Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: How to Write Attention Grabbing Query & Cover Letters by John Wood ISBN: 1-58297-023-8 Publisher: Writer's Digest Books Pub. Date: 01 August, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.57 (7 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Good reference, although mostly for non-fiction writers
Comment: I've rated this book based on it's value overall, not just it's value for me. In other words, I'm trying to be objective.
This book would be a valuable resource for me if I were a non-fiction writer. The sections on non-fiction book and article proposals took up most of the book, with the section on the novel proposals, query letters and synopses taking up about a quarter of the book.
On a positive note, the book does include good examples of things writers shouldn't do when writing and submitting these documents. Many books on the subject describe your formats, but don't show you an example of a well-written document.
One thing I noticed immediately upon opening the book, was the large typeface. I liked this, as it made the book easier to look at. I've read entirely too many books with miniscule typefaces, only to come away with a headache from squinting at it once I'm done reading. I liked this, but then, the large typeface also made the book longer and made it look as though it contained more material than it actually did.
I couldn't give it 5 stars for reasons mentioned by other reviewers, but if you are a non-fiction writer or a fiction writer in need of additional references, this is a good book.
Rating: 1
Summary: Lots of promises but contradictory substance
Comment: First the author promises you the moon amidst reminders that your chances of succeeding as a freelance writer are virtually nil. He follows with 10 unbreakable commandments for a query letter, which are repeatedly and obviously broken in the subsequent examples of letters he recieved as an editor. No rules are unbendable, but his examples are so far from his recommendations in some cases that I wonder what he was thinking. For example, the author admonishes us to use provocative, snappy leads that grab the reader, then presents several queries that begin with wordy, boring personal introductions or whose leads are buried for several paragarphs. He warns us to concise, then shows a three-page query that he calls one of the best he ever received as an editor and which doesn't specify the topic clearly until the very end. Contradictions like this abound throughout the book. Make up your mind Mr. Wood.
Overall, mostly a waste of my time.
Rating: 3
Summary: Mostly for non-fiction writers
Comment: My three star rating is the average of two stars if you're a novelist, and perhaps four if you're not.
As a novelist beginning to accumulate those unimaginative rejection form letters, Mr. Wood convinced me that, regardless of the guidelines, send at least a synopsis along with the query letter. The two pages he devotes to writing the novel synopsis are worthless, however, and according to Writer's Digest, perhaps dangerously outdated. As indicated by WD, for today's agents and editors, the novel synopsis should never exceed five double-spaced pages. (See "format Your Novel Proposal" by the editors of Writer's Digest in the August 2002 issue to get the scoop on cover letters, synopses and chapter-by-chapter outlines.)
The WD article is not helpful for novel query letters though. Mr. Wood devotes 11 pages (out of 185) to the novel query, including his model sample and one successful query. You might get as much by surfing the web. Still, I don't regret buying this book.
The majority of "Attention Grabbing..." discusses query letters and correspondence relating to non- fiction. Although non-fiction isn't by cup of tea, Mr. Wood's plentiful advice appears to be useful.
 |
Title: How to Write Irresistable Query Letters by Lisa Collier Cool ISBN: 1582971552 Publisher: Writer's Digest Books Pub. Date: 01 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $12.99 |
 |
Title: Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript (Writer's Market Library Series) by Jack Neff, Glenda Neff, Don Prues, Glenda Tennant Neff ISBN: 089879921X Publisher: Writer's Digest Books Pub. Date: 15 November, 1999 List Price(USD): $18.99 |
 |
Title: Writer's Guide to Queries, Pitches & Proposals by Moira Anderson Allen ISBN: 1581150997 Publisher: Allworth Press Pub. Date: 01 August, 2001 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
 |
Title: 2004 Writer's Market (Writer's Market, 2004) by Kathryn S. Brogan, Robert Lee Brewer ISBN: 1582971897 Publisher: Writers Digest Books Pub. Date: 01 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.99 |
 |
Title: Your Novel Proposal: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson, Marshall J. Cook ISBN: 1582972567 Publisher: Writers Digest Books Pub. Date: 01 August, 1999 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
