I would have called this a Workbook and not a book. It was not what I was expecting. I was thinking this would be more of stories of how by being true it would help you on the way. Not a workbook of how to accomplish getting a book published. If you are interested in getting a book published this would be a good place to start. ( )

More self-help than how-to. The (second!) subtitle "a workbook" is really the key here: this is a booklet of questions, with space to answer them. No writing advice. Some checklists. ( )

I loved this book! I am an anticipated author and this book helped me gather all the details i needed in a quick time. ( )

Wasn't exactly what I expected. I thought it would be more of a "how to" format.
Instead, the author asks questions for the would be writer to consider, leaving blanks to jot down the answers.
It gives the would be writer the opportunity to think about things that might have been ignored.
For me, I would have like a little more "how to" thrown in as well. ( )

No one can promise that if you follow steps A, B, and C you'll be sure to secure a publisher for your manuscript. But if steps A, B, and C are the right steps, your chances of publishing are much greater. There's a lot of advice for the would-be author, much of it very good, but plenty of it either repetitive or idiosyncratic. This book by Sharon Woodhouse is different. Woodhouse has compiled a long list of questions that will take you step-wise through the process of getting that manuscript ship-shape for the publisher best suited to your effort. Each question gets you to think about an important aspect of your writing project and the relationship you must establish and build with a publisher. Taking time to write responses to these questions will move you to a more confident place. Woodhouse rightly advises authors to tailor their writing to publishers that have the appropriate reader base. If you feel overwhelmed by the process, remember these words from page 53: "You're aiming for real value, not perfection." I've been publishing my non-fiction work with longstanding publishers for thirty years. I can say that with Woodhouse's book in hand, you have all the crucial questions to work through to publishing success. This is a great complement to another book I often recommend—Michael Larsen's How to Write a Book Proposal. ( )