RAVE REVIEWS for Barbara's first memoir. Available in
print and eBook editions. See summary reviews and story of Barbara's early life as a professional musician
HERE.
FREE MP3 Downloads of Barbara reading excerpts from The Drummer Drives!
Kindle Addiction: Why I Love the Kindle, by Mollie Wakeman, with an introduction
by Barbara, who details her use of the Kindle for pleasure and Kindle for PC for
her editing, writing, and eBook publishing work; with links to free downloads
for Kindle for PC and MAC computers.
Barbara's "Book Cat," Charlee
(The story behind
this picture.)
Longest Book Title in the World?
Check this best-selling financial
book on Amazon which is surely the longest book title in the world—104
words. The first three words of the title are RESCUE YOUR MONEY, but then the
title just keeps going with the word "from" and runs to the bottom of the cover.
I found this a very interesting way to tell readers up front exactly what
they're going to get in a book. (You'll have to zoom in on the picture to read
it all, but you can see that this is a mini brochure for the book, done in a way
to entice readers to keep reading right to the bottom.)
Can You Read This? ("Inetertsing," to say the least)
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht
oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and
lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can
sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by
itslef but the wrod as a wlohe. Ins't taht cool? (Ntocie I sawpped teh two oo's
in cool.) ~ Author unknown
Copyright © 2000-2013
by Barbara Brabec
All Rights Reserved
Barbara Brabec's World
BarbaraBrabec.com
Articles and Resources for
Writers and Self-Publishers
On this page you'll find links to a wealth of articles and Web resources for
freelance writers and authors interested in self-publishing. All articles are by
Barbara Brabec unless otherwise noted. Quick Links:
Copyright Issues *
Writing a Book * Self-Publishing
Book Publishing,
General * Working with a Trade Publisher
Reader Articles & Reports
________________________
Writing, General
Barbara's Editing Checklist of Common Writing Errors. Use this helpful list
when you're proofreading your manuscripts and trying to find all your grammar
and punctuation errors.
Electronic Editing: A Great Way to Learn How to Improve Your Writing.
Electronic on-screen editing is not only easier and faster for the editor,
resulting in a lower editing fee, but a great time saver and learning experience
for the author who can see every little thing the editor has changed, and, with
a click of the mouse, immediately accept or reject that change.
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow. Barbara waxes nostalgically about what many people
are now losing because of the convenience and speed of electronic and digital
communication, which has made letters seem impractical. "But don't let your
personal, family, and home-business history get lost in the process," she urges.
Success Tips for Beginning Writers and Would-Be Authors.
How Barbara got started as a writer, with practical tips and resources for
success.
Writing as Therapy. How journaling or letter-writing can effectively release
pent-up emotions, especially during the grieving process. Includes links to
several books and articles on this topic.
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"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside a dog, it's too dark
to read." ~ Groucho Marx
|
 RESOURCES
American Society of Journalists and Authors.
Blog site for ASJA, an invaluable
membership organization for independent nonfiction writers who are trying to
advance their careers.
Midwest Book Review. A major Internet resource for publishers, writers,
librarians, booksellers, and book lovers of all ages and interests. Includes
dozens of articles of interest to writers and self-publishers.
Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. One of the largest existing
organizations for writers and illustrators, and the only professional
organization specifically for those individuals working in the fields of
children's literature, magazines, film, television, and multimedia.
Writers/Readers. Jerry Simmons established this site in 2005 for independent
writers around the world. It offers an excellent overview of the changing world
of publishing and one's opportunities in it, with a free eNewsletter and a good
archive of articles.
SPECIAL TIPS
Avoid Clichés. Tips from Communication Briefings newsletter.
Quotes about
Writing from Famous Authors
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Mark Twain's Advice on Writing
"Use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to
write English--it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let
fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it.
No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them--then the rest will be valuable.
They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide
apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened
upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice."
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Copyright Issues
The All Rights/Electronic Rights Issue - A personal experience article with
reader feedback
The Controversial "Orphan
Works" Copyright Bills and Google Book Settlement
Writing a Book
Life Writing. What has life taught you that you might
write a book about? This article explains how the writing of her late husband's
biography changed and enriched Barbara's
life.
 Book Manuscript Formatting Tips.
Avoid digital conversion problems and make your editor and book designer happy
by following these proven book manuscript formatting guidelines from Barbara.
Barbara's
Book Manuscript Editing Options & Fees. Now expanded to include short
stories and mini-eBooks.
How to Write a Good Memoir: How the book, Your Life as Story, helped Barbara
write a better memoir and biography.
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"Good means whatever people buy. Literature is only what people read. That's
the important thing. We're in a business. The first page will sell this book;
the last page will sell your next one. Because people don't read a book to get
to the middle. They read a book to get to the end. And they hope the end
justifies the time they spent."
~ Mickey Spillane, in an interview article for Memories magazine, 1990
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Self-Publishing (Print & Electronic)
Author-Publisher Contracts from Internet Book Publishers and Self-Publishing
Services. Do not sign one of these contracts until you understand the legal and
financial implications of every clause it contains.
How to
Self-Publish a Book--Your Print-on-Demand (POD) Self-Publishing Options, with
Perspective on eBook Editions. This
updated article is a summary of what Barbara has learned from first-hand
experience, with links to some of the best resources for self-publishers
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) About the Ordering and Download Process for
PDF eBooks and reports.
"For a lot of authors, self-publishing is going from the option of last
resort to the option of first resort . . . The stigma associated with
self-publishing is quickly disappearing as we see more and more indie authors
becoming commercially successful on their own merits, and as some of the
problems with traditional publishing become more apparent." ~ Mark Coker, in a
July 2012 interview with Forbes.
"Significant Disruption for Traditional Publishers Still to Come"
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SELECTED RESOURCES
The Book Designer. A wealth of articles and practical advice to help build
better books. Note this article: "52 Great Blogs for Self-Publishers."
Independent Publisher (formed in 1996) runs a Book Awards contest each year
to recognize excellence in independent publishing. They stated in 2011 that
there were currently 1.5 million book titles in print and available to American
consumers, with about 160,000 new titles published each year in the U.S. and
about 30,000 new titles published in Canada. Today the independent is also
competing with nearly 70,000 other small-to-midsized presses.
SPAN is a nonprofit trade association of independent book publishers with
more than 1,000 members. The association provides support to authors and
independent book publishers through industry news, business benefits, education,
and marketing opportunities.
Step-by-Step Self-Publishing. This website include a list of book reviewers
that will review self-published books on Amazon and other online sites.
The Tribal Author. Jonathan Fields, author of
How to Make a Great Living Doing what You Love, calls himself a "lawyer turned serial entrepreneur, marketer, and
social media sponge. If you're serious about writing and selling a book, read
The Truth About Book Marketing, which you can download as an eBook or read on
the site. Then get on his blog mailing list to receive his pertinent posts.
Book Publishing, General
 The
Changing World of Book Publishing. Helpful perspective for book lovers and
self-publishers.
Book Publishing News. Interesting posts on a variety of topics of
interest to writers and self-publishers.
Working with a Trade Book Publisher
Author-Publisher Book Contract Consulting Service. Need help in
understanding that publisher's contract you've just been offered? Let Barbara
explain how certain clauses will affect your overall earnings and rights to your
book's content, and what you need to ask for in the way of changes to maximize
your profits. Publishers will negotiate with savvy authors.
Author-Publisher Contract Tips. Barbara's tips on special clauses you should try
to get in your contract. Includes special tips on how and where to
find a reputable literary agent.
Selling Your Book to a Trade Publisher.
Barbara shares her personal
experiences in working with trade book publishers over the years.
RESOURCES
Barbara Doyen Literary Agency. This is the website of Barbara Brabec's literary
agent. It contains a wealth of helpful articles for authors.
Unscrupulous Literary Agents on the Web. Read this excellent article on the
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writer's Website. It offers a list of dishonest agenting practices, explains why there are so many amateur, marginal, and
incompetent agents looking for clients on the Web, and how to tell a
questionable agent from a reputable one. Also included is a list of resources
for authors in search of a good agent.
Reader Articles & Reports
Joan's Angels: An Amusing Story of
how a successful author moves Her books in
bookstores. (Joan taught her children to "work the bookstores" whenever a new
book was published.)
My Self-Publishing Experience with Lulu.com. Australian author Bryan West
reports on his positive publishing experience with Lulu, and what authors should
expect here in the way of help and services.
Tapping the Verbal Motherlode by Patricia Kutza. A guide to a treasure chest of
verbal nuggets you can use in your copywriting.
The Joys of Live Alchemy—The Excellent Writer Within by Michael Levy. "The pure
joy of writing makes us successes; nothing else will," says Levy.
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