Horrible Histories presents two sketches… (the second one starts at the 1:48 mark). You could say we are “honoring” Shakespeare’s 400th Anniversary again….
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEIISZf_kwE
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Nonfiction Checklist
Although I represent many works of quality fiction, I also look for the very special nonfiction project. As you prepare your proposal, here is a four-point checklist that might help determine if yours could work for an agent: A Great Title Lots of nonfiction is geared to impulse buyers. If you can convince a shopper to pick your book up from a spin rack or click and place in a virtual cart, based …
The Beauty of First Lines
Has it happened to you? That moment when you open a book, let your eyes rest on the first page, and suddenly, you’re transported. Or shocked. Or laughing. Because the very first line has done exactly what the author hoped. It grabbed you, pulling you into the story as inexorably as a Pacific ocean riptide will carry you out to sea. And, depending on the kind of book, it can be equally terrifying. …
It’s All About The Reader
No matter the issue, everyone is on the lookout for the one new thing that will make everything that preceded it obsolete and make their lives simpler and better. The miracle pill, the new technique, the new technology, the killer-app, the new diet, plug in whatever new, shiny thing you like and life will be better because of it. The reason we look for the one thing is the feeling that if only all …
Honored Again in “Top 101 Websites for Writers”
For the second year in a row we have been honored by Writers Digest as one of the top websites for writers in their new 2016 list. (The full list is only available to subscribers or if you buy the May/June 2016 issue here.) Their annual listing continues to be a great resource to all writers.A special thanks goes to Dan, Karen, and Tamela who work hard each week to explore all things publishing …
Fun Fridays – April 22, 2016
To honor the 400th anniversary of the death of Shakespeare we bringeth today’s merrymaking fifth day of thine week. Absolutely brilliant piece by a Christian comedian, John Branyan, wondering what it would be like if Shakespeare wrote “The Three Little Pigs.” My favorite line comes at the 42 second mark:
Platform, Numbers, and Content
I love interacting with my blog readers! We enjoy great discussions and excellent questions. Last week I responded in the comments section of the post “What Makes an Agent Say Wow!” and realized later that the answer constitutes its own blog post. This was not the first time I’ve been long-winded, nor will it be the last! I’m posting my response today because the question was posed …
A Day in an Editor’s Brain
How’s that for a terrifying blog title? Okay, so we won’t spend a whole day there. But as I pondered how to give you a glimpse into what freelance editors do, it occurred to me that the easiest, and best, method would be to just let you live in this editor’s brain for a short time. So buckle up, Buttercup–here we go… I’m sitting at my computer, ready to start a substantive, or line-by-line …
Days The Writing Stopped
Four hundred years ago this week, it was a sad time in the history of literature. April 22-23, 1616 the two most important writers in Spanish and English history died. First, Miguel de Cervantes, best known for Don Quixote passed away. He had a substantial and lasting imprint on the Spanish language. He wrote novels, plays and poetry, making Spanish one of the “romance” languages of the world. The …
Gilead Publishing is Announced!
It is very exciting when some good news happens in our industry. We’ve talked so much about bankruptcies and industry challenges that we also need to celebrate when the good stuff comes along. Today is the official first day of a newly formed Christian publishing company called Gilead Publishing. The CEO is Bill Giarratana, the President and Publisher is Dan Balow, and the Vice President of …