The Writers Network News, December 20, 2008 http://ezezine.com
December 20, 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; however,
you may forward the newsletter in its entirety to anyone who may be
interested in subscribing.
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. We
are a Better Business Bureau Accredited Business.
Zebra Communications
230 Deerchase Drive, Suite B
Woodstock, GA 30188
770/924-0528
http://zebraeditor.com/
Note Bobbie’s NEW Blog: http://bobbiechristmas.blogspot.com/. Add your
own comments, too.
----------------------------------------------
Welcome to this issue of The Writers Network News
In This Issue
One: Kudos to Natalie Reid, Fred C. Billy, Sandra Jones Cropsey, and
your editor
Two: From the editor’s desk – Odd Gifts
Three: Ask the Book Doctor – About Synopses or Pitches, Speed Writing,
O.K. or Okay, and Character Description
Four: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Ellipses
Five: Letters from Members
Six: Subjects of Interest to Writers
Seven: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents, and Markets
Eight: Writing Assignment – Holiday Hassles
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” with the help of
www.tinyurl.com, which takes long Web addresses and converts them to
short ones.]
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Writer’s quote of the day
"Critics are like horseflies which prevent the horse from ploughing ...
only [one] made an impression on me. He said I would die in a ditch
drunk." —Anton Chekhov
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One: Kudos to Natalie Reid, Fred C. Billy, Sandra Jones Cropsey, and
your editor
Natalie Reid's book, The Spiritual Alchemist: Working with the Voice of
Your Soul, is a finalist in the 2008 USABookNews Best Book Awards, as
well as a finalist in the 2008 New Mexico Book Awards. It's available
at www.thespiritualalchemist.com.
I won third place with a song I submitted to the American Song Writers
Magazine. --Fred C. Billy
I was interviewed on "The Author Show" at www.TheAuthorsShow.com, which
plans to begin doing daily interviews. I told them I would share
information to help them find other authors. If you are interested,
there is a link to make a request for consideration on the site. They
also have a Web TV program, so writers near Arizona might want to
consider that possibility. Danielle Hampson is the producer, and Don
McCauley conducts the radio interviews. Also, "Tinker's Christmas, the
radio drama" is on Wikipedia. My children have always been concerned
that I would end up on "America's Most Wanted," but not Wikipedia! I
receive "Google Alerts" on my titles, and this was one of the ones
listed toward the bottom. When I clicked the reference, I found myself
on the Web site. The title was all that was listed, so I created an
account and added a little information. --Sandra Jones Cropsey, author
of Tinker's Christmas and Who's There?
Wow! It’s here! After a long wait and with help from www.WWAOW.com, Ask
the Book Doctor: How to Beat the Competition and Sell Your Writing,
which has been available in e-book form only, is finally available in
print. To order, go to http://tinyurl.com/6cr88z –Bobbie Christmas
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 — Odd Gifts
Dear Fellow Writers:
With the holidays pressing on me, I was knocked off my feet by a
stomach virus that would not go away. Day after day I endured
dizziness, weakness, cramps, and nausea. I thought I would never feel
normal again. Instead of lying in bed, I wanted to be decorating,
sending out holiday cards, seeing the lights, attending holiday
gatherings, and cooking for my holiday party. Instead, my little poodle
curled up with me under the bed covers while I waited for the worst of
the cramps and nausea to pass. The doctor warned me it might take ten
days.
Today at last I’ve come through, and I’m back in my office. What a
logjam of unfinished work I have to attack! I must sort through and
decide what is urgent, what can be done later, and what can be skipped.
It’s one of those odd blessings. I never wanted to be sick, but if I
hadn’t been sick, I never would have had the opportunity to rethink my
priorities. Being ill shook me to my core, but I made it through, and
now that I have my health back, I feel even stronger, less cluttered
with unnecessary obligations, and more determined to move ahead and be
strong.
The financial world is going through a virus of a sort, as well. As we
go into 2009, reports of our sick economy clog the news. I’ve seen my
clients getting struck down. One produces a magazine focused on real
estate, and its advertising revenue practically vanished. The company
will have to regroup, refocus, and make some difficult decisions.
We all are tightening our belts; it’s what we do when the economy is
ailing, but at least we have stomachs under those belts, and we have
hearts still beating in our chests. America has always come through its
fluctuating financial times. A sick economy may shake us, but it will
heal, and when it does, we will be stronger and more clearly focused.
Our priorities will be clearer and our futures will be bright. We will
have learned how to exist on less and rely on each other more.
The ailing economy is a gift we may not have wanted, but we will
benefit from it.
What does all this health and financial information have to do with
writing? Everything. Yes, we’re watching publishers pull back and ad
revenues drop, but some companies are finding ways to make a profit
anyway. For one, I’ve seen a rise in companies that help people
self-publish. The self-publishing industry is refining itself, offering
more benefits and services to its customers, and hand-holding clients
who need guidance. Writers are learning to become their own promotional
agents, investing in their own future. E-books are emerging as a
feasible future for a portion of publishing.
Although I used to spurn self-publishing, I no longer take a dim view
of it. It definitely has its place, especially in a weak economy, when
traditional publishers are buying even fewer manuscripts than ever.
The economy has changed everything. We are all examining our
priorities, refocusing, and learning what it takes to be successful
writers.
We will survive, and when we do, we will be stronger than ever.
Here’s wishing you a healthy, happy, and fulfilling holiday season.
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.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Three: Ask the Book Doctor — About Synopses or Pitches, Speed Writing,
O.K. or Okay, and Character Description
Q: What is the difference between a synopsis and a pitch?
A: A pitch is an extremely brief summary of the premise and is intended
to intrigue and make people interested in the story. It should be as
short as one or two sentences, and has also been called an “elevator
speech,” because it could be said on a brief elevator ride. Here’s a
sample pitch for The Wizard of Oz. “A tornado sweeps a young girl away
to a magical land where unusual friends try to help her and evil
enemies try to stop her from finding her way back home.”
A synopsis, on the other hand, covers the plot from beginning to end.
It’s not a teaser, it’s not creative, and it’s not meant to intrigue,
simply tell the story. It’s usually one page long and single-spaced.
Q: For a writer who prefers to write longhand, how much should s/he
write over the course of two hours? I write about one tablet page every
twelve to twenty minutes. Is that too slow? Should I try to think more
quickly?
A: No one ever picked up a book and said with admiration, “Wow, this
writer sure wrote (or thought) quickly.”
Successful writers concentrate on content, quality, and precision. The
only time that speed may be important is when you are up against a
deadline, but even then, it’s more important to be sure all the
elements are there: flow, pace, characterization, conflict, tension,
etc. After your first handwritten draft you will have to revise the
piece several more times before it’s finalized, anyway. Will you want
speed requirements imposed on that portion of the project as well? I
think not.
To enhance profitability, producers of manufactured goods may watch the
clock and ensure production speed stays high. A good writer is an
artist, though, and our payback comes not from manufacturing, but from
crafting a good story.
Q: When writing dialogue in a fiction manuscript, would one write O.K.
or okay? Does it even matter? I assume that the eventual editor will
use his or her personal preference in this regard. Is there a
hard-and-fast rule?
A: I'll answer by copying the entry from Purge Your Prose of Problems,
my own reference book for editors and those who want to edit their own
manuscripts.
OK, O.K., or okay
Any of the above configurations are okay, but be consistent within the
manuscript. Don’t use OK in one place, then O.K. in another. By the
way, ok and o.k. are not okay!
Personally I prefer using "okay." It doesn't shout at readers.
If you'd like to learn more about my reference book, go to
http://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr.
Q: I'm writing a book, and my first chapter is action. In the second
chapter I want to introduce the main character who is not in the
action. She is writing a note to a friend, but I don’t know how to
describe her without it sounding awkward. Please help and possibly give
me an example.
A: Let me address a separate issue first, and that is that readers
assume that the characters in the first chapter are the main
characters. How does the first chapter make readers want to read more,
if it does not involve at least one character that will sustain them
through the remainder of the book?
Now as to your question about how to describe a character, your best
bet is not to describe him or her at all, and certainly not in one long
narrative. Instead, each character should build a little at a time,
preferably through action or dialogue, every time he or she appears in
a scene.
Instead of the narrative saying “Mary had blond hair,” the scene could
go something like this:
Mary tucked a tuft of her blond hair behind one ear before she began
writing.
In the above example, readers can visualize her hair more clearly,
because she did something with it, which is better than the narrative
simply telling readers a fact.
Writers know they should show, rather than tell, but sometimes they
don’t realize when they are telling and when they are showing. “Mary
had blond hair” tells, rather than shows. It has no action. “Mary
tucked a tuft of her blond hair behind one ear” shows action, and the
blond hair information comes out through showing, rather than telling.
Later in the scene, instead of the narrative saying something like
“Mary had long legs,” the information could also come out through her
actions, such as “She smoothed her skirt down over her long legs.”
Again, the second version has action that shows, whereas the first
version simply tells.
Send your questions to the Book Doctor Bobbie Christmas 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 – Ellipses
Ellipses are formed by a series of periods ( . . . ) used to indicate
an omission or hesitation, usually in dialogue. Examples: The president
said, “All . . . bets are off. I . . . um . . . doubt the doctor knew
what he was doing.”
Ellipses rarely have a place in narrative except to show an omission
when quoting another source. Example: The report said, “Twenty percent
of college freshmen . . . found the class useless.”
Proper typography for ellipses requires using three periods with a
space between each (“Mary was . . . well, shall I say less than polite
today.”), but Chicago Style also allows for the close use of three
periods with no space (“Mary was…well, shall I say less than polite
today.”) Whichever method the author chooses, all ellipses within a
manuscript should be consistent; that is, either with one space between
each period or no spaces at all. Note that in the ellipses without
spaces between, no space goes before or after the ellipses, either.
If a narrative quotation has an omission that encompasses more than a
sentence, use four dots. The first dot is then the period, and has no
space between it and the preceding word. The report said, “Books
provide valuable entertainment for children. . . . Parents should teach
their children to read.”
Do not use ellipses to avoid correct punctuation, as in place of a
comma, dash, semicolon, or other mark.
In summary, ellipses may be acceptable on occasion to indicate
hesitation or interruption in dialogue (“John, I . . . I missed you.”),
but be careful not to overuse ellipses; they draw too much attention to
themselves.
Time to Find and Refine
You can use the Find and Refine Method to learn if you have misused or
overused ellipses in your manuscript. My trademarked Find and Refine
Method is 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 three periods (…) with no spaces, and your computer will stop
on each one and allow you to replace it with proper typography, periods
with spaces on both sides ( . . . ). Before universally replacing all
ellipses within a manuscript, however, ponder whether you can eliminate
some of the uses or change them to reflect correct punctuation. 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.
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Five: Letters from Members
I was contacted by three freelance writers from the piece you put in
your newsletter for me. Thank you so much. Two of them are very good
writers with travel writing experience. I got lucky with your help.
Regards,
Stacey Dougherty
WHERE2NOW magazine
770.509.6856
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Six: Subjects of interest to writers
Where is Bobbie Christmas speaking next?
I have not yet firmed up my 2009 speaking schedule, but you can watch
my Web site (www.zebraeditor.com) for my 2009 speaking schedule when it
gels. You can also order seminars on CD at
http://zebraeditor.com/seminars_on_cd.shtml.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An eagle-eyed editor caught an error in last month’s “Ask the Book
Doctor” column, which proves writers cannot edit themselves and even
editors can’t edit themselves. Here’s the corrected paragraph:
Most publishers I know that help authors produce e-books and printed
books are not traditional publishers; that is, they produce
print-on-demand books and do not stockpile books or distribute them to
stores. They simply print one at a time when they are ordered, so
there’s no major investment on their part and no advance on royalties
to you. Basically if you sell a book, you get a percentage of the
profit, but if you yourself don’t sell it, the printer won’t go to any
trouble to sell it for you.
Speaking of “Ask the Book Doctor,” Ask the Book Doctor: How to Beat the
Competition and Sell Your Writing has been available as an e-book for
years, but you asked for it in print, now it’s finally available. To
order, go to http://tinyurl.com/6cr88z.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attention Writers in Metro Atlanta!
Do you miss our local meetings? We have a solution.
The Writers Network used to have meetings in Atlanta regularly, but we
ceased this year because some of our national and international readers
complained that our local meetings made it appear that The Writers
Network serviced only Atlanta, which is certainly not true.
Along the lines of “You can’t please everybody all the time,” a few
local folks expressed sadness at losing their connection with other
writers. I admit to burnout after attending and leading meetings for
more than a dozen years, but I missed other writers, too.
Here’s our compromise: We won’t meet every month, but when we do plan a
meeting, I won’t announce it to all our members around the globe. If
you’re interested in meeting in Atlanta with other writers, therefore,
tell me by e-mail (Bobbie@zebraeditor.com). I’ll put you on a list of
local members to be notified if and when we plan a get together. We’ll
try that method for a while and see if we can balance my schedule and
your wishes and make more people happy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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. Written in
easy-to-understand language, 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. To order go to 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Safety Net Created for Freelancers in New York – Soon to Spread
Elsewhere
New York, NY
December 8, 2008 – With layoffs on Wall Street and in the corporate
sector putting health insurance front and center in the national
debate, a group of the country’s leading philanthropies and businesses
has joined together with Freelancers Union, a national non-profit
organization, to pioneer a new model for providing health insurance to
independent workers. Rockefeller Foundation, New York State Health
Foundation, Ford Foundation, New York City Investment Fund, Prudential
Social Investment Program, the Pioneer Portfolio of the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation and others, along with Freelancers Union, have
contributed a pool of $17 million, in the form of grants and loans, to
launch Freelancers Insurance Company, Inc., which will offer new and
innovative and flexible health insurance plans for eligible independent
workers - initially in the New York area, but eventually spreading to
other locations as well. For the full article, see
http://www.freelancersunion.org/news/2008/12/fic-press-release.html.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Typing Without a Clue
“The unlicensed pipe fitter known as Joe the Plumber is out with a book
this month, just as the last seconds on his 15 minutes are slipping
away. I have a question for Joe: Do you want me to fix your leaky
toilet?”
For the full Timothy Egan editorial from the New York Times, go to
http://tinyurl.com/6p36fx.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What’s up with book sales?
Eighty publishers reported their book sales to the Association of
American Publishers, and as a result, AAP concluded that overall net
sales from January through September 2008 had fallen almost two
percent. Most categories decreased in sales; however, the following
categories increased: higher education, children’s/young adult
(hardcover only), professional and scholarly, university press
paperbacks, and e-books, which jumped almost 78% to show sales of more
than five million dollars. Although e-books still lag behind printed
books in gross sales, these statistics show e-books are catching on.
While we’re talking about e-books, a survey of 1,000 book professionals
taken at the recent Frankfurt Book Fair found that while the majority
of publishers predict that the sales of e-books will overtake the sales
of traditional books by 2018. More than seventy percent of the
participants said they feel ready for the digital challenge, but sixty
percent don't yet buy e-books or own any of the devices that allow them
to read e-books yet.
About a dozen companies produce portable e-book readers, including Sony
and Amazon.
Random House says it intends to make more than 6,000 of its backlist
titles available as e-books in the coming months, which would add to
its list of 8,200 electronic titles. Matt Shatz, Random House vice
president for digital operations, says e-book sales have increased by
"triple digit percentages in 2008.
Still, e-books are estimated to account for only one percent or less of
overall book sales.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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://zebraeditor.com/seminars_on_cd.shtml.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to Sell a Self-published Book
According to The Writer’s Almanac, produced by Prairie Home Productions
and presented by American Public Media, Christopher Paolini, born in
California (1983) and raised near Paradise Valley, Montana, was home
schooled, and when he finished high school at age fifteen, he had a lot
of time on his hands, so he decided to write a fantasy novel. He began
Eragon, finished it a year later, at age sixteen. He spent a second
year revising that draft, and then gave it to his parents. They loved
it, and in 2002 Eragon was self-published through the family company.
The Paolini family embarked on an exhausting tour to promote
Christopher's book. Dressed in red and black medieval costumes, they
went to 135 promotional events that first year. Paolini got offers from
both Random House and Scholastic, and in August 2003, when Paolini was
nineteen, the book was published by a division of Random House/Knopf.
The book went straight to the number three spot of the New York Times
Bestseller List. Paolini has written two best-selling sequels to
Eragon, and he is at work on a fourth book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nielsen BookScan reported that about 1.5 million different titles were
released in the United States in 2006. About 78% sold fewer than
ninety-nine copies. Only 483 titles sold more than 100,000 copies.
How can you beat those odds? Write well, revise extensively, be sure
the book is edited by a professional editor, and market your book with
all your heart. Do all those things, whether you self-publish or sell
to a publisher.
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_Ask the Book Doctor: How to Beat the Competition and Sell Your
Writing_ answers many of the questions you wish you could ask an
editing expert. It’s available in print or as an e-book. 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 printed version, go to http://tinyurl.com/6cr88z.
In the e-book edition, electronic bookmarks take you directly to
preferred subjects, and clickable links take you to Internet resources.
To order the e-book, go to http://www.booklocker.com/books/1906.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you want to turn your vision for a book into a reality? AuthorSmart
shows you how, with seminars, resources, and tools. To see the upcoming
seminars you can take by telephone, go to
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=881070 and click on “Get Smart;
Classes and More.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Can you make any money writing short stories? Maybe a little. Elmore
Leonard, author of Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Pagan Babies, and other
books, wrote a short story for which he was paid $90. The title? “3:10
to Yuma.” When he sold the film rights, he made $4,000.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Interesting and valuable article by a publisher on the importance of
first impressions for your manuscript or book. See
http://www.american-book.com/Articles/ardegroot1.htm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A message from the Author's Guild president
I hope you will be moved to buy books for presents this season and
beyond. I've been talking to booksellers lately who report that times
are hard. Local booksellers aren't known for vast reserves of capital,
so a serious dip in sales can be devastating. Booksellers don't lose
enough money, however, to receive congressional attention. A government
bailout isn't in the cards.
We don't want bookstores to die. Authors need them, and so do
neighborhoods, so let's mount a book-buying splurge. Get your friends
together, go to your local bookstore, and have a book-buying party. Buy
the rest of your Christmas presents, but that's just for starters.
Clear out the mysteries, wrap up the histories, beam up the science
fiction! Round up the westerns, go crazy for self-help, say yes to the
university press books! Get a load of those coffee-table books, fatten
up on slim volumes of verse, and take a chance on romance!
There will be birthdays in the next twelve months; books keep well;
they're easy to wrap: buy those books now. Buy replacements for any
books looking raggedy on your shelves. Stockpile children's books as
gifts for friends who look like they may eventually give birth. Hold
off on the flat-screen TV and the GPS (they'll be cheaper after
Christmas) and buy many, many books. Then tell the grateful
booksellers, who by this time will be hanging onto your legs begging
you to stay and live with their cat in the stockroom: "Got to move on,
folks. Got some books to write now. You see...we're the Authors Guild."
Enjoy the holidays.
Roy Blount Jr.
President
Authors Guild
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An as yet untitled semiannual magazine for Audi Canada will launch this
spring. Contempo Media will publish the title, which will cover "all
things Audi: sports, architecture, design, fashion, society, travel and
fabulous cars."
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Seven: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents and Markets
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award
Amazon.com, Penguin Group (USA), and CreateSpace are partnering again
to present the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in 2009.The Breakthrough
Novel Award brings together talented writers, reviewers, and publishing
experts to find and develop new voices in fiction. If your novel is
unpublished and you’re interested in entering, go to
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200291720 to
get complete details. Open submissions for manuscripts begin in
February 2009.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
American Book Publishing
American Book Publishing chooses to publish about eighty books on
average a year. We will consider unsolicited manuscripts as well as
agent submissions. See http://www.american-book.com/.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The newest "Cup of Comfort" project is a volume tentatively titled "A
Cup of Comfort Book of Christmas Prayer." This book will consist of
true, uplifting stories and devotionals with a Christian Christmas
theme. If accepted, we are offering a $50 one-time fee for stories and
a $20 one-time fee for devotionals, to be paid upon publication. You
may send as many stories and/or devotionals as you like, but please
keep in mind, I want to see your best work, and I will use only one
story per contributor and up to five devotionals per contributor.
Guidelines are extensive and must be followed, so send an e-mail to
Susan B. Townsend at CoCChristmasPrayer@gmail.com to get all
guidelines. Hurry! Deadline is January 6.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Planet Archives, LLC
25 S. Main Street, Suite # 2
Edison, NJ 08837 USA
Editorial Dept: 732-452-1112 (ext. 114)
email: editor@tathaastumag.com
Planet Archives produces Tathaastu: So Be It, a magazine geared toward
Eastern health techniques, in addition to a free newsletter featuring
information on Eastern techniques, health, and meditation. The magazine
recently expanded its distribution and is now available at Barnes and
Noble, Borders and Waldenbooks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ARIEL STARR PRODUCTIONS
P.O. Box 17
Demarest NJ 07627
E-Mail: arielstarrprod@aol.com
(queries by e-mail preferred)
“Submit just a query letter, one-page outline, and a self-addressed
stamped envelope and nothing more unless we ask.”
Nonfiction: Nature/Environment, Religion, Spirituality:
Fiction: Adventure, Fantasy, Religious, Science Fiction, Spiritual
Poetry: submit query and two sample poems
"We publish books that stimulate the brain and inspire the mind."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTUMN HOUSE POETRY AND FICTION PRIZES
Autumn House Press
87 1/2 Westwood St.
Pittsburgh PA 15211
Phone: 412-381-4261
E-Mail: msimms@autumnhouse.org
Web site: autumnhouse.org
Contact: Michael Simms, Editor-in-Chief
“Both the fiction contest and the poetry contest have the purpose of
finding the best possible manuscripts for Autumn House to publish. We
often publish finalists as well as the winning submissions.”
Prize: Book publication, $1,000 advance against royalties and $1,500
travel grant to participate in the Autumn House Master Poets Reading
Series in Pittsburgh, PA.
Deadline: June 30
Categories: Fiction and Poetry
Guidelines: Guidelines for SASE.
Entry Fee: $25
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EMC/Paradigm Publishing
7321 Shadeland Station,
Suite 200,
Indianapolis IN 46256
Phone: 317-613-4200
Fax: 317-845-1052
E-Mail: spines@jist.com
Web site: www.jist.com
Susan Pines, associate publisher (career reference and education
reference and library titles); Lori Cates Hand, product line manager,
trade and workbooks (career, job search, & education trade and workbook
titles
"Our purpose is to provide quality job search, career development,
occupational, character education, and life skills information,
products, and services that help people manage and improve their lives
and careers and the lives of others. We want text/workbook formats that
would be useful in a school or other institutional setting. We also
publish trade titles for all reading levels. Will consider books for
professional staff and educators, appropriate software and videos."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LEE & LOW BOOKS
95 Madison Ave.
New York NY 10016
E-Mail: general@leeandlow.com
Web site: www.leeandlow.com
Lee & Low Books is an independent children's book publisher
specializing in diversity. Lee & Low makes a special effort to work
with artists of color and takes pride in nurturing many authors and
illustrators who are new to the world of children's book publishing.
Co-founders Tom Low and Philip Lee are both Chinese American, making
Lee & Low Books of the few minority-owned publishing companies in the
country.
"Our goals are to meet a growing need for books that address children
of color, and to present literature that all children can identify
with. We consider only multicultural children's books." Currently
emphasizing material for 5-12 year olds. Sponsors a yearly New Voices
Award for first-time picture book authors of color. Contest rules
online or for SASE.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PINEAPPLE PRESS, INC.
P.O. Box 3889
Sarasota FL 34230
Phone: 941-739-2219
Fax: 941-739-2296
E-Mail: info@pineapplepress.com
Web site: www.pineapplepress.com
June Cussen, exec. editor--Florida fiction and nonfiction.
"We publish fiction and nonfiction about Florida."
Submit proposal package (nonfiction) or synopsis, three sample
chapters, and introduction (fiction)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BOLD STROKES BOOKS, INC.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls NY 12185
Phone: 518-753-6642
Fax: 518-753-6648
E-Mail: publisher@boldstrokesbooks.com
Submissions E-Mail: submissions@boldstrokesbooks.com
Web site: www.boldstrokesbooks.com
Len Barot, acquisitions director--general & genre gay & lesbian fiction
"Our readership has a gay and lesbian focus with a predominant
crossover for all genre categories. We are particularly interested in
authors looking for a long-term relationship who are interested in
craft enhancement, technical development, and exploring and expanding
traditional genre definitions and boundaries."
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Eight: Writing Assignment – Holiday Hassles
Any of us who are past the age of fourteen have entered the stage of
shopping for holiday gifts and preparing for holiday parties. All the
magic of the holidays tends to drain out of us, rather than building us
up with the excitement we felt in our childhood.
Life isn’t fair. We get maybe ten or twelve good years of holiday
excitement before reality settles in, and for the rest of our lives, we
have obligations, added chores, financial burdens, and time-consuming
demands brought on by holidays.
Capture a holiday scene (any holiday) that shows all the hustle and
hassle a character goes through to prepare for whatever holiday or
religious event you have in mind. Show the loss of enthusiasm brought
on by the reality of preparation and complication. Show the character’s
spirits sag. Show it all through action, reaction, and interaction. At
some point, either at the actual event, on the day of the holiday, or
later, show the character having an epiphany or an occurrence that
changes everything and makes all the hustle and bustle worthwhile, even
if it’s just for a few seconds.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Nine: Web Sites of Interest to Writers
Www.WritingRaw.com is a free literary sharing Web site (like YouTube
but for the literary world) where writers can upload, view, and share
their writing. The only restriction is that the material cannot be
illegal in any sense of the word (such as child porn, plagiarism,
etc.).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Authors Guild Web site offers interesting information on what’s
going on in the world of writing, plus, members of the Authors Guild
receive free book contract reviews from experienced legal staff,
discounted health insurance rates in some states, low-cost Web site
services, including Web site building, e-mail, and domain name
registration, access to free Back in Print service, a quarterly print
Bulletin, and invitations to panels and programs throughout the year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s good to Google your own name now and then to see how you appear on
the Internet. I just found a spot that lists an entire story of mine
that appeared in Haunted Encounters (Atriad Press) around 2003. To read
it, go to http://tinyurl.com/6r2kog.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How Well Do You Spell?
Enjoy the spelling test for the twenty-five most misspelled words and
see how you do. Go to
http://www.businesswriting.com/tests/commonmisspelled.html. Warning:
It’s not easy. Even I got one wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See the Zebra Communications Web site, www.zebraeditor.com, for tools
for writers as well as answers to questions asked by writers like you
and answered by Bobbie Christmas.
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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 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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Disclaimer: With the exception of Zebra Communications, 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.
The Writers Network News– a newsletter for writers everywhere. No fees.
No officers. “No Rules; Just Write!"
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