When attending writers conferences, many people get extremely nervous about meeting with editors and agents. I know I certainly have. It’s understandable. The key to remaining calm when you pitch a book is realizing, first, that agents and editors are just regular folks doing their jobs, and second, that you …
Finding the right editors and agents to pitch
One of the most important reasons to attend a writers conference is the opportunity to meet directly with editors and agents to pitch your manuscript. It’s been my experience that pitching in person has a much greater success rate than sending query letters. By “success” I mean getting a request …
The power of small wins in writing a book
A friend on a writers’ e-mail list shared a link to this wonderful story about persistence: The Daffodil Principle It’s a lovely, inspirational story, but of course my first reaction — I suppose this is true for a lot of people — was to wonder whether such a beautiful garden …
How to Design a One-Sheet
Also called a pitch sheet, a one-sheet is basically an advertising flyer for your book. Many writers use them at conferences to help break the ice with agents and editors, as I mentioned in my post about what to bring to a writers conference. Designing a one-sheet is relatively easy. …
A Labor Day Infographic
Back in my newspaper days, Labor Day was one of a handful of company holidays. Sometimes we dreaded holidays, especially the Monday holidays, because that meant a “short week”—we had to produce the same number of pages in fewer days, which meant the price of a day off on Monday …
FWA’s Mid-Winter Conference West and Reading Festival
I will be on faculty for Florida Writers’ Association’s Mid-Winter Conference West and Reading Festival in Bradenton January 10-11, 2014. This two-day event features workshops for authors, publishers, and others; author interviews with agents and publishers; and the public reading festival. Writers will pay to register for workshops, but admission …
Fiction Q&A: The importance of a likeable protagonist
Q: How important is it that the main character be likable at the beginning of the book? A: It is very difficult to engage readers if your protagonist is unlikable. Difficult, but not impossible, as Scarlett O’Hara demonstrates.
How to design your writer’s business card
A professional business card is the one thing you must have, especially when you are attending a conference. You do not want to be scribbling your contact info on Post-it notes or torn-out notebook pages. There are lots of places to buy business cards: any of the big-box office supply …
Sorting out characters and narrators
Last time, I said there are two kinds of POV: Narrator POV and Character POV, and I mentioned that each has some subsets. Here they are. Narrator POV The omniscient narrator knows everything and can share everyone’s thoughts, but doesn’t have to. He can, and often does, make value judgments …
What to take to a writers conference
Getting ready for a writers conference can be a little nerve-wracking, but it needn’t be. Conferences are important to your professional progress, but no one conference is a make-or-break experience. It’s just one link in the chain of your career. Still, you want to prepare. There’s a lot to do …