The Writers Network News January 2011 issue http://ezezine.com
January 2011 Issue
The Writers Network News
No Rules; Just Write!
Editor: Bobbie Christmas
Contents copyright 2010, Bobbie Christmas
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Bobbie’s creative writing blog: http://bobbiechristmas.blogspot.com/
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http://dontyoudarecallitadiet.blogspot.com/
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Welcome to this issue of The Writers Network News
In This Issue
One: From the editor’s desk – Instead of New Year’s Resolutions, Set
Solid Goals
Two: Ask the Book Doctor – About Narrative Nonfiction, Memoir, Finding
Your Niche, and Page Counts
Three: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Pronouns:
Employ Them with Caution
Four: Subjects of Interest to Writers
Five: Contests, Agents, and Markets
Six: Creative Writing Assignment – Horse Feathers!
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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
“Most writing is as obvious has a ham sandwich, but not nearly as
nourishing.” —Alan Weiss
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One: From the editor’s desk — Instead of New Year’s Resolutions, Set
Solid Goals
Dear Fellow Writers:
Most of us make New Year’s resolutions that we break within days of
making them. I know; I’m guilty. Every year I used to resolve to write
more, get more articles and books published, and a few other things.
Vague resolutions like those are bound to fall by the wayside. I had
not learned about setting goals, writing them down, and putting a date
by each goal. By some miracle, when I am specific about my goals, write
them down, set a date by which I plan to accomplish them, and then post
those goals where I see them almost every day, I miraculously achieve
those goals with what feels like little or no effort. I’ve become a
strong believer in setting specific, written goals with deadlines, as a
result.
What goals have I met this way?
1. In 2004 I sold Write In Style by setting such a goal.
2. This year I paid off my thirty-year mortgage after less than
sixteen years, by setting such a goal.
3. I am in the process of losing a major quantity of weight by
setting weekly goals, mini goals, and a maximum goal of losing
ninety-five pounds. So far I’ve lost forty-seven unhealthy pounds, so I
am almost halfway to my goal. Follow my journey and get tips you might
use at http://dontyoudarecallitadiet.blogspot.com/.
4. This spring I created a vacation I could afford that would take
me to places I’d never been and where I could travel alone without
fear. (I found a cruise to Central and South America and joined a
singles group that assigned me a roommate, cutting my cost in half.)
Yes, I highly recommend setting goals. I use as my guideline the
anonymous quotation, “A goal is nothing but a dream with a deadline.”
The deadline is vital; otherwise, we’re just dreaming.
Deadlines work for me in my business, as well. I’ve talked to many
frustrated writers who told me they gave their manuscript to some
editor who had not finished the project, sometimes as much as six
months later. When I started editing books about eighteen years ago, I
leaped on my first project immediately, but within about three weeks, I
got an irate call from the client who said I was holding her manuscript
hostage. Hostage? It takes four to eight weeks to edit a book-length
manuscript, but she had no idea how long it would take, because I had
failed to tell her. From that moment on I learned to create a deadline
for every project, keep the client informed of that deadline, and then
do my best to beat that deadline. I often finish projects early, but
even if I simply finish on time, at least my clients know what to
expect and when to expect it. In addition, I have a goal with a
deadline, so I don’t dawdle or procrastinate.
Speaking of goals, if one of your goals is to stretch your money, would
you pay only a few dollars for a book selling on Amazon for $90? If so,
act now, and you can get a copy of Write In Style, called the ultimate
creative-writing book, at an unbelievably low price. See my one-time
offer under Subjects of Interest to Writers. Hurry; the offer is good
only while supplies last, and my stash of books at this price is
getting low.
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 Narrative Nonfiction, Memoir, Finding
Your Niche, and Page Counts
By Bobbie Christmas
Q: What’s the difference between narrative nonfiction and a memoir? I'm
hearing that because of so many fake memoirs, editors are shy about
taking memoirs. Could a memoir be pitched as narrative nonfiction?
A: All memoirs and biographies are considered narrative nonfiction,
while how-to books are considered prescriptive nonfiction. In other
words, call the book narrative nonfiction or memoir, but it’s the same
thing. Agents and publishers won’t be fooled by the word choice.
The market for memoirs is still strong. Think of runaway bestseller
Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs, for example.
If you can attest to the accuracy of the details and the story is
alluring and well-written, the manuscript has a fair chance.
Well-written memoirs include vignettes or scenes with beginnings,
middles, and ends and include action, dialogue, narrative, settings,
and other elements of fiction to make readers feel as though they are
watching the story unfold.
Q: I like English, and it has always been my best subject. I'm trying
to find which area of writing I am most talented in. I feel that I can
write punchy, short prose well. Do you have any tips for how I can find
the type of writing that suits me? Would I be better taking lots of
short learning courses? Reading books? Any help you could give would be
very helpful.
A: I don’t know your age, but if you’re still in school, I’ll assume
you are under thirty, and with that thought in mind, I can tell you
what I did with my life and see if it works for you. I loved writing
from the time I was young, so I took every creative writing class I had
the opportunity to take, in high school, college, from arts institutes,
or at continuing learning centers. I majored in journalism in college,
because it was the only writing path available to me back in the 1960s,
but I didn’t think I would be a journalist. I thought I would be great
at writing advertising copy, so I wrote some spec ads to create a
portfolio and took them to several ad agencies. To my surprise I
garnered some freelance work, which led to my being able to build a
strong portfolio of published works. Ad copy was fun to write, but I
wanted more, so I volunteered to write articles for the newsletters and
magazines that nonprofit organizations produced, and when those
articles were published, I added them to my portfolio and went out to
find assignments from trade magazines as well as consumer magazines.
You get my drift; I never settled into one area.
Eventually I had tried out—and usually enjoyed—just about every kind of
writing a person can do to make a living, including ad copy, press
releases, brochure copy, business reports, proposals, news articles,
personality profiles, magazine articles, radio commercials, resumes,
business profiles, white papers, books, memoirs, personal experience
essays, and you name it. With a motto of “I’ll write anything for
money,” I launched a career in writing and editing that has carried me
for more than four decades, and I am doing what I love and making a
good living at it.
If I were you, then, I would try everything, and you will find what
best suits you. If you find you can do it all, then why specialize?
Write! Enjoy! Count your blessings that you’re able to do what you love
and make money doing it.
Q: I’ve noticed that printed paperback mysteries range from 250 to 325
pages. Using double spacing, what should my manuscript page count be,
then? I'm trying to determine how much background information I need to
include without it looking like padding. Any ideas?
A: Rather than thinking in terms of page count, think in terms of word
count. Most publishers prefer first novels to run between 50,000 and
100,000 words. In most word processing programs, you can go to Tools to
get the word count of your file.
No matter what, avoid padding at all costs. If you have only 40,000
words, but they are tight and great and nothing more could enhance the
story, stop writing! If, however, you have an idea for another
plot-related scene or chapter that could flesh out the story, by all
means add it and pump up the word count closer to 50,000 words.
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 Book Doctor Bobbie Christmas at
Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
Can’t get enough questions and answers? Order Ask the Book Doctor: How
to Beat the Competition and Sell Your Writing by Bobbie Christmas as an
e-book or printed book at
http://www.zebraeditor.com/book_ask_the_book_doctor.shtml.
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Three: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Pronouns:
Employ Them with Caution
The manuscripts I’ve been editing lately have all had problems with
pronouns. Apparently writers miss the point of how and when to use
pronouns. First let me explain the rules about pronouns, and then I’ll
delve further into the problems I’m seeing in manuscripts lately.
For clarity, most pronouns should modify the last stated noun.
Example: I found a book in the store. It was old. This sentence means
the store was old, not the book, because store was the last stated
noun. Be cautious when using pronouns and be sure they modify the word
you intended. If you mean to say the book was old, recast the sentence,
perhaps this way: I found an old book in the store.
Personal pronouns must modify the last stated name. Be certain pronouns
modify the intended proper noun. Example: Jack and Dick went to the
river. He wanted to learn to swim. As written the sentence means Dick
wanted to learn to swim. If Jack was the one who wanted to learn,
recast the sentence, perhaps this way: Jack and Dick went to the river,
because Jack wanted to learn to swim.
Example of muddy use of pronouns: Mary sat beside Jane. She reached for
her hand. Who reached for whose hand? Corrected: Mary sat beside Jane,
who reached for Mary’s hand.
Pronouns must also agree with the nouns they modify. Singular pronouns
refer to singular nouns, and plural nouns take plural pronouns. Wrong:
A dancer must practice their steps. Right: Dancers must practice their
steps. Wrong: Each person took their bath. Right: Each person took a
bath. Each person took his or her bath. Each person bathed. All the
people took their baths. Wrong: UsaBank offers free checking to their
senior account holders. Right: UsaBank offers free checking to its
senior account holders.
Now for some of the other pronoun issues I’ve found in manuscripts I’m
editing. When a new scene begins or when time passes, the writer cannot
assume readers know the people in the new scene. Restate the names of
the people in the scene, at the beginning of the scene, and always
start with the name of the character in whose point of view the scene
will be.
Example of muddy pronoun in an opening sentence of a scene: They met
again four years later. Even if Sam and John were the last stated names
in the prior scene, do not assume readers will understand. Instead, set
the new scene this way, for example, if the scene is in Sam’s point of
view: Sam joined John at Four Roses Restaurant four years later.
Sometimes a writer wants to break out of the standard structure and
write an inverted sentence. Here’s an example: Although she had always
hated cut flowers, Mary melted when Sam brought her a bouquet. While
such a sentence structure is not technically incorrect, sometimes the
prior sentence or paragraph mentioned another woman’s name, so the
reader may instinctively think the pronoun refers to that other woman,
until reaching the latter part of the sentence. Never make readers back
up or reread a sentence to understand it. Always write clear, distinct,
easy-to-understand sentences by ensuring that every pronoun refers to
the last stated noun.
Here are some of the pronouns to examine to be sure they are used
correctly in your manuscripts: he, she, it, I, me, my, we, you, they,
us, them, his, hers, ours, theirs, him, her, and their. Another pronoun
to be absolutely sure you’ve used correctly is its. When it is used as
a possessive, it has no apostrophe. Example: The school changed its
stance on prepaid tuition. When it is used as a contraction of the
words “it is,” however, it should have an apostrophe: Example: It’s
time to go now.
How can you tell if you’ve used pronouns correctly? It’s easy with most
word processing programs and my trademarked Find and Refine Method. To
use the Find and Refine Method with your computer, pull down the Edit
menu in your software program and go to Find. Type the first pronoun in
the list above and click on Find Next. Unfortunately the spelling of
some pronouns can also be found inside other words, such as “me” could
be part of the word “meaning.” If you run into that issue, in the Find
function, type a space before and after the word (press the spacebar,
type m and e, and press the spacebar again), to be sure the computer
stops only on the word you want.
Each time your computer highlights a pronoun, read the sentence in
which it appears to be sure the pronoun refers to the last stated noun.
If the noun is singular, be sure the pronoun that refers to it is
singular, just as if the noun is plural, be sure the pronoun is plural.
Examples: The committee delivered its opinion in a brief. Members of
the committee gave their individual opinions before a vote was taken.
Want to learn more tricks and tips? 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 for words to Find and Refine in your
manuscripts, 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
Save Eleven Dollars and Get Two Valuable Books!
BIG SALE! I have a few lightly water-warped copies of Write In Style
left. Several people have already taken advantage of this offer, so not
many copies are left.
These copies are perfectly legible, but the pages are a little
misshapen from a flood in my office last year. The price of unblemished
copies is $12.95, and I had been selling water-damaged copies for $10,
but from now until I sell the remaining few copies, you can get Write
in Style for only $5.00 when purchased in combination with Ask the Book
Doctor: How to Beat the Competition and Sell your Writing ($14.98). The
two books plus shipping for both would cost $35.91, if ordered through
my website, but order today through this special offer and pay only
$24.97. You’ll save $10.94! It’s like paying only two dollars for Write
in Style! This offer is not on my website. The offer ends when the last
damaged copy of Write In Style is sold. To ensure you get in on the
deal, go to www.PayPal.com and send $24.97 to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com
and e-mail me your shipping information. You can also mail your check
or money order to Bobbie Christmas, 230 Deerchase Drive, Woodstock, GA,
30188. Be sure to let me know where to send your package.
Sorry, but this one-time offer is good only for shipping within the
United States and ends when the last damaged copy is sold.
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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.
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The Writers Network Members report their newest books. Way to go!
May Lattanzio has had her children’s book, Sam, The Grouchy-As-Usual
Bear, published by Irish's Story Playhouse Publications. To preview
and order go to http://irishstoryplayhouse.com/IrishBookStore.html.
Jim Gillaspy’s first novel, A Larger Universe (science fiction) is
available as a Kindle download at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZUY5YE.
Renea Winchester reports that Little Creek Books has released her book
titled In The Garden With Billy: Lessons About Life, Love & Tomatoes.
The book is about what happens when you take the time to befriend a
stranger.
www.reneawinchester.com
http://blogthefarm.wordpress.com
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Freebie! Listen to the 13-minute Shared Dreams Podcast where Gail Z.
Martin of DreamSpinner Communications interviews Bobbie Christmas about
how to write in style. Go to http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WDx9N9D7
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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. The
information covers all you need to know to edit your manuscript:
grammar, punctuation, word choices, creative writing, plot, pace,
characterization, dialogue, Chicago Style, formatting a manuscript, and
much more. To order go to http://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr. You can even save
shipping fees and order the e-book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Publisher Patricia Fry, executive director of SPAWN (Small Publishers,
Artists and Writers Network), a networking organization formed in 1996,
blogs daily about subjects of interest to freelance writers and authors
at any stage of their publishing career/hobby. Be sure to check out her
blog at http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog/.
She recently also added even more articles to her Matilija Press
website. You’ll find articles on writing, publishing, book promotion,
writing a book proposal, and public speaking. Here’s a sampling of
article titles:
“When the Book Promotion Well Runs Dry”
“Writing and Promotion Go Hand in Hand”
“How to Give an Awesome Author Interview”
“Novel Ways to Promote Your Novel”
“How to Turn Your Book Idea Into a Product”
“What Can You Expect From Your Editor?”
“Guarantee Your Publishing Success”
“Write a Better Book: Produce a Better Product”
“Are You Writing for the Right Reasons?”
“Five Reasons That Publishing Might be a Bad Idea”
To read these and other free articles, go to
http://www.matilijapress.com/articlespublishing.htm
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Download Bobbie’s seminars! Go to
http://zebraeditor.com/seminars_on_cd.shtml.
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Words Writers Should Know
tmesis (tuh-MEE-sis, TMEE-sis)
noun: Stuffing a word into the middle of another word.
Examples: a-whole-nother, abso-bloody-lutely. "I don't like tmesis;
it's abso-bloody-lutely ri-flipping-diculous."
--Gazza's Decline is a Sad Waste of Talent; Daily Star (London, UK);
Oct 25, 2010.
The above information was blatantly stolen from Anu Garg, creator of
A.Word.A.Day, Wordsmith.org. To subscribe to his educational and
interesting daily e-mails, go to
http://wordsmith.org/awad/subscribe.html.
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What’s New in the 16th Edition of The Chicago Manual of Style?
The latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style is out, and editors
of books (like me) are poring over the newest version to see what’s new
and different. Here’s something I spotted:
In its 16th edition, CMOS still says the word Internet is always
capitalized, but it reversed its opinion regarding generic references
to the Internet and says they are now lowercased, as in web, website
(which used to be two words and now is one), and web page.
Chicago also reversed its ruling on exceptions to the rule regarding
possessive forms for proper names.
The general rule (adding ’s to create a single possessive or adding an
apostrophe to create a plural possessive) covers proper names as well
as common names, including most names of any length ending in sibilants
(s or sh sounds):
Burns’s poems, Marx’s theories, Berlioz’s opera, the Rosses’ and the
Williamses’ lands, General Nogu's troops, Jefferson Davis’s home,
Dickens’s novels, the Joneses’ reputation
The 16th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style reversed its position
on what used to be exceptions to this rule, so now the use of Jesus’s
and Moses’s for possessive is correct. It also now prefers the
consistency of using the same general rule for names ending in
unpronounced s sounds, as well. the marquis’s mother, Albert Camus’s
novels
Chicago no longer recommends exceptions for proper classical names of
two or more syllables that end in an eez sound, either. Now it’s
correct to use Euripides’s tragedies, the Ganges’s source, and Xerxes’s
armies.
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Ask the Book Doctor: How to Beat the Competition and Sell Your Writing
by Bobbie Christmas quickly answers all the questions you wish you
could ask an expert on writing and editing. It’s a compendium of
questions asked by writers like you and answered by Bobbie Christmas
and other experts. The printed book makes a great gift to fellow
writers for $14.98 plus $4 shipping.
The e-book version also features clickable links that take you to
resources that also help you write, edit, and sell your work, whether
you write books, short stories, articles, reports, or anything else,
for that matter. The e-book costs only $8.54, you get almost super fast
delivery, and you pay no shipping and handling fee.
To order Ask the Book Doctor: How to Beat the Competition and Sell Your
Writing as a printed book or e-book, go to
http://www.zebraeditor.com/book_ask_the_book_doctor.shtml
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Don’t Pay $90 for This Book!
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. The book
is considered out of print, so grab one of the few remaining copies at
the original price, while supplies last. Amazon offers used copies
starting at $89.93. 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. Once the remaining
copies are gone, the book will no longer be available at this price,
and you’ll have to pay the prevailing price for a used copy.
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The Chicago Manual of Style Online site recently posted the question
and answer below.
For more questions and answers, see the site at
www.chicagomanualofstyle.org.
Q. What is an acceptable way to refer to myself in a Chicago-style
paper? I have always been told not to use “I”: “I disagree with Dr.
Fream’s conclusion.” In the past I have been told that I should refer
to myself as “this author”: “This author disagrees with Dr. Fream’s
conclusion.” An English-teacher friend of mine, in checking one of my
papers, stated that she believes the use of “this author” is in error.
A. Avoiding the first person used to be considered proper, but now it’s
considered very formal, if not old-fashioned. It’s not a question of
correctness, however; both styles are correct. If you feel strongly
that the first person is out of place in your work, don’t use it.
The new 16th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style is now available
online and is also available in print wherever books are sold.
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If you’re a serious copy editor, you may want to sign up for Amy
Einsohn’s $75 course in what’s new in the 16th edition of The Chicago
Manual of Style. Einsohn is the author of The Copyeditor's Handbook, so
she knows her stuff. Her distance-learning (self-paced) course looks
like it’s great for those who need to get up to speed immediately. See
http://www.editcetera.com/plus_f.htm.
For those who aren’t in any hurry, I’ll put updates in this newsletter
when I find them. The book is more than a thousand pages long, so be
patient!
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Free Tools for Writers from Bobbie Christmas and Zebra Communications
Download 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. Go to
http://zebraeditor.com/reports/reports.php. 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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Are you on Facebook? Do You Twitter? Do you read blogs?
Keep up with Bobbie’s activities on Facebook (search for Bobbie
Rothberg Christmas) or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BookDoctor4u.
Bobbie’s blogs:
Creative Writing: http://bobbiechristmas.blogspot.com/
Weight Loss: Don’t You Dare Call It a Diet!
http://dontyoudarecallitadiet.blogspot.com/
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Five: Contests, Agents and Markets
Surface Magazine
12 West 27th Street, 10th Floor
New York NY 10001
212.343.0210
editorial@surfacemag.com
For 15 years, readers have turned to Surface for creative inspiration,
coverage of the burgeoning design world, and profiles of the emerging
designers and provocative projects that are reshaping the creative
landscape. With this ability to identify and collaborate with
undiscovered talent—from furniture makers to fashion designers—the
magazine acts as a cultural barometer of global style in all its forms.
With an international team headquartered in New York, the magazine is
constantly expanding its ability to identify, celebrate and support the
artists and ideas that connect the present with the future. Surface is
the definitive American source for engaging, curated content covering
all that is inventive and compelling in the design world. Surface is
published six times a year and is owned by Quadra Media, LLC. Send
article queries to editorial department.
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Geist Seeks Literary Fiction and Nonfiction
Editorial Board, Geist
#210—111 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada V6B 1H4
Geist is a magazine of ideas and culture made in Canada with a strong
literary focus and a sense of humour. The Geist tone is intelligent,
plain-talking, inclusive and off¬beat. Each issue represents a
convergence of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, photography, art, reviews,
little-known facts of interest, cartography, and the legendary Geist
crossword puzzle.
Before submitting work, read an issue of the print magazine, or dig
deep into the archives at geist.com. Also read the full submission
guidelines at http://www.geist.com/contributors-guidelines.
We do not accept e-mail submissions, except for art and photography.
Include a SASE with Canadian postage or IRC. We buy first North
American serial rights for most original work and second or third
serial rights for previously published work (including work published
on the Internet).
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Darkside Digital
http://www.darkside-digital.com/submission-guidelines.html
Darkside Digital is accepting submissions. We have teamed up with
Delirium Books to offer both digital and print contracts to authors who
submit work from 15,000 words to 40,000 words. For submissions less
than 15,000 we will consider them for only a Darkside Digital release
as an e-book. Please review the guidelines for the fiction we are
looking for below.
We’re looking for original horror fiction only. From 2,000 to 40,000
words. No simultaneous submissions; no reprinted material.
You’ll get 25% royalties off the cover price paid quarterly via PayPal
from our parent company Horror Mall (Horror Mall will pay PayPal fees,
not the author). If you're a professional author who makes his or her
living writing, feel free to query (to editor (at) darkside-digital
(dot) com to negotiate a flat professional rate. We have limited slots
reserved only for names that will bring in traffic and buzz; other than
that, expect to be on a royalty basis.
Submit through website listed above, but first read all guidelines.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The McVeigh Agency
345 West 21st St.
New York NY 10011
queries@themcveighagency.com
www.themcveighagency.com
I'm looking for the following:
On the adult side–
Fiction of all kinds, from the super-literary to the ultra-commercial.
Nonfiction, especially biographies and history.
Select memoirs that take the reader somewhere they’ve never been
before, geographically or emotionally.
Nonfiction books that show us a new angle on a familiar subject.
Graphic novels.
Detective novels that feature unusual protagonists and settings.
Biographies.
Genre mashups, a book that mixes two common but disparate themes and
combines them to comic or dramatic effect.
On the children’s side–
Books for very young readers from the age of zero to five.
Very select picture books that are character driven, funny, and with a
totally kid-centric hook. (If your book doesn’t have a child in it,
think carefully before sending it to me.)
Chapter books, especially those with school settings, quirky (even
difficult) protagonists.
Middle-grade books for both boys and girls, especially manuscripts that
have series potential.
Young adult of all sorts, from comic to angst-y, from envelope-pushing,
issue-based to swooningly romantic.
High-concept novels.
Graphic novels.
Scary novels of all kind, even those with vampires. (But do you really
want to go there?)
Fantasy with a twist, particularly Historical Steampunk.
Unusual or very topical nonfiction, history with a unique spin.
For both adult and children's–
Illustrators with an arresting look and a versatile style who are
capable of illustrating picture books, covers, and interior art.
Illustrators who have worked for educational or licensing companies and
want to break into the trade market, especially those who can handle
books for the zero to five market.
Photographers with the skill to handle both commercial and more
literary projects.
And finally, one important note–
Books with particular appeal to children and adults of color. This
country is based on the idea of a melting pot, and I want my clients
and their books to reflect that. No matter what color you are, I want
to represent books that resonate with you and your world. Writers shape
the books they write, but these books shape the people who read them:
I’m totally aware of this and committed to growing the list of
successful authors and illustrators of color.
If a person has a unique idea, concept, or vision and a voice, I'll do
what I can to help them shape it into a manuscript that can work in
today’s market.
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TICKLED BY THUNDER FICTION CONTEST
Tickled by Thunder fiction magazine
14076 86A Ave.
Surrey BC V3W 0V9
Canada
info@tickledbythunder.com
www.tickledbythunder.com
Award to encourage new writers. Prize: $150 Canadian, 4-issue
subscription (two years) plus publication. Categories: short stories.
Judged by the editor and other writers. Entry fee: $10 Canadian (free
for subscribers but more than one story requires $5 per entry).
Deadline: February 15. Entries must be unpublished. Word length: 2,000
words or less. Open to any writer. Guidelines available for SASE,
e-mail, on website. Accepts inquiries by e-mail. Results announced in
May. Winners notified by mail. For contest results, send SASE.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE PATERSON POETRY PRIZE
The Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College
One College Blvd.
Paterson NJ 07505-1179
mgillan@pccc.edu
www.pccc.edu/poetry
The Paterson Poetry Prize offers an annual award of $1,000 for the
strongest book of poems (48 or more pages) published in the previous
year. The winner will be asked to participate in an awards ceremony and
to give a reading at The Poetry Center. Minimum press run: 500 copies.
Publishers may submit more than 1 title for prize consideration, 3
copies of each book must be submitted. Include SASE for results, books
will not be returned (all entries will be donated to the Poetry Center
Library). Guidelines and application form (required) available for SASE
or on website. Entry fee: none. Deadline: February 1 (postmark).
Winners will be announced in Poets & Writers Magazine and on website.
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Six: Creative Writing Assignment – Horse Feathers!
The term “horse feathers,” which means nonsense or rubbish, started out
as one word, horsefeathers, when comic strip writer William De Beck
used it in his comic, “Barney Google,” in the late 1920s. Some say the
term was a nice way of saying “horse poop.” What an odd thought!
In the 1930s, the Marx Brothers made a film named Horse Feathers, as
two words, and it’s been two words ever since.
For this exercise, use your imagination. Think of feathers, whether
horse feathers (which obviously don’t really exist), turkey feathers,
eagle feathers, or duck down. Think of feather boas or feather quilts,
feather pillows, or feather beds. Make up a story with whatever
feathers come to your mind.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tools for writers plus free reports, information, and answers for
writers like you: www.zebraeditor.com.
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