The Writers Network News, July 21, 2006 http://ezezine.com
July 20, 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/
----------------------------------------------
Look! Next Roswell meeting date: Friday, August 4, 2006
No dues; no fees; no rules; just write!
See you at 12:00 noon at King Buffet.
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.
We meet at King Buffet, 11060 Alpharetta Highway, Roswell, GA 30076.
The restaurant not only gives us a private meeting room, but it also
offers a buffet with a wide variety of food, primarily Asian. See more
detailed directions at the end of the e-zine. You are under no
obligation to eat if you attend the meeting, but if you do eat, you may
pay for your food as you leave.
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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. 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 to Ginger Collins, Mark Diamond, Madison Adams, Vicki
Kestranek
Two: From the editor's desk--Does Rejection Ever End?
Three: Ask the Book Doctor--About split infinitives, prepositions,
foreign words, dashes, ellipses, and pictures of the author
Four: Subjects of Interest to Writers
Five: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents and Markets
Six: Writing Assignment--Inspiration in the Mundane
Seven: Web Sites of Interest to Writers
Eight: Looking for Critique Circles
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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:
"Good criticism is very rare and always precious." --Ralph Waldo
Emerson
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One: Kudos to Ginger Collins, Mark Diamond, Madison Adams, Vicki
Kestranek
"My creative nonfiction story, 'Reason to Believe' will be part of an
anthology sponsored by The Healing Project in NYC. It is scheduled for
publication in March 2007." Learn more at: www.thehealingproject.org.
--Ginger Collins
"Both my books--6 Tricks to Student STORY Writing Success (An Easy
Guide for Students, Teachers & Parents) and 6 Tricks to Student
PERSUASIVE Writing Success (An Easy Guide for Students, Teachers &
Parents)--have been accepted for retail sale at all 13 School Box store
locations throughout Georgia and Tennessee, Alabama's The Learning Tree
and at Parent-Teacher Stores throughout New York State. In addition, my
books will be showcased in the annual Creative Concepts Literacy
Catalog, with 200,000 copies distributed to retail teacher bookstores
throughout the USA. Thanks for your encouragement, Bobbie!" --Mark
Diamond
Hear Madison Adams reading his poetry from the Powhatan Review during
The First Annual Powhatan Review Virtual Open Mic Night at
http://home.mindspring.com/~terrihewitt/powhatan/openmic.html
Vicki Kestranek won fourth place in the Georgia Writers monthly
competition in the fiction/essay division with her essay titled
"Nightmare in Savannah"
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--Does Rejection Ever End?
Dear Fellow Writers:
This month I had the opportunity to be humbled once again. A few years
back, I queried American Writers Review about the possibility of
writing a personality profile of Rosemary Daniell, author of several
books of poetry, a memoir and books for writers. She leads Zona Rosa
writers groups around the country, is an open, charming woman, and she
sits on the board of advisors, as do I, for the Georgia Writers
Association. I had no difficulty landing the assignment. It appeared on
page one of the national newsletter, and I got paid, Rosemary got
publicity, and everybody won.
If you read last month's newsletter, you know Rosemary has a new book
out, Secrets of the Zona Rosa: How Writing (and Sisterhood) Can Change
Women's Lives, Henry Holt, publisher. I contacted Rosemary and asked
for a review copy, with the intention of selling even more articles
about her.
The book arrived, I delved into it, and before I finished, I knew it
was good stuff. A close friend of mine died suddenly, though, and I
fell into a funk. I figured a plush assignment would lift my spirits,
so I dashed off a bunch of query letters to publishers of periodicals
that I thought might be interested in an interview with Rosemary. I
raced to the post office and mailed everything, trusting that
acceptance calls would cheer me up.
A few days passed. I returned to my computer and reread my hurried
query letter. It lacked enthusiasm, and I had failed to give vital
information that would have whetted the appetite of a publisher. The
letter missed the mark. I should have waited until I was not in the
throes of grief to undertake such an important task, or at the very
least, I should have let the letter rest a day and reread and revised
it the next day before sending it out.
To my disappointment, but not to my surprise, rejections are coming in.
The first came from Poets and Writers, the magazine that would have
been perfect for an interview with Rosemary. Not all the rejections are
in yet; perhaps some magazine is actually considering my proposal, or
perhaps my letter went straight into the trash without so much as a
rejection slip stuck in my self-addressed, stamped envelope.
No matter how long I write, no matter how professional I may think I
am, I still face rejection, and any little slipup is enough to warrant
rejection. I can't tell you how many times I've told writers to let
their writing "rest," before sending it out. After a day or so, we can
see the work with fresh eyes and polish it much easier. I failed to
follow my own advice.
I'm finally feeling a little less grief, but reminders of my haste and
lack of professionalism in sending out those queries will keep coming.
It's easy to get discouraged, but I have enough experience to know that
rejection is simply a way of saying you haven't reached the right
person with the right idea yet. On the positive side, it means you're
out there trying, submitting, and giving yourself a chance at success.
Years ago as the editor of a weekly newspaper, I was training an intern
photographer. One day he said in awe, "Gosh, Bobbie, you know
everything about photography." I laughed. I did not know everything, I
assured him, but I did know every mistake I had ever made, and I
learned from every one of them. Now I look at my mistake in writing
query letters while I was going through emotional stress instead of
waiting for my head to clear. I see my error in not letting the letter
rest and then rewriting it before I sent it out. Chalk it up to another
valuable learning experience.
Do we ever stop learning as writers? No, we don't, and we never stop
facing rejection, either, but the successful writers keep going and
going and going, and that's the only way to achieve success.
Thank you for subscribing to this newsletter. 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." 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 split infinitives, prepositions,
foreign words, dashes, ellipses, and pictures of the author
Q: Where do you stand on split infinitives or ending sentences with
prepositions?
A: I've relaxed my stand, because the "rules" were leftovers from Latin
and cannot always apply to English. As a source I point to no less a
person than Churchill. Supposedly an editor had clumsily rearranged one
of Churchill's sentences to avoid ending it in a preposition, and the
prime minister scribbled the following note in reply: "That is the sort
of editing up with which I will not put."
I do, however, point to the fact that if the writer can recast the
sentence logically and thereby avoid either a split infinitive or
ending a sentence in a preposition, he or she should do so. It improves
the style.
Q: I know we are supposed to italicize foreign words in a manuscript,
but some words have become so common that they do not seem foreign. Do
we still capitalize hors d'oeuvre and maitre d'?
A: Book manuscripts follow Chicago Style, which says, "Familiar words
and phrases in a foreign language should be set in roman type." It goes
on to say that the problem lies in deciding whether a word or phrase is
familiar. It says that if the word has made its way into a standard
English dictionary, it can be regarded as adopted into English and
therefore not put into italics. It gives examples such as kibitz, mea
culpa, hacienda and serape. Although hors d'oeuvre and maitre d' are
not specifically stated, they should be included.
Q: Which do you recommend, dashes or dots (ellipses)?
A: The two are not interchangeable, as some might think. Ellipses
indicate a pause or hesitation, as in the following example. "The
getaway car was blue...or green...no, blue, with light-colored
interior."
Dashes indicate either an interruption or an abrupt change in thought.
"The getaway car--actually, it was a truck--was blue, with
light-colored interior."
To indicate an interruption, dialogue might be written this way:
"The getaway car--"
John shook his head. "It was a truck."
Mary nodded. "Well, maybe more like an SUV, and it was blue."
Q: How important is it to have your picture on the back cover of your
book? Should the illustrator's picture be on it, too?
A: I do recommend putting your picture on the back of your book for a
variety of reasons, but the illustrator's picture should not be on it.
Chances are you will appear at book signings and in public, and you
want people to recognize you and buy the book, but your illustrator
will not be a part of your marketing plan and should not appear on your
book unless he or she is well known or helped you write it.
Although it would appear to conflict with my advice, on the back of the
children's book I coauthored with Dale Butler, the publisher chose to
put Dale's and my pictures as well as a picture of the illustrator. The
illustrator was a well-known art teacher in Bermuda, though, and the
publisher is based in Bermuda, so the decision probably sold more
books.
To read more questions and answers, go to www.zebraeditor.com and click
on "Ask the Book Doctor."
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Four: Subjects of interest to writers
Seminars on CD
Finally! Bobbie Christmas Seminars Available on CD! Take seminars in
the comfort of your own home. Repeat as often as you want. Invite your
friends to join you. To see which seminars are available and order, go
to http://www.zebraeditor.com/tools.shtml.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Save Thousands of Dollars--Learn How to Design and Index Your Own Book
Using Microsoft Word
Do you plan to self publish? Don't pay a designer $6 a page and an
indexer even more for processes you can perform yourself. An
educational two-day boot camp is set in Atlanta for August 11-12, 2006.
Learn how to design and index your book using the powerful desktop
publishing features already in Microsoft Word. Learn from an expert who
has self-published six books. Peggy Duncan, author of "Just Show Me
Which Button to Click! in Word for Authors" [PSC Press], is the skilled
trainer who will teach you how to save money by designing and indexing
your own book. Learn the right way to use Microsoft Word and reap the
rewards! Early bird registration is available at a discount, so
register today! If you cannot make this class, go to the Website and
join the email list to find out about future dates.
http://www.PeggyDuncan.com/TimeCatchersSeries/wordforauthors.htm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright fees for books increased from $30 to $45 July 1. See
http://www.copyright.gov/fedreg/2006/71fr15368.pdf for all increased
fees.
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Democratic magazine launches
Democracy: A Journal of Ideas is a quarterly publication. Kenneth Baer
and Andrei Cherny have been named editors.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Textbook Editors Tip
Member Rachel Fischer Gladson sends this valuable tip:
Here's a quick piece of advice for the person editing the ecology
textbook. While Chicago Manual of Style is an excellent reference, it
doesn't always keep up to date with the style trends in scientific
writing and certainly doesn't provide guidelines for terminology. (Just
try figuring out whether which is more appropriate: ground water or
groundwater.)
Some scientific disciplines have published style guides. For example,
the American Geologic Institute publishes the Glossary of Geology and
the Unites State Geological Society publishes Suggestions to Authors.
For an ecology textbook, the editor should look at the academic and
trade magazines for information about similar style guides.
The added bonus of following such a guide is that it levels the playing
field for the textbook contributors. Everyone's work is edited
according to the same impartial rules. Ultimately, that makes any
editorial changes easier for the contributors' egos to accept. Good
luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Atlanta Writers Club is sponsoring two classes during the summer.
On August 19, Peter Bowerman will lead a half-day seminar on
publicizing your book. Both events will be held at the Sandy Springs
Library. For details, please go to
http://www.atlantawritersclub.org/events-summer.html. You can register
for the courses on-line via PayPal. If you have questions, please
contact George Weinstein at gjweinstein@yahoo.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You must categorize your book, and this site is the answer
When you create a book proposal or write a book of fiction, you must be
able to tell potential buyers the category of the book. If you
self-publish, it is imperative that you place a book category in the
upper left-hand corner of the back cover to ensure that your book is
displayed on the proper shelf in the bookstore. If you are not sure of
your book category, see http://tinyurl.com/lxw97 and visit a couple of
stores to verify that you have selected the right category for your
book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Free e-books in July
Project Gutenberg and World eBook Library plan to make ''a third of a
million'' e-books available free for a month at the first World eBook
Fair. Downloads will be available at the fair's Web site from July 4,
the 35th anniversary of Project Gutenberg's founding, through Aug. 4.
See http://worldebookfair.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Book Industry Study Group, a nonprofit trade association, announced
in May that the number of books sold in the United States in 2005
increased by 3.8 percent, to 3.1 billion. The group's survey in 2004
showed publishers with annual sales of $1 million or less made up 94
percent of the total population of publishers. This segment generated
around 10 percent of total publishing sales of $34.8 billion in 2004.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Can your idea be stolen and made into a play or movie? See such a case
in the news at: http://tinyurl.com/o3bnc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FIND YOUR BOOK HOOK
What makes you unique? What is your hook for various media? Email me
at Pam@prpr.net or call me at 407-299-6128, and I'll be glad to give
you a form I've designed to calculate your hook. Say you've written a
health book. If you were to go on Oprah, you'd pitch "What's a healthy
lifestyle? Not just a fad diet." Pitch Larry King Live: "What is the
truth about yo-yo dieting?" The Today Show: "Nutritional supplements
that can boost your health." The View: "Breathing tips for reducing
stress anywhere." Can't you just see all those ladies on The View doing
the breathing exercises with you? Forbes: "How to stay healthy while
stressed out at work." Cosmopolitan: "Tired all the time?" Wall Street
Journal: "How to reduce stress at work for more productivity."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Purge Your Prose of Problems: A Book Doctor's Desk Reference, Third
Edition, available as e-book at last! Easiest way to research all your
editing questions!
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charles Webb, author of the 1963 novel The Graduate, faced eviction for
unpaid rent, after going through the money he made on the novel that
was made into a classic movie starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne
Bancroft, but help is on the way. Webb will get $56,000 for the sequel,
which will be published in the UK and perhaps in the U.S.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From The Writers Almanac: If You Use Real Life to Create Your Novels,
You're Not Alone
Author Mary McCarthy, born in Seattle, Washington (1912), published
several novels, including The Group (1963), about a group of Vassar
students, but she had a hard time making things up, so most of her
novels are autobiographical. She said, "What I really do is take real
plums and put them into an imaginary cake." Most critics believe that
her best book is the memoir Memories of a Catholic Girlhood (1957). The
Writer's Almanac is produced by Prairie Home Productions and presented
by American Public Media.
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Barbara Florio Graham's Canadian Libraries List is now available in
plain Word files for just $25. More than 80 main and regional libraries
with purchasing power are listed in block form, ready to print on
labels. Sorted in alphabetical order by province, the list is easy to
sort if you want to mail to just one part of Canada. In comparison, a
diskette listing all 6000 Canadian libraries costs $550 from a
commercial mailing list service, and since most of these libraries have
no budget, you will spend thousands of dollars on wasted postage. Send
$25 (U.S. or Canadian) to: B.F. Graham, 535 Charles-Desnoyer, Gatineau,
QC J8P 3X4, or contact Bobbi at: simon@storm.ca. As soon as she
receives payment, she'll e-mail you the files, which contain full
instructions and suggestions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Write In Style: Using Your Word Processor and Other Techniques to
Improve Your Writing" by Bobbie Christmas teaches the Find and Refine
Method (tm) 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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inaugural Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival Set for
September 1-3, 2006
The city of Atlanta's cultural renaissance continues this fall with the
inaugural Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival (DBF), to
be held over Labor Day weekend, September 1-3, 2006. Tens of thousands
from metro Atlanta and beyond are expected to share the historic
downtown Decatur square with world-class authors, editors, publishers,
and booksellers for an event filled with literature, music, food, and
fun. For more information see
http://www.theweekly.com/news/2006/June/23/Book_Festival.html.
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Five: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents and Markets
A Midwest Independent Publisher seeks Author Tour Coordinator
Average 15-20 hours per week. Position can be located anywhere Start
immediately (30 day probationary period then by quarter). Compensation:
Hourly plus performance bonus and possible travel
Details: Assist, then lead booking tour for author on 18 month 32 city
national tour to support book via speaking, presentations, retail,
corporate and wholesale book sales. Four to ten days per location with
2-3 events per day
Market: Next cities to book 2006-07 (Nationwide/International in
2007-08)
Chicago/Indiana- intermittent between other cities LA Seattle/Portland
San Francisco DC/NY plus Top 32 cities and New Zealand
Target: Position will have ongoing interaction with Colleges,
Universities, Women's Groups, Civic and Business Groups,
Radio/TV/Print, Corporations, Festivals, Author Showcases, Industry
Conferences, Learning Annexes nationwide
Responsibilities:
We shouldn't have to say this, but this position requires calling
people. If you are not comfortable on the phone, move on...Through
phone, email and fax, contact appropriate decision makers to secure
author events, speaking engagements, presentations, talk shows and
interviews
Contact all radio TV and print in metro area of tour
Use sound business judgment in securing, organizing locale and fees
Maximize author time and company dollars in each market
Understand offerings and pricing structures
Meet and exceed weekly booking goals
Work with shipping, marketing and management to insure promotional
material, books, contracts and invoices are timely and complete
Matches: Experience in Business, Event Management, Marketing/Sales,
Communications, Radio/TV/Journalism best fit but will look at all
applicants with right desire, drive and back ground.
Ideal for stay at home parent, retired person, student or to supplement
another part time job
Skills:
Creative Thinking Persistence Likable phone presence
Organized time management
Able to set and achieve daily, weekly goals in line with company
Able to work on projects 3-6 months out in future as well as respond to
immediate opportunities as presented
Take direction and improvement/efficiency suggestions
Contact:
Dana Daniels at Passion Power Press with humorous letter of interest
and resume at
Pppbooktour@aol.com
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Travel + Romance magazine launches
Travel + Leisure and The Knot, Inc. have announced a new magazine
called Travel + Romance. The publication will focus on luxury romantic
travel including honeymoons, destination weddings, and trips for two.
The publication also has a companion website at Travel-Romance.com.
The first issue will be the Spring/Summer 2006 edition, with plans for
an annual frequency. Travel + Leisure Editor in Chief and American
Express Publishing Editorial Director Nancy Novogrod will oversee the
project, with Travel + Leisure Style Director Laura Begley serving as
editor-in-chief of the new magazine. Carley Roney, Editor-in-Chiefof
The Knot, will oversee the companion Web site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SM: The Magazine for Single Mothers to launch this fall
The bimonthly consumer magazine for single mothers is being launched by
Crystal H. Jennings, who has formed Mystic Publications, Inc. The
magazine aims to provide advice on finances, family law and how to
balance work and family life by well-known writers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AVENUE A LITERARY
419 Lafayette St.
3rd Floor
New York NY 10003
Phone: (212)624-5859
Fax: (212)228-6149
E-Mail: info@avenuealiterary.com
Website: www.avenuealiterary.com
New agency!
Avenue A Literary represents 15 clients. Jennifer Cayea established
this agency earlier this year and already has a sales record, building
off her previous experience as an agent and director of foreign rights
for Nicholas Ellison, Inc. Cayea says, "Our authors are dynamic and
diverse. We seek strong new voices in fiction and nonfiction and are
fiercely dedicated to our authors."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Short story competition from Writer's Digest
http://www.writersdigest.com/contests/popfiction/
Compete and win in all five categories--just make sure your entries are
4,000 words or fewer and we receive them by the November 1, 2006
deadline.
GRAND PRIZE: $2,500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books, plus a
manuscript critique and marketing advice from a Writer's Digest editor
or advisory board member.
FIRST PRIZE: The First-Place Winner in each category receives $500
cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books, plus a manuscript critique
and marketing advice from a Writer's Digest editor or advisory board
member.
HONORABLE MENTION: All Honorable Mentions will receive promotion in
Writer's Digest and the 2007 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Needs stories about dysfunctional dogs
"Rover, Get off Her Leg!" is a combination of humor and serious help
for dog owners, their friends, neighbors, etc. Some of the questions or
comments that breeders, owners, trainers, handlers, veterinarians, pet
sitters, or behavior consultants hear may seem normal to us but
definitely are not normal to the average person. Send your true
experiences and incidents. Leg humping? You bet! Then there was the guy
who was invited to bring someone to a wedding, so he brought his dog.
What about the dog that waits until company arrives and then moves to
the center of the room and breaks wind? I want stories about the most
dysfunctional dogs in the neighborhood, dogs and relationships, etc. I
plan to run the gamut in my next book.
If you have dog stories to share, whether they happened to you or
someone you know, e-mail them to me at: DarleneArden@aol.com.
Darlene Arden, CABC
Journalist/Author/Lecturer
www.darlenearden.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you have a story you would like to contribute to my newest e-book,
101 Stories to Make You Laugh, Cry, and Think?--Mark Matteson,
877.672.2001, psgmarkm@msn.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BCC, Inc. (www.BCCResearch.com ) seeks seasoned market
researchers/writers who are capable of preparing complete,
self-contained technical/economic market research reports discussing
niches in most physical or life science sectors of the economy,
including: biotechnology, chemicals, healthcare, technical ceramics and
advanced materials, electronics, transportation, energy, flame
retardancy, food/beverage, Internet, telecommunications,
membranes/separations, plastics, packaging, waste, water, and air
treatment, and many other industries. Applicants must have excellent
knowledge of their chosen industry and excellent economic/market
research skills. Successful applicants must be able to meet publication
deadlines and adhere closely to finished copy format requirements which
are supplied by the publisher. BCC pays a minimum of $5,000 on author's
hand-in of document plus royalties! Typical duration of each assignment
is 12 weeks (multiple assignments available). Please apply by e-mailing
your resume, list of publications, and a brief cover letter identifying
industries/technical areas of greatest interest to:
kevin.fitzgerald@bccresearch.com (preferred) or
kgainer@columbus.rr.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Agency seeking new and established writers
Greystone Literary Agency
1512 Allison St. NW
Washington DC 20011 Phone: (202)234-2299
mike@greystonelit.com
www.greystonelit.com
Michael Mancilla
Prior to opening his agency, Mancilla worked with literary agent Peter
Rubie via New York University's book publishing program. He is also a
nonfiction writer who earned a Lambda Literary Award nomination. "We
are dedicated to both cultivating the voices and perspectives from the
authors we represent and acting as a liaison to the publishing
community. As a published author, I can provide a unique perspective on
what to expect through the complete cycle--from acceptance by a
publisher to post-publication marketing."
Currently Handles:
50% nonfiction books
15% novels
25% juvenile books
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Sun
107 N. Roberson St.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Sy Safransky, Editor
http://www.thesunmagazine.org/writer_guidelines.html
We publish essays, interviews, fiction, and poetry. We tend to favor
personal writing, but we're also looking for thoughtful, well-written
essays on political, cultural, and philosophical themes. Please, no
journalistic features, academic works, or opinion pieces. Other than
that, we're open to just about anything. Surprise us; we often don't
know what we'll like until we read it. We pay from $300 to $1,250 for
essays and interviews, $300 to $750 for fiction, and $50 to $250 for
poetry, the amount being determined by length and quality. We may pay
less for very short works. We also give contributors a complimentary
one-year subscription to The Sun. We purchase one-time rights. All
other rights revert to the author upon publication.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Imperfect Parent: Release Your Inner Screw-up
Payment for this online publication is contingent upon the quality and
type of written work submitted. Shorties pay $5. Book reviews pay $10.
Anecdotal essays/humor pay $15. Original articles pay $25. Payment for
assigned features varies depending on the writer's experience and
relationship with The Imperfect Parent, but begins at $50 for a 1,000
word piece. Checks are disbursed at the end of the same month following
publication. Submit online only. See
http://www.imperfectparent.com/submit/index.php for guidelines and
form.
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Hard Times Make Good Times Gold
Looking for true, reflective stories of how dealing with adversity, in
the long run, helped you grow: illness, war, death, etc. I am looking
for the kind of things that you wouldn'twish on anyone else, that you
would never want to go through again, but because it did happen, you
became a more powerful "you" that would not have happened otherwise.
Contact: BevFeldman@yahoo.com
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San Luis Obispo NightWriters 17th annual 500-word Short Story Contest
Submissions are now being accepted. Stories must be no more than 500
words and begin with the phrase "Not again." Mail entries to SLO
NightWriters Contest, PO Box 14260, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-4260
along with a $10 entry fee. Entries must be postmarked by August 31,
2006; winners will be notified by November 1, 2006. First prize is $100
plus full scholarship to the Central Coast Writers' Conference. For
complete guidelines, visit http://www.slonightwriters.org or e-mail
suemcginty@aol.com.
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Six: Writing Assignment: Inspiration in the Mundane
Do you keep and use these assignments? I hope so. Last month member
Francine Kaplan took my assignment to heart. It involved keeping paper
by the bed and writing something first thing in the morning. Here's
what she wrote:
My eyes are teary, they do not see
My mind is bleary, it does not think
My thoughts are leery; it cannot be,
For Fran in the morning there will be no ink.
For this month's assignment, find inspiration while you are doing
something mundane, perhaps your daily chores. For example, if you are
cleaning the bathtub, let your memories flow back to a time when you
were taking a bath as a child and something interesting happened. I,
for example, was playing with a friend in the tub when I was a child. I
laughed so hard I threw my head forward onto the edge of the enamel tub
and broke a tooth. The events that followed would make an interesting,
revealing story.
Pay attention, be in the moment, as you go about your daily life today,
and make notes about what memories your daily activities spark and what
stories you might create, based on what may at first glance appear
mundane. For example, you might walk your dog and notice a lowly mud
puddle, but if you take a moment to look at it, you might see that the
muddy water reflects a perfect sunset, or you might see it as a
watering hole for wildlife, or you may imagine a child at play in the
mud. Let the image lead to a poem, story, essay or whatever comes to
mind.
Be alert! Inspiration is all around you! Tune into it and benefit from
all that your world is trying to tell you.
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Seven: Web Sites of Interest to Writers
I have found http://www.thebooksistah.com to be chock full of great
information. Sophfronia Scott is a nationally acclaimed author and
former editor at People Magazine. She's also a certified personal and
career coach. This background lets her draw from some great resources
and construct a newsletter that is both informative and educational.
She also offers a CD that coaches you through writer's block and helps
you get back on track. It's unique, and it worked for me. -Ginger
Collins
Share your favorite and helpful Web sites with folks in your network.
Send them to me today at Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
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Eight: Looking for Critique Circles
I am looking for a critique circle. I live in Griffin Georgia, about 50
miles south of Atlanta. --Ella Flemister ella142@comcast.net
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!"
Information about the meetings:
Because it's a buffet, come into the meeting room, set down whatever
you brought, and go get food, if you plan to eat. While we eat, we have
introductions, and after that, we discuss questions and answers. After
the introductions are over, and at any time until we leave, you are
welcome to get more food.
Directions to meetings:
Our monthly meetings are held at noon on the first Friday of each month
at King Buffet, 11060 Alpharetta Highway, Roswell, Georgia. 30076. The
restaurant is on the left after you enter the Roswell Shopping Center,
on the same side of the strip mall as Patterson Furniture. Roswell
Shopping Center is on the left if going north toward Alpharetta, a few
blocks past the Mansell Road intersection and across the street from
Mattress King, about a block past Andretti's. Once you are inside, the
meeting room is through an archway on the left past the cashier.
Restaurant phone: 678-352-1606.
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