May/June 2012 Issue
May/June Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
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Website of the Week
Writing Website of the Week
Published author Roz Morris' website covers a lot of topics about writing--some serious, some for fun. Either way, it's a site that's worth a few minutes of any writer's week. (I recommend following her on Twitter too.Nail Your Novel 
*Not affiliated with our 101 Best Writing Websites feature.
Nonfiction
Author Interview: Adam Brownlee, Author of “Building a Small Business That Warren Buffet Would Love”
Along with plenty of agent interviews on this blog, I’m hoping to do more interviews of up-and-coming writers (especially debuts as well as up-and-coming authors) that I like or I think you should know. Today please enjoy an interview with author Adam Brownlee, who I met at the Southern Kentucky Book Fest in 2011. Adam is the author of Building a Small Business That Warren Buffet Would Love (March 12, 2012, Wiley).
GIVEAWAY: Adam is excited to give away a free copy of his book to a random commenter. Comment within one week; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the book by mail. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. (Update: ManiacMom won.) Read more
Agent Advice: Howard Yoon of Ross Yoon Literary
This installment features Howard Yoon of Ross Yoon Literary. Starting in 1992 as Gail Ross’s literary assistant, Howard worked his way up to literary agent and principal of the Ross Yoon Agency as an editorial director, ghostwriter, foreign rights manager, book consultant and editor. He is also the co-author of, Begging for Change (HarperCollins), which won the Terry McAdams prize for best book on the nonprofit sector.
He is seeking: nonfiction in the areas of narrative nonfiction, memoir, current events, history, science, cookbooks, and popular culture. Read more
How I Came to Write ”The Floor of Heaven”
The more I read, and the more I thought about all that I was reading, I became fixated not so much on the taming of the American West as I was by what happened after the West was won. Like my childhood “West” that came to an abrupt end at the hands of the developers, I became intrigued by an Wild West that had suddenly grown civilized. In the 1890s the vanquished Indian tribes had settled with dour resignation on government reservations, the wheels of steam engines now clicked and clacked against the metal tracks stretching across the plains where short generations ago herds of buffalo had thundered, and homesteaders pounded sturdy fence posts and plowed the rich brown earth. Read more
A Book’s Timeline: How My Nonfiction Project Came to Life
You need a clear understanding of the scope of your inquiry, how you’ll access the material you need—archives, letters, libraries, interviews, firsthand reporting—and how much time, money and travel this will require. Once you’ve defined your trajectory, and can describe your book in a sentence, all you have to do is write it! Here’s how my second nonfiction book, Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail, took shape. Read more
Agent Advice: Russell Galen of Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency
This installment features Russell Galen of Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency. Russell is a graduate of Brandeis University. He started within days as an apprentice to “the most colorful and successful agent of his era,” Scott Meredith, and he made his first sale within a month.
He is seeking: In fiction, his passion lies within novels that stretch the bounds of reality. A novel needs to take him some place you can’t get to in a car, whether it be the past, the future, a fantasy world, an alternate historical track, a world in which our world touches another that is hidden or rarely seen, or one which has been changed by some new technology, event, or idea. In nonfiction, he seeks strong, serious books on almost any subject—as long as they teach him something. He’s interested in science, history, journalism, biography, business, memoir, nature, politics, sports, contemporary culture, literary nonfiction, etc.
Read more
How I Got My Agent: Robert Weintraub
“How I Got My Agent” is a recurring feature on the GLA blog. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings. If you have a literary agent and would be interested in writing a short guest column for this GLA blog, e-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we’ll talk specifics.
Robert Weintraub wrote The House That Ruth Built (April 2011, Little Brown), a book that examines the 1923 Yankees; it’s a story Library Journal said all baseball lovers would enjoy. Robert is also a sports columnist for Slate and has written for ESPN.com, Play, the Guardian, Football Outsiders, and many other publications. Read more
3 Laws of Writing on Wildlife
1. All animals all the time. I’ve had a dedicated and passionate interest in wild animals and wild places since I was 8 years old. Reason? Walt Disney. It was Disney’s early short films on wildlife that sucked me in. He showed animals in their natural habitat and lots of them. One of those first films was on seals. The biologist who did the footage telegrammed Walt to ask what to do next. Disney sent a three-word answer: “Shoot more seals.” He was right then and he is still right. The First Law is: Wildlife is your subject. Read more
The 5 Keys to Selling Your Nonfiction Book or Memoir — Webinar, April 21, 2011
Selling nonfiction (and memoir) requires a different mindset. You have to step out of your writer shoes and step into business shoes. That means drafting a nonfiction book proposal with a breakdown … Read more
New Agent Alert: Dana Newman of Dana Newman Literary
Reminder: Newer agents are golden opportunities for new writers because they’re likely building their client list; however, always make sure your work is as perfect as it can be before submitting, and only query agencies that are a great fit for your work. Otherwise, you’re just wasting time and postage.
She is seeking: prescriptive and narrative nonfiction books in the areas of lifestyle and wellness (health, mind-body-spirit, and fitness), memoir, parenting, business, technology, and popular culture. Read more
How I Got My Agent: Debra Ann Pawlak
“How I Got My Agent” is a recurring feature on the GLA blog. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings. If you have a literary agent and would be interested in writing a short guest column for this GLA blog, e-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we’ll talk specifics.
Debra Ann Pawlak is the author of Bringing Up Oscar: The Men and Women Who Founded the Academy (Jan. 2011). She writes from southeastern Michigan and has authored a children’s book detailing the life of Bruce Lee. Her work has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Writer, Aviation History and
Michigan History Magazine. Read more