Product Description

Practical, personal and honest advice on how to get published with contributions from over a hundred authors, agents, publishers and journalists. Hear from the professionals on how to sell your articles, write a synopsis, find an agent, get your novel accepted and much, much more. With insights, anecdotes and hot tips from Frederick Forsyth, Jilly Cooper, Ian Rankin, Katie Fforde, Jill Mansell, Adele Parks, Lesley Pearse, Michael Buerk, Carole Matthews, Erica James, Mil Millington, Miles Kington, Michael Bywater, Rosie Millard, Robert Crampton, Richard Morrison, Simon Trewin, Jonathan Lloyd, Teresa Chris and Jane Judd as well as publishers Harper Collins, Hodder Headline, Transworld, Orion and Simon & Schuster. A must-have handbook for anyone who's ever wanted to write or just wants to hear how others to do it... Where do you start? How do you finish? And will anyone ever publish it when you have? Drawing on her own experiences as a novelist and journalist, Writing Magazine's agony aunt Jane Wenham-Jones takes you through the minefield of the writing process, giving advice on everything from how to avoid Writers' Bottom to what to wear to your launch party. Wannabe a Writer? tells you everything you ever wanted to know about the book world - and a few things you didn't...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29838 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
Excellent. A must-have book for every budding writer --New Writing Magazine

Practical and funny... packed with information and advice for new writers. --Woman's Weekly

I wish it had been on the shelves when I started out. --Katie Fforde - bestselling author

Woman's Weekly
Practical and funny...packed with information and advice

Katie Fforde
Tremendously informative. I wish it had been on the shelves when I started out.

Customer Reviews

Hysterical, practical and inspiring
I've just finished reading this book - literally couldn't put it down. As well as being a really good book about writing, this is also very funny. I woke my husband by snorting out loud at her descriptions of genres. I loved the fact that the book is broken in to short sections so you can dip in and out if you want to. There is also really good practical advice about how to start, how to keep going, how other writers do it. But it's not just about writing, it's also about the writing business. Much as I've dabbled for years, I've decided now to apply my posterior to the chair and get on with it but I'd never even thought about what happens once the deal is made (dear God the thought of a promotional tour - must take the advice to get fit now!). The most important thing is that it has inspired me to actually do it and keep going. I'm going to read this again along with Stephen King's 'On Writing' whenever I'm lacking inspiration or direction. Plus if Jane's fiction writing is as funny as this book, I'm off to buy her other stuff.

You need this book!
Like many authors, the path to publication has been a long one for me. I only wish Jane's book had been around when I first started out - it would have made the whole process quicker, easier and less angst-ridden!

Wannabe a Writer is packed with information - and unlike many books in this field it's honest and up-to-date rather than vague and waffley. From getting started to getting an agent, this book will be like having an experienced, funny, helpful friend at your side. Buy it!

Useful but a little smug
Parts of this book are very useful, such as the tips on how to keep going when lack of inspiration strikes and plot planning. Other parts are certainly amusing, although I found my attention taking a nose dive during the lengthy anecdotes in some chapters.
I also found the author's constant plugging of her novels, and even ancient newspaper articles ('you can read it at Guardian Unlimited')annoying and she and her publishing cronies came across rather smug. I was particularly interested in reading the memoirs section, only to find I shouldn't bother writing this kind of book as my life is likely to have been inconsequential (please don't tell my publisher!). On balance I would recommend, but perhaps to read bits of, not cover to cover.