On Writing and Publishing

Day Two It’s very excruciating life facing that piece of paper every day and having to reach up somewhere into the clouds and bring something down out of them. Truman Capote In the first week, you will decide the story you are going to tell. My guess is that you have been thinking of your story for quite some time. It is the book you have always wanted to write. It doesn’t matter what kind of novel or memoir you write. There are no rules other than that the book has to be interesting. It can be exciting, scary, fun, funny, romantic, sad, or true down to the very last word – but it must not bore the reader. You will not know every detail of your book, or even how it ends, but today you are going to begin the process of finding out. You are not going to . . .

Day One It is by sitting down to write every morning that one becomes a writer. Those who do not do this remain amateurs. Gerald Brenan Writers write in different ways. Some writers write on computers, others on typewriters, or in long-hand. Agatha Christie said that the best time to plan a book is while you’re doing the dishes. It doesn’t matter how you write. What matters is that you write. What you need to do first in these 100 days is create a routine for your writing. You do this by establishing a specific time to write. This is important because over the course of writing your novel, you will get discouraged, bored, angry, or otherwise fed up, and when you start feeling that way, you’ll need a clearly defined patterns to keep yourself writing. On occasion you may have to shift your writing times to deal with other . . .

Sinclair Lewis was invited to talk to some students about the writer’s craft. He stood at the head of the class and asked, “How many of you here are really serious about being writers?” A sea of hands shot up. Lewis then asked, “Well, why aren’t you all home writing?” And with that he walked out of the room. It is time for you to become a writer. What follows is your daily log – each day has words of encouragement, advice, wisdom or a task for you to do to help you get your novel written. For the purpose of organization I am breaking the writing down into “days” but a day for you might be thirty minutes or a week’s time. What is important is that you keep at the task of writing something everyday and employ the ideas, methods, and words of wisdom from many successful writers . . .

Novelist Kurt Vonnegut once remarked that, “Talent is extremely common. What is rare is the willingness to endure the life of a writer. It is like making wallpaper by hand for the Sistine Chapel.” How do you know if you are a writer? Perhaps it is a single incident – one that happens early in life and shapes the writer’s sense of wonder and self-awareness. Take the case of José Saramago, the first Portuguese-language writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. The son of a peasant father and an illiterate mother, brought up in a home with no books, he took almost 40 years to go from metalworker to civil servant to editor in a publishing house to newspaper editor. He was 60 before he earned recognition at home and abroad with Baltasar and Blimunda. As a child, he spent vacations with his grandparents in a village called Azinhaga. . . .

I know it is not easy to write a book, not when you have a full time job, family, and other responsibilities. Most writers have had to carry on two lives while they wrote. The poet Wallace Stevens was a vice president of an insurance company and an expert on the bond market. The young T.S. Eliot was a banker. William Carlos Williams a pediatrician. Robert Frost a poultry farmer. Hart Crane packed candy in his father’s warehouse, and later wrote advertising copy. Stephen Crane was a war correspondent. Marianne Moore worked at the New York Public Library. James Dickey worked for an advertising agency. Joe Heller, author of Catch 22, worked for a magazine, selling advertising. Archibald MacLeish was Director of the Office of Facts and Figures during World War II. Stephen King was teaching high school English when he wrote Carrie. Novelist Jennifer Egan author of a novel . . .

Why listen to me? That is a good question.  Here is why you should take my advice on how to write a book in 100 days. Here are some of my qualifications. I have written 25 published book, fiction, non-fiction, collections, guide books, instructional books. I have written award winning and New York Times Best Seller novels of mystery, horror, romance, historical fiction, and fiction, and non-fiction about golf: www.johncoynebooks.com. I wrote all of these books within a three month period. My novels have been published in eight foreign countries. (I also wrote 7 novels before publishing one and could paper a wall with the rejection slips I have received from some of the best magazines and publishing companies in the world! I know what it means to get rejected.) I have two degrees in English literature and have taught creative writing at the high school, college level, and on . . .

Are you a writer? Do you want to write a book? Do you have a great story that you need to tell? Do you read a novel and say to yourself, “I could have written that book, and I could have written it better! Is there this nagging thought in the back of your mind that has been telling you all your life: write your story! Do you really want to stop reading and start writing your book, whether it is a novel, a memoir or non-fiction. Do you ask yourself: Do I want to write my novel? Do you ask yourself: When will I tell my story? Do you ask yourself: How will I write my book? The why is easily answered. And you can answer those questions. You know you will never be satisfied if you don’t sit down and do it. You’re secretly tired of people saying, . . .

Literary Agents React! By Jeff Rivera on Nov 11, 2009 12:43 PM Miriam Goderich of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management responded in their blog to the GalleyCat posted back in November entitled, Literary Agents, bah! Who needs them? by stating: “Who needs an agent? You do.” In her well-respected blog she also mentioned: “every serious author needs an agent. Not just any agent, of course. You need a good agent. One who is an advocate, who is willing to fight for you and who is able to tell you when you’re being unreasonable and doing your career more harm than good.” And that was not all — emails, comments and tweets have come pouring in from agents, writers and other book publishing professionals with a resounding, “Yes, we do need agents.” Deidre Knight of the Knight Agency says, “Many agents, myself included, believe that the digital age is bringing opportunity. . . .

By Jeff Rivera on Nov 10, 2009 02:54 PM CrainsNewYork.com reports that Amazon.com wined and dined a number of prominent literary agents at their home-base in Seattle, Washington to convince the agents that they are not the “evil empire” but rather willing to work with them as the publishing industry makes its full-fledged transition into the digital revolution. The fact that Amazon.com had to have this discussion with literary agents brings up the question, will literary agents even exist in the near future? Are literary agents even necessary nowadays when a writer can upload their manuscript to the Kindle service or Smashwords and sell their books directly to the consumer? “There will be a need for literary agents,” says Nicholas Croce of The Croce Agency, “Agents … offer informed advice and camaraderie during the inevitable ups and downs that all writers experience. I don’t think technology will ever put this . . .

Valentino, Ralph Cambridge Literary Associates 25 Green Street Newburyport, MA 01950 General Fiction, General Non-Fiction, History,  Biography, Memoirs, Reference, Art, Religion/Spirituality, Science, Business/Investing www.cambridgeliterary.com Van Nostrand Samuel French 45 West 25th Street New York, NY 10010 General Fiction, General Non-Fiction, Art, Lifestyle, arrative Fiction, Religion/Spirituality, Business/Investing www.samuelfrench.com VanAuken, Lisa Creative Media 240 W. 35th St., Suite 500 New York NY 10001 Reference, General Non-Fiction, Business/Investing assistantcma@aol.com www.thecmagency.com Vance, Lisa ERBACH AARON M. PRIEST LITERARY 708 Third Avenue, 23rd Floor New York, NY 10017 Mystery/Crime, Thriller LEVance@aaronpriest.com www.aaronpriest.com Vicinanza, Ralph Ralph Vicinanza Agency 111 8th Avenue, Suite 1501 New York, NY 10011 Graphic Novel ralphvic@aol.com Vigliano, David Vigliano Associates 584 Broadway, Suite 809 New York, NY 10012 Memoir, Advice/Relationships, Pop Culture, Health, Business/Investing/Finance www.viglianoassociates.com Voges, Liza Pulitzer Kirchoff/Wohlberg 866 United Nations Plaza New York, NY 10017 Children’s www.kirchoffwohlberg.com

Targ, Roslyn Roslyn Targ Literary Agency 105 West 13th Street, 15 E. New York, NY 10011 General Fiction, History, Mystery, Thriller roslyntarg@aol.com Tasman, Alice Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency 216 East 75th Street New York, NY 10021 Children’s, Memoirs atasman@jvnla.com http://www.jvnla.com Teal, Patricia Patricia Teal Literary Agency 2036 Vista Del Rose Fullerton, CA 92631 Reference, Biography, Memoirs tealblue@mainstation.com   Tenney, Craig Harold Ober Associates 425 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10017 General Fiction, General Non-Fiction, History, Biography, Memoirs, Reference, Science, Health, Business/Investing, Graphic Novels, Children’s, Art, Mystery, Thriller tenney@haroldober.com http://www.haroldober.com Thixton, Robert Pinder Lane and  Brooke 159 West 53rd St., Suite 14-E New York, NY 10019 General Fiction, Reference, Art PinderL@interport.net   Thoma, Geri Elaine Markson Literary Agency 44 Greenwich Avenue New York, NY 10011 General Fiction, Biography, Memoirs, Reference, (Science, History, Politics/Current Affairs litworks@aol.com Thompson, Rosalie Heacock Literary Agency. 707 Seventh St. Tularosa, NM 88352 General Fiction, General Non-Fiction, . . .

Sagalyn, Raphael Raphael Sagalyn, Inc. 4825 Bethesda Ave., Ste. 302 Bethesda, MD 20814 General Non-Fiction, Science www.sagalyn.com Sanders, Victoria Victoria Sanders and Associates 241 Ave. of the Americas, Suite 11H New York, NY 10014 History/Politics/Current Affairs, Women’s/Romance, Children’s www.victoriasanders.com Schlessinger, Charles Brandt and Hochman Literary Agents 1501 Broadway New York, NY 10036 General Fiction, Reference, Art, Mystery, Thrillers, Religion/Spirituality, Biography, Memoirs, Science, Health, Parenting, Children’s, Business/Investing/Finance, Romance, Sports, Sci-Fi/Fantasy cschlessiger@bromasite. Schmalz, Wendy Wendy Schmalz PO Box 831 Hudson, NY 12534 Children’s books wendy@schmalzagency.com http://www.schmalzagency.com Schmidt, Harold Harold Schmidt 343 West 12th St., Suite 1B New York, NY 10014 General Fiction, Reference, Pop Culture hslanyc@aol.com Schneider, Deborah Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents 250 West 57th St., Ste. 2515 New York, NY 10107 Thriller, Memoirs, Humor, Mystery/Crime, deborah@gelfmanschneider.com Schulman, Susan Susan Schulman Literary Agency 2 Bryan Plaza Washington Depot, CT 06794 Memoirs www.schulmanagency.com Seldes, Timothy Russell and Volkening 50 West 29th Street New . . .

Raihofer, Susan David Black Literary Agency 156 Fifth Avenue, Suite 608 New York, NY 10010 History/Politics/Current Affairs, Parenting, How-To, Memoirs, Sports, Business/Investing/Finance, Lifestyle, Reference, Biography, Religion/Spirituality, Narrative Non-Fiction, Advice/Relationships sraihofer@dblackagency.com Raines, Theron Raines and Raines Author 103 Kenyon Road Medusa, NY 12120 History/Politics/Current Affairs, Thriller rainesbook@aol.com Ramer, Susan Don Congdon Associates, Inc. 156 Fifth Avenue, Suite 625 New York, NY 10010 General Fiction, Reference, Biography, Memoir, History, Children’s, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller sramer@doncongdon.com   Reamer , Jodi Writers House 21 W. 26th St. New York NY 10010 Thriller, Children’s jreamer@writershouse.com www.writershouse.com Rees, Helen Helen Rees Literary Agency 13 N. Washington St., 5th Fl. Boston, MA 02114 Reference, General Non-Fiction, Business/Investing helen@reesagency.com www.reesagency.com Regal, Joseph Regal Literary 52 Warfield St. Montclair, NJ 07043 General Fiction, General Non-Fiction, Sci-Fi/Fantasy joe@regal-literary.com http://www.regal-literary.com Rein, Jody Jody Rein Books 7741 S. Ash Court Littleton, CO 80122 General Fiction www.jodyreinbooks.com/jr.html Reingold, Anne The Marton Agency, Inc. 1 Union . . .

In  late Septemer of this year, TriQuarterly, one of the most respected print literary journals, announced that it was converting to an online format. TriQuarterly’s blog currently offers subscribers a chance to purchase the “last three issues of TriQuarterly in print.” It’s only one journal; but this feels like a big deal, particularly in today’s world of Kindles and eBooks and POD. Evergreen Review, one of the greatest and most provocative of literary journals, began life as a trade paperback, shifted to glossy magazine format, and ceased publication in 1973. In 1998, it was resurrected as an online journal and pushes ahead today with new content as well as reprinting great work from its past. For the sake of this discussion, we can divide the world of literary journals into three permutations, with some overlap: Print journals that require hard-copy submissions by snail-mail. The old stalwarts we’ve always known include: . . .

John Givens (Korea 1967–69) was born in Northern California, got his BA in English literature at the California State University Fresno and his MFA in creative writing at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, University of Iowa, where he was a Teaching/Writing Fellow. After his Peace Corps tour, he studied language and art in Kyoto for four years; and he worked as a writer & editor in Tokyo for eight years. For fifteen years, Givens was a creative director and branding consultant for advertising agencies in New York then San Francisco. He has published three novels in the US: Sons of the Pioneers, A Friend in the Police, and Living Alone; short stories have appeared in various journals. His non-fiction publications include A Guide to Dublin Bay: Mirror to the City and Irish Walled Towns, both published by The Liffey Press in Dublin. He is currently finishing The Plantain Manner, a long novel set in . . .