I am happy to share my notes from this superb panel discussion "The Word Lover's Publishing Panel," held Feb. 10, 2016 at NYU Bookstore; moderated by Professor Susan Shapiro:
How to Improve your work
· Read. Read. Read. Set your bar to the books you love. The editor can see that.
· Write enough, and write regularly, be it blogging.
. Set a regular schedule. It will help you think about assigning yourself a topic, and you will look at the world and what is happening as a potential story.
· If the book being proposed is topical, send an essay on it.
· Allow editors to edit your work.
· Don’t shut out your editor. Work together. Dialogue, connect, and communicate.
· Be open to getting a ghost editor to review your work. It pays.
· Think a lot about what you are asking your readers to do: spend their money to buy your book, and take time away from other things they could be doing to read your book. Raise the bar.
· Spend time with people you are writing for. Watch people, see how they talk, what they say….
· Listen to your inner voice and write about what you feel passionate about.
Part 1: Avoid These Mistakes. Click here
Part 2: What Editors Are Looking For. Click here
Moderated by: Professor Susan Shapiro, author of WHAT'S NEVER SAID
Panelists:
NY Times editor Peter Catapano, author of The Stone Reader
Beacon Press book editor Rakia Clark
Janklow & Nesbit literary agent Kirby Kim
Lilith fiction editor Yona Zeldis McDonough, author of The House on Primrose Pond
Joy Peskin, editorial director of FSG’s Books for Young Readers
Rollingstone.com deputy editor Jerry Portwood
Putnam VP & executive editor Mark Tavani