The Writers Network News February 28, 2004 http://ezezine.com
February 28, 2004
The Writers Network News
“No Rules; Just Write!”
Editor: Bobbie Christmas (Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or bzebra@aol.com)
Coming up soon: Roswell meeting date: Friday, March 5, 2004
12:00 noon at Wok & Chops Gourmet Restaurant
See bottom of newsletter for directions
In This Issue:
1. Kudos: Vicki Flier
2. From the editor’s desk: The Backbone of Style
3. Q and A: Poetry scams, a call for publicists, and more
4. Subjects of interest to writers
5. Jobs, contests, grants, agents and markets
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quote of the Day:
"A room without books is like a body without a soul."
-- Marcus Tullius Cicero
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One: Kudos
[Kudos: noun: praise or honor: praise, credit, or glory for an achievement (takes a singular verb) • The president deservedly got the kudos for the success of the negotiations.]
I have always said any accomplishment is a good accomplishment; so although Vicki Flier has not sold this particular magazine article, I was witness to an e-mail message she received from the editor that said it has excellent points. The note told her how to fix it and asked her to resubmit it. Resubmit it! Way to go, Vik! Let us know when it sells.
Do you have good news? Please send it to me at Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two: From the editor’s desk: In or out? It’s a matter of style.
Too soon old, too late smart? I wrote the book on writing style (_Write In Style_, Union Square Publishing, coming in June to a bookstore near you), yet for the first time the other day, the entire spine of style hit me for the first time. The words you leave out are as important as the words you put in. Of course! We know to spurn adverbs, weak verbs, overblown descriptions and repetition. We know to eliminate clichés and similes that don’t work. We know to look for our favorite overused words and delete most of them. We know to use the thesaurus to find another word, if we’ve used the same word earlier. We know to take out words that add nothing. Oh, my goodness! We’re mostly deleting, not adding.
Could style really be that simple?
Yes, it is, and for that reason, you cannot address writing style until you’ve finished writing your piece. Go, now, and write. When you’re finished, you can return to your manuscript and “add” style by deleting the superfluous.
Here’s to writing in style!
Yours in writing,
Bobbie Christmas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three: Questions and Answers:
Q: There was one poem you especially liked in my collection, and I recently submitted it to The International Library of Poetry (poetry .com). Could you please tell me if they are for real? Are they a respectable organization? The reason I ask is that they are going to publish the poem in their book. They also sent me a letter saying that it has been awarded Editor's Choice Award and that they want to include it along with 32 other submissions to be professionally read and recorded on a CD. I don't know whether I should feel good about this, or if they publish anybody. How are their standards? If you have any info about them, I would sure appreciate hearing from you.
A: Unfortunately, the company has an extremely poor reputation. Here’s what I copied from a Web site created to warn writers: “Serious poets consider the International Library of Poetry contests and their affiliated organizations to be unethical, and their free poetry contests a scam designed for no other purpose than to prey upon trusting and unwary amateur poets by relieving them of their money.” For much more info, go to the following Web page: http://windpub.com/literary.scams/ilp.htm
Q: Does anyone know of a good book publicist? One of my clients has asked me, and I am putting the question to the group. Glenda Ivey, owner of Jada Books shared the name of her publicist. If you know of someone else, let me know, and I’ll put some of the results in a future newsletter. Send recommendations to me at Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
Do you have a question? Send it today to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Four: Subjects of interest to writers
Literary Agent Susan Graham, owner of About Words Agency, took time out to send the following information:
“I took a closer look at a writing reference book that has intrigued me since it came out and found it insightful and helpful. I am including some information from it. I don't agree with everything, but I'm including everything, anyway.”
She warns that not all the information below applies to everyone’s style, goals or book.
----------------
Writing The Breakout Novel, by Donald Maass
Each chapter has a checklist at the end, and these are the ones I found particularly interesting and compact:
Premise Checklist
Your favorite novels sweep you away, have characters you cannot forget, and
involve dramatic and meaningful events.
A breakout premise has plausibility, inherent conflict, originality, and gut emotional appeal.
Plausibility means that the story could happen to any of us.
Inherent conflict means problems in your "place."
Originality can be new angles on old stories, the opposite of what we
expect or story elements in unexpected combinations.
Gut emotional appeal springs from the emotional situations that grab us in
life.
Even an unlikely starting point can be built into a breakout premise.
To brainstorm a breakout premise, steer away from the obvious, seek
inherent conflict, find gut emotional appeal and ask, "What if...?"
Stakes Checklist
High stakes yield high success.
Stakes say what could be lost.
To test stakes ask, "So what?"
High stakes start with high human worth.
Making public stakes real means starting with a grain of truth.
Breakout novels combine high public stakes with high personal stakes.
Deep personal stakes dig down so far that they show us who we are.
Public stakes change with the times.
To raise personal stakes ask, "How can this matter more?"
To raise overall stakes ask, "How could things get worse?"
Keep danger immediate. Make your characters suffer.
High stakes come from your own stakes in writing your story.
Time and Place Checklist
Every story has a context, whether it is emphasized or not.
Creating breakout time and place involves more than just describing setting.
Using psychology of place means capturing how a place makes a point-of-view
character feel.
Convey a sense of the times.
Portray historical forces and social trends through characters.
Unexpected tragedy or grace adds a sense of destiny at work.
Detail is the secret ingredient of breakout settings.
Characters Checklist
All stories are character driven.
Engrossing characters are out of the ordinary.
Readers' sympathy for characters comes from characters' strengths.
Larger-than-life characters say what we cannot say, do what we cannot do,
change in ways that we cannot change.
Larger-than-life characters have conflicting sides and are conscious of self.
Dark protagonists appeal only when they have sympathetic sides; e.g., they
struggle to change or have hidden sensitivity.
The highest character qualities are self-sacrifice and forgiveness.
Build a cast for contrast.
Build complex character relationships by combining roles.
Choose a narrator based on who is changed most by the story's events.
Build depth of character with tools like character biographies,
author-character dialogues, etc.
Differentiate characters with character charts.
Breakout characters are deep and many-sided.
Plot Checklist
Plot is the organization of a story. The essence of story is conflict.
Conflict in the breakout novel is meaningful, immediate, large scale,
surprising, not easily resolved and happens to people for whom we feel
sympathy.
The five essential plot elements are sympathetic character, conflict,
complications, climax, and resolution.
Breakout plots are layered.
Bridging conflict carries the reader from the opening line to the moment
when the central conflict is set.
In breakout fiction, the central conflict is as deep and as bad as it
possibly can be.
Employ high moments, plot turns and death to change characters or set them
free.
To break out, simple plot structures need high stakes, complex characters
and layered conflicts.
Simple plot structures produce tight stories; expansive stories come more
easily from open-ended or complex plot structures, such as the hero's journey.
The new shape of the novel is the character-driven story.
Character volition propels the character-driven story.
Breakout fiction frequently involves journeys of self-discovery.
Breakout protagonists transform, even in series fiction.
In nonlinear narrative, rising conflict or unfolding secrets dictate scene
order.
Build a novel in scenes, but avoid "aftermath" scenes.
The secret of breakout plotting is tension on every page.
Dynamic story forms evolve; stagnant genres wither.
The protagonist in a group novel is the group itself.
Regardless of type, thrillers make unlikely disasters seem terrifyingly real.
"Crossover" science fiction is not primarily about science and when
successful does not feature dark protagonists.
Breakout biographical novels portray, from their opening lines, lives that
are clearly significant.
Today's historical novels usually are not sweeping sagas but are rather
some other plot form--mystery, thriller, romance, etc.--set in another time.
To break "out of category," a romance novel must be built on a breakout scale.
When linked short story collections break out, they may be episodic in
structure, but nevertheless they feature powerful central conflicts and/or
framing devices that unify the stories.
Great stories go in unpredictable directions.
Breakout novels tend to sprawl.
Inventing your own advanced plot structure demands experimentation, an
understanding of the principles of breakout novel writing and a clear
vision of your novel's purpose.
Viewpoints, Subplots, Pace, Voice, Endings Checklist
Multiple points of view and subplots enrich a novel.
Connect subplots quickly.
Subplots must affect overall story outcome.
Keep subplots to a minimum.
Use character lists and plot chronologies to find nodes of conjunction.
Interweave character relationships.
Build range by drawing from different aspects of your milieu and having
characters cross plot lines.
Keep main plot scenes frequent; keep subplot scenes necessary to your purpose.
Back-story belongs later.
Pace your story by building to high moments, turning points and deaths.
Mark turning points with character changes.
Narrative drive resides in the main plot.
Cliffhangers, though sometimes clumsy, can keep things moving.
Voice is more than style; it is infusing your self in your story.
Good endings plumb the depths, inner and outer.
Keep the outcome in doubt by making failure look likely.
Theme Checklist
Novels are moral.
Conflicting ideals or values create tension.
Become impassioned about your story.
Express convictions through characters.
Use the reverse motive exercise to deepen your characters' convictions.
Develop symbols from what is at hand.
Strengthen your own passion with the oppression exercise.
Map the moral development (or decline) of your protagonist.
Universal themes usually are familiar, but in the breakout novel, they are
portrayed in depth.
If you must go out on a moral limb, anchor your readers in a sympathetic
character.
Don't push theme; let it flow.
Put your characters to the test.
Breakout Checklist
Whether your novel is your breakout will be decided by the public.
Get the right agent.
Have some idea of what you need.
The essence of a pitch is setting, protagonist, and problem. Add layers sparingly.
Compare your novel not to classics or best sellers but to other breakout
novels.
Outlines are the novel in miniature.
Hardcover is the preferred format for breaking out.
Big advances are great, but they carry big risks.
Going back to press is better than big printings that do not leave the
warehouse.
The best publicity is between the covers of your book.
Any upward jump is success.
Sequels can disappoint; write them with passion.
If possible stick with one publisher.
The best career plan is simple: Please readers on a regular basis.
***********************
The Bread Loaf Writers Conference
Wednesday, August 11, to Sunday, August 22, 2004
The Bread Loaf Writers' Conference is one of America's most valuable literary institutions. For more than 75 years, the workshops, lectures, and classes, held in the shadow of the Green Mountains, have introduced generations of participants to rigorous practical and theoretical approaches to the craft of writing, and given America itself proven models of literary instruction. Bread Loaf is not a retreat--not a place to work in solitude. Instead it provides a stimulating community of diverse voices in which we test our own assumptions regarding literature and seek advice about our progress as writers.
In August we will again welcome more than two hundred talented writers to the historic Bread Loaf Inn, along with our distinguished faculty, and many agents and editors from major publishing houses and literary firms. Depending on a writer's level achievement, a variety of fellowships and scholarships can help cover tuition and fees at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. Application deadline: March 1. See: http://www.middlebury.edu/blwc/
***************
One way to check agents for legitimacy
Writers beware, when pursued by an agent. Here’s at least one Web site that will give you a little info on which agents to avoid. It can’t list them all; it only reports what others send in, but check to see if your potential agent has used any of the same tactics: http://www.fictionaddiction.net/watchdog/agentwatchdog1.html
*********
Raise Your IQ (Imagination Quotient)
Saturday, March 20, 2004, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. $39
Especially for writers, artists and performers who want to access their imagination, find, and stay in their creative zone.
· Mine your memories for fresh ideas
· Turn knowledge and imagination into exciting, new projects
· Create with joy and abandon
· Leave with dozens of new methods that open doors to new images and concepts
· Access your imagination any time.
The above seminar will be given at The Knowledge Shop, 180 Cobb Parkway #C24, Marietta, Georgia, 30060. Call 678-766-6666 to register.
***************
Good news for readers near Marietta, Georgia
Nancy Moreland shares the following news:
If you're in the market for a good book, check out Haversack Books, a locally owned neighborhood bookstore at 18 Powder Springs St., just off the Square in Marietta, 30060, 770-794-8141.
An interesting place & nice alternative to the big box book experience. Many of their bestsellers are 50% off & they offer all kinds of literature & guides for book clubs. Also have reading groups, poetry workshops, discounts for educators, etc.
It's a place with personality . . . check it out!
***********
Member Cec Murphey gets recognition in Variety.Com:
'Miracle' duo, Mouse find more inspiration
O'Connors to produce Thomas-El adaptation
By DANA HARRIS, CATHY DUNKLEY
Walt Disney Co. will re-team with the filmmakers behind its 2,605-screen release "Miracle" on another inspirational story. It's the memoir "I Choose to Stay: A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City."
Director Gavin O'Connor and his producing partner, brother Greg O'Connor, will produce the picture through their Solaris Entertainment banner with partner Tim Chambers.
Philadelphia-based educator Salome Thomas-EL wrote the book. A gifted child raised in the Philadelphia projects, he earned an Ivy League education but returned to the inner city to become an elementary school principal. There, he revived the troubled school's long-dormant chess club and helped the team go all the way to the national championships.
Chambers brought the project to Solaris. Cecil Murphey served as the book's co-writer.
***************
_Purge Your Prose of Problems_, a book doctor’s desk reference book compiled by Bobbie Christmas, is now available. Save thousands and edit your own book. To order, go to www.zebraeditor.com and click on Bookstore.
**************
SLEUTHFEST MYSTERY WRITERS' CONFERENCE
Mystery Writers of America - Florida Chapter
Four tracks of workshops, keynote luncheon, pitch sessions
with agents & editors, Mystery River Cruise, Reader's
Corner, screening & discussion.
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
See the complete listing at:
http://writing.shawguides.com/SleuthFestMysteryWritersConference
***************
WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE: MARK STRAND
3/1/04 - 3/21/04
Locations: New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Sponsored by
Atlantic Center for the Arts Master Artist-in-Residence Program
http://writing.shawguides.com/AtlanticCenterfortheArtsResidencies
For more information:
http://www.atlanticcenterforthearts.org
***************
Rev Up Your Writing and Win! Seminar Available on Tape
High-quality cassette recorded at the Harriette Austin Writers Conference in Athens, Georgia, and includes all accompanying materials and handouts. Only $14.95 plus $4 shipping (total $18.95) through Bobbie Christmas (bobbie@zebraeditor.com) or call 770/924-0528.
***************
PANAMA CANAL CRUISE FOR BOOK LOVERS & WRITERS
3/3/04 - 3/13/04
Locations: Panama
Focus: Fiction, Journalism, Nonfiction, and Screenwriting
Sponsored by Maui Writers Conference
http://writing.shawguides.com/maui
Do you want to get published? The Maui Writers Conference sponsors the world's premier writing and publishing events. Meet dozens of top agents and editors.
For more information: http://www.marynorth.com/mauiwriters
***************
SPRINGMINGLE'04
3/4/04 - 3/7/04
Atlanta, Georgia
Sponsored by Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators - Southern Breeze Region
http://writing.shawguides.com/SouthernBreezeSCBWI
For more information: http://www.southern-breeze.org
***************
Authors Promotion Seminars
http://www.authorspromotionseminars.com/index.html
Glenda Ivey, founder of the Florida Writers Association and owner of Jada Press, has launched a countrywide seminar program that concentrates on book promotion for writers. Whether you self publish or not, you will have to promote your own book, so look into these seminars (only $90 for the day) and see when one will be in your area. The first is scheduled for Marietta, Georgia on March 6.
***********
Writers Conference in Denver
Take a writing vacation and make your publishing dream come true
at the Mountain High Writer's Conference in Denver, Colorado! From May 6-8, 2004, we will help you sharpen your writing skills and learn about
publishing and bookselling from the industry's most successful
professionals. Whether you've just started writing or have a book you want published, we have top industry experts waiting to help. If you have already published your book and want to sell it to retail stores, we will show you how.
Victoria Freudiger
Editor and Word Shepherd
Digi-Tall News & Media
Editorsheperd@aol.com
***********
New! Blue Ridge Writers Conference
Registration is open for the Blue Ridge Writers Conference, to be held March 20 at North Georgia Technical College in Blairsville. The cost is $50 in advance, $55 at the door. Keynote speakers are novelist Sharyn McCrumb and poet John Stone. Other speakers are novelists Patricia Sprinkle and Beverly Connor, poet Eugene Hirsch, illustrator Ande Cook, children's author Ric Reitz, memoirist Lauren Winner, editor Katherine Aimone of Lark Books, and owner of the Literary Agency for Southern Authors, Lantz Powell. The Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association sponsors the conference. Get more information from them at 706-632-2144 or visit www.blueridgemountainarts.org. A reception will be held at 6 p.m. March 19 at the Mountain Scholar Book Shop in Blue Ridge. An RSVP is requested for the reception.
************
Freelance Forum March Meeting
Money is a Mindgame: Nine strategies for making more
Have you ever been afraid to ask for more money? Told yourself you had to lower your price to get the business? Thought "What am I doing wrong?" Then you may not be using the power you have. In our March program, with speaker Mariette Edwards, owner of Starmaker Enterprises, you will learn nine incredibly simple strategies for changing your results right now. Thursday, March 4, 6:15-8:30 p.m.
WHERE: The Creative Circus
ADDRESS: 812 Lambert Drive (near the I-85 Monroe Dr exit)
ADMISSION: FREE for Members/Guests $12
***********
Marketing info for the self published:
BookAnnouncements.com has just launched a new site that will help Authors and Publishers connect with Booksellers and Librarians. We offer a variety of promotional opportunities both in print and online.
You can now afford to market your book in several of the major Book Publications, including ForeWord Magazine (The May/June issue will be distributed at BEA & ALA tradeshows.) and The New York Review of Books as well as to regional bookseller associations.
You can even get your book represented in various book fairs and tradeshows.
The London Book Fair March 14-16 $150; BookExpo America, June 4-6, Chicago, IL, $70; American Library Association, June 26-29, Orlando, FL, $70
Check out our new site at www.BookAnnouncements.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Five: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents and Markets
Lessons Learned, Volume II, looking for submissions from writers in the Southeast
The Knowledge Shop, Chapter 11--The Discount Bookstore, the Georgia Writers Association and The School Box present Lessons Learned, Volume II, an anthology competition for writers in the Southeast.
The second annual volume of Lessons Learned seeks positive nonfiction and fiction stories and poetry depicting lessons learned through classes, seminars, reading, relatives, friends or life.
Lessons Learned, Volume II, welcomes submissions from aspiring writers all over the Southeast. The Knowledge Shop Foundation and Chapter 11 will publish an anthology featuring the top entries. All who enter get a certificate for one free copy of the anthology, and writers whose work is chosen for inclusion will be featured at book signings at Chapter 11 stores in the Atlanta area. Top winners in each category (Adult fiction, nonfiction and poetry and Student fiction, nonfiction and poetry) will also win valuable prizes from The Knowledge Shop, Chapter 11, Georgia Writers, and The School Box.
Entries agree to appear and sign books at a book signing in the Atlanta area and follow other specific guidelines available at The Knowledge Shop, 180 Cobb Parkway #C24, Marietta, Georgia 30060 or www.knowledgeshopatlanta.com; or at Chapter 11 bookstores in the Atlanta area or at Georgia Writers meetings and events.
Deadline for entries is April 30, 2004. Entrants must use official entry form and follow all guidelines listed on the above Web site under Writing Contest.
**************
Looking for more heartwarming stories:
We cordially invite you to submit additional real, heartwarming stories for other forthcoming books in the Cup of Comfort series. We are currently compiling and actively seeking submissions for the following anthologies:
A CUP OF COMFORT FOR FAITH
Submission Deadline: June 1, 2004
A CUP OF COMFORT FOR LOVE
Submission Deadline: July 15, 2004
A CUP OF COMFORT FOR SPIRITUALITY
Submission Deadline: December 31, 2005 (extended from Dec. 31, 2004)
Guidelines are available now by email request to wordsinger@aol.com and are posted on the Website at http://www.cupofcomfort.com (click on "Share Your Story!").
Additional volumes are planned and will be announced on the Website. Future themes might include: blended families, adoptive families, couples, fathers, twins, baby boomers, empty nesters, seniors, tweens, the bereaved, women, writers. Suggestions are welcomed.
***************
Southeastern Theater Conference
New Play Project
2003-2004 Charles M. Getchell Award
The SETC New Play Project is dedicated to the discovery, development, and publicizing of worthy new plays and playwrights. This project will select one "winning script," present a staged reading of that script at the annual Southeastern Theatre Conference Convention in collaboration with the playwright, and conduct an adjudication of the play by a select panel of judges.
Students and playwrights residing in or studying at an accredited college in the SETC member region are eligible for consideration. These states include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Entries will be accepted between March 1 and June 1. Follow all Guidelines at http://www.setc.org/scholarship/newplay.asp
***************
Bernheim Writing Fellowship 2004
The trustees of Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest are pleased to announce the 2004 Bernheim Writing Fellowship. Bernheim is a beautiful 14,000-acre property located 25 miles south of Louisville, Kentucky.
Jurying Procedure
The Jurors will select the award recipient based on the quality of the work samples submitted. Support materials will be considered, but only as a secondary resource. The Bernheim Writing Fellowship is given annually to a talented writer who will work within the forest and/or arboretum to create works inspired by nature. The Fellowship provides the writer an opportunity to advance his or her own skills and career while enhancing awareness of Bernheim's goals regionally, nationally and internationally.
Award
The Fellow recipient is required to live at Bernheim for up to three months while working on his/her project. Bernheim will provide comfortable housing in a beautiful wooded setting, plus a financial grant of up to $1000.00 to cover travel, material cost and personal expenses.
The recipient of the Bernheim Fellowship must donate examples of a body of work produced during the Fellowship to Bernheim for its permanent use. These works will become part of The Bernheim Library Collection. Fellowship recipients are required to interact with the public in some way, which may include leading a workshop, readings, book signings, etc.
For entry procedure see: http://www.bernheim.org/arts.htm#Bernheim%20Writing%20Fellowship%202001
***************
Need Articles for Diabetic Info Website
Reply to: job-23182526@craigslist.org
I am seeking content for an upcoming website that will feature news and articles for diabetic or low-carb lifestyles. I will be looking for a variety of articles on diabetes related topics. Topics may include low-carb living, dieting and weight loss, general or gender specific health, new research, symptoms, etc.
I am seeking proposals for articles or article series, but am open to any other ideas at this point. Please include your topic, contact information, and rates, as well as any other information you deem relevant.
Compensation: To Be Determined
This is a contract internship job.
*****************
SEEKING HIP JOURNALIST-TYPES
“I am the editor of a brand spanking new alternative online web
magazine. We are currently looking for new contributors. For
the first year we are going to publish monthly (starting at the end
of February).
“We are looking for regular contributors and columnists. We
also need cartoonists and photographers.”
SteveFabian@prettywitty.com
*******************
COMEDY WRITERS WANTED
“Calling all the humorists out there. Do you consider yourself a pretty darn funny person? Can you get a laugh out of someone reading your material? Is your writing style hysterical & unique? Do you like to criticize celebrities, politicians, neighbors, etc? Do you find humor in everything: current events, funerals, taking the subway, your current job, etc? If you eat, sleep, and poop humor, insults, comedy we are definitely looking for you. “We are going to choose 5 to 10 people with any of these unique qualities to help us build the best Humor Online Magazine out there. JOKEO.COM. These chosen individuals will be the only ones contributing funny stuff to JOKEO.COM, they will get access to the JOKEO.COM system online, where they will be able to publish their own material, create polls, create forums, collaborate with other team members, and just have fun.” Joker@JokeO.Com
Compensation based on experience.
************************
Competition: Glimmer Train's Short Story Award for New Writers.
Eligibility: Open only to writers whose fiction has not appeared in any
publication with a circulation over 5,000. (Entries must be entirely
unpublished.) Open to all themes, all subjects. Stories should not exceed 8,000 words.
First-place winner receives $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of the issue in which it is published. Second- and third-place winners receive $500/$300, respectively, and acknowledgement in that issue.
To submit your story, go to our site, www.glimmertrainpress.com, log in,
and click on SHORT STORY AWARD FOR NEW WRITERS. Reading fee (payable by
visa or mc) is $12 per story.
Entries will be accepted through March 31st. Winners will be called by
July 1st. Top 25 list will be emailed to all participants by that date.
*******************
Reason
http://www.reason.com
Pays up to $2000 for articles on acceptance. Query first by email or snail mail.
"Reason covers politics, economics, culture, and science from a broad-minded libertarian perspective. We look for original analysis and research and do not like simple rehashes of well-worn libertarian positions." Complete guidelines: http://reason.com/writerguide.shtml
*******************
eWomenNetwork looking for interviewees for radio show—also looking for managing directors in Georgia (and maybe elsewhere, as well)
“eWomenNetwork, owns and produces the #1 women's business radio show on the largest ABC/Disney affiliate in the country. We are doing a special series beginning in March 2004 featuring leading female business owners and corporate professionals. We are specifically trying to connect with women who are known for being skilled at networking and are involved with the business community. Our goal is to raise the profile of businesswomen and help them attract more business and opportunities.
I am hoping that you can refer me to women whom you believe are recognized as leaders and are good at reaching out and helping others or are running solid businesses. You can find out more about my organization at www.eWomenNetwork.com. On our home page you will find a link to our radio show if you would like to listen to some of our past radio programs.
In addition, we are looking to establish new chapters throughout the state of Georgia. We are specifically searching for a special candidate in Atlanta. This is a compensated position and offers a tremendous amount of visibility.
Jill Stein
eWomenNetwork
Managing Director, Atlanta, GA
Phone: 770-751-6377
jstein@eWomenNetwork.com
*******************
Freelance writers are needed for a healthcare billing service
We are a medical billing service provider. We are looking for some freelance writers who can write fluently on the topic "How Physicians / Healthcare providers can better manager their collections. " Please email me with a brief description of your career, remuneration as well as links to examples of your work. Please don't send any attachments. We will contact the interested parties.
Reply to: job-23008810@craigslist.org
www.HelathSvc.com
*******************
New!
Canter Magazine
http://www.cantermagazine.com
Pays up to $25 for articles on publication.
"Canter Magazine is a quarterly consumer magazine aimed at equestrians and horse enthusiasts. Canter is a brand new publication, but it has a distinct voice and focus that a writer should understand before submitting a query."
See complete guidelines here:
http://www.cantermagazine.com/guidelines.asp
*******************
Guideposts
http://www.guideposts.com/writers_guidelines.asp
Pays up to $500 for articles on publication
"A typical Guideposts story is a first-person narrative written in simple, dramatic, anecdotal style with a spiritual point that the reader can "take away" and apply to his or her own life. The story may be the writer's own or one written in the first person for someone else."
***********
E-publisher of romances looking for books
Scheherazade Tales Romance E-Novels, http://scheherazadetales.com, a royalty-paying electronic publisher of romance e-books, is open for submissions. Novel-length (minimum 50,000 words) romance genre only. Query by email to editor@scheherazadetales.com - send short blurb/synopsis of storyline and approx. 5 pages from anywhere in your manuscript cut and pasted into the email, or send complete manuscript by email attachment. Romance must be the main focus of the story, not a secondary element. We like to see the hero/heroine having larger-than-life adventures while falling in love and struggling to stay together. Sensuality from sweet to spicy, but no erotica.
*******************
Directions to monthly meetings at Wok & Chops Gourmet Restaurant, Roswell, Georgia:
The restaurant is in King’s Market on Holcomb Bridge, Roswell, Georgia, one block from Hwy. 400. If on 400, take Exit 7 toward Norcross (7A if going north, exit 7 and turn left, if going south). If on Holcomb Bridge already, turn into King’s Market onto Market Boulevard beside SouthTrust Bank, turn left behind the bank, and you’ll see the restaurant in the hollow on the right. Restaurant phone: 770-552-8981.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do YOU have news for The Writers Network News? Please send it in the body copy, not an attachment, to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
…………………………………………………………………………….
Send a copy of this F-R-E-E newsletter to all your writing friends. Tell them to join The Writers Network F-R-E-E by visiting www.zebraeditor.com and clicking on “Free Writers Newsletter.” …………………………………………………………………………….
Newsletter Sponsor:
Zebra Communications: We Rev Up Your Writing, To Rev Up Your Sales.
We write, edit, and evaluate manuscripts, query letters, synopses, and articles. We even handle the submission process for you. Call to ask about our services or visit www.zebraeditor.com.
Zebra Communications, 230 Deerchase Drive, Suite B, Woodstock, GA 30188 770/924-0528
…………………………………………………………………………….
The Writers Network--a free network for writers everywhere. "No Rules; Just Write!"