The Chopping Blog

A big congrats to Darling Axe client M.A. Alsadah on the release of CAFÉ DE SOPHIA. 

A sign of well-written dialogue is when you’re reading it without making any active effort to understand who’s speaking or what their mood is like.

Should you get a literary agent? How long should you query before you quit? Is it really better to self-publish these days? What’s your best path forward to publication and book sales?

Competition for eyeballs and clicks gets harder every day: don’t risk lost sales with a poorly designed book cover.

If a manuscript isn’t ready for representation, it generally does not indicate a lack of skill. It indicates a lack of time and feedback.

Animal characters or children? Both have been well represented in deeply loved, long-lasting, heartwarming, laugh-out-loud, and inspiring books.

Nonfiction these days demands a strong author platform.

These were the kinds of books that made me fall in love with reading (and writing) in the first place. They were filled with story, pure and simple.

There needs to be a strong story arc throughout the book, as well as smaller arcs of change within each chapter or even within each scene. Characters should be growing and evolving with every new plot development.

Win a free critique of your query letter, synopsis, or opening pages.

When I first became an agent, I made myself a promise: that I would never forget what it feels like to be on the other side.

Whether you are working on a picture book, early reader, or middle-grade novel, our team of kidlit specialists is here to help.