Posts Tagged ‘books’

Thoughts About Suspense Books And How To Choose One

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

Escaping from the realities of daily life is something that many people do through the reading of a good book. Suspense books are one type in particular that enable a person to do this. You can get wrapped up in the story and totally lose track of the things around you if you have a book like this that is good.

There is no shortage of topics either when it comes to suspense books. They can be found written about anything and everything. It is likely one of the reasons that they have become so popular and are increasing in popularity all the time. Even teens are liking these books thanks to the author of the Twilight series.

There are many types of suspense books that people can choose to read. Some may opt for the classics like Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys, while others like the newer style like The Da Vinci Code. It is irrelevant as to which one a person chooses as they are all similar in the fact that they capture a reader’s interest quickly.

The author’s of these books are gifted writer’s that can capture the reader within the first page or so. Once they have done this they continue to write in a manner that allows the person to become totally enthralled in what they are reading. Many people have spent hours on an afternoon curled up with a good book and finding that they totally lose track of time when doing so.

The most difficult part of becoming entranced by suspense books is getting the first book that will spark your curiosity. Once this is done there is generally no turning back. Most people want to read more and more. There are a lot of ways to find that perfect book, but it is something that is entirely up to the individual. Some take suggestions from friends and family. Others look at the cover or back of the book to get an idea if it is something that they may like or not. There is no wrong way to go about fining a book.

The library is a great place to start searching for suspense books. There are many options that can be found in the library on a host of things that may be of interest to you and they all can be found to contain a level of suspense within them. Looking around the library or talking to the librarian about things that interest you can be a key to finding a book that you will love. This is also an option that people find fit the budget that they have very well.

Many times people find that first book and fall in love with the way the author wrote it. This leads them on a journey of looking for other books that they have written in an effort to find something else appealing. There are a great number of authors that have written a series of suspense books. These are some of the ways that they keep reader’s interest in what they write and have them coming back for more.

If you have an avid interest in a particular author, you may choose to buy the suspense books that you like and have them in your own personal library. It is not uncommon to see people that have these types of libraries in their homes these days. Stephen King is an author of suspense books that has been talked about for many years, and there are tons of people that have his books in their homes.

Learn more about suspense books. Stop by Julie Jones’s site where you can find out all about suspense fiction novels and what it can do for you.

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“Does The Music Industry Really Expect Authors To Seek Permission To Use Lyrics In A Book Title?”

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Can a writer use a title from an in print or out of print book for a new book? Then there’s the question of the use of lyrics from songs, can they be used in the title of a book or even used in the book’s content? It’s not surprising that quite a few authors are uncertain about lawful use and what is believed to be copyright infringement, particularly when it comes to using the original works of others. Think, what if book title was subject to copyright? The law courts would be jammed to the rafters with criminal lawsuits. As breaching copyright is actually a criminal offence!

One advantage is that the title of a book cannot be copyrighted, although if it is part of a series like the “Dummies” series then you cannot pass your work off with that as part of the title. Sort of like in this example, “Using Song Lyrics in Book Titles for Dummies”.

A real hazard area is the use of popular songs in book titles and the likes of. Unless permission is first obtained for the use of popular songs being reprinted anywhere, other than what is commonly called “fair use”, musicians and their well paid legal teams do not take kindly to it.

Let us take the example of author George Korankye, he had a burning desire to use the lyrics covered under copyright, namely “I Can See Clearly Now the Rain is Gone” by Johnny Nash. First he had to write to the copyright holder and ask permission. In some cases this can cause lengthy delays. Many times the request gets shuffled from department to department and no one responds, leaving the author in limbo.

There are successful books out there with titles from song lyrics. First example that swoops to mind: A series of titles from Wally Lamb: “I Know This Much Is True”. “She’s Come Undone”. “Couldn’t Keep It To Myself”. Oh, and of course the George Korankye book “I Can See Clearly Now the Rain is Gone”.

The Dunblane heartbreak novel “I Can See Clearly Now the Rain is Gone” by George Korankye uses the events that happened in’96 when 16 schoolchildren and their teacher were murdered. That tragedy is a template for the book. Although permission was granted to use the title from Johnny Nash’s song, lyrics need permission. Usually a song title falls under “fair use”. Obviously this is something worth checking out, as it may be subject to a trade mark registration.

The novel “I Can See Clearly Now the Rain is Gone” builds up to a crescendo, and the ending is quite tear jerking, but for all the right reasons. The song by Johnny Nash is quite apt in that the author George Korankye sees it as a song of optimism and courage in overcoming ALL obstacles. From the outset, it mirrors the Dunblane heartbreak and builds towards a more reassuring ending.

Who would think that an African-American pop singer-songwriter mismarkted by ABC Records as another Johnny Mathis would one day have such a hit as “I Can See Clearly Now the Rain is Gone”? Born John Lester Nash, Jr. on August’,'40, in Houston, Texas, he went on to change the mainstream acceptance of reggae music by being the first non-Jamaican to record reggae music in Kingston, Jamaica.

Nash began as a pop singer in the’50s, enjoying success as an actor early in his career appearing in the screen version of playwright Louis S. Peterson’s “Take a Giant Step”. Nash won a Silver Sail Award for his performance from the Locarno International Film Festival.

Besides “I Can See Clearly Now the Rain is Gone” Nash recorded several hits in Jamaica, where he travelled in early’68, as his girlfriend had family links with local TV and radio host and novel writer Neville Willoughby. Nash planned to try breaking the local rocksteady sound in the United States.

“I Can See Clearly Now the Rain is Gone” has had numerous cover versions, one by Jimmy Cliff went to number’ in the US in’94. His version was in the John Candy movie “Cool Runnings”, about the Jamaican bobsled team.

Sales of Nash’s hit song “I Can See Clearly Now the Rain is Gone” shot through the roof, reaching well over seven million copies sold. With his fabulous voice and brilliant music scores, Johnny Nash is still as charismatic as ever. Perfect harmony exists between the George Korankye book and the Johnny Nash song, each meshed in a form of finely tuned synchronicity with the other. With just a little effort and patience applied, the legal status of the song’s copyright was kept intact without George Korankye being ignorant of the laws of copyright. Do ensure that you consult all copyright holders of material you intend to use in books, and stay within the law and out of court.

Radiographer turned novelist George Korankye wrote his first novel, bestowing upon it Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now the Rain Is Gone”“. He secured the legal use of the song lyrics, which are also included in the book. You wil find, just like George Korankye, that it is best to always obtain the lyricist’s agreement for use of any popular song title before using it, as litigation can be costly!

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Horror Writing Can Be Very Lucrative

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Why is horror still a multi-billion dollar industry that entertains and attracts record numbers of followers year in, year out? Savvy writers know that there’s a fortune to be made in thrilling their readers with everything from monster stories, psychological suspense, ghost stories and good old fashioned gore.

Now it’s your chance to cash in on this most lucrative of genres. Whatever your area of preference is Short Stories, Novels, Film and or TV, there is an ever hungry need for thrillers and dramas using supernatural themes and settings.

Now, don’t go thinking in cliches. Horror is not just Stephen King and Slasher movies! Horror and Dark Fantasy Fiction also encompasses the likes of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, the Matrix series, and TV shows like Buffy, Charmed, Medium and The Ghost Whisperer.

Of course there are the classics to aspire to. Edgar Allen Poe, Lovecraft, MR James, and more modern writers like Peter Straub, Clive Barker, Graham Masterton, James Herbert. Stephen King himself also describes Thomas Harris (Silence of the Lambs), James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell as closet horror writers too!

Successful writers know, and have profited from, the notion that scaring the pants off your reader not only makes you successful, it keeps readers coming back for more!

Good horror is sophisticated. More and more writers, like Joe Hill and Jack Ketchum, are winding up in the literary section of your local bookshop or library. No longer is horror marginalised. It’s increasingly seen as respectable and justifiably good writing.

Would you like to know how to build suspense? You know great horror happens in the mind after all. How to create deep and believable characters. How to come up with original and compelling ideas. The secret ingredient to writing a bestseller. How to create convincing monsters and psychological enemies. How to sustain a series of stories, books, movies and much more! Learn More Here!

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Learning The Steps To Writing A Book

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Many authors are not sure where to start when they are thinking about how to write a book. It doesn’t matter if you are thinking about self-publishing or being published by a big publishing company many of the fundamental rules still apply. The basic fundamentals must be done correctly and it is important to know how to start your publishing journey so you don’t make thousands of dollars worth of mistakes.

The very first thing you want to ask yourself is what you are looking to accomplish with being an author and publishing a book? Are you looking to make money or are you seeking exposure with your writing? These are the first two things to think about because this can help you clarify just what you are aiming at in terms of a successful end result.

The decision you make deciding where along the exposure and money scale you belong will help you to decide how you market your book. Many of the decisions you make as an author and marketer will stem from the answers to the purpose of you writing this book. Maximum exposure can be experienced if you printed a whole batch of books and gave them all for free. On the other hand a lot of money can be made by selling each and every book at premium price. You must decide what the best options is for you an your book.

If you are seeking a way to make money as an author than different elements are going to come into play. If you are writing for the main purpose to make money you are going to have to put a lot more emphasis on marketing, promoting, and advertising your written words. This is a different end of the spectrum than gaining exposure because there will not need to be as much time and effort put into these aspects when just hoping for exposure as an author. Aside from marketing you will need to decide how much money you are expecting or aiming to make. Do you want to cover the costs of the book or do you want more? Every author should want to make money from their writing if they are taking the time to write and publish a book. There is nothing wrong with feeling this way but you have to know just how much you want of each aspect.

Like I said both ends of the scale will result in different decisions and different results. It is crucial you know where you stand and what you expect from your book. This will make achieving your goals a lot easier and make the entire process much smoother and clearer.

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