Why I Dumped My Famous Literary Agent
huffingtonpost.com – Thursday November 2, 2017
Back in the eighties when I had one novel done and had been publishing short stories, I landed Harriet Wasserman, a big-time agent who had previously worked at the prestigious Russell and Volkening agency. Snagging her made me feel I was truly launched as an author. Up to that point, I had only one fiction publication: a short story in Redbook which had won a prize at my MFA program, made me a lot of money at the time, and garnered fan mail. The judge of the contest was Martha Foley who had been editing the yearly anthology Best American Short Stories, and Redbook had an audience of 4.5 million readers. But after that, I hit a wall and couldn’t get anything else published for five years.
Words You Can Use Instead of "Very" to Punch Up Your Writing
lifehacker.com – Tuesday October 31, 2017
Learning how to write is like learning how to play a musical instrument: Once you learn the basic rules—grammar, spelling and punctuation—and are writing technically correct sentences, there’s a still the whole world of syntax, diction, and style to conquer. And this is where writers, like musicians, have opinions: Is it better to write straightforward, no-frills prose, or to weave verbal flights of fancy that illustrate complex, poetic sentiments? Or something in between? For me, diction is a big deal—the writers I admire are precise in their word choice—and I appreciate tidy sentences that get to the point.
12 successful authors share their novel writing tips for NaNoWriMo
inews.co.uk – Tuesday October 31, 2017
From finding a voice to staying motivated and dealing with writer’s block, writing a first novel can be daunting.
Here, 12 top authors share their tips for budding writers participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) this November.
Job opening detail - Wernick & Pratt Agency, LLC
publishersmarketplace.com – Tuesday October 31, 2017
Wernick & Pratt Agency, LLC is a leading literary agency specializing in children’s book publishing. We represent numerous award-winning, well-established authors and illustrators, as well as new and emerging talent. We actively pursue the sale of subsidiary rights, including the sale of foreign translation, merchandising, and motion picture/television rights.
We are seeking someone to assist in all administrative aspects within our small home-office-based environment. The person needs to have strong verbal and written communication skills, be detail oriented, and be able to multi-task and meet deadlines, with and without supervision. Strong organizational skills, along with a proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel, and Adobe Acrobat, are essential. Knowledge of QuickBooks a plus.
Freight Books: liquidator takes control of award-winning Scottish publisher
theguardian.com – Tuesday October 31, 2017
A liquidator has been appointed for the troubled publisher Freight Books, a one-time star of the Scottish publishing scene that was named Scottish publisher of the year in 2015.
Hollywood and book publishers are turning to this online platform for their next '50 Shades of Grey'
cnbc.com – Monday October 30, 2017
Wattpad is an online platform where users upload their own stories, making it popular for romance novels and fan fiction.
Anna Todd began writing "After," a One Direction-inspired fan fiction, on Wattpad. After being read 1.5 billion times, she's scored seven-figure movie and book deals.
New Literary Agency Listing
firstwriter.com – Monday October 30, 2017
Handles: Fiction; Nonfiction
Areas: Autobiography; Crime; Historical; Humour; Lifestyle; Military; Mystery; Nature; Politics; Romance; Sci-Fi; Self-Help; Short Stories; Suspense; Thrillers; Travel; Women's Interests
Markets: Adult; Youth
Treatments: Commercial; Contemporary; Literary; Satirical
See website for individual agent preferences and select one to submit to. Send query by email with first 15 pages pasted into the body of your email. Approach only one agent at a time.
A.I. Take a Surprisingly Successful Stab at Writing Horror Fiction
slate.com – Friday October 27, 2017
Scientists working on A.I. development are at least trying to make sure our future machine overlords aren’t subject to the same flaws and negative habits that plague us flesh-and-bone humans. But there are some grotesqueries of the human mind we might like A.I. to emulate—for art’s sake.
Why it’s scary writing ghost stories
ft.com – Friday October 27, 2017
Once upon a time, this was a nation of seances, spiritualists and spirit photography. Britain was thick with ghosts and the Victorians knew how to speak to them, and see them. The writers of the time were quick to seize on this interest. Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins and Elizabeth Gaskell were among those who wrote ghost stories — as did many others in the popular periodical presses of the time.
Hemingway's Writing Tip That Will Save You Time and Energy
inc.com – Friday October 27, 2017
When it comes to writing a book, there are many reasons to emulate the masters. Proust famously wrote in bed, while Joan Didion took an hour before dinner to read that day's writing with a drink in hand. Most authors have a strict schedule for writing days that they adhere to without question. But if you're not Proust or Didion, rather a first-time author, you may be overwhelmed by the process of writing a book. We can look to another literary great, Ernest Hemingway, for some useful advice for managing the writing process.
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