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.
Webinars
Want to Build Your Platform & Sell More Books? New Webinar on May 24, 2012 by C. Hope Clark
Your author platform is your personal ability to sell books, and one of the greatest tools you can possess in your arsenal of writer skills. It’s your visibility — all the ways you can reach to people and sell more copies to people who are listening to your words. If you want to have more control over your own book sales (especially if you are writing nonfiction or self-publishing your work!), then we have an excellent webinar for you. C. Hope Clark, an accomplished guru on platform and writer grants, is leading the new webinar, “Platform, the Backdoor Way: Trouble Getting Published? Keep Writing Via Other Niches, Genres, or Services” on Thursday, May 24, 2012. Read more
Agent Jim McCarthy Teaches “The 10 Elements of a Saleable Novel Today” — New Webinar With Critique on May 31, 2012
I’m very excited to announce a brand new webinar with an awesome literary agent at the helm. On Thursday, May 31, 2012, agent Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich will teach the 90-minute webinar, “10 Elements of a Saleable Novel Today” – and every attendee gets a great critique (query letter AND first pages!) from Jim. It’s an excellent opportunity to receive great instruction and get your work in front of the eyes of an awesome agent at the same time. Read more
Learn How to Sell Articles to Magazines and Newspapers (And Get a Critique!)
I know this blog is mostly about agents and book stuff, but one area of writing I’ve always been active in is article writing. If you’ve never tried to sell articles or columns, you should. It’s a great way to make money, get publication credits, and build your platform. That’s why WD Managing Editor Zachary Petit and I are teaching the awesome webinar, “Sell Freelance Articles,” on Thursday, March 1, 2012. Read more
Literary Agent Mary Kole Teaches a Webinar On How to Get Your Kids Book Published — May 10, 2012 (All Attendees Get a Free Critique)
Literary agent Mary Kole (Andrea Brown Literary), who runs the KidLit.com blog, is a wise woman when it comes to writing books for kids. Because of her great instruction and the fact that she gives critiques to all attendees, she is our popular WD webinar presenter. That’s why we’ve got her returning to teaching the 90-minute webinar, “Publish Your Children’s, Tween, or Teen Fiction in Today’s Market” at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, May 10, 2012. Read more
Create Your E-Book and Make Money Now — New Webinar With Jane Friedman on May 17, 2012
It seems like each month there’s another story about someone making a great deal of money off an e-book they created, whether it’s a fantasy novel or a nonfiction book on parenting. Creating your own e-book puts you in the driver’s seat — but do you know how to drive? Do you know how to maximize what you’ve created and get people to locate & purchase your work? To help you navigate the complicated road of creating and distributing your e-book, we’ve enlisted eMedia guru Jane Friedman, former publisher of Writer’s Digest. She’s teaching “Do Your E-Book Right (and Start Making Money NOW)” on Thursday, May 17, 2012. This is one of our most popular webinars because there is money to be made in the e-book arena if you do it right — and Jane can show you how. Read more
Agents Lori Perkins & Louise Fury Teach a New Webinar: “How to Find and Work with an Agent in the 21st Century” (Jan. 19, 2012)
The times — they are a-changing. Finding a literary agent today is unlike finding one 10 years ago. You’re dealing with electronic submissions, researching agents through Twitter, dealing with lots of information on websites, and trying to build a platform and brand online to impress them. So in today’s market, what should you be doing to best find an agent? To answer that question, we’ve enlisted two agents who pride themselves on being knowledgeable about technology: Lori Perkins and Louise Fury of L. Perkins Associates. The new webinar on Jan. 19, 2012, which includes a critique, is called “How to Find and Work with an Agent in the 21st Century.” Read more
5 Easy Ways to Build Your Writer Platform: Author Marianna Swallow Explains More on Dec. 15, 2011
Creating a writer platform is so important these days. It’s important because it makes you a valuable author who can connect with the maximum number of people and spread the news about your book. If you’re writing nonfiction, you must have a platform; if you’re writing fiction, you want a platform. That’s why we got platform expert Marianna Swallow to teach “5 Easy Ways to Build Your Writer Platform,” a new intensive webinar, on Dec. 15, 2011. Read more to learn about the webinar as well as the critique for all attendees. Read more
Agent Mary Kole is Teaching a Picture Book Intensive on Jan. 12, 2011 (Includes Full Critique For Attendees!)
Literary agent Mary Kole has run several webinars for us before. They were so successful that we’re very excited to have her back for more in 2012. This webinar on Thursday, January 12, 2012 is an intensive on picture book writing (and includes a critique of your book!). Since Mary has many several picture books (lots of debuts) in the past two years, she knows her stuff. Keep reading to learn more.
All registrants are invited to submit the full manuscript of their picture book (up to 1,000 words) after the event. All submissions are guaranteed a critique by instructor Mary Kole. Read more
Agent Mary Kole is Teaching an Intensive Webinar on Young Adult and Middle Grade Novels (Feb. 9, 2012)
Literary agent Mary Kole has run three webinars for us before. They were so successful that we’re very excited to have her back for more. This new webinar on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011 is an intensive on young adult and middle grade novel writing (and includes a critique of your book!). Since Mary has sold several YA and MG novels (debuts) in the past two years, she knows her stuff. Keep reading to learn more about “Middle Grade and Young Adult Craft Intensive: Telling Kidlit Stories in Today’s Market.” Read more
Agent Kathleen Ortiz Teaches How to Write a Great Query on Dec. 8, 2011 (Includes Query Critique!)
The query letter is that all-important first contact with literary agents. Before they opt to read your work, they have to be interested in you and your story — and that’s what the query letter does. We all know that composing a query is a completely different monster than writing a story. If you’re getting rejected at the query stage, don’t fret — we have an expert for you. Literary agent Kathleen Ortiz of Nancy Coffey Literary is teaching an intensive webinar on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011 called “How to Hook an Agent or Editor With Your Query.” The new webinar features a query critique by Kathleen for every registrant. Read more