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Mainstream Publishers and the Acquisition of Successful Self-Published Titles Literary agent Adriann Ranta Zurhellen weighs in on a burning question among self-published authors looking to go traditional

Q. How interested are mainstream publishers in buying successful self-published books? I don’t mean hugely successful titles (Hugh Howey’s stuff, say), but books that have racked up impressive sales. And how many sales does it take to get a traditional publisher’s attention?

This is a hard question to answer because I truly think it’s different for every scenario. […]

By |2024-01-06T22:29:14+00:00|Ask an Agent|Comments Off on Mainstream Publishers and the Acquisition of Successful Self-Published Titles Literary agent Adriann Ranta Zurhellen weighs in on a burning question among self-published authors looking to go traditional
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Characterization and the Film Adaptation of Jack Reacher

[by Ross Browne]

Can an inherent limitation in the medium of film compel Lee Child to take a seminal character in contemporary fiction to a whole new level?

I remember it like it was yesterday, the conflicting moment during a hotly contested game of Scrabble when I learned that there was finally going to be a movie made […]

By |2024-01-06T22:29:58+00:00October 22nd, 2015|Going Hollywood|Comments Off on Characterization and the Film Adaptation of Jack Reacher
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Which Publishing Path is Better for Debut Authors? Adriann Ranta Zurhellen shares a literary agent's viewpoint on a weighty question for new writers

Q. These days, it seems harder and harder to land an agent and a traditional publisher, while on the other hand, many of the growing number of self-published books on sites like Amazon have difficulty finding an audience.  What is your advice for unpublished novelists who are faced with this dilemma?

As an agent, I read an unbelievable […]

By |2024-01-06T22:30:08+00:00|Ask an Agent|Comments Off on Which Publishing Path is Better for Debut Authors? Adriann Ranta Zurhellen shares a literary agent's viewpoint on a weighty question for new writers
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Titles and Synopses Literary agent Adriann Ranta fields two procedural questions

Q. Can you tell me a little about book titles and how often an author’s own title survives the publication process? If a title changes, is it the agent, editor, or someone in house who suggests the new one?

A book’s title is a huge part of the book’s package (by which I mean its general presentation: […]

By |2022-02-22T19:18:22+00:00|Ask an Agent|Comments Off on Titles and Synopses Literary agent Adriann Ranta fields two procedural questions
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The Mystery Writer’s Toolbox For mysteries (of course) and just about any genre of plot-driven fiction

[by Shannon Roberts]
mystery_manQuestions. Motives. Clues. Red herrings. Villains. Suspense.

All of these are elements in any good mystery. And all of them should be elements in your novel—whether it be science fiction, literary fiction, family or historical drama, horror, romance, or something else entirely.

Any good story is driven by […]

By |2024-01-06T22:30:23+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on The Mystery Writer’s Toolbox For mysteries (of course) and just about any genre of plot-driven fiction
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DOES WRITING SUCK? A Favorite TED Author Reflects on the Elusive Pleasures of the Writing Life

[Guest post by Mike Kenny]

I’ve had more than a few interactions like this:

Carl: So, what do you do?

Me: Well, I like to say I’m a writer, but-

Carl: Oh man, I hate writing. I don’t know how you do it. Writing is the worst.

Me: Ha, yeah, I know, I’m weird. I just kind of enj-

Carl: I don’t even […]

By |2024-01-07T18:49:24+00:00September 27th, 2015|The Writing Life|Comments Off on DOES WRITING SUCK? A Favorite TED Author Reflects on the Elusive Pleasures of the Writing Life
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