Is it ever a good idea to accept a hybrid publication offer?

I had high hopes for this excellent idea to create a writers’ forum. But disappointingly your idea has provided yet another promotional platform. I guess that is what the authors’ ecosystem has become. Shame.

Hi all! I was lucky enough to attend an Agent led event last night, discussing queries, pitches and the editing process. Here's a couple of (hopefully helpful) things that came out of the discussion: 1. Make your query letters as short and professional as you can. You might want to fill it with loads of lovely detail, but they find it refreshing and attractive when one is brief. 2. Lead with your "comp" books. Don't start by getting into the plot or characters, show that you know the market and have an idea of where your book sits by comparing it to successful, well regarded (recent if you can) books in that area. Then tease the plot in two or three sentences, then end on a question or note of suspense. 3. Don't bother trying to "hide" your genre. People are tempted to claim a different genre because they're worried their novel isn't currently marketable. The agent will know immediately when they start reading the sub, so why bother hiding it? 4. (In the UK) Avoid querying in March or October. The London and Frankfurt book fairs pull a lot of agents away from reading at those times. 5. Agents give EVERYTHING a read... But bear in mind they have existing clients and an inbox of up to 20 subs a day. They also then let some of us pitch to them and get live feedback (which was heartening and super useful), so do keep an eye out for similar events. Even if it's not stated, there might be a similar learning opportunity offered.

Quick question for everyone here Which part of the writing process challenges you the most right now? A) Starting the manuscript B) Finishing it C) Editing & polishing D) Formatting & publishing E) Marketing & getting reviews I’m curious to see where most writers struggle.

I was at a loss to tell potential beta readers just what I wanted until I came across these instructions, attributed to FirstManuscript.com. They may not be perfect but they work for me. I shared them with my local writers group and they liked them and found them useful. I will give them to anyone who is willing to be a beta reader for my novel, when the time comes. This isn''t meant to be a demand. After all, they are doing me a kindness. But it's a place to start in fixing my novel. * * * My Beta Reader Instructions Before I get into the details, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for your assistance in completing my novel. What is a beta reader? Someone who assists the author by reviewing a pre-release version of a book. What do I expect? I expect you to be harsh! Tell me what you are really thinking as you are reading. “I wonder why the character didn’t…” or “What the hell? That came outta nowhere,” or “This part is confusing.” I am sure you will find typos, grammar errors and missing words. Please mark them so I can clean them up. But I don’t want that to be your main focus. I especially want your feedback on big picture items, like: 1. Does the story engage you? 2. Is the pacing proper? 3. Are there sections that drag? 4. Do the characters seem real? 5. Do they behave and talk in a consistent manner? 6. Did I leave too many clues so that you figured out the ending well in advance? 7. Or did I not leave enough, making you feel like I pulled a fast one at the end? (If I did it right, you should be able to look back and think, I should have seen that coming. I am worried that there may be plot or character inconsistencies or people who know things they shouldn’t until later. Most of all, I want you to enjoy the read. How soon do I want replies? I hope for your feedback within 3-4 weeks, so I can get on with getting this finalized. Note: If you are using Microsoft Word or the equivalent (and I hope you are), please ensure that the “Track Changes” option is turned on (Review Tab). That will enable you to mark typos and add comments. Just save your updates and email the file back to me when you are done.