Tips for Effective “Elevator Pitches”

In the publishing world, an “elevator pitch” is the one-sentence (or at least under one minute) pitch an author offers an agent or editor in an attempt to prompt interest in the author’s book. I’ve heard a lot of these over the years, and helped many authors write them (in conference settings and otherwise). While the content of the pitch will vary, depending on the setting and the nature of the author’s work, there are some constants common to effective book pitches. For today, we’re focusing on the short “elevator pitch” designed to open a conversation. Many, though not all, of these

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Mola mola – the Sun(fish) of the Sea

The ocean sunfish is the largest bony fish in the ocean. Its Latin name, Mola mola, means “millstone” (technically, it means “Millstone millstone”), and derives from the fish’s grey color and round, flat shape.    Like many marine fish, sunfish are curious creatures and well aware of the world beyond the walls of their aquarium tanks. This one actually followed my son along the glass–three times–while we were visiting. He tried to move to let other people have a chance to stand in front of the fish, but the fish wasn’t having it. My son finally stopped moving because the poor thing

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Three Stages of Death in Medieval Japan

As a writer of crime fiction, death plays a central part in my novels. Although I’m not morbid by nature (well, not entirely, anyway), I’ve always had an interest in cultural rituals of every kind, particularly those surrounding death, religion, and the afterlife. The final stage of the rituals surrounding a death affirmed the deceased’s new identity as an “ancestor.” This often included giving the deceased a new name (often a Buddhist name) and family members performing or arranging for certain rituals and prayers for an extended time–often far beyond the standard 49 days of “deep mourning” that followed death. In some cases, a stupa

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How to Evaluate A Traditional Publishing House

Today, I’m offering up a bonus publishing legal post that answers a question I often hear from authors getting ready to release their first novels into the world–and sometimes even from veteran authors with numerous books to their credit: With the explosion of publishing houses  in the United States (and abroad)…how can an author tell if a publisher is a good place to submit a manuscript? Agented authors don’t need to worry about this quite as much, because one part of an agent’s job is choosing publishing houses to fit the author’s work, and agents don’t submit to disreputable houses. That said, the rise in independent

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The Grand Canal is Deeper Than You Think…

Today, please welcome my friend and fellow author Lynn Carthage, who’s here to share a little about the Grand Canal at Versailles and to celebrate the recent release of BETRAYED (Kensington, 2016) the second novel in her Gothic YA trilogy, The Arnaud Legacy. The Grand Canal stretches into the distance, defying perspective. The Grand Canal at the palace of Versailles, just outside Paris, is an arresting sight. The architect Le Nôtre deliberately made the end of the waterway larger, to defeat the eye’s tendency to narrow an object in the distance (akin to the disappearing railroad tracks used to explain perspective in art

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How Do You Find a Literary Agent?

One of the most common questions I hear from unpublished authors is “How do I find a literary agent?” The question means different things in different contexts, of course. Sometimes the author wants to know about the query process; other times, they actually mean “how do I do the research?” Today, we’re looking at yet another variation on the theme: Where should authors look to learn who appropriate literary agents are, when investigating who to query? This might seem like a simple question to people who’ve been around a while, but many authors don’t know how to identify good agents to research. Let’s

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The Secret Language of Seahorses

Seahorses are entirely non-verbal (meaning they make no known communicative sounds) but that doesn’t mean they don’t communicate. On the contrary, seahorses develop complex and important relationships that range from aggressive to friendly and romantic, and they spend a lot of time interacting with other seahorses in their environment. Curiously, the adults show similar patience with my smallest seahorse, Magellan, who has a physical disability that stunted his growth. Although the same age as the larger seahorses, Magellan remains about the size of a six-month old juvenile, and the adults allow him to hitch to them, grab them, and interact with them

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Senbei: A Traditional Japanese Treat

Senbei are crispy crackers made from rice (and often flavored). These crispy treats come in   both sweet and savory varieties, and have been a Japanese favorite for over a thousand years. Traditionally, the crackers are made from rice flour (sometimes with the addition of potato or other glutinous flours, though usually without wheat) either baked or grilled until crispy and light. The shop’s displays demonstrate the wide variety of senbei; I sampled many and enjoyed them all. Another popular cracker, similar to but distinct from traditional senbei are the small, round crunchy crackers known as arare (あられ) or “hailstones.” Many Western markets carry these small, round

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Shinobi News – April 16, 2016

The Ninja’s Daughter: Heading out for Reviews! It’s always exciting when the newest book heads into the world. Obviously, I like it best when the book heads into readers’ hands, but it’s exciting when the ARCs (advance review copies) head out to reviewers, too. Last week, I received a couple of ARCs from the publisher, and I have to admit, I teared up just a little when I held this newest book for the first time. Seventh Street has done a fabulous job–it’s my favorite cover (and interior) yet: The electronic ARC is also available for book reviewers and book bloggers

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Murder, She Thought!

Today, please welcome guest author Nancy Bilyeau, author of the Joanna Stafford trilogy: And now, with no further ado…..here’s Nancy: Murder, She Thought! When you write crime fiction, you find yourself brooding over murder at unexpected times. While prepping the ingredients for a slow-cooker beef stew for my family, I’m thinking through motive. As I ride the New York City subway to a magazine office, I’m daydreaming about opportunity—in my stories, I hasten to add. Not on the subway, although the F line has been known to tempt me. It’s when I’m mulling over method, though, that I really go

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