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Insider tip
Enthusiasm is infectious... It is essential to convey enthusiasm for your work and for the job of meeting people and selling to them. Art is a luxury, so people need to enjoy buying it. The Artist's Guide to Selling Work by Annabelle Ruston-
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Getting lost in London
Filed under: Writing Advice
I went to an important meeting in London yesterday – held at a venue I know well, in a part of London I know well.
Given those facts, I didn’t bother to print out a map, just had a quick check on a bus stop and leapt on a bus bound for Farringdon Street.
It gradually dawned on me as I headed in an unfamiliar direction that this wasn’t going well. The Read more
Why do you write?
Part of the work I do is advising writers on what they’ve written, giving them a realistic assessment of how likely it is they will get published, and how to improve what they’ve done.
Something I hadn’t considered until recently is why writers write. But last week I had a series of emails from clients which addressed this very specifically.
One writer wants to Read more
I want to be special
Filed under: Getting Published, Writing Advice
I’m often asked how a writer can get their submission to stand out from the crowd. They want to add that special something to catch my attention.
It’s a risky strategy. I see submissions that sparkle (literally, glitter enclosed in the envelope), that smile (with a posed photograph), that shout (letters in capitals and a bright red font).
How I react will depend on Read more
Paperclips or staples? Seriously, it’s important
Filed under: Writing Advice
We like to tackle all sorts, from finding an agent to the little details that can matter more than you might think.
Take for instance the email that I’ve just received from a writer asking whether he should staple the pages of his covering letter and synopsis together. Now this sort of thing isn’t a deal breaker, but it’s still a good question.
The general rule of thumb is Read more
The 7 secrets of a covering letter
Filed under: Marketing Yourself, Writing Advice
You’ve written your masterpiece. You’ve conquered the synopsis stress. And now it’s just a case of sending it off to the publisher or agent you have identified as your target.
But suddenly it strikes you that the last thing you have to think about, the covering letter, is the first thing your audience is going to see… Read more
All I want for Christmas is an agent…
Filed under: Literary Agents
A literary agent must be at the top of a fiction writer’s list to Father Christmas (along with a Go Go Hamster – who doesn’t want one?!).
And that’s because the vast majority of fiction publishers rely on literary agents to filter submissions and approach them with the cream of the crop.
Getting an agent is not only your gateway to the publishers, but also the best way to Read more
Playing by different rules: non-fiction writing
A guest post from literary agent Judy Chilcote:
I wanted to explain that the rules are different for when I decide to take on a non-fiction project than they are for fiction.
For fiction, it’s largely down to personal taste and interest, I think. In non-fiction, it’s more clear-cut to determine if there is a niche for a subject, if the market is over-saturated (as with most mind/body/spirit subjects at the moment) and if it has something new or Read more
Beat the synopsis stress
Filed under: Getting Published
Events at the Kingston University writers’ conference the other weekend went very well. Over 120 writers attended to get the lowdown on how to get published.
My workshop covered the bare bones of what to submit to an agent or a publisher, with particular emphasis on writing a synopsis.
I started by explaining that the function of a synopsis is to show the reader that you’re in control of your work. It also demonstrates that you are a good enough writer to be able to break your work down into its component parts.
I find that some writers feel disconcerted when it comes to writing their synopsis, nervous even. Ring any bells? Read more
Five ways to find a literary agent
You’ve written your manuscript. It’s as good as it’s going to be. It’s time to get it out into the real world – and you need an agent.
Many mainstream publishers no longer read work that isn’t represented, which is where the literary agent comes in. Find yourself a good agent and they’ll use their experience to match your work with the best publishing house, and push to get the best deal for you.
If you’re new to the writing game, these are my five pointers Read more
Hay Festival: How to Get Published
Filed under: Festivals and Events, Getting Published
I was very pleased (but really quite nervous) to learn that the Hay Festival has relocated my workshop on account of a large demand for tickets.
The new venue has a capacity of 98 – quite a difference from the 30 faces I expected to be addressing. But I’m big and ugly enough to know that Read more
Buy the 2011 Yearbook
The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook is available at a discount from our online bookshop. Get all the information, contacts and advice you could need.-
Win, Win, Win! We are giving away 5 copies of Qatari Voices, a collection of essays which will inspire new writers. For details of how to enter this giveaway go to 'The Accidental Writer' >
On camera: Jon McGregor
"Being longlisted for the Booker Prize changed everything - it was the launchpad for my writing career." Click to view our video with novelist Jon McGregor »
On camera: Justin Cartwright
"Just write... If you're any good you may not know it, but certainly someone else will." Click to view our video with novelist Justin Cartwright »
On camera: Julie Myerson
The novelist and journalist Julie Myerson on how she got that all-important first publishing deal. Click here to view our video exclusive »