Over 1,000 heat records were set this week across the U.S. It can be kind of hot in Phoenix this time of year (112 degrees today), but this weather forecast for Baltimore takes the prize for hottest day EVER!
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Who Am I? – About the Author
The author biography section in a book proposal seems to be one of the least anxiety-provoking sections, yet I often see areas that could be improved. Here are a few ideas on how to make your author bio section the best it can be.
Include a portrait
When I was an intern on Capitol Hill, one of my duties was to open the mail. On one occasion, we received a resume that included a portrait, …
The Tell-All You Can’t Live Without
Karen Ball
Okay, okay, I admit it, the title of this blog is hyperbolic. Kind of. But let me explain why it’s not that far off the mark to say you really can’t—or at the very least, shouldn’t--live without it. Also, let me explain why I’m addressing something that Tamela addressed a mere 3 months ago.
So far this week, I’ve had no fewer than seven conversations with writers, agents, and …
News You Can Use – June 26, 2012
What Successful People do Before Breakfast - Reading this made me want to take a nap.
Free Tools for the Frugal Writer - Bob Evenhouse provides some good advice.
The Noisier it is, the Better You Work? - An argument to head to a coffee shop to do your work.
Do You Own Your Kid's Domain Name? - Good advice in today's world. I am glad I had the foresight to grab my name as a domain in the …
Will You Vouch for Me?
As part of my continuing series on proposals, today I'll talk about endorsements. This element can cause anxiety, so I hope this post will ease your mind.
When to Ask for Endorsement
Some writers tell me, "I'll get back to you on that list as soon as I talk to the authors." Or even, "I'll let you know as soon as the authors read my manuscript and get back to me." In reality, neither time is …
A Bit of Blogs, Just for You!
I’ve recently discovered a couple of new blogs that I really like, so I thought I’d share them with you.
The first is by Jeff Goins, at http://goinswriter.com. I like his perspective on writing, not just the craft, but the work of it. And he has a sense of humor, too. That’s always nice.
The second is The Creative Penn, by Joanna Penn. I love the diversity of topics she addresses, and her …
News You Can Use – June 19, 2012
IVP Takes a Book Out-of-Print Because of Errors – This is an impressive (and expensive) response by a publisher. A review by Carl Trueman detailed numerous factual errors, typos, and mistakes for an academic volume on the Reformation. IVP correctly responded by removing the book from circulation and will fix the errors and re-release the book this Summer. And will replace, for free, any …
Inside a Publishing Company
by Steve Laube
I just returned from three days at the Write! Canada writers conference outside Toronto. During my time there I presented a six session lecture series on the Complete Publishing Process: From Idea to Print.
When the entire process is compressed into a short series like that it becomes evident how many people are involved in the publishing of a book at any given publishing …
My Book is Like…
When I posted about writing great book proposals, I noticed a trend toward anxiety about the market comparison section. This is understandable since authors need to strike a balance between, "I am the next C.S. Lewis," and "You don't want to read this, do you?"
Aspiring to be like...
Most of the time, newer authors don't think about comparing their work to the work of others in the proposal. …