I also thought the flashback answer was great! Susanna Kearsley is a Canadian author that writes dual timelines beautifully. It never feels jarring when you toggle between the two timelines.
Hi Alyssa! Here's my question: what should the Marketing Plan of a Book Proposal look like? Specifically, one for a memoir from an unknown author without a platform but with strong connections. Thank you!!
Thanks for answering my question Alyssa. I have been doing a Flashback chapter after every 2 or 3 chapters in the present, but based off of your advice I think I will need to write more flashbacks to bring it closer to the 50/50 split. You are also the first piece of advice I have gotten from a professional too so thanks again.
I have a brand of 100K people on my email list (and hundreds of thousands of views from SEO to the site a month), 50K TikTok, 30k RU-vid, etc. - but I'm in a Fandom/Fitness niche. Would you recommend trying to leverage this when I go to try to find an agent? The brand is definitely made up of nerdy book lovers, but they're mixed in with people who aren't necessarily readers as well.
Hi Alyssa - wondering if you have any structural advice when writing a novel with a story-within-a-story. In my case, my primary / frame story is about the search for the missing ending of a dead author’s final book, and I hope to include scenes from that SWAS that reflect on my protagonist’s themes. My concern is pulling the reader out of the primary story with too many interruptions. Thanks!
Thank you SO much for the flashback answer, Alyssa. I’m revising and was struggling with that very question, and your answer helped me figure something out in the MS. So grateful for everything you do for the writing community. Happy Holiday Season!
Hi Alyssa! I have a question about the content of a query: should a fanfiction writer mention their work in the query? I understand that fanfiction can be looked down on by people in the publishing industry but if I had, say, >3000 hits on my fic per week, would it be worth mentioning? Thank you so much for everything you do!
And...here's another question! One literary agent, on their submission guidelines, says to describe the audience that will buy my book both demographically and statistically, with "the more numbers, the better." How can writers find this information?! Such as, how many middle-class, educated women are there in the U.S. -- ??
I live in a different country but want to publish in the UK because it is a developed one. In my country there are literally like 2 literary agencies and I can't distribute my book to bookstores, they are less than 6 in my city, and online retailers don't send to my country. Is it possible to publish in a different country (still in English)? And if so what would the advantages and disadvantages be?
If you are in the US, it is considered copyrighted when you write it. You can go through the whole copyright process, but by US law, it isn't strictly necessary. I think it is different outside of the states, though.
