One of the big arguments against self-publishing is the idea that publishers perform a valuable service for readers by sifting through dreck. Supposedly, they only publish the best of what's available. Uh, not always. Another argument is that self-published work isn't always edited as well as it should be. The big publishers have fabulous editors working for them, and these magicians can turn a rough manuscript into a gem. Fair enough. I have … [Read more...] about Could Anything Self-Published Be Worse Than This?
editors
What Published Authors Do That Non-Published Authors Won't
In a few minutes, I'll leave to teach a class called "The Practical Guide to Getting Published." I'm all prepared except for changing out of my jeans. I have this nifty 14-page handout with all sorts of resources, and I have tons of stories.I tell all my students this: "You might not like what I have to say, you might disagree with what I have to say, but please know, that what I tell you is the truth according to my experience or the truth as … [Read more...] about What Published Authors Do That Non-Published Authors Won't
Why You Need an Agent–and Query Letters that Worked–Part I
I promised to write about agents, so here I go.Let's start with the four ways for getting an agent that I personally know work:*1. Pitch an agent at a writers' conference--meet the agent face-to-face and tell him/her about your book. SleuthFest is a great writers' conference for this. So's Crime Bake. Why? They offer face time with agents. You will need to craft your pitch so you can say it in your sleep. Try it on several friends and watch their … [Read more...] about Why You Need an Agent–and Query Letters that Worked–Part I
