The Writers Network News, February 2014 Issue http://ezezine.com
The Writers Network News, February 2014
In This Issue
One: From the editor's desk: What Have You Written Lately?
Two: Ask the Book Doctor about Cannot/Can Not, Setting Freelance
Prices, Multiple Viewpoints, and Although/Though
Three: This Month's Easy Editing Tip from Bobbie Christmas: Write Tight
Four: Subjects of Interest to Writers
Five: Contests, Agents, and Markets
Six: Got Muse? Make a List
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The Writers Network News
No Rules; Just Write!
Editor: Bobbie Christmas
Contents copyright 2014, Bobbie Christmas
No portion of this newsletter can be used without permission; however,
you may forward the newsletter in its entirety to anyone who may be
interested in subscribing.
Newsletter Sponsor
Zebra Communications
Excellent editing for maximum marketability
More than twenty years in the business of editing books (We must be
doing something right.)
As book doctors, we write, edit, and evaluate fiction and nonfiction
manuscripts, book proposals, query letters, and synopses. As book
shepherds, we guide writers through the process of self-publishing. We
are a top-rated Better Business Bureau Accredited Business.
Zebra Communications
230 Deerchase Drive
Woodstock, GA 30188
770/924-0528
http://zebraeditor.com/
Follow my Write In Style creative-writing blog at
http://bobbiechristmas.blogspot.com/
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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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note: I have shortened some links in this newsletter with the help of
www.tinyurl.com, a free service that takes long web addresses and
converts them to short ones.
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Writer's Quote of the Month
Poet Robert Southey said, "It is with words as with sunbeams, the more
they are condensed, the deeper they burn."
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One: From the editor's desk: What Have You Written Lately?
Dear Fellow Writers:
Yesterday a longtime friend called, and after we finished our original
discussion, he asked me, "What have you written lately?"
My jaw dropped. I've heard that same dreaded question several times in
my life, and it always strikes a poison dart to my heart. I edit
everyone else's books. I help others get their books ready for
submission or publication, but I rarely make time to work on my own
books. I've been writing a memoir for several years, but have I written
a word in that memoir in the past three months? Four months? Five
months? No, not a word.
Okay, I have spent some time researching agents and publishers and
sending out my book proposal, and each time I do, I revise the proposal
a little, but am I adding anything new? Am I dredging up incidents to
put in my memoirs? Oh, yes, I think of things I want to add, but do I
make notes, so I'll remember what I want to write? No.
What have I written lately? I've written thank-you notes, a letter or
two to folks who don't use e-mail, and tons of e-mails to those who do.
I've written posts to Facebook. I've written a column every month and a
blog here and there, and I compile this newsletter every month, but I
don't count any of those activities as actually writing. Why not? Why
don't I give myself credit for what I've done, rather than beating
myself up mentally for what I haven't done?
Without analyzing myself to pieces, maybe I should put my guilt to good
use and block out time to write more. It's a simple process. I tell
others how to do it all the time. As with many folks, I use my smart
phone to schedule things; others use calendars, to-do lists, or day
planners. Simply block out time to write, I tell people.
I'll listen to my own advice this year. Mondays will be my writing day.
It's a day when I rarely schedule much more than editing work and maybe
meeting with a friend. Surely I can allow myself two hours to write
whatever I want.
Monday it is, and next time someone says, "What have you written
lately," I'll be able to answer without stammering, feeling guilty, or
making excuses.
Yours in writing,
Bobbie Christmas (Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or bzebra@aol.com )
Author of Write In Style, owner of Zebra Communications, director of
The Writers Network, and coordinator of the Florida Writers Association
Editors Helping Writers service.
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 Cannot/Can Not, Setting Freelance
Prices, Multiple Viewpoints, and Although/Though
By Bobbie Christmas
Q: Will you please give me the rule regarding when to use "can not" or
when to use "cannot?"
A: The rule is simple. "Cannot" is the usual way of writing the term
that means "not able to." Offhand, I cannot think of sentence that
calls for "cannot" as two words unless punctuation comes between the
words, as in this example: He thinks he can, not that he's right.
Q: I want to freelance, but I have no idea how to set my rates. How
should I figure an hourly rate for writing or editing?
A: No matter what type of freelance work you hope to do, to set an
hourly rate, you must begin with how much you want to make a year.
Let's say you want to make $50,000 a year. Take off the last three
zeroes to leave $50 and then divide by two, and you get $25, which
would give you an approximate hourly rate. That figure is an
unreachable ideal, however, because no freelancer on earth fills every
working hour with income-producing work. We also have to perform other
work-related tasks. We respond to calls and e-mail. We network, do our
own banking, handle our own shipping, and usually keep our own books
and pay our own bills. We update our websites, write proposals for
potential work, and perform research to find work. In addition, some of
us have to meet with clients and perform other non-income-producing
work, so $25 an hour won't be enough to reach a goal of $50,000 a year.
You will probably discover that you spend half your time performing
business tasks that are not income producing. If you hope to make
$50,000 a year, then, double the $25-an-hour figure and charge $50 an
hour, a realistic rate for freelance work.
As a new freelancer, however, you may think $50 an hour is too much to
quote to clients. If so, adjust the rate until you reach something that
feels like a price you can charge and still make a decent living.
If you want to undertake more research, you can find sites on the
Internet that give average hourly fees for various freelance work, and
some are adjusted for the region, as well.
Let me offer another tactic. When I began freelancing many decades ago,
I quickly learned to charge by the project for writing and by the word
or page for editing, rather than charging by the hour. If you tell a
client you charge by the hour, the client has no concept of how much
the project will cost. Are you a fast writer or a slow one? Who knows?
In addition, hourly fees can sound high, yet a project fee can sound
reasonable. By charging by the project, page, or word, you are able to
give a solid estimate, clients know what to expect, and you can tell if
you are comfortable with the fee.
Q: Is it acceptable to have many points of view when writing a mystery?
The hero and heroine, the victim and family, and the villains?
A: While grammar and punctuation both have many rules, creative writing
has few rules, only recommendations and guidelines. The guidelines
generally allow a book of any genre to have more than one point of
view, as long it has no more than one point of view per scene. Also as
a general guideline, only main characters should be given a point of
view.
Q: What is the difference between although and though, and when is each
used?
Although I was on time...
Though I was on time...
A: Although both words mean the same thing, general speaking,
"although" is preferred if it is the first word in a sentence.
Elsewhere in a sentence, "although" and "though" are usually
interchangeable.
Bobbie Christmas, book editor 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.
For more questions, answers, and comments, order the book, Ask the Book
Doctor: How to Beat the Competition and Sell Your Writing. Go to
http://zebraeditor.com/book_ask_the_book_doctor.shtml.
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Three: This Month's Easy Editing Tip from Bobbie Christmas: Write Tight
We writers have heard the axiom, "Write Tight" often, but what does it
mean? It means that during the editing phase, we writers should pore
over every sentence and delete any unnecessary wording. We must find
ways to rewrite sentences to make them tighter. Almost every time we
tighten our writing, we make it stronger. Sometimes recasting a
sentence from passive voice to active does the trick. Sometimes simply
deleting a word here and there will help. Here are some examples of
loose sentences and their tighter reconstruction.
Loose: There are three things that make dog owners tremble in their
shoes.
Tighter: Three things make dog owners tremble.
Loose: Accessibility of books is related to the quantity of independent
reading conduct, and the availability of a personal library is related
to increased success.
Tighter: Children read more books when they have more books available
to them, and when they have a personal library, they read even more.
Loose: There was a moment where I wanted to give the whole thing up.
Tighter: For a moment I wanted to give up.
Which sentences did you prefer?
Examine every single sentence individually in your writing and see how
you can make it tighter, stronger, and more direct. The result will
amaze you.
For more editing and creative writing tips, order Purge Your Prose of
Problems here: http://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr.
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Four: Subjects of interest to writers
I usually use this space to congratulate members of The Writers Network
for one achievement or another, but this time I will pat my own back.
First, I am proud to say that my editing business, Zebra
Communications, has now officially been in business for twenty-two
years. In all these years, I've edited countless manuscripts that have
resulted in dozens upon dozens of published books. Kudos to me!
Second, I'm honored that the Florida Writers Association has asked me
to write a monthly blog for its website. Watch for the first blog to
come out soon.
--Bobbie Christmas
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Scam Going Around!
Warning to all writers, editors, and proofreaders
I've received poorly written e-mails on two occasions lately, with the
following or a similar message, typos, errors, and all:
Subject line: Writer,Editor and Proofreader needed
Good Morning
I am [names so far, allegedly Jimmy Mapp and Richard Cloud]
Writer,Editor and Proofreader is needed urgently....
The document you are to work on is attach to the mail right now so
review it and get back to me if you are available and let me know how
much you charge per page or words.I will be waiting till i hear back
from you.
Kind Regards,
[name and address varied, but both were allegedly from Tampa, Florida]
Because I get requests for quotes often, the first time I received this
note, I looked at the attached file, saw that it was poorly written but
short, and I quoted a price for rewriting it in proper English. I then
received an e-mail that said his sponsor had sent a check, but it was
in the wrong amount, and when I received the check, I should deposit
it, and he would tell me where to send the refund. He claimed it was
for a charity to help children.
Thankfully, a red flag went up in my head. I looked up his name. It
belonged to someone who had died in Tampa, Florida, and although many
people can have the same name, I wondered how someone who obviously did
not speak English as a first language could have such an
American-sounding name. I wrote back and said I had to decline the
project, and he should tell his sponsor to put a stop payment on the
check. Evidently no one had yet sent a check, because none arrived. If
I had agreed to deposit the scammer's bad check and write him a good
one in return, though, I'm sure he would have sent one, and probably
for thousands of dollars.
I did not get caught in the scam, but please, fellow editors, never,
ever agree to refund overpayments from clients you do not know.
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Get Your Book Reviewed
Book Mistress Blog
A blog to inform about your next book purchase
I will review romantic suspense, thrillers, and crime fiction.
Accepting a review request does not guarantee a review. If I do not
finish the book (DNF), my thoughts will reflect this. I post to Amazon
and Good Reads. If you would like me to post elsewhere, please state
this. In your review request, please include the following: title,
number of pages, blurb, book cover, and sample chapter. If I am
interested after reading this, I will request your book.
I give star reviews with one star being the lowest and five stars being
the highest. I will rarely issue a five star. Thank you and I look
forward to hearing from you soon.
Contact Me at: tralam2012@gmail.com
For this and more book reviewers, go to
http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net/index.html.
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Write In Style No Longer In Stock
Write In Style is the first book to teach how to write tighter,
stronger, and more creatively, PLUS how to speed through your editing
phase using tricks available in the software you are already using.
Write In Style won the Royal Palm Literary Award for education, Best in
Division (Georgia Author of the Year Awards), and was a finalist in
USABookNews Best Books.
I warned everyone to buy from me, while I had a few copies on hand, but
there are only a few water-damaged copies plus a couple of new ones
left, now, and they are selling on Amazon.com. To order, go to
http://tinyurl.com/omzow26. To order a used or slightly water-damaged
copy, click on the Used tab or contact me directly at
Bobbie@zebraeditor.com for more information.
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Terminology Writers Should Know: Secondary sales
Writers of articles can legally sell their articles more than once.
Under the new copyright law, unless writers agree in writing otherwise,
they sell only one-time rights for articles for publication. After
selling first rights to one publication, writers may be able to locate
additional periodicals with noncompeting circulations to make secondary
sales and receive additional profit from the same manuscript. When
submitting previously published material to a potential publisher,
writers should inform the publisher of the publication history of the
submission.
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Writing Contests: 4 Questions to Ask Before Paying a Fee.
Written by Emily Harstone for Authors Publish Magazine. To read the
article, see http://tinyurl.com/olqmuyg.
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Free Tools for Writers from Bobbie Christmas and Zebra Communications
Order PDF reports on writing-related subjects, including 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. Go to
http://zebraeditor.com/free_reports.shtml. Newest report: Genre: A
Slippery Subject Essential to Fiction: Learn about genre fiction
categories and the benefits of complying with genre specifications.
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Amazon Launches Digital Literary Journal
With so many things competing for your attention in this increasingly
digital world, it can be tough to figure out what to read
next—especially if you are looking for fresh voices and new
perspectives. That's why we created Day One, a weekly literary journal
dedicated to short fiction from debut writers, English translations of
stories from around the world, and poetry. Day One showcases just one
writer and poet each week, with issues delivered directly to Kindles or
Kindle reading apps. Each issue of Day One includes a letter from the
editor, as well as occasional bonus content such as playlists,
illustrations, or brief interviews with the authors.
In addition to fresh voices, Day One offers unique visuals—we
commission the cover art for each issue from emerging artists and
illustrators—and each week subscribers can learn more about the artist
as well as the genesis of the cover. See http://tinyurl.com/nycth6c.
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Purge Your Prose of Problems
A Book Doctor's Desk Reference, Fifth Edition
Save thousands of dollars and edit your own book! Order my proprietary
book-doctor desk reference book online at http://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr.
In alphabetical order and in easy-to-understand language, Purge Your
Prose of Problems covers all you need to know to revise and edit
fiction and nonfiction books, including grammar, punctuation, word
choices, creative writing, plot, pace, characterization, point of view,
dialogue, Chicago style, format, and much more. The spiral binder lets
the book lie flat in front of your computer, for easy use. Available
printed or as a PDF e-book that allows you to keep all this vital
information on your computer for ready reference.
The e-book is the best deal, because you get it immediately and pay no
shipping, and it then resides on your computer for the speediest
reference, whenever you need it.
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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Publishers Weekly reports that after more than eight years of
litigation, Judge Denny Chin dismissed the Authors Guild's lawsuit over
Google's library book scanning project. In his 30-page decision, Chin
not only dismissed the case against Google, he delivered a ringing
endorsement of Google's scanning program, bolstered the concept of fair
use, and leveled a rebuke to the Authors Guild. See
http://tinyurl.com/moxqk8x.
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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 will save almost $10 by buying
the e-book! To order either, go to http://tinyurl.com/lexp7n.
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Need grammar help along with clear explanations? Try
http://www.towson.edu/ows/index.asp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Become my friend on Facebook and follow my adventures, opinions, and
observations: http://www.facebook.com/bobbie.christmas
Like Zebra Communications on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/7vcxaxu.
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Five: Contests, Agents, and Markets
National Public Radio State of the Re:Union show seeks short pieces
about rural life
http://stateofthereunion.com
State of the Re:Union is partnering with the multimedia platform
Cowbird and the interactive documentary Hollow to explore rural
America. More Americans are leaving rural areas for cities, but behind
that movement, there's a whole collection of individual experiences. We
want to gather those stories: of people who left their hometowns, but
also of people who have stayed or returned.
To do this, we're inviting people across the country to share their
stories through writing, images, or sound--or all three.
We'll collect these stories on Cowbird's website. Cowbird is designed
for anyone to join and participate: it's easy to upload images, text,
and sound. For those who don't have access to online platforms, we have
other options for submitting stories.
This isn't a huge commitment. Written stories are short: just 50-250
words. We're asking you to choose one of these prompts: What's THE ONE
THING about your town... that made you stay? That made you leave? That
made you... return? Through the diverse stories of people in America's
hollers, backwoods, and ranches, we hope to paint a larger picture.
Participants could find their town featured in SOTRU's 2014 season.
Contact me if you want more details. Shannon Geis,
shannon@stateofthereunion.com,
NPR's State of the Re:Union
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Marsal Lyon Literary Agency LLC
PMB 121
665 San Rodolfo Dr. 124
Solana Beach, CA 92075
Our mission is to help writers achieve their publishing dreams. We want
to work with authors not just for a book but for a career— we are
dedicated to building long-term relationships with our authors and
publishing partners. Our goal is to help find homes for books that
engage, entertain, and make a difference. From conception, through a
collaborative and engaged editorial process, to finding a publisher and
beyond, we partner with our authors to ensure success in finding the
right publisher and long-term success on the market. For submission
guidelines see http://www.marsallyonliteraryagency.com/submit_work.asp.
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For Florida Writers and Others
Submissions open soon
Get ready - submissions for the Florida Writers Association Collection
Volume #6: The First Step, opens on February 1st. Start lining up your
polished works for possible inclusion and an all-important publishing
credit.
The Royal Palm Literary Award Competition will open for submissions on
February 15. Check out the categories and submit, submit, submit. You
may win one of the beautifully designed and crafted awards next year at
the annual conference.
www.floridawriters.net
You do not have to live in Florida to be a member of FWA. To join, go
to http://tinyurl.com/qfv8azx. .
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We Said Go Travel
Winter Writing Competition
Full details at http://www.wesaidgotravel.com/writing-contest
We are looking for articles with the following theme: Inspiration: A
place that inspires you to spend your time wisely with no regrets.
Who Can Enter
The competition is open to writers from anywhere in the world and there
are no age restrictions. Entries must be original, unpublished, and G
rated. There is no entry fee.
Works originally written in a language other than English must be
accompanied by a full translation.
The Prizes
First prize is US$1000 cash
Second prize is US$500 cash
Third prize is US$250 cash
How to Enter
The theme for the competition is inspiration. We Said Go Travel are
looking for a winning article about a place that inspires you to spend
your time with no regrets.
Entries of between 500 and 800 words can be submitted online. Entries
should be accompanied by a related photo and by a short author
biography of between one and three sentences.
Important Note
All entries deemed suitable by the contest organizers will be published
on WeSaidGoTravel.com. For writers just starting out, this might be a
great opportunity to get published and find readers for their writing.
More experienced writers may wish to weigh up whether they want to have
their original work published without having a guaranteed payment.
Hurry! Entries close on Friday 14 February 2014.
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Crystal Spirit Publishing Inc.
PO Box 12506
Durham, NC 27709
Crystal Spirit Publishing Inc. is an independent general trade book
publisher specializing in Business, Children's, Fiction, Erotica,
Inspirational, Non-fiction, Poetry, Religion & Self-help books. Our
mission is to create books that are developed well and provide a good
story whether for entertainment, inspiration, or learning.
As a general trade publisher, it is our mission to publish high quality
books that are sold in book and gift stores and placed in libraries and
schools. We also function as the primary distributor Worldwide for all
of our printed and digital works.
We anticipate publishing 3-5 works in 2014. We will accept and consider
completed manuscripts ONLY; book proposals will not be considered.
Receiving book manuscripts from authors makes us happy. However, not
all manuscripts are chosen for publication. We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE
independent authors. Having an agent is not a requirement. See
submission guidelines at
http://www.crystalspiritinc.com/submissions.html.
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Six: Got Muse? Make a List
Grab any novel and open it to a random page. Close your eyes, put your
finger on a page, and write down the word your finger falls nearest.
Close the book, open it again, point again, and write down the next
word. Repeat the process ten times, until you have ten words in a list.
Read the list repeatedly until a story comes to mind using all or most
of those words in one form or another. If your list has the word
"juice," for example, you are welcome to use it as a verb or a noun.
You can make it plural, too, if you wish. If you have "lie" as one of
the words, you can use it to mean lie down or to tell a lie, or you can
use it in past tense, lay. The point is to use the list of words to
trigger an idea, and then write the story, incident, or article that
those words trigger you to write.
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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. No fees.
No officers. No Rules; Just Write!
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