Publishing is hard. We all know that. What makes it harder is bad timing and unclear focus. It’s easy to get lost in the art of writing long before you consider the business of writing, but at the end of the day, publishing is a business. You should have your business plan in mind before… Continue reading Publishing Questions I Ask Myself Before I Start Writing a Book
Tag: get published
When Are You Ready to Query?
Writers who want to publish with the Big Five need literary agents. To get a literary agent, one must query. To do that, you need your entire publishing package ready. That includes your formatted manuscript, query letter, and 1-page synopsis. Let’s say you have all three of these items right in front of you. How… Continue reading When Are You Ready to Query?
My Experience Querying & Getting an Agent
Recently, as many of you know, I signed with a literary agent. (See announcement.) It’s a time a lot of writers dream of, a time highlighted with celebratory GIF tweets screaming, I did it! I did it! And I’m READY. It’s a lot of fun, definitely exciting, and often followed up with a “How I Got My… Continue reading My Experience Querying & Getting an Agent
Writing with a Motivational Calendar
My life has changed quite a bit over the past year. Between moving and starting (two) new jobs, I’ve had to adjust my writing life and the way I think about my writing life. As many of you know, I currently work full time at the library and then work part time as a freelance… Continue reading Writing with a Motivational Calendar
2018: The Year of Writing Limbo
Last year I wrote this article—2017 Wasn’t My Writing Year—and I talked about failing my top three goals. Those goals were wanting an internship at literary agency, working for a library, and signing with a literary agent. Every year, I write an article like this. But this year, despite struggling to find time to blog,… Continue reading 2018: The Year of Writing Limbo
Why I’m Not Blogging Right Now
Hey, folks! I know I’ve been absent from the blogging world for longer than ever since I began in 2012. Some of you might have noticed that I returned to social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), so I thought I’d post a short (okay, so I tried to make it short) explanation as to why… Continue reading Why I’m Not Blogging Right Now
Can Someone Steal Your Book Idea?
Can someone steal your book idea? I tend to find there are two responses to this question: Absolutely! YES! Someone did that to meeee! NO WAY. Never happens. It’s impossible, because your idea can only be written by you. To be honest, I think both of these answers are a little too black and white.… Continue reading Can Someone Steal Your Book Idea?
Why Some Books Resonate and Others Don’t
I’m here to tell you why some books resonate and others don’t. Why? Because so many publishers/agents/editors are out there searching for the next big thing, and many authors are trying to become that. As authors, sometimes we stare at three or four different projects and wonder which one we should work on next (because… Continue reading Why Some Books Resonate and Others Don’t
Ageism in Publishing
The other day some truly awesome people began talking about ageism in publishing via Twitter. I first heard about it from Ashley Hearn, an editor at Page Street Publishing, but here’s an awesome thread from Susan Dennard, NYT bestseller author of the Witchland series. https://twitter.com/stdennard/status/976499652584509440 I encourage you to get online and read some of… Continue reading Ageism in Publishing
I’m a Writer with Imposter Syndrome
I have imposter syndrome. For those of you who don’t know, imposter syndrome “is a concept describing individuals who are marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud.” At least according to Wikipedia. (And, yes, I see the humor in starting this article with a… Continue reading I’m a Writer with Imposter Syndrome
