AboutBobbie Christmas Expertise As the author of the triple-award-winning book on creative writing, Write In Style (Union Square Publishing), I help writers power up their prose, edit and revise their manuscripts, and increase their chances of selling to a publisher. I also help writers polish manuscripts for self-publishing and sometimes assist in the process.
Experience Experience: I have more than 30 years of experience in all aspects of the publishing and communications industry and have run my own book-editing company since 1992
Organizations:
Board of Advisors, Georgia Writers Association (past president)
South Carolina Writers Workshop (past vice president)
Florida Writers Association (charter/lifelong member)
Atlanta Writers Club
Society for the Preservation of English Language and Literature (SPELL)
International Guild of Professional Consultants
Publications:
Write in Style (Union Square Publishing), A Cup of Comfort (Adams Media Corporation), A Cup of Comfort for Friends (Adams Media), A Cup of Comfort for Mothers and Sons (Adams Media), Haunted Engounters (Atriad Press), Remembering Woolworth's (St. Martin's Press), First-Time Home Buyer magazine, HomeBusiness Journal, Apparel Industry Magazine, Edge Magazine, Atlanta Jewish Times, Time Travel Australia, American Writers Review, Points North, That's Entertainment, Atlanta Parent, Agnes Scott Alumnae Magazine, and several dozen other places
Education/Credentials:
Journalism: University of South Carolina
Three decades of on-the-job training in publishing, marketing, communications, advertising, newspaper and magazine production/writing/editing, book publishing, etc
Awards and Honors:
First Place, nonfiction, Georgia Writers Annual Contest, 2005
First Place, education, Royal Palm Literary Award, 2004
Best in Division, Georgia Author of the Year Awards, 2005
Finalist, Best Books 2005, USA BookNews
Third Place, nonfiction, Georgia Writers, 1999
Nominated for Georgia Author of the Year, 1998
Many other awards
Past/Present clients:
Olin Frederick (publisher), The Writer's Machine (publisher), Russell Dean & Company (publisher), Keith Harrell (author of books for John Wiley & Sons and Hay House), Dale Butler (member of the Parliament, Bermuda) and hundreds of writers. I also edit books for print-on-demand companies that help authors self publish.
Question Hello. I've read on here that most publishers won't publish a novel over 90000 words or so from a first time author. My question is, if I get some short stories published in magazines first would that make a publisher more willing to publish one of my novels, since my ideas will most likely end up as 6, 7, or 8 hundred pages in length? Thank you for your time.
Answer The figure I keep hearing is a maximum of 100,000 words for a novel from a first-time author, but you’re correct there is definitely a maximum that most publishers set.
It’s always good to get a few short stories published first, if you want to sell a novel of any length to publishers. Such sales indicate that you are a good writer and not a one-story wonder. Prior sales may also help you build a following of readers.
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