This comprehensive guide introduces aspiring storytellers to the ins and outs of writing fiction and nonfiction for young adults. Information includes an overview of writing, from dialogue and point of view to plot, setting, and character construction; choosing an agent and publisher; marketing the finished work; and more. - Written by an experienced author who has written, edited, and published books for young adults. - Features writing exercises, anecdotes, and insider information. - YA is a popular and lucrative genre for aspiring and seasoned authors alike, both in fiction and nonfiction.

A completely updated guide for first-time novelists. Completely revised to include new interviews with best-selling authors; more detailed information on writing genre fiction from paranormal romance to cozy mysteries; and everything a writer needs to know about self-publishing and eBooks to get started. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Writing a Novel, Second Edition, is an indispensable reference on how to write and publish a first novel. ?Expert author with over thirty published novels ?Includes interviews with new best-selling novelists ?Features new material on writing genre fiction and self-publishing

Here is the comprehensive guide to writing, publishing, and selling for the ever-expanding and always exciting children’s market—now in a new and updated third edition. • Includes new chapters on self-publishing and on "how to choose a how-to," plus revision and updates throughout • Offers practical advice on getting started--and on dealing with out-of-print books • Covers picture books, chapter books, nonfiction, middle-grade and young novels, and common formats and genres • Reveals what happens inside a children's publishing company, and provides guidance in working with an editor • Sample cover and query letters, manuscript format, glossary, and recommended resources in an extensive appendix • Plus information on agents, contracts, copyright, marketing, and more “Honest and precise… everything about writing for children there is to know.” —Jane Yolen, author

Helps readers write memoirs, personal essays, and life stories of every length and type.

Inside information from publishing professionals. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Book Proposals & Query Letters will help writers catch the attention of literary agents with step-by-step instructions on crafting effective queries and proposals for both fiction and non-fiction books that will put them on the road to publication. • The only book on book proposals that also targets a fiction audience • The most comprehensive information on query letters found in any book on writing

Erotic romance reigns supreme as a big category of women's fictions; a billion-dollar business serviced by a new breed of uninhibited writer. This book is the necessary how-to for first-timers and a terrific guide for seasoned professionals as well, who are putting their racy (and lucrative) fantasies to paper. Now, for the first time, a veteran erotic romance author shows exactly what to do and how. The first book to guide writers to succeed in this mutli-million dollar genre. Explores how to set up a plot and write good, steamy sex scenes. From a best-selling experienced author. Includes resource section for research tools and further reading. Interviews with top editors in the field. Foreword by Kate Duffy, editorial director at Kensington Publishing and founding editor of the genre.

An updated and revised edition-offering new information on some of the most popular topics in grant writing. This new edition of The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Grant Writing provides essential information on how to start a freelance business, covering such topics as getting that first assignment, pricing, state regulations, organizing and customizing proposals, researching funders, sponsorship, and much more. ? In the current economic environment, government and private sector grants will continue to be an important way to acquire funds for projects. ? Includes grant writing samples. ? This book's templates and other resources will now be easy to find and use on idiotsguides.com.

THE BEST WAYS TO MAKE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WRITING! Writers today are no longer just working on books and newspapers. Businesses, advertisers, and hundreds of other outlets are desperate for people who can craft effective messages and persuade people with their words. A strong writer can make $50 to $200 per hour, or even more... if you know where to find the work. Robert Bly is a professional writer who makes more than $600,000 per year from his writing. Now, he's ready to share his secrets. 88 Money-Making Writing Jobs presents the best outlets writers can find to turn their words into profit (including many that few people think to seek out). Along with an overview of each job, you'll discover: A breakdown of what it typically pays The nuts and bolts of what you'll write What it takes to work in the field How to get started Resources for finding the work For anyone serious about a career as a writer, this guide offers the best information on how to make incredible money in ways that are fun, challenging, and make the most of your writing talents.

A COMPANION TO CREATIVE WRITING A Companion to Creative Writing is a comprehensive collection covering myriad aspects of the practice and profession of creative writing in the contemporary world. The book features contributions from an international cast of creative writers, publishers and editors, critics, translators, literary prize judges, and many other top professionals. Chapters not only consider the practice of creative writing in terms of how it is “done,” but also in terms of what occurs in and around creative writing practice. Chapters address a wide range of topics including the writing of poetry and fiction; playwriting and screenwriting; writing for digital media; editing; creative writing and its engagement with language, spirituality, politics, education, and heritage. Other chapters explore the role of literary critics and ideas around authorship, as well as translation and creative writing, the teaching of creative writing, and the histories and character of the marketplace, prizes, awards, and literary events. With its unprecedented breadth of coverage, A Companion to Creative Writing is an indispensable resource for those who are undertaking creative writing, studying creative writing at any level, or considering studying creative writing.

At a time when healthcare costs are skyrocketing, approximately 47 million Americans are without medical insurance. Setting aside the debate over healthcare in the U.S., this guide explores the best options for those without insurance. Readers will find information on state and federal resources for the uninsured, choosing a hospital, saving on prescription medications, and when to use the emergency room and when to use a clinic. *?According to The New York Times, "more than 1?3 of the uninsured-17 million of the nearly 47 million-have family incomes of $40,000 or more" ?According to the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the uninsured, there were 6.6 million uninsured people in high-income homes in 2001, and that number has now increased