Reminder: Cyber Monday Weekend Deal

Don't miss your chance to get a copy of AGENT: DEMYSTIFIED at half price!


The deal:

Purchase your copy of AGENT: DEMYSTIFIED any time from Saturday, November 28 through Monday, November 30 (until 11:59 pm, naturally) and a SECOND COPY will be sent to the email address you specify.

So be sure to SPECIFY A SECOND EMAIL ADDRESS on the Paypal order form.

You'll receive TWO COPIES for $9.99 instead of one.


Click here to buy now.

Or go to AUTHORESSPRESS.COM to learn more about the e-book.

Another Goodie: CYBER MONDAY SALE on Authoress's E-book

Yep. I'm offering a special for Cyber Monday week-end: AGENT: DEMYSTIFED -- Buy one, get one free!

It's a perfect way to go in with a writing buddy and each get your own copy for just $5.49.

Or the perfect way to gift yourself and surprise a friend.

The deal:

Purchase your copy of AGENT: DEMYSTIFIED any time from Saturday, November 28 through Monday, November 30 (until 11:59 pm, naturally) and a SECOND COPY will be sent to the email address you specify.

So be sure to SPECIFY A SECOND EMAIL ADDRESS on the Paypal order form.

You'll receive TWO COPIES for $9.99 instead of one.


Click here to buy now.

Or go to AUTHORESSPRESS.COM to learn more about the e-book.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

On Reader Rants and Breaking the Rules

There's a reason I haunt the pages of my stat counters. I find links to blog posts like THIS. With a tip of the hat to Screaming Guppy.

Aside from colorful language choices that wouldn't find their way to my blog, I nod my head in emphatic agreement with the author. In fact, I had to chew the inside of my cheeks for a day or so before typing this. I didn't want anything to come out, yanno, overly snarky.

Because I love my blog readers. I do.

But I have to say this, so bear with me.

The inboxes of agents and editors are littered -- LITTERED -- with inappropriate queries. By "inappropriate" I mean unprofessional, unresearched, neophytic pieces of poo that SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN SENT.

No, really.

And because of this poo overflow, the professional, carefully researched queries are buried in the muck of why-did-I-take-this-agenting-job-in-the-first-place. Imagine, if you can, the difference between reading a good query with FRESH, INVIGORATED eyes, and reading a good query with TIRED, I'VE-READ-A-BOATLOAD-OF-CRAP-ALREADY eyes.

You KNOW not to send your query to an agent who doesn't represent your genre.

You KNOW not to send your query IF YOUR MANUSCRIPT ISN'T EVEN FINISHED YET.

And you KNOW that I trust you to follow the same rules on this blog. Not because I'm "special." Not because I want to be an agent when I grow up. (I don't.) But because IT'S THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE IN THE PUBLISHING WORLD.

If you think it's okay to bend (or ignore) the rules in a blog contest, might you be tempted to do the same when you start querying? Or have you (gasp!) already begun to do the same whilst querying?

If you think you're successfully sneaking in a snippet of your unfinished manuscript just because you're dying for some early feedback, might it have escaped you that YOUR FLOPPY WRITING WILL SHOW?

And if you somehow grab the attention of the Secret Agent with your UNFINISHED MANUSCRIPT, do you think the agent is going to break into an exuberant happy dance when you tell her you haven't actually finished the story yet?

My blog has an honor system attached to it. There is no way I can police you; no way I can determine whether your manuscript is actually finished when you decide to enter the contest. If you break that trust, make your own rules...well, I can't stop you.

But as a fellow writer, I've got to point out that this is So. Not. Cool.

Think about it. Most of my contests fill up within the first ten minutes or less. I have to turn people away -- people with POLISHED, FINISHED MANUSCRIPTS who deserve a chance to have their carefully edited, I've-followed-the-directions work seen by the Secret Agent. If you get in with your unfinished work or I've-fudged-the-genre-just-to-squeak-in excerpt, YOU HAVE TAKEN THE PLACE OF SOMEONE WHO QUALIFIED FOR IT.

And that's what happens in agent inboxes. Every time an aspiring author breaks a querying rule (if you don't know them, LEARN THEM), it takes valuable time and energy from the agent doing the reading. And the agents can't stop the behavior, either. They just keep wading through the poo.

My agent empathy level has risen exponentially. And I don't even have to send rejection letters.

Well, unless you count the horrid "I'm sorry, the contest is full" emails I need to send. HATE that. Really hate it.

So. Learn to follow the rules EVEN IN THE SMALL PLACES. Like here. If you can't do that, what's going to stop you from breaking the rules when you're ready for the big query leap?

Honor. Integrity. Professionalism. It's all a part of being someone WITH WHOM PEOPLE WANT TO WORK. And along with writing a great story, you need to be one of those people.

Feel free to purchase a copy of AGENT: DEMYSTIFIED right now, to assuage your guilt. And if you're not guilty, and haven't gotten your hands on a copy yet, grab it anyway. You'll be glad you did. It's agent-endorsed, reader-loved, and it's got my SECRET HISTORY in it. (No, not my name. Just my history.)

The collective potential here is ASTOUNDING. I mean that. And I want each of you to rise to your own. It's an honor to be a part of your daily blog reads and your journey toward publication. Step up, raise the bar, and be even better than your best.

Miss Snark's First Victim Turns One!

Unbelievable but true. The anniversary of my Very First Blog Post (fascinating bit of literature, that) is this Saturday, April 4. Miss Snark's First Victim will be one year old!

We'll have a retrospective this Friday. In the meantime, I'm pleased to announce a special deal, in honor of my faithful readers.

Buy your copy of Agent: Demystified for $9.99 and receive one copy FREE.

You can give the free copy to your best writing buddy. Or team up with a friend and each pay half.

Either way, it's win-win!

In order to receive your special deal, please follow these instructions:

Purchase the e-book using Paypal. On the sales page, click on the link that reads Add special instructions to merchant. In the text box, type the email address you'd like me to send the free copy to. The copy that you purchase will send to you directly.

So. One copy to you. One copy to a friend.

The sale is effective immediately and will expire at 11:59 pm EDT on Saturday, April 4.

For many, these are hard times. Hopefully, this offer will make things a little easier on you as you strive to move forward with your writing.

A week of first lines, blog memories, celebration, and a special deal on the Book I Wrote For You. All that, and we've got another Secret Agent contest coming up in a couple of weeks!

Thanks for being a part of MSFV's bloglife. (That's gotta be a real word. Bloglife.)

Cheers!

My Turn To Ask a Small Favor

The exciting news is that filming starts this weekend for the uber-cool book trailer for AGENT: DEMYSTIFIED. I'm just an itty-bitty excited about the prospect.

(Will Authoress appear in her own book trailer? Her spokespeople aren't saying!)

Until our mini-masterpiece is released, I want to make sure word about the e-book continues to travel far and wide to the array of aspiring authors on the Web.

If you've read the e-book and gotten something positive out of it, would you take a moment to post a link to the e-book page (to your left, on the sidebar) on your blog or in your favorite writers' group?

No spamming, please. I will be forced to remove your phalanges at the second joint if you spam anyone.

But seriously. Tell the world how the e-book has impacted or inspired you, and share the link. Then come back here and tell me where you posted it (leave the link in the comment box below).

I will be most grateful.

We return you now to your regularly scheduled program.

**hugs**

Get It While It's Hot -- AGENT: DEMYSTIFIED

It’s no small thing to have written a novel. And once you’ve polished and perfected it and groomed it for the market, you’re on to even bigger things.

The question is, are you ready?

And if you’ve already jumped into the I-need-to-find-an-agent arena, are you going about it the best way possible? Feeling like you’re getting the best results because you’ve hit your stride and you really believe that Agents Aren’t Scary?

Or would you like to take your knowledge to the next level?

You know, COMPLETELY lift the veil on the mystique of the agenting world?

THIS E-BOOK IS FOR YOU!

(Really, it is. I wrote it for you.)

AGENT: DEMYSTIFIED – Lifting the veil on the secret world of literary agents is now available.

You’ll learn:

• The 3 steps to demystifying literary agents
• The 2 main “author types” (which one are you?)
• What a query letter IS – and what it ISN’T
• How to avoid shooting yourself in the foot during your agent search
• What your personal agent search should look like

AND PERHAPS MOST EXCITING OF ALL:

• Authoress’s painful personal history (a.k.a. “how my quest for knowledge began”)

I know you don’t want to miss this.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY OF AGENT: DEMYSTIFIED NOW!

AGENT: DEMYSTIFIED -- Free E-book Giveaway!!

Tomorrow's the release of The E-Book I've Written For You.

(No, that's not really the title.)

So in honor of my first e-offering for the writing community, I'm giving away ONE FREE COPY of AGENT: DEMYSTIFIED -- Lifting the Veil on the Secret World of Literary Agents.

This contest runs today only! If you'd like to be entered in the drawing, all you have to do is leave a comment below (please don't be "anonymous" -- I can't exactly throw your name into the hat if you don't have one).

The winner will receive, via email, one instantly downloadable copy (PDF) of AGENT: DEMYSTIFIED.

One entry per person, please. All comments with time stamps up to and including 11:59 pm EST will be included.

I'll post the winner's name tomorrow morning.

BIG NEWS: Authoress Announces Release of First E-book

I'm just a little excited about this!

Drum roll, please.........

Coming soon (as in, next week):

AGENT: DEMYSTIFIED

Lifting the Veil on the Secret World of Literary Agents

by Authoress

Dedicated to My Beloved Blog Readers (a.k.a. fellow authors)

I know you'll be waiting with bated breath to snatch up your copy next week. I mean, just think of all the hours I DIDN'T spend on my latest WIP while I toiled over and perfected an e-book that's going to make your agent search SO MUCH EASIER.

Not only that, but you'll get the dirt on Authoress's clueless and embarrassing entrance into the World of Agents.

Full disclosure!

Well, as full as one can get while still remaining anonymous.

Stay tuned! I'd offer a book signing but I haven't figured out how to sign an e-book.