TITLE: Texas Roads
AUTHOR: Cathy Bryant
GENRE: Christian Fiction/General/Romance
ISBN: 978-0-9844311-0-6
Reviewed by Mandy for Read Or Not Read
RATING: 5 of 5 stars
Attention Ladies! Not many fiction books around here get awarded with 5 Stars. However, this is one that did and now I want to tell you all about it!
When Cathy Bryant asked if I would consider reading and reviewing her book, Texas Roads, I was not quick to take the offer. I have quite a stack to get through and wasn't sure if I should take the time to add a fiction title to my pile or not. But something in what Cathy wrote to me grabbed my attention and made me say "yes" and now, well, I'm so glad I did!
Texas Roads is a novel set in the good old state of Texas. When the main characters, Steve and Dani, meet in the first few pages it is hard to imagine what might happen in the next 284 pages. But this book, while somewhat predictable, takes unexpected and unpredictable twists and turns until you close the book with happy tears on your cheeks. The plot is simple yet complicated. It has a sweet storyline tinged with a hint of heartbreak and characters that are real: like-able one minute, and frustrating the next!
I greatly appreciated how Cathy penned a story that was honest, fresh, realistic, and romantic - to name a few! - without compromising the quality with sensual or unnecessary details. This book, while geared for an adult audience, could be read by a 15-year-old without concern.
This was an enjoyable read with a message of faith, hope, and forgiveness. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the tight binding that made it harder to read while laying down! Texas Roads is the perfect book for a relaxing read on a rainy day or for taking to the beach with you on your next vacation."
Author Biography
Cathy Bryant, author of Texas Roads
Chapter-a-week of TEXAS ROADS
Texas Roads is available as an e-Book or in print.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
This blog, #TheNewBookReview, is "new" because it eschews #bookbigotry. It lets readers, reviewers, authors, and publishers expand the exposure of their favorite reviews, FREE. Info for submissions is in the "Send Me Your Fav Book Review" circle icon in the right column below. Find resources to help your career using the mini search engine below. #TheNewBookReview is a multi-award-winning blog including a MastersInEnglish.org recommendation.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Rootin' Tootin' Good Novel
Title: Houdini Pie
Publisher: Bennett & Hastings Publishing
Author: Paul Michel
ISBN #: 978-1-934733-55-4
Paper
Price: $15.95 U.S.; also available in e-formats
Number of pages: 212
Genre: Literary Fiction
Reviewed by Lewis Buzbee for Amazon
Michel's Houdini Pie is a rip-roaring, rootin' tootin' good book. It's a tale of baseball, Indian treasure, bootlegging, psychics, and romance, all set in southern California during the Depression. And as such, it's a supremely American book, about the hunt for fortune and the follies that travel the same route. The real joy and achievement of this novel is Michel's narrative voice, a perfect and enlightening use of 30's slang and patois, a condensation of all those movies we've all watched.
This is a funny, funny book--exhilarating and smart and sophisticated. Michel is a born storyteller, and lord knows, we need more writers like that. A guaranteed pleasure.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
Publisher: Bennett & Hastings Publishing
Author: Paul Michel
ISBN #: 978-1-934733-55-4
Paper
Price: $15.95 U.S.; also available in e-formats
Number of pages: 212
Genre: Literary Fiction
Reviewed by Lewis Buzbee for Amazon
Michel's Houdini Pie is a rip-roaring, rootin' tootin' good book. It's a tale of baseball, Indian treasure, bootlegging, psychics, and romance, all set in southern California during the Depression. And as such, it's a supremely American book, about the hunt for fortune and the follies that travel the same route. The real joy and achievement of this novel is Michel's narrative voice, a perfect and enlightening use of 30's slang and patois, a condensation of all those movies we've all watched.
This is a funny, funny book--exhilarating and smart and sophisticated. Michel is a born storyteller, and lord knows, we need more writers like that. A guaranteed pleasure.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
"Sweet Book" Gets Great Review
Book Title: Kisses from a Distance
Genre: Nonfiction: Memoir
Author: Raff Ellis
Reviewed by A Diamond in Sunlight [actual name unknown]
Permission: Public domain
My new position leaves me with free time on weekends (a luxury I haven’t enjoyed for years), as well as roughly 20 minutes of commuting time every morning and evening. I’ve been putting all this time to good use by catching up on a shelf’s worth of books that I have ordered over the course of the past year but not yet found time to read.
The first was the bittersweet family memoir Kisses from a Distance, written by Raff Ellis (Elias). His maternal grandmother was the product of an unhappy alliance between members of two elite Maronite families in Ottoman Syria: the Hobeiches and the el Khazens. Elite, but deeply impoverished – which is what led their son, a man with the Hobeiche name and the desire for financial security to match, to marry off his sister to a ‘nameless’ young Lebanese man newly returned from the United States to look for a local bride, with a general goods store and bright prospects for the future. That man and that auctioned-off woman would become Ellis’s parents – and despite the initial promises, they ended up living a very hard life, trying to keep their store (and family) afloat.
Ellis moves charmingly from one side of his family to another, and intersperses the history of their lives with his own memories of visiting Lebanon in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The book is published by Cune Press, a small but very good Seattle-base publishing house, which has published a number of books on the Middle East and Arab culture. Kisses from a Distance is a sweet book, but its not a fairytale. I cheered for the Ellises when their store did well, and I grieved for them when tragedies struck.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
Genre: Nonfiction: Memoir
Author: Raff Ellis
Reviewed by A Diamond in Sunlight [actual name unknown]
Permission: Public domain
My new position leaves me with free time on weekends (a luxury I haven’t enjoyed for years), as well as roughly 20 minutes of commuting time every morning and evening. I’ve been putting all this time to good use by catching up on a shelf’s worth of books that I have ordered over the course of the past year but not yet found time to read.
The first was the bittersweet family memoir Kisses from a Distance, written by Raff Ellis (Elias). His maternal grandmother was the product of an unhappy alliance between members of two elite Maronite families in Ottoman Syria: the Hobeiches and the el Khazens. Elite, but deeply impoverished – which is what led their son, a man with the Hobeiche name and the desire for financial security to match, to marry off his sister to a ‘nameless’ young Lebanese man newly returned from the United States to look for a local bride, with a general goods store and bright prospects for the future. That man and that auctioned-off woman would become Ellis’s parents – and despite the initial promises, they ended up living a very hard life, trying to keep their store (and family) afloat.
Ellis moves charmingly from one side of his family to another, and intersperses the history of their lives with his own memories of visiting Lebanon in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The book is published by Cune Press, a small but very good Seattle-base publishing house, which has published a number of books on the Middle East and Arab culture. Kisses from a Distance is a sweet book, but its not a fairytale. I cheered for the Ellises when their store did well, and I grieved for them when tragedies struck.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
Sunday, May 16, 2010
National Stationery Show Features Authors on Tradeshow Floor
Five Veteran Industry Authorities to Debut Books at the 2010 National Stationery Show!
Meet the Authors" Book Signing Events
Media Resource Lounge, 3600 aisle
Book Signing on Monday
Here’s a terrific opportunity to meet and chat with industry-esteemed experts, all of whom will debut helpful business-building books at the Show this year.
Rob Fortier, president of Paper Words and Meryl Hooker, manufacturer’s representative, have jointly authored Pushing the Envelope: The Small Greeting Card Manufacturer’s Guide to Working with Sales Reps. This book will convey to small greeting card manufacturers how to find, recruit and retain a winning sales. Written from both the manufacturer and sales rep perspectives, this nuts and bolts guide is full of industry information, sales tips, and guidance for building successful and profitable rep relationships.
Enjoy meeting Meryl and Rob! Monday, 4pm – 5pm and get your copy hot off the press!
Book Signing on Sunday
Long-time retailer and best-selling author Carolyn Howard- Johnson will launch two new books in her award-winning "How To Do It Frugally" series:
Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers: Tweaking Your Tweets Other Tips for Integrating Your Social Media and Your Blog, Your Business: A Retailer’s Mini Guide to Garnering Customer Loyalty and Sales Online and In Store.
Carolyn is a 30-year veteran of the retail industry, founding and operating a successful chain of stores from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
Carolyn is also the author of A Retailer's Guide To Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrify Events and Sales Techniques, launched at the National Staterionery Show in 2009. It will also be available for purchase.
Carolyn will be available to meet, greet and sign her books on Sunday, 2pm – 3pm.
Book Signing Monday
Linda Cahan is internationally known for her visual merchandising and store design expertise developed over three decades of working with retail stores.
Get a first run, signed copy of her book 100 Display Ideas Under $100. and chat with Linda on Monday, 10am – 11am.
Linda is also the author of Feng Shui for Retailers.
And as a special exclusively for NSS attendees, Carolyn’s book will be offered at one half the retail price and Linda’s book will be available at a significant discount during these signing events!
Book Signing Tuesday
Wanda Wen, a devoted paper arts enthusiast and founder of Los Angeles stationer Soolip -- the preferred artisanal paper supplier and letterpress correspondence purveyor for L.A.’s trendsetters and Hollywood A-Listers -- has long been a champion of creating simplicity-infused beauty using the ingenuity of the human hand and heart. Wanda's new book The Art of Gift Wrapping (Potter Craft/Random House), an inspiring, visually tantalizing and resourceful how-to on the art of gift wrapping, inspires others to join in the fun with 50 innovative design ideas using organic, unique and uncommon materials.
Enjoy the opportunity to visit with Wanda Tuesday, May 18, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Many of these celebrated authors are among the 2010 National Stationery Show’s educational Faculty, and will be presenting seminars throughout the show.
All signings will take place in the Media Resource Lounge, 3600 aisle
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
Meet the Authors" Book Signing Events
Media Resource Lounge, 3600 aisle
Book Signing on Monday
Here’s a terrific opportunity to meet and chat with industry-esteemed experts, all of whom will debut helpful business-building books at the Show this year.
Rob Fortier, president of Paper Words and Meryl Hooker, manufacturer’s representative, have jointly authored Pushing the Envelope: The Small Greeting Card Manufacturer’s Guide to Working with Sales Reps. This book will convey to small greeting card manufacturers how to find, recruit and retain a winning sales. Written from both the manufacturer and sales rep perspectives, this nuts and bolts guide is full of industry information, sales tips, and guidance for building successful and profitable rep relationships.
Enjoy meeting Meryl and Rob! Monday, 4pm – 5pm and get your copy hot off the press!
Book Signing on Sunday
Long-time retailer and best-selling author Carolyn Howard- Johnson will launch two new books in her award-winning "How To Do It Frugally" series:
Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers: Tweaking Your Tweets Other Tips for Integrating Your Social Media and Your Blog, Your Business: A Retailer’s Mini Guide to Garnering Customer Loyalty and Sales Online and In Store.
Carolyn is a 30-year veteran of the retail industry, founding and operating a successful chain of stores from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
Carolyn is also the author of A Retailer's Guide To Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrify Events and Sales Techniques, launched at the National Staterionery Show in 2009. It will also be available for purchase.
Carolyn will be available to meet, greet and sign her books on Sunday, 2pm – 3pm.
Book Signing Monday
Linda Cahan is internationally known for her visual merchandising and store design expertise developed over three decades of working with retail stores.
Get a first run, signed copy of her book 100 Display Ideas Under $100. and chat with Linda on Monday, 10am – 11am.
Linda is also the author of Feng Shui for Retailers.
And as a special exclusively for NSS attendees, Carolyn’s book will be offered at one half the retail price and Linda’s book will be available at a significant discount during these signing events!
Book Signing Tuesday
Wanda Wen, a devoted paper arts enthusiast and founder of Los Angeles stationer Soolip -- the preferred artisanal paper supplier and letterpress correspondence purveyor for L.A.’s trendsetters and Hollywood A-Listers -- has long been a champion of creating simplicity-infused beauty using the ingenuity of the human hand and heart. Wanda's new book The Art of Gift Wrapping (Potter Craft/Random House), an inspiring, visually tantalizing and resourceful how-to on the art of gift wrapping, inspires others to join in the fun with 50 innovative design ideas using organic, unique and uncommon materials.
Enjoy the opportunity to visit with Wanda Tuesday, May 18, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Many of these celebrated authors are among the 2010 National Stationery Show’s educational Faculty, and will be presenting seminars throughout the show.
All signings will take place in the Media Resource Lounge, 3600 aisle
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Pesky Word Trippers and Editing Hints
I'm in love with this review written by Karen Cioffi. Not because it is a rave review (really, it's quite matter-of-fact), but because it gives readers what they need to make a buying decision. So, I think of this not only as a brag about my new little booklet, but as an example of what a well-written review looks like.
Title: Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers
Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Publisher: HowToDoItFrugally.com
ISBN: 1450507654
What’s more important to a writer than words? Not much . . . maybe how to put words together properly, using correct grammar, weaving them together to create descriptive or informative content . . . but, we still go back to the foundation of every writer’s manuscript or article . . . words.
Carolyn Howard Johnson’s latest book, Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers, is a little 55 page book (or e-book) that a writer can refer back to over and over and over to find help with some of the most common word trippers.
In the Before You Get Started section of this book, Howard-Johnson explains, “Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers is full of words that are trouble causers. They either sound alike or are spelled similarly. They are not arcane words that you will seldom have an occasion to use. They are not words the writer knows but still mistypes.”
Words such as climactic and climatic used improperly or misspelled can mean a rejection when submitting to the “gatekeepers.” The addition or deletion of that little second “c” makes a huge difference in the meaning of the word.
Or, how about the words: all together / altogether; demur / demure; one in the same / one and the same; and peeked / peaked / piqued. These are just a few of the word trippers added in the Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers.
Listed in an A – Z format, the words chosen for this book are thoroughly explained with the aid of examples. This all makes for an easy to understand and easy to read guide. The author also provides two resource sections at the end of the book: Reading: One Editing Book at a Time, and Other Writers’ Aids.
I happen to be a fan of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s Frugal series and have the Frugal Editor as well as the Frugal Book Promoter. They are a part of my writing and marketing toolkit. The author has done it again with the Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers. She has compiled this much needed booklet as an addendum to a list in the appendix of her book, The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success.
I learned a great deal from Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers and will be referring to it often; I highly recommend it.
Reviewed by Karen Cioffi, author, writer-for-hire, freelance writer. She blogs at
http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com and is co-author of Day's End Lullaby. She is the author of The Self-Publisher's Guide, Writing, Publishing, and Marketing - You Can Do It!, and Walking Through Walls - In contract with 4RV Publishing. She also reviews for BookPleasures.com and Muse Book Reviews
Follow her at http://twitter.com/KarenCV
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
Title: Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers
Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Publisher: HowToDoItFrugally.com
ISBN: 1450507654
What’s more important to a writer than words? Not much . . . maybe how to put words together properly, using correct grammar, weaving them together to create descriptive or informative content . . . but, we still go back to the foundation of every writer’s manuscript or article . . . words.
Carolyn Howard Johnson’s latest book, Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers, is a little 55 page book (or e-book) that a writer can refer back to over and over and over to find help with some of the most common word trippers.
In the Before You Get Started section of this book, Howard-Johnson explains, “Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers is full of words that are trouble causers. They either sound alike or are spelled similarly. They are not arcane words that you will seldom have an occasion to use. They are not words the writer knows but still mistypes.”
Words such as climactic and climatic used improperly or misspelled can mean a rejection when submitting to the “gatekeepers.” The addition or deletion of that little second “c” makes a huge difference in the meaning of the word.
Or, how about the words: all together / altogether; demur / demure; one in the same / one and the same; and peeked / peaked / piqued. These are just a few of the word trippers added in the Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers.
Listed in an A – Z format, the words chosen for this book are thoroughly explained with the aid of examples. This all makes for an easy to understand and easy to read guide. The author also provides two resource sections at the end of the book: Reading: One Editing Book at a Time, and Other Writers’ Aids.
I happen to be a fan of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s Frugal series and have the Frugal Editor as well as the Frugal Book Promoter. They are a part of my writing and marketing toolkit. The author has done it again with the Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers. She has compiled this much needed booklet as an addendum to a list in the appendix of her book, The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success.
I learned a great deal from Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers and will be referring to it often; I highly recommend it.
Reviewed by Karen Cioffi, author, writer-for-hire, freelance writer. She blogs at
http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com and is co-author of Day's End Lullaby. She is the author of The Self-Publisher's Guide, Writing, Publishing, and Marketing - You Can Do It!, and Walking Through Walls - In contract with 4RV Publishing. She also reviews for BookPleasures.com and Muse Book Reviews
Follow her at http://twitter.com/KarenCV
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Robert Medak Reviews "The Frugal Editor"
The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Froward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Red Engine Press
ISBN 9780978515874
Reviewed by editor and author Robert Medak
The Frugal Editor is a book that belongs on the desk of anyone that is either an author, or an aspiring author. This book contains a wealth of information about what it takes to have your manuscript pass the mark toward publication.
This book gives writers needed information on how to create queries, cover letters, book proposals, and manuscripts that are not sloppy which will get you into the round file. Reading this book will assist you in why you need an editor or at least two other sets of eyes for you writing.
If you use Word, the de facto standard, there is information in this book about using the Tracking feature and more to help you with your writing and editing with easy and practical steps.
The Frugal Editor applies to all types of writing. Even those that write business letters, e-mails, and more can gain a unique insight into making them better. This book is an invaluable resource for anyone putting words on paper or a computer screen.
The book is conversational in tone as if talking to a fiend that is imparting their secrets and tips to make your writing more professional and your manuscript pass muster with agents or in-house editors. No one wants to submit something that is not their best, which is why writers need a copy of The Frugal Editor.
Do yourself a favor, and find a copy of this book for your reference; you will appreciate it.
This reviewer gives a five star rating to The Frugal Editor.
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Endorsement Disclaimer from the reviewer: All reviews written by this reviewer are personal opinions of the book by this reviewer. The reviews are NOT paid endorsements of the book or the author. They are not advertisements. All reviews are honest, forthright, and the opinion of this individual reviewer. This reviewer’s opinions are not for sale. (There is however, a small fee for some reviews, and sometimes this reviewer receives complementary copies from the author.) Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255 (http://www.ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)
The reviewer,Robert Medak, is a freelance writer and editor.
http://www.stormywriter.com/
"The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say."
- Mark Twain's Notebook, 1902-1903
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
For Writers Tax Season Lasts All Year!
The Write Life
By Sylvia McClain
ISBN Print: 978-0-974264-39-3
E-book: 978-0-974264-30-X
Usually I run reviews on this blog, today I am taking the liberty of using an excerpt because I know it will help both the working reviewers who have published their reviews here and the authors who have had reviews of their books run here! It is from Sylvia McClain's The Write Life.
Did You Know the Tax Season Isn't Over: For Writers it Last all Year?
You got paid for a story you wrote. Congratulations! You’ve become a recognized and published writer.
Now you have to ask yourself this question. Am I now self employed?
Contrary to public thought, there is an easy answer to it. If you write continuously and regularly with the activity being your primary source of income or profit, then it is a business and you are self employed. If your writing is a sporadic activity or a hobby, it is not a business. Whether you are self-employed or not, all earned income of $400 or more must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Money earned from a sporadic activity is easily reported on a 1040 tax form. There is another side to reporting your income as a sole proprietor of a business. To be self-employed means there is not an employer to withhold monies from your pay to meet your tax obligations. It’s now your responsibility and you can accomplish this new task.
First, let me help you understand the basics of the tax structure for the self-employed. Schedule C, Profit or Loss From Business and Schedule SE, Self-Employment Tax must be filed with your 1040 form. Schedule C calculates the amount of money you made or lost writing and Schedule SE determines taxes owed, if any.
The secret to overcoming a large tax bite is keeping good records of money spent to make money. In other words, knowing what you can deduct as an expense against your profits will help lower your tax liability. This will lower the amount that will appear on Schedule SE’s net income to be taxed. The lower the amount, the less you will have to pay in taxes. So what are the business expenses that a writer can apply against his or her profits? Any ordinary and necessary expenses incurred to operate your business. An ordinary expense is an expense that is common and accepted in your field of business. A necessary expense is one that is appropriate and helpful for your business. Advertising, educational cost, computer paper and postage are a few tax deductible writer expenses. Publication 535, Business Expenses from the IRS can assist you with definitions of other types of business expenses.
If you don’t feel tax savvy, there are preparers to do your taxes for you. You must keep good records of your expenses and income. Also, check to make sure the preparer is familiar with, and an expert in the field of writing. Not all preparers specialize in the writing profession. Preparers sometimes depend on the computer programs to guide them.
Now go on, don’t be afraid to continue doing what you love to do. Write. Before you know it, you could just make a very good living doing it. A tax bite can be turned into just a little pinch.
Author Biography:
Sylvia McClain blogs at http://sylviaspeaks.blogspot.com and is a book reviewer in her own right at MyShelf.com and Atlantic Publishing Company. The Write Life is now available in its 2nd edition.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
By Sylvia McClain
ISBN Print: 978-0-974264-39-3
E-book: 978-0-974264-30-X
Usually I run reviews on this blog, today I am taking the liberty of using an excerpt because I know it will help both the working reviewers who have published their reviews here and the authors who have had reviews of their books run here! It is from Sylvia McClain's The Write Life.
Did You Know the Tax Season Isn't Over: For Writers it Last all Year?
You got paid for a story you wrote. Congratulations! You’ve become a recognized and published writer.
Now you have to ask yourself this question. Am I now self employed?
Contrary to public thought, there is an easy answer to it. If you write continuously and regularly with the activity being your primary source of income or profit, then it is a business and you are self employed. If your writing is a sporadic activity or a hobby, it is not a business. Whether you are self-employed or not, all earned income of $400 or more must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Money earned from a sporadic activity is easily reported on a 1040 tax form. There is another side to reporting your income as a sole proprietor of a business. To be self-employed means there is not an employer to withhold monies from your pay to meet your tax obligations. It’s now your responsibility and you can accomplish this new task.
First, let me help you understand the basics of the tax structure for the self-employed. Schedule C, Profit or Loss From Business and Schedule SE, Self-Employment Tax must be filed with your 1040 form. Schedule C calculates the amount of money you made or lost writing and Schedule SE determines taxes owed, if any.
The secret to overcoming a large tax bite is keeping good records of money spent to make money. In other words, knowing what you can deduct as an expense against your profits will help lower your tax liability. This will lower the amount that will appear on Schedule SE’s net income to be taxed. The lower the amount, the less you will have to pay in taxes. So what are the business expenses that a writer can apply against his or her profits? Any ordinary and necessary expenses incurred to operate your business. An ordinary expense is an expense that is common and accepted in your field of business. A necessary expense is one that is appropriate and helpful for your business. Advertising, educational cost, computer paper and postage are a few tax deductible writer expenses. Publication 535, Business Expenses from the IRS can assist you with definitions of other types of business expenses.
If you don’t feel tax savvy, there are preparers to do your taxes for you. You must keep good records of your expenses and income. Also, check to make sure the preparer is familiar with, and an expert in the field of writing. Not all preparers specialize in the writing profession. Preparers sometimes depend on the computer programs to guide them.
Now go on, don’t be afraid to continue doing what you love to do. Write. Before you know it, you could just make a very good living doing it. A tax bite can be turned into just a little pinch.
Author Biography:
Sylvia McClain blogs at http://sylviaspeaks.blogspot.com and is a book reviewer in her own right at MyShelf.com and Atlantic Publishing Company. The Write Life is now available in its 2nd edition.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:
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