Attention, all Novelists!

For those aspiring novelists out there…I thought it might be fun to share the Table of Contents from my book Writing and Selling the Great American Novel, which is now selling on amazon for $8.99.

SECTION ONE: WRITING THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL

CHAPTER ONE: CREATIVITY

Getting Creative About Being Creative

Writing with Both Sides of the Brain

CHAPTER TWO: GETTING STARTED

In the Beginning the Writer Set Goals

Themes, Style and Voice

Understanding the Genres

CHAPTER THREE: CHARACTERIZATION

The Four Personalities

The Pandora’s Box Approach

The Witness Stand

CHAPTER FOUR: POV (Point of View)

POV Defined

Various Points of View

CHAPTER FIVE: PLOTTING

Plot Shots

Backstory Blues

The Role of Conflict

Stop, Drop and Roll (Adding the Crisis Scene)

Seven Secrets to Creating the Perfect Ending

CHAPTER SIX: EDITING

Show, Don’t Tell

Common Fiction Mistakes

Turn On Your Self-Editor

Building Your Writing House

CHAPTER SEVEN: SPECIAL ADDITIONS

Adding Romance

Adding Humor

Adding Mystery Elements

Adding Inspirational Elements

SECTION TWO: SELLING THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL

CHAPTER ONE: THE ROAD TO PUBLICATION

Plotting Your Writing Career: Twelve Steps to Success

What Industry Pros are Saying about Goal Setting

CHAPTER TWO: POLISHING & PREPPING

Joining a Critique Group

Hiring a Pro to Edit Your Manuscript

The Conference Experience

CHAPTER THREE: BRANDING & PLATFORM

Branding

Ten Tips for Creating Your Brand

Taglines

CHAPTER FOUR: SUBMITTING/PITCHING YOUR BOOK

Query Letters and Book Proposals

Sparkling Proposals

Elevating Your Elevator Pitch

Dealing with Rejection

Finding and Working with an Agent

CHAPTER FIVE: MAKING THE SALE

Making the Sale: The Process

Open Sesame/Opening the Publisher’s Door

Eight Things NOT to say to an Editor

Author-Editor Relationships

CHAPTER SIX: MARKETING & P.R.

Got Moxie?

Working with Your Publisher to Market Your Book

Please With a Tease (Using Social Media)

You. . .a Public Speaker!

Speak Up

Show Me the Money!

CHAPTER SEVEN: SELF-PUBLISHING

The eBook Craze

Self-Publishing/Print

CHAPTER EIGHT: LIFE AFTER PUBLICATION

100 Tips for Maintaining a Killer Platform

Sustaining a Lucrative Writing Career

Tax Tips for Writers

Double Your Word Count in Two Weeks

Roller Coaster Writing