#1—Querying too soon. Okay, I hate to say it, but it’s true. Most writers query too soon. In the past, books could be less ready to go and still get picked up by agents or editors, and there are plenty of agents who still do editorial before they send an author’s work out on submission. Continue reading “Top Ten Mistakes when Querying, continued”
Tag Archives: writing
Top Ten Mistakes Authors make when Querying, continued…
ICYMI, #10 through #6 are available here and here. As promised, the last five are all content related and so a little more difficult to address than the technical errors. #5—Not connecting the reader to your main character It is vital that the opening connect the reader to the main character. This does not meanContinue reading “Top Ten Mistakes Authors make when Querying, continued…”
New Podcast Episode with Writer First Page Feedback
Check it out! Terry and I received a few more opening pages. Listen to hear our feedback and learn how to create a fantastic first page.
Top 10 Mistakes Authors Make in Submissions, continued…
See #10 and #9 here. #8—Spending time on the set up in the query. Think of the Query as a sales document for your novel. If you spend any of your precious (really) plot paragraph on set up, then you are not selling the actual novel. If you’ve done your job as a writer well,Continue reading “Top 10 Mistakes Authors Make in Submissions, continued…”
Are you making these submission mistakes?
I have been working with History Through Fiction as an Acquisitions Editor for over a year now, and I love it! HTF is a small press publishing well researched and immersive historical fiction. You can see more about the press, its mission, and see whether we might be a good fit for you here. ThisContinue reading “Are you making these submission mistakes?”
Don’t Cheap Out on Your Renovation or Your Novel Revision
Home Improvement is on my mind lately. I have an old house and it needs some work—I can do some of it myself, but I will have to pay professionals to do the things I cannot do. Looking at what the previous owners did, I have these words of advice: don’t cheap out when youContinue reading “Don’t Cheap Out on Your Renovation or Your Novel Revision”
New Podcast Episode: Fantastic First Pages
We are digging deep into first pages and what makes a great one. What does a first page have to accomplish? What Makes the first page good? Types of First Pages Examples of some Fantastic First Pages and a discussion of why they work NOTE: the URLs are affiliate links. If you purchase the bookContinue reading “New Podcast Episode: Fantastic First Pages”
Book Review: The Wedding People by Alison Espach
When I first heard about this book, I was intrigued by the premise—a woman goes to a fancy hotel to kill herself, but it turns out to be a destination wedding week and the bride keeps her from following through, because she doesn’t want her wedding to be ruined. In a world where it seemsContinue reading “Book Review: The Wedding People by Alison Espach”
Building a Writing Habit
We hear a lot about building habits. If you are a writer, figuring out how to make time for your writing amidst the demands of life, including supporting yourself and maybe your family, too, can be daunting. My suggestion? Start small. Habits start with goals and repetition. A behavior becomes a habit through repeating itContinue reading “Building a Writing Habit”
What I learned at summer camp…
As you may know if you’ve been with me a while, my husband and I work part time with a New Testament church in Tallinn, Estonia. Every summer we go to camp with the church to help out teaching lessons, playing with the kids, doing whatever needs doing at summer camp. This year, camp wasContinue reading “What I learned at summer camp…”