ANYONE THINKING about writing a book would be wise to check out Author J. A. Konrath’s website: jakonrath.com. In addition to the usual self-serving material authors put on their web pages, Joe has included information and links that will be helpful to any budding or established author.
The highlight of the site is a 700+ page downloadable (free) book: The Newbie’s Guide to Publishing Book. It’s an easy book to peruse while on-line and easier still to print off only those pages needed.
Some of his tips include the six things you should never put in a query letter, the 19 mistakes new writers make, what agents want, and five ways to look like a pro. One example of a no-no is using a fancy font for you query letter. He wrote, “I tried sending a query once using an exotic, calligraphy font, because I thought it made me stand out and appear intelligent. The agent returned it asking, ‘Next time, submit in English.’”
Check out his website. Even if you don’t find his tips helpful, you might want to pick up one of his books. I’ve read several and enjoyed each one.
The highlight of the site is a 700+ page downloadable (free) book: The Newbie’s Guide to Publishing Book. It’s an easy book to peruse while on-line and easier still to print off only those pages needed.
Some of his tips include the six things you should never put in a query letter, the 19 mistakes new writers make, what agents want, and five ways to look like a pro. One example of a no-no is using a fancy font for you query letter. He wrote, “I tried sending a query once using an exotic, calligraphy font, because I thought it made me stand out and appear intelligent. The agent returned it asking, ‘Next time, submit in English.’”
Check out his website. Even if you don’t find his tips helpful, you might want to pick up one of his books. I’ve read several and enjoyed each one.
I like Joe Konrath too. His "Newbie" book is very informative and a great resource for the new writer. I keep a copy on a memory stick so I can refer to it from wherever I happen to be.
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