What’s New in Publishing Blogs this Week
June 6, 2008 at 7:10 am | Posted in Blogs, books, publishing, writing | 4 CommentsAfter poking around the blog-o-sphere this past week, here are just a few blog postings we wanted to share with you:
In the past we’ve talked about the importance of word choice and making every word count and Phil Gladwin posted an awesome example on the Screenwriting Goldmine in his post, THE BEST DIALOGUE I NEVER WROTE . . . We really hope you check it out. It is so effective, it will give you chills!
Check out this INTERVIEW WITH HARLEQUIN EDITOR JOHANNA RAISANEN for information about Harlequin, its history, and advice for writers. You can find it on the Much Cheaper Than Therapy blog.
Eileen Astels, a Christian Romance Writer, posted a SELF EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS CHEAT SHEET. We thought it was worth sharing. Check it out HERE.
For anyone with a dream, Claire Cook guested at The Lipstick Chronicles this week with an interview, info on her new release, and some thoughts for dreamers. To take a look, Find Claire’s post HERE.
We found this great new blog called Time to Write, and this week Jurgen Wulff writes about WHY YOU SHOULD WRITE ABOUT WRITING. Perhaps the advice shared can help make the process less of a struggle each time out. Click HERE for more.
And although this post is not from this past week, it’s another new blog (well, new to us) that we felt we should share. The blog is: Richard Curtis on Publishing in the 21st Century. One post worth mentioning, TWO WORLDS OF LITERATURE is worth a click. HERE.
Good stuff! Anything else you’d like to share? Please post the nod in our comments section so we can take a look.
Have a great weekend everyone!
What’s New in Publishing Blogs This Week
May 30, 2008 at 8:21 am | Posted in books, writing | Leave a commentTags: Jennifer Jackson, Jessica Faust, Jonathan Lyons, Rachelle Gardner
It’s been a quiet week in the blog-o-sphere, we suspect because so many of our colleagues ventured to LA for Book Expo . . . but we managed to find a few noteworthy posts to share so here goes:
Shake that moneymaker. At Magical Musings, Edie Ramer talks about her moneymaker . . . and it’s not what you think. Think you know what we mean? Click HERE to find out.
Want to find out WINNING SECRETS FROM A WRITING CONTEST JUDGE? Click HERE for advice as posted on The Eldritch Post.
This week, Rachelle Gardner shared a post on HOW LONG IS YOUR BOOK? We found these guidelines on word count and queries helpful. Click HERE to find out why they will be helpful for you, too.
Curious as to why books released in 2007 increased by 39%? So were we. Check out why there are 400,000 BOOKS AND COUNTING by checking out the blog post on Jonathan Lyons’s blog.
For more statistics on the number of books published, check out Laurie McLean’s blog notes on a recent RWA speech she gave at the San Diego conference. Learn the top five publishers of romance fiction (by sales), number of books published (rather than sold) by category, who are the readers, E-Books, POD Romance numbers and A LOT more.
Jennifer Jackson is doing a series answering anonymous questions called DEAR AGENT MANNERS. For invaluable advice from this agent, click HERE.
What’s the difference between an agent and a publicist? Jessica Faust explains in her post, ARE AGENTS ALSO MANAGERS?
So . . . that’s our round-up for this week. Did we miss anything? Let us know! Please post your findings in this week’s comments section. We’d love to hear what you’ve found helpful from this week’s blog posts.
Have a great weekend!
Reading is a Part of Writing
May 26, 2008 at 8:28 am | Posted in books, Jessica, writing | 2 CommentsTags: Eileen Cook, Jodi Thomas, Liza Palmer, Virginia Kantra
Have you ever read a book and thought to yourself that you could write a much better book than the one you just read . . . or couldn’t bring yourself to finish reading? As an unpublished writer wrestling with the frustrations encountered along the road to publication, I know we’ve all come across at least one of those published works that keeps us in the game no matter the odds of our success. If such a ‘poor’ book can make its way to the shelves, certainly one of our stories can break its way through, right?
Last week, we mentioned a blog entry posted by Kristin Nelson on how MILLIONS OF READERS ARE NOT WRONG. And I wholeheartedly agree with what she says in her post — there has to be something about that ‘bad’ (in our own completely unbiased and subjective opinions, of course) book that compelled an agent to represent it, an editor to buy it, and readers to read it. And instead of blasting the book for its faults, we can instead use the frustration to figure out what it was about that particular story to make so many people help bring it to light.
On the flip side, have you ever read a book that was just so good and perfect in every way that it made you feel like a fraud for even attempting to call yourself a writer? That after reading it you hope to someday rival the storytelling ability of that author? I’ve had a few of those moments these past few months, as I’ve read and enjoyed and wished I could write books like Liza Palmer, Eileen Cook, Virginia Kantra, and most recently Jodi Thomas.
Bria has told me over and over again that I needed to read Jodi Thomas but I hadn’t had the chance until this past weekend and now I don’t ever want to stop. On her web site, Jodi has an article for people like us — readers who hope to publish and someday rival the good storytelling ability of our favorite writers — and she shares the same advice once given to her . . . “If you work really, really hard you’ll make it.” In her article she goes on to share just how hard she had to work to become the writer she is. Her story is significant.
I often wish there was a secret blueprint to follow to make it. But I know this learning process – at times painful but nonetheless rewarding – is important for us all to go through. It is what will make us the stronger storytellers, business people, colleagues, and individuals we’ll need to be to survive the ups and downs of publishing, and we all need to arrive at our own process in our own way on our own time. And reading both good books as well as bad are good learning tools and motivators as we find our way, helping us mold and shape the kinds of writers we want to be.
So part of writing is reading — widespread reading not only in your genre but anything you can get your hands on. There is much to learn from all uses of words, in good writing and in bad . . . as much as there is in partaking in the act of writing ourselves.
I hope you find time to read good books and bad . . . but no matter what, keep writing! In the words of Jodi Thomas, “If you work really, really hard you’ll make it.”
-Jessica
What’s New in Publishing Blogs this Week
May 23, 2008 at 7:21 am | Posted in Blogs, books, publishing, writing | 5 CommentsLots to share this week, so let’s get right to it:
Earlier this month we discussed why writers should mentor, here Jessica Faust starts a discussion on DEFINING AND HONORING WRITING MENTORS. What is a writing mentor . . . besides something we all hope to find? Check it out and chime in.
Laura Vivanco at Teach Me Tonight has an amazingly in-depth look at women, love, perception, romance and some hot button issues. Don’t miss this astute look at women and our desires as noted in her post, MY ROUTE FROM HERE.
If you haven’t found Joanna Bourne’s blog yet (or her book The Spymaster’s Lady), don’t walk, don’t run, SPRINT to both. Her blog covers amazing writing topics everyday and the book is a must read. If you question the importance of Cadence in writing, you’ll never wonder again. Start HERE by reading MORE OF THE BEST WRITING MISTAKES.
We all know YA is hot right now, Caren Johnson takes a look at a bunch of books and discusses what it is and why it works. For a continuation of THE YA DEBATE, click HERE.
Kristin Nelson addresses reader opinion — what it is and why it carries so much weight and what we can learn from them. Click HERE for her post on why MILLIONS OF READERS ARE NOT WRONG.
On the Agent in the Middle blog, Lori Perkins posts, ‘Writer’s Digest asked me to answer some questions for an upcoming article, but I missed the deadline (it was less than a week and I just had too much to do for you), so I’m posting my answers here. But do look for the articles when they run (and let me know when they do).’ To check out SOME ANSWERS FOR BEGINNERS, click HERE.
Deb Werksman, acquiring editor for Sourcebooks, posts some details on the Casablanca Authors’ blog on what she is looking to acquire and how to get your material in her hands. For more information on DEB WERKSMAN, CASABLANCA ACQUIRING AUTHOR, click HERE.
Rachelle Gardner, on the Rants and Ramblings blog, clears up any misunderstandings on EARNING OUT ADVANCES. If you have questions or want more information on this aspect of the sale, click HERE.
This week, Pro Blogger shared the 12 TRAITS OF SUCCESSFUL BLOGGERS. These traits apply to writers of all kinds, not just bloggers so we thought it was an appropriate one for this week’s Friday wrap-up. To see how many of those 12 traits you possess, click HERE.
The Kindle has taken over discussion on lots of the blogs we visit, and The Book Publicity Blog shared a resource this week on TIPS FOR KINDLE USERS. We thought we’d share this for the Kindle-curious. For more information, click HERE.
We love Elizabeth Boyle (check out her visit to our very own Purple Hearts blog) and this week she posted an interesting promotional idea that a number of authors can easily do. What a great way to promote not only your own book, but those of your friends! Check out her fun — and environmentally conscious — suggestion HERE.
Whew! That’ll do it for this week. As always, please share your other suggestions in today’s comments section. We’d love to see what caught your eye this week.
Have a great, long holiday weekend!
What’s New in Publishing Blogs this Week
May 16, 2008 at 7:15 am | Posted in Blogs, books, publishing, writing | 2 CommentsIn our ongoing quest of sharing new resources with you all, here are our findings for this week:
As many of us start to gear up for the RWA National Conference this summer, this post by Adina Kahn of Dystel and Goderich Literary Management on the DO’S AND DON’TS OF PITCHING offers great and practical advice for your pitch appointments. For more information, click HERE.
Jason Boog from The Publishing Spot has a great post this week on HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR WRITING. Think you’ve won the game when you get THE CALL? In many ways, the game is just beginning. For more insight, click HERE.
At Flogging the Quill, there is a SHOW VERSUS TELL CLINIC taking place. To join in the discussion or to submit your own questions, click HERE.
We know that a bunch of our readers write romantic suspense, so the blog, The Graveyard Shift, is one we definitely wanted to share. With blog categories such as evidence, police procedures, and prisons and jails, there are more resources and more information on this blog than we can summarize here, but as one example check out one of this week’s from guest blogger Defense Attorney, Jessa Lutz, entitled, THEY’RE NOT ALL MONSTERS.
And so as not to end on a ‘No Country For Old Men’ note, we wanted to share this fun resource as reported on the Writer Unboxed blog, called, OBSERVATIONS ON DECK, a book and card deck that offers inspiration in lots of ways. To get the scoop on this great writer’s gift, click HERE.
We hope you found as interesting a mix of helpful resources listed as we did. As always, please share any other posts you found helpful from the week in today’s comments section. We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Have a great weekend!
What’s New in Publishing Blogs this Week
May 9, 2008 at 7:23 am | Posted in Blogs, books, publishing, writing, young adult | 3 CommentsIt was a lean week in terms of time for research, but we still came up with a few posts we’d like to share with you this Friday.
The week started with an exciting announcement about a new line: Belle Bridge Books, posted by Deb Dixon. The blog post states:
“What we are looking for is writers with unique voices who create strong fantasy, dark fantasy and urban fantasy stories with compelling characters–male or female.
We’re looking at some young adult. Very excited about that. If you’re interested in querying, head on over to the website: http://www.bellbridgebooks.com/“
If you’ve got a suitable project, we hope you’ll give them a query and we wish you luck!
Junta42, a content marketing and custom publishing blog, posted its NEW TOP 42 BLOGS LIST. The list includes a variety of content marketing blog sites, ranging from online marketing, new media, viral content, and blogging — all things we envision could help a writer in some way. Check out this wealth of information HERE.
Lynn Viehl of the Paperback Writer shared a clever post this week in which she makes STORY VOWS, or the TEN PROMISES [she’s] MADE TO [her] WIP. While all 10 resonate with us, we want to give a special highlight to vow #4: “I will give you the best I’ve got, not whatever’s left over after the rest of the world is through beating the hell out of me for the day.”
Every so often we need some tough love to help kickstart the writing, and our friend Barb at the Moody Muses had a lot of love to share this week. Check out her TOUGH LOVE POST FOR A DEAR FRIEND in which she asks, How bad do you want it? Barb, we love you for your tough love and friendship!
And since we Purple Hearts have a lot of interest in YA books and the writing of such, we thought we’d close out the week by sharing this next blog — not because it has anything to do with books or publishing, but because it’s a great glimpse into the life of a teen fashionista. We loved her post this week on CHANGE YOUR SHOES, CHANGE YOUR DAY. We [purple] heart her!
So that’s it for now. As always, please share your suggestions in the comments section of today’s post. And don’t forget — at the end of the day today, we’ll choose one lucky winner to receive a copy of Nancy Haddock’s debut novel, La Vida Vampire. To be eligible for the drawing, post a comment to Nancy’s Honorary Heartlette guest post by the end of the day today.
Have a great writing weekend!
Nancy Haddock Book Giveaway
May 6, 2008 at 9:11 am | Posted in books, Honorary Heartlette, Nancy Haddock | 3 CommentsJust a reminder that we will be giving away a copy of Nancy Haddock’s debut book, LA VIDA VAMPIRE, at the end of the week. Please visit Nancy’s guest blog on The Long and Winding Road and post a comment to be eligible. A lucky winner will be chosen at random on Friday afternoon.
What’s New in Publishing Blogs This Week
May 2, 2008 at 9:11 am | Posted in Blogs, books, publishing, writing | 2 CommentsTags: Brenda Novak, Janet Reid, Jonathan Lyons, litmatch, motivation, Query Shark, shapeshifters, vampires, Writer Interrupted
. . . Another Friday and another chance for us to share some great writing and publishing resources from around the blog-o-sphere.
Jonathan Lyons does a rundown on being a writer and getting paid. It’s more than just shouting, “Show me the money!” at your agent. For his post on GETTING PAID, click HERE.
And to continue on a similar strain, Chip MacGregor from Writer Interrupted had a great post this week on GOING FROM PART-TIME TO FULL-TIME WRITING. To read how, click HERE.
LitMatch featured a post this week that talks about the SASE and the upcoming postage hike. To find this post on POSTAGE CHANGE COMING – FUTURE-PROOF YOUR QUERIES “FOREVER”, click HERE.
Michael S. Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, (a predominantly Christian book publisher), had a great post this week on CHOOSING WHICH BOOKS TO PUBLISH. The information is helpful for anyone looking to break into the ranks of the published, whether you write Christian books or otherwise. To read his take on the topic, click HERE.
A number of the blogs we looked at this week called for a review of goals at this point in the year, so we thought a post on motivation would be a helpful one to share. We loved this post from Pick the Brain on MOTIVATION DOESN’T NEED TO BE SEXY; OR HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED UNTIL THE END. To read HOW, click HERE.
In case you hadn’t heard, Janet Reid from Fine Print Literary has a blog where she dissects queries. If you want to submit to ‘the shark,’ you can find the link HERE for her blog, Query Shark.
Are shapeshifters the new vampires? You be the judge — click HERE to check out this new group blog.
And one last note — Brenda Novak has kicked off her fourth annual online auction for diabetes research. After raising $250,000 last year, this year’s goal is to raise $300,000! Click HERE to see the list of amazing items up for bid and to, of course, participate!
So . . . that’s the list for today. As always, please share your favorite posts from cyberland in the comments section — we would love to learn about the resources you’ve found helpful! Have a great weekend, and keep writing!
Heartlette News – Marley Gibson Book Release
May 1, 2008 at 9:35 am | Posted in books, Honorary Heartlette, Marley Gibson, writing | 4 CommentsTags: Kate Harmon, Sorority 101, The New Sisters, Zeta or Omega
Way back in August, Marley Gibson joined us as our Honorary Heartlette. At the time, we knew that her first two books would be making their way into the world, and we are thrilled to report that they both have been released TODAY!
The books, Zeta or Omega? and The New Sisters are written under the pen name Kate Harmon.
These are the two launch books of a much anticipated new series and we wish Marley the best of success with them!
What’s New in Publishing Blogs this Week
April 25, 2008 at 8:51 am | Posted in Blogs, books, publishing, writing | Leave a commentTags: Fine Print Literary, Harper Collins, Janet Reid, Lori Perkins
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