You can learn from more than 45 editors, agents and authors by reading their essays.

Some of the subjects include:

Finding an Agent

What To Do Once You've Climbed Over the Transom

Plotting

Dialogue

Atmosphere, Imagery & Figures of Speech

Using Colorful Description

What You Need to Know About Copyrights

...and many more interesting subjects.

....various aspects of the writing biz.

My favorite chapter was "Proper Manuscript Format & Astute Copy Editing; (How to avoid needlessly antagonizing your editors)", by Rachel E. Holmen. Despite the dry sound of the title, it is the most hysterical chapter in the book! There are inside jokes that only a writer can appreciate. I was literally laughing out loud as I read this one. The advice on submitting your manuscript to an editor/publisher is excellent. The information on the first page of her essay may immediately save you time and aggrevation when you begin to submit for the first time.

I wanted to read it again, going through each chapter and reading the best advice. I wanted to memorize the parts that were most helpful to me in my goal of getting published. I'm glad I have it in my bookcase.

...as in anything else, if you want something bad enough and are willing to work hard for it, the goal will be reached.

There are many authors of this book, as each one takes a separate chapter.
The editor, Stephen B. Metee, is the president and publisher of Quill Driver Books, serves on the board of directors of Writer's International Network, and he chairs the annual "How to Get and Stay Published" writers' conference.
He has also published numerous nonfiction articles on varied subjects.

The Portable Writers' Conference is Stephen B. Mettee's attempt to bring together a list of qualified contributors who can give the same kind of no-nonsense advice they'd offer at a live conference.

It's not only informative, but a joy to read as well, because it's filled with inside jokes only a writer could appreciate.

This is always the hardest part of a book review for me to do, because I wouldn't write a review for a book I couldn't recommend.

When I bought this book, the price was $19.95 at [another bookstore].
At Amazon.com, you'll find:

Their Price: $13.96
You Save: $5.99 (30%)
Click on the book icon to be taken to Amazon for more info.

In my opinion, this book is more than worth its price. I've referred to it many times since I first bought it and I've read it from cover to cover. I feel I've learned a lot from the advice I found in this book.
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The Writer's Café  [13+] #384540 Genres: Writing - Hobby/Craft - Activity by Starr* Rathburn

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Created Feb 08, 2003 at 11:15pm • Submit your own review...