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Shooting Yourself in the Head for Fun and Profit: A Writer's Survival Guide Paperback – May 23, 2014

by Lucy A Snyder (Author)

4.8 20 ratings

Join award-winning author Lucy A. Snyder for this guide to working, surviving and thriving as a writer in a world that often doesn't properly value creative professionals. Snyder -- who's authored ten books and over 200 stories, poems, and articles -- shares her no-nonsense advice on:
* Finding time to write
* Surviving as a short fiction writer
* Plotting
* Setting and world building
* Characterization
* Binge writing
* Collaborating on fiction
* Conducting sharp interviews
* Finding or creating a writers' group
* Self-publishing
* Finding and working with an agent
* Using Kickstarter to fund your project
* Networking at conventions
* Getting your books into libraries
* Promoting your book

You'll also get her interviews with luminary authors such as Clive Barker, Chuck Palahniuk and Ursula K. Le Guin along with valuable information on the various subgenres of fantasy and horror.

"Lucy Snyder has seen some shit, brother. She's been through the trenches; she knows the way the world comes down. You can feel it in the work. This lady is not only courageous, she's fearless. We need more like her ...."
-- author Tom Piccirilli, from his introduction to Snyder's Chimeric Machines

"Lucy Snyder is straight up gangsta."
-- Maurice Broaddus, author of The Knights of Breton Court

"There is no other writer working today quite like Lucy A. Snyder."
-- Hellnotes

Print length

252 pages
Language

English
Publication date

May 23, 2014
Dimensions

5.51 x 0.53 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

0692208453
ISBN-13

978-0692208458
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Post Mortem Press (May 23, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 252 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0692208453
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0692208458
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.51 x 0.53 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #5,357,892 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5,565 in Authorship Reference
- #52,855 in Writing Reference

Customer Reviews:
4.8 20 ratings

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About the author

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Lucy A. Snyder

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Lucy A. Snyder is the five-time Bram Stoker Award-winning and Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author of 14 books:

* Sister, Maiden, Monster

* Halloween Season

* Exposed Nerves

* Garden of Eldritch Delights

* While the Black Stars Burn

* Spellbent

* Shotgun Sorceress

* Switchblade Goddess

* Soft Apocalypses

* Orchid Carousals

* Sparks and Shadows

* Chimeric Machines

* Installing Linux on a Dead Badger

* Shooting Yourself in the Head For Fun and Profit: A Writer's Survival Guide

Her writing has been translated into French, Russian, Italian, Czech, and Japanese editions and has appeared in publications such as Apex Magazine, Nightmare Magazine, Pseudopod, Strange Horizons, Weird Tales, Steampunk World, and Best Horror of the Year, Vol. 5.

She has an MFA in creative writing from Goddard College and lives in Ohio. You can follow her on Twitter at @LucyASnyder.

You can learn more at her website: www.lucysnyder.com

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Chris Phillips

Shoot yourself in the head... just make sure you get paid for it

Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2014

Verified Purchase

I've read more than my share of how-to-books on writing so I went into this one expecting more of the same. But I was wrong, in a good way.

Instead of focusing on the details of the craft this book focuses more on what to do with those skills. It covers everything from conventions to agents to how to get your book into libraries. Don't get me wrong, there is lots of great advice on the craft from scene building to plotting, but I found that the most valuable information came from the business end of things, a topic often neglected or glossed over in other writing books.

It is also a great book for introverts like me who need to learn how and when to put their professional hats on, and it explains why a bad attitude, or even a reclusive one, can break your career. In short, this book can show anyone how to live a successful writer's life.

One person found this helpful

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Ray Cavender

Buy it, Learn it, Live it.

Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2014

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It's worth the price for just the intro alone...and it actually gets better from there. No kidding. It's a freakin' great book. I stayed up last night reading it...and even this cynical old editorial soul feels like he's learned a few things. Just go buy it. I guarantee you'll learn something about yourself as a writer...

3 people found this helpful

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R. Watts

An informative and well-delivered survival guide!

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2014

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An informative and well-delivered survival guide by someone who is clearly a master of their craft. For writers, whether novice level or professional grade, this is an easy to follow and entertaining book which employs a great deal of practical advice which is of great value to those who are starting out, or those of us who need a kind reminder that the life of an author can be unkind at times. Just about every aspect of the field is covered and I suggest this book to just about anyone whose either already published a book or is in the early stages of doing so. It's a very helpful companion.

One person found this helpful

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rich rudawsky

I would think everyone but the very vetern author could ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2015

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I would think everyone but the very vetern author could find something helpful in this book. It was a bit specific to horror and science fiction, but the princibles still apply.

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2015

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Lucy included a lot about marketing, which is something that most books on writing gloss over.

One person found this helpful

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Rob R

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2014

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There a lot of good material here, plus Snyder employs a lot of humor.

One person found this helpful

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Share The Horror

Snyder offers up a lot of terrific advice and adds in some great interviews

Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2014

Verified Purchase

Snyder offers up a lot of terrific advice and adds in some great interviews. If you are considering picking up the pen (or tapping the keys) and entering the world of fiction, picking this book up is a pretty good idea. Snyder shares her experiences and ride through the literary jungle.
Everything from how to start, how to set up a routine, how to get an agent (and why), and even promotional tips for those of you with works available.

Grab a copy!

2 people found this helpful

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Heather M

Read this so you can finally get that published

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2014

For the first time writer, this book will give you suggestions for a best path to follow to get from Point A (characters in your head and in your notebooks) to Point (B your words, in a publication, being read by hundreds and thousands.) Any good book about writing will tell you about characters, plot, and setting, including this book. Only this book will tell you about using the internet to make connections, using your time at conventions to make connections, and using a writer's group to make connections. And what to do with your network of connections once you have them. Only this book will tell you the straight truth about collaborators, first readers, and literary agents. You need to know what Lucy Snyder knows.

For the writer who has published a piece or two, Lucy has laid out a few tricks and tips you may not have realized. She'll talk you through moving from a once-lister to being a mid-list author. And you want to publish again, right? She'll tell you why you should also write short-fiction and why you should publish your poetry and why you should ply your hand at the non-fiction trade. She'll remind you why to continue writing even after you have published one or two pieces.

And for the well-published, well-read, well-known author? Lucy has a comedic wit and a balls-to-the-wall honesty about the craft and trade that you will find refreshing. She also features interviews with some of your peers, giving you a glimpse into where they are in their life these days. Step inside and enjoy the ride.

3 people found this helpful

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