August 16, 2005; The Writers Network News http://ezezine.com
August 16, 2005
Welcome to this issue of The Writers Network News. I hope you love it and forward it to all your writing friends, but if you don’t love it, follow the simple instructions at the bottom to remove your address from the mailing list.
In This Issue:
One: Kudos: Joan Shaddox, Barbara Florio Graham, Sandra Yee, Roy Lantz, Jim James, Bobbi Kornblit
Two: From the editor’s desk: Old New York
Three: Ask the Book Doctor: About pseudonyms, submissions, audio books and writing in English as a second language
Four: Subjects of interest to writers – last chance to register for Writers Boot Camp, and more
Five: Jobs, contests, grants, agents and markets
Six: Writing Assignment: Read the Obituaries
Seven: Looking for Critique Circles
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LOOK! Next Roswell meeting date: Friday, September 2, 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 us. See directions at the end of the e-zine.
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To view past issues of The Writers Network News, go to: http://ezezine.com/home/770/
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Writer’s quote of the day:
It's an axiom of fiction that the dream sequence is the cheapest, laziest way to tell or resolve a story. --Mark Lepage; Montreal Gazette (Canada);
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One: Kudos to Joan Shaddox, Barbara Florio Graham, Sandra Yee, Roy Lantz, Jim James, Bobbi Kornblit
[Kudos: noun: praise or honor: praise, credit, or glory for an achievement]
(Did you know kudos is singular? There’s no such word as kudo.)
Joan Shaddox Isom's latest publication is a 152-page gift book, hardcover: “Offerings in the Snow: A Christmas Story,” ISBN 0-938604-07-4, $13.95 Available online at Barnes & Noble, or contact Foxmoor Press at 17718 W. Murrel Road, Tahlequah, OK 74464, or e-mail Joan for an autographed copy, jsisom@intellex.com Discounts for multiple orders. Reviewers say it's a must for family holiday reading.
The 20th anniversary edition of Barbara Florio Graham's popular book, Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, contains a new section just for freelancers. It includes an extensive list of resources, information about copyright (both in the U.S. and Canada), her article on "disaster-proofing" assignments, and bonus material on creativity and self-publishing. The book will be launched in October with a cover price of $18 + @p&h. This is the third book under the Simon Teakettle Ink imprint. Details at: http://www.simonteakettle.com/, or e-mail simon@storm.ca.
Sandra Yee reports: “My essay "The Color of Light" was published in the inspirational anthology Journey to a Blissful Life, edited by Maria D. Dowd, published by BET Books this June. I'll be doing a few readings and signings later in the month.”
Roy Lantz’s book, Never Beat the Boss at Horseshoes, 102 Ways to Pitch Ringer After Ringer in the Game of Life, got a great review in the Atlanta Journal Constitution and The St. Paul Press as part of an column on job-hunting skills. It was written by Amy Lindgren of Prototype Career Service in Minnesota. He explains that he saw her column, thought his book fit her subject matter, and sent a copy of his book. Great way to get a good review, Roy!
“My recent accomplishment is my Website is up and running (which I did all by my widdle self),” says new member Jim James. His site promotes his book, Paris, Wyoming, and it looks good. See http://www.pariswyoming.com/
Bobbi Kornblit received a Master of Arts in Professional Writing degree from the Department of English at Kennesaw State University. During the program she produced several short stories, a one-act play and a novel.
Please send in your accomplishments for our kudos section.
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Two: From the editor’s desk: New York—the final frontier
Dear Fellow Writers:
As I write this, I’m preparing for a trip to New York City. I have traveled through the airport there many times, but for the first time in four decades, I will leave the airport and go into the city. The thought brings tears to my eyes. In the 1960s my vibrant, loving and beautiful sister Sandi lived in New York City, and I visited her often. She died in an accident on October 24, 1964, though, and I have never been able to bring myself to return to that great town.
Life goes on, and 41 years later, I’m deeply involved with a man whose son lives in New York City. If I am to meet his family, I must go where my heart will hurt and the memories will flood back in. We human beings are at our best when we face our fears and move through them, so I am going to New York, and I will have a good time, I’m sure, after I get over the shock and pain I have avoided all these years.
Writers should never limit themselves. I have pushed through many barriers in my life. This obstacle may be one of my last ones. I loved my sister dearly and miss her, even 41 years later, so wish me well, send me warmth and love, surround me in light, pray for me, or whatever you think will help. No doubt I’ll have mixed emotions, but I look forward to facing another challenge and overcoming it.
I’ll write the next newsletter upon my return. I hope I can report nothing but happy memories.
Thank you for reading my e-zine. I hope you will forward it to all your writing friends.
If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, please sign up to get your own copy. Simply go to my Website, www.zebraeditor.com, and click on “Free Newsletter.”
--Bobbie Christmas
Author of double-award-winning “Write In Style” (Union Square Publishing, an imprint of Cardoza Publishing) and director of The Writers Network
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Three: Ask the Book Doctor: About pseudonyms, submissions, audio books and writing in English as a second language
Q: I'm publishing a book of rebuses. Should I use a pen name or my own name? I know some authors use another name when they switch genres, so readers don't become confused. Your thoughts are appreciated.
A: I love to hear when writers of one style turn to another, as in the case of your writing word puzzles. The switch to a totally different genre does sometimes trigger the wish for a pseudonym, but the choice is yours.
What’s confusing to readers? They can tell the difference between a work of fiction and nonfiction. They’re not dumb. Even if you wrote in various fiction genres, such as romance, thriller, mystery, and science fiction, each book cover explains what the book is about. How would it bewilder readers?
Personally I love my name, and the only reason I would use a pseudonym is if I were to write something in which I took no pride. Omar Sharif did not change his name when he shifted from acting to screenwriting to writing about bridge; he played off his popularity (excuse my pun).
At a book signing once I sat beside a fellow author who admitted she wrote in so many genres and had so many pseudonyms that she sometimes forgot who she was supposed to be on a particular day at a specific event. Gatherings of authors became a nightmare to her, because of her various names. At general book signings where authors were invited as a group, she brought five or six books with various pseudonyms, and no one knew who she was.
No rule applies to using pseudonyms. The choice is a personal one. Before you decide to use a pseudonym, though, think of the pros and cons. The only pro I see is that it gives authors anonymity, if necessary. The cons are too numerous to appeal to me. In the end, unless you self publish, your publisher may decide whether you should use a pen name.
Q: I am writing a collection of humorous personal experiences. I need advice on how to submit. Do I submit one or two chapters or more?
A: The answer depends on the publisher’s guidelines. After you have researched which publishers handle your type of book, go to the publisher’s Web site or check Writer’s Market or Literary Market Place at the library or go to Writersmarket.com to find the publishers’ guidelines. You may also have to write a book proposal for some publishers. Before you attempt to write a book proposal, read a good book on how to write one. I used Michael Larsen’s book, simply called How to Write a Book Proposal.
Q: I want to create audio books. Is it better to use tape, or should I go to CD?
A: As I understand it, tape is quickly being phased out. Some tape manufacturers have withdrawn from the market. The answer is to buy a digital recorder (Sony makes a model for under $100 that’s about the size of a small cell phone), record on it, download it to your computer, and create a master CD, from which you can make your own copies or you can have a recording studio make duplicates and print the label directly onto the CD for you. You may have to learn new software, but I did it, and I’m low tech. It’s worth the trouble if you produce audio books or, as I do, audio seminars. Compact disks are the recording medium for the 2000s, so go with the flow.
Q: I have recently written a novel in Farsi, and I have translated the first seventeen pages to English. The story line has been of interest to some publishers and agents in the US and UK, but I could not get them to commit to it. I am willing to rewrite the whole book, and I would like to know how you can assist with it as a book doctor.
A: I assist in the editing phase, after the book is as polished as you can make it in English. I have worked on quite a few books that were translated from Farsi into English. I have not seen your manuscript, but the others required a great deal of work when it came to word choices, creativity and sentence structure.
Perhaps Farsi uses quite a few gerunds (words ending in -ing), but contemporary publishers prefer authors to avoid them, because they rely on passive verbs (such as forms of "to be") instead of active verbs. For example, instead of "She was planning a trip to Florida," publishers prefer "She planned a trip to Florida."
Those who speak Farsi also tend to learn British English, which is more elevated than American English, and contemporary publishers expect the writing to be at about a sixth-grade level, not college level, as British tends to be. British spelling and the use of British terms such as amidst, amongst and towards, is also discouraged.
When I work with manuscripts translated from Farsi, I not only repair technical errors, but I also point out places where the author needs to use a less-formal word or more active verb. In a separate report, I address all the elements, such as plot, organization, characterization, etc., in fiction and nonfiction. For more information, see the Editing Request Form on my Web site (www.zebraeditor.com).
Do you have a question? Send it today to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
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Four: Subjects of interest to writers
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Writers Boot Camp – Survival Training for Writers!
The Knowledge Shop
Cobb Parkway
Marietta, Georgia
Call 678-766-6666 to sign up or go to:
http://knowledgeshopatlanta.com/class.cfm?classID=395
Turn Your Writing Dreams Into Reality!
Camp Schedule: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
10 Speakers, 11 Subjects
* Free Handouts! * Loads of Information! * networking opportunities!
$129 per Person ($99 Second Person)
Choose One Option per Session
9:00-9:50 a.m.:- Sign in, book signings, information table, networking
Session-1 (10:00- 11:50 a.m.)
Option 1: "Why Agent Reject Manuscripts"
10:00-11:50 a.m.
Top ten reasons and How to avoid them
Susan Graham, owner of About Words Agency, a literary agency in metro Atlanta, reveals the top ten reasons why agents return manuscripts to writers.
• How agents work
• How to please an agent
• When you may not need an agent
Option 2-a : "How to Beat the Competition"
10:00-10:50 a.m.
Bobbie Christmas, editor and owner of Zebra Communications (www.zebraeditor.com) is also known as The Book Doctor, for the column, “Ask the Book Doctor,” which she writes for a dozen periodicals and Web sites. She addresses the top questions answered in her upcoming book, Ask the Book Doctor:
• The first thing agents and acquisitions editors look for in a submission
• What to do to make your submission stand out (It’s not what you think!)
• How to make money writing
Option 2-b: "Sell Your Work to Magazines"
11:00-11:50 a.m.
Carl Danbury, Jr., is publisher of Points North Magazine, an upscale lifestyle magazine for residents of north Atlanta. He’s a graduate of the University of Alabama, and since 1987, he has been involved in all facets of magazine publishing, from advertising sales and marketing to writing feature articles and planning editorial calendars.
Learn:
• How freelance writers should "Sell Unique", when presenting article ideas to editors and publishers
• How to approach a publisher
• Other vital information for aspiring writers of magazine articles
11:50 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Lunch Break
Session-2 (1:00-1:50 p.m.)
Option 1: "Secrets to Student Writing Services"
Mark Diamond (Mr. D) is considered Georgia’s foremost children’s writing specialist. A Creative Writing and Gifted Ed specialist with DeKalb County for more than eight years, he left the classroom in 1999 to start his own educational consulting business, Writing to Command Attention! Workshops. Mark currently presents more than 250 student, faculty and parent workshops each year, and is credited with raising Georgia Writing Assessment scores at numerous Atlanta-area schools. His first credited book, 6 Tricks to Student Story Writing Success, will be published in August.
Learn:
• Innovative tips, tricks, secrets and shortcuts to inspire creativity
• Methods for motivating young writers (and yourself!)
• Motivational writer’s origami models
Option 2: "How to Organize and Write Memoirs"
Geri Taran is co-founder and executive director of Georgia Writers Association and is the senior editor and publisher of Georgia Writers News/Mag, a publication of GWA. A published writer and an artist, she created Everyone Has a Story, a memoir-writing system for all ages.
Learn how to:
• Review the stages of life (so far)
• Use trigger phrases to simulate your writing
• Collect memorabilia to support your writing
Session-3 (2:00- 2:50 p.m.)
Option 1: "Writing the Books; then Doing the Books"
Walter Lawrence, CPA, has spent 20 years in finance and accounting and specializes in small business. His short stories and poetry have won him awards, and he will receive his Master of Arts in Professional Writing from Kennesaw State University this December.
Learn:
• How to determine whether you have a writing business or a hobby
• Which expenses are legitimate deductions for writers
• How to keep that pesky IRS off your back
Option 2: "Good Bye, 'Starving Writer'; Hello, 'Well-Fed Writer'"
Peter Bowerman (www.wellfedwriter.com) is the author of the award-winning Book-of-the-Month Club selection, The Well Fed Writer and its companion volume, The Well-Fed Writer: Back for Seconds, both commercial freelancing standards. He is a veteran commercial freelancer in Atlanta, with clients like included Coca-Cola, IBM, UPS, American Express, DuPont, Mercedes-Benz Credit Corp., and many others.
Learn:
• How to price your work
• How to sell your work
• How to find new clients
Session-4 (3:00- 3:50 p.m.)
Option 1: "Hold the Presses"
Just the Facts about Writing for Newspaper
Barbara P. Jacoby is the editor of the Cherokee Tribune, a daily newspaper covering Cherokee County. For the last five years, the Tribune has been named one of the top three newspapers of its size in the state by the Georgia Press Association. A graduate of Florida State University, Mrs. Jacoby is an American Press Institute and GPA fellowship winner. She is married to photojournalist Mike Jacoby.
Learn:
• What to do if you want to work as a reporter
• What editors are looking for in a local columnist
• How to get your news into the newspaper
Option 2: "How to Write a Book in a Week"
Dr. Joe Teal, assistant faculty advisor to the Dean of Behavioral Sciences at S. Florida Bible College, U.S. Department Coordinator for the Philosophy Department at Central University of Ecuador, and Curriculum Advisor for Coaching Education and International Sports at Kennesaw State University.
Learn how to:
• Take a one-page tip sheet and create a 32- page, profitable book
• Market yourself with easy-to-follow instructions
• Get published
Session-5 (4:00- 4:50 p.m.)
Option 1: "Getting into Print: Know your Options"
Vally Sharpe, a published author, is co- owner of United Writers Press, Inc., a hybrid publishing firm that educates aspiring authors in the myriad options available to get “into print” and offers fee-based a la carte services. Vally is the current president of the Georgia Writers Association.
Learn:
• What’s involved in publishing a book
• Available options
• The matrix of decision making
Option 2: "Write in Style and You Write to Win"
Bobbie Christmas, editor and owner of Zebra Communications (www.zebraeditor.com) is also known as The Book Doctor, for the column, “Ask the Book Doctor,” which she writes for a dozen periodicals and Web sites.
Learn:
• The secret of style versus style
• How to save time and be objective about your writing
• Simple deletions that make your writing stronger
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The League of Utah Writers is thrilled to announce
that Carol Higgins Clark will be our keynote speaker at our annual Roundup Writing Convention on September 16 and 17, 2005 at the Airport Hilton Hotel. For the first time, the conference expands to two full days, beginning Friday, September 16 at 9 a.m. and ending Saturday, September 17, with a mystery banquet highlighting this year's theme of "Once Upon A Mystery." This gathering also includes one-on-one appointments with ten editors and experts, including Gary Morris, a literary agent who represents both fiction and nonfiction for the David Black Literary Agency in New York, Jennifer Grillone, an editor with Gibbs-Smith publishers, Mark Taylor of Juniper Press, Jeff Lambson of Granite Publishing, Jack Lyon, with Shadow Mountain and Deseret Book, Tom Kimball with Signature Books, and editors from Covenant Communications and Cedar Fort Press . Pre-registration is required for the one-on-one appointments. This registration is separate from the general convention registration.
For more information and registration, consult the LUW website at luwrite.com., or contact Deloa Sharp at deloa1@aol.com. .
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From LaLaLand Letter: Here's a whiz bank (intentional pun) surprise! A Michael Jackson juror is writing a book! GUILTY AS SIN, FREE AS A BIRD from 79-year-old juror Eleanor Cook, who voted "Not Guilty" when she was on the jury. Copyright, 2005, George Mair, Los Angeles, CA
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Member Vicki Kastranek sent in a long list of courses for writers available online through mediabistro.com. Rather than list them all, I’ll send you to www.mediabistro.com.
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Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest Winners Announced
An international literary parody contest, the competition honors the memory (if not the reputation) of Victorian novelist Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873). The goal of the contest is childishly simple: entrants are challenged to submit bad opening sentences to imaginary novels. Although best known for "The Last Days of Pompeii" (1834), which has been made into a movie three times, originating the expression "the pen is mightier than the sword," and phrases like "the great unwashed" and "the almighty dollar," Bulwer-Lytton opened his novel Paul Clifford (1830) with the immortal words that the "Peanuts" Beagle Snoopy plagiarized for years, "It was a dark and stormy night." Here are the 2005 Results:
Winner: Dan McKay, Fargo, ND
As he stared at her ample bosom, he daydreamed of the dual Stromberg carburetors in his vintage Triumph Spitfire, highly functional yet pleasingly formed, perched prominently on top of the intake manifold, aching for experienced hands, the small knurled caps of the oil dampeners begging to be inspected and adjusted as described in chapter seven of the shop manual.
Runner-Up: Mitsy Rae, Danbury, NE
When Detective Riggs was called to investigate the theft of a trainload of Native American fish broth concentrate bound for market, he solved the case almost immediately, being that the trail of clues led straight to the trainmaster, who had both the locomotive and the Hopi tuna tea.
Grand Panjandrum's Special Award: Ken Aclin, Shreveport, LA
India, which hangs like a wet washcloth from the towel rack of Asia, presented itself to Tex as he landed in Delhi (or was it Bombay?), as if it mattered because Tex finally had an idea to make his mark and fortune and that idea was a chain of steak houses to serve the millions and he wondered, as he deplaned down the steep, shiny, steel steps, why no one had thought of it before.
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The Obvious Expert: The Easy Way to Write the Book That’s Inside You
Many people have a nonfiction book inside them but do not know where to start or how to keep going. This two-CD seminar lays out simple steps for anyone writing a nonfiction book. For this information-filled seminar Elsom Eldridge, Jr., founder of the International Guild for Professional Consultants and www.obvious-expert.com, interviews Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of “Write In Style” and publisher of “The Writers Network News.”
The two-CD seminar is only $14.95 plus $4 shipping and handling. It will be mailed as soon as it is available. To order, call in or mail your credit card information and mailing address to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or 770-924-0528 or mail a check for $18.95 to Bobbie Christmas at 230 Deerchase Drive, Suite B, Woodstock, GA 30188, and ask for the “The Obvious Expert” CD set.
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Make money writing grants for nonprofit organizations
Grant Writing for Faith-Based Programs and Projects
Single Day Workshop presented by Jack Smith
Thursday, September 29, 2005 (9:00 AM - 4:30 PM)
Knowledge Shop, 180 Cobb Parkway, Marietta, GA 30062
or
Friday, October 7, 2005 (9:00 AM - 4:30 PM)
Rumford Center, The Methodist Home for Children and Youth, 304 Pierce Avenue, Macon, GA 31204
The 120-page workbook and other handouts are full of information. Website: http://www.cypressmedia.net/pages/classgrant. Presenter Jack Smith a member of our network and is a nationally recognized grant writer and trainer based in Atlanta.
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Some tips on ways to write your book faster
I've discovered a Web site that is designed to help you write your book faster than you thought possible. There's information here that claims to lead you to write your book in 14 days. It’s worth a look if you feel bogged down about writing your book.
Mark Victor Hansen (co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul and dozens of other books) said it was some of the best stuff he'd ever used, and Mark is using the information to crank out still more books.
There's even a free email course that gets you started fast, so if writing a book is your goal, your dream, your desire, or even your need (as consultants and entrepreneurs, for example), go to http://www.mcssl.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=290962
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Fiction Genre Guidelines
Ever wonder the difference between Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Commercial/Mainstream fiction and Thriller? Here’s an article that defines each genre clearly, so you will know where your novel fits and how to market it to an agent or publisher. Go to http://www.manuslit.com/flash/index.html and read the first paragraph and click on the (unhighlighted) link to genre definitions.
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Ask the Book Doctor: How to Beat the Competition and Sell Your Writing e-book answers hundreds of writers’ questions
“Ask the Book Doctor: How to Beat the Competition and Sell Your Writing” is a 122-page e-book that answers all the questions you wish you could ask a writing and editing expert. It has electronic bookmarks that allow you to go directly to your preferred subject and features clickable links that take you to Internet resources for additional information. Learn more on how to write, edit, and sell your work, whether you write books, short stories, articles, reports, or anything else. To order go to http://www.booklocker.com/books/1906.html
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Poetry Reading: Support members of your network
Yolanda Coulaz will read from her book of poetry, SPIRITS AND OXYGEN, Purple Sage Press, Deposit, NY (ISBN: 0-9740011-0-4)
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
7:00 - 9:00 PM
East Meadow Public Library, 1886 Front Street, East Meadow, NY
(516) 794-2570
Open Reading Follows
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Free Information for Writers from Bobbie Christmas and Zebra Communications
Order e-mailed reports on correct manuscript format, how to form and run a critique circle, how to identify weak writing and repair it, self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, and much more. Twelve reports are available, and the list keeps growing. Go to www.zebraeditor.com and click on “Tools for Writers.”
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What to do when you finish your novel
Here’s a good article about the literary business: http://www.authenticcreations.com/thebiz.htm
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“Write In Style: Using Your Word Processor and Other Techniques to Improve Your Writing” teaches the Find and Refine Method ™ to locate words and phrases you can delete, upgrade or rewrite to power up your prose. Bobbie Christmas 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 and Internet retailers. To order at Amazon.com DISCOUNT prices, go to http://zebraeditor.com/bookstore.shtml
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In our last issue, Member Nancy Moreland asked for advice on buying a comfortable office chair. Member Sharon Gerber sent Nancy the following reply, and I’m sharing it with the network, so you all may benefit:
“Just read your question about chairs in Writer's Network News. Years ago, I bought an Aeron chair after having had a back injury. I wouldn't trade it in for anything! It was and is worth every penny. I bought direct from Herman Miller and saved some bucks. Even years later, the chair has held up as if I had purchased it yesterday. This is one investment worth making.”
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Check out http://www.booksummit.com, which has the potential to make publishing history!
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The "Express Yourself." Authors' Conference, September 30 - October 2, 2005, at the Sheraton Park Ridge, in Valley Forge, PA, is unlike any other conference because our entire focus is on helping authors to become more successful in selling their books. At this unique annual event writers, authors, presenters, editors, agents, and leading publishing experts - including Penny Sansevieri, Dan Poynter, John Kremer, Brian Jud, and Melanie Rigney - share ideas and exchange information throughout the weekend in seminar presentations, panel discussions, shared meals, and one-on-one consultations. Registration is $639 and that includes lodging and all meals. For complete information visit: www.authorsconference.com
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Americans buy 2.2 billion books each year-- six out of 10 of them soft cover. To pursue reading, they spend $39 billion annually.
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Amazon Helps
From Southern Review of Books (http://www.anvilpub.com/Southern_Review.htm)
Wonder if Amazon.com can be of any use to small publishers? Wonder no more. Take the case of cellular biologist Bruce Lipton, whose story was told recently by Elizabeth Gillespie of the Associated Press. One by one, the big houses in New York looked at the manuscript for his Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles, but eventually said no. “I wasted a whole year with them,” Lipton told her. Then he signed on with an independent press that relies heavily on Amazon.com Inc. Since then, he and his publisher say, more than 42,000 copies have sold in six months.
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“P. Diddy” Combs and Random House reportedly have settled a lawsuit in which the publisher demanded that the hip-hop mogul pay back a $300,000 advance for a memoir he never completed. Combs in turn had sued the Rolling Stones reporter who was supposed to write the memoir, but declared bankruptcy before doing so. Random House said on July 26 that the matter was amicably resolved but would not say whether Combs had returned the money. The publisher will not be releasing a book by Combs.
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Bibliotherapy
When some British doctors see a patient with mild to moderate depression or anxiety, they prescribe self-help books. Patients take the prescription to their local library, where they check out titles such as Overcoming Depression and The Feeling Good Handbook. Doctors say too many depressed people were either being unnecessarily medicated with antidepressant drugs like Prozac or going untreated and the state-run health-care system couldn't afford one-to-one counseling for everyone. The programs, called “bibliotherapy” or “guided self-help,” were endorsed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence
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The Southeastern Independent and Small Press Festival 2005 at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta—free
Join us this September 23 & 24 at Agnes Scott College for our fourth annual, free literary festival. The event features a book fair, free readings, writing workshops, and discussions with editors, publishers, and agents from around the country. Attend free panel discussions on the business behind book publishing and how to get your work seen and considered.
While the event is free, seating in the workshops is limited. Reserve your spot today for one of these popular workshops: aspiring writers, poetry, or fiction. Call 770-274-5145 or email gpccr@gpc.edu. See http://www.chattahoochee-review.org/ for more information.
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NORTH COAST REDWOOD WRITERS' CONFERENCE
9/9/05 - 9/10/05
Locations: Crescent City, California
Focus: Autobiography/memoir, Fiction, Mystery, Nature/Environmental, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Publishing
Sponsored by
Northcoast Redwoods Writers' Conference
For more information: http://www.ncrwc.org/
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ZOETROPE SHORT STORY WRITERS’ WORKSHOP
9/16/05 - 9/23/05
Locations: Belize
Focus: Fiction
Sponsored by
Zoetrope Short Story & Screenwriter's Workshop
For more information:
http://www.all-story.com/belize.cgi
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Five: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents and Markets
Stories Needed for Motivational Book
Special to The Writers Network News! Published author and speaker is looking for stories of individuals, companies and organizations that exemplify the attributes listed below. The stories should go beyond theories and philosophical beliefs and give compelling examples of how those beliefs were put into practice in a dramatic way – how people overcame challenges by exhibiting specific behaviors. We are looking for an emotional connection, stories that touch the heart.
• Individuals and organizations that successfully embraced change: How were they transformed from an attitude of resisting to embracing change?
• How someone’s effective listening and communication skills contributed to success.
• The role that self-respect and respect for others played in effective leadership or teamwork – personally and professionally.
• How a keen level of self-awareness contributed to successful interaction with others and accomplishment of a goal.
• How someone’s awareness of the needs of others contributed to successfully achieving personal or professional goals.
• People or companies that have learned to identify and master the proper attitudes and behaviors needed for effective leadership, diversity and teamwork and how they did it.
• People who have achieved work-life balance and how they did it.
• People who employ vision, time management and organization to achieve goals.
• People and organizations that have succeeded by holding to strong ethics and integrity and how doing what’s right led to success.
• The role of accountability in garnering commitment across an organization and how its application led to a success.
• How accountability and responsibility helped a team to win, whether a sales team, a sports team or a family.
• Individuals and organizations that have gone above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of others. People who live (or have lived) lives of significance and will leave or have left legacies.
The stories should be about 200 words in length. Will pay $100 per story selected and used in the book. Deadline is September 15, 2005. If interested, contact Marsha Cansler at marshacansler@comcast.net.
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2005 SmartWriters.com Short Story Competition: Because our annual Write It Now! Competition has been so successful in helping new writers and illustrators get their work in front of the editors who helped launch their careers, we want to do that for short story writers, too! Three Categories: Young Adult Readers, ages 15+; Mid-grade Readers, 11 – 14; Young Readers, ages 7 – 10. Grand Prize: $200, plus a 2006 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market; First Prize, each category: $50, plus a 2006 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market. Entry Fee: $10 per manuscript. Plus, the 1st - 3rd place finishers in the MG and YA categories will be published in a 2007 anthology by Blooming Tree Press. Entry Deadline: October 31, 2005; Email entries are welcome and encouraged. Rules, FAQ, submission guidelines, and entry form available at: www.smartwriters.com/index.2ts?page=winshorts.
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SMITHSONIAN
Smithsonian Institution Inc.
MRC #951, PO Box 37012
Washington, DC 20560-0951
Sally Scott Maran, Managing Editor
Phone: (202) 275-2000
Fax: (202) 275-1972
http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu
Pays: $2.00 per word
This fine magazine's mission is to inspire fascination with all the world has to offer by featuring unexpected and entertaining editorial that explores different lifestyles, cultures and peoples, the arts, the wonders of nature and technology, and much more. Editorial includes lifestyles, cultures and peoples, the environment, science and technology, and travel. Circulation: 2,000,000
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TOM HOWARD/JOHN H. REID POETRY CONTEST
Winning Writers
Attn: Tom Howard Poetry Contest
351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222
Northampton, MA 01060
http://www.winningwriters.com/tompoetry.html
Prizes of $1,000, $400, $200, plus four Encouragement Awards of $100 each. Winning entries will be published. Submit poems in any style or genre. You may submit work that has been published or won prizes elsewhere, as long as you own the anthology and online publication rights. Entry fee is $5 for every 25 lines, payable to Winning Writers. Postmark deadline: September 30. Judge: Tom Howard. Submit online or mail to address above.
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Cosmos Magazine
PO Box 302
Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Sydney, Australia
Wilson da Silva
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com
editorial@cosmosmagazine.com
Tel: +61 2 9219 2500
Fax: +61 2 9281 2360
Cosmos is a new Australian general interest magazine that considers the effect of science and technology on individuals, society, and the natural world. Departments include features, fiction, reviews, interviews, and opinion pieces.
Writers’ guidelines at http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/pdf/Cosmos_writers_guidelines.pdf.
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2 MAGAZINE
2 For Life Media Inc
145 Front Street, Suite 207
Toronto, Ontario, M5A 1E3 Canada
Editor-in-Chief Neil Morton
(416) 469-1429
Fax: (416) 469-1429
http://www.2magazine.com
neil@2magazine.com
This lifestyle magazine for couples entering life partnerships and forming new households is direct mailed to engaged and newly married couples, handed out at consumer events, and sold on newsstands. Topics include: Money, sex, fashion, relationships, careers, pop culture, décor, plastic surgery, food/wine, travel, cars.
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WILD BIRD
Fancy Publications Inc
PO Box 6050
Mission Viejo, CA 92690:
Editor Amy Hooper
(949) 855-8822
Fax: (949) 855-3045
http://www.animalnetwork.com/wildbird/
Pays: 15 – 20 cents a word
This magazine strives to be a guide to backyard and travel birding. Editorial content includes tips to better birding, equipment advice from experts, inside information on birding travel and backyard birding pointers.
Over $500 for a feature article.
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First Things
http://www.firstthings.com
Pays up to $1,000 on publication.
"FIRST THINGS is published by The Institute on Religion and Public Life, an interreligious, nonpartisan research and education institute whose purpose is to advance a religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society."
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Six: Writing Assignment: Read the Obituaries
Read two or more obituaries in your local paper. Tear them out and study them. What did you learn about these people? Did you feel that you would have liked to have met them? Combine some of the traits, attributes and accomplishments of these people to create a single fictional character of your own. Place that person in a scene and challenge him or her with opposition. Perhaps your character wants to catch a cab, but someone else steps up and tries to take the cab. Perhaps your character is having lunch at a diner and a fire breaks out. Maybe your combined character enters a bank and tries to rob it. Write a scene and let your character take over. See how he or she reacts to the situation. Write for as long as you feel involved in the story. When you stop, see if you have a scene and a character you might be able to use in the future.
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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.
I want to join or form a critique circle in my area.
Debbie Ellison
Roswell/Alpharetta
(W) 770-641-7641
(cell) 770-843-0940
I write nonfiction and poetry.
Wants On-Line Critique Partners
I would love to join an online critique circle. I live in Sydney, Australia, and I write children's books. I am also putting together a Web site that provides creative writing activities for middle to upper primary students called KidsWrite.com.au. --Nora Panossian, nora292@ozemail.com.au
I'm interested in starting a critique group in my home, as I am disabled and cannot drive. I’m in the Locust Grove, Henry County, Georgia, area.
--Susan Mason
susan62450@charter.net
Remember to ask me for Report #101 on forming and maintaining a successful critique circle. Send your request to me at Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
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Do YOU have news for The Writers Network News? Please send it in the body copy, not an attachment, to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
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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 “Newsletter.” …………………………………………………………………………….
The Writers Network News--a newsletter for writers everywhere.
"No Rules; Just Write!"
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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
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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 Wachovia Bank, turn left behind the bank, and you’ll see the restaurant in the hollow on the right. Restaurant phone: 770-552-8981.
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