Aspiring authors think writing is hard work. And they’re right. But published authors know that the work is far, far from over when a manuscript is finished.
“Putting Your Passion Into Print” (Workman, $14.95 paper) is an exhaustive and, thankfully, witty look at the process of book publishing from a writer’s blank computer screen to a niftily illustrated volume in a bookstore window.
Authors Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry have been through the ordeal themselves; in fact, Eckstut also is an agent. The book grew out of a seminar the couple runs at Stanford University, and it’s brimming with great advice.
How do you fine-tune your topic? It’s here. How to construct a great query? Ditto. How to find the best agent for your particular proposal? Got you covered. From the realities of marketing (most authors have to beat their own drum) to self-publishing (Mark Twain and Beatrix Potter did it), Eckstut and Sterry illuminate it all with humor and unflinching honesty.
Editing by audio: “Take the time to read your manuscript out loud. That’s right, your whole manuscript. You’ll be surprised to discover how you’re able to hear sentences or passages that sound awkward.”
