Publicity

Posted by Lynne Griffin

This is funny to me no matter how many times I view it. Partly because I feel his pain and partly because it's a bit ridiculous.

Watch, laugh, and learn.



On a more optimistic note, Editor-in-Chief George Witte of St. Martin's Press spoke about Life Without Summer on Online and Unscripted, a webcast sponsored by Publishers Weekly and the Association of American Publishers. You can listen to it by going to the seventh link down, where George's name is listed. Once you download the program, SUMMER is the fourth book of five he discusses.

Note: You can go here if the embedded video is glitchy. This clip is worth watching.

Spotlight On You

by Hannah Roveto

A crossroads of thoughts came somewhere between watching Ted Kennedy speak on Monday night and reading Amy's post yesterday. Having a book out makes an author a public figure, subject to being recognized, approached, discussed, analyzed. Yet other professions that generate public figures -- politics, or sports or entertainment -- offer a distinct advantage in that their years of junior experience train them not only in their chosen field, but force them to be increasingly public people along the way.

When I was younger, I worked in state government. Once a week or so, I would write a press release for the Commissioner at the Department of Revenue and when it was approved, march it up to the press offices under the golden dome of the Massachusetts State House. As I headed to the rooms where the wisecracking reporters sat, I would pass the young politicos. They were my age, and the young men and women alike eyed my long skirts, short-sleeved tops and flat shoes with suspicion.

Clearly, I was not one of them no matter how comfortable I looked pushing in and out of heavy oak doors. They wore suits, wandering the marbled halls looking earnest, practicing their public faces. They moved from being aides to assistants, meeting constituents, coordinating public meetings, rising and flourishing under increasing public visibility, until some eventually launched their own bids to represent their neighbors. They, like top athletes and entertainers, moved from small stages to ever-larger venues over a career.

Writers do that to some degree. We can publish a piece in a local paper, by-line for a regional magazine, perhaps have a story published in a literary journal. We can network, teach or go to conferences or work through a master's degree. Still, the growth and change and development happens mostly in the shadows. Our craft is quiet and private and happens behind the walls and doors of our homes. Then, with hard work and determination, one day:

Tah Dah!

When the story leaves us, the shield of invisibility comes off and there we stand, in our local libraries, in a bookstore, in the grocery store, blinking into a quick spotlight. With luck, we have acquired some of those tools elsewhere, so that when we are required to handle that moment with grace and aplomb, it's as though we, too, have been practicing all of our lives.

And so to a question: What are your thoughts about the moments when you have sent or will send a story out into the world... and you must follow it out, as well?

My Website

Posted by Lynne Griffin

It took some time, but my new website launched this week! I invite you to take a look and please, tell me what you think.

A website is a personal thing. It's your image, your brand. I wanted to create an inviting space, where visitors could get a sense of who I am, what I do, and what I care about.

A website is a professional thing. It's your calling card, your brochure. In my case, finding the right tone for merging my identities--parenting author & speaker with novelist--required careful consideration. I didn't want a mish-mash of pages leaving my visitors scratching their heads.

I've learned a lot in the last few months about building a web site, one that reflects my individual personality, one that lets readers know what they can expect from me. I thought I'd share my top ten things to think about when creating or updating your website.

1. Secure domain name(s): Your name and/or your book's title are especially important. Keep in mind your readers will google the most obvious thing about you. Even if you don't plan to host a site right now, secure the domain names, so you'll have them when you're ready.
   
2. Establish a budget: You'll want to know at the outset what you can afford. A simple static site will cost less than one with all the bells and whistles. Ask yourself what you really need vs. what you'd like to have.
   
3. Spend time visioning: Even using a designer, which I strongly recommend, you'll need to have a sense of the look and feel you're after. Only you really know the image you're trying to convey.
   
4. Know what you want: Writing down what you want and don't want will get you started. For example, I built in a blog to my site so I could announce news. And I wanted a library of television and radio clips. It's easier for your designer to know in advance, the capability you'll need.
   
5. Search for sites you like: It can help the designer a lot to know what you like about certain sites. I love Therese Fowler's site so much, I decided to work with her designer. Brian from Low Fat Designs built Amy's site too.
   
6. Keep your eye on the future: Knowing what you want and need for your site today is important, but so too is the need to be forward thinking. Will you need an event calendar? Or a place to announce your wonderful blurbs? Be sure your designer factors in the ability for the site to grow as your career does.
   
7. Ask for feedback before launch: Just like every writer needs a great editor, every site should be field tested. Ask a few savvy surfers to take a test drive.
   
8. Learn some simple programming: My site is built on what's called a content management system, and because I know simple html, I can make all my additions & changes without relying on or paying an outside provider.
   
9. Update the site on a regular basis: Sites that change and are added to, keep traffic up. Don't you love going to your favorite sites to see what's new?
   
10. Be sure to capture statistics: You won't be able to fine-tune your site with readers in mind, if you don't know who's visiting. Get a stats package from your designer, and learn how to look for key pieces of info.

I hope you like my site, and I hope my post spurs you on to update or create your own. A website is a wonderful networking tool, helps you establish a web presence, and gives you a place to announce your news. Once your site is launched, let me know. I'd love to be one of your first visitors.

Free PR Advice

by Hannah Roveto

In my other life, not the one where I make PB&Js and play taxi, but my other-other life, I am a national public relations consultant. You probably have shopped at my clients' stores, bought their stuff, seen them on TV or read about them in national magazines or local newspapers.

When PR types sit with a new or potential client, we ask them to explain in their own words what makes them unique or what makes their product better than anyone else's, and of course, what kind of media attention they expect us to deliver. What's fascinating is the number of successful clients who cannot articulate a precise vision of who they are in the marketplace and what kind of response is realistic.

"We're going to make shopping fun." (Mmm. How precisely? Are customers really in need of spa grocery stores?) "We meet the needs of real people." (That's not an answer until you can define real people, what their needs are and again, why they want massages on aisle six.)

"Our paradigm is such that we optimize the experience and deliver results." (Hunh?) "We want you to get us on the front page of the New York Times." (Not with a paradigm nobody understands, you won't.)

Aspirational statements do not sell a story. Producers and editors hear hundreds of pitches a day, people like me calling and emailing them begging for time and attention. Their antennae are finely tuned to select subjects that are clearly defined, offer something truly fresh or a twist on expectations, and that will be presented quickly, efficiently and in an entertaining fashion. Here's the trick: Nobody wants to know why my clients are great. Lots of people sell stuff. What the media want to know is why their audience is going to care enough to perhaps take action.

Before you go anywhere in the public eye -- and for writers that can be as early as looking for an agent, never mind hitting the bookshelves -- you need to know clearly who you are and where you want to go, and be able to explain quickly why your audience -- agents, editors, readers -- should care.

Consider yourself not from within, but from without: What makes you and your story interesting, a little different, enough to pique curiosity (without making them roll their eyes)? What will they connect to emotionally and/or what is the twist? Last, make sure you can explain all this in a sentence or two, in such a way to draw a nod of interest from a total stranger.

Sound bytes. One sentence, two sentences. Lisa Scottoline tells writers to draft their own New York Times bestseller list blurb. Do it for your story and for yourself, too. That way when you meet an agent, a book editor, a television news producer, you'll be ready. Plus, you'll impress the heck out of the marketing team as a bonus!

Moms Who Write

By Amy MacKinnon

I love this Boston Globe article -- no, not because both Lynne and I are featured -- but because it strikes at the heart of what it is you and I are trying to do: write. We will write no matter the barriers, no matter the external pressures, no matter the doubt. We will write.

Thanks to Grub Street for letting us have the photo taken there. If you've read the article, now you understand why I'm a proud Grubbie.

My Extraordinary New Cover!

By Amy MacKinnon

A dream come true thanks to designer Whitney Cookman. He created this without seeing my web site and they are shockingly in sync.

****NEWS****

By Amy MacKinnon

Some of you may recall a few weeks back that I had news to share.  I couldn't spill it then, not because of any embargo imposed by Random House/Shaye Areheart Books, but because I didn't quite trust my good fortune.  Both my editor and my agent assured me it was so, but it wasn't until my publisher said oh yes, it is at lunch last week (yes, I had lunch with my publisher, how exciting is that?) was I able to believe it.

TETHERED will be the lead title in the fall catalog.

Every bit of my Dream Big scenario is so far coming true: selling to SAB, wonderful editors, foreign sales, and now lead title.  It is magical.

Speaking of foreign sales, I also heard from my UK editor at Orion last week.  They are positioning TETHERED as one of their big books for winter 2009.  I became a bit numb when she told me they're going to print copies of my book for every employee at Orion.  I can't wait to share the cover.

It is all too much to process at times, too fantastic to accept as true, but there it is.  Dream big, people, dream big.

Judging Amy

By Amy MacKinnon

My friends who know me well sometimes call me Judging Amy. No, it's not because I resemble Amy Brenneman (everyone says Hot Lips, not that you asked), it's because I do judge a book by its cover. What, don't you? There are some sites devoted to this very topic, this is my favorite. I don't always agree with their assessments, but I do appreciate the thoughtfulness behind them. I especially like it when the designer comments.

My absolute favorite book cover of all time is Water for Elephants. Isn't it gorgeous? Good book too, but I didn't need to tell you that, did I?
I also love, love, love Cormac McCarthy's cover for The Road. That gold sticker is such a nice tough. And it's a devastating story, one of the best I've yet read.


What do you think of these two covers? Jonis Agee's The River Wife and Anita Amirrezvani's The Blood of Flowers are works of art that belong in a museum, I think. In fact, I would hang Orange Prize nominee Anita Amirrezvani's in my home.

Oh, and here's the paperback of Jon Clinch's Finn (if you're around Boston on March 27, stop by Newtonville Books and say hello to Jon; he'd love to meet you). I like it even better than the hardcover and that was a fantastic design.

Now covers that didn't work for me at all belong to some of my all time favorite books. I won't mention the titles, I don't think it's kind to point, but it does make me wonder what makes a cover engaging and what repels. What do you think? I'd love to know your opinion on what works in a book cover and what doesn't, and what a cover conveys to you.

Friends in the News

Thought you might like to take a gander at some friends in the news:

Jennifer Graf Groneberg whose memoir, Road Map to Holland, was cited in Beverly Beckham's Boston Globe column today. Three cheers to Beverly, all children are gifts, and to Jennifer. May your book sell well and enlighten many.

Also, Grub Street creative director, Chris Castellani has a Q&A in the Boston Globe with our friend Scott Heim about the evolution of his latest novel, We Disappear. Absolutely fascinating.

Lastly, congratulations to Founding Debutante Jennifer McMahon for the dazzling review of Island of Lost Girls in Publishers Weekly. Sounds like a fantastic follow-up to Promise Not to Tell.

Group in the News

Extra, extra, read all about it! We're featured in the Boston Globe today. What do you think?

Photo by Rose Lincoln

Web Wonders

by Hannah Roveto

When the background noise in my house reaches certain levels, ("Stop singing!" "It's homework!" "If you play Ironman one more time I'm going to scream!" "Wanna see what a kid on the bus showed me?"), I hope that if I wait five minutes, calm will return. Okay, so I'm dreaming, in more ways than one. That becomes my time to surf Web sites for fun and ideas.

As you know, we have several links to your lower right, a cross-section of valuable resources and places to interact with wonderful people who share the literary life. Many of them, generally author sites as opposed to industry ones, are gorgeously designed, with elements I hope to incorporate when I, too, have thick, rich sheaves of bound paper on bookstore shelves and need a spot on the World Wide Web of my own. It's your face, your voice to the outside world. What should it say?

I confess when the World's Greatest Guitar Riffs compete with Children's Chorus concert practice in my eardrums, I tend to explore author sites that push at some boundary and that incorporate a sense of play. These are three that stand out for me of late, and why:

Mark Haddon. Pow! If you haven’t read A Spot of Bother yet, please do. You will laugh out loud at one or more of many characters, at more than one of the many crazy and yet somehow completely possible situations. After his going two for two, as far as I was concerned, on a literary front, I decided to check out his site. This is a style not every author could get away with, but boy, do I love it. The colors and layout are vibrant, simple yet powerful. The virtual tour is recommended for those of you looking for marketing ideas (and who isn't?), and Dog TV makes a great visual you have external audio more than covered.

Joe Hill. Joe Hill’s stories make your cool and thicken, then surge toward your heart. Dark, elegant and unique. What I love about his Web site is that carries a lot of traditional format and elements, yet the result is distinctly Hill, with the gray-blue coloring and photographic background, and quite a volume of information presented in a clean, clear way. Plus, you've got to try the game that lets you match quotes with famous pontificators.

J.K. Rowling. If you have written not one but seven books that reverberated worldwide, you appeal to YA and s with a little YA in their souls, and you're going to pull out all the stops, this is the result. From a budget standpoint, it would be impossible for me. However, I love the desk that pops up at the start, for the feeling that this is, indeed, what her desk looks like and as an invitation to start exploring. Second, the fact that she posts her character lists, early notes and all those other details appeal to me both as a fan and as a writer. Then, of course, there is the interactivity: the game (eraser), the telephone, and the movement of the elements.

So that's where I'm at now. A fresh graphic look, a simplicity and clear tone, a picture or device that invites the visitor in to explore. The challenge, of course, is that all this must reflect me, the author, and not a specific book. My work-in-progress ties in heavily to the game of baseball, and how much fun to develop elements of a Web site built on baseball? Yet my second novel-to-be has nothing to do with the sport (maybe I’ll mention it for the heck of it). So what would my dream interactive Web site look like? I'm taking notes. If you have any thoughts on more fun author sites, please do share!

To What End?

By Amy

I met a woman once at a writers' conference, well, I sort of met her. She was a member of another writers' group and while both of our groups huddled near the back of the conference room waiting for Mako Yoshikawa (the hair!) to begin her workshop, we got to talking. The members of this woman's writing group were effusive and warm, funny; the kind of people who establish an immediate comraderie. The woman, however, was quiet, not reserved so much as withdrawn. She appeared to be observing our exchange as if she were not a partipant at all.

As the conversation progressed, each of us took turns explaining our WIP. When it was the woman's turn, she said a few words, we had to strain to hear her in that room humming with anticipation of Mako's arrival, and then her group spoke for her, something I've never forgotten. They said she had two completed manuscripts -- beautiful stories, gorgeous writing, compelling reads both -- that she declined to submit. Meaning, she wasn't seeking an agent, she didn't excerpt them for publication as short stories, she didn't intend to have them published at all. She didn't give a reason even when we asked.

I've often wondered about that woman. She spent several years on each book, expected to write another, she attended conferences, joined an active writers' group, revised, and revised again. To what end? I suspect it was less about the fear of rejection and more that this woman treasured the worlds she created and didn't want the fotoprints of the masses upon them.

Lately, I've been thinking about other people reading my manuscript and it doesn't feel as though I expected. As much as I want the opportunity to introduce my characters to vast audiences, once it's out there, even in a form I've created, it will be changed. If it is published (these caveats are important, aren't they?), others' opinions, insults, interpretations will mold it. Reality is simply a matter of perspective. If it's published, reviewers will call it a mystery or suspense or literary fiction. They will say it's evocative or drivel, inspired or overwrought and it will become what they say it is. I've read a hundred interviews with writers who've said readers find themes and interpret motivations the author never intended. Maybe it's there in the writer's subconscious, maybe the reader's, but it's become a part of the work once it's stated. When a reader takes up a book, it's as if they've staked out territory there, with full squatter's rights to make it their own. I'm afraid that so much of what I intended will be lost in translation.

I think about that woman a lot now. I wonder how often she goes back to those projects, reads them and loses herself in those worlds of hers. Maybe she's right to guard them. Still, I hope someday to be privvy to them, to be a reader and inhabit those characters. I'll try not claim too much if I do.

The Easy-Peasy Query Letter

By Amy

Last week at Grub Street South at Buttonwood Books, someone in the audience asked about query letters. Writers appear to be under the impression that the query letter is somehow the most grueling part of getting published. Not so!

Writing a query letter for fiction or memoir should take no more than 15-20 minutes tops. Assuming, of course, you've been researching agents while writing your book. By research, I mean you know the agent is legitimate, what projects s/he represents, and most important, that s/he actually sells books similar to yours. This is why a subscription to Publishers Marketplace is crucial about a month before the querying stage. Many agents list literary fiction as a genre they'll consider, but if over the past two years, s/he's sold primarily vampire mysteries and diet books without a single literary title on the horizon, find someone else to query.

Okay, the letter. Your first paragraph should be what we call in journalism, the nut graf. Here is where you'll write your title, genre, and -- very important -- how you learned of the agent. This is a business and your query letter should reflect that. Nathan Bransford, an agent with Curtis Brown, has a great post about this. You wouldn't interview for a job without first researching a prospective employer (and, yes, I understand the author/agent relationship is about teamwork). An example:

Dear Ms. Karchmar,

As an admirer of Scott Heim and Jennifer Haigh, I hope you'll consider my literary novel, The Bastion.

Perhaps you were one of a handful who turned up at a brilliant author's reading, got to talking, and when she discovered you were also a writer, she suggested you contact her agent, use my name if you think it'll help. It's happened to me countless times (another good reason to support fellow writers by attending readings). You could write in your query letter:

Several years ago, I spoke with Bryn Smythe after a reading from her novel The Hazards of Being Young. Though she hadn’t read my work, she suggested I contact you, noting your interest in commercial fiction. As such, I hope you’ll consider my novel, The Bastion.

See? Easy! Okay your next paragraph should be written in the voice of your book -- 3rd person, past tense no matter how it appears in your book --and tell about your main characters, main conflict, and should absolutely lead with the main theme of your story. Obviously, this is where you'll spend the most time. If you don't know the theme of your novel, take a walk, do some Yoga, find a quiet spot and reflect on what compelled you to write in the first place.

Third paragraph includes your publication history, and, no, letters to the editor do not count. Nothing published? No worries. Include that you're a member of your local writing organization. In Boston, we have Grub Street and PEN New England, among a long list. If you don't have one, start one. List what writing classes you've taken. Still nothing? Then tell why you're the person to write this book. If you work with children with autism and your protagonist does as well, then include that. It worked for Mark Haddon who was awarded the Whitbred for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night.

Ah, the final paragraph. Be nice. Include the first few pages of your book. Wrap it up:

I’ve enclosed the first five pages of my 85,000-word manuscript. Thank you for taking the time to read my submission. I look forward to hearing from you.

That's it. Simple. If you have an agent, care to share what worked for you?

Literary Lingo

Posted by Lynne

If you ask for feedback on your writing from your mother, sister or friend and you get, "It was wonderful" or "I didn't understand why your character did that," that's not difficult to interpret. If you turn to an English teacher and she says she loves how you used internal parallelism, you might have to go look that up in a dictionary of literary terms. But where do you turn when you need to understand the critique you get from an agent, editor, or reviewer?

In today's post, I'm going to take a shot at defining the latest industry buzz words, words that are nothing if not vague, often leaving a writer left scratching her head. Here's my attempt to clarify.

Literary: Literary fiction is characterized, by most, as more character-driven than plot-driven fiction. Some say it's more about the writing than the story. Others say it has a stronger social-emotional message. From a market standpoint, it's harder to sell, but gets reviewed more often.

Commercial: Commercial fiction is more often plot-driven fiction. Often it has a faster pace, a stronger hook and sells more than literary fiction.

Genre: Genre fiction is commercial fiction that fits into specific categories such as romance, mystery and science fiction, to name a few.

Upmarket: Upmarket fiction, defined by my agent, is work that bridges literary and commercial fiction. Publishers like upmarket work because novels tend to do well when they contain the best of both genres. For more on the difference between upmarket and downmarket, visit our old friend Miss Snark. She has an old post that illustrates the difference between the two, including examples.

Downmarket: Downmarket fiction usually refers to genre fiction. This is fiction with a solid fan base that tends to sell well to specific audiences.

High concept: High concept fiction is generally work with a solid hook. Agents and editors like high concept work because it's easier to sell a novel when the book can be described in a phrase or sentence.

Organic: Organic fiction (or characters) is a literary term used to describe writing that is authentic, not contrived. An organic character might also be referred to as pitch perfect, the character rings true.

Voicey: A voicey piece is writing that is voice-driven. A wonderful example of a voice-driven novel is Catcher in the Rye. Reading it, you can hear Holden talking to you, his tone, his demeanor.

Quiet: When a work is referred to as quiet, it means it's more literary than commercial, and often judged for not having a lot going on from a plot perspective. In today's marketplace, a quiet novel is harder to sell.

Compelling delivery: You are a good writer if anyone says you're novel has been delivered in a compelling way. This is a term that refers to the craft of writing.

Low impact: This term means the agent or editor wasn't left with that loving feeling. The reader must be moved by the characters, the story and of course the overall writing.

Doesn’t distinguish itself: This is a marketplace term that refers to a concern that the work isn't unique enough to stand out among the thousands of books that are published each year. These days, a novel that doesn't distinguish itself--even if the writing is gorgeous--doesn't tend to do well with readers.

No legs: This funny little phrase means much the same as "doesn't distinguish itself." The agent or editor believes it won't stand out among the competition.

Didn’t sing: First a novel must stand up and then it must sing? Yes, you must aim to wow your readers. It's a tall order for a novel, but agents, editors and reviewers know readers are first and foremost consumers. Word of mouth sales come when a novel sings.

Not fresh: Again, this means the novel doesn't bring anything new to the shelf. Readers want fresh.

If you've ever heard any of these terms from your agent or seen them written in a rejection letter, you're likely left to wonder what to do with your feedback. Sometimes an agent or editor will use these terms and it's a compliment, (Compelling delivery). Sometimes they're simply stating a fact, (Your novel is upmarket). Other times the feedback is a criticism and you'll have to mull it over and decide what you'll do with the feedback, though how in the world one sets out to make a novel sing is a mystery.

While you may define these terms differently, (and if you do, please share in the comments section) I hope my definitions help you sort through the myriad of feedback you're receiving. If you have another term you'd like defined, let me know. If I don't know, I'll ask my agent, editor, or the wonderful ladies at The Writers' Group to help me define it for you.

Write, Listen, Buy, Read

By Amy

I was speaking with a bookseller yesterday about the state of fiction. She's not terribly hopeful.

A well-known author, a great storyteller who made his name selling memoir, recently published his first novel. By all accounts it's good, but the bookseller who had standing-room-only events for the author when he toured to promote his non-fiction, is having trouble generating the same kind of interest for the man's novel.

An author I know has written an extraordinary novel, painstakingly researched, each word consciously chosen to suit the whole body of work. It's a near perfect book in the tradition of Memoirs of a Geisha. Yet I haven't seen this novel on a single bestseller list.

The writing business is littered with a thousand clever ways to rip your heart from your chest -- none more so than the sense of freefall after your book has been published to a deafening silence. Imagine? Finally finishing a decent draft of that novel you've been working on for three years; getting an agent who actually likes your book and returns your phone calls; oh, sunny day, an editor wants to give you money (sure, it's not much, it works out to a pennies an hour, but still) to publish your book; and then...nothing. Your first print run is 10,000 and stores are not clamoring for more. Only a few hardy souls show up for your reading because the weather is snowy/rainy/sunny and the local papers ended up killing the review/profile/announcement because they needed space to run the next Paris Hilton rehab rehash.

Oh dear God.

So the next time an author comes to your local bookstore, clutching her heart in her hands wanting to share it with you, take a moment from your busy schedule to sit and listen. If you're too broke to buy a book (writers, this is a tax write-off; check with your CPA), know that your mere presence is comfort enough. But try to budget at least 5 newly published books into each year.

Writers need to support other writers. Go to readings, buy books, buzz the good ones to friends, join your local literary organization, volunteer there. I promise, it will all come back to you tenfold.

Inspire hope. Booksellers and other writers are counting on you.

Making a Literary Life Friday: Cover Girl

No, not Caridee, our very own Lynne Griffin. Isn't her book cover gorgeous? We're so proud of Lynne and all of her many varied achievements. It's an exciting day when all that you've labored over for months and years is realized in the form of pulp and cover art. Congratulations, Lynne, it's well-deserved!

Lisa
I love when I read fiction and I reach those AHA moments. When the plot comes together in a way you didn't expect, when a character acts in a way that is a surprise, but makes such sense based on what you know of her and her past actions. I like AHA moments in non-fiction too. That's why I'm so lucky to have Lynne Griffin, a parenting expert in our writers group. Parenting tips AND constructive help on my writing when we meet? What more could I ask for? Do I have to wait until September to read "Negotiation Generation?"

Amy

I've been busy finalizing readings and press for various writers who plan a Boston stop while on book tour. It's something I enjoy doing; getting a yes from a literary venue to host a writer is almost on par with writing a good page. You may have noticed Sue Williams is a new name to our blog roll. She's someone I heard at a Grub Street reading and I requested she submit the story to Post Road. I fully expect a savvy agent to pick her up very soon and then I'll get to read her WIP. Check her out. In other news, I walked into my local Borders and there, on the staff picks shelf, was Jennifer McMahon's "Promise Not to Tell." In another store, Allison Winn Scotch's "The Department of Lost & Found" on the front table (publishers have to love your book to pay for that real estate), and over to right, Tish Cohen's "Town House." When I picked it up, one of the booksellers said, "Huh, that looks good," and wandered off with her own copy. I love that. I can't wait to visit every bookstore in Massachusetts when Lynne's book is out in September. I'll be handselling them!

Hannah

The three R's: reading, 'riting and revision. Or is that research? The week was full of reading what thus far is a wonderful revision of a novel, writing to revise, and making sure small details that will fill one sentence somewhere among 75,000 words are accurate. Lynne also let us each hold Negotiation Generation in its current format this week. Yeah! This is a book to pre-order for yourself, your friends, as gifts. Like Lisa, I cannot wait!

Lynne

Well, here it is! My cover. When the final cover art was sent to me, before I opened the file, my sweet son took my hand and said, "I hope you like it, Mom." And I do. As for my wonderful friends at The Writers' Group, I can't thank you enough for all the support and encouragement. I am a very lucky woman.

Making a Literary Life Friday: Changes

Each of us is in the midst of revising our work. For some, editing is the most exhilarating part of the process. For others, the most terrifying. We'd like to hear how you approach revisions, how you decide when to take advice from your critique group/agent/editor and when you go with your gut. Also, take a gander at upcoming literary events in the Boston area, and let us know about events from your part of the world.

Lisa
She's on vacation, but has no doubt brought her laptop with her. We look forward to hearing from Lisa on Monday.

Amy
Thanks to all of you wonderful writers who took my frantic calls begging details about your revision process. Sometimes tilting one's perspective just a degree clarifies everything. I've decided to take Hannah's approach and regard revising as fun. We'll see. And thanks to Matt Stone for our new photo; Nigel Barker watch out.

Hannah
Tip for other writers needing author photos. Have your shoot done (a) by someone very good, of course, and (b) in concert with at least three friends. You will laugh, relax and even have fun, no matter how you feel about being captured on film. In addition to dabbling in bronzer, I read more of Gail Godwin's account of her sail to Europe, and yes, did edit.

Lynne
I received a testimonial for my book, Negotiation Generation, from Robert Brooks. Bob is the author of Raising Resilient Children. Along with his generous and kind words, he added in a surprise. He liked my book so much, he's included it in his next, Raising a Self-Disciplined Child, in the suggested reading list. Thank you, Bob. As for editing my novel, I'm taking the Hannah-thinks-it's-fun-to-edit approach, too. And indeed I had three fun-filled days this week.

Mark Your Calendars
Patry Francis will be hosting a workshop at Buttonwood Books' Grub Street South this Tuesday, February 27 at 7pm. And don't forget, Hallie Ephron will speak about character development on February 24, at 3 pm at the Milton Public Library. And PEN-New England presents an Evening with Dave Eggers, author of The Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius on February 26, at 6:30pm in Cambridge. He'll be discussing his latest novel, What is the What.

Making a Literary Life: Possibilities

This week felt as though the literary life is ignoring the frigid weather, and readying for a burst of spring growth. There are so many small signs that good things are coming in the next few weeks and months. Possibilities is a gorgeous word!

Lisa
As you may know, Lisa is at the SCBWI conference in NYC, and she's also meeting with her agent. Have fun, Lisa. Can't wait to hear the details when you return.

Amy
For the past couple of weeks, I've been having fun helping various authors arrange readings, get press coverage, and encouraging them to go after awards. I know many writers are uncomfortable marketing their work, but, really, it's more exciting than you realize. It's a rush dealing with booksellers (they love books!) and press (they're writers too!), coming up with fun hooks to get a book noticed. My advice is get a couple of writer friends together, a bottle of wine and good chocolates, and brainstorm your publicity campaign. C'mon, you're creative people, it's easier than you think.

Hannah
Editing is more of a rewriting; rather than being depressing, it's quite energizing. I am trying to do a chapter a day. I don't know if that sounds ambitious or pathetic? The nerdy me is polishing word choice as well as fixing threads, adding "tension," trying not to lose the humor. I have told my children that they are not to be on the computer after dinner, so rather than breaking my own rules, I have been re-reading Gail Godwin's The Making of a Writer.

Lynne
This week I received a testimonial for my book that brought me to tears. Jane Healy, author of Endangered Minds and Failure to Connect is a beautiful writer and an amazing advocate for children. I was deeply honored she agreed to read my book, and even more grateful for her enthusiastic response. Thank you, Jane! I also had the privilege of talking with freelance writer and soon to be book author Sharon Cindrich about book marketing. Watch for the June release of her book about raising tech savvy kids.