The subtitle of this book tells it all: “A Writer’s Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile.” When this book arrived with my order, I was at first disappointed when I read the back blurb and table of contents. As a seasoned writer, I know not to overuse adjectives or have tons of melodramatic dialogue. However, once I started reading, I was hooked before the end of the first page of the Introduction. This is a very practical book, not only in telling the reader what things are dead giveaways of amateur writers (like tons of adjectives or sappy dialogue), but also in telling the reader what it is that makes an agent read on, or toss aside. Lukeman explains why opening with dialogue isn’t a great idea, how to gauge the “sound” of your writing, and for every problem, offers solutions and exercises. This is a short book and a must-have for every serious writer’s bookshelf. And it is worth the cost of the book just for the rejection letter from a Chinese publisher that prefaces it!
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