Guest Author Janice Hardy: A Query By Design
I’d like to welcome Janice Hardy to Between the Sheets today. She’s here discussing how she put together her own eye-catching query that snagged her agent Kristin Nelson. Janice is the author of three YA fantasty novels and runs a popular writerly blog. Check out her links below! Take it away, Janice… Query letters are the bane of many writers. They can be hard, frustrating, and downright impossible sometimes. Advice across the web says you have to make them perfect, but that...
Read MoreQuery Musts & Query Faux Pas
No one really likes writing a query. Yes, it’s a different skill set from novel writing, but it’s an equally important one to learn if you want to snag an agent and land a book deal. It’s really just a form of pitching yourself and your book. If you can’t do that for yourself, who will? No one. So quit your moaning and bang out a few versions. Find another writer or query forum to give you feedback. (I also do this, by the way. See my EDITING page.) How does one begin?...
Read MoreA Writer’s Secret Weapon–The Power of Delete
A reader or crit partner, even an agent, reads through your manuscript and says, this is too long. Cut 5k, 10k, 30k words? Your jaw drops. What the? How in holy hell am I supposed to do that? It’ll ruin my story, you cry! Chances are, there’s PLENTY to edit to make your writing tighter and your story move more swiftly. DELETE is the writer’s ultimate-super-bodacious-ultra-sonafide weapon. But there’s nothing to delete, you say? Ahh, look again, young padawan… CHOOSE YOUR SCENES WITH...
Read MoreA Writer’s 8 Most Important Tools to Becoming Successful
There’s a boat load of resources floating through cyberspace about how to succeed as a writer. Though everyone’s process is different, I’ve found that the absolute most important tools are the same for everyone. I managed to round them all up in one quick list. 1. DON’T SEND YOUR MS OUT TOO EARLY: The problem is, how are you supposed to know if it’s too early? A good rule of thumb is to have at least five HONEST readers (a mix of writers and readers) take a...
Read MoreWhat’s With All the Conference Hype?
We just discussed Rocking the Conference Circuit, but let’s back up and discuss why bother going to one in the first place? They cost money, you probably won’t know anyone there, and you’ll feel like a phony because you aren’t published. I mean you’re not a REAL writer, right? Or hey, maybe you ARE published so what’s the point? Most of these excuses are about FEAR and to be a part of this industry one must be FEARLESS, at least to some degree. So buck up, stop your...
Read MoreRocking the Conference Circuit
As an extrovert, I LOVE attending conferences and I’m gearing up (with much anticipation!) for the couple I’ll be attending this year. I get a buzz from meeting all of those talented writers, agents, and editors. This is not the case for some of you. Many cower at the thought of working a room or being on the spot. So how do you get into the groove of selling your books, of selling you? How do you rock the conference circuit? 1. REGISTER IN ADVANCE It cuts down on the...
Read MoreAbout Heather Webb
Heather’s historical novels have received national starred reviews, been featured in print media including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and have been chosen as a Goodreads Top Pick in 2015. To date, her books have sold in a dozen countries. She enjoys helping other writers and may often be found tweeting helpful links, writing craft articles, or speaking about the industry and her love of books at conferences and retreats. For more information, see her AUTHOR page.
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