Customer Reviews

How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead: Your Words in Print and Your Name in Lights

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I wish this book had been written several years ago, when I first started my writing career. Ariel Gore's wit and wisdom could have spared me a lot of error and grief. How to Be a Famous Writer Before You're Dead is a breezy and informal guide for the writer looking for that first publishing score. Using her own experiences, as well as those of other writers, comedians, and entertainers, Gore speaks to the reader as if to an old friend and "tells it like it is." Launching a writing career is a scary, but rewarding, endeavor. Gore's encouragement and practical advice should inspire any first-time writer to keep at it. Hell, her book inspired me, even after five books of my own; after all, I'm not dead yet.

John Kachuba
[...]

Got a postcard at school advertising a book on journalism. Before I tossed it (I'm retiring -- what do I need another book on journalism for?) I turned it over. There was a picture of Ariel Gore's book, with a brief blurb. I was intrigued and ordered it via amazon when I got home. What a gift to myself it turned out to be. I needed this boost. I've wanted to write for years, and resigned myself to the comments written on students' papers and my own online forum. After reading just the first couple of chapters, I know there are no excuses. I consider this book a godsend. Fun to read, beautifully written, wise and wonderful. Thank you, Ariel Gore!

It's funny, it's true, it's irreverent, and it's one of the best new books on writing and publishing available. (Literary snobs won't agree, but who asked them?) I've got three shelves crammed with writing books, and while most are pretty good, they all offer the same safe advice. Gore stresses the importance of marketing and promoting yourself and getting your stuff OUT THERE -- even if it means self-publishing your poems on a copy machine or posting a humor column in the PTA newsletter. While Gore's clear, take-no-prisoners style will appeal mostly to the young and the hip, I'm recommending this book to everyone in my writing workshops, no matter how old (or un-hip) they are. -Cindy La Ferle

This book changed my life! I'm not remotely kidding. I'm embarrassed now to say that I hadn't heard of Ariel Gore until last week, when I stumbled upon this book at Quimby's bookstore in Chicago. I bought it and read it (and highlighted it, which is what I do to the books I love so I don't forget the parts I love most) over the course of last weekend. And now, three days later, I have founded the new Silver Lining zine and a writing group by the same name, finally attended and networked at a literary reading series I'd always meant to go to, and contacted several of my favorite authors (starting with Ariel) to tell them how much I love their work and to pick their brains a bit about writing. That's right! That's just how inspiring and practical this book is. Plus it's a blast to read. Buy it now and use it to further your passions!

This book is not a writing manual. There is no magic formula that can make you write like Stephen King or whoever your favourite writer is. The secret to writing something, anything, is to sit down and put pen to paper. Nothing is going to happen if you don't do that, and on a regular basis. Unlike the authors of many of the other books on writing that are out there, Ariel Gore realizes this and instead of spending pages going on and on about characterization and inspiration, Gore deals with the issues that are most important to those of us who have managed to churn out some of our own work - how to get your name known and your words in print.

"How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead" is a fantastic book on the art of self-promotion. Gore details all of the steps that she went through to get her name in print (and clearly, they must have worked, otherwise I wouldn't be reviewing this book) and in addition, the book is interspersed with interviews with other famous writers (including Ursula Le Guin and Margaret Cho, among others) who also share the secrets of their success.

There might not be a magic formula for writing a best-seller, but there is a formula for becoming a published writer and this book tells us mere mortals exactly what it is.

This book will give your ego a swift kick in the butt. I was concerned about writing, publishing ,etc. and this book demystified it. The truth is that it's a matter of taking action and this book offers tons of things a writer can do to get their name out there. A true gem of a book and one of my new favorites.

Ariel Gore's "How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead" is not your typical writing handbook. Filled with funny antecdotes, sometimes subversive humor, and an overall supportive tone, Gore has managed to write a book that, should we follow her advice, can only lead to success in writing.

Even if you have no aspirations to writerly famedom, Gore's book is a must read. Gore's book includes a mix of straightforward advice with interviews of other writers and stories -- both funny and serious -- from her own writing life. She is at once witty and intelligent without being smug or "holier than thou."

I found Gore's book insipired and have taken much of her advice to heart and I encourage you to do the same. If nothing else, you'll have fun reading this book! The layout ranges from how-to chapters to interviews to advice columns. The only way you could possibly be bored reading this book is if you skip everything between the first and last pages, and even then, you'll still find something interesting! Read it...then go write Ariel Gore a thank you note for her hard work and her willingness to share her experiences with us all!

If obscenity bothers you, look elsewhere. Better yet, do yourself a favor and get over it - this book is outrageously good! It's like having coffee or a beer with the kind of friend who loves you enough to kick you out of the rut you've dragged yourself into. Ariel Gore writes with bold, active passion. If you take it to heart, How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead will teach you to do the same.

I got excellent advice from the real person who had gone through what I was going on in writing both my books. This is what this book can do for you:

1. In chapter 20 she says thus about writing a book: "The only thing we need going in (starting to write a book) is to have the courage to love the world!"
2. In chapter 23, she says,"By pushing yourself to just write, you give yourself permission to make mistakes, to take risks, to worry about editing the perfecting later, to write on the fly, to simply create, to let go."
3. In chapter 25, she tells us the root for word passion is "to suffer" from its Latin beginnings. In fact writing has been a passion for me!
4. On the last page #264, she says, "In the mean time, take care, keep writing, keep fighting, and keep putting your work out into the world, okay?"

This book helped me understand the writing process as well as my own feelings that at times were self-defeating.

You might also want to read:
Putting Your Passion Into Print: Get Your Book Published Successfully! (Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published: How to Write)

In my 40 years of dabbling with the writing life, I've read probably thirty or more books on how to write, so it's takes something special to get my attention. "How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead" is that something special. It gives you the tools to develop that savvy and hard edge to deal with the constantly-evolving writing industry.
Please, take it from me, as I've wasted 22 years writing on the same novel: Buy This Book (and Read It)!!
Note: I don't plan to waste any more years!