Calling All Authors: How to Publish with Your Eyes Wide Open by Valerie Connelly (Rated: C)

Are you planning to write a book? If you are, this book is just what you need as you embark on your new project. For those of you who don’t think writing a book is that big of a project, this book will certainly dispel some of the myths about writing, publishing and marketing a book, making me wish I had a copy of this book before I published my first novel.

Calling All Authors is a must-have reference jam-packed with information the writer needs to know before, during and after publishing a book—both for authors wishing to self-publish or go the traditional route. The book’s front cover statement claims: Revealing publishing myths, misconceptions and realties for published authors and writers who dream of becoming authors. This book delivers what it promises.

From the onset, I liked the author’s voice. She is a publisher sincerely interested in helping authors get off to the right start and succeed throughout their book-publishing journey. As an author, I know how important that is. All writers have questions regarding self-publishing versus traditional publishing, what these two options imply, about agents and publicists, editors and proofreaders, and the best way to market their book. If you heed Connelly’s advice—along with the advice of other publishers, authors, and experts in the fields of publicity, writing, editing, graphic design and the Internet included in this book— you will get the answers and be ahead of the game.

Each chapter ends with a summary in the form of worksheets that the reader can fill in, making this a practical, hands-on book—one that the reader can use as a guide. The chapters I paid keen attention to were Chapters 7 through 12, which focused extensively on publishing, selling, and marketing a book. Chapters 9 and 10 in particular are real eye-openers regarding the confusing world of publishing, clarifying what writers need to know to make a conscientious decision. Because I am writing my second novel, the information in Chapters 1-6 is just what I need at the moment. The book’s layout makes it easy to read except that the narrow tall font used for the subtitles contrasted with the rest of the text font, and I found this distracting.

So much information is available in this book that it may be overwhelming to the new writer. But like any 7-course meal, this book must be savoured over a period of time for a good digestion and full absorption of the delicious banquet any writer will appreciate.

I highly recommend this resourceful book to anyone planning to write a book. Because if you are, you need this book.