You are the box office smash: the personal screenplay
By Gordy Hoffman
firstwriter.com – Saturday February 24, 2007
Right this very second, in the heart of every struggling, undiscovered screenwriter, in the dark, hidden corner deep within, there is a voice, a clear whisper, saying one thing:
You're never gonna figure this out.
How I got a literary agent - An interview with author Frank Hotchkiss
firstwriter.com – Sunday January 28, 2007
Frank Hotchkiss recently acquired an agent using firstwriter.com's database of literary agencies. We asked him about his writing, and how he found success.
Protecting your copyright
By J. Paul Dyson
Managing Editor, firstwriter.com
firstwriter.com – Wednesday December 27, 2006
Here at firstwriter.com one of the most common questions we get asked by writers is if they need to register their copyright. This is a perfectly reasonable question – after all, for other intellectual properties like patents and trade marks there are usually a mountain of forms to fill out and numerous hoops to jump through (not to mention registration fees to be paid) before you can claim proper protection over your ideas. It's only natural, therefore, for writers to assume that there's a similar process for copyright, but the situation is not quite that straightforward. The answer to the question "do I need to do register my copyright?" is both no, and yes.
Finding good literary agents
By J. Paul Dyson
Managing Editor, firstwriter.com
firstwriter.com – Saturday November 25, 2006
In last month's article, Avoiding literary agency scams (fwn 44), we identified the warning signs to watch out for in order to avoid bad agents. In this article I'll be reversing the question and providing tips on how to find good agents.
Avoiding literary agency scams
By J. Paul Dyson
Managing Editor, firstwriter.com
firstwriter.com – Friday October 27, 2006
For as long as there have been writers eager to get published, there have been con artists ready to prey upon them for a quick buck. Nowadays, the internet is rife with phony literary agencies offering writers false hope in return for a small (or not-so-small) sum of money. In this article I'll look at some of the ways you can spot a dodgy agency, and avoid your time, money, and aspirations being abused. While none of the points below guarantee by themselves that an agency is dubious, together they can make a compelling case, and they should all make you tread a little more cautiously.
How I got a literary agent - An interview with author Geri Spieler
firstwriter.com – Saturday September 23, 2006
Geri Spieler recently acquired an agent using firstwriter.com's database of literary agencies. We asked her about her writing, and how she found success.
The Critical Critique: How editing your writing increases your chances of getting published
By Rocky Reichman
Editor and Publisher, Literary Magic
firstwriter.com – Sunday August 27, 2006
There are many things a writer has to have in mind when trying to get published. Among these are learning how to write a professional critique and having credentials. However, most aspiring authors too often miss out on one of the most critical elements necessary to become a published author: editing. No matter how good your query letter is, you still need work that's written well. Even if you have good credentials, that won't matter to an editor or literary agent. When they see work that is either poorly edited or not even edited at all, one word screams out at them: amateur.
How to write a book review
By Patricia Fry
firstwriter.com – Saturday July 29, 2006
Every author wants to have his/her book reviewed. It’s a good way to get exposure for their books and exposure computes into sales. With the rise in the number of new authors each year, there’s a greater need for book reviewers.
The practical approach
By Allison Whitehead
firstwriter.com – Saturday June 24, 2006
The market for practical, or how to, articles is a very promising one. Everyone wants to improve some aspect of their life, and the alert freelance can earn many a useful fee supplying the know-how in an easily readable form.
Rhyme or reason – what makes a good poem?
By J. Paul Dyson
Managing Editor, firstwriter.com
firstwriter.com – Friday May 26, 2006
If you ask people who write poetry what makes a good poem it’s amazing how few can actually think of an answer. For a lot of people, however, a lot of importance is placed on a poem rhyming. In this article I’ll be looking at why this can be a misleading and even dangerous focus of attention.
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