Tag: literary agents
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Answered: Your Most Burning Questions About Editors
For every brilliant manuscript that grows into a best-selling novel, untold thousands of others get dumped into the recycle bin. What’s the crucial difference between them? Ask Jamie. Over the years, James Persichetti has seen more unpublished manuscripts cross his desk than most people could read in a lifetime. He started out at the incomparable…
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8 Secrets to Pitching Your Novel Like a Pro
When it comes to publishing a novel, the actual writing is only half the battle. In order to get the attention of a publisher, you have to know how to “sell” your book. I think we can all agree that most writers are not natural-born sales professionals. So it’s easy to understand why the idea…
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12 Bestselling Authors Taught Me This
Over the years, I’ve interviewed dozens of bestselling authors — and they all had the same advice. I’ll tell you what it is in this interview at the Littleton Writers Critique Group. I’ll also reveal the surprising advice my literary agent gave me . . . the “old school” trick to stop procrastinating and get…
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How to Outline a Novel (Even If You Hate Outlines)
Getting overwhelmed at the prospect of starting (or finishing) your novel? Feeling the pressure of hundreds of blank pages staring at you, waiting to be filled? No sweat. Planning out a story is like building a wall: You just do it one block at a time. Just like a towering brick wall is made up…
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How to revise a novel until it’s perfect (or not)
By Laurence MacNaughton Dear Laurence: I recently got a request for pages from an agent that I pitched to at a conference. At the same time, I had also submitted my query to a workshop, and that editor emailed me and requested pages, too. I didn’t realize I would get this kind of response, so…
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The Surprising Secret to Snappy Scenes
Got a scene in your novel where a group of characters argue and discuss, but no matter how important the subject is, somehow the tension falls flat? You can fix this scene, and I’ll tell you the trick right up front: get rid of some of your characters. Why?
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This Saturday: Instant Plot – Plan Out Your Novel the Easy Way
Hate outlining? You’re not alone. Tomorrow (9/8/12), I’ll be teaching Instant Plot at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers conference. Here’s what’s in store:
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Don’t Kill Your Pitch: 5 Ways You Might Be Sabotaging Your Story
Nervous about pitching your work to an editor or literary agent? Just avoid these five deal-breaking mistakes and you’ll put yourself well ahead of the competition.
LAURENCE MACNAUGHTON 