I recommend the following websites to fiction writers, whether you're in the first stages writing or all set to query or publish. Please note, some of these resources may require a log-in or membership. QUERY LETTERS How to write a query letter Examples of Successful Queries QueryShark LITERARY AGENT LISTINGS Writer's Digest Guide to Literary … Continue reading Writer Resources
publishing
3 Simple Ways To Reduce Your Word Count
If you're like me, when you get to the end of a manuscript, you're a few thousand (or maybe ten thousand) words over the optimal word count for your genre. A lot of common editing advice can make a difference in MS length. Directives like “find stronger verbs” will eliminate some adverbs, while “make sentences … Continue reading 3 Simple Ways To Reduce Your Word Count
FAILURE IS NOT FATAL
Just the other day, I posted this quote from Winston Churchill: Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. Normally, I'd just leave it out there and it would hopefully inspire some other folks the way it inspired me. But I've found that over the past few … Continue reading FAILURE IS NOT FATAL
Beta Readers: What are they & why do I need them?
First of all, as with Critique Partners, you'll notice that the question isn't “Do I need them?” because that's a given. You need them. Period. So what are they and how do you get them? First you might ask: how does a Beta Reader differ from a Critique Partner? Both are all about helping you create … Continue reading Beta Readers: What are they & why do I need them?
Critique Partners: What are they & why do I need them?
First of all, notice that the question isn't “Do I need them?” because that's a given. You need them, and they need you. So what are they and how do you find them? A critique partner is someone who reads your manuscript after you've gotten it to a somewhat polished state. A critique partner should … Continue reading Critique Partners: What are they & why do I need them?
Those Lowdown, Lonesome Query Blues
How does it happen? How is it that this perfectly written, perfectly polished, perfectly appealing manuscript of mine gets so little positive attention? Of course I’m kidding. First of all, I know that nothing’s perfect. Secondly, I know that nothing will appeal to everyone. How many book are there that I haven’t taken out of … Continue reading Those Lowdown, Lonesome Query Blues
The Goal
Ever since the New Year, it seems everyone has been talking about “The Goal”. January was a month of promises and optimism; in early February the glitter started to wear off; and now at the beginning of March, so many lament. With writer friends, specifically, the goals set up were so many words and so … Continue reading The Goal
Gifford MacShane, Author 