Blog Archive

  • Friday at RWA

    Jul 13, 2007

    It’s a jam-packed day today so I wanted to pop in early to give you an update. Since I haven’t had time to even spend 10 minutes with any editors or attend any workshops I don’t have much market news, but I can give you a little of the day in the conference life. My […]

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  • Author Beware

    Jul 13, 2007

    Received in response to a rejection letter. This goes into the category of “oh, brother . . .” . . . the difference between the multitudinous, plethora of publishers that will never be Penguin, Random House, Norton or the like is that all the fore mentioned have in the genesis of the history of their […]

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  • Thursday at RWA

    Jul 12, 2007

    It’s hot in Dallas. Although not much hotter than when I left NJ. Not that the heat really matters much. I haven’t left the hotel since I arrived yesterday at four. I did make it however which is better than I can say for a lot of others leaving out of the NY area. Apparently […]

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  • An Agent’s Busy Season

    Jul 12, 2007

    You once mentioned that April was conference season. What are the other months that would be bad for sending a requested manuscript to an agent the writer has a relationship with? And what is the calendar like for agents submitting work to editors? Obviously, December must be the worst month, but what else? Let me […]

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  • Nonfiction vs. Fiction Agents

    Jul 11, 2007

    While reading through some comments on the blog I came across advice from one reader to another. The advice was that if Reader A had a special hobby or expertise (and platform, of course) it might help her to write nonfiction first, find an agent, make connections in publishing through her nonfiction, and then try […]

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  • Getting Your Work in the Right Hands

    Jul 10, 2007

    I received the following email recently: It’s a bit hard to tell who does what at the various listings because although the opportunity is there to advertise yourselves selectively you all tend to not want to be left out of an opportunity. We writers in turn end up sending off a lot of mailshots, particularly […]

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  • RWA (and other Conferences) Survival Kit

    Jul 09, 2007

    RWA National starts this week. My heels are polished and sharpened to a fine point, I’ve been working out my right arm so it’s ready to shake hands, hold drinks, lift chocolate treats, and of course pass out business cards, and I’ve been exercising my vocal chords so I’m ready to talk from 7am to […]

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  • The Danger of Editorial Comments

    Jul 09, 2007

    I recently rejected a work via email and got this in response: I can’t blame you. Since I sent you the proposal, I fired the anal-retentive editor who I hired to help me write it and in the process sucked every bit of my personality out of it to make it a “best seller,” as […]

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  • BookEnds Talks to Kate Douglas

    Jul 06, 2007

    Kate Douglas Book: Wolf Tales IV Publisher: Kensington Pub date: July 2007 Agent: Jessica Faust (Click to Buy) Kate Douglas has written professionally, in one venue or another, since her first job in 1971 writing commercials for country-western radio, but erotic romance has become her one true love—besides her husband, kids, and grandkids, of course! […]

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  • My Favorite Client

    Jul 05, 2007

    Not too long ago I did a post on who my dream client is. Recently, though, I was asked what an author should do to become my favorite client, and while a lot of the traits are similar, there is also a distinction between dream client and favorite client because, honestly, they aren’t necessarily one […]

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  • Have a Happy 4th!

    Jul 03, 2007

    BookEnds will be closed tomorrow to celebrate Independence Day. Have a safe and happy 4th, and we’ll see you again Thursday.

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  • The Future of Romantic Comedy

    Jul 03, 2007

    With so much emphasis on paranormal romance today, do you see a place for romantic comedy on the shelves today? Paranormal romantic comedies are hot. Honestly, they’re a tough sell otherwise, and if you ask me, comedy is a tough sell. The trick with comedy, romantic or otherwise, is that you have to find that […]

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