Latest posts from Chip MacGregor
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Ask the Agent: "If I already have an offer, do I need an agent?"
Someone wrote me to say, “I was just offered a contract on my novel. Since I don’t have an agent, should I seek one at this point? Would it be better to have the agent simply review the contract for …
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Does a beginning writer need an agent? (and other questions from authors)
Someone wrote to ask, “In your opinion, does a beginning writer need an agent?”
In my view, it depends on the writer. There are some authors who are well connected in the industry, don’t mind dealing with contracts and negotiations, …
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If you're new to the world of publishing…
I’m a big supporter of authors trying to self-publish their out-of-print works (and sometimes their new works, depending on the author and situation), and I’ve had a number of authors write to ask questions about publishing terms and traditions. I …
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Happy 4th of July! (a rant)
So I had a post I was going to share today, even though it’s a holiday. I was checking some news online, when my phone rang. It was 9 in the morning.
Old guy’s voice: “Hello, I sent you a …
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You're invited to a LIVE version of "Thursdays with Amanda"
On SUNDAY, August 24, we’re going to try something new… a LIVE version of Amanda’s wonderful marketing information, set into a seminar format. Amanda and I will be in Nashville, at the Airport Embassy Suites, from 9 to 4, talking …
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What if I'm a part-time writer, part-time something else?
A friend wrote to say, “I have a degree in teaching, and I’ve taken classes in a professional writing program… but I feel stuck between two careers. What do I do?”
If you’re trying to make it as a writer, …
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As a working writer, how do I create a budget?
Several people read my Monday blog and asked me, “What does a writing budget look like?”
Here’s the basic idea…
1. The author sets a financial goal for the year. It’s got to be something that is livable (if the …
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How can a writer create a career plan?
I have a background in organizational development — my graduate degree focused on how an organization grows and changes over time. In my job as a literary agent, I’ve found it’s proven helpful when talking to writers about their careers. …
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Ask the Agent: "How am I paid on my book contract?"
Someone wrote me to ask, “Can you explain how money is paid on a traditional publishing contract? I’ve got a contract in front of me, and I don’t understand it.”
Happy to explain it. First, when you sign to do …
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Can a novelist market herself?
A woman I met at a conference wrote and asked, “Is it really possible to market yourself as a novelist?”
I definitely think it’s possible for a novelist to market himself or herself. Over the past couple years, I’ve tried …
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Why I love Amazon
After some recent blog posts, it was pretty clear some readers thought I was bashing Amazon. A word about that… I love Amazon. They are the single largest seller of the books I get to represent. The are fast, inexpensive, …
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The latest on the Amazon/Hachette Fight
Since my blog post on Wednesday, there have been several new developments in the battle between Amazon and Hachette…
1. After delaying orders on Hachette titles, refusing to discount them as they have other publishers’ titles, and sometimes not even …
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The Biggest News at BEA?
Just got back from a week in New York, seeing all the books and publishers and figuring out what direction the industry is moving. There was a great spirit at Book Expo this year — none of the angst and …
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What should I ask a prospective agent?
A friend wrote to say, “You’ve said several times that an author should ask a prospective agent some questions in order to get to know him (or her). I’m going to a conference in a couple months — what sort …
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Editing: It Takes a Village (A guest blog)
I recently had someone say to me, “My novel needs an edit — but I don’t have the strength to listen to someone bash it.”
Ack! An editor’s job is to help authors readjust, smooth and polish but never to …
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What comes first, the platform or the contract?
I had several people send in marketing questions recently…
“In publishing, which comes first — the chicken or the egg? Do we need to have a book published before we start building a platform? Or do we start building a …
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What advice would you give to an author thinking about marketing?
A longtime friend in the industry said she had been reading my blog for years, and decided to put a bunch of thoughts of mine together into an article for her authors who were asking about marketing. This was all …
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Seven Things I'm Thinking About on a Friday
First, big news about an author we represent: thriller Maegan Beaumont’s Carved in Darkness won the IPPY Award Gold Medal in the Suspense/Thriller category. If you haven’t read it, you owe it to yourself to read her gripping, moody novel …
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FINDING, AND TRUSTING, AN AGENT
BY CHIP MACGREGOR
Someone wrote to say, “I heard an agent speak at our writing group. He sounded interesting, so I went to his website, which is interesting but I wasn’t sure I could trust it. You have to …
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HOW I SOLD OVER 150,000 COPIES IN TWO YEARS
By Guest Writer CYNTHIA HICKEY, bestselling author of mystery and romance
HOW I SOLD OVER 150,000 COPIES OF MY TOTAL WORKS IN TWO YEARS
Or: Why I Love Being a Hybrid AuthorWhen I started writing seriously, I had the …