by Raelene Gorlinsky
Recommended Reading!
This book should be required reading for all authors, aspiring authors—and editors. It is a collection of Ms. Resnick’s articles from various periodicals, including Nink (monthly journal of Novelists Inc.), SFWA Bulletin, and Romance Writers Report, about aspects of the publishing business and the business of being a professional author.
Ms. Resnick has an entertaining style, so the book is a pleasure to read. But it is the information contained that is most important. Despite her occasional diatribes against publishers and editors (and what author doesn’t feel that way sometimes?), she offers a huge amount of information and practical advice to authors. She tells it like it is, faces the rough realities of trying to support yourself as an author.
The best articles related to the “craft” and career of an author, in my opinion:
The Luck Myth - Yep, it’s persistence, not luck, that gets you the breaks.
Ms. Resnick has an entertaining style, so the book is a pleasure to read. But it is the information contained that is most important. Despite her occasional diatribes against publishers and editors (and what author doesn’t feel that way sometimes?), she offers a huge amount of information and practical advice to authors. She tells it like it is, faces the rough realities of trying to support yourself as an author.
The best articles related to the “craft” and career of an author, in my opinion:
The Luck Myth - Yep, it’s persistence, not luck, that gets you the breaks.
Passion - Why you feel the need to write, and how to have a “spark” in your writing.
Copy Edits We Have Known and Hated – Funny and scary anecdotes: “a good copy editor is worth her weight in chocolate, a bad one makes you jumpy about copy edits for the rest of your career.”
…Does Not Meet Our Needs at This Time – “Professional writers get rejected. All of the time. Even by their own publishers. Even by editors who like them personally and like their writing. In fact, multi-published, award-winning writers get rejected all of the time.”
Labelismization – The marketing aspects of determining genre, establishing a “brand” for your books.
It Can Happen Here—And Often Does – “Bizarre mix-ups, infuriating screw-ups, and wacky mistakes that are out of the writer’s control.” Like having your name misspelled, your book misprinted.
Orphans of the Storm – When your editor leaves the publishing house.
Going Public – Perils of booksignings.
How Long Does It Take? – To write a book…
Jabla – Writer’s block, disappearing writers, one-book wonders.
The Artist’s Knife – “Just as the artist’s knife scrapes, folds, and carves one’s talent and vision into a masterpiece, the writer must find her own inner knife to refine, regroup, and dig deep when challenges arise and plans founder. The writer must carve her talent into work that builds her career.”
Habit Forming – The process of writing is different for every writer.
Of course, for sheer fun, read the article “Enlarge Your Penis”, on addiction to the Internet.
I know this isn't really the right place to ask, but for some reason EC email addresses and mine don't gel well together.
ReplyDeleteDoes EC have a blanket no FemDom policy or is it only for the Caveman Anthologys?
That's a complicated question that requires a fairly complicated answer. We do not have a blanket no FemDom policy; however, because FemDom sells so poorly for us, we are highly, highly selective about the FemDom we take. Very few FemDom stories are accepted, but there are a few truly spectacular ones that are published with us.
ReplyDeleteSo the answer is no but sort of yes.
We are much more willing to look at FemDom for our Exotica line, as we feel it will do better with our erotica readers than our erotic romance readers.
Thank you for taking the time to reply Mary. It was I was hoping to hear, but not really expecting to, so it just made my day :)
ReplyDelete