Articles that might help you

I FOUND THESE ARTICLES some time ago, and they're still worth checking out.

There's The 7 Biggest Myths of Publishing (Know the Truth), which makes several good points. For instance, you DON'T need an agent to negotiate a contract, unless you're going to be paid hundreds of thousands. If the advance is $5,000, an agent wouldn't bother.

Also, check out How to Weave in Backstory to Reveal Character, another Writer's Digest article. Sometimes the backstory makes the novel or short story worth reading.

Finally, from Children's Book Insider, there's Find Your Strengths as a Writer. Naturally, you play up your strengths and play down your weaknesses. And we all have them.

Contact: Reach me at tgilli52@gmail.com or nc3022@yahoo.com.

More EDITOR@WORK blog entries

• You really DO need an editor

• Reminders for would-be novelists

• What I do when I'm editing

• What I charge (it's a deal) and what I edit

• Slogging through the Internet

• J-school: More eyes on your stories

• J-school: Go out and learn

• Rookie mistakes for magazine writers

Entries from The Dog Blog

• Katie cried

• Growl and pull

• 10 years with Lady

• ... said the spider to ...

• The Dog Diary (2014)

• YIP! YIP! The stereo-sound huskies

• What Lady and Michael Jackson had in common

Blog entries from The Auto Racing Journal

• Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr.

(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)

• Then Junior Said to Jeff...

(the book of great NASCAR stories)

• My best day as a sports writer

• Jeff Gordon's milk toast to Dale Earnhardt

• Wayne Auton: A life in racing

More blog entries by Tom Gillispie

• Resume for a writer and editor

• An editor's views on powerful writing

• Advice for be and would-be novelists

• Links to TG's stories online

• Favorite quotes

• What I do when I'm editing

Anecdotes by Tom Gillispie

• Wipeout at Death Valley

• Days with rainbows

• A desperate writer working in the dark

• Yer outta there!