Writers Resources Books

I bought the book on impulse, based on a very strong recommendation, and found it contains the best help I have ever discovered for a writer and/or speaker using the Internet. I highly recommend it. She has an unbelievable amount of detailed research at her fingertips.

The world of the Internet is constantly changing. Without a bunch of ever-changing computer jargon, Carmen Leal has provided a set of tools and techniques for writers and speakers to learn how to research and market online. While there are many websites listed throughout this book, Carmen provides the updated links with something called Living Links.

No one can know everything about this topic of research and marketing but Carmen gives each writer and speaker a running start at the topic with this well-crafted book. It's a resource to get, read, then schedule time to periodically re-read and keep learning about this important area.

Carmen Leal is not just a very smart lady; she's very nice, too. Both traits come across loud and clear in this book. Reading her easy, straightforward, advice-rich prose is like having a conversation with the wise, affectionate aunt you never had. And, without a doubt, her collection of helpful sites for writers and speakers is unparalleled. She had pretty much every link in my own Internet bookmark folder, plus about 25-30% more than I had -- and mine were considerable, being the result of more than six years as a writer. Without a doubt, this book will stay next to my computer and become dogeared from all the love and attention it gets from me.

That said, I do have a slight issue with the marketing of this book as pure Internet reference, because that's not exactly what it is. Ms. Leal's target audience is actually NOT the seasoned writer or speaker who just needs to rev up his or her personal research engine. She's writing for, and to, beginning writers and aspiring professional speakers. Much of her book (some entire chapters and several partial chapters) is devoted to introducing neophytes to the craft and the business of writing or speaking. Thus, considering my six years of experience as a writer, I found myself skimming great swaths of text, with my eyes pausing only when I glimpsed the italic print with which all those juicy internet links are helpfully set apart.

Bottom line: This book is most definitely worth the $10 Amazon will charge you for it, and more. However, its scope is, in my opinion, a bit broad. It would be more useful to professional writers and speakers if it came in a separate, streamlined edition -- one without all the newbie advice we've already heard and benefited from long ago.

Carmen Leal has done a massive amount of research to write this book. She's done the work, and we reap the benefits. Two things endear me to Carmen:

1. She can remember when she didn't know about the internet, and can remember how she learned.

2. She writes in a easy-to-follow style that leads me on the path to understanding.

If only every book on computer topics were written this well!

WriterSpeaker.com--no, that's not a website-- well, actually there is a website by that name. But in this case, it is the title of a uniquely informative book.

If someone other than the book's author had asked me to read this book, I doubt I would have bothered to do so. And, oh what I would have missed had I not read it! "Technical reading" is not usually my choice. In fact, the last time I read a technical book it was assigned reading in college. I swore then that I would never use my precious reading time for technical reading again. Carmen Leal managed to change my mind on the matter, and I am very glad that she did.

My chance meeting with the energetic and engaging author of several books must have been one of those fortuitous moments we all hope for. I found myself face to face with a published author who was real, down to earth, and interested in my personal desire to write. Her energy is contagious. Her passion for writing--and helping others to do so--is overwhelming. She makes the whole writing process from beginning to end seem so easy. With an attitude that says, "If I can do it, so can you," she encourages writers and would-be writers to strive to reach their goals.

Over the past year, I have had the pleasure of interacting with Carmen Leal on numerous occasions. She always takes the time to inquire about my writing life. She never misses an opportunity to inform or encourage. No wonder WriterSpeaker.com is so reader-friendly. Its author is reader, speaker, and writer friendly as well!

In addition to this, her first technical book, Leal is the author of Faces of Huntington's and the co-author of Pinches of Salt, Prisms of Light. She teaches writing classes for the Collier County Public School System's Adult Education Program, lectures on various writing topics for the Friends of the Library at the Collier County Public Library, and travels extensively to speak at various writing conferences.

Whether the Internet is a constant companion or a new acquaintance, this book offers an amazing wealth of information. Its pages are filled with information specifically designed to meet the needs of writers and speakers. This is a reference book unlike any I have ever read before. In just 269 pages, Leal has addressed internet features, research, tips for finding writing resources including copyright laws, self-publishing hints, business savvy, online writing opportunities and classes, website development, and much much more.

In a highly unusual move, Leal has taken her readers into the "web" via a web address which links to the untold numbers of resources found in her book. She is quick to point out, "All links are checked periodically, and dead websites are eliminated. New websites come with brief descriptions."

Written from her heart, Leal guides the beginning writer through the keys to becoming a successful writer: "Read and listen. Join. Work at your craft. Attend a writer's/speaker's conference or convention. Know the publishing industry." Internet sources to work at each of these keys are addressed in WriterSpeaker.com.

Leal writes that the internet can take us "beyond research and on to success" in our craft by (1)"allowing us to target our work to specific editors," (2) "providing a place to showcase one's work," and (3) "streamlining the communication process between writers and editors."

WriterSpeaker.com has been placed on my desk next to the computer. It is already looking a bit old and worn, but it will likely be my new best friend as I work at perfecting my own writing life with the help of Internet features and great friends like author Carmen Leal.

by Lee Ambrose
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Kevin Sheehan has simplified the great qualities of important leaders and placed them in an entertaining text. A gift which I have passed on to my dearest friends, this book is both inspirational and educational. My highest recommendation.

Poignant, powerful stories. Beautifully written with a distinctive and important design. This book's not to be missed--by you, your friends, your business colleagues. Bravo!

Within his book A Leader Becomes A Leader, Kevin Sheehan delightfully illustrates the essence of true leadership. He poignantly definies a diverse group of past and present leaders; while exploring their life events and characteristics of greatness. Encourage your friends, family and coworkers to read this motivational book!

The author does a phenomenal job of breaking the topic down into small manageable and inspiring readings; also covers a great cross-section of leaders and the characteristics that made them successful. I ordered a dozen copies as executive and motivational gifts.

J. Kevin Sheehan presents a celebration of what's possible in his biographical snapshots of great leaders. By focusing on the unique character traits of outstanding leaders the author transforms the mysteries of leadership into something very real. He answers the question "what made them great?" in an extremely concise and inspirational style. Great as a corporate gift or graduation present. My children have used it for school projects and I have found inspiration for my own business. No home or school library should be without this most valuable tool.

This is a truly outstanding product. Martha Alderson has done her homework! She has developed a system that will save any writer years of education via trial-and-error.

I have Martha Alderson's book and I've had private consultations with this awesome teacher. Yet, while writing my current novel, I had forgotten about the 7 secrets in creating great scenes that not only reveal the action and emotional plotlines but also enrich the story like a fine tapestry. I thought that since I had one novel published, I could craft the next one with ease. Wrong. In the Scene Tracker, Martha tells the viewer to write down the answers to her questions (about the protagonist), thus creating a profile, and refer to this profile when writing a scene. This one piece of advice alone is priceless. I've watched both the Plot Planner and the Scene Tracker; now I feel ready and energized to tackle the next rewrite. Thank you, Martha!

I had no idea I could do so much with my scenes until I purchased the Kit. I love the book, but am not always the greatest when it comes to learning new information through reading. I do much better at seeing things demonstrated.
This kit has it all. The book is a great reference, but the DVD is how I really grasped the concepts. One ah-ha moment after another.
I make copies of the Scene Tracker template from the CD and fill the information in as it comes to me. That way, when I'm ready to write, I have everything I need right there in front of me.
I'm much more eager to show up for my writing now and find I do not procrastinate like I used to, because I am no longer stumped with what to do next. Ideas are flowing like crazy.
What a gift.
Thank you.

The Scene Tracker Kit has taken my technique to new planes. It's an incredible tool that helped me determine where the holes were in my story and then maximize the impact of every scene by fine-tuning plot dynamics and character development. Highly recommended!

As a new writer the Scene Tracker Kit was just what I needed to get my story structured and completed! Before I got this kit I found myself frustrated, stumped, and well just not really enjoying my writing. Not anymore! This kit has saved me many many hours of rewrites, and frustration, with an easy to use system and very informative web site. There is also a free eZine that (monthly) continues to provide excellent tools and tips.
Martha Alderson's Scene Tracker Kit is a great gift of her writing wisdom, insight and powerful motivation skills that writers of all levels will benefit from. I will continue to reference this throughout my writing career. Thanks Martha!

A new publishing medium comes around only once every five centuries or so, and it's no wonder people are confused by the Internet. Gary Gach investigates the new world of publishing on the Net and provides great literary finds and useful information for established writers, beginners, and all lovers of words

Writers.net ups the ante in printed guides to the Net. Neophyte writers in cyberspace will find it as valuable as magellan found his compass. Experienced voyagers can use it to find whole continents they never knew existed

Finally, all the information in one easily-accessible place! Gach has delivered an invaluable resource for writers, whether you're a Net newbie or an e-zine publisher. Any writer considering publishing on-line needs to read this.

Writers.net is probably the most "reader-friendly" of all the specialized Internet guides on the market; each of the nineteen chapters of Writers.net is devoted to a particular genre of writing. Writers of mysteries, romances, science fiction, screenplays, and other styles need not burrow through endless pages to get to the sections that interest them most--each chapter is well-structured and organized to give the writer the resources s/he needs before logging onto the Internet and searching blindly for a paying e-publication or research database.

Gach catalogs URLs by the gigabyte, offering links to poetry and fiction mega-link lists, authors' and agents' homepages, research resources, and more. Most URLs listed are followed by a brief description of the site, while some chapters have the look of a printed "bookmark" file from a writer's web browser.

All writers will especially want to study the book's final chapter, which is devoted to Internet censorship and copyright issues, a sticky subject for writers on and off the computer. URLs and descriptions of the more affluent writers' unions and leagues are profiled here, as is information essential to any writer confused about her/his rights.

As with any printed directory of Websites, there is no guarantee that every URL listed in Gach's book will still be valid once you bring Writers.net home from the bookstore (this book is three years old, mind you). To combat the ever-changing climate of the Internet, Gach maintains a Webpage of book updates on his personal homepage, where one may find additions, URL changes, and even a sample chapter from the book.

Gary Gach has written the essential guide for using the World Wide Web to further a writing career. Because anyone can publish on the Web, writers can use the Internet to promote and publish their work as well as for research. Gach's book tells how to use your computer connections to get published online or in print in any of several genres, and there are dozen of ideas that will enrich a writers soul, mind, and pocketbook. It is an essential tool for computer-literate writers. --Mason West

Mr. Palms has really done a wonderful service to the person that is interested in effecting their world for Christ through a larger medium such as magazine writing.

He has laid a solid outline that leads a person through each phase, and consideration needed in order to effectively communicate your ideas to both the reader, and your consumer, the editor.

I no longer feel the process is as complex as brain surgery, and can see how to go about being published with what the Lord is laying on my heart.

I would fully recommend this book to any writer that would like to understand the process and the kind of questions you need to be asking yourself as you write. There are also some great tips on researching your magazines and editors; tips that should save you lots of time and effort, let alone tears from rejection letters. He can't promise you won't get rejection letters, in fact he guarantees it, but he will help you cut down on those rejections and how to learn from them to make you a better writer.

I hope God uses this book to help us change the world, maybe one last time...

Palms offers the budding writer loads of helpful advice for how to get started and how to spread good news through articles. Aimed at people who especially want to write about their spiritual experience, Palms's book is a practical help from a man who seems to have loads of experience.

I have had the distinct pleasure to hear Mr. Palms speak on several occasions and I can tell you his speaking voice comes through in his writing one. In this book he is professional, approachable and convinces you that if you've the determination to learn the writing craft, it can be done. He provides the means through the book's twelve chapters.

In Effective Magazine Writing, Palms uses a format that is user-friendly, down to reminding you to put fresh batteries in your recorder before an interview. There aren't so many rules in this book as there are suggestive ways to write. He encourages the writer to listen to their voice when crafting an article.

My favorite chapter, page really, is Chapter Seven, God's Word In Your Words. On page 80, Palms reminds the writer by quoting Scripture, Hebrews 4:12, "For the Word of God is living and active." He talks about God's power and His Word not returning void, ending with "we want people to internalize what is true, we want people to think about truth...and to act on that truth."

Powerful words and an excellent reminder of what our writing should be about. As Christian writers we are about the business of God. He lives and breathes through us. It is our mission, no, our command, to honor and glorify Him in each word we write. I also liked the sidebars at the end of each chapter, offering a gentle reminder to make your writing crisp and clean.

This is a book you'll want in your office bookshelf to refer to again and again. It will make you a better writer. Guaranteed.

Geared toward the new freelance writer hoping to be published in evangelical periodicals, Roger Palms' "Effective Magazine Writing: Let Your Words Reach the World" can help you learn to write and sell your work.

Palms', whose vast experience includes editing "Decision" magazine, challenges writers to think like an editor, and to meet the needs of the marketplace. Rather than write something and then see who will buy it, he suggests to turn that around. Who is buying what, and can I write it? This kind of critical thinking will produce more focused, stronger writing, and can enable you to sell your work.

As he has been the editor of a magazine read by almost two millions readers each month, he knows what editors want and what makes good writing. He presents this in a very well-organized, succinct text. Covering legal and ethic issues, and how to consider rejections, and what the life of a discplined writer is all about, Palms' book will encourage and push the Christian writer to move forward in a sensible way.

A perfect companion book would be "Christian Writers' Market Guide 2002: The Reference Tool for the Christian Writer (Christian Writers' Market Guide)" by Sally Stuart, an annual directory of Christian publications.

I fully recommend "Effective Magazine Writing: Let Your Words Reach the World" by Roger C. Palms.

Anthony Trendl

Herring's book is in inquisitive and thorough examination of the literature regarding America's national parks. His work analyzes the literature of writers who saw the good, the bad, and the ugly concerning national parks. While some writers saw parks as a necessity, others saw them as something to be feared and loathed. What was to initially preserve and inspire became nothing more than Disneyland.

In speaking with the author, who taught a few classes I took, he told me that this work would normally be reviewed in literary journals and digests, not in commercial circles, which is understandable. Works about literature have a far more limited readership range than literature itself. But hey, I purchased the book immediately when it was released and after reading it, thought I would provide my $0.02. I was curious to see his work. He spoke about Yellowstone on occasion, and had an interesting approach to teaching-- making pop culture references to literature and so forth. This book nevertheless reveals those very qualities in print.

Anyway, if you want some articulate, well-thought insight into the works of authors who wrote about national parks, _Lines On The Land_ is where you should go.

This book really would go better in the "nature essay" section of the bookstore than "literary criticism" (who reads that, really?). The best parts of the book are the sections where Herring talks about living in Yellowstone National Park. They make you want to head off to Wyoming, like, right now. Highly recommended.

Scott Herring writes beautifully about the asthetics and quinessential qualities of the national parks. He traces the historical background of national parks while at the same time, speaks of the great writers of our time and their contributions to both national parks and the beauty of nature.

"Lines on the Land" is a book that demonstrates the importance of national parks to the American Heritage. A collection of historical accounts, literature,poetry as well as personal insights, this book is for the scholar, the climber, and the nature lover within all people. Herring gives great insight on the importance of the land in relation to the American people.

The impact of the Internet on the writing profession is revolutionary, and Super Searcher Author Scribe draws upon experiences of leading journalists, authors, and researchers to tell how best to utilize the power of the Web. Links to almost 300 Internet resources accompany tips of successful writers.

Super Searcher, Author, Scribe: Successful Writers Share Their Internet Research Secrets is an informed and informative look at the enormous impact the Internet has had on the craft of writing, especially in its offer of a quick and easy way to search out up-to-date information on almost anything - assuming the savvy researcher knows how to weed out the genuinely useful content from the hype, errors, and disinformation! Fifteen professional journalists, book authors, writing teachers, and literary researchers share their wisdom in finding what one needs to know quickly, efficiently, and effectively. The additional Super Searchers Web Page features link to nearly 300 Internet resources that have the highest recommendations. Super Searcher, Author, Scribe is enthusiastically recommended as a superbly presented, "user friendly" reference manual for anyone eager to optimally exploit the 24 hour, 7 day a week easy-access wealth of informational resources that the Internet provides.

The Internet has become an ever-growing depository of information on every imaginable topic. Businesses, researchers, reporters, investigators, students, authors, shoppers, and Internet enthusiasts of all kinds make use of this information resource on a daily basis. Do they make the best use of it? Online researching is a discipline and there is a definite art and science for doing it right!

Loraine Page and Reva Basch have produced an outstanding collection of online researching experiences. Super Searcher, Author, Scribe features the experiences and advice of fourteen professional writers - a variety of authors, researchers, and Internet devotees who have proven track records. They offer quite different but equally successful approaches to using the Internet to gather information.

In a convenient question and answer format these writers discuss topics such as what their favorite search engines are - and why, what their favorite online information sources are, sorting through online information, how the Internet has helped their professional writing careers, the use of personal Websites, what kind of computer hardware and software they use, what kinds of online connectivity they have, and other general information. Additionally, they provide their own "super searcher power tips" for readers to pay particularly close attention to. An appendix lists cited Website URL's and other resources.

Readers will find this book insightful. The varying research experiences and methods shared will greatly contribute to their own online researching endeavors. Readers will glean from the contents of the book and develop their own individual strategies, determining what specific approaches will work best for them, resulting in more efficient use of their own research time, effort, and resources. This book is excellent reading for small businesses, teachers, students, researchers, and of course - writers!

I loved this book. I bought a whole stack of them and gave them out to the people of my congregation. So far, I have had great feed-back and several of the people that read the book have been volunteering to help in the ministry. This has been a wonderful blessing to our church and ministry.

When I began to read this book, I thought I would learn of the experiences of this author. What I did not realize was that I would begin to grow in my own walk with God. To be an armorbearer is to be in service TO and FOR the Lord. Each page was anointed with a deepness that made me hunger and desire to serve others for Him - in ways most of us might deem "too humbling??" - without concerning myself of their opinions. Take the time to read this book. You will elevate yourself by humbling yourself before God and your neighbor.

This is a great follow up novel. It has all the action, sci-fi, and full charactors one expects in such a well written book.

John Mark Simpson may be a new author but his works are destined to be classics. He writes with a unique and well paced blend of Sci Fi gadgetry and hard hitting dialogue with great characters.

A great read for anyone who loves this genre.

What is beneficial to you as a writer, what do you need to make your career in the writing world possible? A guide to bring you a step closer to reaching your dreams.
If you are starting out as a new writer, whether you want to get into or do write poetry, e-books, articles, even audio books, or have been writing for awhile and want a little help getting published and recognized. This practical guide is for you.

Concise explanations of definitions, detailed examples of the different types of publishers, book reviewers, editors, literary agents, etc. Followed by names of companies and a brief description of what formats they want and the genres they are interested in. It also includes links to their websites, e-mail addresses and who to contact, what they offer and prices to get you started on the road to a successful writing career.

A lot of research and patience has gone into this book; well arranged and methodical, easy to read and written in plain English. Although many of the website links provided were unfortunately not connecting, do not exist or the domain name had expired. It would be hard to keep a guide like this updated as so many websites do not always survive, but otherwise it has very useful information.

For those of us who do not know or understand the writing world language and where to start, this book is a great first step on your road to becoming a successful writer. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is trying to start a career in the writing world.

As an author as well as freelancer, this reader of Ms. Jackson's book has provided invaluable information on the how-to's and wheres to gain access to almost any question a writer could ask. Organized in easy to read, well organized and informative sections and topics, Ms. Jackson offers her experience and know how to both novice and veteran writers. An added bonus is her easy, friendly manner in approaching her topics, and the friendly way in which she offers advice. I felt like I was getting advice from an old friend.