Latest posts from Chip MacGregor
-
How do I get a good endorsement?
So how do I go about getting good endorsements?
Don’t ask everybody you know. One great endorsement is better than five tepid ones.
Target the best candidates. Think about who the best people would be to endorse your work, and …
-
Does it help to have endorsements?
I’ve had a number of questions about book proposals sent to me, so I’d like to take several days to explore creating a great book proposal. Stan wrote to me and asked, “Does it really help a book to have …
-
What do you need to know about writing contests?
Danielle wrote to say, “I know there are contests going on at this summer’s conferences. What contest advice can you give us?”
I’ve made my living in publishing for about thirty years now, which means that sometimes I get asked …
-
And the winner is…
We’ve been working diligently (translation: “occasionally looking up from my glass of Guinness and my P.G. Wodehouse novel”) to study the entrants in this year’s Bad Poetry Contest. As usual, it’s tough to pick a winner because, in the immortal …
-
Final Bad Poetry Entries Due TODAY
All good things must come to an end, and the Bad Poetry Contest is no exception. Please submit your sonnet, Haiku, Limerick, or free-form verse TODAY as a comment to this blog. We await your weeping feelings and wrenching observations.…
-
Final Bad Poetry Entries Due TODAY
All good things must come to an end, and the Bad Poetry Contest is no exception. Please submit your sonnet, Haiku, Limerick, or free-form verse TODAY as a comment to this blog. We await your weeping feelings and wrenching observations.…
-
We welcome your bad poetry…
If you’ve not checked out this year’s Bad Poetry contestants (in the “comments” section), you’ve missed such good work as Cimex Lecularis, The Arab Sprummer, and A Fruit Soliloquy. All of them awful.
If you’re really into bad poetry, check …
-
The 2012 Bad Poetry Contest continues…
That’s right. Put down that Amanda Hocking novel and start thinking “bad” — as in, “bad poetry.” Every year during my birthday week we take some time away from talking writing and marketing and books, in order to focus on …
-
Our Annual Bad Poetry Contest is Back!
Great news: The 2012 Bad Poetry Contest is here!
As you know, each day here on the blog we offer wisdom and thoughts on the business and careers of writing. And over the last six years, it’s proven helpful enough …
-
When a writer needs a staff person to help…
In response to our series on writers and staff, Susan sent this: “What success tips, or pitfalls to avoid, can you provide for hiring part-time staff?”
First, I think you can ask yourself “what is my single greatest point …
-
Thursdays with Amanda: How to Use Facebook as an Unpublished Writer
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 …
-
More on “Does a writer need a staff?”
As a follow-up to yesterday’s question, Jim wants to know, “How did you find the right person to work with? And how did you justify the expense?”
I asked around, found candidates, then I asked them hard questions. Most of …
-
Does a writer need a staff?
Veronica sent me a question about working with outside help: “Do you think writers should ever hire a staff person? (And what sort of staff do you use?)”
I think it’s possible for a writer to have others helping in …
-
Who do you do with a bad review?
Colleen wrote me and said, “I just got a terrible review on Amazon. I hate even going there to look at it. Tell me, what do you do with a bad review?”
It’s one of the things unpublished authors don’t …
-
Thursdays with Amanda: Using Facebook as an Author
-
More on teaching at a writers’ conference…
…Continuing our thoughts about teaching at a writing conference…
6. If you go as a teacher, take some time to talk to people. YOU are one of the reasons they chose to attend. Look, in reality, I’m not a
-
If you’re going to speak at a conference…
…Danette wrote and said, “I’ve been asked to speak at a writing conference next year. What advice would you give to prospective conference teachers?”
Well, I’ve taught at more than a hundred writers’ conferences, and I’d probably say there are
-
What helps a writer facing career decisions?
Brant wrote and asked a question that I figure goes through every writer’s mind at one point or another, so it’s probably worth giving it some thought. It’s not rocket science—but because it’s not rocket science, it can be easy …
-
Maximizing Your Amazon Sales
StoneHouse University is offering a webinar on “maximizing your book and Kindle sales on Amazon,” and it’s led by Thom Kephart, the Amazon Community Outreach Manager. A lot of authors are posting ebooks and looking to boost sales, so here’s …
-
We’ve made the switch to WordPress!
Okay, after months of having people tell us that we need to update the blog, we’ve finally made the change to WordPress. All the old posts have transferred over (though not all the comments have yet), and we’re going to …