Latest posts from Chip MacGregor
-
My Publishing Predictions for 2014
I sometimes hate reading people’s predictions for the new year, since they tend to be incredibly safe (“a new author will arise and start selling well”) or so obvious a moron could have guessed it (“it will rain a lot …
-
What were the biggest publishing stories of 2013?
So we’re in a state of revolution in publishing — a season where everything about books is changing. The writing, the editing, the production, the marketing, the sales channels, even the way we read books is different from the way …
-
What's the best book you read in 2013?
As we wrap up 2013, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the top publishing stories of the year, make some predictions for the upcoming year, and get back to answering your questions. But first, I’d like …
-
A Christmas Emptying (a guest blog)
I’m sitting on the deck in shorts and a sleeveless blouse on an uncharacteristically warm late- autumn day, while Chevy, poodle-king of the mountain, surveys our three sloping terraces, content to sit quietly until a squirrel skitters by, tempting him …
-
On the loss of a mentor and friend
Yesterday one of my friends and mentors passed away. Jim Reimann was well known in the publishing community, having started a great bookstore in Atlanta, served as President of Family Christian Bookstores during their big growth phase, and having created …
-
A CHRISTMAS DONATION
In lieu of client gifts this season, MacGregor Literary has elected to sponsor a student through a full year of high school in Uganda, Africa, and encourage him or her toward their goal of continuing their education.
Agent Sandra Bishop, …
-
An Open Letter to my Fellow Authors (a guest blog from novelist Richard Russo)
It’s all changing, right before our eyes. Not just publishing, but the writing life itself, our ability to make a living from authorship. Even in the best of times, which these are not, most writers have to supplement their writing… -
If writing is a business, why not? (a guest blog)
When my new book, Grace’s Pictures, released, I knew I needed to do all I could to promote it. But at the time I faced a challenging rewrite of my next novel, a long planned for overseas trip, and …
-
The Care and Feeding of a Muse (a guest blog)
Three years ago, I was at the end of a multi-book contract. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write next. I only knew I wanted to write something different. I didn’t feel lost; I felt blank. My muse was …
-
When is an agent query like a party? (a guest blog)
Think about approaching an agent to talk about your book. You see the agent over there, holding a glass of wine. You approach. You make an introduction. There’s some small talk. You start to chat about your story. But there …
-
-
The Pareto Principle
Vilfredo Pareto was a Paris-born Italian, from a prominent exiled Genoese family, famous in his own day as a social economist. He is often referred to as the first modern economics professor, and he more or less developed microeconomics as …
-
What's your best advice for making a living at writing?
Over the past few weeks we’ve been talking about “making a living at writing.” In addition to the advice I’ve doled out, I’ve heard from several people with wisdom to add to the discussion, and I have a few other …
-
Writers: Learn to Think Quarterly
We’ve been talking about making a living at writing, and I’ve talked about the importance of having a place, a time, a project, a writing goal, and a calendar (among other things). Let me suggest there’s one other thing you’re …
-
Why you need a Writing Calendar
If you’re going to make a living at writing, you’re going to need to consider creating a writing calendar. This is, you need to have a document that details what you’re going to write each day. Think about buying a …
-
FINDING YOUR VOICE
GUEST WRITER ANE MULLIGAN
President of the award-winning literary site, Novel Rocket, Ane Mulligan writes Southern-fried fiction served with a tall, sweet iced tea. While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, she’s worn many different ones: hairdresser, legislative …
-
Redesigning My Website – One Author's Experience (a guest blog)
When I mentioned to Chip that I recently had my website redesigned and sent him the link to check it out, he asked me to write a blog post and share my experience with you.
To give you an idea …
-
Treating your writing as a business
I’ve been exploring the notion of making a living in the new publishing economy, and I want to make sure writers understand the big picture… You’ve got to treat your writing as a business.
Oh, sure, some writers will insist …
-
On Snippet, PW, and a good friend
SNIPPET: I had several people email me to ask why we had the blog post about Snippet. The fact is, I simply love the tool. It’s easy to use (an author simply drops in short chapters or essays), it’s interactive …
-
What does it mean to "make a living" at writing?
I’ve been talking about authors trying to make a living at writing recently, and a couple people have written to ask me, “When can I know I’m actually making a living with my words?”
To me, the answer is personal. …