Some Writers Deserve to Starve!

"Some Writers Deserve to Starve" by Elaura Niles is a must for any writer's bookcase. (I have mine inserted between a few other amusing titles.) The title made me laugh and succeeded in getting me to take it off the shelf. This turned out to be a great strategy since the book is small and was amidst hundreds of other titles at a big book superstore. When I actually got into the book, I found it to be a humorous and cut-to-the-chase handbook. As I read, I flashed back on my writing groups, on literary events I've sponsored, and on experiences I've had. Many novice writers contact me and I seem to repeat the same things over and over again. Now I can just hand those aspiring scribes this book! Compact and clever, this is a quick read--but don't be fooled, it is also a comprehensive overview. Get it if you want to know the real story. Also, it will make for a great conversation starter when you have those literary types lurking around your bookcases during social events.

Many believe that any great book will eventually be published: in reality there are many mediocre books published simply because the writer knew the publishing industry - and many potential great books that missed the cut because its writer did not possess such knowledge. Better your odds for success with a fun, honest guide to the publishing industry: Some Writers Deserve To Starve: 31 Brutal Truths About The Publishing Industry provides the insider tips needed, from honing the 'hook' to using agents more effectively. If you hold aspirations of writing a book or becoming a professional author, then you need to give a careful reading to Elaura Niles' Some Writers Deserve To Starve!

From the very first entry, "Some Starving Artists Deserve To Starve," Elaura Niles gets straight to the point. She tells about when she was first a novice writer and attended a presentation given at the local library by a literary agent named Carolyn Swayze. Niles was certain that if she could "just find a way to talk to Ms. Swayze privately, tell her my story, I was positive she would want to see the book. I was so convinced of this that I brought all 487 single-spaced, red-inked, coffee-stained pages along with me" (p. 16). Instead of a private consult with the agent, by the end of the evening Niles realized "I lost my writing virginity and realized I was a `crackpot writer'" (p. 17). As a result of what she learned from the literary agent, Niles researched the ins and outs of the publishing business. She realized that she could share loads of information with writers, and this book came to fruition. In a clear, often cutting and usually humorous manner, Niles explains why so many writers do not get published and what they can do to improve their odds. Most of the reasons writers don't get their books in print have to do with the major gaffes they commit. So, for instance, Niles tells us "Many Writers Fail Because They Are Trying to Sell in the Wrong Markets," and she offers an amazingly simple solution: Get out of the house and 1) go to the local bookstore; 2) imagine a book like yours; 3) go find it; 4) look around at what section you are in. Quite simply she says, "That's your market" (p. 34). Whether providing a list of Pros and Cons about the different types and styles of publishers or describing what makes a good query letter, Niles is delightfully brief and funny, more to the point than most other "How-To" books. She writes about the fact that "Hiring A Pro Doesn't Guarantee Success" and that "Some Agents are Dishonest from the Get-Go." She often provides resource information, for instance for organizations such as the Association of Author Representatives and the Writers Guild of America. I found myself laughing out loud at times as I read. It's an odd shaped little book, about 6-by-6 inches, but the graphics, sidebars, and quotations are great! I particularly enjoyed the first quote, from Frank Lloyd Wright: "I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with typewriters" (p. 15). Having worked slush piles for two publishers, I can attest to the fact that the advice Niles gives is accurate and insightful. This is exactly the type of book that should be read by any new writer or by anybody having trouble getting work accepted. I know that I wasn't aware of a number of the "brutal truths" early in my career, and any writer will be helped by reading Niles' no-nonsense advice. "Truth 6: Writers Are Like Popcorn: Publishers Buy Them by the Bucket and Eat Them by the Handful" (p. 41). If you want to avoid being a temporary popcorn snack-or being passed over for some other treat-read this book.

Elaura Niles, author of "Some Writers Deserve to Starve!" will help you make sure that you don't peg yourself as the next crackpot writer in the eyes of the publisher or agent you're trying to impress. In this wonderful book she presents her 31 brutal truths of the publishing industry. On each page you'll find some shard of painful wisdom that could help you avoid making the mistakes that could cost you a writing career before you even get started. You'll need to have an open mind in order to read this book; there's a good chance it's going to tell you things you don't want to hear. No one's obligated to read your masterwork. You aren't entitled to an audience or a six-figure advance. Publishing is a business like any other, and if you want to survive in that business you'd better get used to that fact--now. If you want someone to hold your hand and tell you everything will be all right, this isn't the book for you. However, if you really and truly want to be a published writer and are willing to do what it takes to get there then you owe it to yourself to read this book, learn its lessons, and settle down to do some real work. Best of all, this book is absolutely hilarious. It's pithy, it's witty and it's fun. In fact, it's probably good practice. If you read this book and feel offended, if you take the author's comments on needing a thick skin or listening to critiques personally, then you might want to think twice about pursuing a career as a professional writer. If you can't even handle a distant writer you've never met offering generic writing advice that stings your pride, then how will you handle it when an agent rejects you, an editor bleeds swaths of red ink all over your manuscript, or a reviewer shreds your (lack of) talent? You won't just find harsh words in here, however. You'll find plenty of practical advice on getting the most out of a writer's conference, finding an agent, looking and sounding like a pro, choosing the right classes and books to improve your skills and, in short, increasing your chances of getting published.