Publish & Prosper by Byron and Broback

Thanks to a tremendously busy work schedule, I've gotten a little behind on blogging about my "Livre du Jour," so I'm going to fill you in on what I'm reading right now and go back and fill in the holes as I have a chance.

My current read is Publish & Prosper: Blogging for Business. Considering where I am posting this blurb, I think a lot of my readers should find this book interesting! We all hear that you can make money from a blog, either by using it to market or sell ad space, but so many of us never actually achieve what we'd like with our blogs. In this handy little book, DL Byron and Steve Broback explain exactly how to make your blog work for you.

Even though I've been blogging for about a year and a half, have had my own website for more than two years, and write web copy all the time, I'm learning a lot from Publish & Prosper. Sometimes the book fills me in on why something that I already do works so well. Other times it explains concepts that I've found a little challenging (and does a very good job of simplifying and speaking to the lay person, I should add!). The book also discusses things like the different types of blogs, blog systems, and features available. What a terrific resource for any dedicated blogger!

NNNNN, by Carl Reiner

I just finished reading one of the weirdest books I've read in a long time. I seriously think NNNNN, by Carl Reiner, evolved out of writer's block. It reads like something that a foundering writer would come up with out of desperation, but it's pretty funny, too.

NNNNN breaks all the rules: Ridiculous coincidences, melodramatic plot devices, silly names, and bad dialogue makes this book a hoot to read. I wish I had had writer's block at the time I read this, as I imagine it would be a fun book to read when I'm having a hard time writing.

Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer by Jenna Glatzer

As a freelance writer myself, I'm always looking for books to give me ideas or help me hone by craft. I don't put much stock in the idea that I can become a better writer (or a "real" writer) by reading lots of books about it - in my opinion, that just takes more time away from writing - but there are definitely books out there that contain valuable information. The one I'm reading right now, Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer by Jenna Glatzer, seems to have a lot more (and better!) information than most.

What I like about Glatzer's book is that it contains a lot of "insider's secrets" - tips and tricks that you usually don't learn until you're well entrenched in the business already. However, many of these tips - like what types of stories to pitch to editors when you're first starting out, and how to pitch - would be extremely helpful for beginning writers.

When I'm finished reading the book, I'll give it a more detailed review on my Reading For Writers blog.

The Little Book of Plagiarism, by Richard A. Posner

Who better to write a book about plagiarism than a judge?

Actually, I'm rather impressed. Richard A. Posner's The Little Book of Plagiarism is surprisingly short and to the point. Really. It's only about 100 pages long.

For being so short, though, it's chock-full of information. He starts out talking about the scandalous Kaavya Viswanathan case, where a young chick lit author from Harvard was found to have plagiarized substantial material in her book, How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life. The book was quickly withdrawn.

I'm only 30 pages into the book (although that is, of course, nearly a third of the way through it). So far, the book has been a pleasant but information-packed ramble into the realm of plagiarism: what it is, how copyright infringement differs, and who has committed these literary crimes. Not even the phenomenon of "paper mills" - companies which hire writers and produce term papers for lazy students - escapes his analytical eye.

This should be an enjoyable - albeit brief - read.

How to Be Your Own Literary Agent by Richard Curtis

As a freelance writer and a novelist hopeful, I am of course interested in the process of getting a book published. And as a compulsive do-it-yourselfer, I want to be able to handle the process myself - or at the very least understand it!
How to Be Your Own Literary Agent is almost a necessity for anyone who wants to publish a book - whether or not you intend to get an agent. The book basically explains an agent's job - everything from how they decide whether to represent a book, to how they negotiate a contract.

For authors who want to get published without using an agent, this book is a basic how-to guide. For authors who do prefer an agent, the book will ensure that you understand the process well enough to keep tabs on your agent - and make sure he or she is truly working in your best interests! Regardless of which camp you fall into, the information contained in this book will enable you to keep from getting screwed, by either the publisher or your own agent.

Definitely a good book for any aspiring author to own!