| Part 1: Great Expectations: In Which You Begin to Write |
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1 | (64) |
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3 | (12) |
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4 | (4) |
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4 | (1) |
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I Want the Personal Satisfaction of Being Published |
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5 | (1) |
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I'd Like to Advance My Cause |
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5 | (1) |
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I Want to Share My Knowledge |
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5 | (1) |
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I Hope to Further My Career |
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5 | (1) |
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6 | (1) |
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I'd Like to Earn a Fortune |
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7 | (1) |
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7 | (1) |
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Do People Still Buy Books? |
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8 | (2) |
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8 | (1) |
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9 | (1) |
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10 | (1) |
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10 | (2) |
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10 | (1) |
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Many Happy Returns—Not! |
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11 | (1) |
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Research, Research, Research! |
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11 | (1) |
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But I Don't Live in New York! |
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12 | (1) |
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Think of Yourself as a Contestant |
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12 | (1) |
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13 | (1) |
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13 | (2) |
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15 | (14) |
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What the World Doesn't Need |
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16 | (1) |
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16 | (1) |
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17 | (1) |
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17 | (1) |
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18 | (1) |
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18 | (3) |
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18 | (1) |
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18 | (1) |
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18 | (1) |
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19 | (1) |
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19 | (1) |
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19 | (1) |
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19 | (1) |
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20 | (1) |
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20 | (1) |
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20 | (1) |
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20 | (1) |
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20 | (1) |
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21 | (1) |
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21 | (1) |
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21 | (5) |
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22 | (1) |
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22 | (1) |
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22 | (1) |
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23 | (1) |
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23 | (1) |
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23 | (1) |
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23 | (1) |
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23 | (1) |
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24 | (1) |
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Political Controversy/Current Events |
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24 | (1) |
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24 | (1) |
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24 | (1) |
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24 | (1) |
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Poetry and Belles-Lettres 25 |
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25 | (1) |
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25 | (1) |
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26 | (1) |
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26 | (1) |
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26 | (1) |
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From Category to Specific Topic |
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27 | (2) |
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3 If You Need an Idea, Stalk the Best-Seller List |
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29 | (12) |
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The High-Concept Approach |
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30 | (1) |
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31 | (2) |
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Finding the Success Factor |
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31 | (1) |
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32 | (1) |
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33 | (1) |
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33 | (1) |
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33 | (1) |
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34 | (1) |
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34 | (1) |
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35 | (1) |
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I'm Not Hanging Out, I'm Working, |
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36 | (1) |
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Learn to Work the Bookstore Shelves |
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36 | (1) |
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36 | (1) |
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I'm Not Surfing the Net, I'm Working |
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37 | (1) |
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Sniffing Out Gaps and Niches |
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37 | (1) |
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Backlist Books: Sure and Steady |
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38 | (1) |
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38 | (3) |
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4 Super-Stealth Market Research Techniques |
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41 | (14) |
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41 | (1) |
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42 | (1) |
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Sizing Up the Competition |
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43 | (3) |
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43 | (1) |
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44 | (1) |
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44 | (1) |
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44 | (1) |
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Publication Copyright Date |
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45 | (1) |
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45 | (1) |
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46 | (1) |
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46 | (1) |
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Go Over Them with a Fine-Toothed Comb |
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47 | (1) |
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Free Stuff on the Counter, Too! |
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47 | (1) |
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What Are the Clubs Selling? |
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48 | (1) |
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48 | (1) |
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Pick a Bookseller's Brain |
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49 | (1) |
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50 | (2) |
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The New York Times Extended Best-Seller List |
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50 | (1) |
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50 | (1) |
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51 | (1) |
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51 | (1) |
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51 | (1) |
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52 | (1) |
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But I Want to Write a Novel! |
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52 | (1) |
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Minimize Your Rejection Rate |
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53 | (2) |
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55 | (10) |
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What's In, What's Out, by Category |
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56 | (1) |
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56 | (1) |
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Love Is a Many-Published Thing |
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57 | (2) |
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59 | (1) |
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59 | (1) |
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Thrill 'Em, Grill 'Em, and Kill 'Em |
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59 | (1) |
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60 | (1) |
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What's Cookin' with Cookbooks? |
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61 | (1) |
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The Publishing House at Pooh Corner |
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61 | (2) |
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62 | (1) |
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No Kidding About Kids' Fiction |
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62 | (1) |
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62 | (1) |
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63 | (1) |
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63 | (2) |
| Part 2: Gone with the Wind: Submitting to Publishers |
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65 | (52) |
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61 | (18) |
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67 | (1) |
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A Day in the Life of Book Publishing |
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68 | (2) |
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69 | (1) |
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69 | (1) |
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Top Ten Mistakes New Writers Make |
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70 | (4) |
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Letters That Contain a Misspelled Name |
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71 | (1) |
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Package or Letter Arrives Postage Due |
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71 | (1) |
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Author Uses Outdated Equipment |
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71 | (1) |
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Letters That Don't Quickly Come to the Point |
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71 | (1) |
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Proposals That Criticize Other Books |
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72 | (1) |
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Letters That Are Too Flip or Amusing |
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72 | (1) |
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Queries That Mention Your Fan Club |
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72 | (1) |
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Proposals That Smell Like Cigarette Smoke |
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73 | (1) |
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Letters That Mention a Minimum Advance |
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73 | (1) |
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Proposals That Are Buried in Shredded Paper |
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73 | (1) |
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74 | (1) |
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Forward and Other Foibles |
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74 | (1) |
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A Great Example of a Bad Query |
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75 | (2) |
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Look Like a Pro on the Page |
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77 | (1) |
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Now Where Should I Send It? |
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77 | (2) |
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7 Query Letters That Sell Nonfiction |
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79 | (14) |
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Query? What's That You Say? |
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80 | (2) |
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About the Author, Take One |
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80 | (1) |
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About the Author, Take Two |
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81 | (1) |
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81 | (1) |
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82 | (1) |
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82 | (1) |
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83 | (1) |
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83 | (2) |
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85 | (1) |
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Write a Good One and Then Let It Be |
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86 | (1) |
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87 | (1) |
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SASEs and Other Ways to Hear Back |
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87 | (1) |
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88 | (1) |
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88 | (1) |
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89 | (1) |
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89 | (4) |
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8 Bulletproof Nonfiction Book Proposals |
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93 | (12) |
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The Art of Proposal Writing |
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93 | (2) |
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You Mean I Don't Have to Write the Book First? |
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94 | (1) |
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But When Should I Start the Proposal? |
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94 | (1) |
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95 | (1) |
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95 | (1) |
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96 | (1) |
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96 | (1) |
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96 | (1) |
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97 | (1) |
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97 | (2) |
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98 | (1) |
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98 | (1) |
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99 | (1) |
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99 | (1) |
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99 | (1) |
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100 | (1) |
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Detailed Table of Contents |
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100 | (1) |
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100 | (2) |
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Write What They'd Enjoy Reading |
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101 | (1) |
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101 | (1) |
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102 | (1) |
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Newspaper and Magazine Articles |
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102 | (1) |
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103 | (1) |
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Proposing Your Self-Published Book |
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103 | (1) |
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104 | (1) |
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105 | (12) |
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So I Have to Write the Whole Book First? |
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106 | (1) |
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Want Support? Mingle with Other Writers |
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106 | (1) |
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And Then I Have to Write the Whole Book Again? |
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107 | (1) |
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108 | (2) |
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108 | (1) |
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109 | (1) |
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109 | (1) |
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Take It to the Next Level |
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109 | (1) |
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110 | (1) |
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Introducing the Mighty You |
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111 | (2) |
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First Paragraph: What Kind of Book You've Written |
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111 | (1) |
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Second Paragraph: What Your Book Is About |
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111 | (1) |
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Third Paragraph: Why Only You Could Write This |
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112 | (1) |
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Fourth Paragraph: Other Impressive Stuff |
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112 | (1) |
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Fifth Paragraph: How to Reach You |
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112 | (1) |
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113 | (1) |
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An Invitation for a Proposal! |
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113 | (1) |
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114 | (5) |
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114 | (1) |
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114 | (1) |
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115 | (2) |
| Part 3: Romancing the Stone: Getting a Book Contract |
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117 | (78) |
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10 What's an Agent for, Anyway? |
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119 | (10) |
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120 | (1) |
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When Agents and Editors "Do Lunch" |
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120 | (1) |
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121 | (1) |
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"Is That the Best You Can Do?" |
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122 | (1) |
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122 | (1) |
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122 | (1) |
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123 | (1) |
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124 | (1) |
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124 | (1) |
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124 | (1) |
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124 | (1) |
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Let's Do Another One, Just Like the Other One |
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125 | (1) |
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125 | (2) |
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126 | (1) |
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126 | (1) |
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127 | (2) |
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11 Finding and Working With an Agent |
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129 | (12) |
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129 | (1) |
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Just How Much Is This Gonna Cost? |
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130 | (2) |
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130 | (1) |
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They're Agents, Not Readers |
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131 | (1) |
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131 | (1) |
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132 | (1) |
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132 | (3) |
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133 | (1) |
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133 | (1) |
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Making the Most of Writer's Conferences |
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134 | (1) |
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"I'd Like to Thank My Agent" |
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135 | (1) |
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135 | (1) |
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136 | (1) |
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136 | (1) |
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137 | (1) |
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137 | (1) |
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138 | (1) |
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138 | (1) |
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Big Name, Superb Credentials |
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138 | (1) |
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139 | (1) |
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139 | (1) |
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139 | (1) |
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140 | (1) |
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140 | (1) |
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12 What You (an Expect from an Agent |
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141 | (12) |
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A Day in the Life of an Agent |
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142 | (1) |
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143 | (1) |
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144 | (1) |
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144 | (1) |
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145 | (1) |
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145 | (1) |
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145 | (1) |
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The Agent/Author Agreement |
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146 | (1) |
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146 | (1) |
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"Hello, It's Your Author!" |
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147 | (1) |
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147 | (1) |
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148 | (1) |
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148 | (1) |
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Going Once, Going Twice...Sold! |
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149 | (1) |
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149 | (1) |
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150 | (1) |
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150 | (1) |
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150 | (3) |
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13 Submitting Directly to Editors |
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153 | (8) |
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154 | (2) |
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154 | (1) |
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155 | (1) |
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155 | (1) |
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156 | (3) |
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157 | (1) |
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157 | (1) |
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158 | (1) |
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158 | (1) |
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159 | (1) |
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159 | (1) |
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159 | (2) |
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161 | (1) |
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To Self-Publish or Not to Self-Publish? |
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161 | (2) |
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Do You Have What It Takes? |
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162 | (1) |
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162 | (1) |
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163 | (1) |
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163 | (1) |
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164 | (1) |
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164 | |
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161 | (16) |
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167 | (1) |
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"Sorry, Not Right for Our Needs at This Time" |
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168 | (1) |
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169 | (1) |
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170 | (1) |
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171 | (1) |
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172 | (1) |
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172 | (1) |
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173 | (1) |
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173 | (1) |
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174 | (1) |
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They Like Me! They Really Do! |
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174 | (3) |
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Money, Money, Money, Money |
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175 | (1) |
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175 | (1) |
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Other Considerations in the Offer |
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175 | (2) |
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15 The Party of the First Part |
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177 | (18) |
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178 | (1) |
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179 | (1) |
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179 | (1) |
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179 | (1) |
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180 | (1) |
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180 | (1) |
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181 | (1) |
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Delivery of Manuscript and Corrections |
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182 | (1) |
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183 | (1) |
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183 | (1) |
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Author's Representations, Warranties, and Indemnity |
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183 | (1) |
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Obligations of the Publisher |
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184 | (1) |
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184 | (1) |
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Overstock, Out of Print, or Reversion of Rights |
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184 | (1) |
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185 | (1) |
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185 | (1) |
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185 | (1) |
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186 | (1) |
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So Is Anything Negotiable? |
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187 | (4) |
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188 | (1) |
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Who Pays for Illustrations, Photographs, and Other Such Things? |
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188 | (1) |
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188 | (1) |
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189 | (1) |
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Commercial and Dramatic Rights |
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189 | (1) |
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189 | (1) |
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190 | (1) |
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190 | (1) |
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High-Discount/Reduced Royalty Clauses |
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190 | (1) |
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191 | (1) |
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191 | (1) |
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191 | (1) |
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192 | (3) |
| Part 4: War and Peace: Working with a Publisher |
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195 | (96) |
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16 I Signed a Contract—Now What? |
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191 | (18) |
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198 | (2) |
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199 | (1) |
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199 | (1) |
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200 | (1) |
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The Sizzle for Your Steak |
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201 | (1) |
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201 | (1) |
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Will You Say "I Love It"? |
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202 | (1) |
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You're Excited; They're Excited |
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202 | (1) |
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But I Haven't Heard from My Editor in Months! |
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202 | (1) |
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What's Going on with My Book? |
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203 | (3) |
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204 | (1) |
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204 | (1) |
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Judging a Book by Its Cover |
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205 | (1) |
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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly |
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205 | (1) |
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206 | (3) |
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17 Saying Good-Bye to Your Baby |
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209 | (12) |
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209 | (3) |
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212 | (1) |
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212 | (3) |
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215 | (1) |
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215 | (1) |
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216 | (1) |
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216 | (1) |
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217 | (2) |
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218 | (1) |
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219 | (1) |
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"I'd Like to Thank My First-Grade Teacher..." |
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219 | (1) |
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220 | (1) |
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18 Welcome to the Nome Team! |
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221 | (12) |
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222 | (1) |
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222 | (1) |
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222 | (2) |
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But I Thought You Liked It! |
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223 | (1) |
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223 | (1) |
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224 | (1) |
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The Production or Project Editor |
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224 | (1) |
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224 | (1) |
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225 | (1) |
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225 | (1) |
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226 | (1) |
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226 | (1) |
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226 | (1) |
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227 | (1) |
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The Manufacturing Manager |
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227 | (1) |
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227 | (2) |
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Responding to Your Editor's Comments |
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227 | (1) |
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228 | (1) |
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228 | (1) |
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Copy Editing Changes and Queries |
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229 | (1) |
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230 | (3) |
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230 | (1) |
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230 | (3) |
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19 Proper Care and Feeding of Your Editor |
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233 | (10) |
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233 | (1) |
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Your Book's Best Advocate—and Yours, Too' |
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234 | (1) |
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235 | (4) |
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235 | (1) |
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236 | (1) |
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236 | (1) |
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237 | (1) |
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237 | (1) |
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238 | (1) |
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238 | (1) |
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238 | (1) |
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Why Doesn't My Editor Ever Call Me? |
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239 | (1) |
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When to Confess You're in Trouble |
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240 | (1) |
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240 | (3) |
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20 So How Does My Book Get into the Stores? |
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243 | (12) |
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A Short Course in the Sales Process |
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244 | (2) |
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The Dynamic Duo: Catalogs and Sales Reps |
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244 | (1) |
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244 | (1) |
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245 | (1) |
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246 | (1) |
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246 | (1) |
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Comparative Sales Can Make or Break You |
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246 | (1) |
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247 | (1) |
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Death of a Sales Conference |
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247 | (2) |
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248 | (1) |
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248 | (1) |
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249 | (1) |
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Dumps and Other Promotional Ideas |
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249 | (1) |
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Charging for Store Exposure |
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249 | (1) |
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250 | (1) |
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Printing and Shipping Your Baby (and Warehousing the Rest) |
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250 | (1) |
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251 | (4) |
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252 | (3) |
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21 Maximum Publicity for Maximum Sales |
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255 | (14) |
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256 | (1) |
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Just What Is Publicity, Anyway? |
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257 | (1) |
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What the Publicity Department Can Do |
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258 | (1) |
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258 | (1) |
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The Publicity Department's Full Plate |
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259 | (1) |
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Chicken Soup for Everyone! |
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260 | (1) |
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260 | (1) |
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260 | (1) |
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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publicity |
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261 | (2) |
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261 | (1) |
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Useful Contacts, Bookstores, Newspapers, and Magazines |
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262 | (1) |
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262 | (1) |
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263 | (2) |
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263 | (1) |
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Selling Yourself to Radio |
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264 | (1) |
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Which Stations, Which Shows? |
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264 | (1) |
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265 | (1) |
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265 | (2) |
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A Cross-Country Whirlwind Radio Tour |
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266 | (1) |
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Should You Be Media-Trained? |
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266 | (1) |
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267 | (1) |
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267 | (1) |
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267 | (1) |
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268 | (1) |
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22 Television and Online Publicity |
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269 | (12) |
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269 | (1) |
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270 | (2) |
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Getting on Regional Shows |
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272 | (1) |
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Satellite Television Tours |
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272 | (1) |
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273 | (1) |
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Am I the Main Attraction? |
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273 | (1) |
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274 | (1) |
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274 | (1) |
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274 | (1) |
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275 | (1) |
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Do the Producer's Work for Him |
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275 | (1) |
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275 | (2) |
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276 | (1) |
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Different Looks for Different Books |
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276 | (1) |
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What Really Works Online? |
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277 | (4) |
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Should I Create a Website? |
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277 | (1) |
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278 | (1) |
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279 | (1) |
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279 | (2) |
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23 Real-Life Publicity and Marketing Ideas |
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281 | (10) |
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282 | (3) |
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282 | (1) |
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A Visually Interesting Event |
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283 | (1) |
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284 | (1) |
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284 | (1) |
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285 | (1) |
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285 | (1) |
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Effective Bookstore Events |
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286 | (2) |
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An Event Is Better Than a Signing |
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287 | (1) |
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Don't Rely on the Bookstore for Publicity |
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287 | (1) |
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287 | (1) |
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Can You Really Afford a Best-Seller? |
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288 | (3) |
| Part 5: My Brilliant Career: Continuing Your Career as an Author |
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291 | (14) |
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24 After the Party Is Over |
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293 | (12) |
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Sold Once...and Then Again |
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294 | (2) |
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Your Book's Inventory: It's Gotta Move |
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295 | (1) |
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296 | (1) |
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296 | (1) |
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296 | (1) |
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297 | (1) |
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297 | (3) |
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298 | (1) |
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298 | (1) |
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299 | (1) |
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Taking It to the Superhighway |
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299 | (1) |
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300 | (1) |
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300 | (2) |
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300 | (1) |
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301 | (1) |
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But Really, Show Me the Money! |
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302 | (1) |
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But This Book Was Perfect |
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302 | (2) |
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303 | (1) |
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What Book Will Large Numbers of People Buy? |
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303 | (1) |
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Moving On to the Next Phase |
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304 | |
| Appendixes |
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305 | (10) |
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B Great Books for Writers |
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315 | (4) |
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319 | (4) |
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D Sample Proposal: The Gross News |
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323 | (6) |
| Index |
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329 | |
Other versions by this Author