Tipsy Tuesday

Many newbie writers ask "What's the secret to getting published?"

I have the answer. Are you ready?

There. Is. No. Secret.

Every agent and editor you ask this question to will have the same answer as me. There's no secret. What there is is this:

Good writing.

Good storytelling.

Professionalism.

The second you think you know everything you need to know about how to write a good book, turn off the PC and give it up. Because you've just lost the drive and professionalism it takes to be a success in this business.

Always keep learning. Always look for better, smarter, fresher ways to tell your stories. Always do what you'll say you do when you say you'll do it.

And this is key: learn grammar and punctuation basics. Editors will work with you on correcting poor grammar and improper punctuation, but you really don't want them to have to focus on the minutia. You want your editor to focus on the plot, on the meat of the story, so it will be the best story it can be by the time it makes it into the hands of your readers. So learn the difference between further and farther, when to use lay and lie, and where commas should and shouldn't be placed.

Good writing. Good storytelling. Professionalism. Not secrets, just common sense.

Man Meat Monday

Hm. I wouldn't mind wandering into my bathroom first thing in the morning and finding this...

First Review - DARK PANTHEON: WICKED OMEN

From Lacey at Romance Junkies:

"Wicked Omen is one delicious tale. Ms. Sherrill Quinn pens a wonderful paranormal romance set in a very intriguing world. I love the character Nikolaos. He is strong and brave, a true warrior who fights for what he wants. I also liked his interaction with Kalla and their relationship. This is one hot book; chock full of steamy sex scenes that are sure to leave the reader panting long after the final page is read."

You can read the full review here.


To read an exerpt or buy, click here.

Friday Funny

In these uncertain economic times, I received these investment tips from a cousin:

Be aware of the next expected mergers so that you can get in on the ground floor and make some BIG Bucks. Watch for these consolidations in 2008.

1. Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W.R. Grace Co. will merge and become: Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.

2. PolyGram Records, Warner Bros., and Zesta Crackers join forces and become: Poly, Warner Cracker.

3. 3M will merge with Goodyear and become: MMMGood.

4. Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining will merge and become: ZipAudiDoDa.

5. FedEx is expected to join its competitor, UPS and become: FedUP.

6. Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will become: Fairwell Honeychild.

7. Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become: PouponPants.

8. Knotts Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women will become: Knott NOW!!!

and finally --

9. Victoria's Secret and Smith & Wesson will merge under the new name: TittyTittyBangBang.


Laughter now more than ever is important! Hope you enjoyed these. :)

New Review - IT TAKES A THIEF OR TWO

From Tanya at Joyfully Reviewed:

It Takes a Thief or Two proves that just because you think you know someone else’s type or what they think about things doesn’t mean you are right. More times than not, you are actually wrong, as with Jessica in this story. Ms. Quinn does a fantastic job weaving in the matchmaking grandmother and the apprehensions of all three people into a wonderfully erotic story. The twist of the twins’ link only made the story hotter for me. It Takes a Thief or Two is a rapid-paced story that will definitely help you warm up on a cold day.

You can read the full review here.

Tipsy Tuesday

As I've mentioned in at least one post here before, in 2007 I wrote over 500,000 words, most of which have been (or will be) published. This year I'm on target to have written roughly 350,000 words by years' end. Not quite as...intrepid as last year, but still nothing to sneeze at.

How do I do it, you ask, plus work an outside job?

Here's my tip for the day: I treat my writing like a job, and you should, too. It's not a hobby for me. It's not something I do because I have to be creative. I do it because I'm determined to make this a career. I can't wait for inspiration to strike; I park my butt in the chair and write. Just about every day.

Of course, I don't have children or a husband to distract me, so I realize my situation is different than many other writers'. But I will say this: you must set aside specific time to write, and demand that your family and friends respect that. Ask your spouse to watch the kiddies for an hour or two each night so you have uninterrupted writing time. Non-writer friends might call, knowing you're home, and ask you to do something/go somewhere. Learn to say no.

Listen. You have to want this. You have to want to write more than you want to go out with friends, more than you want to watch the latest TV show, more than just about anything. Because once you're under deadline contractually, it's a world of difference than when you're just writing in the hopes of being published.

Editors are people, too, and understand when kids get sick or the husband loses his job and/or you have to go to work to make ends meet. But they're business people as well, and if they have authors who don't meet deadlines, well, after very much of that those editors will be in the unemployment line. Understand that. Publishing is a business full of business people who have a bottom line to meet.

My final thought: Sometimes the only thing that separates a published writer and an unpublished one is persistence. Park your butt in the chair and write. Every day.

Man Meat Monday

It's the beginning of a work week, so how 'bout a hard-workin' man?



I think he might be just as good at startin' fires as he is at puttin' 'em out...