Calling All Authors - How to Publish with Your Eyes Wide Open

Calling All Authors - How to Publish with Your Eyes Wide Open BY: Valerie Connelly PUBLISHED BY: Nightengale Press PUBLISHED IN: 2007 ISBN: 978-1-933449-43-2 Pages: 291 Reviewed by Billy Burgess Have you ever wanted to be a published writer? "Calling All Authors - How to Publish with Your Eyes Wide Open" tells what traps and mistakes to avoid during publishing. Should you use a traditional publishing company or should you publish the book yourself? Will you need a publicist? An editor? Or a proofreader? These are just some of the questions that author Valerie Connelly, founder of Nightengale Press, answers in this book. There are many myths and tales about the publishing world. "Calling all Authors," explains these myths and brings them into reality for writers. A lot of new writers think their books will be an instant bestseller. You'll learn that books don't become bestsellers overnight. As a writer myself, I enjoyed reading "Calling All Authors." I learned that even in traditional publishing you'll have to do some marketing of your own. You can't just sit back and expect the book to just sell itself. Learn how to promote your book by using the internet. Learn how to benefit from good and bad book reviews. I recommend "Calling All Authors" to all upcoming writers of any genre. This book will help you with those difficult decisions you will come across while publishing your novel.

I've always wanted to be a writer and after reading Valerie Connelly's Calling All Authors - How to Publish with Your Eyes Wide Open, it seems fairly possible. Even as I write this review, I'm thinking of her first pointer: Who is your reader? It seems like such an obvious question but it's one that I never think about, yet it's probably one of the most important things to think about as a writer. Another fact she points out is that it's not that simple. One of the most valuable chapters to me was Chapter 4: Why You Must Write, Edit, Re-write and Re-edit. In this chapter, Connelly outlines the kind of work and dedication it takes to become a successful writer. It is a skill that must be used every day in order to be developed properly. After this section, she gives a checklist of the kind of information and skill you should be learning from this practice. Something also helpful are the many exercises she includes in the book to help progress. Overall, the book gives great pointers in honing the art of writing, tips on getting the book marketed, printed and published. Connelly states several misconceptions and truths in each chapter, giving examples and disputing textbook responses. I think it's a great read for anyone interested in writing and getting published.

The front cover reads "revealing publishing myths, misconceptions & realities..." and this book definitely lives up to that. There are plenty of books flooding the marketplace telling authors that "they, too, can be a best-selling author if they will only follow this advice..." but Valerie Connelly's book truly tells it like it is. She doesn't hold back punches, but gives authors the true story of the publishing industry and what it takes to become successful. She uses a "bull's-eye" approach to marketing that makes great logical sense, is easy to follow and implement, and I am already seeing results from using it. She has wonderful worksheets for publicity campaigns, interviews, book signings, and even budgeting. Valerie has the bonus of being a successful author AND a successful publisher, and she also draws upon dozens of in-depth interviews she's done through her radio program, "Calling all Authors", in which she's interviewed publishers, publicists, agents, and authors. She has definitely done her homework with regard to every aspect of this book. I only wish I had it when my first suspense was published in 2002 - it would have saved me a lot of false starts when I was learning the promotional angle. I will be using it as a blueprint to follow with my subsequent books... It has also provided the realities of the "big NY publishers" that so many aspire to, and how the smaller and mid-size publishers are changing the face of the industry. Whether you are a brand-new author or you've had several books published, and regardless of your current level of success, there's a lot you can learn from this book.Take the Mystery Out of Promoting Your Book

The road to a published book is a long and arduous one. From the first dream of being a writer to being a published author is the culmination of years of learning the craft, writing draft after draft until it is the perfect masterpiece. But then comes the very difficult step of actually finding a way to convince the rest of the world to read this work of art. Most authors feel their job is done once their book is in print form. They do not know that this is the time that the most difficult leg of their journey begins. Valerie Connelly has written a guide to educate authors as to the fine points of book publicity and book sales. Calling All Authors is a clearly written, thorough primer for both new and less experienced authors to increase their chances of a successful book selling experience. The chapters are well divided to follow the chronological process through which each author should go, beginning with a look at "Who is My Reader" and ending with a detailed look at the process of writing a press release and how to best use the internet to its ultimate advantage. Bulleted lists allow the reader to absorb the many tips in an easy to follow format. The language is written so that it can be comfortably absorbed but does not spare in range and scope of instruction. The format is easy to follow yet contains a wealth of information, tips and insiders' knowledge. Valerie Connelly is both a published author and the owner of a publishing company. This book is based not only on her own personal knowledge but also those of her peers. She includes advice and comments from many other publicists, publishers and current authors to proved a full, in depth look at the realities of book publishing. The compilation of many experts in the many phases of the PR process adds to the breadth of information. She also draws on many of the information she has covered as the host of the radio show also titled Calling All Authors. Because of the growth of the self publishing and vanity presses there is a large number of books on the market that address the issues inexperienced authors will face. The aspect of Calling All Authors that make this book unique is that this book is both textbook and workbook. Ms Connelly has created fill in the blank outlines that let the reader practice and create their own plans for success. She has provided a systematic method for authors to plan and carry out a marketing campaign that raises the potential to reach their intended population of readers. Since she realizes that writers best organize their thoughts and plans by physically putting their thoughts on paper she has given them the format to do so. Calling All Authors will be a true gift to the debut author who is struggling with the next step in producing a book. Valerie Connelly understands and sympathizes with authors and has given them the guide book through the tricky trail to reach the elusive book buyer. With her help, authors will traverse the passage from book produc