Writing Craft

News You Can Use – Oct. 4, 2011

By Steve Laubeon October 4, 2011

The Future of the Book – An essay by the atheist and bestselling author Sam Harris. Do agree or disagree? His thought are provocative.

Things We Know and Don’t Know About E-books – A brilliant assessment by Mike Shatzkin.

The Future of Books – a Dystopian Timeline – John Biggs writes this depressing prediction of the demise of books for TechCrunch. Do you agree that all publishers will die in 2019…a mere 7 1/4 years from now?

How Amazon Controls the Entire Publishing Industry – If you’ve been following this topic the article isn’t news. But if you haven’t “pay attention.” We are.

The World’s Smallest Book – See the picture at the end of the tweezers. And the publisher printed 300 of them? Really?

Loving to Laugh

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon September 29, 2011

At least once a week I'm asked if romantic comedy is currently marketable. While sometimes this category seems hot and then cold, I'd say that sharp, witty, well-executed romantic comedy can find a good home no matter what the publishing season. Note that I take the adjectives I used seriously. This is not a category that most writers can whip off with little effort. Successful writers of romantic …

Category: Book Proposals, Craft, Genre, Get Published, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Craft, Ideas, Pitching, Romantic Comedy, Tamela, Writing Craft

What Makes a Christian Book “Christian”? (Part Two)

By Karen Ballon September 28, 2011

So what are some of the answers I’ve been given to the question "What makes a Christian book Christian"? Consider the following:

Written from a Christian world view
Story offers hope
Core of the story shows importance of faith in Christ

Similar to the things you all wrote in your comments (though I think your responses went far deeper.) But I’ve also been peppered with the following …

Category: Book Business, Get Published, Karen, TheologyTag: Book Business, Get Published, Ideas, Karen, Theology, Trends, Writing Craft

One-Sheets versus Queries

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon September 22, 2011

A recent post inspired an excellent question. "Is a one-sheet the same as a query?"

Yes and no. There is some overlap, but the differences are significant.

A one-sheet gives writers a document for talking points about a project at a conference. The one-sheet can help authors be sure they convey the information they want to the editor or agent without forgetting anything critical. In turn, …

Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, TamelaTag: Pitching, query, Tamela, Writing Craft

What Makes a Christian Book “Christian”? (Part One)

By Karen Ballon September 21, 2011

I had this discussion over a year ago on my blog, but thought it would be a good discussion for all of you, too. In some ways, publishing is in a state of unbelievable flux. In others, it's utterly grounded and unshakeable. Good and bad on both sides.

But here’s what I find fascinating--and a bit worrisome. There’s a seemingless endless debate on what makes a Christian book Christian? Is it the …

Category: Karen, TheologyTag: Book Business, Ideas, Karen, Theology, Trends, Writing Craft

News You Can Use – Sept. 13, 2011

By Steve Laubeon September 13, 2011

How Fiction Changed After 9/11 – The Economist explores the topic.

How Long Does Your Shared Link Stay Viable? – This fascinating study by bit.ly shows that if people don’t see your link within three hours, they never will. Sobering isn’t it?

Seven Deadly Sins of Self-Publishers – Darby Rae presents some sound advice.

Are You Wasting Time Checking the Amazon Rankings? – BookBuzzer …

Category: News You Can Use, SteveTag: Book Business, Publishing News, Trends, Writing Craft

Nameless Waterfalls

By Steve Laubeon September 5, 2011

by Steve Laube During a recent vacation we visited a place in Alaska called the Tracy Arm Fjord. The picture above was one that I took during that visit. As we past through these amazing waters it was bitter cold (note the icebergs in the water), in the early morning around 6 a.m., and with a chilly wind to accompany us. But rather than be frozen by the weather I was mesmerized by the number of …

Category: Encouragement, Get Published, Personal, Steve, Writing CraftTag: Personal, Rejection, Writing Craft

A Matter of Perspective

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 25, 2011

During a recent visit to my local bank, I produced a document bearing the Virginia State seal. The banker commented on how terrible the seal is for men.

What an odd thing to say!

Mrs. Judith Gue taught third grade at the small private school I attended in a bucolic part of Virginia. Mrs. Gue was a plump woman who favored silk dresses, kept a paddle on her desk as an unspoken and ever-present …

Category: Book Business, Get Published, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Writing Craft

En-TITLE-ment: Finding the Perfect Title (Part One)

By Karen Ballon August 17, 2011

One of the most difficult—and important—things we did when I worked in the publishing house was come up with titles for our authors’ novels. Sometimes it was a breeze, either because the author’s title was spot-on or because the story lent itself organically to a certain title. But more often than not, it was a long process of back-and-forth with the author, marketing, and sales. So how can you, …

Category: Get Published, Karen, Marketing, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Craft, Karen, Pitching, Titles, Writing Craft

Show or Tell: How Do You Know?

By Karen Ballon August 10, 2011

As we discussed last week, it’s okay to tell at times, but in fiction you want to show the important, emotion-laden scenes. That way the reader gets the vicarious experience along with the character. So how do you know when you’re telling rather than showing? Here are a few tips:

Beware the dreaded –ly adverbs.
“Get out of my novel, you –ly adverbs!” Alice said angrily.
Ah-ah-ah! Any time you …

Category: Craft, Creativity, Karen, Writing CraftTag: Craft, Karen, show don't tell, Writing Craft