Did you know that cats really do talk like this? But only when humans are not around to hear them.
It’s true. I saw it on the Internet.
Thanks to my daughter Fiona for showing me this one!
Blog
Are You Being Trashed?
No matter who you are or how nice you are, some people won’t like you. That’s a fact we all have to live with. Even worse, people we thought were friends can turn on us. And sometimes we may become the victim of unhappy people who enjoy talking rudely about others. Know the meaning of “trashed” You are being trashed if someone is making harmful statements about you with …
Proposals: Know Your Audience
I … Love … Coffee … Love going into coffee shops, love ordering the perfect brew, love the ambiance of Starbuck’s and Caribou coffee and Seattle’s Best and Coffee People, and you name it! When my hubby wants to do something special for me, he’ll let me drag him to a coffee shop. Of course, when I’m done ordering, he bellys up to the bar, stares the barista in the eye, and says, …
How Publishers Make Decisions
We all agree that book publishing is changing fast. New technology, new formats and new ways to sell books have changed everything. Well, almost everything. One thing has not changed…the fundamental way decisions are made as to what new authors an agent represents and publishers publish. It has always been and remains people making quick, subjective decisions (aka QSD). A number of years ago I …
Book Concepts That Will Never Sell
As a public service to our agency clients and the general Christian publishing industry (but mostly because it is a real drag being serious all the time) here are some book concepts that will never sell. Don’t even bother trying to develop them. I Never Knew You: Depressing Bible Verses The Dog that Returned to His Vomit: A Bible Story for All Ages The Eglon Diet: The Purpose Driven Knife …
Travel Woes? It Will be Okay!
As I prepare to attend the ACFW conference, I recall how many things can go wrong on travel. They can, and they do. But the world will not end. Please remember this. How do I know? Because I used to consider myself indispensable. But the graveyards are filled with indispensable people. And I must remember that the world will not end if something goes wrong. For example: 1.) I missed my flight. …
Proposals: Make Comparison Titles Work for You
When I mention adding comp titles to a proposal, this is the response I often get from both nonfiction and fiction authors: “AARRRGGHH! Why? It’s so hard!” Well, there are two main reasons as to the why: Comp titles show there’s a market out there for books like yours. Comp titles help the editor/author “get” your book better. Now, that doesn’t mean you can just grab any book that’s similar …
Long Live Napoleon Solo
The middle of September 1964 was one of the most historic periods in world history. Rarely has humanity seen the kind of cultural shift that occurred fifty years ago this month. Subsequent generations will never be the same. In one week, families, friends, fiends, fish and fun boat-rides changed forever, because fifty years ago this month, the following television programs premiered on U.S. …
How To Stumble Onto Your Brand…
Erin Taylor Young has a remarkable gift for making her readers laugh out loud even as she’s delivering hard truths about living a life of faith. Her down-to-earth writing style invites readers into the books that God has given her and sends them away refreshed and assured that we’re not in this gig alone. Her first humorous nonfiction, Surviving Henry: Adventures in Loving a Canine …
Novel Settings: City or Small Town?
Recently a faithful blog reader posted a question in response to my post on setting. She wondered why more Christian fiction isn’t set in large cities, and if there is a way to write the story to make a big city feel like a small town. Opportunity Versus Roots I grew up in a rural village. I have lived in apartments near D.C., and now I live in a mid-sized town. My comments are based on my …