Latest posts from Chip MacGregor
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The Golden Weenie Award
I’m just back from ICRS (the International Christian Retailing Show), where I always enjoy getting to see longtime friends in CBA. A lot of people in publishing don’t really understand the Christian Booksellers Association — they still refer to it …
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Thursdays with Amanda: How to Promote Old Titles
Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as …
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Another post about favorite books
Marie Prys provides administrative support to MacGregor Literary’s agents as well as overseeing contracts and informational databases. She hails from the Northwest, lives in Richmond, VA, and enjoys a blessed life with her husband and four children. Reading is a …
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What if I’m asked to endorse a book I don’t like?
Andrea wrote to say, “An author recently gave me a copy of her book to review. I wasn’t very impressed with the writing or the story, but I felt indebted to write a fairly positive review, since she gave me …
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What’s a fair advance?
Kathy wrote and asked, “I’m in negotiations on my book contract. What’s a fair advance?”
Um…that question is impossible to answer, Kathy. “Fairness” depends on your mood today, the publisher’s perspective, your expectations, and a hundred other variables. But the …
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Thursdays with Amanda: Creating a Website as an Unpublished Author – Linking to Social Media
Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as …
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Do I need book discussion questions?
Timothy wrote to say, “Some book clubs have asked me for discussion questions for my book. I took a stab at it, but came away sounding like my high school English teacher. What do book clubs like to discuss? Do …
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Marketing Made Simple — A Guest Blog
For many authors, the term “marketing” seems as complex and confusing as learning to speak a foreign language. Fortunately, the process of promoting a book doesn’t have to be complicated. You can use this proven approach to sell more books
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Cheryl Jarvis does some Reviewing of Reviews
A GREAT bit of writing from author Cheryl Jarvis, looking at the various reviews her book received. Jarvis wrote a nonfiction book, The Marriage Sabbatical: The Journey that Brings You Home, that told the stories of women who took time …
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Do you have a problem with ghostwriting?
Dave wrote to ask, “Do you have any ethical problems with ghostwriting?”
First, I would insist you define the term. To some, “ghostwriting” means doing any sort of writing for someone else without getting credit. I would disagree with that …
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Thursdays with Amanda: Creating a Website as an Unpublished Author – What Content Do I Include?
Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as …
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Celebrating All Our Imperfections
To celebrate the Fourth of July, my daughter Molly and I are going to go watch a small-town parade, complete with vintage cars, city fire truck, the local high school marching band, some county sheriff on horseback, and a VFW …
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What if I’m interested in collaborative writing?
Johann wrote to say he’s been approached to do some collaborative writing, and has several questions: “What should I charge? Should I get my name on the book? How long do you think it will take me? And what would
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A question about getting started…
Tanya took a look at our corporate web site (www.MacGregorLiterary.com), noticed that I tend to prefer “established authors,” and asked two questions… “How do you define an established author? And is it better for a ‘non-established’ author to …
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The good and the bad…
The good news: I just saw my first copy of Rob Eager’s SELL YOUR BOOK LIKE WILDFIRE. It’s great. Rob runs Wildfire Marketing, and he’s got very helpful things to say to writers trying to build a brand and increase …
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What’s the worst query you ever received?
Denise wrote to ask me, “What’s the worst query you ever received?”
This one is easy. Every agent has had bad queries — I’ve seen them written in crayon, printed in block letters on the back of an old envelope, …
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Thursdays with Amanda: Why Unpublished Authors Need Websites
Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as …
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What is the agent looking for?
Mary wrote to ask, “What are you looking for in a query?”
Every time I open a query letter, I’m hoping to see something I fall in love with. I want to see a great idea, supported by great writing, …
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Should you make your novel available for free?
Martin wrote a note and asked, “How much of your novel should you post on the internet before you have an agent or publisher? I posted three chapters, and it has proven to be so popular that I now have …
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Should a writer wait for better times?
Lisa wrote to ask this: “With today’s publishing economy taking a downturn, would you recommend writers, especially new writers, wait for better times to approach you with a proposal?”
I am SO tempted to say, “No, I recommend they call