Q: My grammar school teachers always told me that it was wrong to start a sentence with the word “because,” but I commonly see it in books today. What’s the rule?—Roger Allen A: Grammar teachers across the U.S., please don’t hate me, as I’m about to expose the awful truth you’ve been trying to...
Writing Editor Blogs
The Writer’s Dig
by Brian A. Klems
Online Editor Brian A. Klems covers everything about writing on his blog. From grammar to writing tips to publishing advice to best practices in finding an agent to fueling your creative fire, he’s got you covered by pulling in great tips (not just from himself but from from other published and award-winning authors, too). Check out his advice—your writing career will thank you. Read Brian’s Blog
Guide to Literary Agents Blog
by Cris Freese
The GLA blog keeps track of all news related to literary agents and writing conferences. Common features include agent interviews, new agency listings, agency profiles, upcoming conferences of interest, contests and other publishing opportunities, valuable writing resources, submission tips and information, and a blogroll of other agent blogs. Read the Guide to Literary Agents Blog
There Are No Rules
by the editors of Writer’s Digest
Get on the cutting edge of today’s publishing trends and how authors can succeed in a world of fast-paced technological change, guided by the editors of Writer’s Digest. You’ll get an inside look at the work, play, and passion of the publishing business and find practical tools for success. Read There Are No Rules
Poetic Asides
by Robert Brewer
Published poet Robert Lee Brewer blogs on issues affecting poets from the poet’s perspective. As the editor of Writer’s Market, Brewer also shares insights on the publishing industry, especially as it relates to poetry and the poetry markets. He also explains poetic forms, interviews other published poets, and provides the occasional poetry prompt. Read Robert’s Blog
Middle Grade vs. Young Adult: What's the Difference?
The MigWriters site has an amazing post breaking down the difference between the two children’s categories of middle grade and young adult. To define the two, they pull a lot of good info from a variety of different sources – editors, agents (such as Lucienne Diver of The Knight Agency) and writers alike. It’s just...
Excellent (and Free) Presentation on Self-Publishing
At our conference last week, April Hamilton gave an in-depth presentation on the basics of getting started in self-publishing—or as an indie author. Click here to download her presentation as a PDF file. I blogged some tips from her session on the Writer’s Digest Conference blog, which I’m reposting below. April’s definition of an...
Best Tweets Returns Mid-October
Due to Writer’s Digest events & other travel (my birthday travel & my mother’s birthday travel), Best Tweets is on hiatus until the week ending October 16. Those who have been sending recommendations: I still have them on tap and will see if they’re still appropriate for the next round-up. Thankfully, after this hiatus,...
Ten Years of Your Life in Two Pages
Monday calls for writing prompts and exercises, they’re a way to shake the weekend out of us, stretch our writing muscles, and get back into the writing groove. Abigail Thomas, author of the beautiful, heartbreaking memoir A Three Dog Life, suggests many great exercises on her author website under “Getting Started.” I stop by...
The Top 20 Lessons From WD Mag in 2009: No. 20
Hey writers, The 90th anniversary issue of WD is fast approaching (it’s our January 2010 installment, which ships to subscribers Nov. 24 and hits newsstands Dec. 15), and Editor Jessica Strawser and I are rapidly working to get everything out on time. Which means another year of magazines is about to start. Being the...
Can You Publish a Book if You Live in Another Country?
Q. Can I publish a book in the US even if I don’t live there? I am an American living in Argentina, I don’t know for how much longer. I’ve been writing a book for a while but I don’t want to get my hopes up of publishing it if I can’t do it...
Pitch Your TV Idea to Agents, Execs, and Producers… on Oct. 5!
Hey, folks— Just wanted to let you know, I’m hosting and moderating Mediabistro’s “Pitch Slam” next Monday, October 5… and for anyone working on an idea for the next “Royal Pains,” “30 Rock,” or “Kitchen Nightmares,” this is an incredible opportunity! Here’s how it works: we bring in a panel of TV...
Remembering Jim Carroll in Prompts
Hey writers, Here’s to poet, memoirist and rock n’ roller Jim Carroll, who recently died, reportedly working away at his desk. Carroll is perhaps best known for the chronicle of his heroin addiction and youth, The Basketball Diaries, which was raw, disturbing and poignant. Thus, today, I offer a pair of Literary Roadshow prompts...
New Agent Alert: Teresa Kietlinski of Prospect Agency
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: "As an...
Resources for submitting to literary journals
TGIF! Sooo happy it’s Friday, though I do have a class tonight. But it’s short. And I am meeting a friend for wine first. That helps. More importantly: For those of you who are in the process of submitting to literary journals/ magazines, I wanted to share a few resources I’m finding helpful. 1. ...
The First Writer's Digest Editor's Intensive (And a Boy's First Snowman)
Today’s guest post is by the generous Darrelyn Saloom, who has brought numerous new readers to my blog. I thank her and I thank you. Follow Darrelyn on Twitter. Imagine writing a book (any genre, fiction or nonfiction), typing away for ages and then opening an e-mail that says Writer’s Digest (a magazine you’ve...
Two and a Half Men: Giving Characters Tangible Wants & Conflicts
I often talk in my TV-writing classes about the importance of giving characters TANGIBLE wants, obstacles, conflicts, etc. In other words, we sometimes give our characters internal objectives and obstacles– like the desire to find love, absolve guilt, give forgiveness, be at peace, etc.– but it’s important to find physical, tangible, or visual ways...
A Note About My Good Friend Earl
There’s a joke by Jay Leno that goes something like: Go through your phone book, call people and ask them to drive you to the airport. The ones who will drive you are your true friends. And there’s another saying, in publishing: Only work with authors who you wouldn’t mind being stranded with in...
Agent Advice: Matt Bialer of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates
his installment features Matt Bialer of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Matt has been in the publishing community since 1985, including 14 years in the book division of the William Morris Agency. He is looking for: fantasy, science fiction, thrillers, and mysteries as well as a select group of literary writers. He represents many veteran authors,...
Formatting Questions? Try This…
I’ve gotten a lot of formatting questions lately, everything from how to do slugs and shot headings to the correct way to show different sides of a phone conversation. I’ve emailed some of you back directly (and some of you I’ll get to shortly, I promise), but I also wanted to introduce a great...
Today requires a list
Today’s one of those days when my brain is working, yes, but my thoughts are all over the place. I feel mentally and intellectually disorganized. It probably doesn’t help that my house is a mess. It’s not dirty, it’s cluttered. On the table next to me: 5 candles (what? who needs 5 candles...
Did your story take home the Promptly gold?
It’s that time again — time, alongside a Writer’s Digest comrade, to gnash our teeth, hold our breath and force ourselves to pick a top story from the past month’s creative cavalcade of responses to various prompts. For August-September, with the help of magazine staffer and WD Books Editor Scott Francis, we selected Megan...
How to Succeed in Today's Publishing Industry (Takeaways from Conference)
By noon on Saturday, attendees were commenting that they’d already gotten their money’s worth. I consider that a big win! If you missed the event, you can still get some valuable takeaways: Meryl Evans has compiled Tweets from the event, which I’ve made available for printing and download on Scribd. You can also read...
Instant Publishing Tools: Getting Noticed & Visible
Today I taught an online class about instant publishing tools that can help you get exposure for your work in digital formats. Thanks to all the participants who joined me today. Here’s a summary of some of the sites & tools we reviewed (a handy reference for the attendees, as well as a good...
Chris Morehouse Leaves Dunham Literary
I just got word that agent Chris Morehouse of Dunham Literary has stopped agenting. I am going to pull Chris’s interview with me off the blog so readers don’t query Chris by mistake. But that said, I wanted to post a few of the Q&A’s from that interview that I thought would help writers....
Do Agents Steal Your Stamps? (The SASE Conundrum)
Q: Do agents steam off the stamps on self-addressed, stamped envelopes (SASEs) and resell them?! The agents demand pages, SASEs, that sort of‑thing, but—and I know this sounds cynical—many of my queries disappear.—Don B. A:Of course agents don’t steam off stamps from SASEs and resell them. They steam them off and use the stamps...
How I Got My Agent: Kate Douglas
"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...
Why Do Agents Have 30- or 60-Day Cancel Clauses?
I’ve always wondered the answer to this question, and it was answered over the weekend by an agent at the Writer’s Digest Conference: The Business of Getting Published. What I’m talking about are cancellation clauses in agent contracts – meaning, if you want to end the relationship, they ask for one last stretch of...
Just One More Blogging Benefit for Aspiring Writers
As I catch up from being away at the Writer’s Digest Conference (read more than 100 posts with info here!), guest blogger Jane Koenen Bretl is filling in with some more advice on the benefits of blogging! When I started my blog jane, candid in January 2009, it was my starting point to create...