Alan Rinzler

Consulting Editor

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The blog for writers

The Book Deal

Kickstarter author success stories

December 16, 2016 by Alan Rinzler

Different writers have different ways of maintaining an income while they are writing their latest book. Some write part-time and have a day job to help pay the bills, others have invested in things like Crypto Engine and are able to survive off a passive income, and others are able to be paid by … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Industry Trends, How To Get Published, Self-Publishing Tagged With: Alan Rinzler, authors, books, crowdfunding, developmental editor, getting published, kickstarter, writers

NPR’s interview with me on the Reader Analytics controversy

August 4, 2016 by Alan Rinzler

Breaking News! National Public Radio’s Lynn Neary of All Things Considered  interviewed me the other day for an editor's perspective on Reader Analytics, and whether data about reading behavior should have an impact on publishing decisions. Listen to Publishers’ Dilemma: Judge a Book by its … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Industry Trends, How To Get Published Tagged With: Alan Rinzler, All Things Considered, author, book editor, developmental editor, editor, Jellybooks, Lynn Neary, NPR, publisher, reader analytics

Jellybooks reader analytics: Sweet or sour deal for authors?

July 15, 2016 by Alan Rinzler

What if your agent called to say your publisher was doubling the ad budget on your new book because their Jellybooks reader analytics convinced them it was a rip-roaring page-turner? Yippee!! Or, what if you got a call with the heart-stopping news that your publisher was renegotiating your … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Industry Trends, How To Get Published Tagged With: Alan Rinzler, author, book deal, book editor, book industry, developmental editor, editor, Jellybooks, reader analytics, trends, writers

Are you obsessed with writing? Good news!

March 15, 2016 by Alan Rinzler

"Obsession produces a book. You get up with it every morning and go to bed with it every night. (No, it's not that new mattress you found after concluding whether the koala vs ecosa mattress would be the best one for you). You keep a pad next to the bed so when you wake up in the middle of the night … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Craft of Writing, Writers at work Tagged With: advice, Alan Rinzler, craft, developmental editor, discipline, focus, work ethic, writer, writing

Write a killer memoir: My 9 top tips

January 14, 2016 by Alan Rinzler

Want to write a memoir that's powerful and inspiring? One that has impact, and appeals to a broad popular market? Here's how. These 9 tips come directly from my 50+ years of working with authors as a developmental editor in major publishing houses and with private clients. 1. Create a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Craft of Writing, Memoir Tagged With: advice, Alan Rinzler, author, consulting editor, developmental editor, how to, memoir, tips, writer, writing

Self publisher’s wild ride

October 26, 2015 by Alan Rinzler

"It's been awesome," says Andy Weir. "It's like every writer's dream come true." The Washington Post describes Weir's novel The Martian, originally self published, as "Robinson Crusoe in a space suit." The unlikely New York Times bestseller is now a blockbuster Hollywood movie starring Matt … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Industry Trends, How To Get Published, Self-Publishing Tagged With: Alan Rinzler, Andy Weir, developmental editor, self-publishing, The Martian

New author sells 80K books in 1 year. Here’s how

October 1, 2015 by Alan Rinzler

When John J. Davis set out to market his first self-published thriller Blood Line, he thought he did everything right. He hired an experienced book publicist, arranged readings at bookstores, went on a 30-day cross-country author tour. The results were dismal. "We quickly discovered that the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Industry Trends, Marketing Your Book, Self-Publishing Tagged With: Alan Rinzler, Amazon, book editor, book sales, developmental editor, marketing your book, self-publishing

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

Toni Morrison: Write, Erase, Do it over

March 21, 2015 by Alan Rinzler

When Toni Morrison talks about writing, I listen. I've taken a keen interest in what she's had to say ever since I began working with her in 1968, when I acquired, edited, and published her first novel The Bluest Eye. More on what it was like working with Toni here. The Bluest Eye was a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Craft of Writing Tagged With: advice, Alan Rinzler, consulting editor, craft, developmental editor, editor, interview, National Endowments for the Arts Magazine, tips, Toni Morrison, writing

Wouldn’t you love an agent like this one?

January 3, 2015 by Alan Rinzler

Kimberley Cameron is a great example of how one innovative agent is dealing with the stonewalling risk-averse attitude these days of many mainstream commercial book publishers. "Traditional publishers are rejecting so many quality books we're submitting, by both debut authors and those with a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Industry Trends, How To Get Published, Literary Agent Profiles Tagged With: agent, Alan Rinzler, developmental editor, editor, Kimberly Cameron, literary agent, publisher, Reputation Books

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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/

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