Summer Reading
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August 15, 2017

August is a reading month. Summer reading is for everyone, though it’s essential for developmental editors, agents, and acquisition editors. Some take their books to the beach. Editors to the porch. I have a handful of new client projects to read this month. So what am I reading? Sherman Alexie, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me: A Memoir, Little, Brown & Company, 2017…. [Read More]

How to prepare for a radio interview
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August 8, 2017

ONE:  Your publisher or your publicist will need to send a query letter to the producer of the radio program. It’s much better to have someone else query for radio interviews on your behalf. But doing most of the work to assist your publisher or publicist in booking radio interviews will increase your chances significantly. And if you are a nonfiction writer, there is a… [Read More]

Spielman Book Launch in Ithaca, NY
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August 1, 2017

Linda J. Spielman gave a presentation at the Nevins Center in the Cornell University Botanic Garden on July 16 at an event which celebrated the launch of her new book, A Field Guide to Tracking Mammals in the Northeast (Countryman Press/W.W. Norton). This wasn’t like any other book launch I’ve ever been to and I mean that in a good way. Cornell University provided eight… [Read More]

Three Book Giveaway
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July 25, 2017

Summer is for reading. And this summer World War II has never seemed more relevant. To reward reading and reflection on this history, Swenson Book Development LLC is offering a three book giveaway. Marcel’s Letters, Chasing Portraits, and Shot from the Sky are the three titles by author clients who have agreed to reward one lucky winner with all three books. To register to win,… [Read More]

Research Tools for Nonfiction Writers
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July 11, 2017

Whether you are starting a new research project or revising the final draft of a book manuscript, there are resources a nonfiction writer will want to keep closer at hand than a dictionary or thesaurus. Some of these references you may already be familiar with, but you may discover one or more here which belong on your desktop for handy reference. You are the subject… [Read More]

Prints in Print
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July 3, 2017

Countryman Press releases Linda J. Spielman’s new book, A Field Guide to Tracking Mammals in the Northeast, today, July 4, 2017. What makes this reference book so special is the meticulously drawn illustrations which portray a wide range of shapes and appearances for the tracks of more than 40 mammal species. Most mammal identification guides include iconic images of tracks which are rarely encountered in… [Read More]

Instagram and Books
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June 20, 2017

In the past two years, the importance of Instagram for marketing books has grown exponentially. Readers, book reviewers, and now even publishers have adopted this new social media platform for marketing new releases. As of April 2017, there are more than 700 million users. And it is extremely popular with the millennials. If your audience is under age 35 or college educated, consider joining Instagram…. [Read More]

Sweet Soiree for Marcel’s Letters
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June 13, 2017

“Marcel’s Letters Book Launch Tonight” lit up the marquee on Washington Avenue South at Open Book in south Minneapolis last Thursday evening. The French-themed fête for the release of Marcel’s Letters exceeded all expectations. More than 300 people arrived on a hot June night to celebrate with Carolyn Porter. The reception included French pastries, books hot off the presses, and an opportunity to meet some… [Read More]

Getting from Graduation to the Editor’s Desk
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June 6, 2017

Learning how to become an editor doesn’t happen overnight. Editing isn’t a college major. Some English degree programs offer a specialization in editing and publishing, most do not. There are a handful of certificate programs in professional and graduate degree programs, but the art of editing goes far beyond knowing grammar and the basics of copyediting. A full-time job as an editor isn’t an entry-level… [Read More]

Frustrated with Facebook?
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May 23, 2017

More than 1.7 billion people are active on Facebook. Fifty-three percent of them are female. The average Facebook user in the U.S. was 40.5 years old. These statistics help explain why it is one of the most popular social media platforms used by authors to engage with readers. But what happens when Facebook explodes with news about political scandals, natural disasters, celebrity deaths, or sports?… [Read More]