The Authors Place–Lots of Interesting Articles
Announcing 2008 Contest: Summertime Blues
Tell us in fewer than 1,000 words (in any genre) a short story that takes place in summer. Our panel of judges will be looking for:
1. Good storytelling
2. Unique turn of words
3. Use of these words: summer, hotdogs, campfire, “Kumbiah” and blues.
4. Well-written (grammar, word usage, etc.)
Winning story will receive $50 in prize money and the first and second runner-up will receive two books of our choosing. All three stories will be published on our site. AND you can list your winning honor on writing resume or book proposal.
Guidelines: (posted July 8, 2008)
• Submit to Connie@ArmchairInterviews.com as a Word doc
(if not available, submit in inside an email)
• 1,000 words maximum
• Please underline the required words used
• Genre of your story
• Your favorite genre
• Only one submission per person
• On cover sheet, list name, email and mailing address
• Deadline is September 30, 2008
Winners will be notified after the judging decisions are made.
Get writing, get creative—and don’t wait until September 29 to submit.
Announcing – Marcher Lord Press – New Press Available (for submissions and contests)
Marcher Lord Press (MLP) is the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. Founded by Christian publishing industry veteran Jeff Gerke, MLP is dedicated to producing the best in Christian science fiction, fantasy, time travel, spiritual warfare, superhero, vampire, and other wonderfully weird Christian novels. MLP produces full-length print novels for Christian adults.
Marcher Lord Press releases three books a season in two release seasons a year: October and April. Go to http://www.MarcherLordPress.com to meet the authors, read sample chapters, see cover art, and more.
Note: Marcher Lord Press is doing a massive prize giveaway drawing on Launch Day, which is October 1, 2008.
—Everyone who signs up at the site registers to win one of the prizes.
—The grand prize is a trip for two to the 2009 ComicCON convention in San Diego.
—And whenever someone registers and mentions you as referrer, your name goes into the hat another time. The more people you tell, the better your chances of winning one of the dozens of prizes.
How To Write A Compelling Query Letter
by Wendy Keller
The most important step in getting published is to push your way past the first gatekeepers – the literary agents. That’s done with a query letter – a letter inquiring about their level of interest in your proposed book. Now the bad news: most agents see hundreds of queries a week by mail and email!
How do you differentiate yourself from this avalanche of queries?
Time, Time Ticking. Ticking Away. What happens after your agent begins selling you?
by Wendy Keller
You wrote the proposal. You’ve gotten an agent. Your proposal has been deemed worthy of presentation by your agent and his/her editorial people. You think it’s gone to New York, and other parts of the country, to meet its potential new editors. What’s actually going on and why won’t anyone tell you if it is sold yet? Because it isn’t.
Here’s what happens, in infinitesimal, intricate detail so that you understand and never, ever ask your agent again what’s going on.
Authors: Give Attention to Detail–On Every Page
Pat Morris, President of Midwest Independent Publishers Association, member of PEN, Professional Editors Network
I threw the book down in disgust. I had been editing much of the day, some of it quite technical, and all I wanted to do before I went to sleep was read something fun that someone else had already edited.
...But please, don’t make me throw your book on the floor!
Pat Morris is a professional copyeditor/proofreader, magazine editor and advocate for good writing—and of course, everything being professionally edited.
How to Manage Your Literary Agent
Submitted by Wendy Keller
I used to tell people there are three kinds of literary agents: The ones who will be your best friend. They’ll take your calls any time of day or night. They will take you to dinner, they’ll help you make hotel reservations or have you stay in their son’s bedroom when you’re in town, they’ll even take a year or so of their lives to line edit your proposal. After nearly 19 years in publishing, my observation is that those kinds of agents – and there are many of them – are not really selling books for a living. They are either housewives earning pin money or a rich husband; living off a trust fund or otherwise employed at other jobs as well.
© 2007, Keller Media, Inc. Want to use this article in your publication? Reprints welcome so long as the article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links made live.
Wendy Keller is a published author, professional speaker and literary agent. She helps authors and speakers make a difference in this world and she is behind the scenes supporting their efforts every step of the way. Wendy has developed some of the best writing tools and seminars for authors available at http://www.kellermedia.com
Audio Interviews Gaining Popularity
Audio Interviews and the Shy Writer
This article first appeared in MadTen’s web site under this title and is floating around the world. Our own Andrea Sisco was quoted.
Reprinted with permission of author, Mayra Calvani.
Audio interviews are in rising popularity as a tool of book promotion among authors. After all, all you need are a phone, a witty personality, and a talent for public speaking. The first one is easy-everybody has a phone these days. The second is a gift you may be born with if you’re lucky. The third is a skill that can be learned, improved and perfected with the right tools.
Nation Novel Writing Month
Alex McGilvery wrote this at our request. As a reviewer, he begged off taking books for NaNoWriMo–so we asked him to tell everyone more about it. Thanks Alex, and good writing.
Nation Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an annual global word fest. Writers of all stripes join together in the agony of creation beginning on the first day of November and finishing the last day of November. The idea is to write a complete novel of at least 50,000 words during those thirty days. There are no prizes except for the warm glow of a project well completed. The goal is for participants to write 50,000 words. No one reads the novels, no one complains about spelling or grammar. It is all about the joy (or agony) of writing.
NaNoWriMo, as it as come to be known, started in San Francisco in July of 1999 with just 21 participants. They discovered that novel writing could be fun, among other things, and the annual event took off from there. Last year 79,000 people participated with more than 13,000 making it to the 50,000 word mark.
While a number of participants have gone on to have their novels published, for most people the month is about that satisfaction of having actually written that novel they have always talked about. So this November, all around the world, I like thousands of other people, will curl up with a good book – my book.
For more information about National Novel Writing Month, or to sign up go to their web site at http://www.NaNoWriMo.org
10 Tips for Getting Published: Ready, Set …Wait!
by Annabelle Robertson
“How can I get an agent?”
It’s the question every writer wants to know – the one posed most frequently at book-signings, and the one readers always email me about. It’s an important one, too. After all, you can’t get a book published without one. Not really.
For most writers, however, trying to find an agent is a bit like asking how to get an audition at Carnegie Hall.
PJ Nunn Talks About Book Publicity
PJ Nunn of BreakThrough Promotions, located in Texas, answered our questions about what a publicist can do for book authors.
1. Tell us about your publicity company and its focus.
BreakThrough Promotions was started literally as a favor for a friend who felt uncomfortable trying to set up book signings for herself when her first novel was published. I was a freelance writer at the time and offered to help. Things just fell into place.
Read the entire article. (membership required)
The New York Alternative
By Jim Michael Hanson Author of The Laws thrillers
Armchair Interviews has reviewed two of Jim’s books—and our resident mystery/suspense fan, Andrea Sisco, said both were top-notch in content and quality. See our reviews.
Read the entire article. (membership required)
To Write or Not to Write, That Is the Question
By Mayra Calvani
Writer’s block. Do the words make you wince?
If you belong to that blessed, miraculous group of people who can write anywhere, anytime, who are able to switch themselves on into a writing mood like a light-switch, then your answer will be No. But if you’re like me, and belong to that cursed, demonic group who kill themselves writing that first sentence, these words will make you grimace with a heartache that plunges deeper than the Cayman Trough.
My Favorite Books on Book Marketing and Promotion Every Author Must Read
By Scott Lorenz, Westwind Communications
As a book marketing guy and book publicist, it’s imperative for me to keep up with all of the great books and magazine articles being published on the topic of book marketing.
I’ve read dozens and dozens of books on book marketing and usually have found a morsel or two of useful information in each one. Here’s a list of my favorites. By the way, I’ve personally met or have spoken to each author and can attest to the veracity of the material they present and their credentials to discuss these topics.
Read the entire article. (membership required)
What I Love about Literary Festivals (and Writing Conferences or Book Fests!)
by Judy Larsen, author of All the Numbers
http://www.judymerrilllarsen.com Blog: http://notafraidofthefword.blogspot.com
All the Numbers, released July 2006 by Random House/Ballantine
—Featured in the Target 3-for-2 promotion, January 2007 —Selected by Target as a “Breakout Book,” September 2006 —Featured in the Border’s 3-for-2 promotion, Fall 2006 —Literary Guild and Doubleday Bookclub selection
Read the entire article. (membership required)
Armchair’s Own has a New BLOG
This ONE is Special to us!
A Novel Collaboration http://KathleenBaldwin.com/blog
A Novel Collaboration: Join Andrea Sisco of Armchair Interviews and Kathleen Baldwin, a multi-published novelist, as they discuss writing and marketing a book together while still remaining friends. Read about their thoughts, offer your own writing tidbits and ask questions.
Contact Us
YOUR BOOK REVIEWED:
Authors, to contact us about a review, see the FAQ section and follow the guidelines. Then send all review requests to Andrea@ArmchairInterviews.com
“So… You Want To Start A Book Club”
By Mayra Calvani
Mayra Calvani is an author and book reviewer. Visit her website and subscribe to her free monthly newsletter, The Fountain Pen: http://www.mayracalvani.com
Starting your own book club is a great way to share your love of books with other book lovers. Chances are many book lovers would love to start a club but simply don’t know how, or for some reason think it is difficult. Starting your own book club can be easy, inexpensive, fun, and rewarding. The main requirement? A passion for words!
Step One: Decide The Kind Of Club You Want
Consider Writing for a Nice Second Income
This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.EarlytoRise.com
Printed with permission.
By Marc Charles
“We loved your reviews, Marc. I’ll FedEx a contract to you this week. We’re looking forward to great stuff from you.”
That’s what a top publisher said to me in 1994. I had just secured my first paid writing project.
Freelance writing is a great secondary business. I know dozens of freelance writers who make anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars a month to well over six figures a year. And you, too, can get paid to write.
Welcome to the Rocky Road of Publishing
“We Love Your Story But We’re Going to Have to Pass…”
By Laurel Dewey, author of PROTECTOR
A hundred years ago, a writer just had to write a good story. There was no hype, best seller list, no five star ratings, no book tours, no second guessing by agents or publishers, no white-knuckled, migraine-inducing, inflated expectations of the “next offering.” There was just the book and the populace either loved it or hated it.
Yes, the PEOPLE had the say of whether a writer was worth reading. And that is STILL the way it is. It’s the people who devour books, join book clubs, share their favorites with friends, chat about books on the Internet and love discovering new talent who will make or break a writer. The trick these days is getting your book into the hands of these people.
All-Important Research
Jo has written numerous mysteries set in England. SAINTED MURDER, 12TH NIGHT OF CHRISTMAS, PEARS BEFORE SWINE, DEATH OF AN ORDINARY GUY, and HORNS OF A DILEMMA (April 2007), all published by Hilliard & Harris. This story is about how she does the most-important research expected by mystery readers.
A Slippery Business
By Jo Hiestand
Golden Age mystery author Ngaio Marsh researched the murder method for her book Scales of Justice in her front garden, stabbing a variety of large melons with a shooting stick to observe the “head wounds” created by the stick’s pointed tip.