A lot of writers laugh indulgently at the pile of rambling grammatical errors that is their first book, and try hard not to think too hard about whether or not their current work in progress will be just as eye-rollingly embarrassing a little while down the track. For those who’ve been around the traps forContinue reading “Are you almost there?”
Category Archives: Advanced/Publication
That First Chapter
Chuck Wendig at his blog says: . . . the first chapter serves as an emblem of the whole. It’s got to have a bit of everything. It needs to be representative of the story you’re telling — other chapters deeper in the fat layers and muscle tissue of the story may stray from this,Continue reading “That First Chapter”
You’re Not Special
You ARE special, actually, but those long-held dreams of becoming a *gasp* published author? That is not not not unique. In fact it’s common as dirt. I can say this clearer than most, because I’m not actually in the editing/agenting/publishing biz myself, and I therefore have the leeway to be more honest. I am, in short,Continue reading “You’re Not Special”
I disagree
I’ve written elsewhere how much I love the Australian blog Call My Agent! In fact I dreamed about meeting the blogger last night. But today I have some fightin’ instead of flatterin’ to do. Here’s a question Agent Sydney received, with the first bit of the answer: There are publishers now who don’t give advances orContinue reading “I disagree”
Jump on that Bandwagon: My Kindle Epiphany
There is a whole lot of hoohah about e-readers. Some of it is the usual rhetoric about the demise of traditional publishing, which is an emotionally appealing but fictional tale, to which I roll my eyes. People who use e-readers tend to use paper books as well, and the vast majority of readers, including myself,Continue reading “Jump on that Bandwagon: My Kindle Epiphany”
Small Press: Hero or Villain?
I’m linking you to Lynn Price at The Behler Blog yet again, because she just keeps making so much sense. This time she discusses how, in the migration of definitions, you can figure out whether your “publisher” deserves the quote marks or not. This section alone is why the world needs more blogs like thisContinue reading “Small Press: Hero or Villain?”
How to write a sequel
Here, via John Scalzi, is one woman’s cunning plan for dealing with sequelitis. She makes a lot of sense. For example: 3. The plot deals with an entirely new problem. You can often pick detective novels up mid-series because each detective story is a self-contained plot. They start with a new question and then have toContinue reading “How to write a sequel”
All about agents (PG swearing)
I had to link to this article, because one of the blogs I follow was recommended by another blog I follow. Chuck Wendig is a naughty, naughty man and his language and metaphors can be M/MA at times. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. The man has a wicked way with words. Here’s some snippets from aContinue reading “All about agents (PG swearing)”
Self-publishing disappointment
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-your-self-publishing-service.html Writer Beware (a group that exposes those who are scamming innocent/ignorant writers) often hears from self-published authors who are convinced they’re being ripped off by their self-publishing services–but it’s more likely that their expectations were unrealistic. Kids, major publishers aren’t out to gleefully reject you – they WANT to publish good books. They’re justContinue reading “Self-publishing disappointment”
Writing and Money
Here is an article on royalties, advances, and making money as a writer. I haven’t actually read it (too tired), but it sounds like useful stuff. My advice? Always get a good advance – it’s often all you ever get.
How good are your chances?
I’m a big fan of US agent Kristin Nelson’s blog, and one of the things I love is her transparency. If you look here and here, you can get a good idea of how many queries, samples, and full manuscripts get to the next stage at her agency. She is a successful agent with aContinue reading “How good are your chances?”
How to get published
Rachelle Gardner is an American Christian literary agent with a great blog. She wrote a post on how to get published, which is an excellent summary of the American system. Australia is similar to the USA, except you don’t necessarily need an agent to get published (some choose to get an agent after having anContinue reading “How to get published”
The myth of self-publishing success
Hollywood and the media feed us a lot of rubbish. Every school classroom (particularly in a rough area) is full of world-class singers/dancers who simply don’t realise how amazing they are until a teacher inspires them to follow their dreams. Every socially awkward girl is actually stunningly beautiful after a haircut and some contact lenses.Continue reading “The myth of self-publishing success”
A writing scam? For ME?!?!
A few days ago, I received my first ever personalised writing scam via email. Here is the full text of that email: Dear Ms Curtis, I am writing on behalf of a new international publishing house, JustFiction! Edition. In the course of a web-research I came across a reference of your manuscript Worse Things HappenContinue reading “A writing scam? For ME?!?!”
Middle Earth versus Narnia
I’ve just finished re-reading the seven-book Narnia series by C. S. Lewis*and I’m also an admirer of the Lord of the Rings trilogy by Tolkien. Around the time the Lord of the Rings movies came out, there were heated arguments at parties everywhere**about whether the Narnia series or the Lord of the Rings series isContinue reading “Middle Earth versus Narnia”
Versatile Blogger Award
I am, according to General Happenings in my House, hereby awarded a Versatile Blogger award! Thank you 🙂 My duties, upon receiving this much-coveted honour, are as follows: 1) Thank the awarder by linking back to their blog; 2) Pass on this award to 15 recently discovered blogs and let them know I have done so; 3)Continue reading “Versatile Blogger Award”
Do independent authors sell?
Generally, no. For one thing, bookshops will refuse to stock them. This is not because bookshops are mean and cynical; it’s because there are insane numbers of self-published books out there, and many of them are self-published because authors were either not good enough or not marketable enough for major publishers. If you owned aContinue reading “Do independent authors sell?”
Why your novel won’t get published (PG+)
My notes to this article read “LOL, fairly rude/graphic, and all true”. I’m a huge believer in a dose of realism every so often, so here it is: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2011/01/10/why-your-novel-wont-get-published/ Here’s a bit: Brutal honesty time: That novel of yours isn’t likely to get published. The numbers just aren’t in your favor. Last I did aContinue reading “Why your novel won’t get published (PG+)”
Halfway
. . . sort of. Today marks twenty weeks, which means that if Mini-Me appears on his/her due date (hah!) this pregnancy is half over. It also means that, should Mini-Me decide to appear this very afternoon, it’s not a miscarriage – it’s a premature birth. The reason for the distinction is that there isContinue reading “Halfway”
It’s not about the money. . . or is it?
I’ve said about a million times that if you don’t enjoy writing for the sake of writing – don’t write. Crime pays more often than writing does, and I’m willing to bet there are more millionaire fraudsters than there are millionaire writers. On the other hand. . . If you want to get published, you needContinue reading “It’s not about the money. . . or is it?”