Latest posts from Chip MacGregor
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How does an acquisitions editor acquire books?
Someone wrote with this question: “When someone is hired by a publishing house and allowed to acquire new books, are they trained or do they just ‘go and do’? Is this something they do individually or as part of a …
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I can't make sense of my royalty statement!
A regular reader of this blog sent me a note that said, “I get a royalty report twice a year from my publisher, but I don’t really understand it. What tips can you give me for reading a royalty report?”…
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Editing for Authors: Part 8, Editing for a Specific Audience
Welcome back to Editing for Authors, the series where I surprise myself every week by having something else to say on the subject!
I’m getting ready to wrap up the series, but before I do I wanted to talk briefly …
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If I'm a CBA novelist, can I cross over to the general market?
Recently I’ve had several people send me a version of this question: “You seem to be one of the few literary agents who works in the general market (what a lot of people call the ABA) as well as working …
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Editing for Authors: Part 7, The Machete
Welcome back to “Editing for Authors,” the series where we guarantee you’ll be sick to death of the word “editing” by the end or your money back!
Most of the series to this point has dealt with editing that adds …
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How much should I charge when I speak?
I’ve had several people write to me recently and ask about what to charge when they speak. I’ve talked about a system for thinking this through in the past, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to re-play a blog …
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Editing for Authors, Part 7: Rewriting vs. Editing
Welcome back to the series on editing for authors that will continue until I run out of things to say on the subject! If you missed last week’s post (which appeared on Friday instead of Tuesday), we discussed the second …
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Editing for Authors: Part 6, Know thyself, edit thyself
Welcome back to my series on editing for authors. This week, we’re continuing the discussion begun last time on the developmental editing process. As I said in part 5, the purpose of a developmental edit can be boiled down… -
Bad Queries! Get 'yer Bad Queries!
I regularly get people sending me notes asking, “Why haven’t you shared any bad proposals with us lately?” So this morning I sat down and gathered together a bunch of the great projects people have sent my way over the… -
What does a good query letter look like?
I’ve had three different people ask me about query letters recently… specifically, “What does a query letter look like?” and “What goes into a good query to an agent?”
Happy to help. To query an agent or editor is to …
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What's the best step for my novel writing career?
Someone wrote to me, “What do you think is the one best step I could take in my novel writing career?”
I’ve thought about this a lot, since I represent a number of novelists. I suppose part of me wants …
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How long should I wait before following up on a submission?
Someone asked, “What is an acceptable time period to wait before following up on a proposal to an agent? And how do agents feel about writers following up on a query or submission? ”
I’ve answered this question a …
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Nurturing the Writer's Spirit (a guest blog from novelist Danica Favorite)
One of the things we talk a lot about at conferences and workshops is how to improve the craft of writing. But I believe we’re missing an important layer of what it means to be a writer. As writers, we …
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How I got screwed by Delta (your Happy Traveler Note of the Week)
So last week I was supposed to fly from Denver (where I was having publishing meetings) to Nashville (where we were hosting a marketing seminar for our authors). I’m the type that always tries to keep travel expenses low (in …
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Editing for Authors: Part 5, The Big Picture
Welcome back (after a couple weeks off) to my series on editing for authors. I spent the last two posts talking about the role of a style sheet in the editing process (here and here, if you missed …
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The View from the Bookstore (a guest post)
In response to the posts we’ve had on the Family Christian Stores debacle, we’re received a number great letters from people involved. Authors, editors, publishers, and agents have all written with their thoughts. But I wanted to share one note …
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"Why are you picking on Family Christian Stores?"
Okay, so my recent posts (here, here, and here) on the bankruptcy, reorganization, and sale of Family Christian Stores (FCS) has created a bit of a stir. Four publishers wrote me to say thanks. Several independent …
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Why does everyone want to be published?
I thought you’d like to see this question someone sent me: “I’ve been writing for several months now, and I’m trying to figure out what my motivation is. Can you help me understand WHY so many writers want to become …
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The Family Christian Follies
Okay, it’s all settled. After months of arguing, pointing fingers, and making late-night calls that threatened to screw up the entire deal, the country’s largest Christian retail chain is going to remain open. That’s good news for writers (in a …
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Editing for Authors: Part 4b, The Great and Powerful Style Sheet
Welcome back to my series on editing for authors. Last week, I started to talk about the role of a style sheet in the editing process, specifically the story and character-related elements. This week, we’re looking at the craft and …