The Writers Network News June 2011 Issue http://ezezine.com
The Writers Network News, May 2011 Issue
In This Issue
One: From the editor’s desk – IRCs, Relics of the Past?
Two: Ask the Book Doctor – About Filling a Niche, Spacing after
Periods, Minimalist Writing, and Maximum Manuscript Lengths
Three: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Are you Anxious
or Are You Merely Eager?
Four: Subjects of Interest to Writers
Five: Contests, Agents, and Markets
Six: Creative Writing Assignment – Study the Minutiae
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The Writers Network News
No Rules; Just Write!
Editor: Bobbie Christmas
Contents copyright 2011, 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.
Zebra Communications
Excellent editing for maximum marketability
230 Deerchase Drive, Suite B
Woodstock, GA 30188
770/924-0528
http://zebraeditor.com/
Follow my "Write In Style" creative-writing blog at
http://bobbiechristmas.blogspot.com/
Follow my "Don't You Dare Call It a Diet" weight-loss blog at
http://dontyoudarecallitadiet.blogspot.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writer’s quote of the day
Publishers Weekly: “So why did you write this book?”
Hunter S. Thompson: “Why? Because I'm a writer!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One: From the editor’s desk — IRCs, Relics of the Past?
Dear Fellow Writers:
I go way back in the publishing industry, so far back I remember
Linotype machines that set type one lead letter at a time. True, I
wasn’t yet of working age, but I was already fascinated with writing,
words, and publishing. I had no idea that one day computers would come
along and revolutionize the publishing industry.
Not only have I watched publishing technology change, but I’ve also
watched a shift with writers trying to find a publisher. Back in the
day, we wrote our query letters on typewriters and mailed them with a
self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE), so the publisher could easy
mail us an acceptance or rejection. Now many publishers accept queries
over the Internet and respond by e-mail, too.
Not all publishers have streamlined their submissions, though. A few
weeks ago I found a potential publisher to which I wanted to submit my
latest book proposal, but the publisher is based in London. It did not
accept e-mail submissions, and the guidelines said to mail a proposal
and sample chapter with a SASE. I printed out my cover letter,
proposal, and sample chapter. I created a self-addressed envelope. I
printed a label for the manila envelope for the whole package. All I
needed was postage for the package and a stamp for my SASE, but not an
American stamp. The stamp had to be usable in England, for the
publisher to send a letter back to me. No problem, I thought. I went to
the post office, waited my turn, and finally reached the counter.
“I’d like an International Reply Coupon,” I stated.
“What?” the clerk asked.
I repeated myself.
“Never heard of them,” she said.
“It’s a slip of paper good for one first-class stamp. I want to send an
envelope to England with an IRC, so the company can get a British stamp
to put on the envelope to mail back to me.”
She gave me a blank stare.
Finally the woman at the next station called over. “We used to carry
those years ago.”
My clerk said, “What’s it called?”
“An International Reply Coupon; IRC,” I repeated.
“I’ll ask my supervisor.”
After a long wait, I got the bad news: “We don’t have them here. You’ll
have to go to another post office.”
“Which one?”
“I don’t know.”
After visiting two post offices and calling five more, I gave up, went
home, went online, and ordered an IRC from USPS.com for $2.50 plus
another dollar for delivery. I then had to wait six days to receive it.
Mailing a submission to London turned into a weeklong ordeal and a
large expense. I wish the publisher would move into the twenty-first
century and allow me to submit my proposal through e-mail, but I’m sure
the publisher cuts down on its volume of submissions by requiring
writers to send proposals by traditional mail.
If it took me a week and big bucks to get the package in the mail to
the publisher, I can only imagine how many months I’ll have to wait for
a reply. Writers must be patient, though, and we must keep submitting,
even while we’re waiting.
While I’m looking for a publisher for my latest book, let me remind you
that Write In Style, my award-winning book on creative writing, is
officially out of print. New copies are selling for as much as $138.00
on Amazon. While they last, however, you can still buy one of the few
remaining new copies at the original price of $12.95. To purchase, go
to http://zebraeditor.com/book_write_in_style.shtml. Hurry! Supplies
are rapidly dwindling. Only a few dozen are left.
Yours in writing,
Bobbie Christmas (Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or bzebra@aol.com )
Author of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing), owner of Zebra
Communications, and director of The Writers 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.
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Two: Ask the Book Doctor — About Filling a Niche, Spacing after
Periods, Minimalist Writing, and Maximum Manuscript Lengths
Q: I’m writing my first cookbook. I would like to know if you have any
ideas on how to beat the competition and get my book to sell.
A: The short e-mail that asked this question had several errors, so my
number-one suggestion is to be certain the writing in the book is
pristine. Before trying to sell the manuscript to a publisher or
self-publishing it, be sure to hire a professional book editor to edit
the manuscript.
My next suggestions are to ensure the book fills a niche, is unique,
fits a market not being served, and/or solves a problem.
As for ideas on how to sell a book, the answers are far too complex to
answer in an e-mail or a column, but several good books are available
on how to sell or self-publish, market, and promote books.
Q: I am inclined to leave out information that I consider
inconsequential. Tolkien did not give us a complete understanding of
Middle Earth. Many things were just there. He said to the world,
“Accept them. They live in my story.” If tidbits are not critical to
the main theme, how do I know how much is not enough and at what point
it goes over the top? I’m often accused of the former.
A: I have read terrific short stories that left many things up to the
reader. Hemingway, who began as a journalist, successfully carried his
minimalist style into novels. When done well, minimalist writing can be
highly effective. When done poorly, readers get frustrated and want to
quit reading.
Without seeing the actual work, I cannot evaluate how much is too
little. I will say this, though: When one reader complains, it’s just
one person’s opinion. When more than one person makes the same
observation, no matter what it is, it may be time to listen.
Q: The prevailing opinion of writers in our group is that manuscripts
should have only one space after a period. Today I read that ALL
editors prefer (or demand) two spaces after a period, even if it is
considered old hat. What is your opinion?
A: Whoever said absolutely all editors prefer two spaces was voicing an
opinion, not stating a fact. Who could possibly presume to know what
all editors want? As an editor, I support using only one space after a
period, and not because it’s my opinion, but because it is standard in
the industry. It avoids awkward spacing when the book is later designed
with justified type.
Editors come in many forms. Acquisitions editors at publishing houses
that use your electronic file will probably want only one space after a
period. I work for several publishers, and the first task they all ask
me to perform is to strip out extra spacing and leave only one space
after each period. Self-publishers should always use only one space
after a period. An independent manuscript editor who works on a
printout may want a different style, but few independent manuscript
editors work on printed copy anymore.
Regardless of individual editors’ preferences, though, the fact remains
that using two spaces after a period was the standard in the past, in
the day of typewriters, but computers changed things. Current standard
manuscript format for book-length manuscripts calls for double-spaced
twelve-point Courier or Times New Roman type, no extra space between
paragraphs, and one space, not two, after periods.
Q. I’ve read that most publishers won’t publish a novel over 90,000
words from a first-time author. If I get some short stories published
in magazines first, would a publisher be more willing to publish one of
my novels, since my books will most likely end up as 600, 700, or 800
pages in length?
A: There is definitely a maximum word count that most publishers set.
The figure I keep hearing is a maximum of 100,000 words for a novel
from a first-time author, but let’s examine the logic of that maximum.
Publishers must consider all issues, because they want a good rate of
return on their investment. Most readers prefer books of 100,000 words
or fewer, so length could affect marketability. The lofty cost of
producing a large book pushes the retail price higher than most buyers
will pay, too, so marketability takes a double hit. In addition to
marketing issues and high production costs, large books cost more to
ship and can be more difficult to bind. I think you can see why most
publishers prefer books that do not exceed 100,000 words.
An 800-page manuscript equates to about 200,000 words, double the usual
maximum length. Whenever you are tempted to write a book that comes in
at double the recommended length, consider breaking it into two books
in a series, but be sure each book has a beginning, middle, and end.
Length issues aside for a moment, if you want to sell a novel to a
publisher, it’s always good to sell a few short stories first. Those
sales indicate that you are a good writer. Prior sales may also help
you build a following, as J.K. Rowling did with her first, not-so-long
book in the Harry Potter series. Once you have a following, publishers
are more likely to accept your longer manuscripts.
Send your questions to Book Doctor Bobbie Christmas at
Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. You’ll get a personal answer ASAP.
Would you like to read, save, or share the Ask the Book Doctor column
as a PDF file? At http://zebraeditor.com/files/ask_the_book_doctor.pdf,
the newest column is posted around the first of each month.
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Three: This Month’s Writing Tip from Bobbie Christmas – Are you Anxious
or Are You Merely Eager?
Be sure you understand the difference between anxious and eager; the
two words are not interchangeable.
Anxious means uneasy and apprehensive about an uncertain event or
matter, worried, or having anxiety. Example: The president was anxious
about having to give a speech.
Eager means having or showing keen interest, intense desire, or
impatient expectancy. Example: Everyone was eager to see the president
speak.
If you suspect you’ve used the word “anxious” in places where you
really meant to use the word “eager,” use my Find and Refine Method to
locate and fix those incorrect word choices. Under Edit on your
computer, go to the Find function (or use Control + F), and in the Find
What box, type “anxious.” Press Find Next. When “anxious” shows up, be
sure you’ve used it to mean “uneasy” or “apprehensive.” If it is
supposed to mean “expectant with intense desire,” change the word to
“eager.”
For more opportunities for improvement, buy one of the few remaining
copies of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing) by going to
http://zebraeditor.com/book_write_in_style.shtml.
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Four: Subjects of interest to writers
Become a Walking Advertisement for Your Book
Are you too embarrassed to bring up the subject of your book or to try
to sell your book to strangers or friends? I’ve created a perfect tool
that lets you promote your books everywhere you go, without being
intrusive or forcing your book on anyone. Best of all, it costs only
$5.00. Buy it now! See http://tinyurl.com/42s2cd9.
I’ve created many other items, too, that declare your passion for
writing. Buy a button that proclaims, “I am a writer,” an apron that
says, “I’d rather be writing” or a T-shirt that says, “Treat me right,
or you’ll become a character in one of my books.” See all my products
(and buy them!) at http://www.zazzle.com/writingandediting.
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After receiving the May 2011 newsletter, The Writers Network member
Lena Roach wrote, “Aren't you guilty of redundancy when you used the
words, ‘exact opposite’ in an explanatory paragraph?”
I answered, “I’m guilty as charged. We all need editors. Thank you for
making me laugh at myself.” I hope she caught my humor; “guilty as
charged” is redundant, too.
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Way to go, Larry Davis of Malabar, Florida! His story made it to the
semifinalist category in the Writers of the Future Contest.
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Need to write a press release to announce your book release or book
signing? Remember to think like a reporter while you write your
release. Always consider what would interest a reporter, rather than
what will serve your best interest. See
http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp for a sample and a great
deal of other solid information on press releases.
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Get Your Book Reviewed
Although finding a reviewer for a book may seem difficult, many people
are willing to do it for free. Here are a few.
BookBliss
www.book-bliss.com
Contact Louise at louise@book-bliss.com.
Accepts mysteries, crime, thrillers, suspense, chick lit, memoirs,
contemporary fiction, literary fiction, horror, young adult, paranormal
romance, urban fantasy, and memoirs (but no “troubled childhood, Dave
Pelzer-type” memoirs)
Other than her own website, she posts your book reviews on Amazon UK
and Goodreads
The Next Best Book Blog(PREFERS PHYSiCAL COPIES)
http://thenextbestbookblog.blogspot.com
Contact Lori Hettler mescorn@ptd.net or
Accepts most forms of adult literary fiction and experimental fiction
Won’t accept: Nonfiction, YA, self-help, historical, and
romance/erotica
Prefers physical copies, not e-books.
Links to the review on Twitter and Facebook for TNBBC and cross posts
to Goodreads.
Flying With Red Haircrow
http://flyingwithredhaircrow.wordpress.com/
Contact: Red Haircrow
theredhairedcrow@gmail.com (put “Review Request" in the subject line)
Accepts all genres on a case-by-case basis, fiction and nonfiction.
We choose to reject any material promoting discrimination or
superiority of any kind, whether it's based on religion, sexuality,
nationality, country of origin, etc. At this time, we do not accept
audiobooks or print books. We prefer books by e-mail in pdf format. We
wrote a general article on reviews here: http://tinyurl.com/3txn4cv.
Posts your book reviews on Facebook, Smashwords, Goodreads.com, and our
main blog site link, www.redhaircrow.com, which in turn auto-posts the
link to Amazon, and we always post links to Twitter using a variety of
hashtags. We are also a small press publishing brand which will be
expanding in the future and hope to include clients who write in a
variety of genres. Please see our "Seekers of Review/Interview Page"
for full guidelines and background at http://tinyurl.com/3bwj3ke.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My colleague, Chris Roerden, sent a note that’s on point. She copied my
comment regarding how to pick the right editor for your manuscript,
when I said, “I highly recommend using a book editor who not only edits
the manuscript but also evaluates the concept, plot, characterization,
pace, voice, and all the other elements of the manuscript. You will
learn a tremendous amount from such an evaluation, and it will help you
when you write future books, too.”
She suggested, “Let me add one more factor to your excellent list, and
that's an editor who knows the manuscript’s specific market. Everything
about an edit may be perfect, but if the manuscript misses its market,
or contains a no-no that the fans of that genre won't tolerate
(determined by the agent or acquiring editor), it goes nowhere. An
editor who ‘edits everything’ may produce an excellent, error-free
result for a manuscript that is interesting, with great
characterization, and so on, but if the result doesn't fit within an
existing market niche--or if a writer pushes the boundaries of an
existing niche too far--few publishers will take a chance on buying
it.”
She added, “It's unrealistic to expect any editor to keep up with all
the markets and furnish an edit that's right for its first audience
(agents and acquisition editors), which is why I decided years ago to
focus on mystery.”
In addition to being an editor who specializes in mystery novels, Chris
Roerden is the author of two great reference books, DON'T MURDER YOUR
MYSTERY and DON'T SABOTAGE YOUR SUBMISSION.
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From The Chicago Manual of Style website Q & A this month:
Q. Can you distinguish when a single quotation mark is used versus a
double quotation mark? I’m not referring to quotes within quotes, but
about the use of single quotation marks closer to linguistic uses. I
see both single and double quotation marks in instances seemingly for
special meaning but not limited to linguistics. (That also seems to
drive whether a comma is placed inside or outside the closing single
quotation mark.)
A. For nonspecialist texts, Chicago recommends double quotation marks
for everything except quotations within quotations. The comma or period
goes inside.
For more CMOS Q & A, see
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/CMS_FAQ/new/new_questions01.html.
Chicago Manual of Style
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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. Spiral binder lies flat for easy use. You can also 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.
To save thousands of dollars by editing your own book, order Purge Your
Prose of Problems today at http://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr.
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Words Writers Should Know
denouement
(day-noo-MAHN) [the final syllable is nasal]
noun: The final resolution of the plot of a story or a complex sequence
of events.
ETYMOLOGY:
From French dénouement (outcome or conclusion; literally, untying),
from dénouer (to unknot or undo), from de- (from) + nouer (to tie),
from Latin nodus (knot). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ned-
(to bind), which is also the source of node, noose, annex, connect,
ouch, and nettle. Earliest documented use: 1752.
USAGE:
"But in Japan's narrative, the denouement is elusive. This disaster
story keeps building, growing worse." --Japan's Crucible; Chicago
Tribune (Illinois); Mar 15, 2011.
Today’s word comes from one of my favorite sources, A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg of www.wordsmith.org.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mind map your next book idea. Use the tips on this site from the United
Kingdom: http://www.mind-mapping.co.uk/make-mind-map.htm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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: $8.95, no
S & H, with almost instant delivery. You’ll save almost $10 by buying
the e-book! To order either, go to http://tinyurl.com/lexp7n.
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What’s Selling in E-Books
The Washington Post says: “The explosive growth, so far, has primarily
been in commercial fiction—particularly such genres as romance,
thrillers and horror—but Seth Godin, a New York-based marketing guru,
is doing well with Poke the Box, his latest business book.”
It also says, “Don’t sprint to e-pub that novel you wrote on vacation
but never sent to anyone because your wife said it stinks and what does
she know? Well, maybe a lot. The overwhelming number of self-publishing
e-authors are consigned to the same fate as their print counterparts:
oblivion.”
The Washington Post also quotes Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords.com,
a website that helped launch indie publishing: “We have fewer than
fifty people who are making more than $50,000 per year. We have a lot
who don’t sell a single book. When I load all our numbers on a
spreadsheet, it’s the typical power curve,” he says. “On the left,
there’s a skinny area of the chart where people are knocking it out of
the park. And then we have a very, very long tail off to the right,
where some titles sell very few.”
See for the whole story in The Washington Post.
http://tinyurl.com/3kgf97w
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From Southern Review of Books
(http://anvilpub.net/southern_review_of_books.htm)
Blane Bachelor, journalist; nationally syndicated columnist; author of
On Being a Bachelor: Thoughts on Dating, Mating, and Relating (Virgil
Press); and a recent speaker at the GABBS Atlanta Spring Book Show at
Atlanta's Cobb Galleria Center, has the following ten tips for writers:
(1) Know the trade terminology used by professional writers, authors,
editors and publishers.
(2) Always submit clean copy that avoids bad spelling and grammar and
punctuation errors.
(3) Do your homework. Avoid accuracy errors. Check to be sure you have
your facts correct: accurate names, addresses, ages and other
information.
(4) Become a reader. You're not going to become a successful author if
you don’t read.
(5) Avoid being short on patience and drive. Writing is a high-energy
profession.
(6) Avoid tormented, tortured, insane query letters. Be calm and
professional.
(7) Avoid listening to advice from unqualified critics. Your mom loves
you, but she's probably not capable of judging the excellence of your
writing.
(8) Have some Web presence. You should be on social networking sites
such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the like.
(9) Don't assume that your book or writing will sell itself. You have
to play the prime role in marketing.
(10) Avoid unrealistic expectations. Believe in yourself, but recognize
that not everything you write is worthy of publication.
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Forty Free Tools for Authors
This article gives links to free software, services, and information
for authors:
http://tinyurl.com/3vt23th
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don’t pay $176 for this book!
New copies of Write In Style, Bobbie’s Award-Winning Textbook on
Creative Writing, are selling for between $74 and $176 on Amazon.com.
Don’t believe me? See http://tinyurl.com/4hc2bxu. Like-new used copies
are selling for as much as $138. Don’t pay those prices! For a very
limited time, you can still buy this book at the original cover price
of $12.95 plus shipping, and I’ll even sign it for you. To order, to go
http://zebraeditor.com/book_write_in_style.shtml.
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. Hurry! Supplies of
new books are dwindling quickly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shelf Awareness is the free e-mail newsletter dedicated to helping
people in the book industry make decisions about buying, selling, and
lending books most wisely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2011 Pulitzer Prize Winners in Letters
Fiction: Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan (Alfred A. Knopf)
Nonfiction: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, by
Siddhartha Mukherjee (Scribner)
History: The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery, by Eric
Foner (Norton)
Biography: Washington: A Life, by Ron Chernow (The Penguin Press)
Poetry: The Best of It: New and Selected Poems, by Kay Ryan (Grove
Press)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keep up with Bobbie’s activities on Twitter:
http:twitter.com/BookDoctor4u
Become Bobbie’s friend on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bobbie.christmas
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Five: Contests, Agents, and Markets
Romance Writers Can Submit Directly to Avon for Potential E-Books
Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announces the debut
of Avon Impulse, a new imprint dedicated to digital publishing. The new
imprint will feature e-books and print-to-order novels and novellas.
“Romance readers have been among the first to embrace books digitally,”
says Liate Stehlik, Senior Vice President and Publisher of William
Morrow and Avon Books. “Their passion has encouraged us to introduce a
line of romance e-books, which empowers Avon to publish more quickly,
with an eye to what’s trending in fiction.” The new imprint is looking
to publish multiple titles each month, eventually releasing new content
weekly.
The growth of eReaders and e-books has created a new opportunity that
allows us to begin increasing the number and diversity of our romance
list for the first time in ten years. Books will be acquired by Avon
editors and will benefit by targeted marketing and publicity plans, as
well as powerful sales platforms.
We encourage creativity, so feel free to impress us with what you've
got! We also have our eye out for great submissions in the following
subgenres (of romance): Contemporary, Fantasy, Futuristic, Ghost,
Gothic, Historical, Magical, Time Travel, Western, Shifter, Small Town,
Steampunk, Suspense, Vampire (and others).
Avon Impulse will not pay an advance, but authors receive 25% royalties
from the first book sold. After an e-book sells 10,000 net copies, the
author's royalty rate rises to 50%. (Contracts will provide royalties
for both e-book and print-to-order copies.)
For answers to frequently asked questions or to submit a romance novel,
go to http://www.avonromance.com/impulse/.
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The Threepenny Review Wants Articles, Stories, Memoirs, and Poetry
We accept submissions through the mail and via our online submissions
system. Whichever method you plan to use, please read our writers'
guidelines first. You will not be given this crucial information again
on the online submissions page, so please read completely through the
guidelines before you access our online submissions system.
Writers' Guidelines
1. The Threepenny Review is paying $400 per story or article, $200 per
poem or Table Talk piece. This payment buys first serial rights in our
print and digital editions, and the copyright then reverts to the
author immediately upon publication.
2. All mailed manuscripts must include a stamped, self-addressed
envelope for our reply. Submissions should be mailed to:
The Editors
The Threepenny Review
PO Box 9131
Berkeley, CA 94709
3. All online submissions must consist of a single document in Word
format (.doc or .docx). If you are submitting prose, the document
should consist of a single article or a single story. If you are
submitting poetry, please group your poems into one document containing
no more than five poems, because the online system will not accept more
than a single document from each person. Please include your name and
address somewhere on the document as well as in our submission form.
4. We do not print material that has been published elsewhere, and we
emphatically do not consider simultaneous submissions. We do our best
to offer a quick turnaround time, so please allow us the privilege of
sole consideration during that relatively brief period; writers who do
not honor this request will not be published in the magazine.
5. Response time for submissions can range from two days to two months.
Please do not submit more than a single story or article, or more than
five poems, until you have heard back from us about your previous
submission. If you have not heard from us within a couple of months,
you should assume that either your communication or ours has gone
astray.
6. We strongly recommend that you stay within our length limits. As a
rule, critical articles should be about 1,200 to 2,500 words, Table
Talk items 1,000 words or less, stories and memoirs 4,000 words or
less, and poetry 100 lines or less. (Exceptions are occasionally
possible, but longer pieces will have a much harder time getting
accepted.) We prefer to read prose submissions that are double-spaced;
poetry can be single-spaced or double-spaced.
7. The Threepenny Review is quarterly and national (and in some
respects international); therefore each "review" should actually be an
essay, broader than the specific event it covers and of interest to
people who cannot see the event.
8. Writers will be consulted on all significant editing done on their
articles, and will have the opportunity to proofread galleys for
typographical errors.
9. It is recommended that those submitting work for the first time to
The Threepenny Review take a look at a sample copy beforehand. (Print
copies are available from the publisher for $12.00; digital copies can
be downloaded instantly for $7.00.)
10. We do not read submissions during the second half of the year (July
through December), so please do not submit work then. Any material sent
to us during that period will be discarded unread.
11. E-mailed submissions will be discarded unread. The only two ways to
submit work to us are through the mail and via our online system.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EHow is abolishing cheap and free user-generated content and will
commission stories up to 850 words, for which it would pay up to $350.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Narrative Magazine Spring Contest
See http://www.narrativemagazine.com/ for full guidelines
Our spring contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. We’re
looking for short stories, short shorts, essays, memoirs, photo essays,
graphic stories, one-act plays, all forms of literary nonfiction, and
excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must
be previously unpublished, must be no longer than 15,000 words, and
must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or
honorable mention in another contest.
Prior winners and finalists in Narrative contests have gone on to win
other contests and to be published in prize collections, including the
Pushcart Prize, Best New Stories from the South, the Atlantic Prize,
and others.
As always, we are looking for works with a strong narrative drive, with
characters we can respond to as human beings, and with effects of
language, situation, and insight that are intense and total. We look
for works that have the ambition of enlarging our view of ourselves and
the world.
Awards: First Prize is $3,250, Second Prize is $1,500, Third Prize is
$750, and ten finalists will receive $100 each. All entries will be
considered for publication.
Submission Fee: $20 for each entry. You’ll receive three months of
complimentary access to Narrative Backstage. The contest deadline is
July 31, 2011, at midnight Pacific daylight savings time. The contest
will be judged by the editors of the magazine. Winners and finalists
will be announced to the public by August 31, 2011. All writers who
enter will be notified by email of the judges’ decisions. Please read
our Submission Guidelines for manuscript formatting and other
information. In addition to our contest, please review our other
Submission Categories for areas that may interest you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greyhaus Literary Agency Looking for Romance and Women’s Fiction
Scott C. Eagan
Greyhaus Literary Agency
3021 20th ST. PL SW
Puyallup, WA. 98373
Greyhaus accepts e-submissions at
http://www.greyhausagency.com/Contact_Us.html
Stories must be at least 75,000 words in length. The only exception are
stories targeting category lines. Make sure your word count fits the
exact line you are looking at.
Contemporary - Real romances set in present day. I want the stories
real and not manufactured. I want this just like our friends around us
who fall in love. We don't need a psychotic past, but something real.
Women's Fiction - I am looking for a story that is character driven. I
want a story about real people with real issues. The goal of this story
is to simply follow the female journey and learn what it takes to be a
female. The ultimate goal is to really allow the female reader to
relate to the characters and be able to say, "Hey, that happens to me."
This should be powerful literature, and I am not looking for a story
that is lacking romance. Please focus on a single issue and don't wear
the reader out with so many issues that it sounds like a soap opera.
This is where the story needs to avoid being plot driven. If, for
example, the story is about a woman learning how to work in a
male-driven profession, then show that. We don't need to add in
illness, stalkers, deaths in the family, and so on. Keep it focused.
For regular mail submissions, please send only the following items:
1. A three-to-five-page synopsis
2. Only the first three pages.
3. A SASE
4. A cover letter
Do not include a postcard checking to see if the mail made it to me.
Use Delivery Confirmation through the post office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Online Dating Magazine Welcomes Articles
http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com/writersguidelines.html
If you are interested in writing for Online Dating Magazine, please
read the below author guidelines and compensation methods then submit
your inquiry.
Online Dating Magazine pays $15 per article for original material
(known as First Serial Rights).
There are a few short requirements for writers:
1) Articles must be approved for publishing before they will be
officially accepted.
2) Online Dating Magazine retains exclusive rights to all original
work. While authors may link to the articles, the articles, once
published by Online Dating Magazine, cannot ever be published
elsewhere.
3) Online Dating Magazine retains rights to republish articles anytime
in the future in any medium including, but not limited to, print,
CD-ROM, partner sites, etc. While additional payments are not made for
this, the author is properly credited.
4) Articles must be a minimum of 700 words in length. There is not a
maximum word length.
Online Dating Magazine welcomes article contributions. Some writers are
brought on board as regular columnists and feature writers. If you
would like to inquire about being a regular columnist or contributor
then please send at least two samples of your past writing work along
with your inquiry and a detailed outline on how you can contribute to
Online Dating Magazine.
Online Dating Magazine also welcomes regular review contributors who
become a part of the "ODM Review Crew". Reviewers must be able to
present clear and honest opinions after a thorough analysis of the
product or book being reviewed. Furthermore, reviewers can have no
association whatsoever with the product or book they are reviewing.
Online Dating Magazine is dedicated to presenting honest opinions free
from corporate influence.
When sending an inquiry, you must state whether your article is
original (never before published online, in print, or elsewhere) or
whether the article has been previously published. In addition, you
must indicate whether the article is already written or whether it is
an article you plan to write. Links to any past material you have
written (for us to review your writing abilities) is also beneficial.
Send your inquiry, including details about your article idea, to Online
Dating Magazine's publisher, Joe Tracy, via
jtracy@onlinedatingmagazine.com.
Articles should relate to one of the following four fields:
1) Online Dating
2) Self-Improvement
3) Dating in general
4) Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Writers’ Workshop of Asheville, N.C. Presents Hard Times Writing
Contest
Deadline: postmarked by June 30, 2011.
Write about a difficult experience in your life, how you overcame this
obstacle, and how you were changed by it. Winning stories will be
chosen for originality and creative writing style. Stories should be
previously unpublished, and should not exceed 4,000 words
(double-spaced, 12-point font).
Your name, address, e-mail and title of work should appear on a
separate cover sheet. The entry fee per submission is $25 ($20 for
Workshop members). Multiple entries are accepted. Enclose legal size
self-sealing SASE for critique and list of winners. Do not use Fedex,
certified mail, etc.Make check or money order payable to The Writers’
Workshop, and mail to: Hard Times Contest, 387 Beaucatcher Road,
Asheville, NC 28805.
Electronic submission may be sent to WritersW@gmail.com, with "Hard
Times Contest" in the subject. Entry fee is payable online. For full
information and to enter online, see http://www.twwoa.org/.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stampington & Company and Artful Blogging Wants to Hear About Your Blog
Artful Blogging is a Stampington & Company’s quarterly publication. If
you are the creator of a blog or know of one that you think other
creative minds would like to know about, please send a letter of
interest to the Managing Editor, at artfulblogging@stampington.com.
Deadline for submissions to be received: Quarterly every September 15,
December 15, March 15 and June 15.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MEMOIR (AND) Accepts Memoirs and Poetry
Memoir Journal
1316 67th Street, #8,
Emeryville CA 94608
Phone: (415)339-3142
E-mail: submissions@memoirjournal.com
Website: www.memoirjournal.com
"Memoir (and) publishes memoirs in many forms, from the traditional to
the experimental. The editors strive with each issue to include a
selection of prose, poetry, graphic memoirs, narrative photography,
lies and more from both emerging and established authors." It is a
semiannual magazine covering memoirs.
"We have two reading periods per year, with four prizes awarded in
each: the Memoir (and) Prizes for Prose and Poetry ($100, $250, $500 &
publication in publication in print and online, plus 3-6 copies of the
journal) and the Memoir (and) Prize for Graphic Memoir ($100 &
publication in print & online, 6 copies). Deadline: noon Pacific time,
August 16, 2011."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Funny Books Seeks Submissions to My Funny Valentine Humor Anthology
We’re fairly open on genres: so far we’ve accepted a book chapter, blog
essays, a comedy routine and a cartoon. Good light verse might work. A
length limit of 1,500 words seems usual and sensible, but we wouldn’t
turn down a hilarious item if longer.
Our preference is for material actually dealing with Valentine’s Day
(or closely related material) rather than love in the general sense.
There is no pay to contributors except copies, but we offer our writers
a lot that you might find more valuable than a few bucks.
The anthology should be fun for readers, but to writers My Funny
Valentine is best viewed as a promotional tool. It’s not far-fetched to
think of it as a writers’ publicity co-op, with some additional
privileges not generally found in anthology projects.
Deadline, July 1, 2011. Submissions can be pasted into body of email to
myfunnybooks@gmail.com. Don’t worry about losing formatting: if we like
your piece, we’ll tell you how to get a full-featured document to us.
To see more information, go to http://myfunnybooks.biz/.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DISNEY/ABC TELEVISION GROUP ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2012 WRITING
PROGRAM
Deadline for Submissions is June 1, 2011
Writing Program participants hone their craft and jumpstart their
careers through intensive workshops, seminars, and personalized
mentoring with creative executives from ABC Entertainment, ABC Studios,
Disney Channel, and ABC Family. Participants also receive a salary for
a one-year period.
Obtain an application form and detailed submission guidelines at
www.disneyabctalentdevelopment.com.
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Six: Creative Writing Assignment – Study the Minutiae
Minutiae: (pronounced mie-NU-sha) very small or unimportant details
In creative writing, nothing is unimportant, and the biggest clue to a
character’s personality, a plot resolution, or a mystery solution often
appears in the minutiae. Watch any detective story on television, such
as Law and Order or Castle, and you’ll see a little clue hidden among
all the interviews of suspects and inspection of evidence. By the end
of the story, one tiny detail leads the detectives to uncover the
culprit.
For this exercise, pick any object in your surroundings and study it
carefully. It might be a pencil, an eyeglass case, a dog bed, a
planter, or a tissue box. Examine every element of it. Think small.
Study the minutiae.
Write a paragraph or two describing the item in detail. When you
finish, think of how the object is used and write a story about the
object being used, either in its usual way or in some way other than
its intended use.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Meet Fellow Writers
Do you live in or visit metro Atlanta? Sign up for local meeting
notices today! Send your name and e-mail address to
Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Past Issues Still Available
To view current and past issues of The Writers Network News, go to
http://tinyurl.com/c4otf6.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some links in this newsletter 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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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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