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The Truth about First Novels and Traditional Publication What authors need to know

[by Renni Browne]

What you might hear:

  • “Acquisitions editors at major publishing houses don’t want to read first-novel submissions.”
  • “Literary agents don’t want to take on unknown writers anymore.”
  • “Publishers only want novelists who have a strong platform or a great track record of book sales.”
  • “If by a miracle you get a first novel published, it’ll […]
By |2022-02-15T20:34:15+00:00|Getting Published, RDB, Traditional Publishing, Trends|Comments Off on The Truth about First Novels and Traditional Publication What authors need to know
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Write what you know One author's take on an old adage

[Guest blog by J.S. Anderson]

“Write what you know.”

For years I struggled with this common little sliver of advice.

What did I know? I was not a detective or former prosecutor. I was not a physician or politician or Olympian or scholar of history. What I knew well was health care administration for the elderly. But despite […]

By |2022-02-15T20:37:53+00:00|Miscellaneous, Trends|Comments Off on Write what you know One author's take on an old adage
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Everyone Needs an Editor: A Final Lesson from the Harry Potter Series Principle Five: All good writing needs good editing

[by Jane Ryder with Beth Jusino]

“So why couldn’t Malfoy have brought that necklace into the school?”

“Oh, Harry, not that again…”

Many readers, myself included, echoed Hermione Grangers’ frustration at that point in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

For the past few weeks we have been looking at JK Rowling’s best-selling Harry Potter books, and the lessons that aspiring authors […]

By |2022-02-15T20:39:48+00:00|The Editorial Process, The Writer’s Craft, Trends|Comments Off on Everyone Needs an Editor: A Final Lesson from the Harry Potter Series Principle Five: All good writing needs good editing
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A World to Remember: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Four: Create a world the reader will remember

This blog is part of the Storytelling lessons from Harry Potter series. For part one, click here. For part two, click here. For part three, click here.

Diagon Alley. The Quidditch World Cup.The Chamber of Secrets. The Cupboard Under the Stairs. Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

These were not places […]

By |2021-05-12T16:36:11+00:00|Fantasy, Getting Published, The Editorial Process, The Writer’s Craft, Trends|Comments Off on A World to Remember: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Four: Create a world the reader will remember
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Heroes Have Hormones: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Three: perfect heroes are uninteresting ones

This blog is part of the Storytelling lessons from Harry Potter series. For part one, click here. For part two, click here.

It’s Harry Potter time here at The Editorial Department, and in honor of the release of the newest addition to the series, Harry Potter and The […]

By |2021-05-12T16:37:10+00:00|Fantasy, Getting Published, The Writer’s Craft, Trends|Comments Off on Heroes Have Hormones: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Three: perfect heroes are uninteresting ones
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Chekov’s Gun: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Two: Chekov had a gun; Trelawney had a prophecy

This blog is part of a series. For part one, click here.

This week we’re talking about Harry Potter. No, not the much-anticipated book that’s releasing next week (although I, for one, already preordered it.) We’re talking about the books that started it all, and the lessons that authors can apply in their own Works In Progress.

Principle […]

By |2021-05-12T16:37:40+00:00|Fantasy, The Writer’s Craft, Trends|Comments Off on Chekov’s Gun: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Two: Chekov had a gun; Trelawney had a prophecy
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