Author's Blog

Rejection Letters . . .

For Your Information

Rejection Letters: The Publishers Who Got It Embarrassingly Wrong . . . By Alice Vincent – The Huffington Post – http://goo.gl/pM0VT

A Novelist Turns Himself In – By Thomas Mullen – Huffington Post – http://goo.gl/sFHao

Every writer’s nightmare – By Mark Mason – Spectator Book Club – http://goo.gl/q8Q8M

3 Simple Ways to Turn Your Website into Profitable Books and eBooks – By Joel Friedlander – copyblogger – http://goo.gl/Cvg4H

The Best Way to Network: Serving People – By Jeff Goins – http://goo.gl/vNyZU

What Can Stop Your Career From Ever Starting – By Emily Latham – For Jane Friedman – http://goo.gl/c25Wg

Stories in your pocket: how to write flash fiction – By David Gaffney – the guardian – http://goo.gl/sw0Ko

From Writer to Author to Publisher to Marketer – By Joel Friedlander – The Book Designer – http://goo.gl/D5iVH

The real threat to (big time) book publishing – By Seth Godin – The Domino Project – http://goo.gl/7utJO

‘Bachelor Firemen’ romance novel ignites career of Harvard educated Homer writer – By Michael Armstrong – The Republic – http://goo.gl/Y4hbO

The Millionaire Author’s Club – By Carl Wilkinson – The Telegraph – http://goo.gl/EQG2e

4 Ways to Immediately Improve Your Book Marketing Efforts – By Jane Friedman – http://goo.gl/7pX23

Editing Clauses in Publishing Contracts: How to Protect Yourself – By Victoria Strauss – Writer Beware – http://goo.gl/YGKXA

How to Get Your Blog Back On Track – By James – Men With Pens – http://goo.gl/PT3A6

Blog Better by Slowing Down – by Timo Klander – For Problogger – http://goo.gl/gCnIO

Hard work on the right things – By Seth Godin – http://goo.gl/4moQ9

Are You Trying to Create an “Impossible” Book? – By Joel Friedlander – The Book Designer – http://goo.gl/xpyWk

Contracts – by Anna Elliott – Writer Unboxed – http://goo.gl/5NTgQ

6 Cozy Cocoons to Retreat From The World – by Ana Lisa Alperovich – inhabitat – http://goo.gl/pvZpL

 

Quote(s) of the Day

“I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of hunger for life that gnaws in us all.” – Richard Wright

 

The Minimalist Secret . . .

For Your Information

The Minimalist Secret to Productive Writing – By Jeff Goins – http://goo.gl/upVgs

When is a Dodgy Publisher Like a Stopped Clock? – By Victoria Strauss – Writer Beware – http://goo.gl/fzgOF

How to Finish Your Novel When You Want to Quit – By Joe Bunting – The Write Practice – http://goo.gl/AbrLE

Have a .com web address? Know the Legal risks – By Vikram Kumar – The National Business Review – http://goo.gl/Htnj8

Nickelodeon Heads to Random House – By Karen Raugust – Publisher Weekly – http://goo.gl/VpTvW

5 Ways to Get More Traffic with Content Marketing – By Sonia Simone – copyblogger – http://goo.gl/bKLZF

Struggle Is a Sure Sign You’re Creating Art – By Jeff Goins – http://goo.gl/y8ySm

How to Get Media Coverage for Your Book – By Ken Brosky – For Jane Friedman – http://goo.gl/RE7Gb

Publishing Industry Terms and Contracts: Some Resources, and Some Advice – By Victoria Strauss – Writer Beware – http://goo.gl/6AjGM

Get More Comments: Know Which Posts Make Readers Talk – By Caz Makepeace – For Problogger – http://goo.gl/mDLpH

The ironic truth about sincerity – By Seth Godin – http://goo.gl/dneq0

6 Amazing Works of Art Made Using Recycled Books! – by Diane Pham – inhabitat – http://goo.gl/NP7wA

‘The Hunger Games’ spotlight highlights Asheville’s Young Adult writers – by cmotsinger – Citizen-Times – http://goo.gl/tGKGW

Chinese writers’ group sues Apple reports state media – By Euronews – http://goo.gl/yKN9f

 

Quote(s) of the Day

“If books require no thought from those who read them, then they have made no demand upon those who wrote them.” – Charles Caleb Colton

Charles Dickens . . .

For Your Information

Charles Dickens: Six things he gave the modern world – By Alex Hudson – BBC New Magazine – http://goo.gl/DzhnO

Publisher Alert: Arvo Basim Yayin of Turkey – By Victoria Strauss – Writer Beware Blog – http://goo.gl/yHygn

Author Blogging 101: Blog Analytics – By Joel Friedlander – The Book Designer – http://goo.gl/ROoVq

The difference between a failure and a mistake – By Seth Godin – http://goo.gl/e40NO

6 Steps to a loyal blog following – By Shari Lopatin – Problogger – http://goo.gl/5shof

The Pippi Longstocking Guide to Freelance Writing Success – By Make a Living Writing – http://goo.gl/JOv1X

Story Narrated Through Brilliantly Executed Animated Video – By E-Junkie.Info – http://goo.gl/yHRb9

What is Your Novel Missing? – By The Writers Alley – http://goo.gl/I82bR

AP Stylebook’s New Tool Automatically Edits Your Writing – By Brian Anthony Hermandez – Mashable Tech – http://goo.gl/0chRm

 

 

 Quote(s) of the Day

“There are lots of people who give their all and have that inner glow on – it’s a shame that majority of them are under 7 years old.” Esa Saarinen

 

 

 

Writing Contest

Engine Books Novel Prize – Deadline March 10, 2012 – http://goo.gl/tQ2kR

Can you edit too much?

Perfectionism is something to strive for, but when does perfectionism become an obsession – a fear of your work never being good enough, always thinking you can do better.

During the process of a final edit on one of the first articles that I was having published, I had to ask myself, when would ‘enough be enough’.

At the time, I found the question difficult to answer. Now, I know it is different for everyone and different for each piece of work.

Back then, I realized that a more appropriate question to ask myself was, am I stalling because of my fear of failure, or is my work truly unfinished, needing more editing?

Saying, I’m finished, meant there was no more reason to hold back, nothing from stopping me to submit my work and perhaps face a rejection. At some point, I needed to take the next step, but I never thought that that step would be so difficult.

I remember the day that I finally said, “This is it! Today, I’m going to submit it.” I literally had to force myself to go through each step. And once I had it submitted, I fretted the entire time, waiting to hear back from the magazine editor if it was good enough.

Everything turned out fine. He loved the article, and two months later, I saw my article in print on the shelves.

With each publication, the feeling became more clear as to when I was satisfied enough with my work to submit it. I still question every piece I write as to whether it is good enough.

Just recently, I finished my first novel for publication. The experience was more intimidating, but I know that there comes a point where I need to move on and be satisfied with my work – I need to take that step of courage.