The Writers Network News, May Issue http://ezezine.com
May 2009 Issue
The Writers Network News
No Rules; Just Write!
Editor: Bobbie Christmas
Contents copyright 2009, 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 top-rated 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 Susan Reynolds and Phil Comer
Two: From the editor’s desk – Mid-list Woes
Three: Ask the Book Doctor – About Self-Publishing, Independent
Publishing, Book Proposals and Using the Stories of Others
Four: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Face This!
Five: Letters from Members
Six: Subjects of Interest to Writers
Seven: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents, and Markets
Eight: Writing Assignment – Wordless
Nine: Web Sites of Interest to Writers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To view current and past issues of The Writers Network News, go to
http://tinyurl.com/c4otf6.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[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.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writer’s quote of the day
“Art is one of the consolation prizes we receive for having lived in a
difficult and sometimes chaotic world.” –Novelist Don DeLillo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One: Kudos to Susan Reynolds and Phil Comer
“My Mom Is My Hero has just been released, and I’m one of the
contributors.” – Susan Reynolds, Literary Cottage,
www.literarycottage.com
“I won first place in nonfiction at the 34th annual Sandhills Writers
competition in Augusta, Georgia, for my piece "Evangelicals Urged to
Stalk Gays in Small-town America." –Phil Comer
Your successes encourage others, so please send in your accomplishments
for our kudos section.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Two: From the editor’s desk — Mid-list Woes
Dear Fellow Writers:
Right before I left town to speak at the “Do It! Write” conference in
New Port Richey, Florida, this weekend, I received a letter from my
publisher, the only correspondence more dreaded than a rejection. It
was a notice that Union Square Publishing, an imprint of Cardoza
Publishing, is taking my book, Write In Style, out of print, rather
than print another edition. Yes, the publisher is running out of books,
and rather than go to the expense of another printing, the company will
turn the rights to back over to me. I can find another publisher,
reprint the book myself, or let it die on the vine.
Such is the life of a mid-list author. We write books intended to stay
on the market a long time, and in that time, things happen; companies
change; and the market changes.
Write In Style has been on the market since 2004, so I probably
shouldn't complain, but I had hoped for a much longer life for it. My
publisher, however, has taken its business strongly in the direction of
gaming books. The owner even moved his company from New York to Las
Vegas.
The company has never quite known how to promote the books published
under the Union Square imprint, anyway. It created that imprint to
handle books on writing and publishing, but has historically paid more
attention to the books on its gaming side, its original imprint. Since
publishing my book, the company began publishing a magazine on gaming.
It reaps more revenue from selling advertising in the magazine than it
reaps from selling books like mine, so it expends most of its energy on
producing the magazine and selling advertising. While a great market
for advertising expensive cologne and pricey cigars, the magazine is
obviously not the market for advertising my book on how to improve the
quality of your writing. Writers tend to be gentler, less self-involved
souls, I suspect.
What to do, then, when my book is out of print? First, I will be
allowed to purchase the last few books available at Simon & Schuster,
the distributor for the book. Next, I have the option of selling the
book to another publisher.
I'm not sure what I'll do, right now, but I'm thinking about contacting
my original agent and asking if she has another publisher she'd like to
try. I hope so. I’m also looking into my self-publishing options. No
matter what, I'd like to see my book live on after me, as my legacy.
Wish me success.
Meanwhile, if you have been thinking of buying Write In Style, don’t
hesitate any longer. Get it now, while it’s still available. For easy
ordering, see http://zebraeditor.com/book_write_in_style.shtml.
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 Self-Publishing, Independent
Publishing, Book Proposals, and Using the Stories of Others
Q: When you spoke at a conference recently, I heard you refer to
self-publishing. Isn’t “independent publishing” the correct term now?
A: Yes and no. An independent publisher is a small publisher that may
or may not publish the works of the owner, but it always publishes the
works of other authors, as well. When you publish only your own books,
you are self-publishing. I know the distinction is vague; in either
case you have to set up a company and be a publisher, but an
independent publishing house accepts the works of others, as well as
the works of the owner.
Also, when you use a firm that helps you publish, so that you don’t
have to set up your own company, you are a self-published author, as
opposed to a traditionally published author.
In the end, we are simply talking semantics. If you spend any money at
all toward the printing of your book, you are self-published. Being
self-published used to carry a stigma, and perhaps that’s why some
people don’t want to use the term, but the market has changed over the
years, and people’s attitudes have changed with it. At a time when
selling a book to a traditional publisher is almost impossible, yet
printing your own book has become easier than ever, self-publishing has
taken on a whole new character and lost much of its prior poor image.
Nowadays the only stigma comes from a poorly written or unedited
self-published book. If the book looks good, reads well, is thoroughly
edited, and sells well, who cares who paid for the printing?
Q: I am in the process of writing a book about [subject removed]. I am
looking for people who will share their stories to be published in this
book. Do I need to get signed permission to use their stories? How
would I go about this process?
A: Yes, even if people voluntarily send in their stories, you need
their signed permission to use the stories and need to exchange
something of value in return, either money or at least one free copy of
the book. The issue is a legal one, though, so check with an
entertainment attorney or get your hands on the agreements used by such
series as A Cup of Comfort and Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Q: I am working on my book proposal. From my research, a prospective
agent would like to see books similar to mine so she/he can have some
hope that money will follow. One difficulty that I am having is finding
the book sales ($ or quantity) for my comparables. Any tips?
A: I have never known an agent or publisher to expect a writer to crack
the code for sales volume of comparable or competitive books and come
up with specific quantities and sales figures. Instead, Michael Larsen,
in How to Write a Book Proposal, says to speak in terms of cover price
and success (the books' rankings on Amazon.com or whether the books
became bestsellers) as well as the shortcomings of the competitors and
why your book is better.
The Internet is a terrific resource. Start with Amazon.com and then go
to the publishers’ sites and see if they tout any awards or bestseller
status for the books in question.
Other great resources include independent booksellers (if you can find
a small bookstore that is still in business) or your local librarian.
Ask which books are popular that are comparable to yours. Ask if anyone
said anything negative about those books, and use that information to
your advantage, providing your book fixes the shortcomings noticed by
readers of similar books.
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.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Four: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Face This!
A new program has started airing on television called Lie to Me. It’s
about a group of professionals who specialize in interpreting facial
expressions and body language. Ever since I read Julian Fast’s book,
Body Language, later followed by How to Read a Person Like a Book by
Gerard Nierenberg, I’ve been fascinated with the volume of information
people broadcast nonverbally, provided we tune into it. I used body
language once as a basis for a labor dispute, when a former boss showed
contempt by putting his feet up on my desk while telling me what I
“should have known,” if I had only read his mind.
Body language and facial expressions add a great deal to fiction, as
well. With body language and facial expressions writers show readers
how people look, react, and move in response to what is being said. A
solid knowledge of body language serves to keep writers from relying on
the standard body movements, such as shrugging, smiling, and frowning.
I often tell my clients to study people and learn to use body language
and facial expressions in their writing, and now a television show will
teach us even more than the books have revealed.
Watch the show. Enjoy the stories, but learn the clues to what a body
does when a person is lying, hiding information, telling the truth,
surprised, angry, and more. Incorporate it into your writing, and your
writing will grow and show, rather than tell readers what characters
are thinking.
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.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Five: Letters from Members
Thank you for such a great newsletter! I've been taking it for several
years, but now that I'm starting to work on a new book, it's become
really valuable to me. I don't want to make the same mistakes I made
on my first book, so am trying to play by the professional rules.
My question today is this: why is it not possible to copy and paste
portions of the newsletter into Word? I want to set up a file for
information from your newsletter so I can copy/paste (and print if I
want) for easy reference. When I select, go to Edit and copy, there
isn't a problem; however, when I try to paste into Word, paste isn't
available. This is my normal procedure to copy/paste. Is your
newsletter set up so you can't do this?
Fawn
Dear Fawn:
I’ve been able to copy and paste the newsletter as usual. I suspect the
issue may be with the computer you're using. Sometimes mine quits
pasting when I've left it on so long I have too many things in the
buffer. I have to empty my cache or shut down and start back up. Try
those things and see if you can copy and paste the newsletter. If not,
you can go to the link in the newsletter where all the newsletters are
archived and see if you can copy and paste from there. See
http://home.ezezine.com/886_2/.
===
A long-time corporate client of mine has asked me to sign an extensive
"master services agreement" that requires me to provide professional
liability insurance "with minimum limits of $1,000,000" for three years
and naming its company as "an additional insured." I've never been
asked to do this before as a writer who contributes to its internal
publications. Is this becoming common practice?
Chris Wise Tiedemann
chris.tiedemann@att.net
Dear Chris:
I’ve never had to do such a thing, but it may be something new. I’ll
ask readers to respond to you directly with comments and suggestions,
if they have ever encountered a request to pay for liability insurance.
If I were in your shoes, and I did not have such coverage and preferred
not to pay for it, I would ask the client to modify the contract to
eliminate that paragraph. In life and law almost everything is
negotiable. If the company insisted that I pay for insurance that was
not financially feasible to me, I’d have to turn down the offer and
look for another client.
===
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Six: Subjects of interest to writers
For editors and writers to know:
PDF files can be edited in Adobe Reader, as long as the producer has
Acrobat and enables the documents for review. If you want to use
traditional editing marks on PDFs without the trouble of drawing them
on with the pencil tool, you can download a set of stamps from the
Copyediting-L Web site: http://www.copyediting-l.info/index.html
(specifically, a red set is at http://www.copyediting-l.info/Red.zip
and a black set at http://www.copyediting-l.info/Black.zip ). --Helen
Erwin Schinske, Writing and Editing Consultant and Contractor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attention Writers in Metro Atlanta!
The Writers Network has occasional local meetings in the
Roswell-Alpharetta general area. If you’re interested in meeting with
other writers, send me an e-mail (Bobbie@zebraeditor.com) and ask to be
put on a list of local members to be notified if and when we plan a get
together.
We have a meeting planned at a POD printer in Alpharetta on May 29, so
if interested, let me know by e-mail.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Free E-book for Current and Future Writers
Philip Yaffe of Brussels, Belgium, sent the following e-mail:
“During my time at UCLA, I tutored in writing. In most cases when
students were having difficulty, it was because they were either
unfamiliar with a fundamental principle of effective writing or not
properly applying it.
“In 2006 I wrote a book about effective writing and effective speaking
under the title In the ‘I’ of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing
& Speaking (Almost) like a Professional. What sets it apart from other
books on grammar is that it strips away the superficialities to reveal
what effective communication is all about.
“The first edition was aimed primarily at business executives and other
professionals. About 18 months ago, I wrote a second edition more
attuned to college students. Unfortunately, my current publisher is not
interested in it, and I cannot find another one that would be able to
bring it to the student community.
“Being now 66 and semiretired, I am not interested in how much money a
college edition might bring, but rather the help it might provide. I
would therefore like to offer it without charge. It is my sincere hope
is that it will make the difficult job of being a student just a little
bit less stressful.”
If you would like a copy of this book in Word format, send a request to
phil.yaffe@yahoo.com, or phil.yaffe@gmail.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 shipping costs 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Love words? You may be interested in this listserv
Copyediting-L is a list for copy editors and other defenders of the
English language who want to discuss anything related to editing:
Sticky style issues; philosophy of editing; newspaper, technical, and
other specialized editing; reference books; client relations; Internet
resources; electronic editing and software; freelance issues; and so
on. To sign up, follow the directions at
http://www.copyediting-l.info/.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing and Publishing Programs Combine to Offer Full Spectrum of
Training and Resources for Authors
AuthorSmart.com, an online clearinghouse of publishing information,
education, and resources for authors, announced that on May 1, the
company will become part of WriteWellU, a provider of writing programs
and coaching.
During the month of April, at the close of its Winter Session classes,
AuthorSmart will “go dark” as the transition takes place. On May 1,
WriteWellU will unveil a robust class schedule for the late spring and
summer, which will include classes covering both writing and publishing
topics.
AuthorSmart founder Gail Richards says, “The majority of AuthorSmart
clients are seeking help with writing in addition to learning about the
publishing process, making WriteWellU a perfect complement.”
WriteWellU founder Dawn Goldberg says, “We can now provide a more
comprehensive experience for clients of both AuthorSmart and
WriteWellU. We’re taking two good things and combining them into
something even better.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_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://www.unibook.com/unibook/site/bookdetail/?bookid=3212#.
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fiction writer Ginger B. Collins has started a blog for fellow
first-time authors. “Off the Top of My Red Head” features information
and resources on topics such as finding an agent, using social media,
and new marketing trends in publishing. All writers are invited to
follow the blog at http://coppertopcollins.blogspot.com and share
their experiences and comment on posts.
For ways to connect with agents looking for books, even when you can’t
get to conferences, see Ginger Collins’s March 21 blog entry called
“The Next Best Thing to Being There.”
She also notes: “Blog Talk Radio (www.blogtalkradio.com) is one of my
favorite places for author interviews, book reviews, and industry news.
Now there is a new show on BTR called Blurb! Bestselling author Sally
Shields and publishing guru Dr. Kent host a new book show. Each guest
or call-in author has three minutes to persuade the hosts that theirs
is a book worth cracking. If they succeed, they capture the coveted
Book of the Week title and Sally and Dr. Kent not only read and review
the winning work, but also post it on the Blurb! Web site and invite
its author(s) on their show a for a live pitch to thousands of
listeners.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_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://zebraeditor.com/book_write_in_style.shtml.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cheesy Book Takes Prize for Year's Oddest Title
By Jill Lawless
LONDON (AP) - A heavyweight study of the future of soft cheese has won
Britain's annual competition to find the year's oddest book title.
“The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-milligram Containers of Fromage
Frais,” by Philip M. Parker won the Diagram Prize, awarded Friday by
trade magazine The Bookseller.
The runner-up was primate study “Baboon Metaphysics,” by Dorothy L.
Cheney and Robert M. Seyfarth.
Horace Bent, who runs the award, said Parker's volume was a surprise
winner given the competition from racier-sounding finalists like
“Curbside Consultation of the Colon” - a medical manual - and hobby
handbook “Strip and Knit With Style.”
Bent said “Fromage Frais” was a worthy winner that had “turned the
supermarket chiller into the petri dish of literary innovation.”
Fromage frais - literally “fresh cheese” - is a dairy product that
originated in France and has a similar consistency to sour cream. The
book is a 188-page study of the global retail market for the product.
The Diagram Prize was founded in 1978, and the winner is decided by
public vote.
This year's other finalists were “The Large Sieve and its Applications”
and “Techniques for Corrosion Monitoring.”
Previous winners include “Bombproof Your Horse,” “Living With Crazy
Buttocks,” and “People Who Don't Know They're Dead: How They Attach
Themselves to Unsuspecting Bystanders and What to Do About It.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Online Marketing Information for Your E-Book
No-cost information from Penguin Books. See
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pdf/misc/penguin_authors_guide_to_online_marketing_summer_2008.pdf.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Most book signings are considered successful if you sell ten books.
Want to sell fifty or more? Read "How to Sell 50 books (and More) at a
Book Signing." See Dan Case’s article at promotebooks.blogspot.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book Authors, Book Publishers, and Others Who Own a Copyright in a Book
or Other Writing: your rights may be affected by a class action
settlement regarding Google's scanning and use of Books and other
writings.
Authors and publishers filed a class action lawsuit claiming Google
violated the copyrights of authors, publishers, and other copyright
holders (“Rightsholders”) by scanning in-copyright books and inserts
and displaying excerpts without permission. Google denies the claims.
The parties have agreed to a settlement. This summary provides basic
information about the settlement.
The settlement, if Court-approved, will authorize Google to scan
in-copyright Books and Inserts in the United States and maintain an
electronic database of Books. For out-of-print Books and, if permitted
by Rightsholders of in-print Books, Google will be able to sell access
to individual Books and institutional subscriptions to the database,
place advertisements on any page dedicated to a Book, and make other
commercial uses of Books. At any time, Rightsholders can change
instructions to Google regarding any of those uses. Through a Book
Rights Registry (“Registry”) established by the settlement, Google will
pay Rightsholders 63% of all revenues from these uses.
Google also will pay $34.5 million to establish and fund the initial
operations of the Registry and for notice and settlement administration
costs and at least $45 million for cash payments to Rightsholders of
Books and Inserts that Google scans prior to the deadline for opting
out of the settlement.
The settlement class includes all persons worldwide who own a U.S.
copyright interest in any Book or Insert. The meaning of “U.S.
copyright interest” is broad. Wherever you are located, please read the
full Notice to determine whether you are included in the settlement.
See http://www.googlebooksettlement.com.
Google Book Search Settlement Administrator
c/o Rust Consulting
P.O. Box 9364
Minneapolis, MN 55440-9364
United States of America
888-356-0248
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do You Twitter?
Keep up with Bobbie’s activities on Twitter:
http:twitter.com/BookDoctor4u
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you self-published a book for the Christian market? You may be
interested in using a distributor geared specifically to get your book
into Christian bookstores. Spring Arbor, owned by Ingram, says, “Our
mission is to provide superior distribution services for products that
enhance people’s relationship with God and spread Jesus Christ’s
message to the world. We believe it takes a strong business to sustain
a strong ministry, and we are focused on doing our part to help you
succeed.” See www.springarbor.com.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Seven: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents and Markets
A Cup of Comfort Seeks Submissions
A Cup of Comfort is a bestselling anthology series featuring uplifting
true stories about the experiences and relationships that inspire and
enrich our lives. These slice-of-life stories are written by people
from all walks of life and provide unique personal insights into
powerful universal truths. Story Length: 1000–2000 words. We are
currently accepting submissions for the following books:
A Cup of Comfort for Mothers
Submission Deadline: May 15, 2009
A Cup of Comfort for a Better World:
Stories that celebrate generosity, compassion, and volunteerism
Submission Deadline: June 15, 2009
A Cup of Comfort for Couples:
Stories that celebrate what it means to be in love
Submission Deadline: October 1, 2009
A Cup of Comfort for Golfers:
Stories that celebrate the follies, the triumphs, and the joy of the
game
Submission Deadline: December 15, 2009
Before submitting, review the complete information and follow the
writers guidelines. See http://www.cupofcomfort.com/CallForSubmissions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upcoming Chicken Soup for the Soul Books
Looking for submissions to What I Learned from the Cat; What I Learned
from the Dog; True Love; Thanks, Mom; and much more. See complete
guidelines at http://www.chickensoup.com/cs.asp?cid=guidelines.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine
4129 Carey Road
Victoria, BC, Canada V8Z 4G5
In 2009 Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine will be open for submissions
from March 1 to August 31.
If e-mailed, we prefer only one submission per e-mail, attached to the
e-mail as a MS Word .doc file, or .rtf file, but we will not refuse a
story that is included within the body of an e-mail. An easy to read
format is best, font size 12 or 14, and double-spaced. Submissions
should be sent to neoopsis@shaw.ca. (If you have a SPAM filter, be sure
that our response can make it back to you.) The subject line of your
e-mail should include the word Submission, the title of your
submission, and if possible the approximate word count. Be sure to
include your e-mail address in your contact information at the top of
your manuscript. (Your contact information will be kept in the
strictest confidence and not sold or spammed.) All e-mailed submissions
will receive an auto reply e-mail usually within two weeks of it being
sent. The first stage of consideration may take up to eight weeks. No
simultaneous submissions please.
If mailed, manuscripts must be in an easy to read format; font size 12
or 14, single sided, double-spaced. The Author’s name and address as
well as a page count should be on the first page of the manuscript. All
pages should be numbered. If you wish your manuscript(s) returned or
acknowledged by mail, please include a self-addressed envelope,
stamped, if in Canada, or include an international reply coupon if the
address is outside of Canada. If you do not need your submission(s)
returned, please consider including an e-mail address for our response
to your submission(s). Submissions that do not include a return e-mail
address, or a self addressed envelope with Canadian stamps or an
international reply coupon, will be disposed of without reply. No
simultaneous submissions please.
(A simultaneous submission is a submission that has been sent to more
than one publisher, without waiting for a response from the first
publisher.)
First North American serial rights for accepted stories and poems are
purchased at 2.5 cents (Canadian) per word, to a maximum of $125.00.
Contributors will also receive one copy of the issue their contribution
appears in, if their submission is 2,000 words or fewer, or two copies
of the issue if their submission is more than 2,000 words.
For full guidelines see http://www.neo-opsis.ca/guidelines.htm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Associated Content wants freelancers
Associated Content is an online publishing platform that enables anyone
to earn money by writing articles on the Web. Every piece of content in
our library is search engine optimized and earns revenue for its author
based on the page views it receives.
Writing for AC is a great work opportunity for students, stay at home
parents and freelance writers – you can work on your own time and
submit papers, reviews, essays, how-to guides, etc. on literally any
topic that you have expertise or interest in. This is a job you can do
from anywhere – all you need is access to the internet.
In addition to our own library of content, we have hundreds of business
partners who work with AC to obtain high quality, original content for
their Web sites. As such, there are numerous opportunities for our most
talented and prolific contributors to accept exclusive freelance
assignments on an as-needed basis. Such assignments range anywhere from
$15 to $35 per short article (500 to 900 words).
Here’s how you get started:
1) Go to www.associatedcontent.com/join/atlanta-writers.
2) Follow the instructions to register as a contributor.
3) Fill in your profile, making note of your previous experience and
your areas of expertise (if any).
4) Start publishing articles.
If you’re interested in accepting higher paying partner assignments,
send an e-mail to darnell@associatedcontent.com with a link to your
profile once you have submitted at least three articles.
I will review all submissions and pass them along to our Assignment
Editor. If selected, you will start receiving special articles-for-pay
offers from us on a regular basis, which you are free to accept or
ignore.
Even if you are not selected for this program, you will earn page-view
revenue on the articles you published, and you can submit additional
articles for pay at any time.
NOTE: we pay our writers via PayPal daily.
Any questions? E-mail me: darnell@associatedcontent.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Eight: Writing Assignment – Wordless
Yes, novels should have about 70% dialogue, but some of the most
powerful scenes can involve action only. For this assignment, you will
write a scene with at least two characters in it. Show their actions
and reactions, and move the story forward without any speaking between
or among the characters.
Your setup might be that two characters are sneaking up on a third, and
they must signal each other, rather than speak, to stay in touch.
Perhaps three characters are hostages, and they plan an entire takeover
plot without speaking a word, so their captors won’t know.
Set the scene, create the characters, and show us the setting and the
characters’ signals, movements, and body language as the scene unfolds.
Character thoughts are another form of dialogue, albeit internal
dialogue, so in this assignment, don’t use thoughts to convey what a
character is thinking.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Nine: Web Sites of Interest to Writers
Sites that list publishers
www.ralan.com
www.quintamid.com/q/mdb/list
www.rimbaud.org.uk
www.laurahird.com/litmagcentral.html
www.duotrope.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yahoo discussion group for people interested in self-publishing:
http://tinyurl.com/chg265
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tools for writers plus free reports, information, and answers for
writers like you: www.zebraeditor.com.
Be sure to send us your favorite Web resources for writers to share
with your network.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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.
…………………………………………………………………………….
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 “Free Newsletter.”
…………………………………………………………………………….
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!”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++