Sister Bernadette’s Barking Dog June 30, 2009

Sister Bernadette’s Barking Dog: The Quirky History and Lost Art of Diagramming Sentences by Kitty Burns Florey

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was surprised by the contents of this book. I had reserved it from the library via the internet while thinking that it was a “how-to” book, in order that I might improve my understanding of grammar and naming parts of sentences. In fact it is a history of sentence diagramming! Yes, it does state this in the subtitle, but in my hurry to find the “how-to” book, the aforementioned subtitle did not register in my conscious mind until I started reading.

Kitty Burns Florey writes a wonderfully easy-to-read and humorous history of a language arts exercise that has mostly gone by the wayside now. She introduces the very origins of diagramming and follows its journey in American culture, acknowledging it as a fun exploration but ultimately unable to fulfill the very purposes for which it had been birthed and taught–to better a person’s ability to write well and to speak well.

I am glad to have read it but must now wonder if I should pursue that elusive “how-to” book after all…

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My Review of Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual June 26, 2009

Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual, 16th Edition: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book by Dan Poynter

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Okay, I didn’t read the whole book. I read eight chapters of a total of eleven. I skimmed the rest because I just wasn’t as interested in the topics covered in those chapters. The topics I read about was everything from the idea for a book to actually creating a book and up to promoting said book.

There is so much detail in Dan Poynter’s guide that I believe it is a must-have resource for writers that want options to sending in query after query to established publishers who just don’t see the value of their work.

Although I will probably never self-publish, I was fascinated by the process as well as reading Poynter’s portrayal of how the publishing industry works. It has really helped my understanding of the entire life cycle of a book. As a fledgling copyeditor, I need that perspective so that I can communicate effectively with authors who live and breathe their manuscripts and books for much longer periods than I experience with those same works.

All in all, I highly recommend this resource to writers who want to know more about the options that they have in publishing.

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