Gotta love Millennials. This song will help you spell it correctly every time…and has a fun message too!
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Preparing for a Conference
When getting ready for a conference, writers agonize over creating the perfect one-sheet sales pitch, polishing manuscripts, and how they’ll conduct themselves when meeting with agents and editors. But not every preparation is writing-related. I’ve been on faculty at many conferences and I’ve learned a few tricks to help make each conference a happier one. Get plenty of rest before the conference …
How To Make Agents’ Blogs Work for You
We at the agency love it that so many of you come here every day and read what we share with you. And we do everything we can to ensure that what we share here informs, enlightens, and uplifts you brave souls navigating the publishing world. So last week, when I read some of the questions you’d like addressed, I thought I’d give you a tip on using this blog to its best advantage. And that tip is: …
Limitations Inherent to Non-Fiction Publishing
Some categories of books in the Christian market have very limited potential for publication. A publisher may do just one every year or every ten years on a particular topic or category. When you send your proposal to an agent or ask your agent to pitch a title in one of these categories, our first reaction would be how limited the potential is to sell. I am not writing about the potential for …
The Blue Ridge Writers Conference 2016
Last week was spent in beautiful mountains of North Carolina at the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference at Ridgecrest. Since I wrote in my last blog about why I go to a conference I thought it might be interesting to run those four points against last week’s experience. Teaching This was answered with a resounding yes! I taught three elective classes (on what an agent does, on contracts, and …
The Right Number of Words
More times than I’d like, my office must send out letters advising aspiring authors that their manuscripts are too short or too long. Much of the time, the author is talented but hasn’t investigated the market well enough to know if the word count is right. Submitting a project that’s simply the wrong word count wastes everyone’s time – including yours. If we mention that your book is the wrong …
Speak Up! Ask a Question!
Every week, we at the agency craft blogs to give you insights, counsel, and even a laugh or two in relation to the mercurial world of publishing. Sometimes, though, I wonder if there are questions you have for which you can’t find answers or guidance. So a couple of times a year I pass the mic, so to speak, to you. As I’m doing now. Do you have a question to which you can’t find …
Writing to Men
In Christian publishing, since most readers are women, Christian books for men are treated as a niche market. Women are the primary market worthy of the most focus, and men are an afterthought if they are thought of at all. Publishing is a business and it doesn’t make sense to publish foolishly. Some publishers don’t publish books where the only market is a man. As a result, many authors write for …
Fun Fridays – May 20, 2016
Writing got you down? Time to learn a new skill. Become a classical musician in a few easy steps: Isn’t it easy? Just like becoming a writer in a few easy steps?
I Hate Rejecting Great Books!
If you, as an author, feel beaten down by several rejections, perhaps you have this image of an agent reading your submission: (Agent sits down at computer, armed with a steaming cup of Uber Expensive Coffee.) “It is now time to go through my submissions!” (Agent rolls up sleeves and cracks her knuckles. An evil grin dons her face as she opens the first email.) “Aha! I can write a form letter …