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Writers' bookshelf

Writers Bookstall

We invite author-reviewers to recommend their favourite books for writers

Maureen Kincaid SpellerMaureen Kincaid Speller a reviewer, writer, editor and former librarian, is our book reviewer and also works for WritersServices as a freelance editor., freelance editor, reviewer, writer and former librarian, is our first reviewer. Her views are her own and she is completely independent of WritersServices.

She has chosen:

  1. WonderBook by Jeff VanDerMeer
  2. The Writing Workshop Notebook by Alan Ziegler New!
  3. The Arvon Book of Life Writing by Sally Cline and Carole Angier New!
  4. A Creative Writing Handbook: Developing Dramatic Technique, Individual Style and Voice edited by Derek Neale New!
  5. The Weekend Novelist Redrafts the Novel by Robert J Ray
  6. Children's Writers' and Artists' Yearbook updated for 2009
  7. The Handbook of Creative Writing edited by Steven Earnshaw
  8. The Art Of Punctuation by Noah Lukeman
  9. Writing fantasy and science fiction by Lisa Tuttle
  10. Solutions for Novelists by Sol Stein
  11. Mortification: Writers' stories of their public shame edited by Robin Robertson
  12. How to Write a Blockbuster and make £millions by Sarah Harrison, 
  13. Research for Writers 7th Edition by Ann Hoffmann, 
  14. Writing a Novel by John Braine
  15. Essential English for Journalists, Editors and Writers by Harold Evans.
  16. Fiction Writer's Workshop by Josip Novakovich
  17. How to Make Money from Freelance Writing by Andrew Crofts
  18. Story: Substance, structure, style and the principles of screenwriting by Robert McKee
  19. Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors edited by R M Ritter
  20. The Oxford Guide to Style edited by R M Ritter
  21. The Creative Writing Coursebook by Julia Bell and Paul Magrstd
  22. The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner
  23. How to Write a Damned Good Novel by James L Frey
  24. Solutions for Writers by Sol Stein
  25. The Joy of Writing Sex by Elizabeth Benedict
  26. The Writer's Handbook Guide to Writing for Stage and Screen edited by Barry Turner
  27. The Writer's Handbook Guide to Crime Writing edited by Barry Turner
  28. Screenwriting by Raymond Frensham
  29. The Truth about Writing by Michael Allen

Chas Jonesauthor; formerly nerd responsible for keeping the site running; spent over 25 years in computer business; started out dusting bugs off valves, but in time graduated to writing software and managing projects; as published author with stack of waiting-to-be-published manuscripts tucked away, WritersServices is answer to his silent prayer; his book 'Ordinary Heroes' An extraordinary true story of wartime adventure; recently published book about Battle of Fulford-'Fulford the forgotten battle of 1066', published by Tempus ISBN 0752438107 has reviewed:

  1. The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book: Your Guide to successful authorship by Patricia Fry

Chris HolifieldManaging director of WritersServices; spent working life in publishing,employed by everything from global corporations to start-ups; track record includes: editorial director of Sphere Books, publishing director of The Bodley Head, publishing director for start-up of upmarket book club, The Softback Preview, editorial director of Britain’s biggest book club group, BCA, and, most recently, deputy MD and publisher of Cassell & Co. She is also currently the Director of the Poetry Book Society; During all of this time aware of problems faced by writers, as publishing changed from idiosyncratic cottage industry, 'occupation for gentlemen', into corporate business of today. Writers encountered increasing difficulty in getting books edited or published. Authors create the books which are the raw material for the whole business. She believes it is time to bring them back to centre stage. has reviewed:

  1. Inside Book Publishing 4th Edition by Giles Clark and Angus Phillips New!
  2. FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions from ambitious writers and the answers by John Jenkins New!
  3. Writers' Market UK and Ireland 2010
  4. The Writer's Handbook
  5. The Writers' and Artists' Yearbook 2009
  6. 101 Ways to Make Poems Sell
  7. Is there a book in you? by Alison Baverstock
  8. Quotations for our Time compiled by Dr Laurence Peter
  9. Inside Book Publishing by Giles Clark
  10. How to Market Books by Alison Baverstock
  11. Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance to Punctuation by Lynne Truss
  12. Research for Writers 7th Edition by Ann Hoffman

If you would like to order any of these titles, WritersServices' partner Amazon can deliver them to you speedily.