Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction and Get It Published

Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction and Get It Published

Author: Susan Rabiner

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2010-09-27

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 039334021X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Distilled wisdom from two publishing pros for every serious nonfiction author in search of big commercial success. Over 50,000 books are published in America each year, the vast majority nonfiction. Even so, many writers are stymied in getting their books published, never mind gaining significant attention for their ideas—and substantial sales. This is the book editors have been recommending to would-be authors. Filled with trade secrets, Thinking Like Your Editor explains: • why every proposal should ask and answer five key questions; • how to tailor academic writing to a general reader, without losing ideas or dumbing down your work; • how to write a proposal that editors cannot ignore; • why the most important chapter is your introduction; • why "simple structure, complex ideas" is the mantra for creating serious nonfiction; • why smart nonfiction editors regularly reject great writing but find new arguments irresistible. Whatever the topic, from history to business, science to philosophy, law, or gender studies, this book is vital to every serious nonfiction writer.


Book Synopsis Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction and Get It Published by : Susan Rabiner

Download or read book Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction and Get It Published written by Susan Rabiner and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2010-09-27 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Distilled wisdom from two publishing pros for every serious nonfiction author in search of big commercial success. Over 50,000 books are published in America each year, the vast majority nonfiction. Even so, many writers are stymied in getting their books published, never mind gaining significant attention for their ideas—and substantial sales. This is the book editors have been recommending to would-be authors. Filled with trade secrets, Thinking Like Your Editor explains: • why every proposal should ask and answer five key questions; • how to tailor academic writing to a general reader, without losing ideas or dumbing down your work; • how to write a proposal that editors cannot ignore; • why the most important chapter is your introduction; • why "simple structure, complex ideas" is the mantra for creating serious nonfiction; • why smart nonfiction editors regularly reject great writing but find new arguments irresistible. Whatever the topic, from history to business, science to philosophy, law, or gender studies, this book is vital to every serious nonfiction writer.

Thinking Like a Writer

Thinking Like a Writer

Author: Stephen V. Armstrong

Publisher:

Published: 2021

Total Pages: 510

ISBN-13: 9781402437724

DOWNLOAD EBOOK


Book Synopsis Thinking Like a Writer by : Stephen V. Armstrong

Download or read book Thinking Like a Writer written by Stephen V. Armstrong and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 510 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Getting It Published

Getting It Published

Author: William P. Germano

Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com

Published: 2010-10-21

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 1459606116

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Since 2001 William Germano's Getting It Published has helped thousands of scholars develop a compelling book proposal, find the right academic publisher, evaluate a contract, handle the review process, and, finally, emerge as published authors. But a lot has changed in the past seven years. With the publishing world both more competitive and mor...


Book Synopsis Getting It Published by : William P. Germano

Download or read book Getting It Published written by William P. Germano and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010-10-21 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since 2001 William Germano's Getting It Published has helped thousands of scholars develop a compelling book proposal, find the right academic publisher, evaluate a contract, handle the review process, and, finally, emerge as published authors. But a lot has changed in the past seven years. With the publishing world both more competitive and mor...

What Editors Do

What Editors Do

Author: Peter Ginna

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2017-10-06

Total Pages: 319

ISBN-13: 022630003X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Essays from twenty-seven leading book editors: “Honest and unflinching accounts from publishing insiders . . . a valuable primer on the field.” —Publishers Weekly Editing is an invisible art in which the very best work goes undetected. Editors strive to create books that are enlightening, seamless, and pleasurable to read, all while giving credit to the author. This makes it all the more difficult to truly understand the range of roles they inhabit while shepherding a project from concept to publication. What Editors Do gathers essays from twenty-seven leading figures in book publishing about their work. Representing both large houses and small, and encompassing trade, textbook, academic, and children’s publishing, the contributors make the case for why editing remains a vital function to writers—and readers—everywhere. Ironically for an industry built on words, there has been a scarcity of written guidance on how to approach the work of editing. Serving as a compendium of professional advice and a portrait of what goes on behind the scenes, this book sheds light on how editors acquire books, what constitutes a strong author-editor relationship, and the editor’s vital role at each stage of the publishing process—a role that extends far beyond marking up the author’s text. This collection treats editing as both art and craft, and also as a career. It explores how editors balance passion against the economic realities of publishing—and shows why, in the face of a rapidly changing publishing landscape, editors are more important than ever. “Authoritative, entertaining, and informative.” —Copyediting


Book Synopsis What Editors Do by : Peter Ginna

Download or read book What Editors Do written by Peter Ginna and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2017-10-06 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Essays from twenty-seven leading book editors: “Honest and unflinching accounts from publishing insiders . . . a valuable primer on the field.” —Publishers Weekly Editing is an invisible art in which the very best work goes undetected. Editors strive to create books that are enlightening, seamless, and pleasurable to read, all while giving credit to the author. This makes it all the more difficult to truly understand the range of roles they inhabit while shepherding a project from concept to publication. What Editors Do gathers essays from twenty-seven leading figures in book publishing about their work. Representing both large houses and small, and encompassing trade, textbook, academic, and children’s publishing, the contributors make the case for why editing remains a vital function to writers—and readers—everywhere. Ironically for an industry built on words, there has been a scarcity of written guidance on how to approach the work of editing. Serving as a compendium of professional advice and a portrait of what goes on behind the scenes, this book sheds light on how editors acquire books, what constitutes a strong author-editor relationship, and the editor’s vital role at each stage of the publishing process—a role that extends far beyond marking up the author’s text. This collection treats editing as both art and craft, and also as a career. It explores how editors balance passion against the economic realities of publishing—and shows why, in the face of a rapidly changing publishing landscape, editors are more important than ever. “Authoritative, entertaining, and informative.” —Copyediting

Reading Like a Writer

Reading Like a Writer

Author: Francine Prose

Publisher: Union Books

Published: 2012-04-01

Total Pages: 263

ISBN-13: 1908526149

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In her entertaining and edifying New York Times bestseller, acclaimed author Francine Prose invites you to sit by her side and take a guided tour of the tools and tricks of the masters to discover why their work has endured. Written with passion, humour and wisdom, Reading Like a Writer will inspire readers to return to literature with a fresh eye and an eager heart – to take pleasure in the long and magnificent sentences of Philip Roth and the breathtaking paragraphs of Isaac Babel; to look to John le Carré for a lesson in how to advance plot through dialogue and to Flannery O’ Connor for the cunning use of the telling detail; to be inspired by Emily Brontë ’ s structural nuance and Charles Dickens’ s deceptively simple narrative techniques. Most importantly, Prose cautions readers to slow down and pay attention to words, the raw material out of which all literature is crafted, and reminds us that good writing comes out of good reading.


Book Synopsis Reading Like a Writer by : Francine Prose

Download or read book Reading Like a Writer written by Francine Prose and published by Union Books. This book was released on 2012-04-01 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In her entertaining and edifying New York Times bestseller, acclaimed author Francine Prose invites you to sit by her side and take a guided tour of the tools and tricks of the masters to discover why their work has endured. Written with passion, humour and wisdom, Reading Like a Writer will inspire readers to return to literature with a fresh eye and an eager heart – to take pleasure in the long and magnificent sentences of Philip Roth and the breathtaking paragraphs of Isaac Babel; to look to John le Carré for a lesson in how to advance plot through dialogue and to Flannery O’ Connor for the cunning use of the telling detail; to be inspired by Emily Brontë ’ s structural nuance and Charles Dickens’ s deceptively simple narrative techniques. Most importantly, Prose cautions readers to slow down and pay attention to words, the raw material out of which all literature is crafted, and reminds us that good writing comes out of good reading.

The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published

The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published

Author: Arielle Eckstut

Publisher: Workman Publishing

Published: 2010-11-04

Total Pages: 544

ISBN-13: 076116085X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Now updated for 2015! The best, most comprehensive guide for writers is now revised and updated, with new sections on ebooks, self-publishing, crowd-funding through Kickstarter, blogging, increasing visibility via online marketing, micropublishing, the power of social media and author websites, and more—making The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published more vital than ever for anyone who wants to mine that great idea and turn it into a successfully published book. Written by experts with twenty-five books between them as well as many years’ experience as a literary agent (Eckstut) and a book doctor (Sterry), this nuts-and-bolts guide demystifies every step of the publishing process: how to come up with a blockbuster title, create a selling proposal, find the right agent, understand a book contract, and develop marketing and publicity savvy. Includes interviews with hundreds of publishing insiders and authors, including Seth Godin, Neil Gaiman, Amy Bloom, Margaret Atwood, Leonard Lopate, plus agents, editors, and booksellers; sidebars featuring real-life publishing success stories; sample proposals, query letters, and an entirely updated resources and publishers directory.


Book Synopsis The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published by : Arielle Eckstut

Download or read book The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published written by Arielle Eckstut and published by Workman Publishing. This book was released on 2010-11-04 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now updated for 2015! The best, most comprehensive guide for writers is now revised and updated, with new sections on ebooks, self-publishing, crowd-funding through Kickstarter, blogging, increasing visibility via online marketing, micropublishing, the power of social media and author websites, and more—making The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published more vital than ever for anyone who wants to mine that great idea and turn it into a successfully published book. Written by experts with twenty-five books between them as well as many years’ experience as a literary agent (Eckstut) and a book doctor (Sterry), this nuts-and-bolts guide demystifies every step of the publishing process: how to come up with a blockbuster title, create a selling proposal, find the right agent, understand a book contract, and develop marketing and publicity savvy. Includes interviews with hundreds of publishing insiders and authors, including Seth Godin, Neil Gaiman, Amy Bloom, Margaret Atwood, Leonard Lopate, plus agents, editors, and booksellers; sidebars featuring real-life publishing success stories; sample proposals, query letters, and an entirely updated resources and publishers directory.

How to Write a Book Proposal

How to Write a Book Proposal

Author: Michael Larsen

Publisher: Writer's Digest Books

Published: 2004-01-15

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 9781582972510

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In this valuable handbook, writers learn how to market the potential of a book idea and effectively communicate that potential in a proposal that publishers will read.


Book Synopsis How to Write a Book Proposal by : Michael Larsen

Download or read book How to Write a Book Proposal written by Michael Larsen and published by Writer's Digest Books. This book was released on 2004-01-15 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this valuable handbook, writers learn how to market the potential of a book idea and effectively communicate that potential in a proposal that publishers will read.

The Book Proposal Book

The Book Proposal Book

Author: Laura Portwood-Stacer

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2021-07-13

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 0691216622

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A step-by-step guide to crafting a compelling scholarly book proposal—and seeing your book through to successful publication The scholarly book proposal may be academia’s most mysterious genre. You have to write one to get published, but most scholars receive no training on how to do so—and you may have never even seen a proposal before you’re expected to produce your own. The Book Proposal Book cuts through the mystery and guides prospective authors step by step through the process of crafting a compelling proposal and pitching it to university presses and other academic publishers. Laura Portwood-Stacer, an experienced developmental editor and publishing consultant for academic authors, shows how to select the right presses to target, identify audiences and competing titles, and write a project description that will grab the attention of editors—breaking the entire process into discrete, manageable tasks. The book features over fifty time-tested tips to make your proposal stand out; sample prospectuses, a letter of inquiry, and a response to reader reports from real authors; optional worksheets and checklists; answers to dozens of the most common questions about the scholarly publishing process; and much, much more. Whether you’re hoping to publish your first book or you’re a seasoned author with an unfinished proposal languishing on your hard drive, The Book Proposal Book provides honest, empathetic, and invaluable advice on how to overcome common sticking points and get your book published. It also shows why, far from being merely a hurdle to clear, a well-conceived proposal can help lead to an outstanding book.


Book Synopsis The Book Proposal Book by : Laura Portwood-Stacer

Download or read book The Book Proposal Book written by Laura Portwood-Stacer and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-07-13 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A step-by-step guide to crafting a compelling scholarly book proposal—and seeing your book through to successful publication The scholarly book proposal may be academia’s most mysterious genre. You have to write one to get published, but most scholars receive no training on how to do so—and you may have never even seen a proposal before you’re expected to produce your own. The Book Proposal Book cuts through the mystery and guides prospective authors step by step through the process of crafting a compelling proposal and pitching it to university presses and other academic publishers. Laura Portwood-Stacer, an experienced developmental editor and publishing consultant for academic authors, shows how to select the right presses to target, identify audiences and competing titles, and write a project description that will grab the attention of editors—breaking the entire process into discrete, manageable tasks. The book features over fifty time-tested tips to make your proposal stand out; sample prospectuses, a letter of inquiry, and a response to reader reports from real authors; optional worksheets and checklists; answers to dozens of the most common questions about the scholarly publishing process; and much, much more. Whether you’re hoping to publish your first book or you’re a seasoned author with an unfinished proposal languishing on your hard drive, The Book Proposal Book provides honest, empathetic, and invaluable advice on how to overcome common sticking points and get your book published. It also shows why, far from being merely a hurdle to clear, a well-conceived proposal can help lead to an outstanding book.

Stop Acting Like a Seller and Start Thinking Like a Buyer

Stop Acting Like a Seller and Start Thinking Like a Buyer

Author: Jerry Acuff

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2010-12-28

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 1118044835

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Praise for stop acting like a seller and Start Thinking Like a Buyer "Stop Acting Like a Seller and Start Thinking Like a Buyer is a book that teaches you emphatically that 'words matter.' If you want to set yourself apart from others, whether you're selling a product or a concept, this is a book to read. Not only will you learn how to prepare for sales success, you will learn how to be far more effective by thinking like a buyer." —Theresa Martinez, Brand Director, Roche Laboratories "This book shares a great commonsense approach to developing a new sales attitude and mindset that will work no matter what you're selling. Jerry has successfully articulated a powerful and unique formula for sales greatness." —Duggar Baucom, head basketball coach, Virginia Military Institute "This is a book for people who truly want to have incredible success in sales. Thinking like a buyer is the most powerful way to help customers and prospects think differently about you and your product. This book shows you exactly how to make that happen in a step-by-step way. If you want to learn how to guarantee your success in selling or influencing, this is a book you must read." —Dan C. Weilbaker, PhD, McKesson Professor of Sales, Northern Illinois University "A mind shift takes place when you read Acuff's book and realize 'it's all about them.' The book helps you understand human psychology and behavior and gives you the practical tips, encouragement, and examples to help you stand out and be valued by your customers regardless of what you're selling." —Charlene Prounis, Managing Partner, Flashpoint Medica


Book Synopsis Stop Acting Like a Seller and Start Thinking Like a Buyer by : Jerry Acuff

Download or read book Stop Acting Like a Seller and Start Thinking Like a Buyer written by Jerry Acuff and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-12-28 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Praise for stop acting like a seller and Start Thinking Like a Buyer "Stop Acting Like a Seller and Start Thinking Like a Buyer is a book that teaches you emphatically that 'words matter.' If you want to set yourself apart from others, whether you're selling a product or a concept, this is a book to read. Not only will you learn how to prepare for sales success, you will learn how to be far more effective by thinking like a buyer." —Theresa Martinez, Brand Director, Roche Laboratories "This book shares a great commonsense approach to developing a new sales attitude and mindset that will work no matter what you're selling. Jerry has successfully articulated a powerful and unique formula for sales greatness." —Duggar Baucom, head basketball coach, Virginia Military Institute "This is a book for people who truly want to have incredible success in sales. Thinking like a buyer is the most powerful way to help customers and prospects think differently about you and your product. This book shows you exactly how to make that happen in a step-by-step way. If you want to learn how to guarantee your success in selling or influencing, this is a book you must read." —Dan C. Weilbaker, PhD, McKesson Professor of Sales, Northern Illinois University "A mind shift takes place when you read Acuff's book and realize 'it's all about them.' The book helps you understand human psychology and behavior and gives you the practical tips, encouragement, and examples to help you stand out and be valued by your customers regardless of what you're selling." —Charlene Prounis, Managing Partner, Flashpoint Medica

The Sense of Style

The Sense of Style

Author: Steven Pinker

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2014-09-30

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 069817030X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

“Charming and erudite," from the author of Rationality and Enlightenment Now, "The wit and insight and clarity he brings . . . is what makes this book such a gem.” —Time.com Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing—and why should we care? From the author of The Better Angels of Our Nature and Enlightenment Now. In this entertaining and eminently practical book, the cognitive scientist, dictionary consultant, and New York Times–bestselling author Steven Pinker rethinks the usage guide for the twenty-first century. Using examples of great and gruesome modern prose while avoiding the scolding tone and Spartan tastes of the classic manuals, he shows how the art of writing can be a form of pleasurable mastery and a fascinating intellectual topic in its own right. The Sense of Style is for writers of all kinds, and for readers who are interested in letters and literature and are curious about the ways in which the sciences of mind can illuminate how language works at its best.


Book Synopsis The Sense of Style by : Steven Pinker

Download or read book The Sense of Style written by Steven Pinker and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-09-30 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Charming and erudite," from the author of Rationality and Enlightenment Now, "The wit and insight and clarity he brings . . . is what makes this book such a gem.” —Time.com Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing—and why should we care? From the author of The Better Angels of Our Nature and Enlightenment Now. In this entertaining and eminently practical book, the cognitive scientist, dictionary consultant, and New York Times–bestselling author Steven Pinker rethinks the usage guide for the twenty-first century. Using examples of great and gruesome modern prose while avoiding the scolding tone and Spartan tastes of the classic manuals, he shows how the art of writing can be a form of pleasurable mastery and a fascinating intellectual topic in its own right. The Sense of Style is for writers of all kinds, and for readers who are interested in letters and literature and are curious about the ways in which the sciences of mind can illuminate how language works at its best.