To Writers
with Love: Thirteen Reading Tips from Carolyn Howard-Johnson
I always include
a couple of tips in my "Back to Literature" column, one
for writers and one for readers. This column is like one big tip
for a list of books writers will find extremely useful. There is
something here that will help them perfect their craft, something
to help them sell their work, something to help them promote their
work and even something to help them with research.
 New
Vintage Type
by Steven Heller and Gail Anderson, ISBN 0823099598, published
by Watson-Guptill, www.watson-guptill.com.
This book is perfect for authors who are about to publish.
It may provide you with ideas you can pass on to your publisher's
editor and/or book designer. I notice that in Lisa See's new
book, Peony
in Love, an entire page in the backmatter was
given over to the vintage typeface that mirrored the subject
of the book.
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  The
Elements of Internet Style by Editors of EEI
Press, ISBN 9781581154924 and How
to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer by Debbie
Millman, both published by Allworth Press. All who enter the
world of publishing these days must also enter the world of
the Internet. Whether you're tekkie enough to do it yourself
or will only be a sidewalk critic, your website will need
you.
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 The
Birds and Bees of Words
by Mary Embree, ISBN 9781581154955, published by Allworth
Press gives writer 30,000 words. New words and old words they
might stumble over. BTW, watch for my new free handbook, Tips
to Get the Zero-Tolerance Editor to Look at Your Manuscript.
You'll find it soon on my website, www.HowToDoItFrugally.com.
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  Guide
to Book Publishers,
Editors & Literary Agents, 2008 by Jeff Hermann, ISBN
978-0977286821, published by Three Dog Press. This is an alternative
to the one many authors know. You'll find features in this
one you love. Some writers will also find Guide
to Spiritual Writing & Publishing by Deborah
Herman, ISBN 97809772881, published by the same press, useful.
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   The
Hollywood Creative Directory, ISBN 9781928936596,
Hollywood
Representation Directory and the Hollywood
Distribution Directory, ISBN 9781928936589, are
published by Hollywood Creative Directory. Though pricey ($50
to $70) they are excellent references and handy to have on
your desktop for finding resources for celebrity blurbs, agents
and more. Do know that they are also available at most libraries.
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  I
love visual dictionaries to use as references when I write.
AVA Publishing puts out The
Visual Dictionary of Fashion, (ISBN 9782940373611)
and The
Visual dictionary of Architecture, ISBN 9782940373543.
These will help you find those words you know like lapel
or bias that you can't remember and maybe a few more
precise words for something you never knew. |
 And
yes, my new book to be released in October, The
Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation
and Ensure Success, ISBN 9780978515874. Many
agents-who-care have weighed in on how to get your query letters
and manuscripts in shape for scrutiny and I've shared editing
techniques learned from years of writing my own books and
editing those of others including simple steps to tame your
Word program so it won't trip you up.
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| Tips
and Tidbits
Each month in this box, Carolyn lists
a writing or promotion tidbit that will help authors and a
tip to help readers find a treasure among long-neglected books
or a sapphire among the newly-published.
Writers'
Tidbit: Carolyn's blog, www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com,
includes everything writer-related from rants on Oprah to
the quirky things some libraries are doing these days. You
can sighn up to receive each blog entry directly into your
e-mail box. Scroll down. Find it in the left column.
Readers'
Tip: Carolyn has a new blog for readers to find books
they may not find in their newspaper's book sections or the
nation's review journals. Visit it at www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com.
You might even look for some of Carolyn's old MyShelf.com
reviews there—with permission from MyShelf editor and
guru Brenda Weeaks, of course.
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MyShelf.Com. All Rights Reserved. |