Category: Uncategorized

And the winner is…….

ByRachel July 27, 2009 1 Comment
Thanks to everyone who voted for my query letter hook! The winner is a hybrid combination of sentences 2 and 4, with a hint of 3. "Sixteen-year-old Flynn thinks learning about her dead parents is a dream come true—until she’s asked to live up to their legacy by leading the army to war." I appreciated that you guys took time to actually analyze why you liked or didn't like each sentence....

Best Query Letter Hook

ByRachel July 24, 2009 16 Comments
Every novelist faces the dreaded query letter eventually--that unsolicited piece of mail meant to convince an agent that you, a complete stranger, have something worth their time to read. This summer it's my turn to craft one, and I need all of your help (it'll only take a second, I promise). Below, I've listed four possible opening lines, or hooks, to start my query letter with. A good hook...

Female graphic novelists

ByRachel July 23, 2009 6 Comments
I'm having a heck of a time finding published female graphic novelists! I've been asked by two different sites to submit reviews of graphic works by women. Both sites are female-centric groups who recognize the sad truth: there aren't enough women in the comics industry! Think about it. How many of your Sunday paper comics are written by women? How many by men? Go into any Borders, go the...

Cold-Calling Bookstores

ByRachel July 16, 2009 0 Comments
My stint of highly experimental book promotion tactics continued today as I began the first round of cold-calling bookstores to ask about hot-selling titles in YA fantasy. I called exactly nine stores and got a host of responses from the inventory staff/managers, ranging from a twenty-minute conversation to a curt declaration that "Vampires are big, and that's all I can tell you." Yes, vampires...

Book Marketing for the Adventurous Soul: Tip #1 Planting the Seeds of Book Signings

ByRachel July 14, 2009 3 Comments
As I launch into this adventure of (hopefully) publishing, the subjects of book marketing and author promotion are ever in my mind. It's a fact that authors must self-promote books, and that's hard in a world over-saturated with media promotions and advertisements. The savvy author gets creative, and that's what I intend to do with these highly experimental and as-yet-untested ideas. Will they...