Archive for the Publishing Category

Do Song Lyrics Belong In Your Book?

By Suzanne Sherman on April 14, 2023 / Memoir Writing, Publishing

I grew up tuned in to the radio. In the late sixties my station was 93 KHJ, “Boss Radio.” I knew the words to every song. In the early seventies I was still singing along, even to songs like Don McClean’s “American Pie,” with verses that went on even when

5 Tips for Improving Your Writing

By Suzanne Sherman on January 11, 2023 / Memoir Writing, Publishing

All the best writers do it. They develop a piece as they write subsequent drafts, improving the writing every time. Philip Roth says, “The book really comes to life in the rewriting.” Joyce Carol Oates says most of her time writing is really rewriting. John Irving says, “Maybe as much

When It’s Time to Publish

By Suzanne Sherman on December 6, 2022 / Blog, Publishing

I compare publishing a book to having a baby. The nine-month pregnancy—writing the book—is the first part. The life that follows the birth is the rest of the story. In ways, you’re done—you’ve finished writing the book. In other ways, you’ve only just begun.

Can You Put Song Lyrics in Your Book?

By Suzanne Sherman on March 19, 2020 / Blog, Memoir Writing, Publishing / Leave a comment

Music has captivated over the airwaves for almost a century, with every decade defined by its trends. Like me, you may feel that some incidents or time periods in your life have a soundtrack. Music describes a feeling and an era like little else can. (Bing Crosby is the ‘40s,

Including a Disclaimer in Your Book

By Suzanne Sherman on June 28, 2019 / Publishing

Whether you are self-publishing or using a traditional publisher for your memoir or other nonfiction book, you may want to include a disclaimer on your copyright page. Disclaimers serve to protect the author and publisher against liability when their book’s topic might invade someone’s privacy or result in a

Rejections That Didn’t Matter

By Suzanne Sherman on May 1, 2018 / Inside the Book Business, Publishing

The stories of famous authors being rejected before their rise — and sometimes to legendary status — are so eye-opening I have to share two lists with you. This first list tells you not only the writer’s name and book rejected but how many times it was rejected. Missing on

Almost Ready for Release!

By Suzanne Sherman on October 11, 2015 / Living the Writing Life, My Book, Publishing

“Girlhood in America: Personal Stories 1910 – 2010,” a book about girlhood through a century, is almost ready for release! I’ve been climbing that steep self-publisher’s learning curve and I’m finally cruising. When you sign a contract with a publishing house, you’re usually looking at two years before your pub