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Writing Successful Self-Help & How-To Books by Jean Marie Stine (book review)

April 1, 2023 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Mastering the craft and understanding the mechanics of writing self-help and how-to books is the key to getting publishers to take notice of your work. Now, in the first guide to writing self-help and how-to books, Jean Stine offers an insider’s view of this growing genre. Her easy-to-follow program takes you step-by-step through the complete writing process. You’ll learn the importance of:


* Structure and Style
* Clear, easy-to-understand exercises
* Creating catchy and compelling titles, subtitles, and chapter headings
* Using lists, charts, and graphs to maximum effect
* Checklists and other interactive elements
* Writing a proposal that sells
* Negotiating permissions for quotations, photos, and illustrations
* Preparing your manuscript for presentation to a publisher


This is an interesting book. While it’s full of some good information, there are two things that stand in the way of it being a great book.

First, the title is misleading. This isn’t a book on writing a self-help/how-to book; it’s a book on selling a self-help/how-to manuscript to a publisher. There is a little bit of information on writing, but the majority of the book is about writing a successful book proposal and formatting your manuscript properly. While it was interesting (and somewhat helpful) information, it wasn’t what I was expecting from the book title.

The next big issue with the book is its age–written in 1997, it hasn’t been updated, but the publishing industry has changed. Authors no longer type out manuscripts and mail them. Agents aren’t an option when it comes to large publishers. And with the popularity and availability of self-publishing, authors now need platforms before they contact publishers. All of that information is either missing from this book or outdated. I’d love to see a second edition of this book to update; without an update, much of the information is worthless.

Overall, not exactly what I was expecting. There was some helpful material, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending this to a new author because they wouldn’t know which information was good and which information was outdated.

You can pick up a copy here.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Filed Under: book reviews Tagged With: book review, books on writing, how-to books, self-help books, writing a book, writing nonfiction, writing tips, writing tools

Writing Tips with Sharee Stover

January 3, 2023 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

If you’re writing romantic suspense, you won’t want to miss today’s interview. Award-winning Love Inspired Suspense author Sharee Stover shares her tips, suggestions, and encouragement.

Welcome!

What is your favorite craft book?
Any of the thesaurus books from Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi are a MUST HAVE in my opinion.

Which do you think is the most underrated craft book? Why?
I’m unsure it’s underrated, but it’s one that I think is essential. GMC by Debra Dixon.

What is your favorite (or most anticipated) writers conference?
Writers Police Academy by far was my most favorite of all the conferences I’ve attended. 

What’s your favorite other source (YouTube, podcast, etc.) for writing tips/info?
I use YouTube, podcasts, newsletters, online classes, etc. and especially love any features with forensic specialists.

Who is your writing mentor/inspiration? Why?
I’ve been blessed with several wonderful mentors over the years who have prayed with me, critiqued my work, and offered wisdom in my writing journey. I appreciate candidness, but also love having their kind support on those super rough days.

What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever received? Why was it bad?
I can’t say I’ve ever had bad writing advice.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
Learn craft. It’s important to understand the rules before you go breaking any of them if you choose to do so.

What would you say is the best writing tip for new authors?
Get involved with writing groups and attend conferences. There’s a great wealth of information out there. Use it!

What is your best self-editing tip or advice?
I always do an audio read through of my books. Our minds can tend to fill in anticipated words even if they’re missing from the page. Hearing the words helps me to filter out typos or missing information as well as listen to the characters’ dialogue interactions.

Please share your most encouraging tip for frustrated/discouraged writers.
Pray before you start, while you’re writing, and when you’re finished. A rejection letter isn’t the end of your journey. It’s a part of the process, see it as a learning opportunity. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a short break, then start again. Never give up. Never give in. Writing is tough. But there’s so much involved in the journey beyond a published book. Be willing to learn. Nobody knows it all.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to join you today!


Proving his innocence may cost him his life…

After a brutal attack, US marshal Riker Kastell regains consciousness only to find a murdered gang member in his mudroom. Even worse, Eliana Daines—his ex-sweetheart—has a DNA program that pinpoints him as the murderer. And Eliana’s technology has them both targeted by criminals.

Now he and his K-9 must protect Eliana…and find the killer who looks just like Riker before they become the next victims.


Award-winning, Publisher’s Weekly Best-Selling author, Sharee Stover transplanted from Colorado to the Midwest where she lives her happily-ever-after with her real-life-hero husband and three wonderful children. A self-proclaimed word nerd, she loves the power of the written word to ignite, transform, and restore. She writes Christian romantic suspense combining heart-racing, nail-biting suspense, and the delight of falling in love all in one. Sharee also enjoys reading, crocheting, and long walks with her obnoxiously lovable German Shepherd. Visit her at www.shareestover.com.

Website: https://shareestover.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shareestover
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorshareestover/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shareestover/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sharee-stover
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/shareestover
Amazon Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/shareestover
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3PgASBB

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: author interview, Love Inspired Suspense, romantic suspense, writing a book, writing advice, writing fiction, writing tips

How I Write: Aubrey Taylor

December 5, 2022 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

We’re down to our last two interviews of the year, and I’m excited to introduce you to indie author Aubrey Taylor. Everyone goes indie for different reasons, and Aubrey’s story is no different. But before she tells us about that, let’s get to know more about her and her writing.

Thank you so much for joining me! What do you write? How did you pick your genre?

Thank you for allowing me to share today! I write historical fiction. Specifically, I’m working on a German-perspective 20th century series entitled Gott Mit Uns. I don’t feel that I chose this genre, rather, God placed it definitively into my heart. As I was doing research for my debut novel, Sani: The German Medic, I began to see glimpses of how much more there is to the story beyond the themes we commonly encounter about the Second World War. However, I longed to go back to the years before the war and explore what led up to it.

Which was harder: the first book or the following books? Why?

It gets harder with each book! Sani is about one soldier’s wartime experience. Now that I have a whole family of Schmidts, I have to figure out what’s going to make the most gripping novel each time. I can’t tell everyone’s entire story, and that creates a problem when I get attached to a certain character and want to keep going with them.

It’s the same thing with historical events. I can’t possibly include everything that happened, especially when we’re talking about such a volatile period of history. What is just begging to be included? A great example comes from Sani: there are accounts of the German Army reopening churches that had been closed by the Soviets, but I can’t say whether this was actually done by the infantry division on which Frederick’s path through the war is modeled. I was so fascinated by these accounts, however, that I couldn’t resist including a chapter on this in the book.

What conference do you most want to attend?

I belong to a group of Christian writers who are in the “mommy” stage of life, just as I am. I love the idea of a small, intimate retreat with these ladies, and that might be what I really need at this point, rather than a large conference.

How do you combat writer’s block?

Flying by the seat of my pants is the best way to combat writer’s block. Sometimes I just have to sit down and write. If it has to be revised, fact-checked or pulled out entirely later, I’m good with that.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different?

I do both: plot and pants. I mentioned the pantsing above. I take time to work through the main character’s story arc beforehand, and continue to do so as I’m writing. It seems that with every book, the secondary story arc kind of emerges as I go along. I then have to slow down and develop that alongside (and sometimes within) the primary arc. I’m also already plotting years into the series, two or three books away. That’s the cool thing about series writing. You get great ideas for the future that you can work in to what you’re doing right now.

Why did you decide to self-publish?

Self-publishing was really a matter going forward with the knowledge that God had given me something to say because He wanted me to share it. I didn’t feel that He would have me stressing over trying to share it while being rejected indefinitely. There is so much opportunity in the self-publishing industry. Even if your market is smaller and you have to do more of your own legwork, it is really a (positive) challenge to trust God to get your writing where it needs to go.

I’m also aware that German-perspective fiction isn’t something that publishers here in the States are looking for (although I am tempted to wonder if the release of Netflix’s adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front could change that). Even if WWII fiction is a hugely popular genre, and the interest in WWI is growing, we usually like to see protagonists of a certain type, and not all of my Schmidts fit that description.

I fully respect and admire writers who are under a contract. However, even though I don’t actually think of myself this way, I guess it’s hard-wired into me to want to blaze my own trail. When I was in 5th grade, everyone in the class was asked to choose an explorer to research and write a paper on. I must have been sick the day the list of explorers was handed out, because I managed to pick one that wasn’t on that list. Naturally I only found that out after I’d already written the paper, and to this day I’m not really sure why he didn’t qualify.

What advice do you have for new authors?

God has given you something to say, so be faithful: write, read, walk through the open doors, knock on doors you think might be for you, don’t be discouraged if they aren’t, and don’t stress yourself out trying to meet the expectations of other people. Concern yourself with pleasing God. He’ll do more than you can think or ask. Keep your expectations in Him and discover what His definition of success is. But, be teachable. While we don’t have to meet everyone’s expectations, we can learn a lot from those who have been in the industry for any length of time. We’re not meant to go it alone!

How do you self-edit your manuscript?

If I know I’ve typed something wrong, I can’t just let it sit there. I have to fix it right away. Granted, I used to type for a living, so my WPMs are pretty high and I don’t always look at the screen. A lot of stuff gets missed the first time around. I reread my manuscripts occasionally and am always fixing things as I go through. Unfortunately, I also write like I talk, so even though something might have sounded great in my head, it reads poorly on paper. Of course, I run a few spellchecks throughout the entire process too!


Aubrey lives in Upstate New York with her husband and three children. She’s busy keeping the home, caring for her family, doing research for and writing her books. She enjoys music and is involved with the worship ministry at her church as well as German choral and dance groups, and plays gigs occasionally with friends as a singer and acoustic guitarist. After all that, she finds time to sketch, craft, and hike. She is a lover of Jesus, the Bible, history, German culture, tea, and cats, and has a special heart for those who struggle with severe anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

You can find Aubrey online via her website and social media pages:

Website: https://www.aubreytaylorbooks.com
Blog: https://www.aubreytaylorbooks.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubreytaylorbooks/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aubtaybooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubreytaylorbooks/

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: author interview, editing tips, fiction writing, writing a book, writing fiction, writing tips

Strangers to Superfans: A Marketing Guide to the Reader Journey by David Gaughran (book review)

May 21, 2022 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

From the author of Let’s Get Digital and Amazon Decoded, this book will change how you think about marketing. Strangers to Superfans puts you in the shoes of your Ideal Readers, and forces you to view your marketing from their perspective.

*Learn the five stages in the Readers’ Journey.
*Identify where your blockages are and how to fix them.
*Optimize each stage to increase conversion.
*Boost sales by making the process more frictionless.
*Build an army of passionate readers who do the selling for you.

It’s not enough to know who your Ideal Readers are, you also need to imagine how they feel when a recommendation email arrives containing your cover. You must figure out why they hesitated before clicking the Buy button. And it’s crucial to determine why they liked your book enough to finish it… but not sufficiently to recommend it to their friends.

The Reader Journey is a new marketing paradigm that maps out the journey your Ideal Readers take in their transformation from strangers to superfans.


I’ve been a fan of David Gaurghran’s articles/posts online for a while now, so I thought I’d take the plunge and read one of his books. I’ve heard amazing things about Amazon Decoded, but this book’s shorter, so I decided to read this one first.

It’s okay, but I don’t feel like I finished the book with much more knowledge or strategy than when I started it. He quickly identifies the five stages of a reader/buyer’s journey toward becoming a fan, but he repeats the information many times without providing any concrete strategies for improving each (there are vague guidelines).

Two things particularly frustrated me. First, that you have to visit a website to get more info (I bought the book for that info). Second, his “case study” in how everything works doesn’t start with an unknown author — it’s the case study of a well-known author with a large following who had already been working with a publicity specialist before Gaughran stepped in. That’s not overly encouraging for an author who doesn’t have any of that yet.

Overall, there’s some good information in here, but you have to dig for it, and if you want more specific information you have to go somewhere else. If you have some free time and money to spend, it’s worth a try to read this, but I might encourage you to save your money and use it on one of his other books.

Get your copy here.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Filed Under: book reviews Tagged With: Amazon ads, book marketing, book publishing, book review, marketing strategy, selling books, writing a book

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody (book review)

January 21, 2022 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

SAVE THE CAT!® by Blake Snyder is a popular screenwriting book series and storytelling methodology used by screenwriters, directors, and studio execs across Hollywood. Now, for the first time ever, bestselling author and writing teacher, Jessica Brody, takes the beloved Save the Cat! plotting principals and applies them to the craft of novel writing in this exciting new “workshop style” guide, featuring over 20 full beat sheets from popular novels throughout time.


Whether you’re writing your first novel or your seventeenth, Save the Cat! breaks down plot in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step method so you can write stories that resonate! This book can help you with any of the following:

Outlining a new novel
Revising an existing novel
Breaking out of the dreaded “writer’s block”
Fixing a “broken” novel
Reviewing a completed novel
Fleshing out/test driving a new idea to see if it “has legs”
Implementing feedback from agents and/or editors
Helping give constructive feedback to other writers

But above all else, SAVE THE CAT! WRITES A NOVEL will help you better understand the fundamentals and mechanics of plot, character transformation, and what makes a story work!


I think this may be my new favorite craft book ever.

As a fan and writer of character-driven fiction, I’ve always struggled to figure out plot structure. I’ve read a lot of books that talk about that and have learned bits from all of them, but this book explained structure in a way that I really understood. It could be that I’m just finally starting to understand structure after all of these years (and multiple craft books), but I really think the format of this book is what I connected with.

First, the author lists out and explains the different beats of every good story. Then she explains the nine different plot types. Finally, she takes the list of beats and applies it to each of the plot types to help the reader see what it looks like. (She also includes a list of the books that use the various plot types.)

If you want to learn how to write a novel and you learn best from lists and examples, I highly recommend this book. I will reference it often.

Get your copy here!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Filed Under: book reviews Tagged With: book review, fiction writing, How to Write a Novel, Jessica Brody, writing a book, writing fiction, writing tips

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A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

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