The Writers Network News September 2010 Issue http://ezezine.com
September 2010 Issue
The Writers Network News
No Rules; Just Write!
Editor: Bobbie Christmas
Contents copyright 2010, Bobbie Christmas
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Welcome to this issue of The Writers Network News
In This Issue
One: From the editor’s desk – Payoff or Paycheck?
Two: Ask the Book Doctor – About Signs, Ellipses, Dashes, and Contacts
from Agencies and Publishers
Three: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Although/Though
Four: Subjects of Interest to Writers
Five: Contests, Agents, and Markets
Six: Creative Writing Assignment – Push Your Comfort Zone
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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
“When I really started writing, it was like I had finally walked into
the right room.” —Fannie Flagg
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One: From the editor’s desk — Payoff or Paycheck?
Dear Fellow Writers:
It has been said that if you write what others need to have written,
you will always have a paycheck, but many writers balk at the idea of
writing something others have directed them to write. They want to
write for themselves. For them the payoff is that they get to write
what they want to write, paycheck be damned.
I’ve teetered between both those writing worlds my entire career. I
have made my living with words, writing and editing what others have
wanted me to write and edit, while writing what I want to write in my
spare time. As a result, I’ve had a terrific life, making my living
with words. My work has been widely published, including works written
by assignment (what others needed written) and for fun (what I wanted
to write). No one ever said writers have to be completely one way or
the other, writing only what others need or writing only what we want
to write.
I met a young man years ago who told me I had sold out, because at that
time I worked in a corporate environment writing for the company’s
internal communications. I explained that the company had sent me to
about sixty or more cities in twenty states and had sent me to Germany
and the Netherlands, as well. As a result of traveling for the company
I was near enough to visit exotic locales such as the Grand Canyon and
Venice, plus I’d had many interesting adventures. The fellow drew
himself up to full height and said, “Well, I won’t sell out,” so I
asked him what he did for a living. His answer: “I work in a gasoline
station.”
Who lived the better life?
I ask you, my friend, which life do you prefer? Is writing for a
paycheck such a terrible thing? Have you thought you prefer to have a
payoff than a paycheck? What is holding you back from having both a
paycheck and a payoff? Look into journalism, corporate communications,
magazine-article writing, advertising copywriting, and all the other
positions that call for writing; don’t turn away from them simply
because you have to write on assignment. You will still be working with
words, and we writers love words, don’t we?
Now for a personal horn-tooting time: In August another book I edited
is being released by a traditional publisher, this time Sourcebooks.
Check out 20 Retirement Decisions You Need to Make Right Now by Ray E.
LeVitre, CFP, at http://tinyurl.com/2a55sbl, and if you want your book
to succeed, turn to me, as Sourcebooks does, for editing.
In addition to my regular “Write In Style” blog at
http://bobbiechristmas.blogspot.com/, I’ve started a new blog called
“Don’t You Dare Call It a Diet” at
http://dontyoudarecallitadiet.blogspot.com/. Follow my trials and
travails as I endeavor to reduce my weight to reduce the pain and
strain on my knees and back. You’ll not only hear my saga but also get
weight-loss tips you can put to use. If you’re at your goal weight, you
can simply cheer me on and share my triumphs.
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. 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.
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Two: Ask the Book Doctor — About Signs, Ellipses, Dashes, and Contacts
from Agencies and Publishers
By Bobbie Christmas
Q: In several places in my novel I have things that the character
reads, such as the following:
I turn the page in my journal and write, "This is gonna be a breeze."
I see a sign that says, "Crab Cakes and Cold Beer—1 mile."
I sign it, "To my buddy, John, Samuel Two Guns."
The sign says, "Please be seated."
My critique group questioned whether or not these phrases should be in
quotes.
What do you think?
A: The answer is not the same for all four examples. Specific wording
of short signs or notices should be capitalized but not put into
quotation marks: I see a sign that says Crab Cakes and Cold Beer—1
Mile. The sign says Please Be Seated.
If the message on the sign is long, such as “We reserve the right to
refuse to serve minors, drunks, belligerent people, the shoeless, or
the scantily clad,” it would be inside quotation marks.
In the two sentences that refer to what someone is writing, though, use
quotation marks around what was written. The first line is correct: I
turn the page in my journal and write, "This is gonna be a breeze."
The third sentence, however, should have a period after John: “To my
buddy, John. Samuel Two Guns.”
Q: I have been using ellipses to indicate hesitant speech in my
dialogue. My critique-mate believes my use is incorrect and I should
use double hyphens or a dash. I've found information to suggest that
both uses are acceptable, but I prefer the ellipsis. What do you say?
A: It depends on what you write, but if you write books, follow the
authority on the matter, which is Chicago Manual of Style, and it looks
as though you win.
Chicago Style says that ellipsis points suggest faltering or fragmented
speech accompanied by confusion, insecurity, or distress. “I . . . I .
. . can’t believe it; can it be . . . is it really you?”
The dash, or two hyphens, with no space before or after, indicates an
interruption or an abrupt change in thought. The following example
indicates that someone interrupted the speaker: “I’d like to say—” The
following shows a change in thought: “I’ll take the flounder—no, make
that salmon.”
Q: I answered an inquiry about sending my manuscript to a company that
says it is looking for new authors. I answered, and they said it would
take about two weeks to receive an answer. They answered me the next
day. The e-mail address is [withheld]. Have you heard of them? Are they
legit?
A: Legitimate agencies and publishers do not advertise or send out
inquiries. An agency or publisher will never initiate contact except in
a rare situation, such as if you happen to be famous or were close
enough to someone famous to write a tell-all book about that person.
Whenever an agency or company claiming to be a publisher contacts you
first, the chances are it’s not legitimate and it hopes to extract
money from you, rather than pay you money for your book.
Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of Write In Style (Union Square
Publishing), and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your
questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read more “Ask the
Book Doctor” questions and answers at www.zebraeditor.com.
Send your questions to the Book Doctor Bobbie Christmas at
Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
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Three: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Although/Though
The words “although” and “though” are mostly interchangeable, but
“although” is usually placed at the beginning of its clause, whereas
“though” may occur elsewhere and is the more common term when used to
link words or phrases. Examples: He is wiser though poorer. Although he
had money, he had no peace.
If you think you have used “though” incorrectly, especially at the
beginning of any sentence, use my trademarked Find and Refine Method to
search for and change the word to “although.” To use the Find and
Refine Method, pull down the Edit menu in your software program and go
to Find. Click on the tab that says Replace. In the box that says Find
what, type the word Though, capitalized. In the Replace box, type the
word Although, also capitalized. Click the box that says More, and
check Match Case. Click on Replace All, and all instances will be
changed throughout the manuscript, and the job is done.
To find the instances of “though” used incorrectly at the beginning of
a clause, uncheck Match Case, click on Find Next, read the sentence to
be sure “though” is the correct choice, and repair the incorrect
instances manually.
If you wish to learn more about how to apply the Find and Refine Method
to other issues in your manuscript, send a note to
freereports@zebraeditor.com, and you’ll receive a link to many free
reports, including one on my trademarked Find and Refine Method.
For even more opportunities to Find and Refine, buy Write In Style
(Union Square Publishing) by clicking here:
http://zebraeditor.com/book_write_in_style.shtml
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Four: Subjects of interest to writers
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 for September, so be sure to let me
know if you want the details.
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Writers Beware!
I’d heard dire things about PublishAmerica, a company that claim that
when you use its services, you aren’t self-publishing, when indeed you
are. The worst I’d heard was that it makes most of its money of
authors, rather than book buyers, forcing authors to pay a high price
for their own print-on-demand book and then sometimes not fulfilling an
order for a long time, if ever. The company claimed to have resolved
that issue sometime last year, but PublishAmerica’s Web site has a
section where authors can post comments, allegedly about writing, and
on August 3, 2010, someone using the name cadelgato posted the
following question: Has anyone had issues with receiving a book order?
I have ordered over 100 books--this is week nine since I've placed the
order, and I have no book yet. I have discussed the issue with
representatives at author support; they instruct me that they are
looking into it and I should call back in a few days to see what the
status is. Can anyone tell me their experience?
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While e-book sales rise, the price of e-book readers decline. Barnes &
Noble reduced its popular 3G Nook from $259 to $199 and announced a new
device that connects to the Internet by Wi-Fi for $149. Amazon took
only a few hours to then announce it was lowering the price of its
Kindle from $259 to $189.
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Purge Your Prose of Problems
A Book Doctor’s Desk Reference, Fourth Edition
Save thousands of dollars by editing your own book!
This proprietary 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. The metal coil lets the book lie flat for easy use. To order
as a printed book or e-book, go to http://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr.
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Member Buzz Bernard reports, “My first novel, Eyewall, will be
published in trade paperback and e-book formats in May 2011 by
BelleBooks. Links to BelleBooks and my agent at Sullivan Maxx can be
found on my Web site,
http://www.buzzbernard.com/Buzzs_Website/Home.html.”
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Are Typos No Big Deal?
Can a typographical error affect your lifetime success? You bet it can,
and not merely when you write books. An article by Barbara Safani on
the Internet says, “Last year, Accountemps, a temporary staffing firm,
interviewed 150 senior executives from some of the nation's largest
companies. Forty percent of the respondents said that just one typo on
a resume would cause the candidate to be eliminated.”
Literary agents and publishers, too, in an effort to dig through their
slush piles, often reject a manuscript the moment they find the first
slip-up, whether it’s a typo or a mistake in grammar, punctuation,
spelling, or word choice.
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Download Bobbie’s seminars! Go to
http://zebraeditor.com/seminars_on_cd.shtml.
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For years I had the privilege of corresponding with John Harnish, vice
president of Author Services & Special Projects of Infinity Publishing,
and then I met him in person at an Infinity event a few years ago. He’s
a good human being, truly interested in helping writers. John has
written an e-book called My Book’s Published…Now What? It’s a 380-page
book filled with great ideas on how to sell more books, and he’s giving
it away, with no sales pressure. You can opt to get information on
self-publishing or not. To download the book for free, click this link:
http://blog.infinitypublishing.com/become-a-published-author.
Infinity also has a generous Scholarship Award Program to provide
assistance for authors attending its Gathering of Authors this year at
Valley Forge. John is the conference director for the eleventh year.
The not-for-profit registration fee is $695, which includes lodging and
meals. It takes place Friday, September 24 to Sunday, September 26,
2010, at the Radisson Hotel at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. See
http://www.authorsconference.com/updates.html.
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For information on publishers and publishing, check out
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/.
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Don’t Pay $179 for a Used Copy of My Book!
When I checked today, Amazon had seven used copies available of Write
In Style, my book on creative writing. The highest price was $179; the
lowest, $89.95. Don’t pay those prices! I still have a few brand-new
copies left, and you’ll still pay the original price, $12.95 plus
shipping. As a bonus, I’ll even sign the book.
The publisher took Write In Style: Using Your Word Processor and Other
Techniques to Improve Your Writing out of print, so once the remaining
copies are gone, the book will no longer be available.
Write In Style teaches Bobbie’s trademarked Find and Refine Method
along with information and dozens of tips that power up your prose.
Bobbie Christmas reveals secrets only a book doctor could know. To
order, go to http://zebraeditor.com/book_write_in_style.shtml. Get your
copy while supplies last. The remaining copies are going quickly.
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More word processing tips from member Richard Lowrie, good with
Microsoft Word 2007 or 2003
Use the control (Ctrl) buttons for these short cuts or when the
clipboard or icons aren’t visible:
Copy: Ctrl + c
Paste: Ctrl + v
Print: Ctrl + p
Save: Ctrl + s
Cancel last action: Ctrl + z
Select all: Ctrl + a
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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: I’ve revised,
updated, and expanded my report on “How to Tell When You’re Telling”
for those who need to learn how to show, rather than tell a story. Be
sure to download it today.
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Publicity Tip
Here’s a tip from UniBook on how to get online publicity for your book:
You can connect with prominent bloggers who post items about your topic
and ask them to write a review of your book. You can also search for
interesting Web sites about your topic and inquire about the
possibility of placing a link to your book from their Web site. See
www.Unibook.com.
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Southern Review of Books reports that although bookstore sales fell in
May, publishers' sales rose nearly ten percent, boosted by the sales of
e-books, which rose 162.8 percent in May, and downloaded audio books,
which climbed 72.9 percent. For the full newsletter, see
http://anvilpub.net/southern_review_of_books.htm.
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Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent, has a blog of interest to writers.
Cheeky as well as tongue-in-cheek, it manages to have good information
while it entertains. See http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/.
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Forbes magazine reported the latest top-ten money-making authors for
the last year ending June 1. James Patterson topped the list, earning
$70 million largely because of a deal to write seventeen novels by the
end of 2012 for an estimated $100 million. "Patterson's literary empire
includes television, comic book and gaming deals," Forbes reported.
Patterson has written more than fifty New York Times best-sellers.
The list included Stephenie Meyer, who earned $40 million over the year
for her Twilight series, with $7 million of that coming from the movie
rights. Stephen King came in third, followed by Danielle Steel and Ken
Follett.
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Are you on Facebook? Do You Twitter?
Keep up with Bobbie’s activities on Facebook (search for Bobbie
Rothberg Christmas) or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BookDoctor4u.
Bobbie’s blogs
Write In Style - http://bobbiechristmas.blogspot.com/
Don’t You Dare Call It a Diet! -
http://dontyoudarecallitadiet.blogspot.com/
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Five: Contests, Agents and Markets
Aesthetica Creative Works Competition 2010
The Aesthetica Creative Works Competition is open for entries.
Aesthetica Magazine invites artists, writers, and poets to submit work.
The competition has three categories: Artwork, Poetry, and Fiction.
Winners and finalists are published in the Aesthetica Creative Works
Annual. Winners of each category receive 500 pounds prize money
(approx. $760) Winners also receive a selection of books courtesy of
Prestel, Granta, Bloodaxe and Portobello. Entry to the Creative Works
Competition is 10 pounds (approx. $15). The entry fee allows the
submission of 2 images, 2 poems, or 2 short stories. The deadline for
submissions is the August 31, 2010. More guidelines on how to submit
can be found online at
http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm
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Creative Nonfiction
Attn: Food
5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
For an upcoming issue of Creative Nonfiction, we're seeking true
stories that incorporate or involve food.
Essays must be vivid and dramatic; they should combine a strong and
compelling narrative with a significant element of research or
information, and reach for some universal or deeper meaning in personal
experiences. We’re looking for well-written prose, rich with detail and
a distinctive voice. Creative Nonfiction editors will award $1,000 for
Best Essay and $500 for runner-up.
Guidelines: Essays must be: unpublished, 5,000 words or less,
postmarked by September 3, 2010, and clearly marked “Food” on both the
essay and the outside of the envelope. There is a $20 reading fee (or
send a reading fee of $25 to include a 4-issue CNF subscription);
multiple entries are welcome ($20/essay) as are entries from outside
the U.S. (though subscription shipping costs do apply). Please send
manuscript, accompanied by a cover letter with complete contact
information (address, phone, and email), word count, SASE and payment
to:
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Penguin to Accept Unagented Submissions for Limited Time
For complete information, see http://tinyurl.com/2bb3cal. Our company
policy is to not accept unsolicited manuscripts or synopses and we
cannot enter into correspondence about unpublished work. However, for a
limited three-month period from the beginning of August until the end
of October 2010, we will be inviting submissions to be sent in
electronically to the following address:
submissions@uk.penguingroup.com. [Ed. note: The submission address is
in the UK, but it does not matter where you live.]
We ask that email submissions comprise a brief covering note and
synopsis and not a full manuscripts. Please do not send attachments,
please write out your cover note and synopsis in the body of the email.
We remain unable to accept hard copy submissions and will not return or
be responsible for the safety of any that we do receive, so please do
not send any original or hard copy manuscripts to us. We will not
contact you with feedback on your submission and will only enter into
email correspondence with you if an editor within Penguin is keen to
progress your idea.
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Dream of Things
Dream of Things is accepting creative nonfiction stories for
anthologies on various topics. Submissions are open until we announce a
closing date. Before submitting a story, read our submission guidelines
and payment information. Submit stories through our online submissions
form or by e-mail to editor@dreamofthings.com.
Looking for creative nonfiction on the following topics:
Coffee Shop Stories
Great Customer Service Stories
Stories of Forgiveness
Internet Dating Stories
Stories That Exemplify Teamwork
Stories About Great Teachers
Stories That Exemplify Leadership
Awe-Inspiring Travel Stories
Humorous Travel Stories
It’s Only a Game—Lessons Learned from Playing/Coaching Sports
Advice You’d Like to Pass On to Others
Cubicle Stories—Life in the Modern Workplace
Making Waves—Stories About Roles Models & People Who Inspire and
Motivate Us
See http://dreamofthings.com/ for submission guidelines and payment
information.
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Six: Creative Writing Assignment – Push Your Comfort Zone
Most of us follow a routine of some type, whether it includes going to
work each day or eating certain types of foods or traveling only to
areas we know. No matter how spontaneous we think we are, even police
profilers will tell you that most human beings stay within a certain
comfort zone and therefore have predictable patterns and behaviors that
aid detectives in solving crimes. If you don’t think so, watch the
television show “Numbers,” to see how mathematics can be applied to
human predictability.
Our predictable human behavior gives us comfort; we don’t have to learn
new things, process information that conflicts with our beliefs, or
encounter experiences that make us feel discomfort in any way. Perhaps
sports such as bungee jumping and skydiving came about for the few who
feel a need to break out of that cocoon of comfort and feel their
adrenaline flow.
For this exercise I will not ask you to tie your feet to a cord and
jump off a bridge, but I do want you to step a little out of your
comfort zone to experience something new and perhaps foreign to you.
You can choose what that experience might be, but below are a few
suggestions.
1. Choose a completely new path to drive home from work one day
and observe the new things you had not encountered on your usual drive
home.
2. Go to a restaurant that serves a cuisine you have never tasted,
perhaps Ethiopian, Moroccan, or Malaysian, or simply order something
new off the menu where you usually eat, something you have never tasted
before. Take notes on how you feel when you taste new items you’ve
never put in your mouth before.
3. Attend a service for a religion that is not of your faith, and
I don’t mean one that is a different denomination of your faith. For
example, if you are Christian, attend a synagogue or mosque. If you are
Jewish, attend a mass at a Catholic church or a service at an Islamic
mosque. Observe the events that take place and the people who attend.
4. While waiting somewhere in a group, perhaps at a doctor’s
office or in line at the post office or supermarket, strike up a
sincere conversation with someone you never met before. Don’t make
small talk, but have a sincere conversation. Ask about that person’s
life, likes, and interests and delve into the subject with probing
questions. Note that person’s answers, but also note that person’s
reactions to your questions. Is the person comfortable and happy to
converse or closed and cautious. After the experience, write down all
the things you learned and observed.
Those are a few suggestions for easily stepping outside your comfort
zone. You might have another task you’d like to try—maybe even bungee
jumping. No matter what experience you choose, make sure to take notes.
Next sit down and write about the experience, either as an essay or as
a scene in a novel or short story. Be sure to include all the important
feelings and reactions that result from being outside your comfort
zone.
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Tools for writers plus free reports, information, and answers for
writers like you: www.zebraeditor.com.
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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 “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. When you
subscribe, you become part of The Writers Network, a worldwide network
for writers. No fees. No officers. “No Rules; Just Write!”
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