Customer Reviews

No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells

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4 star:		(1)
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First things first--you should know up front that this book is aimed at writers of novel-length commercial fiction. If you write thrillers, mysteries, romances, or other genre work, this is the perfect book for you. If you don't, it will still hold a lot of value, but some of the more sweeping statements won't ring as true. The title of the book sounds gimmicky, but the book itself isn't. I thought from the title that this would be one of those books that would promise you publication if only you followed these simple rules, but it doesn't.

Author Alice Orr is also a long-time editor, so she knows what editors look for. Her "secrets" run the gamut from ideas, to beginnings, characters (both primary and secondary), drama, middles, writing style, endings, and even submissions and self-promotion.

Many of these ideas won't be new to writers who've been around a while. We know we need strong protagonists, dramatic beginnings, and so on. However, Orr does more than just give us a rule to follow. She backs up those rules with directions, examples, exercises, questions to ask ourselves, and more. She takes abstract concepts and turns them into concrete practices. She tells us how far editors want us to take our dramatic beginnings and strong characters, as well as how far they *don't* want us to take them.

In short, any writer of commercial fiction who is unsatisfied with her acceptance rate will probably find something of value in here. Regardless, Orr's witty style makes this a fun book to read!

This is a very hands-on kind of book with clear examples, thorough explanations, and lots of thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter. It will get you thinking about your story and how to really give it dimension. The first time I paged through it, I started getting all kinds of ideas for my story - and particularly the characters - that hadn't occurred to me before. If you're afraid of writing a flat, boring, predictable or cliched novel, you need this book!

As a freelance editor and writer I read a lot of books on writing, and this is one of the better ones. I read it with a pen and notebook handy and I learned a lot of very practical tips. Alice Orr is an award winning romance/suspense writer, has owned her own literary agenty for 20 years, and teaches seminars on writing and publishing. She knows her business, and it shows in this tightly written, very helpful book. It's one I will refer back to over and over. The reader will not only find chapters on crafts, but she also includes lessons on marketing, tips and techinques, and how to decide if an idea is salable. She includes examples of writing that doesn't work and explains why. Strongly recommended.

I own about 15 books that are all on the topic of revising manuscripts and getting published. This book, by far, is the best of them. The self analyzing questions that helped me get to the root of my character's psyche alone were worth the price tag.

Thank you Alice Orr!!

I stumbled across this book on an island in Washington State where Ms. Orr now lives. Like others, the title of the book both caught my eye and turned me off a the same time. However, after picking it up and leafing through, I could see that the book is much more than the title. It's an inspiration. I'm currently writing a book as a process of learning to become a good writer; with Ms. Orr's 50 secrets, I feel like I have a private instructor with me right next to my laptop. When I hit a wall, I pick up the book, read for a while, then hurry back to tear down my wall. For those who are developing their craft, I would encourage you to add this book to your writer's library.

"No More Rejections" by Alice Orr is an excellent resource for writers. Alice presents the writer with numerous tips and techniques ranging from developing characters to coming up with The Hook Line that Sinks 'Em (her line, not mine). Are your characters deep and interesting? Is there trouble lurking in the plot? Do relationships between characters involve conflict? Ms. Orr asks these questions and more, and teaches you how to answer them effectively.
She has experienced the wonderful world of writing from the side of the author, as well as the side of the publisher. Her experience is significant and varied which gives her advice credibility. Donovan's Island

"No More Rejections" helps fiction writers improve every aspect of their writing: from character development and plot to the important marketing tasks an author must do. Orr, a literary agent, peppers her advice with anecdotes about her own writing experiences, which guarantees you'll learn something new on every page.

Lovely writing, well-organized, great sense of humor. A five-star guide for writers.

Helen Gallagher, author: Release Your Writing: Book Publishing, Your Way

Alice Orr delivers on her promise to provide fifty secrets to writing a manuscript that sells the subtitle of her book "No More Rejections." As a former literary agent and editor Alice understands the reasons an agent editor rejects a manuscript and uses this knowledge to help the reader from making these same pitfalls."

Orr combines tips on the craft, writing and marketing techniques with examples of actual manuscript submissions. Orr skillfully guides the reader from the idea stage of a manuscript to its final synopsis and the promotion of the manuscript.

I especially appreciated the clear descriptive chapter titles which allowed me to visualize the logical progression of each step for editing and moving forward on my current writing project. I am hoping to incorporate these points in a proactive approach to preparing the first rough draft of my next project.

Orr's writing is fresh, compelling, and practical. I highly recommend "No More Rejections" for every author's reference library.

Despite the attempt at seducing the reader with the rather typical commercial title, this book is clearly written and provides good ideas in a well reasoned and developed format.it's already much common sense but every so often it's good to review the basics. The only disagreement I have with the major tenets of the author focuses on character. She seems to maintain the cliched idea that the protagonist of a "commercial" novel or "popular" novel should be positive, likable, and one with whom we can identify. The spate of novels these days without such a protagonist is legion. Still, it's better than the more highly touted The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman. In addition, like many books on writing, this one provides writing exercises. Happily, they are interesting and practical and actually seem to have potential to improve a work in progress. This cannot be said for many so-called creative writing guides,even those that purport to encourage "literary" writing.