First-Time Author

by Tim Brookes

Suggestions, helpful advice, and hard-earned wisdom from a seasoned writing teacher, author, editor, and publisher to a writer embarking on a first book.

134 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

I was born in England to parents who were poor, honest, and loved nothing more than going for long walks, preferably in the rain. My education consisted of being forced to take written exams every five or six weeks, and eat school lunches of liver and onions-until I got to Oxford, where we had written exams every eight weeks and had lunches of pickled onions and Guinness.
This was quite enough to make me flee the country and seek gainful employment in Vermont, where I have lived for 24 years, writing a great deal, playing the guitar, carving endangered alphabets, and trying to grow good raspberries.

Reviews

[Angela Palm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tim Brookes is an experienced writer and organizes that experiences here in a clear, concise field guide for writers who have begun or want to begin their first book. The book is presented in short, digestible chapters, allowing readers to either dip in and out as necessary on key topics or read straight through. Either approach will provide the writer with solid, tried and true advice on managing the logistics of writing a book-length work, which can be overwhelming. I recommend this book for new writers who are particularly intimidated by the process and large-scale management aspects of writing, as well as those who simply need a boost of humorous and direct support to help them push through to the final draft. Specific resources, tools, and methodologies for writers are not necessarily part and parcel of this book. It's not a textbook or primer per se; but rather an experience shared through a relevant, practically applied narrative. This book is great for writers who are truly in the thick of the work and need a light to guide them through to the end. Pick this book up at the starting line so you can make it to the finish line.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phenomenal. I find myself re-reading this from time to time and skipping around. Overall, this is a very insightful read. Super easy to get through. I definitely recommend this to all writers thinking to publish and share your work.