Good Links, May Edition

Wow, there goes May. Hello, June. Might I say you are looking mighty fine?

I didn’t spend a lot of time surfing the net this month, but I still came across some great links to share. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

Here’s what I found:

On Writing: Many writers like to use archetypes in their stories or build around a myth. Karen Harbaugh, over on her blog, discusses characterization, plotting, fairy tales and archetypes. It’s an interesting read and a blog I will be checking out regularly.

Pitching your Work: Camy Tang discusses how to create a strong 50 word elevator pitch (story summary) so you can pitch agents or editors in person. They are also great for query letters. I’m currently taking one of Camy’s online classes and it is fantastic. This writer knows how to simplify a difficult task and even makes writing a synopsis fun! (Really!)

Building a Query: Former publishing lady and query guru, Molli Nickell, has a new blog called The Query Letter Wizard. She offers tips and exercises on her blog. She also answers questions and helps folks out with their query questions and blues. You can also find her on AgentQuery and on her website.

General Writing Interest: So, many you may be like me and live outside the publishing haven known as the United States. Maybe you spell funny, adding in extra ‘u’s here and there. You say “zed” and not “zee”. And your manuscript reflects that. What to do, what to do… Well, thankfully Jessica Faust over at Bookends Litererary addresses grammar and spelling in her post.

Future of Publishing: On Demand Books. You may have heard of these already, if not, this article is an interesting look at those little machines that print a book as you wait. It is an interesting idea that could become ‘big’. (And possibly save the planet.)

Marketing: If you are wondering about how popular your blog is, or want to compare some websites or blogs you know, pop them into Market Leap and it will compare these sites for you. You can list one site or up to three for comparison.

About the Money: Editorial Ass gives the real scoop on writers and money. Everything from royalties to right sales and more.

And for fun: The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotations. You got it, it is a blog exhibit of signs people have submitted that use unnecessary quotations.

It’s All Kid’s Play: This is my website and blog. It contains over 780 activities to do with children that are free or almost free. Feel free to pass it on to your friends or enjoy it yourself. It has everything from crafts, to staycation ideas to game rules, car ride games and much more. Enjoy!

Best news of May: A buddy on AQ found an agent who LOVES his work. He is now represented, so a huge congratulations to Thrownbones. I am incredibly happy for this writer as he has put in his time, working, working, working. Best of luck!

I hope May was good to you.

Good Links, March Edition

Here are some of the top links I came across this month.

If you are struggling with your query and would like some feedback, there is a new blog devoted to this. It is called The Public Query Slushpile. Post your query for feedback. Don’t forget to return the favour and critique some of the other posted queries.

Speaking of selling yourself and writing queries, Jessica Faust over on BookEnds Literary’s Blog wrote a humourous post which puts self-depreciating queries into perspective. It’s worth reading not only for its educational value, but for its humourous one as well.

Chuck over on the great website Guide to Literary Agents gathered a pile of writing tips from writers and has posted some on his blog. It is an interesting read.

If you are writing a romantic comedy, chick lit or really any form of romance, you may find Michael Hauge’s Screenplay Mastery article on Romantic Comedies to be helpful. (He has quite a few other articles too.)

Nadia Cornier posted some interesting facts on average agent reading and response time. A good little eye opener.

So, you have an agent and your going to a conference and wondering what it could possibly do for you? Check out the list Jessica Faust has provided. It will open your eyes to networking and what conferences are REALLY for.

Okay, so you have an editor and she’s getting orphaned projects left, right and center. And she’d not returning your call the exact second she said she would. Well, be prepared to be shocked. Editors make crap money when they start out and sadly, women editors (aren’t most of them women?) make less than men. Grrr. Go hug your editor if you have one–she really, really deserves it.

If you’ve ever wondered how they get those lovely covers for Harlequin novels, wonder no longer. This interview will shed some light on how they are designed. (The fact that you have a small team designing 150 covers a month may have something to do with it.)

Okay, so you have your agent, your writing tips, your cover…how about if you have a published book (in or out of print) and you are wondering about the whole Google Book Search thingy and what it means to you. As I’ve learned from Kristen Nelson over at Pub Rants, get off your butt! If you don’t claim your book soon, you will lose out on the settlement. And nobody wants to be left behind.

And how about publicity? With today’s limited publicity budget in publishing houses, many writers are turning to the Internet as a way to publicise their books and create a bond with their audience. However, The Globe and Mail ran an article that shows how some lines have been crossed and cross words have been slung over the Internet tubes by impatient readers. It begs the question, where is that ever-changing line and how do you make the best of what you’ve got (and don’t got)?

And last, but certainly not least, a little bit of Happiness on Tap. Because let’s face it, we can all use a little joy!