The Portable Writer's Conference: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Published

by Stephen Blake Mettee

Book Overview

Over 45 agent, editor, and author-written chapters -- called workshops in the book -- provide instruction on the writing craft and the business of getting published. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1884956238
• ISBN13: 9781884956232
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Quill Driver Books
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

The Portable Writer's Conference lives up to its title as a confluence of hard-earned wisdom

Now in a newly updated edition, The Portable Writer's Conference: Your Guide to Getting Published is a compilation of wisdom from over forty-five editors, agents, and authors, presented to writers from all walks of life seeking publication. From developing a concept pitch to hear an agent say yes, to crafting a professional-quality feature article for a newspaper or magazine, to tips and tricks for running a successful home-based writing business, crafting nonfiction or self-help books, what every author must know about copyright, and much more, The Portable Writer's Conference is a wisdom-laden supplement to getting one's feet wet in the writing profession. Though not a substitute for a straightforward instructional manual to the writing business, The Portable Writer's Conference lives up to its title as a confluence of hard-earned wisdom gathered from expert writers of all backgrounds. Highly recommended.

Lives up to its title

Yes, there are a lot of good books on writing, but many fall short of really helping you move ahead. This book, while not quite like a conference experience, takes you past all the doubts, and "How do I do this?" to a path toward success. I'm biased, but particularly pleased to see the publishing process explained in a way that encourages people to follow their path. Helen Gallagher, Release Your Writing: Book Publishing, Your Way

This is a pot of gold! EXCELLENT BOOK!

This hefty volume chock full of gold! There are tons of articles written by accomplished/published writers -- these are not so much articles of their own experiences, as they are sort of "how to" type articles that are very helpful to the reader. Topping all that off there is a section called "Writer's Resources" which includes questions to ask literary agents, standard manuscript format, proofreader's marks, royalties and advances, average book print runs, sample magazine writer's guidelines, sample book publisher's writer's guidelines, magazines and newsletters of interest to writers, and the list goes on and on. Having recently attended a writer's conference, I can see that this book would indeed be helpful to people who have never been to one as well as people who have. This book is a font of helpful information & insightful articles -- truly a pot of gold! Buy one, you'll be glad you did!

A Unique Concept; a Valuable Book

The Portable Writers' Conference is an unusual book. An anthology on writing, it is like going to a writers' conference-without leaving home. And it is a great conference because each of the contributed pieces is by one of the best in the business. Fascinating, educational and fun. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com, author of Writing Nonfiction: Turning Thoughts into Books.

Excellent overview of every aspect of the writing business.

As a full-time freelance writer, former editor, and former publisher, I haven't gotten this excited about a new writing book in a long time. This isn't just another tired overview of the same articles on the same topics; this book is packed with in-depth information on every aspect of the writing business. It paid for itself immdiately in providing me with valuable references and information that helped me with a current project; it should be on every writer's bookshelf