Errant Dreams Reviews
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Archive for the ‘Publication etc.’ Category

“Writer’s Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing, Second Edition,” Ed. Michelle Ruberg

Tuesday, July 4th, 2006

Pros: Much depth; very specific detail; incredible wealth of information
Cons: Starts off a bit slowly
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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“Writing Children’s Books for Dummies,” by Lisa Rojany Buccieri and Peter Economy

Monday, July 3rd, 2006

Pros: Tons of helpful information; organized; extremely comprehensive
Cons: Legal information could use more explanation in places; a bit thick in places
Rating: 4 out of 5
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“Some Writers Deserve to Starve! 31 Brutal Truths about the Publishing Industry,” by Elaura Niles

Monday, July 3rd, 2006

Pros: Brutal truths every writer should hear
Cons: Some people just won’t listen
Rating: 5 out of 5
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“The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Magazine Articles,” Bykofsky, Sander and Rominger

Monday, July 3rd, 2006

Pros: Friendly tone; straightforward approach; pervasive professionalism; great information
Cons: None
Rating: 5 out of 5
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“No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells” Alice Orr

Monday, July 3rd, 2006

Pros: Detailed; witty; many examples and exercises; practical; surprisingly non-gimmicky
Cons: Some of this is old hat; for commercial fiction only
Rating: 5 out of 5
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“The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile,” Noah Lukeman

Monday, July 3rd, 2006

Pros: Plenty of concrete suggestions; context; specifics; diagnostics; trouble-shooting
Cons: A couple of suggestions I can’t agree with; dry reading
Rating: 4 out of 5
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“The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Science Fiction,” Schroeder and Doctorow

Saturday, July 1st, 2006

Pros: Solid info, examples, details, amusing stories, covers everything
Cons: There’s a whole chapter on cons! Oh, you mean bad bits, not conventions…
Rating: 5 out of 5
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