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Tahlia Newland

Editor, Author & Artist

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The query letter

July 5, 2010 by Tahlia Newland

  How do you get an agent or a publisher? You write a query letter. Maybe it’s called that because you’re asking the question, ‘are you interested?’  You only get one shot at each agent and each publisher, and they’re very busy people. If your letter doesn’t grab them, they won’t read the rest of your submission. This is why the query letter is so important, and it’s why I rewrote mine maybe twenty times. The most important part of the query is the ‘blurb’ for the back cover of the book. The aim of it is to give an idea of what’s in the novel and make people want to read it, all in around 100- 150 words. Doing this was a wonderful exercise in clarifying the main thrust of the book, being succinct and choosing words carefully. Although seven agents and, so far, three publishers rejected my novel, one agent picked it up, so it can’t have been too bad. Also my agent, apart from rewriting my brief bio - I would never have thought of mentioning the masks - has used the guts of my query … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Other stuff Tagged With: getting published, literary agents

Searching for a publisher – the next step

June 25, 2010 by Tahlia Newland

My agent has sent an email proposal for my book to  Macmillan Australia, Text publishing,  Macmillan in the UK and Simon & Schuster and Walden Media in the USA.   The news we want to hear is that one of them wants to read the ms, but there will inevitably be rejections. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Other stuff Tagged With: getting published, literary agents

Hits and swims

June 21, 2010 by Tahlia Newland

  We're up to 920 hits already.  Well done. The first 1000 is in sight! After my clarification on swiming, my  agent agreed with "'Swim's over. Time to get out,' Walnut said." … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Other stuff Tagged With: literary agents, writing novels

The reedited manuscript has gone to my agent

June 15, 2010 by Tahlia Newland

  After doing a final check, I’ve emailed my manuscript to my agent. Now we wait.  She'll read it again and let me know if she thinks it's ready to present to publishers. ( I thought it was ready before I took out 19000 words - thats why it's good to have an agent)  In the meantime, when Kiama HS doesn't want me, I’ll be on the web reading book reviews and finding other authors like myself. I’d like to support others if their work is good. I might  have to do some house work too – uggh.  Anyone got any other suggestions? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Other stuff Tagged With: getting published, literary agents

Moving on – another review

June 8, 2010 by Tahlia Newland

My agent got back to me today. As I figured, she’d been busy. She has an ipad, so she can read the edited ms electronically, so I’ll email it to her tomorrow. I just want to check a couple of things first. She’ll make sure it’s ready for publishers before we move further on it and I won’t be hanging out for a quick response, because she has other clients and other things to do. While I wait for her review of the ms, I’ll be setting up some links from here to good writer’s help sites – see the growing list under links - and I’ll be making posts on various aspects of my writing and publishing journey.  If anything exciting or depressing happens, you’ll be the first to know. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book talk Tagged With: literary agents, writing novels

The phone call

May 7, 2010 by Tahlia Newland

  I had to wait a day. I needed to be calm before the phone call .  A few things had to be done first. Was I procrastinating? No. I took a deep breath – I seem to be doing a lot of them these days – and called. Yes, she was going to be my agent. Yes, we got on well. Yes, she had overseas contacts.  She had great suggestions and … she wants me to lose 19,000 words! 19,000! Where from? Did I have to cut sections out? No, just. go through word by word and make sure that every word is needed. Make some of the sentences shorter. Cut down the descriptions Don’t have so much introspection by the characters.   No sweat. I’ll do it tomorrow. Joke! ‘I know you can do it’, she said. That was nice. She has faith in me. I know I can do it too.  There’s just a few things I have to do first. Oh, by the way ... this will make getting the prologue posted  take a little longer, but it's coming. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Other stuff Tagged With: literary agents, writing novels

Step one achieved

May 6, 2010 by Tahlia Newland

There it is. The email I’ve been waiting for for nearly two weeks.  The one I stopped checking my emails for. Why? Because, so long as I don’t know what the answer is, a positive outcome is still a possibility.  Does the agent like my novel? Take a deep breath, drop the hope – fear slides away with it – and click. I leap off my seat and spin around. I laugh and jump up and down. I really do. Then I text daughter Kimberley and husband Chris.  Hubby sends a message back – whoopy do, bananas and cream!  That’s an in joke for those who’ve read the ms ( manuscript in publishing world speak). Kimberley sends lots of WOWs and other Neanderthal syllables that mean roughly the same thing. Here’s the cause of the excitement. I have read the ms and think it could be for me. It was hard to put down!  Please note that it is a very crowded and difficult market and it is hard to get publishers to read manuscripts in a timely manner. I'd like to talk to you about the ms and how we should … [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Could this be the new Stephanie or JK, Fantasy novels, getting published, literary agents

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Hi I’m Tahlia Newland

I can help you express yourself and share your story with the world.

 

Do you want to write a really good story and have it professionally polished and published?

As an editor, I help you be the best writer you can possibly be. I strengthen your voice, support your vision and can assist you all the way to publication.

On my blog you’ll find book reviews, writer’s tips, contemplative articles on meditation and working with your mind, and occaisonally pictures of my Burmese cats.

If you’re interested mostly in my contemplative articles then  Sign up to the Living in Peace & Clarity Newsletter to get those articles delivered by email. And check out the resources on my Living in Peace and Clarity Page.

I do a lot of community work involving blogging and general support for Buddhist students processing revelations of abuse in their spiritual communities.  Please consider supporting me to continue this work.

Occiasonally, when inspired and not too busy with community work, I make masks.

All my books are

Visit my Mask & Steampunk Accessories Shop

2015-03-19 15.46.12
Blue Burmese
Like cats in stories? Check out my books. And click the photo to read the cat colomn.

Click Here for More Articles in This Series

Book reviews – sci fi, fantasy, literary fiction, Buddhist fiction and related non-fiction

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

The High Priestess: Persephone’s Return is the third book in Val Tobin’s Tales from the Unmasqued World Series, and in it she deepens and expands the stories from the previous two book. The book has two central story arcs based around characters we’ve met before. One arc follows Kelsey (a human) who is with Josh […]

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My gorgeous Burmese cats

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Yesterday I did a photoshoot for my renovated website. Take a look around, particulary at the home page (Click on my name at the top to go there). It’s designed for editing clients with my books secondary because I need to focus on the part of this publishing business that actually earns me more than […]

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Seven of my novels have an Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence

Four of my books earned BRAG Medallions

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