Search found 159 matches

by casnow
March 20th, 2010, 4:59 am
Forum: Writing
Topic: Critique Group Question
Replies: 17
Views: 5927

Re: Critique Group Question

You've got to be honest with them - give them your opinion. That is what they are in the critique group for. Maybe everyone else in the critique group is thinking the same thing, but are waiting for someone to speak up so they can say, "Yeah, I agree. I thought it should go here and you went th...
by casnow
March 14th, 2010, 1:43 pm
Forum: Writing
Topic: Are you appealing to your target audience?
Replies: 26
Views: 9259

Re: Are you appealing to your target audience?

My target audience: Agents.

Am I appealing to them? Given the steady stream of rejection letters - No.
by casnow
March 13th, 2010, 1:00 pm
Forum: Self-Publishing
Topic: How many years until 50% e-book sales?
Replies: 13
Views: 8947

Re: How many years until 50% e-book sales?

Although in defense of music taking more than a decade, remember that mp3's started to take off when there was still only 25% of the US population with a computer and less than 10% with an internet connection. However, I do think eBooks will take a long time to catch on. I own an eReader, and I only...
by casnow
March 13th, 2010, 12:54 pm
Forum: Self-Publishing
Topic: Self publish, print on demand or get an agent?
Replies: 9
Views: 7002

Re: Self publish, print on demand or get an agent?

Are there other books that have been published that are similar to yours? Have they done well? If so, then maybe traditional publishing is the way to go - if not, then maybe it is too targeted. The other thing to do would be to try and hype your book somehow (free copies, trying to solicit reviews, ...
by casnow
March 10th, 2010, 11:25 pm
Forum: Writing
Topic: Does your genre make it difficult to find an agent?
Replies: 20
Views: 10996

Re: Does your genre make it difficult to find an agent?

I think my craptastic writing is what makes finding an agent hard - not my genre (isn't it illegal for agents to discriminate on race, creed, sex, religion, or genre? Damn genrist and their biases.)
by casnow
March 9th, 2010, 1:55 pm
Forum: Finding An Agent
Topic: How do you stop taking rejection personally?
Replies: 37
Views: 16531

Re: How do you stop taking rejection personally?

I've been cranking up the query machine again, and the rejections are slowly starting to trickle in... I don't take it personally or as a criticism on my writing or querying, but what is does do is make me lose motivation to keep querying and writing. That's what worries me - I give up after 20, 30,...
by casnow
March 7th, 2010, 11:31 am
Forum: Finding An Agent
Topic: Finding An Agent Analogies
Replies: 6
Views: 3034

Re: Finding An Agent Analogies

It's like searching for shipwrecks/treasure... you do a ton of research up front, you come up with a plan (plot), you get the boat, sonar, and dive gear (novel), you cast out onto the water and dive in (query), and even though everything that you've done might be really good, you might not find your...
by casnow
March 6th, 2010, 3:23 pm
Forum: Writing
Topic: Head-Hopping - what's the deal people?
Replies: 22
Views: 8193

Re: Head-Hopping - what's the deal people?

I like writing from different people's POVs, but I try to stick with one person's POV/chapter. I also like reading from multiple POVs, and I often find myself frustrated when reading first person only books. I like the complex multicharacter novels.
by casnow
March 4th, 2010, 12:12 am
Forum: Finding An Agent
Topic: How do you stop taking rejection personally?
Replies: 37
Views: 16531

Re: How do you stop taking rejection personally?

Here's something for you - I've been rejected by one agent 3 times from one query!!! My only thought is that she keeps getting new interns and they keep sending out form rejections, but who knows.

How do I deal with it? I just tell myself that she has now rejected my future best-seller 3 times!
by casnow
March 3rd, 2010, 12:21 am
Forum: Writing
Topic: Do short story creds matter?
Replies: 13
Views: 5211

Re: Do short story creds matter?

I like writing FlashFiction length stuff and novel length stuff... which is what I like reading as well. I guess that makes me a bit bipolar
by casnow
March 2nd, 2010, 10:57 am
Forum: Synopses and Plot Outlines
Topic: Synopsis help - revision2
Replies: 13
Views: 6576

Re: Synopsis help - revision2

Kniki - thanks for the catch on switching to past tense in the last paragraph... I must have gotten lazy near the end. Holly - You rock! You seem to be much better at stripping my story raw than I am. I read the post by Nephele, which did help me get it down from about 1500 to the 630-ish mark I was...
by casnow
March 2nd, 2010, 10:47 am
Forum: Writing
Topic: Do short story creds matter?
Replies: 13
Views: 5211

Do short story creds matter?

Does anyone have an opinion on how important it is to have short story credentials? Obviously something in the New Yorker is more important than a pub in Obscure Literary Monthly, but at what point does something really matter to agents or editors. How many of you would say that writing/publishing s...
by casnow
March 1st, 2010, 12:38 pm
Forum: Ask Nathan
Topic: Old Ask Nathan Thread
Replies: 793
Views: 405064

Re: Ask Nathan

Nathan, I noticed that on your submission requirements you ask for a query letter and the first five pages (on your blog), whilst the Curtis Brown website says we should include a synopsis as well. Is this one of those agent tricks that we read about? (But seriously though, you want a synopsis or no...
by casnow
March 1st, 2010, 12:29 pm
Forum: Synopses and Plot Outlines
Topic: Synopsis help - revision2
Replies: 13
Views: 6576

Re: Synopsis help - revision2

The synopsis is down to 629 words! Thanks for all the help!
by casnow
March 1st, 2010, 12:20 am
Forum: Writing
Topic: NaNoWriMo
Replies: 17
Views: 6598

Re: NaNoWriMo

I honestly think I would support NanoWrimo more if it was designed for people 18 & under, b/c I think that is the age group that is in need of an outlet, has enough time to write 50k words, and is in dire need of a deadline if they are ever going to produce something novel length. Either way, it...