Literary Journals and Platform Building
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July 7, 2015

Getting your writing published in a literary journal is an important way to improve your chances of getting your nonfiction (or memoir) book manuscript published. When your writing is published in a literary journal it provides a publisher with evidence you can meet professional standards and others find your work compelling. Literary journals are often considered gatekeepers to the publishing community. Which literary journals should… [Read More]

Recommended. Summer. Reading.
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June 23, 2015

Two novels. Both are set during the Second World War and yet neither is a war story.      Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See, won the Pulitizer Prize for fiction this year. Read it to gain an appreciation for what editors mean when they say “character-driven plot.” This is much more than a story about WWII. Marie-Louise is a blind 14-year-old girl… [Read More]

Gold Medal 2015 IPPY Winner
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May 12, 2015

Congratulations to Elaine Mansfield Leaning into Love: A Spiritual Journey through Grief, by Elaine Mansfield (Larson Publications) has been awarded a national gold medal for the best book in the category Aging/Death & Dying from the world’s largest book awards contest. The Independent Publisher Book Awards, known as the IPPY, honor the year’s best titles from around the world published by academic, small and independent… [Read More]

Writing Memoir: Author, Narrator, Protagonist
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March 17, 2015

Writing Memoir: Author, Narrator, Protagonist Memoir has become nearly as popular a genre as fiction. It’s the stuff of which movies are made. Almost everyone I meet thinks they have a story worth telling.  And today nearly everyone thinks they can publish their memoir. Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press, recently suggested in The Huffington Post the pursuit of publication is a birthright. Finding… [Read More]

Book Awards and Prizes
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March 10, 2015

Awards and prizes can be a fantastic complement to an author’s credibility, marketing strategy, and overall “brand.” The urge to apply for as many as possible is quite tempting. Yet when your book is newly published and you are considering the many choices, it is wise to step back and make an informed decision. Rather than send out of a flood of submissions, make a… [Read More]

Query Letters
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February 24, 2015

Query Letters: When to send them and what to write. The single most important key to opening the door to an agent or acquisition editor is your query letter. You will only get a response if your reader is interested in knowing more about your book project. No response is a no. If you don’t receive a reply within a week, move on. Maybe there… [Read More]

Check your facts
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February 17, 2015

Check your facts. You might not be Brian Williams. Maybe you don’t plan to write a memoir about your experience in the war against terrorism, cancer, death, or addiction. If you are a professional writer, you need to know facts still matter. Especially to your readers. If you write nonfiction, your credibility as an author depends on it. Corroborate your facts with additional documentation. Immerse… [Read More]

Getting the editorial feedback you need
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January 6, 2015

Will you read what I’ve written? As soon as I think I’ve finished writing a new piece, there’s that irresistible urge to get feedback from a reader. What do you think, eh? It’s more than yearning for instant ego gratification. That’s pretty nice, too. But it won’t help me take my writing to the next level. The sense of accomplishment from getting it down on… [Read More]

Read more books in 2015
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December 30, 2014

If you are a writer who seeks publication, you need to read. Yes, more books. I often hear from writers who tell me they don’t read because they don’t want to be influenced by others’ works. Bah Hambug! Everything is a Remix! To combine or edit existing materials produces something new. Original ideas aren’t created in a vacuum. You don’t read because you don’t have… [Read More]

Top 10 Books of 2014
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December 16, 2014

It’s December and I reflect back on the books I’ve read this year which stand out above all others from my vantage as a book development editor. Here’s my top 10 list of great new books and why I think these works will stand the test of time. Fiction #1 A Tale for the Time Being  by Ruth Ozeki – March 2013 In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old… [Read More]