Category Archives: advice

December 04, 2012   John   advice, covers, fun, John, lists, writing  
5

A writer’s life

So, it’s December, which means it’s list season—in other words, the blog posts write themselves (I wish)!

Well, rather than look at the best-of-2012 lists (which would end up showcasing how few of the best-of-2102 I’ve actually read), I thought I’d share this little piece from Jason Pinter on the Huffington Post on the great and not-so-great aspects of being a writer. It’s all good fun, though I do find it a little disturbing that so many of the “great” things involve validation from other people—and that so many of the “not-so-great” are external as well. Do you find that to be the case, too? Are there any great/not-so-great things you would add to the list? I’d imagine writer’s block would fit in somewhere…

And for more good fun, DEFINITELY check out the bad book covers link he mentions!

 

November 29, 2012   Jessica   advice, gift books, holidays  
3

Analysis Paralysis

Here’ s a happy holiday story from author  Ann Patchett on her independent bookstore, Parnassus, which she and a partner opened in Nashville and seems to be a roaring success.  So far the book-buying season is shaping up fairly nicely if this PW piece and  the recent purchases of my colleague, Stacey, are any indication.

I too obey the commandment to Support Thy Local Bookseller, worship at the altar of the Book-as-Perfect-Gift and in all ways submit to the myriad orthodoxies of bookworld (ebook exciting! Print book not dead!) but I admit that I spend an unhealthy amount of time ruminating over books as presents.  I am not a shopper by nature–retail spaces exert a debilitating power over my ability to remember what I came in for—but I like bookstores, and can easily while away hours I don’t have in their stacks.  Selecting the precisely-right volume for a meaningful holiday gift is, however, no easy feat.  Much as I try to remind myself that the perfect can be the enemy of the good (in this instance anyway), and there is no “one” pre-ordained volume that found wrapped beneath the tree will be universally acknowledged to be THE BEST GIFT EVER, I can get a little stuck.  I select and then discard a dizzyingly long list of possible books, running them through a matrix based on the recipient’s taste, the book’s reviews, its visibility relative to its obscurity (some folks want to read award-winners, others dig the overlooked gems), plot points that might reinforce or unpleasantly remind its recipient of real life events, appropriateness of content if picked up by recipient’s seven year old twins, and dozens of other factors.  I nearly always overwhelm myself into buying at least one, sometimes two, books for myself, as a consolation for all the mental effort and on the grounds that I know for sure that I will like them.  I repeat this ritual as necessary, until all my holiday shopping is done or I run out of money.

How do you choose? Do you predicate the book on your own tastes (I know folks who give copies of the same book to everyone they know, like a signature cocktail) elicit holiday wishlists, interrogate family members, or simply hand over a gift card?

 

November 16, 2012   Stacey   advice, creativity, motivation, Stacey, writing  
1

A pep talk for writers

It’s been a long, challenging couple of weeks around these parts. Most talk has centered on storms, power, snow, water damage, trees down and the like. But thankfully we’re also getting back to business. The normalcy of daily activities is a welcome change.

So it seems like a good time to reflect and think about what makes us tick, and what makes us better. I came across this post from writersdigest.com that speaks to what bestselling writers do differently than others. These ideas apply to other areas of life too, and certainly to a writing life. I like the line: “Genius is seeing the inevitable before everyone else, the possibilities before it’s even a consideration.” Reminders to stay focused, pay attention to the world around you, beat resistance, keep working even when it hurts, and use every rejection as an opportunity are always useful.

So as we return to our regular lives and start thinking ahead to Thanksgiving and the holidays, take some time to reflect on your life, your passion, your work, and what you can do to make it the best it can be. Sometimes it’s just a little something each day that makes you feel good. Remember to try to enjoy the process too. Difficult as it may be, we are all doing the best we can despite the unanticipated obstacles that sometimes and inevitably get in the way.

November 06, 2012   John   advice, John, writing  
1

World building

Between Election Day (make sure you vote!) and Sandy (hope everyone made it through okay), the real world seems very “real” at the moment. But as the good folks at Paper Lantern Lit reminded me in an insightful blog post today, when it comes to books, making a world seem real is an act of careful creation—or, to put it another way, “world building”.

Now, the first time I heard the term “world building,” it was in reference to a fantasy novel. And indeed, I think when people talk about world building, they’re usually talking about fantasy or sci-fi, where the mechanics of the world can be a major selling point. Think about all those times when the narrator of a sci-fi movie trailer opens with “in a world where…”

But note how the PLL team stresses that world building applies to ALL fiction, not just genre—that it’s just as important in your present-day, realistic, issue-driven YA as in your space opera. To me, that’s a key point that very easy to lose sight of when you’re writing about the “real” world. Fortunately, they give good concrete ideas for how to get started and maintain your world throughout the writing process. In particular, the section on Rules is very instructive (not to mention pretty darn funny).

I’ll just mention, too, that as an agent I’ve noticed that world building has become a bigger area of attention for editors—certainly it’s become a more frequent reason for turn-downs. True, it’s partly because editors have been flooded with fantasy and paranormal stories so they’re naturally pickier, but even in realistic fiction, the need to create a coherent, believable world has never been more important.

So, check out the blog, and then let’s build a better world together!

(sorry, couldn’t resist that last line.)

 

October 23, 2012   John   advice, art, John, opinion, picture books  
2

Behind the scenes of a picture book

It’s been a while since I did a picture book post, much less one that focuses on artwork. But when I came across this blog post on Caldecott Medalist Eric Rohmann’s artistic process, I knew I had to share. For one, the artwork here is simply spectacular—and who doesn’t like to look at pretty pictures? And second, if you want to be humbled, check out the stages of the relief print technique, of which Rohmann is a master.

Furthermore, I’m always fascinated by an artist’s process, especially when the artist is illustrating an outside author’s words. In particular, I was struck by the fact that Rohmann inserted the text into his very first sketch—even though the text is simply “Whoopee!” It show the respect for the words that’s crucial for a successful picture book collaboration.

And taking it one step further, Rohmann is clearly concerned not only with leaving enough space for the words to read, but for placing the words for maximum visual effect.  It’s notable in some of the other finished spreads how much room he leaves for the text to stand out. As an editor, time and again I’d struggle with designers to cram text into over-decorated pieces of art. It truly speaks both to Rohmann’s art and to his modesty that he would design his pages to give the words so much prominence.

Of course, there’s a lesson here for picture book authors, too—write short! Obviously, Rohmann would be a lot more limited if he had to navigate a lengthy text. And going back to design, look at how the onomatopoetics become part and parcel of the artwork—by playing with fonts and sizes, the words become one with the art. Perhaps that’s the handiwork of a good designer, but I’d like to think the author had something like that in mind at the start!

 

October 18, 2012   Stacey   advice, cookbooks and food writing, middle grade, nonfiction, Stacey, what we're looking for, why I signed up, why we are agents, writing  
4

Stacey Glick interview at Writer’s Digest

It’s been a while since I wrote about the kinds of projects I’m looking for, and since I answer that question and many others in an interview I did that was recently published on writersdigest.com, I thought it would be nice to share it with our loyal blog readers.

The interview goes into some detail on my background, my list, and my thoughts on many different aspects of the market, where it is now, and where it is going.

I thought Ricki’s questions were really targeted to my interests and as a result we managed to squeeze a lot of information into a fairly brief interview.

I hope it’s useful to anyone reading, and if I didn’t answer all of your questions or you have others you’d like to ask, ask away and I will do my best to respond to each and every one. Promise! Enjoy.

October 04, 2012   Stacey   advice, community, Stacey, writing  
0

We’re all in it together

I’ve talked before about writers being part of a wonderful, tight knit community. There is certainly something therapeutic for many writers about the fine art of writing, but for most, it’s not nearly enough and they want to find an audience for their work.

Nick Morgan from forbes.com talks about the similarities between Harvard Business Publishing and Harlequin, two houses that have vastly different lists. But in many ways, according to Morgan, their business model is similar. Build a community and find readers by marketing directly to that community.

It’s not novel, and he doesn’t talk much about Harvard, but he does shed some light about the things that Harlequin is doing (and much of it they’ve always done) to build real relationships with its readers. A Harlequin rep even talks about creating a place where “friendship can grow”. And seeking out the places where their readers go. I love the example of how decades ago, they put books in groceries stores because that’s where women were.

It’s so important to remember that while writing and reading are often solitary endeavors, it’s what happens next that connects us all. So, keep writing, keep reading, and keep connecting with other members of those communities and building the strong bonds that allow us to share the collective experience of reading.

October 01, 2012   Jane   advice, genre, Jane, opinion  
7

Typecasting – good or bad?

So last Thursday I read this interesting  piece  in The Wall Street Journal and it got me to thinking (again) about whether being slotted into a category is a good or bad thing.

I say “again” because long ago when I was the publisher of World Almanac Publications and my employer wanted to branch out into areas far from our popular reference book line, I went to the book buyers – Dalton, Walden, and Ingram – and asked them their opinion.  Every one of them opined adamantly that no matter how good these proposed books might be, they wouldn’t buy them from us.  We were the publishers of popular reference books, they said, and that is the way it was going to stay, as far as they were concerned.  Ultimately, the decision was made by my colleagues to go ahead with the new products.  Knowing what would surely happen, I left the company and became an agent, and that publishing program ultimately failed miserably.

So, what about someone like J.K. Rowling and her foray away from the Harry Potter world into the adult nonfiction category?  Notwithstanding the success of The Casual Vacancy, should she have taken this chance?  And if the book doesn’t sell up to expectations, what will that mean to her career?

Many of my talented self-published clients ask this same question.  They understandably want the ability to publish in more than one category, but the question is, always, will their readers, their fans, “follow” them?  I often find myself advising that an author should build up his/her sales in one category, become a best seller and then do whatever s/he wants.

A terrific example of this is Mitch Albom. Michael Crichton is another author who mixed it up in his bestselling novels. And what about all of the thriller writers recently who have found their way into the children’s category?

So, I am curious as to what you think.  Should an author, bestselling or not, publish in more than one category or would they be better served by “sticking to their knitting”?

September 25, 2012   John   advice, comics, fun, John, reading, writing  
5

Starting out with comic books

Here at DGLM, we’re doing one of our periodic webpage updates, so I was taking another look at my personal essay. Over the past two years, it’s been heartening to receive numerous submissions from writers who felt a connection with me because I grew up reading Tintin and Asterix comics. Full disclosure, though: while I certainly started out with those series, and continued to read them for years, I did move on to more traditional comic books like X-men, Spider-man, and Teen Titans. (Hey, they were big in the 80s.) In fact, I only started with Tintin and Asterix because my parents thought the rest were junk!

It wasn’t until I started earning some spending money that I became a regular at the old West Side Comics on 86th Street—I was there on the day Spider-man debuted his black costume, and for a brief stretch, I could tell you the difference between all the printings of the original Teen Age Mutant Ninja Turtles. Needless to say, my parents still thought they were junk, but at least when I was ready to put them away in high school, they didn’t haul them off to the dump. Though it has been a while since I’ve seen the boxes in the attic—next visit, I think I need to do a thorough inventory…

Anyway, all of this came to mind when I was reading an essay by Jeramey Kraatz at Nerdy Book Club. For anyone who has a low opinion of comic books and worries that they rot your brain, it’s worth a read. I love his explanation of the imaginative aspect of comics, and how, contrary to the common opinion that comics put everything on the page, he shows that the panel format actually encourages visualization and makes readers fill in the blanks. And I think he makes a good case for how comics not only spur further reading development but also writing—seems like a great parenting tip to have kids write their own stories while they wait for the next monthly installment of their favorite series.

So, dear readers, did any of you find your creative spark in the land of Marvel and D.C.? Have you developed storytelling techniques based on the panel format? And, for fun, what’s the best comic you’ve got stored in your parents’ basement? For me, it’s either TMNT #2 or some really old Spideys.

September 19, 2012   Stacey   advice, creativity, fun, problem solving, Stacey, writing  
6

Boot camp for writers

I love sharing stories about writers who make time to write despite busy, stressful and overscheduled lives. I wonder what people complained about generations ago—being bored (like my kids, if they only knew how good they have it now)?

I’ve written about this topic before, and this piece from author Judy Christie via Writers Digest cracked me up because I just think it’s so relatable. We all struggle sometimes to motivate when there are so many distractions, and I’ve never actually timed how much of each day I spend working versus other stuff, some of which constitutes work and some of which certainly does not. Setting a timer and doing it boot camp style sounds so over the top, but in a good way. No pain, no gain!

So, take the advice, writers and get to writing, in whatever way feels right for you. Personally, I want to hire Judy Christie to set me on track and get that timer ringing in my ear. I wonder how long it would take me to get into shape!

What do you do to quantify your time spent writing? And what do you consider to be a successful day? Most people don’t set kitchen timers, I’d bet, but I hope a few of you will give it a try and let me know how it goes. I bet you’ll be a lot more productive for it.

« Older posts
Newer posts »