Publishing
Introducing Matthew Green
My last name has caused me problems before. And many, many more that I have yet to write about. Despite the burden that a last name like Dicks has carried, I never imagined giving it up for a new name. It may not be pretty, but it’s my name. I have never been able to…
Read MoreMy first date/arranged marriage
On Tuesday I had the pleasure of meeting my new editor for the first time. About a week ago I accepted an offer from Saint Martin’s Press to publish my next two books, including Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. I was on my way to Vermont for a book retreat when we stopped off at…
Read MoreHigh expectations are not always good
Thankfully, I haven’t run into many people like this. Unfortunately, I’ve met a few. This had me laughing out loud.
Read MoreGuest blogger: My agent, Taryn Fagerness, explains her life in the foreign rights world
Greetings from Matt’s literary agent! When I opened my own agency in 2009, I decided to specialize in the selling of foreign rights (along with selling domestic rights for authors like Matt). Matt often complains that he never understands what I do, and that my Twitter posts are mysterious and indecipherable. I suspect he’s referring…
Read MoreTick tock
This is the worst part of the writing process for me: The waiting. The manuscript is done, and it’s in Taryn’s hands. I sit and wait, usually for about a week, hoping to hear that it’s absolutely perfect. Expecting to hear that it’s absolutely perfect. That’s a long week. A frustrating week. A hair-pulling, gut-wrenching…
Read MoreHow I found my literary agent
I spent this past week visiting the Lucy Robbins Welles Library in my hometown of Newington and the Portland Library in Portland, CT. Both events were very well attended, and I had the chance to meet many readers who enjoyed SOMETHING MISSING and are anxious to get their hands on UNEXPECTEDLY, MILO. One of the…
Read MoreThe price of an e-book
While I continue to wonder why the six major publishing houses don’t get together and produce their own game-changing e-book reader that they control, I also think it’s critical that they do a better job of explaining the finances of of the e-book to the general public. The industry cannot survive if readers believe that…
Read MoreA question in need of an answer
I was talking to a friend about publishing today, and once again I found myself proclaiming my fondness for the ancient but still highly effective technology known as a book. I have nothing against e-books and know many happy Kindle owners, but for me, I would rather not carry a device that I would need…
Read MoreThis could work…
I hope he’s right
Sometimes, I worry that I might have entered the publishing world at the wrong time. Falling book sales, an unsettled eBook market, and the decline of the independent bookstore have caused massive upheavals in the industry. Add to this experienced and respected authors like John Irving, who suggests that new novelists have a tough road,…
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