Latest posts from Chip MacGregor
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Ask the Agent: Do I need an agent if I already have a book offer?
Someone wrote to say, “I’ve been offered a contract on my novel. Since I don’t have an agent, should I seek one at this point? And if the agent accepts, should he or she still receive 15% of the deal, …
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What can a new writer do to get noticed by an agent?
A regular reader of the blog sent in this question: What can a new author do to get noticed by an agent or editor?
The most essential thing you can do as someone new to the industry is to be …
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Ask the Agent: What do you look for in a query?
I recently had an online discussion with a writers’ group, and they had several questions for me…
What are the three most important things you look for in a query?
A strong writing voice, clarity of argument (if nonfiction) or …
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Ask the Agent: Can you explain my royalty report?
An author sent me a note that read, “I get a royalty report twice a year from my publisher, but I don’t really understand it. What tips can you give me for reading a royalty report?”
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I swear some … -
Publishing Predictions: What will happen in 2017?
So a new year is here, and it’s time to make some predictions about what will happen in 2017. I do NOT have the gift of prophecy, but that doesn’t stop me from pontificating and making wild surmises, all while …
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Ask the Agent: What do I do with a bad review?
Someone wrote to say, “I got a terrible review on Amazon. I hate even going there to look at it. Tell me, what do you do with a bad review?”
You know, one of the things unpublished authors don’t realize …
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Ask the Agent: How does a book get selected by a publisher?
As we jump into the new year, I’ve had several people write to ask, “What is the process of getting your proposal selected by a publishing house?”
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Okay. First, think of a publishing house as being an actual building. … -
What’s the BEST BOOK you read in 2016?
As we wrap up the past year and move into the new one, I’m going to be back on the blog — taking a look at some of the top publishing stories, making some predictions for the future, and getting …
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Thinking about Writing: Effective Dialogue, Part 6 (Accents and Dialect)
Today’s post is dedicated to Lois Gladys Leppard, author of the Mandie books. If you weren’t a preteen girl in the 90s, you may not be familiar with the Mandie books, but they were a middle-grade series set at the …
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Thinking about Writing: Effective Dialogue, Part 5 (Character Voice)
I did a lot of theater in high school and college, and still act in local productions from time to time– I know some people would rather lick a battery than perform onstage, but I think it’s some of the …
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Thinking about Writing: Effective Dialogue, Part 4 (Punctuating Dialogue)
If you’re new to the blog, you may have missed my previous scintillating posts on writing effective dialogue. Today’s topic is slightly less scintillating but just as important to creating readable dialogue which draws the reader into the story rather …
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Thinking about Writing: Effective Dialogue, Part 3 (Realistic vs. Natural Dialogue)
Today I’m continuing my ongoing conversation on dialogue and discussing the difference between realistic and natural dialogue, and the way each can strengthen or sabotage a story.
Realistic dialogue is conversation that occurs exactly the way people talk in real …
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Thinking about Writing: Effective Dialogue, Part 2 (The Sooner the Better)
If you caught Tuesday’s post, you’ll know I’m spending a few days talking about good dialogue in fiction– how to write it, how not to write it, how to recognize it, and who does it well.
One of the suggestions …
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Thinking about Writing: Effective Dialogue, Part 1
“Stories are told in action and dialogue.”
I don’t remember a whole lot from my fiction writing classes in college– judging by the notes I scribbled in the margins of my carefully-preserved notebooks from that era, my attention during these …
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Ask the Agent: How has the role of an agent changed?
I’ve had several people write me to ask, “How has the role of a literary agent changed in the new world of publishing?”
I was happy to get this question (and several similar questions), because I was at a conference …
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Ask the Agent: What are the new trends in publishing?
For the past several months, I’ve had numerous people write in to ask about the trends I see happening in the world of publishing. We’re in a state of evolution in the industry (one could argue we’re in a state …
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Quick and Dirty Tips: Formatting Your Manuscript
Guest writer Holly Lorincz is a professional editor and owner of Lorincz Literary Services. New York Times Bestselling author Vincent Zandri says of her, “A great editor not only points out the gaffs in a manuscript, but also helps … -
Ask the Agent: How do I prepare to meet an agent at a conference?
Someone wrote in to ask about preparing for a big writer’s conference they are attending: I’m getting ready for a writing conference, and while I think I have some great ideas for books, I find I always panic right before …
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Ask the Agent: How do I market my novel?
I received a fascinating email from a first-time novelist the other day. She said that her very first novel is releasing, it’s with a medium-sized house, and “While I’m not exactly sure what the publisher may do to market my …
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Celebrating Ten Years of this Blog!
So today, November 2, 2016, is the ten year anniversary of the blog. Just writing those words is amazing to me… When I started, I’d just been let go from from my role as an associate publisher at the Time-Warner …