We can probably all agree that time slows down painfully when someone is reading our writing in draft. And we’re particularly anxious about what our first reader will say about a first draft, yes? When you decide your work is ready to be read for the first time, who do you ask for feedback? A spouse? A friend? Another writer? Your writers group? Recently I came across an article from Poets & Writers that I’ve kept for a long time. Kevin Nance interviewed novelists … Read More »

In my one-to-one work with writers and as an editor for a print publication and several e-newsletters, I receive a constant flow of email and other communications. I love hearing from you! But I often imagine what it would be like for an agent, publisher, or magazine editor who is dealing with hundreds of queries a day to receive some of the troublesome and vague communications I receive. Let me tell you something.  Because we’re bombarded from all sides with … Read More »