Customer Reviews

Write to Publish: Essentials for the Modern Fiction & Memoir Market

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Write to Publish" covers all the typical areas you would expect in a basic book on writing fiction. The author discusses such things as openings, developing believable characters, point of view, setting the story landscape and working with plot development. This basic information is followed by two sections that separate this book from other basic writing books.

First is a chapter on professional revision that actually goes through the items that should be examined in the review process. It includes such items as reexamining structure, plot, character traits, simplifying sentence structure, and varying sentence structure, paragraph length, word choice.

The rest of the book predominantly contains information on how to get your book published. This includes tips for writing query letters, dealing with agents, submission etiquette, and even dealing with rejection.

The greatest value of this book is that it covers all the relevant areas of getting your fiction book written and published. These areas are covered at a somewhat basic level and you can find other books that deal in greater detail with each of the sections but then again, they tend to not be as thorough in covering all of the aspects of writing and publishing.

I picked up this gem after visiting one of Christopher Klim's seminars in Florida. It's the next best thing to being there. From the lessons on craft to the useful exercises, there's not an ounce of fluff or fat in this essential manual.

Klim takes us through the process of creating a story from idea to print. He lends practical advice and lessons, and he tempers the entire process with real life examples. It's as if he's letting us know his secrets to success. These secrets apply to not only fiction and memoir but nonfiction as well.

I especially like the chapter on fighting writers' block. "I don't have time for writers block," Klim claims, tongue in cheek. He submits that writers get stuck looking for answers, when they haven't yet asked the right questions. Klim supplies the questions, at least gets the struggling writer on his/her way to fruition.

If I was building a toolbox for writers, this would be one of the books I put inside. While it doesn't have the depth of some manuals. It covers everything, including the essential protocol for reaching and establishing relationships with the industry. I ought know. I work in the industry every day. I wish ¾ of the wannabe's ran into Klim's material along the way.

But don't take my word for it. Check out the wonderful comments at www.Write-to-Publish.com or the many useful freebies from this intriguing new author.

Well, it's not like taking one of Klim's master's courses in person, but it does cover all of the basics. Klim often speaks of the five tools of a writer that usher you through the beginner's and journeymen's phases en route to publication, and so this turns out to be one of the most important guides in my library.

When most writing books are steeped in nonsensical instructions on creativity, Klim outlines the tools of the crafts in clear and plain language. (Some people just don't seem to understand that storytelling is that simple.) This book is an appropriate starting point for just about any writer and continues to be on regular loan from our catalogue.

I swear if I had read this book twenty years ago I would be on a book tour right now instead of working a day job and writing book reviews for fun! While I doubt that anyone, even Christopher Klim, can teach the gift of writing I'm sure that this book can teach a writer to fine tune his skills and to get his writing publisher-ready.
"Write to Publish" is a cornucopia of tips, tricks of the trade, and insights gathered by the author over his past twenty years as a writer and educator. And they are presented in an understandable and usable format. For instance, only a veteran writer would know how much we hate to do revisions. After all, writing is hard work; re-writing is agony. But Klim insists, "...all drafts are bad. Bad is a general category, ranging from not too bad to pretty damn bad." So be prepared to revise. Klim's sense of humor lightens the impact but does not dilute the wisdom.
In addition the author provides practical examples of the basics, from the query letters to revisions. These are done concisely, never condescendingly. Then he provides exercises at the end of each chapter to get the writer-synapses firing. The examples are designed to train would-be-published writers to notice nuances of language, perspective and setting; the very elements that work to separate good stories from great stories.
This tightly written book includes an appendix with a short story, followed by a breakdown to demonstrate the process. The appendix also contains sample query letters and a novel synopsis. In addition, there is an index so you don't have to dog-ear the pages as you go along.
"Write to Publish" by Christopher Klim is a must read for every yet to be published writer.

I'd been searching for years for a book to compliment my texts on creative writing, and this book was the answer, which the entire department now employs at the college level. Christopher Klim's Write to Publish describes the tools that master writers learn during their personal journey toward creating solid stories. I agree with other reviewers that different books go into much more esoteric and complicated detail, but this is not a compliment to those other books. Each writer's journey is unique, as Klim describes, but her or she must still introduce themselves to the essentials of storytelling somewhere along the line. That is the beauty of Write to Publish, which can serve as a reference guide as much as a learning device. Like the Midwest Book Review and Library Journal, I too like his casual approach. I particularly enjoyed his method for revising your manuscripts. It's quietly and simply one of the most clever writing books around.

For years, I have been trying to pen my memoir of a life lived some 50 years. This gives one of the most practical approaches to "storytelling" that I've found. The advice is honest, sincere, and straightforward. Useful outlines for plotting and characters are provided, as well as an excellent approach to revising and updating your manuscript. Also, I like the humor and creative tips.

I always get suspicious when other reviewers begin schilling comparable books. It's a dirty practice in this business: first you dump on one book and then you recommend another. It's hard to scan through a list of reviews and not find at least one assassin reviewer, and this title is no different. The tip off is that their review, albeit from a professional trade or a so-called amateur, is that their review doesn't come close to the others. ... Here's a handy reference manual for all fiction writers and memoirists. Klim--a really terrific writer in his own right--takes a great approach to analyzing your needs in the creative process. He breaks down the basics, leaving plenty of detail for the more journeyman writer.

I think some of this information was fairly obvious - then again, some of the information is important info that could be filed under "how to write" - not just "how to write to get published." But if you're looking to publish a book, you need a lot of this information. There's more to publishing than just a decent plot.