I’ve been enjoying the wonderful blog posts by author, Janet Lane Walters. So, it’s with great pleasure that I welcome her to my site today. She’s going to share her secrets for writing in so many genres as well as her unique take on what she calls her “obsession”–fiction writing. JC: First, Janet, thank you so […]
Eight Tips to Publication–My Road
My road to publication was slow and messy but the good news is I made it! You can too. I have some tips for writers who want to avoid self-publishing and want to find a home in a publishing company. 1. Go to conferences. For many writers it is hard to get away from their […]
Tips for Getting Your Fiction Published
If you aspire to be a fiction writer and think all you have to do is sit down to your computer and create, you will be very disappointed. Most writers eventually want to publish their work. They want family, friends and others to read what they’ve created. Here are some tips for gaining attention in […]
Why I Love Lee Smith
If you haven’t read Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith, you are in for a real treat. It is one of my all-time favorite books. Lee Smith is an incredible storyteller. She writes with the beauty of a poet. But, she creates memorable characters and a complete sense of place. In Fair and Tender […]
Okay, Let’s Talk Publishing
How many of you want to see your work published? My guess is many of you raised your hands. Some writers write simply for the joy of creating or simply because they must. But, most of us do so because we want our work published–we want others to read our little masterpieces. Now, if you’re […]
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 […]
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 […]
