The Writers Network News September 2009 Edition http://ezezine.com
September 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
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chances of success. We write, edit, and evaluate fiction and nonfiction
manuscripts, book proposals, query letters, synopses, reports, and
articles. We are a top-rated Better Business Bureau Accredited
Business.
Zebra Communications
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http://zebraeditor.com/
Bobbie’s Blog: http://bobbiechristmas.blogspot.com/.
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----------------------------------------------
Welcome to this issue of The Writers Network News
In This Issue
One: Kudos to Fred C. Billy, Rae Clark, Ginger Collins, and Jill
Jennings
Two: From the editor’s desk – Don’t Write the Cart First
Three: Ask the Book Doctor – About Novel Writing, Query Letters, and AP
Style versus Chicago Style
Four: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Aggravate/
Irritate
Five: Letters from Members
Six: Subjects of Interest to Writers
Seven: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents, and Markets
Eight: Creative Writing Assignment –
Nine: Web Sites of Interest to Writers
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To view current and past issues of The Writers Network News, go to
http://tinyurl.com/c4otf6.
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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
The dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom
to starve anywhere. —S. J. Perelman
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One: Kudos* to Fred C. Billy, Rae Clark, Ginger Collins, and Jill
Jennings
I won third prize in the American Song Writers magazine for a country
song I wrote as a result from a visit to my doctor. I won an honorable
mention from the Billboard Music Awards contest for a demo I had
recorded by Paramount. I entered another song in a contest and have
been invited to Nashville to do a showcase of it along with two more of
my songs in October. This will be before industry recording
professionals who are looking for new artists and new materials. I am
on the fifth chapter of a book about all the wonderful things we have
seen God do in our lives over the last thirty five years. --Fred C.
Billy
---
Rae Clark’s book, Wanton Writers, can be downloaded and reviewed at
http://renebooks.com or from Amazon, Fictionwise, and other major
distribution outlets. In it, Charlotte's fairytale romance with Irish
hunk Deputy Editor Derek seems doomed when a secret wife arrives and
the unfair demands of Editor-in-Chief Stella de Palo add to Charlotte's
woes. How can Charlotte resurrect her happiness in the face of
seemingly insurmountable hurdles?
---
Ginger Collins is a guest blogger on GiveaGirlaPen.com. Read her entry
on how taking a detour not only helped her overcome writer’s block but
also helped her create dozens of new stories.
---
I just learned that I will be one of the presenting poets reading at
the Decatur (Georgia) Book Festival Labor Day weekend. This is a great
honor for me, and I am thrilled to have been invited. –Jill Jennings
---
Your successes encourage others; please send your accomplishments for
our kudos section.
*Kudos: praise or honor, glory for an achievement (Like “praise,”
“kudos” is a singular noun and takes a singular verb.)
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Two: From the editor’s desk — Don’t Write the Cart First
Dear Fellow Writers:
A close friend started writing a book this past month and has completed
the opening pages. She took a moment to think of how she would dedicate
the book and sent me her ideas.
Her first chapter is not yet complete, but she is worried about the
dedication. Why worry about the dedication? If writing her book takes a
year or more, many things will change in the interim and many people
will help her along the way, some of whom she may not even know yet.
I warned her not to worry about the dedication; finish the book first.
I know from personal experience. A few months ago, I found some of my
oldest files, dating back to the late 1970s and early 1980s. One of the
files contained the first pages of my first book. The file also
contained copious pages of research I had collected for use in the
book. I had written less than one chapter in that first book and quit,
but I had already written and polished my dedication.
I chuckled at finding that file. How funny writers are! When I started
the project, I felt sure I would finish, but I experienced a run-in
with reality. Writing is hard work. The research fascinated me, the
idea burned in my brain, and the desire to write a book spurred me to
begin. Nothing, however, could keep up my enthusiasm. I had not yet
learned about critique circles. I did not know the value of scheduling
time to write. I did not yet have the perseverance required to stick to
a project to the end, yet I had dedicated the book to the people who
helped me with a project I barely started before I let it drop.
Write! That’s the only way to finish a book. Writing the dedication
before you write the book is caving to that old chestnut of putting the
cart before the horse. Write first; dedicate last.
Note! Several people have pleaded with me to give a seminar for
nonfiction writers, so I have planned one for August. It’s called
“Write Your Memoirs for Fun and Profit.” See Section Six: Subjects of
interest to writers for all the details.
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 www.zebraeditor.com, click on “Free Newsletter,”
and follow the prompts. I never share your address or send out spam.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Three: Ask the Book Doctor — About Novel Writing, Query Letters, and AP
Style versus Chicago Style
Q: Is it more difficult to have a novel published if I don’t have a
university education?
A: No, indeed! Even a few sixteen-year-olds have written good books
that got published. Most universities teach us how to pass tests, not
how to write novels. Even graduates with an MFA in creative writing
tend to teach creative writing rather than sell their novels to
publishers, and here’s why: It’s darned difficult to sell a novel, no
matter how educated you are. The odds of winning the lottery sometimes
seem better.
Instead of (or in addition to) a university degree, successful writers
must acquire a great deal of knowledge in the craft of writing. They
gain that knowledge by studying the masters, joining critique circles,
getting feedback on their writing, taking classes in creative writing,
and practicing, practicing, practicing and then revising, revising, and
revising.
While it doesn’t take a university degree to get a novel published, it
does take good writing skills and the ability to create a strong plot,
believable characters, and realistic dialogue. It takes knowledge of
point of view and how and when to use it. It takes a good foundation in
grammar, punctuation, and syntax. It takes organization and
determination and even a bit of personality to get your foot in the
door with an agent. All those skills aren’t acquired overnight and
rarely are acquired by writing a first novel. Many consider writing
their first novel a good exercise, and afterward some go on to write
marketable novels.
Q: The general recommendation for query letters is to present a clear
idea for an article to a magazine editor. What is your opinion of
writing “open” magazine query letters, without a specific topic in
mind? What would be the best way to proceed with such an approach?
A: Ah, so you want to apply as a stringer, that’s a writer who accepts
assignments and rarely pitches ideas. I prefer to work that way, as
well. To do so, first you must have a good portfolio of published
articles, preferably similar to the type of articles the magazine
publishes. Send a letter introducing yourself to the editor and ask for
writing assignments. Include copies of two or three of your published
articles. Explain that you’ll call in a few days to discuss the ways
you two might work. Call when you say you will and see what the editor
has to say. It could work.
What has worked best for me, though, was to approach local trade
magazine publishers. I called to find out if they used freelance
writers, and if so, I asked for the name of the person who assigned the
work. I made an appointment with that person and brought in my
portfolio and bio. Those face-to-face meetings resulted in a great deal
of work for me. Unfortunately such a plan means you can meet with only
local editors, and the best-paying magazines are often based elsewhere,
so you’ll have to follow the plan I first laid out, where you send
clips, bio, and letter by mail and follow up with a phone call. Use the
Internet to research the company first and see if it has submission
guidelines. Following guidelines greatly increases your chances of
success.
If you have no portfolio—that is, no published articles to your
credit—you need to get some published articles to your name, even if it
means writing articles for free. Start by writing for your church or
synagogue bulletin, civic organization newsletter, or other nonprofit
publication.
Q: My company is contemplating changing from using the Chicago Manual
of Style to AP Style. What are the differences between the two styles?
A: It’s a shame your company may shift away from Chicago Style. I've
used both styles, and Chicago Style, preferred by book publishers,
makes more sense to me. It relies mostly on clarity.
AP Style, created for periodical publishers, evolved from the fact that
newspapers and magazines needed to save space, and, in my opinion, it
sometimes leads to less clarity.
AP says to write out the numbers one through nine and to use numerals
thereafter. Chicago Style says to write out the numbers one through one
hundred and use numerals thereafter. AP Style abbreviates states, and
it does not use the same abbreviations as postal carriers use. AP does
not use a serial comma (red, white and blue), whereas Chicago Style
does (red, white, and blue). Of course there are hundreds of other
differences as well.
Your best bet is to read through the Associated Press Stylebook, which
is much smaller and less expensive than the Chicago Manual of Style,
plus it is laid out alphabetically, which differs from the numerical
listings in the Chicago Manual of Style. You will probably find AP
Style is easy to learn.
What’s your question for book doctor Bobbie Christmas, author of Write
In Style (Union Square Publishing, and owner of Zebra Communications?
Send question to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read more “Ask the Book
Doctor” questions and answers at www.zebraeditor.com.
Would you like to read or save the Ask the Book Doctor column as a
clear PDF file? Now you can! See
http://zebraeditor.com/files/ask_the_book_doctor.pdf. The newest column
is posted around the first of each month.
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Four: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Aggravate/
Irritate
From Purge Your Prose of Problems:
Aggravate/ Irritate
Be sure not to confuse these two words.
Irritate: To rouse to impatience or anger; annoy Loud sounds irritate
Grandpa.
Aggravate: To make worse or more troublesome. Scratching aggravates a
rash.
If you think you have confused these words in your manuscript, use my
trademarked Find and Refine Method to search for and repair any
misuses. To use the Find and Refine Method, pull down the Edit menu in
your software program and go to Find. Type in “aggravate.” Press Enter
on your keyboard or Find Next in the dialogue box, and the computer
will stop on the next instance of the word. Read the complete sentence
and decide how you would like to repair the sentence in question. When
finished with one sentence, save your document and press the Enter key
or the Find Next button and go to the next usage of the same word. Go
through the entire manuscript correcting the overuse or misuse of
“aggravate.”
For more information on editing your own manuscript, buy Purge Your
Prose of Problems at http://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr.
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Five: Letters from Members
Hi Bobbie,
Thanks to your book we have completed the edit of There's a Pirate in
the Family, and now we're starting the edit of my second book, There's
a Smuggler in the Family. I'm writing the third one in the series,
There's a Spy in the Family.
[A friend reviewed] Pirate. She said the story was worth fifty points
but needed professional editing, so I bought your book [Purge Your
Prose of Problems]. I entered Pirate into this year’s Florida Writers
Association Royal Palm Awards competition. Cross your fingers for me.
We started a new Web site, an Intellectual properties flea market for
people wishing to sell their work. It is available to all at a
no-charge exchange of links.
Glad I attended your seminar at the mini conference this year. You
taught me a bunch. --Jim Rathbone
===
Another great and inspirational newsletter, Bobbie. I especially
appreciated #2. [From the editor’s desk – No Going Back to Square One
for Me!] --Cora Miller
===
I went online and got a used (like new) copy of your excellent book,
Write in Style, on Amazon.com. I read some of it, then a friend of ours
scarfed it up and is devouring it. I guess I will get it back in a few
days. I can tell you one thing for sure. I won’t be selling it to
anyone. It's a keeper. --Fred C. Billy
===
I find your newsletter informative and recommend it to my students as a
useful tool in the development of creative writing. Thank you.
--RaeClark
===
I have a book trailer now. It was so cheap I couldn't resist. See
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ5rw4PHGUg. –Dahris Claire
Tell me what you think of the newsletter, what you’re doing, or any
tidbit of information you want to share with other writers. E-mail me
at Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or bzebra@aol.com.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Six: Subjects of interest to writers
Where is Bobbie Christmas speaking?
Last Chance to Sign Up!
Write Your Memoirs for Fun and Profit
A small, private seminar in the home of Bobbie Christmas
Saturday, August 29, 2009
1:00 – 5:00
$99
Home of Bobbie Christmas
230 Deerchase Drive, Woodstock, Georgia, 30188.
You may simply want to write your memoirs for your family, but what if
you wrote them in such a way that you could also sell them to
publishers? Would you mind the added money and notoriety? Of course
not.
In this workshop you’ll uncover:
Where to start and how to plan your memoir
What publishers look for in a memoir
Why you don’t have to be famous to sell your memoirs
What type of publishers buy memoirs and how to find them
How to write memoirs that people want to read
How to write from the heart—the most creative, simple way to write
What is vital to a memoir and what is not
What to delete to make your memoirs more powerful
In addition to spending her entire career as an editor and writer,
Bobbie Christmas has sold personal memoirs to publishers such as John
Wiley & Sons, Adams Media, St. Martin’s Press, and others.
This seminar will take place in the workshop space in the home of
Bobbie Christmas, and space is limited. Act now to reserve your seat,
because her seminars sell out early.
ADDED BONUS: Every attendee will receive a FREE copy of Bobbie’s latest
book, Ask the Book Doctor: How to Beat the Competition and Sell Your
Writing, a $14.98 value.
Attendance is by prepaid reservation only. Mail your check for $99 to
Bobbie Christmas, 230 Deerchase Drive, Woodstock, Georgia, 30188 today
or call 770-924-0528 with Visa, MasterCard or Discover Card
information.
Coming in from out of town? E-mail me at Bobbie@zebraeditor.com for
nearby accommodations.
===
Write Well U offers telephone seminars you can take in the comfort of
your own home.
“Write in Style and You Write to Win”
Wednesday, September 30, 2009, 6:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
Learn the basis of Write In Style, Bobbie’s award-winning textbook on
creative writing. Discover how to make your writing stand head and
shoulders above the rest, so it wins the attention of agents and
editors. Write in style, and you are much more likely to achieve the
success you deserve.
To register for these and other classes, go to www.WriteWellU.com.
BEST NEWS: Whether or not you actually call in for the event,
AuthorSmart and Write Well U send you all the handouts and an MP3
recording of the event, so even if you forget to listen in, you’ll
still get all the information you need.
===
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Sisters in Crime
Smyrna Library
Smyrna, Georgia
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
===
Scribblers Writers Retreat
St. Simons Island, Georgia
May 2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harlequin, the leading romance publisher, is launching Harlequin Teen
in September featuring romances with supernatural and paranormal
elements.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Purge Your Prose of Problems
A Book Doctor’s Desk Reference, Fourth Edition
Save thousands of dollars by editing your own book!
This proprietary desk 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. Spiral binder lies flat for easy use. To order go to
http://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr.
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://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Southern Review of Books reports that evidence indicates the book
business, like the rest of the global economy, is emerging from the
Great Recession. After four months of sales drops, sales at U.S.
bookstores in June turned around and rose 3.4 percent, to $1.101
billion, compared to the same period a year ago, according to
preliminary estimates from the Census Bureau.
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Download Bobbie’s newest one-hour seminars in MP3 format from the Zebra
Communications Web site! Below are the newest seminars, ready to
download:
"Write In Style and You Write To Win, an Introduction"
Gail Richards of AuthorSmart presents this hour-long seminar (#1 in the
series) with Bobbie Christmas. Learn the secret of Bobbie's trademarked
Find and Refine Method to make your writing unique, direct, and tight.
This method allows you to be objective about your writing. After you
apply Bobbie's suggestions to your manuscript, it will win the
attention of your intended audience and more likely win the eye of an
agent or acquisitions editor. Instant download. $5.00
"Self-Editing Techniques You Can't Live Without"
Gail Richards of AuthorSmart presents this hour-long seminar (#2 in the
series) with Bobbie Christmas. After you have taken the first seminar,
take this one to learn even more ways to apply Bobbie's trademarked
Find and Refine Method to all your written materials. Learn the most
common flaws and errors Bobbie spots in manuscripts and learn how to
avoid making the same mistakes. Instant download. $5.00
"Tricks You Didn't Know Your Word Processor Could Do"
Gail Richards of AuthorSmart presents this hour-long seminar (#3 in the
series) with Bobbie Christmas. After the first two seminars, you're
ready to learn even more tips and tricks in Microsoft Word or Word
Perfect, tips that can save you hours of time and endless frustration
when you prepare your manuscript for submission to an agent, publisher,
or printer. Instant download. $5.00
SPECIAL! Purchase all three AuthorSmart seminars featuring Bobbie
Christmas and save 20%.
You'll get...
• "Write In Style and You Write To Win, an Introduction"
• "Self-Editing Techniques You Can't Live Without"
• "Tricks You Didn't Know Your Word Processor Could Do"
Instant download. $12.00
To buy and download these seminars go to
http://zebraeditor.com/seminars_on_cd.shtml.
Also available on that site: 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.
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Who’s buying what?
Bowker’s PubTrack Consumer gives publishers crucial insight into book
selling price, demographics of book buyers, marketing effectiveness,
and motivation for purchase.
According to the report, 57 percent of book buyers are women, plus
women buy more books per person. Women purchase 65 percent of all the
books sold in the U.S.
Other findings include the following:
Mystery books are the most popular genre for book club sales, with 17
percent of all purchases of mystery books coming directly from book
clubs.
Women buy the majority of paperback, hardcover, and audio-books, but
men account for 55 percent of e-book purchases.
Generation X consumers buy more books online than any other demographic
group.
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Editors Swap Information (or Editorspeak)
No one, not even an editor, is capable of editing his or her own work.
It’s a fact of nature that we cannot see our own mistakes. For that
reason I often seek another editor’s opinion. Nanette Littlestone edits
articles for the Georgia Writers Association newsletter, and I trust
her eagle eyes to catch any questionable issues in my “Ask the Book
Doctor” column before it goes to press. She has spared me much
embarrassment in the past by catching errors or questioning my
statements. Last month she questioned the following sentence: Many
authors have found that maintaining a blog builds a fan base for their
books and keeps fans up to date when a new book is going to be
released.
She asked if up to date should be hyphenated, up-to-date.
I answered like the authority I wish I were, stating flatly, “As for
the up-to-date/up to date issue, it is hyphenated when used as an
adjective before a noun. ("Here is an up-to-date manual," but "This
manual is up to date.")
She responded, “I agree with your analysis of “up to date,” but both
the online Merriam Webster and Free Dictionary (usually good sources)
listed the phrase with hyphens.”
I asked, “Do those sources give examples? As I always understood it,
the answer depends on how the phrase is used. I'll take the blame if
anyone complains.”
She wrote, “Most of the examples used the word as an adjective where
the hyphens would more readily apply. But the main listing for the word
was also with hyphens. I didn’t see a non-hyphenated version, which was
the reason for my confusion. OED [Oxford English Dictionary] probably
has both versions, but I don’t have a subscription.”
As a last resort, which should have been my first resort, I went to The
Chicago Manual of Style Web site and found the definitive answer, and
here it is:
Q. Are there compounds that are always hyphenated, such as “up-to-date”
or “step-by-step,” or are these only hyphenated when modifying another
word, as in “up-to-date rules” or “step-by-step procedures”? My company
is writing “We’ll walk you through it step by step,” and I thought that
it should be “We’ll walk you through it step-by-step.”
A. We prefer to keep such commonplace or even clichéd phrases, some of
which are listed in hyphenated form in standard dictionaries, open when
they appear after the noun they modify or when they are used
adverbially:
step-by-step recovery (where “step-by-step” is a phrasal adjective
preceding the noun it modifies)
but
feelings that were out of date (because “out of date” follows the noun
it modifies)
and
walking across the continent step by step (because “step by step” is
functioning as a phrasal adverb)
This is a reversal of our recommendation in the fourteenth edition of
CMOS, which we decided was no longer up to date. See paragraphs 5.92
and 5.148 in the fifteenth edition for more information, and, for a
complete statement of the rules for hyphenating phrasal adjectives, see
paragraph 7.86.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Would you like to publish a book? Member Richard Lowrie did it and
offers the following list:
Items needed for a book to be published:
By R. Lowrie August 2009
I am impressed with the many steps required to get a book published.
Don’t let this list discourage you. The truth shall make you free,
free to do more writing.
1. The basic content of the book itself. Use spell-check and proof
read several times (very important). Have a book doctor review it for
style and errors.
2. A title for the cover with a subtitle (subtitle is optional)
3. A brief description of the book for the front cover (optional but
desirable)
4. A less brief description of the book for the back cover
5. Exact wording and spacing for the spine
6. Author’s biographical summary and optional photo for the back cover
7. A page for the copyright, publication date, ISBN number,
disclaimer that no living persons are described (optional for
nonfiction), information on how to contact the publisher (or the
author), key words (for nonfiction), where printed, edition number and
printing date, printer or publisher name and location (the publisher
may do most of this)
8. Acknowledgments or dedication page or both
9. Table of contents (optional for fiction)
10. Preface or introduction (optional for fiction, but desirable)
11. Conclusion or summary (for nonfiction)
12. Bibliography and/or references (for nonfiction)
13. Index (optional for fiction)
14. List of characters (optional)
15. A chart or map to help the reader follow the story (optional)
16. The following items are usually required for promotion and
publicity:
a. A description of the target audience
b. A list of other titles similar to yours, with ISBNs
c. An itemization of what makes your book different, better, and
unique
d. A 100-word synopsis of the book
e. A 600-word synopsis or summary of the book for sales brochure
(optional)
f. A plan for the promotion of the book
h. Your timeline for the book: completion, promotion, possible
sequel, etc.
i. What you hope to accomplish with the release of the book; i.e.
what benefits accrue to the reader and to the author
j. List the sales history of any previous books or publications
k. Number of pages of text (depends of the font and page size)
l. Number of copies to be printed initially
m. Decide if you want to use print-on-demand publishing or offset
printing.
n. Decide how much money can you spend on production and promotion.
o. An ISBN number is definitely required for each book. Look it up
on the Internet
(http://www.bowker.com/index.php/identifier-services/book-title-identifiers-isbn)/
15. Decisions required:
cover to be in color or B&W
whether to use an agent or a publisher or distributor or none
budget for the book production
budget for the sales and marketing efforts
choosing a low-cost and cooperative printer, distributor,
agent, or publisher
whether to use a designer for the cover and the internal layout
or to rely on the designer the printer supplies
16. If not self-publishing, the following decisions are usually made by
the publisher: finished size of book, size and style of the font,
margins, binding, number of copies, cover design details, hardback or
paperback
17. Recommended: Join your local or statewide writers association and
attend meetings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
Whether you write books, short stories, articles, reports, or anything
else, learn more about how to write, edit, and sell your work.
Paperback: $14.95 plus $4.99 S & H (total: $19.94 US) E-book: $14.95
and no S & H.
To order go to http://tinyurl.com/lexp7n.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Marcia Riley, a colleague I highly respect, has launched a new
branch of her business, Executive Writing Coach services for people who
need a technical/business writing coach. See
www.ExecutiveWritingCoach.net for details.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In July Scribner released a "restored edition" of Hemingway's memoir, A
Moveable Feast. The new edition is edited by Sean Hemingway, the
grandson of Hemingway and his second wife, Pauline, a woman who was
much maligned in the original edition of the memoir edited by Mary, the
fourth wife.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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. Available at
http://zebraeditor.com/book_write_in_style.shtml.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tainted Poetry.com resurrected as more legitimate competition
(Excerpted from Publishers Weekly, 04/14/2009)
Lulu.com Launches Lulu Poetry, Introduces Contest
By Lynn Andriani
Self-publishing site Lulu has launched a Poetry site, www.Poetry.com,
where users can connect with other poets and digitally publish their
own verse at no cost. The site resembles Lulu.com in that it is
targeted toward writers who want to connect with their peers and have
access to resources to receive reviews and feedback on their work.
Unlike Lulu.com, Poetry.com features a “reward and recognition
component” through poetry contests with daily ($25), monthly ($250) and
yearly ($5,000) prizes awarded. The Lulu poetry community will select
the winners.
At Poetry.com (Lulu bought the domain from a previous owner and
overhauled it), poets can create, meet other poets and share their
work. Widgets and other resources offer glossaries and techniques, as
well as a reference list of words that rhyme, and every day the
Poetry.com staff selects a “Poem of the Day.” A spokesperson said Lulu
will add new features over the next few months.
Of the purchase Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware Blogs writes this:
Until very recently, www.Poetry.com was the Internet home of the
infamous International Library of Poetry (ILP), the nation's premier
(and I use that adjective with irony) vanity poetry anthologizer. But
in early March, the Poetry.com domain was purchased by self-publishing
service Lulu. …. I covered the vanity anthology scheme recently in a
post on brand-new vanity anthologizer Eber & Wein, but briefly, here's
how it works…. Everyone who submits is declared a semi-finalist, no
matter the quality of their poem. The company then hits them up for
money: $40 or $50 to buy the anthology, plus, often, substantial fees
for "extras"--adding a biography to the anthology, having the poem
mounted on a plaque, attending a big bash poetry convention...the list
goes on. It's not exactly a scam, since if you buy something you do
receive it, but the anthologies never see the inside of a bookstore
(despite the companies' claims), and because there's no editorial
gate-keeping, they are not regarded as a legitimate publishing credit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Free Tools for Writers from Bobbie Christmas and Zebra Communications
Order PDF 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Google Settlement Information
If there is even the most remote chance that your published book was
infringed upon by Google, go to http://www.googlebooksettlement.com to
opt in on the settlement. The attorneys get the big bucks, as we know,
but you might get a few cents for your trouble.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Words Writers Should Know
From A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg
cacography (kuh-KOG-ruh-fee)
MEANING:
1. Bad handwriting.
2. Incorrect spelling.
ETYMOLOGY:
From caco- (bad), from Greek kakos (bad) + -graphy (writing). Caco is
ultimately from the Indo-European root kakka-/kaka- (to defecate) which
also gave us poppycock, cacophony, and cucking stool. Opposites of
today's word are calligraphy (beautiful handwriting) and orthography
(correct spelling). A related word is cacology.
USAGE:
"Before I could think of quitting, my boss enlightened me on the
virtues of my handwriting, which was sheer cacography: 'Your writing is
in direct competition with the Harappan script that still had the hope
of being deciphered in the distant future.'" Vikram Kumar; Positions
Very Vacant; The Hindustan Times (New Delhi, India); Apr 15, 2008.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keep up with Bobbie’s activities on Twitter:
http:twitter.com/BookDoctor4u
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first Self-Publishing Book Expo, November 7 in New York, will bring
national focus and attention to the fastest-growing segment of today’s
publishing industry. For the events and registration see
http://www.selfpubbookexpo.com/.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Seven: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents and Markets
Write for Radio and TV
This American Life (radio and TV show) broadcasts fiction and
non-fiction, monologues, and documentaries. If something has appeared
in print or on the radio elsewhere, it can still appear on This
American Life. We also commission original reporting and original
fiction.
We broadcast poetry, but that's rare. We also do an occasional radio
drama, but if anything, that's even rarer. We find that it's hard to do
poetry or drama on the radio without sounding corny.
If you're a reporter with a story to pitch, include some samples of
your work with your pitch letter.
What makes the show different from most other programs on public radio
is that the stories we broadcast tend to have a very strong narrative.
These are stories about a character or characters thrown into
situations that shed light on something larger. The stories are
constructed as a series of scenes or anecdotes (unlike most radio
reporting). Often the characters change over the course of the story.
Sometimes the entire story involves a writer or reporter (or character)
going into situations to try to figure out the answer to some question.
The stories that fit most easily into This American Life are accounts
of people who had some experience that changed them, or accounts of an
incident that illustrated some broader idea. It's best if these are
surprising, if they run counter to what we might expect.
Before you submit, read the submission guidelines on
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/About_Submissions.aspx.
If you have completed content–a written story or essay or produced
documentary or interview you'd like to submit–send it to:
Submissions
This American Life
153 West 27th Street, Suite 1104
New York, NY 10001
We take a horrendously long time to acknowledge and respond to mailed
submissions–sometimes more than six months. Please be patient.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visit Textbroker.com to sign up for freelance writing projects you can
do from home. It does not pay much, but it has opportunities to make
more per word once established. See the Website for details.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MakeMeHeal Offers Paid Freelance Writing Positions with Full-Time
Potential
We are seeking experienced freelance writers to write articles for two
major websites (combined audience of over 1 million readers) involving
the world of beauty, plastic surgery, and anti-aging.
Compensation: Get paid per article published. $20 per article and
above. The most talented writes have the potential to be offered
full-time writing/editor positions.
Requirements For Application : Submit 1-2 writing samples with your
resume and a cover letter at
http://www.makemeheal.com/contactus/index.php (be sure to select "Get A
Job With Us" as a subject for your message).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Garden Verse Poetry Competition
Sponsored by Horticulture magazine
For more than a hundred, Horticulture has been dedicated to celebrating
the passion of avid, influential gardeners, but we’re not the only
ones. There’s an even longer history of poetry and poets inspired by
flowers and gardens, from William Blake to Louise Glück. We’re pleased
to combine these passions in the Garden Verse Competition. These awards
will honor new poetry from established and up-and-coming poets,
celebrating and encouraging a passion for gardening.
Entry Deadline: September 1, 2009
See http://www.hortmag.com/competitions/ for all the details.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dogs and the Women Who Love Them True Story Contest
The Angel Animals Network is accepting story submissions about dogs and
the women who love them. The stories should demonstrate the benefits
for a woman who fulfills a life purpose by partnering with a dog to
perform extraordinary physical, emotional, or spiritual service. See
http://www.angelanimals.net/contestrules.html for guidelines.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Myteklife Magazine, L.L.C.
60 E. Rio Salado Pkwy
Suite 900
Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 366-5957
Ed Martinez, editor-in-chief
“Our featured articles are intriguing stories about people who have
utilized or been impacted by technology in unique ways. We capture
their personal connections and experiences in articles such as “The
Story Behind the Mitchell-Hedges Crystal Skull.” You may recall the
movie “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”—we talked
with Bill Homann, the caretaker of the real crystal skull. He tells us
about its history, mystery and technology behind it. In “Jeff Ivanhoe’s
Alumosaics,” we capture Mr. Ivanhoe’s passion for creating beautiful
works of art made from aluminum cans. On the front cover of our first
issue we feature Jim Allchin. Jim is best known for developing the
Windows operating system, and earning prestigious awards such as the
Technical Excellence Person of the Year. Mr. Allchin tells us about his
new album, Enigma, and about passion and persistence.
“In addition, we provide technology users the latest news and analyses
on great gadgets. These analyses explore technology devices to help our
readers determine how they may fit their lifestyle. “
To learn more go to http://www.myteklife.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mid-American Review
Mid-American Review is an international literary journal dedicated to
publishing the best contemporary fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and
translations. See guidelines at:
http://www.bgsu.edu/studentlife/organizations/midamericanreview/guidelines.html.
Note that the guidelines say it does not accept online submissions, but
look around the site, and you’ll see that it has recently set up an
online submission form and is working out the kinks.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Eight: Creative Writing Assignment – Do Not Be Negative
What’s wrong with the title, “Do Not Be Negative?” It is negative
itself. How would you rewrite the title? Probably this way: “Be
Positive.” See how the rewrite makes the statement more direct and less
wordy?
Whenever you use the word “not” or its contraction,“n’t” in your
writing, you create an opportunity for improvement. Think of how you
would rewrite the following negative examples into positive statements:
Jack was afraid to fall asleep until he felt sure he would not not wake
up.
I don’t like to wear pink; I prefer red and other strong colors.
The dog would not obey commands, which wasn’t very encouraging for the
trainer.
Time to Find and Refine
You can use my trademarked Find and Refine Method to find negatives in
your manuscript.
With your file open on your computer, pull down Edit and then Find.
Type “not” into the “Find What” box. Click on “Find Next” and let your
computer stop on each “not” in your manuscript. Review it and decide
you can rewrite the sentence to make it more positive and direct.
As you go through your manuscript, consider this: negatives in dialogue
may work fine; only you as the author can decide if they work and you
want to leave them. Quite often negatives in dialogue show up in
contractions as “n’t.” If you use contractions in narrative, however,
you will want to go through the manuscript a second time searching for
uses of “n’t.”
For more opportunities for improvement, buy Write In Style by clicking
here: http://zebraeditor.com/book_write_in_style.shtmlm.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Nine: Web Sites of Interest to Writers
I usually quote The Chicago Manual of Style for information regarding
format, punctuation, and capitalization because it is the standard for
book editing. If you write or edit for educational papers, however, you
need to know academic style. See
http://sas.earlham.edu/pdf/BTS_MA_Academic%20Style%20sheet.pdf for
information on academic style.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This site offers information for writers, poets, editors, publishers,
educators, artists, and photographers.
http://ticket2write.tripod.com/index.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tools for writers plus free reports, information, and answers for
writers like you: www.zebraeditor.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WordWeb offers a free dictionary and thesaurus for download. WordWeb
gives definitions, examples of usage, synonyms, antonyms, and common
phrases, including each word you enter. There is an option to integrate
WordWeb into the menu of several mainstream word processors and a
number of the free ones, as well. Numerous language dictionaries are
also on offer. The program is available from http://wordweb.info/free
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Researching agents and publishers? www.literarymarketplace.com is the
most comprehensive of all sources; however, there is a fee. You can
subscribe for a week for about $20. Perform all your searches in one
week, and it’s a bargain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Self-publishers and business writers need to use high-quality images
for their covers and other materials. Find free, high-quality images at
the following Web sites:
www.photos.com
www.istockphoto.com
www.morguefile.com
www.flickr.com/creativecommons
www.everystockphoto.com
www.openstockphotography.org
www.sxc.hu
http://openphoto.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Going rates for editing and writing:
http://www.the-efa.org/res/rates.php. Also, here’s a calculator to
figure what you should be charging to reach your personal goals:
http://freelanceswitch.com/rates/.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Love to read but hate the prices? BookSwim is the online book rental
library service lending you paperbacks, hard covers and college
textbooks Netflix-style directly to your house, without the need to
purchase. We stock all the latest bestsellers, new releases, classics,
and more. www.bookswim.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.
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Send a copy of this newsletter to all your writing friends. Tell them
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clicking on “Free Newsletter.”
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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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