June 05, 2020

Review of Productivity for Authors by Joanna Penn

I found Productivity for Authors to very practical and readable. Joanna Penn, well known for her sound advice for authors, does a wonderful job of addressing most of the issues facing authors which may be hampering their ability to write productively. At the end of each chapter she includes a list of questions to help authors examine their own practices and start using her suggestions to improve their results. This is not a formulaic recipe for productivity. She is quite blunt in putting the onus right where it should be – on the shoulders of each individual. Basically, she says up front that being a writer is hard work and it is up to writers to quit making excuses and getting in their own way. Achieving the dream of full-time authorship does not equal an easy life, but it can be a very rewarding one. I was impressed with the realistic treatment of the topic in general. It was refreshing in that it didn’t promise ‘success’, offer a magic formula, or list a bunch of ‘hacks’. Instead, she offers very practical advice, based on her own considerable experience and expertise which includes actionable items throughout each chapter. I highly recommend this book for writers both new and seasoned. Joanna Penn’s voice in the current marketplace is sensible, realistic, and one that can be trusted.

Review by Tracy Krauss

3 comments:

  1. I'm certainly guilty of goofing off. There are so many pleasurable things I find myself doing instead of writing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oops! Thank you, Tracy Krauss!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to join in the conversation. Our writers appreciate receiving your feedback on posts you have found helpful or meaningful in some way.