The latest The Write Shadow Times! paper.li/TheWriteShadow… Thanks to @syntactics @poncedesouza @ecampbellbooks #pubtip #amwriting

Synopses for editors or agents should be chock full of spoilers. We want to know all the juicy stuff that happens. Don't be a tease. #pubtip

How to pitch an agent. wordwisebooks.blogspot.com/2017/01/how-to… #pubtip

Sometimes for reading purposes we have to digitally change the font/resize/whatever. That means your careful returns become a mess. #pubtip

Don't use backstory/background on your first page. First hook the reader, then you can fill them in on the details. #pubtip

Never send your first draft to an editor or agent. Taking the time to polish is more important than getting it in early. #pubtip

And definitely don't send a submission to an editor with the salutation "Dear Agent"! (and vice versa) #pubtip

Yes, you need professional editing. #pubtip

Social media will not get you where you want to go. Get on a plane and go do some real networking in the biz. It's who you know. #pubtip

Your straight-A's in high school composition don't matter anymore. You're in the big leagues now. #pubtip

Yes, you need decent platform to sell a novel. Don't let anyone tell you differently. #pubtip

Know the vocabulary: Query, proposal, synopsis, etc. What that editor calls, you need to know what to do. #pubtip

If an agent asks for your proposal, don't say "Google me." Even "what's a proposal?" is better. It means you're thinking. #pubtip

When you mention your past publishing success, also let me know if it was written under another name. I want to know you. #pubtip

"Writing and publishing are two separate stages of a writer's work. Deal with them one at a time." -Judith Barrington #pubtip

Please don’t be fancy. Times New Roman*, 12 pt., double-spaced, 1” margins. Just like college. #pubtip

*Or other bland serif font.

Stop talking about Drumpf in your query letters. #pubtip

Thousands of social media contacts are nice. But how many of them represent your target audience? #pubtip

By the time that you identify a trend, chances are that it has already passed you by. Write your own story. #pubtip

Has God called you to write? Get educated. Even the prophets in the Bible had human teachers. #pubtip