Should Authors Read Their Own Reviews?

I was reading the blog of an author who had decided to never, ever look at reader reviews of her own books. She gave good reasons for her choice, and I admired her resolve. I also wondered how realistic it would be to never read your own reviews. It’s an issue each writer has to face. How do we make the decision about whether to read our reviews or not? Maybe we should ask what we are looking for when we read our reviews. Validation? Constructive criticism? A simple acknowledgment that someone read our book? Let’s face it, writers work alone and get precious little feedback on the results of their labor. Of course we want to see what people think of what we wrote! But we have to be ready to encounter opinions we don’t necessarily like. Worse, we may end up facing not...

Winner of the Joke Contest

Thanks to everyone who submitted jokes to our contest last Friday! If you didn’t get a chance to read them, definitely click through for some laughs. Today I’m announcing the winner. But first, I have to share some honorable mentions:   Best joke for Word Nerds… from Jenni Wiltz: This one’s in honor of Mother’s Day: A pregnant woman hobbles into the emergency room, one hand on her back. A nurse asks her what’s wrong, and the pregnant woman screams, “Shouldn’t! Wouldn’t! Didn’t!” The nurse shakes her head and says, “I’m sorry…I don’t understand.” The pregnant woman’s face contorts in pain as she shouts, “Can’t! Won’t! Don’t!” The nurse, bewildered, turns...

Telling Your Personal Story

Dear Rachelle, People are always telling me, “You should write a book!” For years I have been ignoring them, but more and more people are telling me that I shouldn’t let my experiences be wasted, that I need to share them because they are not only inspirational, they will make people laugh, make them cry, and entertain them. I’ve finally decided I need to bite the bullet, so I’m starting with you. Can you help me? Signed, Hopeful Memoirist * * * Dear Hopeful, I get several query letters each month that begin with some variation of: “For years, all my friends have been telling me I should write a book.” Maybe it’s because of an amazing incident or an inspiring life journey. Maybe you’re funny or have a way with words. Whatever it...

Go Ahead, Make Me Laugh

Things have been a little serious here on the blog lately, so I think it’s time to lighten things up. How about you tell me some jokes? And how about a PRIZE for my favorite joke? Here’s what we’ll do: You share a good joke (not dirty) in the comments. Everyone will read them and laugh, getting some much-needed humor into our weekend. The deadline for entering jokes is Saturday night at 11:59 pm eastern daylight time. I will choose my favorite joke, announce it on the blog next week, and award the coveted prize. YES, like all of publishing, this is a completely subjective endeavor! I get to choose my favorite, which will probably be the joke that makes me laugh the most. Clients of Books & Such are welcome to submit jokes but are not eligible to win.   So...

Agents Represent Authors

I’m a literary agent. I advocate for authors. That’s my job, it’s what I choose to do, and I enjoy doing it. Every day I’m grateful for my partnership with so many talented writers. I consider it my privilege to assist them in reaching their publishing goals. I work hard to understand their needs, priorities, and dreams so that I can serve them well. Part of my job as a literary agent is also to have a deep understanding of publishers. The better I understand their goals and concerns, the better I can find the right authors for them, and negotiate contracts that are win-win for both author and publisher. The more I do that, the more both authors and publishers appreciate working with an agent, and have a positive publishing experience. On Monday I wrote a post in...