Review: Great for both new and established authors.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 22, 2011
HOW I ARE BECOMED A VERY MUCH GOODER AUTHOR is a practical guide on how you can produce a self-published book from start to finish.  Although Winters does not discount print books and tells you what to do to create one independently, he understands and appreciates the rise of eBooks, and his attitude can help other eBook authors feel good about producing their digital books. In four sections - image, content, business and sales - Winters offers solid suggestions on how to go about it.Branding is one of the major focuses of HOW I ARE BECOMED A VERY MUCH GOODER AUTHOR. Indeed, Winters does an admirable job with branding when it comes to his own books and websites.We've all seen self-published books that scream amateur just by the covers. Winters thoroughly explains how to avoid that.He also devotes a large section to what he calls the "12 disciplines," including show don't tell, excellent dialogue, maintaining point of view, and more. This is a part of the book that every author should continually review.Winters discusses the importance of editing, something far too many self-published authors fail to do successfully.However, in addition to Winters' useful suggestions, he throws in a few opinions that could take you out of the book if you weren't already familiar with his blunt personality.For example, Winters says eBooks are on the rise - fact. They are, and any author who doesn't believe that doesn't understand eBooks. But he also says to forget about balance in your life - opinion. I'm a successful author and writer, but I'm also a successful wife and mother, and that's because of balance.I am also completely sick of authors who diss best selling millionaire authors who they believe are lousy writers. Winters does it with Amanda Hocking, over and over and over. Stephen King and Anne Rice, two famous authors who have had to give up some of their spotlight, do it to the 37-year-old Stephenie Meyer. Authors who diss other authors rather than focus on their own achievements has a lot more to do with jealousy than they'll admit.However, Winters himself says, "None of your detractors matter."He's right, they don't, especially when you're a best selling author with scores of fans.And as Faulkner said, "The artist doesn't have time to listen to the critics. The ones who want to be writers read the reviews, the ones who want to write don't have the time to read reviews."In the end, Winters pontificates, at times, but he also has some excellent things to say. I highly recommend HOW I ARE BECOMED A VERY MUCH GOODER AUTHOR to both new and established authors.