As a writer, I know that hitting “send” can feel like throwing your work into a frightening void. Now, as a magazine editor, I’ve collected scraps of insider info that I wished I’d known before I became an editor. So — I give them to you. 1. I want you to succeed. Every time I […]
One Question You Do Not Ask an Editor
/ 2020-10-23When referencing “editor,” I’m talking about the ones who make the decision whether to publish your editorial, essay, feature, short story, or even book. These are gatekeepers. These folks decide if they like what you submitted. So what is the criminal question you’re banned from asking? What topic do I write about? This is about […]
7 Nudges to Work Into Your Query Letters
/ 2019-06-29Nudges are psychological levers that can be used to help influence and persuade people because they work with the way our minds are wired. Here are some common nudges you can work into your query letters and project submissions… Nudge Theory is a branch of economics designed to help us all make better decisions by appealing […]
Show, Don’t Ask
/ 2019-05-18By C. Hope Clark Don’t ask an editor what you can write for him. Writers aren’t just about putting words together. They are about bringing fresh material to the table. Writers are a dime a dozen. New ideas are a dime a dozen. Writers who can write and produce fresh ideas hit the sweet spot. […]
Write the Nonfiction Book Proposal Before Writing the Book
/ 2019-03-15I finished a manuscript, set it aside for a month, then read it again. But I never even tried to publish it. Why not? Because as brilliant as it was (well, I thought so and so did my mother), it was doomed because it had no point. The book, overflowing with insightful arguments and powerfully […]
The Wrong Bio
/ 2017-05-30A gentleman at a conference came up to me and asked how he was supposed to include a bio in his query letter to literary agents when he had not published. He had a couple of stories in anthologies, and his day job had nothing to do with his writing. He kept catching himself making […]