Questions

it is supposed to reflect the poet in some way, my poet is Jennifer Michael Hecht- a modern poet who lives in Brooklyn. The book of poetry I am doing by her is called Funny. Basically a psychological poetic analysis of things considered funny (joke and analysis)

any ideas on what i should use for the binding of a small anthology I have to make?

About the book from her website: http://jennifermichaelhecht.com/_wsn/page6.html
- Narcissa K

I have 3 short stories I need to place in my works cited page and they were all in the same anthology. Here they are:
“The Metamorphois” by Franz Kafka
“Notes from Underground” by Fyodor Dostoevsky
“The Wall” by Jean-Paul Sartre

*Is this a simpler question than it seems?

Literature of the Western World. Volume II, 3rd ed., Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. Macmillan Publishing Company. Copyright 1992. New York, New York.
- zztopspin

I have been reading the Scribner Anthology and The Shell Collector, both of which are collections of short stories. I am trying to collect some more ideas for reading material so what is your favorite short story?
- Freddy Finger

1. Decide on a Topic

Start by identifying your target audience. Who do you want your book to reach? Are you writing for your clients, single mothers, consultants, teenagers, retired baby boomers? Knowing your audience will help you make important decisions when building your content. You should always keep your audience in mind as you develop your book.

2. Know Your Book’s Unique Value

There were over 480,000 books published in 2008 alone, so if you’re worried that there is not enough room in the world for a book like yours, don’t be so sure. The key is to establish how your book will be different or better than the competition. Determine what unique value you will bring to your readers.

3. Choose Your Process

You don’t have to be professionally-trained writer to develop a book. Here are several options:

-Hire a ghost writer

-Enlist a co-author

-Dictate your book on audio and use software such as Professionally Speaking to convert it to text

-Get your thoughts on paper and hire a good editor to turn it into a manuscript

-Assemble an anthology of contributions from others

4. Leverage Content You Already Have

Your book may already be further along than you realize. If you have created content for your business, you may be able to use it for your book. Here are some places to look:

-Articles and blog posts you have written

-Hand-outs you have developed

-Surveys you have conducted

-Case studies and client success stories

-Seminars, videos, and recordings you have made that can be transcribed

-Contributions from others (articles, interviews, case studies, etc., with their permission, of course)

5. Get Started with an Outline

Everyone has their own unique process for writing, though most writers will tell you that they start with some sort of outline. I recommend using a storyboard process.

Start with a blank wall and a stack of Post-it notes. Write each and every topic idea you want to cover in your book on a Post-it and stick it to the wall. Once you have all of your ideas out, move the notes around until they form some kind of logical order. This is a great way to identify your chapters, how much content you have for each, and where you need to add more content. You can transfer everything to an outline or simply work off of your wall of ideas.

6. Begin the Writing Process

Once you know what topics to cover, you are ready to begin writing (or dictating, assembling content you already have, or inviting others to contribute). The idea of writing a book can seem overwhelming, but if you tackle it in small pieces, it can begin to come together quickly.

We are in a technology-driven age and most of us have short attention spans. Approach each topic as if you were writing a short article. To make it easier for you and your reader, break up the text. Use plenty of sub-headings and bullets for easier reading. Include quotes from people you have interviewed, provide resources for additional information, and compile brief sidebar tips to enhance the reader’s experience.

7. Make Time to Write

One of the biggest excuses that aspiring authors have is a lack of time to get a book written. Like anything else in life, if you want it badly enough, you have to find a way to make it happen.

You may want to plan your writing time around when you are most creative. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Perhaps you need to get up an hour earlier or stay up an hour later. It is important to discover your own unique process. Some writers are disciplined and write during a set time each day. Some schedule one or two days each week for writing. With my busy schedule, I actually check in to a hotel for a weekend and write, write, write! It’s all about what works best for you.

8. Cross the Finish Line

The average book manuscript is between 60,000 to 80,000 words. Two typed pages are the equivalent of around 1000 words. So if you wrote just two pages per day, your book would be done in 60 days!

Once your manuscript is complete, you will begin the editing process. If you are new to writing, it would be wise to hire an experienced editor to help. Of course you have many options for getting your book into print. Whether you want to pursue a traditional publisher or self-publishing, the options are abundant. A good book coach can also help you make some of these decisions.

No matter what publishing options you pursue, writing a book is a big achievement and can have a tremendous impact on your life. Set a goal to finally write that book this year and you will embark on a fantastic journey.


- Stephanie Chandler

If you like me are a member of a writers group, you will probably end up with a lot of very short stories that after a few readings will sit and gather dust in a file. You know the kind of thing, one or two page short stories that are just the right length to be read and discussed in a fifteen minute slot. Even if you are not a member of a group and write on your own, if you love to write, you will produce lots of work that will never be used in the book or anthology that you intend one day to publish.

What a waste, after all, you did put time and effort into them. I know you liked the writing and enjoyed the response to them from a few others, but it seems a shame for them to sit in a file and not be read. So why not put some of them onto your own website and let people read them for free. People will read them and while they might not make you any money, you will begin to build up a following. This can benefit you in several ways. One, you will get feedback and feedback, good or bad, will help you improve you writing, Two, you will build up a regular readership that enjoys your work and hopefully a ready market for when you finally publish your book. Three, the website is a place to showcase your book. Four, now four is only a maybe. Maybe, if you are good and build enough of a following, you just might come to the attention of a publisher.

You do not need to be computer literate or a wiz kid to have and run your own website. I am the one they wrote the idiots guide for and I am unable to even read it. What I did was to look on the Internet for website hosting and I found loads There are free websites, cheap websites, reasonably priced websites and you makes your choice and takes your pick. The free sites all had banner advertising at the top and strip ads down one side of the page, but they are giving you a free website and they have to make money somewhere. The paid for sites charge you for their services because they do not sell the ad space. So once again it is your choice.

I looked for the one that in my opinion would be the easiest to use and picked, do your own site. The site is jargon free, easy to use and I can update quickly and easily at anytime. They gave me a thirty day no quibble free trial, which gave me ample time to test everything out, I had my first page up and out there in no time, and I decided to go ahead without waiting for the trial period to end. I pay £58.80 a year, which I think is a very reasonable cost for a very rewarding hobby. After all, most hobbies cost you hundred if not thousands a year.

If you are worried about your copyright to any material you place on your web pages, you have a right to be worried, for while copyright laws still applies to your material, the very nature of the internet makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible to enforce. Once you publish your page, your work it is out there in the public domain and can be downloaded or copied. Look at all the music and software that is copied.

However, what we are talking about here, is not your novel or anthology, we are talking those hundreds of short pieces that you will never publish, but others may enjoy. You can still put copyright with your name and date to claim the right to your own work. So why not take a chance, get a website put your work on and sit back while your short stories are enjoyed on the World Wide Web. You will be surprised at the number of people that will read them.

Copyright Fred Watson September 2007


- Fred Watson