Writing, Publishing, and Self-publishing Book Reviews
Your Nov. 2009 Edition

From The Midwest Book Review,

www.ThatNewPublishingCompany.com,
www.PublishingSecretsRevealed.com
and
www.AskRustyWalker.com About Book Publishing

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Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper
SARK
Three Rivers Press
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307341709, $18.95, www.crownpublishing.com

Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy is a personal growth teacher, an artist, an inspiration speaker, a bestselling author, and under the pen name SARK has written and compiled "Juicy Pens, Thirsty paper: Gifting The World With Your Words And Stories And Creating The Time And Energy To Actually Do It", a compendium of creative games and techniques that aspiring writers will find to be invaluable in the practice of their chosen craft. There are any number of excellent 'how to' books on how to write better, more effectively, and even more profitably.

The unique focus of "Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper" is an emphasis of practical 'how to' exercises to generate ideas, become inspired by people and things, make time to write within the context of a busy schedule, deal with writer's block and 'bad writing blues', -- even tips on getting published. Enhanced with personal anecdotes, uplifting quotes, interviews with artists, and more, "Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper" is a welcome and recommended read for all novice authors and holds a great deal of benefit for experienced writers as well.

Writing fiction requires a combination of expertise, talent, experience, and imagination. In "The Half-Known World: On Writing Fiction", Robert Boswell (the published author of five novels and an instructor in creative writing at the New Mexico State University, the University of Houston, and in the Warren Wilson MFA program) draws upon his more than twenty years of personal experience and earned expertise to compile nine compelling informed and informative essays on the craft issues facing every literary writer and author.

Comprising this extraordinary compendium of observation, insights and advice are Process and Paradigm; Narrative Spandrels; On Omniscience; Urban Legends, Pornography, and Literary Fiction; The Alternate Universe; Politics and Art in the Novel; Private eye Point of View; You Must Change Your Life; and the title piece, The Half-Known World. Enhanced with a two and a half page listing of referenced works at the end, "The Half-Known World" will prove to be a fascinating and educative read for anyone who aspires to literary success as a writer of deftly crafted fiction.

A world where everything goes according to plan isn't terribly interesting at all; a good antagonist is essential to a great story. "The Power of the Darkside" is a guide for screenwriters who want to craft a truly memorable and believable villain, someone viewers will talk about as much as they talk about the hero. And a good hero, of course, needs an excellent villain. Sound and wise in its advice on the shadier side of the script, "The Power of the Darkside" is a must for aspiring writers and for community library collections.

Writing is an art form, and all artists need a place to brainstorm and ponder their ideas both mentally and physically. "A Writer's Space: Make a Room to Dream, to Work, to Write" recognizes this fact and gives advice for writers on how to create this space. Finding one's inner muse, optimizing one's time with the pen or keyboard, and creating both an office and ritual are all topics covered in this fine guide for any artist, whether with literary goals or not. "A Writer's Space: Make a Room to Dream, to Work, to Write" is highly recommended for community library writing and publishing collections.

Language is one concept that unites the entire human species as a whole and working with it can be one of its greatest art forms. "The Soul of Creative Writing" is an in-depth guide to better understanding language as a whole, created to help aspiring writers use the knowledge they gain to create great and marvelous writing of their own. A first rate handbook for aspiring authors of any type of creative writing, be it short stories, novels, or poetry, "The Soul of Creative Writing" is a must for any community library collections gathering books on writing.

Written and edited by members of the International Game Developers Association, Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing is a no-nonsense guide to the professional craft of writing the story, narrative, dialogue, tutorials, manuals, strategy guides, and anything else that needs to be written for modern-day video games. All contributors are themselves seasoned video game writers; they give the down and dirty on how to break into the business, what it means to be part of a writing team, principles of narrative design, and much, much more. Script samples offer illuminating examples that enhance this absolute "must-have" for anyone contemplating or pursuing a career in video game writing or technical writing, even (or especially) if they already have experience in crafting standard prose.

Many a novice author often fails to realize that when their book is published the responsibility for publicizing, promoting, marketing, and selling that book is mostly (if not entirely!) going to be on their shoulders. The good news is that the art and science of successfully selling a book in today's volatile and competitive marketplace can be done on as small a budget as $20 for the template of a website or blog. For those who don't know how to accomplish such a feat, book marketing expert Stephanie Chandler has written "The Author's Guide To Building An Onlkine Platform: Leveraging The Internet To Sell More Books", a step-by-step, articulate and practical compendium of instructions and advice.

Chapters cover how to go about launching a website or blog; how to determine the target audience for a book; what kind of information will be needed to interest the intended readership of a book; how to optimize a website with search engines; the principles and techniques of publishing a monthly electronic newsletter and building a mailing list; and keeping up the struggle to bring a book to the attention of those most likely to be persuaded to buy it! Simply stated, "The Author's Guide To Building An Online Platform" is an ideal instruction manual that will materially assist any writer seeking to build a long-term career for themselves as published authors.

Writing can be an adventure within itself. "Compositions: Notes on the Written Word" collects author and poet Naomi Beth Wakan's journeys through the struggles and agony that is the writing process. Offering advice as well as reflections, her stories all have something within that any writers can relate to. An in-depth look into the mind of a poet, "Compositions: Notes on the Written Word" is highly recommended for community library writing and publishing collections.

Writing and Yoga are two concepts alien from one another, or so one would think. "The Journey from the Center to the Page: Yoga Philosophies and Practices as Muse for Authentic Writings" is author and Yoga enthusiast Jeff Davis' guide to combining these two loves. Advising readers to channel their spirit to enhance their writing and immerse themselves in their work, his tips and suggestions are as sound as his soul. "The Journey from the Center to the Page: Yoga Philosophies and Practices as Muse for Authentic Writings" is highly recommended for any writer looking to unleash the best of themselves and for community library Spirituality and Writing collections.

As long as books have been published there have been those who have felt the need to comment on them. We call such folks 'reviewers'. These literary critics can be self-appointed volunteers, freelance professionals, employed journalists and academicians whose commentaries about what is being written and published is a part of their job. Reviewers (much like the authors and publishers whose work they pass judgments upon) come in three basic categories: The Good; The Bad; and The Mediocre.

There really hasn't been a 'how to' guide of any appreciable length or substance to explain the role of a book reviewer, how to become established as a credible reviewer of books, or how to create and operative a book review business. That is, there really hasn't been such an instructional manual until the publication of Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards collaborative work titled "The Slippery Art Of Book Reviewing". Following an informative foreword by James A. Cox (best known within the publishing industry as the Editor-in-Chief of the Midwest Book Review), "The Slippery Art Of Book Reviewing" is divided into three major sections: 'The Art of Reviewing' which lays out in considerable detail the actual 'nuts and bolts' of what a book review actually is, how to go about reviewing books, and the basics of creating a professional reputation and maintaining a successful book review operation; 'The Influence of Book Reviews' which focuses upon the relationship of book reviews to libraries, bookstores, publishers, authors, publicists, book clubs, and readers; and 'Resources' which provides advice and extensive lists of resources for book reviews as they relate to print publications, academia, online review sites, and more. ""The Slippery Art Of Book Reviewing" concludes with providing a 'Sample of a Press Release'.

Offering a wealth of practical, experience-tested advice, commentary, technical information, techniques, and resources, "The Slippery Art Of Book Reviewing" should be considered mandatory reading for novice and aspiring book reviewers, as well as having a great deal of enduring value as a reference for even the more experienced reviewer. Additionally, "The Slippery Art Of Book Reviewing" will provide to be informed and informative reading about the book review process for authors, publishers, publicists, booksellers, librarians, and the general reading public.

Write what you know - it's a common proverb told to all writers. "A Beginning, A Muddle, and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing" is a guide designed for all ages to help writers get off on the right foot in creating excellent writing, writing that people will want to read, and how to avoid the common pitfalls that so many writers tend to fall into. Composed in the form of a short fictional story that children writers will be able to relate too, and enhanced with beautiful illustrations by Tricia Tusa, "A beginning, a Muddle, and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing" is highly recommended for writers of all ages and for community library children's fiction sections as a strange bridge between picture books, chapter books, and non fiction.

Every reader, author, and publisher needs a good reference collection of dictionaries and thesaurus. But often space is limited to house a large collection of language reference works. "Webster's All-In-One Dictionary & Thesaurus" is ideal and recommended for a limited reference shelf space as it combines under one cover 67,000 clearly written dictionary definitions with 140,000 synonyms and antonyms. Thesaurus entry follows dictionary entry and is printed in a contrasting color making for a thoroughly 'user friendly' rapid look-up reference. Fully integrated, "Webster's All-In-One Dictionary & Thesaurus" is a 768-page hardcover compendium fully in compliance with Merriam-Webster standards.

Also very highly recommended as inexpensive additions to personal, school, and community library language reference collections are Merriam-Webster's "Webster's Contemporary School & Office Thesaurus" (9781596950481, $7.98); "Webster's Contemporary School & Office Dictionary" (9781596950474, $7.98); and "Webster's New Explorer Vocabulary Skill Builder" (9781596950450, $9.98).

Anyone can be a writer. In fact, it's particularly hard to get through the public school system without at one time or another doing some form of creative writing. "The National Writers Association Guide to Writing for Beginners: A How-To Reference for Plot, Dialogue, Nonfiction, Internet Publishing, and More" is simply a guide to getting ones mind going for the process, broken into short, bite sized chunks of information easy to digest for people wanting to get themselves writing once more and how to do it well on a technical level, while serving as an introduction to the writing business as a whole complete with a wade in copyright laws. "The National Writers Association Guide to Writing for Beginners: A How-To Reference for Plot, Dialogue, Nonfiction, Internet Publishing, and More" is highly recommended for any aspiring writer just starting out and for community library collections catering to them.

Committed or Conflicted? Organized or Chaotic? Lunch Hour or Log Cabin? What kind of writer is one, really? "The Write Type: Discover Your True Writer's Identity and Create a Customized Writing Plan" is a guide to help writers identify with who they are as a writer by going over preferred writing conditions such as mood, organization, deadlines, solitude, order, and other aspects of ones writing that may not be obvious to everyone. "The Write Type: Discover Your True Writer's Identity and Create a Customized Writing Plan" is highly recommended for any writer who can't seem to find the right groove or mood to really start cooking, and for community library shelves dedicated to writers. Also highly recommended from Adams Media in the subject, "Time to Write: No excuses. No distractions. No more blank pages" (9781598694383, $12.95) by Kelly L. Stone.

A different kind of thief that isn't heard about too often - the ones in the book business. "I Don't Want to be a Pirate - Writer, Maybe" is Author Robert S. Swiatek's account of his adventures with a certainly treacherous industry of books. Covering all the joys, disappointments and hemorrhoids that he as a writer has had to deal with during his career, while still keeping a positive and upbeat demeanor about it all and encouraging aspiring writers not to give up and keep up their efforts. "I Don't Want to be a Pirate- Writer, Maybe" is highly recommended for would be writers and a must have for community library collections catering to them.

It took Thomas Edison over one hundred tries to perfect the light bulb. Perfection - It's very unlikely for one to have perfection on their first try, and screen writing is no different. "Rewrite: A Step-by-Step Guide to Strengthen Structure, Characters, and Drama in Your Screenplay" is a manual for screenwriters that already have their screenplay written - but want to do everything they can to make it flat out the very best it can be. Seeking to improve your writing by improving the little aspects, as the little details can be invaluable in selling a story. "Writing is Rewriting". "Rewrite: A Step-by-Step Guide to Strengthen Structure, Characters, and Drama in Your Screenplay" is highly recommended for any screenwriter who wants to hammer out all of the kinks in their screenplay for community library collections catering to writers.

Who says that non-fiction has to be just the facts and nothing else? "Keep It Real: Everything You Need to Know About Researching and Writing Creative Nonfiction" is a guide for writers who are set to write nonfiction but want to do it with some flare, by taking the concepts of fiction - scene, dialogue, metaphor, suspense, and applies them to reality, as a way of telling the truth in the way it happened. Explaining the genre as a whole, sifting through facts to find the best story, points of view, libel fears, immersion, and so many more concepts are covered, making "Keep It Real: Everything You Need to Know About Researching and Writing Creative Nonfiction" highly recommended for anyone who wants to dive into this field.

Writing is not a job that pays well at entry level. In fact, it's not a job that pays at all for most - "Writers on the Job: Tales of the Non-Writing Life" has twenty writers telling their stories of working the grind - something familiar to many in the entertainment industry of waiting tables to get their big break. Twenty writers tell their stories of how they get along while submitting their stories, novels, and essays abroad, sure to be an inspiration to many trying to hack their way through the craft. "Writers on the Job: Tales of the Non-Writing Life" is highly recommended to any writer just starting out, and for community library writing/publishing collections with a focus on memoirs.

Writing is a literary skill. Publishing is an entrepreneurial task. Aspiring authors wanting their books read by as wide an audience as possible, must acquire an expertise in both areas. Written by entrepreneur, consultant, and public speaker Marsha Haigh Arend, From Brainstorm to Bestseller: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing and Publishing Your First Book is a solidly practical guide to putting together a fiction or nonfiction book, polishing it, and getting one's feet wet in the complex world of publishing. Chapters discuss how to revise and edit like a professional, conventional publishing wisdom, the importance of learning good speaking skills (did you think you wouldn't have to speak in public if you were a writer? Think again!) and much more. Though From Brainstorm to Bestseller endorses the publish-on-demand option, it does not disparage other options and offers guidelines in selecting the right publisher for one's needs. An excellent primer for aspiring book writers.

The Award winning author of The Moonquest, Mark David Gerson, now imparts his wisdom to help aspiring writers become more than that in "The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write". Promoting various and varied techniques to assist would-be authors to help get their ideas down effectively on paper, "The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write" suggests tips to create fascinating worlds and characters that people will love to read about and want to see more of. "The Voice of the Muse" is highly recommended to wanna-be writers everywhere and for community library writing/publishing shelves.

It is said that everyone has at least one good novel in them, but "As-I-Learn Poetry: or I Can Write and So Can You - A Spiritual Approach" believes it can apply to poetry as well. Although filled with grand, elaborate poetry throughout, "As-I-Learn Poetry: or I Can Write and So Can You - A Spiritual Approach" acts as a guide to make the reader a better writer, whether it be for poetry or pose, explaining vital life lessons and knowledge that should be available to all. Highly recommended to both poetry and writing shelves alike, and for any aspiring poet or writer who needs some extra advice for their craft.

Plot is the meat and main course of any and all fiction scripts script regardless of film genres - without a good plot, it takes a miracle to have a good movie. "The Art of Plotting: Add Emotion, Suspense, and Depth to your Screenplay" covers all you need to know to make your plot the best it can be, explaining the complex principles, advice on integrating characterization and exposition to make the story more compelling, how to spot and overcome common plot problems, and demonstrate how plot can enhance everything else about your screenplay. "The Art of Plotting: Add Emotion, Suspense, and Depth to your Screenplay" is enthusiastically recommended to aspiring screen writers everywhere and deserves a place on any community library's Writing and/or Film Studies instructional reference collection.

There is a memorable scene in the western movie "The Magnificent Seven" where Eli Wallach (playing the role of a Mexican bandit chief) leans over his saddle and says to Yul Brenner (playing the role of a mercenary gunfighter hired to protect a small Mexican village) that with respect to the villagers, "If God did not want them sheared, he would not have made them sheep!".

I've often thought that all to often this was the kind of business ethic that many self-publishing or POD (print-on-demand) companies had toward their author clients. Now whenever I'm asked for my advice on POD companies, I'm going to give them the urgent recommendation that they read Mark Levine's "The Fine Print Of Self-Publishing: The Contracts & Services Of 48 Self-Publishing Companies -- Analyzed, Ranked & Exposed" from cover to cover. The focus is upon that all important contract between an author and a publishing company that is willing to take the author's manuscript and turn the authors manuscript into a published book -- for a fee. This handy, 'reader friendly' and 'user friendly' manual is packed from beginning to end with exactly the kind of publishing contract information needed to avoid being cheated, to insure getting what's expected, and to make the capital investment as wisely as possible in terms of selecting the vendor who will provide the best publishing services possible for those authors who cannot get their work published by traditional publishers and/or who do not (or cannot) simply publish themselves.

Of special note is Chapter 9 "Publishers To Avoid". The key is the contract -- with all its component parts and fine print. Before signing a publishing contract with any POD company, read Mark Levine's "The Fine Print Of Self-Publishing", it could save you money, anxiety, and disappointment, while increasing your chances for success, sales, and fulfilled expectations.

Book fairs have been an important part of the publishing industry since the days of Gutenberg and the invention of movable type. Recognized as the Mecca for all who are connected to the book publishing industry, the Frankfurt Book Fair is over five hundred years old. "A History of the Frankfurt Book Fair" looks to cover all of it's history, as covered by the director of the event for a quarter of a century, and author of "A History of the Frankfurt Book Fair", Peter Weidhaas. Fascinating, expertly written, and full of anecdotes and insights, "A History of the Frankfurt Book Fair" is strongly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library collections, as well as the for non-specialist general reader seeking to learn more about the origin of the model that all modern book fairs follow.

Earning a living as a professional writer is a business. Writing freelance is the equivalent of being a self-employed small business owner and operator. As such, meticulous attention must be made to how that business is structured, operated, and kept track of. Failure to keep aware of the proverbial 'bottom line' can lead to financial and professional disaster. Enter Nash Black's 196-page instructional guide and reference "Writing As A Small Business" covers what every aspiring (and practicing) professional author needs to know about the financial side of their work including whether or not to incorporate or operate as a sole proprietorship, the keeping and storage of financial records, filling out state and federal tax forms, avoiding audits, handling advances with respect to royalties, grants and gratuities; safeguarding the computer from hackers and online viruses, and generally protecting the financial rights and aspects of a written work -- before and after publication.

Enhanced with bibliographies of thematically appropriate informational resources on the subject of the economics of professional writing, a glossary of terms, and an index, "Writing As A Small Business" is a critically important, thoroughly 'user friendly', instructional guide that should be on the personal reference shelf of every aspiring writer seeking to financially support themselves and their loved ones through their writing regardless of the genre, category, or discipline they are writing in and for.

Written by journalist and college teacher Angela Phillips, Good Writing for Journalists is a no-nonsense guide to improving the quality of one's nonfiction writing. Chapters cover genres ranging from profile writing and interviews to direct reporting, news analysis, investigation, sports writing, personal and opinion columns, "lifestyle" writing, and more. A large portion of Good Writing for Journalists is devoted to sample journalistic pieces that exemplify positive and memorable qualities, all the better to see Phillips' teachings in use. Enthusiastically recommended especially for journalism students and majors.

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Shel Horowitz is an accomplished professional consultant and practitioner in the art and science of small press publishing. Shel draws upon many years of hard won experience and expertise to write and publish "Grassroots Marketing For Authors And Publishers", a 292-page compendium of descriptive commentary, advice, tips, techniques, resources, instructions, and examples of how an author can go about successfully marketing their book in a highly competitive and often volatile marketplace.

Shel has included seven different marketing models that authors can draw upon to create inexpensive yet very effective websites as part of their overall book marketing strategy. Also included are two complete, full-length marketing plans that are actually based on two of Shel's author clients. Examples of eight actual press releases and six successful media pitches are provided as templates. Exemplary anecdotal stories drawn from some forty-one authors and publishers, plus about a dozen publishing industry experts, provide aspiring authors with real-life examples of what they can do to promote and marketing their book regardless of genre.

Enhanced with a 16-page resource appendix listing dozens of useful books, website, publications, book coaches, organizes, etc., "Grassroots Marketing For Authors And Publishers" can be considered an informed, user friendly, 'how to' book marketing seminar/workshop in a single volume. Of special note are Shel's commentaries on why books (and their authors) fail in bookstores, online marketing, and operating profitably in a market where only about ten percent of self-published and small press titles sell more than 1000 copies.

"Grassroots Marketing For Authors And Publishers" is the ideal reference manual for anyone having to promote a book with little or no available capital for publicity and promotion. Indeed, studying Shel's advice and instructions carefully could well make the difference between commercial success or failure for an author or a publisher.

"Fairy Tales For Writers" is a virtually unique entry into the Midwest Book Review's monthly book review column 'The Writing/Publishing Shelf' which is usually devoted to 'how to' books and manuals for aspiring writers and novice publishers. This small, slender, imaginative, hilarious, and all-to-true 30-page collection of poetry by Lawrence Schimel wonderfully and artfully reflects the almost archetypal hopes, ambitions, frustrations, passions, and processes of writing for publication.

Here in a kind of poetic folklore format are 'the new writer who encounters a wolf along the path to publication'; the writing workshop member who must always be 'the fairest of them all'; the writer who for the sake of love gives up her own special voice; the shy, anonymous author who slips away before the end of the reading only to be remorselessly tracked down by the editor wanting to publisher her work. Everyone who has ever put pen to paper, and the tried to submit that paper to a publisher, will recognize the poetically expressed truths in Lawrence Schimel's superb little book, "Fairy Tales For Writers". As the last line on the last page of this marvelous little gem has it: "Sometimes there is a happy ending, even in publishing."

For every 100 book proposals submitted to publishers by hopeful authors, two will make it and the other ninety-eight will not. That's why literary agent Pam Brodowsky and successful author Eric Neuhaus teamed-up to create a 'how to' manual of instruction and advice to help aspiring writers seeking to break into print better the odds against them. The first part of "Bulletproof Book Proposals" addresses the book proposal writing process through clear instructions and exercises, along with a ten-step approach designed to teach the author how to craft an overview of their writing project that is clear, concise, and engaging; conduct a thorough competitive-book analysis; define primary and secondary markets, and write effective chapter outlines and summaries.

The second part of "Bulletproof Book Proposals" presents twelve real-life book proposals that were successful in getting published. Also featured are informative commentaries from the authors and agents of those proposals, as well as the editors who accepted them for publication. "Bulletproof Book Proposals" is a complete, 'user friendly', and strongly recommended do-it-yourself seminar workshop in the creation of effective, successful, profitable book proposals a skill that is a fundamental necessity for anyone seeking to create a professional writing career for themselves.

Theory blends with applied instruction in WRITING A GREAT MOVIE, which offers a manual of tools for aspiring screenwriters. From learning how to set theme and understanding basic dramatic situations to working up demo plots and understanding when to stop, WRITING A GREAT MOVIE moves from basics to advanced techniques and will find a home on the shelf of any serious 'how to' library.

William F. Nolan is the successful author of more than eighty works of fiction and so brings to "Let's Get Creative: Writing Fiction That Sells" a very special expertise based on personal experience and hard work. Writing with a much appreciated clarity and occasional touches of human, Nolan covers getting started as a writer, where ideas can (and do) come from, the critical value and necessity of a story's climax, the use of dialogue, 'characterization-within-action, the art of revising a manuscript, the value of humor, achieving a personal writing style, employing all five senses in the art and craft of writing fiction, developing conflict to create and hold reader interest, 'hooking the reader', the differences between writing short stories and full length novels, shifting between prose and script writing, handling rejection (the inevitable lot of even the most accomplished and successful authors), and dealing with publishers and literary agents (also inevitable for aspiring writers seeking to become or continue as successfully published authors).

A superbly presented and informative introduction 'how to' manual to the art, craft and realities of writing fiction, "Let's Get Creative: Writing Fiction That Sells" is a 'must' read for the novice author and has a great deal to recommend it to even the more seasoned fiction writing as well.

Jack Hart is the managing editor at 'The Oregonian' and a frequent lecturer at Harvard University's prestigious 'Nieman Conference on Narrative Journalism'. In "A Writer's Coach: An Editor's Guide To Words That Work", Jack Hart draws upon his more than 30 years of experience and expertise to demystify the writing process and methodically present every step (and misstep) in the processes involved with putting down thoughts and information into print. Hart's emphasis is that good writing demonstrates energy, conciseness, personality, rhythm, clarity, as well as being 'mechanically correct'. "A Writer's Coach" is very highly recommended reading for all aspiring authors seeking to make writing stronger and more effective be they novice beginners or seasoned experts.

"The Dog Walked Down The Street: An Outspoken Guide For Writers Who Want To Publish" by Sal Glynn is 96-pages of solid, practical, experienced, 'user friendly' instructional advice for authors in answering a series of fundamental questions about their work such as: When you finish the first draft how do you decide whether its really good or simply too flawed to submit for publication? How do you go about finding a good agent?

Sal Glynn draws upon his years of personal and professional experience working as a managing editor for book publishers to demystify the common problems encountered by novice authors and experience writers alike; presents a clear, accessible approach to writing for publication; offers practical 'first aid' for writers, details just how to stay sane and healthy while writing, and provides aspiring writers yearning to break into print with a strong and effective foundation for their present and future work. "The Dog Walked Down The Street" is a welcome, thoroughly useful, and critically essential addition to any dedicated author's reference shelf.

Beginning journalists who seek straightforward advice on how to write in the digital age need Practical Journalism: How to Write News and any college-level holding strong in journalism also will find it a strong reference. It covers the foundations of writing for different mediums, surveys the skills needed to achieve a broad range of talents, and uses interviews with dozens of working journalists to lend insights and tips on the profession. Many a college-level teacher will also find Practical Journalism an important assignment suitable for study and discussion.

TALKING YOUR WAY TO THE TOP: BUSINESS ENGLISH THAT WORKS is for any involved in the business world, whether they be workers, managers, or CEOs. It provides the rudiments of English skills, from handling job interviews and company meetings to asking for more responsibilities and giving speeches. From avoiding 'wretched verbs' to not choosing the wrong word, real-world examples are specific and many a businessperson will readily recognize themselves in the examples.

W. A. Harbinson's "The Writing Game: Recollections Of An Occasional Bestselling Author" isn't simply another instruction manual on how to write better or how to get published. It is instead, a candid autobiographical account of being a professional writer with more than thirty years of experience at making a living in the highly competitive and volatile publishing industry. That experience includes the writing of more than fifty novels, as well as a wealth of short stories, magazine articles, screenplay adaptations, and radio plays.

This is a graphic and detailed account of living a life and pursuing a career fraught with the possibilities of artistic and financial failure. Enhanced with superbly articulated accounts of his dealings with editors, other authors, and showbusiness celebrities, "The Writing Game" is as entertaining as it is engaging, and a 'must read' memoir for anyone who contemplates embarking upon a professional writing career for themselves.

Now in an updated second edition, Cite It Right: The Source Aid Guide to Citation, Research, and Avoiding Plagiarism is a guide written especially for students and researchers. Cite It Right spells out exactly how to give credit where credit is due in circles where being "by the book" in one's references and citations is absolutely critical to earning good grades, furthering one's career, creating a professional-quality paper, and avoiding even the slightest possibility of unintentional plagiarism.

Chapters briefly refresh the reader about the basics of researching and writing papers, but the four main chapters of Cite It Right are particularly devoted to the express guidelines required by four different professional organizations: the Modern Language Association, the American Psychological Association, Chicago Manual of Style, and Council of Science Editors. Though not sponsored or endorsed by any of these groups, Cite It Right meticulously spells out each group's precise format guidelines, including their individual terminologies, specific examples, and the format expected for different types of citations. A "must-have" for anyone preparing a scholarly work, especially if for one of these big four writing styles.

Wabi Sabi for Writers is a philosophical source of inspiration for intermediate to advanced writers. Author Richard Powell, who studied at the Kootenay School of Writing under such acclaimed authors as Margaret Atwood and David McFadden, Wabi Sabi for Writers emphasizes that while perfection is great to strive for, the struggle to create flawless beauty is in essence a false idea in an imperfect universe - absolute "perfection" is impossible, yet imperfection contains within its own sense of timeless beauty. Written in a soothing style of narrative flow, Wabi Sabi for Writers applies ancient Japanese aesthetic to modern practical principles and suggestions, and is filled cover to cover with tips, tricks, and techniques for improving one's writing production rate.

From thevalue of personally experiencing and connecting with nature, to applying the concept of "yugen" in hinting at depths below the surface and engaging the conscious mind to puzzle over the unseen, Wabi Sabi for Writers is an invaluable and inspirational tool for promoting personal fulfillment as well as improved quality in one's writing.

Written by Duke University Writing Program director Joseph Harris, Rewriting: How to Do Things with Texts is a guide written especially for college students and professionals seeking to refine their academic writing technique. Leaning away from the static ideas of thesis, support and structure and toward a more naturally flowing and dynamic writing style, Rewriting challenges the reader to think of writing an adaptive, social activity and shape one's written intellectual opinions and discussions accordingly.

Presented strategies for coaxing a more persuasive and intuitive tone into one's logical academic written arguments include forwarding (taking words, images, or ideas from text and putting them to use in new contexts), countering (suggesting different ways of thinking rather than simple nullification of a given ideal), and much more. Recommended for intermediate to advanced academic writers for its solid recommendations to make prose more readable, immersive, thought-provoking and natural-sounding.

Written by Sarah Bolme, the co-founder and director of Christian Small Publishers Association, Your Guide to Marketing Books in the Christian Marketplace is a straightforward guide for publishers, self-publishers and authors seeking to promote quality books specifically among Christians.

Chapters discuss basic steps such as securing distribution and garnering book reviews, how to connect with Christian retail stores and churches, harnessing the power of the Internet, reaching out to special markets such as the Christian homeschool market, eBooks, and markets for Spanish-language Christian books, and much more. Contact information and URLs for stores and websites enhances this experience-tested, high-quality "how to" guide. An absolute "must-have" for anyone involved in marketing Christian books, though the general tips, tricks, and techniques will prove useful for marketing mainstream books as well.

Award-winning author and self-publishing expert Peter Bowerman explains how to do-it-yourself publish and earn a solid living in The Well-Fed Self-Publisher, a how-to guide that especially focuses upon the steps of the process and how to maximize profits. Self-publishing can potentially be much more lucrative than landing a publisher, since publishers all too frequently come with meager royalty rates, a typical 18-24 month wait to publication, the loss of book rights, and minimal or nonexistent help with marketing.

The Well-Fed Self-Publisher covers how to develop a "marketing mindset", find reviewers willing to spread book publicity, get in the big bookstore chains, build a cash-generating website, minimize dependence on the unreliable mainstream media, filter through the print-on-demand hype, and much more. A "must-have" for anyone considering self-publishing as a career.

In "Teaching Adolescent Writers", author and academician Kelly Gallagher draws upon his many years of expertise as a full-time English teacher at Magnolia High School in Anaheim, California, to show novice classroom instructors how to teach their students to write effectively.

Gallagher offers classroom tested strategies for helping teachers to understand the importance of teaching writing, motivate their students to develop and improve their writing skills, model effective writing using the teacher's own compositions and real-world texts, provide alternatives and choice within the framework of a rigorous curriculum, help their students recognize the importance of purpose and audience with respect to their writing efforts, and how to assess essays in ways that produce better writing performance. Infused with humor and enhanced with illustrative anecdotes, "Teaching Adolescent Writers" is an ideal addition to college and university curriculums for aspiring English teachers.

Designed as a curriculum supplement for grades 5 to 8, "Time To Write" by Robert Myers is comprised of forty-three standards-based lessons for developing children's creative writing skills. Those skill sets include the use of synonyms, alliterations, descriptions, paragraphs, making advertisements, letter to the editor, writing limericks, haikus, cinquain, research reports, non-fiction narratives, essays, anecdotes, character sketches, humorous speech, the short story, and crafting the dramatic incident. These 'kid friendly' exercises will help students ages 10 to 14 to become progressively more involved and expert with their writing efforts.

Enhanced with Teacher Notes for each lesson and student warm-up activities, "Time To Write" is especially commended as a resource to help classroom teachers with their lesson plans. Also very highly recommended for elementary school and home schooling curriculum resources are two other outstanding titles from Good year Books: "Write Away!: 140 Writing Prompts For Grades 4-6" and "Moe's Caf,: 48 Decidedly Different Creative Writing Prompts" for grades 6 to 12.

Don't Murder Your Mystery: 24 Fiction-Writing Techniques To Save Your Manuscript From Turning Up D.O.A. by Chris Roerden (40 years experience as an editor in niche publishing) is a no-nonsense guide to improving one's professional writing skills, making one's manuscript more publishable and not subject to common rejection flaws, and learn from the experience of over 140 published writers. While Don't Murder Your Mystery is written especially for mystery, suspense, and crime fiction writers, the tips, tricks and techniques from bewaring cliches or avoiding clumsy and confusing body language descriptions to making one's dialogue snappy, sharpening self-editing skills and much more will prove invaluable to fiction writers of all genres. An enthusiastically recommended, energetic, easy-to-follow guide.

Alison Kent (the pseudonym of an experience author in the genre of erotic romance) draws upon her considerable expertise in "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Writing Erotic Romance" to help aspiring authors master the specialized genre of the erotic romance. All too often writers veer into crude pornography while trying to avoid prudish conventions in storytelling. "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Writing Erotic Romance" will take the novice writer through a series of practical and effective techniques for creating compelling characters, interesting plots, and engaging dialogue laced with sexually provocative eroticism. Enhanced with advice and examples drawn from successful romance writers and editors, "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Writing Erotic Romance" will also prove an invaluable resource that includes lists of available publishers in this select genre. If you want your writing to be hallmarked with chemistry, spice, plot twists, complete characters, and "page turning romance", then add "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Writing Erotic Romance" to your instructional reference bookshelf.

"The Erotic Writer's Market Guide" is compiled by The Circlet Press Collective and is a compendium of listings of literally hundreds of paying markets for erotic writing. This unique and "user friendly" writer's reference also includes practical, step-by-step advice contributing by working professionals on how to not only write good erotica, but how to sell it and make a career in the genre. There is invaluable information on pay scales and pay rates, tax deduction tips, "writer's rights", notations on the difference between men's and women's erotic fiction, what the editors of erotic magazines and presses want to see in submitted material, and a great deal more. Anyone wanting to write professional in the specialized genre of erotic short stories and novels will find "The Erotic Writer's Market Guide" to be an indispensable asset and a core reference for marketing their work.

If you're thinking of starting a home-based publishing business, you can't be without Publish Your Own Magazine, Guidebook or Weekly Newspaper: it tells how to not just publish a winning title, but how to make it profitable with no money up front. All kinds of successful periodicals and what made them tops are reviewed in a title which covers circulation, readership, proposal writing, optional publication formats, niche markets and more.

From Gutenberg To Open Type: An Illustrated History Of Type From The Earliest Letterforms To The Latest Digital Fonts by Robin Dodd (Associate Lecturer, London College of Communications) is a seminal and detailed historical survey of the printed letter from the era of the Gutenberg press moveable fonts down to today's desktop publishing software typefaces. Profusely illustrated throughout, From Gutenberg To Open Type is especially recommended to the attention of academicians, authors, publishers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the history of printing as well as professionals, artists and designers who work with type design and print. Of special note are the side panels to the regular text that explains how to use individual typefaces, notes common pitfalls, and showcases specifically related benefits to a given font. Informed and informative, From Gutenberg To Open Type is a welcome addition to personal, professional, and academic library reference collections.

Author! Screenwriter! How To Succeed As A Writer In New York And Hollywood by Peter Miller (an active literary and film manager for more than thirty years) is for writers who want to enjoy success as both a screenwriter and author, teaching the aspiring writer how to turn a book into a Hollywood script and back. Chapters from the President of a film management and media agency represent the only book which teaches writers how to customize their proposals for both literary and film markets.

Two related phenomena are principally responsible for the tremendous growth in the numbers of self-published authors flooding the marketplace with their titles: the personal computer with word processing software and the rise of the publish-on-demand (POD) companies. Now Mark Levine (President of Click Industries, Led), an e-commerce company with 19 web sites that provide produces and services to small business entrepreneurs, writers, musicians, and artists) draws upon his impressive expertise, experience and research to create a kind of "Consumer Report" style evaluation of 48 self-publishing companies and the services they provide (for a fee) to aspiring authors wanting to turn their manuscripts into books.

The FinePrint Of Self-Publishing analyses and ranks the contracts and services of 48 different POD companies and identifies the strengths and weaknesses of taking a POD approach to self-publishing. Special attention is paid to publishing contracts, but the true value of this handy little compendium of practical information are the chapters devoted to: "Outstanding Self-Publishing Companies"; "Some Pretty Good Self-Publishing Companies"; "Publishers Who Are Just Okay"; and perhaps the most valuable chapter -- "Publishers To Avoid". No aspiring author contemplating signing up with a POD should ever put pen to contract paper without first carefully reading Mark Levine's The Fine Print Of Self-Publishing.

Every author who has ever put pen to paper (or in this day and age, their fingers to computer keyboard) knows they have room for improvement when it comes to expressing themselves. Perfecting Your Prose: A Guide To Improved Writing by writer, editor, educator and consultant Gary Michael Smith addresses the diverse grammar and writing issues of diction, description, the syntax of the well constructed sentence, and the orderly flow of the essay. Perfecting Your Prose covers style mechanics guidelines fully applicable to both nonfiction and fiction writing, and is an utterly invaluable self-teaching tool for high school and college students as well as aspiring and professional writers.

How To Start And Run A Writers' Critique Group by Carol J. Amato offers accessible and practical answers to the questions and problems that beset beginning, intermediate, and experienced writers who could benefit from the critiques, observations and advice of their peers in a small group setting, but don't have ready access to one. It gives helpful organizational suggestions and information to anyone hoping to start a writers' critique group. In so doing, such groups offers the chance for writers from novice beginners to seasoned professionals to improve their skills and writing through a voluntary professional association with others engaged in writing for fun or profit.

The benefits of carefullyplanning such a group are multiple and easily accessible to the aspiring writers, including particular attention to the issues of critiquing manuscripts, dealing with difficult members, formal organization steps, sponsoring related events, and getting publicity. There is a very handy appendix with sample forms, including suggested critique group rules (small or large groups), a critique group checklist, and corporation bylaws. In sum, How To Start And Run A Writers' Critique Group is an invaluable, 119-page tool to those writers (regardless of their preferred genre) who are in search of peer feedback and self-improvement in the execution of their chosen craft.

Self-publishing Manual: How To Write, Print And Sell Your Own Book helped promote a whole new world of self-published titles when it appeared nearly thirty years ago: this new 15th edition completely revises details, adding new text and showing how to build a book, promote it, bypass publishers, and work with short-term book printers. An ongoing recommendation; particularly since the update reflects major changes in the industry. It should also be noted that the Midwest Book Review is given a positive recommendation in this "how to" manual.

Published!: Now Sell It!: A "How To" Book For Authors By Authors is an informed and informative guide compiled by the experienced and expert book publicity and marketing team of Mary Montague Sikes, Jean C. Keating, Mildred H. B. Roberson, E. R. Kallus and Joseph Guion. Published! will substantively help any novice (and even the seasoned writer) all along the process of publishing, marketing and advertising their book whether self- published, published by an independent press, or by a major publishing company. Deftly co-authored by an exceptionally knowledgeable team, Published! is a very highly recommended read for all writers, published or anyone aspiring to become a successfully published author.

The collaboration of publicist Rick Frishman and award-winning author Robyn Freedman Spizman, Author 101: Bestselling Book Proposals is a true "insider's guide" for authors seeking to sell what they write in today's complex and competitive publishing marketplace. A "great idea" for a book is not enough; to get publishers to take notice, prospective authors need a top-quality book proposal. Author 101 covers the basics of query letters and formulating proposals, and delves in-depth about specific details such as promotion plans, discerning the market for one's book, and perhaps most valuably, what agents and publishers hate the most (including "writers who say how much they liked other books", "writers who call constantly, are demanding, and don't hang up", and "writers who constantly tinker"). A "must-read", no-nonsense primer for publishing success and professional conduct, with the absolute highest recommendation for novice writers.

How To Write A Successful Book Proposal In 8 Days Or Less by successful author Patricia L. Fry is a definitive, "user-friendly" guide, which is especially recommended to writers trying to attract a publisher for their manuscript. Written in a easy-to-follow format, How To Write A Successful Book Proposal In 8 Days Or Less includes the simple ten-step lesson that educates the reader on how to write a complete book proposal, locate and approach publishers, evaluate fee-based POD publishers, choose a title that will sell, build promotion into the book, sell yourself in the "about the author" section, organize the chapter outline, promote the book outside of bookstores, make book signings successful, and write a more successful, marketable book. How To Write A Successful Book Proposal is an invaluable addition to any novice author's reference shelf and has much to commended to even experienced and published writers as well.

Publishing Gems: Insider Information For The Self-Publishing Writer by Brent Sampson (Founder and CEO of Outskirts Press) is an ideal read for writers who have finished their manuscript, and have the desire to pursue publication. Readers will be enlightened as Sampson presents five justified reasons that Publishing Gems will assist in writers becoming published, The information is presented in list format for easy reference, ranging from plotting, to production. Publishing Gems offers practical advice at every stage of the publishing process, Insider information from a seasoned publishing professional will help novice authors avoid common mistakes. Publishing Gems merits high praise and is justifiably recommended to dedicated authors aspiring to be published.

From time-saving tips to insights on how a believable dialogue is created and how a compelling pace is maintained, The Writer's Little Helper: Everything You Need To Know To Write Better And Get Published packs in specific tips and references for writers of fiction who wish to improve their style and quality of work. The format here is unique: it especially lends to browsers who just wish to hone in on a particular area of interest or improvement: checklists, boxed outlines and notes, the use of color bullets and more allow for quick, breezy reference. An exceptional guide for any who would absorb the foundations of good writing solid and who would hone improvement routines.

Event marketers often come up against impossible budget constrictions when planning an event, but organizations can reach their sales goals if they use a blend of brand recognition, lead generation and thought leadership. The chapters tell how to integrate events into a marketing plan, generate leads before, during and after an event, and maximize budgets. Allison Saget is an experienced marketer and uses her background to provide answers to common event questions, from reaching target audiences to organizing a program.

In this short ebook (PDF) shows you a powerful and cost effective way to promote ANY product. However, this is a natural for book marketing. There is a case study, a real info product that the author is currently selling using this strategy. The SuperTip, an ingenious twist is revealed that takes this strategy into orbit. Tools are presented that will help you put the strategy into practice right now.

Win customers for your book or other product by giving away valuable information. Receive more tips on developing and pre-selling your product with an ebook, report or detailed check list. Then using the viral nature of free Internet article distribution you promote your book or other product. Your article pre-sells the ebook and the ebook pre-sells the product. People usually need more detailed information for higher priced products. Your ebook could simply be how-to use your product and how others have benefitted form it. Using the above principles this valuable ebook is free.

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