Blog Archive
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Submission Guidelines Have a Real Purpose
Oct 22, 2009
I have been an agent for nearly ten years now, a packager for a year plus prior to that, and an editor for five years prior to that. In other words, I have some experience in this business and have learned what works for me and what doesn’t work for me. This holds true for […]
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Which Tense Is Best
Oct 21, 2009
I’ve written a couple of manuscripts, though not found myself at the point of querying yet. I’m also an avid reader, mainly of women’s fiction, chick lit, romance and erotic romance. This will sound ridiculous, but it just occurred to me that nearly everything I read is in the past tense, yet I always write […]
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Query Advice, Writing Guidelines, Word Count and Questions from Readers
Oct 20, 2009
Over time I have collected a number of questions from readers that won’t have an answer long enough for an entire blog post but are still worth addressing. Some agent’s blogs say that they want to know the genre and word count before they start reading the synopsis, but others say that they’d prefer to […]
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Analyzing Books
Oct 19, 2009
When an agent is considering an author’s work is a check list used to help clarify the content of the manuscript submitted, or does the agent rely on an overall feeling from having read it? I ask because in doing title research I recently came across a book evaluation that was helpful in analyzing my […]
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Agency Policies
Oct 16, 2009
I have a question about why most agents auto-delete queries that are mass mailed or are simply titled, “Dear Agent.” Let me give you a short scenario: Writer Mary has written her book. Is it any good? Maybe. Mary does all the stuff most agents recommend, she goes to critique groups, polishes her manuscript, researches […]
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Pre-pub Author Blurbs
Oct 15, 2009
Recently, you made a comment about receiving queries with blurbs in them, and how it was a good thing if you knew the author in question. I thought you were only supposed to ask for blurbs post-sale of the book? How does the etiquette go for asking an author to blurb your novel if you […]
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LOL
Oct 14, 2009
Just to remind you that we aren’t a bunch of Scrooges who sit around and complain about authors, I want to share another list of things that make us chuckle throughout the day because there are few things I love better then a good laugh. From one query letter: “Completed in 1998, the work has […]
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Category Romance Authors and Agents
Oct 13, 2009
I am yet unpublished, but I am targeting a few Harlequin/Silhouette lines. I have done some research on the submission guidelines for H/S and have read that the response time for unpublished and published authors can be similar, and also that most H/S authors do not need agents as H/S contracts are somewhat “boilerplate.” After […]
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Offending Potential Readers
Oct 12, 2009
I write young adult fantasy and I’ve reached the point where I’m querying agents. A large part of my promotion plan is my website, where I share content. I have a few short fiction pieces I’m proud of (one has even won an award), and I want to share these on my site to help […]
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Books as Movies
Oct 09, 2009
I am writing because my father has recently written a book that I think would make a terrific movie. I would like to help my dad, however I am not sure what the proper procedures are in getting a book made into a movie. Any help would be greatly appreciated. While you didn’t say this […]
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Altering the Format of Your Novel
Oct 08, 2009
I know that most agents don’t represent scripts for movies or TV, but how about if someone wanted to use script format as their novel’s written format? For example, there are some novels that are written in diary or letter format. Could you use script format for a novel as well and make it sellable? […]
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What Do Publishers Bring to the Table
Oct 07, 2009
Everyone knows that first time authors are expected to do anything and everything they can to promote and market the book, but authors, agents and publishers are in this together. So what do publishers typically bring to the table on the publicity, marketing, promo front, especially for a first time author? What’s the most you’ve […]
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