The Book

Thanks, But This Isn’t for Us: A (Sort of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing is Being Rejected by Jessica Page Morrell is exactly what the title claims it is. In a blunt, sometimes sarcastic, manner, developmental editor Morrell takes you through the various aspects of a manuscript. From beginner faux pas like extraneous adjectives and adverbs to more subtle elements like creating suspense and using sensory details, she points out what sorts of things will get your manuscript tossed into the circular file and provides direction on how to fix these issues.

The Review

I’ve read a previous book by Jessica Page Morrell that is heavily sticky-noted and reread at least once every year. What I liked about that book is that Morrell went beyond the beginner level of writing and got into the more subtle elements of what makes writing good. Thanks, But This Isn’t for Us covers both beginner level issues and more subtle issues that might be keeping your manuscript from being published.

The tone is occasionally snarky and it’s no secret. Even the cover design is a bit snarky, suggesting that manuscripts are used as coasters. Chapter one begins like this:

Dear Wanna Be a Published Writer:

This isn’t a book about false promises or cheery rah-rahs. This book never claims that anyone can write a best seller or become a billionaire just by typing away, or even that writing is the greatest joy because, after all, we cannot forget about dancing, chocolate, and sex. Rather, it’s written by a Demon of Harsh Reality and meant as a hefty dose of reality along with encouragement to keep trying, to keep learning. Because writing is a craft, and it can be learned.” –pg 9

For the most part, the tone is blunt but helpful so the occasional snark isn’t hard to take (I have been known to be somewhat snarky myself so this sort of thing doesn’t bother me in the least, particularly when the advice is clearly good). If you survived Miss Snark‘s blog you’ll find that Morrell is much gentler overall, but equally informative.

The chapters cover beginnings, plot, structure, mood, dialogue, characters, scenes, and emotions. There are also chapters on memoirs, doing a final edit, and not driving your editor insane. As well as an index, the back of the book has two glossaries: fiction lingo and publishing lingo (which is nice, because sometimes it feels like everyone else knows these terms even if you don’t).

Each chapter is divided into chunks with headings and subheadings, which makes the book easy to scan to find what you are looking for. There are recurring elements in each chapter, like a reading list of books focused on a particular topic. I found that I often have at least one of the books listed in the reading list and since I’m happy with the ones I have, I’m inclined to check out some of the others on the list when I have time.

A ‘Quick & Dirty Tips’ list that summarizes what you need to take away from the chapter and apply to your writing is included at the end of each chapter. Since I use most writing books as reference books, I find that list helpful in refreshing my memory (it also lessens the need for me to take my own notes, which I inevitably lose). There is also a short ‘Try This’ exercise in each chapter that helps you address a particular problem. It’s one thing to know that you have a certain problem and quite another to figure where to start to fix it so the ‘Try This’ sections are particularly helpful because they give a place to start–even if it’s just taking a highlighter to your manuscript to see how often you use modifiers or sensory details to convince you that you do indeed have a problem (or reassure you that you don’t).

The Verdict

This one is a keeper. Jessica Page Morrell, as a developmental editor, helps authors polish their manuscripts for a living and it shows. If you need to polish your manuscript, going through this book will help you find your manuscript’s weaknesses and figure out what to do about it (assuming, of course, that you can acknowledge that your manuscript has weaknesses–if you can’t, then no book will help you).

You can find Thanks, But This Isn’t for Us: A (Sort of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing is Being Rejected at amazon (US, Canada, & UK), as well as at other online and retail booksellers.

The Book

Writing for the Web, 4th Edition by Crawford Killian touches on all aspects of writing web content including website structure/organization, word choice, style, and editing. Also addressed is the issue of writing for different audiences in sections on corporate websites, blogs, and marketing/advocacy writing.

The Review

Take a quick spin around the Internet and you’ll find a number of sites (including corporations) that need a lesson in writing online copy. If the job of writing web copy has fallen to you and you’re not quite sure how it should be different from printed copy or if you simply want to know how to write better for the online medium, then Writing for the Web, 4th Edition is a readable, useful book to have on hand.

An introduction to hypertext starts off the book. Using the history of the medium, Killian explains why online and offline are different and deserve different treatment. The author goes on to cover structuring a website, organizing a website, writing good content, editing webtext (print if off to read!), corporate webwriting, writing for blogs, advocacy and marketing on the web, and frequently asked questions.

Each chapter is subdivided with many lists, bullets, and examples that make it easy to understand and remember the points being made. It is nice to see references (usually online so the reader can access them) to back up the occasional statistic or other figure used to make a point. The occasional exercise is included so that you can practice the concepts discussed (sample answers for some exercises are even included in an appendix). Some chapters also include handy reference lists, like a list of frequently confused words (like ‘affect’ versus ‘effect’) and lists of common abbreviations.

Despite being suitable for use as a textbook (it has in fact been used for workshops and college courses), Writing for the Web, 4th Edition is an easy read. Written in a conversational tone that speaks directly to the reader using language that seventh graders’ can understand, Killian practices the concepts of reading level and writing tone that he teaches in the book. Too bad more textbook writers don’t do the same (I would have spent more time reading and less time sleeping while studying if that had been the case).

Like other Self-Counsel Press books, Writing for the Web, 4th Edition comes with digital content, but thankfully this book has its additional content online so it is accessible to both Mac and Windows users (or, for that matter, users of any other type of operating system). Killian’s blog devoted to web writing is actually quite useful and not your typical author “buy-my-book” blog.

At 150 pages, Writing for the Web, 4th Edition is short enough not to be intimidating but long enough to convey a lot of useful information and serve as a handy reference to keep on hand.

You can buy this and other Self-Counsel Press books from Self-Counsel Press (US & Canada) and Amazon (US, Canada & UK).

The Book

Start & Run an Internet Research Business by Gerhardt W. Kautz goes over starting a business providing research services primarily carried out on the Internet. There is information on general aspects of setting up a business with an Internet research angle.

The Review

I was particularly interested in this book because Internet research is something that I’ve been doing since peons were allowed onto the Internet around 1994 so I was interested in finding out how this skill could be used in a business. Unfortunately, I didn’t find this book particularly helpful as it focused more on general business start-up.

This book has good information on writing a business proposal, what needs to be addressed in client negotiations, how to document your work process so that you account for all your hours, and how to write a business report. There are also plenty of sample documents to work from.

Unfortunately if you don’t already know the tricks to Internet research that go beyond simply Googling keywords, you won’t learn much more of them in this book. Out of 140 pages, a scant 5 are specifically dedicated to finding information on the Internet. Information sources beyond search engines are mentioned, but they are fairly common ones that many people will already have found. It’s possible that I’m wrong on this because I’m just so used to doing research, but I’m assuming–again, perhaps wrongly–that if you’re contemplating Internet research as a business that you have already explored beyond Google. I wanted to see more time spent on how to find niche information sites that are off the beaten track.

The case study followed through the book is of someone who has worked in a specific industry and decides to offer industry-specific research by providing research on military contract opportunities. While there are certainly readers out there who are in a position to adapt this model to a different industry, I would guess that there are many interested in this type of book who aren’t. A few more case studies or alternate scenarios would make this book useful to a much larger audience that isn’t quite sure how to go about making Internet research a business that isn’t so narrowly focused.

I didn’t get a chance to look at the CD that comes with this book–my PC is currently sitting in disconnected bits in the living room and with a functional Mac I have little incentive to put it back together–but it appears that, unlike the Dan Furman books, many (all?) of the forms and letters are reproduced in the appendix of the book. That’s good for those of us working on a Mac who can’t open the files (or those who have a tendency to lose CDs).

On the whole, this book is good but not quite what I was expecting. I wanted to see information on Internet research as a business set this book apart from a general home-business book and, for me, it just didn’t go far enough to accomplish that.

You can buy this and another Self-Counsel Press titles from Self-Counsel Press (US or Canada) and Amazon (US, Canada, UK).

Do the Web Write: Writing for and Marketing Your Website by Dan Furman takes you through writing your business site. Although he does spend some time on structure and navigation, Furman focuses on content writing in this book by addressing the question: Just what the heck am I supposed to put on my website anyway?

Like his other book, Start & Run a Real Home-Based Business (which I reviewed), this book is written in a conversational tone that is easy to read.

The book covers which pages you should have on your site, what you should put on each of these pages, and how to write the content. There are also sections on SEO, text formatting, conversion rates, press releases and testing your website copy. For the most part the advice is useful and easy to implement (in fact, I think Furman addresses just about every pet peeve I have about small business websites included hopelessly outdated blogs or outdated What’s New sections–hint: don’t do that).

At one point Furman goes on at some length about not needing to know the rules of punctuation in order to write. His point is that writing the way you were taught to in grade school with full sentences and thesis statements at the beginning of paragraphs and the like is inappropriate for the web.

While I completely agree with that point (many of the “rules” you learn in school are actually not rules), I disagree that you don’t need to know proper punctuation. In order to break rules effectively, you first have to know them. I think Furman does a disservice to readers by suggesting otherwise. This is a relatively minor part of the book, but it’s the only advice that I just couldn’t get behind.

This book, like his other book, comes with a CD of forms and samples that are very useful but not printed in the book. The CD is not Mac compatible, which I mentioned in my last review, but the publisher says they are working on the issue (see comments on previous review) so I won’t go over it again.

The CD samples include a checklist for maintaining your website (like making sure all the links, forms, etc. work–obvious, but then why do so many sites fail at this?), several examples of press releases Furman has done for his own business, a press release template, and a questionnaire to help you get feedback on your site.

If you need to write content for your website, or you’re hiring someone to do it, then this is a handy reference that should help you write or at least recognize content that will work on your website. You can buy this and other Self-Counsel Press books from Self-Counsel Press (US and Canada) and Amazon (US, Canada, UK).

You can also win a copy of this book or another Self-Counsel book right here. As soon as I put up the contest post. Soon. Today, even–assuming my laptop doesn’t implode. I mean it this time. I think I promised to post the contest soon after the last Self-Counsel Press review, but life happened and it didn’t get done.

I can’t remember where I first came across The Hungry Scientist Handbook: Electric Birthday Cakes, Edible Origami, and Other DIY Projects for Techies, Tinkerers, and Foodies,  but as soon as I saw it I knew I had to get a look at it. After all, what science geek could resist?

Before I got a look at the book it crossed my mind that this might be a good book for exploring science with kids. If that thought occurs to you too, put it out of your mind right now. This is not a kids’ book Thankfully, this is made abundantly clear with the first recipe: Edible Undies (Lace Up Caramel Lingerie). Definitely not for the younger set. Even the LED lollipops require two AA batteries strapped to the lollipop stick.

Now, what about us older “kids”? Usually I test a cookbook before writing a review. Unfortunately I didn’t have the time (or energy) to test these recipes though the instructions are clear and have equipment and materials lists. There are pictures to help you along, but unfortunately they are in black and white. Also, there’s no way I’m wearing edible caramel underwear because, well, it sounds sticky and ouch-worthy (and while the other half was more than happy to contemplate me trying them out, he was not as quick to volunteer himself for the experiment–apologies for the mental images, especially for anyone who knows us).

I wasn’t particularly entranced by the dry ice martini, lemonade, and root beer. One beverage would have been enough for me, but then I’ve played with dry ice to my heart’s content and am over the novelty (I’m even over the novelty of scaring the bejeesus out of fellow lab rats by putting dry ice in snap cap tubes, hiding them in their desk drawer, and waiting for the tubes to blow their caps — yes, we had slow days in the lab). For those who still find dry ice interesting, the drinks might be worth a shot.

While many of the recipes can be done with ingredients easily purchased or found around the house, some are not so easy to come by. The one recipe that I desperately wanted to try (and have always wanted to try, even before this particular book) is the one for cryogenic ice cream. I’ve made ice cream the regular way, but I’ve always wanted to try it with liquid nitrogen. Unfortunately, I never was able to talk any of my bosses into authorizing ice cream making in the lab and now I no longer work in one. The authors of The Hungry Scientist Handbook admit that liquid nitrogen is one ingredient that may be difficult to snag because it is dangerous if not handled/transported properly and suppliers are reluctant to sell directly to consumers for this reason (but if you have access and try making ice cream, I want to hear all about it!).

While the book suggests it is for “techies, tinkerers, and foodies,” I suspect the first two will get more out of this than the last one. None of the recipes struck me as particularly tasty, though they were mostly novel except for the bread and the beer recipes which were fairly standard. Tinkerers will probably enjoy some of the projects more, like the camera made from a pumpkin, the smart coaster that lights up red or blue depending on whether you put a hot or cold drink down on it, or the iPod portable Tupperware boom box.

The Hungry Scientist Handbook is interesting to flip through though some projects seemed a bit boring to me (there’s a good chance I’m jaded though). In the end I didn’t try any of them because they looked like too much work for the end result. On the other hand if you wouldn’t mind spending an afternoon making a temperature indicating coaster or frying up some phyllo origami swans then it might be the book for you. And if you try to make the caramel edible underwear, please don’t report back. I really don’t want to know how that turns out.

Feeling brave? You can pick up a copy of The Hungry Scientist Handbook at amazon.com, amazon.ca, or amazon.co.uk.

There are a couple books on writing that I make a point of rereading at least once every year. It’s not that I don’t retain the information, but I like to bring it out of whichever neurons it’s been hiding in when I get stuck in my fiction writing (I’m also finding it useful for book reviewing, which is something I hadn’t thought of until I started reviewing books). Usually I do this rereading over the summer, but it didn’t get done this year, which explains why I’m having trouble with my current project, which was supposed to coincide with NaNoWriMo, but I wasn’t prepared in time so I’m shifting it to mid-November to mid-December (or so I tell myself).

In any case, books on writing fiction are useful not only for writers, but for anyone who has to analyze fiction (or survive English 101, which I managed to put off until my thirties). The book that I read before revising drafts is Between the Lines: Mastering the Subtle Elements of Fiction Writing, which I have already reviewed (I will update that sparse review the next time I reread that book). The book that I reread before starting a project (or, ideally when looking for story ideas) is 20 Master Plots and How to Build Them by Ronald B. Tobias.

As I was rereading it this year, I started thinking that it was a really good book for book reviewers to read (and English majors, I suspect, though I have no first-hand experience with that). People who read a lot develop an intuitive understanding of what makes a good book. It’s like art, “I know it when I see it.” That’s all well and good, but if I tell you it’s a good book or a bad book because that’s how I feel then it doesn’t do you much good in judging whether it’s a book you want to pick up or not.

20 Master Plots is useful because not only does it define what each type of plot is (including plots of mind, or character-focused plots), but it also lists the major phases or elements of each plot. It explains the plot focus (action, character, or situation) and what differentiates similar plots. Each chapter is a separate plot with examples of well-known works that typify each plot as well as advice on how to construct that plot type.

I find 20 Master Plots useful as a writer, but also as a reader. If I find a book unsatisfying and can’t put my finger on why, then I can look up the plot type and see if I can spot which element is missing or poorly executed or what-have-you in that novel. Often I know it intuitively, but need to figure out how to explain myself in a way that readers will find useful.

If you write fiction and need inspiration for a plot or help with the mechanics, this is a useful reference to have. If you analyze stories, you might find 20 Master Plots useful as a plain English guide to various plots and their typical components.