11 Best Articles This Week for Writers 11/19/2010

After the Sale

• Lessons from a Reading [Getting Past the Gatekeeper] What NOT to do at a book talk.
• Your Manuscript is Ready. Are you? [Ingrid's Notes] Recap of the excellent SCBWI-LA session with Jill Alexander and Michael Bourret.
• Publishing Insiders Wrap-Up: Getting Your Book Into Bookstores with Elaine Wilkes [Author Marketing Experts, Inc. » BLOG] Don't take 'No' for an answer.
• Best of the Web Tips for the Week of Nov. 8, 2010 [Author Marketing Experts, Inc. » BLOG] The best posts on marketing your book.
• Facebook Marketing For Authors With Amy Porterfield [The Creative Penn] Good post on how to tap into Facebook's 500 million users to market your book.
• SCBWI Conference 2010 - How to Sell Your Book on the Internet (Part 2) [Scribble City Central] Six things your author web site must do.
• Do you have a plan? [Hey, There's A Dead Guy in the Living Room] Questions to help lay out your 5-year goals.

Book Reviews

• National Book Award Winners for 2010 [GalleyCat] Four great book picks!
• Bookinistas: THE REPLACEMENT [Laura and Lisa Write] An exciting plot and two thumbs-up.
• Bookanista Review: The Marbury Lens, by Andrew Smith--and a Giveaway! [Shannon Whitney Messenger] A glowing review for this unusual tale!
• Nightshade by Andrea Cremer [The Undercover Book Lover (Not Really)] Strong cast of characters in this paranormal romance.
• Middle-Grade Review: Touch Blue [Great Books for Kids and Teens] Realistic characters and a unique story in Cynthia Lord's novel.
• Matched by Ally Condie [The Undercover Book Lover (Not Really)] Another glowing review of this much-anticipated read!
• Book Review: The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith [Novel Novice] 'Gritty and raw and beautiful.'
• Spotlight Wednesday - Dash & Lily's Book of Dares [The Contemps] 5 reasons to put this one on your TBR list.
• Book Review + Giveaway: Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales [/- LA FEMME READERS -/] 5 copies to giveaway and a great review.
• Nevermore by Kelly Creagh [Candace's Book Blog] Added to all-time favorites list. Wow.
• Book Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly [Novel Novice] A book to make you consider and contemplate.
• Book Rec: ENCHANTED IVY by Sarah Beth Durst [ROOTS IN MYTH] 'Crisp, clean plot and a love triangle that's sure to make readers smile.'

Congrats

• Jason Pinter Lands Book Deal for YA Trilogy [GalleyCat] Congrats for selling The Great Divide to Flux!
• Debut [Disgruntled Bear] Great news for Jennifer L. Armentrout on the sale of Half-Blood!
• Michelle Paver Signs Five Book Deal with Puffin [PWxyz] Hooray, Michelle for your deal on your Gods & Warriors series!
• With Our Thanks! [The Bookshelf Muse] Yay, Angela! The Bookshelf Muse reaches 300,000 hits!
• The Last 12 Months [Elana Johnson, Author] Congrats, Elana! Possession sells in France!
• HYBRID Excerpt [The Katacomb] This book is fabulous. Congrats on finishing the revs, Kat!
• How to sell a short story in 44 easy steps. [Constant Revision] Congrats, Simon! Perseverance pays.

Contests

• Get A Partial Read by Agent Sara! [* Fiction Groupie *] Opportunity for 30-page read.
• Gratitude Giveaways [Michelle Teacress] Win a copy of Patrick Carmen's Skeleton Creek!
• First Page and GIVEAWAY: Scars [First Page Panda] Enter by the 29th!
• Gratitude Giveaway! [Candace's Book Blog] Enter to win a book of your choice!
• Gratitude Giveaways! [Young Adult Books Reviewed] Come win Firelight and Nightshade!
• Gratitude Giveaway [The Bibliophile's Journal] Enter by November 28th!
• Dark and Twisty and Rule Breaky Giveaway [Carol's Prints] Many great ARCs up for grabs!
• LIKE MANDARIN ARC Giveaway! [YA Highway] Only the 2nd copy to be given away!
• Contest: Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein [The Bookologist] Enter by November 30th!
• Contest Monday with Demons [Sisters in Scribe] Two excellent contests. Jump in!
• Ten Tantalizing Questions & Giveaway with Kersten Hamilton, Author of Tyger Tyger! [THE BOOK BUTTERFLY] Gorgeous necklace, great book, and fun interview. Read this!
• Hooray! And a Contest! [iggi & gabi] Win a 25 page critique!
• The Monstrumologist Giveaway [Frenetic Reader] Enter by the 29th to win Rick Yancey's book!
• HAUNTED arc giveaway contest [Joy's Novel Idea] Great Thanksgiving contest -- enter by 11/18.
• Contest x3 [The Daily Harrell] Three contests to enter. And Happy Birthday to Jesse!
• Contest: ARCs Ahoy! *INTERNATIONAL* [The Undercover Book Lover (Not Really)] Three ARCs. Enter by 12/1
• Contest: Win a copy of Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly [Novel Novice] Five winners. Enter by 11/19
• GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY—DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver [ROOTS IN MYTH] Ooh! Don't miss PJ Hoover's latest giveaway!

Craft of Writing

• Guest Post: Degree Options for Aspiring Writers [NouveauWriter] Educational options to help you improve your craft.
• Agent Donald Maass On: Your Tools for Character Building [Guide to Literary Agents] Three tips to help you transform your first five pages--and the rest of your ms.
• Detail your settings Disney style... [The Secret Archives of the Alliterati] Spice them up and make them 3-D.
• Outlining: Straightjacket Or Lifeline? [www.publetariat.com] What do you think?
• The Wicked Truths of Edgy Young Adult Novels [QueryTracker.net] Stina offers tips on writing sex and swearing.
• Tip Tuesday #63 [Literary Rambles] Spicing up your characterization with body language.
• Outlining--Shannon Style [Shannon Whitney Messenger] Shannon shares her road map for novel writing.
• How To Write Hot [GENREALITY] Making your scenes real will make it more appealing.
• Middles are like macrame [Not Enough Words] Winding through the hard stuff.
• A Higher Concept [Write About Now] Can you learn to write high concept?
• Manipulating Pacing Via a Manuscript’s Structure [Writer Musings] Explanation of Freytag's Pyramid.
• Extra! Extra! Learn All About It! [Chatterbox Chitchat] Not understanding GMC is a deal breaker.
• Something on Every Page? [Left and Write Brained] Yes, and make sure it's important.
• Why Backstory is The Bomb [Denise Jaden] Don't hate it. It can bring the story to life.
• NANOWRIMO DAY 11: Feeling the Burn? Writers Tools (Scrivener!) and Toys (Pandora!) That May Save the Day [www.publetariat.com] Fun and useful ways to get automated.
• Dealing With Characters In A Series Of Novels [www.publetariat.com] Without character, there is no plot.
• More on backstory [edittorrent] Three things to ask yourself before you add that info.
• NaNoWriMo Tip# 13: Use the Online Graphical Dictionary [GalleyCat] Great tool to help you 'visualize' the perfect word.
• Experimental Fiction is Perfect for Children’s Literature [Ingrid's Notes] Notes from M.T. Anderson's SCBWI speech. Excellent.
• Want to Be a Professional Writer? Act Like One. [The Kill Zone] Keep writing. Keep learning. Take action every day.
• Special Guest Post: "Multiple Points of View" by Juliette Wade [The Sharp Angle] How to write them and make it work.
• QOTW: Character Chemistry [Let The Words Flow] Chemistry comes from conflict, 'Push/pull. Desire/obstacle.'
• Find Your Plot Fridays: Forcing the Issue: Adding Conflict to Your Scenes [The Other Side of the Story] Five ways to up the conflict and tension.
• The Backstory [The League of Extraordinary Writers] Three fantastic tips.
• 5 Reasons Writers Get Stuck with Tips How to Unstick [Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers] 'Plot is the interweaving of character emotional development, dramatic action and thematic significance.' How this simple definitition and scene breakdown can bite you, and how to whip it all into submission.
• Write ‘TK’ for Missing Facts: NaNoWriMo Tip #14 [GalleyCat] Quick tip to keep research from slowing down your inspiration.
• Desperately needed: Distance [Writer Unboxed] Important reminder about critiquing, editing, and putting your work in a drawer.
• 6 Ways to Shoot Yourself in the Foot [A. Victoria Mixon, Editor] And one way to get it right.

Critiquing

• Gaining Some Perspective on Criticism [Let The Words Flow » Gaining Some Perspective on Criticism] 'Too much criticism can be the death of your novel.'

Inspiration

• How I Got My Agent: B.A. Binns [Guide to Literary Agents] From contest to representation.
• Agent Scott Hoffman On: Making Sense of a Rejection Letter [Guide to Literary Agents] There's hope! Seriously.
• (title unknown) [An Awfully Big Blog Adventure] Ten things learned from an SCBWI conference.
• Too Airy-Fairy??? [Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers] Write through the fear. Marvel at the words appearing on the page.
• The 3 P's [GotYA] Patience. Persistence. Perseverence.
• How to Get Past the NaNoWriMo Danger Point and Finish Your Novel [Write It Sideways] Suggestions for trudging on AFTER Nano.
• Setting Thesaurus Entry: Medieval Castle Armory [The Bookshelf Muse] New entry for those writing historicals!
• Preparing for Hibernation--Building a Winter Writing Rhythm [How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book] Just begin.
• Why Are You Writing This Story? [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] Know what excites you before you put time into your project.
• Accept the Challenges [WOW! Women On Writing Blog] You only win if you step up and extend yourself.
• 20 Movies To See Before You're 20 [Kody's Blog] Fantastic list for YA writers too!
• Bad Boy Heroes: Three Types [* Fiction Groupie *] What's your favorite?
• Happy Writers Society: The People Who DO Like You [Between Fact and Fiction] Be grateful for those who believe in you.
• J.K. Rowling and the Art of Being a Clutch Writer [Nathan Bransford] An important tribute and reminder for the rest of us.
• 5 Causes and Solutions to Writer’s Block [.W.I.P. It] Good way to get to the root of your problem.
• Finding Courage to Write – 6 Ways to Cope With Writing Fears [Quips and Tips for Successful Writers] Because writing requires bravery.
• Should You Include Illustration Notes in Your Picture Book? [Kidlit.com] Interesting perspective on including ideas for illustrations.
• Beth Revis Explains it All for You--what we all need to know about YA [Anne R. Allen's Blog] Love this- 'YA doesn't care about the rules.'
• Should I Quit My Job to Work as a Writer for Hire? [Quips and Tips for Successful Writers] How do you know if you're ready for this big leap?
• Torn [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] The tug-of-war between writing what you want, and writing what sells.
• Why Authors Must Be Honest [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] Writing through the difficult topics.
• In our pages: Libraries look ahead [Jacket Copy] The future of libraries--places to create?
• Pleasing Ourselves or Pleasing the Reader? [Author, Jody Hedlund] Balancing your creative desires with the demands of your audience.
• Sharing Books with our Troops [GalleyCat] All the links to make it possible.
• The Times it is a-changin' [Dystel & Goderich Literary Management] Michael's take on the e-books bestseller list.
• YALSA Teen Lit Symposium: Diversity [Crowe's Nest] More important food for thought.
• Beyond Good Intentions: The power and peril of prepositions [YALSA] Excellent points on many topics.

Just for Smiles

• When we talk about clueless, this is what we mean [Janet Reid, Literary Agent] This one you have to see.
• SIX REASONS YOUR QUERY LETTER ISN'T WORKING [Grab a Pen] If it's written by your mom or it's edible, we may have a problem.
• Nominations for the Top 10 Blogs for Writers Contest [Write It Sideways] Go nominate your favs!
• The fear of diminishing opportunities as one ages [Dystel & Goderich Literary Management] O.M.G. I LOVE the link in this post!
• 10 REASONS IT WOULD RULE TO DATE DUMBLEDORE [Grab a Pen] Who doesn't want endless lemon drops and hot robes?

Self-Editing

• Five Ways To Tell Your WIP Is Progressing [YA Highway] LOVE this bit of writerly truth! Must read.
• Use the Reverse Dictionary: NaNoWriMo Tip #18 [GalleyCat] Good tip!
• Being in love with a fictional character is probably not a good thing. But I'm not really in a position to judge. [Steph Bowe's Hey! Teenager of the Year] Does it happen to you while writing?
• 3 ways to get the distance you need for rewriting [Time to Write] Good tips if changing the font doesn't work for you.
• Editing A Novel With Steve Parolini, The Novel Doctor [The Creative Penn] He makes it sound so simple.
• Project to Published: Shutting Down Your Inner Editor (Great for nanowrimo) [Emma Michaels] Good point. Worry about editing later.
• Don’t Hammer the Funny [GENREALITY] Trust your writing and give readers credit too.

Social Media, Twitter, and Blogging

• Five questions you should ask about your online brand [OJR] Start with your 1st online post.
• 23 (More) Websites That Make Your Writing Stronger [www.publetariat.com] In case you missed this post on Write It Sideways.
• Can An Online Presence Help Make a Best Seller? [Author, Jody Hedlund] Write a good book first, but don't discount online efforts either.
• 3 Blogging Blunders [Author, Jody Hedlund] From hiding your identity to focusing too much on yourself.
• Things I Should Probably Say About Twitter [Mystery Writing is Murder] Elizabeth Craig shares her routines for blogging, tweeting, and more.
• Lets Talk About Goodreads [The Michelle Show] Michelle outlines the beauty behind this awesome sight.
• How to Connect and Network With Writers – 5 Social Media Tips [Quips and Tips for Successful Writers] Be consistent and giving to develop lasting relationships.
• Making the Most of Media Exposure [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] Don't give up when you've got requests, you're getting closer.

To Market

• If You Can't Define Your Genre - How do you expect us to market it? [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Is it something an agent can sell?
• NeoAgent YAHighway Interview [Neverending Page Turner] Insight from Elizabeth Jote and Kathleen Ortiz.
• Agent Spotlight: Victoria Marini [Literary Rambles] Good opportunity for YA, commercial, mystery and NF writers. Loves paranormal & edgy.
• Agent Terry Burns On: When NOT To Stand Out From the Crowd [Guide to Literary Agents] Follow submission guidelines.
• Negotiating Your Own Contract [Mystery Writing is Murder] Excellent round-up of resources for navigating these difficult waters.
• What Being An Editor Taught Me About Being A Better Writer [Magical Words] Neatness counts and don't miss those deadlines.
• Being Prepared For The Call [Heather's Odyssey] Heather shares her excellent list of questions she's prepared.
• Publishers Lunch Deluxe: Random House to Close Operations at Tricycle Press Imprint [www.publishersmarketplace.com]
• Agent Katharine Sands On: 4 Agent Pet Peeves [Guide to Literary Agents] Four major no-nos.
• Live Chat With Stephen Barbara and Leila Sales [WriteOnCon.com] Replay the awesome.
• Answering Questions On Contracts, Part 2 of 2 [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] More interesting discussion on the business part of writing.
• New Agent Alert: Katie Shea of Caren Johnson Literary [Guide to Literary Agents] Looking for commercial adult & beautiful literary fiction.
• Ultimate Blog Series on Novel Queries (#5) [There Are No Rules] More great how-to examples.
• Query Update: October [Neverending Page Turner] @Kortizzle's stats: 962 queries, 12 requests.
• READ THIS; NOW PLEASE SEND ME MG MANUSCRIPTS:) [Jill Corcoran Books] What MG fiction does Jill Corcoran love?
• Answering Questions on Contracts, Part 1 of 2 [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] Helpful Q&A on publishing contracts.
• Your Book Proposal Is Actually A Sales Document [BubbleCow] Proposal and synopsis as marketing material.
• Do You Even NEED an Agent? [Jennifer Represents...] Evaluating your skill sets realistically.
• Is Waiting a Bad Sign? [Kidlit.com] Agents DO sometimes offer more slowly. Start your next project.
• Inside James Frey’s Fiction Factory [GalleyCat] $250 for completed YA ms, plus % of revenue. Opportunity for you?
• Agent Cricket Freeman On: Nonfiction Credentials in a Book Proposal [Guide to Literary Agents] Authors must captivate readers with their bios.
• ANNOUNCING: The Baker's Dozen Agent Auction CAST OF CHARACTERS! [Miss Snark's First Victim] AMAZING contest/auction. Run, don't walk.
• Is it worth resubmitting the full manuscript if I changed only one chapter? [Getting Past the Gatekeeper] YES! Something we've all wondered about.
• Ultimate Blog Series on Novel Queries (#4) [There Are No Rules] Excellent example and discussion for novice query writers.
• Publishing is not a “We vs. Them” mentality [Red Sofa Literary] Agents love books and writers--even if your ms isn't right for them.
• ‘Failure Instructs the Writer’ : NaNoWriMo Tip #12 [GalleyCat] Pay attention to your failures, break them down, learn from the mistakes.
• How To Write Back Blurb For Your Book [The Creative Penn] Crafting the enticing sales pitch that will clench a reader.

 Other Weekly Round-Ups:

• Jane Friedman of Writer's Digest also does a wonderful list of best tweets of the previous week. 
• Alice Pope does a Wednesday Tweet Roundup for the SCBWI Children's Market Blog.
• Northern Colorado Writers do This Week in the Writing World every Friday.
• Jennifer Roland does a Writing Roundup on Fridays.
• Ricki Schultz does an "In the Blogosphere" post on Fridays where she lists posts she's stumbled across during the week.
• Elizabeth Craig has started posting a weekly list of all her helpful Twitter posts.
• And don't forget to check Nathan Bransford's blog later this morning for his weekly recap of publishing news and information.
• Saturday Link Party [Forever Young] Jessica rounds up fun and interesting links.
• Stina Linddenblatt does a Cool Links Friday. This week, she caught a lot I wish we had on ours. I know what I'm doing for the next few minutes!
• DuoLit does a weekly list of links with some emphasis on self-publishing and marketing.
• YA Highway's Friday Road Trip hits the high points of the publishing industry, writing craft, submissions process, and other fun stuff.
• Cynthia Leitich Smith at Cynsations does a Cynsational author and book news review.

Did we miss anything? Anyone? Please leave a comment!

Happy reading and joyous writing,

Martina & Marissa