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The Writer's Bookshelf F-H

A-E F-H I-O P-V W-Writes Writing-Z

The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins
Robert Hendrickson
Facts On File, Inc.
c/o Infobase Publishing
132 West 31st Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10001
9780816069668, $95.00 www.factsonfile.infobasepublishing.com 1-800-322-8755

Now in an updated and expanded fourth edition, The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins is a massive reference jam-packed with definitions and origins of more than 15,000 words and expressions. From "all gussied up" to "zoot suit", each entry offers plain, no-nonsense information about the history and usage of each phrase (or the best known theories of the phrase's origin). Highly recommended especially for public library reference collections. "Zombie was originally the snake god worshiped in West Indian voodoo ceremonies based upon the worship of the python god in West Africa. Since dead people were said to be brought to life in these ceremonies, such imagined corpses shuffling along half dead and half alive were called zombies. By the 1920s this word naturally became applied to any oafish 'dummy' without much intelligence or spirit. It is also the name of a cocktail that makes one feel like a zombie."

A Fairly Creative Guide to Telling Tales
Aubrey Lively
Royal Fireworks Press
First Avenue, PO Box 399, Unionville, NY 10988
www.rfwp.com
9780898245530, $12.99, PB, 154pp, www.amazon.com

Educator, author, and home-schooling parent of six children, Aubrey Lively has written "A Fairly Creative Guide to Telling Tales", a delightfully informative guide that offers a thorough and sophisticated introduction to creative writing in terms of prose fiction. She wittily describes the various elements necessary to a good story, and she provides amusing examples of what to do and (just as important) what not to do. Most of her examples come from classic fairy tales so that readers can see how her lessons apply to the stories we all know. "A Fairly Creative Guide to Telling Tales" is deftly organized into three parts: plot, characterization, and setting. Each individual chapter ends with an assignment that allows writers of all ages to practice their skills in a fun and nonthreatening way. "A Fairly Creative Guide to Telling Tales" will enable aspiring authors to gain practical and applicable insights what will make them better writers. An accessible resource for aspiring writers of all skill and experience levels, "A Fairly Creative Guide to Telling Tales" especially recommended for creative writing classes in grades 7 to 12.

Fairy Tales For Writers
Lawrence Schimel
A Midsummer Night's Press
16th West 36th Street, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10018
0979420806 $6.50 www.amidsummernightspress.com

"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."

Families Writing
Peter R. Stillman
Calendar Islands Publishers, LLC
477 Congress Street, Suite 404-406, Portland, ME 04101
0966323300 $18.50 1-207-828-0251

Now in a newly expanded second edition, Peter Stillman's Families Writing provide sixty-five activities that make "family writing time" something the whole family can enjoy and that will result in some of the family's most treasured heirlooms. Families Writing explores many different types of writing, including journals, letters, writing as gifts, family stories, poetry, and more. The light-hearted, motivating tone of Families Writing pulls in the reader and he or she will receive powerful incentives to begin collecting the experiences that make his or her family richly different from all the rest -- and well worth preserving for future generations. Writing captures the hearts, thoughts, voices, and life experiences that make a family what it is, and Families Writing will provide guidance and expertise to what is written and how to write it. Highly recommended.

The Fast-Track Course On How To Write A Nonfiction Book Proposal
Stephen Blake Mettee
Quill Driver Books
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721
www.quilldriverbooks.com
9781610350501, $14.95, www.amazon.com

In only 140 pages, Stephen Blake Mettee (founder of Quill Driver Books and editor for 150 books and innumerable articles including a chapter in the 2004 Writer's Market) draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to methodically lay out a complete course of instruction that will enable any aspiring author to prepare an effective and successful nonfiction book proposal to a prospective publisher in "The Fast-Track Course On How To Write A Nonfiction Book Proposal". Thorough, 'user friendly', informed and informative, this newly updated and expanded, step-by-step instruction manual is enhanced with useful examples of an 'industry standard' book proposal, query letter, publishing contract, and more. Of special note are the critical mistakes commonly made and to be avoided, tips for making a manuscript stand out from the inevitable slush pile, persuading prospective publishers of your ability to market books, the role of copyrights, advances, royalties, literary agents, digital publishing, etc. Every aspiring author of nonfiction should give Stephen Mettee's "The Fast-Track Course On How To Write A Nonfiction Book Proposal" a close and careful reading -- and a permanent place on their personal reference shelf.

Fear Of Writing
Milli Thornton
Hot Off The Press/Xlibris
32 Alondra Road , Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
0738811971 $18.00 1-888-795-4274

Fear Of Writing was specifically designed for those authors and writers who are confronted with the literary equivalent of stage fright when sitting down to the task of creative writing. Author Milli Thornton offers immensely useful, very practical, and uniquely effective techniques for stimulated a free flow of writing, unblocking the paralysis of fear, demystifying the process of writing, as well as overcoming the past and linger effects of writer's block and paralyzing anxiety. Fear Of Writing is enhanced for the benefit and enjoyment of the reader with humorous short stories followed by "exercises" designed to help build their writing "muscle". If you are a writer who experiences feelings of dread, writer's block, or worse, when you mus sit down and write an article, story, screenplay, or anything else, then the Fear Of Writing is a "must read" for you!

Fearless Confessions
Sue William Silverman
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Dr., Athens, GA, 30602-4901
www.ugapress.org
9780820331669, $19.95, www.amazon.com

A memoir or autobiography is the story of your life as told by you (although many a celebrity and politician have been known to employ 'ghost writers' to polish up their life story manuscript). In "Fearless Confessions: A Writer's Guide To Memoir", Sue William Silverman (faculty advisor at the Vermont College of Fine Arts and the associate editor of the literary journal 'Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction') provides an extraordinary 'how to' instructional compendium providing practical advice and illustrative examples that will enable the reader to effectively write down their own life stories either in the form of a manuscript to be published or a website to be visited. Of special note is Sue Silverman's commentary on the ethics involved with creating a memoir, a writer's 'voice' in presenting a life story, and the realities of marketing an autobiography. Informed and informative, "Fearless Confessions" is replete with appendices laying out an impressive and extensive roster of relevant books of particular interest to aspiring writers seeking to tell their life story in a variety of forms and formats. Anyone considering writing their memoirs for publication or just for the benefit of their posterity would be well advised to secure a copy of "Fearless Confessions" before starting their autobiographical project.

Feature Animation Writing
Marilyn Webber
Garth Gardner Company
2545 Sandbourne Lane, Herndon, VA 20171
1589650026 $29.95 www.amazon.com

Because animation writing is so closely tied to the creation of animation itself, Gardner's Guide To Feature Animation Writing: The Writer's Road Map is reviewed here rather than in our art resource section. Chapters cover the basics of how to link animation to story lines, discussing differences between different animation genres and how scripting differs between animation and live action scenes. Especially invaluable are the tips on honing a uniform technique and presentation to appeal to buyers and enhance sales of animation scripts.

Feminine Wiles
Donna Elizabeth Boetig
Quill Driver Books
8386 N. Madsen Ave., Clovis, CA 93611
1884956025 $14.95 1-800-497-4909

Feminine Wiles: Creative Techniques For Writing Women's Feature Stories That Sell is the first "how-to" book to specifically address writing feature articles for women. Feminine Wiles will appeal to both aspiring writers and journalists, and has much of value to offer even the experienced feature writers. Feminine Wiles teaches the beginner how to draft, write and rewrite true life dramas, how-to articles, self-help pieces, feature roundups that combine three or more mini-stories all melding to make a point. Feminine Wiles is a much appreciated contribution to the practical resource shelf for all aspiring feature writers hoping to sell to a women's issues oriented publication.

Fiction
Michael Seidman
Pomegranate Press, Ltd
PO Box 17217, Beverly Hills, CA 90209
0938817469 $14.95 1-800-788-3123

Fiction: The Art And Craft Of Writing And Getting Published is a complete manual on writing publishable fiction in all genres and formats. A successful and published author, Michael Seidman takes the aspiring writer through each phase of the process from story idea to manuscript to publisher submission. Fiction is laid out as a step-by-step guide to the editing and publishing process (including negotiating a contract with or without an agent). There is also an informative section on writer's conferences and workshops. Of special value is a section on "networking" as part of the process for writing and getting published. Fiction is an invaluable, "reader friendly" instructional guide for the aspiring writer seeking to be published regardless in today's highly competitive marketplace.

The Fiction Editor, the Novel, and the Novelist
Thomas McCormack
Paul Dry Books, Inc
117 South 17th Street, Suite 1102, Philadelphia, PE 19103
1589880307 $14.95 www.pauldrybooks.com

Now in a revised second edition that incorporates author's additional years of experience in the publishing industry since the publication of the first edition, The Fiction Editor, the Novel, and the Novelist: A Book for Writers, Teachers, Publishers, and Anyone Else Devoted to Fiction is a no-nonsense guide to planning, writing, and revising a novel. Written by award-winning publisher Thomas McCormack, The Fiction Editor, the Novel, and the Novelist offers constructive advice for each step of the creative process, from how to structure a novel, choose characters, and drive the story, to identifying common flaws in narratives, and apply appropriate remedies. Written in an amiable tone, often using examples, hypothetical writing scenarios, or dialogue-style discourse between industry professionals to clarify its points, The Fiction Editor, the Novel, and the Novelist is a superb handbook for fiction writers but especially recommended for prospective and professional fiction editors.

Fiction Writer's Guidebook, The
Edwin Silberstang
Cardoza Publishing
132 Hastings St., Brooklyn, NY 11235
094068571X $12.95

Use this to learn how to write: it covers the art and practical craft of producing fiction, providing aspiring fiction writers with a wealth of insights on how to produce pieces which work. There are other writer's guides on the market, but this is more complete and user-friendly than much of the competition.

Fiction Writer's Workshop
Josip Novakovich
Story Press/Writer's Digest Press
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990
9781582975368, $16.99, www.fwpublications.com, 1-800-726-9966

The primary purpose and goal of a writer's workshop is to help writers improve their writing. Simply stated, but often quite difficulty to accomplish because like most things in life, writer workshops can be classified into one of three categories -- the good, the bad, and the mediocre. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, award-winning writer and teacher Josip Novakovich's "Fiction Writer's Workshop" is clearly one of the good ones in the form of a comprehensive instructional that covers every aspect of the art of fiction while providing aspiring and practicing writers with all the tools and techniques useful to developing the consistent, day-to-day discipline so fundamentally necessary for becoming a success professional at the literary craft. Offering more than one hundred writing exercises, with each exercise including a specific statement of purpose to guide the aspiring author through every step of the creative process, "Fiction Writer's Workshop" also provides self-critique questions with each exercise for assessing written works with an eye toward identifying weaknesses and strengths before moving on to the next lesson. Enhanced with the full text of eight acclaimed short stories complete with analysis and exercises suitable for modeling and the reinforcement of 'lessons learned', "Fiction Writer's Workshop" is appropriate for all fiction writers regardless of personal writing styles. Especially recommended for those aspiring to write publishable works of fiction, the "Fiction Writer's Workshop" should be considered indispensable reading for anyone who has every considered or attempted writing the kind of novels and short stories that would attract the attention of academia, the general populace, and generations of future readers yet unborn.

Fiction-Writing Modes
Mike Klaassen
www.mikeklaassen.com
Bookbaby
www.bookbaby.com
9781682221006 $19.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Most books about the craft of writing fiction explain a few fiction-writing modes, but none addresses or even identifies all eleven. Fiction-Writing Modes: Eleven Essential Tools for Bringing Your Story to Life is the most comprehensive and concise resource available anywhere regarding fiction-writing modes and the mechanics of presenting them. A mode is a particular manner of doing or expressing something. Eleven different modes comprise all written fiction. Fiction-Writing Modes offers beginning writers an invaluable foundation from which to build skills. This book can help experienced authors reach new levels of success. A better understanding of fiction-writing modes can help any writer understand why some writing works and why some does not.

Critique: Chapters cover a wide range of issues affecting the art of fiction writing, from how to make dialogue sound natural (and properly punctuate it), to using attributions to control rhythm and pace, to effectively using both action and dialogue to advance the plot, and much more. Fiction writers of all skill and experience levels will find these insights, copiously demonstrated with examples throughout, invaluable to refining their craft. Highly recommended!

The Fire in Fiction
Donald Maass
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media, Inc.
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236
9781582975061 $17.99 www.writersdigest.com

Literary agent and author Donald Maass presents The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose, and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great, a solid guide to enlivening one's writing. Especially promoting the power of tapping into one's own, most unforgettable life experiences, The Fire in Fiction is reader-friendly and covers everything from crafting characters with hopes and dreams that resonate with the reader, to the secrets of successful satire, to heightening tension in dialogue, action, or even exposition, and much more. A "must-have" resource for fiction writers of all skill and experience levels.

FLASH!: Writing the Very Short Story
John Dufresne
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393352351, $15.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

The history of fiction has been dominated by the novel and the short story. But now a brave new genre has emerged: very brief fiction. "FLASH!: Writing the Very Short Story" by John Dufresne (who is the author of ten previous books, including two fiction writing guides, as well as a professor in the MFA program at Florida International University) identifies the qualities that make for excellent flash fiction, demystifies the writing process, and guides writers by exercise and example through the world of the very short story. Dufresne's characteristic warmth, wit, and humor remind writers of the joy in the creative process, making "FLASH!: Writing the Very Short Story" a perfect and ideal guide for any writer interested in trying a new form. A unique and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "FLASH!: Writing the Very Short Story" should be considered a 'must read' by any writer seeking to master the literary art of this relatively new literary art form. While especially and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Writing & Literature instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "FLASH!: Writing the Very Short Story" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Flogging The Quill
Ray Rhamey
FtQ Press
845 SE Spring St., Pullman, WA 99163
9780578009353, $19.95, www.ftqpress.com

No sector of the publishing industry is as competitive as that of fiction. The competition facing any aspiring novelist is intense and only the best, most imaginative, and technically skilled will succeed. That's why 'how to' books like Ray Rhamey's "Flogging The Quill: Crafting A Novel That Sells" is such important, practical, and recommended reading for anyone who is seeking to establish a profitable career writing fiction, regardless of the genre they choose to specialize in. Drawing upon his years of experience as an author and editor, and as the creator of the 'litblog' 'Flogging the Quill' where writers from around the world can explore the craft of storytelling, Ray Rhamey has organized his instruction manual into seven major sections: Storytelling; Description; Dialogue; Technique; Words; Workouts; and Computer Tips. An invaluable compendium that is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Flogging The Quill" will prove to be an invaluable 'workshop in a book' for anyone seeking to hone their storytelling skills and produce novels that will be able to successfully compete for publication and sales.

Fluent Writing
Denise Leograndis
Heinemann Publishing
Box 6826, Portsmouth, NH 03802-6926
www.heinemann.com
0325008264 $22.00 1-800-225-5800

Fluent Writing: How To Teach The Art Of Pacing is a guide especially for elementary and grade school teachers about how to teach the skill and art of smoothly pacing one's writing. Chapters cover basic mechanical tool such as the using patterns of threes and how to use "ands and buts" without overdoing it; basic pacing lessons such as learning how to cut irrelevant material; advanced lessons such as how to properly structure paragraphs; and much more. Lessons are supplemented with examples, recommended reading, tips for evaluating student writing, and a wealth of insights. Fluent Writing is very enthusiastically recommended for writing teachers of both public and private schools, and for aspiring writers seeking to hone their craft.

For Those About To Write
Dave Bidini
Tundra Books
75 Sherbourne Street, 5th floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5A 2P9
9780887767692, $9.95 www.tundrabooks.com 1-800-788-1074

Very strongly recommended for both school and community library collections, "For Those About To Write: How I Learned to Love Books And Why I Had To Write Them" is the personal story of rock musician and sports enthusiast Dave Bidini's efforts as a writer whose first book, 'On a Cold Road' was published in 1998 and was about what it was like to tour Canada as part of a popular rock 'n' roll band called the 'Rheostatics'. Dave went on to write more books including 'Trop of Hockey' (2001) and 'Baseballissimo' (2004). Dave's anecdotal history of himself as a reader and a writer will admirably serve to introduce children ages 10 and older to what it is like to be a writer, how they can become writers themselves, and the values writing has both as a pastime and as a profession. Although specifically written to interest young readers in the world of writing and publishing, "For Those About To Write" will also prove to be a quick, interesting, and relevant read for adults of all ages who are themselves considering the writing of a book.

Forensic Speak
Jennifer Dornbush
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
9781615931316, $29.95, www.mwp.com

Forensic Speak: How to Write Realistic Crime Dramas comes from the author's real-life experiences growing up around death investigation, and covers the forensic science key to writing a crime drama for film or television audiences. Chapters pack in some 100 film and TV examples and provide keys to understanding the underlying forensics that make crime dramas more believable, offering screen writers a host of approaches that can be incorporated into writing. Writers must know the latest information on death investigation that will lend credibility to their crime drama, and Forensic Speak covers all the possibilities and basics, both for locating present-day resources and for adopting research patterns useful to future changes in crime investigation techniques. Any crime writer must consult this reference to create successful, believable dramas.

Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript
Cynthia Laufenberg
Writer's Digest Books/F&W Pub.
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.writersdigest.com
1582972907 $19.99 1-800-289-0963

Create appropriate, notable submissions for publication, from proposals and cover letters to complete manuscripts, using Cynthia Laufenberg's Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript, an invaluable informational guide for prospective authors seeking publication. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript is a 'must' for any writer aspiring to publication. Especially valuable are the tips on common mistakes made in the usual submission, whether it be the initial query letter or the completed work.

Forms Folds Sizes
Poppy Evans
Rockport Publishers
33 Commercial St., Gloucaster MA 01930
1592530540 $30.00 www.rockport.com

Any graphic designer working with forms and folds or the written word will find Poppy Evans' Forms Fold Sizes a 'must' for properly designing everything from brochures and envelopes to laying out the written word. Here are informed and informative discussions of type measures, postal standards, typography - virtually everything needed to graphically translate the written word properly, whether it be to page, envelope, or folder. Forms Folds Sizes is an essential guide and strongly recommended for professional and academic Graphic Arts collections, as well as the publisher reference resource shelf.

Forty-One False Starts
Janet Malcolm
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
18 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
9780374157692, $27.00, www.fsgbooks.com

The ignition to a tale can often not be what we expect. "Forty-One False Starts: Essays on Artists and Writers" discusses the figures behind the artist, the creative mind, as Janet Malcolm presents her serious of writings on these abstract thinkers. Discussing a wide array of figures such as Salinger, Stein, and countless others, Malcolm offers some very real wisdom about the world and shouldn't be overlooked. "Forty-One False Starts" is a must for collections studying artists and writers in the past hundred years.

Four By Four
Joyce Armstrong Carroll
Edward E. Wilson
Libraries Unlimited
c/o ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
www.abc-clio.com
9781598849509, $25.00, www.amazon.com

Most authors begin their writing careers while in school. Indeed, one of the primary purposes of public (and private) education is to teach students how to write effectively from crafting essays to creating reports. "Four by Four: Practical Methods for Writing Persuasively" is a 100-page instructional guide organized into four major sections devoted to historical influences with respect to writing persuasively; the basics of the persuasive essay; practical steps essential to writing effectively; and four cardinal patterns for teaching students to write persuasively. "Four by Four: Practical Methods for Writing Persuasively" should be considered mandatory reading for anyone charged with the responsibility of teaching students writing skills at any and all grade levels, as well as instructive value for anyone seeking to craft effective presentations utilizing the written word.

FranklinCovey Style Guide, fifth edition
Stephen R. Covey
FT Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780133090390, $49.99, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded fifth edition, "FranklinCovey Style Guide: For Business and Technical Communication" is a 448-page instructional compendium on creating and presenting written materials ranging from correspondence, to memos, resumes, meeting minutes, mission statements, reports, and more. Offering an alphabetically ordered extensive reference glossary from abbreviations to writing and revising, "Style Guide" is enhanced with an equally extensive section of 'Model Documents'. Informed, informative, and exceptionally 'user friendly', "Style Guide" is highly recommended as a curriculum textbook and would prove to be an invaluable instructional resource and reference for anyone having to communicate with words and images for any purpose or in any venue.

Free Fire Zone
Theresa Rebeck
Smith & Kraus Publishers
76 Aver Road, North Stratford, NH 03590
1575252406, $17.95 1-800-895-4331

Playwright Theresa Rebeck presents Free Fire Zone: A Playwright's Adventures on the Creative Battlefields of Film, TV and Theater, a tell-it-like-it-is guide for aspiring professional writers to the career politics inherent in writing for movies, television, and theater. Free Fire Zone also covers how to write a script with honesty, originality, and vision, but its unique strength lies in its insights for navigating Machiavellian power struggles, and the lies in all shapes and sizes that have practically become calling cards for the industry. "When a theater tells you that you have a home there, what they really mean is they want the right of first refusal on all your plays, and they don't want to have to pay you for it." "When it comes to talking to actors, let them figure out as much as they can on their own. It is always better to have an actor figure out what feels right for his character himself; it is never as good to tell him what he's playing." Free Fire Zone is highly recommended as a one-of-a-kind guide that anyone attempting to break into multimedia writing must read.

Freefall into Fiction: Finding Form
Barbara Turner-Vesselago
www.freefallwriting.com
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.jkp.com
9781785921728, $18.95, PB, 152pp, www.amazon.com

Barbara Turner-Vesselago is a published author who teaches Freefall Writing Workships (www.freefallwriting.com). Her first book, "Writing Without a Parachute: The Art of Freefall" (9781908363046, $9.99 Kindle), showed writers how to fall in love with writing. With "Freefall into Fiction: Finding Form" Barbara builds on her first 'how to' instructional guide and encourages writers to pursue their work with intention and without inhibition. "Freefall into Fiction: Finding Form" is specifically designed to help writers, step-by-step, to create publishable short stories, novels and memoirs by finding their own unique balance between the exploration offered by Freefall Writing and the requirements of each particular genre. "Freefall into Fiction: Finding Form" penetrates deep inside the writing process where that balancing act takes place. While unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists for aspiring authors seeking to improve their skills that "Freefall into Fiction: Finding Form" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

The Freelance Writer's Bible
David Trottier
Silman-James Press
1181 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, Ca 90210
1879505851, $19.95 www.amazon..com

David Trottier is a successful freelance writer and writing teacher who since 1998 has had hundreds of his articles published in magazines ranging from 'Writer's Digest' to 'Road and Track'. he has also authored several successful books (including "The Screenwriter's Bible"), written and sold several featured film scripts, worked as a business writer, copywriter, and newsletter editor. In "The Freelance Writer's Bible", David draws upon his considerable experience and expertise to create an invaluable compendium of information, advice, instruction, tips, techniques, illustrations, anecdotes, and more about just what aspiring writers seeking freelance careers must know and be able to do if they are to be successful in their chosen field. from discovering and developing a creative vision, to achieving higher and higher levels of creativity and improved writing excellent, to selling in seventeen key writing markets, to creating a strategic marketing plan, "The Freelance Writer's Bible" will prove to be a reliable instructional guide and 'user friendly' manual. Readers will learn how to set up a writing business, make that business profitable, deal with writing bocks, write effective query and proposal letters, enhance their writing income, and so much more. With a great deal of 'fill in the blank' forms, this must be considered something of a 'consumable' title and therefore not a good selection for a public library collection. But if you aspire to becoming a professional freelance writer, regardless of the genres or media you intend to work in, then you need to give a careful and personal reading to your very own copy of "The Freelance Writer's Bible" by David Trottier.

Freelance Writing For Hollywood
Scott Essman
Michael Wiese Productions
11288 Ventura Blvd., PMB 821, Studio City, CA 91604
0941188272 $19.95 www.mwp.com

Scott Essman draws upon his many years as a successful freelance screenwriter and independent film producer to show aspiring screen writers how to write, pitch their work to producers and studio production heads in Freelance Writing For Hollywood. This practical, informative, detailed "how to" guide covers all aspects of promoting a screenplay concept or script with a wealth of invaluable tips, ideas, advice, and techniques. Especially recommended reading for the novice and aspiring writer seeking to break into this highly competitive and demanding field, Freelance Writing For Hollywood will prove a seminal and core reference for anyone seeking to be successful writing for movie studios, independent producers, television, or adaptations from the stage.

A Friendly Guide to Writing & Ghostwriting
Andrea Cagan
Palmetto Publishing Group
https://www.palmettopublishinggroup.com
9781641115803, $25.99, HC, 220pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Most aspiring authors have experience having an intriguing idea for a book that has captured their imagination. A story or concept that follows them everywhere they go with an insistence that demands that they can't wait to get the words on the page.

But first, they have to learn how to turn that idea or concept into a finished manuscript ready for publication. In "A Friendly Guide to Writing & Ghostwriting", prolific author, editor, writing coach, Andrea Cagan, shows just how to transform our inner critic from (as she puts it) 'a demanding ogre into an encouraging fairy godmother'.

Cagan's thoroughly 'user friendly' approach teaching about writing and ghostwriting will help even the most novice of authors to dissolve the blocks to creativity and reveal the hidden gateways that exist beyond the words. "A Friendly Guide to Writing & Ghostwriting" shows, step-by-step, how to shorten the distance between the couch and the computer so aspiring authors can do the thing they want to do most -- write.

Whether engaged in journal writing, finding a way to begin a book, making our way through the halfway point, or searching for a great ending, when we see our words as tiles in the mosaic of our lives, we can unburden our hearts and get our authentic message onto the written page.

Critique: Deftly organized and presented in four major sections (Preparing to Write; Getting Down to Business; Ghostwriting & Collaborating; The Finishing Touches), "A Friendly Guide to Writing & Ghostwriting" will prove to be an immediately useful and enduringly practical instructional reference guide and manual for the novice author and the experienced writer alike. While especially and unreservedly recommended for professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Friendly Guide to Writing & Ghostwriting" is also available in a paperback edition (9781641115506, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).

Editorial Note: Andrea Cagan is an author and writing coach who has over a dozen bestsellers to her credit, many of them iconic celebrity memoirs. She has written her life story, "Memoirs of a Ghost: One Sheet Away," and is well known for her unique approach to making friends with the writing process.

From Book Signing To Best Seller
Jo Condrill & John B. Slack
GoalMinds
139 S. Beverly Drive, #222, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
0966141431 $14.95

Make sure your book is seen and sold by conducting book signings and tours through the aid of Jo Condrill and John Slack's From Book Signing To Best Seller, a effective, "user friendly" title which focuses on low-cost promotion options. From Book Signing To Best Seller is important for any author who wants high sales and good promotion: it covers everything from organizing a first-time event to using seminars to follow up, and is packed with practical insider advice. Highly recommended.

From Brainstorm to Bestseller
Marsha Haigh Arend
Rollaway Bay Publications, Inc.
6334 South Racine Circle, Centennial, Colorado 80111-6404
9780974317625, $9.95 www.rollawaybay.com

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.

From First Word To Last
Arlene F. Marks
Legacy Books Press
RPO Princess, Box 21031
445 princess Street
Kingston, ON, Canada, K7L 5P5
www.legacybookspress.com
9781927537053, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Thanks to the advances in desk-top publishing technology and the rise of the Publish On Demand (POD) companies, it has never been easier for an aspiring author to transform their novels from manuscripts into finished books reading for an (hopefully) appreciative readership. This has led to an explosion of novels by inexperienced writers with more enthusiasm than literary story telling skills. That's why "From First Word to Last: The Craft of Writing Popular Fiction" by Arlene F. Marks (a published author, editor, and teacher of literacy and writing) will prove to be an invaluable instruction manual for anyone seeking to craft a riveting tale filled with memorable characters, unexpected plot twists, and a narrative that will grip the reader's total attention from first page to last. Marks presents solid instruction, advice, and commentary on and about the mechanisms of popular fiction, establishing realistic settings, suspenseful plots, and characters that become real within the 'theatre of the mind' of the reader. Of special note is Mark's explanation of the 'mathematics of pacing'. Comprehensive and thoroughly 'user friendly', "From First Word to Last: The Craft of Writing Popular Fiction" is highly recommended for all novice authors and has a great deal of reference value for even the more experienced novelist.

From Hollywood Experts And Published Authors
Marilyn Peake, editor
Double Dragon Publishing
PO Box 54016, 1-5762 Highway 7 East, Markham, Ontario, Canada, L3P 7Y4
155404426X, $15.99 www.double-dragon-publishing.com

Compiled, organized and edited by author and columnist Marilyn Peake, "From Hollywood Experts And Published Authors: Words of Wisdom For Starving Artists " features commentaries and information contributed by a variety of authors to the free monthly online newsletter edited by Marilyn Peake -- 'The Golden Goblet' -- during its first year of publication, with some of the articles being especially written for this informed and informative little compendium of advice for writers. The contributors range from Natalie and Lincoln Bandlow on 'Literary Legalities: Copyright And Other Protections For Aspiring Writers'; to Michael J. Wallach's 'Oh, Those Managers And Agents...Can't Live With Them, Can't Live Without Them...'; to Patricia Harrington's 'Grants And Opportunities For Writers: Thinking Outside The Box', to succinct advisories from ten other savvy, experienced, articulate, knowledgeable writers. Each contributor is given a brief biographical introduction followed by their contribution. Useful, practical, and an easy read, "From Hollywood Experts And Published Authors" is strongly recommended for anyone aspiring to a career as a professional writer regardless of genre or media.

From the Errors of Others
Rebecca M. Lyles
Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.archwaypublishing.com
9781480828476, $42.95, HC, 394pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "From the Errors of Others: How to Avoid Embarrassing Mistakes in Writing and Speaking" is an informative collection of crisp, witty, and slyly informative essays for grownups with a sense of humor by technical writer and editor Rebecca M. Lyles. The focus is on communication including the good, the bad, and the patently bizarre. "From the Errors of Others" is as entertaining a read as it is informed and informative as aspiring writers and speakers learn how to: keep a professional tone; avoid awkward writing and speech habits; communicate clearly without being pretentious; detect deception; and use a writing comfort zone.

Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "From the Errors of Others: How to Avoid Embarrassing Mistakes in Writing and Speaking" is an extraordinary compendium of insight, experience, advice, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' commentary. While very highly recommended for community and academic library Writing & Speaking instructional and reference collections, it should be noted for students, aspiring writers, novice speakers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "From the Errors of Others" is also available in a paperback edition (9781480828469, $23.99) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).

The Frugal Editor, third edition
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Modern History Press
www.ModernHistoryPress.com
9781615996018, $41.95, HC, 296pp

https://www.amazon.com/Frugal-Editor-Do-Yourself-Secrets/dp/161599601X

Synopsis: Whether you are a new or experienced author, this updated and expanded third edition of "The Frugal Editor: Do-It-Yourself Editing Secrets-From Your Query Letters to Final Manuscript to the Marketing of Your New Bestseller" by veteran author, editor and book marketer Carolyn Howard-Johnson will dramatically assist aspiring and experienced authors to present whistle-clean copy from a one-page cover letter to their entire manuscript in ways that will convince those with the power to say "yea" or "nay" to their book.

This third edition of "The Frugal Editor", is part of Carolyn's multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of Books for writers and has been awarded accolades from Reader Views Literary Award, Dan Poynter's Global Ebook Award, the coveted Irwin Award, and many others. This fully updated edition includes the new help you need from managing gender pronouns to maximizing the usefulness of front and back matter. Altogether, "The Frugal Editor" now provides 50% more information designed for the success of an author's title.

Critique: Speaking as the editor-in-chief of the Midwest Book Review, one of the most common problems that self- published authors exhibit is a lack of much needed editing with respect to the books they present for me review and for sale to libraries and the general public.

While this newly revised and expanded third edition of "The Frugal Editor: Do-It-Yourself Editing Secrets-From Your Query Letters to Final Manuscript to the Marketing of Your New Bestseller" should be considered as mandatory reading for beginners, and even the more experienced authors will benefit substantially from the experience, expertise, wit and hard earned wisdom of writing and publishing expert Carolyn Howard-Johnson.

While also available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9781615996001, $26.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.95), "The Frugal Editor" is a seminal and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections and supplemental Writing/Publishing Workshop curriculum studies lists

Editorial Note: Carolyn Howard-Johnson (www.HowToDoItFrugally.com) was the youngest person ever hired as a staff writer for The Salt Lake Tribune where she wrote features for the society page and a column under the name of Debra Paige. That gave her insight into the needs of editors, the very people authors must work with to get free ink and the ones likely to spot unprofessional editing when they see it. Being familiar with the way news is handled helps her see how different books fit into different news cycles.

Later in New York, she was an editorial assistant at Good Housekeeping Magazine. In the Big Apple she also handled accounts for fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert who instituted the first Ten Best Dressed List. There she started writing media releases (then called press releases) for celebrity designers of the day including Pauline Trigere, Rudy Gernreich, and Christian Dior instead of being one of those dreaded gatekeepers of releases who get to say yay or nay.

Carolyn has worked as columnist, reviewer, and staff writer for the Pasadena Star-News, Home Decor Buyer, the Glendale News-Press (an affiliate of the LA Times), and others. She learned marketing skills both in college (University of Utah, and University of Southern California) and as founder and operator of a chain of retail stores. That molded her understanding of how authors might best collaborate with retailers to affect both of their bottom lines. Carolyn's experience in journalism and as a poet and author of fiction and nonfiction helped the multi award-winning author understand how different marketing techniques might be used for each genre.

She was an instructor for UCLA Extension's renowned Writers' Program for nearly a decade and earned an instructor's certificate from that school. She studied writing at Cambridge University, United Kingdom; Herzen University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Charles University in Prague.

Carolyn turned her knowledge toward helping other writers with her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Her marketing campaign for the first edition of this book won Reader Views Award, USA Book News Award, and the marketing campaign for it won the Next Generation Indie Award for marketing.

Gardner's Guide to Screenwriting
Marilyn Webber
GGC, Inc., Publishing
4602 John Hancock Court, #302, Annandale, VA 22003
0966107578 $24.95 GoGardner.com

Gardner's Guide To Screenwriting: The Writer's Road Map is designed specifically for those who have great script ideas for Hollywood films or television producers, but don't know how to set them down in appropriate formats. Marilyn Webber is an award winning author who writes professionally for both film and television. She shows how to develop marketable stories, create interesting characters, construct strong script structure, pen sharp dialogue, weave interesting themes, and write original scenarios. Gardner's Guide To Screenwriting: The Writer's Road Map is ideal for the novice and aspiring scriptwriter and holds much of value as a refresher for even the more experienced writer.

Gardner's Guide To TV Sitcom Writing
Marilyn Webber
GGC Publishing
5107 13th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
1589650166 $26.95 GoGardner.com

What elements differentiate the successful sitcom writer from the mundane? They know and practice the "Road Map" principles outlined in this book, on every script they produce. Beginners and some seasoned writers will find these "Writer's Road Map" guidelines essential for transforming a mundane idea to a great one. The basics of what makes an idea salable are covered through different styles of comedy, sitcom character types, and more. Gardner's Guide To Tv Sitcom Writing: The Writer's Road Map is an essential, core reference for any aspiring television sitcom writer.

Gender Bias in Mystery and Romance Novel Publishing
Anna Faktorovich
Anaphora Literary Press
1803 Treechills Parkway, Stone Mountain, GA 30088
http://anaphoraliterary.com
9781511888905, $20.00, 298pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Gender Bias in Mystery and Romance Novel Publishing: Mimicking Masculinity and Femininity" by Anna Faktorovich (Director and Founder of the Anaphora Literary Press) examines gender bias from the perspective of readers, writers and publishers, with a focus on the top two best-selling genres in modern fiction. It is a linguistic, literary stylistic, and structurally formalist analysis of the male and female "sentences" in the genres that have the greatest gender divide: romances and mysteries. The analysis will search for the historical roots that solidified what many think of today as a "natural" division. Virginia Woolf called it the fabricated "feminine sentence," and other linguists have also identified clear sex-preferential differences in Anglo-American, Swedish and French novels. Do female mystery writers adopt a masculine voice when they write mysteries? Are female-penned mysteries structurally or linguistically different from their male competitors', and vice versa among male romance writers? The first part can be used as a textbook for gender stylistics, as it provides an in-depth review of prior research. The second part is an analysis of the results of a survey on readers' perception of gender in passages from literature. The last part is a linguistic and structural analysis of actual statistical differences between the novels in the two genres, considering the impact of the author's gender.

Critique: Informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Gender Bias in Mystery and Romance Novel Publishing" is an inherently fascinating read which is strongly recommended to the attention of literary scholars and romance novel enthusiasts alike. Enhanced with the inclusion of a four page Glossary, a seven page listing of Works Cited, a seven page Index, and an eight page Appendix (Gender and Genre Survey), "Gender Bias in Mystery and Romance Novel Publishing" will prove of considerable interest to authors of romance fiction. "Gender Bias in Mystery and Romance Novel Publishing" is especially and highly recommended for academic library Literary Studies reference collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Gender Bias in Mystery and Romance Novel Publishing" is available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).

Get Paid To Write
Thomas A. Williams
Sentient Publications
1113 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
www.sentienpublications.com
1591810124 $18.95 1-303-443-2188

Thomas A. Williams' Get Paid To Write: The No-Nonsense Guide To Freelance Writing is part of the rather consistently impressive Sentient Publications "The Culture Tools Series". An extremely practical self-starter career guide packed with tips, tricks, and techniques for selling articles to magazines, newspapers, and websites, or even writing a book, Get Paid To Write covers everything from the basic facts of freelance to learning what magazine editors want just from reading a copy, using the query system to one's advantage, success secrets, getting an agent if needed, dealing with the possibility of idea theft, writing especially for business, building one's professional reputation, and much more. A highly recommended "must-have" for anyone contemplating a writing career.

Get Published! Get Produced!
Peter Miller
Lone Eagle Publishing Company
2337 Roscomare Road, Suite Nine, Los Angeles, CA 90077-1851
0943728738 $27.95 1-210-471-8066

Get Published! Get Produced! tells the reader precisely how to avoid being viewed as a neophyte in a business that is notorious for taking advantage of writers. Drawing on over 15 years experience as a literary agent, Peter Miller offers sound, practical, comprehensive advice on how to sell your unpublished fiction, how to structure a non-fiction book proposal, how to package your book so that it will become a feature film or a television production, how to market a screenplay, how to get an agent, tips on contract negotiation and more! Get Published! Get Produced! is a "reader friendly" compendium of the tips, tricks and techniques for what to do after your manuscript is done.

Get Your First Book Published
Jason Shinder
Career Press Inc.
Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
156414450X $15.99 1-800-227-3371

With the assistance of Amy Holman and Jeff Herman, Jason Shinder has created a superbly presented single-volume compendium of information and advice for writers seeking to break into print with Get Your First Book Published And Make It A Success. This collection of innovative tools, advice, resources, and real-life examples focuses on the needs of the first-time, hitherto unpublished authors and lists hundreds of awards and publishers targeted specifically to these aspiring writers. Each award listing includes deadlines, names of previous award winners, advice from directors, and more. Publisher listings include both small and large presses with a specific interest in publishing first time authors. There are also chapters devoted to making a first book a commercial success and resources, services and supports (including a listing for the Midwest Book Review) available to first-time authors in making their mark within the highly competitive world of publishing. If you are an aspiring writer seeking practical and effective information on becoming published, begin with a careful reading of Jason Shinder's Get Your First Book Published!

Getting Started As A Freelance Writer, expanded edition
Robert W. Bly
Sentient Publications
1113 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
www.sentientpublications.com
9781591810698, $19.95, www.amazon.com

The nice things about being a freelance writer include being your own boss, setting your own hours, picking out your own subject matter, seeing your name in print, and basically being in charge of what, when, where, why, and how you make money from your writing. The not-so-nice aspects of freelance writing include the massive competition you face when trying to solicit business, sell your work, and manage the business aspects of your do-it-yourself career. Now in a newly revised and significantly expanded edition, "Getting Started As A Freelance Writer" by Robert W. Bly (himself a professional writer with an average annual income of more than $600,00) who draws upon his more than 25 years of experience and expertise is an ideal instruction manual for anyone who aspires to a successful and profitable career as a freelance writer. Bly provides pertinent and reliable advice and instruction covering every aspect of freelance writing including where to find work, how to obtain paying assignments, how to negotiate fees and contracts to best effect, turning out saleable manuscripts, getting paid on time and in full, and so much more. Of special note and value are Bly's comments on getting started and avoiding common mistakes, writing and selling poetry, as well as the commercial sale of short stories, novels, and essays. "Getting Started As A Freelance Writer" is an ideal and invaluable 'how to' manual that should be considered mandatory reading for anyone who seeks to earn their living (full-time or part-time) through their writing.

Ghost-Writing For Fun & Profit
Eva Shaw, Ph.D.
Writeriffic Publishing Group
PO Box 524, Carlsbad, CA 92018
097057584X $12.95 www.writeriffic.com

Now in an expanded and updated second edition, Ghost-Writing For Fun & Profit by professional ghost writer Eva Shaw is a straightforward instructional guide to pursuing a financially rewarding career in ghostwriting (writing books for, and in collaboration with, someone else -- and not have your own name and contribution credited). Ghost-Writing For Fun & Profit covers how to attract clients, capture their styles of narration, negotiate legal matters, multi-task projects, creating and selling ghosted proposals and synopses, and a great deal more. An excellent guide filled with tips for success, Ghost-Writing For Fun & Profit is an essential reference for anyone wanting to engage in this specialized area of writing and publishing.

Girl in a Library
Kelly Chery
BkMk Press
5101 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110
9781886157668, $16.95, www.umkc.edu/bkmk

Writing is a key way of expressing oneself. "Girl in a Library: On Women Writers & the Writing Life" reflects on the writing life and how women's face unique and special challenges that women writers pursuing writing as a career, and the unique lifestyle that comes with this pursuit. Profound and poignant writing which has much for readers to read into and relate to, "Girl in a Library" is a worthwhile addition to any memoir collection focusing on the trade and life of writing.

The Glimmer Train
Susan Burmeister-Brown & Linda B. Swanson-Davies, editors
Writer's Digest Press
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990
9781582974477, $19.99 www.fwpublications.com 1-800-726-9966

Adroitly co-edited by Susan Burmeister-Brown and Linda B. Swanson-Davies, "The Glimmer Train: Guide To Writing Fiction - Inspiration And Discipline" is a compact, 444-page compendium of contributions by professional authors and writers on the subject of their personal and philosophical approaches to writing for a living. The second volume of the acclaimed 'Glimmer Train Guide to Writing Fiction' series from Writer's Digest Press, "Inspiration And Discipline" focuses upon the more private aspects of a writer's life including family, friends, the incorporation of autobiographical material into their literary work, the responsibilities associated with writing professionally, the artistic nature of a writer's vocation, and so much more. From dealing with writer's block, to writing as therapy, to how reading shapes writing,, "Inspiration And Discipline" is engaging and informative, as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. Anyone aspiring to write professionally should take the time to read (and re-read) "The Glimmer Train: Guide To Writing Fiction - Inspiration And Discipline".

The Global English Style Guide
John R. Kohl
SAS Publishing
SAS Campus Drive, Cary, NC 27513
9781599946573, $39.95, www.sas.com

Very few products stay in one country and be successful. "The Global English Style Guide: Writing Clear, Translatable Documentation for a Global Market" is a guide to writing technical manuals that translate easy across language barriers. Calling the style Global English, John R. Kohl states how to create something that avoids questionable words and translates most clearly and easily when a translator sets to work on it, saving time and costs. "The Global English Style Guide" is a must for any business expanding their products abroad.

Good Naked, revised and expanded edition
Joni B. Cole
https://www.jonibcole.com
University of New Mexico Press
1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
www.unmpress.com
9780826364364, $19.95, PB, 248pp

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Naked-Happier-Revised-Expanded/dp/0826364365

Synopsis: From veteran creative writing teacher and acclaimed author Joni B. Cole comes the revised and expanded edition of her popular writing guide "Good Naked: How to Write More, Write Better, and Be Happier. Revised and Expanded Edition".

Once again, Cole's humor and wisdom shine through as she debunks long-held misconceptions of how we're supposed to write, replacing them with advice that works. Feeling overwhelmed? Having trouble getting started or staying motivated? In this edition, Cole offers more stories, strategies, tips on craft, and exercises to serve new and seasoned writers from the first draft to the final edit. Writers will even find help making peace with rejection.

Admirers as well as newcomers to Cole's work will appreciate her uniquely cheerful approach, time tested to foster creativity and productivity. This generous and essential guide will provide a jump start to inspiration and a daily reminder of the meaning, humor, and happiness that can be discovered in a life devoted to writing life.

Critique: With a great deal of practical value for aspiring writers and seasoned authors alike, "Good Naked: How to Write More, Write Better, and Be Happier. Revised and Expanded Edition" is a complete course of instruction under one cover and is the next best thing to sitting front row in one of Joni Cole's creative writing workshops. Thoroughly 'writer friendly' in organization and presentation, "Good Naked: How to Write More, Write Better, and Be Happier. Revised and Expanded Edition" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing collections. An excellent textbook for Creative Writing classes, it should be note that "Good Naked: How to Write More, Write Better, and Be Happier. Revised and Expanded Edition" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Joni B. Cole teaches creative writing at her own Writer's Center in Vermont and as an independent workshop facilitator at Dartmouth College. She is a frequent teacher and speaker at academic programs, conferences, and social-service organizations across the country. Cole is the author of six books and a contributor to The Writer as well as the host of the podcast Author, Can I Ask You? She has a dedicated website at https://www.jonibcole.com

The Good of the Novel
Liam McIlvanney and Ray Ryan, editors
Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704
New York, NY 10038
9781441182876 $19.95 www.continuumbooks.com

The Good of the Novel is an anthology of specially commissioned essays by learned authors exploring the essence of a novel - what truly distinguishes this literary art form from drama or poetry? What invaluable lessons, emotions, and truths are best portrayed through the novel's format? And in the era of the Internet, when anyone with a keyboard can and will distribute their option, what is role is a literary critic to play? The specific works of notable authors are discussed at length, including "Atonement" by Ian McEwan, "Hotel du Lac" by Anita Brookner, "Intimacy" by Hanif Kureishi, and more. A thoughtful, honest, and strenuous critique of the literary medium itself as much as of individual novels, The Good of the Novel is an excellent choice for literary studies shelves, as well as a supplemental resource for aspiring writers seeking to better understand the gravitas of their craft.

Good Writing for Journalists
Angela Phillips
Sage Publications
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781412919173, $39.95 www.sagepub.com 1-800-818-7243

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.

Goodbye Gutenberg
Valerie Kirschenbaum
The Global Renaissance Society, LLC
111 Woodale Ave., Peekskill, NY 10566
www.goodbyegutenberg.com
0974575038 $47.95 1-800-266-5564

Goodbye Gutenberg: How A Bronx Teacher Defied 500 Years Of Tradition And Launched An Astonishing Renaissance is written and designed by a remarkable author who created her own font and enhanced her text and page layouts with 860 full color images (many never previously published in the United States). Funded in part by the International Reading Association and the Children for Children Fund, Goodbye Gutenberg presents a wealth of innovative new solutions designed to "get American reading against" -- especially young readers. Seven major sections comprising this remarkable and unique volume include Hello to a New Generation of Writers; Hello to a New Generation of Readers; Hello to a New Generation of Women; Beauty and the Book; Hello to a New Generation of Teachers; Hello to the Critics and Skeptics; and Goodbye Gutenberg (A Revaluation of Visual Values; Dawn of Designer Prose; The Visual Vernacular; The Old Way of Reading and the New; Terror in the Arts; And So Begin the Beautiful Books). Enhanced with footnotes, a bibliography, and a user friendly index, Goodbye Gutenburg is especially enthusiastically recommended reading for writers, publishers, educators, librarians, bibliophiles, and book reviewers!

The Grammar Bible
Michael Strumpf & Auriel Douglas
Knowledgeopolis
1902 Westwood Blvd., Suite 201, Los Angeles, CA 900254614
1891968009 $24.95 www.amazon.com

Collaboratively written by Michael Strumpf (Professor of English, Moorpark College and founder of "The National Grammar Hot Line" and West Coast editor and writer Auriel Douglas, The Grammar Bible: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Grammar But Didn't Know Who (Whom) To Ask is a thoroughly comprehensive, superbly presented reference and guide to the use of English grammar, designed and written to be accessible and "user friendly" for readers of all educational backgrounds and skill levels. From an in-depth tutorial to parts of speech to deconstructing sentences to rules of punctuation, The Grammar Bible is an exhaustive and authoritative linguistic rule book, written in a lively, appealing, easy-to-read style and is an especially recommended reference for writers.

The Grammar Detective
Gillian Hanson
Continuum
80 Maiden Lane #704, New York NY 10038
9780826498076, $14.95 www.continuum.com

THE GRAMMAR DETECTIVE: SOLVING THE MYSTERIES OF BASIC GRAMMAR offers up a series of short illustrated murder mysteries and exercises based on puzzles, from word searches to crosswords - to introduce and reinforce grammatical skills. From nouns to clauses and phrases, this covers punctuation and grammar and provides a fine method of either introducing English grammar or offering an easy refresher course for adults.

Grammar Essentials for Dummies
Geraldine Woods
Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46256
9780470618370, $9.99, www.wiley.com

Written by English teacher Geraldine Woods as part of the excellent "For Dummies" series of instructional books, Grammar Essentials for Dummies is a concise, easy-to-use guide to improving one's grammar whether for schoolwork, college application tests, resumes or business documents, or simply to communicate more effectively with friends, family and co-workers. Chapters explain grammar rules in plain terms, give examples of correct and incorrect usage, offer principles of punctuation, tips for common trouble issues and pitfalls, and more. Once again, the stellar "For Dummies" series goes beyond living up to its title - Grammar Essentials for Dummies is emphatically not just for "dummies", but also for writers of all skill and experience levels, whether they are novices seeking to improve their basic writing skills or professionals trying to apply just a little more polish to their final draft.

Grammar Nazis are Not Always Rite, Right, Write
Robert K. Swisher Jr.
Open Talon Press
www.swisherbooks.com
9780997909616, $12.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Grammar Nazis Are Not Always Rite, Right, Write" is based on a fiction writing course Robert K. Wisher Jr. (being an author for 45 years with 16 of novels having been published by traditional presses, 9 by independent presses) taught at a small university that repudiates, in both humorous and serious ways, what is considered by most writers to be proper and necessary for writing fiction. It should be clearly understood that "Grammar Nazis Are Not Always Rite, Right, Write" is not an instruction manual for good grammar. Rather it's intended purpose is to help aspiring and practicing writers to find their own individual creative path, get over any fear with respect to writing, and answer many questions that seem to haunt both novice and established writers when it comes to writing anything from a simple short story to the Great American Novel. "Grammar Nazis Are Not Always Rite, Right, Write" also explores many aspects of the modern writing business (both traditional and self-publishing).

Critique: The Midwest Book Review has previously given very positive reviews of several of author Robert Swisher's novels. Impressively informative, thoroughly entertaining, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Grammar Nazis Are Not Always Rite, Right, Write" will prove to have an exceptional practicality and enduring value for authors. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Grammar Nazis Are Not Always Rite, Right, Write" is also available in a digital book format ($3.99).

Grammar Sucks
Joanne Kimes 7 Gary Robert Muschla
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, 2nd floor, Avon, MA 02322
9781593376260, $12.95 www.adamsmedia.com 1-800-872-5627

One of the things that will pretty much guarantee a book's rejection by a reviewer is that it is poorly written. Flawed writing comes in the form of typos and errors of grammar. Written with both wit and wisdom, "Grammar Sucks: What To Do To Make Your Writing Much More Better" is the collaborative work of Joanne Kimes (writer for a number of children's and comedy television shows, as well as coauthor of "Pregnancy Sucks" and "Pregnancy Sucks For Men") and Gary Robert Muschla (an expert and published author of several titles on writing, grammar, and reading instruction). This thoroughly 'reader friendly' compendium of instruction, advice, tips, and basic information, will prove to be invaluable for any writer who pretty much ignored all of those highschool English classes, and now wishes they'd paid attention to all that stuff about dangling modifiers, proper sentence structure, and run-on paragraphs. A truly enjoyable and practical read, "Grammar Sucks" is especially recommended for the novice writer and self-published author who keep wondering why their manuscripts are rejected and/or their books are refused a positive review -- or any review at all.

The Great Grammar Book
Marsha Sramek
Arch Press LLC
27 Innsbrook Road, Asheville, NC 28804 USA
9780984115725, $24.95, www.thegreatgrammarbook.com

The Great Grammar Book is a top recommendation over other grammar books for several reasons: its format is nicely arranged and logical, grammatical rules are reinforced by over 2,000 sentences in over a hundred practice sessions, and the entire layout and presentation are designed to be entertaining as well as education - which means that information is more likely to be retained. It presents a detailed diagnostic test to identify the user's particular grammar problem areas, it explains only what's needed and avoids flooding readers with too much technical information, and it reinforces concepts with writing exercises designed to improve one's sentences. The result is a powerful and highly recommended pick for any seeking to improve their writing.

Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Modern History Press
https://www.modernhistorypress.com
c/o Loving Healing Press
5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
www.lovinghealing.com
9781615995257, $24.95, HC, 56pp

https://www.amazon.com/Carolyn-Howard-Johnson-dp-1615995250/dp/1615995250

Synopsis: In "Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Reference Guide for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy", book publicist, journalist, marketer, editor, and retailer, Carolyn Howard-Johnson picks the trip-you-up words that her clients struggle with and puts them in a quick reference guide light enough and small enough to be used as an quickie gift that the recipient can tuck into a glove compartment or purse to keep their homonym skills fresh and explains why following grammar rules assiduously isn't always the best choice for writers.

Critique: An absolute 'must' for aspiring authors seeking publication for their work, and having substantial value for even the more experienced writer, "Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Reference Guide for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy" is the ideal DIY instructional guide and 'how to' reference directly addressing the most common failing that authors (especially self-published authors) have -- an insufficient editing of their work.

Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Reference Guide for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Writing/Publishing collections. It should be noted that it is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781450507653, $6.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).

Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips For Writers
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
How To Do it Frugally Publishing
www.HowToDoItFrugally.com
9781450507653, $6.95, www.amazon.com

A successful author, editor, writing and publishing consultant, Carolyn Howard-Johnson draws upon her many years of experience and expertise to compile a 56-page compendium of 'user friendly' and immanently practical advice that will enable writers to avoid commonly encountered errors of spelling and thereby making their work, be it a blog, a letter, or the next Great American Novel, to be all that it should. From adapting/adopting to wreak/reek, "Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips For Writers" is highly recommended reading for anyone preparing to write pretty much anything -- and a fascinating read in its own right for those who appreciate word-play and the occasionally encountered dilemmas of the English language!

Growing Great Characters From the Ground Up
Martha Engber
Central Avenue Press
2132-A Central SE #144, Albuquerque, NM 87106
9780971534483, $13.95, www.centralavepress.com

A good story without good characters is an impossibility. Characters are the people that the audience relates to, that the audience connects with to get themselves involved in the story. "Growing Great Characters From the Ground Up: A Thorough Primer for Writers of Fiction and Nonfiction" is a guide for writers to develop these characters to be the best they can be, by evaluating the character piece by piece. To make them truly great, author and freelance writer says, a character needs to be consistent, believable, and admirable. "Growing Great Characters From the Ground Up: A Thorough Primer for Writers of Fiction and Nonfiction" is highly recommended for any aspiring writer to be and for community library writing/publishing shelves.

Guide To Argumentative Writing, A
Byron L. Stay
Greenhaven Press
PO Box 289009, San Diego, CA 92198
1565102940 $21.19

In A Guide To Argumentative Writing, Byron Stay (President of the National Writing Centers Association, associate professor and chair of the Rhetoric and Writing Department of Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and member of the editorial board on a number of professional writing journals draws upon his many years of experience to emphasize the role critical thinking and reading skills pay in the development and execution of persuasive writing. Professor Stay also introduces several effective methods to teach argument as a way of giving students and writers the freedom to find the system that works best for them, and to find ways of incorporating these systems into their writing and thinking. A Guide To Argumentative Writing is informative, illuminative, effective, "user friendly", and highly recommended reading for any writer seeking to successfully persuade or challenge his or her readership regardless of the subject, topic, or issue they are writing about.

The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction
Philip Athans
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, 2nd floor, Avon, MA 02322
9781440501456, $14.95, www.adamsmedia.com 1-800-872-5627

Featuring an introduction and an illustrative original story by acclaimed and popular fantasy writer R. A. Salvatore, The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction is a solid, user-friendly guide to creating vivid, enjoyable novels filled with lifelike characters and immersive worlds. Chapters offer tips, tricks, and techniques for smooth storytelling, constructing characters with internally consistent motives, world-building, overseeing details, narrative tone, and more. Of particular interest is the chapter with advice for those who are considering writing for a living: "If you want to be rich in a hurry, sell insurance... as far as being a novelist is concerned, you'll find that money comes slowly, rarely, and in small doses. Do this for everything but the money. Only if you're writing for the love of the game will you ever end up with a book that people respond to, and pay for." A pull-no-punches combination tutorial and source of inspiration, The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction is an absolute "must-have" for any aspiring writer - even those with interest in other genres will find a great deal of valuable advice!

Guide to Writing the Mystery Novel
Barbara Gregorich
Philbar Books
9781500714482 $14.00 www.barbaragregorich.com

Guide to Writing the Mystery Novel: Lots of Examples Plus Dead Bodies is an accessible primer for writers of all skill and experience levels. Although especially geared to the subtleties of mystery and crime writing, Guide to Writing the Mystery Novel is packed with tips, tricks, and techniques that any aspiring author will find invaluable. Chapters discuss setting the scene of the crime, casting suspicion and planting clues, handling subplots and plot complications, how to disguise motive/means/opportunity, when to introduce the villain, managing the flow of dialogue, and much more, with numerous, illuminating examples. "If you don't belong to a critique group, then you might consider asking friends and acquaintances to read your manuscript. But beware: if your story is being read by people who are uncritical in their judgement (and usually non-writers are uncritical about story, structure, and language), you won't get much help from these people. Chances are they want to please and will say they love your story. They aren't able to help you improve it." Especially recommended for first-time mystery writers!

The Half-Known World
Robert Boswell
Graywolf Press
2402 University Avenue, Suite 203, Saint Paul, MN 55114
9781555975043, $15.00, www.graywolfpress.org

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.

Handbook of Indexing Techniques, fifth edition
Linda K. Fetters
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573874618, $28.00, www.infotoday.com

Handbook of Indexing Techniques: A Guide for Beginning Indexers appears in its fifth updated edition to provide clear explanations of indexing techniques and examples of how to index different documents. From the new electronic documents and their requirements to imbedded indexing, ebook indexing, web indexing and more, this reference includes information on indexing seminars as well, and will especially interest occasional indexers who need more specifics on the process.

The Handy English Grammar Answer Book
Christine A. Hult, Ph.D.
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Road #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
9781578595204 $21.95 www.visibleinkpress.com

The Handy English Grammar Answer Book is a straightforward, accessible guide to the fundamental English grammar, including punctuation advice, insights into writing, analysis of the different parts of a sentence, organizing a well-argued essay, and much more. Created to be accessible to speakers and writers of all ages, The Handy English Grammar Answer Book is especially valuable for high school and college students, and professionals in almost all fields of work. In today's knowledge-based economy, more and more good-paying jobs require solid writing skills! Highly recommended for public and college library as well as personal reference collections.

HBR Guide to Better Business Writing
Bryan A. Garner
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way
Boston, MA 02163
9781422184035, $19.95, http://hbr.org/books

Good writing persuades and captivates, no matter its ultimate purpose. "HBR Guide to Better Business Writing" is an advisory guide for business writers who want to enhance their potential for business communications, as Bryan A. Garner elaborates on the importance of good writing in corporate writing, from within the company to the outside of the company. From catching the readers attention to driving a persuasive argument home, "HBR Guide to Better Business Writing" is an invaluable and very much recommended resource, not to be overlooked.

The Heart And Craft Of Lifestory Writing
Sharon M. Lippincott
Lighthouse Point Press
100 First Avenue, Suite 525, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
9780979299803, $16.95 www.lighthousepointpress.com

"The Heart And Craft Of Lifestory Writing: How To Transform Memories Into Meaningful Stories" by Sharon M. Lippincott is an expertly written, 'reader friendly', specialized instruction guide that is especially recommended reading for anyone aspiring to write their memoirs and autobiographies. It is also an excellent 'how to' reference for authors who are writing biographies based upon the reminiscences and anecdotal stories of their subjects and others such as family members, friends and associates. All the proper writing tools are covered, as well as such vitally important issues as clearly identifying the overall purpose of the life-story, a personal plan of action adapted to the writer's workstyle preference and personality, stimulating the recall of memories, editing, and preparing the final manuscript for publication. A superbly written, organized, and presented instructional manual, "The Heart And Craft Of Lifestory Writing" especially commended to the attention of anyone who would like to record their own life story for the benefit of their posterity, as well as the general reading public.

Heavy Words Lightly Thrown
Chris Roberts
Gotham Books/Penguin
375 Hudson Street, NY, NY 10014
1592401309 $20.00 www.penguin.com

Was Jack Horner a squatter? Why was Mary so contrary? And what made Gorgy Porgy run? The history beyond common nursery rhymes is covered in a lively survey of rhyme meaning and origins in Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind The Rhyme. Here are quirky tales and realities: once you read Heavy Words, you'll never look at Mother Goose quite the same way!

Hebrew Writers on Writing
Peter Cole, editor
Trinity University Press
One Trinity Place, San Antonio, Texas 78212-7200
9781595340528, $24.95 www.trinity.edu/tupress

Hebrew Writers on Writing is an anthology of tracts from a vast array of Hebrew writers, about the wonder of finding one's voice through writing, the spiritual dimensions of communication, the nuances of how language changes with time, the impact that modern technology and record keeping abilities have on the evolution of writing, and much more, all from a distinctly Jewish perspective. Each short piece is prefaced with a brief biography of the author. A deeply thought-provoking collection of reflections that amateur and professional writers alike are sure to find inspirational. "Hebrew, a synchronic language, holds certain precise ethical and philosophical value concepts that belong only to Hebrew and to Judaism that are really untranslatable. Such words cannot be learned simply as words, without their philosophical context. Some are whole teachings. Thus the concept teshuva (repentance) is not what we think of today as repentance, or more commonly, becoming religious. In Judaism it covers a process involving a complete change of personality - sometimes even a change of name, work, and address. This significance is all but lost in its modern usage." A welcome addition to Hebrew and Judaic Studies shelves, as well as being a worthy contribution to "The Writer's World" series.

Hinges
Grace Dane Mazur
AK Peters
5 Commonwealth Road, Suite 2C, Natick, MA 01760
9781568817156, $29.95, www.akpeters.com

What are the limits of our imagination? They exist, but can we even comprehend them? "Hinges: Meditation on the Portals of Imagination" is an analysis of the drive of the creative, that those who dare enter it and what spurs them to create and push forward their ideas to make the most of everything around them. Grace Dane Mazur, as she asks the questions of why, the many whys that surround us and tries to find some semblance of reason behind it all. "Hinges" is an utterly fascinating read that explores the mind and what pushes us to create when we're already facing so much.

The Hollywood Standard, third edition
Christopher Riley
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615933228, $29.95, PB, 220pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Standard-Complete-Authoritative-Script/dp/1615933220

Synopsis: Intended to be kept at a screenwriter's fingertips!

Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, "The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style" by professional script writer Christopher Riley provides what even the best script software cannot -- clear, concise instructions and hundreds of examples to take the guesswork out of a multitude of formatting questions that perplex even seasoned screenwriters.

"The Hollywood Standard" includes: When a new scene heading is appropriate and when it isn't; How to format shot headings, dialogue, direction and transitions; How to control pace with formatting; How to make a script page visually inviting to the reader; What to capitalize and why; How to get into and out of a POV shot; How to handle text messages and Zoom meetings; How Hollywood's most innovative screenwriters are pushing the boundaries of format; How format for animation differs from live action formats.

Critique: Simply put, Riley knows more about script format than anyone in Hollywood and shares it all in this indispensable guide for any aspiring script writer wanting their project to be picked up and produced. Comprehensive and thoroughly 'user friendly' in commentary, content, organization and presentation, this new third edition of "The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college and university library Screenwriting instructional reference collections.

Editorial Note: Christopher Riley is an American screenwriter whose first film, After The Truth, (a multiple-award-winning courtroom thriller) sparked international controversy when it was released in Germany in 1999. Other credits include 25 To Life, written for Touchstone Pictures, The Other White House, written for Sean Connery's Fountainbridge Films, Aces, written for Paramount Pictures and Emmy-winning producer Robert Cort, and an adaptation of the book Actual Innocence, for Mandalay Television Pictures and the Fox television network. Riley is also a 14-year veteran of the Warner Bros. script department, and from 2005 through 2008, served as director of the acclaimed Act One Writing Program in Hollywood. He executive produced the groundbreaking 2010 web series Bump+ and produced the 2013 feature film, Red Line. He teaches screenwriting at John Paul the Great Catholic University.

Hooking The Reader
Sharon Rendell-Smock
Morris Publishing
3212 East Hwy. 30, Kearney, NE 68847
http://www.rendell-smock.com/
0965498123 $11.95 1-321-777-2559

Hooking The Reader: Opening Lines That SELL by award winning author Sharon Rendell-Smock is a no nonsense compilation of literary tips, tricks, and techniques for hooking readers' attention, as provided and described by more than one hundred notable and successful authors ranging from Anne McCaffrey, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, and Larry Niven, to Poul Anderson, Gene Wolfe, and Greg Bear. From first-rate opening lines to ways to best sustain the reader's interest, Hooking The Reader is a veritable showcase of useful insights, information, tidbits, and examples -- and has the absolute highest recommendation for aspiring authors everywhere, regardless of their chosen genre or subject matter.

How I Did It: Establishing A Playwriting Career
Lawrence Harbison, editor
Applause Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9781480369634, $24.99, www.amazon.com

A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. These works may be written specifically to be performed by actors, or they may be closet dramas - simple literary works - written using dramatic forms, but not meant for performance. For more than 30 years, Lawrence Harbison was in charge of new play acquisition for Samuel French, Inc. He edits annual anthologies of best plays by new playwrights and women playwrights, best ten-minute plays, and monologues for men and for women. In "How I Did It: Establishing A Playwriting Career", Harbison draws upon his experience and expertise to provide aspiring playwrights with a thoroughly user friendly, 342 page instruction manual and guide in the form of Q&A interviews with thirty professional playwrights. The result is an informed and informative compendium that should be considered a "must read" by anyone contemplating becoming a successful playwright whether it be for film, stage, or television. "How I Did It: Establishing A Playwriting Career" is a critically important addition to community and academic library Writing/Publishing reference collections.

How To Be A... Writer
Barbara Baig
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
9781582978055 $16.99 www.fwpublications.com

How To Be A... Writer: Building Your Creative Skills Through Practice and Play is a self-training resource for writers of all skill and experience levels. Chapters offer useful exercises to encourage one's natural talents for communication, expression, memory, creativity, and characterization. Tips, tricks, and techniques for finding one's voice as a writer, getting obligatory projects done to free up time for the writing one wants to do, understanding the nature of the relationship between writer and reader, and more fill this handy and practical volume. An invaluable supplementary skill-improvement resource for writers everywhere, How To Be A... Writer is highly recommended.

How to Be Good with Words
Don LePan, Laura Buzzard, Maureen Okun
Broadview Press
c/o FedEx Trade Networks
555 Riverwalk Parkway, Tonawanda, NY 14150
www.broadviewpress.com
9781554813254, $14.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

In recent decades, the contested areas of English usage have grown both larger and more numerous. English speakers argue about whether we should say man or humanity, fisher or fisherman; whether we ought to speak of people as being disabled, or challenged, or differently abled; whether it is acceptable to say that's so gay. More generally, we ask, can we use language in ways that avoid giving expression to prejudices embedded within it? Can the words we use help us point a way towards a better world? Can we ask such questions with appropriate seriousness while remaining open-minded -- and while retaining our sense of humor? To all these questions "How to Be Good with Words" is a concise and user-friendly guide that definitively answers yes. The collaborative effort of Don LePan, Laura Buzzard, and Maureen Okun, "How to Be Good with Words" provides clear-headed discussions of many of the key issues including Class; Disability; Gender; Humans & Other Animals; Race; Relationship Status; Religion; Sexual Orientation; Political Controversies; Seriousness & Humor; Euphemism & Plain Speaking; and Political Correctness. Of special note is the inclusion of Bias-Free Vocabulary: A Short List. A unique, extraordinary, thoroughly 'user friendly' study, "How to Be Good with Words" should be considered a 'must read' for any and all aspiring writers, and a core addition to both community and academic library Writing/Publishing instructional resource collections.

How To Become A Fulltime Freelance Writer
Michael A. Banks
The Writer Books/Kalmbach Pub., dist.
PO Box 1612 , Waukesha, WI 53187
0871161974 $16.95 1-800-533-6644

How To Become A Fulltime Freelance Writer: A Practical Guide To Setting Up A Writing Business At Home by professional author Michael A. Banks is a straightforward and practical guide to earning a living by writing full-time. Individual chapters address the skills and character traits necessary to supporting oneself through writing, financial planning for writers, relationships with agents and editors, sources of extra income, and much, much more in this well-thought-out compendium that should be required reading for all aspiring writers who hope to establish themselves professionally.

How to Create a Million Dollar Speech
Judith Briles
MileHigh Press
http://www.milehighpress.com
9781885331953, $20.00, PB, 294pp

https://www.amazon.com/How-Create-Million-Dollar-Speech/dp/1885331959

Synopsis: These are the core reasons for a published author to also become a skilled public speaker: To change lives, sell truckloads of books, make money from speaker fees, go places you never thought you would, make a difference, and to have fun!

For authors, public speaking is the #1 way to sell thousands of books. As an author you have written a book, you know the content of that book, and you are passionate about that book's topic and message. Now it's up to you to share it -- especially to potential buyers of that book.

With the publication of " How to Create a Million Dollar Speech", Julie Briles (also widely known as 'The Book Shepherd', shows you: How to pitch to the decision-maker; How to move from "free" to "fee"; How to identify your key points and create stories to engage your audience.; How to hook an audience within the first few minutes of your presentation; How to create a closing that delivers the "buzz" factor; How to discover sponsors and secure them; How to market your speech to meeting planners.

Critique: Giving public speeches on the subject matter, genre, or information thematically relevant to their book is an often overlooked or under-appreciated source of revenue for self-published authors. For those authors (and any others) who feel they don't have the skills or expertise to speak publically I would bring "How to Create a Million Dollar Speech" by book marketing expert Judith Briles to their attention. Comprehensive and exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, this effective combination of instructional reference and 'how-to' manual will help the inexperienced public speaker to talk in front of an audience of any size from a handful in a bookstore signing event to an fully populated auditorium assembled for a convention or a regional event with poise, interest, and persuasion. While motivational, inspiring, and very highly recommended as essential for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Public Speaking and Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted that "How to Create a Million Dollar Speech" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: Dr. Judith Briles (https://thebookshepherd.com) is the founder of AuthorYOU.org and AuthorU.org, a membership organization designed for aspiring writers who want to be seriously successful. She is also the founder of the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame, a 501c3 that is dedicated to ensuring the legacies of Colorado connected authors.

How to Create Snappy Sassy Salty Success for Authors and Writers
Dr. Judith Briles
MileHighPress
https://thebookshepherd.com
9781885331984, $20.00, PB, 174pp

https://www.amazon.com/Create-Snappy-Success-Authors-Writers/dp/1885331983

Synopsis: Being a writer and trying to get published can (and often is) a lonely occupation. That's why "How to Create Snappy Sassy Salty Success for Authors and Writers" by Dr. Judith Briles (a successful author who is known throughout the publishing industry as 'The Book Shepherd" can be inspiring and useful in get an author through the inevitable 'writer's block', writer fatigue, or those isolation blues.

Briles' favorite advice over the years to her many author clients is repeated in "How to Create Snappy Sassy Salty Success for Authors and Writers" as it is comprised of some 400 of her favorite quotes that over the years she has created and shared with her clients and followers.

Divided into six sections, read them one at time and highlight what talks to or inspires you. Open it randomly or start at the beginning. This is a collection of quotes that writers and authors (and bibliophiles!) will go to over and over again.

Critique: A fun read that is also a seriously useful resource for inspiration, motivation, and encouragement, "How to Create Snappy Sassy Salty Success for Authors and Writers" by Dr. Judith Briles is an impressive compendium of memorable and thought-provoking quotations that is especially and unreservedly recommended for anyone aspiring to, or in the business of, writing for a living -- or are engaged in a writing project just for personal satisfaction. While also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.31), "How to Create Snappy Sassy Salty Success for Authors and Writers" fully lives up to the promise of its title and highly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Literary Humor and Writing/Publishing collections.

Editorial Note: Dr. Judith Briles (http://www.milehighpress.com) is the author of 43 books and known as The Book Shepherd, working with authors globally to create and publish books in all subject categories and genres. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Briles) A number of her titles have been previously reviewed and archived by the Midwest Book Review website at https://search.freefind.com/find.html?id=8779737&pid=r&mode=ALL&n=0&query=%22Judith+Briles%22

How To Do Local History
Gavin McLean
University of Otago Press
International Specialized Book Services (ISBS)
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
9781877372414, $24.95 www.isbs.com 1-800-944-6190

Written by Gavin McLean (senior historian at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage) and illustrated with a handful of black-and-white photographs, How To Do Local History is a step-by-step guide for would-be local history writers. From how to handle "difficult" or touchy issues in local history, to formulating the right questions to ask while doing research, to investigating both online and offline historical resources, and considerations to keep in mind when publishing - whether just publishing on a website or printing up a book - How To Do Local History is a seminal primer ideal for genealogists, church and institutional historians, thesis writers, and the people who commission them. "Develop an economical writing style in which you 1) tell the main story and ignore most of the historical sidetracks; and 2) cut the waffle. Compression requires self-discipline and hard work, but the results are worth it. Use your computer's word-counting tool... Rewriting is the key to successful writing. And the key to rewriting is reduction." Though written especially with a New Zealand audience in mind, How To Do Local History is packed cover-to-cover with practical tips, tricks, and techniques sure to prove useful regardless of the reader's background.

How to Draw a Novel
Martin Solares
Grove Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802159304, $15.99, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/How-to-Draw-a-Novel/dp/0802159303

Synopsis: "How to Draw a Novel" is composed of a series of finely wrought essays in which, Martin Solares examines the novel in all its forms, exploring the conventions of structure, the novel as a house that one must build brick by brick, and the objects and characters that build out the world of the novel in unique and complex ways.

With poetic, graceful prose, that reflects the power of fascination with literary fiction, Solares uses line drawings to realize the ebb and flow of the novel, with Moby Dick spiraling across the page while Dracula takes the form of an erratic heartbeat. A novelist, occasional scholar, and former acquiring editor in Mexican publishing, Solares breaks out of the Anglo-American dominated canon of many craft books, ranging across Latin and South America as well.

He also considers how writers invent (or discover) their characters, the importance of place (or not) in the novel, and the myriad of forms the novel may take. Solares' passion for the form is obvious, and his insights into the construction of the novel are as profound as they are accessible.

Critique: "How to Draw a Novel" by Martin Solares is preeminently book for writers, and an important, significant, and memorable contribution to the study of the craft storytelling for aspiring authors, literary academia, and dedicated bibliophiles. Ideal as a textbook for creative writing classes and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, organization and presentation, "How to Draw a Novel" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Writing/Publishing collections. It should be noted that "How to Draw a Novel" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Martin Solares is the author of the novels Don't Send Flowers and The Black Minutes, which was a finalist for France's most prestigious award for crime fiction, the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere, and for the distinguished Spanish-language award, the Romulo Gallegos Prize. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mart%C3%ADn_Solares)

How To Enter Screenplay Contests & Win!
Erik Joseph
Lone Eagle Publishing Company
2337 Roscomare Road, Suite 9, Los Angeles, CA 90077
http://www.loneeagle.com
0943728886 $16.95 1-310-471-8066

Erik Joseph coordinates one of the longest running screenplay competitions in the country and is the Assistant Director of the Nevada State Film Commission. He also teaches entertainment industry classes at various colleges and university and has had numerous screenplays optioned. Joseph is perfectly positioned to provide an insider's guide to selling screenplays to Hollywood. How To Enter Screenplay Contests And Win is essential reading for all aspiring screenwriters with its practical, comprehensive, easy-to-follow tips, tricks and techniques for winning a screenplay contest -- the most affordable way to get a screenplay noticed, optioned, sold, and produced!

How To Get Happily Published
Judith Appelbaum
HarperPrennial
0062735098 $14.95

In the twenty years since it first appeared, hundreds of thousands of writers (professionals as well as beginners) have read, followed, and benefited from Judith Appelbaum's How To Get Happily Published. This new edition adds material on making deals with publishers (and what's important), working with small publishers (and when that's preferable), capitalizing on contacts (and where to make them), deciding whether to self-publish (and how much that costs), using new electronic media (to publish; to get information, publicity, promotion and sales; and to connect with enthusiastic readers), and making your work sell better (whoever the publisher is). This classic, bestselling guide to getting published has been expanded to include hundreds of new resources: books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, groups, experts, and Internet sites (including the Midwest Book Review, page 208) covering every step of the publishing process. How To Get Happily Published is highly recommended for all aspiring writers wanting to break into print, all veteran authors wanting to enhance their continued success in the literary marketplace, and all publishers seeking to establish themselves in the literary community as a preferred resource for good authors and an enthusiastic, supportive reading public.

How to Make a Living Writing Articles for Newspapers, Magazines, and Online Sources
Wendy Vincent
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
9781601385673 $24.95 www.atlantic-pub.com

How to Make a Living Writing Articles for Newspapers, Magazines, and Online Sources: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Successful Freelance Writer in 30 Days lives up to its title as a "must-have" resource for any "writer with a day job" looking to make writing their full-time career. Chapters are filled with tips, tricks, and techniques for dedicating a workspace to the craft (and countering procrastination), marketing oneself, mastering the art of the query letter, targeting one's submissions, supplemental writing income sources (including corporate materials, contract books, travel writing, and more), how to ensure one gets paid, how to determine whether one needs an agent, and much more. "[Never trust] Agents asking for a retainer - Reputable agents are able to pay for their own expenses. They can determine whether a book is marketable and do not request up-front fees or retainers from a writer." Accessible, practical, and grounded in professional experience, How to Make a Living Writing Articles for Newspapers, Magazines, and Online Sources is highly recommended.

How To Make Money Scriptwriting
Julian Friedmann
Intellect Books/ISBS, dist.
5804 NE Hassalo St., Portland, OR 97213
184150002X $24.95 1-503-287-3093

Now in an updated and revised second edition, Julian Friedmann's How To Make Money Scriptwriting offers the aspiring scriptwriter with a "user friendly" guide to identifying what audiences want and understanding their emotional needs; developing ideas for film and television drama; writing successful treatments and step outlines; pitching ideas and scripts; handling development meetings; negotiating contracts; protecting ideas, treatments and scripts; and establishing copyright. A highly recommended and comprehensive introduction, How To Make Money Scriptwriting is a kind of "how to" course in every aspect of the script writing process under one cover.

How To Market Your Business With Little Or No Money!
T. Stephen Anderson
Business Success Publishing
226 Sutters Mill Rd., St. Peters MO 63376
0970232608 $24.95 Profit-Doctor.com

How To Market Your Business With Little Or No Money! is a little 63 page compendium packed solid with "tips, tricks and techniques" for conducting a profitable small business. From cover to cover, this little book (along with it's accompanying CD) is a superb "how to" guide to setting up a commercial website (for free); no-cost marketing products and services; acquiring the best software at the lowest prices, and no-cost marketing books and information. Invaluable for any small business entrepreneur or start-up dot.com manager, How To Market Your Business With Little Or No Money! is especially recommended to the small press publishing community and cash-strapped self-published author.

How To Plot Your Novel
Jean Saunders
Allison & Busby/International Publishers Marketing, dist.
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
0749003081 $14.95 1-703-661-1586 1-703-661-1501 (fax)

A well-plotted novel keeps the reader hooked from first page to last. In How To Plot Your Novel, Jean Saunders takes the aspiring novelist from the initial idea, developing it into a workable plot aimed at producing a page-turner book that the reader cannot resist. Saunders discusses every aspect of plotting a novel, from a sharp beginning right through to a satisfying ending. Characterization, background settings, pace, suspense, methodical construction, making use of library resources and other means of research are all dealt with in a clear, easy to understand manner. Saunders also shares the secrets to her own best-selling success (over 80 novels published to date) and explains the plotting tricks that will hook a publisher as well!

How To Price Graphic Design And DTP Services
Robert Brenner
Brenner Information Group
PO Box 721000, San Diego, CA 92172
1930199041 $34.95 1-800-811-4337

Now in a fully updated and expanded fifth edition, Robert Brenner's How To Price Graphic Design And DTP Services continues to be an invaluable guide for pricing desktop publishing and graphic design services. Brenner's 359-page compendium of strategies and tactics for maximizing profit in desktop publishing shows how to price a given publishing or design project by setting prices using sound business principles; allocating costs to the task level; developing baseline prices for any service activity; find break-even levels on each service provided; bid a flat rate on any project; determine the profit on any job; raise prices without losing customers; how to know when the price is right; how to use coupons, rebates, and discounts, how to counter cutthroat competitors; how to deal with bottom fishing price requests; tips and tricks to win and keep customers; estimating, bidding, and negotiating techniques; and when a job should be turned down. How To Price Graphic Design And DTP Services is enhanced with examples and sample forms making it an invaluable, "user friendly", money saving, and money making instruction guide for small businesses, graphic designers, and desktop publishers.

How To Sell Your Screenplay
Lydia Wilen & Joan Wilen
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
0757000029, $17.95 www.squareonepublishers.com 1-877-900-2665

Writing a screenplay for the movies or for television is only the beginning of the process. Once the script is written it must be pitched (sold) to a studio executive or a production company producer. Expertly co-authored by veteran script writers Lydia and Joan Wilen, "How To Sell Your Screenplay: A Realistic Guide To Getting A Television Or Film Deal" provides an informed and informative introduction to how the script writing business works, what the components of a professional-looking screenplay are, and how to format a script to make the best impression. "How To Sell Your Screenplay" then goes on to explain the role and importance of agent and managers, producers, lawyers, directors, and actors. Enhanced with the example of an effective query letter, "How To Sell Your Screenplay" also features the 'Square One System' for submitting scripts with a minimum of time, cost and effort, while achieving a maximum of success. Of special value is the up-to-date listing of resources, the advice for improving pitching skills, and avoiding common mistakes in pitching a script. Simply stated, "How To Sell Your Screenplay" should be considered 'must reading' for all aspiring script writers seeking to establish themselves professionally.

How To Start A Home-Based Writing Business
Lucy V. Parker
Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
0762706600 $18.95 1-800-962-0973

Now in a thoroughly updated and expanded third edition, Lucy Parker's How To Start A Home-Based Writing Business continues to offer a superbly presented, complete-in-one-volume manual on creating a professional writing career using the home as the basis of operation. IN addition to all the necessary tools and strategies for successfully launching and developing a home-based business, Parker provides tips on honing writing skills, buying the right computer equipment, getting clients and referrals, bidding competitively, establishing a daily schedule, getting paid, determining start-up costs, marketing services, charging for servings, writing a business plan, publicizing the business, and more. An invaluable, user-friendly, highly recommended "how to" guide designed specifically for freelance writers, How To Start A Home-Based Writing Business is enhanced with business-success worksheets, prospect-information forms, estimating forms, and software selection guidelines.

How To Start And Run A Writers' Critique Group
Carol J. Amato
Stargazer Publishing Company
P.O Box 77002, Corona, CA 92877-0100
0971375682 $14.95 1-800-606-7895

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 carefully planning 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.

How to Swat the Killer Bees Out of Your Writing
Nancy Owens Barnes
Rushing River
PO Box 95, Priest River, ID 83856
9780982390207, $8.95, www.rushriverpress.com

To Be, or not to be. The answer is not to be. "How to Swat the Killer Bes Out of Your Writing: Craft Your Passive Voice into Active Voice and Watch Your Writing Take Flight" is a guide to avoiding the nasty demon of amateur writers that is passive voice writing. Even the best story can be plagued with these mistakes, sabotaging one's work. "How to Swat the Killer Bes Out Your Writing" is a consideration for any aspiring author.

How to Tell a Story
Aristotle, author
Philip Freeman, translator
Princeton University Press
41 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
http://press.princeton.edu
9780691205274, $16.95, HC, 264pp

https://www.amazon.com/How-Tell-Story-Ancient-Storytelling/dp/0691205272

Synopsis: Handed down from ancient Greek literature, Aristotle's Poetics is arguably the most important book ever written for writers and readers of stories -- whether it be novels, short fiction, plays, screenplays, or nonfiction.

Aristotle (384-322 BC) was the first to identify the keys to plot, character, audience perception, tragic pleasure, and dozens of other critical points of good storytelling. Despite being written more than 2,000 years ago, the Poetics remains essential reading for anyone who wants to learn how to write a captivating story -- or understand how such stories work and achieve their psychological effects.

Yet for all its influence, the Poetics is too little read because it comes down to us in a form that is often difficult to follow, and even the best translations are geared more to specialists than to general readers who simply want to grasp Aristotle's profound and practical insights.

With the publication of "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" ably translated into English for an American readership by Philip Freeman contemporary and aspiring authors and readers are provided with the most readable translation of the Poetics ever yet produced, making it an indispensable handbook that is more accessible, engaging, and useful than ever before.

In addition to its inviting and reliable translation, a commentary on each section, and the original Greek on facing pages, this edition of "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" features unique bullet points, chapter headings, and section numbers to help guide readers through Aristotle's unmatched introduction to the art of writing and reading stories.

Critique: A complete course of Aristotelean instruction that is impressively 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" must be considered essential reading by anyone aspiring to write stories that would be successfully attractive to an author's intended audience. This splendid edition from the Princeton University Press is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Literary Studies collections and as a textbook for creative writing workshops curriculums. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, aspiring (and experienced) writers that "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note #1: Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Lyceum, the Peripatetic school of philosophy, and the Aristotelian tradition.

Editorial Note #2: Philip Freeman is the author of more than twenty books on the ancient world, including the Cicero translations How to Think about God, How to Be a Friend, How to Grow Old, and How to Run a Country (all from Princeton University Press). He also holds the Fletcher Jones Chair in Humanities at Pepperdine University.

How to Write a Book Proposal, fifth edition
Jody Rein & Michael Larsen
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.writersdigest.com
9781440348174, $19.99, PB, 328pp, www.amazon.com

Jody Rein, former executive editor with divisions of HarperCollins Publishers and Penguin Random House, is the founder of boutique literary agency Jody Rein Books, Inc., and respected publishing consulting and coaching firm Author Planet Consulting. Jody has represented, published and coached hundreds of authors through successful publication in every form, from e-books to international bestsellers to major motion pictures. Michael Larsen, co-director of the San Francisco Writers Conference and the San Francisco Writing for Change Conference, is the author or co-author of eleven books. He is an author coach and a former agent, having co-founded the Larsen-Pomada Literary Agency, which sold books to more than 100 publishers and imprints. Together they draw upon their years of experience and expertise to publish the updated and expanded fifth edition of "How to Write a Book Proposal: The Insider's Step-by-Step Guide to Proposals that Get You Published". Being a complete and comprehensive course of step-by-step instructions and impressively informative commentary, "How to Write a Book Proposal" is absolutely essential reading for any author wanting to 'turn pro' and make a living with what they write be it fiction, non-fiction, or a combination of both. Of special note are the four appendices (The Publishing Process; The Virtual Media Kit; Four Sample Proposals; Sample Proposals Index), a listing of Additional Resources, and a four page Index. Simply stated, no personal, professional, community, or academic library's Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections should be without a copy of this newly revised fifth edition of "How to Write a Book Proposal: The Insider's Step-by-Step Guide to Proposals that Get You Published".

How To Write A Children's Picture Book
Eve Heidi Bine-Stock
E & E Publishing
1001 Bridgeway, No. 227, Sausalito, CA 94965
3 Volumes, www.EandEGroup.com/Publishing

"How To Write A Children's Picture Book" is an impressive trilogy of instructional books by children's author and illustrator Eve Heidi Bine-Stock that provides other aspiring children's authors with sound, practical, time-tested advice on constructing a picturebook story for children that will hold their interest from beginning to end. Volume 1 is devoted to the structure of writing and draws examples from a series of popular and successful children's books that include 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', 'Where the Wild Things Are', 'Sylvester and the Magic Pebble', and several other children's stories. Applicable to both concept books and picture storybooks, "How To Write A Children's Picture Book: Structure" demonstrates and documents that being able to properly structure a story is the key to writing a picture book that will appeal to children preschool through first grade. Volume 2 focuses upon the use of words, sentences, scenes, and the story when developing a successful picturebook for children. Examples and illustrations are drawn from such picturebook favorites as 'Harry the Dirty Dog', Harold and the Purple Crayon', 'Frog and Toad Are Friends', and several other well known picturebooks, in order to help aspiring picturebook authors understand the critical role of word choice and storytelling strategies for a picturebook's appeal to its intended and age appropriate readership. Volume 3 explores the importance and usage of figures of speech when writing the text for a child's picturebook. Illustrative examples are taken from a series of successful picturebooks that include 'Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile', 'Where the Wild Things Are', 'Caps for Sale', and 'Fish is Fish'. The deft and careful inclusion of figures of speech are more that just the occasional use of similes, onomatopoeia, alliteration, hyperbole and personification. They are clever, subtle, sophisticated expressions that can make characters and stories truly memorable and raise the level of a good picturebook to the status of a great one – a picturebook that will endure in popularity through many generations of young readers. To each volume of this truly outstanding and unique series of 'how to' books specializing in the techniques of crafting picturebook stories, Eve Heidi Bine-Stock brings her own particular expertise in communicating her instructions, advice, recommendations, and observations, making "How To Write A Children's Picture Book: Structure" (0971989885, !8.95); "How To Write A Children's Picture Book: Word, Sentence, Scene, Story" (0974893323, $18.95; and "How To Write A Children's Picture Book: Figures of Speech" (097489334X, $14.95) an indispensable, unique, and enthusiastically recommended instructional reference set specifically intended for dedicated authors wanting to hone their craft in the deceptively demanding field of picturebooks for children.

How to Write a Lot
Paul J. Silvia
APA LifeTools
c/o American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433829734, $19.95, PB, 110pp, www.amazon.com

Everyone in academics need to write (and get what they write published), but many struggle to finish their dissertations, articles, books, or grant proposals. Writing is hard work and can be difficult to wedge into a frenetic academic schedule. How can academicians write while still having a life? Now in a newly published second edition "How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing", Paul Silvia (who is the Lucy Spinks Keker Excellence Professor, University of North Carolina - Greensboro) offers fresh advice to help anyone overcome barriers to writing and use their time more productively. After addressing some common excuses and bad habits, Professor Silvia provides practical strategies to motivate students, professors, researchers, and other academics to become better and more prolific writers. Professor Silvia draws from his own experience in psychology to explain how to write, submit, and revise academic work, from journal articles to books, all without sacrificing evenings, weekends, and vacations. The tips and strategies in this second edition of "How to Write a Lot" have been fully updated to apply to academic writing in most disciplines. Also new to this edition is a chapter on writing grant and fellowship proposals. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "How to Write a Lot" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Writing/Publishing collections. It should be noted for all members of the academic community, as well as anyone aspiring to writing a non-fiction article, study or book that "How to Write a Lot" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.78).

How to Write a Nonfiction Book in 60 Days
Paul Lima
Five Rivers Chapmanry
704 Queen Street, PO Box 293 Neustadt, ON Canada N0G 2M0
www.5rivers.org
9780973927849, $14.95 www.paullima.com

Professional writer and communications instructor Paul Lima presents an invaluable writing guide, reference, and aid for authors and aspiring authors of all skill and experience levels. "How to Write a Nonfiction Book in 60 Days" outlines how to apply desire, discipline, and dedication to creating a publishable nonfiction reference. "How to Write a Nonfiction Book in 60 Days" describes what to do during the first ten days of the process in-depth, from brainstorming and clustering to assessing the language skill of one's audience to documenting one's research, creating a logical flow, creating the outline, and much more. The rest of the sixty days is divided into focusing on the writing, and editing/polishing. A handy, practical, and methodical guide, invaluable to anyone seeking to organize, present, and publish their personal expertise, "How to Write a Nonfiction Book in 60 Days" is worthy of the highest recommendation.

How To Write A Nonfiction Book Proposal
Stephen Blake Mettee
Quill Driver Books
8386 North Madsen Avenue, Clovis, CA 93611
188495622X $12.95 1-800-497-4909

It matters not if an author has a great book idea: if he can't write a proposal to market the idea to a publisher, the idea may never see print. The book proposal is actually a sales piece - and in How To Write A Nonfiction Book Proposal, authors receive a concrete course on how to produce one through this guide, written by a seasoned editor.

How To Write A Romance For The New Markets...And Get Published!
Kathryn Falk
Genesis Press
315 Third Avenue North, Columbus, MO 39701
1885478461 $18.95 genesis-press.com

In How To Write A Romance For The New Markets...And Get Published!, Kathryn Falk draws upon her many years of experience and the expertise of hundreds of romance authors to provide aspiring writers with information, advice, and examples of how to get their romance writings polished and published. All the elements of writing romances are covered, along with a survey of the new markets in the romance genre including: African American; Time Travel; Christian; Multi-Cultural; Asian; Unusual heroines; humor; Hispanic/Latino; romantic suspense; magic; science fiction; fantasy; and erotic. The informative and comprehensive text is enhanced with a number of invaluable appendices including the Etiquette for Manuscript Submission; Romance Publishing Houses; Agents and Agencies; Romantic Times Magazine; Romantic Times Conventions and Lady Barrow Tours; and "Recommended Books". If you are an author seeking to succeed in the field of romance stories and novels, then begin with a thorough reading of Kathryn Falk's How To Write A Romance For The New Markets...And Get Published!

How To Write A Screenplay
Mark Evan Schwartz
The Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704, New York, NY 10038
9780826428172, $15.95 www.continuumbooks.com 1-800-561-7704

Now in a newly revised and significantly expanded edition, "How To Write A Screenplay" by Mark Evan Schwartz is an instructional manual specifically designed to teach aspiring screenwriters how to write a screenplay by reading one. This unique 'how to' guide is literally written and presented in the form of a screenplay. As well as the screenplay itself, Schwartz includes an instructive foreword explaining how to get the most out of the screenplay, the log line, the synopsis, character bios, the treatment, and 'The Pitch". As entertaining and engaging as it is informed and informative, "How To Write A Screenplay" is an impressive, 'reader friendly', professional, practical, instructive, superbly organized and presented 'how to' manual that is very strongly recommended reading for any and all aspiring playwrights and novice screenwriters.

How to Write a Screenplay in 10 Weeks
Marilyn Horowitz
Atlas Books
30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland, OH 44805
9780979908910, $49.95, www.atlasbooks.com

Speed is a rare quality in artists of any sort, especially writers - "How to Write a Screenplay in 10 Weeks: A Fast & Easy Toolbox for All Writers" is a guide to improving ones writing – and being much faster as they do it. A through and complete guide to writing a first draft in less than three months, complete with a formatting manual and a writing log, "How to Write a Screenplay in 10 Weeks: A Fast & Easy Toolbox for All Writers" is a must for any writer who really wants to kick it into high gear in getting their ideas down onto paper, and highly recommended to community library writing and publishing collections.

How To Write About The Media Today
Raul Damacio Tovares & Alla V. Tovares
Greenwood Press
c/o ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
www.abc-clio.com
9780313375194, $35.00, www.amazon.com

Mass media has become every more complex and fragmented with the advent of technological innovations, so that where once radio and television news were the main sources of information for the general public, now there is everything from cable news and social networks, to blogs and instant messaging. The latest addition to the outstanding 'Writing Today' series from Greenwood Press, "How To Write About The Media Today", the collaborative project of Raul D. Tovares (Associate Professor, Department of Communications, Trinity University, Washington, DC) and Alla V. Tovares (Assistant Professor, Department of English, Howard University, Washington, DC), is a comprehensive instructional manual and guide for aspiring writers for all of these media forms and formats and includes doing research, preparing reports and papers, making presentations, and more. From a step-by-step process for selecting topics to securing and utilizing information resources, "How To Write About The Media Today" is an ideal introduction for novice journalists, very highly recommended as a textbook for Journalism curriculums, and an invaluable reference for non-specialist general readers wanting to utilize internet opportunities for expressing their opinions and research on the social, cultural, political, and economic issues of the day.

How to Write & Publish a Scientific Paper, seventh edition
Robert A. Day & Barbara Gastel
ABC-CLIO
130 Cremona Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9780313931972, $29.95, www.abc-clio.com

You may have the best science, but there are hoops to jump through to get your work known. "How to Write & Publish a Scientific Paper" follows Robert A. Day & Barbara Gastel as they walks readers through the ins and outs of scientific paper publishing. A crucial step in a scientific career, Day & Gastel offer much wisdom in cutting through the red tape to avoid missteps, ethics, presenting your work, and the accepted scientific writing style. "How to Write & Publish a Scientific Paper" is a strongly recommended addition to any novice and aspiring person of science's personal library collection.

How to Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book
Cynthia Reeser
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
9781601384072 $24.95 www.atlantic-pub.com 1-800-814-1132

How to Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply literally lives up to its title. Chapters give an introduction and overview of the different branches of the children's book publishing industry (the better to understand the specific audience for one's book - both in terms of readership and prospective publishers), how to develop a story and writing style that keeps children's interest from beginning to end, tips and tricks for children's books illustrators, crash-courses in both professionally submitting one's work to publishers and self-publishing, networking suggestions, and much more. An absolute "must-read" for anyone interested in writing children's books. "Your projected cost for [self-publishing] a paperback edition falls in the $11,300 to $13,600 range. It will cost more if you want to publish a hardcover edition. This may sound like a lot of gloom and doom, but it is important that you are aware of the pitfalls, drawbacks, and benefits of each path to publication before committing your time and energy to any of them."

How To Write And Sell Great Short Stories
Linda M. James
Compass Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford
Hampshire, SO24 9JH, United Kingdom
9781846947162, $22.95, www.amazon.com

In "How To Write And Sell Great Short Stories", Linda M. James draws upon her many years of experience, expertise, and success as a published author to create a 211 page instructional compendium that covers ever element of a publishable short story. Ranging from the creation of memorable characters, to the importance of grammar, to 'showing vs. telling', to the role of research in writing, to common faults to avoid, to the art and craft of manuscript revision, the advice and commentary is unfailingly practical and 'user friendly'. Of special note are the concluding three chapters having to do with marketing the story, tips for writing stories that will stand out in the highly competitive field of publishing, as well as diverse and accessible writing outlets. Enhanced with the inclusion of three classic short story examples, a list of recommended readings, and some concluding remarks by Linda James, "How To Write And Sell Great Short Stories" is informed, informative, and strongly recommended reading by anyone aspiring to write in the short story format -- and have those stories published!

How To Write and Sell Historical Fiction
Persia Woolley
Writer's Digest Books/F&W Publ.
1507 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45207
1582970025 $12.99 1-800-289-0963

Accomplished author Persia Woolley covers every aspect of successfully writing an historical novel in her writing "how to" reference and instruction guide How To Write And Sell Historical Fiction. The aspiring author will learn how to choose a time period and a story that will interest publishers and captivate readers; give their fiction historical accuracy by drawing upon the resources of libraries, museums, historical societies, and on-site visits; create a compelling storytelling arc that crosses generations and multiple exotic locations; weave real historical events into a fictional story; develop characters who thoughts and actions are memorable and plausible within the context of history and the human experience; revise, polish and prepare a manuscript for publisher acceptance. Anyone aspiring to write a successful historical novel should first begin by a careful reading of Persia Woolley's How To Write And Sell Historical Fiction!

How to Write & Sell Simple Information for Fun and Profit, second edition
Robert W. Bly with Fred Gleeck
Quill Driver Books
www.quilldriverbooks.com
9781610359900, $18.95

https://www.amazon.com/Write-Simple-Information-Profit-Books/dp/1610359909

How to Write & Sell Simple Information for Fun and Profit: Your Guide to Writing and Publishing Books, e-books, Articles, Special Reports, Audios, Videos, Membership Sites, and Other How-To Content provides a new second edition of a how-to guide that's been updated for the modern online content market, including podcasts and YouTube channels. This update represents a significant addition of topics and social media approaches and analysis that sets this edition apart from anything else on the market and makes it a top examination of opportunities in various fields that writers can enter. The whole writer's marketing process receives a thorough coverage in a how-to guide that can't be beat.

How To Write and Sell Your Articles
Sylvania K. Burack, editor
The Writer, Inc., Publishers
120 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116-4615
0871161826 $8.95

How To Write And Sell Your Articles is an indispensable guidebook offering fifteen chapters by experienced and successful writers who will help the reader hone his or her craft and increase his or her article sales, whether new writer aspiring to break into print, or a seasoned professional. The subjects surveyed include Writing the Feature Article; The Writer's Craft; Give Readers What They Want and Need; How To Write a Winning Query Letter; Writing About Science; Writing True Crime Articles; Writing and Selling Travel Articles; Letter to a Young Article Writer; The Q's and A's Of Interviewing; Writing the Pro/Con Article; How To Write The How-to That Sells; Turning Personal Experiences into Salable Articles; Recycle Your Research - Rewrite, Revise, Reslant; How To Write a Better Op-Ed; and How To Write a Profile. How To Write And Sell Your Articles is a small compendium of some of the most useful, basic, applicable "how-to" advice available.

How To Write Books That Sell
L. Perry Wilbur & Jon Samsel
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St. #210, New York NY 10010
1581150067 $19.95

Now in an updated second edition, How To Write Books That Sell is a writer's reference that provides important inspiration to aspiring authors, with chapters covering not only the basics of building a strong fiction or nonfiction presentation, but achieving the ultimate goal of publication. From handling a publishing deal to producing innovative marketing strategies, this is a practical writer's guide.

How to Write Effective Business English
Fiona Talbot
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100, Philadelphia, PA 19102
www.koganpageusa.com
9780749455200, $22.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Fiona Talbot runs TQI Word Power Skills, a Business Writing Skills consulting company. She runs workshops and delivers individual coaching at all levels in all sizes of business. In addition to writing articles for Personnel Today, British Airways and CCF Magazine, she is the author of the Better English series, published by Kogan Page. She has an invaluable website www.wordpowerskills.com. In "How to Write Effective Business English: The Essential Toolkit for Composing Powerful Letters, E-mails and More, for Today's Business Needs" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to instruct the non-native reader how to create clear, concise messages and avoid verbosity. Assuming an intermediate knowledge of English, "How to Write Effective Business English" provides guidelines for further development, deals with real life scenarios and gives readers answers that even their bosses might not know. Focusing on emails, letters, resumes or job applications, "How to Write Effective Business English gives readers an easy system for writing clearly, quickly and easily. "How to Write Effective Business English" will also hold immense practical value to native English speakers who feel that their written business English needs practice. "How to Write Effective Business English" is very highly recommended for community and academic library instructional reference collections. For studies lists it should be noted that "How to Write Effective Business English" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.01).

How to Write Erotica
Rachel Kramer Russel
Cleis Press
101 Hudson Street, Suite 3705, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302
http://cleispress.com
9781627783194, $18.95, PB, 222pp

https://www.amazon.com/Write-Erotica-Rachel-Kramer-Bussel/dp/1627783199

Synopsis: Have you had intimate fantasies or simmering plotlines you've wanted to write but weren't sure how or where to start? With the publication of "How to Write Erotica", renowned erotica author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel shows the aspiring writer how to turn those fragments into fully fleshed out erotic stories, novellas and novels.

An indispensable nonfiction DIY craft guide to writing erotic short stories and novels, Bussel draws upon her 20+ years of experience in the genre and walks writers through the ins and outs of erotic writing. Whether you want to see your work on the shelves of bookstores, pen sexy stories or letters for a partner or simply explore your creativity, "How to Write Erotica" is a thorough instructional guide and 'how to' manual.

Having taught erotic writing workshops at universities, conferences and sex toy stores across the world and online, Bussel knows how to make even those who blush at the word "sex" feel comfortable putting pen to paper. Her easy-to-follow method to penning erotica is broken down utilizing helpful tactics that include: Practical examples from her own writing process; Illustrative erotica excerpts; Interviews with over a dozen successful erotica authors; Numerous writing tips and prompts.

Aspiring erotic authors of all genders will learn everything they need to know about gaining inspiration from their everyday surroundings, breaking into publishing, promoting their work and making a name for themselves. From pseudonyms to BDSM, overcoming writer's block and crafting sultry, believable characters, Bussel's advice will have you seeing erotic possibilities everywhere. You don't need an advanced degree, previous writing experience or sexual experience to write good erotica. All you need is a keen imagination and a willingness to follow your lusty mind wherever it takes you.

Critique: A seminal, unique, and expertly written writer's guide to a specific genre that has always been a lucrative market, "How To Write Erotica" is particularly recommended for aspiring writers working in both erotic and romantic fiction. While unreservedly recommended for personal and professional Writer Instructional Reference collections, it should be noted that "How To Write Erotica" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).

Editorial Note: Rachel Kramer Bussel (https://rachelkramerbussel.com) is the editor of over 70 anthologies featuring over 700 authors, including The Big Book of Orgasms and the Best Women's Erotica of the Year series. She writes widely about sex, dating, books and pop culture, and has contributed to over 100 erotica anthologies, including Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006. She teaches erotica writing workshops online and in person and consults with authors via EroticaWriting101.com. She can be followed on Twitter @raquelita. Her books have won the IPPY (Independent Publisher) Award for Erotica and the Samois Anthology Award from the National Leather Association-International and she is also the winner of the Living in Leather John Preston Award.

How To Write Fiction Like A Pro
Robert Newron Peck
Maupin Press
PO Box 90148, Gainsville FL, 32607
0929895851 $15.95 maupinhouse.com

A very highly recommended introduction to writing at a professional level, How To Write Fiction Like A Pro: A Simple-To-Savvy Toolkit For Aspiring Authors by Robert Newton Peck (the author of over sixty published books) is an quite innovative and thoroughly "user friendly" instructive guide for all novice writers seeking to properly and effectively write a successful work of commercially viable fiction. Introducing conceptual and creative tactics which Peck has previously employed with considerable success, How To Write Fiction Like A Pro has a light format which is easy-to-follow for even the most inexperienced novelist. How To Write Fiction Like A Pro is an excellent addition to the reference collections of all aspiring or working authors of fiction stories for its informed and informative content and intriguing comprehensive ideals. If you dream of one day writing the "great American novel", then begin with a quick and careful reading of Robert Peck's How To Write Fiction Like A Pro!

How To Write For A General Audience
Kathleen A. Kendall-Tackett
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
9780979212536, $19.95 www.apa.org/books 1-800-368-5777

Kathleen A. Kendall-Tackett is a health psychologist who has authored more than 130 articles or chapters. She has also authored or edited 15 books and serves on the editorial boards of 'Child Abuse & Neglect; 'the 'Journal of Child Sexual Abuse'; and the 'Journal of Human Lactation'. She draws upon her many years of experience and expertise in "How To Write For A General Audience: A Guide For Academics Who Want to Share Their Knowledge With The World And Have Fun Doing It". This superbly written instructional guide and reference is embedded with Kathleen's keen sense of humor and illustrative personal anecdotes, along with practical information on how academics in any of the sciences or disciplines can communicate their own expertise in articles or books with effective, jargon-free prose. "How To Write For A General Audience" covers such practical considerations as obtaining a publisher, pitching ideas, negotiation writing contracts, dealing with editors, and post-publication promotion. An ideal and thoroughly user friendly 'how to' instructional guide for academics and scientists aspiring to write and publish both within their fields and for the general public, "How To Write For A General Audience" is confidently recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library Writing & Publishing reference collections.

How to Write Heartfelt Letters to Treasure
Lynette M. Smith
All My Best
5852 Oak Meadow Drive, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
9780985800802, $19.99, www.goodwaystowrite.com

The majesty of the letter has faded much in past years, but that treasure can come back. "How to Write Heartfelt Letters to Treasure: For Special Occasions and Occasions Made Special" is a guide to making letter writing special for the modern day. With tips on making the content of the letter worthwhile, making it more than a piece of paper in an envelope, bringing an event together, and much more, "How to Write Heartfelt Letters to Treasure" is a fine collection of reference and advice, not to be missed.

How To Write Kids' Mysteries
Jeanne Lazo
Stargazer Publishing Company
PO Box 77002, Corona, CA 92877-0100
1933277009 $24.95 stargazerpub.com

How To Write Kids' Mysteries: A Guide For Teen And Adult Writers by author Jeanne Lazo is a practical how-to guide for writers specializing in the genre. Chapters address story preparation, secrets specific to mystery writing, a practical toolkit for writers (such as alternatives to the word "said"), further resources, sample exercises, excerpts from the author's book "If Looks Could Kill" to illustrate sample points, and more. Easy-to-grasp, How To Write Kids' Mysteries is especially intended for those who need to learn the mystery writing craft effectively in a minimum amount of time.

How To Write Killer Fiction
Carolyn Wheat
Perseverance/John Daniel
Box 21922, Santa Barbara, CA 93121
1880284626 $13.95 1-800-662-8351

Writing is about creating a memorable experience for the reader: it's a shame most writers haven't learned this art, but Wheat's intention is to identify the emotions a writer can foster in pursuit of this experience. Whether it's a mystery, novel, or a thriller, How To Write Killer Fiction tells how to create emotional excitement and how to craft a work of fiction to make it unforgettable. An essential guide.

How to Write Well
Tim De Lisle, author
Jolyon Connell, editor
Connell Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781911187905, $14.99, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Even in the age of computers and social media, writing matters. We all do it, admiring it when it's done well. It doesn't just express us; it represents us. We write to connect with other people -- to make them laugh, or cry, or think. We also write to work out what we think ourselves: there's nothing like it for concentrating the mind. So what's the secret of a stylish essay, or story, or email? How do you make your sentences sparkle? "How to Write Well is a slim volume by Tim De Lisle, a leading editor who is also a pop critic and sportswriter. In "How to Write Well" Tim shows how much fun can be enjoyed with the act of writing. Packed from cover to cover with good, simple advice that includes: be clear, be concise, be vivid, be organized, "How to Write Well" explains the secrets of good writing, and along the way showcases quotes for dozens of great lines ranging from the plays of Shakespeare to the journalism of Caitlin Moran. Very highly recommended for personal and community library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections, all aspiring writers would be well advised to spend a couple of hours with "How to Write Well". That way they will learn things that will help them in their literary work for years to come.

How To Write Your Own Life Story
Lois Daniel
Chicago Review Press
1556523181 $12.95

This fourth edition provides plenty of tips on writing an autobiography; from jogging memory and capturing stories on paper to enjoying other biographies and writings. Nonprofessional writers in particular will appreciate this classic guide to developing talent.

How Writing Works
Gloria Houston
Pearson/Allyn & Bacon
75 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116
www.ablongman.com/edresources
0205366767 $28.00 1-617-848-7320

How Writing Works: Imposing Organizational Structure Within The Writing Process by Gloria Houston is an excellent reference manual and self-teaching tool for developing concrete writing skills directly applicable to real-life needs and careers. From a straightforward discussion of narrative and descriptive structures; to cosmetic touches that optimize readability; to assessing one's own skill, and so much more, How Writing Works is thoroughly recommended for all aspiring or practicing writers striving to improve their craft.