After the Sale
- Make Time To Promote Your Book [www.publetariat.com] Eleven tasks to help you balance promotion with your other responsibilities.
- Thinking Beyond the Book: What's Your Demand Curve? [There Are No Rules] Envision the growth & profitability of your career.
- Review: Feed by M. T. Anderson [The Bluestocking Blog] This review makes FEED sound a little Westerfeldish, but it hits the highlights. Don't miss this book!
- Book Review: Timeless by Alexandra Monir [THE BOOK BUTTERFLY] Favorable review of this YA time-travel romance.
- Review- Delirium [A Blog about Nothing] Beautiful, 5-star review.
- bookanistas: BLOOD MAGIC by Tessa Gratton [Kirsten Hubbard: YA Author + Travel Writer] Fantastic review of this dark paranormal.
- Changing Priorities and Character Growth [Mystery Writing is Murder] Congrats to @ElizabethCraig on her new 3-book deal!
- Another Success Story [Miss Snark's First Victim] YAY Erin Anderson for signing with Joanna Volpe after S.A.'s Baker's Dozen Auction!
- Terror, excitement, and a mild case of amnesia [Don't pet me, I'm writing] Congrats, Tawna, on your blog anniversary!
- And The Winner Is........... (and more about my choices) [Nathan Bransford - Blog] Amazing writing and some craft advice along the way. Congrats to all the finalists!
- Discover Great New Writers Awards Finalists Revealed [GalleyCat] Kim Echlin, Nic Pizzolatto, Eric Puchner spotlighted in the fiction category.
- Take 5: The Understudy’s Revenge by Sophie Masson [Writer Unboxed] Congrats to Sophie Masson on the book's Australian release.
- ~*Super Shiny ALA ARC Giveaway!*~ [YA Highway] You won't want to miss this one!
- Brenda Drake Writes . . . under the influence of coffee.: Interview with agent Weronika Janczuk . . . our first line contest judge and prize giver... [brenleedrake.blogspot.com]
- Barnes and Noble Groupon Deal [Emily's Reading Room] 50% off $20 worth of books. Good through 2/6/11.
- The AFTERLIFE countdown begins! (new contest!) [Claudia's Blog] Enter by 2/10/11 to win an Evernight Academy doll.
- First Page and GIVEAWAY: Anya’s War [First Page Panda] Enter by 2/16/11.
- contest, more tour info [allyson condie] Five great reads. Enter by 2/7/11.
- Interview & Giveaway: The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver [Confessions of a Bookaholic] Enter by 2/24.
- My EASY & Fun Winter Contest...to beat the winter blues [Some Things I Think...] Win 1st chapter critique by Sarah LaPolla or YA books!
- Contest Contest Contest Contest!!! Ahem. [The Michelle Show] Enter by 2/7/11 to win an ARC of Afterlife.
- 2nd Annual Literary Lovers Mash-Up Writing Contest [Novel Novice] Enter by 2/14: imagine if two unlikely literary heroes met and had an explosive romance.
- February Secret Agent Early Info [Miss Snark's First Victim] Another great contest starts 2/7/10! Enter first 250 words of your ms.
- The Art of Shameless Self-Promotion and a cool contest! [Personal Demons] What makes this contest so cool? (Hint: it's ours).
- Pay It Forward Contest [Market My Words] Huge opportunity to get personal recommendation to an agent.
- Got a Dash? [The Blood-Red Pencil] How to use them, and tips to force MS Word to work.
- Symbolism Thesaurus Entry: Deception [The Bookshelf Muse] Another fabulously exhaustive resource for your writing!
- How to Avoid Head-Hopping [Jami Gold, Paranormal Author] Six techniques to add to your arsenal.
- Lies You Believe [The Literary Lab] Eight "rules" writers tell each other and why they aren't always true.
- 5 Writing Rules You Should Break [A. Victoria Mixon, Editor] Knowing when, how, & why to break the rules is as important as following them.
- LITERARY TERMS II: Setting the Scene [Oasis for YA] It's not just setting. Don't forget the tone and mood.
- Depth of Character [Writer Unboxed] Is your protag passionately engaged in life?
- Dramatic vs. Melodramatic [Julie Musil] Start small, then amp it up.
- Four master-skills to make your writing a cut above the rest [James Killick's Blog] The subtle techniques of defamiliarization, foreshadowing, subtext, and dramatic Irony.
- Complete Characters [Paranormal Point of View] Three steps to created deeper insight on subsidiary characters.
- Therein lies the heart [Musings of a Penniless Writer] Great: Writing needs a great premise, characterization and plot. But never forget the heart.
- Layering Conflict [Anna Staniszewski] The various threads of interconnected conflicts can ratchet up the tension in a novel.
- RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK - Act II: 1 breakdown [Alexandra Sokoloff] Analysis up to the midpoint climax. Excellent.
- What is Steampunk? [www.ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com] Great analysis of the trend that wasn't.
- Description Passages, Part I: Setting [Magical Words] Every passage in your ms should develop character, advance plot, and/or fill in necessary background.
- Concrete and specific [edittorrent] Precision of detail is an aspect of voice.
- Lenore Look: Look Who's Laughing [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] The secrets of writing humor.
- How to Work with the Four Levels of Transition in a Book: Smoothing the Reader's Ride [How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book] Awkwardly timed transitions make your reader frustrated or bored.
- Find Your Plot Fridays: Goal - Conflict - Stakes. Why You Need All Three [The Other Side of the Story] Give your story a solid foundation.
- Setting by Example: Murray [edittorrent] Incorporate setting details only when they become relevant.
- Crafting the Perfect Story, or, I Gush About Veronica Mars [Kiersten Writes] Become a better writer by watching one of the best shows ever.
- Uh When To Da Ster, Or, Why Accents Don’t Belong In Your Manuscript [Let The Words Flow] Use setting instead of accents.
- T3 - How to Determine Your Character's Motivating Need [The Character Therapist] Give your hero this Thematic Apperception Test.
- Why Is Head-Hopping Bad? [Jami Gold, Paranormal Author] If done poorly, POV shifts take the reader out of the story.
- Psychology in Writing: Adding Sound Effects to Your Writing [NouveauWriter] Add POP! and BANG! to your prose w/ onomonopoeia.
- Back to Basics-Dialog I [TheWriteGame] There's a big difference between conversation & dialogue.
- Every Book Can Get Better: Getting to Know Your Protagonist [iggi & gabi] Draw from your own experiences.
- Guest Post: Renée Watson on Writing About Serious Topics in Children’s Books [CYNSATIONS] Prevent preaching with strong characters & storylines.
- 3 Layers of ‘Layering’ in Fiction [Writer Unboxed] Layer your novel, your scenes, & your details.
- How to Find a Good Critique Partner [.W.I.P. It] Three questions to ask yourself.
- Giving Up My Title: Why Writers Can't Have Too Many Sacred Cows [* Fiction Groupie *] Listen to feedback with an open mind.
- 7 Reasons We Need a Critique Partner [.W.I.P. It] Things a CP can do for you that a family member can't.
- Panel: Listening to Feedback with an Open Mind [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Experts advise how to handle critiques.
- Excerpt Critique Call for Submissions, Jan. ’11 [Write It Sideways] Great opportunity for feedback.
- A Last Word on Critique [YA Muses] When to follow your CP's advice.
- Critique Group Checklist [YA Muses] How to be a helpful critique partner.
- EMOTIONS AND WRITING [Help! I Need a Publisher!] No one's going to write for you. Scary but true.
- Inspiring Words from SCBWI 2011 Winter Conference [All about them words] LOVE THIS! The best quotes from a weekend of panels and keynotes.
- New Voice: Mark Shulman on Scrawl [CYNSATIONS] Fantastic story about finding a protagonist and a voice.
- Confessions of a Conference Junkie: Guest Blog by Bret Ballou [YA Muses] Wonderful guest post. Bret sums up the conference experience!
- Why do I write? : Just Sayin [www.tracyclark.org] Beautiful post on letting yourself live and write from a place of deep emotion.
- Snap Out of It [The Bluestocking Blog] View negative feedback as a roadmap to improvement.
- Ten tips for taming a beastly to-do list [Don't pet me, I'm writing] Great approach to keep from being overwhelmed.
- Operation Awesome: Live Concerts = First Drafts [operationawesome6.blogspot.com]
- Books For Thought: How often do you read out of your comfort zone? [/- LA FEMME READERS -/] If reading is a writer's primary education...
- Myra McEntire: Interpretation [myramcentire.blogspot.com]
- Writing And The Mixed Blessing Of A Day Job [The Creative Penn] Perspective on maintaining the drive and desire to write.
- NYC 2011: Sara Zarr gives the speech that she wanted to hear [Notes from the Slushpile] Great recap of a fabulous keynote speech!
- Linda Sue Park - The Chocolate Chip Cookie Tip [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] A writer's training program is reading.
- Jeannette Larson, Editorial Director: What Makes Your Work Publishable [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Regardless of the market, it comes down to the story & the writing.
- The Good News? Writing Never Gets Any Easier [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] But the glory is in the struggle.
- How to be an excellent writer (Tony Schwartz's six steps) [Time to Write] Are you doing all six?
- Keeping Your Writing World Straight [WOW! Women On Writing Blog] Stay organized with this calendar just for writers.
- Ten Traits of Successful Writers [Author, Jody Hedlund] Do you have what it takes?
- You're The Artist—It's Your Job To Write What You Love [Between Fact and Fiction] LOVE -> Do what you need to forster your creativity and happiness, and everything else will come when it comes.
- Learning to Say “No” to New Writing Commitments [Write It Sideways] Five questions to ask before nod your head.
- Where does censorship begin? [GotYA] Censorship begins at home.
- More Disappointing News: The "100 Young Adult Books for the Feminist Reader" List [In Bed With Books] Which side are you on? At least the convo has started!
- Alias or Not? [Novel Matters] The pros and cons of pen names.
- 5 Key Takeaways for Authors From Digital Book World [There Are No Rules] Transitioning into the digital age.
- Read a Book for Ten Minutes & Save Publishing [GalleyCat] We clicked the LIKE button on this FB page.
- Writing: We Are All in this Together [iggi & gabi] Create the best story you can, rather than chase trends.
- Are you moral enough for this publisher? [Time to Write] HarperCollins adds a "moral clause" to book contract.
- Foreign Rights: How Authors Tap a Rich Vein of Royalties - DailyFinance [www.dailyfinance.com] Is the loss of potential foreign rights revenue a reason to discount self-publishing?
- Youth in Egypt Protect the Libraries [GalleyCat] Hope for the future amid the turmoil.
- Roots and Branches: YA Services Past, Present and Future – the 2011 YALSA Past Presidents’ Lecture [YALSA] The role of school and public libraries, ya collections, and more.
- IF YOU SEND A WRITER A VIRTUAL COOKIE [Write-Brained] Love, love, love this! Read it and smile.
- 10 Things I Know [It's a Mystery] Funny and true lessons about being a writer.
- GK's lesson of the day: don't idealize [Getting Past the Gatekeeper] Nobody's perfect, not even agents nor your competition.
- I am typing you this digital letter requesting that your agency represent me in securing a... [SlushPile Hell] Would this have been any more successful in an email?
- Wordle--Good for the WIP [Justine Dell] Great reminder that WORDLE can show you your writing sins.
- Feel the Rhythm of the Words [The Other Side of the Story] FABULOUS example for changing up syntax and varying rhythm.
- Making Your Outline Work For You Part 3 [Chronicles of a Novice Writer] Great, systematic approach to editing your manuscript.
- List of the Most Commonly used YA Cliches [Dark Angel Fiction Writing] Do you have any of these in your manuscript?
- Let's Talk About Adjectives [The Other Side of the Story] Five questions to help you decide if an adjective is worthwhile.
- Control Your Speed, Control Your Pacing (Plus Two Bonus Posts) [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] Excellent look at what pacing can accomplish.
- Revision Week: Rough Draft Triage [The League of Extraordinary Writers] Focus on the most important points first.
- Grammar Police! That vs Which [Justine Dell] Use 'that' with restrictive clauses and 'which' with nonrestrictive.
- SCBWI Miami- Revision by Arianne Lewin [Chocolate for Inspiration] Great tips for self-editing, plus insight into an editor's process of revision.
- Writers Intensive Panel--The Process of Revision: Challenges & Rewards [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Revision advice from those in the know.
- Defining What We Do: Always, Never, You Must -- Breaking the Rules of Writing [The Other Side of the Story] When & how to break them.
- More on Blog Headers [Enter the Between] Want to make your blog look more personal?
- How to Achieve Balance Between Your (God I Hate This Word) Platform and Your Writing [Blue Rose Girls] Time-deepening and repurposing. Wow.
- Choose and Stick with Your True Platform [Blogussion] Writing, audio, and video--should we do it all?
- My Favorite Blogs [Dark Angel Fiction Writing] Other blogs for writing advice & resources.
- A Million Screaming Fans [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] "A platform is more than a bunch of Twitter followers."
- Synopsis Example: ''House of Games'' (Noir / Mainstream) [Guide to Literary Agents] Short example, and a link for all things manuscript formatting.
- Unique and Good - It Takes Both To Succeed! [Babbles from Scott Eagan] A bit of unwelcome truth. Do you fall into one of these two categories?
- Thursday Spotlight Update [Literary Rambles] Agent updates plus new moves by Beth Fleisher, Joe Veltre, and Marsha Wernick.
- Agent Jon Sternfeld On: A Handful of Writing ''Don’ts'' [Guide to Literary Agents] OMG 98% of queries don't get past the first paragraph???
- Querying Paralysis [Seeing Creative] Great example of second-guessing. Sometimes you have to trust yourself.
- Agent Spotlight on: Michelle Humphrey [Write About Now] Likes self-aware, emotionally-smart characters and books where the line between good and evil blurs.
- The Synopsis [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] Ever wondered why you need one?
- Agent Advice: Rebecca Strauss of McIntosh & Otis [Guide to Literary Agents] Your work needs to speak for itself.
- New Agent Alert: Stephen Barr of Writers House [Guide to Literary Agents] Looking for fiction that rewards the reader line-by-line and gets to know at least one character really, really well.
- Back to Business Monday: Home from NYC - SCBWI Conference, Viking & more! [Writer on the Side] Three reasons to conference that have nothing to do with selling your manuscript.
- How to Mingle at Publishing Events [Blue Rose Girls] Eight tips to make events more productive and enjoyable.
- The Protocol For Following Up [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Don't pressure an agent, but do check in case their response was lost.
- So You've Written A Novel? [Adventures In Writing] 25-word pitch contest starts tomorrow.
- Why A Small Market Might Be The Perfect Reason To Self-Publish [BubbleCow] Is self-publishing a viable alternative for books target to niche markets?
- Ginger Clark: What Makes Your Work Publishable [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Insightful observations of MG & YA.
- Alessandra Balzer: What Makes Your Work Publishable [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] 5 of the 10 things she looks for.
- Guest Post: Author Miranda Kenneally - Querying Isn't Algerbra [* Fiction Groupie *] @MirandaKennealy has advice AND a query critique contest for you.
- Blog Flog! Not Following Rules Tells The Editors and Agents Something About You! [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Make a good first impression.
- Excited for Something New [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] Agent Jessica Faust wants steampunk & contemporary, fantasy, & historical romances.
- Agent Mary Kole is Teaching a Webinar on How to Get Your Kids/Teen Fiction Published (Feb. 3, 2011) [Guide to Literary Agents] You won't want to miss this one!
- Don't Rush Into Your Pitch Appointments at RWA Nationals [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Research first to find a good match.
- Re-Write Wednesday: Shine On: Taking Time to Make Your Work Ready for Submission [The Other Side of the Story] You have to polish.
- Updated: What I'd Love to See in the Inbox [Neverending Page Turner] YA male POV romance & MG boy books, among many others.
- Love Letter To The Book [Confessions From Suite 500] Queries that follow the rules = good. Queries with glitter = bad.
- Querying The Cliché [QueryTracker.net] "The specifics are the difference between a cliché & a compelling story."
- 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.
Happy reading and joyous writing,
Martina, Marissa, Clara, Cam and Cici
Wowsa! Love this list!
ReplyDeleteOh no! The first link doesn't work!
ReplyDeleteSo many great links. I'm definitely checking them out this weekend. :D
Thanks for all the great links! Some of them I missed. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat list, as usual. :) The steampunk link isn't working, though.
ReplyDeleteAwesome collection here. Awed my posts made the cut. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteTwo links didn't work for me, the Brenda Drake Writes under Contests, and Got a Dash. I'd read A. Victoria Mixon's 5 Writing Rules You Should Break--that's a good article.
ReplyDeleteAnd how cool you've gone to the national SCBWI conference! I enjoy the regional Oregon ones but haven't ever gone to the national ones.
Great links as always. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the linkage. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for the fun links, AND for the mention! Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteGreat links. I missed some of these. Can't wait to check them out. And thank you for putting one of my posts in the list. *blush*
ReplyDeleteI have spent the last hour and a half clicking away at these. Thanks!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteYay! Thanks for linking to my winter contest!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links!! :) Enjoy the weekend!
ReplyDeleteThe links work now, yay! Perhaps you were in fixing some of them when I got the error messages. :) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDo you guys get tied of hearing how awesome you are? Because if you are, I can start sending you bacon in the mail. #BaconisGOD
ReplyDeleteThanks as always!
Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse