Library Journal

[Ralph] Keyes, a longtime writer and teacher of writing, is best known for The Courage To Write: How Writers Transcend Fear. In this follow-up, he offers words of encouragement to would-be scribes, inviting them to take charge of selling their own work, to be open to new venues of disbursement, and to consider self-publishing. Similar in quality to Peter Elbow’s Writing with Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process and Stephen King’s On Writing, this book is divided into three main sections, each offering pertinent information and entertaining anecdotes to which many struggling writers will be able to relate. Part 1 deals with common emotions that writers experience, such as anxiety, frustration, and despair. In Part 2, Keyes reminds writers that publishers and those who work in publishing are just people after all, with personal pressures and company agendas to consider. His point is that rejection letters should not reinforce feelings of disappointment but instead be used to toughen, to motivate, and to teach perseverance, because it is precisely this quality that often proves the most valuable asset. Part 3 promotes seeking encouragement from family, friends, and writers’ groups. A solid purchase for libraries where apprentice to expert writers frequent. – Kim Harris, Rochester P.L., NY