Publishing
On Beginning
“To live a truly creative life, we always need to cast a critical look at where we presently are, attempting always to discern where we have become stagnant and where new beginning might be ripening.” –John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us * Recommended inspirations for beginning: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury Why We Write edited by Meredith Maran The Art of Fiction by John Gardner Wreck this Journal by Keri Smith The Getaway Car by Ann Patchett On Writing by Stephen King Why I Write by George Orwell 12 Rules of Creativity by Michael Atavar This Time I Dance! by Tama Kieves Bird by Bird...
Read MoreJudy Collins’ NYC booksigning
Judy Collins’ NYC book signing October 19th: Judy will sign copies of her book SWEET JUDY BLUE EYES: My Life in Music on Wednesday, October 19th at 7pm at Barnes & Noble/Union Square (33 West 17th Street). Judy will give a talk and weave some a cappella singing throughout. Starred Publishers Weekly review: Collins’s improbable and utterly charming tale of assuming iconic status as a popular music star from the early 1960s’ onward also proves a tremendously valuable chronicle of the early folk music scene. Collins was there, rather accidentally: she was a classical pianist who had largely grown up in Denver, Colo., to a blind, hard-drinking father who...
Read MorePitchfest Writer’s Guidelines
Last week I attended the AHCJ writers conference “Pitchfest” and handed out this one-page overview to prospective authors. (Disclaimer: I pulled this together at midnight the night before and was half-asleep, and I MAY SEEM LIKE I’M YELLING, but it still distills key points to hone your pitch to an agent & publisher.) * Susan Raihofer/ David Black Literary Agency/www.susanraihofer.com/ twitter @sraihofer After nearly two decades as an agent, I’ve heard thousands of pitches (and have survived). I do believe anything is possible. But in today’s challenging publishing economy, you need heavy doses of talent and determination, along with some basic...
Read MorePresident’s Day 1993: an agent’s first day
When I think President’s Day, my mind skips over slashed prices at the mall or even the day off… I always think of my first day working at the agency. It was probably snowing. There were probably train delays, especially taking the N or R trains (the “Never” and the “Rarely” as they truly were decades ago). It was a national holiday, a Monday, a great day to get introduced to the office and get settled “without the phones ringing so much.” That was 18 years ago–we didn’t have the internet. We had a 386 computer with a sickly yellow font that took 20 minutes to warm up. Worrying about the phone ringing seems so…quaint. The day was dense with...
Read MoreDigital Book World Conference 2011/January 24-26
A stimulating three-day conference in New York with about 1,200 attendees, agents/publishers/marketers et al, all of us trying to figure out how to adapt, survive and thrive as e-book growth changes our business. What’s the Future for Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores? What are new Models for Agents? Beyond the Ebook: What’s Possible? Will Territorial Sales Become Obsolete? Many of these questions we’ve already contemplated, but when else can we have a full two-day immersion in all things e-book, with perspectives from every angle of publishing. Within the walls of various sessions at the conference, one could ponder his/her own publishing existence, wondering: how will...
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