David Comfort

This book is not at all what the title suggests; it does not instruct the reader on how to publish. Between the author's metaphorical name-dropping and conflated expressions (“eight round Jacob’s tennis ladder”), it is a gossipy who's who of publishers and authors, pausing for a couple of pages in chapter 10 to offer some obvious advice to wannabe writers. It also gives pointers in chapter 40 on how to "bag an agent," and then defines three ways the author's queary will be rejected. It relates the history of publishing, with the main focus being the 20th century and after. It is an entertaining read, but the author's expressions are often too confusing to be understood. It is also sometimes difficult to tell the difference between fact and metaphor. The whole book is dripping with cynicism. I'm surprised Writer's Digest would print this book, given that it is more of a discouragement than an encouragement to potential authors. If you like history and tabloid style gossip, read this book. If you are an author looking for helpful information, skip it.… (més)

If half the stories in this book are true, I wonder how each lived as long and accomplished as much as they did in their careers? Each in their own way lived life the only way they seemed to know how to live it - full speed ahead and dammed the torpedoes!
For this reader, this is a story for a search of who, what and/or why me - and never seeming to be able to find what they were really looking for, weather it was for love, being at peace within themselves or just to be accepted for who they were as they tried to live their lives by their own rules on the edge.… (més)