, Dijkstra has been called "tough" and … [Read more...]
The blog for writers
The Book Deal
When the author isn’t a writer: bringing in a ghost
Many successful books are written by ghost writers, co-authors, and other, often uncredited, collaborators. If I sign up an author who's a highly regarded expert in the field but not a professional writer, I bring in a ghost who's a pro at getting under someone else's skin and producing a … [Read more...]
Ask the editor: 6 steps to writing a memoir
Q : I have so much material for my memoir. How do I sort out what to include and what to leave out? A : This is the key problem a writer faces when constructing a non-fiction memoir. Here are six specific steps to consider when making your decisions: 1. First, skip to the end Every memoir … [Read more...]
Choosing a title for your book
Editors pray for the perfect book title: a tight high-concept combination of words that crystallizes the content and intention of the work. A title so scintillating and irresistible that millions of readers want to run out and buy this book immediately. Eureka! It happens. Think of Chicken Soup … [Read more...]
Clay Felker’s impact on a young book editor
I’m among the publishing veterans who admired and benefited from the creativity and courage of Clay Felker, who died this week at the age of 82. This celebrated and deeply influential editor made a big difference at the start of my own career when he assigned his young star reporter Tom Wolfe to … [Read more...]
The book proposal — here’s what publishers want
It's the #1 question aspiring authors ask me: How do I get your attention? Here's how: Send me a compelling, convincing book proposal that knocks my socks off! For those who've heard that a query letter should always precede a proposal, my view is that you may want to skip the query entirely … [Read more...]
No response to your query letter? Try this instead
M ost agents and publishers recommend a brilliant and scintillating letter that pitches and pleads for the right to send a full proposal and sample of the manuscript itself, but frankly I don’t encourage it. Break this rule! The only thing writing a query letter demonstrates is how well you can … [Read more...]
Build your author platform: 10 tips from a pro
As an acquiring editor, one of the first things I look for in an author's proposal is the "platform", that is, the writer's reputation and public visibility – and the ability, willingness, and experience to promote themselves in the marketplace. What we publishers all hope for when opening a … [Read more...]
Emerging novelist a Starbucks hit: Q&A with the author
Garth Stein's new book The Art of Racing in the Rain posted extraordinary sales of 15,215 copies the first week out. Of these, 3,515 flew out the door of retail bookstores, 2,217 were ordered on Amazon, and a whopping 9,483 sold at Starbucks stores throughout the country. The relatively unknown … [Read more...]
What to look for in a writers conference
N ot all writers conferences are created equal. Some can take place in your local library, others may happen in luxury function rooms warrnambool have to offer. As a faculty member, I've appeared at events where authors were treated respectfully and came away with valuable information. But I've … [Read more...]
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