So, you’ve decided you want to be a writer. Now you need to develop
your writer’s library. After all, books are a writer’s tools of the trade.

First, you need a good selection of reference books. Whether you’re
writing fiction or non-fiction, you want your writing to look polished and
professional when you submit it to an editor. If you don’t have a current
edition of the THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE, get one.

Strunk And White’s, THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE; ROGET’S
THESAURUS; WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY; plus PUNCTUATE IT RIGHT
by Harry Shaw, and THE ONLY GRAMMAR BOOK YOU’LL EVER NEED
by Susan Thurmare are all excellent resources for grammar,
punctuation, and vocabulary.

Next, you’ll want to have at least a few books dealing with the kinds of
subjects you wish to write about. That is, if you’re writing about
gardening, you need gardening books. If you’re writing about birds, you
need books on birds, and so on. These will be handy references as
you’re writing and need to know a specific term or tidbit about the
subject at hand.

Finally, if you’re going to write fiction (for either adults or children)
several good references for this are: CREATING CHARACTER
EMOTIONS by Ann Hood, WRITING DIALOGUE by Tom Chiarella,
CHARACTERS AND VIEWPOINT by Orson Scott Card, and THE ART
OF WRITING FOR CHILDREN by Connie Epstein, plus THE ABCs OF
WRITING FOR CHILDREN, compiled by Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff.

As your writing career progresses, you’ll purchase additional books for
your reference library. These books will inspire you to keep writing, help
you write better, and provide you with information on topics you wish to
write about.

So, don’t wait. Get your writer’s library started.

One of the favorite things in this world is to go into my nook and curl up with a very good book. But unfortunately, with a long commute and a couple of important work to do it is so rare for me these days to have the time to kick back, relax and read. And that’s the reason why I now fancy audio books since they allow me to enjoy my books even when I’m on the move.

Usually I listen to around 4-5 books on a monthly basis. Two out of these books are from Audible since I’m a member. Before, I also downloaded the other books that I want to read from Audible but then in the long run I got tired from all of those extra fees that you have to pay and thus decided to surf the net to see if there are such things as free audio books. And I was blown away by what I have discovered.

Public Domain Audio Books

The books in this section are free for everyone to distribute since nobody has a copy right on the pieces. Here are sites that offers great downloads for free:

LibriVox – the ruler of them all. The site’s goal is to “make all public domain books available as free audio books.” It may not be as user-friendly as others but it rocks!

Librophile – gives off a clean and organized interface for searching an audio book that is available from LibriVox.

Learn Out Loud – contains over 2,000 free audio and video titles. They also have lectures, interviews, sermons and speeches available for download. A very user-friendly site which you can navigate through effortlessly.

Please also take note that the said books under the public domain categories are read by volunteers thus the quality of narration and production varies. I’m not saying that good ones are not available, it’s just that you have to be patient enough in search for the one you prefer.

The Books under Creative Commons License

PodioBooks exhibits serialized books distributed through RSS feed, similar to that of a podcast. Over 300 books are housed here plus a wide array of genres to choose from: chick lit, humor, fantasy, thrillers, sci-fi, magic, etc… And unlike the aforementioned sites, the ones on Podiobooks are new works that the authors want to share to the public under Creative Commons License. The books here are personally recorded by the authors themselves thus the quality are not the same.

Audio Books straight from your Local Library

Another way to download them is through your local library. There are lots of libraries that have a deal either NetLibrary or OverDrive. The said firms give the infrastructure for libraries to distribute digital content (e.g. a-books, ebooks, music and video). The best thing to do for you to go deeper into this is to simply visit the website for your local library.

One site that can be an example for this one is Download Audio Books Free – this site here will let you download a free audio book plus a loaning period of 14 days. At the end of this time, the book will expire and automatically “return” to the library (this means that you won’t have to pay for the late fees!)

Books should be loved and if you are loving too many, there are things you can do to make room for the new and make sure the old are not neglected! Even the most dedicated collector and reader needs to get rid of books. And there are places out there that are willing to take them in.

The first thing you need to do is assess your books. There are some which have had a good life and are ready to be recycled and reborn into new works. If covers are torn or missing, pages are coming unglued or are missing, or the whole is damaged by water or dirt, be kind and send them to the recycling bin. Do not give them to charity (they will only have to take the time and effort to toss them), do not pass along to friends (they will not thank you for it).

Once you have determined if the book(s) are worth saving, think about the best way to give it a new life. Of course, many will give the book to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or another like organization. Or, they will pass it along to a friend or colleague. This is great… but there are other ways…

Go to Book Crossing. On this website, you register any book you want and then “set the book free to travel the world and find new readers.” Once you register, you print out a label to stick inside the book and then leave it on a bus, in a waiting room, even donate it to charity or give it to a friend. The fun part is that the person who receives it can go onto Book Crossing and let you know where it ended up! You can track your book as it travels from one person to another.

Have a Book Swap Party in your neighborhood or at work. Everyone brings their cast off books, in good condition, for the others to look through and take. You will be amazed at which books some will take. You can go round-robin style and talk about why you choose a particular book, or allow the original owner to give a book to a specific person and explain why. Or just have a free for all! After the book swap, box up the remainder of the books and donate them to charity.

Many used bookstores have reader programs which allow you to earn books from their inventory in exchange for books you bring them. Bring in 10 books and get to pick out new titles I haven’t yet read? Sounds like paradise! Check with your local used bookstores.

Go to your local library and ASK if they would like the book. Many people will just “return” a book to the library, but libraries are short on space and if the book is not one they need or fits their collection, they will have to get rid of it. So, ask first. Often, the Librarian will take the book, even if it isn’t something the library needs, for the Friends Group which supports library programs. These Friends groups usually hold book sales to raise funds and are appreciative of books in good condition.

Senior centers, retirement community centers, and Boys ad Girls Clubs love books. Appropriate books for the audience they serve, in good condition, are always welcome.