Alan Rinzler

Consulting Editor

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The blog for writers

The Book Deal

This agent is sizzling hot for debut authors

August 8, 2017 by Alan Rinzler

Are you a new writer with a killer book? Having a tough time nailing an agent? You'll be interested in this. Mark Gottlieb is a leading literary agent at Trident Media who's found great success selling first-time author manuscripts. We're talking six-figure plus deals. He also champions … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Industry Trends, How To Get Published, Literary Agent Profiles Tagged With: advance, agency, agent profile, Alan Rinzler, author, book, debut, how to find a literary agent, literary agent, Mark Gottlieb, publishing, representation, traditional publishing, Trident Media, writer

What 4 top agents desire in a memoir

August 10, 2015 by Alan Rinzler

Sometimes it seems like everyone's writing a memoir. You too? So how can you break out of the pack and and persuade an agent to take a look? Here are four accomplished literary agents, and they’re all selling memoirs. Scroll down to see some of the books they represent. These agents are the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: How To Get Published, Literary Agent Profiles, Memoir Tagged With: advice, agent, Alan Rinzler, book, developmental editor, editor, getting published, how to find an agent, literary, memoir, traditional publishing

Can writing a book make you a star? Yes it can!

April 27, 2015 by Alan Rinzler

Just ask my author Lenore Skenazy, whose debut book Free-Range Kids – How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts with Worry) led to her own reality TV show, among many other surprises. If you would like your children to learn then they can watch videos on Youtube such as the boo … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Industry Trends, How To Get Published, Marketing Your Book Tagged With: Alan Rinzler, author, book, children, developmental, editor, free range, Free-range kids, kids, Lenore Skenazy, reality show, world's worst mom

Lessons from a great book jacket designer

February 24, 2015 by Alan Rinzler

The bright yellow cover of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson is instantly recognizable. The Wall Street Journal called the jacket, designed by Peter Mendelsund, one of the most iconic in contemporary fiction in the U.S. Mendelsund, Associate Art Director at Knopf, now has his … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Industry Trends, Marketing Your Book, Parts of a Book Tagged With: Alan Rinzler, author, book, cover, design, editor, jacket, Peter Mendelsund, self-publishing, writer

Ever wonder what a developmental editor could do for your book?

May 20, 2014 by Alan Rinzler

More and more writers are hiring their own developmental editors, whether they plan to self-publish their book or hope to land a literary agent and go for a book deal with a traditional publisher. To give you an idea what a professional developmental editor could do for your book, here’s a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Industry Trends, Craft of Writing, Self-Publishing Tagged With: "narrative arc", Alan Rinzler, author, book, developmental, developmental editor, editor, how to, plot, self-publish, writer

Ask the editor: Breaking the “write what you know” rule

April 7, 2014 by Alan Rinzler

Q: I have a terrific story to tell, but it didn't actually happen to me. Is it possible to write with authenticity about something you haven't experienced firsthand? A: Many great books are written by authors who seem to have nothing in common with their character's experiences. Different gender, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Ask the Editor, Craft of Writing Tagged With: Alan Rinzler, ask the editor, author, book, breaking the rule, craft of writing, developmental editor, editor, expert, novelist, rule, The Book Deal, write what you know, writer

Have you ever written something you later regretted?

March 11, 2014 by Alan Rinzler

I sure have. It was 1964 and I was on assignment for The Nation magazine to write a review of the Beatles at Carnegie Hall, their first live appearance in the United States. No Soul in Beatlesville There I was, standing on a shaky balcony seat trying to see the stage over a mob of hysterical, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Craft of Writing Tagged With: advice, Alan Rinzler, anniversary, author, Beatles, book, consulting, developmental, editor, how to, magazine, review, The Nation, writing

Prequels build buzz!

December 16, 2013 by Alan Rinzler

Have you heard what some savvy authors are doing to build excitement and attract readers to their upcoming books? They're writing prequels: tantalizing teasers in short story form that preview the key characters and settings of an upcoming novel. Some prequels predate or provide backstories … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Industry Trends, How To Get Published, Marketing Your Book, Self-Publishing Tagged With: advice, Alan Rinzler, author, book, book deal, developmental editor, editor, fiction, marketing, prequel, self-publishing, writer

Too much vertical space in your manuscript?

November 25, 2013 by Alan Rinzler

In filmmaking, vertical space is shorthand for script pages with lots of white and not a lot of words. For scriptwriters it's the rule. A script has dialogue, brief notes for action on the screen and not much else. It makes for quick reading and ensures a kind of textual scarcity that directors … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Craft of Writing Tagged With: Alan Rinzler, author, book, craft of writing, developmental editor, editor, fiction, freelance, vertical space

An interview with yours truly about self-publishing

September 26, 2013 by Alan Rinzler

A while ago I sat for an interview with Brian Felsen, CEO of BookBaby, a service provider for self-publishing authors. He asked a lot of good questions for authors about working with an editor, getting published, and effective book promotion. Here’s the video, in which we talk about how the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Industry Trends, How To Get Published Tagged With: Alan Rinzler, author, book, bookbaby, developmental editor, editor, interview, self-publishing

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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)
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