Are you at war or peace with your idea?

Janet's Editorials, Process

Ahh, the tug of summer inspiration… A book (or Kindle) in a swing. Your journal (or iPad) in hand where you’ll record your free-flowing ideas, articles you’ve been plotting, and goals you never have time to really think about. You might even be considering  about...

Poem in Your Pocket Day + National Poetry Month

Process

Today is a celebration of a Poem in Your Pocket Day, a time for readers to carry a copy of their favorite poem and share it with the world. The idea is this: Select a poem you love during National Poetry Month. Carry it with you on Poem In Your Pocket Day,...

Getting Lovingly Bossy

Janet's Editorials, Process, Strategy

This will be short and sweet, to go with the title. You are the boss of your book. You can take a crisp, firm, clear, confident, no-nonsense approach to your work, even for a day or a week. Especially if you’re lost. Especially if you’re floundering...

The Collaboration Equation

Janet's Editorials, Marketing and Platform, Process

I got off the phone the other afternoon with a long-time publishing colleague. We worked together for three years on the cusp of the Random House empire’s creation and years later we continue to compare notes around changes in the industry. We talk about:...

Kristin Nelson: 2 Quick Tips on Writing Query Letters

Marketing and Platform, Process

While in Mexico for the 2011 San Miguel Writers’ Conference I got to spend time with the wonderful literary agent Kristin Nelson. I grabbed her for a few minutes to share her clear and refreshing advice about the all-important Query Letter, especially for...

“Momentum + Completion” Is Magical

Janet's Editorials, Process, Strategy

I hate—yes, hate—to see projects, and especially people, get stuck. I care. And maybe I’m a bit too attached to the success I want for my clients, authors, and colleagues. Plus, I’m frequently in that stuck place myself (ha ha!). It’s like that...