My Buy Essay

Posts Tagged ‘writer’s manual’

Pumping Your Muse is a 136-page non-fiction, self-help writer’s manual that is conveniently available in both electronic and print format. The hardcopy is coil-bound &ndash perfect for an inviting workbook.

Published just recently in June 2005, this book belongs on every writer’s reference bookshelf. Donna Sundblad’s goal for her manual has certainly been met, as Pumping Your Muse is able to stretch the readers’ creativity beyond their normal limits by developing skills and focusing creative energies in new directions.

The author focuses on the ability to build worlds through a variety of exercises including reflections, perspectives, balance, using multiple sensory tools and expanding thinking patterns. Readers will learn about tracking implements such as cards, journals and maps that help develop a detailed world for the reader and make the book a whole experience.

Following every exercise like a home-school class will take several weeks and will definitely improve creative writing skills. Pumping Your Muse could also be used as a refresher course, a tool during the proofreading processes of a manuscript, or to get past writer’s block.

Donna Sundblad keeps the continuity flowing at an interesting pace and has allowed space for notes at the end of every chapter. Her useful manual also includes a number of excellent writer’s resource websites.

I recommend that readers review the entire manual and then return to chapter one before they actually begin the program. In this way, the reader will be more familiar with the reasons and goals for each exercise. I’ve been anticipating my return to chapter one since I began the reviewing process of this book and have no doubt that my skills will be improved because of the exercises in this manual.

ISBN#: 0970863578

Author: Donna Sundblad

Publisher: ePress-online.com ~ Writopia, Inc.

The Frugal Book Promoter &ndash How to do What Your Publisher Won’t is the third book written by author Carolyn Howard &ndashJohnson, but by far &ndash it is not the last. Already she is planning on releasing a book of poetry. The Frugal Book Promoter has won the USA Book News award for Best Book 2004, and has also been an Irwin Award winner.

For Dave and I, the promotion of our two books and promoting the upcoming e-book has been an uphill battle. Intensive research on our part for more than three years has prepared us for most of the work, and because of this research and hands-on experience I found very little in this book that was actually new to me. I also found it somewhat lacking in areas that could have used more attention, such as its organization.

Carolyn’s sentence structure and grammar use was confusing and frustrating at times for me to read. There was also repetitive use of information and examples, which I found a bit redundant. Personally, I would have preferred another method of organization for the book. For instance, there are many aspects of reviews, but I felt all of these should be discussed in one chapter rather than scattered throughout the book. While few links on the site were new to me, of the dozen or so that I tried one or two were no longer active. This is no fault of the author, however, and is due solely to the ever-changing Internet.

However, I was reminded of some weak areas in our marketing plan and was given some incentive for those areas I am about to broach in our schedule. I appreciated many of the links that I discovered and have had excellent responses from them.

Overall, I think The Frugal Promoter is a book that reads like you are sitting across from the author having a discussion. This is an aspect of the writing style that I certainly enjoyed. It could be considered a useful beginner’s tool that would save time by providing links, basic promotion options to choose from and several marketing ideas that are outside the norm.

ISBN#: 1-932993-10-X

Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Publisher: Star Publish

Published: 2004

Pages: 288