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         Over 80% of people plan to write a book and more than six million of them have already written a manuscript. Admittedly there are dozens of companies who will take your money and publish your book. How do you get a book publisher to pay YOU for your book?
         Terry Whalin says editors and publishers don't read manuscripts. They read proposals. In BOOK PROPOSALS THAT SELL, 21 SECRETS TO SPEED YOUR SUCCESS, you learn the inside scoop to achieve your dreams.
         The author of more than 60 books from traditional publishers, a former literary agent and still working as an acquisitions editor, Whalin has a unique perspective on the publishing world.
         This book takes you through the process from beginning to end, with solid advice and several  appendices such as Sample Book Proposal That Sold for a Six-Figure Advance, a Nonfiction Book Proposal Checklist, and  Writing A Winning Book Proposal, by Michael Hyatt.
         There are links to valuable resources, including Whalin's Agent List.

 Use this link to order the updated ebook directly from Terry: http://tinyurl.com/puowhm4    

 

    Order by Clicking on: WER

In this era of quick texts using abbreviations, too many of us forget that writing well is still an essential skill.

As the author of a writing book myself, I was happy to review Denny Hatch's latest offering, as he zeros in on capturing the secrets he's learned from decades as the most respected authority on direct mail in the U.S.

Once again he has drawn from this to distill what you need to know to improve your written communication.

As he points out, a careless headline, a poorly-worded  e-mail subject line, or a wordy paragraph and you will lose the reader you're trying to reach.

This is especially true in the digital world where we are all one mouse-click away from oblivion.

Write Everything Right!  comes from the respected  columnist for Target Marketing and editor of the e-newsletter, Business Common Sense, published by the Target Marketing Group.

Visit Denny's website at: www.dennyhatch.com.

What does it take to write an extraordinary nonfiction book?

In a nutshell, there are three essential building blocks both novice and experienced authors need to write exceptional books:

1. Process–the fundamentals of writing, publishing, and promoting your nonfiction book

2. Skills–tools of the trade that will help you become proficient in the art and craft of writing

3. Business savvy–what it takes to turn your passion for writing into a successful business

Bobbi Linkemer is a prolific author, writing coach, ghostwriter, and editor.

Available at all major online
book sites including Amazon
and Barnes and Noble

Previous books by Al Emid include:
Investing in Frontier Markets, Frontier Markets for Dummies, Financial Recovery in a Fragile World, and What I Have Learned So Far.

His website: http://www.alemid.com

What You Need to Know About ISIS: Terror, Religion, War and the Caliphate, is the first book in a series by Al Emid, a respected journalist and broadcaster specializing in geopolitical and
financial matters. Emid spent nearly two years talking to a global roster of military, political, financial, and terrorism and intelligence experts from the United States, Canada, Africa, Europe and the Middle East to get the narrative correct and to explain what is happening, to suggest the likely outcomes, and to help us understand why an insurgent group that seemed to have sprung from nowhere has become one of the most serious threats of our time.

In this book, Emid's fifth, he takes us behind the mask of the ISIS crisis and provides some much needed perspective on how is arose and the prospects for its goal of world domination. He explains that the new Caliphate declared in June 2014 satisfied a desire by the ISIS jihadists for a dominion ruled by Islamic concepts, especially Sharia law. It also completed the separation of ISIS from its former parent organization Al Qaeda. It provided a means of telegraphing its ascendancy over its former parent and other jihadist groups, and provided a form of “terrorist branding” that would demonstrate to believers and unbelievers everywhere that ISIS had “nation” status and that its Caliph spoke for the Muslim world.

Drawing on sources from around the world, it explains complex issues in clear language for the reader who wants more insight than is usually found in the mainstream media. As a business and financial journalist Emid continues chronicling business developments in parts of the Middle East as well as at home.

 

Most of us know Abby Hagyard as 'Mom' from You Can't Do That On Television.

In this book, she poses the deceptively simple question: What is Fame? As each conversation unfolds, we have the privilege of sitting in on the discussion.

Whether you're a fan of YCDTOTV, or simply curious about Fame, you're in for a treat with this latest book from Abby Hagyard!

Available from Amazon.

The Self Publisher's Ultimate Resource Guide |
lists more than 850 curated and verified resources
in 33 Categories, compiled by Joel Friedlander and Betty Kelly Sargent.

Endorsed by all the top names in the field, including Dan Poynter, Joan Stewart and Patricia Fry, the surtitle of this book describes it perfectly, as:

every indie author’s essential directory, to help you prepare, publish, and promote professional looking books.

Order from http://www.thebookdesigner.com/

 

 

Published by William Morrow, 
a division of HarperCollins.

Brian's website: 
http://slimbydesign.org/ 

Bobbi's humor article, published in McCall's in 1981 and then  picked up by websites in more than 50 countries, has been quoted in this new book.

 

         Brian Wansink, PhD., is a nutritionist, behavioral economist, professor and the Director of Cornell University’s renowned Food and Brand Lab. A leading research expert on eating behaviors, his work has been adapted and used in homes, schools, restaurants, workplaces, and companies worldwide.
        His new book, Slim By Design, Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life, demonstrates how to re-engineer our spaces, from home kitchens to restaurants, workplaces to schools, to help us manage what and how we eat to achieve optimal health.
He integrates funny, eye-opening charts and illustrations to help readers see the simple changes they can make and offers a helpful 100-point scorecard for each area in your food radius to help you see where you are—and how to get where you want to be.
        Wansink says that the most natural way to reverse weight gain is to work with human nature, not against it. The answer isn’t to tell people what to do; it’s to encourage them to make the right decisions that will naturally lead them to lose weight. And this can start a movement that transforms the way we eat.
        He shows readers how taking small actions to redesign the five places where most of our eating occurs can help us better control how our environments impact our eating behaviors.

 

Denny Hatch has followed his popular Secrets of Emotional, Hot-Button Copywriting with another terrific book of compilations from his extensive archives.

A prodigious researcher, Denny saved every quote or bit of advice he ever came across, collecting these in 99 different categories. From Advertising through Writing, you'll find tidbits on creativity, headlines, marketing, overwork, politics, and website design, to mention just a few that will be helpful to authors, speakers, and teachers.

Career-Changing TakeAways is a book to browse for fun as well as to pick up when you need a catchy phrase to liven up an article,  an anecdote to add to a speech, or advice for a friend or client.

Denny is a regular columnist for Target Marketing and editor of the e-newsletter, Business Common Sense, published by the Target Marketing Group.

Visit Denny's website at: www.dennyhatch.com.

When Denny Hatch and I were at Columbia University at the same time, I thought he had one of the quickest minds I'd ever encountered. His witty repartee was legendary among our circle of friends, and he had an amazing memory for people he'd met and books he's read.

He went on to become the most respected authority on direct mail in the U.S. Who's Mailing What is the world's largest archive of winning direct mail, with over 250,000 actual pieces. From these, Denny has drawn those he considers to be the top sellers, and turned those into The Secrets of Emotional, Hot-Button Copywriting: How to Employ the 7 Key copy Drivers that Make People Act.

But this book is not just for those seeking a career in advertising. Rather, it offers a wealth of ideas for all kinds of promotion.

Order from Direct Marketing IQ, a division of Target Marketing, which publishes Hatch's excellent Business Common Sense newsletter. And visit his website: www.dennyhatch.com.

Dana Lynn Smith, The Savvy Book Marketer,
offers guidebooks and courses for authors and independent publishers. Check her website for descriptions of her guides to using Amazon
effectively, how to use Facebook, Twitter, 
Pinterest, and how to conduct a virtual book tour.

Read my review of Selling Your Book to Libraries HERE.  It tells you everything you need to know
about selling to U.S. libraries. 

To purchase go HERE.

And check out my Canadian Libaries list HERE.

Available from:  
http://www.writing-world./com/year/holidays.shtml

 

Moira Allen has a new book for writers. The Writer’s Guide to Holidays, Celebrations and Awareness Dates
includes more than 1800 events and celebrations to spark your writing.

A single holiday can offer a writer an endless array of slants, depending on such factors as your audience’s age, gender, ethnicity, location, socio-economic status, and even “attitude.”

This is a great idea for those of you who write articles or stories to promote your books. There’s something being celebrated almost every day of the year. Tie these popular and obscure holidays and other noted dates to the topic of your book and create meaningful, useful articles and stories.

Lists are arranged by date and by theme, with some categories further subdivided, making it very easy to use. There's also a list of useful websites.

Moira Allen is a prolific author with a terrific newsletter. Go to: www.writing-world.com too see what she has to offer, and check out some of her other books further down on this page.

Using actual queries and articles, this helpful book walks readers through the process of pitching, selling, researching, and writing articles for print and online markets, including what they need to know about copyright, contracts, and taxes.

$14.95

Improvise Press, which produces books for creative people who want to profit from their passions, has just released their first two books.

Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets is for writers who are new to freelancing, and is designed to help them go from unpublished to published and paid.

Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer’s Guide to Making More Money is geared toward more experienced writers. This updated edition includes new chapters on markets, on writing books (including ghostwriting and coauthoring), new queries and templates, information about using social media, and more.

Kelly James-Enger has been self-employed for more than 16 years, has written articles for more than 60 national magazines before branching out into books, ghostwriting, consulting, and speaking.

For those who are published but who dream of increasing their income, or of making the jump from part- to full-time.

 $19.95

Patricia Fry is the first woman ever to be invited to give the keynote address at an annual Toastmasters convention in the Middle East. This was an all-expenses-paid gig in the fabulous emirate of Dubai. She  spoke before 800 people.  So she knows how to promote herself and her books!

Fry launched her first self-published book nearly thirty years ago, and there are now 36 books, most of them related to publishing and book promotion. She speaks on publishing and book promotion about two dozen times each year.

She assembles top experts, quoting their best advice among the years of experience she shares with readers. I've been among those she's quoted, and I've written a full review of this book on a separate page. Find it HERE.

Talk Up Your Book is published by Allworth. 

Order from Amazon or Barnes & Noble
Kindle version also available from Amazon.

 

 

Patricia Fry  is the author of more than thirty books, and  heads SPAWN, the Small Publishers And Writers' Network, which assists small and self-publishers by sharing information and resources.

Fry's company, Matilija Press, has published such popular titles as The Successful Author's Handbook, and How to Write a Successful Book Proposal in 8 Days or Less.

Patricia has quoted me in some of her books, and when she was working on this compilation of tips and techniques for book promotion, she asked me to share some of my successful approaches. So I'm happy to be among the experts she features in this volume.

This book is invaluable for all authors. In addition to 250 low-cost ideas, it contains online resources for such things as catalogs, press release services, book trailers and podcasts, and online book review sites.

It also contains sample marketing plans and a comprehensive index.

Just named one of the 10 best books for writers by 
The Writer.

Patricia Fry has had a long career in publishing. The author of more than thirty books, she heads SPAWN, the Small Publishers And Writers' Network, which assists small and self-publishers by sharing information and resources.

Fry's books are invaluable to any author who needs a guide to publishing, and I advise those I mentor to read this book before they begin the planning process.

Certainly, Publish Your Book is a must-read before you sign on with any of the "Pay to Publish" companies.

There are several excellent guides to the programs you may need to design your book, or how to get it into print, but this guide begins much earlier in the process. It's about how to write a solid book, and how to market it well in advance of publication.

Fry covers the self-publishing option, contracts and copyright, and other practical matters you have to consider, before you begin and all along the process.

 

Memoirs of the Soul guides writers on a voyage of self-discovery and through a writing process that produces polished memoirs.

Writers gently progress from accessible subjects to deeply significant thoughts and feelings.

Nan Merrick Phifer is an associate director of the Oregon Writing Project at the University of Oregon. She leads workshops for writing groups, organizations, and at conferences.

Her website is: http://memoirworkshops.com

Orders can be placed online (Amazon and other major retailers) or by sending an email to:
bchouck (at) efn.org 

 $19.95
ISBN 0984248099

Read a complete description of the book, with ordering information, at:  http://selfpublishingworkbook.com 
Benitez also offers a free self-publishing eCourse at:
http://publishingsimplified.com/FreeSPCourse/SPeCourse2012.pdf 

A. William Benitez and his company, Positive Imaging, LLC, offers writing, publishing, distribution and web design services.

Software he recommends: http://www.cnet.com/ to look for downloads of free software. One of the safest sites. Another site for free software is: http://sourceforge.net/

http://www.serif.com/ a British company whose software Bill recommends.

    This is a terrific workbook containing 22 chapters of detailed instructions and more than 140 screen shots illustrating every step in the writing and self-publishing process.
     Benitez has provided the first clear, comprehensive guide I've come across. Best of all, he describes how to use  free and/or inexpensive software, offering step-by-step instructions for using each one.
    He recommends PagePlus X4 to lay out, format, and typeset your book, so you end up with the PDF file you need to send to produce both ebooks and print copies. That means you can print with Smashwords (the free service that produces books for most small and mid-size publishers) without worrying about errors. PagePlus X4 come from a British company called Serif, and they've released a more advanced, and more expensive version. But he points out that version 4 is fine, and sells for only costs $15 when ordered from Amazon.
    You can opt for the newer version, for $99, a wise idea if you plan to produce more than one book, or try out the free version, which can be downloaded from  http://www.serif.com/.
    PagePlus lets you also produce address labels, brochures, newsletters, business cards and posters. That means all the promotional materials you need to market your book are available at no extra cost. It also allows you to add and manipulate photos, images, and even create a website.
    Benitez recommends other inexpensive and free software, describes fonts you should consider, how to design an effective cover, the advantages of using CreateSpace (the Amazon company) to handle sales. More than 85% of books sales are online, mostly at Amazon, so there are real advantages to using CreateSpace.

Order from Amazon

Author Sharon E. Cathcart presents a compendium of her most popular blog posts on the business of writing. With subject matter ranging from building relationships with one's readers to creating a brand statement, this book provides answers to some of the questions Cathcart has encountered during her career as an author.  Kindle Edition at: http://tinyurl.com/8d9td6b

This book can save you thousands of dollars when it comes time to sell your house. Most people do not know the in's and out's of selling a house, and that most real estate contracts are written in favor of the buyer and the agent, not the seller.  

Read more about this helpful book at the author's website: http://www.sbulanda.com 

 

Harry Bruce has written more than two dozen books, many of them biographies of notable Canadians. He's won numberous awards and wrote a popular syndicated column about writing for many years.

The Concise Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature called him an essayist of great charm and perception, and his 14th book, Page Fright, has been described as a splendid feast of literary lore.

What I enjoyed about this book is that it's not just a series of anecdotes, but rather an examination of the writing process, from the earliest tracings of our human ancestors through all the literary greats, including Shakespeare, Dickens, and Churchill through John Irving and Don DeLillo.

Readable from cover to cover, one can also browse this book by finding your favorite authors in the handy index and discovering who wrote naked, or how to sharpen a quill pen. J.K. Rowling's depression and the influence of George Orwell's wife on his writing are all documented.

Although this book was published in 2009, it's one of those everygreens that belongs on every writer's bookshelf. 

An online platform is essential for all authors, not just  those who publish their own books.  Agents and editors want an author to have a solid online presence, with an attractive and effective website, and contacts in social media.

Stephanie Chandler used her business background to assemble a directory of resources for entrepreneurs, www.BusinessInfoGuide.com, and to create a custom business writing and marketing service.

She's also written two books, and in this new one, she draws together many of these resources to offer a clear guide to everything from website content, media kits, blogs, newsletters, and more.

Interviews with successful authors provide specific advice that worked for them, as well as helpful tips.

Her pointed questions have produced a variety of answers, along with many URLs and strategies for such things as getting the most from Amazon.

There's a Directory of Resources and an index to make finding specific things easier.

If you think you have a great TV or movie idea, wouldn't you want advice from two successful producers?

Jonathan Koch was an agent and Robert Kosberg a producer when they joined forces to become "pitchmen." That means they're the folks who "pitch" ideas to Hollywood.

Combining straight text with specific quotes from each of them, they cover the appropriate length for pitches, how they're structured (in three "acts" like a play), and definitions of "high concept." They explain, with examples from movies and TV shows we're all familiar with, how "high concept" ideas create an immediate visual image in just a few sentences, while "low concept" pitches depend more on drama, dialogue and character relationships, so the pitch requires an entire script.

They discuss how to get ideas, offer examples of the worst pitches they've encountered, how much the idea is worth, and how to protect your ideas. They also cover preparing the "treatment," and how to "get a meeting."

Lots of examples, resources, and a glossary.

Laurie Lewis, who has operated a freelance medical writing and editing business in NYC since 1985, wrote the first edition of this book in 2001. The updated second edition contains 15 chapters covering different methods of pricing, record-keeping, a case study on a project, negotiating, contracts, FAQs. Among the advice in the book I heartily endorse is Never agree to work for less than you know a job is worth. She also suggests possible compromises, such as non-monetary compensation or concessions such as changing the deadline, having expenses covered, or similar strategies. Laurie also suggests you refuse to work without a contract, and insist that it covers more than just the fee. Order from the publisher, Outskirts Press, at www.outskirtspress.com

Moira Allen is the acclaimed publisher of one of the most trusted newsletters for freelance writers: Writing World. Her books cover writing contests, query letters, preparing your manuscript, and more. This revised edition of her classic is available from Allworth Press. 

 

The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, by Mark Levine, which compares and ranks 45 companies in this growing field. Full review HERE. 

The Step-By-Step Guide to Self-Publishing for Profit!  by C. Pinheiro with Nick Russell, Pineapple Publications.  Read Bobbi's review HERE.

The Well-Fed Writer (updated) and The Well-Fed Self-Publisher by Peter Bowerman.
Read reviews HERE and HERE.

Publishize: How to Quickly and Affordably Self-Publish a Book That Promotes Your Expertise, by Susan Daffron, a hands-on guidebook for entrepreneurs who want to add a new revenue stream to their business. Read the table of contents and some sample pages at: www.logicalexpressions.com.

Release Your Writing: Book Publishing Your Way, by Helen Gallagher. Read Bobbi's review HERE.

This best-selling manual on self-publishing has shown thousands of people the faster, surer way to break into print, by the leading authority on how to write, publish and promote books.

This manual is your complete reference for writing, printing, publishing, promoting, marketing and distributing books. You will discover how easy it is to: 
•  Build your book rather than just write it—and copyright it in your name.
• Multipurpose your “book” into downloadable, CD and ebook versions. 
• Wring maximum value out of your “book” by spinning off audiotapes, videotapes, magazine excerpts, foreign-language editions and more.
• Bypass the publishers and go direct to a short-run book printer.
• Set up your own publishing company and take the tax breaks.
• Promote your books with email, book reviews, autographings, feature articles and radio/TV interviews.
• Get your book into chain bookstores, online bookstores, specialty stores and catalogs.
• Use the Internet for promotion. Appendix 2 has over 40 pages of valuable resources complete with email and Web site addresses. 

Dan Poynter is the author of more than 80 books. His seminars have been featured on CNN, his books have been pictured in The Wall Street Journal, and his story has been told in U.S. News & World Report. 

See his Book Promotion Program HERE.

I See Your Name Everywhere, by Pam Lontos. Full review HERE.

The Thrifty Author’s Guide to Launching Your Book Without Losing Your Mind, the first in a series by author and international speaker Gail Martin.  Mini-review HERE.

Work Less, Do More: the 14-Day Productivity Makeover,  by Jan Yager, Ph.D. 
Full review HERE.

How Women Make Money, by Julie V. Watson (Dundurn, 2004) www.gotocreativeconnections.com      Other books by Julie Watson at: www.seacroftpei.com