Reviews (7)

This is a supplement, not a primary resource
Hopefully this statement will help those of you who are trying to decide what to buy: If you do not own a full copy of the APA Publication Manual, then do not buy this book. This book is meant to be a pocket-sized reference guide that you can carry with you. It is meant as a supplement, but it is not the primary resource -- the APA Publication Manual is the primary resource.
Incomplete
There's no rules for title pages, no examples of manuscript pages, no rules for pagination. It doesn't even tell you if the reference list belongs on a separate page or what its heading looks like. I consider these glaring omissions, particularly if you are expected to use pure APA and have no departmental style guide (like me). This book is basically a glorified guide to citation and syntactic rules. Avoid it and pay the extra five bucks for the complete book. Getting the cheap book as some kind of protest won't signficantly hurt the APA and it will just make things harder for you.

Good book, lacking in visual references
While this is a great condensation of the main rules needed to write in APA style, this book lacks one major thing -- the practical examples of how to apply APA style in a document or manuscript.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Academic    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Professional - General    5. Psychology    6. Publishing    7. Reference    8. Social sciences    9. Writing Skills    10. American English    11. Usage guides    12. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (47)

the premier style guide for published American English
It is perhaps time to worry if you feel particulary warm and affectionate towards a book like THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE.
Call Me Old Fashioned, but I LOVE This Book
If you work in the literary world, it drives you nuts on a daily basis to see how few writers bother to check for accuracy when it comes to using quotes, italics, or underlining in their manuscripts; how few know when to use single quotes or double quotes--don't get me started. Suffice it to say, this is the book to consult. Though there are a half dozen style books, you can't go wrong using Chicago!

Important but confusing
This book is necessary for understanding how to cite works using Chicago style, but it can be confusing and unclear.However it has many example sections which I found useful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. General    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Printing    7. Reference    8. Style manuals    9. Writing Skills    10. English    11. Publishing industry    12. Reference / Writing Skills   

Reviews (109)

a mess
For being the official source on APA this book is appallingly bad. It is extremely hard to use, is incomplete, and seems to have even less information than is freely available on the net. Save yourself some time and skip buying this.

The Plot was pretty slow moving
I don't know... i just think the plotting of this novel was just pretty slow and not really exciting at all.The villains were just cardboard characters, the hero was kinda blah, and it just didn't build to an exciting resolution.So I can only give it two stars for effort...

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition
Very easy to find guidlelines for references and how to use them make this 5th edition a must for students and their tutors who are engaged in publishing research.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Academic    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. History    5. Psychological literature    6. Psychology    7. Publishing    8. Reference    9. Social sciences    10. USA    11. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (2)

YOUR GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED
Back in 1991, I was studying creative writing under a published author. The one thing we learned was to expect an average 70 rejections no matter if were beginners or seasoned pros. So if you write something, and you send it to be published, and it is rejected...DON'T GIVE UP!!!
More Than A Reference - It Inspires
You are a writer, and that's why you are reading this review. The same old question, "Can I justify purchasing this book?" I just received the deluxe version of this book, which is the regular book with a year of online access.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Canada    3. Directories    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Publishers and publishing    9. Publishing    10. Publishing (General)    11. United States    12. English    13. Literary & Linguistic Reference Works    14. Publishing industry    15. Reference works   

Reviews (12)

Most Helpful Book on Graphic Design!
This book is loaded with valuable (clearly stated) information and outstanding illustrations to demonstrate successful creative thinking and targeted solutions.

Very cool addition to my personal library
I read the 3rd edition of this book and found it to be incredibly helpful in explaining the different applications, how to create them and what their purposes are in the vis com field. Without this book, my understanding would not have been as keen. What I especially like is that so many of the designers included in this book are also the ones who win awards in the design competitions- very cool addition to my personal library.

Thorough and engaging
This book is used as a course text in many design classes across the country. I can see why. Not so much a history as it is a survey of the current state of graphic design, it's quite possibly the best treatment I've ever read on the subject in a single volume. The 3rd edition is significantly expanded in content and reformatted versus the 2nd, and the illustrative examples are abundant and well-chosen. Many of the examples are accompanied by remarks from the designers themselves, which helps shed light on the concepts and thought processes behind the work. The text strikes a good balance between commentary and pedagogy, and as a result the book works for both instructional reference and casual reading. The end of each chapter contains related exercises designed to prod your right brain into action. This book will help you discover -- or rediscover -- what's fun and exciting about graphic design. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Careers - General    3. Commercial art    4. Graphic Arts - General    5. Graphic arts    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Publishing    9. Art / Graphic Arts    10. Graphic design   

Editorial Review

Fans of Read more

Reviews (87)

Does anyone remember the old green Periodical Index???
Okay, confession:I don't own this, YET.(It's marked "highest priority" on my wishlist.)But reading reviews complaining about the royal annoyance of DVD swapping, I'm amused and slightly ticked off.Hey, folks, back in the day, if you needed to look up articles in the New Yorker, you had to go to a building in town called the "library".If you wanted to take an article home to read later, you were happy to be able to make a smeary, smelly, expensive photocopy.
There are always quibbles
Despite the all the minor quibbles you read this is a very worthwile package. Goodness, look at the 20s articles! They are historically worth the price of the package alone, and they are all at your computer! Do a bit of web surfing and discover ways to put the enourmous set on your hard-drive if you wish. It's worth the cost if not from Amazon than from the New Yorker page itself at one-half the price.
DON'T buy this!
ZERO stars. If you live in Europe, forget about it. This thing only works on PC's with an all American time & date system. Unless you want to americanize your computer, it's not usable.
Read more

Subjects:  1. New Yorker (New York, N.Y. : 1925)    2. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    3. Publishing Industry And Trade    4. Journalism    5. Mass Media - General    6. United States - 20th Century    7. Reference / Publishing    8. Publishing    9. Language Arts & Disciplines    10. Language    11. History   

Reviews (4)

Necessary for Children's Book Authors.
As an unagented children's book author, I was able to compile a list of publishing companies easily from this book. I haven't read through the entire book, but just the 200+ pages of publishers is worth the buy. This book has a lot of information and is well organized. I enjoyed reading about first time authors experiences with their writings and publishing stories. This book is the only one you will need for up-to-date info to start your journey as an author.

For children's writers and illustrators: if you can have only one book on your shelf....
This is a condensed version of the review I posted on my web site, The Purple Crayon. I'm the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books, and I have to be familiar with books in the field. CWIM is a very reliable market guide.
very useful
this book was very comprehensive! it gave all the information one would like to have when just starting out. it dosent however go into the details of how to write as a career. overall it will become one of my most valued resources. ... Read more

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

Reviews (1)

An Excellent Resource For Novel and Short Story Writers
I purchased the 2007 NOVEL AND SHORT STORY WRITER'S MARKET because I 2007 will be the year. Of course I've purchased the 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 versions of the short story and novel edition or the overall WRITER'S MARKET for the same reason, because each year: 2003, 2004, 2005, or 2006 was supposed to be the year. I've since realized that getting a manuscript to work is not as easy as I had thought and 2003, 2004, and 2005 were unrealistic at best.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Directories    3. Fiction    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Marketing    8. Publishers and publishing    9. Publishing    10. Publishing (General)    11. United States    12. Creative writing guides    13. Publishing industry    14. Reference works    15. Writing & editing guides   

Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Directories    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Literary agents    7. Publishing    8. Publishing Guides    9. United States    10. English    11. Literary & Linguistic Reference Works    12. Publishing industry    13. Reference works   

Reviews (8)

THE BEST!!! This one is the best out there
you can skip to any chapter and read that topic without having to read the first chapters. Go to what you inquire and the author will present it as standalone material. THis is like the bible of Magazine How-to books...

A Tough Read
I found How to Start a Magazine by James Kobak difficult to read and somewhat depressing.The promises on the cover, in my humble opinion, we never fulfilled and the textbook-style format was flat.I felt as if, rather than a telling me "how to" he was telling me all the reasons "not to."He also came from only one perspective--that of a large scale, national publication.My goal is to build a local business-builder magazine.Therefore, much of the information was irrelevant for me.Based on the cover promises, I thought I'd found the ideal book for my needs.It didn't deliver.

A wealth of information
So you want to start a magazine? It won't be easy..it won't be fast--and it definitely won't be cheap! Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Entrepreneurship    3. Journalism    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Magazine Management    7. Media Studies - Print Media    8. Periodicals    9. Publishing    10. Publishing Guides    11. United States    12. Business & Management    13. Press & journalism    14. Publishing industry   

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

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   

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.
Read more

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 (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   

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)

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.
Read more

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   

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 (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).
Read more

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