Book in a Month: The Fool-Proof System for Writing a Novel in 30 Days


Victoria Lynn Schmidt - 2008
    Book in a Month shows you how to: Set realistic goals and monitor your progress Manage your time so that your writing life has room to flourish Select a story topic that will continue to inspire you throughout the writing process Quickly outline your entire story so that you have a clear idea of how your plot and characters are going to develop before you start writing Draft each act of your story by focusing on specific turning points Keep track of the areas you want to revise without losing your momentum in the middle of your story Relax and have fun-you are, after all, doing something you love So what are you waiting for? If you've been putting off your book project, let Book in a Month be your guide and find out just how much you can accomplish.

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy


Orson Scott Card - 1990
    Your readers are curious and want you to take them beyond ""The Fields We Know,"" to help them explore the infinite boundaries of the worlds you create.Here, science fiction great Orson Scott Card shares his expertise in these genres. You'll learn:- What is and isn't science fiction and fantasy, and by whose standards -- and where your work fits in.- How to build, populate, and dramatize a credible, inviting world your readers will want to explore.- How to use the MICE quotient -- milieu, idea, character, event -- to structure a successful story.- Where the markets are and how to reach them to get published.The knowledge and skills you gain through this book will help you effectively lead your readers into the strangeness you create -- one tantalizing step at a time.

How To Sell Fiction On Kindle. Marketing Your Ebook In Amazon's Ecosystem: A Guide For Kindle Publishing Authors.


Michael Alvear - 2013
     I’m going to show you examples, rock solid proof, that unknown authors used the keyword phrases in this book to rank higher than superstar authors like J.A. Konrath or Barry Eisler. You can start getting visibility today because...This Book Marketing Guide Answers The Most Critical Question You Face As A Fiction Writer:What keyword phrases should I use for my novel? I’m not going to show you how to find them. I’m going to tell you what they are. This Kindle selling book is quite literally an encyclopedia of keyword phrases that buyers type into Amazon’s search engine when they try to find books in your genre. It’s your biggest challenge answered: Discoverability.Writing a Young Adult novel? Click on the “Young Adult” link in this Kindle selling book and it’ll take you to a list of keyword phrases people use to find YA books. Writing a thriller? A romance? Same thing. My team of researchers pulled the keyword phrases directly out of Amazon’s “Leading Indicators.” Special Bonus! They include Amazon’s “Relative Importance” ranking, which shows you which keyword phrases are more likely to lead to a sale. Get excited! This is your ticket to huge sales! Inside This Kindle Publishing Guide You Will Find The Most Effective Keyword Phrases For Books In: • Romance- Christian- Contemporary- Fantasy & Futuristic- Historical Romance- Paranormal- Romantic Suspense- Time Travel- Vampires- Westerns • Fantasy- Alternative History- Contemporary- Dark Fantasy- Epic- Historical- Paranormal- Urban • Mystery & Thrillers- Crime- Mystery- Police Procedurals- Thrillers• Horror- Dark Fantasies- Occult- Ghosts• And...- Science Fiction- Action Adventure- Contemporary Fiction- Erotica- Literary Fiction- Historical Fiction- Christian Fiction- Gay & Lesbian- Medical- Men’s Adventure- Sea Adventures- Sports- War How To Sell More Books On Amazon, Part Two. Every book buyer goes through nine decision points on their way to a purchase. Will they click on your cover? Read your book description? Click on “Look Inside? Wince at your price? Read your reviews? I’m going to show you how you can influence each of the nine decision points so they result in a sale. This includes how to:• Come up with clever, must-click titles.• Create mesmerizing covers.• Write a book description that ignites click lust. • Use HTML to format your book description.• Use the “look inside!” Feature to clinch the sale.• Set the right price for your book.• Get reviews that jump-starts sales.About Michael AlvearWhen I published my first books on Kindle, I’d check my anemic sales and let out a string of cuss words that made my dog blush. Then I developed my Attract•Engage•Convert strategy and sales took off.

About Writing


Gareth L. Powell - 2019
    His passion for the genre, along with a refreshingly open and honest relationship with his fans, shows why he is such a unique talent.In About Writing, Powell shares his insights and tips from the world of fiction. More than just an instructional how-to, this is a practical, inspirational field guide, and a unique, invaluable insight into what it takes to be a successful author.

Show or Tell?: A Powerful Lesson on a Critical Writing Skill


James Stewart Thayer - 2013
    It wastes no words, and it has a rhythm that only confident stylists achieve." Just as stent and laparoscopy are surgery terms of art, show and tell are writing terms of art. They refer to a technique that novelist Robert Sawyer says is “among the hardest for beginners to master.” Showing rather than telling is the single most important skill for powerful sentence-by-sentence writing. This lesson sets out what showing and telling mean, and illustrates how to consistently show rather than tell, and will result in your writing becoming more compelling and engaging for the reader. "Thayer writes a vivid tale," the Cleveland Plain Dealer said. This lesson will help you write your own vivid tale.

Writing Without Rules: How to Write & Sell a Novel Without Guidelines, Experts, or (Occasionally) Pants


Jeff Somers - 2018
    And all of them are phonies. Well, not completely. There are real, applicable techniques and strategies in any writing reference to help you. But the idea that there's only one way of writing? Nuts! With unconventional approaches to the craft, fresh angles on novel writing and selling, a healthy dose of humor, and no promise of refunds, Writing Without Rules is for those writers who have tried and tried again--and are ready to success on their own terms. In these pages, accomplished author Jeff Somers will show you:The key to a successful writing career is doing the actual writing, no matter the circumstances.Fantastic ideas are available everywhere--you just need to know how to tap into sources through a variety of approaches.Important craft aspects that you should focus on, such as characters and dialogue, while spending less time on others, like setting.Effective ways to get published--whether it's traditional or self-publishing--and how to supplement your income.Whether you're a plotter, a pantser, or somewhere in-between, Writing Without Rules is for those writers who are looking for a fresh take on tackling the challenge of writing and selling a novel, and building a career. As Somers will show you, it's less about being perfect in everything, and more about having the confidence to complete everything.

Become a Successful Indie Author: Work Toward Your Writing Dream


Craig Martelle - 2018
    This is a motivational guide based on my two and a half million published words (mostly with Amazon) to help you see past the hurdles that are keeping you from climbing the mountain of success. Nothing is overwhelming once it's been explained. If you are smart enough to write a book, you are smart enough to do everything else needed to make your indie author business a success. "Craig, thanks to the book, I went from kicking around vague concepts for my first series to knowing exactly how to proceed with it, and because of that I know it'll be far more successful than it would have been if I hadn't read this." "This was insightful and motivating, I'm inspired and wiser for it. Thank you, Craig." "Over the years, I’ve read many How To Books, Self Help Biographies, and Industry Books. Become a Successful Indie Author is one of the best. It reads like a novel, teaches specifics like a field manual, and shines light on pathways through the dark jungle of self-publishing." Clocking in at nearly 50,000 words, this guide has something for every budding author as well as those who have already published, but for whom success remains elusive. In this business there is only one hard and fast rule - you must find readers willing to pay for your stories. It starts with the first sentence. You have to write a gripping story that people want to read, wrap a cover around the book, and then do the marketing. There’s no doubt that you can do it. Let me show you how.

Writing: A User's Manual: A practical guide to planning, starting and finishing a novel


David Hewson - 2012
    This is a manual offering plain-language insight into the everyday mechanics of creating a book from hazy idea to finished manuscript. These real-world challenges - how to approach a manuscript, to manage research, to fix the right point of view - represent important and recurring obstacles every writer, novice or professional, must overcome. This practical user manual is a must-have starting point for anyone facing that challenge. It is not a book on writing technique or how to get published. It's a practical guide to the craft of planning, starting and finishing a novel.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up: The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction -- from Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between


Lee Gutkind - 2012
    Whether you're writing a rags-to-riches tell-all memoir or literary journalism, telling true stories well is hard work. In You Can't Make This Stuff Up, Lee Gutkind, the go-to expert for all things creative nonfiction, offers his unvarnished wisdom to help you craft the best writing possible. Frank, to-the-point, and always entertaining, Gutkind describes and illustrates every aspect of the genre. Invaluable tools and exercises illuminate key steps, from defining a concept and establishing a writing process to the final product. Offering new ways of understanding the genre, this practical guidebook will help you thoroughly expand and stylize your work.

Publishing E-Books For Dummies


Ali Luke - 2012
    You need to select and create a variety of formats that will be read on a variety of e-reader devices--and market and sell your book in a variety of ways. Before you take the plunge, get this practical guide. With clear instruction and sensible advice, it will help you navigate the often confusing, time-consuming, and costly world of self-publishing an e-book. The book gives you solid marketing tips for selling your e-book, including using blogging and social media and how to build an online platform. It also discusses key technologies you'll encounter, including Smashwords, iBooks Author, Amazon, Microsoft Word, Open Office, Calibre, WordPress, E-junkie, and others.Helps readers navigate the confusing, time-consuming, and often costly world of self-publishing an e-book Provides both technical how-tos as well solid marketing advice on how to sell your e-book using Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and other social media sites Covers essential technologies, such as Smashwords, iBooks Author, Amazon, Microsoft Word, Open Office, Calibre, WordPress, and E-junkie Explores e-book devices, including Kindle, Kobo, Sony Reader, Nook, iPad, and other tablets Delves into the nitty-gritty of e-book formats Before you self-publish your e-book, start first with Publishing eBooks For Dummies.

Author Publicity Pack: Resources to Help You Take Your Book Marketing To The Next Level


Shelley Hitz - 2013
    Join us and take your marketing to the next level by publicizing your book.What is included in this book:* 29 Places to Promote Your Book For Free* 8 Free Press Releases Submission Sites* 4 Places to Get Book Reviews* 25 Book Awards For Which You Can Submit Your Book* 7 Media Sources for Authors* 36 Paid Advertising Resources* 6 Virtual Bookshelves and ForumsAnd More!Because we have personally published many Christian books, we have also included 39 additional resources specifically for Christian authors.And in the back of the book, you get access to our bonus 20-page PDF, "Places to Submit Your Free KDP Select Promotion." We have been using the KDP Select program since January 2011 and have seen our book royalties increase tremendously. This PDF shares the process I take for each of my free promotions.Join us and take your marketing to the next level by publicizing your book!

Writing with Emotion, Tension, and Conflict: Techniques for Crafting an Expressive and Compelling Novel


Cheryl St. John - 2013
    It should be carefully sewn into the fabric of the story to create tension-filled moments that will keep readers turning pages. In Writing with Emotion, Tension, & Conflict, you'll learn how to layer emotional moments and deep connections to create a tapestry filled with conflict, pathos, and genuine feeling.- Create emotional depth, conflict, and tension in your novel by carefully crafting your plot, characters, setting, word choice, and more. - Learn what makes readers "tick"--and what will elicit the strongest emotional responses. - Write believable, emotional scenes and dialogue--and trim away the sappiness.When writing a novel, your ultimate goal is to make readers smile, weep, rage, and laugh right along with your characters. Writing with Emotion, Tension, & Conflict will show you how to evoke a multitude of feelings in your readers--and keep them coming back for more.

The Book on Writing


Paula LaRocque - 2013
    A celebrated writing coach with a sense of humor and a gentle touch, she’s also a master writer herself with a long and distinguished career in both teaching and practicing the art of writing.The Book on Writing contains 25 chapters in three sections: A dozen essential but easy-to-apply guidelines to good writing, from the importance of clarity to the value of a conversational tone. Paula LaRocque believes learning is easier and more successful when we are not only told but also shown. So her Book on Writing is chockfull of actual writing examples that supplement and illustrate principles that apply as naturally to fiction as they do to nonfiction.How to tell a story—from building suspense, to effective description, to the uses of metaphor and literary devices. Paula LaRocque also deals with the narrative “engine” and the value of the archetype in plotting and characterization—as well as with pace and speed and leveling what she terms writing’s “speedbumps.” A clear and concise handbook that deals with common problems in grammar, usage, punctuation, and style—the kind of problems that often trouble even wordsmiths. The handbook also debunks pesky language “rules” that are actually myths. The Book on Writing is one-stop shopping for writers. Read it once, and you’ll be a better writer. Read it often, and you’ll be among the best.

5,000 Words Per Hour: Write Faster, Write Smarter


Chris Fox - 2015
    5,000 Words Per Hour also has a companion app available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch! The fastest way to succeed as an author is to write more books. How do you do that with a day job, family, school or all your other time commitments? The secret is efficiency. 5K WPH will help you maximize your writing time by building effective habits that both measure and increase your writing speed. - Create an effective writing habit - Track and improve your Words Per Hour - Stop the endless editing and tinkering so you can finish your draft - Use voice dictation software to dramatically increase words per hour. It’s time to shift your writing into high gear.

Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life


Dani Shapiro - 2013
    At once a memoir, meditation on the artistic process, and advice on craft, Still Writing is an intimate and eloquent companion to living a creative life.Through a blend of deeply personal stories about what formed her as a writer, tales from other authors, and a searching look at her own creative process, Shapiro offers her gift to writers everywhere: an elegant guide of hard-won wisdom and advice for staying the course. "The writer's life requires courage, patience, empathy, openness. It requires the ability to be alone with oneself. Gentle with oneself. To be disciplined, and at the same time, take risks." Writers--and anyone with an artistic temperament--will find inspiration and comfort in these pages. Offering lessons learned over twenty years of teaching and writing, Shapiro brings her own revealing insights to weave an indispensable almanac for modern writers.Like Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, Virginia Woolf's A Writer's Diary, and Stephen King's On Writing, Dani Shapiro's Still Writing is a lodestar for aspiring scribes and an eloquent memoir of the writing life.