Online Writing Books

Being a 30 year old female, eclectic and trendy, living in chicago, a Columbia College Chicago Graduate (art school), and though i didn't pursue a creative job for long and presently work as a sales rep. for advertising.....I LOVED THIS BOOK! I completey got it and think it totally fits today! I know people just getting out of art school/college, and this book seemed to be a believable model of the emo/creative era/culture/age group/life style of now.
I couldn't put it down, it was real to me, I got in to the characters. Their attitudes were on, and I loved Greenwald's writing style.

I was bummed when it was over, and i did hope for a different ending...I mean, who cares about the boring a$$ girlfriend who left, Cath (Miss Misery) was soooo much cooler! The doppelganger (spelled right?) thing was different, but made for an interesting topic.

I recommend reading this if you love this kind of scene. Definitely a fun read.

As the parent of teenagers, I picked this up hoping to learn something about the needs/desires of the next generation. Actually I'm so decrepit that I listened to the books on tape version. On the back it said that Andy Greenwald was the voice of this generation (or words to that effect). I have to admit to not knowing much of the music cited in the book so I can really only comment on plot, character development and general entertainment value.

The plot was fairly slow moving. There is a great deal of introspection on the part of the main character, David Gould. The theme of the book might be "finding oneself", but not enough happens to justify a real catharsis for the main character. I found myself wanting to know more about the other characters in the book. I frankly got tired of David Gould. I believe that the book was supposed to be humorous, but I only laughed a few times.

It very well may be possible to enjoy the book for the band and song references and NYC landmarks, but I didn't have the correct context.

A final note: the book-on-tape reader, Nick Landrum, did an OK job with the male voices in the book, but his representation of the female characters was a little weak.

This book is so cute. The plot is adorable, and I can really relate to it as a member of the LiveJournal/MySpace/Xanga generation. Its fun and exciting and I think everyone would enjoy it!

Sooo.. this dobbelganger who is part of 99% of the book just disappears? What a bunch of hooey. This is all so contrived. Of course, I am also reading, "Hello, I'm special" by Hal Niedzviecki now as well but.. come on. Emo kids... that is practically every teen. Dashboard Confessional etc... all that is on corporate radio stations. Death Cab for Cutie is on corporate radio stations. Everybody can be as indidividual as they want by all shopping at Hot topix. There is NO more individualism anymore as everyone just follows after everyone else. Myspace is total crap...how many "friends" do you have?? Are they really friends? I don't know, I thought the book was crap. It started off well and then fizzled about the time that it was disclosed that there really was a doppleganger (a la Fight Club) but in Fight Club we never see the two of them together and on the video we see Ed Norton's character fighting with himself. In this book, there are two of them. More than one person sees them and acknowledges there are two of them and it is never explained what, how, who.. etc.. I'm sure this book will be and is popular with a certain type of reader but for me.. yuck. Pretentious. I will give the authors props for his descriptive writing though and say as an author he does have potential.

This book started well, the middle was okay and the end was dissapointing. The main characters are not very believable. The doppelganger concept was somewhat interesting, but holes in the concept were distracting, and the end was a big let down.

The main characters are relatively uninteresting and have no real depth. I thought the biggest problem was when the main character (David) went on a trip to Utah. His actions seemed totally unnatural and contrived.

If there are any authors out there reading this I have one request: Please do not end a book with one of your characters saying something like "Gosh, that was a fun adventure. Maybe I should write a book about it."

I'm trying to think of what I would recommend instead of this book. The only thing that comes to mind is "Middlesex" by Eugenides. I think it is a much better book.

There is almost nothing new over 2002 and 2003, and there is nothing in the cd that you cannot get more cheaply on line. They have a connection with Writersmarket.com (a sloppily run outfit--don't give them a credit card). The book is better in the non on line version (That's a 4 star).

AS ALWAYS THE 2004 WRITER'S MARKET IS CHOCK FULL OF PLENTY OF MARKETS FOR MY WRITING. I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN, THOUGH, THAT THE GREETING CARD SECTION HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE BOOK AND PLACED ONLINE. THESE MARKETS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A RELIABLE SOURCE OF INCOME FOR ME (AS HAVE MANY OF THE MAGAZINE MARKETS), SO I WENT TO THE BOOK'S WEBSITE AND PURCHASED A MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION SO THAT I COULD GET THE MARKETS I WANTED. I DID NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE WEBSITE, BUT WHEN I GOT THERE, I FOUND THAT THERE ARE MORE MARKETS THAT ARE NOT EVEN LISTED IN THE BOOK. I AM DEFINITELY GOING TO GET A YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION ONCE MY MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION RUNS OUT.

After reading a Writer's Market review that said the site has more info than the book, I decided to try out the site. And even after only a few days of being on it, I've got to say--it rocks!

There is a lot more information. There are tons of market listings, which is the main reason I buy the book, but there's also a section filled with answers to reader questions about book publishing answered directly by literary agents. And there's a huge archive of articles on marketing your writing.

On top of that good stuff, there are neat features like the Favorites Folder and Submission Tracker--that helps you keep track of your submissions without using 3X5 index cards, or random pieces of paper.

And amazingly, it all costs the same as the book! I mean, I don't think there is a better deal out there, and I'm really confused by the earlier posts that seem to dog this site.

The book has helped me make several sales over the years, but this site should help streamline my marketing efforts so that I can make even more. Or I might use that extra time to get a little sleep.

"The" book for aspiring writers, everyone should have at least one copy. After that, the online service is maybe all you'll need. With a universe full of places to publish and agents to get you pubished and great articles by people like Jenna Glatzer, I've yet to see every page of my hard copy. I do, however, make constant use of the online service available with the purchase of the book. Online data mining makes for much quicker finding of what you need, as well as record-keeping of what you've sent where.

The yearly updates of the "Writer's Market" have become the would-be and professional writer's Bible, packed with the latest information on publications seeking work and paying for writings. This edition includes free access to writersmarket.com, a searchable database of all listings, in addition to its usual emphasis on submissions guidelines, contact names and payment info. The inclusion of Canadian and many international publishers makes for an important guide which is simply a 'must' for any aspiring writer.

I found this book to be extremely useful in separating the wheat from the chaff when submitting my work. Almost all I've ever needed to know when submitting work I've found in this book. The CD-ROM/Internet features are nice becuase out of date inoformation is changed or deleted. Nothing beats an email or a phone call to triple-check the info, but this book is a fantastic start.

The CD almost makes the book irrelevant except that you also get to learn a great deal about manuscript submission and honing your writing skills in the first 55 or so pages. The search feature allows you to locate your market and send your work out fast. Finally, someone thought of writers as more than people who can spend all day reading and searching for the right market! If you want to break into writing - this should be the first book you buy. Second - purchase Michael Larsen's new book on how to write a great proposal.

~The Rebecca Review
Author of Seasoned with Love: A collection of
best-loved recipes inspired by over 40 cultures

The books extensive listings were great as usual, and yes, the Writer's Market is necessary for any serious writer's collection. But, for some reason, they decided not to include the articles about writing on the cd. So now, if you want to look one of them up, you have to drag out the telephone book sized print copy that comes with it. Very annoying!

I have used WM for many years now and have only recently discovered the usefulness of the electronic edition. The CD is much easier to carry around than the book and I can access the market info from my desktop without having to flip through multiple pages.

While the book is as useful as always, the CD-ROM is a major disappointment as it runs on Windows-based PCs only. This bias against Mac users, who constitute a large percentage of writers, is a serious flaw that one hopes will be corrected in the 2001 edition.

This really is a great resource for anyone developing content for a site. The examples and resources provided have been very helpful.
My only negative comment would be that the authors mention a companion website with the publisher that does not seem to be working as of yet.

This book was severely marred by poorly-constructed sentences, punctuation errors (someone needs to instruct this book's copy editor on appropriate comma use), and grammatical errors. Sample sentence: "Each of these groups undertake separate activities and use separate technologies."

Far more troubling, however, are the technical inaccuracies this book contains. A sample:

1) The authors state that an 800 by 600 monitor displays this many pixels per square inch. Not true: 800 by 600 pixels refers to the size of the entire screen.
2) HTML is repeatedly described as a programming language -- it is more accurately described as a markup language.
3) XML is defined as "a new language for creating vector graphics for use on web sites, cell phones, and PDAs." This definition confuses XML with SVG, a language that allows scalable vector graphics to be described using XML. It is not an accurate definition of XML itself.

This book is geared toward professional writers, not technical experts. In this context, simplified explanations of technical concepts would be understandable. There is no excuse, however, for technically inaccurate explanations.

I purchased and read this book because a professor required it; I plan to recommend that he no longer use it as a textbook.

This book provides a complete blueprint and set of best practices for writing, editing, organizing, and delivering effective Web content. Perfect for anyone responsible for or interested in Web content, including professional writers or editors, knowledge or content managers of corporate or organization Web sites, Web production managers or designers, marketing specialists, and subject-matter experts.

Don't spend your hard-earned money on this book. If you really want to learn about developing content for the Web, buy a good grammar book, a good style book and a good Web design book. "Developing Online Content" is little more than a rehash of other publications, inflated with meaningless graphics and unnecessary new terms. The only worthwhile parts of the book are the lists of resources.

Alot of good info I havn't seen before

If you're looking for a good book on how to write a compelling resume and prepare it for online use, I recommend you look elsewhere. While this book covers resume creation, as well as online format information, these sections are too slight to really help you write an effective resume, cyber-focused or not. The authors seem more interested in technology (OCR, resume software) and offbeat career search areas (government retirees, for example) than resume content.

While the more recent edition of this book may have more up-to-date job site listings (and the rating system is good), the listings in this edition are already out-of-date.

For a better book on resume writing that also covers much of the cyber territory, try Resumes for Dummies.

The authors explain in clear and non-techno babble prose, the steps and concepts behind making use of the Internet for conducting a career search and sending out your resume.

I especially appreciated their listing of some of the better and most worthwhile resume database sites to submit resumes to and look for job postings on.

Essential driving guidance to have in this "information superhighway" age!

The book is pretty good. Its clear and concise--straight to the point. I wish it would contain more of the different styles, but it mainly focuses on two--humanitites style and scientific style (MLA & APA). It would really help students to sort of have all of the styles in one book so we do not have to get like four or five books just because our professor wanted a paper a certain way. This book also focuses on the online citation (most books fall short of the online stuff because it is so new).

Citation of materials from the (extremely) volatile web was a major problem. Creating a summary, and providing a hyperlink to the original content, proved a major issue since electronic content moves so frequently.. The Columbia Guide gives some assurance that proper citation can be given. Some of the citation style suggestions seem very redundant, and there is no clear table or quick summary to highlight the proper method for common usage. Still, as the first work of this type, it gives an excellent baseline for referencing, building, managing on-line content.

I didn't expect much from this book, but I have to admit I was surprised by just how little it really was. Fits nicely in the palm of your hand, conceivably so you could carry it around with you for reference when deciphering the obscure text messages your friends send your cell phone.

It does a fair job of covering the usual abbreviations, shortcuts and acronyms, IMHO. The smileys are a bit of a stretch. I found it odd that standard ones appear multiple times with different descriptions. Felt like they were trying to fill the book.

In short, it's a cute little book that might make a nice gift for someone just getting into instant or text messaging. Don't expect to use it as a serious reference, though.

It is a good book, for beginners though. But it could have been so much funnier; also, there is some information which I think useless, it should be more specific in the sense of using real messages young people (the age group that sends most of the messages nowadays)send. However, it is a good book if you want to know about sms in a very general way.

Was not impressed by the book in any one way. Examples were extremely passive and if you didn't want to learn about sword fighting, you might as well never opened the book.

I had no Idea what to expect when I read this and wow! was I blown away. Mr. Glenn breaks down the science and art of action scenes in a fun and breezy way that was informative and entertaining. It made me want to read not only the classic books he examined but his own books. I know this will help me with my writing ambitions.
L.

I got this via free download from the author's website. This document has 19 pages. The first 3 and the last 5 are not content. That leaves 11 pages for the meat of the book. The topic is interesting to me but this book is too brief to really get into it.

Another long-winded thesis. It lacks the ONE thing that documentation managers and writers need: the tool. There is not a single example of a project plan or documentation design doc. There is no CD with templates. What a disappointment. By the time I finish reading this, my project will be due.

If your hoping to find the answers to, " How do I create an online document?", you won't find them in this book. This book is kindergarden for technical writers who want to write online. The information I needed, what is the best format for document XYZ, and, how do I get started, were not to be found. (despite my painful search) If your a real novice with online documentation and you really like difinitions, long, long definitions, this is the text for you.

As a project manager in the world of intranet development and more technical development projects, I frequently have to train entry-level consultants on how to develop content for online delivery. This book is the bible I give each employee. It has served as a great foundation for both methodology and understanding of the basics. From there, these employees can move to the next level. Great book!

If you're not a technical writer and you've never seen a web page before, then this book is for you. It deeply covers every banal topic I've NEVER considered before about writing. For example, I've never found it necessary to have a table of contents defined for me, but this book spends a lot of text defining and explaining the most intuitive aspects of writing.

If you are seeking a difinitive argument for why organization is important, this book has 26 pages of cited references for why a project plan is a useful tool. Unfortunately it doesn't give any detailed examples or any advice on how to create a plan. Nor does it discuss how plans might be different based on the project itself or how to take into account a plan that is an interdepartmental project. These are just a few of the questions I had when I started reading this book which have yet to be answered.

This book gives simple guidelines for simple projects and doesn't go much further. Of the 399 pages and 14 chapters, I was forced to skim at least half. This is the first time that I've felt that a technical book wasn't technical enough. As technical writers, our strength comes from interpreting technical material for the less technically inclined. I'm sorry that Mr. Horton couldn't recognize our level of understanding and provide us with more useful reference material than "Designing and Writing Online Documentation."

This book was published in 1994. Even at that time it offered little new to advanced technical writers, although new writers might have learned a few things things from it.

Today, its obsolescence renders it useless. One example suffices: Horton advises writers to avoid using words like mouse, window, command, and file. "This secret jargon baffles users," he says.