Blog Archive
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Licensing Your Rights
Nov 09, 2009
In lit sales (books and screenwriting) there is always “the sale” of the material, which is normally an outright sale, wherein a writer gets a flat or projected agreement of residuals, but loses all power to make other sales off the same material; say to TV or games, etc. Are there attempts to update the […]
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National Bookstore Day
Nov 06, 2009
Tomorrow is Publishers Weekly’s first annual National Bookstore Day, “a day devoted to celebrating bookselling and the vibrant culture of bookstores.” And who doesn’t love a bookstore? So check out the Publishers Weekly web site for a list of participating bookstores, and even if you can’t find one in your area, take a moment to […]
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Choosing Your Genre
Nov 05, 2009
As I write Science Fantasy, Science Fiction and Fantasy it makes sense to focus on one if I want to succeed as a writer. But which? Fantasy has more shelf space, but there’s more competition: Does an agent take more Fantasy novels on knowing there’s the market for them ready and waiting? In comparison Science […]
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Query Length
Nov 04, 2009
I’m currently trying to write a query, but can’t decide on its length. When short and concise, it leaves the plot open for wide interpretation. The setting has certain elements that lend it to books with similar settings, but it truly does not follow those. I don’t want agents imagining something they’re not going to […]
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Fixing a Stalled Career
Nov 03, 2009
Let’s say you have a client who has published a handful of novels, all of which failed to earn out. The client’s working on a new project. Do you recommend that she finish the new novel on spec, and submit the whole thing? Or do a handful of chapters/outline? Do you tend to get more/better […]
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Random Questions
Nov 02, 2009
I can’t even begin to tell you how thankful I am for all of you who continue to send questions for the blog. It certainly makes my life easier when I don’t always have to come up with a topic on my own. That being said, frequently there are questions that have merit but are […]
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Happy Halloween
Oct 30, 2009
I love Halloween. It’s so fun for me to dress up and pretend to be someone else for the day. Planning this year’s Halloween costume had me thinking of all the great characters of literature and how much fun it would be to be them for the day, not just in dress, but to actually […]
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How Long Is Too Long to Wait
Oct 29, 2009
If I’ve learned anything from writing this blog it’s what an anxiety-inducing process getting published is, and while the unpublished think it gets easier once you have an agent, I think I’ll have to disagree. It seems to me that having an agent, but still seeking publication and, heck, even having a publishing contract can […]
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A Writer’s Insecurities
Oct 28, 2009
These questions came to me from a group of writers. Apparently it’s a topic frequently discussed on forums and blogs and I suppose shared anxiously through emails and phone calls. These authors, all agented, wanted to know if I am aware, or other agents are aware, of the insecurities and concerns of a writer. In […]
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The Influence of a Blog
Oct 27, 2009
How influenced are you by a writer’s web site or blog? As a book designer and typesetter (and author) I’m very much affected by what I see on the screen. Some blogs, such as yours, are clear, well-organized, and readable (i.e., black type on a light background rather than the more dramatic and infinitely less […]
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Deadlines
Oct 26, 2009
Deadlines. Feared by some, loved by others. It’s likely that the minute you became serious about your writing you started setting deadlines for yourself. Maybe it was a weekly deadline for your critique group or a daily deadline for yourself. Whatever deadlines you’ve been working under, however, will change dramatically once they become contracted requirements. […]
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Agents Do More Than Sell Books
Oct 23, 2009
I want to start this post with a little background information. I represent both fiction and nonfiction books, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my many years as both an editor and an agent, these are two very different worlds. Typically a fiction author comes to the table with a great deal of […]
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