Text version of The Writers Network News, February 15, 2005 http://ezezine.com
Sorry, folks; I tried a new method that was supposed to allow me to add links and italics, and it came through as gibberish for many. Here's the text verion of the newsletter.
February 15, 2005
The Writers Network News
“No Rules; Just Write!”
Editor: Bobbie Christmas (Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or bzebra@aol.com)
Next Roswell meeting date: Friday, March 4, 2005
12:00 noon at Wok & Chops Chinese Restaurant
If you happen to be in Atlanta on the first Friday of the month, bring questions and business cards and network with the best of us. See directions at the end of the e-zine.
In This Issue:
One: Kudos: Bobbi Kornblit
Two: From the editor’s desk: A Free Offer for Great Speaking
Three: Q and A: submitting photos, recommended books, commas in titles, capitalizing nicknames and endearments, settings, i.e. and e.g., and more
Four: Subjects of interest to writers
Five: Jobs, contests, grants, agents and markets
Six: Writing Assignment: Mine Your Mind
Seven: Looking for Critique Circles
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writer’s quote of the day:
“It has been said that writing comes more easily if you have something to
say.” ~ Sholem Asch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One: Kudos
[Kudos: noun: praise or honor: praise, credit, or glory for an achievement]
Bobbi Kornblit's play, Wedding March, was selected as a finalist in the 2005 Agnes Scott College Writers' Festival in the One-Act Play category. The text will appear in the Writers' Festival magazine. Contest winners will be announced April 15.
Please send in your accomplishments for our kudos section!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Two: From the editor’s desk: A Free Offer for Great Speaking and a cheap offer on tapes and CDs
Dear Fellow Writers:
In my last newsletter I mentioned my excitement over information I am learning from taped seminars from Tom Antion, a past president of the National Speakers Association. I did not give the contact information, because I did not want to sound like a commercial, but several subscribers asked for more information. Okay, here goes: I highly recommend Tom Antion’s free e-zine, “Great Speaking,” a must-have for those who promote their own books through talks or who give seminars. To sign up, click here: http://www.listpartners.com/cgi-local/partnerinfo?4623.
I’m selling out my taped seminar inventory and making room for my growing seminars-on-CD inventory. Take advantage of my special and save $7 on the one-hour “Rev Up Your Writing” Seminar. It was $14.95 plus $4 shipping (total $18.95), but it is now sale priced at $11.95, and we pay the shipping. To order, send your check to Zebra Communications, 230 Deerchase Drive, Woodstock, Georgia 30188. Visa and MasterCard accepted through PayPal, e-mail, or over the phone (770/924-0528). The one-hour seminar includes a high-quality tape plus all handouts and a seminar brochure for taking notes.
Enjoy this issue of The Writers Network News and be sure to send your kudos, questions, comments, and leads to share with members of your network.
--Bobbie Christmas
Author of award-winning Write In Style (Union Square Publishing, an imprint of Cardoza Publishing) and leader of The Writers Network
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Three: Questions and Answers
Q: Please explain how to submit photos to travel magazines. I previously sent only color slides, and that was okay; however, now they tell me they can use photos. How do I submit them, in plastic sheets? Where do I place my name and address? Don't say submit by e-mail, as I still haven't mastered my computer completely.
A: I've been submitted photographs to magazines for years, so I know that each magazine has its preferences for slides, prints, or digital files; that’s why you are confused. If and when you submit printed photos, though, here’s how to do it.
Never, ever write on the front or back of a printed photo. Instead, write the information on a piece of paper that is the appropriate size for the photo you send. If the photo is an 8 x 10, use an 8.5” x 11” sheet of white paper. For a 5 x 7 print, use a 3 x 5 piece of white paper.
About halfway down the paper, write or type the complete caption for the photo plus your name, address, and phone number. Yes, you should write the “who, how, why, what and where” caption yourself; the magazine should not have to guess about the photo.
Turn the photo face down and the info sheet face down. Tape the info sheet to the back of the photo positioned in a way that allows the information to extend below and beyond the photo. When you turn the photo over and view it, you should see below the photo all your contact information and the complete caption (sometimes called a cut line).
Place all photos between two sheets of cardboard and mail in a sturdy mailer that says on the outside, “Photos! Do Not Bend!”
Q: What books do you recommend to writers?
A: That’s easy. Some are also available in paperback, but if they came out in hardback, I list the hardback publishers. Here’s my favorite list: Stein on Writing by Sol Stein (St. Martin's), On Writing by Stephen King (Scribner), How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen (Writer's Digest Books), The Elements of Style by Strunk & White (Pearson Higher Education; 4th edition), On Writing Well by William Zinsser (Harper & Row), The Chicago Manual of Style (The University of Chicago Press), The AP Stylebook (Associated Press), Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg (Shambhala), and, of course, Write In Style by Bobbie Christmas (Union Square).
Q: When writing a legal document, when do I need a comma in identifying the people involved in a legal action? For example, which of the following is correct?
1. Please be advised that we are taking steps to certify the above-captioned judgment for the purpose of creating a lien on real estate owned by Defendant John Doe. - Or -
Please be advised that we are taking steps to certify the above-captioned judgment for the purpose of creating a lien on real estate owned by Defendant, John Doe.
2. Please be advised that Defendant John Doe owns real estate in Smith County. - Or -
Please be advised that Defendant, John Doe, owns real estate in Smith County.
My guess is that either is correct, but is one preferred?
A: An English teacher could simplify the answer much more than I can, but here’s my feeble attempt.
Your guess is correct--that either is okay--but not in every circumstance. The answer has to do with the intention and clarity of the information. If you put "the" before the word defendant, you would set the name off by commas. (The pope, John Paul, said...) If you take away the "the," you would take away the comma. (Pope John Paul said...)
It can be confusing, because it is a question of whether the name is essential or nonessential to the understanding of the sentence. Nonessential clauses and phrases are set off by commas. Nonessential phrases are not necessary. Without them readers still comprehend the full meaning of the sentence. In the case of your example, the name is essential if there is more than one defendant, but nonessential when the information refers to only one. (Essential: more than one defendant = Defendant John Doe. Nonessential: only one defendant = Defendant, John Doe.
Think of it in the case of marriage in America. Here we are allowed only one spouse, so the name is nonessential. We would say “He loved his wife, Nancy.” Readers know he has only one wife, so her name is nonessential. If we were in a country that allowed multiple spouses, the name would be essential to the meaning of the sentence and would therefore be written “He loved his wife Nancy.” Readers know that of all his wives, he loved the one named Nancy.
By the way, legalese is different from business English. In business English, I would not capitalize the word defendant, especially if preceded by “the.”
Q: When using an endearment or a nickname, is it capitalized? For example, "Okay, Partner, we'd better get a move on." Partner is in exchange for the man's name, like buddy, or if said by a woman, it might be honey, baby, or sweetie. Do they get capitalized?
A: Generally if the endearment or nickname replaces the name, it is capitalized. Examples: Let’s go, Honey. May I ask a question, Madam? Yes, Sir, that’s my suitcase. No, Ma’am, Mother’s not home.
Notice that a comma should precede the nickname, because the statement is a direct address.
If the word of endearment or nickname does not replace a name, it is not capitalized. Example: She’s the honey in the red dress.
As you can imagine, sir and madam, or ma’am, usually replace a name, so they are almost always capitalized. When madam is written out and lowercased, it often refers to a woman of the oldest profession. Example: She was a madam until she married well and quit the business.
Q: I am writing Sci-Fi action novel and would like to know if editors like
to see action set in real locations (i.e. Washington, D.C.), or is it okay
to have a made-up, unnamed, city with fictional locations, streets, etc.
A: The answer depends on the publisher, but in my experience the names of the settings are not as important as their sense of reality. If the author creates believable settings, the name, location, and authenticity are not significant. If, however, the author chooses to use a real city, all the details in that setting had better be correct.
I would like to add a little editing tip because so many of us get Latin references confused. Despite what most of us think, the letters “i.e.” stand for “that is,” not “for example.” In the case above (i.e., Washington, D.C.), “e.g.” would have been the appropriate Latin reference. “E.g.” stands for “for example.” Notice, too, that the Latin abbreviation should be followed by a comma. Wow! We learned so much from your question. Thank you for writing.
Q: I have a great idea for a coffee table book. [Idea deleted for privacy] What do you think?
A: Coffee table books, because they tend to be large format and filled with color photographs, cost a great deal to produce, so publishers are slow to invest the big bucks required. To whet the publisher's appetite, the idea must have the earmarks of a major seller. It must have broad appeal. The writing, if any, must be excellent. The subject must be something people are eager to view and study (as in Play with your Food by Joost Elffers, which features more than 100 pages of photographs of animals created from oranges, pumpkins, pears, bell peppers, green beans, onions, and other edibles ).
In reality, no one can pitch an idea to a publisher. Publishers don't buy ideas; they buy books, and they rely on book proposals to give them all the information they need to make a decision. For that reason, it is necessary to write a full book proposal and sample chapters (or in this case, photos and, if appropriate, captions). The formula for a book proposal is long and involved, and my favorite book to follow is called How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen.
An effective book proposal must include detailed information regarding the potential market, the competition, how the author will promote it, and much more. Most nonfiction books have to be written by people who are experts in the field that is the subject of the book--or at least in the case of a photography-based coffee-table book, a professional photographer with strong credentials.
A good idea is a good place to start, but no quick route exists. Someone with a good idea must write a great proposal and fantastic sample chapters to submit to agents and publishers.
Do you have a question? Send it today to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Four: Subjects of interest to writers
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Write In Style – 9:00 – 12:00--$39 plus $6 registration fee (see below how to save $6)
The Knowledge Shop
Marietta Trade Center
Cobb Parkway
Marietta, Georgia
TOP SECRET: Save the $6 registration fee. When you register, say, “Bobbie sent me, so waive my six-dollar registration fee.”
Learn how to power up your prose and add marketability to your manuscripts. Bobbie Christmas, author of Write In Style: Using Your Word Processor and Other Techniques to Improve Your Writing (Union Square Publishing, ISBN 1-58042-134-2) explains her trademarked Find and Refine Method™ and many other tips to make revisions easier and your writing more powerful. This seminar is not about grammar! It's about what Bobbie Christmas calls "missed opportunities for improvement," the tendencies of all writers to fall into weak writing. Her methods focus on what to eliminate from your writing to make it tight, persuasive and marketable. Sponsored by The Knowledge Shop. Call 678-766-6666 for information or to register.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cynthia Kadohata, author of Kira-Kira, and Kevin Henkes, illustrator and author of Kitten's First Full Moon, are the 2005 winners of the John Newbery and Randolph Caldecott medals, the most prestigious awards in children's literature. They were among the award winners announced Jan. 17 by the American Library Association (ALA) during its Midwinter Meeting in Boston.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cruise in Style while you Write In Style!
April 10-17, 2005
Royal Caribbean International
Radiance of the Seas
Eastern Caribbean Cruise
Departure Port: Miami, Florida
Cruise the Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas to the Eastern Caribbean and enjoy several different one-hour seminars with Bobbie Christmas, all based on Write In Style, her latest book for fiction and nonfiction writers. Ports of call include Cococay, Bahamas; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten. Seminars are free to all on board. Once onboard, check daily newsletter for times, days, and locations of each seminar. For more information or to book the cruise, see http://tinyurl.com/4trol.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Blue Ridge (Georgia) Writers' Conference March 18 and 19.
March 18: reception at Appalachian Community Bank in Blue Ridge, Georgia, from 6 to 8 p.m. March 19: speakers and workshops from 8 to 5 at North Georgia Technical College in Blairsville. The cost is $50 to hear ten speakers, including mystery writer Kathy Hogan Trocheck (Mary Kay Andrews), novelist Catherine Landis, poet Jeff Daniel Marion, children's authors Elizabeth Dulemba and Mary E.Lyons, nonfiction author Susan Jones, editor Randall Williams of New South Books, former Guideposts editor Mary Ann O’Rourke, agent Susan Graham, and magazine writer Jessica Handler.
Sponsor: the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association. Coordinator, Carol Crawford: ca_crawford@yahoo.com For more information: www.brmaa.net or 706-632-2144.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The second annual Dahlonega (Georgia) Literary Festival will be held around
the Dahlonega square February 18-20. Attend workshops, book signings, readings, musical performances, stage plays and other events. More than forty writers are taking part including Jerry Glanville, Ludlow Porch, Wes Sarginson, and Dedra Gizzard.
Workshops/seminars of interest to writers include:
> -"Creative Writing Inspirations"
> -"Write Your Dream"
> -"Fiction Writing Workshop"
> -"The Autobiography of a Novel"
> -"Birth of an Author" (Seminar for aspiring authors about what
publishers look for)
> -"Second Draft" (Poetry workshop)
> -"Marketing for Writers"
> -"Publicizing Your Book"
> -"How to Write a Query Letter"
> -"Print on Demand" (Seminar and demonstration of POD technology)
> -"How to Get Your Book into Barnes and Noble"
> -"The Art of Book Signing"
> -"How to Start a Reading Group"
For complete details see: www.literaryfestival.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Persistence pays off for novelist Ron McClarty
All the while Ron McLarty was making a comfortable living as a television and stage actor, he wanted to be a writer. Starting at 5 a.m. each day, he wrote for five hours, producing nine novels and 44 stage plays - not a single word of which was published.
In 2003, his luck changed. He auditioned for a part in "Kingdom Hospital," a mini-series based on the Stephen King novel. King asked McLarty during the audition if he was the novelist whose name he had seen in a catalog of books on tape. Flattered, McLarty sent King a copy of his The Memory of Running.
On Sept. 19, 2003, King wrote in a full-page article in Entertainment Weekly
That "Ron McLarty's 'The Memory of Running' is the best novel you won't read this year." Two weeks later, McLarty got a $2 million advance for two books from Viking, a Penguin imprint. Sales in a dozen foreign countries brought in another $1.8 million. Warner Bros. has paid him $1 million to write the screenplay for a movie based on his novels.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Atlanta Writers Club Features Public Radio Host
Lois Reitzes, host and executive producer at WABE 90.1 FM, will speak to The Atlanta Writers Club on Thursday, February 17. The meeting begins at 6:45 p.m. with a networking period. Ms. Reitzes will begin her talk at 7:15. For a free copy of the February newsletter, see http://www.atlantawritersclub.org/newsletter.html.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subsidy publisher being sued
Playboy model says subsidy publisher broke promise to pay charity author and Playboy magazine model Jill Ann Spaulding said in BusinessWire news that she is considering legal action against subsidy publisher PageFree Publishing of Otsego, Mich., for allegedly failing to pay profits from the sale of her book. Spaulding said all profits from the sale of her autobiography Jill Ann: Upstairs were to go to PREHAB, a non-profit crisis center for battered women and children. To date, she says, the charity has received no money from PageFree Publishing. Jill Ann: Upstairs is a tell-all memoir about the author's experiences with Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. Ms. Spaulding said her contract with PageFree stipulates that the "publisher shall render to Author a statement of account on sales of the work and pay Author any amount(s) due on a quarterly basis commencing with the first full PageFree Publishing accounting quarter." It has been 11 months since her book has been released. She said PageFree told her that it had sold 250 copies of her book in one month, but that was the last sales data she ever received.
In response to the allegations, Kim Blagg of PageFree said, "(S)uffice it to say that our royalty payment schedule is explained in the Publishing Agreement on our website and in the signed document submitted with each book we publish.”
The trade paperback version of Spaulding's book is cover-priced at $14.99. She says PageFree sold her personal copies for $6.86 to $7.45 each. Spaulding says she was charged for books that were never shipped or received and she was overcharged for numerous unspecified fees. Spaulding said, "The next book I write will be about how not be taken advantage of by subsidy publishers."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Selling books online big business
Online booksellers drew 52 million visitors in November 2004, a gain of 4.2 percent over the same period in 2003. Amazon and Overstock draw the most hits.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Secrets from Write In Style Revealed
The Find and Refine Method™ assists writers in being objective about their work. To learn much more about Bobbie Christmas’s trademarked method, see http://tinyurl.com/5vabr
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The shelf life of books
Returnable hardcover books are available in bookstores only until a paperback edition comes out or until the next hot, new hardcover pushes the previous one off the display racks. On average, a mass-market paperback stays on bookstore shelves for only three months. A trade paperback, by comparison, might stay as long as six to nine months. For nonfiction hardbacks, the average shelf life is six weeks. Most published books are out of the bookstores in three months to make room for the proliferation of new titles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zogby poll: Textbooks are key to college learning
The vast majority of college instructors--84 percent-- believe students absolutely need a textbook to complete their courses, according to a Zogby International survey of 1,029 U.S. college faculties released in January. "This survey confirms the conventional wisdom that next to the professor, the text is the most critical tool students have to ensure academic success," commented Patricia Schroeder, president and chief executive officer of the Association of American Publishers.
"The results underscore the critical role that updated textbooks and sophisticated learning tools play in college students' success," Ms. Schroeder said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Save $7! Rev Up Your Writing and Win Seminar on Tape Reduced!
Rev Up Your Writing and Win is a high-quality cassette recorded at the Harriette Austin Writers Conference in Athens, Georgia. The package includes all accompanying materials and handouts. Was $14.95 plus $4 shipping (total $18.95). Sale priced this week: $11.95, and we pay the shipping. To order, send your check today. Zebra Communications, 230 Deerchase Drive, Woodstock, Georgia 30188. Credit cards accepted through PayPal, e-mail, or over the phone (770/924-0528).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From WritersMarket.com: Avoid Agency Scams!
If you were going into business with another person, you'd make sure you knew him, felt comfortable with him, had the same vision as he did--and that he'd never had trouble with
the law or a history of bankruptcy, wouldn't you? As obvious as this information sounds, many writers take for granted that any agent who expresses interest in their work is trustworthy.
Don't fall into this trap. How do you check up on an agent? How do you spot a scam before you're already taken in by it?
First, research the agency. What kind of reputation does it have? If it's a well-established literary agency and all the agents are members of the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR), you should be safe from scams. All AAR members are required to abide by a code of ethics and are not permitted to charge fees to writers. An agent's salary should be earned exclusively with commissions.
A writer should never pay fees to an agent, including reading fees, retainers, marketing fees, or submission fees. Rather than paying an agent for a critique service, join a writer's group. Invest your time instead of your money. Give feedback to others in exchange for their feedback to you.
If you have concerns about the agency's practices, ask the agent about them before you sign. He should be willing to answer questions or concerns you have. If the agent is rude or unresponsive or tries to tell you that information is confidential or classified, the agent is uncommunicative at best and, at worst, is already trying to hide something from you.
For more information see: http://www.writersmarket.com/content/scam_alert.asp For an
archive of more than 80 Expert Advice pieces, sign up for WritersMarket.com. It’s my favorite research tool for finding markets for my writing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Planet Collector: collectors' magazine launches
The new magazine covers a wide range of collectibles. "Our mission is to give essential advice for both newcomers and experienced collectors."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Write In Style: Using Your Word Processor and Other Techniques to Improve Your Writing teaches the Find and Refine Method ™ to locate specific letters, words and phrases you can delete, upgrade or rewrite to give power to your prose. Bobbie Christmas, professional book editor, reveals secrets only a book doctor could know. First Place winner of the Royal Palm Award for education! Union Square Publishing, publisher; Simon and Schuster, distributor. Available in bookstores as well as from most major Internet retailers, including Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, SimonSays.com, Walmart.com and Forbes.com. Can also be ordered at http://zebraeditor.com/bookstore.shtml
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Main Street Writers meet at the Historic Train Depot in downtown Cartersville, Georgia, on the second Thursday of each month, at 7:00 p.m. It has several active critique groups: Fiction meets at 9:00 a.m. each Saturday; Children's Writers and Poets at 7:00 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday nights; and Nonfiction at 7:00 p.m. on the 2nd, 4th and 5th Tuesday nights; all meet at the depot. Visitors are welcome, and they can get more info by calling Ray Fast at 770-607-4289.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Five: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents and Markets
HerStory wants your story
Indi Zeleny, Editor
Box 1312
Carmel Valley, CA 93924
zindiz@yahoo.com
Adams Media, Inc. in Avon, Massachusetts, is compiling an anthology of stories for a new book tentatively titled HerStory: Why I Live in my Bathtub and Other True-Life Stories about the Moments that Make Us, to be published in Fall 2005. The book will contain 30 true stories written by strong women like you that celebrate the moments that help women everywhere deal with the cathartic stuff of life. They are stories about women who have taken charge of their lives and inspire us to take charge of our own destinies. Genuine, edgy, sometimes ironic but always authentic, these stories might have such themes as:
A woman takes the proverbial bull by the horns and proposes marriage to her live-in boyfriend.
An overworked software engineer dumps her six-figure job and heads to London to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a professional belly dancer.
A harried new mom rekindles the flagging romance with her husband.
A young artist uses her canvas to heal the divide between herself and her mother.
No essays or vignettes, but good stories with a beginning, middle, and end, and that highlight a milestone or turning point in your life, large or small, approximately 2,000 words. Contributors whose stories are included in the book will receive $200 and a copy of the book upon publication.
Send your stories by e-mail by March 10, 2005.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Nelson Algren Awards
Aleksandra Kostovski
Chicago Tribune
Nelson Algren Awards
435 N Michigan Ave LL2
Chicago IL 60611
akostovski@tribune.com
Entrants must be U.S. citizens. Submit up to 2 stories, 2,500-10,000 words each. No entry fee. Winners will be published in the Chicago Tribune and will receive $5,000. Deadline: February 28, 2005
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
12,000 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 acknowledgment
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 credit card) is $12 per story.
Entries will be accepted through April 5. Winners will be called by July 1st. Top 25 list will be emailed to all participants by that date. Please let your email provider (ISP) know that you want emails from glimmertrainpress.com and limmertrain.com so we can reach you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sports Writer Wanted for Weekly Articles
Metro Atlanta area
The Roswell Rockets is a basketball training team that brings promising young players (6th through 9th grade) to their next skill level in the game. The Rockets and the Roswell Revue have reached an agreement that allows the Rockets to have a full page for copy, photos and ads.
Every week the chosen writer will provide a piece on the Rockets that will fill the page. This will include cut-and-paste on scores and upcoming games. A half-page of writing is about 600 words; a full-page is about 1,200. The article can be human interest featuring one of the players or one of the coaches. It can be the history and goals of the Rockets themselves. Because of the sport photos included, the articles can vary in length
The pay will be $50.00 per article for about ten articles running mid-March to mid-May. Although the pay is not high, the assignment will give the writer a regular feature in the Revue and some income to count on.
In interested, contact Sharon: sstyer@sci-sell.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5th Annual Chistell Writing Contest Guidelines
Contest Begins: October 1, 2004
Contest Deadline: February 28, 2005
Entry Fee: None
Age Limit: Must be 18 years or older to enter contest
Genres: Short story and poetry
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5th Annual Chistell Writing Contest
Grand Prize Short Story: $200.00
2nd Place Short Story: $50.00
Grand Prize Poetry: $100.00
2nd Place Poetry: $50.00
No pornographic, discriminatory or hate-related stories or poems accepted. Electronic submissions are preferred and encouraged. Entries should be submitted inside the body of an email (and not sent as attachments) and sent to: soulfar@aol.com with “5th Annual Chistell Writing Contest Submission” in the subject line of the email.
All submitted short stories and poems must be unpublished and under complete (100%) ownership to the author submitting the work. No writer may submit the work of any other writer living or deceased. Submitted short stories and poems must not be under consideration for publication by another editor or/and publisher at the time the short story or poem is submitted to the contest.
Winners will be announced in April 2005. A special page will be created at the Chistell website (http://www.chistell.com) to include the winning short stories and poems. In addition, a press release of the winning stories and poems will be sent to global media. All rights to submitted short stories and poems remain with the writer submitting the work. At the conclusion of the contest, writers are encouraged to submit the work to other editors/publishers for publication.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Awards
http://www.writersdigest.com/contests/self_published.asp%20
Writer's Digest is accepting entries in the 13th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards. Deadline: May 2, 2005
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Her Sports
www.hersports.com
Guidelines: www.hersports.com/contributeGuide.html
"Her Sports is for smart, active women who use sports and fitness
to balance their busy lifestyles and who are looking for more in
a magazine than the mainstream health and fitness publications
offer." Pays up to $500 for articles on publication.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition
http://www.writersdigest.com/contests/annual/74th/
Writer's Digest is accepting entries in the 74th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. The winners will be published this November in the Winning Compilation sponsored and published by Outskirts Press. Deadline: May 16, 2005
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Literary Agency Seeking New and Established Writers
3 Seas Literary Agency
P.O. Box 7038
Madison WI 53708
Contact: Michelle Grajkowski
Phone: (608)221-4306
E-Mail: threeseaslit@aol.com
Website: www.threeseaslit.com
3 Seas Literary Agency represents 40 clients. Established in
2000, this agency focuses on romance, women's fiction,
mysteries, nonfiction, young adult and children's stories.
For fiction, please query with first 3 chapters, a synopsis, your bio, and SASE. For nonfiction, please query with your complete proposal, first 3 chapters, number of words, a bio, and SASE.
Accepts simultaneous submissions
Responds in 1 month to queries.
Responds in 3 months to partials.
Returns materials only with SASE
Recently sold titles include Hard Day's Knight, by Katie MacAlister (Eclipse), and
Calendar Girl, by Naomi Neale (Making It).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack Dyer Fiction Prize
Crab Orchard Review
Dept. of English
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Carbondale IL 62901-4503
E-Mail: jtribble@siu.edu
Website: www.siu.edu/~crborchd
Contact: Jon C. Tribble, managing editor
Offered annually for unpublished short fiction. Crab Orchard Review acquires first North American serial rights to all submitted work. Open to any writer.
Prize: $1,500, and publication
Deadline: February 1-April 1
Eligibility: Open to US citizens only
Guidelines: Guidelines for SASE.
Entry Fee: $15/entry (can enter up to 3 stories, each story submitted requires a separate fee and can be up to 6,000 words), which includes a 1-year subscription to Crab Orchard Review
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CNW/FFWA Annual Florida State Writing Competition
Florida Freelance Writers Association
P.O. Box A
North Stratford NH 03590-0167
E-Mail: contest@writers-editors.com
Website: www.writers-editors.com
Contact: Dana K. Cassell, executive director
Annual award "to recognize publishable talent." Divisions & Categories: Nonfiction (previously published article/essay/column/nonfiction book chapter; unpublished or self-published article/essay/column/nonfiction book chapter); Fiction (unpublished or self-published short story or novel chapter); Children's Literature (unpublished or self-published short story/nonfiction article/book chapter/poem); Poetry (unpublished or self-published free verse/traditional).
Prize: 1st Place: $100, plus certificate; 2nd Place: $75, plus certificate; 3rd Place: $50, plus certificate. Honorable Mention certificates will be awarded in each category as warranted.
Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Open to any writer
Guidelines for SASE.
Entry Fee: $5 (active or new CNW/FFWA members) or $10 (nonmembers) for each fiction/nonfiction entry under 3,000 words; $10 (members) or $20 (nonmembers) for each entry of 3,000 words or longer; and $3 (members) or $5 (nonmembers) for each poem.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Richard Hall Memorial Gay Men’s Short Fiction Contest
The James White Review
P.O. Box 73910
Washington DC 20056-3910
Phone: (202)462-7924
E-Mail: merlapatrick@aol.com
Website: www.lambdalit.org
Contact: Jim Marks, executive director
Offered annually for unpublished short stories to recognize emerging gay writers. Subject must be gay men. Open to writers not previously published in a magazine with circulation of 10,000 or over.
Prize: $1,000 and publication
Deadline: September 1
Guidelines: Guidelines for SASE.
Entry Fee: $15 fee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Burroughs Bronze Medal Award
John Burroughs Association
15 W. 77th St.
New York NY 10024
Phone: (212)769-5169
Fax: (212)313-7182
E-Mail: breslof@amnh.org/burroughs
Website: research.amnh.org
Contact: Lisa Breslof
This annual contest promotes outstanding natural history writing. To be eligible, you must have been published during the previous 3 years. No entry fee.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Cup of Comfort for Grandparents
Much has been written about the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren. For this collection, we’re looking for exceptionally creative, original, and emotionally powerful stories about extraordinary relationships and experiences shared by grandmothers and/or grandfathers and their grandchildren. Stories may be humorous or heartwarming, insightful or delightful, poignant or amazing, or all of the above. We’re looking for stories on a variety of topics specific and/or significant to the grandparent-grandchild connection. We want stories about grandparents and grandchildren of all ages, ethnicities, circumstances, and from varying points of view (grandparent’s, parent’s, or grandchild’s).
Submission Deadline: April 1, 2005 (can stretch to May 1, if you need more time)
Submissions must be stories (not essays, articles, profiles, or vignettes) and must be original (not derived from another published work), true, positive, in English, and 1,000-2,000 words.
Payment: One $500 grand prize per book; $100 each, all other published stories. Plus copy of book.
Guidelines: http://www.cupofcomfort.com/ (click on "Share Your Story") or email request to cupofcomfort@adamsmedia.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Six: Writing Assignment:
Mine Your Mind
This assignment requires that you listen to your heart. Take a pad of paper and a pencil or pen with you, and go sit in a comfortable chair. Pile it full of pillows or drape an afghan around you or do whatever necessary to make yourself comfortable. Relax. Take a deep breath in through your nostrils. Sit still. Go limp. Close your eyes. Let the breath out from your mouth. Take another deep breath in through the nostrils. Hold it a moment, then exhale through your mouth. Take a third deep breath and do the same thing.
Let your body relax. Let our mind wander as you relax. Where does it go? Does it think about what you will cook for dinner? Does it wonder if your sports team will win this weekend? Does your mind take you to a relationship issue, a work issue, a health issue? Open your eyes long enough to jot down a few short notes about the subjects that are on your relaxing mind. Close your eyes again and let your mind wander more. Again write down the subjects and ideas that came to mind. Allow yourself to relax as long as you can. Twenty minutes is ideal. At the end of your relaxation time, you will not only have a map of what is on your conscious mind, but also know a little about your subconscious mind. Best of all, you have created a list of subjects that are vital to you and your life; subjects on which you can now easily go and write articles, books, reports, or essays. This relaxation technique allows you to mine your mind for ideas, and with it you can never run out of material or subjects to write about.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Seven: Looking for Critique Circles
Do you want to join or form a critique circle in your area or online? In the body of an e-mail send me your name, general location, contact information, and your preferences (fiction, nonfiction, short stories, books, poetry, etc.). I’ll list your information here, to help you find or form a group that allows you to get feedback.
Name: Walter McElligott
P. O. Box 452
Beecher, IL 60401
General location: Far south suburbs of Chicago, IL.
Contact information: wmcauth07@juno.com
Preferences: (Christian writing of fiction, nonfiction, magazine articles,
short stories, books).
…………………
I'm in the Marietta, Georgia, area, and I am willing to drive wherever necessary to meet a group. The genres I am focusing on are short stories, poetry and essays. I would like to find 4 or 5 writers who want to meet weekly to critique each other’s work. My schedule is pretty flexible, but I am looking for a weekly group.
Our library ( Mt. View branch on Sandy Plains and Shallowford Road in Marietta) is willing to provide a free meeting space for writers critique groups.
--Demi Doyle 770-973-7257, email kdadoyle@bellsouth.net
…………………
Remember to ask me for Free Report #101 on forming and maintaining a successful critique circle. Send your request to me at Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Directions to meetings:
Directions to monthly meetings held the first Friday of each month at Wok & Chops Chinese 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 by turning 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.” …………………………………………………………………………….
The Writers Network News--a free newsletter for writers everywhere.
"No Rules; Just Write!"
Newsletter Sponsor:
Zebra Communications: We help you write in style, so you write to win.
We write, edit, and evaluate manuscripts, book proposals, query letters, synopses, and articles. Call to ask about our services or visit www.zebraeditor.com.
Zebra Communications
230 Deerchase Drive, Suite B
Woodstock, GA 30188
770/924-0528
Bobbie Christmas Blog for Writers: http://journals.aol.com/bzebra/BobbieChristmasBlogforWriters/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Writers Network – No fees. No officers. “No Rules; Just Write!"
Directions to meetings:
Directions to monthly meetings held the first Friday of each month at Wok & Chops Chinese 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 by turning 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.
…………………………………………………………………………….