The Practical Writer: From Inspiration to Publication

I don't buy books about the writer's craft any more. Not since I picked up "The Practical Writer". Edited by Therese Eibe and Mary Gannon in conjunction with the staff of Poets and Writers Magazine, this volume covers everything from conceiving original ideas to successfully placing the finished manuscript with a publisher. It's not a 'how-to' manual with carefully planned 'Point A to Point B' steps, but rather a series of essays that help both emerging and veteran writers make intelligent and informed choices at every stage of their project. Among the topics covered are choosing the perfect title, submission strategy and protocol, getting low-cost publicity for a small press title, digital marketing, and cultivating your local booksellers. Some essays provided more insight than instruction, and these were the ones that I found myself mulling over long after I finished reading the book. Helen Benedict's "Fiction vs. Nonfiction: Wherein Lies the Truth?" was one of them. Like many nonfiction writers, I shied away from fiction and literature in favor of immersing myself in works of history, current events, true crime, etc. I saw no value in imaginary worlds and people unless I was looking for an escape, and even then, I preferred a good history volume as a type of retreat. Benedict argues that even nonfiction has its limits in exposing and depicting the truth: interview subjects color their stories, authors are wary of injuring innocent parties, and everyone fears a lawsuit if they're completely honest in print about a contentious issue. With fiction, writers are free to expose unpalatable truths via imaginary characters, as Vladimir Nabokov did with his obsessed child-lover Humbert Humbert in "Lolita". History abounds with examples of literature leading to social change: "Uncle Tom's Cabin" shone a harsh glare on the morality of slavery, Charles Dickens helped the cause of the poor, and Theodore Dreiser humanized the prostitute, the unwed mother, and other figures of universal derision during his day. Another essay that stayed with me was Robert McDowell's "Publicity for Your Small Press Title". Like me, McDowell believes that the author is a crucial part of a book's success. After his poetry volume On Foot, In Flames was released, he spent nine days driving through eastern Oregon and Washington to promote his book. He read before twenty-two classes of high and middle school pupils, gave readings at local libraries, and even presented his work at a senior's home in Fossil, Oregon. Only three people showed up at a reading scheduled at a small-town hotel, but guests entering the lobby would stop and listen. McDowell only sold one book that night, but as he put it, "Even though the author in me could have easily retreated to a humiliating place, the marketer and proselytizer in me was proud of that sale. My poetry had just taken one more small step out into the world." "The Practical Writer" belongs with each year's Writer's Market on any serious

The compilation of articles in this very entertaining and informative book, gave me several insights into the different aspects of writing. I am constantly surprised and delighted by the variety and depth of the articles. I particularly appreciate the "practical" aspects of what an author does once their book is published. I also liked the website information that is included. This is not a book to read in one sitting. I'm always looking to read a good book on writing, and this definitely will be added to my collection.

This book, a compilation of articles from "Poets and Writers" magazine hits the mark and much, much more. The book covers the process of writing from idea to conclusion to promotion of the finished product.Successful writers know that simply producing a book is just the beginning. The chapters on "How to Give a Rousing Reading" and "Publicity for Your Small Press Title" are incredibly valuable.In the words of one of the contributing authors, Robert McDowell, "Presenting your new book to the public is really no different than presenting yourself."There are tons of resources which will prove invaluable to the active writer - the writer seeking professional success.

I recently took a writing workshop and the instructor told us that if we are not yet reading POET AND WRITERS magazine, we should be. He found the magazine articles helpful when he first started writing because the articles in the magazine are written by both established and emerging writers as well as by professionals in the publishing field. He still reads the magazine and finds as a published writer, the articles are accurate about the writing life. Since he is already a published author, I believed his advice to be reliable. As a result of this workshop, I also met other writers who have been published in this magazine and make the same claim. When I saw the book THE PRACTICAL WRITER advertised in the magazine and realized it was a "best of" collection from the magazine, I thought that the book could be rather helpful.Practical is the key word in the title. While the book does have some content about writing theory, most of the book deals with publishers and the writing world. Since I have yet to have anything published, I may not be qualified to say how helpful the articles in the book actually are, but it does give an aspiring writer a good introduction of all that is involved from beginning a manuscript to its completion. The book helps a person interesting in writing look at the possibility realistically. Each of the articles in the book was originally featured in POETS AND WRITERS magazine by contributors who have a working knowledge of writing and publishing.The book is divided into five sections: Conceptions of craft, Initial contract with a publisher, working with professional in the field, selling a book, and jobs in writing. An article on writing by Robert Philips completes the book. The book also contains helpful information about grants and awards, writing conferences and residences and resources for writers.For me, collections such as THE PRACTICAL WRITER help me set goals as far as writing is concerned. Fantasizing about writing is something many people do, and writing can be a cathartic experience, at least for me. Getting something to work on paper is a far different matter, and collections such as this work do help me to focus and try to produce something that is of quality and is also true to me. Hopefully it will help other aspiring writers too!

"The Practical Writer" is a collection of thirty-one articles by experts involved in the various stages of publishing poems, books and articles. Each piece concentrates on a different aspect of the writer's trade, from giving a lyric poem that final polish, to understanding rejection letters, to negotiating a book contract. That there are thirty-one contributions is in itself a measure of the complexity of the writer's world. In addition to editors, writers must deal with agents and publicists, booksellers and literary organizations. There are readings to give, flyers to print, contracts to negotiate, and book tours to arrange. For people used to solitary work, that can be overwhelming. Writers, as several of the contributors point out, are sometimes out of the loop as far as the `business' of publishing is concerned. Even though the industry revolves around them, the writers themselves may be unaware of what drives companies to accept one piece of work and reject another, or promote one book to best seller status while letting another languish on a back shelf. Therese Eiben and Mary Gannon of Poets & Writers magazine have brought together a wonderfully knowledgeable and supportive group of people. "The Practical Writer" is full of solid, substantive advice. My copy promises to become one of those books whose spines will develop the "telltale creases" of repeated reading.