Writing in a Nutshell : The Complete Series Collection - Jessica Bell

Writing in a Nutshell

The Complete Series Collection

By: Jessica Bell

eBook | 30 May 2019 | Edition Number 1

Sorry, we are not able to source the ebook you are looking for right now.

We did a search for other ebooks with a similar title, however there were no matches. You can try selecting from a similar category, click on the author's name, or use the search box above to find your ebook.

Don't need paperbacks? Then save $$$ by snapping up the complete collection of the Writing in a Nutshell series in digital format, revised and updated in 2019.

In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott says a writer needs to focus on short assignments to avoid feeling overwhelmed. She refers to the one-inch picture frame on her desk and how it reminds her to focus on bite-sized pieces of the whole story. If you focus on one small thing at a time, the story will eventually come together to create a whole. The same applies to learning writing, editing, and publishing craft. If writers focus on one aspect of the craft at a time, the process will seem less daunting, and piece by piece, it will come together.
 
With more than ten years’ experience as an editor and writer of English Language Teaching (ELT) materials for various ELT publishers worldwide, I know that “breaking down” language and tasks into smaller focus areas is an effective learning method. After much experimentation on myself, and volunteer aspiring writers, I discovered it is extremely effective with writing, editing, and publishing too. And so the Writing in a Nutshell series was born.
 
The first book, Writing in a Nutshell: Writing Workshops to Improve Your Craft, I guide writers through a variety of “before” and “after” writing examples demonstrating the transition from weak to strong writing, and encourage them to follow my example through clear and simple self-teaching steps. This book is also broken down into three separate workbooks (available to purchase separately) should writers not need practice in all areas: Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Telling to Showing; Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Subversions of Adverbs & Clichés into Gourmet Imagery; and The Six Senses in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Bleak to Bold Narrative.

In the second book, Polish Your Fiction: A Quick & Easy Self-Editing Guide, I offer my tried and tested advice on the quickest and easiest ways to polish different areas of writing style, consistency of prose, grammar, punctuation, typography, and layout. Each section is armed with a numbered checklist for moments when writers need that “at-a-glance” reminder and nifty Microsoft Word tricks that will save time. At the end of the book there are also magnificent accounts of editorial mistakes other authors have made during their careers, to show that no matter how many times a book is edited, something always slips through, and to therefore not be so hard on oneself.
 
In the third book, Self-Publish Your Book: A Quick & Easy Step-by-Step Guide, I do not overwhelm with all information available—I explain exactly what one needs to know, without the faff, by following a foolproof, cost-efficient, time-efficient, extremely easy-to-follow, step-by-step, self-publishing method.  By following this method, a writer can have their book go from manuscript to published book within one week. They’ll learn how to: prepare their manuscript in Microsoft Word, design their paperback and eBook cover, prepare their front/back matter and blurb, format their paperback interior & eBook, proofread their designed pages, register with desired retailers/distributors, export their eBook to a retail-ready file, and upload their paperback and eBook to retailers/distributors.
 
Not only is the Writing in a Nutshell series an excellent addition to any creative writing, editing, and/or publishing course, but it’s also a great primary learning tool for aspiring writers and self-publishers.

Industry Reviews

"Saved me hours of painstakingly boring work. If only it had been available a few years ago!" ~Glynis Peters, author of The Secret Orphan

"A very thorough step-by-step guide to the preparation of a self-published book. If you are a writer who wishes to "do-it-yourself" but without spending ages researching how to, this book is ideal." ~Terry Freedman, writersknowhow.org

"If Jessica Bell’s Writing in a Nutshell series has not yet become the standard craft reference for all aspiring writers, then it should have. The books in the series cover everything about writing creative fiction and non-fiction from showing—not telling —to polishing a finished manuscript. They have now been joined by the sixth, and perhaps ultimately the most useful, book in the series: Self-Publish Your Book. This amazing volume tells you step-by-step how to take the manuscript you have been lovingly incubating under Bell’s expert gaze, and turn it into a volume as professionally produced as Bell’s books themselves. The book is divided into sixteen chapters that cover everything from formatting the manuscript properly, through cover design, choice of format (eBook or paperback, or both?) to getting your book into the hands of the distributers, from where people can actually buy your baby. It’s quite technical, but it needs to be, and everything is explained in Bell’s extremely user-friendly prose that could make brain surgery seem like, … well … something a lot easier than brain surgery. In recent years, self-published authors have taken a lot of flak from the traditional publishing industry—most of whom are running scared—for a lack of professional quality, particularly in terms of production values for books. With this book, Jessica Bell gives you the tools to break through that reputation, sharing the secrets of her own success as an author and self-publisher, backed by her years of experience as an editor and writer. If self-publishing is a revolution, then Bell has placed herself firmly at the head of it, holding the flag. With this book and the rest in the series, you too can become part of the movement and take the publishing power into your own hands." ~Luca Marchiori, ELT writer, food blogger, and editor

“In each Nutshell guide, Jessica Bell provides a focused and effective master class on a single aspect of the writer’s craft. To read each book feels like taking a personal tutorial, with expert advice couched in friendly, supportive terms and reinforced by carefully planned exercises. A highly recommended source of practical help to refine any author’s writing skills.” ~Debbie Young, author of Sell Your Books, the Sophie Sayers Village Mysteries, and editor of The Alliance of Independent Authors Self-Publishing Advice Blog.

“I found that working through the guide helped me pinpoint the areas in my own novel that lacked vivid setting and description. It’s so hard to edit your own work, but Jessica Bell’s guides have been invaluable for teaching me the fine art of self-editing and revision. I highly recommend this guide as a standalone, but I believe the guides work best in conjunction with one another. They also make great gifts for writers, especially those in your critique group!” ~Angela Mackintosh, Founder/CEO at WOW! Women On Writing

"Bang-useful checklist with lots of tricks and tweaks to make your book the very best it can be." ~Hart Johnson, author of A Shot in the Light

"Reading this insightful, easy-to-use toolkit is like being on the receiving end of face-to-face tuition from one of today's leading indie authors. Most authors have to learn the tricks of the trade by trial and error. Jessica Bell is giving away all our secrets!" ~Jane Davis, award-winning author

on