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egbella's reviews
244 reviews
2,000 to 10,000: How to Write Faster, Write Better, and Write More of What You Love by Rachel Aaron
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
This is a short, easy-to-read guide to writing faster and enjoying the process, and I'm glad I gave it a chance! While I can't say there's anything revolutionary inside, and some of the formatting could have been a bit cleaner, the material is solid and full of very valuable reminders.
As someone who also works best plotting and outlining a fair amount before writing, I needed the reminder that it can make a huge difference. I also appreciated her repeating that there isn't only ONE right way to write fiction - this is just what works best for her. I related to most of what she shared, and look forward to implementing some of these practices with my next draft!
An unexpected helpful extra was her section on editing. Again, there wasn't anything revolutionary revealed, but for some reason, her straightforward tips clicked especially well, and I actually find myself excited to edit my next draft!
Overall, this is a quick, fun, and helpful read that might just be the jumpstart you need to get writing again. I recommend giving it a try!
(My only complaint would be a couple usages of language - nothing too extreme, but I would have preferred the book be without them.)
As someone who also works best plotting and outlining a fair amount before writing, I needed the reminder that it can make a huge difference. I also appreciated her repeating that there isn't only ONE right way to write fiction - this is just what works best for her. I related to most of what she shared, and look forward to implementing some of these practices with my next draft!
An unexpected helpful extra was her section on editing. Again, there wasn't anything revolutionary revealed, but for some reason, her straightforward tips clicked especially well, and I actually find myself excited to edit my next draft!
Overall, this is a quick, fun, and helpful read that might just be the jumpstart you need to get writing again. I recommend giving it a try!
(My only complaint would be a couple usages of language - nothing too extreme, but I would have preferred the book be without them.)
Business for Authors: How to be an Author Entrepreneur by Joanna Penn
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
Until recently, I'd found very few helpful and in-depth books regarding the business side of being an author - in particular, an indie author. This book, however, is a very valuable resource!
Covering topics such as motivation and mindset, determining products and services, crafting a business plan, navigating employees and members of your author team, finding ideal customers, sales and distribution channels, marketing, financial advice, and long appendixes of helpful books and tools, Penn gives direct, clear, and actionable steps for starting your author business.
One thing I appreciated was her emphasis that there isn't one right way to run an author business, just the right way for YOU in that moment. Businesses and their plans can also change, and her recommendation to revisit your plans and strategies every six months or so is smart and encouraging. I don't need to figure out my entire life's plan all at once, and set it in stone. But the act of intentionally setting aside time to reevaluate my business as it stands (or how I want it to be) right /now/, is very helpful.
While I would have loved for this book to be even longer and more in-depth, I understand why it can't hold ALL the details. Particularly in the financial and legal sections, Penn continually reminds us that she's not an attorney or tax accountant, and our specific needs and situations will vary. Personally, being in the US rather than the UK like Penn, some things like business structures, financial arrangements, and publishing distributors are slightly different for me, but not in any way that hindered my understanding of the concepts.
Overall, I'll be revisiting this one over time, as I integrate more and more of these practices with the growth of my author business, and appreciate the direct advice for getting started!
Covering topics such as motivation and mindset, determining products and services, crafting a business plan, navigating employees and members of your author team, finding ideal customers, sales and distribution channels, marketing, financial advice, and long appendixes of helpful books and tools, Penn gives direct, clear, and actionable steps for starting your author business.
One thing I appreciated was her emphasis that there isn't one right way to run an author business, just the right way for YOU in that moment. Businesses and their plans can also change, and her recommendation to revisit your plans and strategies every six months or so is smart and encouraging. I don't need to figure out my entire life's plan all at once, and set it in stone. But the act of intentionally setting aside time to reevaluate my business as it stands (or how I want it to be) right /now/, is very helpful.
While I would have loved for this book to be even longer and more in-depth, I understand why it can't hold ALL the details. Particularly in the financial and legal sections, Penn continually reminds us that she's not an attorney or tax accountant, and our specific needs and situations will vary. Personally, being in the US rather than the UK like Penn, some things like business structures, financial arrangements, and publishing distributors are slightly different for me, but not in any way that hindered my understanding of the concepts.
Overall, I'll be revisiting this one over time, as I integrate more and more of these practices with the growth of my author business, and appreciate the direct advice for getting started!
Authors, Steal This Book: 67 Business Ideas for the Writers of the Future by M.L. Ronn
3.5
Probably not one that I'll reread, as most of the ideas didn't apply to me or my skillsets, but the author definitely has a knack for creative brainstorming! He knows his stuff in the world of self-publishing, and has a lot of interesting and clever ideas that would be great if someone with the right skillset took them up. It's a thought-provoking read that might have been even more effective as a blog post that allowed readers to connect and bounce ideas off of one another.
Charles' Quick Guide to Self-Publishing: Pro Tips on How to Publish Yourself by Charles St. Anthony
3.5
A quick guide on self-publishing that won't revolutionize your journey, but might just have the punchy reminder you need to get started. Though the author is slightly more crass than I prefer, and I don't necessarily agree with his opinion on whether or not to buy your own ISBNs (he recommends not to), the rest of his reminders are helpful and easy to understand.
Full Time Author: How to build, grow and maintain a successful writing career that you love by Crystal Hunt, Eileen Cook
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
This is a massive book, and probably the best overall guide that I've read for authors seeking to turn their writing into a career. I love that it was written by successful traditional AND indie authors. There was very little information included that didn't apply to me in some way or another, and what I can't implement now, I anticipate revisiting in the next couple of years to put into practice. Overall, as an indie author, Crystal's methods and strategies resonated best with me.
With 450+ pages, this guide visited everything from setting goals and priorities, choosing business models and planning for taxes, which publication path best suits you, identifying the best strategies for your books, marketing plans and methods, product price points and distribution channels, author branding and pen names, budgeting, re-branding and re-releasing old books, applying for an agent and publisher as a traditionally publishing author, indie publishing processes, other ways to bring in writing-related income, what to do when things go poorly, and appendixes full of other resources.
The authors have a fairly chatty writing style, but not unbearable to read through - mostly just friendly and welcoming. The presentation of information in each section was clear and easy to understand, at least as someone semi-familiar with many of the topics they discussed. Some of the sections were very short (even just one or two pages), and I would have loved even more details in many of them (ex. newsletters, business models, etc.), but they did always provide other suggestions for where to go for more information and deeper dives, which I appreciate.
I wish that I had read this book when I first started out on my indie author journey! As is, this was an incredibly helpful read as I rebrand and really buckle down on turning it into a career. Even though not all of the information will apply to every author (at least not all at once), I would recommend this book to ANY author looking to write for a living. I'm an indie author and found a LOT of information I could implement, but there were a good number of sections for traditionally publishing authors too (I read those too, since I'm also open to that path, and appreciated the how-to's).
NOTE: in addition to their lists of resources and "Next Steps" in the back of the book, they also provide a free bundle of spreadsheets, templates, and a document compiling all of their action steps and questions into one place, so you can implement the suggestions in each section. These are EXTREMELY helpful, and I highly recommend downloading them. Reading the book is just half the process...answering the questions, reflecting, and actually doing the work is a whole other process.
With 450+ pages, this guide visited everything from setting goals and priorities, choosing business models and planning for taxes, which publication path best suits you, identifying the best strategies for your books, marketing plans and methods, product price points and distribution channels, author branding and pen names, budgeting, re-branding and re-releasing old books, applying for an agent and publisher as a traditionally publishing author, indie publishing processes, other ways to bring in writing-related income, what to do when things go poorly, and appendixes full of other resources.
The authors have a fairly chatty writing style, but not unbearable to read through - mostly just friendly and welcoming. The presentation of information in each section was clear and easy to understand, at least as someone semi-familiar with many of the topics they discussed. Some of the sections were very short (even just one or two pages), and I would have loved even more details in many of them (ex. newsletters, business models, etc.), but they did always provide other suggestions for where to go for more information and deeper dives, which I appreciate.
I wish that I had read this book when I first started out on my indie author journey! As is, this was an incredibly helpful read as I rebrand and really buckle down on turning it into a career. Even though not all of the information will apply to every author (at least not all at once), I would recommend this book to ANY author looking to write for a living. I'm an indie author and found a LOT of information I could implement, but there were a good number of sections for traditionally publishing authors too (I read those too, since I'm also open to that path, and appreciated the how-to's).
NOTE: in addition to their lists of resources and "Next Steps" in the back of the book, they also provide a free bundle of spreadsheets, templates, and a document compiling all of their action steps and questions into one place, so you can implement the suggestions in each section. These are EXTREMELY helpful, and I highly recommend downloading them. Reading the book is just half the process...answering the questions, reflecting, and actually doing the work is a whole other process.
Productivity For Authors: Find Time to Write, Organize your Author Life, and Decide what Really Matters by Joanna Penn
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
Another excellent and helpful addition to Penn's non-fiction series for authors!
While I wish it was a bit longer and more in-depth on certain subjects (the paperback is roughly 117 pages, with about 20 of those being appendixes), this is a helpful overall guide to productivity as an author/writer. Penn gives guidance and tips on everything from goal-setting and deadlines, to time-blocking and scheduling, to health and proper writing mindsets. There are even a few chapters dedicated to "extras", such as out-sourcing work, dictation, and co-writing. Even though I'm not currently in a place to implement those strategies, I found them interesting and may come back to them as my career grows.
As they say, you need to hear the same thing seven times before doing something about it, and while a lot of these tips are familiar (I read productivity books fairly frequently), a few of them finally clicked in a new way. In particular, the section about busy, urgent, and important work was very clarifying.
I also appreciate the large appendix of resources Penn included in the back, with lots of links and book titles to research if I want to go more in depth into any of the subjects she touched on. I will be looking into many of them.
Overall, a brief but helpful resource for authors looking to make the most of their time!
While I wish it was a bit longer and more in-depth on certain subjects (the paperback is roughly 117 pages, with about 20 of those being appendixes), this is a helpful overall guide to productivity as an author/writer. Penn gives guidance and tips on everything from goal-setting and deadlines, to time-blocking and scheduling, to health and proper writing mindsets. There are even a few chapters dedicated to "extras", such as out-sourcing work, dictation, and co-writing. Even though I'm not currently in a place to implement those strategies, I found them interesting and may come back to them as my career grows.
As they say, you need to hear the same thing seven times before doing something about it, and while a lot of these tips are familiar (I read productivity books fairly frequently), a few of them finally clicked in a new way. In particular, the section about busy, urgent, and important work was very clarifying.
I also appreciate the large appendix of resources Penn included in the back, with lots of links and book titles to research if I want to go more in depth into any of the subjects she touched on. I will be looking into many of them.
Overall, a brief but helpful resource for authors looking to make the most of their time!
Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice by Mary Mecham
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This might be my favorite Mary Mecham book so far!
Tarquin is the best. Just hands down. I might be biased, since he reminds me a lot of my husband, but regardless, I adored him. The scenes with him in them were my favorites, and I really enjoyed seeing him soften and grow throughout the story.
Speaking of growth, Azora's arc throughout the book was fun to witness too! Her backstory was compelling and sympathetic, and while I usually don't care for self-proclaimed hardened assassins being the "heroes" of a story, this one was well done. I could understand why she was doing what she was, and root for her as she learned better. Her softening was also long-overdue.
The world was more complex than I expected from a fiery, fairy tale romance! I enjoyed all of the details Mecham wove in, particularly around the phoenixes, their healing processes, and small things such as the shoulder tattoos and the wedding traditions. It felt very cohesive and well-thought out. There weren't pages upon pages of history and backstory, but the world was very immersive and provided me enough details to follow along for the most part.
I really appreciated that the romance was clean, with only a select few flirtatious comments that made me sit up a little straighter, wondering if the story was going to go somewhere I wasn't comfortable with. It never did though, and I greatly respect Mecham for that. The characters are married for the majority of the book too, so even touchy topics like sleeping on opposite sides of the same bed weren't anything that made me squirm. Any physical romance was wholesome, sparing, and fit the scene.
And the ending! Wow, that got crazy fast. To my surprise, I wasn't expecting nearly ANY of the twists. Looking back, I see the foreshadows and hints the author threw in now and again, but at the time, I barely caught any of them, and I wouldn't have anticipated the complete truth behind everything. Every time I thought I understood what was going on, something else twisted, and it kept me on my toes! I love when books can do that, as usually I sense plot twists ahead of time.
I think my only qualms with this story were a couple of the very end scenes not making as much sense as I would have liked (though some of it may have gone over my head), and at times I found myself a bit annoyed with the female protagonist and her constant fiery, almost juvenile banter. Overall though, these were fairly minor gripes and not enough to stop me from enjoying this!
This was a super fun read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys clean and engaging fantasy romances, particularly with lots of banter, a protective male protagonist ("touch her and die"), and a unique phoenix world.
CW: death and killing, main characters are hardened assassins, betrayal, several brief kisses, flirtatious dialogue, married characters make several joking comments about wedding night (nothing more happens), and one mention of a low-cut blouse and the main character's curves.
Tarquin is the best. Just hands down. I might be biased, since he reminds me a lot of my husband, but regardless, I adored him. The scenes with him in them were my favorites, and I really enjoyed seeing him soften and grow throughout the story.
Speaking of growth, Azora's arc throughout the book was fun to witness too! Her backstory was compelling and sympathetic, and while I usually don't care for self-proclaimed hardened assassins being the "heroes" of a story, this one was well done. I could understand why she was doing what she was, and root for her as she learned better. Her softening was also long-overdue.
The world was more complex than I expected from a fiery, fairy tale romance! I enjoyed all of the details Mecham wove in, particularly around the phoenixes, their healing processes, and small things such as the shoulder tattoos and the wedding traditions. It felt very cohesive and well-thought out. There weren't pages upon pages of history and backstory, but the world was very immersive and provided me enough details to follow along for the most part.
I really appreciated that the romance was clean, with only a select few flirtatious comments that made me sit up a little straighter, wondering if the story was going to go somewhere I wasn't comfortable with. It never did though, and I greatly respect Mecham for that. The characters are married for the majority of the book too, so even touchy topics like sleeping on opposite sides of the same bed weren't anything that made me squirm. Any physical romance was wholesome, sparing, and fit the scene.
And the ending! Wow, that got crazy fast. To my surprise, I wasn't expecting nearly ANY of the twists. Looking back, I see the foreshadows and hints the author threw in now and again, but at the time, I barely caught any of them, and I wouldn't have anticipated the complete truth behind everything. Every time I thought I understood what was going on, something else twisted, and it kept me on my toes! I love when books can do that, as usually I sense plot twists ahead of time.
I think my only qualms with this story were a couple of the very end scenes not making as much sense as I would have liked (though some of it may have gone over my head), and at times I found myself a bit annoyed with the female protagonist and her constant fiery, almost juvenile banter. Overall though, these were fairly minor gripes and not enough to stop me from enjoying this!
This was a super fun read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys clean and engaging fantasy romances, particularly with lots of banter, a protective male protagonist ("touch her and die"), and a unique phoenix world.
CW: death and killing, main characters are hardened assassins, betrayal, several brief kisses, flirtatious dialogue, married characters make several joking comments about wedding night (nothing more happens), and one mention of a low-cut blouse and the main character's curves.
The Indie Author's Book Launch Workbook by Erin Phillips
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.75
I'm using this book launch workbook for the first time currently, and highly recommend it! Short, peppered with sweet reminders and helpful guides, an 18-month calendar, suggested deadlines for every step of the launch process, sheets to record budgeting and hired professionals...It's a little bit of everything in one place, and I keep coming back to this reference every time I'm feeling stuck.
Your Author Business Plan: Take Your Author Career To The Next Level by Joanna Penn
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
A solid, practical guide for indie authors seeking to prioritize their publishing and grow it into a strong business. While I was surprised at how short/small this was, it packed a large variety of topics into its pages, and gave a very helpful overview at the many aspects involved in an indie publishing business. There weren't a ton of details in each point, but Penn included long lists of references and suggested other material to read (some free, some not) to dive deeper into individual topics. Ultimately, I believe it achieved its goal of sparking ideas and making me think about decisions I should either be making now, or will need to make in the near future.
I always appreciate Penn's no-nonsense, easily-understandable author advice, and am looking forward to reading her other books!
NOTE: the addition of downloadable plans, templates, and references from www.CreativePenn.com/yourplan gave this an extra star. Extremely helpful! You can download them in Word format and make a copy to format your personal plan in.
I always appreciate Penn's no-nonsense, easily-understandable author advice, and am looking forward to reading her other books!
NOTE: the addition of downloadable plans, templates, and references from www.CreativePenn.com/yourplan gave this an extra star. Extremely helpful! You can download them in Word format and make a copy to format your personal plan in.
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I listened to the audiobook version of this, read predominately by Cary Elwes, and greatly enjoyed it. How fun to have also gotten several other members of the original cast and crew to read parts! My only qualm was the occasional redundancy between their various accounts, as the book kept skipping from one person's comments to another, and they often repeated elements. Besides that, I smiled many times at Cary's recounts, especially when he reached their filming and the various mishaps that happened during. There are now several scenes in the movie that I won't watch the same way again. It also made me want to go watch this treasure of a movie again so....
If you're a fan of The Princess Bride and reflective behind-the-scenes tales, you'll probably love this one!
If you're a fan of The Princess Bride and reflective behind-the-scenes tales, you'll probably love this one!