Four literary agents gave advice at Sleuthfest on submissions for writers. The agents included Danielle Burby, Kirsten Carleton, Mark Gottlieb, and Steve Kasdin. Look them up on the Sleuthfest conference website. Danielle likes cozy mysteries, historical mysteries, domestic suspense, medieval fantasy, contemporary YA, and upmarket women’s fiction. She does not do romance or erotica. She … Read more
Writers can spin stories out of thin air. Yes, it’s true. We grab ideas out of the effluvia around us. Soon we’re building a novel. The characters gel, and the setting takes on detail. And then we’re off, pounding at the keyboard, the fervor of creation keeping us in its grip. Let me give you … Read more
It’s annoying, when I’m judging a writing contest or reading a self-published book, to find common mistakes that could be avoided with editorial help. Unfortunately, many beginning writers don’t even realize they need assistance. They’ll ask a friend or an inexperienced critique partner or a local English teacher to proofread their work, and the result … Read more
Thanks to a post by author Terry Odell, I am turning back the clock to my early blogging days. It’s incredible to realize I’ve been blogging for over ten years. I didn’t start out on WordPress and converted my site somewhere along the way. Fortunately, I save all my posts in Word. My very first … Read more
You can’t complete a full-length novel without a strict code of self-discipline. Imagine all the distractions we have throughout the day. How can a writer put these aside to focus intently on a book? How can we face a blank page each day, knowing we have to fill in the words? How can we concentrate … Read more
Freddie Award for Writing Excellence The Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America (FMWA) is proud to announce the Freddie Award for Writing Excellence competition. Designed to recognize outstanding unpublished mystery writers and novels, Freddies will be awarded to winning contestants in two categories, HARDBOILED and TRADITONAL. Hardboiled entries may include Suspense, Thriller, Espionage, Police … Read more
I attended several panels on Saturday at SleuthFest. Here are the points I took away. BOOK PUBLICITY Michael Barson spoke about book publicity. In looking for interviews, does your book have a theme related to what’s in the news? It may take six or seven books to gain traction. For a writer, the radio is … Read more
Friday morning at SleuthFest began the editor and agent panels. Here’s a summary. AGENTS Kristyn Keene likes women’s fiction, thrillers, crime fiction. Mel Berger likes an “important” book or one that has potential for being a commercial success, including romance and thrillers. Victoria Skurnick is looking for “great” books with a unique voice. No sf/fantasy. … Read more
Final Advice for Writers from #Ninc14 Novelists, Inc. Conference St. Pete Beach Oct. 2014 To summarize the concluding talks from #Ninc14, here are the final points. If you have a lifeboat or collaborative team, specify your goals. Is it to increase sales or readership, or to reach bestseller status? Series or related books sell … Read more
Author Collaborations Novelists, Inc. Conference St. Pete Beach Oct. 2014 A collaboration might consist of a single book containing a bundle of novels or novellas by different authors. The main benefit is that more experienced authors will draw attention to newer authors. It’s a cost-effective way to produce a print version of shorter works. Promotional … Read more