A fun way to remind everyone. Safety first!
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Asking for a Reference – or Not
Throughout my career I have occasionally heard that writers looking for an agent should ask an agent’s clients for references. My advice? Reconsider that advice. Why Not I don’t say this because I’m afraid of what my current clients will say to a potential client. I’m far from perfect, but I do hope that if there was a misunderstanding, we worked it out long ago so all of my clients would …
When Trying to Sound Intelligent Backfires
So, I’m at a writers’ conference—a professional setting, yes? With folks who are clearly well educated, especially about the use of words, yes?–and this is what I hear: “Just give Jim and I a call, and we’ll talk it over.” Cringe. Then came a recent commercial on TV, where a supposed doctor was saying, “This product has been tested by myself and others in the medical field.” Good grief. I …
Actually, It Is Whether You Win or Lose
If you set out to discover how people feel about the issue of competition, you will find yourself walking knee-deep in philosophical, psychological, neo-political and even religious opinion. You will find it a rather polarizing issue. On one extreme are people who feel like competition is bad because there are winners and losers and no one should ever be made to feel like a loser. Ever. On the …
Fun Fridays – Sept 25, 2015
One of my favorite Bach compositions (Cello Suite No. 1 in G major) completely re-envisioned with a different instrument and setting and personal creativity. A great artist can take the familiar and give it a slight twist or two and make it their own. May this inspire you to do this with your writing today.
Thanking the Publishers
When you’re an agent, you get to see a lot of what publishers do every day. At the same time, because you don’t actually work in their offices, you don’t know a lot about what they do. Since I’ve been an agent a long time, I don’t need to write a blog like this to butter up the publishers. They already know me. But because there’s such publisher bashing, I think now’s a good time to consider what …
“Close your eyes dear, I have a surprise for you.”
One hundred years ago this week, Cecil Chubb of Great Britain decided to give his wife a really great gift. He bought her a bunch of big rocks at auction for £6,600 (equal to US$10,500 in 1915 and about US$250,000 today). Mrs. Chubb was certainly surprised with the thoughtful gift. But the rocks just weren’t her cup of tea. You see Mr. Chubb bought Stonehenge for his wife. Yes, that Stonehenge. …
Reviews: The Spread I Like to See
No, it’s not what Daddy calls, “middle-age spread” but the spread of starred ratings on sites such as Amazon. When I see a book reviewed, believe it or not, I don’t like to see ten five-star reviews and then nothing else. An author might ask, “Why not? Doesn’t that mean everyone loved the book?” Yes. All of your friends and family loved your book. I’m not saying those five-star ratings aren’t …
Write from the Deep Places
Far down, under the ground many of us walk on day in and day out, are roads and buildings and the remnants of long-ago lives and loves. Underground cities, they’re called. I’ve visited the one in Seattle. Peered down through the dark and dust and imagined people, horses, carriages…life. Under our feet. In the deep. I’ve been to other deep places, too, but these weren’t quick visits. Nor were they …
And Now in the Center Ring…Dancing Authors!
The music industry has turned upside down in the last fifteen years. For a very long time, music on the radio, DJ’s and vinyl records, cassettes or CD’s ruled the industry, but then along came the internet and everything changed. A recent online article by Jason Hirschhorn outlined the significant changes in the music industry. A link to the full article is provided at the end of this post. Some …