E-queries are a relatively new way of reaching literary agents, and the publishing industry “rules” for e-queries are still a mystery to some writers of fiction and nonfiction. Using email to pitch your book to literary agents or editors at publishing houses is often the easiest way to connect.
Let’s say a visitor has come to your author website. Maybe he/she read one of your pieces in a lit mag and wants to learn more about you. Maybe said person is a literary agent who is deciding whether or not you would make a good client. Or maybe said visitor is someone you met on Facebook or someone who was referred to your site by a friend.
The problem is, when your visitors leave your site, they’ll be gone forever—unless you give them a reason to stay connected. Creating an interactive website is key.
Quick! Which is better: print or digital publishing?
Think about it. We’ll wait.
Okay—time’s up. The answer is…
Neither.
Now, before you starting shouting your case for one kind of publishing over the other or start hurling rotten fruit at us through your computer screen (don’t do it, trust us on this one), consider this.
Don’t be ashamed, font fanatics. You’re not alone!
Fact: Authors are more successful when they adapt to changes in the publishing industry. Having an author website is becoming as necessary and expected as having a business card. And there’s no webpage that’s more important on your site than your homepage. But what should a writer put on the homepage of his/her website? How do you want to greet the world?
GREAT NEWS! Writer’s Relief can help you design your author website. Check out Web Design Relief! We know the publishing industry, and we know great design. Check us out!
Are you a creative writer? Then you probably know what it’s like to suffer from eyestrain. Writers are often the victims of computer-related maladies such as headaches, blurry vision, itchy or dry eyes, and eyestrain, but there are steps you can take to ease suffering and protect your eyes from further stress.
If you want to build up your writing bio or get a literary agent, you’ll need to be able to make it for the long haul.
So use these techniques to prevent eyestrain! And protect your eyes from future damage as well!
Thinking of posting your poem on your Facebook page? Are you serializing your short stories on your blog? Reposting an already published essay on your official author website?
Wait!
Before you post anything else, you must follow some basic rules (and avoid certain pitfalls) in order to avoid getting yourself into hot water down the line.
Authors of novels, memoirs, and collections (poems, stories, or essays) know that much of the responsibility of promoting their books falls squarely on their shoulders. Publishing houses offer marketing help, but many successful writers contribute to the effort.
At Writer’s Relief, our clients often ask for tips on getting the word out when their work is published. Some writers prefer book signings and face-to-face marketing efforts. But for others, traveling is out of the question.
Here are three ways to promote your collection or book without ever leaving the comfort of home!
Formatting your creative writing for submission can be frustrating. Have you ever wondered how to create a header in Microsoft Word without said header being on the first page? Have you ever wondered how to create a header without having to type in every single page number? Need some computer help?
If you’re submitting novels, poems, stories, or essays to literary agents or editors of literary journals, you’ll need to know how to properly format headers. Here are step-by-step instructions to create headers in Word.
You already know that having an Internet presence is more important than ever for aspiring career writers. Facebook is especially hot when it comes to social media and marketing. You can use Facebook to build your author platform; and we’re here to help!
It is common practice for journals and literary agents to reject previously published writing, but what exactly does previously published mean? Why are most literary agents and editors unwilling to take a chance on work that has already appeared elsewhere? When is it appropriate to submit previously published work?
The answers to these questions have become increasingly hard to pin down as the Internet takes on a huge role in the writing world.
Your work has just appeared in an online literary journal or on your author website. Now it’s time to maximize your readership beyond subscribers, family, close friends, and the most computer-savvy of your three cats.
Here are ten suggestions from Writer’s Relief’s obvious and not-so-obvious files!
Riding the colossal success of the Kindle, Amazon is gearing up to emerge from the virtual world into the real one. In its home base of Seattle, Amazon plans to open a physical store (a la Apple, Inc.) and showcase its ever-expanding line of e-reader products.
Most of us who aspire to be career writers are active promoters (or at least, we’re thinking about promoting). Even if you’re not in the “giving book signings” phase, you may be in the “attracting an agent” phase.
It’s only natural that we want people to notice our writing. Adults aren’t much different than children when we’re proud of our work (“Hey Mom! Look at me!”). Lucky for us, social networks like Twitter and Facebook can be a great way to help people get to know our writing.
But here’s the thing: There’s a right way and a wrong way to promote your writing on interactive websites (like social networks, forums, and blogs). And we’ve seen writers do some pretty embarrassing and desperate things to get attention.
Not all writers are annoying. But those who are make the rest of us look bad.
So here are eleven things you should never-ever-in-a-million-years do when you’re promoting your writing online!
Online literary magazines and journals have opened up a wealth of opportunities for writers to get their work published. More and more people are using the Internet to read the news, access blogs, and find informative articles; and studies are showing that readers are also leaning more toward online journals than print journals. Online literary journals and e-zines publish poetry, short fiction, and essays, and much of the work is by new writers. So, beginning writers, take note: The Internet offers greater opportunities than ever before to get your work published!
Creative writers who wish to go pro should have an author website. A Web designer can help you create a classy, interesting website to showcase your creative writing—or you can create one on your own. A great site can also help you sell books, gain readership, and create a Web presence (not to mention get a literary agent or editor).
GREAT NEWS! Writer’s Relief can help you design your author website. Check out Web Design Relief! We know the publishing industry, and we know great design. Check us out!
Twitter, a microblogging Web site that restricts posts to 140 characters at a time, can be a fantastic networking tool for writers. If you’re a writer and you’ve never used Twitter before, taking that first step can be a little intimidating.
“I’m totally going to tweet that.” Huh? What does that mean? “Tweeple retweeting tweets.” Say that five times fast! Not many social-networking Web sites have their own vocabulary, but then again, no other social-networking Web site has become part of the Internet’s subconscious in quite the way Twitter has.
Think tweeting is for the birds? Twitter may seem like frivolous fun; but with a little time and some clever effort, Twitter can become a writer’s best microblogging friend.
Writer’s Relief is on Twitter too! Follow us (@WritersRelief) for writing and publishing tips, lively discussions, and a dose of inspiration every day.
