Latest posts from Chip MacGregor
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Thursdays with Amanda: Author Book Trailers (a continuation)
Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as an …
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An interview with novelist Les Edgerton, plus…
Crime writer Les Edgerton, author of Just Like That and The Bitch, offers some good writing… have a look:
Read it and hear what he has to say. You will not agree with everything Les offers (and you may get …
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Lisa McKay talks about her memoir…
In a memoir that reviewers have called a “modern-day fairytale”, a single thirty-something receives an email from a distant stranger proposing they date. As they get to know one another entirely via email they must confront troubling questions about purpose,
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How long should my novel be?
Ben wants to know, “What is the minimum length for a novel to be considered a complete manuscript?”
That depends on the genre you’re writing for, Ben. If you are creating a contemporary romance, the publishers will expect it to …
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Do I cite sources in a proposal?
Jane wrote to ask, “What is the industry standard for citing sources in a proposal?”
The standard is pretty much the same as in a book — you want to cite your sources adequately. Sure, a proposal isn’t going to …
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How much can my historical novel change history?
Gwynne wrote to say, “When working on historical fiction, if an author is using real people from history and not invented characters, what is the author’s responsibility to the character? I sometimes admit to feeling guilty of slander — I’m
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Thursdays with Amanda: The Rules for Book Trailers, Pitch Videos, and More
Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as an …
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What’s the purpose of a market analysis?
Denise wants to know, “What’s really the purpose of a market analysis in a proposal? What kind of information are you looking for? It seems like the agent is the one who knows the market, so I’m not sure why …
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Do I include my blog experience in my proposal?
In keeping with our discussion of creating proposals, Carol wrote to ask, “Do blog posts count as ‘prior publishing?’ Do I have publishing rights to my work if it’s been printed in a blog or an e-zine?”
This used to
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Where can I find sample proposals?
Kris wrote to say, “I read the sample proposals you keep on your MacGregor Literary site. I found them helpful (and can’t wait to read Sandra Glahn’s novel), but as an unpublished novelist, it made me wonder… What should I …
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Let’s Recap: Putting Together a Great Proposal
People have been writing in with questions about proposals…
Elizabeth sent me this: “My writing is great, but my synopsis is awful. What should I do — just send it as is and hope the editor looks at the writing …
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Amazturbation and Other Perils of Publishing
Lisa McKay is a psychologist and the author of the award-nominated novel My Hands Came Away Red. A memoir, Love at the Speed of Email, will be released in June 2012. She lives in Laos with her …
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What questions do you have about book proposals?
Here’s how this blog works: You send in questions about writing and publishing, and I try to offer some answers. I’ve recently received a whole slug of questions about proposals, so l wanted to try to get to a bunch …
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Why should I list comparable titles in my proposal?
Evelyn wrote to say she is working on her novel proposal, and wants to know, “Is it really essential to list comparable books in my proposal? How do I find out if there are similar books in print? Do I …
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Thursdays with Amanda: How do I use Pinterest as an author?
Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as an …
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How do I use Comparative Titles in my Proposal?
Someone wrote to ask, “Why are you calling it a ‘competitive titles’ works section, when we used to call it a ‘comparative works’ section?” My answer: Either works. The goal is simply that the author is trying to help the …
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How do I create a “competitive works” section in my proposal?
Karen wrote and said, “The hardest part of a proposal for me is the ‘competitive analysis’ section. Any advice or tips?”
Sure — think about the purpose of that section. Publishers bascially sell in lines — that is, if they …
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How do I estimate my book’s size?
Today’s question is from Sheila, who says, “An agent just requested my novel proposal, and asked about the word count. I told him it’s roughly 150,000 words, but that I’ll be cutting it to perhaps 120,000 by the time I’m
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Thursdays with Amanda: How to Use Facebook as a Published Author
Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as an …
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What’s the purpose of a market analysis in your book proposal?
Staying on the topic of proposals, Dania wants to know, “What is the purpose of a market analysis in a proposal? What kind of information are you looking for? And how much info do you want? It seems like the …