The Writers Network News, December 20, 2007 http://ezezine.com
December 20, 2007
The Writers Network News
No Rules; Just Write!
Editor: Bobbie Christmas
Contents copyright 2007, Bobbie Christmas
No portion of this newsletter can be used without permission.
Disclaimer: Information in this newsletter is not to be construed as an
endorsement. Be sure to research all information and study every
stipulation before you accept assignments, spend money, or sell your
work.
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/
Bobbie’s Blog:
http://journals.aol.com/bzebra/BobbieChristmasBlogforWriters/
----------------------------------------------
Local Meeting Reminder
The Writers Network meets next on Friday, January 4, at noon
No dues; no fees
No rules; just write!
If you happen to be in metro Atlanta on the first Friday of the month,
bring questions and business cards and network with us for an hour or
so, starting at 12:00 noon.
We meet at King Buffet, 11060 Alpharetta Highway, Roswell, GA 30076.
See more detailed information at the end of the e-zine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome to this issue of The Writers Network News.
In This Issue:
One: Kudos to Yolanda Coulaz and Susan Gilbert Harvey
Two: From the editor’s desk – Making a list, checking it twice
Three: Ask the Book Doctor – Some decisions are up to the author
Four: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Large words make
writing heavy
Five: Letters from Members
Six: Subjects of Interest to Writers – Special! Get your book published
at no charge, a limited-time offer only for readers of this newsletter!
Seven: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents, and Markets
Eight: Writing Assignment – Opposites Attract
Nine: Web Sites of Interest to Writers
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To view past issues of The Writers Network News, go to:
http://home.ezezine.com/886_2/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writer’s quote of the day:
"Have great dreams and dare to live them. Have tremendous expectations
and believe in them." --Norman Vincent Peale
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One: Kudos to Yolanda Coulaz, Susan Gilbert Harvey
"My poem ‘In Darfur’ has been published in New Verse News at
http://www.newversenews.com/. Thanks for reading!" --Yolanda Coulaz
“I’m happy to report that my book [Tea with Sister Anna] got nice
coverage on StJohn Flynn's [December 17] blog. See
http://gpbcovertocover.blogspot.com/” --Susan Gilbert Harvey
[Ed. Note: Susan Gilbert Harvey is both an accomplished author and
artist. She won the 2006 Georgia Author of the Year for her
independently published memoir and also won the 2007 Lifetime
Achievement in the Arts Award from the Rome, Georgia, Area Council for
the Arts.]
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 — Making a list, checking it twice
Dear Fellow Writers:
I complained to a friend that I have felt unproductive lately. Sure, I
have been busy, but I’m lagging behind on almost every project on my
list. Everything has taken longer than I predicted. Some of the delay
is caused by holiday traffic and obligations, but most has been mental.
I get distracted easily and can’t focus on a job as long as I used to.
I find clutter more irritating, so instead of writing or editing, I
clear my desk or file papers. I start work, and a phone call distracts
me, and when I get off the phone I have a different mission and go do
that thing, rather than work. “What’s going on?” I asked her.
Instead of telling me to focus and “just do it,” she said I had
misstated the problem. It’s not that I’m getting nothing done, because
I am working, just not as hard as usual. Instead she said the problem
is that I’m beating myself up. She reminded me that sometimes our souls
shift and need more time to process things, and that’s all that’s
happening. Instead of focusing on what I had not done, she said, “Make
a list of what you have done in 2007.” She reminded me, “You’ve
accomplished a whole lot this year. Write it down and see.”
I grumbled about having yet another project to perform, but by golly,
when I sat down and listed my accomplishments and completions this
year, I filled a full page and moved onto the next. Every day, I
remember something else I accomplished this year, and I pull out that
list and add to it. For example, instead of complaining that I haven’t
finished writing my book, I wrote down the number of words I have
finished, and it’s a big number: 76,400 words.
Funny thing; I’m still not getting as much done each day as I might
like, but I do a little, and meanwhile, my accomplishment list grows
longer. Each time I look at all I have done this year, I feel better.
Nothing has changed; I still seem to work at a snail’s pace, but I’m
the snail that is winning the race, whenever I look at my
accomplishments.
See if my friend’s method of listing your deeds works for you, whenever
you’re beating yourself up about what you haven’t done. Focus on what
you have accomplished, and keep moving forward. After all, _War and
Peace_ wasn’t written in a day.
Please note that as a special holiday gift, WWAOW extended an offer to
readers of The Writers Network News. You can upload and print a free
copy of your book, and if you like the quality of the work, you can
order more. It’s a win-win way to try out Print On Demand and see if
it’s right for you and for your book. See all the information under
section six: Subjects of Interest to Writers.
Happy Holidays!
Yours in writing,
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
P.S. Thank you for subscribing to our 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 Web site, www.zebraeditor.com, and click on
“Free Newsletter.” I never share your address or send out spam.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Three: Ask the Book Doctor —some decisions are up to the author
By Bobbie Christmas
Q: What do you think about the difference between the American and
British use of some words without an article, as in the following
examples: We took vacation in Florida. He graduated high school. He got
concussion from his bike accident. He is in university. She is on
holiday in Bermuda.
A: What I think makes no difference. What matters is the opinion of
your publisher and the location of your intended market. All those
British terms are fine in dialogue if your character is British, but in
narrative, I advise against it, unless you are writing for a British
market in a casual style.
Q: I am planning to finish my book project and print about 1,000
copies. I can sell 1,000 copies in a week or two just from relatives
and friends, and then I can send a finished book to a publisher and see
if they want to revise it and publish it.
The alternative is to send the polished manuscript to a few publishers
to see what they thought, but I have been told my chances of getting my
book published are practically zero.
What do you think I should do? If it’s a pipedream to get someone to
publish my book, I don’t want to wait around another year in dire
hopes.
A: I can't tell you what to do; you have to decide what's important to
you, so educate yourself in all the pros and cons of self publishing
and traditional publishing. If having a published book right away is
more important than waiting for the possibility of having your name
appear on a traditionally published book, you may choose self
publishing. If you want national distribution more than immediate
gratification, you may choose traditional publishing. Many other
desires and needs should go into the decision as well, and the decision
should be approached with knowledge, rather than emotion. To help in
your decision, order my free e-mail report #110 – Self-Publishing vs.
Traditional Publishing.
Although it is true that only one percent of the manuscripts written
today actually get published by traditional publishers, publishers
release new books every day, so writers are getting published. If,
however, you have a viable, valuable outlet and distribution system for
your book, you may make more money and definitely will get the book to
the market sooner if you self publish.
Know your goals going in, and you won't be disappointed. If you think
you can sell 1,000 copies on your own, self-publishing may be a good
way to go. Do not think self publishing it will aid in selling the book
to a traditional publisher, though. In fact, few publishers want
self-published books; they want first rights or nothing at all, unless
you can prove the book has sold 5,000 copies or more, in which case a
publisher may want to pick it up when it has a proven track record.
Q: I am in the process of writing a book. Should I go ahead and
trademark the book name now?
A: I'm not an attorney, but as I understand it, you cannot copyright
the name of a book or even trademark it, but you can trademark a name
that covers a series of products, such as a textbook, a seminar, and a
workbook with the same overriding title. As for paying to register your
trademark, that decision is up to you. When I created a series of books
around my Write It and Reap™ system, I chose not to officially register
the name, but I still am allowed to use the TM symbol.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office says on its Web site,
“Any time you claim rights in a mark, you may use the TM (trademark) or
SM (service mark) designation to alert the public to your claim,
regardless of whether you have filed an application.” For more
information see http://www.uspto.gov/go/tac/doc/basic/register.htm.
Bonus:
At our last meeting we had a discussion regarding when to capitalize
references to God. The Chicago Manual of Style Web site recently
addressed the issue of pronouns for deities, but not whether or not to
capitalize the deities themselves. Regardless, grammar rules dictate
that when referring to God with no article in front of it, it should be
uppercased: “For God’s sake, please listen.” When it has an article in
front of it or is plural, it is lowercased: “The god who created heaven
and earth must have laughed when he created California.”
In CMOS citation 8.102 that clarifies that pronouns for deities are
lowercased, it shows how to capitalize the word God without stating the
rule: “They prayed to God that he would deliver them.”
Here’s also a Q & A from the CMOS site, http://tinyurl.com/2grh4b.
Q. Is it proper to capitalize pronouns that refer to a deity? For
example, “God is willing to forgive anyone who comes to Him.”
A. Yes, although it’s not Chicago style. Capping the pronouns can imply
an expression of religious faith on the part of the writer; lowercasing
them leaves the writer’s beliefs unclear. The choice of style should be
made with sensitivity to the type of reader you are addressing.
Lowercasing is more inclusive, but it might offend in some kinds of
religious literature.
Send your questions to Book Doctor Bobbie Christmas for a personal
answer. Contact her at Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read more “Ask the Book
Doctor” questions and answers at www.zebraeditor.com.
Would you like to read or save the Ask The Book Doctor column as a
clear PDF file? Now you can! See
http://zebraeditor.com/files/ask_the_book_doctor.pdf.
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Four: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Large words make
writing heavy
Facts you should know:
• The average American reads at about a ninth or tenth-grade
level
• To increase readability, choose words with Anglo-Saxon roots.
• Major newspaper stories contain an average of five letters a
word.
• To increase readership comprehension, allow no more than two
ideas per paragraph.
Today’s publishers are not looking for high art or literature, simply
saleable, readable writing, so keep your words and sentences short with
just enough change ups to keep it interesting, and your writing will be
more marketable.
Find opportunities for improvement in your own work by using my
trademarked Find and Refine Method. With your file open on your
computer, pull down Edit, then Find, then type in the word you want to
find, and your computer will stop on each one and allow you to ponder
whether you can improve or delete that usage. For more opportunities
for improvement, read my textbook on creative writing: _Write In Style_
(Union Square Publishing). Buy it in your local bookstore or order it
from Amazon.com by clicking here: http://tinyurl.com/2ayh2m.
Manuslips
In my book _Write In Style_ I highlight slipups from unedited
manuscripts to make a point and make readers smile. Unfortunately the
excerpts were not written in humor, so don’t make the same mistakes;
learn from these errors, but enjoy them in the meantime.
Her curving body lay in stark contrast to the white sheets of her bed
like a crack of night through the heart of a star. (What is the heart
of a star, and how can night crack through a star? The worst flaw in
this funny mixed metaphor was that it was an opening sentence to a
novel.)
For more Manuslips, buy _Write In Style_ at Amazon.com prices by going
to http://tinyurl.com/2ayh2m.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Five: Letters from Members
Bobbie:
I finished my novel in September and am now looking for an agent. If
anyone in our network knows of a literary agent who takes historical
fiction, have them contact me, please. --Kenn Allen
(PAllen4896@aol.com)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THANKS for your Writer's Network. You spend a lot of time writing 'n
compiling VERY interesting and important bits of information for us
lonely old writers, and it is GREATLY appreciated. It's a tough task
you've imposed upon yourself, and I just wanted to say "THANKS!"
---Alvin Guthertz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Editing can be fun. Thanks to you I took my time, and it is really fun
when you discover those simple mistakes. My new book will reach the
shelves early next year. I will keep you posted. --Cliff Chandler
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Six: Subjects of interest to writers
[Note from Bobbie: Some links in this newsletter may include the words
“tiny url,” because I simplify long addresses through www.tinyurl.com.
It takes long addresses and converts them to short ones that still
work.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Writers Network Members Only – One Time Offer:
Get a Copy of Your Book Published at No Charge
Do you need any more motivation than this? Through February 29, 2008,
members of The Writers Network can get one copy of their book published
with WWAOW (pronounced Wow!), an independent U.S. publishing company.
Since 1939, WWAOW has set the standard for high-quality book
publishing. If you are sufficiently impressed with the quality of your
free book, simply order four more copies (average total price $60 USD),
and WWAOW will place your book for sale on its Web site. You earn
royalties with every copy sold. You keep your copyright; you set your
book price and determine your royalties. You’ve worked hard writing
your book, now The Writer’s Network and WWAOW can let your realize your
dream of having a book in your name. Log onto www.wwaow.com to upload
your book content.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mark calendars now for the Spring Book Show and Writing Seminars,
planned for Friday and Saturday, March 28 and 29. Noel Griese, owner of
Anvil Publishers, an Atlanta publisher specializing in American
biography and history, always offers a strong lineup of speakers, and
this time you’ll also have the choice of attending a full day of
writing and marketing information with Patricia Fry, president of the
Small Publishers, Artists, and Writers Network (SPAWN) and Bobbie
Christmas, owner of Zebra Communications and director of The Writers
Network or you can take one-hour sessions all day with a variety of
speakers. For more information as it becomes available and to sign up
and learn about nearby hotels, see www.anvilpub.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_Purge Your Prose of Problems: A Book Doctor’s Desk Reference,_ Fourth
Edition
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: grammar, punctuation, word choices, creative
writing, plot, pace, characterization, dialogue, Chicago Style,
formatting a manuscript, and much more. More than 500 subjects covered.
Printed form lies flat for easy use: $29.95 plus $4.99 shipping at
http://www.zebraeditor.com (click on Tools for Writers and scroll down)
or save almost $5.00 in shipping PLUS instantly get the e-book with
clickable links and bookmarks that zip you directly to any subject. To
order the e-book, go to http://www.booklocker.com/books/2225.html.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another word writers should know:
nosism (NO-siz-em) noun
The use of “we” in referring to oneself.
As it's often used by editors, it's also known as the "editorial we."
It's also called "the royal we," owing to its frequent use by royalty.
Mark Twain once said, "Only kings, presidents, editors, and people with
tapeworms have the right to use the editorial 'we.'"
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
Example:
"We must avoid both egoism and nosism in order to realize the glory
of humanity." --J. Odera Oruka; Philosophy, Humanity and Ecology; Diane
Publishing; 1996.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bobbie Christmas seminars on CD
“Write In Style and You Write to Win”
“Travel Writing for Fun and (a little) Profit”
“Write it and Reap: Make Money Selling Your Expertise”
“An Editor’s 10 Secrets to More Persuasive Writing”
“I’ve Finished My Book; What Should I Do Now?”
Take seminars in the comfort of your own home. Repeat as often as you
want. Invite your friends to join you. To order, go to
http://www.zebraeditor.com/tools.shtml and scroll down to see all the
seminars available on CD.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recommended word counts
Jessica Faust of BookEnds Literary Agency
(http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/) says the following in her
blog:
Here is a rough guide of what agents and editors expect when it comes
to word count. And yes, there are exceptions to every rule.
Most novels are roughly 80,000 to 100,000 words. Anything I don’t
mention here should be within that range, give or take 5,000 words. And
by the way, when I think word count I think 250 words per double-spaced
page with one-inch margins. That’s the way most publishers look at word
count. Using Microsoft Word’s count could mess you up since three words
of dialogue technically takes up a full line, and word count is about
production costs.
Cozy mysteries: 70,000 to 90,000 words. Usually on the short end of
that.
Category romance: Anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 (note this is
Harlequin/Silhouette only)
Fantasy: Can run longer, up to 120,000 words
Anything too far above or below these figures will often get an
automatic rejection from people unless your query is unbelievably
compelling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_Ask the Book Doctor: How to Beat the Competition and Sell Your
Writing_ is a 122-page e-book by Bobbie Christmas 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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wooden Horse Magazine News reports that Esperanza, whose subtitle is
"hope to cope with anxiety and depression," will be "serving the
community of interest surrounding depression." Published by Joanne
Doan, owner of sister title BP, the premiere issue is scheduled for
mid-February, with distribution in both the US and Canada.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Who gets the big advances these days, well-known and highly respected
authors with many successful books to their name? No. Ted Kennedy sold
the world rights to his memoirs to Twelve, an imprint of Hachette Book
Group USA’s Grand Central Publishing, for an more than eight million
dollars, if he gets approval from the Senate Ethics Committee.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_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; Simon
and Schuster, distributor. Available in bookstores and Internet
retailers. To order at Amazon.com DISCOUNT prices, see
http://zebraeditor.com/bookstore.shtml.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(The following article was gently lifted from AnvilPub's Southern
Review of Books, edited by Noel Griese. To see even more of his
informative articles, go to http://www.anvilpub.net/. )
There be sharks: be careful where you swim in the book biz
Vanity publisher Xlibris has teamed up with the pay-per-review Kirkus
Discoveries Review service. Reviews that are bought rather than earned
tend to have little credibility in the book industry. Authors who are
so desperate for attention that they are willing to pay for reviews
also tend to have low street cred.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Imperfect Parent reports, “Due to an overwhelming backlog, we are
not accepting submissions at this time. You may, however, still submit
a query for a feature-length article. Please send your query and a
writing sample to prescott@imperfectparent.com.” See
http://www.imperfectparent.com/index.php for more information on the
magazine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
http://zebraeditor.com and click on “Tools for Writers.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WHOLE FOODS MARKET, a bi-monthly custom magazine for Whole Foods, will
be published by Active Interest Media. The content will include health
and wellness news, food and environmental issues and trends, and other
topics "organic" to the Whole Foods brand.
Active Interest Media (www.aimmedia.com; AIM), the consumer enthusiast
media company, today announced it will launch Whole Foods Market
Magazine, a custom publication for Whole Foods Market® (Nasdaq: WFMI).
Whole Foods Market is the world's leading natural and organic foods
supermarket and the nation's first certified organic grocer. The
magazine will be available in more than 60 stores, premiering in the
Company's Midwest region in January 2008, and in the Rocky Mountain
region in March 2008.
Designed specifically for Whole Foods Market shoppers, Whole Foods
Market Magazine will feature the latest in health and wellness news,
food and environmental issues and trends, a wine column, the latest in
beauty and self-care products, and more. The magazine will also feature
the best natural, organic and gourmet foods as well as healthy and
delicious recipes.
See http://www.aimmedia.com/article_display_82.html.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Seven: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents and Markets
eHow.com is looking for people to share How To articles with a growing
community of more than eight million visitors a month. Article
contributors are paid based on the quality and readership value of
their content. eHow.com covers “just about everything,” including
topics ranging from simple (How to Boil an Egg) to complex (How to
Build a Dry Stack Stone Wall). Article contributors can write on topics
of their choice and publish immediately using eHow.com’s publishing
tools. To start publishing, visit
http://tinyurl.com/3b677b.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chicken Soup for the Twenty-Something Soul
Do you have Chicken Soup Story? Christine Hassler is co-authoring
Chicken Soup for the Twenty Something Soul (HCI Books, 2008) with Jack
Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. A Chicken Soup for the Soul story is
an inspirational, true story about ordinary people doing extraordinary
things. You do NOT have to be a twenty-something to contribute. You can
tell a story from your twenty-something life or share one about a
twenty-something who has touched yours. For information, visit the
Chicken Soup Web site (www.chickensoup.com).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Get paid to read contest submissions
NYC Midnight is currently seeking readers for several writing contests
in 2008. Duties include reading and providing a written critique of
the contest submissions. Readers are currently needed for creative
writing and screenwriting contests. Readers of screenwriting contests
must have knowledge of proper screenplay format. The information does
not say how much you will be paid, but I’d venture to say it’s not
much. Regardless, it could be interesting if you have the time and the
interest. To apply go to
http://www.nycmidnight.com/readers/readers.asp
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Write restaurant and travel reviews
See http://www.vezeo.com/write-for-vezeo for details and guidelines.
Pays $15 to $100 an article.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Canteen, a new literary magazine launches
Canteen is distributed in New York and California and accepts
submissions from anywhere. It accepts original fiction, nonfiction, and
poetry of up to 4,000 words. “We are most interested in essays and
commentary that relate to our Mission Statement by focusing on the
creative process. There are no parameters on subject matter for fiction
and poetry. All pieces must be submitted in Microsoft Word document
format. Canteen does not normally pay contributors for their work. We
do offer our published contributors three advance copies of the
completed issue of the magazine in which their work appears¬—plus, of
course, our undying love. Please submit all work to Canteen
electronically at submissions@canteenmag.com.“ For more information see
http://www.canteenmag.com/#.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Polite magazine wants stories
The editors of Polite (www.politemag.com) think there's still room for
stories in today's world. Polite's a nationally distributed,
semi-quarterly general interest magazine -- but general in the best
way. Here's what we're about: stories and comics profiling brilliant,
fascinating (but ignored) people, dispatches from the ends of the earth
(Antarctica!) and the gutter (prison!), eccentric columnists,
non-publicist-driven cultural pieces, passionate and serious music
writing, and a new generation of shoestring travel writing (younger
writers + less money + stranger destinations), all tied together by
comics and an off-kilter, deadpan sensibility. We were recently
nominated as Best New Magazine of 2007 by the Utne Independent Press
Awards.
We're looking for writers who agree with our editorial focus (or lack
thereof), and are interested in contributing. If you've got an idea you
think might fit, please contact James Linx at the above email address
with a brief synopsis of your background and your idea. Previous
publication experience is helpful, but not at all necessary--we're
committed to finding and working with new and emerging writers. Check
out our website, www.politemag.com, for writers' guidelines. Please
allow about a week for a response. Pays $30 an article.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
City Quarterly Luxury Magazines is expanding and looking for
franchisees in other locations. Meanwhile, consider contributing to the
current issues published in Florida and California. See
http://www.cityquarterly.com/.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Child Magazine
Have a story idea for Child? Freelance writers are invited to submit
query letters on the following topics:
* Children's health
* Parenting and marital relationship issues
* Child behavior and development
* Personal essays pertaining to family life
Child purchases first-time rights for articles and pays upon
acceptance. Fees vary depending on the length and positioning of
articles. Writers must include clips of previously published work and a
stamped, self-addressed envelope with their queries. Address all
correspondence to
Submissions
Child Editorial Department
375 Lexington Avenue, 9th floor
New York, NY 10017
Please allow eight weeks for a reply. No electronic submissions will be
accepted.
For more information see http://tinyurl.com/239oy6.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Income Opportunities newsletter needs submissions
Home Business Opportunities and Resources reports details on the most
profitable Internet business opportunities and home business
opportunities. “We are dedicated to helping those interested in making
money with their own business to find the best work-from-home business
opportunity or part-time Internet business. Plus we provide free tools,
resources and articles to help you succeed.” To submit article ideas,
go to http://www.incomeops.com/writeforio.html and scroll down to find
Contact Us link.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New magazine launching in Texas
To be launched during first quarter 2008, Texas Diversity will be
published three times a year. The initial theme is women in leadership,
featuring a cover story on the Most Powerful and Influential Women in
Texas. “Texas Diversity's content will cater to business professionals,
minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses, educators, students,
government, institutions of higher learning and nonprofits. Regular
departments will include diversity news, diversity facts, corporate
diversity profiles, calendars, diversity best practices, and more.
Articles contributed by freelance journalists and diversity consultants
will also be featured.” To learn more or submit a story idea, see
http://www.texasdiversitymagazine.org/.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Development Magazine
PO Box 1276
Bellmawr, NJ 08099-5276
http://www.mypdmagazine.com/
“Created through the Law of Attraction, ‘Personal Development’ gives
you world-renowned success training in topics such as wealth building,
finances, goal setting, health and fitness, relationships, travel,
spirituality, and so much more. Personal Development is like having a
$10,000 dollar motivational seminar delivered right to your doorstep
each month.” You can submit success stories to Suzanne Manning by mail
or do so online at http://tinyurl.com/3ahb22.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Eight: Writing Assignment – Opposites Attract
Coco Chanel, born in Saumur, France, in 1883, reached the entire world
with her unique perspective on fashion. Along with the perfume Chanel
No. 5, introduced in 1922, she launched turtleneck sweaters, trench
coats, costume jewelry, bell-bottom trousers, bobbed hair, and the
classic "little black dress." Chanel explained, "I invented my life by
taking for granted that everything I did not like would have an
opposite, which I would like."
For this assignment, think of something you vehemently dislike,
something that makes you rage with anger or green with repulsion. What
would be the opposite of that situation or thing, the concept or thing
that would attract you? Think of the ideal solution to something that
so upsets you that you want to scream. Write a story or poem that shows
a transition from horrendous to first-rate. You can handle the shift in
many ways. Perhaps a character invents a product that solves the
problem. Maybe legislation is passed that changes a situation. Possibly
an incident changes someone’s mind. Let your imagination go; resolve
your pet peeves, solve the world’s problems, and write about it!
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Nine: Web Sites of Interest to Writers
Freelance jobs:
http://www.gofreelance.com/join/joboftheday2.html
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http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/links.html is an entire
library full of articles and information for writers, administered by
Rutgers University.
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Discussion and explanation of copyright law:
http://www.rbs2.com/copyr.htm
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Freelance Writing Organization International
British based, it says, “Our site is an ongoing endeavour to construct
the world's largest, free, online writing resource database. Started in
1999, we provide free writing resources and writing links in a database
filled with international writing Web sites.” http://www.fwointl.com/
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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. You are under no
obligation to eat if you attend the meeting, but if you do eat, you may
pay and tip as you leave.
While we eat, we have introductions. After the introductions are over,
we discuss questions and answers. After the introductions are completed
and at any time until we leave, you are welcome to get more food or
leave when you need to do so.
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 not only gives us a private meeting room, but it also offers
a buffet with a variety of food, primarily Asian.
The restaurant is on the left after you enter the Roswell Shopping
Center, on the same side of the strip mall as Patterson Furniture and
High Point 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, a little way
past Andretti's. Once you are inside King Buffet, the meeting room is
through an archway on the left past the cashier.
Restaurant phone: 678-352-1606.
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