Writing for Publication - Hardcover

Potter, Clarkson N.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060162171 ISBN 13: 9780060162177

Publisher: Harpercollins, 1990

Synopsis

Advice for aspiring writers on style, genres, and aspects of the publishing industry, the market, and the reader. Includes excerpts of less-than-eternal, but successful writing, illustrating the rewards of competence and professionalism. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

About this title

From Library Journal:

This practical book claims that hard work and some talent can result in publishable writing. Both teacher and publisher, Potter thinks beginning writers are most encouraged by samples of work from "workaday writers whose work has been successfully published rather than great talent whose work has become classics." Giving minimal attention to style, poetry, humor, and fiction, he focuses instead on the purpose of writing: to remember, to tell a story, to instruct and explain. The strongest and most innovative sections concern diaries, journals, memoirs, biography, and history. Here Potter compares "good," "better," and "best" samples of a genre. Despite some good advice, Potter's conversational style, bordering on memoir, and his focus on "writing to remember" limits the book's usefulness to the beginning writer.
- Linda L. Rome, Mentor, Ohio
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Potter maintains that to get published, an aspiring writer must be "merely competent," not great nor even necessarily good. With this pragmatic outlook, the retired publisher and editor offers advice and pointers in areas ranging from journalism, memoirs and history through fiction and poetry to how-tos, cookbooks, business and technical writing, and humor. Potter presents a pedantic discussion of what constitutes "good," "better" and "best" writing, larded with examples from Plutarch, Nabokov, Audubon, Pepys, Lincoln Steffens, physicist Stephen Hawking, etc. Part publishing memoir, part pep talk, this guide covers too broad a field too sparsely, although beginning writers will find many useful tidbits drawn from the author's own experiences.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harpercollins
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0060162171
• ISBN 13: 9780060162177
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1