Blog Archive
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Sincerely, Mom
Feb 10, 2009
Dear Jessica Faust: My son is a smart, handsome and a fantastically well-spoken recent college graduate. He went to The University of Mom here in Bubbletown, MN, and I just love him loads. The reason I’m contacting you today is because of the job post you had in Publishing Jobs News. I think Son would […]
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The Synopsis
Feb 09, 2009
It’s probably one of the most dreaded words in publishing. Any time I tell any author she has to submit or write a synopsis, I invariably get a loud groan. It’s hard, it’s frustrating, and I know of very few authors who like writing them. But what makes a good synopsis and how much do […]
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What Agents Read
Feb 06, 2009
In my post on An Agent’s Taste a reader made a comment that I started to respond to, and then I thought later that more people could benefit from it, so I created this post instead. To either refresh your memory or bring it to your attention if you don’t read the comments, the reader […]
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Post-Rejection Protocol
Feb 05, 2009
I think it’s not surprising that a lot of authors wonder what to do next after rejection: How do you handle a rejection letter if it’s clear it was more than a form letter, and can you use that to your benefit when it comes to finding another agent? The first thing I want to […]
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Rolling with the Punches
Feb 04, 2009
As an entrepreneur I frequently am asked for my advice on starting a new business, and while I’ve shared my so-called wisdom with dozens of future business owners, I’m not sure I’ve ever passed it along to my blog readers who, as writers, are all entrepreneurs and business owners. There are really only two tips […]
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What the Editors are Saying
Feb 03, 2009
It’s a new year and with that comes new news from editors . . . One editor (and she’s not alone) would love to see strong, poignant, commercial women’s fiction, not chick lit. A nonfiction editor is actively looking for lifestyle books—inspirational, parenting, healthy living, etc. While this particular publisher (like most) has a pretty […]
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Sex and Fiction
Feb 02, 2009
When I first started in publishing 15+ years ago, the demand for historical romances leaned toward sweet, family-type books set in the American West. Well, we’ve come a long way, baby. Any time I talk to editors now about historicals, one of the first questions they ask is, “Is it sexy?” Does that mean everything […]
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Dissecting the Form Rejection Letter
Jan 30, 2009
Agents are criticized regularly for the form rejection letters we write. We are told that if any material is requested, a partial or a full, we are obligated to give the writer feedback on why it didn’t work. I have even heard that I shouldn’t waste time on the blog if I’m not willing to […]
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Praise from Others
Jan 29, 2009
A book doctor and editor for a publishing company read a one-page synopsis from my work. When she got to mine she said she found it funny and that if it came across her editor’s desk she’d ask for more pages. Is this something a writer can use in a query letter to an agent […]
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Publishing Jobs
Jan 28, 2009
I have a growing readership among students considering a career in publishing, which is really cool for me. It’s obvious that writers would want to read the blog, but when I started it up I never imagined that students, future editors and agents, would read as well. Recently one of those students got in touch […]
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It Just Sucks . . .
Jan 27, 2009
I received the following question with the subject heading that I’m using as the post’s title. Since I think it probably reflects the views of so many writers no matter your age, I thought I should post the letter verbatim. . . . It sucks trying to get an agent. I think my work is […]
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Personal Tastes
Jan 26, 2009
While doing the pitch critiques over the holidays I was asked if I thought agents had their own preferences for pitches or if the differences really came down to genre, and I’ll tell you right now that agents definitely have their own preferences. What might come across to me as a very exciting pitch might […]
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