Publishing Pulse Friday, October 4, 2013

This Week at Query Tracker
The profiles of several agents were updated this week. Please make sure you double-check every agent's website or Publisher's Marketplace page before querying.
 
Success!
Congratulations to a writer who recently signed with an agent… Janet Taylor! 

And to the writers who are thisclose to signing: keep up the hard work. We look forward to seeing your success stories.

Ready to write your own success story?
Remember--you'll reach success when you find the agent who is perfect for your work. Be sure to read each agent's profile carefully and visit other links such as company websites and blogs. Follow them on social media sites and get a feeling for what they really want. The better you know the agent, the better you will know if they are the right representative for your work. Blindly querying agents without regard for their guidelines or repped genres only delay the process--not only for you but for other writers.

Using QueryTracker.net will help you become a well-informed querying writer. Use the resources to your advantage and seek the fastest, straightest path to finding your ideal agent today.

This week in publishing...
Tom Clancy, author of thrillers including The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games, passed away Wednesday in Baltimore. He was 66.

After more than ten years, Bridget Jones returns…and the fans are distraught. Spoiler alert…Helen Fielding killed off a beloved character.

Need a spot of inspiration or just want a new snack to feed your muse? Here’s a fun list of twenty sites and blogs for writers. (I found a few nice surprises on this list.)

While bloggers go through great lengths to generate conversation and encourage commenting on their posts, Popular Science is saying No, Thank You to comments on their articles, citing that "comments can be bad for science." The magazine cited a study that explored “the nasty effect”. It showed  “negative, uncivil, and downright vitriolic comments can dramatically skew a reader's perception of the story being presented.”

Writers who have had trouble finding a home for their manuscript and are considering querying small presses may want to check out this list of twenty-five indie publishers.

"Writers' block is just an official term for being lazy and the way to get through it is work."—Tom Clancy

You heard the man...get writing! Have a great weekend, everyone...



Ash Krafton is a speculative fiction writer who, despite having a Time Turner under her couch and three different sonic screwdrivers in her purse, still encounters difficulty with time management. Visit Ash at www.ashkrafton.com for news on her urban fantasy series The Books of the Demimonde (Pink Narcissus Press) or stop by the Demimonde Blog at www.ash-krafton.blogspot.com .