
What's in a name? Giving birth to your characters
By Celise Downs
firstwriter.com – Sunday January 30, 2005

So you've got your plot outlined, a title lined up, and the research is done. You're ready to start writing your novel. But wait. Now comes the fun part: creating names for your characters. One of the best things about being a writer – besides the innate ability to create imaginary worlds – is giving birth to a character and then bestowing a name upon him or her. True, you didn't carry the character in your womb for nine months (especially if you're male). But he or she could've been in your head for nine months – or nine years. So choosing a name for your character seems almost as important as the one you would give your own child.

Presenting your poetry
By J. Paul Dyson
Managing Editor, firstwriter.com
firstwriter.com – Monday December 27, 2004

As an editor of a literary magazine you see all sorts in the submission pile: from annoying little errors like "to" instead of "too" or "your" instead of "you're" (and no, that's not being picky – being able to write is a fairly basic requirement of being a writer), to the classic faux pas of submitting material entirely in capitals (in case you don't know, standard practice in the publishing industry is to reject anything entirely in capitals without even reading it). Recently, however, I've noticed a new aberration creeping into the poetry submissions – and it seems to be coming out of the new "phone text" language…

Getting to know you: 8 questions to ask an interested agent
By Jill Nagle
Founder and Principal: GetPublished, guerilla guidance for your writing adventure
firstwriter.com – Monday December 27, 2004

Getting accepted by an agent is so difficult that – when it finally does happen – it's easy to forget that you need to be as selective about the agent you choose to work with as they are about writers. Having the wrong agent can be as bad or worse than having no agent at all. Getting answers to some or all of the following questions will help you determine whether or not you and your prospective agent are a match:

Seven essential points on literary agents
By Jill Nagle
Founder and Principal: GetPublished, guerilla guidance for your writing adventure
firstwriter.com – Saturday November 27, 2004

As an aspiring author, you may have heard, "if your work is really good, you can get an agent. Getting the work into shape is the hard part. If you get the work into shape, the right agent will follow". Is it really that simple? Well, yes and no.
The seven essential points below prepare you for what to expect when seeking an agent, or literary representative.

The first three steps to finding a literary agent
By Jill Nagle
Founder and Principal: GetPublished, guerilla guidance for your writing adventure
firstwriter.com – Sunday October 24, 2004

An excerpt from How to Find A Literary Agent Who Can Sell Your Book for Top Dollar
www.FindTheRightAgent.com

Promotional tips
By Pamela S. Thibodeaux
firstwriter.com – Saturday September 25, 2004

I never thought I would be in a position to give advice on promoting your work. However, when my book Tempered Hearts was published (December 2000, Writers Exchange E-publishing Co.) I knew my writing career had taken on a whole new range of duties. I had a choice: Sit back and wait for the sales to trickle in or get out there and pound the pavement and make the sales happen.

Simple record-keeping and tax deductions for writers
By Pamela S. Thibodeaux
firstwriter.com – Monday August 23, 2004

So, you want to be a writer. Family encourage and support you. Friends pat you on the back and say: "great, maybe we'll see your name on the NY Times Best Sellers List." People envy your creativity, not realising that writing is hard work. Writing is more than creating the Great American Novel. Writing is a Business and a business requires record-keeping and tax preparation.
Books club sales in North America – increasing the odds
By Denise Hamilton
Ink Tree Ltd
firstwriter.com – Monday August 23, 2004
What is a book club sale? It is actually a rights sale or a licensing agreement: you are granting permission to a book club the right to "borrow" your work. You have written a book, and now you are allowing a book club to print and distribute your book to its members.

No more excuses!
By Pamela S. Thibodeaux
firstwriter.com – Saturday June 26, 2004

Excuses, excuses, excuses. We've heard them all, used a few. Well, it's time to stop and get a revelation: you can't find time to write – you have to make time to write!
There are numerous opportunities afforded to us in any given day, we just have to know what they are. One of the best things a busy wife, mother, employee, writer, etc. can invest in is a lesson on time management. You don't need to read a book or take a course, just sit down and examine your day. Evaluate how you spend your time, where you can shave off a few minutes (or couple of hours) and use that time to write. Budget your time just like you budget your money.

Getting noticed by an Editor
By J. Paul Dyson
Managing Editor, firstwriter.com
firstwriter.com – Thursday May 6, 2004

In today's saturated fiction market, with hordes of writers throwing themselves at agents and editors daily, how do you manage to grab an editor's attention, and get them to read your work?
Writers come up with all kinds of ideas to make their work stand out: from unusual fonts and large typefaces, to novelty items and gift vouchers included with the submission. Young writers stress their age; foreign writers their ethnicity; working-class writers their deprived backgrounds and education. Writers have even been known to send saucy pictures of themselves in various states of undress!
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