Then there are times when life punches you in the gut, takes your wallet, and leaves you hanging upside down by your toenails.2009 was one of those times for me (the gut-punching kind). My construction business faltered after the housing bubble burst, and my wife and I found ourselves in $50,000 worth of debt. Then came the toughest decision of our young lives: we left the community we loved and moved into my parents' basement in search of a simpler life.Part of the change included laying aside my aspirations for wealth and taking up the vocation of my dreams: I would try to make money writing full time. This is the story of my first year doing exactly that.I would try to build a life out of words.Also included in the book are nine essays from folks who make money writing – they share unique tips on how to find writing work and how to improve your craft. Contributors include Andi Cumbo, Bryan Allain, Ed Cyzewski, Jason Boyett, Jeff Goins, Jennifer Luitwieler, Ken Mueller, Kristin Tennant, and Stacy Barton.

    Some are arcane, some simply hilarious—and one editor, Carol Fisher Saller, reads every single one of them. All too often she notes a classic author-editor standoff, wherein both parties refuse to compromise on the "rights" and "wrongs" of prose styling: "This author is giving me a fit." "I wish that I could just DEMAND the use of the serial comma at all times." "My author wants his preface to come at the end of the book. This just seems ridiculous to me. I mean, it’s not a post-face."In The Subversive Copy Editor, Saller casts aside this adversarial view and suggests new strategies for keeping the peace. Emphasizing habits of carefulness, transparency, and flexibility, she shows copy editors how to build an environment of trust and cooperation. One chapter takes on the difficult author; another speaks to writers themselves. Throughout, the focus is on serving the reader, even if it means breaking "rules" along the way. Saller’s own foibles and misadventures provide ample material: "I mess up all the time," she confesses. "It’s how I know things."Writers, Saller acknowledges, are only half the challenge, as copy editors can also make trouble for themselves. (Does any other book have an index entry that says "terrorists. See copy editors"?) The book includes helpful sections on e-mail etiquette, work-flow management, prioritizing, and organizing computer files. One chapter even addresses the special concerns of freelance editors.Saller’s emphasis on negotiation and flexibility will surprise many copy editors who have absorbed, along with the dos and don’ts of their stylebooks, an attitude that their way is the right way. In encouraging copy editors to banish their ignorance and disorganization, insecurities and compulsions, the Chicago Q&A presents itself as a kind of alter ego to the comparatively staid Manual of Style. In The Subversive Copy Editor, Saller continues her mission with audacity and good humor.

    I spent time looking for a book which would show me how a "raw" story was developed through drafts, with comments received and the changes made. Struggling to find such a work, I decided to create my own, being transparent and honest in the details. Using the story that gained me an offer of a place on a Master's in Creative Writing, SHORT STORY will take you through three drafts of the work.The book details not only the major revisions, feedback given by a professional novelist and an academic, but also has a bunch of tips from my writers toolbox condensed between the drafts. I hope that the process provides something useful for you, be it a tip from the writing toolbox, a look at the editing process, or motivation in knowing that you can do better than I did!

    

    Collected here for the first time are those pieces illuminating the tricks of the authorial trade, from creating vibrant characters and generating seamless plots, to conquering writer's block and experimenting with self-publishing.Filled with wit and insight, The Liar's Bible is a must-read for experts, amateurs, and anyone interested in learning to craft great fiction from one of the field's modern masters.This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lawrence Block, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author's personal collection."Block is one of the best " -The Washington PostLawrence Block (b. 1938) is a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America and an internationally acclaimed New York Times bestselling author. His awards include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America and the Cartier Diamond Dagger Lifetime Achievement Award from the Crime Writers' Association (UK). Although he is best known for his four main mystery series, Block explored a variety of genres, including thrillers and erotica, and developed an early following as a pulp-fiction writer under a number of pseudonyms. Born in Buffalo, New York, Block has three daughters and currently lives with his wife in New York City.

    Mixing creative inspiration with practical advice about craft, the book includes chapters on:- Accessing raw voice- Listening to voices of childhood, public and private voices, and colloquial voices- Working in first and third person: discovering a narrative persona- Using voice to create characters- Shaping one's voice into the form of a story- Reigniting the energy of voice during revision

    It takes an incredible lot of time, and often for no measurable results in sales. Some of you may have spent hours, days, weeks, even months, writing blogs, getting active on Facebook and Twitter in order to promote your book. Then you look at your sales figures for the last weeks or months, and your heart sinks. Why isn’t this working? So, have you ever wondered how other books seem to come out of nowhere and become Best Sellers? Ever suspected that there are some tricks you don’t know about that others are using to promote their book? Well, you would be right. In this book I’m going to show you the secrets many of the more successful authors use to help promote and sell their books on Amazon. These are rock solid proven methods that are sure to make your book more visible on the only online store that counts – Amazon. This Secret Guide To Becoming A Best Seller reveals many of the lesser known tactics to promoting your Book on Amazon, including: The Best Way To Promote Your Book The Wrong Way To Promote Your Book What They Won't Tell You About Promoting Your Book How To Measure The Effectiveness Of Your Marketing Campaigns Finding The Best Revenue Opportunities Finding Engaged Readers Who Will Read Your Book How The Best Seller System Works What It Takes To Get You There Hot New Releases - How To Get Your Book There Investigating The Secrets Of Amazon's Search Box The Best Ways To Advertise Your Book To New Readers Book Reviews And Why They Are So Important And More … This book is literally a secret guide to your biggest challenge on Amazon: getting discovered.

     More people write for the Associated Press than for any other news service, and more writers take their style and word-usage cues from this world-famous institution than from any other journalism source. From the when and how of the ampersand to the rules for dashes, slashes, and brackets; from the correct moment for the overused exclamation point to the rules of engagement for the semicolon, The AP Guide to Punctuation is an invaluable and easy-to-use guide to the most important aspect of clear and persuasive writing.

    Topics include: • How to get royalties from selling articles.• Proper pricing.• How to submit articles to the "Kindle Singles" (special Amazon category). • Best ways to sell articles.• Representing articles accurately in e-Reader bookstores.• Avoiding unnecessary costs. • Image formatting.Tips are also applicable for a variety of mobile devices such as the Barnes and Noble Nook and Apple ipad. You will learn how to publish your article in a word processor, without having to learn HTML coding. Instructional Appendices Include: • How to create table of contents and internal links.• Solving formatting problems.• Converting your article to a Kindle device.• Easy preview options before you publish.• A curated list of the 50 best resources for finding free Kindle books, software, podcasts, help forums and the best blogs on Kindle publishing (10,300 words).About the Author: Kate Harper has taught art and computer classes in the San Francisco Bay Area and enjoys creating visual step-by-step guides for non-technical users. She is a credentialed adult education instructor in the state of California, and is inspired by technologies that encourage people to be more creative.

     Essential oils hold great wellness benefits.Kathy Heshelow makes it easy for beginners or dabblers in aromatherapy to walk away with a good understanding of how to USE THIS FOR THAT. You'll get great info, recipes, applications and tips to keep you and your family well.

    Learn the most effective speed reading techniques for your personal strengths and challenges, and make visible progress through a series of engaging exercises.Choose from a variety of strategies and practices proven to advance speed and improve reading comprehension. The integrated exercises help develop your skills, allowing you to read quickly—and still enjoy every word. Whether you’re reading an entertaining novel or a challenging textbook, this speed reading guide will help you sail right through.In Essential Speed Reading Techniques, you’ll find: Achievable goals—Improve your speed by setting realistic goals based on your own individual baseline. Track your improvement—Assess your progress with self-tests for knowledge retention, smooth eye movement, and more. Tips and tricks—Discover speed reading strategies to minimize rereading, focus your attention, and reduce eyestrain from screens. With the personalized strategies in Essential Speed Reading Techniques, boosting your speed and reading comprehension will be a breeze.

    Those with heart conditions or frail demeanors should not read* * *500 MORE WAYS TO BE A BETTER WRITER is the sequel to 500 WAYS TO BE A BETTER WRITER (which is itself a sequel to 250 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WRITING).Nab this book and you’ll find within a series of lists geared toward enlightening you with the short sharp satori smack of dubious writing wisdom. The book contains a veritable avalanche of writing advice meant to help novelists, screenwriters and other storytellers better understand topics near and dear to the penmonkey existence. The book answers questions such as, “How do I find my voice? What should I know about procuring an agent? How do I find the proper story structure for my story? Where are my pants?”500 MORE WAYS contains the following:25 Financial F**k-Ups Writers Make 25 Mistakes To Look For In Your Writing 25 Reasons Readers Will Keep Reading Your Story 25 Reasons Readers Will Quit Reading Your Story 25 Reasons Writers Are Bug-F**k Nuts 25 Things I Want To Say To So-Called “Aspiring” Writers 25 Things Writers Should Know About Blogging 25 Things Writers Should Know About Agents 25 Things Writers Should Start Doing (As Soon As Possible) 25 Things Writers Should Stop Doing (Starting Right Now) 25 Things You Should Know About Narrative Structure 25 Things You Should Know About Protagonists 25 Things You Should Know About Rejection 25 Things You Should Know About Setting 25 Things You Should Know About Suspense And Tension In Storytelling 25 Things You Should Know About Your Authorial Voice 25 Things You Should Know About Your “Finished” Novel 25 Ways For Writers To Help Other Writers Appendix I: 25 More Writing Challenges Appendix II: 25 Things You Should Know About Me

    Midwest Book Review Do you feel like you have no time to market your book? What if I told you that you could market a book in only FIVE MINUTES A DAY? It’s True! Yes you CAN market a book in only 5 minutes a day! This book is set up so that you can do ONLY 5-minute incremental work but it also includes instructions for when you are ready to dig deeper and spend more time. So it’s really two books in one! Here’s what you’ll learn: • How to Optimize Amazon in only 5 Minutes a day • How to power up your Goodreads profile • How to create eBook Promotions that sell books • How to simplify your social media • How to sell more books on Amazon! And so much more! I can personally guarantee if you spend just 5 quality minutes a day marketing, you WILL sell more books!

    John Bichelmeyer dispensed much more than ground beef and bacon to his customers. A man with only an eighth-grade education and father of 10 children, he offered rare wisdom and compassion to his clientele, friends and family that came from the heart.Now his daughter, Mary B. Lucas, B.D., tells the story of how she earned her B.D. (which stands for "butcher's daughter") by spending hours at the butcher-block table in the family kitchen, listening to her father's stories about how he achieved success by making deep connections with the people around him. In turn, Mary used her father's advice to find the passion and perseverance to rise to the top of the staffing industry.As John used to say, "Remember to put the `comeback sauce' on everyone you meet." In Lunch Meat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom, Mary offers a healthy dose of that sauce, which will empower everyone who reads this book to reach their full potential.

    It's a compilation of my daily ramblings as a first time novelist encouraging myself and others to bite the bullet and do it despite the fear of the blank paper, the insecurities, and the angst every writer faces when trying to bleed the story out. My Twitter followers asked me to make this book. They said they want to carry it around in their pockets and take it out each time they feel stuck, scared, or simply need to smile. They tell me my tweets are encouraging and funny. You be the judge.