Customer Reviews

The Insider's Guide to Getting Published: Why They Always Reject Your Manuscript and What You Can Do About It

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Originally published in 1986 as "The Awful Truth About Publishing: Why They Always Reject Your Manuscript and What You Can Do About It" (a title that may have been too hard for aspiring writers to take, despite the softer subtitle), Boswell's book is a concise, accessible guide taking the neophyte writer through the various stages of writing and pitching their book, always with a realistic view of the publishing environment writers will operate in. Boswell also includes valuable copies of query letters and the proposal for the book itself, so you have concrete examples to learn from. Best of all, he never sugar coats the hard truths about the long odds against writers, as when he explains why you must reconsider your proposal or the idea it embodies if you are rejected 10 times by agents or editors.

Very well wwritten and worth buying. There are some good tips and you can learn a bunch about the publishing world- take a shot.

Rick Frishman Pres PLANNED TV ARTS (NYC) ... co author GUERRILLA PUBLCIITY & GUERRILLA MARKETING FOR WRITERS (Writers Digest Books)...

A "how to" book may seem an unlikely choice for a review submitted with the sole intent of winning 100 bucks of Amazon books credit. However, you must love books and maybe have even thought about writing one, otherwise you would not have landed here. Push your virtual shopping cart to the aisle marked "Boswell" and grab this book. The book, originally published in 1986 under a different title, defies the author's assertion that a "jar of mayonnaise will most likely have more staying power" on the sales shelf than most books. Boswell offers practical and humorous guidance gained during a long career as a publisher and an author. He debunks the romantic image of the editorial meeting and offers valuable advice about the nuts and bolts of getting published. This book is for you if you want common-sense advice (beware: ego-deflating too) and a blueprint for your writing dreams. Push your cart a little faster. This book may not be released again until the next century