test http://ezezine.com
April 23, 2006
The Writers Network News
No Rules; Just Write!
Editor: Bobbie Christmas
Note new meeting location below!
Newsletter Sponsor
Zebra Communications: We help you write in style, so you increase your
chances of success. We write, edit, and evaluate fiction and nonfiction
manuscripts, book proposals, query letters, synopses, and articles.
Zebra Communications
230 Deerchase Drive, Suite B
Woodstock, GA 30188
770/924-0528
http://zebraeditor.com/
----------------------------------------------
Our Meeting Location Has Changed!
Next Roswell meeting date: Friday, May 5, 2006 -- Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Our old meeting place has closed. Our NEW meeting location is even
better. We have a meeting room to ourselves at a buffet restaurant that
offers Chinese food as well as pizza and tacos. Our new location is
King Buffet, 11060 Alpharetta Highway, Roswell, GA 30076. It's in the
Roswell Shopping Center, on the same side as Patterson Furniture. The
shopping center is across the street from Mattress King. See you at
12:00 noon at King Buffet. The meeting room is on the left after you
pass the cashier.
If you happen to be in Atlanta on the first Friday of the month, bring
questions and business cards and network with us for an hour or so. See
directions at the end of the e-zine.
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Welcome to this issue of The Writers Network News. I hope you love it,
forward it to your friends, and tell them to sign up, too. If you do
not love it, follow the simple instructions at the bottom to remove
your address from the mailing list.
In This Issue:
One: Kudos to Patrick P. Stafford, Marla H. Thurman, Ginger B. Collins,
Barbara Florio Graham, Kenn Allen, Bobbie Christmas
Two: From the editor’s desk--The only thing constant is change
Three: Ask the Book Doctor--about query letters, book proposals, and
writing as a career
Four: Subjects of interest to writers
Five: Jobs, contests, grants, agents and markets
Six: Writing Assignment--Big Changes
Seven: Looking for Critique Circles
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New archives address! To view past issues of The Writers Network News,
go to: http://home.ezezine.com/886_2/
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Writer’s quote of the day:
“Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.”
–George Wilhelm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One: Kudos to Patrick P. Stafford, Marla H. Thurman, Ginger B. Collins,
Barbara Florio Graham, Kenn Allen, Bobbie Christmas
I'm pleased to announce that my book of extensive verse, Asian
Darkness, has been published by Digital Pulp Publishing. Asian
Darkness is a book of one hundred poems exploring the many issues and
controversies of the Vietnam War. It is also a tribute to all who
served, fought and died in the conflict as well as a salute to active
duty personnel currently wearing the United States military uniform.
The book is available at numerous online bookstores and can be
purchased directly at: http://www.dppstore.com/. --Patrick P. Stafford
I had a reflection published in the November 18 edition of the National
Catholic Reporter, and I had a story accepted for publication by the
Daddy's Girl anthology. I'm a freelance writer in Signal Mountain,
Tennessee, hard at work after a three-year hiatus. I need all the help
I can get, as I'm working on a ton of creative nonfiction short
stories, my memoirs, and at least one novel. --Marla H. Thurman
Ginger B. Collins shares two of her most recent accomplishments:
1) In the Georgia Writers Association annual Members' Contest, an
excerpt from my novel in progress, The Queens of Irving Park, received
second place in fiction.
2) I was named to the Board of the Atlanta Writers Club and hold the
position of first vice president. I will be responsible for acquiring
speakers for the monthly meetings.
Barbara Florio Graham reports from Canada: "Simon Teakettle dominated
the top of page D12 of the Ottawa Citizen Friday, March 31. This is a
prized spot that would cost close to a thousand dollars if one
purchased a display ad. The paper began a feature a few weeks ago
called "Pet of the Week," with brief descriptions of readers' pets,
accompanied by a photo. Of course I wrote 400 words about Simon, sent
his professional portrait (which reproduces beautifully in black and
white), and made sure to mention both MEWSINGS/MUSINGS and the Website
for my books. How's that for some creative promotion?"
"One of my short stories, 'The Toque Machine,' has been accepted for
publication with the internationally known literary magazine,
Chattahoochee Review fall issue. It gets 1,200 submissions a year and
only publishes 12. I was flabbergasted. It also pays. If I can get into
a couple of other literary journals, then I can get into the big guys,
New Yorker, Atlantic, or Playboy. These pay the big bucks. I can't help
but blow my own tuba." –Kenn Allen
Again your editor can brag on herself: I'd already learned that I won
first and third place in nonfiction in the annual Georgia Writers
Association competition, and this month I learned that two of my poems
placed, as well. One took second place and the other took honorable
mention. Best of all Georgia Writers applied for a grant from Poets &
Writers to pay the top poetry winners to reach their poems at the
Spring Festival. I will actually get $100 for reading my poem, the best
I've ever been paid for a poem.
Congratulations to these folks. Your successes encourage others, so
please send in your accomplishments for our kudos section.
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Two: From the editor’s desk--The only thing constant is change
Dear Fellow Writers:
I apologize for getting last month's meeting date wrong, but most of
you figured it out, because we always meet on the first Friday of the
month. In a hurry to send out the newsletter before I left town, I let
the mistake slip by me.
A couple of days before our meeting, I returned to metro Atlanta with
jet lag and embarrassment when I realized I'd sent out the wrong
meeting date. Proves I'm human. I stumbled toward our usual meeting
spot and found the restaurant that has housed our meeting for many
years had gone out of business. We were homeless. Such complications!
Barbara Jones, one of our long-standing members, scouted the area and
found a nearby restaurant where we could meet that day. Now I've found
a buffet restaurant that has offered us our very own meeting room, so
things are looking better and better. Every change brings a gift. Not
only did we get a better meeting place, but I also was able to use the
experience to create this month's writing exercise. I hope you use
those exercises to jumpstart your creativity, and I hope you'll join us
on the first Friday of the month at King Buffet in Roswell, 11060
Alpharetta Highway.
Thank you for subscribing. Enjoy this newsletter, and let me hear from
you when you have questions, kudos, markets or any other information to
share with your writers network.
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.” As other subscribers will tell you, I never share
your address or send out spam.
--Bobbie Christmas (Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or bzebra@aol.com)
Author of triple-award-winning Write In Style (Union Square Publishing,
an imprint of Cardoza Publishing), owner of Zebra Communications, and
director of The Writers Network
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Three: Ask the Book Doctor--about query letters, book proposals, and
writing as a career
Q: What books do you recommend that would teach me how to write a
killer query letter?
A: I have successfully used Gordon Burgett's book, Writer's Guide to
Query Letters & Cover Letters, Prima Publishing, for many years, but
it's old now, published in 1992. I found a newer one that covers both
fiction and nonfiction (not all books on query letters cover both): How
to Write Attention Grabbing Query & Cover Letters, Writer's Digest
Books, by John Wood. From the table of contents, it appears to be a
thorough book. I would recommend it, even without having read it
myself.
Q: Where or how can I get sales figures for books in the same category
as mine, so I can use them in a book proposal?
A: Sales figures are closely guarded and often are not released. Even
the "bestseller" lists rarely give sales figures. You won't need sales
figures for a book proposal, though. If a book has won awards, they
will be listed somewhere on the Internet, probably, and those awards
could be mentioned in the proposal.
I did not use sales figures in my book proposal and successfully sold
my book. The figures I did use had to do with the potential market, and
for that I contacted several sources to get a handle on the number of
English-speaking people who are interested in creative writing.
Statistics such as these indicated the size of the market for my type
of book--a textbook on creative writing. Statistics on the size of the
market are more important than the statistics on the number of books
sold by other authors.
Q: Would you recommend creative writing as a career for someone who is
undecided about his or her choice of career?
A: Creative writing is a hobby, an art, and not a career, until you
have sold several books. No one can afford to live without any income
for a couple of years while writing a novel that has only a one percent
chance of selling to a publisher. If it does sell, the advance may be
only $10,000 or less, and royalties, which are only about six percent
of the retail price, don't come in until the advance is earned out.
Because of the low potential of a financial return, novelists write for
the love of writing, and some eventually become good enough to sell
their work.
Professional writers, however, do as I did and find other ways to work
with words that will pay, and that's why my motto is "I'll write
anything for money."
Writing is one of the professions that must come from the heart. If you
don't love writing and feel a need to write, you will not continue to
improve, and if not, you may as well quit.
I always knew I wanted to write for a living, even against the advice
of my high-school advisor and my father, both of whom said I could not
make a living writing. Perhaps they thought only of novelist as
writers, but I knew that writers take many forms.
I decided I would write anything for money and prove to everyone I
could make a living writing. As a result I have written ads, brochure
copy, company profiles, resumes, radio commercials, trade magazine
articles, consumer magazine articles, newspaper articles, newsletter
articles, advertorials, and poetry. I've written, co-written, or
ghostwritten several books, too. I said that no matter what I write,
I'm working with the raw materials I love: words. As a result, I have
made my living as a writer and editor since the 1970s. I call my house
The House that Words Built, because every penny I paid for it came from
my pen and my willingness to "write anything for money."
Where do these questions come from? Writers like you sent them in. Your
questions and my answers not only help you; they also help other
writers. Send your questions today to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
Bonus! Ask the Book Doctor: About Capitalization, Plurals, Consistency
and Trademarks
To read more about these and other topics go to:
http://www.spawn.org/editing/askthebookdoctor13.htm
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Four: Subjects of interest to writers
Write in Style and Snag an Agent
Benefit from a one-two punch!
Saturday, June 24, 2006
9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
$149.00
A literary agent tells you the secrets of how to get published, and an
independent editor shows you how to add power to your prose. Working
together in a new and unique way, Susan Graham, literary agent, and
Bobbie Christmas, independent editor, reveal the inside secrets you
need to know to get your book published. You’ll get a two-hour seminar
with Q & A, one hour of casual conversation at lunch, and two hours to
workshop your manuscript with the help of the dynamic duo of a literary
agent and an editor.
Formatting your manuscript properly is important so the agent and
editor can read and understand it. A professional query letter makes
the right first impression, and a professionally written synopsis for a
fiction book can make the difference between rejection and a sale.
Bring your fiction manuscript and a full synopsis that includes the
ending, or bring your book proposal for nonfiction.
Register early to ensure your seat! Class size is limited, so you’ll
get personal attention.
Event Number 2405
The Knowledge Shop
Marietta, Georgia
678-766-6666
For more information see:
http://www.knowledgeshopatlanta.com/class.cfm?classID=713
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New! Ask an Agent!
Sign up for the newest Google Group and get your questions answered by
an agent and an editor. Susan Graham and Bobbie Christmas host Write In
Style and Snag and Agent. To sign up or to read the Q&A, go to:
http://groups.google.com/group/Write-In-Style-Snag-An-Agent
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Georgia Writers Association
Spring Festival of Workshops
May 6, 2006
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Smyrna Community Center, Smyrna, Georgia
Do not miss this all-day event offering about 20 workshops!
See http://www.georgiawriters.org/Festival-2006.htm
Advance Registration encouraged. See:
http://www.georgiawriters.org/FestivalRegForm.pdf
Want to attend free? Volunteers needed. Contact Marilyn Becker at
770-619-5425
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't Murder Your Mystery
If you write mysteries, get a copy of Don’t Murder Your Mystery: 24
Fiction-Writing Techniques To Save Your Manuscript from Turning Up
D.O.A, by Chris Roerden (May 2006: Bella Rosa Books).
The first readers at a publishing house who review your manuscript are
given the job of screening out rejects. “They stop at the earliest
clues to rejectable writing,” Roerden cautions. Out of every 100
manuscripts submitted, 99 are rejected, or as she puts it, “dead on
arrival.”
She notes, for example, that inept writers typically open with a
prologue that cripples Chapter One with “chronic low-tension,
post-prologue, back-story ache.” Scenes are weakened by buried agendas
(“tension deficit disorders”), and reader attention discouraged by
“adverbosity and adjectivitis,” extra words that novice writers think
makes them appear creative.
Roerden, who has taught at the University of Southern Maine and
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, speaks regularly at writer
conferences. Her book has been approved for professional-level members
of Mystery Writers of America. For more information:
bellarosabooks.com/dontmurderyourmystery
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since Borders began carrying women's erotica in summer 2004, growth has
been in the double digits, spokeswoman Beth Bingham says. "The customer
is predominantly the existing romance customer." Romances account for
about $1.2 of the $25.1 billion-dollar book business
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing is Magic in 2006
November 10-12
5th annual Florida Writers Association conference
Walt Disney World's Coronado Springs Resort
More than 35 interactive workshops and presentations, four-hour
intensive workshops, many networking opportunities, agent and publisher
interviews, programming especially for the young writers, and much
more.
Sign up online at http://www.floridawriters.net/. Early bird
registration is $179 until July 31. Check out the information on this
year's amazing guest speakers and presenters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What's the law?
I just found a great Website that explains many of the laws writers
need to know about. See http://www.legal-definitions.com/copyright.htm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
According to the Association of American Publishers, net sales for the
U.S. publishing industry rose 9.9 percent in 2005 to $25.1 billion.
Trade book sales gained 24.9 percent to $7.8 billion, but Harry Potter
titles accounted for much of that increase, AAP said. The children's
hardcover category rose 59.6 percent to $3.6 billion. Children's
paperbacks rose 10.6 percent to $850 million; adult paperbacks rose 9.5
percent to $1.1. The smallest increase occurred in the more expensive
adult hardcover category, which rose only 1.4 percent to $2.2 billion,
and likely masked a drop in unit sales.
In other categories, e-book sales jumped 44.8 percent to $179.1
million, and audio books increased 29 percent to $206.3 million, but
still surpassed e-book sales.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chicago Manual of Style Website offers questions and user-friendly
answers such as the following:
Q. I’ve agreed to help a friend copyedit his dissertation. My friend
uses “entitled” instead of “titled” when referring to conferences,
books, dissertations, and articles. Examples include: He presented his
work at a 1990 conference entitled “History and Education”; and Sam
Smith’s 1964 dissertation, entitled “The Literacy Movement,” argues
against Brown’s theory. OED marks this use of entitled as archaic, but
it is not my dissertation, and I’m being paid only in beer. What would
CMS do?
A. I agree that “entitled” sounds a bit pompous; its overuse could
become tedious. CMS would demand either a little respect or a more
reasonable wage.
For more from the Chicago Manual of Style, see:
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/cmosfaq.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jerry Laiche and his wife Beth run the Philosopher's Stone, an
independent bookstore in Covington, Louisiana. After Hurricane Katrina,
according to an item in Shelf Awareness, they helped the nuns at a
local convent rebuild their library. In repayment, one of the nuns
brought them several books she found in the convent trash. Several
turned out to be signed first-edition copies of Victor Hugo works, at
least one of which seems to include an inscription to his mistress. The
Laiches are trying to determine the value of the find and plan to
contribute the money to the convent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April is National Poetry Month
The Academy of American Poets established National Poetry Month as a
month-long, national celebration of poetry to increase the attention
paid by individuals and the media to the art of poetry, to living
poets, to our poetic heritage, and to poetry books and magazines.
National Poetry Month has been successful beyond all anticipation and
has grown over the years into the largest literary celebration in the
world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 an editing expert. Electronic bookmarks allow you to go directly to
your preferred subject, and clickable links take you to Internet
resources for additional information. Whether you write books, short
stories, articles, reports, or anything else, learn more about how to
write, edit, and sell your work, To order go to
http://www.booklocker.com/books/1906.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For all of 2005, according to U.S. Census Bureau preliminary estimate
data, bookstore sales were $15.924 billion, down 1.85 percent from
bookstore sales of $16.224 billion in 2004. The sales ran counter to
retailing in general. For the year 2005, total retail sales were $3.8
trillion, up 7.2 percent from $3.5 trillion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Free Tools 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. Fifteen
reports are available, and the list keeps growing. Go to
www.zebraeditor.com and click on “Tools for Writers.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SPIRITED WOMAN CIRCLE (May 2 - Oct. 10, 10 a.m. PST)
Monthly 1-hour phone conversation series with famous female authors and
more. On May 2, the guest is Selena Templeton, Calendar Editor of "The
Hollywood Reporter." Selena rarely gives interviews. She'll talk about
what makes "those first 50 words" so important for your media pitch and
give insider tips about getting your events and book signings into
calendar listings in Hollywood and beyond.
http://www.TheSpiritedWoman.com/spirited_woman_circle/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How Long Should Your Book Title Be?
I often tell writers that one-word book titles are labels, not titles;
few of them are strong enough to stand alone. The best titles are
short, yes, but they are catchy and memorable. In a recent article for
CoolStuff4Writers.com, Marvin D. Cloud, founder of
http://www.mybestseller.com, noted, "On a recent Publisher's Weekly
Bestseller list, out of 20 books, one had a one-word title; five had
two-word titles; four had three-word titles; five had four-word titles;
three had five-word titles; one had a seven-word title and one had an
eight-word title."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Purge Your Prose of Problems: A Book Doctor’s Desk Reference, Third
Edition, is available as an e-book! Save thousands of dollars by
editing your own book. This one reference book covers all you need to
know to plow through the maze of the editing phase. Find information on
grammar, punctuation, word choices, creative writing, plot, pace,
characterization, dialogue, Chicago Style, formatting a manuscript, and
much more. Available in printed form for $29.95 plus $4.99 shipping at
www.zebraeditor.com (click on Tools for Writers and scroll down) or
save almost $5.00 in shipping PLUS get the book instantly as an
e-book—a downloadable PDF File with clickable links and bookmarks that
zip you directly to any subject you choose. To order the e-book, go to
http://www.booklocker.com/books/2225.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
POETRY AND HAIKU CONTEST AND CONFERENCE
The 19th Annual Penumbra Poetry & Haiku contest is open to writers of
all skill levels. Sponsored by Tallahassee Writers Association.
Deadline June 30 2006. Cash prizes and publication in annual Penumbra
anthology. $5/poem and $3/haiku entry fees. Send entries, fees, SASE,
and short bio to: TWA Penumbra, PO Box 15995, Tallahassee, Florida,
32317-5995. Complete guidelines and contest email at
www.tallahasseewriters.net.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Writing Memoirs Well
What does the master say about writing memoirs? Turns out William
Zinsser, whose book, "On Writing Well" I recommend to all writers,
agrees with the methods I already teach. They are the same methods I've
used to write my memoirs, win competitions, and sell works to three
books in the Cup of Comfort Series (Adams Media) as well as collections
released by St. Martin's Press and Atriad Press. See
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5340618
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Write In Style: Using Your Word Processor and Other Techniques to
Improve Your Writing by Bobbie Christmas 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, Best in Division (Georgia Author of the Year Awards), and
Finalist in USABookNews Best Books 2005. Union Square Publishing,
publisher; Simon and Schuster, distributor. Available in bookstores and
Internet retailers. To order at Amazon.com DISCOUNT prices, see
http://zebraeditor.com/bookstore.shtml
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Member Charlie Hughes of Wind Publications sent an interesting Website
that explains how fake reviews can still help sell your book.
Interested? See http://windpub.com/WhiteTrash.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Help Readers in Zimbabwe
Shupai Chakanetsa writes: "As one of your members, I formed the
Zimbabwe Readers Association to promote reading culture and to
introduce writers all over the world to the readers here. I am
appealing for book donations from any writer willing to share their
works with readers here."
Send books to the following address:
Zimbabwe Readers Association
P.O.BOX A1692
Avondale
Harare 00263
Zimbabwe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HyperGrammar Resource
http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/grammar.html
Member Lita Schwartz recommends this Website that is still being put
together. It may help with grammar and punctuation, but be warned: it
follows Business Style, not Chicago Style, which is preferred by book
publishers, and it is Canadian style, not American, so some things will
differ from what is required for American book manuscripts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Words writers should know
amphigory (AM-fi-gor-ee) noun, also amphigouri
A nonsensical piece of writing, usually in verse form, typically
composed as a parody.
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Five: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents and Markets
Leonard Sarko, Editor
The Inspired Pen
We have started a new journal devoted to a wide range of new short
works. We are accepting works from both established and new authors.
Please visit our Website for details at http://www.inspiredpen.net/.
The pay scale for accepted works is based on a sliding scale tied to
distribution. Current rates are as follows:
Short Fiction: $50 (US) per story
Poetry: $25 (US) per poem
Vignette: $25-$50 (US) depending on length
The above is reflective of a standard scale. The Inspired Pen reserves
the right to increase or decrease offers for works.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brady Magazine's 2006 Non-Fiction Contest
http://www.bradymagazine.com/nfcontest.html
Theme: an editorial that discusses your favorite (or least favorite)
thing about being a writer. Editorials can be no longer than 1,000
words. See Website for further guidelines.
Deadline June 15, 2006
First Place, $75US, plus publication in Writing Edge Magazine.
Second Place, $50US, plus admission to the online course The Freelance
Journey to Success
Third Place, $25US, plus a copy of Kelly James-Enger's book Six Figure
Freelancing.
Bonus Prize, all contest entrants are automatically entered to win a
free three-page promotional Website, courtesy of Brady Gallery.
Entry Fee $4 US, payable through PayPal, or contact Brady Magazine to
make alternative arrangements.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Dahlonega (Georgia) Literary Festival Prize in Literature
For full details see: http://www.literaryfestival.org/07novel.htm
The Dahlonega Literary Festival Prize in Literature was created to
recognize and reward emerging works of exceptional quality. Writers are
invited to submit all forms of novel: category fiction, experimental,
mainstream, literary, et cetera.
Annual prize in novel-length, unpublished fiction, any genre, including
experimental
50,000-150,000 words
Fee: $35.00 (payable to The Dahlonega Literary Festival)
Submit anytime between 1 March through 31 July, but the contest window
closes earlier if 200 submissions are received before 31 July
First Prize: $500 and recommendation to a top New York agency (if
appropriate)
Second Prize: $300
Third Prize: $200
Fourth and Fifth Prizes will be awarded where indicated and will
consist of a certificate of merit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition
P.O. Box 993
Key West, FL 33041.
http://www.shortstorycompetition.com/HTML/guidelines.html
The competition is open to all writers whose fiction has not appeared
in a nationally distributed publication with a circulation of 5,000 or
more. The first-place winner will receive $1,000 in cash, while the
second- and third-place winners will receive $500 apiece. Judges will
also award honorable mentions to other entrants whose work demonstrates
promise. (View some top stories from previous years at
www.shortstorycompetition.com.)
Lorian Hemingway, the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, is the author
of the critically acclaimed novel Walking into the River, the National
Book Award and Pulitzer Prize nominee Walk on Water, and A World Turned
Over.
Stories must be original, unpublished, typed and double-spaced, and
3,000 words or less. There are no theme restrictions, but only works of
fiction will be considered. Writers’ names should not appear on the
stories, and manuscripts will not be returned. Copyright remains the
property of the author.
Each story should be accompanied by a cover sheet with the writer’s
name, complete address, e-mail address, phone number, and title of the
piece. The entry fee is $10 for each story postmarked by May 1, 2006,
and $15 for each story postmarked between May 1 and May 15, 2006.
Entries postmarked after May 15 will not be accepted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writer's Digest is searching for the best self-published books of
the past few years. Whether you're a professional writer, a part-
time freelancer or a self-starting student, here's your chance to
enter the only competition exclusively for self-published books!
Visit http://www.writersdigest.com/specialoffers.asp?DMselfpub040706
for more information today!
We're looking for the best self-published books in these categories:
*Mainstream/Literary Fiction
*Genre Fiction
*Nonfiction
*Life Stories
*Children's Picture Books
*Inspirational
*Reference Books
*Poetry
*Middle-Grade/Young Adult Books
Visit http://www.writersdigest.com/specialoffers.asp?DMselfpub040706
today for a complete list of prizes and rules, plus an online entry
form.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chicken Soup for the Stepfamily Soul
I am co-writing Chicken Soup for the Stepfamily Soul along with Jack
Canfield and Mark Hansen. If you have success stories that will inspire
those who are still struggling, submit an inspirational or humorous
story. We will pay $200.00 for every story chosen and $50.00 for poems
and cartoons. See http://tinyurl.com/gr9sc to submit your story. --
Jann Blackstone-Ford, M.A.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seattle Homes & Lifestyles
Network Communications, Inc.
1221 E. Pike St.
Suite 305
Seattle, Washington 98122-3930
Phone: (206)322-6699
Fax: (206)322-2799
E-Mail: gisellesmith@seattlehomesmag.com
www.seattlehomesmag.com
Seattle Homes & Lifestyles pays $150-400 for nonfiction features. This
magazine covers home design and lifestyles and is published ten times
per year. "We're always looking for experienced journalists with clips
that demonstrate a knack for writing engaging, informative features."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ivory Tower: literary magazine relaunches
http://www.ivorytower.umn.edu/
The University of Minnesota's undergraduate art and literary magazine
has taken the student magazine's former name of the '50s and '60s. URL:
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Asian and HispanicWriters Needed
Need a pool of freelance writers and designers for contract
opportunities. Also seeking qualified translators and international
marketers able to communicate and network with Hispanic and Asian
markets in the U.S. Contact: Aditi@turnaroundventures.biz
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SEEKING HUMOROUS ALZHEIMER'S STORIES
I'm looking for amusing/humorous stories about working with Alzheimer's
patients. They can either be about the caregiver working with an
Alzheimer's patient, or, about the patent themselves. --Allen Klein,
author of fourteen books. Email to: humor@allenklein.com
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The 2006 DIY (Do It Yourself) Book Festival has issued a call for
entries for its fifth annual program celebrating the success of
independent authors and publishers.
The DIY Book Festival will consider self-published or independent
publisher non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's
books, teenage, how-to, audio/spoken word, photography, art, comics,
'zines, fan fiction, poetry, and e-books published on or after Jan. 1,
2004. Charges an entry fee.
All entries must be in English and have been self-published or issued
by an independent publishing house that has published less than 50
works since the entry cut-off point. Authors with iUniverse, Infinity
Publishing and other print-on-demand outlets are also eligible for the
competition.
Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable entry fee of $50
for each submission. Deadline: Sept. 25, 2006. Grand prize for the 2006
DIYBF Author of the Year is $1500 cash and a flight to Los Angeles for
the awards ceremony. Entry forms and other information available online
at www.diyconvention.com.
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Contributors Wanted for second BIG Ideas book "Secret of Success"
theme.
The new book with circulation of 15,000 will consist of articles from
experts and from successful entrepreneurs. The theme is the Secret of
Success covering different subject areas including empowerment,
spirituality, business, relationships, finance, professional and
academic skills. Approximately 10 articles will come from experts in
different fields. Then there are case studies from successful
entrepreneurs in subject areas in Joint Ventures, Mastermind marketing,
Networking etiquette. Listening Skills, Database Management,
Prospecting, Marketing, Closing techniques, Changing your belief
system, Identify Theft, Power of Testimonials, etc., etc. Please
contact: Margaret at info@bignetworking.ca (www.bignetworking.ca).
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Six: Writing Assignment:
Big Changes
A real, although minor, experience triggered this month's assignment.
When the members of The Writers Network showed up at the restaurant
where we have met for years, we found it had closed. This month I've
had to find a new location for our meetings, which is not easy. If you
don’t know, Atlanta has the noisiest restaurants in the universe.
The change thrust upon us made me think about the importance of
transformation in fiction as well as in creative nonfiction. Our
stories should be all about change. If everything stayed the same, we
would have nothing to write about. Although wiser writers than me
advise, "Start when things go wrong," for this assignment, think of
some major change that causes things to shift. Write a story, essay,
article, or other piece of writing, and start at the point when the
change takes place.
Although you will want to write from start to finish, here are sample
openings, to illustrate my point about change:
Mother usually accompanied me to school, but the day after she visited
Dr. Shanks, I walked alone.
Two seconds after Maria stepped up to sing her solo, the microphone
went dead.
Christopher worked the same job for twenty-two years, until the day he
opened his pay envelope and found a pink slip.
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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 will list your information here, to help you
find or form a group that allows you to get feedback.
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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. Deadline: The
15th of each month.
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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.”
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The Writers Network News--a newsletter for writers everywhere.
"No Rules; Just Write!"
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The Writers Network – No fees. No officers. “No Rules; Just Write!"
Directions to meetings:
The monthly meetings are held the first Friday of each month at King
Buffet, 11060 Alpharetta Highway, Roswell, Georgia. The restaurant is
in the Roswell Shopping Center a few blocks from Mansell. Restaurant
phone: 678-352-1606.
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