Jenna Blum | Jenna Blum

Mar.22.2011 Book Promo 101: The book trailer This is the first post in a new series I'm doing on book promotion — which, I have learned, makes writing look like the easy part. But as I embark on new promotion efforts for the reissue of my book, Forgetting English, I thought I'd share what I've learned along the way ... and am still learning...	May.06.2010 Musing about the Muse (and The Markeplace) The first time I went to Muse and The Marketplace, Grub Street's annual conference, I was so frightened that I could barely hold to the promise I'd made to myself: to speak with one agent. That's all, I promised myself. One agent. I did it. Nothing came of it, but I did it, and believe me, that was...
Jan.12.2010 Writers Helping Writers Writing is a lonely profession in many ways: you work alone for hours upon hours, wearing the nastiest of outfits. Your closest companions are characters you've invented-who become more real each day. If you're obsessive (like yours truly)you eat at your desk, or, at best, gobble something down...	Nov.30.2009 Books as Gifts! Categorically Opinionated Recommendations: Part 1. Books. Aren’t they the perfect present? Inexpensive (all but the fanciest of hard covers should come in under $25.00 and paperbacks will be far less.) Independent bookstores will love you for shopping there. Exchangeable with ease, so you’ve guaranteed someone hours of pleasure. I refuse to stick...
Nov.20.2009 MENTORS, MUSES & MONSTERS: who are yours? About seven years ago, I took a writing class at the Boston Center for Adult Education. The teacher, Nicole Durante, wrote on the first piece I handed in: “you are a wonderful writer!” With those words, she smoothed over a long-ago phone call from Mr. X, a writer of small renown (who a co-worker...	Oct.27.2009 Fairy Godmother Authors: Part II Jenna Blum. Tatiana de Rosnay. Miriam Gershow. Lynne Griffin. Margot Livesey Part two: Lynne Griffin, Margot Livesey, and Tatiana de Rosnay The women above share a wondrous and common trait (besides my life long gratitude for their willingness to read my novel.) All have that magical ability to...
Oct.26.2009 Fairy Godmothers & Authors Extraordinare Jenna Blum. Tatiana de Rosnay. Miriam Gershow. Lynne Griffin. Margot Livesey. Why have I avoided writing about the books of five very important women? (Vital to the world because they wrote incredible books; fairy godmothers to me because these five women were the first to endorse my soon-to...