Publishing Pulse for November 16, 2012

New At QueryTracker:

Come read the Success Story interview of Pat Esden! Congratulations, Pat!

Also, happy birthday to Patrick-The-QueryTracker-Guru -- thank you so much for all your hard work!

We've updated four agent profiles in the database this week; three of those agents are changing agencies, so please make sure you double-check every agent's website or Publisher's Marketplace page before querying.

If you're a QueryTracker premium member, then you can be notified whenever an agent or publisher profile is added or updated. If you're not a premium member, you can just check for yourself.

Publishing News:

Congratulations to the winners of the National Book Award! (Specifically the authors, but when someone writes a great book, the readers win too.)

Long-time readers of the QT blog will remember QueryTracker blogger Mary Lindsey. Her new novel, Ashes on the Waves, is now available for pre-order. 

Scholastic is donating one million books and other teaching resources to schools and libraries harmed by Hurricane Sandy.  Simon & Schuster is also donating to schools, libraries, and shelters affected by the superstorm.

Around the Blogosphere:

Where to start...? The dos and don'ts of openings. Also, five mistakes in opening chapters.

Where to end...?  Advice on final lines.

How about the middle? Avoid episodic storytelling. Also avoid step-by-step writing.

Why it may be a bad idea to have someone else write your query.

Encouragement for those times you think your writing sucks.

I laughed until I cried: why authors are crazy.

Literary Quote of the Week:

I have long felt that any reviewer who expresses rage and loathing for a novel is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has just put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae or banana split.

- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. 

Thanks for stopping by, and keep sending those queries!

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Jane Lebak is the author of The Wrong Enemy. She has four kids, three cats, two books in print, and one husband. She lives in the Swamp and spends her time either writing books or ejecting stink bugs from the house. She is pretty sure no one reads these author bios. At Seven Angels, Four Kids, One Family, she blogs about what happens when a distracted daydreamer and a gamer geek attempt to raise four kids. If you want to make her rich and famous, please contact the riveting Roseanne Wells of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency.