I’ve published 8 books without an agent. Why start now? #publsihing #agent Click To Tweet That’s a question I’m asking myself. Recently I sent a query to one agent. I had no hope that the query would be answered. Often, you never hear anything. But, this agent not only responded with a request for some […]
What’s an Author to Do? #Inkripples
This month when we tossed the pebble in the pond and created #inkripples we looked at publishing options for writers. Check out what Kai Strand says, what Katie Carroll says and what Mary Waibel says on their blogs. Here’s my two-cents. Recently I new author told me that her journey in writing and publishing had […]
Tips for Publishing without an Agent
The world of publishing is changing so fast it’s hard to keep up Click To Tweet In the past writers had to have an agent to get a foot in the door at most the publishing houses. Agents selected writers that had previously published and sold well or showed excellent potential to do so. Why? […]
Agent Dilemma. . .
Writers are wondering about the value of pursuing an agent. As a nonfiction writer, I didn’t need to be agented to gain the attention of a publisher. All I had to do was write a darn good book proposal. Of course, had I had an agent, I might have worked out a better deal with […]
New Thoughts on Self-Publishing
What are your thoughts on self-publishing? I ask this question carefully. I don’t want a long tirade on the arrogance of the traditional publishing market. In fact, I’ve had great experience with my publisher, ABC-CLIO, Praeger Press. They are not only responsive but they also do a good job. Nonetheless, I understand that the publishing […]
Mystery, Thriller or Suspense?
When I asked the question so what is a mystery anyway, I got some interesting responses. Most people agree that the traditional who-done-it’s are mysteries. Whenever there’s a dead body early in the book, you have a mystery to find out who the dead person is and how that person ended up dead. I did […]
How ’bout some help with the query
Query letters are the pitches that make or break writers. They are the little paragraphs that enable us to get our foot in an agent’s door. If the query does not “sparkle” (as one agent described it), you lose. In today’s competitive fiction environment, the query is almost as important as the manuscript itself. Knowing […]
A Sparkling Query Letter
I have finished the manuscript and am ready to start the business of getting my book out there. Step one is the query letter. Yes, I know. It has to be short and it must hook the reader. In very few words it must say what the book is about, who the characters are, and […]
