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The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers

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" The Forest for the Trees  should become a permanent part of any writer's or editor's personal library. " - The Seattle Times

Quickly established as an essential and enduring companion for aspiring writers when it was first published, Betsy Lerner's sharp, funny, and insightful guide has been meticulously updated and revised to address the dramatic changes that have reshaped the publishing industry in the decade since. From blank page to first glowing (or gutting) review, Betsy Lerner is a knowing and sympathetic coach who helps writers discover how they can be more productive in the creative process and how they can better their odds of not only getting published, but getting published well. This is an essential trove of advice for writers and an indispensable user's manual to both the inner life of the writer and the increasingly anxious place where art and commerce the boardrooms and cubicles of the publishing house.

285 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2000

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Betsy Lerner

8 books79 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 384 reviews
Profile Image for J. Scala.
Author 1 book4 followers
February 22, 2011
Betsy Lerner's The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers has a bit of an identity issue. On the one hand, it claims to be advice to writers which, in places, it actually is. On the other, it reads like an insider's exposé of what editors and agents really think of we writer types. I couldn't help but wonder if Lerner's audience wasn't actually intended to be other editors who would get the inside jokes and find the stereotypical caricatures of authors funny.

Lerner recently posted on her blog that: "My writing book is about publishing from an editor’s perspective, but the part that people seem more interested in is the inner life of writers. The wicked child and all that jazz." Well. I can see why.

Because this book is intended to be "advice to writers," Lerner's readers are, most likely, writers themselves and would, therefore, be pretty interested in what she has to say about them (us). I'm the kind of girl who wears several hats: the writer, the critic, the editor. Since I was reading a book with a stated intention of being for "writers," I wore my "writer" hat when reading it.

The book is divided into two parts: Part I: Writing and Part II: Publishing. In Part I, (the part in which she says everyone is mostly interested) Lerner breaks writers down into six categories:

The Ambivalent Writer - This chapter opens like an infomercial for a new drug: "Do you have a new idea almost every day...Do you either start them all and don't see them to fruition or think about starting but never actually get going? Are you a short-story writer one day and a novelist the next?...Do you begin sentences in your head...Do you blab about your project...Have you ever accidentally...Have you ever been diagnosed..." and on it goes. This writer, in Lerner's estimation, is a waffler, someone who's too insecure or too afraid or too distracted to put in the hard work of being a writer. That's writer #1 - the wimp.

The Natural - Here we read about those people we all love to hate who come out with a first book that tops the charts, wins the big awards, and proudly announces that the author never took a writing class and is, in fact, an eighth grade drop out from the middle of nowhere. Lerner argues that there is no such thing as "natural talent" and that writing is hard work for everyone. So, essentially, writer #2 doesn't really exist. Okay.

The Wicked Child - these writers, according to Lerner, have no compunction against letting it all hang out. She uses Philip Roth as a prime example of a writer who, perhaps unwittingly in the beginning, spent his career ostracizing himself from his community. These are the writers who write tell-all memoirs and go into detail about their sexual exploits/encounters/violations - holding nothing back. The confessionalist, so to speak = writer #3.

The Self-Promoter - In this chapter, Lerner justifies (sort of) the use of media to promote one's writing career - whether it be facebook or twitter or book trailers or endorsements of really cool gadgets. The self-promoter, she argues, has been around since Whitman used Emerson's words oh-so-freely and continues today as the only modesty left amongst writers: false modesty. Almost a compliment - but sort of a backhanded one. The sellout narcissist - writer #4.

The Neurotic - Lerner opens this chapter with these words: "Writers love to worry. By their very nature they are neurotic. And they tend to exhibit the gamut of phobic behaviors from nervous tics and insomnia to full-fledged paranoia and delusional episodes." "Most writers," she says, "appear neurotic; the truth is, we don't know the half of it." Wow. The crazy person - writer #5.

Touching Fire - And here we go. As if the aforementioned stereotypical picture of "the writer" weren't fully fleshed out before, Lerner gives us the drug addicted, alcoholic, completely self-destructive type. At one point in the chapter, when relaying a story about an author with whom Lerner had worked, she writes: "Long before her shrink came on the scene, I had made my own diagnosis." Writer #6 - The Drunk. Of course.

And this is perhaps the most annoying thing (speaking as a writer) about Part I of The Forest for the Trees: Lerner makes her "own diagnosis" on virtually every cartoon character writer she's created. I don't know if I should feel sorry for Lerner or outraged. I mean, if these are truly the people with which she is regularly coming into contact, then god help her. Poor thing. But I happen to know quite a few writers, and while there are a few heavy drinkers in the mix and one or two slightly neurotic folks, for the most part - they're all pretty normal people and no more fucked up (excuse the language) than anyone else I know in a whole variety of professions. I happen to know writers who don't question their vocation, who work hard at their craft, who are aware of the impact of their words and temper that with what they see as truth, who promote their work reasonably and professionally, who are balanced and do not feel the need to shoot up heroin or drink a shot of whiskey upon waking each morning.

And they're writers, you say? Imagine that! (They must not be any good...)

Part II, Publishing, the part that contains what Lerner claims the book is really "about" offers some good advice about finding an agent, what agents and editors do, the publishing process a book goes through from initial submission to hitting the shelves. This is the information the book title promises, is it not? But I'm less enthusiastic about it by the time I get to it because I've had to wade through Lerner's Taxonomy of Writers and am now, well, irritated.

The book is peppered (heavily) with anecdotes and second-hand stories of famous writers who behaved badly - some of them named, some, mercifully, not. It also gives, in bits and pieces, the history of Lerner's trajectory from poet to editor to agent. And this is also interesting information - information that would be, I believe, helpful to writers who don't want to teach for a living or work at Starbucks.

But in the end, the actual "editor's advice to writers" is buried under Lerner's diagnosis of the numerous ailments from which she believes all writers suffer and the stories of writers illustrating her point. Had the book been subtitled "An Editor's Advice to Young Editors," then I believe it would be what Lerner intended: a funny, snarky, slightly cynical but mostly hopeful look at a career spent working with writers. And that's a book worth reading. As a writer who also works as an editor, I'd recommend it to those in or wanting to enter the publishing industry.

Writers, on the other hand, beware. Betsy Lerner's got a crazy hat picked out just for you.

Profile Image for John.
27 reviews9 followers
December 22, 2009
Every. Single. Writer. I’ve given this to has called to thank me. Every. Single. One. Ignoring the not so fashionable accessory of sleep deprivation that comes with an infant, one started reading in the evening and didn’t stop till she finished in the early morning hours. It’s such a damn good book. And if you’ve ever longed to write that novel or that exquisite piece of history or collection of essays, let me offer a little piece of advice: – Stop reading this right now, grab this book and run to the register –before that hack sitting next to you in your writing class gets published first. In the first part, with a gentle, painstakingly (and painfully) earned (she edited Elizabeth Wurtzel after all) knowingness that would make Jung beam, she examines the various personalities of the writers she’s come across and formulates a series of types – explaining how each influences what they write and how they approach the process. The second half deals with the nuts and bolts of the publishing process – how to find an agent, working with your editor, what to expect when your book is published etc etc. But it’s in the first part, I feel, that this book really shines. Her take is fresh and original, the analysis is thorough: I’ve never seen such an intuitive look into nature of the writerly mind. In a fair world it will do for writing what The Joy of Cooking did for cooking.
Profile Image for Jennie Louwes.
191 reviews45 followers
April 24, 2019
How is it that someone who doesn't know me could peg me so well as a writer?

This book is fun, in depth, and holds intriguing truths within each chapter. It held my attention fully; especially, during the first half when words were dedicated to writers themselves.

Based upon the first half of this book I would have rated it a 5 and been shouting from rooftops about it; but, the second half lagged just a wee bit for me and so I decided upon a 4 star rating instead.

That being said, this book is a fantastic read for writers. ALL writers. Every. Single. One Of Us! And, a must read to any writer who has determined that the traditional publishing route is the one they'd like to pursue. You'll discover invaluable, priceless information and insights into yourself as well as the journey you're embarking on.

I have 70 pages earmarked to go back to, reread, and/or reference within "The Forest for the Trees". Needless to say, this is one of those books that will be taking up permanent residence within my home.

On a side note: There's no "Marie Kondo'ing" of my bookshelves. For better or worse, I'll forever have FAR more than 30 books on each. 😏
Profile Image for Adam Ross.
750 reviews97 followers
May 7, 2011
This book has become, almost instantly, one of my all-time favorite books on writing. It's unique. Instead of dealing with matters of technique or style, it gets to the heart of the matter, plumbs the depths of the world of the writer. The first six chapters have to do with the personality and emotions of the writer. Each chapter deals with one or another of writer personalities, filled with profound insight into writer's minds. She really does know exactly what makes a writer tick. The second part of the book is about the mind and emotions of the editor, the author awaiting publication, the book itself, and all the rest of it. With solid prose and a depth of insight, Lerner deftly tackles subjects other writing books won't even go near.
Profile Image for K.J. Dell'Antonia.
Author 8 books558 followers
February 20, 2011
I reread this regularly, and now there is a new edition, with new words I can use for inspiration and self-flagellation. I can't wait.

Marked as "read," but in some sense I'm always reading this.
237 reviews39 followers
December 14, 2017
I went into this book with the wrong idea about what kind of book it was. I expecting a craft book that gave tips on publishing from both sides of it — writing and editing — when what I got was more of a collection of essays and memoirs about the author's experience as an editor and with writers. Which meant a lot of 20 page chapters that boiled down to "some writers are neurotic. advice: calm down and write", which I didn't need 20 pages to drill in. I ended up skimming through a lot of this and I really just didn't enjoy it.
Profile Image for Dave Cullen.
Author 8 books61.4k followers
June 9, 2009
The best book I've come across on for writers getting serious about a career.

(Disclaimer: Betsy is my agent. But she is my agent BECAUSE I read this book, and then sought her out.)
Profile Image for Lee Klein .
832 reviews915 followers
June 20, 2011
Very readable reinforcement for those who sort of know a lot of this stuff. Required reading for the clueless. Depressing for writers who seem to pass the psych profiles of the book's first part but haven't had much success with agents, editors, publication -- all of which sadly seem like last century's news. A well-written tour of the sausage factory -- left me feeling a bit grody, like I'd indulged in a guilty pleasure instead of spending weekend time reading something healthier for me. Definitely a melancholic aftertaste, even in the mouth of someone disillusioned if not wholly embittered. Oh how I wish agents and editors still smoked and drank and fornicated instead of blogged, tweeted, and bookscanned. As Fitzgerald said, And so we beat on, like unpublishable books beating off the current trends . . . something like that.
Profile Image for Deborah Harkness.
Author 33 books30.1k followers
January 7, 2011
A book for writers and those who love them, Lerner talks about the ups and downs of book writing and publication. If you are a writer, you will find yourself constantly thinking "oh, I thought that was just me" and if you love/live with/work for a writer you will have a sympathetic resource here. Required rereading and reading, this is a book that will help keep things in perspective!
Profile Image for Amy Plum.
Author 28 books4,867 followers
July 19, 2011
This is like a spa for the writer's mind. Helped soothe my "I don't know what the hell's going on in this mysterious world of publishing" angst and reassured me that I am normal (for an author). As much for the unpublished writer as for those who have just published for the first time.
Profile Image for Huntley Fitzpatrick.
21 reviews5,269 followers
April 28, 2014
I am so grateful to have found this book. We writers work alone and sometimes struggle. Betsy Lerner holds up a flashlight to show us all that we are not, in fact, alone. An amazing book. I keep it on my nightstand.
Profile Image for Lauren K.
29 reviews7 followers
January 27, 2020
It’s entirely possible there’s good writing advice in here, but I’m DNFing after about 20 pages because there have already been jokes about bipolar disorder/alcoholism/crossdressing and I don’t think I can overlook that to keep reading! This came highly recommended so I’m a little flabbergasted.
Profile Image for T C.
Author 0 books10 followers
June 29, 2011
One of the best books about writing I've read, though it's not a how-to. Lerner was an editor for 15 years at a few houses, and is now an agent (she was also a poet.) She says the first half of her book is meant as an encouragement to those stalled in their writing or afraid of writing; maybe because that's not my problem, I just found it to be a celebration of writers. She tells great stories both from her own career and from the lives of famous writers and their editors, and really gives you the drive to just keep pushing onward. It's full of quotable moments.

The second half is her advice about the publishing industry, step-by-step from querying to marketing. If it were only practical advice the book wouldn't be that different from others and I'd have been disappointed. But again she brings her personal stories and a wealth of anecdotes to the subject matter, so in the end it feels like you've spent a week having lunches with your new New York publishing friend.

Finally, Lerner just writes really well. Clear prose, funny, inspiring, and though her background is in literary fiction she doesn't turn her nose up at popular writing. I don't just recommend this to writers, but to people who love books and want the insider scoop on the old world of publishing (the one that's likely on the cusp of a radical overhaul.)
Profile Image for Ursula.
Author 5 books79 followers
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March 4, 2024
In early 2021 a prominent NYC agent suggested in a Zoom meeting that writers read this book, so I ordered it. When I shared that I was reading it, many of my writing friends chimed in that they loved it. I'm guessing they read it at least a decade ago as it was published 21 year ago and has not aged well.

In an attempt to find the writing treasure, I waded through an entire book in which the generic writer is constantly referred to by masculine pronouns (he/him). Early chapters talk about how writers tend to be alcoholics or suffer from bipolar disorder (written as manic depression in this book), and how some even cross-dress. Like, I said, this book is offensive and hasn't aged well.

In the last two chapters, Lerner shares moderately helpful information about book publication, but I almost couldn't focus on it because of all the offensive nonsense that proceeded it.

The book ends with people in the book industry clutching their pearls about how technology will change the way we read and possibly devastate the publishing industry. Again, this book might have been gold (more likely bronze) back in 2000, but I don't recommend it for anyone writing today.
Profile Image for Beth Cato.
Author 116 books613 followers
April 10, 2012
This book surprised me on many levels. I bought it and expected a dry yet useful commentary on the publishing industry and what writers must do to survive. Instead, I discovered something that was highly readable--as smooth as fiction--and comparable to someone taking a writer by the hand to offer them advice. The Forest for the Trees is a gentle book. Lerner's approach is that she understands writers, with all their angst, writer's block, and depression, and that it takes more than talent to succeed in the business. She's blunt in her assessment of the rapid changes in the industry and that publishers never know what will be a hit or not. It's nice to see the viewpoint of someone with experience as an editor and an agent; the information is familiar from other writing and author blogs and books, but the angle is different and appreciated.[return][return]It's a useful read, but I admit it didn't resonate with me as much as Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Still, it's a solid read and a recommended book for any writer who is just starting out or has become disillusioned along the way.
Profile Image for Kirtida Gautam.
Author 2 books132 followers
August 30, 2016
"No matter how many compromises were made along the way, no matter what happens in the future, a book is a thing to behold."
~ Betsy Lerner

A book that introduces a writer to writer's life, vile and virtues. What to expect. Where s/he is going wrong. It's a 101. Must read for any writer who wants to understand the what being a writer feels like, inside the skin.
Profile Image for Raquel.
715 reviews
May 1, 2021
In the first half of this book (the revised edition that came out in 2010; the 2000 original still charmingly referenced faxes and Borders bookstores), Lerner skewers the various "types" of writers. They're caricatures, and they veer into unhelpful stereotypes, but they also include amusing and illuminating anecdotes, which are what kept me reading them despite my annoyance. The second half of the book pulls back the curtain on the publishing process, with particular focus on the role of editorial throughout. I will be sharing at least 3 of these essays with future students, as they are quite helpful to publishing newbies (if in places just mildly outdated because so much has changed in a decade).

Honestly... a book for writers this isn't, at least not for writers hoping to come away with advice on how to write. Instead it's geared more toward publishing folks, either those early in their careers hungry to learn or those further along who want to reminisce or chuckle or nod along with this and feel seen. If a writer picks this up, it would serve best as a guide to understanding how publishing works and how best they can behave to endear themselves to their publishing team and make the best of things rather than being a "problem" author whose emails and calls elicit weary sighs and eyerolls.

Also, and this might sound weirdly phrased, but stick with me, this book has a decidedly "mildly snarky white lady" tone. Some of the phrasings that reviewers referred to as "witty" or "wicked" are just kind of ... shitty? Tossing off casual references to drug addiction or mental illness as though they are a big ha-ha is annoying at best and harmful at worst, and wholly unnecessary. Always punch up, not down.

That said, still some stuff of value, and a great bibliography in the back of additional resources. One that will remain on my teaching reference shelf.
Profile Image for Tabitha Blankenbiller.
Author 4 books47 followers
April 8, 2011
When setting out to write a book the cover touts as “An editor’s advice to writers”, Betsy Lerner immediately has to grapple with the issue of establishing trust. Her audience is writers, many of them unpublished. Unpublished authors are not very likely to trust editors for a couple reasons: one, we aren’t likely to know any and two, they are the “others”, the ones rejecting our work in the first place, hiding behind receptionists and assistants in New York offices away from us. Her challenge is to break down the barriers between her profession and her readership, and to build a level of trust that will get her advice and opinions across correctly.
Lerner’s chief strategy throughout the book is to remain humble. She refrains from listing lofty accomplishments or name-dropping, especially in the beginning of the book. Instead she tells us about her humble beginnings as a closeted poet, and how much she respected writers who could put themselves out there—admit that this was their calling and go for it. She claims that she didn’t want to be a professional writer, but she did love books, which lead her to internships at publishing houses. She goes short of calling herself a failure, but from our perspective, we start to sympathize with her. We start to see her as smart and capable, but just not able to do what we can do. Her subtle flattery seduces us as she proclaims how much she loves her writers. She works to see us shine, she assures us, the artists that do. We may even feel sorry for her behind that desk, while we oscillate between joy and torture at the keyboard. This strategy of downplaying her ability to be successful at what we are attempting (and hopefully, someday, doing) creates both a distance and connection with her audience. She is distanced enough to offer us a fresh perspective into ourselves, as she does in the first half of the book, and into her world of publishing, which she describes in the second half. The connection comes from her long experience with people just like us and her attempts at navigating through the writing life, even though she ended up taking a different path.
This initial momentum of trust is maintained throughout the book by healthy doses of humor. Even when she’s calling us on our neurotic bullshit or giving us the hard truth on publishing, it’s done good-naturedly. As she laments the perils of promoting a book, she describes the pitfalls of what is a fantasy in our inexperienced minds—a book tour. “There are the endless flights, the lost luggage, the escort who talks incessantly about her divorce or worse, the book she’d like to write, the hotel that’s lost your reservation, and the final insult: a mini-bar with no gin” (Lerner 265). This isn’t the first place she peppers in a reference to our common problems with drugs and alcohol, along with panic attacks, neurotic tics and paranoia. By bringing it up here and there she reminds us that yes, she knows us and that it’s okay to laugh at ourselves. From an outside point of view we do look pretty crazy, after all. Lerner doesn’t ask us to apologize for it. She just doesn’t want it to be an excuse for wasting our talents.
Profile Image for Alex Telander.
Author 16 books163 followers
January 26, 2011
Like a lot of English majors on campus, I want to get a book published eventually. Also, like a lot of other people, I don’t really know how to go about getting an agent, an editor, a publisher, etc. I just figured I would find answers to those questions when I got the book done.

Thankfully there is now a book that answers all these questions, and much more. The Forest for the Trees should be on every writer’s shelf, right next to Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style. The author, Betsy Lerner, is now an agent for the Gernert Company in New York, and has worked in the editorial departments at Simon & Schuster, Ballantine, and Houghton Mifflin, as well as executive editor for Doubleday.

The book is divided into two sections: one on writing and one on publishing. It does not try to teach you how to write. Lerner offers advice and information to writers who have problems. She uses categories (The Ambivalent Writer, The Natural Writer, The Wicker Child, etc.) through which writers can classify themselves, and with Lerner’s help, avoid the pitfalls and potholes that this category reveals.

The second half of the book is on publishing. Starting right at the beginning, Lerner takes you on a journey, where you are told how to get an agent, how they should be treated, and whether multiple submissions are a must or a must-not. Lerner explains how to deal with rejection, telling you that each rejection is a run on the ladder towards success. She explains what it is that editors want, and what authors want. Finally, Lerner takes you on a unique quest with what happens once you’ve signed the contract and the many steps it takes to get your manuscript into book form and out on the shelves of the bookstores.

The Forest for the Trees is an interesting and entertaining read for the writer or the reader interested in the process of writing. Find out the problems Tom Wolfe had with his editor, or how well did John Grisham’s novel do?

Betsy Learner uses a language that is simple yet detailed, packed with information that everyone can benefit from. Recently issued in paperback, this book is now only $12.

Originally published on February 18th 2002.

For over 500 book reviews, and over 40 exclusive author interviews (both audio and written), visit BookBanter.
Profile Image for Asails F.
75 reviews40 followers
September 6, 2011
It is 2011 and over ten years since its publishing and is the preeminent book about the publishing industry from Betsy Lerner and editor who seems to care about the writer and the writer’s life.
Much of the book is a vindication of the editor and his necessity at a time just before publishing was about to go through its greatest changes and turmoil. Betsy even apprised the reader of the coming changes in the industry and its effects on the writer. While the book is written from an industry-centric view, it is a view that needs to be understood by any author. Betsy even goes through great revelation as to the stress faced by authors and what they should expect after their great efforts of book writing as well as what not to expect. Some of the examples of famous authors publishing demonstrate great things about the publishing industry and others show some events to be deleterious.

Interestingly, Betsy tries illuminating how the publishing industry is so different from any other in that most authors work in a vacuum in an endeavor that has little chance of being financially rewarding. She bases this idea on what only seems to concern her industry. This leaves me confused as most writers I am familiar are in other industries and if anything have stresses brought about more from those industries and not publishing. As a result, one must grasp that the book is a incomplete view from inside leaving no reflection for a view from outside.

It is hard for me to believe that most authors are simply professional writers and nothing else. It also became apparent that the industry: creates many of the authors stress's, is controlled by few players, and imposes too much stress and responsibility on the editors in an entirely too competitive industry that seems more like a shootout at the OK corral.
Profile Image for Liza.
172 reviews9 followers
August 7, 2011
Betsy Lerner warns that The Forest for the Trees is not a prescriptive formula about rules and style. Instead, you learn about the various writing personalities she has often encountered and gives compassionate advice so that aspiring writers may overcome their most damning psychological roadblocks. Whether you're the writer with a million ideas you can't choose from or the self-promoter who wishes to gain fame and notoriety, she has practical advice to help you.

She acknowledges that the writing profession is a lonely business and that there are certain rules and expectations of writers that are often overlooked. She's the compassionate friend that a writer requires during those lonely hours, scribbling away as they attempt to finish their manuscript.

Lerner also does all writers a favor by giving then an exclusive look inside the mind of an editor. Instead of advice on how to submit query letters she explains maddening and frustrating situations that writers may not understand. Lerner wants the inner workings of an editor or agent to be transparent, so she explains with calm, logic, and concern for the writer.

Her greatest accomplishment is revealing to the writer that the publishing world is not out to destroy and slash your dreams. She continues to give hope to all writer's while painting a realistic portrait of what the publishing world is like from the inside. Though some of the real life authors and experiences seem to be dated, Lerner proves that her advice is timeless and can help writers at any stage in their literary career.

This is an extremely helpful book if you wish to become a writer and crave honest feedback on moving past your own personal hurdles. I believe it's well worth the investment.
Profile Image for Alex Kudera.
Author 5 books70 followers
December 4, 2016
I enjoyed the first half better than the second, when Lerner dazzles us with anecdotes about many different famous fiction writers. The important take, for any writer large or small, is to recognize how unrealistic the perspective gets when she shifts to the chosen few, for better or worse, who are dealing with sizeable cash advances, New York agents, etc. I also just finished a short book on Kafka's work which included a note on how little commercial value mainstream publishing saw in his writing when he was alive, and even considered that a possible reason his novels were all unfinished. Now I'm on a chapter in Perloff on Joseph Roth who after a whirlwind career in journalism and fiction drank himself to death in Paris as he watched Hitler prepare to destroy Europe. If we could get even one ass-licking derivative agented novelist typing what's popular to throw himself out the window in solidarity for all great ones defeated in their lifetimes, we'd know not only that there is hope for humanity, but that the concept of humanity is a legitimate one. Of course, on the other hand, the aforementioned agent novelist, probably "only" got 10K for an advance the second time around, is behind on student loans and Brooklyn rent, losing hair and sleep, and showed up at CUNY for adjunct assignments to learn he was 237th on the waiting list for a fiction-workshop assignment. . . but plenty of remedial writing classes were to be had on several campuses! Carry on, writers, carry on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Randy.
Author 18 books956 followers
August 31, 2009


An Instant Shrink
for Writers


The Ambivalent Writer, The Natural, The Wicked Child, The Self Promoter, The Neurotic: which one are you? These are the first five chapter titles of Betsy Lerner’s (agent, writer, editor) book, The Forest for the Trees. It was published in 2000, and I’ve probably read it yearly since I buying it. (Note picture of worn book reflecting clutching, bathtub reading, and talismanic lifting to heart, kissing, and offering to God)

Lerner’s book will always be on top of my constantly changing TOP TEN WRITING BOOKS list. Not because it teaches one better ways to write, not because it teaches one how to navigate the shoals of publishing, and not because it will teach you a guaranteed way to get an agent (though it will help with all the above) but because it takes you to the other side of the desk and holds up a mirror. An unflinching mirror held in a sympathetically lit room.

Lerner holds your hand; she interprets your dreams (and the meaning of query responses) and scolds when needed. In other words, you’ll get a writer’s shrink for the cost of a trade paperback.

Most notable, is Lerner’s writing. Clear as water, cool as the same, and welcome as a brownie to a food addict, her words entertain, teach, and soothe. For this writer, it’s self-prescribed two ways: 1) take as needed. 2) Read minimum once per year.
Profile Image for Catherine Grant.
Author 1 book27 followers
November 30, 2008
I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't the best book I have ever read on the subjects of writing and publishing, nor gives the best advice. However, I did glean some information about myself and established some realistic expectations about the publishing experience. I have learned some ways that I can help my career as a writer and work with my future agent and editor instead of sabotaging myself by not understanding the limitations of those people who, at this time, I see as the editorial/publishing Gods. If this is what the author was going for, then she succeeded.

My only question is, what kind of writer am I? I don't think I'm the Wicked Child or the Neurotic. I think I am The Natural with a little bit of the Ambivalent Writer and the Neurotic mixed in. What kind of writer are you? It is worth the self-analysis, and reading this book was a bit like holding up a mirror to myself and honestly asking what drives me to write, what pushes me to want the coveted goal of publication and yes, admittedly, even fame and fortune.
Profile Image for Tamela Rich.
Author 9 books32 followers
January 14, 2011
How refreshing that someone at the top of her profession, a profession characterized by snobbery and back stabbing, would begin her book revealing her own fecklessness in trying to find her place in the publishing sun.

"To calm my nerves before going in (to an interview with a Putnum editor arranged through her mother), I wolfed down a Haagan-Dazs ice cream cone. In the elevator I realized the chocolate had stained my jumper...Thirty resumes and a half-dozen interviews later, I had failed the typing test at every major publishing house in New York that would see me."

It was all up hill from there.

Forest for the Trees is not a how-to book, although it includes plenty of advice, wrapped in anecdotes, to illustrate what lies in store for someone who aspires to be a published writer.Lerner strikes the right balance between encouraging writers in their pursuit, and warning them of the twists, turns and potholes that lie in wait. The 2010 edition includes plenty of case studies for using social media.

I recommend the book to anyone interested in publishing their work.

Profile Image for Laura.
792 reviews99 followers
April 30, 2012
I love reading books about writing books, even though I have little to no ambition to ever become a writer myself. I just love learning about how books come into being, I suppose. This book did not disappoint. The author has worked as both an editor and a literary agent, and she writes this book to provide insight into the laborious process of getting a book published (and the even trickier process of promoting and selling a published book). If I were a writer, I would consider Betsy Lerner a compassionate friend--one who understands the emotional toll that writing and publishing can take on an author and provides the necessary information to help an author face the intimidating process of publishing a book.
Profile Image for Shannon.
Author 10 books612 followers
October 6, 2009
An eye-opening book. Lerner does a good job at holding up a mirror in front of authors and reminding them that their words, actions, and presence defines them to publishers and agents, as well as their readers. A good reminder that we, as authors, must learn to communicate with the many audiences on the road to publication and beyond. I'd recommend it to anyone who thinks they may want to write, to anyone who considers themself a writer, and to anyone who is struggling to climb back into the saddle. Without pandering, Lerner's work encourages writers humorously and honestly. It was a good read.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
Author 13 books24 followers
June 4, 2017
An interesting read about the world of publishing from an agent. Betsy Lerner has a MFA and a deep love of all things literary. She tells a lot of stories about famous authors and working with new writers while weaving in quotes and insights.

Most aspiring writers can't wait to be published and yet getting published quite often kills their drive and ambition. I didn't realize so many authors only get published once and then struggle to put out anything worthy of attention. Oh, and how many have substance abuse problems! Those stories are pretty disturbing.

A good read for people who want to become authors or anyone who's ever been interested in that world.
Profile Image for Amy.
158 reviews
January 1, 2012
This is one of the best books about writing, really the writer, and the publishing industry that I have every read. The author of the book is an editor and calls on her years of experience climbing her own way up the ladder in the publishing industry to give insight on such things as the different types of writers there are, the psychology of the writer, and the complex relationship between agent and writer, writer and editor, writer and publisher. Having read several books on writing, mostly dealing with craft and mechanics, this is a very unique book and one that impacted me greatly.
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