Tag: book review

Book Doctor, Book Reviews, Editing Your Self-Published Book

Book Reviews and Editing

Q: Can you tell me if reviewers ever judge based on editing/style? So many authors/editors do things differently that I guess they just look for consistency. What I was not sure about was use (or overuse) of commas. Can you tell me if commas should be in these sentences?

“That’s what I thought,” Mark said with a smile. (comma before “with”) and “Yeah, such a storm we had..” Mark said sarcastically.

Is it just preference? If so, would it look bad if the author put commas for some, and not for others?

A: Most reviewers consider everything about the book, including the cover, content, editing, writing style, plot, characterization, flow, resolution, and more.

The volume of commas is not important; what is important is that the commas must be used correctly. How can you know where the commas go, when we were taught one style in school, newspapers use another style, and book publishers use yet another style? Book authors (or their editors) should follow Chicago Style, which book publishers follow, because it dictates punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation, when to spell out a number and when to use a numeral, etc. Once that style is followed, commas will be in the right places and the volume of them won’t matter.

As for your specific examples, the first example is fine, but the second one has two periods and no comma before the attribution. It should be written this way:
“Yeah, such a storm we had,” Mark said sarcastically.

If the attribution were a stand-alone sentence, the example would be punctuated this way:
“Yeah, such a storm we had.” Mark spoke sarcastically.

Self-publishing Advice Guest Post: Ask the Book Doctor

Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing), and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read more “Ask the Book Doctor” questions and answers at http://www.zebraeditor.com

 

Book Reviews, Self-Publishing, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self-publishing Book Review of the Week: “Deadly Portfolio”

Deadly Portfolio: A Killing In Hedge Funds

John J. Hohn (2010) ISBN 9781432758752

Investing has always proven to be risky, but there are safer, less volatile bets than others. Hopefully trust in a financial advisor adds security to choices made, but how well do you really know him??? Who can you trust?

In the affluent lakeside community of Heron Lake, NC, the Fourth of July is a time for golfing, sailing, barbecuing and social climbing. Every year at this time financial advisors Matthew Wirth and Morrie Clay host a summer bash, entertaining wealthy friends and clients with the idea of cementing business deals and establishing social position. For Matthew Wirth this year marks hopes for a comfortable retirement, having worked hard to establish old-age security. Morrie Clay, quite a bit younger and more ambitious is eager to take over the client list and firmly establish his own name in financial and social circles. A bit over eager, he crosses ethical lines when he invests a client’s money in a hedge fund to make a quick profit. Without client consent he finds himself in career ending position when the fund tanks.

Rene McAllister, wife of multi-millionaire Alan “Mac” McAllister, is the client at the center of this misappropriation of funds. The morning after the party her dead body washes on shore. This begins to look more like a murder than a suicide to Detective James Raker. When young neighbor Jamie Sherman, a suspected drug dealer is also found dead, there is perhaps reason to believe the deaths are related. Adding to the mix is Mac’s discovery of mishandling of his wife’s funds. Morrie’s career is threatened as is his family’s comfortable lifestyle. Matthew’s reputation and retirement are also in jeopardy. In the midst of the investigation, law enforcement agencies seem to clash in cross purpose as Detective Raker doggedly follows his gut in pursuit of the killer.

“Deadly Portfolio” is a well written, intriguing mystery guaranteed to entertain. It provides study of the impact of acquisition of wealth of those who compromise their values only to discover that greed causes corruption and downfall.

Self-published Book Review of the Week by Enid Grabiner for RebeccasReads.com

 

Self-Publishing, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self-published Book Review of the Week: “DUH”


DUH !: “The good Lord set definite limits on man’s wisdom, but set no limits on his stupidity and that’s just not fair” Konrad Adenauer
Douglas R. Manley
ISBN 9781432746360

It took a bit of time for the humor of the book took hold. The author drags on about how he entered the Auto Dealing Industry and rambles about his qualifications to such a degree that I felt as though I was reading an excessively long resume. At one point he actually includes the report he had written up for the small “mom and pop” dealership he was working at. This took several pages and while informative to the issues surrounding the dealership, and to a small degree perhaps even integral to the continuation of the story, was dull and boring and felt more like page filling than actual, necessary text.

There were amusing stories and a few characters that anyone reading the story can easily identify with but this is not the book to pick up for a laugh or even for entertainment unless you work in this field. That said, I do believe that anyone in the auto dealing business will likely find this a very enjoyable book packed full of knowledge acquired from years of working in the industry. The anecdotes the author tells will strike a cord with those that have dealt with the absurd demands placed on the author; as well as the ridiculous expectations that cannot be met due to the general hand tying that he dealt with in his career.

Self-published Book review of the Week

Reviewed by Melissa Koltes for RebeccasReads (12/10)

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Self-Publishing, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self-Published Book Review of the Week: “The Dynamics to Speak with Care”

The Dynamics to Speak with Care
The Dynamics to Speak with Care
Eladio Pasqual
9781432751777, $10.95

Not everyone is always calm, rational, and understanding, and for good reason some times. “The Dynamics to Speak with Care: Attending Support and Understanding, the Magnetic Words to Assist Others” is a guide for understanding people who are under stress and anxiety and how to understand how to talk to someone before even opening your mouth. A careful tone is a key to helping people and helping reduce their anxiety. “The Dynamics to Speak with Care” is a useful read for anyone who wants to more carefully deal with people.

About Eladio Pasqual Ph.D.

Dr. Eladio Pasqual is the editor of Faith against Arms, a political evolution of the events since 9/11. Dr. Pasqual has a long history of caring for people, including working with crisis-intervention programs related to earthquakes, mudslides and fires. Dr. Pasqual lives in Fremont, Calif.

Self-published Book Review of the Week
John Taylor
Reviewer

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Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self-published Book Review of the Week: “The Trouble with Tom…”

The Trouble with Tom

The Trouble With Tom: In which five gallant old men flout the law
ISBN: 9781432751241
Reviewed by Rita Grasshoff for Rebecca’s Reads (11/10)

A rogue gang of wild turkeys invade the quiet retirement community of Whisper Wood. They run rampant through the streets and yards, destroying property and plants and dirtying up sidewalks. Over time, they become brave enough to even chase some of the residents! The various citizens of Whisper Wood react differently to the intruders. Some identify with and feed them, inadvertently encouraging their bad behavior. Other folks are annoyed and resent their presence from the beginning. Ultimately, most of the turkeys leave the area, but bad boy Tom remains. Terrible Tom, as he is christened by the community members, is personified as full of himself and enjoying his perceived position of untouchable superiority in the community, not unlike that of an exasperating teenager.

Soon, Whisper Wood residents are at their wits’ end with Tom’s antics. Their feelings of helplessness are well-developed by the author. A town meeting is called, but the results are not satisfactory to anyone. They learn that turkeys in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada are protected by the government from harm or removal. A Predation Request is submitted to the government, but bureaucratic red tape prevails and little action results. The new Whisper Wood administrator, Richard Donaldson, is hard-pressed to find a way to end Tom’s stay and save the residents from the misery Tom causes.

“Five gallant old men” decide to take matters into their own hands. Surprisingly, even though they are working toward a common cause, they are largely unaware that they are all involved in the fight. Their characters are nicely developed by the author, who turns them into amusing older men that many readers will recognize in their own lives. For example, one is overly talkative, stopping anyone whom he hopes will listen to him and forcing those unfortunate souls to find an excuse to leave his company.

The story line covers it all, with citizens dealing with bureaucracy and becoming creative in finding a solution. Their frustrations with the bureaucracy force them to be secretive, even with each other, in the course of subverting the law.

Readers of all ages should enjoy the reactions and relationships of this community of spritely senior citizens in this easy-to-ready novella.

Self-published book review of the week.

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