Editorial Review

Writing, for Julia Cameron, is neither solely vocation nor avocation: it is a way of life. It comes first thing in the morning, while the horses are waiting to be fed; it happens at the kitchen counter, while the onions are sautéing; it takes place on "dates" at café tables shared with likeminded friends; it unfurls in the mind as the '65 pickup "bucks over the rutted dirt roads like a stiff-legged bronco." The more than 40 brief personal essays that make up Read more

Reviews (64)

Airy-fairy stuff
I believe that life is too short and books that really deserve to be read too plentiful (not to mention movies worth watching, games worth playing, ...) for anyone to spend more than five minutes on this book. It's amazing how marketing can help sell such fluffy material. Any time, I recommend "If You Want to Write" by Brenda Ueland instead.

Exercises should be an aid, not a crutch
I am not normally a fan of writer's inspiration books like this one, primarily because they are so addicting. A blocked or fearful writer can quickly fill their shelves up with books that explain and examine their literary malaise. On one hand, it can be a huge relief to have your problem recognized in print and read case histories about other writers who eventually made it through. But on the other, you run the risk of drowning in self-exploration and doing nothing practical to get yourself writing again.
Rx For Writers
"The Right To Write" by Julia Cameron, took me a while to get through it. Not because it was boring or a slow read, but it is not the type of book you might want to read straight through. It is a book, any writer should pick up and read whenever a little motivation or inspiration is in order. Julia Cameron seems to find just the right words to get you going in the right, or should I say 'write' direction.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. General    4. Language    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Literary Criticism    7. Self-Help / Creativity   

Reviews (3)

All the benefits and liabilities of a good encyclopedia
Theory, so called, is vast and complex and historical and contradictory. This volume is brief and clear and present oriented and structural. That the field and its survey are incommensurate isnecessary, but the user should be aware of these limitations. The entries are clear and non-dogmatic but they must betray the liabilities of summary: concise average readings that hide problems, relations, and other voices. At root, modern theory is not intelligible without philosophical contexts that go to the pre-socratics, but that cannot appear here. Some choices of inclusion and exclusion seem odd: a separate entry for Orwell and none for Deleuze, for instance. But on the whole, this book is useful and well done. The Literary Reference Guide
I'm going back into a Masters Program and plan to teach English for a living. Already this book has proved to be a valuable resource when surveying various schools of criticism. The cross-referenced index is a bit confusing, but this is a nice book that you may want to sit down with and read for awhile anyway. I've found some wonderful items in here, and it's fun to flip through, looking for previously unknown literary schools that may catch my interest. It's a great reference book, but also a compelling source of information and direction. I laid out the bucks for this book because I know it will be a handy reference for the next thirty years. Already it's directed me to some outside reading that has proved quite profitable. I'll keep this guide close by as long as I am a student of Literature.

Highly recommended to get your theoretical bearings
Provides a consise, and yet sufficiently nuanced and complex, summary oftheoretical schools, practitioners, terms, and trends.Hefty and yetreadable reference material -- cross-indexed with more thoroughbibliographies for each entry. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bibliographies & Indexes    2. Bio-bibliography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Criticism    5. General    6. History and criticism    7. Literary Criticism    8. Literature    9. Reference    10. Semiotics & Theory    11. Theory, etc    12. Theory, etc.    13. Literary studies: from c 1900 -    14. Literary theory    15. Medical / Hematology   

Reviews (11)

Shooting probes
This is the first McLuhan book I read, back in the late 1960s. It took me about a month to get through, because each short chapter contained so many new ideas and insights I had to think about them before going on. I didn't always understand them, but what I did comprehend was intoxicatingly exciting.
An Academic Read
Definitely more of an academically written book than McLuhan's more famous "Understanding Media."For new McLuhan readers, I recommend reading "Understanding Me" or "Understanding Media" first.

The orality/literacy debate and McLuhan's media theory
This book expands on the views of McLuhan's teacher Harold Innis, who distingusihed oral and written cultures. The book argues that oral cultures are synaesthetic and work with synthetic logic, while cultures of writing push the mind toward singulation of senses, logic and 'perspective'.
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Subjects:  1. Printing    2. Technical & Manufacturing Trades    3. Technology & Industrial Arts    4. Publishing industry    5. Social Science / Popular Culture    6. Social history   

Reviews (8)

Understand Legal concepts easily with this book!
I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Tonya Marie Evans at the Book Expo of America in Washington DC this year and she is a smart, enthusiastic, driven woman. This book should be required reading for anyone wishing or thinking about writing and publishing a book. This book will help you understand the process in plain english.This book clearly explains complicated legal issues, offers examples and answers your questions. This is a book you will want to keep on your desk and refer back to again and again. I recommend this to each person who sends me a book to review or asks me any type of publishing question.

Well-written, to the point and organized!
Literary Law Guide for Authors is my 'gold medal'. I treasure this well-written and VERY easy-to-read book! I've written (self-published) a children's book and currently writing a spiritual anthology. In both cases, I desperately needed contract forms and from searching the internet and communicating briefly with the author, I ordered this book. The forms section (in addition to the CD) included every bit of information I needed to create and provide a professional looking contract. I just can't say enough of this book. TIMELY. WELL-WRITTEN. INFORMATIVE.
Invaluable Resource All Writers Should Invest In
Finally, here's an all-inclusive, easy-to-understand book about issues of intellectual property, copyright, trademarks, online works, the Fair Use doctrine, contracts, agreements, and more. By using helpful symbols and clearly written descriptions, these legal experts provide, in one volume, a wealth of information critical for authors to know. With a little patience, anyone can understand the information the Evans attorneys provide. Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Copyright Law    3. Intellectual Property - Copyright    4. Intellectual Property - General    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Patent, Trademark, Copyright    8. Practical Guides    9. Reference   

Reviews (12)

Great Resource for Writers of Children's Books
This is well-organized and has all of the information one would need to access publishers. Agents and publicists, as well as writers, need to have this "encyclopedia" of resources. There is a wealth of information needed for sending book proposals and manuscripts.Just excellent!

The Most Important Tool for the Children's Book Genre
Professionals in the children's book genre have been relying on the yearly Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market for 18 years. This guide covers everything writers and/or illustrators would ever need to find a home for their work.
If you want to write for kids
If you want to write for kids, there's two things you need to do (i.e., other than writing your book!): join SCWBI and get this book. The book is full of great advice and contacts. A must-have for all children's writers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Children's literature    3. Composition & Creative Writing - Children's Literature    4. Directories    5. General    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    9. Marketing    10. Publishers and publishing    11. Publishing    12. United States    13. English    14. Industrial / Commercial Art & Design    15. Publishing industry    16. Reference works    17. Writing & editing guides   

Editorial Review

I know: we all want to write a Great Novel. But in the meantime, don't you have a few terrific ideas for a nonfiction book, too? The subtitle of this book is "How to Get a Contract and an Advance Before Writing Your Book." Doesn't THAT sound better than competing with John Grisham and Tom Clancy? Eighty-five percent of all new titles are nonfiction. So dust off those memoirs, dig up those recipes of Aunt Edna's. Lyon takes you step by step through the process of how to discover and pitch your nonfiction book idea to the best market. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A Great Resource for Writers - Aspiring and Otherwise
The position of an aspiring writer, trying to break into the published market, is not an enviable one. Here's a fairly common scenario: writer spends a year or two writing his book. He pours his heart and mind into the manuscript, and once it's done, he starts sending it out to publishing houses. Responses aren't immediately forthcoming; it's a big manuscript, so it tends to sit at the bottom of busy publishers' to-do lists. Finally, if he's lucky, he gets a response - someone actually wants to publish his book. Only they want a lot of it changed, to make it more marketable.
This book works
I wrote a book, then I followed Elizabeth Lyon's advice to the letter. Got four offers! My editor says my proposal was one of the finest ones he'd ever seen. Buy this book and follow her advice.

First Ever Proposal: A Non-Fiction Book on Risk
Elizabeth does not waste words. I just took her book proposal outline, modified it slightly for my purposes, and marched forward with confidence. Whether it gets published is now in the hands of fate.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Book proposals    3. Composition & Creative Writing - Nonfiction    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Marketing    6. Reference    7. Writing Skills    8. Reference / General    9. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (14)

2006 Edition of limited value
I had been using the 13th edition of Jeff Hermann's writer's guide. I found it quite useful and relied on the index heavily. Since 2002 many of the addresses were no longer up-to-date. I purchased the 2006 edition to get more recent information. To my dismay I discovered that the 2006 Edition has no index whatever! An 806 page guide with no index is of limited value to me.

Skeptical
about the self-advertisements of "best-selling authors" here as well as the suggestions that Mr. Herman "writes" these books out of altruism.He is more like eharmony.com: he saw a market of literary lonely hearts and offered a service facilitating "matches" with assorted agents with similar interests.All well and good.
The Best
I work in the publishing industry and Jeff Herman's guide is hands down one of the most efficient and accurate versions on the market. A must read for anyone trying to learn the buisness! ... Read more

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

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Academic    3. Composition & Creative Writing - Nonfiction    4. General    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Psychology    7. Publishing    8. English    9. Psychology & Psychiatry / General    10. Psychology--Authorship    11. Writing skills   

Reviews (23)

Damn Good Too
If you want to know how to write dramatic popular fiction this book along with DMI and Frey's Myth is for you.
a few good ideas
This book covers the basics in a very conversational, provocative way.Frey challenges and provokes in an effort to get writers to re-examine what they're doing and try to do it better.He discusses "the fictive dream and how to induce it," suspense, memorable characters, "premise", narrative voice, and the author-reader contract.By "premise" he means "a brief statement of what happens to the characters as a result of the actions of the story." (p.51).He points out common mistakes with these, but just how "advanced" his tidbits of information are-that is another matter.For example, nothing in the chapter on suspense should be news to someone who has read a few books on fiction writing.
Giving the Art Form
James N. Frey writes an extremely readable how-to guide which forces the would-be writer to take a good look at him/herself and the story he/she is writing. Instead of going through the usual definitions of tone, description, theme, characterization and dialogue, Frey cuts right to the heart:does the writing transport the reader?Does the story have a premise?Is the narration strong?Does the writer deliver to his audience what he promises?Whether he illustrates his methodology with examples from popular writers like Stephen King and Peter Bencheley or classic literary greats like Jane Austin and Franz Kafka, his upbeat common sense advise underlines the usual directive that a writer must write in order to see his dream become reality.In order to write the next modern classic, you must color within the lines first, creating a clear idea of what you wish your reader to come away with and sticking to it.The art has a form.Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    2. Creative Writing    3. Fiction    4. General    5. Reference    6. Technique    7. Creative writing guides   

Reviews (2)

a handy tool
I've used this guide since 1990, when I came across a copy in a Honolulu bookstore.How nice to see it's available through Amazon.I recommend it highly to other professional writers.Students will find it useful, too.

Enthusiastically recommended reference for writers.
A Writer's Guide To Transitional Words And Expressions by Victor Pellegrino is a very specific and highly useful reference for writers of all ages and skill levels, ranging from novelists to journalists. It is quite simply a collection of lists of English words and phrases. Each list is offered as an effective verbal transition mechanism for authors seeking the best phrase "To Indicate Time Order," "To Indicate a Sequence," "To Emphasize or Intensify," "To Substitute for 'Said'" and a dozen other lists. Perhaps most useful is A Writer's Guide To Transitional Words' unusual format layout, which makes an index tab for each list instantly visible upon opening to any page - which in turn makes finding the list one wants to consult a supremely quick and easy process. A Writer's Guide To Transitional Words is an enthusiastically recommended reference for professional writers of all walks, since the type of phrases it presents are not ones that are quite so easily gleaned from a common thesaurus. Also highly recommended is Victor Pellegrino's companion book A Writer's Guide To Using Eight Methods Of Transition. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Reference   

Reviews (1)

The Ultimate Antiques & Collectibles Resource Directory !
This 5th edition, giant volume (over 1 3/4 inches thick, weighing over 4 pounds) is THE collectibles resource guide and the most comprehensive directory available.There are detailed listings of 3,122 categories ofantiques, collectibles and art.Provides more than 18,000 contacts, 4,000clubs and periodicals, 9,640 e-mail addresses, and 7,360 Web sites !!Ahandy user's guide helps you utilize this reference to the fullest. Includes buyers, sellers, appraisers, where to get parts or have repairsdone, where to go to match patterns, and much, much more information.Alibrary of information essential for every serious collector's library. Add it to your library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques    2. Antiques & Collectibles    3. Antiques / Collectibles    4. Antiques/Collectibles    5. Bibliographies & Indexes    6. Directories    7. Reference - General    8. Reference - Price Guides    9. Antiques & Collectables    10. Bibliographies, catalogues, discographies   

Reviews (21)

A Must Have!
This comprehensive course in personal development is a must for any self-help listener, as the key ideas, insights and applications from the legendary works of the world's most influential thinkers are explored.

A Classic By Itself
Butler-Bowdon is my guide through the literature of inner -development.His books have helped me grow as an individual and continue to help in my research for the books I choose to write to help humanity.His knowledge is exceptional and his choice of books is perfect.He truly is an expert in this area.I recommend his entire series and genuinely cant wait to get Psychology Classics.Thanks for helping humanity with your writing Mr. Butler-Bowdon.
It comes close to what I asked for years ago!
As a child I was introduced not to TV but to books. What a blessing! When I wokeup with the chickens while my parents hoped for a little more sleep, during the school year I found my bed had become a veritable library of choices. I planned to read everything that was written ... or at least in English or French. Between Amazon itself and this book, I have an overview that lets me know in advance about many books I might not choose to read before others if I knew more about them. Thank you both. (p.s.: Chickens don't listen when you read to them, but the dogs used to appear to listen.) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bibliography    2. Career Planning (General)    3. Careers - General    4. General    5. Life skills    6. Psychology    7. Self-Help    8. Self-help techniques    9. Bibliographies, catalogues, discographies    10. Popular psychology    11. Self-Help & Practical Interests    12. Self-Help / General   

Reviews (10)

Pitching Is Key To Get Any Book Published
Agents are like editors with their own individual tastes for books to champion. Is the agent lured to your project or do they reject it? Often it will depend on the pitch. Literary agent Sands writes, "You can hire a caterer, a hit man, or a dominatrix. But you can't hire an agent. Literary agents must be enchanted, seduced, and won over to take you on as a client. They must want to devote their efforts to working on your behalf."
Possibly the best book on the subject
I've read many books intended to help writers get published, but this is possibly the best book I've seen on getting an agent to notice your work. Katharine Sands, an agent herself, has given us a reference that is a must for your writing library.
Sands hits it out of the park
Tons of wonderfully helpful guidance on how to sell yourself that has application way beyond how to hook a literary agent.Many many succinct and handsomely presented examples of pitching, all as related by a slough of experts who are on thereceiving end of bushels of pitches.To be savored and digested in small doses and worth returning to over and over for renewed inspiration. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. General    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Literary agents    6. Marketing    7. Publishing    8. Reference   

Reviews (7)

Helpful but full of typos
The other people reviewing this should have kept in mind that this book was intended to introduce novices to the basic concepts of creative writing. I did not feel it was condescending or distracting. I thought it was helpful and thorough as well as specific. Not meant for the literary types who've convinced themselves that they are "writers" and therefore above the practical advice this book offers. It was used as a text book for a class I took: "Intro to Creative Writing." I found it very helpful and useful. I learned a lot!
Unprofessional and patronizing
While I'm not the most prolific or most experienced writer, I am familiar enough with the field to not be talked down to like a 6th grader in a father-son chat.While the authors attempts to be "chumy" with the reader, they really do no more than patronize and make apparent their academic lack.There were no new ideas presented here--even for a beginning text, I would recommend looking elsewhere for a better basic understanding of the guidelines that will help your work work.

I basically agree with Mr. Samuelson: far too much advice.
Though the text has some good discussion of the writing process and useful exercises, the authors tend to set down at times questionable "rules" and much too much advice.The price is also out of linefor most students in public universities and colleges, especially adulteducation students who want to write as a means of personal enrichment--andit is the latter type of student rather than the next Hemingway or Frostwho is most likely to register for a creative writing courrse. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Creative writing    3. General    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Literary Criticism    6. Creative writing guides    7. Literary Criticism & Collections / General   

Editorial Review

OK, so it's a gimmick. A book in the shape of a 3-inch block. It'll take up too much space on your bookshelf. Its 672 pages are unnumbered, making it nearly impossible to find the same one twice. It is full of contradictory advice. And once you've used the book a few times, it'll more closely resemble a splayed slinky than a block.Read more

Reviews (18)

Worth Every Cent
Have writer's block? Well, look no further!
Every writer and writer-wanna-be NEEDS this book
As an aspiring writer, I am constantly seeking ideas to inspire me.When writer's block hits (which is often) I open THE WRITER'S BLOCK and flip to practically any page and find numerous ideas on which to write.I have even gone through the book and flagged the ones that I like the most with post-it tags.The only unfortunate thing is -- I don't have enough time to write on all of these awesome suggestions!BUY THIS BOOK.YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

Creative Indulgence
This would probably have been a pretty good book, had the writer chosen to present substance, rather than focusing on being cutesy. The 3" X 3" size, which makes it difficult to read, is a serious distraction. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Creativity    4. General    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Novelty    8. Creative writing guides    9. English    10. Writing skills   

Reviews (1)

The Bedford Guide for College Writers with Reader, Research Manual, and Handbook
Despite the fact this book was for a college course,I'm going to keep it because its very helpful in writing proposals and letters in my personal and professional life. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. English language    4. Grammar    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    9. Report writing    10. Rhetoric    11. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing   

Reviews (7)

Everything you need to know to layout a book
This book focuses on how to actually create a book.How to prepare the manuscript, layout the interior of the book and create the cover.This book does a very good job of walking the user through the book creation process.Unlike many books on book design, this one gives real examples, with screen shots, of how to do everything.It does not speak at a purely abstract level, like many other design books do.
Great for InDesign users
I am designing my very first large nonfiction book and using the latest version of InDesign as the software. This book was very helpful to me, and from what I have learned reading the book, I feel much more capable of doing a great job. His comparison of the different page layout software programs was helpful. I used PageMaker before on several smaller publications and loved the program, but now I realize how much more professional my book is going to look using InDesign, and of course, using the proper fonts which I purchased from Adobe, not true type fonts. His comparison of fonts, software packages, and all of the information he teaches regarding margins, white space, etc. is going to be very valuable to me. I searched high and low for a good book on book design and found none at my library or at the local bookstore. Thank heavens for Adobe.com. Not only do they have the books on so many subjects, reading the book reviews is immensely helpful so that I buy the exact book that covers the subject I need. In this case, I almost bought a book on book design which was written several years ago, before InDesign was available. What I really needed, and found by reading the book reviews on several books, is a book that was more current so that InDesign is listed as the software of choice, and then instructions to make InDesign do what I want it to do to make the book look professional. I surely got my money's worth.

Designed to enable success!
I've been doing graphic design for over 15 years, and have previously layed out 2 books (photo/illustration intensive ones) and had 2 of my own book designed by traditional publishers. I was never perfectly happy with either result. When it came time to design my latest novel, I was determined to do it myself and also do it well. Pete Masterson's book provided a road-map towards that goal.
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Subjects:  1. Book design    2. Handbooks & Manuals    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Publishers and publishing    7. Publishing    8. Self-publishing    9. Technical & Manufacturing Trades   

Features

• Audiobook
• Unabridged

Subjects:  1. Angels & Spirit Guides    2. Authorship    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Personal Memoirs    6. Spiritual Healing    7. Unabridged Audio - Self Help    8. Body, Mind & Spirit / New Age    9. Mind, body, spirit: thought & practice   

Reviews (10)

Awesome resource
I am a parent and I really loved this college guide!I have read several guides and this really did a great job of reviewing the colleges from an African-American perspective.My husband went to a historically black university (HBU) and he felt the comparison of the historically black university (HBU) to the predominately white universities was incredibly accurate.
It's A Great Help Guide ! ! !
This is a tip to students and parents.If you have a good student who is trying to get into a select school, this is the best help guide I've seen in years. My daughter and friends made top schools using this one

An Amazon Customer
The information provided in the book was informative, however over 1/3 of the letters I mailed out requesting scholarship information were returned due to bad addresses. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Admission    2. African Americans    3. Bibliographies & Indexes    4. Blacks In Higher Education    5. College Guides    6. Education    7. Education (Higher)    8. Higher    9. Institutions Of Higher Education    10. Reference    11. Student aid    12. United States    13. Universities and colleges    14. Black studies    15. Colleges of further education    16. Colleges of higher education    17. Reference works    18. Study Aids / College Guides    19. USA   

Reviews (15)

Discovering something new.
This book has been a huge help giving words preferred for certain age/grade levels. It is easy to use and a great reference.

Children's Writer's Word Book
This book is a must for any and all childrens authors. It is full
Great Thesaurus for Grade-Level Vocabulary
This book is a super source for grade-level vocabulary in thesaurus format. I write curriculum materials for children, so I need to be sure my diction is grade-level appropriate. This books is a great resource to help me do this. I couldn't work without it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Reference    5. Vocabulary    6. Writing Skills    7. Children's literature studies: general    8. Creative writing guides    9. Literary reference works    10. Reference works    11. Writing & editing guides