Alan Rinzler

Consulting Editor

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The blog for writers

The Book Deal

Ask the editor: Help! I can’t seem to finish my book

August 23, 2009 by Alan Rinzler

Q : Everyone says I need to wrap up my manuscript and stop writing already. But I'm really stuck. Any advice? A : This isn't unusual. You may have taken a wrong turn early in the story as a result of poor planning. Or you may have painted yourself into a corner. Or you could be suffering from … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Ask the Editor, Craft of Writing, How To Get Published

Proposal critiques: 3 novels, a biography, a children’s book and an academic treatise

August 15, 2009 by Alan Rinzler

Welcome to the final round in our series of book proposal critiques. It’s an audiocast, so to get started, just click the play button below. The six book proposals •The first proposal we’ll be looking at today is for a sci-fi/fantasy novel that takes place in a South American jungle.  The hero is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Proposal Critiques, Craft of Writing, How To Get Published

Choosing a freelance editor: What you need to know

July 2, 2009 by Alan Rinzler

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...]

Filed Under: Book Industry Trends, Craft of Writing, How To Get Published

Ask the editor: Do publishers have rules about POV?

May 26, 2009 by Alan Rinzler

Q:  I’ve heard that New York publishers will only accept books written from a third-person limited POV and no head hopping allowed. Does this mean I have to rewrite my manuscript to conform to these rules? A:  No! Stop. Don’t succumb to this kind of advice. These rumors can start as the result of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Ask the Editor, Craft of Writing, How To Get Published

Ask the editor: 8 tips for finding your voice

March 22, 2009 by Alan Rinzler

Q :   I know that agents and editors look for writers who have strong voices, but I'm having trouble finding mine.  Any advice? A :   It’s true. Editors, agents, publishers and, above all, readers do respond most to a writer with a great voice. Voice is what gives writing energy, authenticity, it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Ask the Editor, Craft of Writing

Falling in love with your characters

March 1, 2009 by Alan Rinzler

Are you an author who'd rather spend time with your fictional creations than with a real significant somebody who's waiting in the next room? Are you in love with your characters? An intimate relationship As an editor, I know how emotionally involved authors become with the people in their books.  … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Craft of Writing

How successful writers keep up their confidence

February 8, 2009 by Alan Rinzler

Self-confidence is the single most essential ingredient an author needs to succeed, since good writing is never that quick or easy. To keep at it requires energy, discipline, and a sense of humor. The most accomplished and productive writers I work with are able to sustain a level of assurance … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Craft of Writing, How To Get Published

Ask the editor: 7 techniques for a dynamite plot

January 30, 2009 by Alan Rinzler

Q : I submitted my manuscript to an agent and she said the plot was confusing and needed a lot of work. I was crushed!  What should I do? A : Telling a good story is the writer's most important task. But constructing a great plot with so many ideas, characters and actions careening through your … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Ask the Editor, Craft of Writing, How To Get Published

Ask the Editor: The power of the opening sentence – 6 tips

September 18, 2008 by Alan Rinzler

Q : Why is the first line so important? A : Agents and acquiring editors will quit reading if your opening sentence doesn’t zing. Any writer seeking publication or the devoted attention of a reader browsing in a bookstore needs to craft that first sentence, revising, revising, revising, until … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Ask the Editor, Craft of Writing

Tom Robbins: “My advice to writers”

August 28, 2008 by Alan Rinzler

Stop worrying about getting published and concentrate on getting better. That was some of the sage advice the celebrated novelist offered writers at a literary seminar last week in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. “Focus on the work itself and not on what may or may not eventually happen to it," … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Craft of Writing, How To Get Published

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About The Book Deal

Welcome readers.  Let me introduce myself and offer up some credentials for the opinions, perspectives and insights in this blog. In nearly … more »

Working with Alan

I can’t thank you enough!

"Working together was interesting, challenging, and fun. I can't thank you enough for taking my stories and putting them in a comprehensible order, focusing more on my younger, formative days with my parents, and helping me remember great events that added so much to the book."

– US Senator Barbara Boxer. Her memoir, The Art of Tough, was published by Hachette in June 2016.

Figure out how to get Alan on your side

"Figure out how to get Alan on your side. He took my rambling manifesto and helped me hone it into a sharp, funny, culture-changing book featured in the New York Times, the New Yorker, The Atlantic, the Times of London, and most recently on The Daily Show."

– Lenore Skenazy, author Free Range Kids – How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children Without Going Nuts with Worry.

Enthusiastic, imaginative and razor sharp

"Alan is enthusiastic, imaginative, razor-sharp, concise. His line-editing is specific and actionable; his developmental advice truly invaluable, providing focus and direction to the often chaotic process of writing a first novel."

– David Tomlinson, author of The Midnight Man.

An advocate, friend and mentor

“Alan can tell you at one glance, where a manuscript works and where it doesn’t. More than an editor, he’s an advocate, friend, mentor, and a bullshit detector of the highest caliber.”

–  Celeste Chaney, author of In Absence of Fear

A 5-star Olympic Gold Medal for editing!

"Alan Rinzler has edited seven of my books, and no one compares to his competence as an editor. Everything I write he makes better. Alan knows the business, knows writing and understands a writer’s needs. He has my 5-Star Olympic Gold Medal for editing! I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him."

– Michele Borba, author of Building Moral Intelligence, The Big Book of Parenting Solutions, and others.

Featured Video

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Ask the Editor

Tips for blending in the backstory

Tips for blending in
the backstory
2015-07-28T14:50:53-07:00
Tips for blending in the backstory
https://alanrinzler.com/testimonials/tips-for-blending-in-the-backstory/

Wake up your readers! How to thicken a plot

Wake up your readers!
How to thicken a plot
2015-07-28T15:29:05-07:00
Wake up your readers! How to thicken a plot
https://alanrinzler.com/testimonials/another-link/

Memoir or novel for my true story?

Memoir or novel
for my true story?
2015-07-28T20:47:16-07:00
Memoir or novel for my true story?
https://alanrinzler.com/testimonials/3172/

Is your book in need of emotional glue?

Is your book in need of emotional glue?
2015-07-28T20:51:25-07:00
Is your book in need of emotional glue?
https://alanrinzler.com/testimonials/is-your-book-in-need-of-emotional-glue/

Can I really become a better writer?

Can I really become a better writer?
2015-07-28T21:05:22-07:00
Can I really become a better writer?
https://alanrinzler.com/testimonials/can-i-really-become-a-better-writer/

7 techniques for a dynamite plot

7 techniques for
a dynamite plot
2015-07-28T21:17:53-07:00
7 techniques for a dynamite plot
https://alanrinzler.com/testimonials/7-techniques-for-a-dynamite-plot-2/

What to expect from a developmental editor

What to expect from
a developmental editor
2015-07-28T21:21:18-07:00
What to expect from a developmental editor
https://alanrinzler.com/testimonials/what-to-expect-from-a-developmental-editor/

Categories

  • Ask the Editor (23)
  • Book Industry Trends (81)
  • Book Proposal Critiques (4)
  • Craft of Writing (72)
  • Guts Ball: Editing Hunter Thompson (3)
  • How To Get Published (80)
  • Literary Agent Profiles (11)
  • Literary Destinations (3)
  • Marketing Your Book (33)
  • Memoir (7)
  • Parts of a Book (5)
  • Self-Publishing (34)
  • The writer's toolkit (3)
  • Writers at work (2)

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