I’ve long been fascinated by Truman Capote; Breakfast at Tiffany's has a solid spot on my "favorite books" bookshelf. This exploration on The Millions of Capote's life and career is very thoughtful:
…If Capote the writer has been eclipsed in the public mind by Capote the Hollywood movie character, no one is more to blame than Capote himself. An incurable glory hog, Capote lived as much of his life as he could in the limelight, hopping onto the sofa of any TV talk show host who would have him and jetting around the world in the company of glamorous women from Babe Paley, wife of CBS President Bill Paley, to Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Kennedy. Capote, in his way, was a reality TV star before there was reality TV, always on stage, gossiping and backstabbing, forever plotting to push other people off the island.Behind all that needy self-display, though, there was a serious, preternaturally confident author, one of the most naturally gifted America has ever produced….
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Do you need a cover letter when you submit? Natural Bridge literary journal offers some advice and tips:
Basically, a polished, brief, relevant, and polite cover letter can buy you a lot of attention. Why should we slow down before tossing this submission in the slush pile? Why should we give you that second date, or rather, a second read?
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Great advice on how to schmooze at a conference, even if you’re shy, courtesy of journalist Linda K. Wertheimer:
I have met authors and agents in similar ways over the years. My method is simple: If I approach someone, I make sure I’ve done research beforehand. That includes reading the books of authors and knowing the client list of agents. At huge conferences, it’s impossible to memorize the speaker list and the bios, but I scan them and focus my attention on those who write in the genres I do or represent someone who does. If I don’t know anything about an author or agent who I happen to bump into, I don’t pretend to, either.I do not stalk, and I read body signals. Someone poring through a manuscript over coffee likely does not want to be disturbed. And yeesh, if they’re snorkeling while on break during the Maui writers’ conference, leave them alone. Renee Zuckerbrot, a literary agent, told me about a writer who swam into the ocean to hunt down Renee’s friend, an agent who was snorkeling.
Read on: http://billanddavescocktailhour.com/bad-advice-wednesday-the-art-of-schmoozing-just-in-time-for-awp