"A welcome vade mecum on the business and art of writing for publication . . . A book of benefit to well-practiced as well as novice writers, full of useful advice, pointers, and prompts."
—Kirkus Reviews
“A lucid, lively, thorough, enormously helpful book that I’ll be recommending to prospective authors for years to come.”
—Jynne Dilling Martin, associate publisher and director of publicity at Riverhead Books
“Publishing has always seemed mysterious to writers published and unpublished, to people new to the business and sometimes even to people who have worked within it for decades (me). So what a wonderful thing to have a resource like this. It clears the mist for emerging and established writers and provides a comprehensive answer to every question a writer might ask. It also makes me wonder if Kevin Larimer and Mary Gannon left a spy camera in my office.”
—Nicole Aragi, literary agent, founder of Aragi, Inc.
“It’s not every day the word complete strikes one as an understatement, but in the case of the title of this wonderful book, it is. What Kevin Larimer and Mary Gannon have created here is a teeming compendium. Larimer and Gannon’s insights and suggestions are grounded in comprehensive research and common sense, further enriched with insights, inspiration, and reading lists from a wide spectrum of the country’s most respected writers. You bring the talent, this book will do the rest!”
—Fiona McCrae, publisher of Graywolf Press
“Leave it to Poets & Writers to give us the comprehensive guide to the writer’s life. Here is the inspiration to feed your dreams as well as the nuts-and-bolts advice to put food on the table. I wish this excellent resource had been around when I was starting out!”
—Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage
We understand the hardships that come with creating new characters that feel real, writing a plot that isn’t full of holes, and keeping up with all the small details that make it all come together. Luckily, writers aren’t alone in their strife, successes, and struggles, and these books (some even written by iconic authors) are […]