I am delighted to report the 3 winners chosen from the HUNDREDS who submitted their entries to my “done for you” book service! They are Jonathan Brown, Debra White, and Melissa Suey! Congratulations! They have been contacted and will soon get to experience my “done for you” book service. Here’s what they won:

I have never offered this package for free before. I normally charge $1997 for this service. But as part of The “Done for You” Giveaway of the Century, you can win one!

If you are one of my winners, I will interview you and write the book for you! Here’s how it works:

1. I send you to a short on-line questionnaire; you fill it out.
2. We make an appointment for an interview.
3. I call you and interview you.
4. A short time later, I send you a draft of your book for your approval.
5. I make any needed changes, and send you your final document, ready to publish! I also send you exact instructions for getting it published inexpensively and quickly. (Or you can retain me to do that step for you, too, at additional cost.)

My normal charge for this done-for-you service is $1997. But if you are one of 3 winners in my “done for you” giveaway, it is yours for FREE!

Jon Peddie told me about this–an approach to writing fiction by Randy Ingermanson, who is a PhD physicist who became a successful fiction writer. It bears some similarity to my “Diamond Plan” for writing non-fiction, but is, I believe, better suited to fiction. Worth looking it, for sure.

I met Liz Lynch at Kevin Nations’ Big Ticket Blueprint event. What a sweet and wonderful person! She is interviewing me tonight on a conference call. I highly recommend her “Smart Networking” book, which you can read about at http://SmartNetworkingNow.com

Check it out!

Check out this blog. It’s got excellent stuff–and references to other resources for creative and fiction writers

An excellent post on what NOT to remember from your English classes.

Author advances are mysterious to most would-be authors. This NYT piece sums up the current state of affairs, and is full of fascinating factoids. (Audrey Niffenegger, “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” just landed a $5 million advance for her next novel.)

I just finished This is Your Brain on Music, by Daniel Levitin. It is an amazing book, for several reasons:

• Levitin was a rock music ;erformer and producer before deciding to study musicology and neuroscience, so his examples are hip and personal. But he is an eclectic lover of music, and his references to classical music are equally knowledgeable and evocative.
• The book addresses aspects of a question that has troubled me since my childhood: Why does some music make us happy and other music makes us sad? How universal are its effects?
• Levitin is a wonderful scientist, who is able to express strong beliefs while clearly representing opposing views.
• The writing is excellent.

I think the layout could have used a bit more “air.” Paragraphs are very long, and often made me feel a need to take a deep breath before proceeding.

It’s an old saw and true: If you want to write well, read lots of good writing. This book will help.

Here you will find an outstanding article on how to select a book editor, what it will cost, and what to expect.

A sweet movie with narration from recordings of philosopher Alan Watts: