Janet Shaw » Articles http://janetshaw.com Australian Author & Freelance Writer Tue, 08 May 2012 05:15:19 +0000 en hourly 1 Self-Publishing – Necessity Rather Than Choice? http://janetshaw.com/blog/self-publishing-necessity-rather-than-choice/ http://janetshaw.com/blog/self-publishing-necessity-rather-than-choice/#comments Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:49:14 +0000 janet http://janetshaw.com/?p=121 Only good writing is published. The rest is self-published.

How fair is this assessment?

Is every book you’ve plucked off the shelf tightly written, well structured with gripping beginnings and endings? How many times have you slammed a book shut in disgust after slogging through the first ten pages of absolute rubbish?

And do some books get the nod just because of an author’s name?

The belief that self-published books are below standard is a myth. Many top authors and writers have resorted to this option, either at the beginning or during their careers. Take Matthew Riley, for instance, whose first book was self-published.

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]]> http://janetshaw.com/blog/self-publishing-necessity-rather-than-choice/feed/ 1 Beating the Publishing Blues http://janetshaw.com/blog/beating-the-publishing-blues/ http://janetshaw.com/blog/beating-the-publishing-blues/#comments Wed, 14 May 2008 04:21:51 +0000 janet http://janetshaw.com/blog/beating-the-publishing-blues/ As we labour away on our keyboards, bringing our first novel to life, we all know the odds of getting published are miniscule.

It’s a tough world out there for new authors. So why even try?

Take heart! Have a read of Jenny Crusie’s slant on the reality of publishing.

I’m definitely a rat looking for an island. What are you?

]]> http://janetshaw.com/blog/beating-the-publishing-blues/feed/ 0 Transforming the Loopy Labrador into a Placid Guide Dog http://janetshaw.com/blog/transforming-the-loopy-labrador-into-a-placid-guide-dog/ http://janetshaw.com/blog/transforming-the-loopy-labrador-into-a-placid-guide-dog/#comments Thu, 19 Jul 2007 04:16:43 +0000 janet http://www.janetshaw.com/blog/transforming-the-loopy-labrador-into-a-placid-guide-dog/ When I observe the way my labrador behaves when she’s off harness, and when I recall the many stories of her “mad” behaviour from her puppy raisers, I wonder how on earth she made it this far as a guide dog.

If you’d like to learn more about the training of a guide dog, and how a loopy lab can become a gentle guide dog, then click here to read my latest article.

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