Tag Archives: rachelle gardner

Lit Agent Links – Writing Contests, Writer's Syndrome, and Retellings

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As you might have noticed, I have added some sidebar graphics for the short stories Tyson’s Corner, The Chameleon Missive, and The Dun Cat of Mill Bridge, as well as a new graphic to add mood to the master page for all of the Observer Tales.

I will probably work something up for Reading Cats, too.

And, before we get to the main links, two contest announcements:

♦ First up, in honor of the release of Rock Paper Tiger, Nathan Bransford announces a contest to (in his words) “write the most compelling chase and/or action and/or suspenseful sequence. It may be something you have written for the purpose of the contest or from a work in progress.”  The prizes?  Hey, I didn’t put that link up there for nothing!  Go, go!

♦ Rachelle Gardner also announces a combination contest and exercise, to write a one-sentence summary of your book.

Now, on to the (other) links! Continue reading →

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Lit Agent Links – Pitches, Strike-Thrus, and a Webinar!

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Here we are at the beginning of another week, on a day that happens to be the anniversary of several significant events in the history of written things. 

Four hundred eighty years ago today in London, a list of heretic books was ordered burned.   A short 13 years later on this date, Copernicus published the landmark work on the heliocentric model of the solar system, De Revolutionibus.

On this day in 1610, on the 3rd anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Sir Thomas Gates establishes a draconian civil code for the colony.  (Fourteen years later to the day, Virginia is declared a failure and its charter is revoked.)

This is also the birthday of magazine and newspaper publisher Samuel Irving Newhouse (1895-1979) and United Press International (1958). 

Now, on to the book-oriented side of publishing, with this week’s literary agent links! Continue reading →

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Lit Agent Links – Bookshelves, eBooks, and Lots of Query Advice

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Okay, so I haven’t dropped a chain of literary agent links since April.   Throw something heavy and hard at me. (I can take it.)

But, seriously, moving across town without hiring a moving company takes a lot out of a guy, especially when most of what you own consists of boxes and  boxes of books.  Kindle is looking real nice right about now.

So let’s get to those links!

♦ Dystel & Goderich doesn’t disappoint!  Look at what the folks there have served up lately:

♦ Jessica at BookEnds dives into the thorny issue of getting published after being self-published, and answers questions about resubmitting a reworked query letter, the purpose of query letter guidelines, and morality clauses in YA/MG contracts.  She also warns us that confidence in a query can backfire.

♦ At her Pub Rants blog, Kristin compares different POVs, explains why enhanced ebooks will cause havoc, and tells writers why highlighting your age in a query is not a good idea.

♦ Nathan Bransford reminds us that every writer gets rejected.

♦ Rachelle Gardner at Rants & Ramblings reveals the secrets of a great pitch.

Enjoy!

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Literary Agent Links – Misconceptions, Cognitive Bias, and Demons

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Oh, we have a big ol’ bunch o’ literary agent links this week, my friends.

FYI: Jessica at BookEnds will not consider representing you for an up-front payment in lieu of or in addition to a commission, and she probably won’t click a link to a video query, but she will answer a lot of questions about submitting a partial.

At Dystel & Goderich, Jane explains how the submission process works, Miriam throws in her two cents about thrillers, and Jessica dismisses a few misconceptions about publishing.

Nathan Bransford dives into hard-sell query letter subject lines, answers ten questions about self-publishing, and points out the literary impact of one of my favorite cognitive biases: the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Janet Reid reminds us to be careful with queries and death threats, while Nathan Henrion wonders if fiction writers can mimic musical artists.

Finally, the Rejectionist discusses recent demonic rejections, while Rachelle Gardner discusses freelance editors and how long the process takes from submission to hitting the shelves.

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The Latest From My Fave Agent Blogs

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We are back around into the lit agent arc of my new link soup cycle.  (Those of you who missed the big three-way split … psht!  There’s an RSS button in the sidebar now.  No excuse!)

Have fun; and if you know of a fantastic lit agent writing a blog I’m missing, let me know!

Jessica at BookEnds tells us how to submit a partial, and how to find agents and publishers.  She also published an updated version of her publishing dictionary, which reminds me that I have to keep mine updated.

Jennifer Jackson responds to reader questions about queries that don’t follow her agency’s guidelines, Kristin Nelson rants about the agency commission model for ebooks, and Rachelle Gardner says, “Let’s Hear It For Old Fashioned Books!”

Finally, Lucienne Diver wraps up her Debut Week series of guest blogs (which I featured in my last writer link soup) with an agent’s perspective.

Enjoy!

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Literary Agents Talk (And I Link 'em!)

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I haven’t posted links to literary agent blogs for a while — in fact, not since I separated them from the author and publisher links — so this will be my first solely agentish link soup!

So, let me introduce my new “literary agent icon,” a detail from Literary Pursuits of a Young Lady by Alexei Harlamov.  The idea was to represent someone who might say, “I would like to read for a living when I grow up.”  On to the links!

Continue reading →

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Writing and Publishing Links … With Love

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Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s a big ol’ heart-shaped sampler of writing and publishing links.  Okay, okay … you’re very creative, so imagine that it’s heart-shaped!   And delicious.

My loves, you can resume your diet on President’s Day.  For now, indulge yourselves!

Joe and Lydia Sharp at The Sharp Angle answer the question “How do you know when to start and end a scene/chapter?” while Jessica at BookEnds responds to a writer who asks why agents keep telling her that her books are not the genre she insists they are.

Over at Dystel & Goderich, the other (but equally awesome) Jessica asks her readers how much they allow bad reviews to affect their reading decisions, while D&G’s Lauren ponders the future of browseable, brick and mortar bookstores.

Janet Reid explains why the final say in your book’s title lies far beyond you, your agent, and your editor, and also pointed me toward a funny piece at the Editorial Anonymous blog about what editors can and cannot fix.

Jennifer Jackson passes on more two more “letters from the query wars” while Kristin Nelson discusses the submission reading cycles agents go through, and the end of advanced reading copies.

Nathan Bransford offered up his own link soup on Friday, including a hilarious list of awful book covers from the past.

Rachelle Gardner tells authors how to keep money in its place, asks authors whether agents should edit, and reveals what makes her say “yes” to a book: craft, story, and voice.

Editor Alan Rinzler explains how to blend backstory into your narrative, while the Editorial Ass offers query letter advice from an engineer.

And yes, blog reader, I do love you even if I don’t say except after you’ve already said it. :-/  You know how I am about expressing myself.

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A Snowstorm of Publishing Links

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Not much to do this weekend, given the Snowpocalypse besieging the East Coast.  I certainly will attempt to “write my ass off” but otherwise I strive to pick up where I left off posting a few writing and publishing links now and then.

So, let me start with commentary by Lydia Sharp, which I took to heart, that writing & publishing bloggers have been discussing the Amazon v. MacMillan conflict far too much.  Hear, hear.  I (think I) am done.  And, if the links in this post seem a bit light, it’s because I’ve purposefully skipped over any possible links dealing with ebooks or their attendant rights and royalties.

Also on the subject of beginnings, agent Kristin Nelson provides some good advice on why prologues often do not work, and why action often does.

Author Kelly Morgan describes what happens when a book “clicks,” while author Jade Smith offers some advice on authenticity which I whole-heartedly endorse: Let your fictional world be itself.

Agent Nathan Bransford tells us why it’s a great time to be an author, while agent Rachelle Gardner outlines the Top Ten query mistakes, discusses book trailers, and invites guest blogger Sandra Bricker to explain how a writer finds his or her niche.

Jessica at BookEnds answers writers’ questions about novel series (a subject newly dear to my writers’ heart) and querying as a youthful writer (a subject long far from my interests) as well as addressing the professionalism displayed by readily accepting the need for revisions (on which I completely agree with her).

I would be remiss not to direct you to three entries (1, 2, 3!) in Jennifer Jackson‘s “Letters From The Query Wars,” or Alan Rinzler‘s tips from 3 top agents about how YA fiction is “red hot.”

Enjoy!

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Publishing Links That Need No Introduction

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Let’s just start right off with the best news, from the perspective of prospective authors: Amazon increases royalty rates on Kindle books!  As New York Times‘ Media Decoder blog points out, “Amazon’s move is also a clear bid to woo authors away from traditional publishing houses.”  Things just got interesting.

Jessica at BookEnds answers “Should I revise my manuscript before sending out the next batch of queries?” and other random questions.  Meanwhile Rachelle Gardner discusses email protocol and the power of word-of-mouth.

Lauren at Dystel & Goderich offers some advice on titling, while her colleague Miriam disses the sarcmark.

Kassia Krozser at Booksquare expresses her doubts about enhanced ebooks, while Alan Rinzler at The Book Deal teaches us about hooks that snag great book deals.

Finally, John Fox tells us why he doubts book reviews, while Suzannah Windsor Freeman (guest-blogging at Nathan Bransford‘s site) negotiates the struggle between Word Nerds and Grammar Rebels.

Enjoy!

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A Baker's Dozen Publishing and Writing Links

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Ever wonder why you’ve never received thirteen of anything for the price of a dozen at any bakery you’ve ever visited?  Well, wonder no more, because there’s no point in worrying about it.

And, while you’re getting over your disappointment, enjoy the follow “Baker’s Dozen” links on publishing and writing!

Continue reading →

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