Reviews (107)

Tools that really work!! Really!
I have to admit that when I ran across this book on a dreary day, I was hopeful yet very skeptical. Not to mention a great big scardy-cat! But I committed to following Peter's suggestions in this book. Low and behold, they worked. Really!
HE'S THE GREATEST
This book is wonderful. I was born with the talent and I enjoy writing, but there was just one thing missing...The Well-Fed Writer...Thanks Peter!!!

An upbeat, encouraging, in-depth guide
An upbeat, encouraging, in-depth guide to becoming a freelance copywriter. A good read whether you are just exploring the idea of going freelance or have been successfully self-employed for many years. Particularly insightful and realistic are Chapter 11: The Ebb & Flow of Work; Chapter 12: Clients and Other Fascinating Species, and Chapter 13: Dos, Don'ts, and Don't Forgets. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Business & Economics    3. Career/Job    4. Careers - General    5. Marketing    6. Publishing    7. Reference    8. Writing Skills   

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. General    4. Children's literature studies: general    5. Education / General    6. Philosophy of education    7. Serials, periodicals, abstracts, indexes    8. c 1700 to c 1800    9. c 1800 to c 1900   

Editorial Review

The bible on self-publishing.Highly recommended by virtually everyone in the industry -- even other authors of books on the subject (many of whom probably followed the advice in Poynter's previous 11 editions). ... Read more

Reviews (168)

Dan has done it again!
After receiving over 75 rejection letters from major publishers, I decided to launch a micro-publisher that would focus on cutting-edge leadership books. I began with my book "Leading People the Black Belt Way" and have several more books on the way in the near future. Dan Poynter's "Self Publishing Manual" has been invaluable in getting me started. I'm thrilled to read this new, updated version from the grandfather of self-publishing!
Everything You Need to Know to Self-Publish Your Own Book
This is a very informative book. I have written a nonfiction book that I was unable to get published. After reading this book, I have discovered how easy it is to publish my own book.
The Ultimate Self-Publishing Book
This is the most important self-publishing book you will ever read.Mr. Poynter has hit a grand-slam with this 15th edition of his classic book.The book provides valuable insight on many topics to include: writing your book, formatting your book, publishing your book, marketing your book and distribution.This book can potentially save you thousands of dollars and hours of time.I highly recommend it.
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Subjects:  1. Language    2. Language Arts & Disciplines    3. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    4. Publishing    5. Reference    6. Language Arts & Disciplines / Reference   

Reviews (1)

A good book for anyone in literary services
This is a good book for any author, publisher, or other book related professional. It gives invaluable information. However, this has a hefty price tag. Get it from the library instead. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Book Industry And Trade    2. Directories    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Publishing    6. Publishing Industry And Trade    7. Reference   

Reviews (4)

Rules that Rule
There's English and there's effective English.Roy Peter Clark knows the differences between the two and, luckily for us, he knows how to teach them to others.His fifty rules of better writing will help any writer at any level of their career.

Wonderful!
Roy Peter Clark's Writing Tools is to authors and journalists what Home Depot is to construction workers. Clark gives writers a fully stocked shed of clear, concise tips, strategies and guidelines to instantly help improve anyone's writing.
A new guide for an old craft
I am both a newspaperman and and an author. I have followed Roy Peter Clark's teachings for many years, so when this book came along -- comprising many of Clark's extraordinary Poynter essays -- I snapped it up, and am glad I did.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. English language    4. Grammar    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Reference    9. Rhetoric    10. Rhetoric (General)    11. Writing Skills    12. Creative writing guides    13. English    14. Reference / Writing Skills    15. Reference works   

Reviews (24)

Great book
This provides a lot of important information for people who want to get published in the poetry market!

who knew he was right?
i was introduced to this book by Mangrove editor Neil de la Flor, who at the time was my instructor in a poetry class. he told me if i want to get published or become familiar with the community of poets i should look into this book. i did not buy the book. then Maureen Seaton, a published poet and my advisor, told me about Poet's Market. alright, still did not buy it. this semester i was buying textbooks and had some money leftover, i was going to spend it on junk i did not need but then saw Poet's Market on display at my university bookstore. wow, what a great book. it's basically the yellowpages for publishing houses. this is a definitive guide/resource/phonebook/whatever for getting into the realm of becoming a poet. it is alphabetized for simplicity and then there is an index that allows you locate publishing houses by category and topic.
My Bible to getting published---
I could not go a year without this useful tool. I am new to writing poetry, but I have been published now with the help of Poet`s Market, with their advice and numerous submission listings. I`ve never had a writing class or attended a workshop about poetry, but if I had to recommmend one book to get you started without any formal training, this would be the one. Well, worth the investment. Stop throwing your money away on dozens of magazine subscriptions just to get some publishing leads. Poet`s Market will help to direct you to the ones geared to your style of writing:) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Directories    2. General    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Marketing    7. Poetry    8. Publishers and publishing    9. Publishing    10. Publishing Guides    11. English    12. Literary & Linguistic Reference Works    13. Publishing industry    14. Reference works   

Subjects:  1. Bibliography    2. Costume    3. Masks    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts/Dance    6. Plays / Drama    7. Theater - General    8. Theater - Stagecraft    9. Theatrical Costume    10. Theatrical Makeup    11. 20th century    12. Bibliographies, catalogues, discographies    13. Performing Arts / Reference    14. Wardrobe & makeup    15. c 1700 to c 1800    16. c 1800 to c 1900   

Editorial Review

Even in 1934, Dorothea Brande knew that most writers didn't need another book on "technique" -- and this, before so many more would be published.No, she realized, as John Gardner notes in his foreword, "the root problems of the writer are personality problems," and thus her wise book is designed to simply help you get over yourself and start writing, with techniques ranging from a simple declaration to write every day at a fixed time -- no matter what -- to exercises that come close to inventing the TM and self-actualization movements that would follow a few decades later. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

This book turned me into a writer
There's a reason this book has been in print since 1934. It's a classic. It's the book that turned me into a writer, actually. (I've had 11 books and more than 350 articles published since I read this book.) You will have to overlook some of the language that does make it seem dated, but if you follow her suggestions, you will learn how to work with the creative process. This is the book that spawned a whole genre of books on becoming a writer, perhaps including Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, which I also love. But Brande's book is simpler, and a good place to start. Be forewarned: You must actually do the exercises Brande suggessts to get anything out of this book. If you do, you will see fruit.

Oldie But Goodie
Brande's book helped pioneer the contemporary monster genre of books on the writing life. "Writing Down the Bones," "Bird By Bird," etc. and etc. and etc. all have roots meandering back to this classic. Personally, I prefer some of its heirs, but many name writers have paid it homage. In it you'll discover that the idea of writing "morning pages" to kick-start the habit of scribbling wasn't original with Julia Cameron of "Creative Way" and its sequels fame; and Brande prefigures the right brain/left brain dynamic, too. I could live without her Freudian schmutz, but the book's original publication date, 1934, explains its presence. All in all, if you're a person who reads writing books regularly--to inspire, to goad, to learn, to dream--you'll no doubt want "Becoming a Writer" in your library.

From Archaic to Modern in One Short Period
Ironic that this book came out in the same year, 1934, as James M. Cain's breakout novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice.Cain's charge was the launching pad for hard-bitten, tell-it-like-it-is, choppy dialogue, a style that is still much in vogue today.#####Although Brande's style is distinctly that of another period, which unlike Cain's did not carry through to our present day, it nonetheless retains a certain charm which should be forever recognized.Her intermixture of pathos and purity side-by-side with an indefinable restlessness--a never-say-die pursuit of truth--is indeed endearing.What I liked best about this book is its in-depth probing of rest / work balance, an aspect of writing seldom examined. In my writing career, on the work side of the equation, I found that chewing on a narrative problem late at night, right into the alpha state of sleep, would produce answers first thing in the morning upon awakening.So often I would scramble out of bed and hasten to my old IBM Selectric typewriter to immediately get down on paper, pound into print, those wonderful ideas and phrases that came together in my head overnight.#####Many of the thoughts so eloquently expressed in this book, outdated as they are, should come through like a telepathic echo. To any young writer still at the front end of his / her writing career they should appear like a down payment on a dream. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    3. Composition & Creative Writing - General    4. Fiction    5. General    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Psychology    9. Publishing    10. Technique    11. Creative writing guides   

Reviews (3)

Probably one of the best books I have ever read
This is arguably one of the best books that I have read.Almost everything relevant to finance and investments is covered in this book, including a good historical discussion of the theories of investment.In addition, Mark Rubinstein has a very clear and simple writing style that transforms complex concepts into words.The proofs are done in a fashion that most readers can understand, and the sections are divided up in easy to break-up sections.This is definitely a must read for any serious student of finance.All of the seminal work in finance is discussed in this text, and this can be used as a guide to asset pricing, corporate finance, investments, and other finance courses.In fact, I would have used this as a supplement to reading journal articles if it were available in the past.

Rubinstein has done it agian!
This book is excellent; it gives a new insight in the history of discoveries in financial economics like no other book. The book is nicely organized with a very useful "Index of Ideas".
Stunning, Imaginative, Accurate
Mark Rubinstein is a man who likes to think for himself, which is a good thing for the rest of us. Most readers will be familiar with Mark's contributions to financial economics primarily through his co-authorship, with John Cox and Steve Ross, of the binomial options pricing model - no mean feat, that.But his interests and contributions are far more broad.My personal favorite paper of Mark's is his relatively overlooked "The Strong Case for the Generalized Logarithmic Utility Model as the Premier Model of Financial Markets" [GLUM], published in 1977 as the second chapter of Haim Levy and Marshall Sarnatt's "Financial Decision Making under Uncertainty" (Academic Press New York 1977); this is a wonderful model which places restrictions on tastes a la Arrow, Debreau, Hirshleifer, Cass, Stiglitz , Hakansson, Kraus, Grauer and Litzenberger, rather than placing restrictions on beliefs as in the more conventional models commonly understood to represent "Modern Portfolio Theory", i.e., Markowitz, Sharpe, Treynor, Lintner, Mossin, Fama, Jensen, Black, Scholes and Merton.In the 1977 GLUM paper, Rubinstein notes that the latter, MPT-type, models are not necessarily superior to the former type and chalks their popularity up to historical happenstance and ideological path-dependence: "Men were not lacking in evidence, but inherited habits of thought, which often extended beyond science proper to a worldview, [and] caused them to cling stubbornly to superannuated ideas."
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Subjects:  1. Abstracts    2. Bibliographies & Indexes    3. Business & Economics    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Business Mathematics    6. Business/Economics    7. Finance    8. Investments    9. Investments & Securities - General    10. Mathematical models    11. Bibliographies, catalogues, discographies    12. Business & Economics / Finance    13. Investment & securities   

Reviews (7)

Writing for Magazines
I thought the author of the book is very direct on how to write for magazines. In addition the book is inspiring.

Cheryl knows her stuff
I took a workshop that Cheryl taught a few weeks ago, and she really knows her stuff.I left highly motivated.Definitely pick up this book!

Covers everything for beginning writers
I found this book to be extremely helpful & appreciate the way the author so obviously cares about helping the reader to be successful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Newspapers/Magazines    3. Feature writing    4. Journalism    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Literary Criticism    7. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (3)

A Classic That Is Better Than Ever!
Let me tell you, I work in publishing and know many colleagues who buy this book every year to update their rolodexes. Publishing changes quickly and no one wants to send a polished query, proposal, or manuscript to an empty desk. This really is the ultimate insider's guide. Jeff Herman is highly respected in publishing and works hard to put together the most useful and knowlegdeable guide for writers--that editors and agents use it to keep up with the industry is a plus. Plus he's a pretty nice guy and has great advice for writers--with his trademark quirky humor peppered throughout the book. This book is the best writer's guide out there and this new 2007 edition, which I've already seen, is better than ever with more information, more publishers, and a big fat index.

THIS EDITION HAS AN INDEX
This new edition (2007, #17)has an excellent index. The previous edition (2006, #16) did not have an index. Complaints about a missing index are only referring to last year's edition, not this new edition.

no index? no thanks
I've bought previous editions of this book. As of the last edition, Herman is no long providing an index. The book is very well written, but without an index, it's almost useless to me, because I search for publishers by subject area. If you don't need to search that way, then that won't be a problem for you. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. General    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Publishing    7. Publishing Guides   

Editorial Review

For many years, Lajos Egri's highly opinionated but very enjoyable Read more

Reviews (28)

An excellent guide for any writer
The book is beautifully written in a style that makes you feel that the author wants you to succeed.Many books on writing seem more concerned with why the author himself/herself believes he/she is a great writer.This book is an actual guide for writing.Lajos Egri has a love for building memorable characters and through the use of examples and Q/A sessions, he teaches the craft.If you want to write, this book is a must.

A School In A Book For Writers
I'd reccomend that writers read this book and take notes and/or mark it up with a highlighter. Nuggets and chunks of information are scattered throughout.
The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri
This work offers some very good insight into preparing the dramatic work and is a must read for the serious student and learned writer.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Drama    4. General    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Performing Arts    8. Publishing    9. Technique    10. Theater - Playwriting    11. Writing Skills    12. Creative writing guides    13. Language Arts & Disciplines / General    14. Plays & playwrights    15. Reference works   

Reviews (8)

Daniels' standard work much improved
It's going to be hard to get used to using this very different-looking edition of a standard reference work for music librarians.That said, the new edition is an improvement in every way.Notation especially is much clearer.Errata have been corrected. Format is improved, and there's additional information.In my opinion, it's well worth buying this new edition, despite the price tag.

Orchestra Music a Handbook
Orchestral Music a Handbook compiled by David Daniels is an outstanding resource for any serious conductor.While it does omit some important items in the repertoire for chorus and orchestra, it is none the less an extremely valuable tool for basic information to assist with programing.

Great resource
Great collection of tips and techniques.
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Subjects:  1. Bibliographies & Indexes    2. Bibliography    3. Music    4. Music/Songbooks    5. Musical Instruments - General    6. Orchestral music    7. Reference    8. Music / Reference   

Reviews (32)

Very helpful for both newbies and veterans
I agree with the general assessment of reviewers that this is a very helpful and well-written guide to classical music. But I disagree with several reviewers' criticisms. To begin with, to those who say this book is only for newcomers to classical music, I would argue that Libbey writes so entertainingly, and with such a good blend of human interest stories and technical information, that this guide would be useful and fun for almost anyone. I think it also has a sensible balance between space given to the music and space given to discussions of recommended recordings. To those who don't like the organization of the book, and say for instance that all the works of each composer should be put together, I would argue that that is subjective, and that some people including myself would prefer to read about each category of music (orchestral, chamber, concertos, etc.), as Libbey has arranged it. To one reviewer who complained about the short length of the final sections on solo keyboard, choral, and opera, the subtitle of the book is "The 350 Essential Works," so Libbey's choices would certainly provide a good core collection, which is the intent of the book. Also, unlike some people, I never have had trouble in finding a given piece of music in here, especially since the index lists composers, their works, and performers too. And although I admit that I have not heard a huge number of different recordings of most pieces of classical music, I have so far found Libbey's recommendations to be judicious and not eccentric. Thus, I'm quite baffled at most of the criticisms that I've seen of this book, and I have spent many enjoyable hours reading it. I own several dozen books about classical music, and this one is in the top ten. However, I do think it's time for a third edition, in light of the many new recordings that have come out since 1999.

Succeeds beautifully.
Libbey's guide will get you started without trial and error. Occasionally the specific recording recommended is difficult to find (exact orchestra and composer) but this is the way to build a collection. The background information on composers and works is engaging and provides great context for enjoying the music.

Good Resource for Classical Newbies
I would recommend this as a good introduction to Classical Music for those that are not sure what area of the music they would like, be it instrumentation, composer or period, and don't have the time to spend hours listening to it to find out.
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Subjects:  1. Capsule Recordings Reviews    2. Compact discs    3. Discography    4. Discography & Buyer's Guides    5. Genres & Styles - Classical    6. Music    7. Music/Songbooks    8. Reviews    9. Acquisitions & collection development    10. Classical music (c 1750 to c 1830)    11. MUSIC / Genres & Styles / Classical    12. Music / Discography & Buyer's Guides    13. Musical scores, lyrics & libretti    14. Reference works   

Editorial Review

John Kremer's home might be nestled in Iowa cornfields, but his advice on book marketing comes straight from publishing's epicenter. Read more

Reviews (64)

Educating the writer
John's book, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books is an invaluable tool for the new author who is struggling to get a foot in the door. Tried and true methods, contacts, tips on how to approach the media, going the extra mile for the customer, a veritable indispensable bible for the author. Thank you, John, for paving the way. D. H. Clair, author of The House onSlocum Road.

I wish I had read 1001 Ways Earlier

Don't Leave Home wIthout It!
First-time writers need to face the fact that their publishers rarely get behind a book enough to make it fly off the shelves--with the possible exception of those who pay large advances. If you're not in this category, or have self-published, you MUST own this bible of information on how to market your own book. It is so chock full of good ideas it's hard to believe one man could know so much about book marketing, but John Kremer does. If you did ONE suggestion a day, your book would start breathing a new life. Ideally start working it the minute you get that acceptance letter! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    4. Marketing - General    5. Publishing    6. Sales & Selling - General   

Reviews (32)

Great book about great books
For an avid reader like myself, it's often tough to know what to read next. In this book, Nancy Pearl helped me get quite a few suggestions.
To be skimmed - eclectic but certainly not all- inclusive
I love books about books. Nancy Pearl also loves books and books about books, and compiles here a long list of favorites. She provides short- summaries of the books. She has a long list of categories in which she does this, but many of the categories I most care about including those in the realm of politics, religion, philosophy, poetry are not listed at all. She has a broad taste but to my mind a bit light. Nonetheless going down the lists one can find new suggestions for reading.
Nancy Pearl: A woman after my own heart!
If you love books, are a compulsive reader and, most important, are not a book snob, you will love this list by librarian Nancy Pearl.See also the Nancy Pearl librarian action figure (she raises her finger to shush noisy visitors).I have not read all the books mentioned in Book Lust, and she has not read all the books I adore, but there is plenty of common meeting ground--and a lot of good ideas.Read it.Enjoy.I liked it so much I immediately bought "More Book Lust". ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Best books    2. Bibliography    3. Books & Reading    4. Books and reading    5. Literary Criticism    6. Literature - Classics / Criticism    7. Pearl, Nancy    8. Public Libraries    9. Reference    10. United States    11. Literacy    12. Literature: History & Criticism   

Reviews (2)

Deceptive description??
Mark does a great job.
Make Magazine... Makin' Waves
A long time ago (two decades ago) I tinkered with electronics and all sorts of mechanical contraptions (the robot I built and the hovercraft are but a few weird and wonderful things I made).Alas, even Radio Shack stopped selling the classic books on electronics by Forest Mims (ISBN: 0945053282 still available on Amazon.com).
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Media Studies - Print Media    5. Publishing    6. Sociology    7. Technology & Industrial Arts    8. Computer Hardware & Operating Systems    9. Social Science / General    10. Technology / General    11. Technology/General   

Editorial Review

"Self-publishing," say authors Tom and Marilyn Ross, "is a perfect example of the American dream." Read more

Reviews (114)

Self Publishing
A thorough job presenting the self-publishing system.A great value for the money.
A Valuable Reference For Anyone in Book Publishing
There is hardly a week when someone doesn't ask me about self-publishing. While the majority of my work is in traditional publishing, I know some will never locate a traditional publisher. If the person wants to get a book into print, self-publishing is about their only option.
Good book but too much self-promotion
I would rate this as an excellent book except the heavy self-promotion of their other books (most examples seem to relate to their own matreials).The self-promotion was a bit tiring BUT the book does contain much useful information (and it did help me with my own book - Verbs Plus). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Publishers and publishing    6. Publishing    7. Self-publishing    8. United States    9. Publishing industry    10. Small businesses & self-employed    11. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (13)

It's all about the details!
This is a wonderful book for anyone who writes fantasy, as it addresses the special nuances specific to the genre. There are a number of good books on writing novels out there, but none detail what's needed in a good fantasy novel, how characters may differ, how to plot a believe story while maintaining the fantasy elements.
Must Have World Building Reference Book
My husband is a publisher with little time to read for pleasure, so when I saw that the book he had purchased had quickly gone from "brand new condition" to "over worn and dog eared" I had to read it for myself.
Great reference
This book has everything the inspiring fantasy novelist could want to know about. And even for those who are not writing but just want to have information about either medievil or fantasy. I would definatly recommend this book to anyone from the novelist to the rollplayer ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. Publishing    3. Reference    4. Writing Skills   

Reviews (43)

If you are selling a novel, this is not the book for you.
I laid down my coin on the assumption that this book would help me with writing a book proposal for a novel - before the "look inside" feature. The title is misleading, even though the author tries to appeal to novel writers by sprinkling the concept around like glitter on a greeting card; it does not have any real substance. 2 stars for that.
Good resource for novice non-fiction proposal writers
I have this and Elizabeth Lyon's book, and both have helpful. I like Larsen's book for the hints and tips strewn throughout. Its more than a theory of proposal writing. He shares tips on when its okay to veer from the norm and when its not. It offers some helpful examples as well. I don't know how good it would be for a fiction book but I have been referring to it constantly as I write my proposal.

I'm going to write "How to Write a Book About How to Write a Book Proposal" and give it to this book's author.
This book is full of helpful information, but man is it boring.Every chapter is about twice as long as necessary, the text is dry and bland, and whole chapters seem completely uneeded. Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Book proposals    3. Composition & Creative Writing - General    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Publishing    8. Art techniques & materials