Yes! Shelley Watters is having a birthday! But she's giving us the presents! It is another awesome contest, this time judged by Victoria Marini of Gelfman Schneider Literary Agency!
Go! Enter! Wish Shelley, "Happy Birthday"!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
In Which I Destroy My Blog
Sigh. Trying to change my template was a terrible, terrible exercise in failure. Unless my goal was to make all my blog posts appear twice on my blog, in which case, Epic Win!
Sigh. I've emailed Blogger. Someday they may even get back to me. In the meantime, I'm just hoping no one scrolls down that far.
You totally scrolled, didn't you? Well, guess what? I also somehow managed to duplicate my header. Now, you're going to look up, aren't you?
Sigh.
Update: Well, I managed to get rid of the duplicate header. The extra posts are still there, but hopefully, not as easy to see. I'll try and deal with this later.
Sigh. I've emailed Blogger. Someday they may even get back to me. In the meantime, I'm just hoping no one scrolls down that far.
You totally scrolled, didn't you? Well, guess what? I also somehow managed to duplicate my header. Now, you're going to look up, aren't you?
Sigh.
Update: Well, I managed to get rid of the duplicate header. The extra posts are still there, but hopefully, not as easy to see. I'll try and deal with this later.
In Which I Change My Blogger Template
Well, not yet, obviously. But any minute/day now. If you see weirdness going on here, that's what's happening :)
Update: Well, maybe not. I'm having trouble finding something that's perfect, and I'm not up for making my own right now.
Update: Well, maybe not. I'm having trouble finding something that's perfect, and I'm not up for making my own right now.
What Agents Need to Know, in Order to Get the Writer of Their Dreams
(My is tongue is firmly in my cheek. I thought it would be fun to turn the advice that writers get on its head.)
There is a lot of information out on the web telling agents how to get a good writer. Some of it is good, and some...not so good. But as often as the topic comes up, it never gets old. Every agent wants to know how to get the writer of their dreams.
First, I know you've heard it a million times, but it's all about voice. When you're posting on your blog or on Twitter, writers are reading what you are saying. And like it or not, they are judging your voice. Be yourself, always. You want the writer to love the real you, right? After all, you will hopefully have a long relationship together, and it's important that you can work well together. So, by all means, be yourself. At the same time, don't let bad days cloud your tweets or posts. Think before you hit 'send' or 'publish'. Voice is something you can't fake, but you can make sure that you're putting your best foot forward in public areas.
Second, when you're looking at a potential relationship with a writer, don't be afraid to ask for references. Beta readers and critique partners can give you a day to day feel for how the writer responds to criticism and revision requests. I know everyone always says that the writers are the one with the power. After all they are the ones that create what you sell. But the agent/writer relationship is just that. A relationship between (at least) two people. Each bring their own strengths and resources to the table. Don't sell yourself short, or think, "I'm not worthy" when dealing with writers. They can smell fear.
Lastly, keep at it. You may not find the writer of your dreams in that first email, or even in the 500th email. The difference between success and failure is that a successful agent keeps looking. There is a perfect match for you out there. Keep faith and keep reading queries. Someday, you'll find the writer of your dreams.
There is a lot of information out on the web telling agents how to get a good writer. Some of it is good, and some...not so good. But as often as the topic comes up, it never gets old. Every agent wants to know how to get the writer of their dreams.
First, I know you've heard it a million times, but it's all about voice. When you're posting on your blog or on Twitter, writers are reading what you are saying. And like it or not, they are judging your voice. Be yourself, always. You want the writer to love the real you, right? After all, you will hopefully have a long relationship together, and it's important that you can work well together. So, by all means, be yourself. At the same time, don't let bad days cloud your tweets or posts. Think before you hit 'send' or 'publish'. Voice is something you can't fake, but you can make sure that you're putting your best foot forward in public areas.
Second, when you're looking at a potential relationship with a writer, don't be afraid to ask for references. Beta readers and critique partners can give you a day to day feel for how the writer responds to criticism and revision requests. I know everyone always says that the writers are the one with the power. After all they are the ones that create what you sell. But the agent/writer relationship is just that. A relationship between (at least) two people. Each bring their own strengths and resources to the table. Don't sell yourself short, or think, "I'm not worthy" when dealing with writers. They can smell fear.
Lastly, keep at it. You may not find the writer of your dreams in that first email, or even in the 500th email. The difference between success and failure is that a successful agent keeps looking. There is a perfect match for you out there. Keep faith and keep reading queries. Someday, you'll find the writer of your dreams.
In Which I Have a Busy Weekend
I had a very rollercoaster weekend. On Friday, while writing in a coffee shop with my friend The Word Counter, I decided to make a change to the ending of my troll book. I think it makes the end stronger and I like the balance it now has with the beginning.
Over the weekend, my husband and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary and we had our first guitar lessons. (This was cute, and bounces back and forth between fun and painful, depending on how long ago I practiced.)
I won a contest! So did my friend Jami Gold, and Alison Miller.
Sadly, my uncle died yesterday. He was 93, and he died at home, in his sleep, after a long illness. His family was present. We knew he was dying, so it wasn't a shock, but we are all sad.
Yesterday, my son was not diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.
Over the weekend, my husband and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary and we had our first guitar lessons. (This was cute, and bounces back and forth between fun and painful, depending on how long ago I practiced.)
I won a contest! So did my friend Jami Gold, and Alison Miller.
Sadly, my uncle died yesterday. He was 93, and he died at home, in his sleep, after a long illness. His family was present. We knew he was dying, so it wasn't a shock, but we are all sad.
Yesterday, my son was not diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.
Friday, June 3, 2011
In Which Cupcakes Are The Bomb!
Thanks to Gary Corby for pointing out this article. MI6 hacked an al-Qaeda website and replaced instructions for making bombs with recipes for cupcakes.
That makes me go "hee!" in the best ways :)
That makes me go "hee!" in the best ways :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)