Meeting With Aspiring Writers

Last night's workshop, Bursting the Myths of Publishing, with Sarah Totton was an interactive one.

I was impressed and reassured by the following statistics...

• J. K. Rowling received a $3,000 advance for her first Harry Potter novel. The publisher did not believe the book would sell too many copies.
• A survey of 185 professional writers revealed that more than half of them got agents and sold their books without connections.

I liked Sarah's tips...

• American agents are in a better position to sell North American rights for your book.
• Get a professional critique of your query letter before sending it out. Visit Evil Editor for a free critique.
• Send out query letters to at least 100 agents for your current book. Send five query letters at a time. If you don't get a positive response, consider revising your letter.
• While you are querying, start working on your next book.
• Visit Predators and Editors to get a background check on all editors.
• Get more information about self-publishing and e-publishing at J.R. Konrath's website and blog.