Curated by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Hundreds of writing books get published every year, and most of those books are written by people who have written…a book on writing. I kid you not. These people have a method or a scheme or they teach a writing class—even though I have no idea how they get those gigs. (Okay, I do. They get an MFA, which universities seem to think is more important than actual writing experience.)
Those writing books have nothing in common with the writing books in this bundle. Together, the authors of the books in The Write Stuff Bundle 2016 have more than two-hundred years of writing experience, and have contributed more than five hundred award-winning and bestselling books (fiction and nonfiction) to the world of literature.
We know writing, the writing life, and what makes a writing career. And we want to share it all with you.
Even though the books in this bundle discuss craft, including one of the classic writing books of all time, most of the books you'll find here explore the career killers, things like how to put butt in chair on a regular basis, how to organize your business career, and the all-important (at least to me) how to make a living as a writer.
So if you are a writer, or are simply dreaming of becoming a writer, this bundle is for you.
The bundle has two tiers. If you spend a minimum of five dollars, you get a great writer's toolkit composed of The Fieldstone Method: Weinberg on Writing, Stages of a Fiction Writer, The Rational Writer, Business For Breakfast, and How To Negotiate Anything.
But I'd recommend that you spend a minimum of fifteen dollars, so that you can get those books plus these invaluable books: Writing The Novel From Plot To Print To Pixel, Heinlein's Rules, Creating an Online Presence, The Writer's Business Plan, and How To Make a Living From Your Writing.
With these ten books, you're set. Your writing career will move up a notch, and you'll find answers to questions you didn't even know you had.
And since we're discussing learning here, share some of that spirit of education by donating a few dollars to The Pearl Foundation. The Pearl Foundation, promotes education by endowing scholarships. The scholarships focus on returning students, who have been away from school for more than five years. Those students need a lot of financial assistance because they often have families, mortgages, and all those other expenses of adulthood. – Kristine Kathryn Rusch
So…get an education while giving an education. Pick up The Write Stuff 2016—and have fun!
The initial titles in the Write Stuff 2016 Bundle (minimum $5 to purchase) are:
If you pay more than the bonus price of just $15, you get all five of the regular titles, plus five more:
And now some notes from our curator on the spectacular authors and books featured in this bundle:
Lawrence Block: Writing The Novel From Plot To Print To Pixel
As Lawrence Block tells you in this classic writing book, you don't need to read writing books to become a successful author. But books like Writing The Novel From Plot To Print To Pixel certainly help. I read the 1980s version of this book, before pixels, and this year had the opportunity to read the volume again, with the revised material. I've been writing for 30-some years, and I still learned new things from this book. If you only have time to read one book in this bundle this summer, this is the book to read.
Dean Wesley Smith: Heinlein's Rules
Dean Wesley Smith's writing books usually start from a statement on his daily writing blog or from a question from his readers. Dean first quoted Robert Heinlein's Rules For Writers a few years ago, and most of his readers shuddered. Because Heinlein's rules seem so simple, and yet they're incredibly hard to achieve. Dean explores how to make these rules, first published in 1947, work for the modern writer. If you follow these rules—as I have for my entire career—you will find success. Use Dean's tricks to stay the path, and your success will multiply.
Dean Wesley Smith: Stages of a Fiction Writer
I love this book, partly for its back story. Dean first explored the stages of a fiction writer back in the 1990s, at an informal writing workshop that met at a local restaurant. His exploration of the stages angered half the writers in the room. Those writers booted him out of the workshop because he dared challenge their cozy little writing worlds. Where are those writers now, you might ask? You got me. Because none of them are professional writers. For all I know, they're still meeting in that same restaurant on Tuesday nights, talking about stories they'll never publish.
If you want to know where you stand in the stages of a fiction writer's career, read this book. If a bit of controversy bothers you, skip this one. Because it'll make you question everything you've ever known about writing.
Gerald Weinberg: Weinberg on Writing - The Fieldstone Method
Gerald Weinberg self-published before self-publishing was cool. He's been supporting himself on his writing since the 1960s, and with only a few exceptions, he's been his own publisher. Jerry isn't just a writer. He's also one of the foremost experts in computer science. He was inducted into the Computer Hall of Fame the same year Bill Gates was. Jerry's also consulted for Fortune 500 companies. Explaining complicated tasks is one of Jerry's great skills. So when he turned his attention on explaining how writers work, he came up with one of the best guides for writing I've seen. For fiction and nonfiction writers alike, Weinberg on Writing works on every level.
Leah Cutter: Business For Breakfast Vol 2.: The Beginning Professional Publisher
Leah Cutter excels at finding the right question to ask at the right time. Her Business For Breakfast series explores all sorts of questions in a short essay format that you can read, say, at breakfast. If you're thinking of publishing your own work, then this book will lead you in the right direction. If you've already published your own work, this little book will help you tweak your process. It's a little gem that you can return to over and over again, as your publishing career expands.
Cat Rambo: Creating an Online Presence for Writers
I've recommended Cat Rambo's Creating An Online Presence for years now. Writers hear all the time that they need to promote, promote, promote, and they need to do so online. Cat makes online promotion not only understandable, but easy—something a writer can do while writing, instead of giving up writing time to be a social media butterfly. Updated just in time for this bundle, Creating An Online Presence contains the latest in everything online that writers need to know.
Joanna Penn: How to Make a Living With Your Writing
When Joanna Penn's How To Make a Living With Your Writing came out, it became one of the most talked about writing books of the year. She explores how she went from "cubicle slave" to making six-figures annually on her writing, and she does so in ways that any writer who wants to can replicate. No guarantee, of course, that you'll earn as much as she does, but your days in the cubicle mines will end if you put fingers to the keys the way that Joanna did.
Kristine Kathryn Rusch, How To Negotiate Anything
I'm a shy person who dislikes confrontation, yet I've negotiated my own contracts since college. Why? Because no one cares about my business as much as I do. I've learned how to leverage my shyness into a method that will work for anyone who says they can't negotiate. This little book has outsold almost every nonfiction book I've written, and people use it a lot, not just for publishing matters, but for other parts of their life such as buying cars. If you believe you can't negotiate anything, try this little book and see if it changes your mind.
Mindy Klasky: The Rational Writer: Nuts and Bolts
The description of this book uses a phrase that makes my little creative brain tremble. She tells writers how to "project manage" their careers. I approached this book with great fear and came away feeling empowered. I don't like spreadsheets or time management cards, and yet this book taught me how to use them all to improve my writing business. Those of you with engineering brains will love this book. Those of you who hide when someone mentions data and numbers will help you improve your writing business without making your head hurt.
Tonya D. Price: The Writer's Business Plan: A Plain English Guidebook
I've known Tonya Price for a long time. When she told me in February that she wanted to write a book on business plans for writers, I asked her if she could have it done by May. Of course she could, she said, and she did.
I jumped on this book because Tonya has consulted with small business startups for decades. I've wanted to know her secrets since she first told me what she did, years ago, at a writing workshop, when she was just starting out as a writer. She combines all her skills here, taking tricks that have worked in the business world and applying them to writing. You won't want to miss this book. Period.
– Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Curator
The bundle is available only for a limited time via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get multiple DRM-free formats (.epub and .mobi) for all books!
It's also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.
Why StoryBundle? Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.
StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.
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