The 10% Solution

by Ken Rand and Patrick Swenson

This is a concise book jammed full of the kind of information it often takes beginning writers years to learn. Ken Rand offers his own advice and twenty-five years of experience for the benefit of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0966818407
• ISBN13: 9780966818406
• Release Date: July 2006
• Publisher: Fairwood Press
• Length: 100 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

It's the most helpful book on revision I've ever read.

Take this book and read it cover to cover. It won't take forever. Then sit down with a story you wish to polish and follow Ken's method, his 10% solution for trimming the wordiness from your prose. It works. He explains how his solution came about, how it helped him and how it can help you. Then he details the method, step by step. Lastly he demonstrates how it worked on his own writing. It made all the difference in my writing. I now keep his book next to me when I revise my writing. It's that good.

Great techniques for tightening prose

Ken Rand's THE TEN PERCENT SOLUTION proves that sometimes big things DO come in small packages. His suggestions on how to tighten prose are gold, a definite must for new writers. I suspect even neopros who've been around for a few years will learn something from this book. Rand's practical advice is laced with anecdotes of how he learned the writing craft--fascinating reading for those who want to see how it's done. Finally, at 63 pages and less than six bucks this book is both a fast read AND a bargain.

The most helpful how-to book on writing I've read in 20 year

Rand's methods of making a manuscript better is easy to use, easy to learn, and--most importantly--very effective. This slim volume rivals Strunk & White's "Elements of Style" in its quick "let's get to the point" method of pretty nearly instantly making any manuscript better. The real value of this book is best demonstrated by my own experience with it. After reading it, I followed Rand's method with an old story of mine which had been rejected 18 times over 5 years. Two weeks after submitting my story, it sold. I've never read a book on writing that could ever do this for me. The real beauty of this little gem is that it can do wonders for a writer. There's no guarantee that using Rand's method equals a sale, but you'll no longer get rejection slips telling you to write tighter if you use the method with an open mind. I've already bought copies for 3 friends who write and they are not finished thanking me. Blow the few bucks on this one--postage that you spend on getting rejected without it costs more.

The most succinct approach to editing I've seen.

Ken Rand's short, no-nonsense approach to editing your own work, properly applied, will do more to make your writing appear professional than anything I've seen like it. Ken's style is funny and concise. He shows you how to go through your manuscript to tighten it, emphasizing accuracy, clarity and brevity. I've been selling professionally (Analog, Realms of Fantasy, Weird Tales) for several years, and Ken's approach still managed to trim over 500 words from a 5,000 word story that later went on to sell to a pro magazine. I've bought 20 copies to give to friends and students.

10% solution is an upfront-useful book on self-editing

I borrowed money to buy this book. It was worth it. The 10% solution is the first book on self-editing I have ever read that actually teaches useful techniques without having you write like the author. The 10% solution hands you a tool for self-editing that would take years to come up with on your own and is so helpful it actually does save you years of trial and error. Bravo Mr. Rand!