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Writing a Book Report

Writing a book report sounds fairly simple till the time you are actually expected to do one at school by your teacher. The start is fairly simple – read the book which needs to be reviewed. But after that what is one supposed to do? Confusion, bewilderment and inertia sets in and you start to wonder whether you will ever be able to accomplish this task which you set out to do.  Rather than grounded yourself to a halt or raving in desperation at the impending deadline for your submission look for templates and examples.

Ask other people who have done book reports as to how they had proceeded after reading the book. You could ask your teacher or mentor, your parents or elder siblings or a friend. You could probably ask the librarian since she is sure to have done a book report at some time in her life.

There are numerous boos which explain in detail about how book reports should be tackled and approached. One such book that you might want to refer to is ‘How to write Terrific Book Reports b Elizabeth James’. This Student Survival Guide explains what a book report is and the main definitions and descriptions required. It also includes lessons on how to choose a book for reviewing, how to use the library and also how to read the book and what to notice while doing so. It also provides sample book reports as a test case.

Another such book is How to Write Book Reports by Dawn B. Sova and Harry Teitelbaum. This book is similar to that by James but also includes the difference between reports and reviews and how to take notes for writing a book report.

Though the Internet is an excellent platform for all information, to write your report learn from the gurus and choose the site from which you judiciously. Only refer to sites which are likely to be genuine and effective. It is important to do so since there may be many sites which may be a sham and provide fake information. Some of the sites which you might find useful are TeensPoint.org, TeenInk.com (which has more than 600 book reviews), and NancyMatson.com (which along with reviews offers a recommended book of the month). 

You may choose any or all of the sources to refer to for your book review but the fun is in writing your own report and verbalizing your options and perceptions rather than copying it from someone else.

January 23rd, 2008 Posted by admin | Book Reports, Books | no comments

Looking For Genuine Book Agents?

So finally you have finished writing the book for which you toiled hard and just like your newborn, is very close to your heart? And you thought that you have crossed the biggest hurdle? Well now comes the tougher part, which is to get your book printed and making it see the light of the day. For this, you would need the services of a book agent. Not only any book agent, but also someone who is good at his work. There are many kinds of literary agents and hence you have to be careful with who you choose to represent you. 

To start with, do a background search on the area of specialization of the book agents. This is important since some agents work with fiction, some specialize in poetry whereas other love technical titles. Once you identify a list of agents who deal in your area of work, you would need to zero down on someone who can ensure that your interests are protected. This is difficult since finding agents who know their jobs is very difficult. It’s almost like searching for a needle in a haystack. Don’t be surprised if you keep bumping into scammers disguised as book agents. Though people like these are available in plenty, they are in it only for themselves and can be really terrible at their job.
 
A good book agent knows his job well, probably would have learnt it by working for some other reputed agent. That would have helped him learn the tricks of the trade by talking independently to the publishers as well as the authors. He would have the gone ahead and set up his own business. These agents toil hard and will be on your side without ever asking you for any monetary benefits. They will also do things like editing your books free of cost.

However, if you land up with a scammer, you will find that he will send you a bill even before the book hit the shelves. This is something that a genuine agent will not do. Once your book starts selling, he gets his money as a share of the amount you get from the proceeds. This can be a real-time filter of isolating a scammer from a genuine agent. Also, a scammer will make you get your revisions and editing done by a third party though it is supposed to be done by him for free. They are book agents after all and it is imperative that they should have editing skills.

In a nutshell, ensure that you do a thorough research on book agents. You should feel comfortable with them right through. However, if you feel that something is not right, switch to another one at the first opportunity. Don’t panic if you find yourself doing this often since it is important that you are working with the right person. After all it is a question of making your dream come true!

January 21st, 2008 Posted by admin | Book Writing, Books | no comments

Book Publishers

Your efforts do not stop after you have taken to write your “pride and joy” book or novel. In fact, formatting it up to the standards of different publishers and finding the right publisher needs an equally great effort and research if you wish to avoid a stack of rejection slips.

Although there are hundreds of them, the best place to look for book publishers is the Writer’s Market, a book published once a year incorporating information on book publishers, magazines publishers, and any other imaginable writing market.

It gives you the most up-to-date information about the specialization of each publisher, whom to contact, and how to format your manuscript to meet their specifications. For more current information Writer’s Market is available online too.

There is a lot of guidance available online which gives tips on how to approach book publishers as well as how to attract the attention of an editor with a well-drafted cover letter. Paying attention to small nuances like these may result in someone reading your submission instead of it being tossed in the rejected pile unread.

Agents are skilled in selling books and can be of great help in getting some attention to your manuscript as they have contacts and favors owed to them by publishers. Though they offer no guarantees but provide useful counsel and can contribute a lot to your objective, especially if you are a first timer. As book publishers are often flooded with submissions, a good agent can get the right person to look at your book.

If you are struck with traditional book publishers, you may try to publish on your own. Before venturing out on this route, it is advisable to consider your skills in the area of marketing and distribution because that will be your responsibility and you may use some publishing companies that help only with the printing of your book. Before you sign up with any self-publishing company, do extensive research before you commit to anything. Beware of scams, as there are some companies that will take your money and do little else.

January 19th, 2008 Posted by admin | Book Writing, Books | no comments