In January, Jill Swenson starts intensive writing workshops in the Ithaca area intended for those who seek to improve their writing craft and/or have a work-in-progress. At each session, every writer will present new work. Participants are expected to attend every session and bring two double-spaced pages of text with photocopies for the group. Each writer will read their selection out loud and the group will provide feedback on what works and what needs work. Swenson will create a climate of trust and respect for each workshop and moderate the critical discussions. If you are interested in one of these workshops, please contact me at your soonest convenience. Meeting location will be determined based on distance and convenience of participants in the Ithaca area. Saturdays January 11, 25, February 8, 22, March 8, 22: 6 sessions meet every other week, 90 minutes (1-2:30 pm) Limit 6 (1 space left) $150 Tuesdays, January 7, 14, 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18, 25: 8 sessions meet every week, 60 minutes (noon-1 pm) Limit 6 (min. 4) $150 Tuesdays, January 7, 14, 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18, 25; 8 sessions meet every week, 90 minutes (10:30 am-noon) Limit 6 (min. 4) $175
More than any other reason, acquisition editors use the lack of an audience platform to reject a book project. They look at more than the numbers of followers, friends, tweeps and subscribers to assess the size of your reading audience. Social media metrics are one indication of an author’s potential customer base. There are many others. Here’s a list of what an agent or acquisition… [Read More]
Filed Under: Face-to-face connections, Media appearances, professional associations, Work-in-Progress
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So you think you need an agent? Most agents do not represent poetry, short stories, non-fiction or material suitable for academic or small presses. If you have written a novel or a memoir, you might consider finding a literary representative. The best reference guide is Chuck Sambuchino’s Guide to Literary Agents published annually by Writer’s Digest Books and the 2014 issue has just been released. Before you… [Read More]
Spend more time on writing and less on social media. There. I said it. I mean it. Facebook,Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google + can suck your precious time. I see many authors use these social media platforms like megaphones to shout out into the wilderness “Buy my book!” One author, who shall remain nameless to protect his guilt, spent four hours one evening spitting out such… [Read More]
Pop-up book club. Literary trading post. Community book swap. Wrap your head around this growing global phenomena: Little Free Libraries. In 2009 Todd Bol built a wooden box, made it look a bit like a schoolhouse, mounted it on a post in his front yard of his home in Hudson, Wisconsin, filled it with books, and stuck a note on the front door to take… [Read More]
You’ve finished writing your manuscript and you’re ready to publish. Or at least you thought you were. Think again. Do you have a proposal and a platform? There’s no book without a manuscript. It’s a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for publishing today. No matter how good the manuscript, it’s only one of three legs on which to step up to publication. In fact,… [Read More]