Just wanted to let people know that my new post is up over at the editor co-op blog, The Blood-Red Pencil. Conflicting Advice: Emerging Authors Want To Know! is about what to do when an editor's advice conflicts with your own ideas about how a story should go, or what to do when different editors disagree about a story's construction.
And don't forget to check out Mayra Calvani's interview from yesterday. A great travel story, suggestions for writing book reviews, and advice on how to juggle several genres all rolled into one!
Showing posts with label The Blood Red Pencil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Blood Red Pencil. Show all posts
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Resources Round-Up for Emerging Authors and Friday's Guest
Here's a round-up of some of the good sites and posts I've come across recently. Hope you find something useful!
Also, don't forget to stop back in for Community Fridays. This week's guest is Larry Hodges, author extraordinaire and ex table-tennis coach.
Is your likelihood of getting published truly infinitesimal? Well, it depends. This article about publication by Victoria Strauss over at Writer Beware Blogs! lays out some good points. One thing that emerging authors don't always take into consideration when submitting manuscripts is whether their writing (or even just the query letter!) is really good enough to compete with the best, harsh as it may sound. Writer Beware Blogs! is also a great resource for keeping track of scams in the writing and publishing industry, such as shady agents and questionable contests. Victoria is a good resource in and of herself, if you get the lucky chance to meet her at a convention or conference!
Here are two great resource posts by author and editor Edmund Schubert over at the Side-Show Freaks blog. This post lists a bunch of basic definitions for writers, for words such as 'byline,' 'niche,' and 'SASE.' And did you know that you should include your name, phone number, email address, and snail mail address on any submission, even if it's an email/online submission? This post gives a quick run-down of submission basics.
For those emerging authors in or near the Baltimore area, the Baltimore Writers' Conference is this weekend, on November 8. I just realized I will be here on Saturday, and I won't be going to the Random House Book Fair sponsored by the Carroll County Community College in Westminster, MD, which has just been moved to March 2009. Good thing I checked! So I might go after all... although the $95 price tag is a big of a deterrent. We shall see.
Finally, a quick update on my revising and editing class with Jeffrey Roth. Class is going well. Jeffrey is engaging and knowledgeable about his subject. Kind of makes my brain want to explode, but it will all be worth it when my writing improves.
Update: My newest Emerging Authors Want To Know! post is up over at the Blood-Red Pencil Blog. This one talks about what it's like to be a published author AND a professional editor at the same time. Hope you enjoy!
Also, don't forget to stop back in for Community Fridays. This week's guest is Larry Hodges, author extraordinaire and ex table-tennis coach.
Is your likelihood of getting published truly infinitesimal? Well, it depends. This article about publication by Victoria Strauss over at Writer Beware Blogs! lays out some good points. One thing that emerging authors don't always take into consideration when submitting manuscripts is whether their writing (or even just the query letter!) is really good enough to compete with the best, harsh as it may sound. Writer Beware Blogs! is also a great resource for keeping track of scams in the writing and publishing industry, such as shady agents and questionable contests. Victoria is a good resource in and of herself, if you get the lucky chance to meet her at a convention or conference!
Here are two great resource posts by author and editor Edmund Schubert over at the Side-Show Freaks blog. This post lists a bunch of basic definitions for writers, for words such as 'byline,' 'niche,' and 'SASE.' And did you know that you should include your name, phone number, email address, and snail mail address on any submission, even if it's an email/online submission? This post gives a quick run-down of submission basics.
For those emerging authors in or near the Baltimore area, the Baltimore Writers' Conference is this weekend, on November 8. I just realized I will be here on Saturday, and I won't be going to the Random House Book Fair sponsored by the Carroll County Community College in Westminster, MD, which has just been moved to March 2009. Good thing I checked! So I might go after all... although the $95 price tag is a big of a deterrent. We shall see.
Finally, a quick update on my revising and editing class with Jeffrey Roth. Class is going well. Jeffrey is engaging and knowledgeable about his subject. Kind of makes my brain want to explode, but it will all be worth it when my writing improves.
Update: My newest Emerging Authors Want To Know! post is up over at the Blood-Red Pencil Blog. This one talks about what it's like to be a published author AND a professional editor at the same time. Hope you enjoy!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Editor Selection: Emerging Authors Want To Know! at Blood-Red Pencil
My new Emerging Authors Want To Know! post is up over at The Blood-Red Pencil. This one deals with how you choose an editor once you've decided that you need one, and how different editors can fulfill different purposes. Should you talk with an editor before sending over your work? Do editors offer "sample edits" so you can get an idea of what they do? Find out today at The Blood-Red Pencil!
I'm at Caplave today, so I won't be hanging around the blog. But I will be meeting all sorts of new and wonderful people from the science fiction literary community - I'll post a recap on Monday!
If you haven't already, check out the Community Friday interview with Andy Ross. Great info for anyone who's ever wanted to know more about agents.
I'm at Caplave today, so I won't be hanging around the blog. But I will be meeting all sorts of new and wonderful people from the science fiction literary community - I'll post a recap on Monday!
If you haven't already, check out the Community Friday interview with Andy Ross. Great info for anyone who's ever wanted to know more about agents.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Recognition for the Blood-Red Pencil Blog
I mentioned a while back that I'm now the "emerging author" voice on the Blood-Red Pencil, a co-op blog by an excellent group of editors with daily posts useful for emerging and established authors. Well, seems like we're doing something right - on Saturday, our blog was chosen as a 'blog of note' by freelance writers Laura Spencer over at Writing Thoughts. Thanks Laura!
And speaking about the Blood-Red Pencil, my new Emerging Authors Want To Know! feature is up today. This one is about my fear of evil editors, and what they'll do to my poor manuscript. There are some great replies, especially what happens to a manuscript once it enters the slush pile. Stop by, and don't forget to read the comments - there's even more good stuff going on there!
And speaking about the Blood-Red Pencil, my new Emerging Authors Want To Know! feature is up today. This one is about my fear of evil editors, and what they'll do to my poor manuscript. There are some great replies, especially what happens to a manuscript once it enters the slush pile. Stop by, and don't forget to read the comments - there's even more good stuff going on there!
Monday, September 29, 2008
One More Thing You Might Not Know About Me
I have a regular guest feature over on The Blood Red Pencil, a blog for writers all about various aspects of editing. The feature is called Emerging Authors Want To Know, and the second installment about grammar is available here. Does anyone care whether or not you know what a passive past participle is? Does such a thing even exist? Find out today on the Blood Red Pencil blog!
Monday, September 22, 2008
New Feature on The Blood-Red Pencil Blog
Have you checked out The Blood-Red Pencil blog yet? If you're a writer looking for advice on editing (and writing in general), you should definitely take a look. The Blood-Red Pencil is a group blog on which professional editors discuss everything from the character creation to grammar to the ins and outs of modern-day writing tools.
Now, I'm not a professional editor, but I am an emerging author with a whole lot of questions. I could just pester these editors individually, but I guess they figured some of my questions might be applicable to a general audience. And so, they've invited me to host a regular feature called Emerging Authors Want To Know!
In the first installment of Emerging Authors Want To Know!, I ask the Exalted Editors about manuscript formatting. I recently submitted my first short story to an online literary magazine, and I regularly went into cold sweats waiting for a response, wondering whether or not I'd formatted the story correctly.
Is proper formatting still as important in the Digital Age as it used to be? Does bad formatting lead to automatic rejection? Find the answers to these questions and more today at The Blood-Red Pencil.
Now, I'm not a professional editor, but I am an emerging author with a whole lot of questions. I could just pester these editors individually, but I guess they figured some of my questions might be applicable to a general audience. And so, they've invited me to host a regular feature called Emerging Authors Want To Know!
In the first installment of Emerging Authors Want To Know!, I ask the Exalted Editors about manuscript formatting. I recently submitted my first short story to an online literary magazine, and I regularly went into cold sweats waiting for a response, wondering whether or not I'd formatted the story correctly.
Is proper formatting still as important in the Digital Age as it used to be? Does bad formatting lead to automatic rejection? Find the answers to these questions and more today at The Blood-Red Pencil.
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