The Book Deal: A Great Book Website

I actually met Alan Rinzler at last year's Publishing on the Web conference in Monterey, California. I could tell right away (even though I was desperately sleep-deprived) what a smart and interesting person he was, but I was embarrassingly ignorant of his seriously impressive career.

Anyway, his website is chock full of great stuff: from stories about working with authors such as Hunter S. Thompson and Toni Morrison, to blog features that take an inside look at writing and publishing.

The Book Deal is a blog for writers and book people, with a veteran insider’s views on the strange and inscrutable way books are published and the big changes going on in the business today. Look here for my take on the challenges and opportunities writers face in the world of digital and print book publishing, the mysterious process of acquisition, development, sales, and marketing, how agents and publishers conspire and compete behind the scenes to find the best new authors, and other special features.

Posts range from how to write an attention-getting book proposal, to developing a selling “hook” and building a winning author platform. We’ll also be inviting colleagues and experts to comment on specific aspects of publishing, such as book and cover design, agenting and niche marketing.