iUniverse How To: The Mechanics of Poetry – Part I

If you want to write poetry, you should familiarize yourself with some of the literary devices that poets use. In this article, iUniverse presents some of the literary terms used, their definitions and examples.

alliteration – the repetition of a consonant sound, usually at the beginning of two or more words in a line of verse:

“He clasps the crag with crooked hands” – Alfred Lord Tennyson

apostrophe – a figure of speech in which words are addressed to a person, thing or personified idea, such as death, truth or nature:

Click here to read the full article

Read More

iUniverse: How To Correctly Use Ellipses and Exclamation Points

Being a reader as well as an author you may have noticed the excessive use of ellipses and exclamation points. In this article, iUniverse Publishing presents several ideas on how to avoid overusing these punctuation marks.

Ellipses:

The ellipsis is used to show readers that you have omitted words from a sentence or that you have omitted sentences from a quoted paragraph. When you have an ellipsis in the middle of a sentence, it is called a medial ellipsis. Authors also use ellipses to indicate that the person speaking has trailed off and left a sentence or a thought unfinished

Click here to read the full article 

Read More

iUniverse Explains How to Use a Contest to Gain Exposure

iUniverse Writer’s Tips gives you a delightful approach to getting fans worked up about your book.

When trying to get you book out there and noticed, all of a sudden it seems like everyone else has published too. So how can you get their attention focused on yours?

As an incentive to read your book consider a contest. Offer readers a chance to win a prize for their interest in it after reading. In exchange you are only asking that they leave a review, and a “Like” in your book’s Facebook page.

Click here to read the full article

Read More

How To Have Reviewers Begging to Blog Your Book

iUniverse Writer’s Tips offers you this step-by-step guide to approaching book bloggers for reviews.

Getting your book reviewed is a good way to gain exposure for your work. This article focuses on how to successfully solicit book reviews from bloggers. There are many popular and influential blogs which review independent authors, and are always excited to find and introduce a fresh new literary talent to their audience.

The first thing is to find blogs which review books. A valuable resource for this process is Futurebook’s extensive book blogger listing. Another strategy is look for recently released traditionally published books similar to yours. Then using your favorite search engine find reviews plus book names. Create a spreadsheet to keep track of useful blog sites and avoid sending the request twice.

Click here to read the full article

Read More

10 iUniverse Tips on How to Spread the Word about Your Book

So, you’ve written your book and had it published. What should you do next? iUniverse Self-publishing offers 10 ideas to help you market and sell your book.

Tip #1 – Create your own website and open social media accounts to promote your book. Link these accounts to each other and to other websites, blogs and social media sites concerned with reading or writing.

Tip #2 – Contact your local bookstores and suggest they offer discounts on self-published books. Take your book and offer it to them at a discount. You can also sell your book on online bookstores like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Tip #3 - Create a 60-second book video trailer and post it on video-sharing and social media sites like YouTube and Facebook.

Tip #4 - Send a press release about your self-published book and any upcoming events such as book signings, interviews, etc. you have planned to local newspaper, radio and television news outlets.

Tip #5 – Contact your local libraries and suggest that they offer self-published titles, including yours. Leave a free copy with them if they are agreeable to this.

Click here to read the full article 

Read More

iUniverse Presents How to Create a Video Trailer for Your Book

iUniverse Publishing suggests creating a video trailer which is similar to a Hollywood movie trailer for your book. In addition to this, you will need to post it on your social media accounts such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. To view examples of iUniverse Video Book Trailers, you can go to the YouTube iUniverse Publishing account.

iUniverse Publishing can help

iUniverse offers a number of Video and Book Trailer Packages which can help create excitement with your readers as visual images of your book are presented in a professional, one-minute video book trailer. Our Video and Book Trailer Packages include Author Video Interviews, Video Trailers and Video Teasers.

There is a world of difference between a written article of an interview and a professionally produced broadcast interview. With our Author Interview Video Service, you can give your readers a behind-the-scenes look at your book which captures the intensity and passion that only you as the author can demonstrate.

Click here to read the full article

Read More

iUniverse Publishing Presents 6 Bestsellers That were Self-published

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James is not the only self-published book to become a best seller, although it is probably the most popular. The novel is number 1 on the New York Times Bestseller List and has been on the list for 26 weeks. The book has sold 20 million copies in the United States and 31 million worldwide since March. Her subsequent Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy has sold over 40 million copies worldwide.

iUniverse Publishing presents 5 other bestsellers which were also self-published

• Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield – Mr. Redfield sold his novel out of the trunk of his car until Warner Books offered him $800,000 for the publishing rights. It was a Number 1 bestseller in 1996, spent 165 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List and has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.
• The Elements of Style by Strunk and White – Cornell English professor William Strunk Jr. privately published his writing style guide for use in the classroom. In 1959, Macmillan and Company commissioned E.B. White to revise the book. It is now the all-time best-selling writing reference in the United States.
• The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer. Ms. Rombauer had 3,000 copies of her cookbook printed by label printer A.C. Clayton in 1931. Five years later, Bobbs-Merrill Company started printing what has become one of America’s most published cookbooks. Today, Scribners sells more than 100,000 copies of The Joy of Cooking a year.

Click here to read the full article

Read More

iUniverse Offers 6 Tips on How To Become a Published Author in 2013

Author Solutions, Inc. (ASI) Senior Vice-President Keith Ogorek, who self-published his first book in 2007, gives 6 tips on publishing your book. He also encourages writers to become self-published authors. ASI is the parent company of iUniverse.

Below are his tips.

1. Set a date you want to hold a finished copy of your book—Before you start, pick a date on which you want to hold the first copy of your completed book. Choose a significant day like your 50th birthday, your wedding anniversary or a day that coincides with a life event like a speaking engagement.
2. Pay attention to the best time/place for writing productively—Write when you are most productive. One author found that he worked best in the morning, stating that he could get more done in the hour between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. than he could in the three hours between 2 and 5 p.m.
3. Set a schedule that will allow you to hit your target date—So you’ve decided that you work best late at night. Block off that time as your time for writing and stick to it. Make writing just another part of your daily routine, like eating breakfast or taking a shower.
4. Make yourself accountable to someone for finishing your book—Designate someone who will hold you accountable for reaching your goal. It can be a friend or family member or someone familiar with the process. Oftentimes, publishing professionals can serve in this role. A firm but gentle hand can be all the encouragement you need to stay on track.
5. Have a plan for promoting your book once it’s finished—This can serve two purposes. First and foremost, from a practical standpoint, marketing your book effectively can be the most important step in getting it into the hands of thousands of interested readers. Secondly, as a creative person, cooking up innovative and exciting ways for promoting your work once it’s completed can drive you to remain focused on the job at hand.

Read More

iUniverse Publishing Presents English Words Borrowed from Yiddish

There are many words in English which have been borrowed from the Yiddish language. In fact, the Yiddish language has had quite an influence on English.

Yiddish developed in the German Rhineland in the 10th century as a fusion of Hebrew, Aramaic and German. iUniverse Publishing offers the following list of a few Yiddish-derived English words.

bagel - a doughnut-shaped bread roll made by boiling then baking the dough

blintz – a sweet cheese-filled crepe

bupkis (also bupkes, bupkus, bubkis, bubkes) – emphatically nothing, as in That ain’t worth bupkis.

chutzpah – nerve, guts, daring, audacity, effrontery

glitch – a minor malfunction

klutz – clumsy person

kosher – correct according to Jewish law, normally used in reference to Jewish dietary laws

Click here to read the full article

Read More

10 iUniverse Tips on How To Create Believable Characters

The key to writing believable, well-rounded characters involves a number of different aspects. The characters in your book need to be credible. They need to have the same strengths, weaknesses, idiosyncrasies and problems as real people. They should have personalities, and a past, and they need to be authentic. iUniverse Publishing presents 10 tips on how to write a book and make your characters realistic.

1. Names – Choose appropriate names for your characters that coincide with their personalities and roles in your story. Can you imagine an evil genius named Francis or a beautiful woman named Brunhilda? No? Your readers won’t be able to either.
2. Descriptions – Give your characters their own eye and hair color, height, weight, tattoos and scars and describe the clothes they wear. If you are writing a children’s book, this isn’t that important as your illustrations will show your readers what the characters look like.
3. Backstory – A character’s backstory is everything that has happened to a character up to the point when he or she is introduced in a book. It is all of the character’s experiences and history which have led to his or her attitudes, thoughts and ways of dealing with problems.
4. Mannerisms, Gestures and Quirks – One character might scratch his or her head while solving problems, while others might pick their teeth or crack their knuckles.
5. Strengths and Weaknesses – Be sure to describe your characters’ positive and negative physical and personality traits. Don’t stick to stereotypes. Some good guys do bad things, and some bad guys do good things.

Click here to read the full article

Read More

iUniverse Tips on How To Name Your Baby

Choosing names for your characters can be as thrilling as much as it can be a frustrating experience. They have to be memorable, fit the personality and ethnicity of the character, fit the time period of the setting, and avoid being too common or too obscure. There are many techniques to discover interesting names for your characters. Some are creative, some require hard work, sometimes fortune smiles, and other times, like an unclaimed body in the morgue you just use “John” until something better comes along (no offense to Johns or Jons intended). To help you choose just the right name…

Click here to read the full article

Read More

iUniverse Publishing Presents 35 Ways on How To Describe Eating

There are many ways to describe ingesting nourishment. iUniverse offers 35 synonyms for “eat” along with their definitions. We have included many slang terms for eating as well.

1. Banquet – partaking of a large formal meal for many people
2. Bite – to use your teeth to cut into something or someone
3. Bolt (down) – to eat food very quickly
4. Break bread – to eat a meal
5. Chew – to crush food into smaller, softer pieces with the teeth so that it can be swallowed
6. Chow (down) – to eat
7. Cram – to force a lot of things into a small space
8. Devour – to eat something eagerly and in large amounts so that nothing is left
9. Dine – to eat the main meal of the day, usually in the evening
10. Dispose of – to get rid of something
11. Fall to – to begin doing something energetically
12. Feast on/upon – to eat a lot of something
13. Feed on/upon – to eat
14. Gobble (up) – to eat food too fast
15. Gorge oneself – to stuff yourself with food

Click here to read the full article

Read More

iUniverse Presents 4 Rules on How To Use Commas

One of the worst mistakes which writers frequently make is using commas incorrectly. Compound sentences, complex sentences and compound-complex sentences, as well as many clauses and phrases, require commas. An excellent way to improve your writing is to learn to use them properly. Occasionally, you can bend the rules, but don’t omit commas simply to build suspense or because you don’t want to interrupt the flow of a sentence by causing people to pause at them. iUniverse gives you tips on how to use commas.

What would you think if you read a piece of writing like this?:

“…and Gibraltar as a girl where I was a Flower of the mountain yes when I put the rose in my hair like the Andalusian girls used or shall I wear a red yes and how he kissed me under the Moorish wall and I thought well as well him as another and then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes.”

Click here to read the full article

Read More

Twelve Authors Give You Twenty Tips on How to Write

iUniverse knows that successful writing takes hard work, imagination and passion—and then some more hard work. The perspiration is up to you, but to help you get your pen to the page and to jump start your creative engine, try these twenty writing tips from twelve bestselling fiction authors.

iUniverse Publishing has collected these inspiring pieces of wisdom.

“My first rule was given to me by TH White, author of The Sword in the Stone and other Arthurian fantasies and was: Read. Read everything you can lay hands on. I always advise people who want to write a fantasy or science fiction or romance to stop reading everything in those genres and start reading everything else from Bunyan to Byatt.”

Michael Moorcock

Click here to read the full article

Read More

5 iUniverse Tips on How To Improve your Writing

Stephen King is a great storyteller and has an excellent narrative style. However, he breaks a lot of grammatical rules in his writing and even admits to doing so in his book On Writing. iUniverse brings you the following overview of Dreamcatcher by Stephen King breaking grammatical rules.

An Overview of Dreamcatcher by Stephen King

“Once upon a time, in the haunted city of Derry (site of the classics It and Insomnia), four boys stood together and did a brave thing. Certainly a good thing; perhaps even a great thing. Something that changed them in ways they could never begin to understand. Twenty-five years later, the boys are now men with separate lives and separate troubles. But the ties endure. Each hunting season the foursome reunites in the woods of Maine. This year, a stranger stumbles into their camp, disoriented, mumbling something about lights in the sky.”

Click here to read the full article

Read More

iUniverse Tips on How To Write Memoirs – Part 2

In this second part of iUniverse Publishing’s Tips for Writing Memoirs we look at some more of the essential elements of an engaging memoir and show you more book writing tips so it will have more appeal.

Be Neutral. A person’s memoir will undoubtedly uncover many and various events from the past, some good and some not so good. You may feel embarrassment or even shame about some of the people and actions in your history, but that’s no reason to erase them, and most likely your descendants will want to know the truth. Just be reassured that balance in writing makes for better reading, so it’s better to present the facts as they are and try to be as neutral as possible. Don’t erase the past.

Use Storytelling Elements. Biographies are essentially non-fiction, but they use the very best fiction writers’ techniques. That means there is a beginning, middle and end to the story. You should also pay attention to character development, pace, and dialogue. Humans respond better when information is presented as a story and this applies to memoirs too.

Click here to read the full article

Read More

iUniverse Publishing Advice on How To Avoid Clichès

If there’s one thing in writing that you really want to avoid, it’s using clichés. When you see a piece of writing that is full of clichés, it is an indication that the writer is either lazy or unimaginative. It’s all right to use them if you’re writing dialogues because, after all, that is the way we speak.

iUniverse shows you how to write a book without using clichès

People use clichés so much that they often don’t even realize they’re doing it. It just becomes habit, so try to be aware of them and omit them when you are writing. We all know the old clichés like sick as a dog and it’s raining cats and dogs. In this article we will be taking a look at some modern clichés that are overused and irritating to the ear.

Business Clichès

We’ll start with Think outside the box. This one is used so much that it’s become nauseous to hear. Other clichés that are used in the business world include At the end of the day…, When all is said and done, The bottom line is…, Take it to the next level, the low man on the totem pole, It’s a learning curve, It’s a level playing field, All things being equal…, With that being said…, a team player, The numbers don’t lie, You can’t argue with success, Go with the flow, To make a long story short…, It goes without saying… and Can you give me a ballpark figure? or Am I in the ballpark? I think we’ve all heard about enough of these.

Click here to read the full article

Read More

iUniverse Tips on How To Write Memoirs – Part 1

In this first part of iUniverse Publishing’s Tips for Writing Memoirs, we look at some of the essential elements of an interesting memoir and show you more book writing tips, so it has more appeal.

Whether it’s leaving a legacy for the future, sharing your experiences, or embarking on a journey to self-discovery, there are plenty of reasons to write a memoir. In fact, memoirs are one of the most popular books to self-publish. iUniverse Publishing is a major biography book publisher to illustrate that fact.

Some memoirs shine, attracting readers from beyond the immediate family. Some have even made it into the bestseller lists. But what makes them compelling? Why do some sink while others swim?

Click here to read the full article

Read More

iUniverse Tips on How To Strategize Your Book Marketing

iUniverse says it is crucial that you develop a marketing strategy as soon as you can, even though you are in the middle of say, proofreading and editing your manuscript and the cover design. A marketing strategy is fundamental to becoming a successful iUniverse-published author.

Alarmingly, many, many authors miss out on marketing their book, and then they wonder why they have low sales. You need to create a marketing strategy, even if you are still at the very early stages of the publishing process.

There are many sources you can turn to which will help you identify and set the basic elements that you need. However, iUniverse book marketing services are always on hand to assist you in your marketing plans.

To come up with a sound marketing strategy, you should ask yourself the following questions:

Click here to read the full article

Read More

6 iUniverse Publishing Tips on How To Write Children’s Books

You probably think that writing a children’s picture book is easy, right? Well, it might not be as easy as you think. There are quite a few things to consider before and while writing a children’s book. Remember these iUniverse tips to prepare you for your journey.

Tip #1 – Format

A children’s picture book usually has 32 pages. This is because of the size of paper and the printing presses used to print books in the past. For some reason, publishers have simply stuck with this format. Anyway, this will give you about 28 pages of text, a title page, a half-title page, a copyright page and a single last page. The average number of words for a children’s picture book is about 800.

Tip #2 – Illustrations

Use a variety of illustrations. If you make them too similar, your little readers will get bored. Bear in mind that you don’t have to write about your illustrations. You don’t have to describe the characters’ appearance or the settings. The children will be able to see all this from the illustrations.

Click here to read the full article

Read More

8 iUniverse Tips on How To Create a Successful Book Signing Event

After you have published your first book, organizing a public book signing is an excellent, cost-effective way to market it and get sales moving. Book signings can be inexpensive, enjoyable social outings for families and friends. People enjoy meeting interesting or famous writers. It also gives you an opportunity to promote yourself and your book to your fans.

iUniverse gives you eight tips on how to pull off your book-signing event.

See more at: http://www.iuniverseselfpublishing.com/after-publication/a-successful-book-signing/

Read More

How To Avoid Simple Grammar Gaffes

Technology has improved the lives of writers in general. This has had a great impact on indie authors and their ability to self-publish. Writing-related computer applications have eased editing and text reproduction, but have also engendered a false sense of grammatical security.

Since the introduction of word processors and spell-checking programs, the need for relentlessly referencing Merriam-Webster and committing to rote memory spelling and grammar conventions has been drastically reduced.

But in this environment an author has to be extra careful not to make common errors that the spell-checker cannot identify. Or conversely, being green-lined by the ghoulish jagged lines which signify grammatical negligence and being unequipped to determine if you or the computer are correct.

See more at: http://www.iuniverseselfpublishing.com/before-publication/avoiding-simple-grammar-gaffes/

Read More

6 iUniverse Publishing Tips on How To Improve Your Writing

In order to write anything, whether it be a story, a book or an article, you need to develop certain skills that will help you do it effectively. In short, you must be able to organize your writing, write with a modicum of style and edit your work well. The following iUniverse tips will help you improve your writing.

See more at: http://www.iuniverseselfpublishing.com/before-publication/improve-your-writing-2/

Read More

How To Use Punctuation: Colons, Commas, and Semi-Colons

Each miniscule punctuation mark finds its home in a flurry of words and leaves a statement in a written piece like colors and furniture in a room’s interior. A missing or misplaced full stop, colon, semi-colon, or exclamation mark is like a jumble of hues or furnishings in a house with no definite interior design. iUniverse gives you pointers on how to use these small wonders of the written language.

To tell a good story doesn’t require a mastery of grammar, only a good editor. But the world’s best writers know the power that comes from mastering the language and harnessing the power of punctuation. You can’t write what you mean, if you cannot express to the reader the intention of your prose.

Punctuation can be appreciated as technique which when used well adds power and depth to your utterances, rather than a matter of rote correctness. All of the best artists learn the rules and break them for effect; writers are no different. So plunge in, exploit the punctuation to your and your reader’s advantage.

See more at: http://www.iuniverseselfpublishing.com/before-publication/the-power-of-punctuation/

Read More

iUniverse Tips on How To Create a Facebook Event

As an indie author, you will benefit from one of the most useful tools around for publishing your activities — a Facebook event. This could include Book signings, Radio Spots, and Book Launch parties.

iUniverse introduces this easy-to-use Facebook feature that allows you to pin-point the location via Google or Bing maps, and remind those invited who can also comment about the event before and after, including asking questions, and posting pictures. It is an easy way to get an idea about how many of your friends, family, and fans can attend the event.

See more at: http://www.iuniverseselfpublishing.com/after-publication/facebook-event/

Read More

iUniverse Guide on How To Get Your Blurbs Together

It is never too early to get feedback on your manuscript. By the time it has been published, several people might have already read, edited, and commented on it. Hopefully, the feedback was constructive and positive. Once you have submitted the draft for publishing, it is time for you to find readers who will happily write a review for you.

iUniverse dares you to face the music and dance with it. Although it is intimidating, putting yourself out there for criticism is part of being an author. Big names send Author Reading Copies, commonly known as ARCs, to famous reviewers and publications before the final edit. These early copies are potentially full of errors. If they can endure the possible humiliation of getting bad reviews and learn from them, so can you.

The goal is to secure as many positive reviews of your book as possible, and the more authoritative the source, the better.

See more at: http://www.iuniverseselfpublishing.com/after-publication/blurbs-together/

Read More

iUniverse Post-Publishing Tips: How to Create Your Own Publicity

How can you get noticed in a world where hundreds of thousands of books are being released? iUniverse Writer’s Tips tells you how.

In today’s media-saturated culture, it can be challenging for an author to get noticed. So how do you go about creating your own publicity, and driving awareness of you and your books? Try these techniques….

YouTube: Make a trailer. Almost everyone has access to a camera that takes video and editing software like Microsoft movie maker on their computer. Keep it simple, and don’t go overboard with effects. Upload it, and tweet the link to your video, and share it on your Facebook page and your blog. Be sure to add plenty of relevant keywords, so that people will find it when they search for other related topics.

See more at: http://www.iuniverseselfpublishing.com/after-publication/own-publicity/

Read More

iUniverse Shows You How To Go Over the Editorial Process

iUniverse looks in depth at that most crucial stage of your writing that a slight botch of it can disappoint your readers and put all your efforts in vain.

Editing is an arcane profession carried out by individuals, often working freelance, who offer a unique and important service for authors, and who lend their personal talent and insight to a manuscript.

As an author who has decided to self-publish, you should understand the editorial process a book undergoes in the traditional publishing world. You must give your book the same level of care and attention, and recognize that proper editorial treatment is much more than simply proofreading for grammar and spelling errors.

See more at: http://www.iuniverseselfpublishing.com/before-publication/editing-evaluated/

Read More

How To Self Publish Stress-Free the iUniverse Way

iUniverse believes that now is a great time to be an Author. Set yourself up for an enjoyable and exciting writing experience. Hopefully you are writing from the heart because you can’t help doing otherwise. After devoting so much time to something, your hopes are up that others would take time to notice your work and hear what you have to say.

Time is money and writing a book is time-consuming. It’s is then fair to seek recompense for your work, but remember that writing the book is only a small part of monetizing your effort. You can’t sell lemonade without a stand.

iUniverse Publishing suggests the following things to consider to .

See more at: http://www.iuniverseselfpublishing.com/before-publication/self-publish-stress-free/

Read More

iUniverse Tips on How To Avoid Common Writing Mistakes

The best writers have always self-edited their work to be concise and overflowing with nuance. You want your sentences like punch bursting with flavor, and not watered down. This is the art of writing and it takes practice. Hemingway said, “My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.”

Evaluate your work as you go. At each comfortable stopping point, writers should re-read what is on the page. iUniverse Publishing offers you the following advice.

See more at: http://www.iuniverseselfpublishing.com/before-publication/writing-mistakes/

Read More

10 iUniverse Tips on How To Edit Your Drafts

Before handing on your manuscript to your editor, it’s a must to take care of the basics to facilitate the editing of your book. If you think you have no use for an editor and you can weed out unnecessary words and correct misspellings and grammar slips all by yourself, we hope to ease your task with these iUniverse editing tips.

Learn the rules as a foundation for book editing skills.

When editing a book, it is important to use grammar and punctuation correctly. There are several resources available to help you improve these skills. The Brief English Handbook by Edward A. Dornan and Robert Dees is a required reading for English majors at American universities. It covers grammar, punctuation, and the writing process among other English skills, in great detail.

See more at: http://www.iuniverseselfpublishing.com/after-publication/editing-drafts/

Read More