The ABCs of Book Writing

Visit http://helpingyougetpublished.blogspot.ca/ to follow this blog series on the basics of book writing, for first-time authors and previously published authors seeking fresh creative strategies. Articles in the series are accompanied by infographics and related visuals.

Watch the blog trailer now . . .

Helping You Get Published: The ABCs of Book Writing: D is for DISCIPLINE . . .

Helping You Get Published: The ABCs of Book Writing: D is for DISCIPLINE . . . and DEVELOPING it now. "Apply seat of pants to seat of chair." Today, the old tried and true formula for disciplined writing might be...

Helping You Get Published: The ABCs of Book Writing: C is for CHAPTERS . . .

Helping You Get Published: The ABCs of Book Writing: C is for CHAPTERS . . . and CREATING a book structure. The most common and important unit of division in most kinds of books is the chapter. Books...

Helping You Get Published: The ABCs of Book Writing: B is for BLOCK, writer's . . .

Helping You Get Published: The ABCs of Book Writing: B is for BLOCK, writer's . . . and BEATING it. Writer's block is the fear of almost every writer and, from time to time, the all-too-real predicament of many...

Helping You get Published: The ABCs of Book Writing: A is for ASPIRATION . . .

Helping You Get Published: The ABCs of Book Writing: A is for ASPIRATION . . . and ALL that goes with it! No book truly begins with page one or even with the first word you write down or type into a computer...

Helping You Get Published: The ABCs of Book Writing: Series introduction

Helping You Get Published: The ABCs of Book Writing: Series introduction . . . Most things, including book writing, begin with the basics. This blog series is about those basics that apply speci...

#WhyWritersMatter

On behalf of writers and their role in culture and society  . . .

I have spent my life living in a world where doctors and lawyers and chartered accountants and business owners and electricians and plumbers and so on . . . matter—really matter—whereas writers are these dreamy, impractical types who lack street smarts and, as some suspect, a proper work ethic. Of course it's true that when you're sick or have a burst pipe, no one matters as much as a doctor or plumber. And now, when it comes to enriching our lives, thanks to a wonderful initiative by the Writers' Union of Canada, writers publicly matter too—really matter.

#WhyWritersMatter is a worldwide campaign spearheaded by the Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC), with the support of the Authors Guild (US) and other professional writing and related organizations. The initiative, launched in conjunction with the inaugural Canadian Writers Summit taking place June 15–19, 2016, in Toronto, is asking readers and writers around the world to think about why writers matter in today’s world, and post responses on social media under the hashtag #WhyWritersMatter. You do not have to be a Writers' Union member or author to join the #WhyWritersMatter conversation on Facebook and/or Twitter and/or all your other social media. You just have to value writers!

As a book author myself, member of TWUC, longtime advocate for writers (at HelpingYouGetPublished.com)—and, not least of all, an avid reader—I am pleased to contribute my words and images to this celebration of writers.

Writers connect us . . . Please watch the video below:

Pitching Your Book

In general, when pitching a book, a pleasant, businesslike approach is the key.

The five main things that agents and acquiring editors want to know are:

1—In one or two concise sentences, what is the book about?

2—Is there a clear hook?

3—Who do you see as your readers? What are their demographics and interests?

4—What is your current author platform? That is, how are you already in contact with potential readers? (Possibilities include: having a website, blogging, social media, teaching, and community connections.)

5—What are you, as a proactive author, prepared to do to promote your book? (Self-promotion initiatives include: public speaking, blogging, networking with interest groups, contacting media, doing a direct emailing campaign, creating a website, starting a reader newsletter, organizing book-related events, and hiring a publicist.)

Point of View Pointers for Novelists

Mishandling point of view in your novel can lead to other problems of narrative style—for example, telling rather than showing, halted forward momentum, and weak characterization. Worst of all, the results of such compounding problems are a tedious narrative and disengaged readers. Agents and acquiring editors can spot these problems in their sleep.

If, as a novelist, you suspect that there are gaps in your knowledge of point of view, then check out the point of view refresher course, "Point of View 101," on the Helping You Get Published Facebook page . . . https://www.facebook.com/HelpingYouGetPublished.FreelanceEditing/posts/960282310728533

Latest Book Trailer from Helping You Get Published

Bleeding Hearts, by Tami Reeves . . . This poignant true story of the impact of Alzheimer's on the family has garnered impressive reviews on Amazon . . .

The Book in Brief: A Video History

From Helping You Get Published: And the book goes on . . . For centuries, the book has been the site where culture and technology meet . . .

Click here to watch the video . . .

Helping You Get Published: Why Join the Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC)?

Helping You Get Published: Why Join the Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC)?: The many answers to the above question have been tweeted @twuc and can also be found on Facebook at TWUC #WhyIJoin. Here's my contributi...

Helping You Get Published: Featured Books and Authors

Helping You Get Published: Featured Books and Authors: Video of currently featured books and authors, including traditionally published and self-published clients of Helping You Get Published editing and ...

Spring Update at Helping You Get Published

• New this season at the Helping You Get Published Editorial Services website: Peddlers Three, a satirical novel by Edward Groves, is now published; more sales for the Amazing Time Travel series by Rob Lennard, "the History Wrangler"; and the Canadian Writers' Union releases good news for self-publishing authors. Find out more at Helping You Get Published Notes and News . . .
• Latest video of new and recent books by Helping You Get Published authors. Watch . . .
• And don't forget—to assist authors, articles on agents, editors & publishers; book marketing & promotion; publishing & the book trade; and writing life & style are updated as needed and always available. View title list and link to articles . . .

Writing Romance--A New Video

Helping You Get Published: Writing Romance . . . with a Passion!: What better time than February to think about romance--writing, that is . . .

As the Romance writers of America (RWA) organization has shown . . .

If you like this video, you can find other how-to videos on writing and publishing at the Helping You Get Published YouTube channel. While you're there, check out the book trailers and the "featured books & authors" and "recent releases" videos, showcasing Helping You Get Published clients.

Favorite literary & Writing Quote #25

Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.

—E. L. Doctorow

Sustainable Freelance Editing

Freelance Editor Online, a recently launched website, is the newest affiliate of Helping You Get Published.

Highlights on the new site include:

Information and video about sustainable writing, editing, and publishing

FAQs about Freelance Editor Online and freelance editing

Articles about freelance editing and the role of the freelance editor in writing, editing, and publishing

For a list of Helping You Get Published affiliate websites,  visit the affiliates page at Helping You Get published Canada.

An Alternative Approach to the Query Letter & Book Proposal

From Helping You Get Published: An Alternative Approach . . . The query letter and book proposal have long been fundamental to the process of submitting your book manuscript to literary agents and traditional publishers . . .

Favorite Literary & Writing Quote #24

Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.

—Barbara Kingsolver

New Book Trailer

Helping You Get Published: New Book Trailer: Watch the latest trailer from Helping You Get Published  . . . In the quiet of a village churchyard, something evil waits . . . The Marble Orchard, a mystery novel by Mitch Kynock . . .