One of my editing clients wrote about the Lake Superior State University 2008 List of Banished Words to a Yahoo group for writers and publishers to which we both contribute. He commented, “I’d expect Mary Jo Tate to come up with this.” Here’s my reply: Now, Jay, don’t throw me UNDER THE BUS just because … Read more
Marti Pieper commented on “What makes a book great?”: “If a book lacks excellent writing–if the writing is so poor that it causes the reader to miss the flow of thought or focus on the mistakes rather than the message–it will never become a great book.” Very well put! Even a poorly written book can … Read more
When I was accepted to graduate school in 1989 and assigned an editorial assistantship with Matthew J. Bruccoli, the world’s leading Fitzgerald scholar, my first reaction, I must confess, was a bit of dismay. I didn’t like Fitzgerald . . . or so I thought. (A few years later I realized I must … Read more
I’ve just returned from Mark Victor Hansen’s Mega Book Marketing University. Wow–what a fantastic weekend! The speakers shared tremendously helpful information and were so inspiring, and it was energizing to talk with so many authors and aspiring authors. I’ll be sharing nuggets from my notes over the next couple of weeks, and I strongly encourage … Read more