All News, No Schmooze

Monitor Twitter

2012-01-30T11:16:00.000-05:00

How to keep up with twitter posts of interest while still having a life.

http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/how-to-monitor-twitter-for-businesses-of-all-sizes_b136

Query Mistakes

2012-01-29T10:55:00.000-05:00

The most common query mistakes according to a survey of agents.

http://www.jmtohline.com/2010/12/biggest-mistakes-writers-make-when.html

Reverse Dictionary

2012-01-28T10:33:00.000-05:00

http://www.onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml

When you know the definition, but can't think of the word, you need a reverse dictionary.

Formatting No-nos

2012-01-27T10:22:00.000-05:00

Make sure you've taken care of these formatting problems before you submit.

http://behlerblog.com/2012/01/16/reminders-to-basic-manuscript-formatting/

Too Much Promotion?

2012-01-26T10:22:00.000-05:00

How to promote your book without annoying people.

http://helpineedapublisher.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-much-promotion-is-too-much.html

New Publishers

2012-01-25T10:21:00.000-05:00

How to evaluate the risks of accepting an offer from a new publisher.

http://behlerblog.com/2012/01/06/just-because-they-offered-you-a-contract-doesnt-mean-you-need-to-take-it/

List of Character Traits

2012-01-24T10:13:00.000-05:00

Which one(s) describe your characters?

http://www.superheronation.com/2008/06/04/list-of-characteristics/

Editors are Different Than Your Critique Group

2012-01-23T09:59:00.000-05:00

Here are some reasons why.

http://lynnettelabelle.blogspot.com/2012/01/editors-passed-on-same-book-critique.html

Cross-Cultural Writing

2012-01-22T10:08:00.000-05:00

Stacy Whitman of Tu Books gives advice on how to write about a culture other than your own.

http://www.omnivoracious.com/2012/01/stacy-whitman-on-writing-cross-culturally-.html#more

Internal Dialogue

2012-01-21T10:02:00.000-05:00

How do you balance internal dialogue with showing visceral responses?

http://paranormalpointofview.blogspot.com/2012/01/internal-dialogue.html

Hooks, Loglines, and Pitches

2012-01-19T09:56:00.000-05:00

What's the difference between them and examples from The Wizard of Oz.

http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2012/01/hooks-loglines-and-pitches-what-every.html

Author Marketing Tips

2012-01-18T09:42:00.000-05:00

Twelve marketing tips for 2012.

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/your-top-12-author-marketing-moves-for-2012

New MG/YA Agent

2012-01-17T09:39:00.000-05:00

Rachael Dugas of Talcott Notch Literary is looking for mg and ya, including historical fiction.

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/new-agent-alert-rachael-dugas-of-talcott-notch-literary

phrases to avoid

2012-01-16T15:36:00.000-05:00

Tighten your writing by avoiding these redundant phrases.

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/50-redundant-phrases-to-avoid/

Is Your Manuscript Ready to Submit?

2012-01-15T15:19:00.000-05:00

Ask yourself these forty questions.

http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2012/01/writers-pre-flight-checklist.html

Scene Checklist

2012-01-14T15:31:00.000-05:00

What to look for to make sure every scene has tension and conflict.

http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2010/06/scene-conflict-worksheet.html

Skype School Visits

2012-01-13T15:26:00.000-05:00

Some points to consider when you're planning a Skype school visit.

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/skype-tips/

Too Much Dialogue

2012-01-12T11:49:00.000-05:00

How to tell if your manuscript is dialogue-heavy and what to do about it.

http://theeditorsblog.net/2011/10/25/dialogue-my-characters-talk-too-much/

Breaking Your Contract

2012-01-11T15:21:00.000-05:00

Here are some suggestions from Writer Beware.

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2011/06/getting-out-of-your-book-contract-maybe.html

Is Your Agent Any Good

2012-01-10T15:17:00.000-05:00

Here are some things to look for.

http://janefriedman.com/2012/01/03/how-do-you-know-if-your-agent-is-any-good/

YA Dystopian

2012-01-09T11:15:00.000-05:00

Dystopian titles be decade of publication.

http://eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com/383211.html

Books to Film

2012-01-08T11:44:00.000-05:00

What happens to your manuscript if you send it to Hollywood?
http://www.fromthewriteangle.com/2011/12/what-happens-to-your-manuscript-in.html
http://www.fromthewriteangle.com/2011/12/what-happens-to-your-manuscript-in_16.html
http://www.fromthewriteangle.com/2011/12/what-happens-to-your-manuscript-in_18.html

Press Releases

2012-01-08T11:34:00.000-05:00

How to make your press release one that's read.

http://janefriedman.com/2011/10/28/i-hate-press-releases/

Dialogue Tips

2012-01-07T11:30:00.000-05:00

Simple advice to improve your dialogue.

http://writetodone.com/2011/12/12/10-easy-ways-to-improve-your-dialogue/

Platform

2012-01-06T11:12:00.000-05:00

Five worksheets to help you brainstorm and inventory your author platform.

http://janefriedman.com/2011/08/02/platform-worksheets/

Idea Theft

2012-01-05T11:10:00.000-05:00

Are you afraid someone will steal your work?

http://janefriedman.com/2011/10/19/idea-theft/

Children's Poetry in 2011

2012-01-04T11:03:00.000-05:00

Poetry books published in 2011 by category.

http://poetryadvocates.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/year-end-feature-childrens-poetry-titles-published-in-2011/

North American Book Awards

2012-01-03T11:01:00.000-05:00

Annotated list of nationally sponsored children's book awards.

http://www.thereadingtub.com/pdfs/national+book+awards.pdf

2012 Picture Book Writing Challenge

2012-01-02T10:56:00.000-05:00

Write 12 picture book drafts in 12 months in 2012.

http://writeupmylife.com/2011/11/30/12-x-12-in-2012-picture-book-writing-challenge/

Google+

2012-01-01T10:17:00.000-05:00

Use Google+ to connect with like-minded people.

http://www.amarketingexpert.com/publishing-insiders-wrap-up-special-guest-chris-brogan-on-google/

Author Intrusion

2011-12-31T10:07:00.000-05:00

How to identify author intrusion and fix it.

http://theeditorsblog.net/2011/12/13/weed-out-author-intrusion/

Embedding Tweets

2011-12-30T10:01:00.000-05:00

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/how-to-embed-tweets-in-your-blog_b43850
How to add a tweet within your blog post or website.

Laying Clues

2011-12-29T09:57:00.000-05:00

How to write a mystery so you're readers won't fell you cheated.

http://paranormalpointofview.blogspot.com/2011/12/laying-clues-and-adding-twists-to-our.html

Point of View

2011-12-28T09:51:00.000-05:00

A great post, with diagrams, explaining the different points of view.

http://diymfa.com/2011/12/07/the-last-point-of-view-cheat-sheet-youll-ever-need/

Rejection

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

25 truths every writer should know about rejection.

http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2011/12/13/25-things-writers-should-know-about-rejection/

Stages of Writing a Book

2011-12-26T09:39:00.000-05:00

Here are the five turning points on the way from idea to finished manuscript.

http://howtoplanwriteanddevelopabook.blogspot.com/2011/12/five-major-turning-points-on-road-to.html

Big Revision

2011-12-25T09:38:00.000-05:00

According to agent Mary Kole, "unless you make big changes, a revision isn’t worth doing."

http://kidlit.com/2011/12/07/big-revision/

Money Stuff

2011-12-24T09:35:00.000-05:00

Book royalties, advances, and money.

http://writerunboxed.com/2011/11/28/11-frequently-asked-questions-about-book-royalties-advances-and-making-money/

First Novels

2011-12-23T09:29:00.000-05:00

Ten hints to increase the chances your first novel won't turn into one of your "practice novels."

http://fictiongroupie.blogspot.com/2011/12/can-first-novel-find-publisher-10-dos.html

Character Names

2011-12-22T09:26:00.000-05:00

Many sites listed to help you find the perfect character names.

http://tnt-tek.com/writing/how-do-you-come-up-with-character-names-an-exhaustive-list/

Active and Static Backstory

2011-12-21T09:22:00.000-05:00

Different ways to weave backstory into your manuscript.

http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2011/12/active-versus-static-backstory-and.html

Life Cycle of a Book

2011-12-20T12:27:00.000-05:00

From writing through publicity, videos about each step along the way.

http://publishingtrendsetter.com/life-cycle-book/

Basic Social Media Tips

2011-12-19T12:23:00.000-05:00

50 quick, dirty, and cheap ways to improve your social media presence.

http://blog.commpro.biz/socialmediazone/featured/50-quick-dirty-and-cheap-ways-to-improve-your-social-media-presence/

Book Talks/Signings

2011-12-18T12:22:00.000-05:00

A detailed list of what you and the event organizer need to know.

http://yodiwan.com/2011/09/15/what-authors-and-venues-need-to-know-about-scheduling-book-talks-signings/

Good and Bad Rejections

2011-12-17T12:19:00.000-05:00

How to make your rejections work for you.

http://www.autocrit.com/websitepublisher/articles/114/1/Ten-Ways-To-Make-Rejection-Work-For-You-Not-Against-You/Page1.html

Press Releases

2011-12-16T12:17:00.000-05:00

What you need to include in your press release.

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/03/how-to-write-a-press-release-a-mini-tutorial/

Dead Parents

2011-12-15T12:01:00.000-05:00

How can you show the influence of your character's missing parents on his/her lift?

http://fantasy-faction.com/2011/disney-parents-dead-mothers-and-absent-fathers

Storyboards for Revision

2011-12-14T11:35:00.000-05:00

How a detailed storyboard can keep your manuscript on track.

http://www.plotmonkeys.com/2011/11/10/guest-author-joan-swan/

First Line

2011-12-13T11:59:00.000-05:00

Some hints to hook your reader right from the outset.

http://carolriggs.blogspot.com/2011/11/hook-first-line.html

Writer's Block

2011-12-12T11:57:00.000-05:00

12 Steps to get past a case of writer's block.

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2011/11/30/cure-writers-block/

Manuscript Flaws

2011-12-11T11:41:00.000-05:00

45 errors that will show your lack of storytelling experience.

http://www.plottopunctuation.com/blog/show/forty-five-more-flaws-that-expose-your-lack-of-storytelling-experience-part-1

Query Letters

2011-12-10T11:39:00.000-05:00

A brief description of what to include in a query letter.

http://timetowrite.blogs.com/weblog/2011/11/what-writers-should-include-in-a-query-letter-to-publishers-or-agents.html

Premature Editing

2011-12-09T11:31:00.000-05:00

Does revising before you finish your first draft kill your creativity?

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/editing-are-butchering-your-creativity/

Extending the Life of Your Book

2011-12-08T11:25:00.000-05:00

Tips to keep up interest in your book after the first few post-launch months.

http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-prolong-your-books-exposure.html

Query Personalization

2011-12-07T11:18:00.000-05:00

Don't try to a fake the personalization on your query.

http://kidlit.com/2011/11/09/query-personalization/

First Person

2011-12-06T11:17:00.000-05:00

Why it's a problem and why writers are drawn to it.

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2011/10/problem-with-first-person-but-why.html

Small Presses

2011-12-05T11:15:00.000-05:00

What are the advantages and disadvantages of publishing with a small press.

http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/small/

First Person

2011-12-04T17:39:00.000-05:00

Why are writers drawn to it?

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2011/10/problem-with-first-person-but-why.html

Coping with Rejection

2011-12-03T17:36:00.001-05:00

How to keep going after rejection.

http://www.novelmatters.com/2011/08/six-tips-for-when-rejection-happens.html

Voice

2011-12-02T17:24:00.000-05:00

How to craft a great voice.

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/05/how-to-craft-great-voice.html

Parents

2011-12-01T17:21:00.000-05:00

How to handle parents in your book.

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/how-to-avoid-parenting-your-characters

Book Piracy

2011-11-30T17:18:00.001-05:00

What can you do about it?

http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/11/authors-and-book-piracy/

Marketing Your Book

2011-11-29T17:13:00.000-05:00

An extensive list of links about marketing.

http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/08/how-to-market-your-book/

Contests

2011-11-28T17:04:00.000-05:00

Why it's worthwhile to enter contests before you submit to agents and editors.

http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2011/11/treating-pain-of-rejection.html

Writing Flaws

2011-11-27T17:12:00.000-05:00

45 flaws described in detail that show your lack of storytelling experience.

http://www.plottopunctuation.com/blog/show/forty-five-more-flaws-that-expose-your-lack-of-storytelling-experience-part-5

Blog Comments

2011-11-26T17:01:00.000-05:00

Why comments are important and how to generate more of them.

http://www.publetariat.com/sell/author-blogging-101-comments

New YA Imprint

2011-11-25T16:51:00.000-05:00

British Publisher, Angry Robot, will launch a new YA imprint, Strange Chemistry in September 2012.

http://angryrobotbooks.com/2011/11/introducing-strange-chemistry-our-new-ya-imprint/

Character Driven

2011-11-25T16:50:00.000-05:00

Everyone seems to be looking for character driven picture books like these.

http://robsanderswrites.blogspot.com/2011/08/c-character-driven.html

MG Marketing

2011-11-24T16:47:00.000-05:00

Two things every MG author should do to publicize a book.

http://lisa-schroeder.livejournal.com/390127.html

School Visits

2011-11-23T16:45:00.001-05:00

What mistakes do authors make in school visits?

http://schoolvisitexperts.com/?p=537

High Concept

2011-11-22T16:44:00.000-05:00

What do editors and agents mean when they talk about "high concept?"

http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/08/what-is-high-concept/

Contracts

2011-11-21T16:37:00.000-05:00

Ten contract items that may give you a headache.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/soapbox/article/48002-contract-headaches.html

Google+

2011-11-20T16:35:00.000-05:00

How to set up an author or book page on Google+.

http://inkygirl.com/inkygirl-main/2011/11/8/how-to-set-up-an-author-or-book-page-on-google.html

Book Release

2011-11-19T16:34:00.000-05:00

A timeline for what you need to do in the months before your book's release.

http://www.lisaschroederbooks.com/2010/02/timeline-and-checklist-for-ya-of-mg.html

Word Frequency

2011-11-18T16:32:00.000-05:00

Here's an easy way to find out if you're overusing certain words.

http://writewords.org.uk/word_count.asp

Unpublished Writers

2011-11-17T16:32:00.000-05:00

Does it make sense to blog before you're published?

http://kidlit.com/2010/07/21/should-unpublished-writers-blog/

Agent Search No-nos

2011-11-15T16:59:00.000-05:00

Agent John Cusick tells what not to do when you're looking for an agents.

http://johnmcusick.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/ten-surefire-ways-to-turn-off-a-prospective-agent/

YA and First Person

2011-11-14T16:25:00.000-05:00

Why is the first person POV the norm in YA?

http://adventuresinagentland.blogspot.com/2011/10/why-i.html

Ending Your Story

2011-11-13T16:54:00.000-05:00

Sometimes all you need is to cut the last sentence, paragraph, or scene.

http://fantasy-faction.com/2011/the-end-wrapping-up-your-stories

Picture Book Questions

2011-11-12T16:47:00.000-05:00

Answers to many questions about getting your picture book published.

http://literaticat.blogspot.com/2011/07/whole-lot-of-info-about-picture-books.html

How to Get an Agent

2011-11-11T16:46:00.000-05:00

Agent Jill Corcoran provides links to her posts on how to get an agent.

http://jillcorcoran.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-get-agent.html

Goodreads

2011-11-10T16:45:00.000-05:00

How to get the most out of the largest reader social media site.

http://shrinkingvioletpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/10/lia-keyes-making-full-use-of-goodreads.html

Fear of Rejection

2011-11-09T16:43:00.000-05:00

Some ideas to help you get past your fear of rejection and submit your manuscript .

http://lisa-schroeder.livejournal.com/387350.html

Redundant Phrases

2011-11-08T16:41:00.000-05:00

Tighten your writing by eliminating these phrases.

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/50-redundant-phrases-to-avoid/

Digital Books for Kids

2011-11-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

What you need to know about the different types of digital books available for kids.

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/10/making-sense-of-digital-books-for-kids-part-1/
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/10/making-sense-of-digital-books-for-kids-part-2/

Naming Your Characters

2011-11-06T16:31:00.000-05:00

Here are some mistakes to avoid when you name your character.

http://fictiongroupie.blogspot.com/2011/10/5-tips-for-not-screwing-up-your.html

Reconnecting With Your Work-in-Progress

2011-11-05T16:28:00.000-04:00

Some tips to get you back on track after you've had to step away from your manuscript.

http://writeitsideways.com/6-ways-to-reconnect-with-your-work-in-progress/

New MG/YA Publisher

2011-11-04T10:26:00.000-04:00

Algonquin will start publishing middle grade and young adult novels.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/49287-elise-howard-moves-to-algonquin-to-start-list.html

Sales Data from Publishers

2011-11-03T16:22:00.000-04:00

An interesting article about how the big three publishers will be sharing sales data with their authors.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/20/business/media/authors-to-get-sales-data-from-three-big-publishers.html

Search Engine Optimization

2011-11-02T16:20:00.000-04:00

As a writer, is it worth your while to try and improve your search engine results?

http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/10/do-writers-need-to-worry-about-google/

YA Voice

2011-11-01T16:17:00.001-04:00

Two blog posts about perfecting your YA voice.

http://ingridsnotes.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/perfecting-your-ya-voice-part-1/
http://ingridsnotes.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/perfecting-your-ya-voice-part-2/

Tips to Drive Traffic to Your Site

2011-10-31T17:03:00.000-04:00

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2011/10/18/39ways-to-drive-traffic-to-your-site/
What good is a website/blog if no one sees it?

Online Etymology Dictionary

2011-10-30T17:00:00.001-04:00

Do you need to know the earliest a word was used to make your novel historically accurate?

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?

Retiring a Novel

2011-10-29T12:34:00.000-04:00

When is it time to give up on a manuscript and move on to the next one?

http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/10/a-time-to-kill-your-novel/

New Publishers

2011-10-28T12:33:00.000-04:00

Should you take a chance on a new publisher?

http://behlerblog.com/2011/10/10/the-falling-domino/

Contact Info

2011-10-27T12:30:00.000-04:00

Make sure it's easy for people to find your contact info.

http://catwoods.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/contact-tip-for-writers/

Types of Voice

2011-10-26T12:23:00.000-04:00

Editor Krista Marino says voice is made up of: diction, perspective, characterization, and dialog.

http://ingridsnotes.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/perfecting-your-ya-voice-part-1/

Historical Fantasy

2011-10-25T12:18:00.000-04:00

What's the difference between steampunk and gaslamp fantasy?

http://enchantedinkpot.livejournal.com/104323.html

Rhetorical Devices

2011-10-24T12:16:00.000-04:00

50 fancy names for some great writing hints.

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/50-rhetorical-devices-for-rational-writing/

Marketing Your Novel

2011-10-23T12:09:00.000-04:00

From before you even sell it to after it hits the shelf.

http://adventuresinagentland.blogspot.com/2011/10/tips-on-marketing-your-novel.html