The tired old stereotype of a mystery writer as some hard-boiled noir guy with a cigarette in one hand and a tumbler full of whiskey in the other is obsolete. Over. Done. Make way for Sisters in Crime, a nationwide organization of women mystery writers who are achieving commercial and literary … [Read more...]
The blog for writers
The Book Deal
Ask the Editor: Memoir or novel for my true story?
Q. I have an amazing true story to tell, but publishing it may step on some toes. Should I write it as a memoir, and tell it exactly like it was? Or should I write it discreetly as a novel, so I can disguise the lurid details and stay out of trouble? If I don't write this story, the truth will … [Read more...]
The career-boosting power of your name on a book
Many authors I've worked with have written books that promoted and enhanced their professional lives. Some have written a book precisely with this hope in mind: to advertise their special skills and passions. Other writers have enjoyed the surprise of being propelled in their careers with major … [Read more...]
Ask the Editor: Can I become a better writer?
Q: Every rejection letter I get says there’s something wrong with my writing. Can I really get better at this? A: Yes, you can! Having edited hundreds of writers, I know for a fact that even the most seasoned, successful writers read, study, revise and rewrite, use a professional developmental … [Read more...]
Big-6 publisher jumps on the indie bandwagon
Was it just a matter of time? The news came recently that Penguin Group, one of the largest book publishers in the world, has acquired Author Solutions Inc (ASI), a leading provider of services for self-publishing writers, for $116 million. Penguin's CEO, John Makinson, waxed rhapsodic in … [Read more...]
The bears and bulls of publishing: An insider steps up
EBook buyers read more books. And why wouldn't they be? They can look on this article about ebooks and find places to get them for free! They're the future! We're in the midst of a fantastic transition. Words from another outsider advocating the overthrow of legacy publishing? Nope. Not at … [Read more...]
What should you expect from a developmental editor?
As a longtime developmental editor, I often get questions from authors about the editor-writer relationship. How exactly do developmental editors work? How can I tell if I’ve found a good one? And will you correct my typos? I can tell you that virtually all successful writers – from Ernest … [Read more...]
It’s the details, writers!
An author builds a narrative with thousands of tiny details. Even before a reader knows what the book is really about, it's through the gradual accumulation of these crucial moments, objects, movements, sounds, smells and touches that the power and meaning of the story emerges. As an editor … [Read more...]
The Viagra Diaries: A self-publishing mega success story
"Barbara Rose Brooker is fearless. The Viagra Diaries does for single seniors what Helen Gurley Brown's Sex and the Single Girl and Erica Jong's Fear of Flying did for the women's sexual revolution in the sixties and seventies." -- Entertainment Tonight It's a blurb to die for, and well … [Read more...]
Growing a short story into a novel
Do you have a short story work-in-progress that just doesn’t want to fit into 10,000 words or 25 pages? Is it bursting at the seams? Does it feel incomplete and frustrating to read? Then you may have a recalcitrant short story that could be transformed into a successful novel. A case in … [Read more...]