The Writers Network News, Tree Hugger, August 2021
The Writers Network News, Tree Hugger, August 2021
In This Issue
One: From the Editor's Desk: Tree Hugger
Two: Ask the Book Doctor—Avoid Litigation
Three: Subjects of Interest to Writers
Four: Contests, Agents, and Markets
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The Writers Network News
No Rules; Just Write!
Editor: Bobbie Christmas
Contents copyright 2021, Bobbie Christmas
No portion of this newsletter can be used without permission; however, you may forward the newsletter in its entirety to fellow writers.
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https://www.zebraeditor.com/
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Writer's Quote of the Month
Poet Nikki Giovanni said, "I resent people who say writers write from experience. Writers don't write from experience, though many are hesitant to admit that they don't. I want to be clear about this. If you wrote from experience, you'd get maybe one book, maybe three poems. Writers write from empathy."
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ONE: From the Editor’s Desk—Tree Hugger
Dear Fellow Writers:
I love trees. Many years ago I moved into a house that sat on a treeless acre of land. I named every tree I planted, and as the sprigs matured over the years, I felt as much love for them as a mother feels for her children. When I sold the house I didn’t leave until I had visited every tree on the acre lot and told it goodbye. I drove by the land a few years later and wept when I found that the buyers had cut down all the living Christmas trees I had planted over the years. I’ll never understand why they did such a thing.
What has my love for trees have to do with writing? Many things. First and foremost, the paper we use comes from trees. For that reason I have always been conservative with paper. When I worked for a weekly newspaper, I typed my stories on the backs of the press releases we didn’t use. Today I use the backs of prior printouts to print things that don’t have to be pristine—rough drafts I’m going to read and edit manually, bank statements I will keep in a notebook, and more. I rarely buy a new ream of paper. I use new paper only to print evaluations I mail to clients who have paid me to edit the printed versions of their manuscripts. That method is called hard-copy editing, and it’s a rarity now that we can email manuscript and edit the electronic files rather than mail printouts back and forth.
Trees give us shade, oxygen, beauty and give the wildlife protection, homes, and food. Regardless, sometimes they still must be cut down. As I write, a landscaping service in my yard is cutting down small trees that volunteered to grow in the wrong places—too close to the house, hanging over my parking pad, and such. I live on three-fourths of an acre of land that I’d rather call naturalized than wild. Parts of it are too steep to mow, and the rest is covered with trees that chose their own places to grow. I can hear the workers outside, but I can’t watch the destruction of some of my little trees that put their roots down in places too close to my deck or house. I know, though, that when the workers are through, my lawn will look much better. The remaining trees will also have more resources to help them grow even bigger and stronger.
The same culling process applies to writing. We love every word we write, which is why we wrote it. It hurts to delete any portion of what we have painstakingly written. When we do go through a draft and remove the words that don’t add anything to our prose, though, the remainder is proper, pristine, and powerful.
The old saying is “Write tight, and you write right,” but the truth is that we naturally write loosely. It is only in the second and future drafts that we can take the time to clear out the words that add nothing or worse, detract from the prose. The remaining words then can breathe and display their strength for all the world to enjoy.
Instead of “write tight,” we writers should think, “Cull carefully,” but cull we must.
How do you feel about culling superfluous words from your manuscripts and poetry?
Yours in writing,
Bobbie Christmas
Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or bzebra@aol.com
Author of two editions of WRITE IN STYLE, owner of Zebra Communications, director of The Writers Network, coordinator of the Florida Writers Association Editors Helping Writers service, and senior editor of Enjoy Cherokee Magazine
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TWO: Ask the Book Doctor—Avoid Litigation
By Bobbie Christmas
Q: If I mention a song in my book, could I get in trouble? Here’s a sample sentence: Evanescence’s “Good Enough” was playing on the radio. I have quoted nothing from the lyrics. If I just mention that Evanescence is the character’s favorite band, do I need to do any legal things?
A: I am not an attorney, but I do know that titles cannot be copyrighted, so you can certainly quote a title. Using even a few words from the lyrics of a song not in the public domain, however, can open you up for trouble if you haven’t received permission.
Q: Please be so kind as to define the rules and regulations for quoting song titles and lyrics in published works. I have always assumed that quotation marks covered the legalities, but I was just informed that if you quote lyrics in a published work, you need a mechanical license to do so. Have you encountered this situation before?
A: I haven’t encountered it personally, but a close friend of mine did. Granted, it was before we had the internet, so her task took many weeks of research to find the owner of the copyright and learn how to contact that person. Once she had that information and leaned how to contact him, she wrote and requested permission to use his lyrics. He didn’t respond for several agonizing months. After all the delays, in the end she paid a fee based on the number of books that the publisher was printing and was pleased to have a signed contract with a well-known performer.
Before I explain further, let me clarify some terminology. A mechanical license is necessary if you are publishing a songbook of copyrighted lyrics or producing a record using copyrighted lyrics. If you are writing a novel, not a songbook, and want to quote a line or a few lines of a copyrighted song, you need a print license. To get a print license, you first have to find out who owns the copyright. Nowadays you can search the ASCAP and BMI websites to determine the owner of the lyrics, and then you have to contact the owner to get written permission to use the lyrics. You may also have to pay a fee for each book you plan to print.
The process can take a long time, put you through a great deal of trouble, and cost you money. You can see why I advise writers to avoid using lyrics and instead simply refer to the title or titles of songs. You don’t have to get permission to refer to a song title.
Q: I plan is to write a book made up of information gathered by interviewing one hundred leaders. After collecting this information I am simply going to use their input and words and craft my book. I plan to write only the intro and conclusion. Are there any industry rules about this?
A: I’m relatively sure that if the people you interview are aware that you are writing a book based on their information and you get them to sign an agreement that allows you to identify them and use their words in your book, you won’t run into any problems. The key is to have their signatures on record and be careful not to misquote them. People don’t remember exactly the words they used, so you can rearrange their words to make sentences clearer, shorter, more to the point, or whatever is necessary to make the interview sparkle. You can also delete information that doesn’t fit and rearrange the order of the information. If you revise their words, though you must be sure to communicate that person’s intent. You can’t change the meanings of their quotes.
Here's an example of an acceptable change. Original quote: “I—um—I’m not certain, but I’m pretty sure the house was white with black shutters.” Improved and acceptable quote: “As I remember the house, it was white with black shutters.” Unacceptable change: “I am certain the house was white with black shutters.”
If you have concerns, you can tell each person you will send a copy of the interview for approval. I promise you, though, that doing so can lead to complications. Everyone will want to add, delete, edit, and change, and you’ll have a ton of changes to make, in your attempts to appease everyone. If you have the time and patience for that step, or if you have major concerns about “getting into trouble,” then getting approval of each interview once you have written it is the one step that will keep you out of trouble.
Bobbie Christmas is a book editor, author of Write In Style: Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing, and owner of Zebra Communications. Send your questions to Bobbie@ZebraEditor.com or BZebra@aol.com. Read Bobbie’s Zebra Communications blog at ZebraEditor.com/blog/.
For much more information on these subjects and hundreds of others of vital importance to writers, order PURGE YOUR PROSE OF PROBLEMS, a Book Doctor’s Desk Reference Book at http://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr.
Bobbie Christmas’s award-winning second edition of WRITE IN STYLE: How to Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing is available from Amazon at https://tinyurl.com/y7ppcdkd or buy it directly from me at https://tinyurl.com/y7p9xkbb.
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THREE: Of Interest to Writers
Members Write . . .
Marsha Maurer wrote, “I love your description of being in the zone. Those of us who write and share your love of language can appreciate the way in which time slips away as we delight in putting words together.”
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William Speir, chief operating officer of Progressive Rising Phoenix Press, had much to say about several things I mentioned in my last newsletter. I had said to be sure royalties are based on the retail price of your book, as was the case in 2004 when I sold the first rights to WRITE IN STYLE to Union Square Publishing. William says that today royalties can sometimes be based on the publisher’s profits after all expenses are paid. That information was new to me and shocking, I might add.
As for ghostwriting, he agreed with me and said, “In my opinion the ghostwriter should NEVER accept a percent of royalties unless the author is a famous person that can guarantee hefty sales. Ghostwriters should take a flat fee and walk away with their money when the job is done. Take your money up front; you're probably the only one who will make any money on the book anyway.”
With respect of being in the zone, he remarks, “With nineteen published books in eleven years (none self-published), and two in development (including my first collaboration), I spend a lot of time in my writing zone.” He uses music to help him get in the zone and says, “The music I select depends on the mood of the scene I'm writing. I have dozens of playlists geared toward any type of setting/mood that I'm writing about, and it helps me considerably.”
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Sharon Love Cook responded to the article in the last newsletter that said, "Being on, in, around, or near water can calm our overactive minds." She reported, “As a resident of Massachusetts, I'd like to add that swimming in waters around Cape Cod will not calm your mind. If you've read about the ongoing shark activity in that area, you will know it's impossible to contemplate a novel while scanning the area for an approaching fin. Perhaps a pond or quarry would be more suitable.”
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Pam Lord gave me a chuckle when she wrote, “I think of those classic fairy tales and how the characters age. Snow White for example: She's eighty and is now called Slushy Grey. There's six, er seven, maybe eight dwarves, Baggy, Saggy, Artsy, Fartsy, Wrinkle, Tinkle, and IForget.
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Dotti Hydue wrote, “I would like to thank you for your monthly newsletter. Like most people, the past eighteen months or so have been somewhat unreal, yet I could look forward to one certainty—your newsletter in my inbox every month. It was and is a source of inspiration and knowledge. It has helped keep me grounded and has, at times, stimulated my creative juices.”
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Bobbie’s Blog
Newest blog post: “Why Do You Write?”
See https://www.zebraeditor.com/blog/writing/
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Foundry Literary Folds
The cofounder of Foundry Literary + Media has filed a lawsuit against his former business partner, Yfat Reiss Gendell. Peter McGuigan claims that Gendell stole money from the former partners' literary agency. Read the full article here: https://tinyurl.com/2nhj3fhv
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CMOS Online Q & A
This month someone posed the following question to The Chicago Manual of Style Online:
Q. Chicago says commas aren’t needed with “not only . . . but also” constructions but are needed between two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction. So which wins when you have both?
For the detailed and interesting answer to this question and many more based on Chicago style, go to http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/latest.html.
THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE sets the standard in book publishing for issues such as punctuation, capitalization, and much more. If you write fiction or nonfiction books, you will want to know about Chicago style or be sure to use a professional book editor intimately familiar with Chicago style.
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The BBC explains why “tock-tick” doesn’t sound right. “Ever wondered why we say tick-tock, not tock-tick or ding-dong, and not dong-ding; King Kong and not Kong King? It’s one of the unwritten rues of English that native speakers know without knowing.” The BBC explains that the rule is this: “If there are three words then the order has to go I, A, O. If there are two words, then the first is I, and the second is either A or O. Mish-mash, chit-chat, dilly-dally, shilly-shally, tip top, hip-hop, flip-flop, tic tac, sing song, ding dong, ping pong.”
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WRITE IN STYLE: How to Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing
WRITE IN STYLE teaches writers how to strengthen their writing style and create a fresh voice, one that publishers and readers want to read.
Order your copy today at https://www.zebraeditor.com/book/write-in-style-how-to-use-your-computer-to-improve-your-writing/
or
https://shop.booklogix.com/Write-In-Style-Second-Edition-6295.htm?categoryId=-1
or
https://www.amazon.com/Write-Style-Computer-Improve-Writing-ebook/dp/B0167MCY6C
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FOUR: Contests, Agents, and Markets
Tales2 Inspire
Created by a former teacher motivated to help other aspiring authors on their individual paths to discovery, Tales2Inspire fulfills its promises and much, much more.
Theme for 2021 Turning the Page
No entry fee.
Be creative. Think in terms of turning a corner; saying goodbye to a life trauma, a habitual path, a past life direction, a beloved person or animal, a failed relationship and start anew.
Due date: September 10. 2021
http://tales2inspire.com/contest-2/
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The Writer
The Writer magazine says, “Summer seems like the right time to write short. Show us your very best work in any genre, fiction or nonfiction. The catch? We’ll only accept works that are 1,000 words or less.”
Deadline: August 12th, 2021
Grand prize: $1,000 and publication in our magazine
Word count: 1,000 words or less
Other prizes: Our second-place winner will receive $500 and publication on our website, writermag.com; our third-place winner will receive $250 and publication on writermag.com as well.
Please read and follow guidelines before submitting. https://tinyurl.com/pe6y9yxh
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Slackjaw
https://tinyurl.com/53w9am8z
As the #1 destination on Medium for all things humor and think-pieces on cats, Slackjaw wouldn’t be what it is without you, High Warlock of Funny Ideas. That said, we do accept submissions from humor writers of all backgrounds and extraterrestrial lifeforms.
If you’re interested in submitting a humor piece to Slackjaw, please email slackjawsubmissions@gmail.com. Please keep in mind that our pieces fall under 1,000 words. Less is better. But not too much less. Most pieces are 300–800 words.
We publish funny writing: premise-driven humor pieces, humorous essays, and a bit of short comedic fiction, if it feels right. We don’t publish fake news/Onion-style pieces.
Send us an unpublished, private Medium draft. Attachments and pasted texts scare us!
We ask our writers to submit Medium member (gated paywall) pieces. This ensures that you get paid and reach more readers with Medium curation.
Only one submission at a time, please. Contrary to popular belief, we aren’t multitasking robots.
Expect a reply in one to two weeks — sometimes more, sometimes less — depending on the alignment of Earth’s rotational axis with the business hours of your local Costco.
We’d love to see your submissions on a specific topic that we’ll rotate every few months.
We believe in paying all Slackjaw writers so that they can purchase coffee, groceries, extra bitcoin, and those cool bouncy balls you find in toy stores. We pay on every Slackjaw piece via Medium’s partner program (free to join). Our top five highest-earning pieces published in 2020 earned their authors $3,496, $3,001, $2,483, $2,255, and $1,635.
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Do YOU have news for The Writers Network News? Send it in the body of an email to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or bzebra@aol.com. Deadline: 18th of each month.
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With the exception of Zebra Communications, information in this newsletter is not to be construed as an endorsement. Research all information and study every stipulation before you enter a competition, pitch or accept an assignment, spend money, or sell your work.
The Writers Network News: a newsletter for writers everywhere. No Rules; Just Write!
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