Hi:
I'm on a panel next Saturday. It is sponsored by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). Here is the description (from their literature).
Writing and Publishing in the Digital Era: The Do's, Don't and Musts
It's said that everyone has a story. Journalists have written many stories about others but writing your own book is a different adventure. With modern technology, there are many options and paths for becoming an author. In the current climate, writing could provide an additional revenue stream or make use of suddenly available time.
Moderator:
Gary Anthony Ramsay, President, Great Pitch Media / Our News Now!
Panelists:
Dr. Virgie Bright-Ellington – Author, "What your Doctor Wants You to Know But Doesn't Have Time To Tell You"
Julian Phillips - New Author, "Discovering Your Hidden Power: Unleashing The Power of Words"
Anita Diggs , Book Publishing Consultant, Diggs McQuillar, Inc.
Kevin Gray, Public Relations , iUniverse Publishing
Stacey Tisdale, Author, "The True Cost of Happiness"
LOCATION: CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
219 W. 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
TIME: 3:00 PM
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Twitter Update
Hi Everyone:
I had to change my twitter name. Now I'm just Anita Diggs. Please follow.
Have a great day!
I had to change my twitter name. Now I'm just Anita Diggs. Please follow.
Have a great day!
Monday, May 18, 2009
THE BUSINESS OF BOOK PUBLISHING - ISSUE NUMBER TWO OF TEN
THE BUSINESS OF BOOK PUBLISHING
Issue #2 of 10
Publisher: Anita Diggs
Mail to: anitadiggs@aol.com
http://www.diggseditorialservices.com (Website)
http://themanuscripteditor.blogspot.com (Blog
==========================================
You are receiving this because you told me that you want to subscribe. To unsubscribe, just send me an email request.
Please forward this newsletter to anyone you know who needs free
information regarding the traditional book publishing industry or the road to successful self-publishing.
================================
In This Issue
================================
1. Autobiography/Biography/Memoir
2. What Literary Agents Can’t Do
3. What In-House Editors Do
4. Publishing Your Own Book – Step Two
=================================
1. Autobiography/Biography/Memoir
=================================
Biographies attempt to reveal the truth of someone else's life. A good biographer should have the skills of a novelist, the curiosity and tenacity of an investigative reporter and a degree of respect for their subject. It is a hard and exciting genre to work in.
Autobiography and memoir are also challenging. Here, you must make your own life interesting and relevant to others. It is nearly impossible to read Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt or A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown without laughing, crying and, finally, cheering when the author finally achieves a measure of peace. Some memoirs are lighter (such as travel) but they all have to have engaging characters, gripping imagery, a strong narrative voice and a journey that unfolds like a well-plotted novel.
=================================
2. What Literary Agents Can’t Do
=================================
A literary agent cannot sell a book that no editor wants to buy.
A literary agent cannot help if you plagiarize another’s work
A literary agent cannot force a publisher to print more books
=======================================
3. What In-House Editors Do =======================================
I’ve worked on staff at Warner Books, Random House and Thunder’s Mouth Press. An average day looked something like this:
9:00 AM – Drag myself into the office after staying up half the night reading manuscripts and book proposals.
9:30 AM – Listen to my 50 new voice mail messages.
10:00 AM – My assistant pokes her head in to say that the editorial meeting is starting. I gather the new manuscripts and proposals that I liked and head for the conference room.
NOON – Call agents about the projects that I pitched at LAST WEEK’S editorial meeting if I’ve been authorized to make an offer.
12:30 – Lunch with an agent
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM Create profit & loss statements, negotiate deals with agents, licensors, packagers and overseas publishers. Attend the cover design meeting, attend the marketing meeting, attend the production meeting. Return all important phone calls. Soothe writers. Soothe agents. Answer queries from colleagues about the status of my projects.
6:00 PM Read the first few pages of the new material that has come in.
6:30 PM Pack any new material that doesn’t suck into my tote bag. Put new material that does suck on my assistant’s (she will send the rejection letters) desk. Head for the subway.
LATE EVENING Edit projects that are under contract. Read new material and decide which, if any, are worth fighting for at the next editorial meeting.
=======================================
4. PUBLISHING YOUR OWN BOOK – STEP TWO
=======================================
Okay, you have a completed manuscript that has been both edited and copyedited. It has been polished until it shines. You have hired a lawyer to help you set up a legal entity (partnership, corporation, sole proprietorship, limited liability corp.,etc). You have opened a checking account in the name of your new business. Now you need to:
1. Hire someone to design (page layout, font, spacing, headers, footers, chapter numbers, etc.) the book’s interior.
2, Hire a graphic designer to create the front and back covers of the book.
3, Obtain an ISBN number, LCCN number and a bar code
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from this newsletter so long as you include the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Business of Book Publishing.” To subscribe, send your email address to anitadiggs@aol.com
Issue #2 of 10
Publisher: Anita Diggs
Mail to: anitadiggs@aol.com
http://www.diggseditorialservices.com (Website)
http://themanuscripteditor.blogspot.com (Blog
==========================================
You are receiving this because you told me that you want to subscribe. To unsubscribe, just send me an email request.
Please forward this newsletter to anyone you know who needs free
information regarding the traditional book publishing industry or the road to successful self-publishing.
================================
In This Issue
================================
1. Autobiography/Biography/Memoir
2. What Literary Agents Can’t Do
3. What In-House Editors Do
4. Publishing Your Own Book – Step Two
=================================
1. Autobiography/Biography/Memoir
=================================
Biographies attempt to reveal the truth of someone else's life. A good biographer should have the skills of a novelist, the curiosity and tenacity of an investigative reporter and a degree of respect for their subject. It is a hard and exciting genre to work in.
Autobiography and memoir are also challenging. Here, you must make your own life interesting and relevant to others. It is nearly impossible to read Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt or A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown without laughing, crying and, finally, cheering when the author finally achieves a measure of peace. Some memoirs are lighter (such as travel) but they all have to have engaging characters, gripping imagery, a strong narrative voice and a journey that unfolds like a well-plotted novel.
=================================
2. What Literary Agents Can’t Do
=================================
A literary agent cannot sell a book that no editor wants to buy.
A literary agent cannot help if you plagiarize another’s work
A literary agent cannot force a publisher to print more books
=======================================
3. What In-House Editors Do =======================================
I’ve worked on staff at Warner Books, Random House and Thunder’s Mouth Press. An average day looked something like this:
9:00 AM – Drag myself into the office after staying up half the night reading manuscripts and book proposals.
9:30 AM – Listen to my 50 new voice mail messages.
10:00 AM – My assistant pokes her head in to say that the editorial meeting is starting. I gather the new manuscripts and proposals that I liked and head for the conference room.
NOON – Call agents about the projects that I pitched at LAST WEEK’S editorial meeting if I’ve been authorized to make an offer.
12:30 – Lunch with an agent
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM Create profit & loss statements, negotiate deals with agents, licensors, packagers and overseas publishers. Attend the cover design meeting, attend the marketing meeting, attend the production meeting. Return all important phone calls. Soothe writers. Soothe agents. Answer queries from colleagues about the status of my projects.
6:00 PM Read the first few pages of the new material that has come in.
6:30 PM Pack any new material that doesn’t suck into my tote bag. Put new material that does suck on my assistant’s (she will send the rejection letters) desk. Head for the subway.
LATE EVENING Edit projects that are under contract. Read new material and decide which, if any, are worth fighting for at the next editorial meeting.
=======================================
4. PUBLISHING YOUR OWN BOOK – STEP TWO
=======================================
Okay, you have a completed manuscript that has been both edited and copyedited. It has been polished until it shines. You have hired a lawyer to help you set up a legal entity (partnership, corporation, sole proprietorship, limited liability corp.,etc). You have opened a checking account in the name of your new business. Now you need to:
1. Hire someone to design (page layout, font, spacing, headers, footers, chapter numbers, etc.) the book’s interior.
2, Hire a graphic designer to create the front and back covers of the book.
3, Obtain an ISBN number, LCCN number and a bar code
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from this newsletter so long as you include the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Business of Book Publishing.” To subscribe, send your email address to anitadiggs@aol.com
THE BUSINESS OF BOOK PUBLISHING - ISSUE NUMBER ONE OF TEN
THE BUSINESS OF BOOK PUBLISHING
Issue #1 of 10
Publisher: Anita Diggs
Mail to: anitadiggs@aol.com
http://www.diggseditorialservices.com (Website)
http://themanuscripteditor.blogspot.com (Blog)
==========================================
You are receiving this because you told me that you want to subscribe. To unsubscribe, just send me an email request.
Please forward this newsletter to anyone you know who needs free
information regarding the traditional book publishing industry or the road to successful self-publishing.
================================
In This Issue
================================
1. Does Your Novel Work?
2. Books Are Sold On Consignment
3. A Book That is Not Marketed? That’s Printing, Not Publishing
4. Publishing Your Own Book – Step One
=================================
1. Does Your Novel Work?
=================================
Once upon a time editors at the publishing houses would offer contracts to novelists even though the book didn’t quite “work.” After that, the editor would spend weeks or months helping the author whip the story into shape. That day is pretty much over. If the manuscript needs a great deal of work (massive cutting, the character’s motivation/action is not clear, etc.) it is returned to the agent. After everyone has rejected it, the agent has to move on. The writer starts thinking about self-publishing. This is the wrong move if you’re trying to build a career as a novelist. If your novel has serious problems (characterization, plot, pace, dialogue, grammar), why spend the money to put it out without repair?
Instead of jumping the gun, what you should do is hire a freelance developmental editor (not a copyeditor) who has major publishing house experience. With publishing houses laying off editors in an effort to stay afloat in this recession, finding one that you like should not be difficult. Ask the freelancer to evaluate your manuscript and create an “edit letter” for you. A sample edit letter is attached to this newsletter. Editors charge anywhere from $4.00-$18.00 per page for this service.
=================================
2. Books Are Sold On Consignment
=================================
During the Great Depression, publishers approached booksellers with a pitch that went something like this: We know that you are afraid to order books because people don’t have much money to buy anything. We understand that you are afraid of going out of business. So, we’re going to eliminate your risk. Order all the books you want and you can return those that don’t sell to us and get your money back.
That was more than half a century ago and the policy is still (incredibly) in place. This is why publishers hold part of a writer’s royalties for years. Those boxes of books that went out the door just might come back. The clause in a writer’s contract that permits this is called “Reserve Against Returns.”
=======================================
3. A Book That is Not Marketed? That’s Printing, Not Publishing
=======================================
It has never been a literary agent's job (nor do they have the time) to give writers a page-by-page analysis of what is working or not working in a manuscript or book proposal. So, they send out various forms of rejection letters. These letters (while necessary) do not give you any idea what the real reasons are for the rejection or how to fix it.
Book publishers operate in the same manner. When I was acquiring projects as a Random House Senior Editor, I received at least 60 packages per day. First, I sorted them. The unagented manuscripts went to my assistant for a first reading. I never saw most of them again because they were simply not publishable. I read enough of the agented submissions to decide whether I wanted to see more of the writer's work or not.
Because of the recession, agents and publishers are buying fewer projects. They are also uninterested in taking on projects that require a great deal of work......unless the writer is a celebrity.
Many folk are taking the self-publishing route. In other words, they sign up with iUniverse, AuthorHouse, Lulu, PublishAmerica, etc and get the book PRINTED. Notice that I said PRINTED and not PUBLISHED. These outfits print your book, give you your 10 free copies and send you on your way. They do not market your book. In fact, they do not even truly edit your book unless you pay an extra fee.
=======================================
4. PUBLISHING YOUR OWN BOOK – STEP ONE
=======================================
Okay, you have a completed manuscript that has been both edited and copyedited. It has been polished until it shines. For whatever reason, you have decided to skip the literary agent/major house submission process. However, you understand the difference between PRINTING and PUBLISHING and have decided to publish your own book. The first thing you need to do is get a lawyer to help you set up a legal entity (partnership, corporation, sole proprietorship, limited liability corp.,etc). Once that is done, open a checking account in the name of your new business.
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from this newsletter so long as you include the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Business of Book Publishing.” To subscribe, send your email address to anitadiggs@aol.com
ABOUT ANITA DIGGS
Anita Diggs has worked as a book editor for Random House, Time Warner Trade Publishing and Thunder’s Mouth Press. She has lectured across the country on the topics of novel writing, book proposal development and how to get a literary agent. She has written five books and helped more than fifty authors get their own into print. The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, C-Span, The New York Daily News have interviewed her. Columbia Journalism Review placed Ms. Diggs on their “The Shapers” list for the year 2000. The Shapers is a list of prominent New Yorkers who shape the national media agenda.
Issue #1 of 10
Publisher: Anita Diggs
Mail to: anitadiggs@aol.com
http://www.diggseditorialservices.com (Website)
http://themanuscripteditor.blogspot.com (Blog)
==========================================
You are receiving this because you told me that you want to subscribe. To unsubscribe, just send me an email request.
Please forward this newsletter to anyone you know who needs free
information regarding the traditional book publishing industry or the road to successful self-publishing.
================================
In This Issue
================================
1. Does Your Novel Work?
2. Books Are Sold On Consignment
3. A Book That is Not Marketed? That’s Printing, Not Publishing
4. Publishing Your Own Book – Step One
=================================
1. Does Your Novel Work?
=================================
Once upon a time editors at the publishing houses would offer contracts to novelists even though the book didn’t quite “work.” After that, the editor would spend weeks or months helping the author whip the story into shape. That day is pretty much over. If the manuscript needs a great deal of work (massive cutting, the character’s motivation/action is not clear, etc.) it is returned to the agent. After everyone has rejected it, the agent has to move on. The writer starts thinking about self-publishing. This is the wrong move if you’re trying to build a career as a novelist. If your novel has serious problems (characterization, plot, pace, dialogue, grammar), why spend the money to put it out without repair?
Instead of jumping the gun, what you should do is hire a freelance developmental editor (not a copyeditor) who has major publishing house experience. With publishing houses laying off editors in an effort to stay afloat in this recession, finding one that you like should not be difficult. Ask the freelancer to evaluate your manuscript and create an “edit letter” for you. A sample edit letter is attached to this newsletter. Editors charge anywhere from $4.00-$18.00 per page for this service.
=================================
2. Books Are Sold On Consignment
=================================
During the Great Depression, publishers approached booksellers with a pitch that went something like this: We know that you are afraid to order books because people don’t have much money to buy anything. We understand that you are afraid of going out of business. So, we’re going to eliminate your risk. Order all the books you want and you can return those that don’t sell to us and get your money back.
That was more than half a century ago and the policy is still (incredibly) in place. This is why publishers hold part of a writer’s royalties for years. Those boxes of books that went out the door just might come back. The clause in a writer’s contract that permits this is called “Reserve Against Returns.”
=======================================
3. A Book That is Not Marketed? That’s Printing, Not Publishing
=======================================
It has never been a literary agent's job (nor do they have the time) to give writers a page-by-page analysis of what is working or not working in a manuscript or book proposal. So, they send out various forms of rejection letters. These letters (while necessary) do not give you any idea what the real reasons are for the rejection or how to fix it.
Book publishers operate in the same manner. When I was acquiring projects as a Random House Senior Editor, I received at least 60 packages per day. First, I sorted them. The unagented manuscripts went to my assistant for a first reading. I never saw most of them again because they were simply not publishable. I read enough of the agented submissions to decide whether I wanted to see more of the writer's work or not.
Because of the recession, agents and publishers are buying fewer projects. They are also uninterested in taking on projects that require a great deal of work......unless the writer is a celebrity.
Many folk are taking the self-publishing route. In other words, they sign up with iUniverse, AuthorHouse, Lulu, PublishAmerica, etc and get the book PRINTED. Notice that I said PRINTED and not PUBLISHED. These outfits print your book, give you your 10 free copies and send you on your way. They do not market your book. In fact, they do not even truly edit your book unless you pay an extra fee.
=======================================
4. PUBLISHING YOUR OWN BOOK – STEP ONE
=======================================
Okay, you have a completed manuscript that has been both edited and copyedited. It has been polished until it shines. For whatever reason, you have decided to skip the literary agent/major house submission process. However, you understand the difference between PRINTING and PUBLISHING and have decided to publish your own book. The first thing you need to do is get a lawyer to help you set up a legal entity (partnership, corporation, sole proprietorship, limited liability corp.,etc). Once that is done, open a checking account in the name of your new business.
Permission to Reprint:
You may reprint any items from this newsletter so long as you include the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “The Business of Book Publishing.” To subscribe, send your email address to anitadiggs@aol.com
ABOUT ANITA DIGGS
Anita Diggs has worked as a book editor for Random House, Time Warner Trade Publishing and Thunder’s Mouth Press. She has lectured across the country on the topics of novel writing, book proposal development and how to get a literary agent. She has written five books and helped more than fifty authors get their own into print. The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, C-Span, The New York Daily News have interviewed her. Columbia Journalism Review placed Ms. Diggs on their “The Shapers” list for the year 2000. The Shapers is a list of prominent New Yorkers who shape the national media agenda.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Dear Friends:
I've just joined Twitter. Now I have to learn how the whole thing works. (Sigh) I really wish that folks would just call me on the phone and ASK what I'm doing. What was wrong with that?
I've just joined Twitter. Now I have to learn how the whole thing works. (Sigh) I really wish that folks would just call me on the phone and ASK what I'm doing. What was wrong with that?
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
BOOK PROPOSALS
Dear Friends:
If you're hoping to sell a work of non-fiction to a publishing house, you must have a book proposal. That proposal must answer the following questions:
1. What type of book (memoir, self-help, humor, expose, etc) is this?
2. What is the author's point?
3. Why is this author the proper person to write on this topic?
4. Why should this book get published at this point in time?
5. Who is the audience for this book and how can the publishing house reach them?
6. Why will the audience for this book actually like it?
7. Is the book well structured?
8. Can the author write well?
The proposal also must be created in the proper format.
If you're hoping to sell a work of non-fiction to a publishing house, you must have a book proposal. That proposal must answer the following questions:
1. What type of book (memoir, self-help, humor, expose, etc) is this?
2. What is the author's point?
3. Why is this author the proper person to write on this topic?
4. Why should this book get published at this point in time?
5. Who is the audience for this book and how can the publishing house reach them?
6. Why will the audience for this book actually like it?
7. Is the book well structured?
8. Can the author write well?
The proposal also must be created in the proper format.
Examination
Dear Friends:
I want you to pretend that you are a literary agent as you are reading the horrible query letter below. Would you ask the author to send you the full book proposal? Of course not! The letter is unfocused, overwritten, confusing and badly written. The proposal would simply give you a full blown migraine.
I'm going to analyze this letter, paragraph-by-paragraph, in an attempt to discover what the book is about. I will also try to fix the letter but I'm not sure that is possible.
Paragraph One: I'm writing to you about my book, She Wept, which is a nonfictional story about passion, Love, trust, relationships and self-discovery.
DELETE I'M WRITING TO YOU ABOUT MY BOOK. WHAT IS THE POINT? THE LITERARY AGENT KNOWS THAT.
DELETE NONFICTIONAL STORY.
PASSION, LOVE, TRUST, RELATIONSHIPS AND SELF-DISCOVERY......SOUNDS LIKE A NOVEL. NOW I"M CONFUSED.
(sigh)
Paragraph Two: Fall in love with this life-changing story about a beautiful and gifted young woman who overcomes herself and the choices she makes because of the Amazing Grace of Heaven. Find out how this popular, intellectually bright and professionally astute sorority girl who seemingly had it all manages to fumble her way through young adulthood, yet miraculously regroups, tackles issues and transforms before self-destructing.
WHAT? IS THIS A MEMOIR? IF IT IS, WHY NOT SAY SO IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Paragraph Three: Meet the book's ingenue, and be inspired. A God-fearing person all her life, the protagonist believes that it is more blessed to give than to receive, yet she somehow forgets that she, too, is part of that equation, and responsible for staying true to herself holistically.
INGENUE? THIS ISN'T THE THEATER! I THINK THAT THE AUTHOR MEANS PROTAGONIST. AS FOR THE REST OF THE PARAGRAPH, I SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE ENERGY TO DECIPHER IT.
Paragraph Four: But what happens when she forsakes her responsibilities to herself and instead makes it her priority to attend to the well-being of fragile confidants in her life? She eventually finds herself in perilous situations strange circumstances. Without immediate answers to how she arrived at her current state, she seeks clues from within, only to discover that she doesn't recognize the person she has become or the type of people she has allowed into her heart. Alarming!
NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE A NOVEL BUT THE AUTHOR SAID THAT THE WORK WAS NON-FICTION.
Paragraph Five: With limited, relevant popular culture resources and messages of inspiration available to adolescent girls and young ladies "She Wept" fills an urgent need and seeks to be one source of encouragement to which young women can refer to if faced with situations pertaining to the intersection of self-love, Christianity, personal goals (educational, career, health, financial) and relationships (romantic, social).
NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE A SELF-HELF BOOK AND NOT A NOVEL OR A MEMOIR. CONFUSING. IF IT IS A SELF-HELP BOOK, IT IS TRYING TO DO TOO MANY THINGS WHICH IS A DEFINITE REASON NOT TO ASK FOR THE PROPOSAL.
Whew!
I want you to pretend that you are a literary agent as you are reading the horrible query letter below. Would you ask the author to send you the full book proposal? Of course not! The letter is unfocused, overwritten, confusing and badly written. The proposal would simply give you a full blown migraine.
I'm going to analyze this letter, paragraph-by-paragraph, in an attempt to discover what the book is about. I will also try to fix the letter but I'm not sure that is possible.
Paragraph One: I'm writing to you about my book, She Wept, which is a nonfictional story about passion, Love, trust, relationships and self-discovery.
DELETE I'M WRITING TO YOU ABOUT MY BOOK. WHAT IS THE POINT? THE LITERARY AGENT KNOWS THAT.
DELETE NONFICTIONAL STORY.
PASSION, LOVE, TRUST, RELATIONSHIPS AND SELF-DISCOVERY......SOUNDS LIKE A NOVEL. NOW I"M CONFUSED.
(sigh)
Paragraph Two: Fall in love with this life-changing story about a beautiful and gifted young woman who overcomes herself and the choices she makes because of the Amazing Grace of Heaven. Find out how this popular, intellectually bright and professionally astute sorority girl who seemingly had it all manages to fumble her way through young adulthood, yet miraculously regroups, tackles issues and transforms before self-destructing.
WHAT? IS THIS A MEMOIR? IF IT IS, WHY NOT SAY SO IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Paragraph Three: Meet the book's ingenue, and be inspired. A God-fearing person all her life, the protagonist believes that it is more blessed to give than to receive, yet she somehow forgets that she, too, is part of that equation, and responsible for staying true to herself holistically.
INGENUE? THIS ISN'T THE THEATER! I THINK THAT THE AUTHOR MEANS PROTAGONIST. AS FOR THE REST OF THE PARAGRAPH, I SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE ENERGY TO DECIPHER IT.
Paragraph Four: But what happens when she forsakes her responsibilities to herself and instead makes it her priority to attend to the well-being of fragile confidants in her life? She eventually finds herself in perilous situations strange circumstances. Without immediate answers to how she arrived at her current state, she seeks clues from within, only to discover that she doesn't recognize the person she has become or the type of people she has allowed into her heart. Alarming!
NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE A NOVEL BUT THE AUTHOR SAID THAT THE WORK WAS NON-FICTION.
Paragraph Five: With limited, relevant popular culture resources and messages of inspiration available to adolescent girls and young ladies "She Wept" fills an urgent need and seeks to be one source of encouragement to which young women can refer to if faced with situations pertaining to the intersection of self-love, Christianity, personal goals (educational, career, health, financial) and relationships (romantic, social).
NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE A SELF-HELF BOOK AND NOT A NOVEL OR A MEMOIR. CONFUSING. IF IT IS A SELF-HELP BOOK, IT IS TRYING TO DO TOO MANY THINGS WHICH IS A DEFINITE REASON NOT TO ASK FOR THE PROPOSAL.
Whew!
HORRIBLE QUERY LETTER # 1
Dear Literary Agent:
I'm writing to you about my book, She Wept, which is a nonfictional story about passion, Love, trust, relationships and self-discovery.
Just as Rick Warren in his book "The Purpose Driven Life" helped enable people to crystallize their God-given gifts and mission on Earth, "Somebody Prayed" seeks to empower adolescent girls and young women through the main character's testimony ?to cling, uncompromisingly, to the God-given talents and resources entrusted to them.
Fall in love with this life-changing story about a beautiful and gifted young woman who overcomes herself and the choices she makes because of the Amazing Grace of Heaven. Find out how this popular, intellectually bright and professionally astute sorority girl who seemingly had it all manages to fumble her way through young adulthood, yet miraculously regroups, tackles issues and transforms before self-destructing.
Meet the book's ingenue, and be inspired. A God-fearing person all her life, the protagonist believes that it is more blessed to give than to receive, yet she somehow forgets that she, too, is part of that equation, and responsible for staying true to herself holistically.
But what happens when she forsakes her responsibilities to herself and instead makes it her priority to attend to the well-being of fragile confidants in her life? She eventually finds herself in perilous situations strange circumstances. Without immediate answers to how she arrived at her current state, she seeks clues from within, only to discover that she doesn't recognize the person she has become or the type of people she has allowed into her heart. Alarming!
With limited, relevant popular culture resources and messages of inspiration available to adolescent girls and young ladies "She Wept" fills an urgent need and seeks to be one source of encouragement to which young women can refer to if faced with situations pertaining to the intersection of self-love, Christianity, personal goals (educational, career, health, financial) and relationships (romantic, social).
Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I very much look forward to your response.
Respectfully Submitted,
I'm writing to you about my book, She Wept, which is a nonfictional story about passion, Love, trust, relationships and self-discovery.
Just as Rick Warren in his book "The Purpose Driven Life" helped enable people to crystallize their God-given gifts and mission on Earth, "Somebody Prayed" seeks to empower adolescent girls and young women through the main character's testimony ?to cling, uncompromisingly, to the God-given talents and resources entrusted to them.
Fall in love with this life-changing story about a beautiful and gifted young woman who overcomes herself and the choices she makes because of the Amazing Grace of Heaven. Find out how this popular, intellectually bright and professionally astute sorority girl who seemingly had it all manages to fumble her way through young adulthood, yet miraculously regroups, tackles issues and transforms before self-destructing.
Meet the book's ingenue, and be inspired. A God-fearing person all her life, the protagonist believes that it is more blessed to give than to receive, yet she somehow forgets that she, too, is part of that equation, and responsible for staying true to herself holistically.
But what happens when she forsakes her responsibilities to herself and instead makes it her priority to attend to the well-being of fragile confidants in her life? She eventually finds herself in perilous situations strange circumstances. Without immediate answers to how she arrived at her current state, she seeks clues from within, only to discover that she doesn't recognize the person she has become or the type of people she has allowed into her heart. Alarming!
With limited, relevant popular culture resources and messages of inspiration available to adolescent girls and young ladies "She Wept" fills an urgent need and seeks to be one source of encouragement to which young women can refer to if faced with situations pertaining to the intersection of self-love, Christianity, personal goals (educational, career, health, financial) and relationships (romantic, social).
Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I very much look forward to your response.
Respectfully Submitted,
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
MY NEXT TWO POSTS
Dear Friends:
I'd like to help the non-fiction writers a little more. So, my next two posts will address the importance of a well written book proposal. Feel free to send questions!
I'd like to help the non-fiction writers a little more. So, my next two posts will address the importance of a well written book proposal. Feel free to send questions!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
EXCITING!
Dear Friends:
I am 50 pages into a manuscript (suspense) and just overcome by the writer's talent. Absolutely fabulous!
I am 50 pages into a manuscript (suspense) and just overcome by the writer's talent. Absolutely fabulous!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
WHAT ON EARTH IS A FICTION NOVEL?
Dear Literary Agent:
Enclosed are the first twenty pages of my fiction novel
I've seen variations of this sentence many times and, for me, it always functions as a red light. STOP! TAKE A DEEP BREATH! PROCEED WITH CAUTION! CHANCES OF A WELL WRITTEN NARRATIVE AHEAD ARE EXTREMELY UNLIKELY!
Ladies and gentlemen, there is no such thing as a fiction novel. If so, non-fiction novels would also have to exist, right?
Fiction means make believe.
Novel means make believe.
Non-fiction means the narrative is factual.
So, what you are you really saying to the agent?
Enclosed are the first twenty pages of my fiction novel
I've seen variations of this sentence many times and, for me, it always functions as a red light. STOP! TAKE A DEEP BREATH! PROCEED WITH CAUTION! CHANCES OF A WELL WRITTEN NARRATIVE AHEAD ARE EXTREMELY UNLIKELY!
Ladies and gentlemen, there is no such thing as a fiction novel. If so, non-fiction novels would also have to exist, right?
Fiction means make believe.
Novel means make believe.
Non-fiction means the narrative is factual.
So, what you are you really saying to the agent?
SELECTED TITLES FROM MY LIST
Hi:
I'm getting a lot of inquiries about the type of books that I developed/edited while working at the New York publishing houses. Here is a sample:
AUTOBIOGRAPHY/BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
BACK IN THE DAY: My Life and Times with Tupac Shakur by Darrin Bastfield. The slain rap star’s high school buddy takes a nostalgic look back at their senior year in high school. Random House/Ballantine Books.
BARACK OBAMA IN HIS OWN WORDS by Lisa Rogak. A collection of quotes and commentary from the presidential candidate. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
BILLY JOEL: The Biography by Mark Bego. Life story of The Piano Man from his family roots in Nazi Germany to pop stardom. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
BURNT BREAD & CHUTNEY: Memoir of an Indian Jewish Girl by Carmit Delman. A Boston schoolteacher writes about her dual heritage. Random House/Ballantine Books.
DR. DRE: The Biography by Ronin Ro. Life story of the greatest producer in the history of rap music. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
FREEDOM IN THE FAMILY by Tananarive and Patricia Due. Miami Herald journalist and her mother, a former civil rights activist, talk about the struggle for black equality. Random House/Ballantine Books.
GROWING UP X by Ilyasah Shabazz. The third daughter of slain human rights leader, Malcolm X, writes her memoirs. Random House/Ballantine Books.
INNER CITY MIRACLE by Judge Greg Mathis. TV star talks about his years as a juvenile delinquent, his experiences in law school and how he became a judge. Random House/Ballantine Books.
THE LIL BOW WOW SCRAPBOOK by the editors of Word Magazine. Picture book type profile of the 14-year-old rapper. Random House/Ballantine Books.
LONG ROAD OUTTA COMPTON by Verna Griffin. Memoir from the mother of Dr. Dre, the greatest producer in the history of rap music. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
NO FREE LUNCH: One Man’s Journey From Welfare to the American Dream by Rodney Carroll. Memoir of a UPS executive who founded the Welfare To Work Foundation. Random House/Ballantine Books.
Reese Witherspoon: The Biography by Lauren Brown. Life story of the upper middle class Southern debutante turned Oscar winning actress. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
CONSUMER
DIET FOR A POISONED PLANET: 21st CENTURY EDITION by David Steinman. A thoroughly researched guide to the foods that are safest and the ones that are most dangerous in each of the major food groups. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
SAFE TRIP TO EDEN: A Guide to Greening Your Patriotism by David Steinman. The publisher of Healthy Living magazine draws the connection between personal health and a healthy environment. He argues that global warming is a greater threat to national security than terrorism. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
CONTEMPORARY AFFAIRS
BILL CLINTON AND BLACK AMERICA by DeWayne Wickham. A wide variety of black intellectuals, professionals and politicians explain why African Americans loved the Clintons. Random House/Ballantine Books.
YET A STRANGER: Why Black Americans Still Don’t Feel at Home by Deborah Mathis. Tracking legal progress since the civil rights movement in eliminating blatant racism and discrimination, Mathis explores the "steady diet of indignities, disillusions, rejections, and suspicions" that poisons the hopes and ambitions of African Americans and makes them feel like less-than-welcome citizens of the United States. Warner Books.
FICTION
BEYOND THE LIMBO SILENCE by Elizabeth Nunez. Sara, at age 20, leaves the succulent green of Trinidad to take a scholarship at a Catholic women's college in America. Sara is reserved and intelligent but not only does she have to deal with learning how to become an American, she also sees her father's accepting humiliation as the price of polio vaccine for his family, and her mother's pain in trying to bear more children. Random House/Ballantine Books.
BITTERSWEET by Freddie Lee Johnson III. tale of three African American brothers: Clifford, who works hard to support his wife and two young sons while completing his MBA; Nathan, who long ago gave himself over to the Lord and is now a minister with a wife and two teenaged children; and Victor, a divorced absentee father who works as a bus driver and plays the field. Random House/Ballantine Books.
BLACK SILK: An African American Erotica Collection by Retha Powers. Explores exciting territory in the realm of the African-American experience. From Eric Jerome Dickey's rueful tale of lust to Lolita Files's scorching account of insatiable adventuring. Warner Books.
BLACKGAMMON by Heather Neff. Chloe and Michael, two ambitious black women, alternately recount their lifelong friendship and journeys of self-discovery in this debut novel. They met when Chloe was rebounding from a failed marriage and divorce and Michael was just embarking on womanhood. Random House/Ballantine Books.
BLAME IT ON EVE by Philana Marie Boles. In Boles's debut novel, former fashion model Shawni Baldwin, a buppie who appreciates the finer things in life, joins her wealthy fiancée and a hip-hop singer in an interplay of sensuality and infidelity. Random House/Ballantine Books.
BOMBINGHAM by Anthony Grooms. Walter Burke, a foot soldier serving in Vietnam, is trying to write a letter to the family of a friend who has been killed, but he can't find the right words. Memories triggered, he veers from the horrors of the present to those of his past as a black child in Alabama at the dawn of the civil rights movement. All mental paths lead to an examination of violence (sometimes graphically portrayed). Though the narrative returns to Vietnam periodically, this is chiefly the story of a period in Walter's childhood in Birmingham, whose black residents have dubbed "Bombingham" in recognition of the KKK's preferred method of attack there. Trade paperback reprint. Random House/Ballantine Books.
BRUISED HIBISCUS by Elizabeth Nunez. Winner of the American Book Award. The narrative focuses on two women, both native Trinidadians, one of English descent, childhood friends grown apart only to be reunited after the body of a slain white woman washes up in Freeman's Bay. Rosa and Zuela meet again by chance as each makes a pilgrimage to an Our Lady of Fatima shrine in response to the murder. The suspicions, hate and resentments unleashed in the region by the discovery of Paula Inge's body are multiplied when her husband, an Indian doctor, is fingered as the killer. Random House/Ballantine Books.
CONVERSATION WITH THE MANN by John Ridley. Set against the backdrop of 1950s-1960s Hollywood, Rat Pack Las Vegas and the Civil Rights movement. The fictional narrator is a mordant, world-weary Harlem-raised black comic, Jackie Mann, who irreverently recounts a journey from poverty to his symbol of success, an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, a path strewn with compromise and degradation. Author is a screenwriter for the TV sitcom “Martin” and is also a movie producer. Warner Books.
DISCRETION by Elizabeth Nunez. Oufoula is an African diplomat who lies as part of his job and who lies to his wife, his lover, and himself. He has the seemingly perfect life the African wife and family and the "second wife," the Jamaican artist who awakens his passion yet he wants more. In the end, he chooses tradition and reputation over love. DISCRETION received wonderful reviews in the New York Times and Publisher’s Weekly. Random House/Ballantine Books.
DON’T BELIEVE YOUR LYING EYES by Blair Walker. Someone will do almost anything, including committing a new murder, to keep the secret of how a black entrepreneur's glitzy wife disappeared. Billups breaks most of the rules during his investigation (but in an admirable sort of way meant to prevent confrontation with his live-in girlfriend), so he succeeds in getting dangerously close to the truth. Random House/Ballantine Books.
EDDIE KRUMBEL IS THE CLAPPER by Dito Montiel. Satire set I Hollywood about a young man who is paid to show up in studio audience’s and clap at the jokes. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
GRACE by Elizabeth Nunez. Trinidad-born Justin Peters seemingly has it all: a beautiful, accomplished wife named Sally; a precocious four-year-old daughter; a fabulous brownstone in the hip Fort Greene section of Brooklyn; and a professorship at a public university. Everything is picture perfect until his mate blindsides him by confessing that she is unhappy and planning to move out, taking their child with her. Random House/Ballantine Books.
IN THE ARMS OF ONE WHO LOVES ME by Jacqueline Jones LaMon. Nia Benson's universe teeters when she is fired from her job to make way for her boss's niece, and her boyfriend leaves her for another woman. Meanwhile, Seth Jackson, a self-confessed lothario hoping to succeed in the music business, falls for Lauren, a woman with a ton of baggage. Both Nia and Seth have affairs with other people, who are mere stepping stones along the learning path that leads them to each other. Random House/Ballantine Books.
A MAN FINDS HIS WAY by Freddie Lee Johnson III. Darius Collins's existence is an ongoing exercise in crisis management-his girlfriend dumps him as the novel opens, his relationship with his ex-wife amounts to a series of bitter skirmishes and he's thrust into the middle of some nasty racial politics at his Cleveland college when a group of students tries to enlist his support in bringing a notoriously anti-Semitic African-American leader to speak at the school. Life goes completely haywire, though, when his adolescent son, Jarrod, is accused of rape and Collins learns that his ex-wife is a former lover of the corrupt politician who is trying to frame the boy. Random House/Ballantine Books.
SATISFY MY SOUL by Colin Channer. New York playwright Carey is a lost soul who is nearing middle age and does not know what he believes in. Thus, he fritters away his youth and talent on a series of self-indulgent affairs and one-night stands. In Jamaica, he meets Frances, a sexually charged free spirit who believes that the two of them are reincarnations of separated African lovers, finally reunited. But Carey's obsession with Frances causes him to betray his best friend, Kwabena, with tragic and violent consequences. Random House/Ballantine Books.
SOMEONE TO CATCH MY DRIFT by Jacqueline Powell. Aspiring singer Nikai Parker is depressed. Her boyfriend has been sent to jail for dating an underage girl, and she feels abandoned and desperate. That is, until her best friend, Sheila, convinces her that a night of clubbing is exactly what she needs to forget her troubles and lift her spirits. While at the club, Nikai's luck begins to improve when she meets a handsome firefighter named Robert Hayes-whom she believes may just be the man of her dreams. As their relationship progresses, Nikai falls completely in love and begins making plans to spend the rest of her life with Robert. However, lady luck has other plans-because he is involved with another woman, and this sassy hairdresser named Karen is not going to give up her man without a fight. Warner Books.
TAMING IT DOWN by Kim McLarin. Hope is a woman with every reason to be mad. Her editor at a Philadelphia newspaper thinks she got her job merely because she's black. Her white lover dumps her for another, blonder woman, and her African American boyfriend considers her a traitor to her race. But when her temper leads her to commit a desperate and irreversible act, she is forced to reevaluate her relationships with her colleagues, her men, her family, and herself. Warner Books.
JOURNALISM
THE BEST OF EMERGE MAGAZINE by George Curry. A collection of articles from the now defunct Emerge which TIME once called “Black America’s best newsmagazine.” Random House/Ballantine Books.
MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS
THE LABEL: A Biography of Columbia Records by Gary Marmorstein. From Frank Sinatra and Billy Holiday to Janice Joplin and Michael Jackson, Columbia Records has nurtured a mind-boggling spectrum of talents and temperaments over the past 100-plus years. Author had access to the company’s archives. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES
EATING FIRE, TASTING BLOOD: Breaking the Great Silence of the American Indian Holocaust by Marijo Moore. Native American Studies. American Indian writers offer stirring reflections on the history of their people, telling the story of the most massive and systematic act of genocide in history. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
PHOTOGRPAHY
THE KENNEDY FAMILY ALBUM: Personal Photos of America’s First Family by Linda Corley with Forward by Senator Edward Kennedy. Stories interspersed with pictures that span three decades of Kennedy family life. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
POP CULTURE
THE DEVIL & DAVE CHAPELLE by Professor William Jelani Cobb. A look at America over the past ten years through the lens of music, literature and television. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
THE MESSAGE: 100 Life Lessons From Hip-Hop’s Greatest Songs by Felicia Pride. With each life lesson aptly titled after a hip-hop song, such as Kanye West's “Jesus Walks” or GangStarr's “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow,” The Message explores spirituality, success, love, business, and more through hip-hop. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
MONEY SHOT by Lawrence Ross. A shocking expose of the African American experience in the porno industry. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
WE GOTTA HAVE IT by Esther Iverem. A look at African American Cinema from 1986 to the present. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
WHEN RAP MUSIC HAD A CONSCIENCE by Tayannah Lee McQuillar. A poignant look at the music before gangsta rap was invented. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
THE WITCH IN THE WAITING ROOM: A Physician Investigates Paranormal Phenomena in Medicine by Robert S. Bobrow. Popular Culture. Investigates paranormal activity like telepathy, reincarnation, voodoo and witchcraft with the aim of advancing science. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
PSCYHOLOGY
BROKEN SILENCE: Tales of Black Women in Therapy by Dr. Kim Singleton. A clinical psychologist explores the reasons why African American females distrust the process and what happens when they venture into analysis. Random House/Ballantine Books.
SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS
THE HUMAN EXPERIMENT: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2 by Jane Poynter. Science and mathematics. Biospherian describes her experience living and working in a sealed environment with seven other people for two years, enduring hunger, low levels of oxygen, incredible drudgery, and tense relationships. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
TIME TRAVELER: A Scientist’s Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality by Ronald L. Mallett. Theoretical physicist offers first-person account of his research into the possibility of time travel, culminating in a recent promising discovery. Good Publisher’s Weekly Review. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
SELF HELP
OH GOD! The Black Woman’s Guide to Sex and Spirituality by Reverend Susan Newman. Ebony Magazine named Dr. Newman the top woman preacher in the country. Ballantine Books.
THE ROAD HOME: How Fathers and Daughters Can Reunite by Jonetta Rose Baras. Washington DC columnist gives advice to fatherless daughters. Random House/Ballantine Books.
SPORTS
Golf Heaven by John Andrisani. Pro golfers, celebrities, politicians, business people, and others — about playing the course. The list of contributors includes everyone from Bill Gates to Annika Sorenstam, Clint Eastwood to Charlie Rose, Bill Murray to Rudy Giuliani. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
TRUE CRIME
POSTCARD KILLER: The True Story of J. Frank Hickey by Vince McLaughlin. True Crime. The fascinating story of one of the first known serial killers, whose brazen postcards mocking the police eventually led to his capture. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
I'm getting a lot of inquiries about the type of books that I developed/edited while working at the New York publishing houses. Here is a sample:
AUTOBIOGRAPHY/BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
BACK IN THE DAY: My Life and Times with Tupac Shakur by Darrin Bastfield. The slain rap star’s high school buddy takes a nostalgic look back at their senior year in high school. Random House/Ballantine Books.
BARACK OBAMA IN HIS OWN WORDS by Lisa Rogak. A collection of quotes and commentary from the presidential candidate. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
BILLY JOEL: The Biography by Mark Bego. Life story of The Piano Man from his family roots in Nazi Germany to pop stardom. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
BURNT BREAD & CHUTNEY: Memoir of an Indian Jewish Girl by Carmit Delman. A Boston schoolteacher writes about her dual heritage. Random House/Ballantine Books.
DR. DRE: The Biography by Ronin Ro. Life story of the greatest producer in the history of rap music. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
FREEDOM IN THE FAMILY by Tananarive and Patricia Due. Miami Herald journalist and her mother, a former civil rights activist, talk about the struggle for black equality. Random House/Ballantine Books.
GROWING UP X by Ilyasah Shabazz. The third daughter of slain human rights leader, Malcolm X, writes her memoirs. Random House/Ballantine Books.
INNER CITY MIRACLE by Judge Greg Mathis. TV star talks about his years as a juvenile delinquent, his experiences in law school and how he became a judge. Random House/Ballantine Books.
THE LIL BOW WOW SCRAPBOOK by the editors of Word Magazine. Picture book type profile of the 14-year-old rapper. Random House/Ballantine Books.
LONG ROAD OUTTA COMPTON by Verna Griffin. Memoir from the mother of Dr. Dre, the greatest producer in the history of rap music. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
NO FREE LUNCH: One Man’s Journey From Welfare to the American Dream by Rodney Carroll. Memoir of a UPS executive who founded the Welfare To Work Foundation. Random House/Ballantine Books.
Reese Witherspoon: The Biography by Lauren Brown. Life story of the upper middle class Southern debutante turned Oscar winning actress. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
CONSUMER
DIET FOR A POISONED PLANET: 21st CENTURY EDITION by David Steinman. A thoroughly researched guide to the foods that are safest and the ones that are most dangerous in each of the major food groups. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
SAFE TRIP TO EDEN: A Guide to Greening Your Patriotism by David Steinman. The publisher of Healthy Living magazine draws the connection between personal health and a healthy environment. He argues that global warming is a greater threat to national security than terrorism. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
CONTEMPORARY AFFAIRS
BILL CLINTON AND BLACK AMERICA by DeWayne Wickham. A wide variety of black intellectuals, professionals and politicians explain why African Americans loved the Clintons. Random House/Ballantine Books.
YET A STRANGER: Why Black Americans Still Don’t Feel at Home by Deborah Mathis. Tracking legal progress since the civil rights movement in eliminating blatant racism and discrimination, Mathis explores the "steady diet of indignities, disillusions, rejections, and suspicions" that poisons the hopes and ambitions of African Americans and makes them feel like less-than-welcome citizens of the United States. Warner Books.
FICTION
BEYOND THE LIMBO SILENCE by Elizabeth Nunez. Sara, at age 20, leaves the succulent green of Trinidad to take a scholarship at a Catholic women's college in America. Sara is reserved and intelligent but not only does she have to deal with learning how to become an American, she also sees her father's accepting humiliation as the price of polio vaccine for his family, and her mother's pain in trying to bear more children. Random House/Ballantine Books.
BITTERSWEET by Freddie Lee Johnson III. tale of three African American brothers: Clifford, who works hard to support his wife and two young sons while completing his MBA; Nathan, who long ago gave himself over to the Lord and is now a minister with a wife and two teenaged children; and Victor, a divorced absentee father who works as a bus driver and plays the field. Random House/Ballantine Books.
BLACK SILK: An African American Erotica Collection by Retha Powers. Explores exciting territory in the realm of the African-American experience. From Eric Jerome Dickey's rueful tale of lust to Lolita Files's scorching account of insatiable adventuring. Warner Books.
BLACKGAMMON by Heather Neff. Chloe and Michael, two ambitious black women, alternately recount their lifelong friendship and journeys of self-discovery in this debut novel. They met when Chloe was rebounding from a failed marriage and divorce and Michael was just embarking on womanhood. Random House/Ballantine Books.
BLAME IT ON EVE by Philana Marie Boles. In Boles's debut novel, former fashion model Shawni Baldwin, a buppie who appreciates the finer things in life, joins her wealthy fiancée and a hip-hop singer in an interplay of sensuality and infidelity. Random House/Ballantine Books.
BOMBINGHAM by Anthony Grooms. Walter Burke, a foot soldier serving in Vietnam, is trying to write a letter to the family of a friend who has been killed, but he can't find the right words. Memories triggered, he veers from the horrors of the present to those of his past as a black child in Alabama at the dawn of the civil rights movement. All mental paths lead to an examination of violence (sometimes graphically portrayed). Though the narrative returns to Vietnam periodically, this is chiefly the story of a period in Walter's childhood in Birmingham, whose black residents have dubbed "Bombingham" in recognition of the KKK's preferred method of attack there. Trade paperback reprint. Random House/Ballantine Books.
BRUISED HIBISCUS by Elizabeth Nunez. Winner of the American Book Award. The narrative focuses on two women, both native Trinidadians, one of English descent, childhood friends grown apart only to be reunited after the body of a slain white woman washes up in Freeman's Bay. Rosa and Zuela meet again by chance as each makes a pilgrimage to an Our Lady of Fatima shrine in response to the murder. The suspicions, hate and resentments unleashed in the region by the discovery of Paula Inge's body are multiplied when her husband, an Indian doctor, is fingered as the killer. Random House/Ballantine Books.
CONVERSATION WITH THE MANN by John Ridley. Set against the backdrop of 1950s-1960s Hollywood, Rat Pack Las Vegas and the Civil Rights movement. The fictional narrator is a mordant, world-weary Harlem-raised black comic, Jackie Mann, who irreverently recounts a journey from poverty to his symbol of success, an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, a path strewn with compromise and degradation. Author is a screenwriter for the TV sitcom “Martin” and is also a movie producer. Warner Books.
DISCRETION by Elizabeth Nunez. Oufoula is an African diplomat who lies as part of his job and who lies to his wife, his lover, and himself. He has the seemingly perfect life the African wife and family and the "second wife," the Jamaican artist who awakens his passion yet he wants more. In the end, he chooses tradition and reputation over love. DISCRETION received wonderful reviews in the New York Times and Publisher’s Weekly. Random House/Ballantine Books.
DON’T BELIEVE YOUR LYING EYES by Blair Walker. Someone will do almost anything, including committing a new murder, to keep the secret of how a black entrepreneur's glitzy wife disappeared. Billups breaks most of the rules during his investigation (but in an admirable sort of way meant to prevent confrontation with his live-in girlfriend), so he succeeds in getting dangerously close to the truth. Random House/Ballantine Books.
EDDIE KRUMBEL IS THE CLAPPER by Dito Montiel. Satire set I Hollywood about a young man who is paid to show up in studio audience’s and clap at the jokes. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
GRACE by Elizabeth Nunez. Trinidad-born Justin Peters seemingly has it all: a beautiful, accomplished wife named Sally; a precocious four-year-old daughter; a fabulous brownstone in the hip Fort Greene section of Brooklyn; and a professorship at a public university. Everything is picture perfect until his mate blindsides him by confessing that she is unhappy and planning to move out, taking their child with her. Random House/Ballantine Books.
IN THE ARMS OF ONE WHO LOVES ME by Jacqueline Jones LaMon. Nia Benson's universe teeters when she is fired from her job to make way for her boss's niece, and her boyfriend leaves her for another woman. Meanwhile, Seth Jackson, a self-confessed lothario hoping to succeed in the music business, falls for Lauren, a woman with a ton of baggage. Both Nia and Seth have affairs with other people, who are mere stepping stones along the learning path that leads them to each other. Random House/Ballantine Books.
A MAN FINDS HIS WAY by Freddie Lee Johnson III. Darius Collins's existence is an ongoing exercise in crisis management-his girlfriend dumps him as the novel opens, his relationship with his ex-wife amounts to a series of bitter skirmishes and he's thrust into the middle of some nasty racial politics at his Cleveland college when a group of students tries to enlist his support in bringing a notoriously anti-Semitic African-American leader to speak at the school. Life goes completely haywire, though, when his adolescent son, Jarrod, is accused of rape and Collins learns that his ex-wife is a former lover of the corrupt politician who is trying to frame the boy. Random House/Ballantine Books.
SATISFY MY SOUL by Colin Channer. New York playwright Carey is a lost soul who is nearing middle age and does not know what he believes in. Thus, he fritters away his youth and talent on a series of self-indulgent affairs and one-night stands. In Jamaica, he meets Frances, a sexually charged free spirit who believes that the two of them are reincarnations of separated African lovers, finally reunited. But Carey's obsession with Frances causes him to betray his best friend, Kwabena, with tragic and violent consequences. Random House/Ballantine Books.
SOMEONE TO CATCH MY DRIFT by Jacqueline Powell. Aspiring singer Nikai Parker is depressed. Her boyfriend has been sent to jail for dating an underage girl, and she feels abandoned and desperate. That is, until her best friend, Sheila, convinces her that a night of clubbing is exactly what she needs to forget her troubles and lift her spirits. While at the club, Nikai's luck begins to improve when she meets a handsome firefighter named Robert Hayes-whom she believes may just be the man of her dreams. As their relationship progresses, Nikai falls completely in love and begins making plans to spend the rest of her life with Robert. However, lady luck has other plans-because he is involved with another woman, and this sassy hairdresser named Karen is not going to give up her man without a fight. Warner Books.
TAMING IT DOWN by Kim McLarin. Hope is a woman with every reason to be mad. Her editor at a Philadelphia newspaper thinks she got her job merely because she's black. Her white lover dumps her for another, blonder woman, and her African American boyfriend considers her a traitor to her race. But when her temper leads her to commit a desperate and irreversible act, she is forced to reevaluate her relationships with her colleagues, her men, her family, and herself. Warner Books.
JOURNALISM
THE BEST OF EMERGE MAGAZINE by George Curry. A collection of articles from the now defunct Emerge which TIME once called “Black America’s best newsmagazine.” Random House/Ballantine Books.
MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS
THE LABEL: A Biography of Columbia Records by Gary Marmorstein. From Frank Sinatra and Billy Holiday to Janice Joplin and Michael Jackson, Columbia Records has nurtured a mind-boggling spectrum of talents and temperaments over the past 100-plus years. Author had access to the company’s archives. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES
EATING FIRE, TASTING BLOOD: Breaking the Great Silence of the American Indian Holocaust by Marijo Moore. Native American Studies. American Indian writers offer stirring reflections on the history of their people, telling the story of the most massive and systematic act of genocide in history. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
PHOTOGRPAHY
THE KENNEDY FAMILY ALBUM: Personal Photos of America’s First Family by Linda Corley with Forward by Senator Edward Kennedy. Stories interspersed with pictures that span three decades of Kennedy family life. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
POP CULTURE
THE DEVIL & DAVE CHAPELLE by Professor William Jelani Cobb. A look at America over the past ten years through the lens of music, literature and television. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
THE MESSAGE: 100 Life Lessons From Hip-Hop’s Greatest Songs by Felicia Pride. With each life lesson aptly titled after a hip-hop song, such as Kanye West's “Jesus Walks” or GangStarr's “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow,” The Message explores spirituality, success, love, business, and more through hip-hop. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
MONEY SHOT by Lawrence Ross. A shocking expose of the African American experience in the porno industry. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
WE GOTTA HAVE IT by Esther Iverem. A look at African American Cinema from 1986 to the present. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
WHEN RAP MUSIC HAD A CONSCIENCE by Tayannah Lee McQuillar. A poignant look at the music before gangsta rap was invented. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
THE WITCH IN THE WAITING ROOM: A Physician Investigates Paranormal Phenomena in Medicine by Robert S. Bobrow. Popular Culture. Investigates paranormal activity like telepathy, reincarnation, voodoo and witchcraft with the aim of advancing science. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
PSCYHOLOGY
BROKEN SILENCE: Tales of Black Women in Therapy by Dr. Kim Singleton. A clinical psychologist explores the reasons why African American females distrust the process and what happens when they venture into analysis. Random House/Ballantine Books.
SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS
THE HUMAN EXPERIMENT: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2 by Jane Poynter. Science and mathematics. Biospherian describes her experience living and working in a sealed environment with seven other people for two years, enduring hunger, low levels of oxygen, incredible drudgery, and tense relationships. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
TIME TRAVELER: A Scientist’s Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality by Ronald L. Mallett. Theoretical physicist offers first-person account of his research into the possibility of time travel, culminating in a recent promising discovery. Good Publisher’s Weekly Review. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
SELF HELP
OH GOD! The Black Woman’s Guide to Sex and Spirituality by Reverend Susan Newman. Ebony Magazine named Dr. Newman the top woman preacher in the country. Ballantine Books.
THE ROAD HOME: How Fathers and Daughters Can Reunite by Jonetta Rose Baras. Washington DC columnist gives advice to fatherless daughters. Random House/Ballantine Books.
SPORTS
Golf Heaven by John Andrisani. Pro golfers, celebrities, politicians, business people, and others — about playing the course. The list of contributors includes everyone from Bill Gates to Annika Sorenstam, Clint Eastwood to Charlie Rose, Bill Murray to Rudy Giuliani. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
TRUE CRIME
POSTCARD KILLER: The True Story of J. Frank Hickey by Vince McLaughlin. True Crime. The fascinating story of one of the first known serial killers, whose brazen postcards mocking the police eventually led to his capture. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
ANONYMOUS INTERESTED IN E-BOOKS
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "HOW TO WIN THE SELF PUBLISHING GAME":
Will you discuss e-books in the newsletter? What do you think about e-books?
Yes, I will discuss e-books in the newsletter if you want me to.
Will you discuss e-books in the newsletter? What do you think about e-books?
Yes, I will discuss e-books in the newsletter if you want me to.
Friday, March 20, 2009
HOW TO WIN THE SELF PUBLISHING GAME
Many folk are taking the self-publishing route. In other words, they sign up with iUniverse, AuthorHouse, Lulu, PublishAmerica, etc and get the book PRINTED. Notice that I said PRINTED and not PUBLISHED. These outfits print your book, give you your 10 free copies and send you on your way. They do not market your book. In fact, they do not even truly edit your book unless you pay an extra fee.
I'm starting a newsletter that addresses these and other issues. Don't worry, it is free. Just send me your email address and I'll put you on the list.
I'm starting a newsletter that addresses these and other issues. Don't worry, it is free. Just send me your email address and I'll put you on the list.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Why Writers Hire Me To Evaluate Novels and Proposals
It has never been a literary agent's job (nor do they have the time) to give writers a page-by-page analysis of what is working or not working in a manuscript or book proposal. So, they send out various forms of rejection letters. These letters (while necessary) do not give you any idea what the real reasons are for the rejection or how to fix it.
Book publishers operate in the same manner. When I was acquiring projects as a Random House Senior Editor, I received at least 60 packages per day. First, I sorted them. The unagented manuscripts went to my assistant for a first reading. I never saw most of them again because they were simply not publishable. I read enough of the agented submissions to decide whether I wanted to see more of the writer's work or not.
Because of the recession, agents and publishers are buying fewer projects. They are also uninterested in taking on projects that require a great deal of work......unless the writer is a celebrity.
Book publishers operate in the same manner. When I was acquiring projects as a Random House Senior Editor, I received at least 60 packages per day. First, I sorted them. The unagented manuscripts went to my assistant for a first reading. I never saw most of them again because they were simply not publishable. I read enough of the agented submissions to decide whether I wanted to see more of the writer's work or not.
Because of the recession, agents and publishers are buying fewer projects. They are also uninterested in taking on projects that require a great deal of work......unless the writer is a celebrity.
Link
Dear Writers:
Someone pointed out that my website (www.diggseditorialservices.com) should have a link to this blog.
I'll contact my techie guy and get it done.
Thanks for the feedback!
Someone pointed out that my website (www.diggseditorialservices.com) should have a link to this blog.
I'll contact my techie guy and get it done.
Thanks for the feedback!
Note from The Prodigal Sun
The Prodigal Gun has left a new comment on your post "Spelling":
Unacceptable? I am so fed up with agents, It is my belief that the writers of the world would be better off without them. Let me see you write a book. Have you ever thought that maybe that woman will be the next Anne Rice or Stephanie Mayer? That would be tuff luck, I am sorry, "tough" luck on your part. :)
Hi Prodigal:
Yes, I have written several books. A Mighty Love, A Meeting in the Ladies Room and The Other Side of the Game. All were published by Kensington Books.
Yes, that woman might be the next Anne Rice or Stephanie Mayer. Unfortunately, the world may never know because many agents and publishers will never get past the query letter.
Unacceptable? I am so fed up with agents, It is my belief that the writers of the world would be better off without them. Let me see you write a book. Have you ever thought that maybe that woman will be the next Anne Rice or Stephanie Mayer? That would be tuff luck, I am sorry, "tough" luck on your part. :)
Hi Prodigal:
Yes, I have written several books. A Mighty Love, A Meeting in the Ladies Room and The Other Side of the Game. All were published by Kensington Books.
Yes, that woman might be the next Anne Rice or Stephanie Mayer. Unfortunately, the world may never know because many agents and publishers will never get past the query letter.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
BUT IT REALLY HAPPENED!
Do Not Use These Four Words
The novelist is often inspired by an event that has occurred in real life or by a person who really exists. His job is to take that event or personality and rework it to create a fictional world that SEEMS real. However, many novelists do not use the creative license that would make the story come alive for the reader. When the manuscript is rejected because the plot or characterization does not work, the amateur novelist screams the four words that will forever stop him from landing a book contract...BUT IT REALLY HAPPENED! Let's say (for example) that your Aunt Betty was married 18 times, had six children, adopted ten more, survived 12 house fires, nine sexual assaults and seventeen serious muggings. Instead of crowding all of this into a 300-page manuscript and asking an agent to take it on, why not use your imagination and creative license? Maybe you could tell the story of a woman who married twice, sustained a serious injury in ONE mugging and still raised five successful children despite a terrible physical disability? Get it? It does not matter what REALLY HAPPENED in real life. The only thing which matters is whether your story is believable or not.
The novelist is often inspired by an event that has occurred in real life or by a person who really exists. His job is to take that event or personality and rework it to create a fictional world that SEEMS real. However, many novelists do not use the creative license that would make the story come alive for the reader. When the manuscript is rejected because the plot or characterization does not work, the amateur novelist screams the four words that will forever stop him from landing a book contract...BUT IT REALLY HAPPENED! Let's say (for example) that your Aunt Betty was married 18 times, had six children, adopted ten more, survived 12 house fires, nine sexual assaults and seventeen serious muggings. Instead of crowding all of this into a 300-page manuscript and asking an agent to take it on, why not use your imagination and creative license? Maybe you could tell the story of a woman who married twice, sustained a serious injury in ONE mugging and still raised five successful children despite a terrible physical disability? Get it? It does not matter what REALLY HAPPENED in real life. The only thing which matters is whether your story is believable or not.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Spelling
Dear Writers:
I received a query letter last week from an aspiring novelist who does not know how to spell. She wrote "summit" when she meant "submit." She wrote "habbit" when she really meant "habit."
This is really unacceptable. How can she possibly get an agent?
Please buy and use the following books:
1. Elements of Style by Strunk and White
2. A Dictionary
3. A Thesaurus
I received a query letter last week from an aspiring novelist who does not know how to spell. She wrote "summit" when she meant "submit." She wrote "habbit" when she really meant "habit."
This is really unacceptable. How can she possibly get an agent?
Please buy and use the following books:
1. Elements of Style by Strunk and White
2. A Dictionary
3. A Thesaurus
Friday, January 30, 2009
PLOT
Dear Writers:
Last night I reached Page 50 of a manuscript and still did not know what the heck it was about. When I called the author, I was told that he was setting the stage for the action to come. What? Is this what they're teaching in creative writing classes now? I gently guided my writer off the road called Self Indulgence and back on to Hope To Stand a Chance of Getting Published Street. But I'm worried. I'm seeing a lot of this and the source (a book? an instructor?) must be tracked down and corrected.
Last night I reached Page 50 of a manuscript and still did not know what the heck it was about. When I called the author, I was told that he was setting the stage for the action to come. What? Is this what they're teaching in creative writing classes now? I gently guided my writer off the road called Self Indulgence and back on to Hope To Stand a Chance of Getting Published Street. But I'm worried. I'm seeing a lot of this and the source (a book? an instructor?) must be tracked down and corrected.
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