7 Common Mistakes in First-Time Memoir
Readers come to a memoir in hopes it will shed light on their own life experiences. Stay on the right track by focusing on what makes your story unique and engaging.
Category Archives: Getting Published
How I Caught a Publisher Unexpectedly
Writer Nancy Jorgenson tells her story of surprise success in landing just the right publisher for her book—one she had never heard of.
How I Won My Third Essay Contest
Writing an essay that wins a contest is not an easy task, but it’s not impossible either. Tammy Delatorre explains the writing and revision process that has led to multiple contest wins.
Beyond Good Writing: Two Literary Agents Discuss What Matters Most
Good literary agents keep fighting for books they believe in. But how do agents decide which authors to rep? In this guest Q&A, literary agents Linda Camacho and Jennifer March Soloway describe their ideal projects and offer strategic advice for authors.
Simplify Your Submissions to Literary Journals
The commonly accepted strategy in literary journal submissions—”study the publications you submit to”—can discourage emerging writers. Here’s an alternative.
When Your Query Reveals a Story-Level Problem
When novelists struggle to pitch their work, it may have more to do with the book itself than the query letter. Editor and book coach Susan DeFreitas discusses three reasons why a promising work never lands a traditional deal.
Building a Platform for Your Work When You’re Unpublished
When I finished my biography, I studied how to get it published. Websites advised: platform, platform, platform. But I had no relevant background. Now what?
Balancing Your Submission Budget for Literary Journals
Although the world of submissions can be complex and expensive, balancing your submission budget doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips to help you minimize expenditures and maximize profit.
Lit Mag Resources You Can’t Do Without
Today’s guest post is by Jenn Scheck-Kahn, founder of Journal of the Month. Literary magazines, also called literary journals or lit mags, are devoted to short-form creative writing. What distinguishes them is what they publish (a single genre or a mix of genres), how often they publish (annually, biannually, quarterly, monthly), and their medium of […]
How to Define and Describe Your Readership: A Confusing Issue for Nonfiction Book Proposals
If you’re pitching a nonfiction book, at some point, an editor or agent will expect you to describe the readership that your book is intended for.
How to Evaluate Small Publishers—Plus Digital-Only Presses and Hybrids
As the publishing industry has transformed in the digital age, small press activity has proliferated. Here’s how authors can evaluate their offerings.
What It Really Takes to Break Through with Your First Book Deal
In many ways, it’s never been harder to get a traditional book deal. At the same time, there have never been more ways to establish a career as an author.
Can You (Should You) Typeset Your Own Book?
If people judge books by their covers, then typesetting is the difference between a brief or a lasting impression. The cover may grab a reader’s eye, but what the reader sees when they crack open the book is what will hold their attention.
How to Find a Literary Agent for Your Book
A step-by-step guide to finding literary agents, plus how to select the right agent for you and your work.
Why Pursue Traditional Publishing? (Are There Enough Good Reasons?)
What’s the overriding reason for an author to find an agent and a traditional publishing deal? Is it possible that the reasons may be flawed?
The Conflicting Advice You’ll Receive on Query Letters
At its core, a query letter is a sales document, and so it’s meant to sell. But opinions differ on the best possible sales approach in a query.
What Authors Need to Know About Crowdfunding Their Book: A Case Study by the Numbers
Any author can successfully launch their book through crowdfunding if they are willing to put in the effort. However, it may not be the right path for everyone.
Secrets to Developing the Best Title for Your Nonfiction Book
If you’re pitching your book to agents or editors, the perfect title for your book will define your subject and grab their positive attention. It should be a label they can confidently share with colleagues in editorial board meetings and use to convince the powers-that-be to release money to acquire your book.
Emotional Etiquette for the Writer Seeking an Agent
Sometimes guidelines for writers discourage perfectly private, internal envy, anger, indignation, etc., directed toward other writers, or toward agents (or publishers) rejecting work. But that hardly seems realistic, nor is it fair to ask humans to stop being human.
How to Pitch Agents at a Writers Conference
Pitching agents at a writers conference can be a difficult task for the new writer. Here’s how to make it a little easier on yourself.
How Do You Respond to Criticism of Your Work? 6 Patterns to Recognize
Are you getting the most from professional feedback, or are you inadvertently sabotaging your progress? Look for these patterns in your response.
Start Here: How to Self-Publish Your Book
This is an introductory guide to the major self-publishing options available to authors today, and how to choose the right service for you.
Start Here: How to Get Your Book Published
If you want to publish your book, here are the steps you should follow to assess your work’s potential, then research and pitch editors and agents.
How to Immediately Improve Your Query Letter’s Effectiveness
In my many years of critiquing queries, I see the same weaknesses again and again. Here are the biggest issues that afflict novel queries and how you can fix them.
The Perfect Cover Letter: Advice From a Lit Mag Editor
When submitting your short form literature to a magazine or journal, your cover letter is often the first impression an editor sees. It serves as an introduction to your thoughtfully crafted art. As such, it is significant, but it shouldn’t be intimidating or even take much of your time to write.
Why Your Memoir Won’t Sell
Everyone has a meaningful story to tell, but not everyone’s story (or writing) is going to deserve a commercial publishing deal. Here are the most common problems I encounter in memoir pitches and manuscripts.
5 Research Steps Before You Write Your Book Proposal
Writing a nonfiction book proposal—a good one—requires not only sharp clarity about your idea, but also how that idea, in book form, is relevant and unique in today’s market. You’ll have a much easier time writing your proposal if you take time to conduct market research beforehand.
Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal
Everything you need to know to start writing a book proposal for your nonfiction book.
How Much Should You Personalize a Query Letter?
Some agents and editors say that personalizing a query letter can backfire. Others say the opposite—that it’s mandatory. What should you do?
The Author’s Path: The Journey to Publication
A detailed look at how NetGalley’s Stuart Evers and Myfanwy Collins went from manuscript to publication, with marketing and PR advice.
4 Freelancing Myths That Are Holding You Back
Misconceptions about getting started often hold new writers back. You may think that to be successful as a freelance writer, you need a J-school degree, an impressive database of editorial contacts, and a truckload of supplies. Not so—read on to learn the most common myths that can sabotage you before you start.
How to Land an Agent for a Self-Published Book
If you’ve given up on the self-publishing route and want to try traditional publishing, then there are several approaches you can take to interest agents.
How Crowdfunding Allows You to Experiment Outside Your Genre
Established writers can’t often—and probably shouldn’t—publish far outside of their area of expertise. It’s a fast way to alienate your existing fan base. But crowdfunding allows you to experiment outside of your genre for a project you want to see out in the world.
Should You Hire a Professional Editor?
But being able to truly see if you’ve been successful in writing a compelling work requires objectivity and distance than can be hard to achieve on your own—and this is where a professional editor comes in.
How to Find Publishers
If you have a book idea or manuscript, one of your first questions is probably: How do I find a publisher? Here are the most popular, essential resources.
The Complete Guide to Query Letters
This post was originally published in 2014; it is regularly updated with new information. If you’re seeking one-on-one help with queries, I offer a critique service. The query letter has one purpose, and one purpose only: to seduce the agent or editor into reading or requesting your work. The query letter is so much of a sales […]
My New Series of Columns on Self-Publishing
I’m writing monthly for the IngramSpark blog, which is focused on the concerns of self-publishing authors and small presses.
My Latest Advice on Book Publishing and Marketing
Get links to my latest interviews and Q&A sessions where I discuss the publishing industry as well as marketing and promotion.
Using Kickstarter to Fund a Children’s Picture Book
Author Emily Grosvenor explains how she has constructed a Kickstarter campaign for her children’s book, Tessalation!
5 Steps to Great Cover Art
Author Jay Swanson explains how to find and work with cover artists.
How to Write a Query Letter: Nonfiction and Memoir
Learn how to pitch your nonfiction book to agents and publishers—whether you’re writing memoir, narrative nonfiction, or prescriptive nonfiction.
3 Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Chances with an Agent
Editor and writing coach Rebecca Faith Heyman discusses three ways you might be sabotaging your prospects with an agent (and how to improve your chances).
How to Write a Novel Synopsis
Learn how to craft a strong novel synopsis, while avoiding the most common mistakes, including the dreaded “synopsis speak.”
What You Need to Know About Crowdfunded Publishing
What is crowdfunded publishing? Learn about the two types of models now prevalent, plus the major services you can choose from.
Updated & Expanded: How to Get Your Book Published
I’ve revisited my No. 1 post on how to get published—adding more advice and instruction.
The Evolving Role of the Literary Agent
In the most recent issue of Writer’s Digest magazine, you’ll find my feature article, “The Evolving Agent.” I discuss how literary agents’ business models and services are changing to fit the needs of their clients, who are increasingly self-publishing or choosing hybrid paths. The article covers: the value of agent-assisted self-publishing what happens when agents use […]
Both Sides Now: A New York Editor and Author Goes Indie
Today’s guest post is by author Leslie Wells. I’ve been on both sides of the publishing desk—as an acquiring executive editor for several decades, and as an author. The experience has provided insights that I wouldn’t have had otherwise, and made me more sympathetic to the nerve-wracking process of trying to get your book published. […]
5 Mistakes You’ll Make on the Way to Publishing Success
Today’s guest post is by Carmen Amato (@CarmenConnects), author of The Hidden Light of Mexico City and the Emilia Cruz series. You have a polished manuscript in hand, and you’re ready to publish. But the road from finished manuscript to bestseller list is more like a labyrinth rather than a straight path. There are dozens of choices and decisions ahead. Here are […]
How to Write a Competitive Title Analysis
The following post has been excerpted and adapted from The Author Training Manual by Nina Amir, recently released by Writer’s Digest Books. If you’re embarking on a nonfiction book project, your analysis of the competitive landscape is critical, whether you self-publish or traditionally publish. You need to understand and be able to explain how your […]
6 Ways Micro-Publishing Strengthens Your Author Career
Micro-published books are short, tight, and swift. A meaningful discussion of micro-publishing has been pushed aside during the ongoing tug-of-war between traditional publishing and independent publishing (self-publishing). But we are well beyond “everyone is a writer” at this point. We have progressed into “everyone is a publisher,” if they wish to be—and we have been living in this realm for some time already. Fortunately, micro-publishing benefits the industry as a whole by bringing some much-needed simplicity and directness into a publishing equation that is often weighted down by its own complexity and contracts. And it also benefits you, the writer.