In anticipation of tomorrow’s #AdPit contest on Twitter, I thought it might be useful to assemble some tips about Twitter pitching contests. In case you weren’t aware, the basic premise of such contests is this: Authors tweet a brief (140 characters or less) teaser “pitch” for their completed manuscripts, using a common hashtag Agents and […]
Articles on Agents and Publishing
Welcome! Here you'll find articles on the traditional route of publishing: querying and landing a literary agent, revising, editing, going on submission, and getting published. These also cover the state of the publishing industry and my guesses about its future.
Writing Competition, Craft, and Cold Reality
As is true with many of the most desirable professions, success at writing requires a special confluence of talent, hard work, dedication, and sheer luck. As one of my favorite epic fantasy authors put it: If you want to write, then write. If you want to be a writer, go study accounting.” It’s not enough […]
Twitter Pitching Contests: Your Novel in 140 Characters or Less
Yesterday I participated in a lively Twitter event called #PitMad, in which aspiring authors pitch their completed manuscripts in 140 characters or less. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., participants would tweet their pitches using the #pitmad hashtag, a feed that could be monitored by agents, editors, and other interested parties. Since I’m a scientist, […]
Querying Literary Agents: The Numbers
A few of my writing friends have asked about the whole querying-agents-to-get published thing, since I’ve recently become intimately acquainted with this process. As most aspiring novelists are aware, one does not simply approach a major publishing house with one’s own manuscript these days, just as one does not simply walk into Mordor. True, some […]
