Hey there word nerds! Today I’m delighted to have literary agent Mark Gottlieb on the show. Mark is an agent at Trident Media Group, where he has worked with the agency’s chairman. He is now working on building his own client list because he wants to help manage and grow authors’ careers using the amazing… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today, I’ll be sharing a recap of all the exciting things I discovered at Digital Book World (or DBW) last week. 2017 marks the eighth year of this industry-focused event, with a shift toward solution-focused strategies paired with insightful in-depth programming. This year was also the the first time DBW has… Read more »
Waiting. It’s an inevitable part of the writing process. Writers do a lot of waiting: on readers to provide feedback, on agents to respond to queries, partials or manuscripts, on editors to respond to agents, and then reviewers, booksellers, and readers again. It’s an inescapable reality. And it can drive a writer crazy. Here’s a few tips… Read more »
Many writing conferences have pitch sessions. They can be a fantastic way to get your work in front of editors and agents. Even if you don’t end up finding an agent at a conference, pitch sessions are a great way to practice the fine art of talking about your book in a succinct and effective… Read more »
The query letter is arguably the most important part of the manuscript submission process. It can either make an agent/editor quiver with excitement at the thought of opening your manuscript, or it can make your email a lovely little addition to their trash folder. So here are a few do-s and don’t-s for crafting a… Read more »
When I first entered the lofty realm of book publishing as nothing but a meek little editorial intern, I believed all sorts of misconceptions about the industry. Not least the editors’ choice: “So you just read all day, right?” Haha, that hasn’t gotten old! . . . But over the years, I’ve discovered that’s just… Read more »
Web Editor’s Note: I’m so excited to welcome Constance Renfrow as one of our regular columnists! Constance is an editor as well as a writer, and in her column will be shedding some light on what happens on the other side of the book deal. Please join me in welcoming her to DIY MFA team! Greetings, writers!… Read more »
For months, I dreaded my first pitch session, a live event in which a roomful of potential agents awaited me with only three minutes to impress each one I’d targeted. I’ve always felt that I don’t make a good first impression; I come off too serious, too earnest, too Hermione-ish. (There’s a reason Harry and… Read more »
In my experience, most three hour drives feel like nothing more than numb legs, backaches, and forcing myself to stop checking the clock. But leave it to my first Writer’s Digest Conference to speed that drive right up. I knew ahead of time that I was going to force my driving buddy into helping me… Read more »
Hello and welcome to another exciting episode of DIY MFA Radio! Today I’m interviewing Calee Lee, the founder and CEO of Xist Publishing, the largest independent digital-first children’s publisher. She is also the author of more than 15 books for children. Dedicated to helping kids develop a lifetime love of reading, she founded Xist Publishing in… Read more »
