Rejection, Romance, and Royalties: The Wacky World of a Working Writer

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This book is not yet featured on Listopia. A heartily recommended read for the ambitious writer, especially along with Ways to Write Harder. Makes for a good exercise in compare and contrast. It's wait for it funny.

Non-Fiction

And frankly speaking, if you don't find anything to make you laugh among the toils of the writ A heartily recommended read for the ambitious writer, especially along with Ways to Write Harder. And frankly speaking, if you don't find anything to make you laugh among the toils of the writing process, you were not cut out for it. Laura Resnick provides a plethora of anecdotes from her own life and that of people whom she knows. In gathering said plethora of anecdotes, she has talked to a lot of writers.

It's good to see so many names, even if only for the recognition of different contributions and experiences. It gets even better when you realize that everybody does it differently. Apr 23, Stephany rated it really liked it. I received this book as a gift in a fiction workshop two years ago from a professor whose name actually appears in this book at one point I'm pretty on top of things, aren't I? If you are reading this, please bear in mind that I've never read any works by Laura Resnick, so my review is strictly from the viewpoint of an aspiring writer, specifically one who can't very well pass up a free book seriously Happily, I did very much enjoy the essays in this book, and I thought they were very informative to boot.

Oh, and did I mention humorous?

Rejection, Romance and Royalties by Laura Resnick

Some parts are laugh out loud funny. I love when books make me laugh. Resnick echoes much of the writing advice I've heard throughout my life, in particular, the focus on how difficult being a professional writer can be, but she does so in a very uplifting way. Yes, it's a tough life and you're going to get rejected.

525,99 RUB

Frequently in most cases. But she says that No! You absolutely shouldn't give up if this really is what you want because persistence is very important. I saw it a little like a page pep talk. For fans of Laura Resnick's published works, I'm certain that this book won't disappoint.

Editorial Reviews

It is a wonderful glimpse at the author behind those works as well as the struggles that have gone into putting some of her works into print. I know that personally, I like hearing about the lives of my very favorite authors, so I'm just guessing that Resnick's fans feel the same way. Part writing treatise, part pep talk, part memoir, I think this book is a great pick for writers, for Resnick fans, and for people who just like reading about the craft of writing. Though I have never read any of the author's fiction before, I can say that I will likely give her books a good long look the next time I'm browsing at the bookstore.

Nov 09, Adam Ross rated it really liked it Shelves: This is a book every wannabe writer should read. That's no rhetorical flourish - seriously, you want to write, you should be required to read this book first. Resnick's writing is repeatedly strong, and she addresses everything from the personality of a writer so, so true to horror stories about rejection, and dealing with editors and copy editors.

Really, this is one of the chief values of the book. She demonstrates repeatedly with citations and quotes from other writers that the industry i This is a book every wannabe writer should read. She demonstrates repeatedly with citations and quotes from other writers that the industry is rife with problems. Enough to reinforce any decision to move into indie publishing. Mar 06, Rian. Lloyd rated it it was ok Shelves: Enjoyable to read once. Jan 11, John rated it really liked it Shelves: Really should be 3. Lots of good advice, if not slightly repetitive at times.

The emphasis on romance genre wasn't easy for me to relate to, but hey Can't say I bonded completely with her sense of humor, which veered in Catskills comedienne mode on occasion, but she made some great points having to do with Editors-as-Gods in their own minds , and that sort of thing. There's a lot for aspiring writers to take away there' Really should be 3. There's a lot for aspiring writers to take away there's no "right" way to write, it's as individual as fingerprints, etc.

Also recommended as a humorous memoir for those who have no interest in writing themselves. Aug 16, Ellen Bard rated it liked it Shelves: These essays are enjoyable and down-to-earth, and cover many of the different aspects of being a writer, from how it feels to work with an editor, to how solitary it can be, to some aspects of the craft.

There was a little repetition in the book, and it did feel more like a collection of blog posts or columns than a cohesive book which is fine , but it has much useful advice in.

Mar 13, Angela Benedetti rated it really liked it Recommends it for: There's a lot of great info in this book, and funny stories, and smacks upside the head, all of which are useful to a writer, whether published or aspiring. If you're a beginner looking for a how-to that starts at the beginning and goes through the elements of a story and the process of writing, though, this won't do it for you. Although you should still get this, because you need to know what's in this book, even if it doesn't explain constructing a character or controlling point of view. Good There's a lot of great info in this book, and funny stories, and smacks upside the head, all of which are useful to a writer, whether published or aspiring.

Good stuff, I hope there's another one when Laura accumulates another book-size batch of articles. Oct 26, Unwisely rated it liked it Shelves: I happened to see this on goodreads, and my library had it, so hey. I occasionally read books on how to write, just in case I ever actually start, I guess. This was a collection of her columns, rather than something like Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. As a result, there was some repetition of stories and themes, but overall it was an interesting read.

Nov 28, J. Trumble rated it it was amazing. Laura Resnick's book had me laughing out loud repeatedly! I've only published two books so far, with a third in the works, but I saw myself on almost every page of this little gem. I highly recommend it for published writers and those who aspire to be published. Go read this book! View all 3 comments.

Aug 13, Michael Cummings rated it really liked it. Like Dave Barry giving writing advice am I dating myself? And yet we keep doing it. Sep 14, MB rated it it was amazing. Every writer who ever has any self-doubt should read this book.

Related Video Shorts 0 Upload your video. Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. This is the most brutally honest account of a writer's life, complete with some good general advice and tons of good humor, that I've read out of dozens of books on the subject of writing. And it's not a close call to put this one at the top of the mountain of "most brutally honest.

It's a book for all professional writers, or as Laura says they are sometimes called, "the filthy pros. This showed me something about her and her generous spirit when it comes to helping out other writers. I was blown away, and this book Rejection, Romance, and Royalties is in that same spirit. I contacted Laura to thank her for her generous comments on this other writer's blog Dean Wesley Smith's blog , as well as her own excellent blog.

In any case, this book is very well written in an almost conversational style, and it gives you the sense of hearing the honest truth from a good friend about how insane the business of publishing can be. As other reviewers have said, this work is also downright hilarious. Read it and you'll find out why one poor author, through no fault of her own, is now known as the "raccoon author" hint: She covers so many of the practical snafus that the writer's life can involve, and also shares some lessons learned about the craft.

This work also functions like a good old friend who understands your seemingly insane decision to spend so much of your life in a room alone making up stuff and banging it out on a computer. Not only has she done that since the late 80's and lived to tell the tale, she's done it with her sense of humor much more than intact. I think this is a great companion for amateurs who want to know the minefield ahead, and filthy pros who want to laugh some more at their existence.

Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. This is an excellent and highly entertaining read. Not merely informative with regards to the business of writing, it is essential to understanding the way traditional publishing has treated the producers the writers of what they sell. Presumably, they still do. It is also hilarious - well written and worth every minute of your time.

Rejection, Romance and Royalties: The Wacky World of a Working Writer

Entertaining, sometimes hilarious tales of a working, globe-traveling, slightly grumpy writer. It won't teach you how to write, but if you want to write or you are writing this is a great read. One person found this helpful. As a writer I laughed and cried over this book and found myself shaking my head and saying, "True, how true. LOL Five stars for telling it the way it is In the graphic design world we have an old saying, "A camel is a horse designed by a committee.

That should give you some kind of indication of what designers go through. I thought we had it bad.

Kindle Editions

Now I don't feel so bad. Writers, apparently, have it much worse. Thankfully, Laura Resnick has a sense of humor and so, while cringing at some of the stories she's shared, her refreshing wit got me to the very last page.

This book is more like a much needed mentor, who talks you through the inevitable peeks and valleys of publishers, editors, critics and readers. I was surprised at how fearless Laura was about such topics as criticism. Because I share her feelings about the reckless power that critics have, I finally felt like I had some company on the topic. Criticism is, by its own nature, one directional. And so writers and artists usually have to take thier beatings in silence. Laura's anecdote on the topic breaks the silence. There's also a soft wisdom that comes through on most of her essays.

Her words can be therapuetic for any creative person of any field. This book has a longer reach than it knows. I'm just thrilled that, by dumb luck, it reached out and found me. Resnick's book is like a good pep-talk by an experienced and wise football coach. It's written in a very breezy style--more like a conversation between the author and her reader than other writing books. It isn't, and isn't meant to be, a work of art.

Resnick makes clear what's the most important thing: She's faced the rejections, survived sleazy editors, read the vicious reviews including those on amazon , withstood writer's block as well as an equally dangerous case of logorrhea, and lived through it.

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