Dear Writer:

Harlan Ellison and Lisa Mondello are eminently qualified to help you write and sell short fiction.

Mr. Ellison is the author of 75 books … two dozen teleplays … a dozen motion pictures … and more than 1,700 essays, articles, newspapercolumns, and stories.

He wrote the original script for the I, Robot movie … not the one they ended up shooting with Will Smith.

He also wrote the classic Star Trek episode, “The City On the Edge of Forever.”

You know: the one in which Kirk and Spock accidentally go through a time portal to the past, where Kirk falls in love with Joan Collins.

He is the recipient of numerous awards for his fiction -- including 8 ½ Hugo awards, 3 Nebula awards, 6 Bram Stoker awards, and 2 Edgar Allen Poe awards.

The Washington Post calls Harlan Ellison “one of the great living American short story writers.”

Lisa Mondello is the author of 7 romance novels, including the Texas Heart series, published by Avalon Books.

Her 8th published novel, a psychological thriller titled Cradle of Secrets, is forthcoming from Steeple Hill.

On the art and craft of writing short stories

In Part I of How to Write and Sell Short Stories, Harlan Ellison shares some of his long years of experience – and his ideas on how to write memorable, powerful stories.

In it, you’ll discover:

• What Francis Ford Coppola can teach you about writing compelling short fiction. Page 14.
• The one writing skill you must develop to create characters that live. Page 10.
• The secret to crafting stories with power and immediacy. Page 14.
• The elements of a great short story title. Page 5.
• How creating small character traits can pay big dividends in building people who are believable. Page 18.
• Every creative writing teacher says “show, don’t tell.” Here’s how it’s done. Page 24.
• How and where to begin your stories. Hint: it’s not where you’re doing it now. Page 20.
• There’s only one subject which alone can make good writing. Do you know what it is? Page 11.
• How to trim the fat – and cut to the chase -- in your writing. Page 25.
• Which works best – long story titles or short? Page 6.
• Why so many amateurs frequently write bad short fiction – and how to enliven your stories with the elements theirs are missing. Page 12.
• Must you have a title before you begin writing your story? Page 8.

Experience the thrill of being a published author

In Part II of How to Write and Sell Short Stories, Lisa Mondello shares the marketing secrets successful writers use to sell their stories and get them published, both offline and online.

Including:

• Is entering short story contests a waste of time and money? Page 34.
• Elements of a winning query letter to send editors along with your story submission. Page 36.
• What word length is ideal for writing marketable short stories? Page 30.
• How to find the best markets for short fiction and submit your work to them. Page 32.
• 10 tips for writing more entertaining – and memorable – stories. Page 31.
• Tips for making sure a publisher is “real” … and that their magazine is legitimate and still in print. Page 33.
• You submitted your story months ago and have heard nothing from the editor. What now? Page 38.
• How to negotiate a respectable payment for your short story when a magazine editor wants to publish it. Page 41.
• 28 great markets for short fiction and how to contact them. Page 44.
• And so much more….

How to Write and Sell Short Stories is a quick-reading, 50-page e-book. That means you can download the guide immediately as a convenient PDF file. No shipping or handling charges … and no waiting.

Master short story writing for
less than the price of a meal

Through persistence, determination, and of course, talent, Lisa Mondello has sold 8 full-length novels to various publishers.

Harlan Ellison is one of the most honored and respected short story writers of all time.

In their e-book How to Write and Sell Short Stories, Harlan and Lisa teach you the craft of writing short fiction and also how to sell your stories and get them published … for only $29.

That’s less than you’d pay to go out to dinner with a friend tonight. But see my P.S. for an even better deal!

And you won’t pay even that much if you don’t think their guide to writing and selling short fiction is worth at least 10 times the cover price….

Use it risk-free for 90 days

If you are dissatisfied with How to Write and Sell Short Stories for any other reason … or for no reason at all … just let me know within 90 days.

I’ll refund your $29 payment in full. No questions asked. And, you can still keep the e-book free.

That way, you risk nothing.

So what are you waiting for?

To order How to Write and Sell Short Stories on a 90-day risk-free trial basis, just click below now:

Sincerely,

Bob Bly

P.S. Quick-Response Bonus! Order How to Write and Sell Short Stories today and you get a FREE Bonus e-book, How to Write Poetry and Get It Published.

In it, you’ll discover:

• How to purge nonessential verses … phrases … ideas … images … and even words from your writing -- to make your poetry lean and flowing. Page 9.
• Are poetry contests an utter waste of time and entry fees? The answer may surprise you. Page 23.
• Turn your life experiences and memories into moving, powerful, and dramatic poems. Page 11.
• Best poetry market directories … magazines … Web sites … books … collections. Page 29.
• How to find the perfect magazine to publish your poem – and the best way to submit your work to them. Starts on page 22.
• And so much more….

To order How to Write and Sell Short Stories and get your FREE Bonus e-book (combined value of both books: $58), just click below now:

About Bob Bly

Bob Bly is a full-time freelance copywriter specializing in direct marketing. He earns more than $600,000 a year from his writing, speaking, and consulting, and became a self-made multi-millionaire while still in his 30s.

Bob’s new book of short stories, “Freak Show of the Gods and Other Tales of the Bizarre,” was recently published by Quill Driver Books. It won (under a different title) an honorary mention at the New York Book Festival.

A copywriter for more than a quarter of a century, Bob has written promotions for over 100 clients including Phillips, Agora, KCI, 21st Century, Weiss Research, EBI Medical Systems, Sony, IBM, AT&T, Grumman, Crain Communications, McGraw-Hill, Intuit, and AlliedSignal.

Bob is the author of 90+ books including The Copywriter’s Handbook (Henry Holt) and Business-to-Business Direct Marketing (NTC Business Books). He has published more than 100 articles in such publications as Successful Meetings, Direct, Business Marketing, Writer’s Digest, and Amtrak Express.

Bob’s writing awards include a Gold Echo from the Direct Marketing Association, an IMMY from the Information Industry Association, two Southstar Awards, an American Corporate Identity Award of Excellence, and the Standard of Excellence award from the Web Marketing Association. He also taught marketing at New York University.

Bob has appeared as a guest on dozens of TV and radio shows including The Advertising Show, Bernard Meltzer, CNBC, and CBS Hard Copy. He has been featured in major media ranging from the LA Times and Nation’s Business to the New York Post and the National Enquirer. He was a featured speaker at the 2006 annual conference of the National Speakers Association.

What they say about Bob Bly ‘s copy and counsel

"Good things are happening. I am getting a steady stream of Trial and Demo requests from the new site. These requestors are filling out the entire contact form. The site is simpler now, and I am still working to make it even more so. I appreciate your work."
—Jim Romano, DataForceOne

"Thank you so much for your wonderful work. It has been a pleasure working with you and I look forward to working with you on another project in the near future. You were always available, quick to answer questions and always exceeded my expectations. You truly are a gifted writer."
—Aaron Griffith, The Griffith

"Bob, again thanks for the great copy. You consistently help us reach customers with compelling, actionable content, when others just can't!"
—William McElleney, IBM

"The feedback keeps coming in and we all agree yours was a truly helpful, useful, insightful and effective workshop. You did a fantastic job inspiring the troops and we've already begun applying some of the key learnings."
—Paul Connors, Copywriting Manager, A large financial services company in the Chicago area

"Bob...your creative work, patience, and 'partnership' with us at IT Group has virtually propelled us to another level of business professionalism and recognition. The response we've received from your letters has been nothing short of tremendous. We've not only derived significant business from these unforgettable mailings--your efforts have sparked a creative energy within our ranks which will assist us in years to come. Thanks for your guidance and counsel."
—John A. Fallone, IT Group International

"I hired Bob on his reputation, and found it is well-deserved. His fact-finding process in preparation to write our copy was both painless and enlightening. The final deliverables were right on time as promised, and better than expected – which is saying a lot because my expectations were high. The first time I read his copy for our project, I literally got chills down my back – he nailed it the first time. Wow."
—Dennis Rosenberg, VP Marketing, VNUS Medical Technologies, Inc.

"Bob Bly did an amazing job with our company brochure. We are very impressed with his capacity to learn our product and to write copy so clearly and pointedly. Bob Bly is a great marketing investment."
—Michael Manoussos, Manhole Barrier Systems

"Great white paper! I’m in favor of the entire submission. Please congratulate Bob on a great effort."
—Michael C. Howard, Chasm Recovery

"Your Tax Loopholes ad looked great and is performing very well. Thanks for the strong copy."
—Brian Kurtz, Boardroom

"You did an excellent job. It's been a pleasure working with you on this project."
—Edward Brunet, Decatur Professional Development, LLC

"Thank you very, very much for doing such a great job on the ad. I was one of those folks who would read the ads in the DAK catalog by Drew Kaplan and this was as enjoyable for me as that."
—Chris Pickering, MeritDirect

"Bob . . . Just got the copy and advertisement you did for my new book . . . It's great! You are good! Great job . . . you have tremendous insights into what excites and what sells!"
—Don Libey, Libey Incorporated

"In my opinion, you are the best copywriter in the software industry."
—Judy MacDonald, Director of Marketing, Direct Response

"When I received the piece, I thought, I'll have to skim over it now and read it later. But, once I started, I couldn't stop! You did a GREAT job with Ken's story. I love it. It kept me reading. I'm VERY pleased with it."
—Craig Simpson, Ken Roberts Company

"Bob, It's been a pleasure to work with you!!! Thank you so much! I'm very happy with the copy; I feel it will give me good results."
—Alejandra P. Bigai, Romanicos Chocolate

"Thanks again for a great job."
—Davis Ross, Ross Advertising

"I just wanted to thank you again for the excellent work you did for us. You are the man and I can't tell you how much I admired your approach and service. Although I've never worked with a copywriter before, I think you set the standard pretty high. I look forward to working with you again. You certainly have my vote for the next round!"
—DP Jovine, Tycoon Research

"Great job – I’m always amazed at how you can boil the complex down into simple terms. It flows very well."
—Kyle Hodgens, Capital Financial Media

"Thank you for the copy. I see why you're the expert. It's so simple, it's brilliant."
—Sau Hyoung Pak, Big Machine

"The radio spots are very well done. I am very impressed with your work and copywriting expertise. We will be making the changes to the print ad as you suggested. In the future we may work with you to design a totally new print ad. Again I'd like to say I'm impressed with your services. You were prompt, informative, and definitely know your stuff. We will be recommending you to others and doing repeat business."
—Joshua Andrews, Health Solutions, LLC

"When people get to the promotion, the promotion has a good conversion rate. In one test, it actually had a 14% conversion to sale... can't ask for much better than that."
—David Galland, Casey Research

"I loved the ad! I don't see any reason for revision so I have already put through a check request for the balance I owe you on the ad. We are very excited about this one. I can't wait to see how it does. Thanks so much!"
—Alice Wessendorf, Agora Health Book

"I show off the work that we did on lead generation for negotiation -- as well as the conversion program from HMCL -- as big successes."
—Paul Szymanski, Harvard Business School Publishing

"Thank you for being very instrumental on making the launch of the wealth management book such a resounding success. It was so successful that we had to request more copies."
—Ingrid Boney, II

"Thanks, Bob! You are awesome to work with."
—Matt Morsa, Stock Secrets, Inc.

"I've spoken to a thousand copywriters over the years and Bob Bly is the best. He knows what he's doing."
—Joe Culotta, Natural Medicine Co.

"I am happy to report to you that your piece out produced the 4 other packages we tested against it. I want to talk to you about another project...."
—Nick Roumi, Pacific Coast Funding

"This is an outstanding letter. Really nice work!"
—Paul Szymanski, Harvard Business School Publishing

"Like the package ... the tone ... I think it's excellent."
—Bill Caskey, Caskey Sales Achievement

"We are very pleased with your copy approach because your copy seems to speak to the neurologist better than the copy in previous promotions. Moreover, your copy presses the sell better and more effectively. I really value your direct marketing copy capabilities and I'm thrilled to have you working with MedLink."
—Jim Chacona, MedLink

"Just wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for the hard work and energy you've poured into the Sinatra product package. You are a joy to work with."
—Gail Diggs, Phillips Health

"Thanks again… you did a great job."
—Caleb Cherry, Capital Financial Media

"You are a genius! I rarely love copy this much from the get-go. You hit it on the head!"
—Sara Pond, Nightingale-Conant