By Karyn Langhorne Back in October, a friend of mine suggested I try to set up a book signing in a bookstore near where he works. It’s a great location for book signings: a heavily trafficked mall surrounded by federal office buildings and built above a subway station. I talked with the store manager, a … Read more
By Karyn Langhorne Just when there’s no more re-writing and revising . . . Just when the book is finally on the shelves . . .. Just when the efforts at promotion seem to be finally paying off . . . There’s something new to worry about. Sales. And a fresh crop of ways to drive an author attempting to build … Read more
By Julie Rogers and June Ford My editor and I frequently talk to writers—many who are or have been members of writer’s groups. More and more we find ourselves pulling out these tips because we believe healthy writing etiquette among peers in writer’s groups encourages good writing habits. When a writer begins working professionally with … Read more
By Selina McLemore “Karyn?” I bet she thinks I sound young. Really young. “I’m Selina and I’m going to be your editor on this project.” I love calling debut authors. I feel like I can really relate to the rush of excitement a new author feels. She’s worked so hard on her manuscript, rewritten it … Read more
By Karyn Langhorne “Karyn?” She sounded young. Really young. I took a deep breath, and answered, hoping I didn’t sound old. Really old. “I’m Selina . . . and I’m going to be your editor on this project. First let me tell how much I loved your book.’ She might be young, but she was … Read more
By Magdalena Ball “You can write a novel in 14 days or less!” Sound familiar? I’ve seen a number of advertisements recently selling “how-to” guides on speedwriting. They offer some tempting promises, including that you will be able to (guaranteed!) write a fabulous book, either fiction or nonfiction, within a very short space of time, … Read more
By Susan Harrow Top literary agents get about 400–1,000 unsolicited queries every month from hopeful book authors. Publishing houses sometimes juggle 5,000. Most of my private clients and participants in my seminar “How to Get a Six-Figure Book Advance” ask me, “How is a non-fiction author supposed to get an agent’s attention when there is … Read more
By Magdalena Ball You’ve got writer’s block? So did I, for more than five years. I had plenty of grand ideas about what I wanted to write —the literary masterpieces which would stun the critics, the lofty poetry. With idols and role models like Joyce, Woolf, Yeats and Faulker, it isn’t surprising that my meager … Read more
By C. Hope Clark Your heart races, banging against your ribs, your chest, your throat. Fingers grip a pen to disguise the shake. The other hand flattens on your leg, your side, and your leg again drying the moisture that never disappears. You did not bargain for exhibition when you entered the world of writing. … Read more
By Uma Girish I often feel like a motor car, for I have starting trouble. Pen poised over paper, I wait for the words to trickle. Rarely do they gush from the word “go.” When my brain does the freeze-mode act, I flick the computer on and run through my “Favorites” list. I look for … Read more
