Insightful...
#amwriting #writingcommunity #pubtip #querytip

The Vital Difference Between Plot and Story—and Why You Need Both janefriedman.com/the-vital-diff… via @janefriedman

Someone asked me today my favorite kind of author and I said, someone who knows they don't know what they don't know. #Authors: make peace with the fact publishing is a weird industry & many things simply don't make sense. #pubtip

#pubtip: authors, your agency gets paid when you get paid! 🪡

These questions translate into the following sections
Readership
Comp Books
Platform/Marketing

Create separate sections, combine them, or integrate them into your overview. It's up to you as long as you address the Qs somewhere. #amwriting #pubtip

Many factors contribute: They like it but don't love it. It's too similar to something else they publish. Someone on the team isn't into it. My point is, you're going to get rejections. Lots of them. Prepare yourself. Ultimately you only need ONE. #pubtip

I frequently get queries in which the author doesn't understand genres, especially the romance genre. Reedsy does a good job explaining many genres. Anyone wanting to pitch their book should check it out. #getpublished #PubTip
blog.reedsy.com/book-genres/

Writers! Don't ever underestimate the power of a good platform. It's your brand. When I worked in supermarkets, Oreos always outsold the store brands. Even though they cost more. (Yes I'm looking at you, too, novelists.) #pubtip

What gets confusing is sometimes book proposals will have an overview and then include the intro as a sample chapter. This is fine if the content is expressed different enough but if it's close, then I'd choose another sample. #Pubtip

#Pubtip I just read the introduction to a forthcoming book & recognized a lot of the material from the overview of the original book proposal. If you get tripped up over the diff btwn a book intro & overview, you're not alone.

#Pubtip DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT send a submission claiming it was "Requested Material" when it was not. Sorry, but we don't work with people who try to sneak in with this approach. We want honest authors.

#pubtip Having no agent is significantly better for your career than having an agent who isn't the right fit. Don't anchor yourself to a relationship that isn't doing it for you anymore because you're worried you'll never find rep again.

Hey #authors, if you want to narrate your audiobook, let your publisher know when you negotiate the contract. If they don't agree outright, ask that you be given the opportunity to do a test narration of a few pages. #pubtip

Something I’ve realized in coming up on two decades of proposal editing: authors almost ever need to divide their chapters into Part I, Part II etc. I.m.e. this is most often an unconscious attempt to end-run the hard work of developing a strong central argument. #pubtip

Chapter summaries are the necessary evil of book proposals. They can’t seal the deal alone but done right, show you have enough depth for a whole book. #pubtip

Today's tip in Agents & Books is TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOUR BOOK IN YOUR QUERY LETTER.

katemckean.substack.com/p/tell-me-abou…

#WritingCommunity #amquerying #pubtip

Six Tips for an Unforgettable First Line by @RDRussellWrites on @MyBookTherapy #writingtip #writing #pubtip learnhowtowriteanovel.com/blog/2022/01/1…

Submit directly to publishers. 👉 If you don’t have an agent, you can often submit directly to the publisher, just check their guidelines! #pubtip

Also, make sure your publishing agreement excludes merchandising and paper product rights. It’s also a good idea to state the author reserves all rights not otherwise specified. #pubtip

A #pubtip that's getting increasingly relevant in the work-from-home era: if agents do not clearly welcome submissions by mail or list an address on their website, *absolutely do not go to creepy lengths to look up their home address and send them a physical sub that way.*

I'm closed to submissions until early Jan as are many other agents. #Pubtip it's a good habit to check agency websites/SM before querying but esp over the holidays. In the meantime, here's what you can do while waiting: