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Recommended Books

Purchase books through Powells.com via this link or the books listed below.

Writer's Market. is a essential book for all writers! It is the "bible" of freelance writing. The link will take you to a listing of various Writer's Markets. The bare bones one is about $29.99 - it is a huge volume! You can also purchase a version with a CD for around $49.99. They also offer Children's Writer's Markets, and other genres.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. By Anne LaMott. A hilarious book, highly recommended. Text is partially derived from what she taught her writing students, presented in a very readable, funny way. Chapters include Dialogue, Perfectionism, Shitty First Drafts, Writing Groups, Writer's Block, Finding Your Voice, Publication and others.

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. By William Zinsser. Highly Recommended! Very easy reading book with excellent advice on writing style and self-editing. Has a Section on Principles that includes Chapters on Simplicity, Clutter, Audience, Words, Unity, etc., and Part II on Forms and Methods, which includes Chapters on Nonfiction as Literature, Writing About People: The Interview, Writing About Places: The Travel Article, Writing About Yourself: The Memoir, The Lead & Ending, Science & Tech, Humor, Rewriting, Organizing a Long Article, and a few others.

Sierra Club Nature Writing Handbook: A Creative Guide By John Murray. This title is OUT OF PRINT, but you can order it used. Murray covers nature writing from the creative angle but also discusses publication. Chapters include The Journal, The Essay, The Opening, The Closing, The Writing Process, Style, Storytelling, Word Pictures, Fiction and Poetry, Research, Revision.

The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less By Peter Bowerman. The book talks a lot about copywriting - writing for businesses and nonprofits - and is less focused on magazine writing but it has invauable informaton about making a good living as an independent writer.

A Field Guide for Science Writers: The Official Guide of the National Association of Science Writers. By Deborah Blum. Includes chapters written by various writers on topics ranging from Writing Science for Magazines, Freelance Business Issues, Investigative Science Journalism, Telling a Good Tale, Op-Ed Writing, Environmental Writing, and several others.

Handbook of Magazine Article Writing A couple different editions are available. I have the one by Jean Fredette. Each Chapter written by a different author. Includes Chapters on Irresistible Query Letters, Expertise, The Idea Ideal, 2,000 Salable Article Ideas in a Year, Twelve Ways to End Your Article Gracefully, Revision, Art-of-Living Articles, Personal Experience Articles, How-to Articles, Supplementing Writing with Photos, What to Notice for Your Travel Stories, 8 Essentials of Nonfiction, Manuscript Mechanics: How to Submit Your Magazine Article, and others.

Writing Creative Nonfiction: Instruction and Insights from the teachers of the Associated Writing Programs Carolyn Forche’ and Philip Gerard, Eds. Philip Gerard is supposed to be great, and the volume truly looks fantastic with chapters by Terry Tempest Williams, Annie Dillard, Barry Lopez, Phillip Lopate, and more. The content looks really valuable.

The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers. By Betsy Lerner. Prize-winning poet, author's agent, and editor Lerner offers her best advice to writers on the craft of writing well, as well as the publishing industry.