The Writer's Friend [Paperback]

Linda Davis Kyle (Author), Joseph Gregg (Author), Nancy McAlary (Author), Guy Lancaster (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0967365104 | ISBN-13: 978-0967365107 | Publication Date: March 1, 2000 | Edition: 1st

The Writer's Friend is perhaps the first book to show how magazine editors view writers and how editors would like writers to change. More than 40 editors from around the world reveal what writers must know and do to boost their sales.

TWF not only puts you in the shoes of an editor, but also it shares a wealth of information from a fistful of authors from Canada, the United States, and Australia to light your way in the sometimes cold and stormy sea of the writing world.

It also includes an appendix of leading questions and a user-friendly index. The cumulative power of 20 rapid-read chapters can greatly improve aspiring writers' relationships with editors.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Chances are that a freelancer will read far and wide before encountering a book more useful than The Writer's Friend." -- Rose Rosetree, Reviewer, Pathways, Spring 2002

"The Writer's Friend, a most appropriately titled sourcebook and vade mecum for freelance writers, is a goldmine of practical, basic, step-by-step advice for getting published. Dealing with every conceivable aspect of the procedure -- from deciding on the target publication, through writing attention-getting queries and the intricacies of contracts, to the finished article -- it focuses on the primary reader of the manuscript -- the editor -- and how to prevent imbroglios with this key gatekeeper of the process. I am pleased to recommend this useful and inspiring guide, jam-packed with tips and answers to questions, usually attained only by decades of actual experience, to seasoned professionals as well as to aspiring authors." -- George B. Kauffman, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, California State University, Fresno

"The fact that the majority of aspiring writers make similar mistakes in dealing with editors indicates that this is a book whose time has come. The writer armed with the wealth of information provided here is more apt to penetrate the publishing industry than the one who is not." -- Guy Lancaster, Editor, The Writer's Friend

"Vivid examples and illustrations make reading The Writer's Friend so breezy, yet the book is filled with sound directives. Anyone hoping to enter this zany world of writing will surely be on the right path after reading such well thought out instruction." -- Lynn Grisard Fullman, Southeast Tourism Society's Travel Writer of the Year Author, Fun with the Family in Alabama

From the Publisher

In The Writer's Friend, Linda Davis Kyle, an internationally published health and fitness and general interest writer, Nancy McAlary, an internationally published author of short fiction, and technical writer Joseph Gregg team up with more than 40 editors from around the world and a fistful of authors from the United States, Canada, and Australia to reveal what writers must do to boost their sales.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: WritingNow.com Publishing; 1st edition (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967365104
• ISBN-13: 978-0967365107
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #459,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For neophytes and pros alike, May 23, 2000

By 

Gena Holle, Editor, The International Railway... (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Writer's Friend (Paperback)

"It's about time someone wrote a book for writers that concentrates on the view from the editor's side of the desk," I said to Linda Davis Kyle when she asked me to supply a tip or two for the "The Writer's Friend." After reading the finished product, I found that not only is this book a must-read for neophyte scribes, but it is also an equally valuable refresher for old pros.

Chapter 5, "A Day in the Life of an Editor," and its blow-by-blow description of how editors do what they do should be required reading for all writers, again, experienced or not.

The other chapters are packed with clear, concise advice that, if followed, will increase the odds of receiving checks in the mail for stories sold, instead of those dreaded rejection letters. Highly recommended!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Must" reading for all aspiring writers seeking publication., February 4, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Writer's Friend (Paperback)

First off, The Writer's Friend has earned itself a permanent place next to my PC. Why? Because it is exactly what the title claims; "The Writer's Friend". This book, in a few short chapters, manages to detail for you, the hardened pro or newbie amateur, exactly what you need to know that mere talent itself does not cover. Chapters such as; Preparing to Query and Writing Warmups are absolutely indispensable. Not to mention others like; Writing with a Purpose Pays and Maximizing Your Research. The Writer's Friend, a friend indeed. Trade PB, 192 pages, -- Leann Arndt, Reviewer

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sell More of What You Write, May 9, 2000

By 

Dan Poynter "Author-Publisher-Speaker" (Santa Barbara, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Writer's Friend (Paperback)

The secret to selling your writing is to understand your buyers and what they need. Writers sell product. Editors buy entertainment (fiction) or information (nonfiction). The Writer's Friend reveals who editors are, what they do and what they need. Use this sage advice to get on the inside track to sell more of your writing sooner. [e-mail]