The most challenging, hair-pulling, teeth-gnashing piece of work you create as a writer is also your most single most important selling tool. If you haven’t taken the time yet to sit down and apply all your creative talents to crafting a killer synopsis, grab a chair and start right now. No matter how fabulous your […]
The title of this article may seem like a contradiction in terms. But it only seems that way. Your writing career doesn’t start with your first sale. It starts with the first word you type. By the time you sell, you need to have everything in place to market yourself and your books. By the […]
You’ve finally typed those two magic words, “The End.” Now, you’re ready to (cringe!) share your masterpiece with the world. And suddenly there are two new words to master–two words that strike terror deep into the heart of all would be (and even some established) writers. Every agent, every publishing house, everyone but your Aunt […]
I think the most painful word in the world is “rejection,” (this word is closely followed by “we can still be friends,” and “I’m sorry, we don’t make that dessert anymore,” but I digress). Rejection. Three syllables worth of disappointment, hurt, confusion—the angst-related synonyms could stretch on for eternity. There are different reasons for rejection—the […]
From the workshop by Karen Drogin aka Carly Phillips, Lori & Tony Karayianni aka Tori Carrington, and Harlequin Editor, Brenda Chin presented at the Romance Writers of America Conference, Chicago, 1999 1. BASIC TRAINING… Fall in, aspiring writers! Oh, no, we’re not talking physically. We’re talking brain here, not brawn, a kind of boot camp […]
Few things strike terror into the hearts of conference goers more than the dreaded editor or agent appointment, and yet few opportunities at a writing conference are more valuable. Here, then, are a few tips to make the experience less terrifying and more valuable. SIGN UP. Just do it. Yes, I know, those people are […]
Welcome to Tools of Publicity for the Romance Writer. Allow me to arm you with the essentials you need to persuade journalists to write stories about you, editors to publish them, and radio and television personalities to invite you on their shows. First, you need a press kit, which is a folder or other package […]
Whether you’ve gone through a Personal Branding exercise or not at this point, it’s relevant to discuss what you’re now going to DO with your Brand. How can having a Personal Brand really impact your efforts as a writer, and what are some techniques for “showing off” your Brand You can manifest your Personal Brand […]
I don’t know what I was thinking…don’t know where my head was…I guess I figured that I would write a book and just as I typed “the end,” I would hear a knock at my door. And when I opened it, I would find an editor, agent, and Oprah/Larry King’s booking people, all waiting for […]
Let’s begin with an assumption: Unless touted as the new mega-seller, whose first novel sold at auction for an astronomical, news-making advance, the average new author probably is not rolling in bucks. Agreed? We would all like bigger advances and lots of publisher perks (like an unlimited publicity budget), but the reality in the publishing […]