The Writers Network News September 21, 2008 http://ezezine.com
September 21, 2008
The Writers Network News
No Rules; Just Write!
Editor: Bobbie Christmas
Contents copyright 2008, Bobbie Christmas
No portion of this newsletter can be used without permission.
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/
----------------------------------------------
Welcome to this issue of The Writers Network News
In This Issue
One: Kudos to Danette Haworth, Barbara McMikle, Geri Taran, George
Weinstein
Two: From the editor’s desk – Don’t Try; Do
Three: Ask the Book Doctor – About Titles, Parts, and the Right Time to
Edit
Four: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Rethink However
Five: Letters from Members
Six: Subjects of Interest to Writers
Seven: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents, and Markets
Eight: Writing Assignment – What If You Lost It All?
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/
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[Note: Some links may include “tiny url,” because through
www.tinyurl.com, long Web addresses can be converted to short ones.]
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Writer’s quote of the day
“The writing of a poem is like a child throwing stones into a
mineshaft. You compose first; then you listen for the reverberation.”
—James Fenton, poet and professor (1949- )
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One: Kudos to Danette Haworth, Barbara McMikle, Geri Taran, George
Weinstein
Danette Haworth’s debut novel, Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by
Lightning (Walker Books for Young Readers), is now available in
bookstores and online. Read the first chapter at
www.danettehaworth.com. The Florida-based writer recently landed a deal
for two more middle-grade novels: The Hotel of Blueberry Goodness
(Walker 2010) and Me and Jack (Walker 2011).
Barbara McMikle, a member in San Diego, recently sold a short story
with a Civil War setting to Solander magazine. It is her first sale
into the UK market. She has reason to feel proud.
Geri Taran of Lawrenceville, Georgia, entered three poems in the Poetry
of The Golden Generation for the first time, and two of them were
accepted and will appear in this year's anthology published by the
Center for Active Retirement Education in partnership with the Kennesaw
State University English Department and Osher Lifelong Learning
Institute.
George Weinstein of Metro Atlanta has written a children’s book, Jake
and the Tiger Flight, for the Tiger Flight Foundation, comprising
pilots and volunteers committed to children's education and character
development. Jake Skyler, a typical twelve-year-old, becomes obsessed
with the twin-tailed, tiger-striped planes flown by the Tiger Flight
Formation Flight Team. He dreams of learning to fly, but faces
obstacles from parents and friends. Like everyone growing up, however,
his greatest struggles come from within. To make his goal a reality,
Jake learns focus and self-discipline with help from the pilots of the
Tiger Flight. The recommended age group for readers is ten to fourteen.
Read the reviews at www.jakeandthetigerflight.com. Proceeds from the
book support the nonprofit foundation mission. See more about at
www.tigerflightfoundation.org.
Congratulations!
Your successes encourage others, so please send in your accomplishments
for our kudos section.
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Two: From the editor’s desk — Don’t Try; Do
Dear Fellow Writers:
Robert Frost said, “Talking is a hydrant in the yard, and writing is a
faucet upstairs in the house. Opening the first takes all the pressure
off the second.”
When I ran across the quote from Frost, I smiled, because I have the
same philosophy. From time to time “writers” tell me they have ideas
for books, I tell them to write the book; don’t tell me their ideas. I
intentionally put quotation marks around the word “writers” because
quotation marks indicate irony when used outside of direct quotations,
and the people who talk about their ideas are talkers, not writers.
Talking about an idea drains the energy from the project. It leaves no
need to do the hard word of sitting down and writing. Real writers (no
quotation marks needed, because no irony intended) sit down and write.
I had the honor of meeting a group of real writers this month, women
and men who came from many parts of Georgia to hear me speak at the
arts center in Carrollton. When we went around the room introducing
ourselves, I was pleased and amazed at the confidence and successes of
almost everyone in the room. Only one person was relatively new to
writing, and everyone else in the room seemed eager to help her move
toward getting published as well. That’s another thing I love about
writers; we have no proprietary information and no secrets. We gladly
help one another.
Even though almost no one in the room was new to writing, they loved
what I spoke about. I did not talk about the basics of writing, which
most of us know, but about how to revise a manuscript objectively using
my trademarked Find and Refine Method. I won’t go into a sales pitch,
but the Find and Refine Method is explained in my book Write In Style
and in one of my free reports, which you can receive by sending an
e-mail to freereports@zebraeditor.com.
More important is the fact that everyone in the room was a real writer.
No one said, “One day I’m going to write” or “I’ve always wanted to
write a book but never had the time” or any of the other excuses I have
heard hundreds of times. Instead, they had put their rear ends in a
chair and their hands on the keyboard, and they wrote. As a result,
they were published. They didn’t try to write; they wrote. I’m
impressed.
Many people can spend their time trying to write, but trying never gets
anything done. Writers write. I hope you write every day, too.
Yours in writing,
Bobbie Christmas (Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or bzebra@aol.com )
Author of triple-award-winning _Write In Style_ (Union Square
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 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.
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Three: Ask the Book Doctor — About Titles, Parts, and the Right Time to
Edit
Q: A title I'm considering for my novel is [title removed]. Amazon.com
says that title is already in use. Are titles copyrighted?
A: As I understand the law, titles are not eligible for copyrights the
way longer works are; however, titles can be trademarked if used to
cover more than one item in a series, such as a cluster of seminars
based on a book of the same name.
Although you could probably legally use a title that has been used by
someone else, consider it an opportunity to change the title and make
it different, so people who search your title will find only your book,
and not others. It’s your chance to come up with a memorable, unique
title with a play on words, alliteration, or rhyme.
Q: I plan to self publish. My book was written and designed and ready
to go to a printer, but somebody warned me that it needed editing. I
sent it to an editor, but he said he can’t edit it when it’s already
designed. Why not?
A: A manuscript should always be edited before it is designed into book
format, and the reasons are simple. If you plan to have the editor work
on the hard-copy version of your manuscript, it has to be in standard
manuscript format; that is, twelve-point Courier or Times New Roman
type, double-spaced, with margins of at least an inch on all sides.
This format is standard in the industry and gives the editor room to
work. If the book is already designed, it won’t be in standard
manuscript format; it will be in book format.
If you plan to have your editor work on your electronic file, the
format won’t matter, but it must be in a word-processing document, not
a design program or a PDF. Most editors are not designers and won’t
have the design program used to design your book. If it is in a PDF
file, most editors cannot change those files electronically. Worst of
all, even if the editor has the capability of opening the design
program or manipulating a PDF (which some do), editing a book after it
is designed will surely interfere with the design. After the file is
edited you’ll have to return it to your designer to get it redesigned,
and there will certainly be an additional charge for that service.
As you can see, it’s cheaper and easier to follow convention. After you
have made all the revisions to your manuscript that you can make, get
it edited. After it is edited, reread the manuscript for a final proof
before getting the manuscript designed into a book.
Q: Is there any technical reason for a novel to be broken up into
parts? I want to break my next novel up in a way that I haven’t really
seen before.
Part 1 – Introduction of the main character (the good guy). Provide
plot and conflict.
Part 2 – Introduce opposing character (the bad guy)
Part 3 – Good and bad characters clash, and conflict is resolved.
The first twelve chapters focus on the “good guy” perspective. The “bad
guy” is introduced in Chapter 13. If I spend the next twelve or so
chapters telling the other side of the story (the bad guy’s
perspective), will readers forget the plight of the good guy in the
first twelve chapters?
I really want to have the two sides (good and evil) make compelling
arguments. By breaking up the novel this way, I hope the reader will be
conflicted going into the third part of the book. Any thoughts?
A: The reason you can't find any specific material on the subject of
breaking a novel into parts is that (at least to my knowledge) there is
no absolute rule regarding it.
The only problem I can perceive is that according to your outline, all
the clash occurs in the final part, so what will make readers continue
reading through the first two parts? Yes, it says plot and conflict
will be provided in Part 1, but if there’s only one character in that
part, how can there be conflict? Conflict and tension are the elements
that make readers turn pages and keep reading.
That said, I can't judge the book without seeing it, so if you sense
that it is working the way you are writing it, trust your gut and move
forward. I have seen good books broken into parts for the characters;
Franny and Zoey by J.D. Salinger comes to mind, for one.
Send your questions to the book doctor at Bobbie@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. The newest column
is posted around the first of each month.
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Four: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Rethink However
Most of the time the word “however” should not begin a sentence, and
yet I see it used incorrectly at the start of sentences in many
manuscripts I edit. First let me explain when it is okay to use it at
the start of a sentence. When it is used to mean “to whatever degree”
“in whatever way,” or “how,” it’s okay at the start of a sentence. Here
are examples of correct usage of “however” at the beginning of a
sentence:
However much it rains, my grass remains brown.
However you prepare the steaks will be fine with me.
However will you resolve the issue?
When it is used to provide contrast or to mean “nevertheless,” though,
it should never appear at the beginning of a sentence, because it
almost acts as a conjunction, joining items that should be in the same
sentence. Here are some examples of “however” used correctly:
I like pie; however, Boston cream pie is more like cake than pie.
When dealing with an angry client, however, first you have to find out
what went wrong.
Here are some examples of “however” used incorrectly. Be sure to avoid
this mistake, and your writing will be better than that of less
knowledgeable writers.
Wrong:
I like pie. However, Boston cream pie is more like cake than pie.
You will have to deal with angry clients at times. However, first you
have to find out what went wrong.
Time to Find and Refine
Find this word and many other opportunities for improvement in your own
work by using my trademarked Find and Refine Method, more carefully
outlined in my textbook on creative writing: _Write In Style_ (Union
Square Publishing), which lists many more ways you can easily refine
your own manuscripts.
With your file open on your computer, pull down Edit, and then Find.
Type in the word or punctuation you want to find, and your computer
will stop on each one and allow you to ponder whether you can change,
correct, improve, or delete that usage. For more opportunities for
improvement, buy _Write In Style_ (Union Square Publishing) in your
local bookstore or order it from Amazon.com by clicking here:
http://tinyurl.com/2ayh2m.
Watch closely, because this particular tip takes a little more effort
on your part, but it also allows you to improve your entire manuscript
easily and objectively.
To take advantage of this month’s tip from Bobbie Christmas, pull down
Edit, then Find, and click on the box that says “More.” When it opens,
check “Match case.” Go back up to the “Find what” box and type
“However.” Be sure to capitalize it. Next press the “Find Next” box,
and each time the computer stops on “However,” check to see if it is
incorrectly used at the beginning of the sentence. If so, recast,
refine, and improve, and you, too, will write in style.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Five: Letters from Members
I love your newsletter so chock full of useful information. I wish you
had in San Diego something akin to the meetings you hold--held--in
Atlanta. –Barbara McMikle
-----
Good work on creating an entertaining, informative, and very useful
newsletter! –Maria Hodges,
Lawrenceville, Georgia
-----
Thanks for your informative newsletter. I totally agree with your
viewpoint regarding deadlines. In the past, I wrote for two newspapers
plus I wrote radio advertising spots. After I bought a rundown
photography studio, I took care of all my advertising personally.
Deadlines were never questioned. Currently, I am finishing a novel that
takes place during World War Two. It is narrated by a young girl.
Unlike other novels I worked on, I enjoy every minute I write and
rewrite the chapters of Counting Stars along the Way. Today, after
months of work I set the deadline. Thanks.–Alice Cleveland Reed
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More discussion on the use of song lyrics
“There seems to be a double standard also over song lyrics usage. You
talk about how licenses are needed when writing a novel, and I agree it
seems more attention is paid when song lyrics are in novels.
“What about when someone writes a review about a CD or a concert and
quotes song lyrics from that in the review about the concert or CD?
I've never heard anyone get upset over those things, as long as a
writer doesn't quote long passages of the lyrics. Is it because of the
fair use doctrine?
“There seems to be inconsistent standards against novel writing as
opposed to shorter written articles like reviews, etc. Why doesn't the
fair use doctrine apply to novels?” –Roy A. Barnes
Our answer:
Dear Roy:
It seems logical to me that a review of a concert or CD would be
promotional. It would therefore behoove the lyricist and wouldn’t be
stealing the work or using it for profit the lyricist didn’t get. I
wouldn’t know for sure, though, because I’m not an attorney.
I found a great Internet article by Howard Zaharoff that better
explains about fair use and why song lyrics may be the exception.
Below is a portion of the article. See
http://www.todays-woman.net/article1595.html for the complete article.
How much use is a fair use? My article in the January 2001 Writer’s
Digest analyzes the four (nonexclusive) Copyright Act fair-use factors:
(1) the purpose of the use, (2) the nature of the original work, (3)
the amount used and its significance in relation to the original, and
(4) the use’s effect on the market or value of the original.
So what constitutes fair use of song lyrics and literary works?
Songs are generally short and imaginative. Borrowing even a line or two
generally means taking a generous portion of creative expression–a loss
under factors (2) and (3). Since the music industry actively licenses
the use of lyrics (generally for fees ranging from $25 to $250),
copying also means a loss under factor (4) … and a music publisher
after you!
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Six: Subjects of interest to writers
Where is Bobbie Christmas speaking next?
Bobbie will be appearing in person at the following events:
September 27, 2008
Catch the Wave Conference
Christian Authors Guild
Woodstock, Georgia
See www.christianauthorsguild.org/10.html.
--
November 14, 15, 16, 2008
Florida Writers Association Annual Conference
See below or www.floridawriters.net for more information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The 7th Annual Florida Writers Association Conference
November 14 -16
Join the heart of Florida’s writing community at the Lake Mary Marriott
for the biggest three-day event FWA has ever presented.
Fourteen experienced agents, publishers, and writing mentors will be
coming from all over the country to offer thirty information-packed
sessions over three days in a three-track plan tailored for full-time
pros, serious hobbyists, and determined beginners.
Learn how to improve your writing skills, package your work for
selling, and go on to make the sale.
Make your conference reservation before July 31 and save $50 over the
full registration price of $299. (For hotel reservations, call 1-899
380-7724 and ask for the FWA discount rate. First come, first served.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hurry! Sign to up to take these free telephone seminars.
TELE-CAST: Tricks You Didn’t Know Your Word Processor Could Do
Monday, October 27, 2008 5:00 pm ET - 6:00 pm ET
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/103898764
TELE-CAST: Self-Editing Techniques You Can’t Live Without
Monday, November 17, 2008 5:00 pm ET - 6:00 pm ET
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/103900770
All these tele-classes are given at no charge through AuthorSmart.com.
Sign up for any and all of them today!
Did you miss the tele-cast called “Write In Style and You Write to
Win?” that aired in April? Download it for only $5 and listen all you
want by going to http://stores.authorsmart.com/Detail.bok?no=134.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Save $100 on a Kindle reading machine
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If you like the idea of being able to download and carry up to 200
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Place your order using the Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card and enter this
promo code: VISACARD to get the additional $70 savings at checkout. To
get the discount and save $100, go to http://tinyurl.com/5qyjqy today.
Apply today. Limited-time offer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Good books from Marion Street Press, which specializes in books for
writers
The Wrong Word Dictionary: 2,000 Most Commonly Confused Words by Dave
Dowling
The Thinker’s Thesaurus: Sophisticated alternatives to common words by
Peter E. Meltzer
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Purge Your Prose of Problems: A Book Doctor’s Desk Reference¯Fourth
Edition
Save thousands of dollars by editing your own book!
This proprietary reference book is not available in stores; only a few
copies are available. The information 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. Spiral binder lies flat for easy use: $29.95 plus
$4.99 s & h at http://www.zebraeditor.com (click on Tools for Writers
and scroll down).
Save almost $5.00 in shipping PLUS instantly get _Purge Your Prose of
Problems_ as an e-book with clickable links and bookmarks that zip you
directly to any subject. Go to
http://www.booklocker.com/books/2225.html.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grant Writing Workshop
The Grant Institute's Grants 101: Professional Grant Proposal Writing
Workshop will be held at the University of Phoenix - Washington, DC,
campus November 19 - 21, 2008. Demand means that seats will fill up
quickly.
All participants will receive certification in professional grant
writing from the Institute. For more information call 888-824 - 4424
(213-817-5308 outside the US) or visit The Grant Institute at
www.thegrantinstitute.com.
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Pulitzer Prize Scam Warning for Authors
Southern Review of Books editor Noel Griese warns in his latest
newsletter: If you get a notice from Paul Tash, a board member of the
Pulitzer Prize Committee, that says your book is being considered for a
Pulitzer Prize, be skeptical. A current scam tells authors they have
been nominated for a Pulitzer and includes a link to another site.
The message originates in Nigeria and is disseminated from London. You
can only guess what happens if you connect with a scam artist in
Nigeria.
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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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Myths About Agents
True? False? Somewhere In Between?
For a great article by a literary agent (Anne Hawkins, John Hawkins &
Associates, Inc.) about literary agents, go to
http://tinyurl.com/65vsdr.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oddest Book Title of the Year Award Open for Voting
The Bookseller magazine revealed on September 15 the shortlist for The
Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year. The six
titles are: How Green Were the Nazis? edited by Franz-Josef
Bruggemeier, Mark Cioc, and Thomas Zeller (Ohio University Press); D.
Di Mascio’s Delicious Ice Cream: D. Di Mascio of Coventry: An Ice Cream
Company of Repute, with an Interesting and Varied Fleet of Ice Cream
Vans by Roger De Boer, Harvey Francis Pitcher, and Alan Wilkinson (Past
Masters); The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to
Field Identification by Julian Montague (Harry N Abrams); Tattooed
Mountain Women and Spoon Boxes of Daghestan by Robert Chenciner; by
Gabib Ismailov, Magomedkhan Magomedkhanov, and Alex Binnie (Bennett &
Bloom), Proceedings of the Eighteenth International Seaweed Symposium,
edited by Robert J Anderson, Juliet A Brodie, Edvar Onsoyen, and Alan T
Critchley (Kluwer); and Better Never To Have Been: The Harm of Coming
Into Existence by David Benatar (Clarendon Press).
An online poll to find the winner is open at www.thebookseller.com, and
the winner will be revealed on Friday, April 13, on the eve of the
London Book Fair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_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 the e-book go to
http://www.booklocker.com/books/1906.html
_Ask the Book Doctor: How to Beat the Competition and Sell Your
Writing_ is now available in print! Order your copy today. Go to
http://tinyurl.com/56l2eu to order.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robert Downey Jr., who has had a rollercoaster life but is on a
financial high with his hit film Iron Man, recently returned his book
advance to Harper Collins. He had promised to write a "candid look at
the highs and lows” of his life and career, but now he doesn’t plan to
write the book. Sympathy, anyone?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another word writers should know: cacography – it means bad spelling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_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 prices, go to
http://tinyurl.com/5yncfw.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Romance writer Danielle Steel just turned 61 and has about 570 million
books in print. She writes about three books a year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book signing in Woodstock, Georgia
Saturday, October 11, 10:30A.M .
Steve Doocy
Tales from the Dad Side: Misadventures in Fatherhood
The host of Fox TV's "Fox & Friends" signs his newest book.
Free event. FoxTale Book Shoppe, 105 E. Main St., #138, Woodstock, GA
30188, 770/516-9989, www.foxtalebookshoppe.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Think you have problems writing or selling your book?
The following is excerpted from Writer’s Almanac by Garrison Keillor
and published by American Public Media.
In 1955, Vladimir Nabokov couldn't find an American publisher willing
to print his novel, so Lolita was published by Olympia Press in Paris.
Olympia was best known for publishing erotica, which worried Nabokov;
he wrote to the publisher: "You and I know that Lolita is a serious
book with a serious purpose. I hope the public will accept it as such."
Lolita was Nabokov's twelfth novel, but only his third written in
English. During one of his cross-country butterfly-collecting trips the
idea for a story came to him, and while his wife drove, he sat in the
back seat of their Oldsmobile and jotted notes on index cards about a
man named Humbert Humbert and the twelve-year-old girl he loves.
Nabokov worked on the book for "five years of monstrous misgivings and
diabolical labors." Sometimes he drove the car to hotel parking lot and
sat alone in the back seat and worked because, he said, the back seat
of a car was the only place in America with "no noise and no drafts."
He wanted to make Humbert Humbert as realistic as possible, so he spent
hours in the psychology section of the library reading case studies of
obsessive and insane men. He sneaked onto school buses to learn how
American kids talked. When he got frustrated with the book and gave up,
he took his manuscript and all his note cards to the incinerator behind
his house and was just about to throw them in when his wife stopped
him.
Olympia Press printed only 5,000 copies of Lolita, and few critics
really noticed its publication, but then the well-respected author
Graham Greene said in the London Times that Lolita was one of the best
novels of 1955. In response, the editor of another major London
newspaper called Lolita "the filthiest book I have ever read." More
people read the book, enough that the British government ordered
customs officers to seize all copies of the book entering the country.
Even France banned it, but readers still managed to find illegal
copies. In 1958, G.P. Putnam finally agreed to publish an American
edition, and it sold 2,600 copies the first day. The New York Times
published two contradictory reviews—one that raved about it and one
that called it "dull, dull, dull" and "repulsive." After that, it sold
even more. It spent six months as number one on the best-seller charts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 versus. traditional publishing, and much more. Sixteen
reports are available, and the list keeps growing. Go to
http://zebraeditor.com/free_reports.shtml. Newest report: How to choose
the correct editor for your manuscript. Surprise! It may not be me!
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Seven: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents and Markets
Seventh Annual FundsforWriters Essay Contest
FundsforWriters and its annual sponsor, IdeaWeaver, creator of writing
and creativity software, announce the Seventh Annual FundsforWriters
Essay Contest. Theme: "The Best Advice I Ever Had." As is the
FundsforWriters trademark, applicants enter with or without an entry
fee, their choice. Prize monies range from $10 to $200. Limit 750
words. Deadline October 31, 2008.
www.fundsforwriters.com/annualcontest.htm Direct any questions to Hope
Clark at hope@fundsforwriters.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writers of How-To Articles Wanted
FictionAddiction.NET is a paying market for writers who can offer
how-to articles on the writing craft. We are particularly interested in
articles that focus on writing novels, screenplays, poetry and short
stories as well as getting published and promoting your work.
Contributed articles must be well-written and center on important
aspects in a writer's career. For full guidelines see
http://www.fictionaddiction.net/paying-writers-markets.html.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Women’s Studio Workshop Offers Grant
Artist's Book Residency
Women's Studio Workshop
PO Box 489
Rosendale, NY 12472
phone 845.658.9133
fax 845.658.9031
info@wsworkshop.org
See http://www.wsworkshop.org/_art_opp/artopp_grant_abr.htm for full
information and application. Deadline November 15.
Residency grants are designed to enable artists to produce a limited
edition book work at WSW. Working intensively in our studios for six to
eight weeks, artists print and bind their own books. WSW technical
assistance includes training on new equipments, introduction to new
materials, and assistance with production.
The grant includes a stipend of $2,000 to $3,000 for six to eight
weeks, materials up to $750, access to all studios, travel costs
(within the Continental US), and housing. Projects are chosen by a jury
of outside artists and curators.
Generally, we encourage an edition size no larger than 100 and no
smaller than 50. WSW has developed a series of archive and exhibition
opportunities for the books. The contract stipulates 10% (or ten books)
for WSW archives, exhibition, and display copies; 10% of the edition
for the artist; and 80% of the edition for general marketing. Artist
have the option of collaborating with WSW on marketing of artists'
books for a 50% commission fee. WSW has artists' books in collections
world-wide and six institutions are repositories of all the artists'
books published by WSW. The repositories are: Indiana University
(Bloomington), Rochester Institute of Technology, University of
Delaware, Vassar College, Virginia Commonwealth University and Yale
University.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Animal Network
P.O. Box 6050
Mission Viejo, CA 92690
Telephone: 949-855-8822
Also see http://www.animalnetwork.com/animalnetwork/home.aspx for more
information.
Animal Network is a division of BowTie, Inc., America’s leading
producer of pet and animal magazines with a roster of more than 50
publications that are distributed nationally to millions of
animal-loving consumers as well as pet store retailers, veterinarians
and breeders. In addition, Bow Tie Press publishes books for animal
lovers.
Divisions of BowTie, Inc. include Fancy Publications, Thoroughbred
Times Company, BowTie Press, Global Distribution Services and Advanced
Vivarium Systems, and Animalnetwork.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Green Fashion, Lifestyle Periodical launches
Boho is a green fashion-lifestyle magazine founded on the freedom to
express your own personal style and live the life you want. Each issue
offers the latest in fashion, beauty, and more, while inspiring you to
help make a difference in the world by giving back and going green. If
you are interested in contacting the editors of boho magazine with an
article idea or query, contact us at editorial@bohomag.com. Also see
http://bohomag.com/about-us.html.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Art Nouveau Magazine
www.artnouveaumagazine.com
Art Nouveau Magazine is always looking for talented writers,
photographers, and graphic designers to work with. Please e-mail clips
and article pitches to info@artnouveaumagazine.com and submit specific
article ideas to the respective section editors. See
http://www.artnouveaumagazine.com/contactus.html for section editors
and other information.
Art Nouveau Magazine is a bimonthly online art, fashion, music, film,
literature, and culture magazine that was started in 2007 by Kendrick
Daye and Phillip Holmes. We believe everything is art. Basquiat’s
Profit I, Jay-Z’s Blueprint, Those ALife Sneakers you copped at Fight
Club last week, anything written by Terry Southern, You, Me, Him, Her,
Them, Everything—it’s all art. Art is everywhere, so Art Nouveau
Magazine is everywhere.
“We will continually replenish our pages with accurate, objective and
provocative coverage of exciting, entertaining, and relevant issues to
support every aspect of our eclectic reader’s ever-changing lifestyle.
Our commitment is to remain a vital resource for savvy, trendy, and
successful individuals. We are the next level.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Farber Literary Agency
14 East 75th Street
New York, NY 10021
Currently accepting nonfiction, children’s fiction, and plays
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Relish Writing Food Articles?
Relish is a monthly newspaper-distributed magazine that celebrates
America's love of food. It brings readers authentic, accurate features
on cooking, dining, and entertaining.
See http://www.relishmag.com/aboutus/ for writers guidelines.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scott Andrew Mendel, Managing Partner
Mendel Media Group, LLC
115 West 30th Street, Suite 800
New York, NY 10001
646-239-9896 voice
212-685-4717 fax
We represent nonfiction writers in most subject areas, from biography
and serious history to health and relationships. Our nonfiction
clientele includes individual authors and institutions whose works,
collections, archives, researchers and/or policy experts contribute to
important public discussions and debates. We also represent more
light-hearted nonfiction projects, when they suit the market
particularly well. The agency's fiction writers principally write
historical and contemporary multicultural fiction, contemporary
thrillers and mainstream women's fiction. See
http://www.mendelmedia.com/FAQ for more information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MREnterprises Seeks Freelancers
Melissa Radcliff Enterprises (MREnterprises) uses freelance writers who
work as independent contractors from their homes or offices. If you
are interested in becoming a freelance writer for MREnterprises e-mail
your resume and a writing sample to mradcliff@mrenterprises.4t.com.
Remember to include any other applicable skills you may have.
For more information see http://www.mrenterprises.4t.com./
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian writers of fiction and “everything else,” take note
The Lifted Brow is a biannual magazine based in Melbourne. We’re
probably 50% fiction and 50% everything else.
Our first issue was 76 pages, stapled, on really thin, grey paper. Our
second was 176 pages with a spine and a CD. Our third (and current) has
a color poster, and the stories are bracketed by portfolios of photos,
false animals, interviews, and textile designs. Our fourth issue will
be the size of the first three put together, and will include two CDs.
If you’d like to learn more or contribute, see
http://www.theliftedbrow.com/?page_id=14.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JPG is a community connected by a love of photography. Join us to share
your pictures and stories and discover interesting photos by people
like you. JPG is your view of the world around us with the best photos
and stories published in the printed issues of JPG Magazine. For more,
see http://www.jpgmag.com/about/.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writer’s Digest Offers Fiction Awards
Compete and Win in any or all five short-story categories. The Grand
Prize-Winner will receive $2,500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest
Books, and the 2009 Novel & Short Story Writer's market. Entry
Deadline: Monday, November 03, 2008. For complete details see
http://www.writersdigest.com/popularfictionawards
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes! Magazine is 70% Freelance Written
Positive Futures Network
P.O. Box 10818
Bainbridge Island WA 98110
E-mail: submissions@yesmagazine.org
Web site: www.yesmagazine.org
"YES! Magazine documents how people are creating a more just,
sustainable, and compassionate world. Each issue of YES! includes a
series of articles focused on a theme--about solutions to a significant
challenge facing our world--and a number of timely, non-theme articles.
Our non-theme section provides ongoing coverage of issues like health,
climate change, globalization, media reform, faith, democracy, economy
and labor, social and racial justice, and peace building. To inquire
about upcoming themes, send an email to submissions@yesmagazine.org;
please be sure to type 'themes' as the subject line." For full
guidelines see http://www.yesmagazine.org/default.asp?ID=15.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Careers & the Disabled
Equal Opportunity Publications
445 Broad Hollow Rd.
Suite 425
Melville NY 11747
Phone: (631)421-9421
Fax: (631)421-0359
E-mail: jschneider@eop.com
Web site: www.eop.com
"Be as targeted as possible. Role-model profiles and specific career
guidance strategies that offer advice to disabled college students are
most needed."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AEI: Atchity Editorial/Entertainment International
Motion picture production and literary management
9601 Wilshire Blvd.
Box #1202
Beverly Hills CA 90210
Phone: 323-932-0407
E-mail: submissions@aeionline.com
Web site: www.aeionline.com
Ken Atchity (books and film); Chi-Li Wong (TV and film); Brenna Lui
(books); Mike Kuciak (films and TV); Greg F. Dix (uplifting stories,
inspirational, faith-based work). "We've developed the niche of
focusing on storytellers instead of 'projects' or 'writers,' and
helping them tell their stories (whether fiction or nonfiction) for all
possible markets (book, film, Web, etc.).
AEI is a one-stop full-service literary management and motion picture
production company, delivering a full array of development, sales,
marketing and promotion, producing, licensing, and merchandising
services for writers and storytellers who are ready for multimedia
global representation within the book, film, TV, music and product
arenas.
Query with SASE.
Submit:
Proposal package
Synopsis
Accepts e-mail queries.
Accepts simultaneous submissions.
Actively seeking young adult novels, nonfiction, mom lit, minority lit,
action screenplays, broad comedy screenplays.
Does not want to receive poetry, children's books or photo books.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Agency looking for clients!
kt literary has this post on its Web site:
We're thrilled to be actively seeking new clients in various age ranges
and genres. Please note: at this time we do not represent picture
books.
We are looking for:
• brilliant, funny, original middle grade and young adult
fiction, both literary and commercial
• witty women's fiction
• pop-culture narrative nonfiction
Quirky is good.
To submit to kt literary, e-mail us at queries@ktliterary.com with the
first three pages of your manuscript in the body of the letter. Queries
should not contain attachments. Attachments will not be read, and
queries containing attachments may be deleted. We aim to reply to all
queries within two weeks of receipt.
If we like your query, we'll ask for the first five chapters and a
complete synopsis. For our purposes, the synopsis should include the
full plot of the book including the conclusion. Don't tease us. Thanks!
If you have a Luddite aversion to e-mail, perhaps we're not the best
agency for you. If you want to give it a shot anyway, feel free to
snail mail a query to:
kt literary, llc.
9249 S. Broadway #200-543
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
Please be aware that e-mailed queries will receive priority reading.
For more information, see http://www.ktliterary.com/main.html.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Eight: Writing Assignment – What If You Lost It All?
The last assignment had you writing about hitting it rich and how such
a life change affects all parts of life. Those types of stories used to
be called “rags to riches” stories. For this assignment, write the
reverse, a “riches to rags” a story about someone losing something or
someone. Your story might depict a character who inherits a fortune
only to have it taken away by greedy relatives or unstable investments.
Your character may be a criminal who makes a big haul but doesn’t know
how to manage money and therefore makes errors that lead to his or her
losing the money. Perhaps your story will be about someone who falls in
love only to lose that person to something or someone else.
Create your setup and write about how the loss affects your character.
Remember to show the results through action, interaction, and dialogue,
rather than telling the results through mostly narrative.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Nine: Web Sites of Interest to Writers
If you do nothing else with this newsletter, keep the following link
handy for all your reference needs, because it has links to every
reference site you’ll ever need. It’s a blog on the TeachingTips.com
site, and it lists one hundred vital sites for reliable information on
a broad range of subjects. It is especially helpful to writers in
general as well as writers who perform research. Need to find a rhyming
word? Clink the link for www.Rhymingzone.com. Need to find the meaning
of a slang word? Click the link for www.slangsite.com. For ninety-eight
more great reference links, see http://tinyurl.com/6m5cyx.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find, connect, and track submissions to agents. More than just a
directory, LitMatch is the free source for literary agent information
that allows writers to organize their search for representation and
track submissions online. http://www.litmatch.net/Default.asp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This site has nothing to do with writing, but it addresses a pet peeve
of mine, so it might be your pet peeve, too. I constantly receive
unsolicited offers for credit cards, and this type of mail not only
annoys me because it clutters my mailbox but also represents the type
of mail others can use to get credit cards in my name. I found a Web
site where I can opt out of receiving such mail, either permanently or
for five years. If you’re interested, go to www.optoutprescreen.com and
follow the directions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to write a book proposal: See
http://www.mendelmedia.com/MMG-BookProposalGuidelines.pdf.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Authors Access is a joint project of Loving Healing Press and
ReaderViews. Each week we bring insightful interviews from people
around the world who help you get your work published, and if already
published, noticed. The show is broadcast live on Internet Voices Radio
at 8PM (EDT) every Thursday evening. Informative podcasts are also
downloadable from this site. See http://authorsaccess.com/about.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Warnings about scams for poets and other writers:
http://www.todays-woman.net/poetry-scams-main.html
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body copy, not an attachment, to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Deadline: The
15th of each month.
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information in this newsletter is not to be construed as an
endorsement. Be sure to research all information and study every
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The Writers Network News– a newsletter for writers everywhere. No fees.
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