From Booklist
One of sf's most inventive rising stars, Scalzi is nonetheless a seasoned veteran in the writing game, having channeled his talents into everything from ad copy to best-selling humor books. His latest outing skims from five-years' worth of writing-related columns on his blog, "Whatever." More than 50 bite-sized chapters are sorted into four sardonically headed sections. Sardonic? Well, "Writing Advice; or, Avoiding Real Work" and "Science Fiction; or, Don't Skip This Chapter, You Damned Writing Snobs" are two of them. The former title covers tips for aspiring writers about the publishing business and the growing market for online material, while the latter skewers the persistent notion that sf is second-rate literature. The smorgasbord of other topics ranges from whining writers to amusing anecdotes about Scalzi's own literary influences. Whether advising how to handle rejection or debunking concerns over online book piracy, Scalzi writes with irresistible panache, making his insights into the writing business as entertaining as they are instructive.
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