Blog Archive

  • Self-Publishing

    Jun 09, 2009

    I get a lot of questions from authors about self-publishing through places like iUniverse or AuthorHouse. Usually the question is generally what you can do next. Does it hurt your chances of finding a traditional publisher later and how do agents look at such a work? I am going to discuss the marketing/sales ramifications of […]

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  • Maggie Sefton on Taking Risks

    Jun 08, 2009

    Maggie Sefton Dropped Dead Stitch Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Pub date: June 2009 Agent: Jessica Faust (Click to Buy) Author Web/Blog links: www.maggiesefton.com, www.cozychicksblog.com, LinkedIn Taking risks is a gamble, especially with your career. There’s no guarantee you’ll succeed. Some people will work at a job they hate for years rather than “risk” trying a […]

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  • Publishing Dictionary Expanded

    Jun 05, 2009

    I’ve done a similar post on publishing terminology, but I realize that it can never hurt to do it again. For those who have been regular readers of the blog, I apologize for the repetition. What I’ve done today is pulled out that old list and added to it so that hopefully we have a […]

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  • BookEnds Must Reads

    Jun 04, 2009

    Hello, faithful readers. I could use your help today. I’ve been thinking that it might be useful (and you tell me if I’m right) to have a section on the side of the blog entitled “Must Reads”—those blog posts you’ve found most useful that new writers could easily access to learn the basics, or sometimes […]

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  • Slow Down

    Jun 03, 2009

    When I request a partial from an author, sometimes I request the material be sent via email and sometimes I request it be sent via snail mail. There are a couple of reasons for this, one being that sometimes I like to sit down with paper and sometimes I use my Kindle. Whatever the reason, […]

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  • Reactions to Rejection Letters

    Jun 02, 2009

    I often share the frustrating and sometimes humorous tales of responses I get to rejection letters. Why? It gives me something to write about. The truth though is that most of you, most writers, are kind, courteous and professional. I frequently get thank-you notes (which we’ve discussed ad nauseam at this point) and I’ve noticed […]

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  • LOL

    Jun 01, 2009

    I have to admit while some of the things in my LOL posts definitely make us laugh out loud, others are more of a bemused shaking of the head. Today’s list is a little bit of both, I’m afraid. From an unsolicited query letter: “What do you think about this? Let’s talk. Lunch?” and I […]

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  • Movies and Books

    May 29, 2009

    There’s no doubt that nearly every writer would love to, someday, see her book made into a movie. If not to see your words brought to the big screen, maybe to see some of the money that might hopefully come with the deal. But how do movies and books and the movie and book industries […]

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  • Benefit of the Doubt

    May 28, 2009

    It was probably at least a year ago now, but it’s something that’s stuck with me. At that time, a reader posted a comment on the blog that I responded to and immediately other readers posted to assure me that the first comment was nothing but a troll and should simply be ignored. I wasn’t […]

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  • Writing Dialogue

    May 27, 2009

    I don’t often write about writing, I typically keep my posts and advice to publishing. Why? Because I don’t feel that I’m a writing teacher. I’m a writer, sure, in the sense that I do this blog, but having never truly written fiction I don’t feel I have the experience to really teach readers specifics […]

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  • The International Community and Publishing

    May 26, 2009

    I get a lot of questions about how anything outside of the U.S. is viewed in the publishing community. Do authors not located in the U.S. have a chance at publication, and what about books set outside of the U.S.? What are their chances? Rather than do separate posts I’m going to try to answer […]

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  • Happy Memorial Day Weekend

    May 22, 2009

    BookEnds will be closed today through Monday in observance of the Memorial Day weekend. For those who haven’t already placed bids at Brenda Novak’s auction for Diabetes Research, we encourage you to check it out. Like many agents and editors, Jacky, Kim, and I have all donated proposal critiques (mine includes either a meeting or […]

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