How to Beat the Query Game: The Truth About the Slush Pile

How to Beat the Query Game: The Truth About the Slush Pile

Sep 15, 2020 | On Writing

Everywhere I go I hear writers complain about the black hole that is every literary agent’s in-box—the slush pile—that dark and dangerous place where their queries and manuscripts go in, never to be seen again. Kind of like all those socks that go into the dryer,...
Paula’s Elevator Pitch Formula

Paula’s Elevator Pitch Formula

Sep 7, 2020 | On Writing

The Elevator Pitch is that fabled 1-minute pitch you can rattle off whenever you find yourself in the company of someone who can help you publish your book: an editor, an agent, a published writer, etc. Whether you’re at a pitch slam or a hotel bar or in an actual...
Publishing Proverbs You Should Know

Publishing Proverbs You Should Know

Jul 6, 2020 | On Writing

Publishing is rife with conventional wisdom but some of it is actually useful. Here are some of the best. The first page sells the book, the last page sells the next book. I repeated this recently at a Zoom event and like an old dog full of old tricks I was surprised...
Think Like an Agent

Think Like an Agent

Aug 5, 2019 | On Writing

If you want to catch a fish, you have to think like a fish. If you want to get an agent, you have to think like an agent. That is, think like moi. (Even better, think like Janet Reid.) Move me. Like editors and publishers and readers, I’m looking for wonderful stories...
The Ten Commandments for Writers: Writing Rules to Live By

The Ten Commandments for Writers: Writing Rules to Live By

Jun 12, 2019 | On Writing

1. Thou shalt not have strange genres before me. Aspiring authors often tell me, “I don’t want to be typecast.” And I tell them, “You should be so lucky.” Sure, when you’re first starting out, you might have to write in a number of genres before you find your sweet...

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