hemingwaywantabes

Discovering Literary Agents

Mark Shaw — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:05:31 +0000

Every aspiring author should strongly consider securing a competent literary agent to assist he or she’s efforts to locate a good publisher for their book. Good sources of information include www.publisherslunch.com, the AAR website, and a free media newsletter called mediabistro.com. Here’s one posting from the latter of interest:

Pitching An Agent: The Irene Goodman Literary Agency

Score representation at this shop with a marketable narrative for fiction or non

By M. David Hornbuckle – February 22, 2010

Number of agents: Four. They also have a very active and successful foreign rights agent and a movie agent in L.A.
Number of clients: More than 100.
Notable clients: Linda Lael Miller, Boyd Morrison, Keri Arthur, Karen Chance, Larissa Ione, Susan Donovan, Celeste Bradley, Lilith Saintcrow, Lauren Destefano. Amount of unsolicited material selected: About 5 percent a year
Fiction vs. nonfiction: Approximately 60 percent fiction, 40 percent nonfiction

Background: Irene Goodman got the agent bug more than 25 years ago after first breaking through as an editorial assistant at a publishing house. It was while later working at a small, but powerful agency (they represented Stephen King at the time) that she began taking on some of the clients the primary agent didn’t have time for. Within a year, the former medieval studies major was in business for herself . . .

Researching agents is a necessary evil toward realizing publishing dreams. So get busy hemingwaywantabes. A good agent is right around the corner.

Keep the Faith, Hemingwaywantabes

Mark Shaw — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:36:03 +0000

Am reading the revised edition of Moveable Feast released late last year that includes much of text cut from the book published after Hemingway’s death. Once again, I am amazed at the writing skill of the master. One great quote of his applies to every writer who has trouble continuing the writer process. It is:

“Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is to write one true sentence, and then go on from there.”

Okay, then, when you hit a wall, think of “one true sentence,” one great thought, and continue on. Most of all, never give up. The writing process is a lengthy one, filled with hills and valleys, but determination will pull you through.

New Website For Journal Writers

Mark Shaw — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:56:43 +0000

Hooray – take a look hemingwaywantabes – a new website specifically for journal writers. Check it out: www.IAJW.org. Sounds great and journal writing is a great training ground for aspiring authors and poets.

Hemingway and Emile Zola

Mark Shaw — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:29:05 +0000

Been reading a terrific biography of Emile Zola after having completed a biography of Henry Miller. One connection they have with every author who ever lived – poor reviews. So, Hemingwaywantabes, never let rejection bother you. Certainly learn from criticism, but keep pumping out your words and do your very best to tell the story you want to tell. Revise, revise, revise, and then revise again, but be true to yourself. More tips like this are available free if you download my book, How to Become A Published Author: Idea to Publication, displayed above. Since the new Thomas Merton biography is my twentieth book, I actually know what I am talking about when it comes to the publishing process. Please take a gander and then let me know if there is anything I may do to help you with your book.

Book Controversies

Mark Shaw — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 20:47:15 +0000

Hemingwaywantabes, hope you are writing away with the intention of telling your story to the world. And don’t worry about anticipated bad reviews of those who want to kill your book for others. Just keep writing, and keep the faith as the truth shall set you free.

One example, my new Thomas Merton biography has become quite a testy book for some people, especially those who want to protect his squeaky-clean reputation and not expose the truth about his love affair with a student nurse half his age. Take a look at this article in Religion News Services (http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/rnstext/book_about_mertons_affair_stirs_up_controversy/) or check out www.markshawbooks.net for more information.

Merton Biography Praised by Fellow Monk

Mark Shaw — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:05:06 +0000

Interested in whether Thomas Merton death was an accident or whether he was murdered? Want to know if he consummated the forbidden love affair with student nurse Margie Smith? Wondering if Merton was an alcoholic? All this and more are featured in the new Merton biography, “Beneath the Mask of Holiness: Thomas Merton and the Forbidden Love Affair that Set Him Free.” Fellow monk Peter Mursak calls the book, “fair, honest, provocatively entlightening, and a highly entertaining read.”

More about my new book is at www.markshawbooks.net where a link may be used to view the YouTube book trailer.

Merton Biography Released

Mark Shaw — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:10:53 +0000

Hemingwaywantabes, pleased to report that my new Thomas Merton biography, Beneath the Mask of Holiness, has been released. One nice review thus far:

Mark Shaw’s latest captures a most controversial period of time in the life of a very enigmatic personality, Thomas Merton. Mr. Shaw doesn’t fail to envelop the reader in a fair, honest, provocatively enlightening, and highly entertaining read. Mr. Shaw treats his subject with dignity, sensitivity, and profound reverence. For followers of Merton, this is a must read. For those just now learning about Merton or those barely acquainted with the man and his work, “Beneath the Mask” cannot be more recommended.

That’s from Peter Mursak, a fellow monk of Merton’s. More at www.markshawbooks.net. Savings at amazon.com

Thomas Merton Biography

Mark Shaw — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:25:29 +0000

Hello hemingwaywantabes. Hope all is well. Ernest is mentioned prominently in my new Thomas Merton biography, Beneath the Mask of Holiness: Thomas Merton and the Forbidden Love Affair that Set Him Free. It will be published on November 10th by Palgrave Macmillan. More about the book at www.markshawbooks.net. A book trailer may be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4l4ID5LqtU.

For you aspiring authors, there is no greater moment in life than when you hold your completed book in your hands. This occurred today and reminded me that all the hard work is worth it. So get busy and one day you will shout to the world, “I am published.”

Hemingway and Thomas Wolfe

Mark Shaw — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:00:20 +0000

Ernest Hemingway would certainly have agreed with Thomas Wolfe when the latter wrote:

“What is required of a writer is integrity of purpose, a spiritual intensity, and a final expenditure of energy that most people in the world have not conception of.”

Amen!!!

Hemingway and Vincent Van Gogh

Mark Shaw — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:17:15 +0000

Hey, you Hemingwaywantabes out there. If you want to read the very best in historical biography, don’t miss Lust for Life by Irving Stone. It is the heart-pounding, high-stepping, run-as-fast-as-you-can story of the one of the greatest artists in history, Vincent Van Gogh. What an amazing story, but more to the point, watch how Stone keeps the book going at a fast rate using strong word usage and a flair for the dramatic. Excellent writing all around.