Can’t Understand What You Are Reading?

Image via Wikipedia

Can’t Understand What You’re Reading? Is it the Fault of the Reader or the Writer?

“A good writer is one you can read without breaking a sweat. If you want a workout, you don’t lift a book—you lift weights. Yet we’re brainwashed to believe that the more brilliant the writer, the tougher the going.

The truth is that the reader is always right. Chances are, if something you’re reading doesn’t make sense, it’s not your fault—it’s the writer’s. And if something you write doesn’t get your point across, it’s probably not the reader’s fault—it’s yours. Too many readers are intimidated and humbled by what they can’t understand, and in some cases that’s precisely the effect the writer is after. But confusion is not complexity; it’s just confusion. A venerable tradition, dating back to the ancient Greek orators, teaches that if you don’t know what you’re talking about, just ratchet up the level of difficulty and no one will ever know.

Don’t confuse simplicity, though, with simple mindedness. A good writer can express an extremely complicated idea clearly and make the job look effortless. But such simplicity is a difficult thing to achieve because to be clear in your writing you have to be clear in your thinking.

This is why the simplest and clearest writing has the greatest power to delight, surprise, inform, and move the reader. You can’t have this kind of shared understanding if writer and reader are in an adversary relationship.” (pp. 195–196)

O’Conner, P. (2003). Woe is I: The grammarphobe’s guide to better English in plain English. New York: Riverhead Books.

Related Articles

• 75 books every writer should read (holykaw.alltop.com)
• Careers in Technical Writing (brighthub.com)
• Authors, like Oscar winners, should keep their acknowledgements short | Stuart Evers (guardian.co.uk)
• Interview: Gabriel Josipovici (thejc.com)
• The Cost Of Writing (lilithsaintcrow.com)
• Want to be a Great Blogger? Start Reading. (theantisocialmedia.com)
• In Defense of Links, part three: In links we trust – Scott … (wordyard.com)
• 5 Qualities You Should Look in a Paid Writer (shoutmeloud.com)
• Use Correct Capitalization In Your Documents (lockergnome.com)
• You keep using that word: “trial and error” (destructoid.com)
• Lighting Up Your Reader’s Brain: Can Neuroscience Teach You to Be a Better Writer? – Forbes (blog) (blogs.forbes.com)
• How to Get Hired on the Problogger Job Board (problogger.net)
• Lighting Up Your Reader’s Brain: Can Neuroscience Teach You to Be a Better Writer? (blogs.forbes.com)

How to Get Your Life’s Work Published

Image via Wikipedia

How to Get Your Life’s Work Published

A friend recently asked me about this. I didn’t think that I had anything to say on the subject since I am not published. However, I found myself going on and on and on. Ha. I thought I’d publish my response and share what I know. If you are a published writer please by all means add your comments and corrections in the invitation box. Just scroll down midway. You can’t miss it.

O.K. This is all I know about getting books published.
Nothing… I have met a few people (Lost contact) that claimed that they got book deals. It can be done.

If I were trying to write a book about my life story I would probably start by reading a few newer books that were similar to what I wanted to write. I would get the publishers addresses that are on the book cover jackets.

Then I would write the tightest 2 chapters possible. I’d probably have several people critique it and make revisions. I’d pay to get it edited by a pro if I could afford it.

Then I’d submit these two chapters to the publishers from my list. If I didn’t get any bites I’d just keep doing the same process until someone sent me an offer. I’d mail out as many as I could afford to each month or week. You have a great story of tragedy and triumph and I’m sure that eventually a publisher would want your book.

It’s just that (As you know) we’re in a huge economic crisis and I’ve heard that no one is getting record deals or book deals these days,except for American Idol kids. It might not be easy but I’d just send out 2 or 3 submissions every month forever. Nothing will ever happen if you don’t try.

You should be able to get a book advance if it is from a legitimate publishing company. In return you are contracted to finish the book by the agreed upon due date, if not you could be sued. However, the book advance would make it possible for you to sit down with an editor (sent to you by the publishing company.) He or she would help you complete your book and perfect it. From what I understand the editor becomes your writing partner, but only receives an editing credit.

Don’t get fooled by places like “Publish America.” They don’t edit or promote anything. They just take the rights to your book and put it online. If you hustle and make some sales (off of your own sweat equity) they will make the book and mail it out. They will make 1 book or a 1,000 books whatever the order.

They also have you under contract. Say that somehow you get on Oprah and she wants to publish it. You couldn’t give it to her because “Publish America” has the rights.

In my opinion, it is misleading at best and not a “Traditional” book deal. They set the prices and it’s often too high to compete with normal book prices and especially ebooks.

It’s similar to a “Vanity Publishing” This is when an author publishes his own book. He or she pays to have a certain number of books made and then pays for them in advance. Then the writer goes out and sells one book at a time. This might be a better way of doing it, because at least it’s still YOUR book if some great offer comes along, say a movie deal or a world-wide publishing deal… The author of the “Wizard of Oz” sold his book this way, from what I understand. However, it is a costly endeavor and most new writers can’t afford to do it that way. That’s where “We Publish America” comes in and gets authors to give their books to them.

The way that something like “We Publish” or a “Vanity Publishing” could work is if the author understands the deal and then goes about personally promoting the book. He or she could present workshops, gatherings, speaking engagements, locally and beyond. The writer would draw an audience and then sell the book after the workshops. I think that this could possibly work for you because you have a target audience, abused women.

Another idea is to use clickbank.com. Authors write their book and upload it onto clickbank.com and advertise it in various ways such as their web site. People pay through their system including paypal.com. The customer downloads it onto their computer and can download it. I think this is a good idea but informational books but I would never use it for an autobiography. We’ve all heard that everyone has one book in them and your life story is most likely your one book. Legitimate publishers probably won’t offer you a deal if it’s already self- published online.

Ghost writers are out there for hire, but honestly, I think that these folks are sent by publishing companies to assist writers that they have under contract. For example, Kim kardashian, Manny (LA Dodgers), or even a political figure. You know celebs that may not be able to write, but are hot and willing to publish a book. Ha. The publishing company knows that they’ll make their money back and a huge profit because they have an enormous fan base already. In fact, I believe that these ghost writers (In some cases) write the book and the celeb basically just takes the credit, all in the name of money and publicity. Ghost writers command huge bucks because they are basically writing the book and not taking any credit -not even editing credit. That is the reason for the name “Ghost” it’s as if they were never a part of the book.

I think what you may really be after is an assistant that will take your recordings, and write down what you say, and put it together in a manuscript form. My best advise would be to hire a stenographer or perhaps a transcriptionist. They can type faster than the wind and have excellent punctuation and grammar skills, especially stenographers. Still, even if you go this route, I would only write 2 chapters. That’s all any publisher will read if he or she likes it. That’s all that is needed for a deal to be offered or rejected.

If you do this research information about release forms for new writers. Make sure that anyone that reads your work signs a confidentiality agreement. In other words, won’t steal your work and send it to a publisher that he or she may already know. I remember the name of a popular book called “The Writer Got Screwed (but didn’t have to)” I would read that book because there’s probably a lot of solid information about protecting your work, after all it will become your life’s work. All auto-biographies are our life’s work;-)

Good luck,

Stacey

Related Articles

• Money Should Flow to The Writer, But Always? (gomestic.com)
• How To Publish Your Own Book – Your Guide To Make Your Work Sell Millions (shoutmeloud.com)
• Speak Quietly: Ramblings About Libraries, Writing, and Everything in … (speakquietly.blogspot.com)
• Tennessee Woman Becomes New Face of Publishing World (prweb.com)
• How to get a tech book deal (nofluffjuststuff.com)

Writing Tips

Image via Wikipedia

Speed Writing

Set a timer and just write without thought, very quickly until the timer sounds off. David mentioned that when he reads his speed writing afterwords that it helps him to know his own opinion on a subject. I thought that was a brilliant observation.

Organization is another key element. I proudly just bought EndNote for the first time. Other Instructors, peers, and researchers, have sworn by it. However, it’s not easy to learn and this is first on my list. I have to learn and use EndNote and then I believe that I will become an organized writer/researcher. Due to lack of organization skills I also purchased “Carbonate” it works and I would recommend it highly.

I think that in order to become comfortable with writing that we have to be willing to be seen as imperfect. I write a blog, as many people do. I know that someone could easily pick out all of the flaws and grammatical errors but I do it because it helps to keep me actively writing. When just one stranger sends me a nice email it keeps me motivated. I would also highly suggest blogging to everyone. Just remember that whatever you put online will be there forever.

Related Articles

• The Top Learning Resources To Be A Better Freelance Writer (makeuseof.com)
• Tips on Becoming a Better Writer (writinghood.com)
• Seven Tips to Improve Your Written Communication (distance-education.org)
• How to Suck at Writing, and then Write for the Biggest Blogs in the World (tjantunen.com)
• The Basics of Grant Writing for Nonprofits: How to Get the Money (distance-education.org)