How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead: Your Words in Print and Your Name in Lights by Ariel Gore

How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead: Your Words in Print and Your Name in Lights Reviews

• 
  Jenny Fosket

  Ariel Gore has been unknowingly stalking me since we were both at Mills College over 15 years ago. When I was pregnant with my first daughter her Hipmama book, zine and website (and now defunct but once awesome discussion board on the website) hurtled me into a world where mothering, politics, creativity, activism, and intellectual musings were all inextricably combined. Now, her latest book has come out just in time to feed my novel writing dreams and fantasies. It’s filled with inspiration, humor, practical advice and fascinating interviews with great writers. Thanks Ariel! I'll be looking out for your menopause book in another decade or so.
• 
  Sara Habein

  What I like about this book is that while it has certain indie-hippie undertones, it doesn’t make any judgements one way or another about what the ‘best’ way to publish is. Self-publish, find an agent, make your own zines, start a blog, go for the big publishing house deal — do whatever works for you. “Be as crazy as you are,” she says.
  
  Though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book to people just beginning the writing process — better to get books that concentrate more on craft for that — but for anyone who has waded in a little or anyone who feels they might be stuck in a success-rut, it can’t hurt to give some of this advice a try.
  
  (Full review can be found at
  Glorified Love Letters)
• 
  Timothy

  It's sort of embarrassing to be caught reading this book, because of the title. Or I felt that way, anyhow. But I'm owning up to it here. It filled me with a kind of firey energy for both producing writing and getting it out into the world. In that sense, it was very useful. It's pragmatic and doesn't really romanticize "the writing life." I liked that. I also liked that it discussed both how to get published and also self-publishing of various forms.
• 
  Julene

  I certainly enjoyed this book, especially the interviews with cutting edge self-promoted writers. Mostly geared towards fiction or memoir writing, she talks about book proposals and how to set up tours. As much as I enjoyed this book, I kept wanting to get more out of it than I did. It's a good fast read that at some level inspires, but for me it had a level of discouragement because I can't put on a pink tutu to get readers into my readings, I just can't. She can and did. It's a different generation than I am and I don't think I have that kind of energy, which saddens me.
  
  I was hoping for information on how to set up blog tours for poets, something many are doing now. If anyone has a clue, I'm trying to figure this out. The book talks about writing blogs and other ways of using them. I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the blogs out there, any good reference books on this? Or are there just too many for anyone to track them all? That's my guess.
• 
  Michelle

  a truly inspiring, pleasurable read, even for a writer who's been at it a while. ariel gore is not only hilarious and brilliant, she's encouraging in a non-sappy, un-condescending way. plus, she's brazen as anything in her determination to get her work out there. by the end of this book, you will be too. i think this book would be helpful for artists/photogs/etc too, just like anne lamott's bird by bird is. also, i thought the dave barry interview alone was worth the price of admission.
• 
  Coleen

  a beautiful and compelling kick in the pants.
• 
  Letitia

  This is one of the more entertaining how-to writing books, but it's difficult to rate because it's just...a lot. Like, way more than necessary. Feels spastic and unfocused, despite being divided into easily digestible numbered snippets.
  
  There are some true gems in here, I have to say, and this will be useful to SOMEone, although I'm not sure who since portions of it read like a "How to Write For Dummies" (in the best way) and others are assuming that you have a publishing contract and you're hitting the road to promote the Great American Novel. So I guess if you've literally never gone to a writing conference or writer's group, and don't have a mountain of advice on writing and publishing, sure, this could be a catch-all for every stage of that process.
  
  But do you NEED to read it? I didn't but I've done the aforementioned conferences/groups/mountains of advice, and really the only part I took something significant from was the interview with Bertice Berry, from which I plucked this new life mantra: "When you walk in purpose, you collide with destiny."
  
  Other than that, Gore's main thesis is the same as everyone else's when you ask them for advice, techniques, hints, leg-ups...write. Just effing write. Also, remember that publishing is subjective and all your favorite writers, all the WORLD's favorite writers, have been rejected. This is the life of writing. I think we've all observed that, and maybe just have to be reminded of it by someone who gets paid to write. I've certainly read sub-mediocre writers and thought "Good God if she can get published then I'm basically Faulkner" but I've also definitely read amazingly brilliant writers who made me want to throw my laptop away and never try to be excellent at anything ever again. If I couple those two sensations, I figure I'm a somewhat good writer, and dammit somebody out there wants to publish somewhat good writing.
  
  So that, in a nutshell, is the book. Write. Write. Don't give up on publishing. Oh, and write.
• 
  Unwisely

  I am not sure how I stumbled on this - I had vague memories of reading
  The Hip Mama Survival Guide: Advice from the Trenches on Pregnancy, Childbirth, Cool Names, Clueless Doctors, Potty Training, and Toddler Avengers at some point in the past, probably because
  Ariel Gore wrote for Bitch or Bust or one of those magazines I used to get. It was before I did logging, so I only have vague memories (although I think that book was the reason I own a Bikini Kill album).
  
  That said, this book - which has personal advice as well as interviews with people I mostly hadn't heard of but have now looked up - really got me motivated to actually submit some writing somewhere. Or, at least, think about doing so. I have flagged some of the exercises and will type them up to send to my writing partner before I send it back to the library. And I actually wrote an outline of something I've been fiddling with for a couple years now. So - it didn't just make me think I should write more, I actually did a couple things. And it got me thinking about promotion.
  
  Useful and inspirational for a dabbler like me!
• 
  Pauline

  I have a total girl-crush on Ariel Gore in the I Want To Be A Writer Like She Is When I Grow Up sense. All of her books are amazing, and this one is one I consider a must-read for any writer working on building their platform.
• 
  Carolyn

  An excellent read... not sure if I would add this to my permanent collection, but I know I can get it from the library if I need to look something up. She is very encouraging and supportive of getting your writing out there. Her approach is authentic and friendly.
• 
  Brittanie

  Less a book about writing and more a book about self promotion, Still the best book on the craft I've ever read.
• 
  shannon

  Practical advice about the writing/publishing process. Humorous. Includes writing prompts from several established writers.
• 
  Danny Aldham

  I just finished reading ‘How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead’ by Ariel Gore. It was a book I picked up off the shelf while wandering through the 808 section of the North Vancouver City library. The title is light and funny and a little outrageous. The book follows in that impression.
  Reading this book I felt like I had happened across an interesting stranger in a coffee shop or brew pub, struck up a conversation, and had then found myself held captive by the stories, language, attitude and enthusiasm. Quite simply, this book is fun.
  Ariel Gore has a sharp mind, and her wit and intellect come through on every page. She has a ‘can do’ attitude that creates an infectious energy in the reader. Sure it will be hard work to become a famous writer before you’re dead but here is how to get started. Come on, let’s go.
  I saw some parallels to  A. L. Kennedy’s ‘On Writing’ essays. Both women have done stand up comedy work and that busy, active mind comes through in spades. 
  Funny, quirky even, the book is a bit of a thrill ride. Wait, slow down I think, I need to write this down. But then I realize it is a book, not a conversation, and I can go back at my leisure. 
  She finds she cannot get the reclusive Haruki Murakami to sit down for an interview. No problem, she will just imagine the conversation, thereby ‘Showing rather than Telling’ that imagination can overcome so many obstacles.
  Short chapters keep it moving, and the real or imagined exercises give the reader great take aways. 
  Like most writers, I am a little shy and introverted. Whether I can put these directions into real action might be a stretch. But I think the plan and directions are solid.  
  Highly recommended.
  
• 
  Filip

  I must admit I really enjoyed this one. It was funny, informative and surprisingly comprehensive. The style in which was written makes me want to try other books by the author, even though the genre isn't really my cup of tea.
  
  This comprehensiveness is also a bit of downside, as the book doesn't only focus on writing and publishing fiction, but thanks to it, anyone would be able to find hints and advice that can be useful for him.
  
  The only problem I had with the book, and it is not the fault of the book itself, is that the advice presented here is clearly aimed at the US publishing markets and some information and suggestions - like about publishing zeens and organizing tours, don't necessarily correspond well to other countries.
  
  I liked it though and I just hope it would give me the courage to try.
• 
  Herb

  One of the members of our nascent local writers' group describes herself as a "Post-It Writer." She writes things that are a few words at a time. She hates to read.
  
  She'd love this book.
  
  Bloggy. Fizzy. Nothing that demands your attention for more than thirty seconds at a time. Three pages per chapter, on average.
  
  But I'm giving it four stars despite its effervescence, because it's the clearest thing I've ever read regarding the fact that every writer is responsible for doing everything she can to make her own way. No waiting around to be discovered, no moping because the muse took a vacation. Just go. Just GO, already! She makes self-promotion sound plausible (and even secretly a little enjoyable) to committed introverts like me.
  
  I've done some different kind of promotional work this weekend because I read this book, and I think she'd call that a win.
• 
  Rui

  Though some parts sound cliche, this book is very helpful for putting future writers on track. I have read several books doing the same thing, mostly written by men, but none of them sounds so accessible and inspirational like this one. It is a must-read for anyone who harbors unrealistic expectations for this writing career or feels thwarted by the impossible mission of lit stardom. What I like most about the book is the interviews with other published writers that talk so frankly about writing. Ariel's inside knowledge and fascinating quotations (I am glad that she quoted Wei Hui, a rare quotation coming from a western author) sound humbly honest. I have really learned a lot from this book. Thank you.
• 
  Cassandra

  I absolutely loved this book. It focused more on the publishing and marketing aspects of authorship than writing technique, covering everything from self-publishing, finding an agent, organizing a book tour, and writing a book proposal. Gore also covered some of the less glamorous aspects of being a writer, like making ends meet financially or facing rejection letters. The overall point Gore made was not to wait around waiting for a book deal to fall in your lap - if you want your story published, you have to get out into the world and make it happen.
• 
  Laura Connell

  I enjoyed this book for writers on how to publicize your book (and yourself). She dedicates it to an aspiring author who died very young before Gore got a chance to mentor her.
  
  She writes in a lighthearted way with short chapters and interviews with successful authors giving advice on what worked for them, what to avoid, tips and tricks.
  
  Inevitably, the book is a little outdated and needs to be revised for the current technological climate. However, lots of great encouragement here for aspiring and fledgling authors.
• 
  Sassafras Lowrey

  Ok so clearly I've been living under a rock (for 10 years?!) this book is fantastic. I wish I'd read it when I was just starting to build my little literary career out of my zinester foundation - would have made me much less nervous I was doing everything wrong. People always ask me "how do i become a author" and now instead of trying to summarize my ideas on the topic I can just send them to this book! woohoo!!!
• 
  Missy

  By the time you finish this book you’ll have no excuse for not becoming a famous writer. Some of the publicity advice may seem more relevant when the book was published (what with the social media/web2.0/smartphone paradigm shift of the last decade) but not so fast: on-the-ground punk rock engagement still has the ability to wow an audience, perhaps now moreso.
  
  But the bulk of advice is big-sister encouragement and rock solid advice I wish I would have read earlier.
• 
  Ashley Maden

  As a writer, this book felt like a giant hug from a fellow writer who has been through the hardest parts of the craft, and learned some things along the way.
  
  This book represents why I love books and reading so much, the ability to communicate with another person about anything throughout space and time, and it dives into that concept so eloquently.
  
  I will definitely keep this book around and read it when I need some fresh perspective or inspiration for writing.
• 
  Ery Caswell

  its a fun read ((or partial-read)). scan the list really and pick up & move on at parts that seem pertinent to you. I like Gore's voice throughout. and a helpful distinction made b/w writing for the self vs writing to be a writer and to publish and who to write to.
  
  "But eventually, journaling to become a writer started to feel like playing with buckets of salt water to become a surfer."
• 
  Kimberly Diaz

  This book's hilarious title drew me to it. Since then I've read it and referred to it again and again. Ariel interviews successful writers and they provide advice for aspiring writers. I found it helpful and great fun to read. One of the most useful and practical "so you wanna be an author kind of books.
• 
  Jedediah Smith

  Silly but mostly harmless. Except she doesn't know what adverbs are.
• 
  Susan Howson

  I bought this to inspire a friend and decided to read it first, and I figured out what I suspected after We Were Witches... I love Ariel Gore and I’m going to read all of her books.
• 
  Brad Erickson

  3.5 stars
• 
  Smartiekat

  Reading The Hip Mama Survival Guide for the first time changed my life. I graduated high school in 1994 a new teen mama, and by 1998 had been married and separated, learned to live on welfare, and was now in the midst of coming to grips with my queer self. I think I inherently knew that there were at least four things parents were not supposed to be: teen, single, poor, or queer. But Ariel had something else to say. (If you don’t already know, check out the Hip Mama zine.)
  
  Well, Ariel’s done it again with How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead. Thanks to her ever practical and accessible, but above-all inspirational, advice, I have discovered that I just might be a rising lit star, against all odds. If you think you might also be a lit star in the making, or if you’ve ever entertained a notion that you think you, maybe, just might, have something to say to the world in print (and you know you do), please, please, open this book.
  
  I’ve been a bit frustrated at my inability to muster more gusto in tackling my summer reading list. I’m starting to realize that I can handle comics, poetry, and humorous books with REALLY short chapters, but anything more poses considerable challenge. But that’s ok, Ariel’s chapters range from ½ page to 10 pages, so I could breeze swiftly through at least one or two on even the shortest subway ride or stint on the toilet. And… while my lack of remarkable reading ability may make me both a pathetic grad student and the black sheep in my house of bookworms, according to Ariel, it need not dampen my lit star ambitions.
  
  But, then Ariel always tells me what I need to hear. Don’t know how you made it to grad school because you can’t make it through the so-called-classics, that’s ok. Read what you like, read that you want to write. Great. Bring on the comics and poetry. Don’t know how to talk, that’s ok, me too, do a reading anyway. Well, ok.
  
  And she makes it sound so easy. Well, not easy. She actually makes it sound like a pretty damn lot of work. But she makes it sound possible. I write a daily haiku blog, have a zine (or two) in the works, and have a treasured little start-of-a-comic that’s been shelved for the past 5 years. I’m well on my way!
  
  And that’s not all. As an extra bonus, the book is filled with the perspectives of other fun rock stars that you’re dying to be like, including Michelle Tea, Susie Bright, Margaret Cho, and my all-time favorite writer and queen-of-it-all, Erika Lopez. Plus a wonderfully inventive conversation with Haruki Murakami.
  
  After 10 years of awe and gratitude. I finally had a chance to meet Ariel this spring at Bluestockings bookstore and hear her read from this book. Since I, like Ariel, am still learning to talk, I had a hard time mustering anything much to say. But she graciously signed my tattered copy of the Hip Mama Survival Guide and in my head I said something like this: Sometimes we all need a little reassurance, a sense of validation, and some instant encouragement. Thank you Ariel, and please keep it coming. You are a superstar!
  
  
• 
  Christina Butcher

  Dear authors waiting for publishers to finally get back to you with bad news, poets tired of pasting rejection letters on your bathroom wall, and novelists hiding in basements while clutching your manuscript for dear life, Ariel Gore has something to say to you: If you want to become a famous, successful author before you die, you need to get off your butts and do it yourself. Publish your own book, write and send out your own zines, and have some faith in your ability, for goodness sake. In her wonderful and sassy book, How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead: Your Words in Print and Your Name in Lights, Ariel Gore sets the tone for underground, DIY marketing and publishing for writers at any level.
  
  From start to finish, How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead is filled with wit and sass as Gore convinces readers to take their future into their own hands. Once you start reading, it will become clear that this book is an amazing resource for aspiring and established authors alike. With just under 300 pages, this book is chalk full of interviews from well-known authors, writing exercises, and practical advice on how to get your writing out into the world, once and for all.
  Ariel Gore uses each chapter to focus on different aspects of writing, editing, and convincing writers that they are more than capable of crafting their work into a tangible book. As a fellow DIY, independent author and publisher herself, Gore gives readers hope that if they just break down the seemingly monumental task of writing a book (and everything that comes along with it, like editing, publishing, marketing, etc.) into small steps, they can publish their work in no time. Gore emphasizes to readers that you don’t have to be a ‘somebody’ or have connections with a fancy publishing house to create meaningful work. You just have to have talent, heart, and a whole lot of grit.
  
  The biggest takeaway from How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead is that if you truly want to become a famous writer, you have to rely on your own hard work and ingenuity. You have to write, as often and as meaningfully as you can, and then you have to get that writing out into the world by any means necessary. Go to poetry readings, host local reading parties, schedule book launch events, contact book sellers, and anything you can to make sure your work has a fighting chance in the world.
  
  I can honestly say that this book is a great resource for up-and-coming authors, and as a fellow writer myself, I’ve already started using Gore’s writing exercises and tried to follow her sage-like advice. This book stresses the value of self-promotion, having fun, and putting yourself and your work out on the line. As a writer, a reader, and a book reviewer, I think this book is amazing. Enjoy reading!