The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner

Lerner's book is filled with useful information that she dispenses with wit, sarcasm and kindness. I was heartened by the examples of known authors who have faced multiple rejections and failures, before finding success. It seems that the world of publishing moves slowly and that might be hard to swallow in our society that demands immediate gratification. My biggest take-aways are to have patience, work hard and follow my gut. When I finished reading, I felt like my mind was exploding from all of the info! I felt like I gained a completely new perspective on the process. As a beginning writer, there was so much that I learned about publishing. There is a lot to be learned in this book and I suspect that it will be a frequent reference over the years. LIKE - I appreciate and respect that Lerner has shared her experiences in her field. The second half of the book deals with the nuts and bolts of the publishing world. She explains things that she suspects hinders these different personality types from achieving their writing goals and how these types of writers can maintain their focus. The first half of the book deals with different types of writer personalities that Lerner has encountered. She explains the business side of books and gives tips on moves a writer can make to work within this ever-changing system. Lerner's book is focused on giving a writer solid information on the publishing process. Lerner does not give advice about how to write a story. PLOT - In The Forest for the Trees, Betsy Lerner brings her years of knowledge as an editor to the table and dispenses advice on a variety of subjects for the aspiring ( or even seasoned) writer. I'm eager to absorb all of the writing advice that I can, so I placed this book recommendation at the top of my winter reading list.

I just wrapped up my fall quarter writing classes and Betsy Lerner's The Forest for the Trees was recommended to me by my memoir professor.

The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner