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Book Review of How Not to Write a Novel: Confessions of a Mid-List Author

How Not to Write a Novel: Confessions of a Mid-List Author
reviewed on + 7 more book reviews


I give it 3 stars for being succinct and well organized.
This book has got rhythm, and a window into the life of most real writers. Also, I totally agree with the author about James N Frey's books on "how to write damn good" fiction. (don't buy them)

Unfortunately, this didn't tell me more about publishing than author blogs.

The book is a hybrid between an autobiography and an encyclopedia about publishing. Each chapter title is some publishing term, where the author tells us his experience with that aspect of publishing. Somehow, the author's stories are concise and informative, but lack life. I wish that the author had shared more his real self, rather than the cute "don't do it" theme.