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Midlist Writer
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The trials and tribulations of a writer who has made it but not made it big. Musings on craft, the industry, and work, plus advice to beginners and interviews with other midlisters. Welcome to Literary Purgatory.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'books'
Querying about Querying
I've applied for two writing jobs recently, one for a guidebook and another for a blogging gig. In both cases I didn't send the required information, such as a CV, clips, etc., because I had questions...
Free Writers Marketing Guide From Penguin
Penguin Publishing has recently made their author's online marketing guide available free on the web. It's pretty good, with lots of useful tips for getting your name out there. Some bits are a littl...
Readers Need The Small Press (And So Do Writers)
I'm in Missouri right now working on a book on Guerrilla and Partisan Ranger Tactics in the American Civil War for Osprey. Most of the time I'm buried in books, original documents, and photographs in ...
Book Review: The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About The Celts
There’s a plethora of how-to ebooks on writing these days, and one of the more interesting series is Writer’s Rescue. Each volume describes the “33 Worst Mistakes” made by writers on particula...
On The Shelves. . .Or Not???
As I mentioned in an earlier post, my book "Missouri: An Illustrated History" is finally coming out. A critique partner from Missouri just bought a copy at Barnes and Noble, but the B&N website sa...
"Missouri: An Illustrated History" Out Now!!!
My latest book, "Missouri: An Illustrated History" is coming out from Hippocrene Books. It's a full history of the state from the prehistoric mammoth hunters to the modern day. I just received the aut...
New Book, New Country
Yes, I'm back, after a one-week hiatus, which in the blogosphere is like going off the air permanently. My only excuse is that I wanted to spend the last few days in Oxford and London enjoying the cou...
A Long Wait For Recognition
In a recent article by Julian Barnes in the Guardian Review of Books, I read that Penelope Fitzgerald, one of the most esteemed English novelists of the late twentieth century, didn't start publishing...
Book Number TEN!!!???
As I said in my last post, I'm hard at work on my seventh nonfiction book. I only started writing fulltime in 2000, so I guess this is a good track record, but on the other hand it's a bit scary. If y...
Starting Book Number Seven
As I mentioned way back in May, I was in negotiation with a publisher to do book number seven. I can now announce I'm working on Guerrilla Tactics of the American Civil War for Osprey Publishing. I've...