Phil Sexton, a cohort of Writer's Digest magazine, actually went through 80+ years of magazine back issues to scour for the best gems in WD's past. In doing so, he found old articles on writing penned by writers such as H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Tom Clancy, Ken Kesey, Dean Koontz, Stan Lee, and many more. His research led to a book called Legends of Literature. 
      In an article online, he talks about the book and his research. Check it out!

As always, Alice Pope's blog - Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market - has tons of information for writers of juvenile and children's fiction. A recent post includes a full listing for what Chronicle Books is seeking.

If you've ever considered going back to school for writing but don't have the time, consider one of many Writers Online Workshops. The online classes usually last six or 12 weeks and are taught by Writer's Digest staffers and contributors.
      I myself will be teaching a class called "Getting Started in Writing" that starts on Dec. 6, so sign up now!

The Andrea Brown Literary Agency, a well respected agency in California, has certainly been mentioned on this blog before. There's the great interview with agent Michelle Andelman, and also the news that Jennifer Laughran was seeking clients to hopefully joing ABLA. 

In addition, one other thing worth mentioning is how ABLA has a relatively new agent on staff: April Eberhardt, who, ironically enough, does not rep children's writers, but is actively seeking some good literary fiction.

According to her online bio, her specialty is "adult literary fiction, particularly family dramas and realistic midlife tales, often with a twist, preferably involving strong female characters. She is attracted to collections of interlinked stories with a common character or theme. An original voice and smart, speedy delivery are critical. She enjoys working with new authors to edit and streamline their manuscripts before submitting them to publishers. April does not represent children's titles."

2008 Article Excerpt:

While Guide to Literary Agents is best known for its large and detailed list of literary agencies, every edition has plenty of informational articles and interviews designed to help writers perfect their craft and contact agents wisely. The 2008 edition is no different, with more than 80 pages of articles addressing numerous writing and publishing topics

Since I've highlighted Fineprint Literary Management lately, I wanted to share something great I found on agent Janet Reid's blog today.

It's called "The Top 8 Things Telling Me I Don't Have to Take Your Cover Letter Seriously," and it's hilarious, as usual.

To see the full post, click here.

Here's a snippet:

1. Start your query with a description of what the cover will look like.
2.Put (c) year on the title page. Even better is (c) five years ago.
3. Put "do not duplicate under penalty of criminal prosecution" on the title page...