The Author's Checklist: An Agent's Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript

The Author's Checklist: An Agent's Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript

by Elizabeth K. Kracht
The Author's Checklist: An Agent's Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript

The Author's Checklist: An Agent's Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript

by Elizabeth K. Kracht

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Overview

An Indispensable Guide for All Writers in All Genres

The bad news: even really good manuscripts have weak spots that are enough to garner rejections from agents and publishers. The good news: most of these problems are easy to fix — once the writer sees and understands them. After several years of evaluating manuscripts, literary agent Elizabeth Kracht noticed that many submissions had similar problems, so she began to make a list of the pitfalls. The Author’s Checklist offers her short, easy-to-implement bites of advice, illustrated by inspiring — and cautionary — real-world examples. Most aspiring authors yearn for a friend in book publishing. The Author’s Checklist is just that.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781608686629
Publisher: New World Library
Publication date: 02/04/2020
Pages: 240
Sales rank: 671,061
Product dimensions: 5.00(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Elizabeth K. Kracht is a literary agent with Kimberley Cameron & Associates and a freelance editor. She often participates in writers’ conferences nationally and internationally and lives in Tiburon, California.

Table of Contents

Foreword John Grogan xi

Introduction xvii

A-To-Z List

Acknowledgments

Agency Guidelines

Appendixes

Audience and Marketing

Author Bio

Author Platform

Author's Note

Book Proposal

Case Histories

Chapter Arc

Chapter Breaks

Chapter Endings

Chapter Heads

Chapter Length

Chapter Summaries

Characterization

Coauthors

Collections

Comparable Titles

Demographics

Detection

Dialogue

Dreams

Epigraphs

Epistolary Elements

Foreword

Formatting

Genre

Introduction

Italics

Lists

Maps

Memoir

Overview

Pacing

Parts

Permissions

Plot

Point of View

Prologue

Promotion and Publicity

Proofreading

Prose

Punctuation

Query Letter

Rejection

Self-Publishing

Setting

Show versus Tell

Subheads

Subtitle

Suspension of Disbelief

Symbolism

Synopsis

Tension

Text Boxes

Themes

Timekeeping

Timelines

Title

Tone

Uniformity

Vignettes

Voice

Word Count

World Building

Conclusion 199

Appendix A Query Letter Examples 205

Appendix B Synopsis Example 211

Acknowledgments 215

About the Author 219

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“An invaluable resource for any writer shopping their novel. This is a must-have!”
— Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of V-Wars and Rage

“A must-have book for every writer’s tool kit.”
— Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite Series

“Outstanding! A smart, practical, and immensely readable book . . . a valuable resource for published and prepublished writers.”
— Sheldon Siegel, New York Times bestselling author of the Mike Daley / Rosie Fernandez legal thrillers

“Elizabeth Kracht has carefully crafted a guide that should be on every published or aspiring author’s desk.”
— Jill Marie Landis, bestselling author of the Tiki Goddess Mysteries

“All serious writers should read this book before submitting their work . . . It will show you how to strategically elevate your odds.”
— Jeff Herman, literary agent and author of Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents

“A to Z indeed! The Author’s Checklist touches on virtually every aspect of writing, editing, publishing, and marketing in a readable, practical, and incredibly useful format and reader-friendly style.”
— Judy Reeves, author of A Writer’s Book of Days

“Not just another book about writing, The Author’s Checklist reveals what every writer needs to know about the publishing world if they wish to one day see their work in print. As both writer and veteran publishing professional, author Kracht spells out the essential differences between the worlds of writing and publishing and what brings them together successfully.”
— Hal Zina Bennett, author of Write from the Heart

“Authors need this survey, which is more than a checklist, but an outline of better strategies for superior writing results.”
Midwest Book Review

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