Comments on: Working on the book: lessons learned so far http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/ A librarian, writer and educator reflecting on the profession and the tools we use to serve our patrons Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:11:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: joanne http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/comment-page-1/#comment-177427 joanne Mon, 04 Jun 2007 18:26:48 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/?p=361#comment-177427 Am just trying to get motivated to write a book based on my life experiences any advice would be greatly appreciated. Am just trying to get motivated to write a book based on my life experiences any advice would be greatly appreciated.

]]> By: Steph http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/comment-page-1/#comment-96914 Steph Mon, 28 Aug 2006 02:14:02 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/?p=361#comment-96914 I am in the process of writing my first book, ever! I am so very excited, but I am inexperienced. I got straight A's in all of my creative writing classes from elementary school through high school, but I didn't go to college. Actually, I was married right out of high school. My husband supports me in my decisions and thinks I am a good writer, but I get stuck easily and I don't quite know the fundamentals of writing a good book. I can't seem to get my ideas to jump off the pages like the books I read do. Could someone recommend a book or website I could get or go to, to get the help I am searching for? Or should I just say forget it and quit trying for something too far out of my league? I am in the process of writing my first book, ever! I am so very excited, but I am inexperienced. I got straight A’s in all of my creative writing classes from elementary school through high school, but I didn’t go to college. Actually, I was married right out of high school. My husband supports me in my decisions and thinks I am a good writer, but I get stuck easily and I don’t quite know the fundamentals of writing a good book. I can’t seem to get my ideas to jump off the pages like the books I read do. Could someone recommend a book or website I could get or go to, to get the help I am searching for? Or should I just say forget it and quit trying for something too far out of my league?

]]> By: Judith Siess http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/comment-page-1/#comment-41981 Judith Siess Sat, 08 Apr 2006 16:38:17 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/?p=361#comment-41981 I've written 6 books and I *still* don't understand why people want to buy them. But I'm glad they do. There's no thrill like someone coming up to you and saying, "I read your book and I just couldn't wait to meet you." Like you, I write first, then read it through and edit. I leave some questionable stuff in--so the editor has something to do. Editors are wonderful final arbiters of grammar issues. But be sure your personal style still comes through. What's the name of the book, the publisher, and release date? I want to be sure to get it and to review it for my newsletter, The One-Person Library. One last thing--enjoy! Judy I’ve written 6 books and I *still* don’t understand why people want to buy them. But I’m glad they do. There’s no thrill like someone coming up to you and saying, “I read your book and I just couldn’t wait to meet you.”

Like you, I write first, then read it through and edit. I leave some questionable stuff in–so the editor has something to do. Editors are wonderful final arbiters of grammar issues. But be sure your personal style still comes through.

What’s the name of the book, the publisher, and release date? I want to be sure to get it and to review it for my newsletter, The One-Person Library.

One last thing–enjoy!

Judy

]]> By: Meredith http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/comment-page-1/#comment-39103 Meredith Mon, 13 Feb 2006 19:35:16 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/?p=361#comment-39103 Thanks for the link to your Webliography! Just glancing at it now I see many things I've already read and many more articles I've never seen before. Terrific!!! Thanks for the link to your Webliography! Just glancing at it now I see many things I’ve already read and many more articles I’ve never seen before. Terrific!!!

]]> By: Dr. Mohamed Taher http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/comment-page-1/#comment-39102 Dr. Mohamed Taher Mon, 13 Feb 2006 19:26:25 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/?p=361#comment-39102 Great idea for a book on a connection between Librarians and IT. Hope you will find some interesting link in my Webliography: <a href="http://www.geocities.com/drmtaher/LibrariansTechies.htm" rel="nofollow"> Librarians and Techies – A NEXUS </a> Stay connected and let me share more ideas on your book. I would love to see the contents or any thing about this book. Good Luck. Great idea for a book on a connection between Librarians and IT. Hope you will find some interesting link in my Webliography: Librarians and Techies – A NEXUS

Stay connected and let me share more ideas on your book. I would love to see the contents or any thing about this book.
Good Luck.

]]> By: Rachel http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/comment-page-1/#comment-39089 Rachel Mon, 13 Feb 2006 13:05:02 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/?p=361#comment-39089 Hi Meredith! Catching up here, and I think my ears were ringing. Thanks :). And, a great post, I think it will be helpful to anyone contemplating taking on this sort of project themselves. Hi Meredith! Catching up here, and I think my ears were ringing. Thanks :) . And, a great post, I think it will be helpful to anyone contemplating taking on this sort of project themselves.

]]> By: EdVentures in Technology » Communication and Creativity http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/comment-page-1/#comment-39048 EdVentures in Technology » Communication and Creativity Thu, 09 Feb 2006 22:10:19 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/?p=361#comment-39048 [...] http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/ [...] [...] http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/ [...]

]]> By: Meredith http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/comment-page-1/#comment-39025 Meredith Wed, 08 Feb 2006 20:05:51 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/?p=361#comment-39025 Thanks! Your book on RSS looks really cool. Probably higher-level stuff than I am capable of doing, but I'm very interested in Web Services-related stuff. I really love books that teach you the cool nuts and bolts stuff that you can do with technology. Thanks! Your book on RSS looks really cool. Probably higher-level stuff than I am capable of doing, but I’m very interested in Web Services-related stuff. I really love books that teach you the cool nuts and bolts stuff that you can do with technology.

]]> By: l.m.orchard http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/comment-page-1/#comment-39024 l.m.orchard Wed, 08 Feb 2006 19:19:39 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/?p=361#comment-39024 I think we're in the same club, because I can empathize with every single one of these points. All free time spent writing and researching, grateful to have a fiancee who's taking care of just about everything else (while she goes to school!), still going to a hectic day job in the morning... But all at the same time knowing that I just couldn't have turned down the opportunity to do something like this. Good job, good luck, and I'm keeping an eye out for your book when it hits the presses! I think we’re in the same club, because I can empathize with every single one of these points. All free time spent writing and researching, grateful to have a fiancee who’s taking care of just about everything else (while she goes to school!), still going to a hectic day job in the morning… But all at the same time knowing that I just couldn’t have turned down the opportunity to do something like this.

Good job, good luck, and I’m keeping an eye out for your book when it hits the presses!

]]> By: Stephen Francoeur http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/comment-page-1/#comment-39021 Stephen Francoeur Wed, 08 Feb 2006 17:22:19 +0000 http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/?p=361#comment-39021 Great post! As someone who was formerly an assistant editor at a trade publishing house in New York before becoming a librarian, I would also recommend that anyone writing a book consider buying a copy of the latest Chicago Manual of Style. I can attest to the fact that most publishing folks regard it as their bible. Not only is it the most thorough statement of any citation style, it gives a good overview to the bookmaking process (particularly copyediting and proofreading markup) and style issues (punctuation, numbers, tables, etc.). My wife, who works at home as a freelance copyeditor, gets to keep our 15th edition in our apartment; I've got the 14th here in my office in the library. What's really funny is that, like the Bible, the Chicago Manual of Style is the source of endless arguments over the exact meaning of its rules and precepts; I can recall many heated debates over some technical point in Chicago (that's how it gets abbreviated in publishing circules) where both parties were citing chapter and verse numbers ("No, 15.146 doesn't apply; it's obvious that we should follow 15.148 for this book in the source list.") Proofreaders and copyeditors who mark up manuscript will also cite Chicago chapter and item numbers next to some of their corrections and questions in the margins. Check out the <a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/cmosfaq/about.html" rel="nofollow">manual at the publisher's site</a>. Great post! As someone who was formerly an assistant editor at a trade publishing house in New York before becoming a librarian, I would also recommend that anyone writing a book consider buying a copy of the latest Chicago Manual of Style. I can attest to the fact that most publishing folks regard it as their bible. Not only is it the most thorough statement of any citation style, it gives a good overview to the bookmaking process (particularly copyediting and proofreading markup) and style issues (punctuation, numbers, tables, etc.). My wife, who works at home as a freelance copyeditor, gets to keep our 15th edition in our apartment; I’ve got the 14th here in my office in the library. What’s really funny is that, like the Bible, the Chicago Manual of Style is the source of endless arguments over the exact meaning of its rules and precepts; I can recall many heated debates over some technical point in Chicago (that’s how it gets abbreviated in publishing circules) where both parties were citing chapter and verse numbers (“No, 15.146 doesn’t apply; it’s obvious that we should follow 15.148 for this book in the source list.”) Proofreaders and copyeditors who mark up manuscript will also cite Chicago chapter and item numbers next to some of their corrections and questions in the margins. Check out the manual at the publisher’s site.

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