With wide ranging topics—such as the best way to begin a novel, endings that satisfy, what agents do, what editors want, and what happens after a manuscript gets sold—this entertaining and instructional writer's manual shows how to craft perfectly tailored commercial fiction for today's market. Detailing every aspect of the publishing industry, this guidebook provides the tools necessary for writers to avoid slush piles and to sell their fiction efficiently and effectively. A guide to writing appealing and marketable short stories and a comprehensive list of additional resources for further education are also included.