I wasn't sure where to post this thread. I just purchased The Writer's Essential Tackle Box by Lynn Price. I know that it is highly recommended, but wanted to hear any thoughts or successes from people here who have also used this book.
Writer's Essential Tackle Box
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I read the blurb for it and I'm curious what help you believe you'd gain by reading it? Are you already at the stage where you're querying?
It looks (reading the blurb) that it's an 'insider's perspective' to the publishing industry, which can interesting and informative, but I'm not sure how it helps write a book.
It looks (reading the blurb) that it's an 'insider's perspective' to the publishing industry, which can interesting and informative, but I'm not sure how it helps write a book.
you'll probably gain more here, for free.
why?
1. there's dozens of publishing insiders in any given area who spend time here, including agents, authors, folks who worked the slush piles, etc. etc. etc. I like muiltiple inputs, as it helps me avoid personal bias....that's why I don't follow Konrath on self-pubbing, or King on how to land an agent
2. in general i take a fairly dim view of these things--if this girl is kicking ass in publishing, why isn't she writing novels with King and Grisham? That's just the cynic in me.
3. a lot of stuff changes fast...I mentioned King because he spoke at length about building a list of short story pubs as the way to lang an agent in On Writing, but I believe he sorely underestimated the contraction of the markets since he was new--his model is much less applicable today than it was thirty, or even fifteen years ago. Some of the stuff in Lukeman's book also felt dated in terms of what folks want in queries....it happens. Folks here are still cutting their teeth, they have more time-relevant information on how the world is working NOW.
I am not at all familiar with this book, to be fair, and this is the first time i've heard of it. But personally, I stopped worrying about buying single-author how-to books once I discovered an open forum where I can hear a dozen perspectives instead, none of whom are suspect because they are trying to make a buck off me in the process.
why?
1. there's dozens of publishing insiders in any given area who spend time here, including agents, authors, folks who worked the slush piles, etc. etc. etc. I like muiltiple inputs, as it helps me avoid personal bias....that's why I don't follow Konrath on self-pubbing, or King on how to land an agent
2. in general i take a fairly dim view of these things--if this girl is kicking ass in publishing, why isn't she writing novels with King and Grisham? That's just the cynic in me.
3. a lot of stuff changes fast...I mentioned King because he spoke at length about building a list of short story pubs as the way to lang an agent in On Writing, but I believe he sorely underestimated the contraction of the markets since he was new--his model is much less applicable today than it was thirty, or even fifteen years ago. Some of the stuff in Lukeman's book also felt dated in terms of what folks want in queries....it happens. Folks here are still cutting their teeth, they have more time-relevant information on how the world is working NOW.
I am not at all familiar with this book, to be fair, and this is the first time i've heard of it. But personally, I stopped worrying about buying single-author how-to books once I discovered an open forum where I can hear a dozen perspectives instead, none of whom are suspect because they are trying to make a buck off me in the process.
All printed materials are obsolete before they're released... 
King is two decades out of date. Price's is three years out. The markets have all changed in the last year, let alone several or many years. Most of the techniques work, you just need to adapt them to current times.
Jeff
King is two decades out of date. Price's is three years out. The markets have all changed in the last year, let alone several or many years. Most of the techniques work, you just need to adapt them to current times.
Jeff
All printed materials are obsolete before they're released...
King is two decades out of date. Price's is three years out. The markets have all changed in the last year, let alone several or many years. Most of the techniques work, you just need to adapt them to current times.
Jeff
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Markets may change in what they want, but they never change in how they want it. You break in the same way today as you did fifty years ago. Who you go through may be different, technology may have changed, but the essentials are exactly the same, and it's nonsense to say printed material is obsolete before it's released.
NOT that you will return to this, or any other thread, BUT:
1. I agree it is an over-generalization to say ALL printed material is obsolete....not all, but come certainly can be.
2. at the same time, no, you don't break in the exact same way. At King's time almost everyone got a foot in the door with short publications; now that is far less common because there's so few short story markets available.
it may not have changed that competition is fierce, but how one gets in has changed.
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Fixed that for you.
A long-time member, though I haven't seen her around recently. She posts (used to post?) under the name priceless.
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She's the editorial director for Behler. I always like reading her contributions to discussions here.
Her blog is excellent and full of good advice for writers:
http://behlerblog.wordpress.com/
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