The most fundamental principle in writing is actually . . . version control? It’s an unwritten rule. Like changing your underwear every day. And if you violate it, you are a barbarian. This is the least sexy writing advice ever. But if you and your collaborators don’t share a common understanding of version control, you’re…
Today’s question concerns what “public information” really means — and there’s a lot at stake for a victim of abuse. Dear Dr. Wobs: I am a victim of domestic violence. At 10 years healing I am ready to write my book. I’ve hit brick walls over and over while seeking the answer to what should…
Mark Gottlieb is an agent representing authors at one of the largest literary agencies, Trident Media Group. He places both publishing rights and dramatic rights, such as TV and film. Here’s a peek into how one agent perceives the current market for books. I conducted this interview by email and edited it slightly for length….
Hybrid publishers like Ideapress, Greenleaf Book Group, and Mascot Books are invisible to some folks: agents and traditional acquisitions editors whom I’ve interviewed can’t seem to see them. But for many authors, they’re a realistic publishing alternative, and may even be the best choice. The third alternative Authors who haven’t studied the alternatives imagine that…
If you’re working on an advice book, here’s a way to get a lot of people to hear about it. I call it the hero crew. Do this, right now — before writing (if you haven’t started yet), before you do anything else. Nail down your audience. It might be women entrepreneurs, CIOs embracing the…
You have a piece to edit and limited time to work on it — and the piece is a mess. How can you fix it quickly? While every author has their own idiosyncrasies, some problems are common, easily fixed, and make a dramatic difference in readability. Here are the five quick steps to make writing…
I hear it all the time. I don’t know anybody in publishing. How am I going to get anybody to look at my (nonfiction) book idea? The editors I know are most likely to consider books from people they’ve published before. They’ll review a book represented by a reputable book agent. Outside of that, your…
You want to publish a book. Do you need a book agent? Yeah. You probably do. Since there’s so much confusion about agent and publishers, here’s an FAQ for you, answering the questions I hear most often from authors. How do agents get paid? To understand when an agent makes sense and what they do…
I help authors. They’re all over the map. Some are experiencing the earliest glimmerings of author ambitions, while others have written hundreds of pages (possibly in a productive way, possibly not). By the time they get to me, I become their therapist. It’s my job to figure out their problems and recommend the best course…