Put Your Book Proposal To the “So What” Test.
You’ve got a matter of seconds to engage an agent or editor with your “big story” before they flip on to the next book proposal in the...
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Sally Collings
- Nov 22, 2021
How to write your author bio
Unless you’re a “household-name” author (Steven King, JK Rowling, Malcolm Gladwell, I’m looking at you), most literary agents and editors...
Sally Collings
- Nov 15, 2021
What’s an Author Platform?
For first-time authors, there is one topic that can feel overwhelming at first but is absolutely necessary when it comes to connecting...
Sally Collings
- Nov 8, 2021
Get ready to write a book proposal.
Most weeks I get a call or email from at least one author wanting me to work with them on their nonfiction book proposal. Sadly, I’d say...
Sally Collings
- Nov 1, 2021
Analyze your competition like a pro.
I’ve heard it said that every book has already been written at least once, and it’s somewhat true. Don’t let that discourage you. It...
Sally Collings
- Oct 25, 2021
Three ways to a literary agent’s heart.
In the past year, I’ve collaborated on three nonfiction book proposals. All three have been picked up by leading literary agents within a...
Sally Collings
- Oct 18, 2021
Literary agents hate manuscripts.
As a rule, if there’s one thing most publishers and literary agents really hate to see, it’s a manuscript. You’re probably surprised by...
Sally Collings
- Oct 11, 2021
Writing a book proposal for your memoir? Join me for a micro-retreat.
If you want to land a publishing deal for your memoir, there is one thing you need: a standout book proposal to submit to literary agents...
Sally Collings
- Oct 1, 2021
What’s in it for your readers?
When a reader picks up a nonfiction book, they expect to get something out of it—a solution to a problem, a way to improve their life, or...
Sally Collings
- Sep 24, 2021
What’s your message?
What IS a message (AKA proposition) for your book? And how the heck do you come up with one? I like the way industry guru Jane Friedman...
Sally Collings
- Sep 20, 2021
Get in touch with your readers.
In my last post, I talked about defining your target reader—who they are, what you know about their interests, their age, and other...
Sally Collings
- Sep 13, 2021
Who are you writing for?
You might be wondering why you need to be so specific about your target readers. Narrowing down your focus to a specific group will allow...
Sally Collings
- Sep 6, 2021
Defining your goals for your book
Writing a book is like any other large endeavor. Having goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It helps you organize...
Sally Collings
- Aug 30, 2021
Achieve your why for your book.
Over the next few weeks I'll be blogging tips and ideas from my new online course, How to Write a Successful Nonfiction Book. Along with...
Sally Collings
- Jul 22, 2021
More sell, less tell.
Nine times out of ten, I see authors making one catastrophic error in their book proposals. After your cover page and list of contents,...
Sally Collings
- Jun 16, 2021
Stop Dreaming About Getting Your Memoir Published.
Just imagine it. You get to step away from your day-to-day grind—the tedious meetings, the ache in your lower back, your cousin's...
Sally Collings
- Jun 14, 2021
How do you write a successful nonfiction book?
Wouldn’t it be great to feel confident in your ideas and your ability to reach your reader when you sit down to write? Wouldn’t you love...
Sally Collings
- Jun 7, 2021
A Micro-Retreat for Memoir Writers
If you want to land a publishing deal for your memoir, there is one thing you need: a standout book proposal to submit to literary agents...
Sally Collings
- Apr 1, 2021
An editor tells: these are the kinds of authors I want.
It’s not often the writing community gets to hear from a senior editor in one of the major New York publishing houses. We make a lot of...
Sally Collings
- Mar 26, 2021
Some authors are landing big deals.
The talk soon leads to doom and gloom when authors discuss how hard it is to land a deal with a major publisher. Much of the doom talk is...
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