In the Footsteps of Fursa

The day I arrived in Ireland to teach at the recent writers’ tour and retreat, my host (the fabulous Fiona Claire of Ireland Writer Tours) and I stopped off at Killursa Cemetery, which lies between Galway and Headford near the Western coast of Ireland. The cemetery remains in use today, though it dates to the seventh century–the time of Saint Fursa, whose name it bears. (Killursa is an Anglicized version of “Cill Fursa”–Fursa’s Church.)  A statue of Fursa sits just inside the entrance, watching over the cemetery, church and surrounding countryside: The church exhibits some curious features common to churches of

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The Hidden Dangers of Short-Form Contracts

Authors have plenty to watch for when evaluating a publishing deal, but one of the most common dangers is also one the author might not see: an abbreviated contract that omits important clauses and protections. Many authors look at the standard-length (12-30 page) publishing contract with a combination of excitement, fear, and confusion. For those not versed in publishing legalese the contract terms can range from “difficult to read” to “penned in Sanskrit.” When authors see a three-page form, they often think “hey, this is great!” and “finally, a contract that makes sense!” Tread carefully–that way be dragons. Publishing contracts run

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Shooting Your Blogging B-Roll

In film and television, “B roll” refers to the extra or illustrative footage used to supplement the main shots. For example, pictures of foliage, scenic sites, and people walking. B roll essentially means the “extra” shots that add color and perspective to the film. I also use the term for photographs I take in various places with the intention of using them to illustrate blog entries I haven’t planned. For bloggers, “shooting B roll” means assembling a library of useful (and sometimes quirky) images to accompany future posts. When teaching classes on publishing law and business, I’m often asked about the

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Gone Fishing…

The blog may look a little bare this week–I’m in County Galway, Ireland, teaching on a writing retreat with Ireland Writer Tours. You can find me Thursday over at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Blog, where I’m sharing some tips for finding the perfect literary agent to represent you and your work. On Friday, I’ll be on hiatus, but I’ll be back on Monday with more new posts–and if you’re in the Denver area next week, I hope you’ll join Cindi Myers, Joan Johnston, and me for the 2015 Writer of the Year Panel–“Ask an Author About Writing and Publishing” The

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Unfurling the Spirit

Last Sunday I flew to Ireland to teach at a writing retreat in Hedford, County Galway, with Ireland Writer Tours. I flew in a couple of days before the retreat officially started (that was yesterday) in order to make sure my lecture notes and–more importantly–my psyche were prepared. I’ve spent the last two days roaming the shores of Lough Corrib, the largest freshwater lake  in the Republic of Ireland, enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells. The wildflowers are lovely, Stepping away from the usual crush and stress of daily life never fails to remind me how important it is to take

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Protecting Your Copyrights Online

In Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi refers to Mos Eisley spaceport as a “wretched hive of scum and villainy” and adds, “we must be careful.”  Obi-Wan’s wisdom applies to the Internet too.  Regardless of your publishing path, if you write for publication, you should take steps to protect your copyrighted work against Internet-based infringement.  While no single post can cover all of the ways to protect your work online, here are some tips on things all authors can do to protect and enforce their copyrights:  1.  Perform Regular Copyright / Infringement Searches.  Search the Internet regularly (at least once a month)

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How Did Real Ninjas Train?

You’ve seen the modern, pajama-clad ninjas featured on everything from movie screens to coffee mugs… Real ninja activity reached its apex during the 16th century (the reason I chose that setting for my Shinobi Mystery series), and the two most powerful ninja clans had strongholds in the mountainous regions of Iga and Koga, which lie within the Kansai region, close to Kyoto, Nara, and the other traditional capitals of Japan. I traveled to Iga on my recent research trip to Japan, and rode the “ninja train” to Iga village. There, I visited the Iga Ninja Museum and Ninja House, where a variety

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How to Find the Perfect Agent (Or, at Least, the One Who Matches You)

Authors often hear agents saying “do your homework before you query” but many authors struggle with understanding that assignment.  Tailoring queries properly–both in content and in recipient scope–actually increases an author’s chances of success. The content aspect of querying is covered widely (and well) in other places–Janet Reid’s blog, and her QueryShark archive are fantastic sources of information. (Many other good resources exist, but those two are reliable and more than enough to get  you started.) However, today’s post focuses on the “how to know who to query” aspect of the process. Let’s look at some useful tips for figuring out which agents (or mentors, etc)

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