Posts Tagged ‘writers’

Successful Blogging: Creating Your Own Virtual Writing Space

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Set up a successful blog to promote your writing career.  With either your own website, or using a free blogging platform, you can attract readers from around the world.

blog use this onejpg Successful Blogging:  Creating Your Own Virtual Writing SpaceThere is no doubt that the internet has changed the writing world.  Not only does it provide a new means for writers to get published, but it also opens a new avenue for writers to promote and market themselves.  The creation of a successful website can enhance a writer’s reputation, resulting in an increase in sales.  It could also attract attention to the writing of an otherwise unpublished author, giving that author the exposure that he or she needs in order to secure an agent or publishing contract.

Blogging can be an excellent way to keep readers coming back to your website, and thus, to build a growing readership.  When choosing a host for your blog, there are many free blogging platforms, such as Blogger or WordPress.  These are ideal if you’re looking for a quick, cheap, and easy way to start your blog.  Alternatively, if you’re interested in having more control over your website, buying your own web address could be the right choice.  Either way, when choosing your web address, remember to keep it simple and logical, so that it’s easy for your readers to remember; simply using your pen name can be a good idea.

When it comes time to start uploading those all-important posts, remember to keep the content relevant.  If you created the writing blog to help promote your writing career, then stick to that subject.  This is what readers will come to your blog expecting and wanting to read more about:  you as a writer.  It’s best to keep any unrelated venting about your personal life on a separate blog.  Additionally, it’s always good to offer your readers something useful to take away with them, such as information about your latest published work and where to find it, advice on the writing process, any writer’s workshops that you’ve enjoyed, or editors and editorial services that you’ve found helpful (such as, First Editing).

Of course, as with any piece of writing, make sure your blog posts read smoothly and cleanly, free from any distracting spelling and grammatical errors that may undermine your credibility as a writer.  Remember to always proofread before you publish!  If in doubt, submit it to a professional editing service, such as FirstEditing.com. We’ll be happy to polish your blog posts for you.

Finding the Right Literary Agent for Your Manuscript

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

A literary agent is the person who will champion your story and get it into the hands of the right people at a publishing house. But while literary agents are always looking for a great story, it’s important to remember they receive many, many manuscripts – and they can’t represent everyone. Their stack of query letters and synopses is called the “slush pile”, and you need to make sure yours finds its way out of it.

The first step is to make sure your manuscript is in the best condition you can possibly make it. This means you have redrafted it, asked friends or a critique group to read it over, and finally given it to a professional editor, such as those at Firstediting.com, to repair any grammar problems, inconsistencies, or structural issues.

Now that your manuscript has been reshaped and in near perfect condition, the next step is to write a killer query letter and synopsis. Maybe you’ve been working on these alongside your manuscript, or maybe you will hire a professional to help you. These are vitally important – and they are the only way you will entice an agent to request a sample of your work. In addition, most agents have assistants who read the submissions for them, and only the best queries will actually get seen by the agent.

Begin your research for the perfect agent by creating a list of those who have worked with books that are a similar style to yours, and preferably books that you admire. Learn as much as you can about each agent, because finding the right person for this role means you will have someone who will fight to get your book into the marketplace and provide the vital link between you and the publishing house. If you send your work to a poor agent, your manuscript may never find its way to a publishing house.

Once you are satisfied with your list, check the agents’ submission guidelines very carefully. Like publishing houses, agents receive many manuscripts, and each may have specific requirements. While the merit of your story is the most important thing, don’t let yourself down by sending in your work in the wrong format or full of typos or awkward grammar.  Contact by the method they request (i.e., do they prefer phone, email, or post?), and then send them only what they have requested; no more, no less.

If your query letter, synopsis, and sample pages shine like a diamond in the slush pile, you may just find the literary agent you always dreamed of.



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