Blog Archive
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An Economic Effect
Mar 16, 2009
I know that both Nathan Bransford and I have mentioned that 2009 must be the Year of the Query. It’s unbelievable how many more queries we’re both seeing this year, and I can’t imagine we’re alone in the situation. I hadn’t thought too much about it, figuring it’s just the beginning of the year influx, […]
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Dealing with Requests
Mar 13, 2009
I got two questions recently that are very similar so I’m going to try to address them both in one post. The first was from a nonfiction author who was approached by an editor at a reputable publishing house (and this is very, very common in the world of nonfiction) and asked to submit a […]
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Selling Yourself
Mar 12, 2009
What would you do if you found out this is the query your agent was sending out to editors? Dear Editor: I know how incredibly busy you are so thank you so much for taking the time to read this query. I’ll try to make it as short as possible because I know you get […]
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Interviewing an Editor
Mar 11, 2009
Would it be unheard of for an author to request a writing sample from an editor, so that they could gain a better understanding as to who they are, personally? I know you could reference other books they have edited (to see their editing style), but if you were concerned they might not be sensitive […]
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Nonfiction Query Sample
Mar 10, 2009
Regular blog readers probably remember the queries I posted in January (and if you missed them, check them out). Since they were all for fiction, one of my readers made a special request to include a nonfiction query, so here it is, a query by Cynthia Shapiro. Cynthia submitted this book to me in 2003 […]
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Rejections We Can’t Stop Talking About
Mar 09, 2009
You hear stories all the time of authors who can’t take no for an answer and insist on responding to rejection letters in an angry manner. Well, we’ve had more than our fair share of these letters and some of them are just downright hysterical. So, to lighten the mood today I thought I’d share […]
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Publishing Advice
Mar 06, 2009
Like many of you, I have a number of social network profiles. Amazing how much time we could spend in those places, isn’t it? While I don’t go to them daily, I do try to check in regularly and keep my contacts up. On my linkedin profile, for example, I try to check in on […]
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Breaking Protocol
Mar 05, 2009
My question is this: say there’s a real swanky high powered agent who doesn’t accept queries (Binky Urban or the like), however you’ve actually got something that fits with his/her interests. Say also it’s backed with the endorsement of someone equally high powered from the artist’s end, someone along the lines of a Cormac McCarthy. […]
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And You Think Agents Are Slow
Mar 04, 2009
If you’ve ever read Editorial Ass, you know the key to getting an editor to read your work is to check in. Editorial Ass has admitted numerous times on her blog that she rarely reads anything unless an agent calls to give her a nudge. Which is why I spend so much time calling and […]
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Reading Outside of What I Represent
Mar 03, 2009
A question came to me recently asking why I might enjoy reading a particular genre, like, for example, memoirs, but have no interest in representing it, or at least don’t list it as a genre I represent? The reader also wanted more clarification on why I wouldn’t want to represent all the genres I enjoy […]
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Quotes on Books
Mar 02, 2009
If you’re a published author you know how important it is or how much stress some publishers place on getting quotes for your book. For those who aren’t published, this means using the network you’ve created through writing groups, conferences, and other events to humbly approach bestselling authors and ask if they’ll read your manuscript […]
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Are Your Ideas Safe?
Feb 27, 2009
My question to you is regarding the safety of a nonfiction book proposal. I have heard of situations when a proposal is turned down because the platform is not as strong as one would like (perhaps no previous publication or degrees, but written by a writer with valid experience and a website with 50,000 hits/year) […]
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