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Work InformationThe First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman (2000)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I did this as an audio book. I don't recommend that. The premise is that most novels are rejected by editors within the first 5 pages, so what are the dealbreakers? It is informative to put onself in ths position and imagine being the editor. There are many good tips, with each section fincluding several examples of bad work. These are egregiously bad and teious to listen to. I'd have skipped over if I had a physical book. Each section ends with exercises, some of which are useful. There is nothing especially new in this book that hasn't been said by others, but it is a refreshing perspective to get into the editor's mentality. ( ) One of the best books I've read if you're sending off to agents and publishers and if you're self editing. As you might guess from the title, Lukeman explains exactly what agents look for in order to reject your mss by reading as few pages as possible. It starts from the mechanics of presentation and then works through the other hurdles in rejection potential order from micro things like too many adjectives all the way up to pacing, character arcs and loads more. Good exercises and examples throughout to help you avoid these rejection reasons. no reviews | add a review
IF YOU'RE TIRED OF REJECTION, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. Whether you are a novice writer or a veteran who has already had your work published, rejection is often a frustrating reality. Literary agents and editors receive and reject hundreds of manuscripts each month. While it's the job of these publishing professionals to be discriminating, it's the job of the writer to produce a manuscript that immediately stands out among the vast competition. And those outstanding qualities, says New York literary agent Noah Lukeman, have to be apparent from the first five pages. The First Five Pages reveals the necessary elements of good writing, whether it be fiction, nonfiction, journalism, or poetry, and points out errors to be avoided, such as * A weak opening hook * Overuse of adjectives and adverbs * Flat or forced metaphors or similes * Melodramatic, commonplace or confusing dialogue * Undeveloped characterizations and lifeless settings * Uneven pacing and lack of progression With exercises at the end of each chapter, this invaluable reference will allow novelists, journalists, poets and screenwriters alike to improve their technique as they learn to eliminate even the most subtle mistakes that are cause for rejection. The First Five Pages will help writers at every stage take their art to a higher -- and more successful -- level. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresNo genres Melvil Decimal System (DDC)808.02Literature By Topic Rhetoric and anthologies Rhetoric and anthologies Authorship techniques, plagiarism, editorial techniquesLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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