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For 6,557 miles, Chuck Klosterman thought about dying. He drove a rental car from New York to Rhode Island to Georgia to Mississippi to Iowa to Minneapolis to Fargo to Seattle, and he chased death and rock 'n' roll all the way. Within the span of twenty-one days, Chuck had three relationships end -- one by choice, one by chance, and one by exhaustion. He snorted cocaine in a graveyard. He walked a half-mile through a bean field. A man in Dickinson, North Dakota, explained to him why we have fewer windmills than we used to. He listened to the KISS solo albums and the Rod Stewart box set. At one point, poisonous snakes became involved. The road is hard. From the Chelsea Hotel to the swampland where Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane went down to the site where Kurt Cobain blew his head off, Chuck explored every brand of rock star demise. He wanted to know why the greatest career move any musician can make is to stop breathing...and what this means for the rest of us.
Customer Reviews:
Klosterman=Hipster Jerk.......2007-09-18
I picked up this book after reading "Fargo Rock City", and I was still undecided about Klosterman as an author. This book cemented my opinion that Chuck Klosterman is an idiot. This book has nothing to do with the title, or even the supposed subject of the book.
This is supposedly about Klosterman's journey to places where famous rock stars died. He goes to these places, but his reaction everytime is the same. He doesn't care, he's unimpressed, he'd rather think, talk, and write about himself.
What this book shoud really be called is "I'm a Hipster Jerk Who Sucks With Women", because that is what you get. 275 pages of Klosterman explaining how he has three women, but can't decide between them, all the while talking about how he hates his life, and ripping on any band that has ever had anything good said about them (and proclaiming that Motley Crue is the best band ever). Don't waste your time unless you like guys who sound like eighth graders who think they know everything about everything.
It's Only Rock and Roll.......2007-09-07
I got this book because it was recommended by a friend, and I have to tell you, it was one great recommendation. I could not put this book down. Chuck Klosterman (a writer for "Spin" magazine) sets off on a cross-country road trip following the pathways of rock and roll death. From the site where Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane crashed to Kurt Cobain's hometown to the site where more than 90 Great White fans died in club inferno, Klosterman's journey is like taking a road trip with your best college friend, playing your favorite tunes and discussing why you love rock music, as well as endlessly analyzing your (all too often) failed relationships, and just seeing what America has to offer.
Klosterman is funny, engaging, witty, and a slightly more upbeat version of Dave Eggers (for those of you who loved his book, "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius"). Or maybe he's a slightly more melancholy Dave Eggers...you read the book and decide for yourself. A lot of Klosterman's journey focuses on three relationships, which distracts somewhat from the main rock and roll focus. Still, Klosterman has a great writing style and a depth of music knowledge that are an unbeatable combination. His music tastes may not agree with your own, but with 600 CDs piled into his car for this road trip, you're sure to find something about which you will agree with Klosterman. Despite the morbid theme for this road trip, I assure you, you won't soon forget the journey.
Hilarious..........2007-09-06
I found this book absolutely hysterical! Like another reviewer said, you need to be a part of Klosterman's narrow audience in order to really "get" the humor. For instance, there is a part in the book where he relates each of his ex-girlfriends to a member of KISS. This makes sense completely if you are a KISS fan or are at least vaguely familiar with the members, but makes no sense if you aren't.
If you're a music fan who interprets the entire world through guitar-shaped goggles, Klosterman is for you.
This is a great book IF............2007-07-05
So far I've read two books by Chuck Klosterman: "Fargo Rock City"; this one. And I've noticed that while his books get generally good ratings, here on Amazon, that some reviewers rate them really low. I think there is a reason for this: Chuck writes to a kind of narrow audience, and you're either part of that audience or you're not.
To best understand Chuck Klosterman's books you need to be a male Hard Rock fan, born between roughly 1952 and 1978. You also need to have some high school sports experience, maybe played basketball, football, baseball, hockey, or ran track. And you also need to be a bit of a nerd, at least in the eyes of women, so that you've had some rough dating experiences.
If you fit the mold, Chuck Klosterman is your humorist. I really had to laugh at his humorous take on high school football coaches; the life advice that he got from the old bar patron in Montana; his troubles with the women that he has dated; and the way that he can question and even make fun of the music that it is still obvious that he loves so much.
So if you've never been that much of a smoothy in your relationships with women; have played sports, and been a sports fan, but can still laugh a little at what goes on in the world of sports; and KISS, Def Leppard, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam still mean a lot to you, Chuck Klosterman is a genius humorist, and you will totally get what he's talking about. If these conditions don't apply to you, I'm not sure how well you will receive these books.
Another thing, maybe by the blurb on the back of the book jacket, you think this book is about Chuck Klosterman's pilgrimages to Rock N Roll death sites, like: the site of the Buddy Holly crash; Graceland where Elvis died; Kurt Cobain's suicide house; and whatnot... And while he mentions visiting these sites, to write an article for his employer at the time, the Rock magazine Spin, the incidents in this book are more about his journeys between the Rock N Roll death sites, and rememberences of his youth that come back to him during the long drives. So the stories are more about ex-high school/college girlfriends; ex-young adulthood girlfriends; crazy waiters/waitresses; bartenders and bar patrons; motel employees; gas station attendants met along the way; and the memories of school sports; school newspapers; and other things from the past. Then there are the musings on national monuments: "Why does anyone care about seeing the Washington Memorial?"; and wondering about the happenings in tourist towns: "Would you ever come to a Minnesota, lakeside tourist town thinking that you were going to find handmade, Tiawannese silk fabrics, yet this town of 1,500 has three stores that sell that. Imagine that?"
Hope this helps ya'll evaluate whether you want to read them or not.
Snooze.......2007-06-21
"My thoughts are unoriginal," Chuck Klosterman states on page 73 (hardback). That was my conclusion by page 3.
Affecting a Kerouacesque randomness with Bangsian hipness, Klosterman grinds through a passionless, pretentious diary in which nothing of significance occurs. It's possible to write about nothing but oneself (Burroughs sure could) but a unique voice and a lifetime of living, not to mention serious literary skill, is required to pull it off. Not Klosterman. Well, I never cared much for the stuff in Spin, but at least that material, however slight and evanscent, is edited; this book, however, just runs and runs ... like a forgotten motel room faucet.
Oh, yay.
Book Description
Empirically proving that -- no matter where you are -- kids wanna rock, this is Chuck Klosterman's hilrious memoir of growing up as a shameless metalhead in Wyndmere, North Dakotoa (population: 498). With a voice like Ace Frehley's guitar, Klosterman hacks his way through hair-band history, beginning with that fateful day in 1983 when his older brother brought home Mötley Crüe's Shout at the Devil. The fifth-grade Chuck wasn't quite ready to rock -- his hair was too short and his farm was too quiet -- but he still found a way to bang his nappy little head. Before the journey was over, he would slow-dance to Poison, sleep innocently beneath satanic pentagrams, lust for Lita Ford, and get ridiculously intellectual about Guns N' Roses. C'mon and feel his noize.
Customer Reviews:
Decent, But Glam Rock is Not Metal.......2007-09-18
This book is deceiving. It is NOT about metal, it is about glam rock, or hair metal (Motley Crue, Poison, Def Leppard etc.), which is NOT really metal. It is POP rock.
Having said that, this book is still mildly entertaining. It is a pretty well told story of growing up in a really small town and listening to ROCK, and some metal, and not really fitting in. There are numerous humorous scenarios and it is an easy read.
However, at times Klosterman can get VERY pedantic, especially when discussing his tastes in music. If he doesn't like a band, song, whatever, it automatically sucks, and is open for his harsh criticism. As a HUGE fan of Iron Maiden, it was very hard to sit and read him rip apart one of my favorite bands.
Read for yourself, some will love, some will hate.
chuck klosterman wouldnt know heavy metal if it hit him upside the head.......2007-08-14
this is the most worthless book i have ever read in my life. anyone who gets duped into buying this toilet paper should just give me their money and i will kick them in the nuts. its about the same effect as reading this trash.
chuck klosterman isnt from fargo. chuck klosterman is the reason why metallica skipped fargo on one of their tours. chuck klosterman doesnt represent the metal scene in the fargo area.
What Would He Write Now?.......2007-07-18
I grew up in an Illinois town that sounds a lot like Chuck's -- just a bit bigger, perhaps... And, like Chuck, I had a problem in the 90s admitting I listened to (and loved) heavy metal. In 1997, I went so far as to give away all of my "hair metal" albums to a co-worker. Did I still like the music? Sure, but I thought I would "move on."
Guess what? It didn't take me long to buy all the stuff back. I couldn't deny what I loved.
Chuck's book's main problem is that he still "sits on the fence." By the end of the book, he more or less admits that he likes the music of his formative years, but he still seems to have a problem being true to what he likes. Maybe this is his attempt at humor -- I don't know, as this is the first time I've ever read his stuff. All I know is, if he wants to write a book about heavy metal and what it meant to him, then he shouldn't describe it as "boring," as he does in a few places, and he shouldn't say one thing one place and the complete opposite in another place... that is, without letting it be clear how he truly feels now.
The book came out about six years ago, though, and if he went through the phase of "I can't listen to this crap any more" like I did, then maybe he's finally accepted that the music will belong to him for the rest of his days, and that it's okay to listen to the music of your high school years.
mr klosterman's narrow mind and bad taste do not warrant book length treatment.......2007-03-26
mr klosterman wonders why so much is made of the chapter titled "i get drunk and go to a hockey game:" an essay describing his penchant for alcohol abuse. well, sir; here's the deal: it's the only really fine piece of writing here. otherwise, the glories of having bad taste in music just do not carry a book. and then there's mr klosterman's narrow little mind. a very small place it seems, where ole' chucky loves to dictate how other people (especially people older and more talented than him) should carry on with their lives. this book simply adds up to one big drag. i don't know mr klosterman, never even seen him; but i predict divorce/failed relationships galore for the man. a narrow mind and poor thinking cannot equal success in that department of life. his book was overwhelmingly a waste of my time.
You Can't Kill Rock'N'Roll......It's Here To Stay!.......2007-01-10
I absolutely love this book. As a child of the 80's and particularly 80's metal this book was a real trip down memory lane. His personal stories are wonderfully written and his analysis of the genre is pretty much right on. The only problem I have with the book is that he tries too hard to defend 80's metal. I feel no need to do so because I simply don't care if other people liked it or not. I did and so did a lot of my friends. In fact I still love to crank the "80's metal" playlist on my iPod.
To me the 80's is the by far the greatest musical decade precisely because most of the music had no deep meaning. It was about having fun and enjoying life(although not by the same moral code I followed). The 90's came along and all of a sudden everyone is depressed and they're trying to tell me why I should be also. Sorry, there are too many reasons NOT to be depressed, especially in this country.
This book is funny, witty and a fantastic read, even if you're not a fan of 80's metal. I look forward to checking out some of his other titles.
Amazon.com
Where rock scribes are concerned, you've got provocateurs of the Lester Bangs school, academics of the Greil Marcus variety, and the nuts-and-bolts sorts who, while perhaps less colorful wordsmiths, excel at capturing their subjects by putting them at ease. Early Rolling Stone contributor/editor Ben Fong-Torres may be the best known and most durable member of that third school. Not Fade Away gathers 34 Fong-Torres profiles and interviews ranging from Woodstock-era pieces centering on Sly Stone and Janis Joplin to '80s articles on Eddie Murphy and Tom Hanks. Despite the occasional foray into film writing, Not Fade Away centers around rock & roll. Solid journalist that he is, Fong-Torres can stretch from James Brown to Neil Diamond, from Bob Dylan to Iggy Pop--all without straining. Vignettes update and add color to Fong-Torres's out-of-the-archives articles. --Steven Stolder
Book Description
From 1969 to 1981, Ben Fong-Torres was one of the first "star" writers on staff at Rolling Stone - the "scruffy rock journal" that metamorphosed into one of the most powerful voices of a generation. Now in this fascinating book, Fong-Torres revisits his most intriguing celebrity interviews and profiles, and - for the first time - tells the revealing stories behind the stories, the stars, his writing process, and life at Rolling Stone.
Customer Reviews:
Check the Table of Contents Before Purchasing.......2007-02-18
Fong-Torres is a talented writer, but readers who are interested in rock 'n' roll history may wish to skip this book's chapters on people like Diane Keaton, Neil Diamond, Annie Leibovitz, Tom Hanks, Eddie Murphy, and (!) Rodney Dangerfield. (Steve Martin's is worth reading, however.)
Not to worry, though, this volume does contain actual interviews and profiles with music industry folks like Ricky Nelson, Three Dog Night, and Dick Clark. You can probably see the problem with this book's title and cover image by now. And you might understand why I got excited when I came to the book's piece on Iggy Pop. Unfortunately, it was just a two-page description of an appearance Iggy did at a Tower Records.
Drat.
The Best of Ben Fong-Torres.......2001-06-23
A better title would be the Best of Ben Fong-Torres. This book is a collection of articles he wrote for "Rolling Stone". Some of the people written about in this book are Jim Morrison, Bob Dylan, The Jackson 5, Janis Joplin, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, The Jefferson Airplane, The Rolling Stones, Santna, Ricky Nelson, and many others. What really makes the book worth reading is that he gives information on what he had to get the interview and what happened after. Sometimes, the behind the scenes information are as good as or even better than the article.
Title Says It All.......2001-04-30
If you weren't around in the 70s, or you want to "relive" this era, Ben Fong-Torres' book is a good place to start. It's a collection of many of his Rolling Stone feature articles, along with a brief update of the personalities involved. Having "come of age" in the 70s, it brought back memories of my own and it gave me insights into some of the most famous rock personalities of the 70s and early 1980s.
Fong-Torres has an excellent writing style and "captures" a little bit about what made a lot of these musicians "tick." His articles are enjoyable to read or re-read if you've seen them before. While part of the title (A BackStage Pass to 20 Years of Rock n Roll) may seem cliched, it fits here. Fong-Torres in his Rolling Stone articles managed to catch a glimpse of an era now long gone.
A little disappointing but maybe it was my fault.......2000-10-19
I bought this book after seeing Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous". That was an exceptional movie and I thought I would relive the era through Ben fong-Torres, who was featured in the movie.
The book is really a reprint of many of his stories in Rolling Stone which the reviews probably stated and I didn't focus on. I would have preferred his story of being close to the Rock and Roll scene. Reading some of the articles that were over 20 years old became somewhat boring and outdated. I did learn quite a bit in some of the stories and Fong-Torres does provide some narrative on each story although it is limited. Overall though, I'd take a pass on this one and look for another if you are looking for a good book about rock in the 70's and 80's.
Good.......2000-08-13
I thought this was a good, literate book. I only read the stuff I was interested in, but there was plenty of that (especially the George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger profiles). Frank Zappa once said that rock and roll journalism is "Writers who can't write, writing about musicians who can't play music, for readers who can't read." And he was/is correct for 99% of rock journalism. This book is the 1% of rock journalism for which that statement does not hold true. A solid book.
Book Description
If you love science fiction and would like to write some of your own, this book will give you practical advice. Describing the different types of science fiction and fantasy genres and subgenres, it explains everything from how putting your manuscript together to getting it picked up by a publisher, and suggests relevant resources to put you ahead of the pack.
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If you love science fiction and would like to write some of your own, this book will give you practical advice. Describing the different types of science fiction and fantasy genres and subgenres, it explains everything from how putting your manuscript together to getting it picked up by a publisher, and suggests relevant resources to put you ahead of the pack.
Customer Reviews:
Definitely For Novices.......2006-08-12
This book has such basic information that it's only useful for real beginners. Also, the authors are not the most highly rated sci fi writers in the industry. In fact, Van De Meer bores one silly.
well-written but nothing new.......2005-11-25
The book contains two chapters of specific writing for the genre writer. The rest of the book consists of general information that could be applied to any form of writing. The passages on how to deal with taxes, business and publishing markets are especially good. I would recommend the 2006 Novel and Short Story Writer's Market instead. It has much more relevant information for the aspiring author/writer.
Incredibly Practical, and Fun to Read!.......2004-03-25
"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Science Fiction & Fantasy" provides practical, solid advice, and it does it with the help of some very funny stories. It's at once sobering and hopeful; it doesn't get you worked up with a lot of false hopes, yet doesn't leave you depressed and suicidal about your chances of getting published either.
This book debunks popular myths and legends about writing. It covers the varieties of science fiction, as well as fantasy, including "dark fantasy" or horror. It briefly touches on fans and conventions, including how to handle your fans (the good and the bad). It discusses the importance (or not) of having "new" ideas for your stories, and of knowing your subject. It'll also point out some of the mistakes and problems that knowing your subject can push you into.
It goes into writing as a job. It covers the usual "you have to make time for it" idea that every book trots out, but it also provides useful suggestions for how to go about this. It goes over the good and bad methods SF authors use to convey information in their stories. Instead of simply trotting out the old "show don't tell" advice, it provides practical structuring suggestions, as well as examples of those suggestions. It also goes into such genre topics as world-building.
One of the invaluable aspects of this part of the book is the insider's perspective. These authors haven't just summed up their own experiences submitting things--they've talked to lots of editors and networked with everyone. They tell you what editors like, don't like, and dread.
This book gives practical advice on self-promotion, without pushing you to use the sleazy, shady, or just plain rude self-promotion practices I've seen advocated in many articles. You'll find all sorts of tips in here on readings and signings, conventions, cards and fliers, press releases, interviews, reviews, and book launches. The book even covers web sites, newsgroups and netiquette, mailing lists and awards. There's also a section on agents, electronic rights and publishing, contracts, taxes, and writers' associations.
This is an immensely practical book for genre authors, and well worth reading several times over. It includes information on everything from idea generation through publication and promotion, in as much detail as possible!
An easy read that explains it all!.......2002-09-19
Ok, so I'm a bit of a fanatic when it comes to "How to Write" books. I buy pretty much all of them that I run across. Some good, some not so good.
This one is definitely one to get! I find that the "Complete Idiot" guides are usually written in an easy to read and entertaining format, and this one certainly didn't disappoint me.
Written from two authors in the field that, admittedly, I've never heard of, but it wasn't a disappointment in the slightest. They draw from several different viewpoints, research their facts, and even poke fun at themselves through it all.
Nor does this book a bit of fluff to encourage you on. They lay out the hard facts (not everyone can make a living at writing, sometimes your books don't sell, sometimes you get rejected after 8 years of waiting, etc) without sugarcoating them, and I really appreciate a book that doesn't talk down to me.
If you are looking for a book that will tell you how to go from Chapter 1 to the Epilogue and hold your hand the whole way, well, keep on looking. This book does not particularly focus on HOW to write, but basically what the Sci-Fi/Fantasy world of writers is like. Hence the title is "Publishing" not "Writing" Science Fiction.
Fantasy authors, don't be scared away by just Sci-Fi being listed on the cover. This is for anyone that's contemplating writing speculative fiction.
This book is going to stay in my "keepers" pile! Close at hand!
I followed their advice and got published!.......2002-08-12
My original review is below, but I have things to add. Two books made all the difference for me. Now I have an agent, and he has sold my military sci-fi adventures to Ace Book. The books that made the difference for me were "On Writing," by Stephen King, and "Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Science Fiction."
King furnished the best advice for writing... the best advice I have gotten anywhere, in his tidy little book. My professors at school were patient and gifted mentors and I was lucky to have such generous men assisting me as I started out; but they were about literature, my desire to publish potboilers confused them and placed them in unfamiliar territory.
Doctrow and Schroeder provided current (for the time) and shrewd advice for how to work in the sci-fi market. I followed their advice carefully, including going to the agents they suggested. In the end, I got one of the agents they mentioned, and my agent got me a deal with a good publisher.
The following is what I had to say about "The Complete Idiot's Guide" two years ago, as I was still writing my book. I hope it is of value.
I almost returned this book when it first arrived in the mail. I took a look at the back and saw that Cory Doctrow had published all of 15 short stories--no novels, no books, no anthologies... He publishes 15 short stories and off he goes to write a book about getting published.
I did not return the book. Instead, I scanned the pages and found that the chapter headings seemed quite sensible, even practical. So I gave the book a try.
Doctrow and Schroeder may not have all of publishing credentials of an Asimov or a Card, but they have a lot of solid practical advise to offer any fledgling writer. They have put a lot of work into creating a solid, readable guide with good information about the benefits of agents, methods of editing, places to publish, definitions of genres, and the state of Science Fiction as a whole.
I almost judged this book by its cover and it would have been a terrible mistake. Having read this reference cover-to-cover, I believe it is invaluable for the BEGINNER, the new writer or the writer who is new to SF and Fantasy.
Amazon.com
Focus is a big piece of the puzzle in a writing career: focus on your work, on making time for it, on getting it out. This source book for SF scribes and fantasists is commendable for its focus, providing a range of information on placing speculative stories and novels (but isn't it all "speculative?"), on genre-friendly agents, contests, etc. The various markets are divided into categories--"Primary," "Other," "Overseas,"--and with this tome in hand, a strategy for getting into print shouldn't be hard to devise. Except now you actually have to do the writing.
Customer Reviews:
Get it used and read the first 60 pages, the rest is old.......2003-12-21
This book is good but cannot stand alone as a SF writer's resource. The advice from the author is in the first 60 pages, and it is good guidance. The rest of the books is dedicated to potential publishers, success stories, and some resources you may not have known about or thought of. However, being printed several years ago, expect the info to be out of date. Your best bet is to get this book used.
Because of this book, I'm getting published........2001-05-05
When I was getting ready to venture out into the publishing world, this was the first "sourcebook" I purchased. I should have given this book only three or four stars as some of the contacts and addresses are out-of-date and a few publishers listed are no longer in business.
So why did I give this book five stars?
The advice and submission guidelines featured in this book not only got me started but three publishers I initially contacted from this sourcebook requested a full manuscript. From this book, one of them -- Dragon Moon Press -- has picked up my manuscript for a future publishing date.
So am I happy with this book? Try thrilled! :^)
A good book but not up to date.......2001-04-07
The best part about this book are the stories of how beginning writers broke into the fantasy and sci fi genres. There's even a large section about J.V. Jones' THE BAKER'S BOY novel and it's path through the maze of becoming a marketable novel.
Several articles on fantasy writing, including one by Joel Rosenberg.
Lots of info on various markets, including online resources.
Only drawback is that it's not up to date but it's a good source. It's only 5 years old so you can look at the companies that take fantasy, contact them for current info and send it out. Not too many books just for fantasy and sci fi so high marks.
Recommend.
Great Book. Out of Date........2001-03-05
This is a useful book. It would be an extremely useful book if it were more up to date. It was published in 1996. Given how fast this industry appears to be changing, much of the most useful info (publisher's data, agent data, etc.) is suspect. For instance, there is an imprint discussed in the book which no longer exists. There is a note on the copyright page which reads "Attention Booksellers: This directory is published every two years by F&W Publications. Return deadline for this edition is December 31, 1998." I really wish they had kept that up. There would be a 4th edition by now. That said, it still contains much useful info about the publishing industry in general and the insiders view from editors is great. Writer's Digest puts out good reference books. I would likely not have bought it, however, had I noted the pub. date initially.
A Comprehendable Guide to Fantasy/Sci-Fi Writing.......2000-01-03
Most Sourcebooks I've seen are simply lists of information with tiny descriptions after each item. This book not only has that, but it also includes many articles by known authors on some of the critical details of selling manuscripts. I definently recommend this to anyone who'd like a taste of how to get your work published.
Average customer rating:
- Outdated, but still some good info
- A must for pre-published romance authors
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Romance Writer's Sourcebook: Where to Sell Your Manuscripts (Romance Writers Sourcebook)
Manufacturer: Writers Digest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
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| Nonfiction
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Authorship
| Publishing & Books
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General
| Genre Fiction
| Writing
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Romance
| Genre Fiction
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ASIN: 0898797268 |
Amazon.com
Romance Writer's Sourcebook is a thorough reference to a nearly billion-dollar industry that accounts for almost half of the mass market fiction books sold--177 million books annually. Articles by writers, editors, and agents discuss genre trends (paranormal romance, time-travel romance, romantic suspense), the craft and technique of writing romance, and marketing romance novels. Successful romance writers share the stories of how their first books came to fruition and publication. The final section divulges information on online services, conferences and workshops, Romance Writers of America chapters, and the like. You learn, from top editors in the field's many imprints, that they've been seeing "way too many replicas of The Bridges of Madison County," that one should "read many books in the line to which you plan on submitting.... twenty or more, not one or two," and that one ought to "avoid heroes or heroines who are artists (musicians, painters, actors).... There's a built-in perception, right or wrong, that artsy people are dull and unromantic."
Customer Reviews:
Outdated, but still some good info.......2000-11-14
Romance Writer's Sourcebook is in serious need of an update. While the sections on craft, first sales, and anatomy of a sale are full of good information, the publisher and agent listings are outdated. It was a great reference when it was first published, but now it's just an okay book for a beginning writer.
A must for pre-published romance authors.......2000-01-08
This is a truly marvelous book, packed with info for us yet-to-be-published romance authors. There's so much here that published folks might find the book useful, too.
Contents in brief:
"New Ground: the Evolution of Romance" and "The Groundbreakers" by Nora Roberts "Mind, Body, Heart and Soul: Creating Fully Developed Characters in Romance Fiction" by Suzanne Simmons "The Well-Chosen Words" by Evan Maxwell "Sense and Sensuality: Sexual Tension and Love Scenes in Romantic Fiction" by Stella Cameron "Happily Ever Laughter: Writing Romantic Comedy for Women" by Jennifer Crusie Smith "Magic, Myth and Metaphysics: Exploding the Boundaries of Romance" by Kristen Hannah Advice from the Heart: Romance Authors Share Their Secrets
(the above sections take up 80 pages)
Marketing Your Romance (including query and cover letter samples) Market Listings: separate listings for each series imprint, most 3 or 4 pages long; more info than one gets from just the plain guidelines.
(this section is nearly 100 pages)
Agents: 3 articles, plus 30 pages of romance agent listings, which include specialties for each agent, etc. Success Stories: "Anatomy of a Sale" for _The Warlord_ and _Mad About You_ (40 pages total) "First Sales" (8 titles discussed) (15 pages) Resources: Online Services Memoirs of a WebMistress by Callie Goble Organizations, Conferences and Workshops, including RWA chapters Contests Nonfiction Magazines and Publications of Interest About the Contributors; Glossary; various indices--the usual backmatter
The chapters on craft are superb. While reading Stella Cameron's chapter on sensuality, I realized why I'd been having such a problem with the erotic short story I'd been working on: I wasn't really into it, and I was trying to write the main sex scene checklist style--exactly what Stella warns against. Stella's suggested exercise helped that story get written properly.
Jennifer Crusie's "Writing Romantic Comedy for Women" gave me a lot of food for thought and some new ideas, as well. I'd never thought before about men and women having different ideas of what's funny, other than general comments about "The Three Stooges" being a guy thing. I'd love to be able to write humor, but I think it's one of the hardest types of writing there is--this chapter helps.
Another part of the Sourcebook I really enjoyed is the Success Stories, where eight authors talk about what led up to their first sales. These are incredibly inspiring to me. After I had the chance to seek out and read some of these first novels, I read the stories of their sales again. It's wonderful to know the behind-the-scenes details and to get reassurance that books aren't just churned out by machines in secret basements in Manhattan.
ROMANCE WRITERS SOURCEBOOK is a must for anyone considering writing a romance novel.
Kimberly Borrowdale Under the Covers Book Reviews
Average customer rating:
- Sound and vision
- A cutting-edge showcase of modern popular culture
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Raw Music Material: The 50 Most Famous Electronic Music DJ's of the World
Scalo Publishers
Manufacturer: Scalo Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Entertainers
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General
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General
| Music
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Recording & Sound
| Music
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MIDI, Mixers, etc.
| Theory, Composition & Performance
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Popular Culture
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ASIN: 3908247519 |
Book Description
Electronic music over the last few years has conquered the Western world with the force of a thunderstorm. It has created a new movement that expresses itself in Love Parades in Berlin and Zurich and in club scenes that fans of the "old" rock and pop music scene never even dreamt of. Zurich, Switzerland has become a European center for electronic music, and one of its most popular nightspots, founded in 1997, is Rohstofflager ("warehouse for raw material"). The club has invited almost every DJ of importance to spin there: world-famous Jeff Mills and Curtis "Cajmere" Jones from Chicago, Kevin Saunderson , Derrik May, Juan Atkins and Robert Hood from Detroit, Laurent Garnier from Paris, Claude Young from Glasgow, Richie Hawtin from Windsor, Canada, Luke Slater, Dave Clarke, Kevin "Hype" Ford, Ray "Grooverider" Bingham, "Goldie" and Roni Size from the United Kingdom, Cisco "The Advent" Ferreira from Lisbon, Helmut "Hell" Geier and Maximilian "Westbam" Lenz from Germany, Cari Lekebusch and Adam Beyer from Stockholm, and more. The stars of the international electronic music scene are represented in this book, not only through panoramic color portraits, but also in statements explaining why they do what they do, what happens with them while entertaining the feverish Saturday night dancers of today, and what happens when they make the people fly to their rhythms. This is a book for club-goers who want to know what their DJ's really feel and think when they are in action. And, last but not least: readers become listeners with the two music CDs included in this must-have publication, which brings the energy of the dance floor to your book shelf.
80 color.
9.5 x 12.5 in.
Customer Reviews:
Sound and vision.......2003-04-16
fantastic book with great portraits of some of the most important people in electronic dance (mainly techno) today. Each artist describes in their own words what is going through their mind on the topic of techno/dance music - where they came from - how they work - etc. These are true techno artists. You won't find any Paul Oakenfolds or John Digweeds in this book which is such a relief. The bulk of the book is Detroit (Jeff Mills, Rob Hood, Derrick May, Saunderson, Larkin) Northern European (Heiko Laux, DJ Hell, Mss Djax) artists but there are a few d&b/junglists like Ed Rush and LTJ Bukem towards the back. The two CDs included are an excellent way for those unfamiliar with some of the profiles to place face, name, and sound together. Highly recommended for anyone interested in electronic dance music.
A cutting-edge showcase of modern popular culture.......2003-04-14
Compiled, arranged, and edited by Walter Huegli (in collaboration with Martin Jaeggi), Raw Music Material: Electronic Music DJs Today is an impressively presented archive featuring color photographs, personal interviews, enhanced with exciting music on two accompanying audio CDS. Presenting a cohesive and upbeat portrait of electronic music DJs in the modern age, Raw Music Material is enthusiastically recommended as a cutting-edge showcase of modern popular culture and rhythm.
Average customer rating:
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Lillian Roxon: Mother of Rock
Robert Milliken , and
Lillian Roxon
Manufacturer: Black (Aus)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Composers & Musicians
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| Biographies & Memoirs
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General
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Women
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Journalists
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General
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History & Criticism
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Rock
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ASIN: 1863951393 |
Book Description
Lillian Roxon is the undisputed godmother of rock journalism. Audacious, independent and fiercely intelligent, she cut her teeth as a reporter in the lively world of 1950's Sydney tabloid journalism. She moved to New York in the 1960s just in time for the cultural revolution celebrating fresh attitudes to sexual freedom, women's liberation - and, of course, rock music. At Max's Kansas City in New York, she became the center of a crowd including Lou Reed, Jim Morrison and Andy Warhol. Linda McCartney confided in her about her first date with Paul, and Germaine Greer knocked on her door for a place to stay. Lillian's Rock Encyclopedia was the first book of its kind and established her as one of America's leading chroniclers of rock culture. Twenty-five years after her tragic death, she was termed the Mother of Rock, but was more than this. Smart, cheeky, vibrant and idealistic, of her times, she was a trailblazer and an inspiration -- a woman who encouraged others to follow the new paths she opened up
Customer Reviews:
From Oz She Came.......2006-03-13
Robert Milliken has written a fine biography of the pioneering journalist Lillian Roxon, author of ROCK ENCYCLOPEDA (1969). On one hand anyone would feel sorry for Roxon, who died alone in a crumby New York apartment surrounded by giant cockroaches, and so young, only 41, and she died of asthma which thank God very few people die of. One has the feeling that if only she felt able to share her life with someone she might have lived; as Milliken hints there are some unanswered questions about her death.
However on the whole the book is a colonnade of sustained joy, for Roxon's life was an extraordinary one and she seems on every turn to have found the most fun available. Plus she lived during a great period in Australian history, finding herself at a very young age (as a schoolgirl) part of Brisbane's chic, avant-garde "Pink Elephant" crowd, a young girl in a wild scene of poetry, homosexuality and small, intensive galleries and late night cafes and bars. She never looked back, becoming a top journalist in Sydney where she worked for the city's top paper, the Morning Herald, where eventually the corporation sent her to New York City. In 1960, just in time for Camelot and the Kennedys and the beginning of the Twist and Nureyev and Fonteyn and, finally, the scene where she found her niche, the rock/art back room at Max's Kansas City. Nearly everyone loved her, for she was not only beautiful and brainy but she had a shrewd, native generosity, and helped out her fellow writers wherever she could. She befriended Linda Eastman, who broke her heart by ignoring her after her marriage to Paul McCartney was brokeraged. And she encountered another Australian wild woman, the provovateuse Germaine Greer, who wrote THE FEMALE EUNUCH in 1971, dedicating it to Lillian as most of us have forgotten by now. All these tangled stories and scenes Milliken lays out like the pro he is, and yet never losing sight of his main thread, the way Roxon took to innovation and the experimental like a dog to water.
As a bonus, Milliken included a shrewd selection of some of the highlights of Roxon's famous ENCYCLOPEDIA, now apparently sadly out of print, as well as some pertient and previously uncollected articles that were published before her death. This small anthology of Roxon's work makes us long for an edition of her critical slash gossip writing in toto.
Book Description
And as I groped in darkness
and felt the pain of millions,
gradually, like day driving night across the continent,
I saw dawn upon them like the sun a vision.
-- Dudley Randall, from "Roses and Revolutions"
In 1963, the African American poet Dudley Randall (1914--2000) wrote "The Ballad of Birmingham" in response to the bombing of a church in Alabama that killed four young black girls, and "Dressed All in Pink," about the assassination of President Kennedy. When both were set to music by folk singer Jerry Moore in 1965, Randall published them as broadsides. Thus was born the Broadside Press, whose popular chapbooks opened the canon of American literature to the works of African American writers.
Dudley Randall, one of the great success stories of American small-press history, was also poet laureate of Detroit, a civil-rights activist, and a force in the Black Arts Movement. Melba Joyce Boyd was an editor at Broadside, was Randall's friend and colleague for twenty-eight years, and became his authorized biographer. Her book is an account of the interconnections between urban and labor politics in Detroit and the broader struggles of black America before and during the Civil Rights era. But also, through Randall's poetry and sixteen years of interviews, the narrative is a multipart dialogue between poets, Randall, the author, and the history of American letters itself, and it affords unique insights into the life and work of this crucial figure.
Average customer rating:
- Writers rebel against the publishing establishment
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Writers in Revolt
Ben Riven
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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Literary
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All Amazon Upgrade
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Literature & Fiction
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ASIN: 1412033497
Release Date: 2006-07-06 |
Product Description
Expatriate writers in Spain set up the Left Bank Company to self-publish their books. They hack into the websites of top publishers and challenge the book barons\' dealings with authors.
Customer Reviews:
Writers rebel against the publishing establishment.......2004-11-16
Expatriate authors on the Costa Blanca set up the Left Bank website to publish books on the Internet and print-on-demand. To Bertie's dismay, Jade refuses an offer of £20,000 for her historical saga. The insulted publisher ceases negotiation with another memeber of the Left Bank and seeks revenge.
Hannah moves to Barcelona and meets Crispin, a well-known but disenchanted fashion designer. They are good friends but feel obliged to reveal their pasts to each other. Hannah is the mistress of a man she cannot marry and Crispin has a genetic disability.
Damien works for an expatriate author in Majorca. Lorna discovers that a diving accident has brought his research at the Sorbonne to a halt. Her niece, Belinda, because he is gay, accuses Damien of knowing nothing about straight love - if he is to write a stunning blockbuster, he must have sex with a woman. He feels angry and insulted.
Through the Left Bank website, the Majorca writers present eight publishers with a Magna Carta of the grievances of ignored authors - the friendship of these writers is compelling.
This is a daring book that bites the hand that feeds.
Books:
- Leading Change
- Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay (3rd Edition)
- Manufacturing the Future: A History of Western Electric
- Marketing Management (12th Edition) (Marketing Management)
- Mentor Manager, Mentor Parent: How to Develop Responsible People and Build Successful Relationships at Work and at Home
- Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen
- Napoleon Hill's A Year of Growing Rich: 52 Steps to Achieving Life's Rewards
- New Business Ventures And The Entrepreneur
- Norman Vincent Peale: Three Complete Books: The Power of Positive Thinking; The Positive Principle Today; Enthusiasm Makes the Difference
- Opening a Restaurant or Other Food Business Starter Kit: How to Prepare a Restaurant Business Plan and Feasibility Study
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