writing – Page 10

Tag Archives: writing

Sunday Brunch Publishing Links

Posted on 17 Jan 10 by Editor

Okay, so most readers won’t stumble over these links until well after Sunday brunch, but they’ll still be great for a rainy Sunday afternoon (if you’re on the East Coast) or even a Monday off. So, let’s dive right in…

There are 18 print-on-demand Espresso Book Machines worldwide, and 5 of them are in the Seattle area. Seattle Times writer/artist Gabriel Campanario provides an look into the dynamics of print-on-demand.

Rachel Gardner discusses some WordServe analysis of how online publicity efforts effect sales, and pointed my way to The Most Interesting Bookstores In The World. Nice. She also discusses why authors still need agents.

And if Rachel can’t convince you that you still need an agent, the Wall Street Journal digs into the reasons that publisher slush piles of unsolicited manuscripts are becoming a thing of the past. However, Brianna Goodspeed responds that this may not be true for everyone.

On the subject of agent slush piles, literary agent Janet Reid explains how slush still works, and what exactly slush means.

You know how good things come in threes? Well, Jessica at BookEnds tackles three topics dear to an aspiring writer’s heart: querying, submitting manuscripts, and avoiding scams. Kristin Nelson also serves up one, two, three excellent pieces on query letters.

Finally, a completely different Jessica at Dystel & Goderich points the way to a piece in A Public Space on Cairo’s up-and-coming writers, and a New Yorker article on Arabic novels in translation. Šukran jazílan!

Category: Blogroll | Tags: arabic, BookEnds LLC, books, cairo, Dystel & Goderich, ebooks, Janet Reid, Kristin Nelson, publishing, seattle, seattle times, wall street journal, writing

A Baker's Dozen Publishing and Writing Links

Posted on 12 Jan 10 by Editor

Ever wonder why you’ve never received thirteen of anything for the price of a dozen at any bakery you’ve ever visited? Well, wonder no more, because there’s no point in worrying about it.

And, while you’re getting over your disappointment, enjoy the follow “Baker’s Dozen” links on publishing and writing!

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Category: Blogroll | Tags: Alan Rinzler, BookEnds, books, Booksquare, Dystel & Goderich, Janet Reid, Kassia Kroszer, Kirstin Nelson, nathan bransford, pimp my novel, publishing, rachelle gardner, writing

A Stocking Full of Publishing & Writing Links!

Posted on 22 Dec 09 by Editor

“Hey, John!” I imagine you say, “Why are you not writing more of The Crow and the Kinnebeck, instead of posting another round of links to other blogs?”

Well, first of all, I am still writing, but I am also doing some reading and research essential to getting the historical and literary references just right.

Secondly, stop italicizing the title of that short-story-gone-rogue as if it will become a novel! I don’t care that you’re only italicizing it in my hypothetical typed form of an imaginary conversation with a notional reader. Do not conspire with the Muse. She has a strong enough grip on me already. Note how She recruits even my psychological projections to do Her bidding?

So, where was I? Oh yes: more publishing and writing links! I know the last bunch were professedly for Christmas, but just consider them the “under the tree” links. You know how, every year, you ravenously tear open all the “under the tree” presents until you’re sitting there (possibly breathing hard) in a nest of bows and shredded paper feeling a sudden, inexplicable emptiness? Then HO-HO-KAPOW: you remember the stocking!

Consider this is your link stocking. And, for some odd reason, just like real footwear all of the items below come in twos.

Lydia Sharp shares her dream about meeting — and then becoming one of the — characters from Twilight. If this sounds like an awful stocking gift, consider this spoiler (alert!): unlike the fictional Bella, and unlike millions of emotionally manipulable readers, Lydia loses/rejects both of the B-grade YA Romeos.

I have also added the following publishing-related blogs to my reading list: Alice’s CWIM Blog (why are there so many YA and Children’s Lit blogs?) and Booksquare.

Rachelle Gardner offers up some good words on who should and shouldn’t self-publish, and how her insane work-out schedule helps her help you!

And finally, guest contributor Randy Susan Myers at Pimp My Novel offers up a smorgasbord of books on writing, conveniently organized into two categories: “Part One – Before: Technique, Tools, and Support” and “Part Two – After: Selling Your Book Without Selling Your Soul.”

Category: Blogroll | Tags: fiction, lydia sharp, pimp my novel, publishing, rachelle gardner, self-publishing, twilight, vampires, werewolves, writing, YA lit

Questions Answered this Week, by Lit Agents

Posted on 10 Dec 09 by Editor

Authors are overflowing with two things: stories and questions for literary agents. This week’s publishing links are dedicated to the latter. Our cupth runneth over!

Got a question? Read on… one of my favorite literary agents may have the answer.

Lit agent Jessica at BookEnds responds to a question about the submission process with both good advice for authors, and some pointed commentary on agents who insist on a “no simultaneous submissions” rule. Hint: they don’t come off well in her analysis.

Chasya at Dystel & Goderich also poses a question from a blog reader — “What are the biggest mistakes writers make when pitching their work at a conference?” —and publishes responses from several agents at the firm. Bonanza!

The Editorial Anonymous blog takes on the mysterious rejection “Not for me, thanks” and what it really means in all of its possible permutations. (Warning: may induce chuckling.) Thanks to Janet Reid for pointing me toward this one.

Agent Kristin Nelson answers two series of questions this week (count ’em: one! two!), tackling issues like revisions, the struggling economy, and angels vs. vampires. (My initial thought: both groups are immortal but only one is sparkly and vaguely pedophilic?)

If I were going to ask a literary agent a question, it would probably be about the use of pen names. Lo, and Behold! Nathan Bransford has answered that very question in a recent blog.

Author and Knight Agency lit agent Lucienne Diver tackles the publishing buzz question of the year: “Can any device save publishing?” She answers the question by questioning it.

HIGHLIGHT LINK DU JOUR DE LA SEMAINE: At the Book Deal blog, publisher Alan Rinzler answers some fascinating questions about writing in light of discoveries in neuroscience. You don’t have to write cyberpunk to appreciate these methods for hacking your readers’ brains.

Oh, The Publishing Links I've Seen

Posted on 05 Dec 09 by Editor

OMG… have I been lax with the publishing updates! (I wanted to italicize the first person pronoun in that sentence, because that’s how I heard it in my head, but the italicized I just doesn’t read right for some reason… any thoughts?)

Firstly, agent Janet Reid promotes author Brad Parks, to whom she is connected by acquaintance and Twitter followee Sophia Littlefield, who is an acquaintance of Dave White, a writer for a blog where Brad was a guest writer. The point of this convoluted series of connections? “I’d never heard of Brad Parks before 10:30am today and now I both know who he is, and have bought his book.”

That’s how it works. Or, at least, how it can work. (And see how italics works so much better with more than one letter?)

Keeping with the theme of advice for authors, editor Alan Rinzler offers up 9 tips for successful author readings, but his best tip is probably this: well done author readings can boost a publishing career, which can then enable the author to charge readers to attend author readings.

As usual, Nathan Bransford’s recent publishing update is so chock full of goodies that I hesitate to attempt a summary, except to mention that he includes (in order to mitigate anxiety over e-books) a link to Amazon’s Best Book Covers of 2009.

And, I mention that because my next publishing find is this New York Times piece by Joe Queenan on how a book’s cover can affect one’s enjoyment of the book. See? There’s a free lesson on the power of selecting and arranging information to enable segues. You’re welcome.

To finish off my list of publishing-related stuff, here are links to two other bloggers’ lists of publishing related stuff: Amy at Kimberley Cameron & Associates posted a short, but informative, glossary of publishing speak; and John Fox put up alist of various Top Books of 2009 lists … making this a triple whammy of lists!

Category: Blogroll | Tags: amazon, author readings, best books of 2009, book covers, e-books, literary agents, novels, publishing, writing

Two Links About Me, Myself, and I

Posted on 27 Nov 09 by Editor

At the Sharp Angle blog, guest blogger Juliette Wade offers up some useful insight into the use of 1st Person in fiction. Although not a favorite of mine, 1st Person did end up being the approach I took in my first novel, so I found Juliette’s observations interesting… and on-the-mark.

Jesse Kornbluth at Publisher’s Weekly surprised me by repeating three of my opinions about how publishers could face the technological and economic minefields facing them, opinions that I considered outside the pale: publish fewer books, publish better books, stop publishing everything in hardback first. He also advises writers to do what I would do more of … if I actually had more time: spend more time online with one’s own website and social networking sites. (And, thanks to Dystel & Goderich for the surf assist.)

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: 1st person, authors, fiction, publisher's weekly, publishing, social networking, writing

Some Publishing Notes

Posted on 17 Nov 09 by Editor

Today, as I pound out some more pages for “The Crow and the Kinnebeck,”* I just want to throw out a blog entry chock full of agent and author advice.

For example:

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Category: Blogroll, Observer | Tags: bestseller, blockbuster, fiction, jane austen, literary agent, novel, publishing, query letter, remaindered books, writing

Best. Query. Letter. Advice. Ever.

Posted on 11 Nov 09 by Editor

Nathan Bransford makes it simple: the format of your query letter should be boring and straightforward, and the description of your work is the part you need to “sweat.” (By the way, I stole copied borrowed the blog title emphasis style from Nathan.)

He also links to two other very good recent blogs on query letters. Holly Root at the Waxman Agency also emphasizes the importance of good writing over all else, while Michael at Dystel & Goderich downplays the formatting details while playing up the importance of reflecting your work in the query.

For my own part, I was never too obsessed with formatting issues like font or paragraph style. Considering that I work as an editor in an organization with very strict formatting standards, and regularly kick writers in the face for daring to give me something in Courier New rather than Arial, I can’t decide whether it’s ironic that I’m more relaxed about format than the typical writer (as described by agents) or it’s expected that familiarity with ferocious format issues makes me less skittish in their presence.

But, I have to confess that I aaggoonniizzeed over how to accurately and adequately describe The Ligan of the Disomus in my queries. Asking for suggestions from the handful of first-readers didn’t help much (thanks, tho, guys!) and neither did digging through photocopies of the original short story version that had been marked up by workshop partners. “Melville + film noir + X-Files” was the best I got from them, and that just makes you think of an alien sea beast being hunted by Sam Spade.

Actually, come to think of it … symbolically that’s not as far off the mark as I, in my moment of self-deprecatory sarcasm, would have liked it to be.* It’s … an unusual book.

Given the advice from Nathan, Holly, and Michael, I’m glad that the description is the part of the query I decided to obsess over, even if I’m still apprehensive about how well I captured the story and setting.

*Confession: the train of thought presented here in regard to the workshop’s description of Ligan actually happened months ago, at the beginning of the query process. Like a good writer, after rolling my eyes at myself, I tucked it away for later.

Category: Blogroll, Observer | Tags: film noir, literary agents, melville, publishing, query letters, writing, x-files