The use of exclamation points and caps flag authors as amateurs
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August 21, 2012

Flagrant misuse of grammar rules hurts a writer’s chances for publication. Agents and editors take one quick glance and form a strong first professional impression. Don’t send up red flags and get rejected by your amateur abuse of punctuation or capitalization rules. Your email query may never be opened if you put the subject line of your message in all caps. WHEN YOU ARE USING… [Read More]

Should The F in Facebook be capitalized?
by,
August 18, 2012

Should the “f” in Facebook be capitalized? The icon, logo and brand identity of this popular social networking site use the lowercase letter. Brilliant marketing by breaking the style rule. But what is a copyeditor to do? Of course, I googled it. (Notice as a verb, Google is not capitalized). My research revealed lots of posts and comments regarding the marketing genius behind NOT capitalizing Facebook…. [Read More]

Quiet: A case for solitude and the power of contemplation
by,
August 14, 2012

For authors it can be difficult, even shameful today, to be an introvert in a media culture where being social and outgoing are valued above all else. The reclusive literary artist who disdains self-promotion is silenced, even suppressed, in a system that rewards extraverts. Yet, when it comes to creativity and productivity among authors, we need more introverts. “There’s zero correlation between being the best… [Read More]

Historical Non-Fiction Narrative: Two Day Writing Workshop Sept 8-9
by,
August 11, 2012

Discover your voice. Let loose your inner sleuth. Learn new skills and polish your work-in-progress. This two-day non-fiction writing workshop will help you identify a story, learn new research methods, write fresh history, edit for publication, and prepare your pitch. Five 90-minute sessions will focus on 1) story 2) facts 3) genre 4) style and 5) publishing. WHERE: Retreat in scenic rural Brooktondale at the… [Read More]

Growing the seeds of ideas: books for small farmers
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August 4, 2012

The small farm book business grows organically. Growing the seeds of good ideas into books, is akin to farming in some respects. In publishing, like in farming, there are large multinational multimillion dollar corporations dominant in the industry. Yet, the groundswell of good books about small scale farms, seasonable cuisine, and sustainable living reflects the growing market for good ideas. You may have noticed more… [Read More]

Reimagining Life after Loss: Jai Pausch’s Dream New Dreams
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July 31, 2012

Dream New Dreams: Reimagining My Life After Loss by Jai Pausch (Crown 2012) is one of the first memoirs to address the experiences of those who become full time caregivers to their terminally ill spouse. Imagine dealing with complicated medical care and even more complicated emotions. And then imagine having to tell your young children that their father is dead. You may have heard of… [Read More]

What an agent and publisher need to know about you, the author
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July 28, 2012

Authors may be surprised to learn that before an agent or publisher reads a word of their manuscript, they make judgments based on the query letter or proposal. They read your materials to assess the potential for successful publication based on the information they gather about the book, about the audience, and yes, about the author. In the last two posts, I focused on questions… [Read More]

About Your Book: What an agent or publisher wants to know
by,
July 24, 2012

Before you send out your query or a book proposal, take a second look. Have you answered these questions? What is the “genre” of the book? (humor, history, memoir, travel, how-to, etc) What is the main subject of your book? (what subject headings would a library give your book?) What topics will be covered? (what keywords could describe your book?) Describe your approach to the… [Read More]

Identify your readers, dear writer
by,
July 21, 2012

When you write a query letter and book proposal to an agent or acquisitions editor, there are certain things they want to know before considering your manuscript. They want to hear about you and your book, but what they really care about is the audience. What audience is your book intended for? Describe your readers in demographic detail. Where do your readers live? Work? Learn?… [Read More]

Hurdles for authors of children’s books.
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July 17, 2012

Children’s books are treated differently than other kinds in the business of publishing. The market is highly segmented with rigid requirements about reading level and age appropriateness. The number of words and pages are rigidly defined within each sector of children’s books. Having more than one book up your sleeve is important since serial books are more desirable than a single title.  Marketing features matter… [Read More]