Yeah, I know. We all hate labels. But if our ultimate goal is space on a bookstore shelf, we have to be able to suggest to an agent or editor what shelf that might be.The best place to start is an actual bookstore. Find books like yours and see where they’re shelved (speaking as a former bookstore shelver, I can tell you how subjective this is, so don’t consider these hard and fast rules.) Some categories are traditionally paired, like Mystery/Crime and SF/Fantasy.Or try Amazon. Look for books similar to yours and scroll down to "Look for Similar...
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Zombies, Steampunk AND the Apocalypse--how can they go wrong?
Posted on 19:52 by Unknown
OK, this zombie thing is getting out of hand. Publisher’s Lunch just announced that Ballantine is coming out with, “a post-apocalyptic, neo-Victorian steampunk zombie novel in which a girl…falls in love with a rather sweet zombie boy.”OK—A steampunk Twilight with zombies—and megadeath.Can you wait for Harry Potter and the Clockwork Half-Zombie Prisoner of the Apocalypse?Maybe we can bring back chick lit with A Shopaholic Zombie’s Guide to Bustle-Shopping and Scavenging? Or Bridget Jones’ Zombie-Zeppelin: the Edge of Extinction? Arrgg...
Sunday, 22 November 2009
LITERARY OR GENRE?
Posted on 14:41 by Unknown
Hundreds of folks weighed in on the great literary vs. genre debate on Nathan Bransford's blog last month http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/10/reverse-snobbery-of-low-literary.html (He says good writers need to read both. I agree.) A few days later, in a Writers Chronicle thread http://thewriterschronicle.forumotion.net/genre-f22/ more writers debated the subject. But nothing much got resolved—I think because the definitions of both words are so slithery.I was surprised that so many commenters—mostly writers, presumably—said they dislike literary...
Friday, 20 November 2009
Last Post on Harlequin Horizons
Posted on 10:03 by Unknown
Harlequin Horizons is no more, according to Pub Lunch. After only two days, the company is going to drop the Harlequin name from the self-pub enterprise. Established Harlequin authors were seriously peev...
Thursday, 19 November 2009
More on Harlequin Horizons (Not to be confused with Carina Press)
Posted on 14:39 by Unknown
I guess I shouldn’t have allowed myself to be so hopeful about Harlequin’s new self publishing venture, which apparently is partnered with AuthorHouse. That's the uber-vanity press that has developed a ruthless reputation as it has gobbled up iUniverse, Trafford, Xlibris and so many others. Writer Beware’s Victoria Strauss http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2009/11/harlequin-horizons-another-major.html has this to say about Harlequin Horizons—and the new Thomas Nelson Christian self-publishing line, West Bow, also an AuthorHouse enterprise.“I don't...
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Harlequin's New Self-Publishing Line
Posted on 09:43 by Unknown
Could self-publishing your Women's Fiction and Romance be a solid road to mainstream publication?“Oh, no,” you say. “Scoff, scoff. Self-publishing is a dead end. The kiss of death for a fiction writing career. Strictly for amateurs.”Well, maybe not anymore. Today Harlequin launched a new self-publishing line: Harlequin Horizons. All you eager self-promoters out there—this is your chance, because:“Harlequin will monitor sales of books published through Harlequin Horizons for possible pick-up by its traditional imprints.”That’s right: they’ll track...
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Do You Write "New Adult" Fiction?
Posted on 12:22 by Unknown
There’s a new fiction genre in the publishing world: “New Adult.” This means books for single people 18-30. According to author S. Jae-Jones’ recent blogpost http://tinyurl.com/yzwgq96 it includes most of the hipper literary works of the past couple of decades, plus the now defunct (just whisper it) chick lit. Her list of New Adult-erers includes David Eggers, Michael Chabon, Jonathan Safran Foer, Bret Easton Ellis, Junot Diaz, Stieg Larsson, Neil Gaiman, and yes, Lauren Weisberger (The Devil Wears Prada.)Ouch. I guess old codgerettes like me...
Monday, 9 November 2009
CARINA PRESS NOW ACCEPTING UNAGENTED SUBMISSIONS
Posted on 09:55 by Unknown
It looks as if the future of publishing is now. While YA fiction still sells in print form, adult genre fiction—especially by new writers—has been a tough sell since the global financial meltdown.But today, the forward-looking and seemingly recession-proof Harlequin Enterprises Limited offers us an alternative to print publishing. This morning they announced the launch of a new, all-digital publishing house: Carina Press (http://www.carinapress.com)They are accepting submissions in all genres of commercial fiction—not just the romance lines they...
Friday, 6 November 2009
Writing Rule Number One: listen to your own voice
Posted on 09:34 by Unknown
Great post by Holly Root at the Waxman Agency blog today. http://waxmanagency.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/with-a-boulder-of-salt/#comment-266She says we shouldn't let all the persnickity advice about query letters terrify us out of submitting. Here’s a quote:“Never, ever let any of the voices on the internet, no matter how helpful or authoritative they aim (or claim) to be, take away from your ability to hear your own unique authorial voic...
Sunday, 1 November 2009
The Only Writer You Can Be is YOU
Posted on 19:00 by Unknown
The wonderful YA writer Natalie Whipple has a great post today on how to write a first draft.http://betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com/2009/10/tips-for-first-drafting.htmlHere’s a quote that’s a great antidote to all the marketing trends stuff that has been getting me down.“The only writer you can be is you. The only story you can write is your own. The only way you're going to stand out in the market is by channeling your own unique voice. So just accept that and enjoy it.”(Yeah, I tried that apocalyptic steampunk zombie thing, but only got 500...
Grand Prize Winner!
Posted on 09:55 by Unknown
I won Grand Prize in the Writers Chronicle "Spookiest Movie" contest. I said the movie that scared me most was Bambi. When I was four, they had to carry my terrified, weeping self from the theater. They killed his MOM, for goodness sake!And all you NaNoWriMo Warriors out there: ready, set...CARPAL TUNNEL! (Seriously, you are all brave. I tried it once and only lasted a week. ) Have f...
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