From the Blog

10 Ways to Personalize Your Query to Agents

Writers hear that they're supposed to personalize their queries—but "how personal, exactly?" is the most common question. The best queries show that they have engaged with us before (on Twitter, read an interview, or a blog post of ours) and have done their research. It's easier than you think to show that personal touch.

Infographic: What is Literary, Upmarket and Commercial Fiction?

Knowing how to categorize your work is one of the most important skills a writer needs to know—especially while querying. Here's an infographic to help. It's not perfect and there are many places that writers won't fit into and that doesn't mean it's not a marketable book.

How To Write A Book Synopsis

Many writers I know find writing a synopsis VERY difficult. There's so much you want to include. How do you decide what to leave out? How long it is supposed to be? What tone should you write it in?

6 Ways Not To Start Your Novel

Agents look at countless partial and full manuscripts. What's one thing that turns us off quick? Unoriginal and unexciting openings. Here's my top 6 ways not to start your novel.

30 Questions to Ask Your Main Character

To get beyond the obvious, try to imagine your main character as someone that lives in a multi-dimensional, multi-situational way. Readers connect most with characters that they feel live on after the book is over.