Grammar Girl, is determined to wipe out bad grammar—but she's also determined to make the process as painless as possible. A couple of years ago, she created a weekly podcast to tackle some of the most common mistakes people make while communicating. The podcasts have now been downloaded more than twenty million times, and Mignon has dispensed grammar tips on Oprah and appeared on the pages of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.Written with the wit, warmth, and accessibility that the podcasts are known for, Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing covers the grammar rules and word-choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers. From "between vs. among" and "although vs. while" to comma splices and misplaced modifiers, Mignon offers memory tricks and clear explanations that will help readers recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules. Chock-full of tips on style, business writing, and effective e-mailing, Grammar Girl's print debut deserves a spot on every communicator's desk.

    When they’re not nodding, they roll their eyes.Time to slash the Pinocchio strings and turn them into real people. Award-winning author Kathy Steinemann provides the tools. She cuts through the so-called rules and offers simple solutions.Too many repetitions of “little”? There’s a cure for that. Do you rely on “very” too often? There’s a cure for that too. You’ll find the remedies in this book’s dispensary.Should you ever use anything other than “said” to attribute dialogue? Are exclamation points taboo? The answers might surprise you.Learn how to harness body language, purge hackneyed adjectives, and draw on the environment for ambience. No more wooden characters. You’ll transform them into believable personalities that your readers will learn to love. Or hate.Get in the driver’s seat, relax, and enjoy your journey—with Kathy Steinemann’s book as your GPS.

    Writing the Cozy Mystery is a concise reference guide that will help you develop your characters, establish the setting, plot the story, add suspense, plant clues and solve the crime.This award-winning Second Edition contains more examples; additional writing exercises; expanded sections; and seven new chapters including The Muddle in the Middle, Romance and Murder, Special Considerations for Cozy Writers, Keeping a Series Fresh, Writing the Smart Synopsis, Mystery Movies, and Marketing Tips. You’ll find everything you need to know in an easy-to-read, clear manner to write your own mystery and maintain a long-running series. Gold Award Winner in the Royal Palm Literary AwardsGold Medal Winner in the President's Book AwardsFirst Place Winner in TopShelf Magazine Book AwardsAgatha Awards FinalistIAN Book of the Year Awards Finalist“If you are thinking about writing a cozy mystery, read this book first! Nancy lays out all the necessary steps in an interesting and informative way that is easy to follow. Highly recommended.” Catherine Bruns, USA Today Bestselling Author of the Cookies & Chance Mysteries“Nancy J. Cohen offers clear examples, practical writing exercises, and friendly advice designed to help the beginning cozy author start—and finish!—a saleable book. Even seasoned cozy writers can find helpful hints for building better characters and story.” Diane A.S. Stuckart, NY Times Bestselling Author of the Tarot Cats Mysteries “If you want to write a cozy mystery—or really, any kind of mystery—this is the book for you! Everything you need to know in one handy volume.” Victoria Thompson, Bestselling Author of the Gaslight Mystery Series

    The updated 2017 guidance, its first since 2009, places a strong emphasis on the scalability and flexibility of the method and on how best to tailor it to the complexity and specific requirements of a project. The best practice represented by the PRINCE2 method is supported by a scheme that offers three levels of certification: Foundation, Practitioner and Professional. The PRINCE2 method comprises of seven themes, principles, and processes and equips practi-tioners with the skills and knowledge to manage projects in a wide range of environments.

    Baxter's experience from decades as a career martial artist make this book a valuable resource for writers who want to understand what fighting is all about - what it really feels like and what does and doesn't work - and how to factor those things into their writing to make their fight scenes visceral, realistic page turners. Baxter won't tell you how to write, but he will tell you what makes a great fight scene.

    As eReaders and eReading Apps proliferate, so do book-selling services and sites. If you're selling your book on a single platform you're missing at least 40% of the digital reading audience. This book was written for authors of fiction and non-fiction who want to expand their reach and increase their income.Created by two experienced authors, Make Your Book Work Harder walks readers through the maze of book-selling platforms, including some that are well-known and others that may never even be on your radar.What you'll gain from reading this book Step-by-step how-to for using multiple platforms How to maximize your promotional time How to minimize your promotional dollars Where to find little-known publishing alternatives Free sources for promoting your book Time-saving social media services How to amp up your income by creating a book-related course Our personal preferred vendors for outsourcing formatting and social media exposure How to increase your name recognition and much, much moreYOU'VE WORKED HARD ... NOW MAKE YOUR BOOK DO SOME OF THE HEAVY LIFTING!We all know the time and energy involved in writing a book. That's why we feel that only selling on a single platform isn't leveraging the power of your book or the power of alternative publishing platforms. This book is the solution to the one-platform sales lag that every author sees over a period of time. Using our techniques you'll expose your book to new audiences who read books on multiple apps and services (including some that are subscription-based). Why settle for a single point-of-sales when you can reach most of the marketplace?BONUSES TOOWant a behind-the-scenes look at how the authors promote their own books on Facebook? One of the free downloads for anyone who purchases this book is a guide to book promotion on Facebook that can cost pennies a day. The authors have also created a secret Facebook group for readers of this book only - a group where new additions to the book will be introduced first, so you'll get a head start on trying new techniques for making more sales. TIME TO SPREAD YOUR WINGS?There's never been a better time to spread your wings and get your books out into 100% of the book-buying marketplace. Click the BUY button and get going with new promotions and more sales starting right now.

    Trouble is, plot is where most writers fall down--but you don't have to be one of them. With this book, you'll learn how to create stories that build suspense, reveal character, and engage readers--one scene at a time.Celebrated writing teacher and author Martha Alderson has devised a plotting system that's as innovative as it is easy to implement. With her foolproof blueprint, you'll learn to devise a successful storyline for any genre. She shows how to:Use the power of the Universal StoryCreate plot lines and subplots that work togetherEffectively use a scene tracker for maximum impactInsert energetic markers at the right points in your storyShow character transformation at the book's climaxThis is the ultimate guide for you to write page-turners that sell!

    Is luck a cosmic force that we can randomly stumble upon, or is there something real that people we consider lucky have discovered? The Science of Being Lucky is an in-depth look at what all lucky people have in common and how they set themselves up for success time after time.Put success into your own hands, not fate's.The Science of Being Lucky takes you on a science-based journey into what luck is, what we think it is, and how to get more of it in your life. The journey begins by breaking down and defining the lucky breaks, coincidences, and serendipitous events in our lives - then delves into the specific traits, life factors, and perspectives that create lucky outcomes.The Science of Being Lucky will open your eyes to what is behind each moment you would call lucky and give you a concrete action plan to create more of the same. Luck doesn't have to be just fantasy.Become immune to bad luck.Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with dozens of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience. He's no stranger to bad luck, having broken the same toe three times, but he's found ways to reverse his luck and live the good life.Ditch the lucky underwear and rabbit's foot.-The human illusion of control and lucky thinking.-Popular methods for luck - do they work? (One does, one does not)-The downside of probabilities.-Avoiding bad luck internally and externally.Set yourself up for inevitable success.-Coincidence, serendipity, and other "small world" phenomenon.-Three traits that practically manufacture luck.-Max Gunther's famous "strategic luck planning" approach to life.Stack the deck in your favor and live better.The Science of Being Lucky will teach you how to turn lead into gold, a cloudy day into paradise, and your life into the stuff of movies.You will learn to create the conditions for luck and success instead of hoping for them. The more you internalize these mindsets, the luckier you'll get until your friends ask you what your secret is. The secret? It's not actually about luck."Break a leg" TODAY by scrolling up and clicking the BUY NOW button!

    He has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. His music has been the soundtrack to the lives of millions of people who grew up in the '70s, '80s and '90s. This celebratory, personal volume includes hundreds of photographsmany never-before-publishedas well as a selection of memorabilia from Petty's personal archives, all of which help to illustrate the songwriter's own description of his amazing life and career. Publication of this book coincides with the theatrical release of a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers film documentary by Peter Bogdanovich and a four disc DVD/CD set. The fall of 2007 belongs to Tom Petty.

    An incredibly helpful guide to getting your book published, from an experienced literary agent.

    Victory, after all, could come down to choosing between the supposed sleeper and the overrated prospects who won't be able to fool people in the Show like they have down on the farm.    Nearly every major-league team has sought the advice of current or former Prospectus writers, and readers of Baseball Prospectus 2014 will understand what all those fans have been raving about. "If you're a baseball fan and you don't know what BP is, you're working in a mine without one of those helmets with the lights on it."—Keith Olbermann "The first time I saw the PECOTA projections, I realized that someone out there understood." —Jeff Luhnow, General Manager, Houston Astros "For me, every year baseball begins with the big, brilliant, beautiful book you are holding in your hands right now."—Joe PosnanskiBaseball Prospectus 2013 correctly predicted:*Disappointing performances by Albert Pujols, Dan Haren, Michael Bourn, Justin Upton, and Tommy Hanson.*Breakouts by Paul Goldschmidt, Freddie Freeman, Kyle Seager, Matt Moore, Shelby Miller, and Jason Kipnis, as well as bounceback seasons from Jayson Werth and Shin-Soo Choo.*That Max Scherzer would be a Cy Young contender and Michael Wacha ace-in-waiting for the Cardinals.*That Wil Myers would be a middle-of-the-order bat for Tampa Bay and Josh Donaldson would finally win the Rich Harden trade for the A's.*That CC Sabathia's velocity drop could be a problem, but Felix Hernandez's would not be. *That Joaquin Benoit, Kenley Jansen, and Koji Uehara were better bullpen bets than pre-season closer picks Bruce Rondon, Brandon League, and Joel Hanrahan.

    Never fear--author and editor Chuck Sambuchino provides expert, practical advice for increasing your visibility, selling more books, and launching a successful career. In "Create Your Writer Platform," you'll learn: The definition of a platform--and why you should start building one "now."How to harness the 12 Fundamental Principles of Platform."Old School" and "New School" approaches to platform, from article writing and conference speaking to website development, blog posts, and social media avenues.How to develop a platform for nonfiction, fiction, and memoir. In addition to Chuck's invaluable insights, you'll also find 12 case studies from authors with effective platforms, as well as professional advice from literary agents. If you're serious about building a platform tailored to "you" and "your writing"--a platform that's going to help you succeed as a writer--look no further than "Create Your Writer Platform."

    This book introduces the basic elements of contracts; describes the lawyer's role in the drafting and negotiating process; discusses amendments, waivers, and consents; and, addresses issues that arise in reviewing contracts, including due diligence issues.

    This book shows how to integrate HR practices with the mission of their organization. An accessible tool complete with an instructor s manual, this book provides an integrated approach to current HR concerns and is unique in its focus on both public and nonprofit agencies. Offering guidance and techniques for implementing effective human resource management strategies job analysis, performance evaluation, recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation and benefits, and collective bargaining Pynes demonstrates how strategic human resources management is essential to proactively managing change.

    For writers, discoverability means the difference between gaining an audience and publishing into the void. Now, USA Today bestselling author and renowned business blogger Kristine Kathryn Rusch deftly tackles the topic of discoverability in this latest WMG Writers’ Guide. Rusch covers topics such as when to hire help, how to measure success and the most important thing a writers can do. With Discoverability, Rusch offers professional writers the most comprehensive guide available today to help them make an informed decision about the best marketing approaches for their writing businesses. “The bible for the self-employed.” —John Ottinger III, teacher and editor of Grasping for the Wind, on The Freelancer’s Survival Guide “A soup-to-nuts guide for business. Don’t be without it.” —Virginia Baker, President, Indigo Ink Communications, on The Freelancer’s Survival Guide “Not many people understand the publishing business as well as the author business—Kris Rusch is one of them. Her Freelancer’s Survival Guide is balanced, ambitious, and packed with information that all writers, editors, and publishers should read.” —Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author, on The Freelancer’s Survival “[Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s blog,] The Business Rusch…is full of sound advice and analysis about what's going on.” —Jeff Baker, The Oregonian USA Today bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch writes in almost every genre. Generally, she uses her real name (Rusch) for most of her writing. Under that name, she publishes bestselling science fiction and fantasy, award-winning mysteries, acclaimed mainstream fiction, controversial nonfiction, and the occasional romance. Her novels have made bestseller lists around the world and her short fiction has appeared in eighteen best of the year collections. She has won more than twenty-five awards for her fiction, including the Hugo, Le Prix Imaginales, the Asimov’s Readers Choice award, and the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Choice Award. Publications from The Chicago Tribune to Booklist have included her Kris Nelscott mystery novels in their top-ten-best mystery novels of the year. The Nelscott books have received nominations for almost every award in the mystery field, including the best novel Edgar Award, and the Shamus Award. She writes goofy romance novels as award-winner Kristine Grayson, romantic suspense as Kristine Dexter, and futuristic sf as Kris DeLake. Her popular weekly blog on the changes in publishing has become an industry must-read. She also edits. Beginning with work at the innovative publishing company, Pulphouse, followed by her award-winning tenure at The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, she took fifteen years off before returning to editing with the original anthology series Fiction River, published by WMG Publishing. She acts as series editor with her husband, writer Dean Wesley Smith, and edits at least two anthologies in the series per year on her own. To keep up with everything she does, go to kriswrites.com. To track her many pen names and series, see their individual websites (krisnelscott.com, kristinegrayson.com, krisdelake.com, retrievalartist.com, divingintothewreck.com). She lives and occasionally sleeps in Oregon.