Realized a while ago that my editor for the chick lit piece didn’t give me a word count. I figured I’d write the thing and then ask her. Yesterday, the draft rolled off my keyboard with only a few fits and starts. It’s 1200 shaggy words long.
Wrote editor, giving her a quick gist and word count. She wrote back this morning to say it’s sounding good, that’s how many words she wanted, and I can have 100 more if I need them! Also a sidebar with a “best of the best” in current chick lit reads. I’ve got a list, but if anyone has a newish favorite chick lit title they want me to check out, leave a comment or email me.
(Sorry, I know my comments are hard to access–that will be changing come September. I hope.)
I’m taking a few days off with the article in the drawer, letting my eyes get new again and waiting for some last minute quotes to come in–I have a phone interview with a commerical fiction buyer later today, so that will add essential commentary.
Going after quotes is my least favorite part of writing journalistic non-fiction. I send out way more queries than are answered and I spend a lot of time on the phone chasing down the correct person. But it’s worth it, because quotes by experts give a piece of journalism the ring of truth.
Personal essays don’t need quotes, which is why I was thrilled today when the online publicists I sometimes work with solicited an essay from me about reading for their book fair in October. I’ve already got an idea…
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