Posts by sraihofer
Pitchfest Writer’s Guidelines
Last week I attended the AHCJ writers conference “Pitchfest” and handed out this one-page overview to prospective authors. (Disclaimer: I pulled this together at midnight the night before and was half-asleep, and I MAY SEEM LIKE I’M YELLING, but it still distills key points to hone your pitch to an agent & publisher.) * Susan Raihofer/ David Black Literary Agency/www.susanraihofer.com/ twitter @sraihofer After nearly two decades as an agent, I’ve heard thousands of pitches (and have survived). I do believe anything is possible. But in today’s challenging publishing economy, you need heavy doses of talent and determination, along with some basic...
Read MoreCloser than Blood
Closer than Blood by Gregg Olsen The first time was easy. No one ever suspected the victim had been murdered. The crime long buried, the dark passions guiding the killer’s hand are still alive. But the need for revenge cannot be denied. Only one person can stop the killing. Only one person can identify the killer. Only one person knows the face of death – is as close as the face in the mirror… Click here to buy this book on Amazon. Click here to find out more about Gregg...
Read MorePresident’s Day 1993: an agent’s first day
When I think President’s Day, my mind skips over slashed prices at the mall or even the day off… I always think of my first day working at the agency. It was probably snowing. There were probably train delays, especially taking the N or R trains (the “Never” and the “Rarely” as they truly were decades ago). It was a national holiday, a Monday, a great day to get introduced to the office and get settled “without the phones ringing so much.” That was 18 years ago–we didn’t have the internet. We had a 386 computer with a sickly yellow font that took 20 minutes to warm up. Worrying about the phone ringing seems so…quaint. The day was dense with...
Read MoreDigital Book World Conference 2011/January 24-26
A stimulating three-day conference in New York with about 1,200 attendees, agents/publishers/marketers et al, all of us trying to figure out how to adapt, survive and thrive as e-book growth changes our business. What’s the Future for Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores? What are new Models for Agents? Beyond the Ebook: What’s Possible? Will Territorial Sales Become Obsolete? Many of these questions we’ve already contemplated, but when else can we have a full two-day immersion in all things e-book, with perspectives from every angle of publishing. Within the walls of various sessions at the conference, one could ponder his/her own publishing existence, wondering: how will...
Read MoreThe Winter of Our Disconnect
Winter of our Disconnect by Susan Maushart Maushart (The Mask of Motherhood) embarked with her three teenagers on a six-month screen blackout (no cellphones, iPods, PCs, laptops, game stations, or television) to discover if the technology intended to stimulate and keep us virtually more connected was, as she suspected, making us actually more disconnected and distracted… Click here to buy this book on...
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