So You Want to Be a Writer

Finding A Publisher

2007-12-30T11:01:00.000-08:00

Robyn Opie

At Fiction Factor and Children's Fiction Factor, we frequently receive emails from writers asking us to recommend a publisher or publishers. It seems like a simple question. Ah, if only life were so simple!The problem with most of these emails is that the author neglects to include pertinent details:
a) what they've written - novel, article, short story etc
b) the genre - horror, romance, thriller etc
c) fiction or non-fiction
d) lengthe) and in the case of children's fiction, whether it's a picture book, easy reader, chapter book etc
f) where the author livesBut, even with these details, we're not in a position to recommend publishers.

We provide FREE information to help people write a book or books. We provide FREE advice on how to get said book or books published. So why don't we recommend publishers?Simply put, because the author of a book is the best person to find a publisher. The author of a book knows that book better than anyone. With little knowledge of the book, we can only guess about suitable publishers. What if we guess wrongly? After all, we really don't know anything about the book in question. We could be giving you bad advice. And, trust me when I say, the last thing we want to do is give you bad advice. We could be wasting your time. We could be costing you money.

So if we recommend publishers to you then we're not really being fair to you. We're not necessarily giving you and your book the best chance in the market place.

Only you can do that, or a good agent if you have one.Now this doesn't mean that we want you all to send us your manuscripts to read so we can learn more about your novels. It doesn't mean that we want you to send us a synosis of your novels.It means that you, as the writer and manager of your career, are in the best position to find a suitable publisher. You know your book. You know what you want from a publisher and your career. You know what matters to you.What we can do, though, is give you advice on how to find a publisher or publishers.So here's some more FREE advice to help you with your writing career.

1) Write your book.When you're starting out, publishers want to see a finished product, or at least part of a finished product. They want to know that you're capable of writing the whole novel. So before you approach a publisher or, even research the market, write your novel.

2) Research the market.First you need to know what sort of book you've written. Who is your reader? Males? Females? Both? What is the age of your audience? Is your book genre fiction? What genre? What about the length?Visit local book stores and look for books similar to your own in length and genre. You'll find the publisher's information easily, both on the cover and inside the book. Write down a list of the publishers you find that might be interested in work similar to your own.

3) Research the publishers.I own a copy of The Australian Writer's Marketplace. You can buy Writer's Marketplace reference books for other countries as well, including the US and UK. (see book covers at the end of this article) You'll find details of many publishers in this reference resource. These details include their address, phone number, email address, website and submission requirements.The Internet has made finding publishers a much easier task. If a publisher has a website, and most of them do, then visit the website. Research what they are publishing. And look for submission information. Firstly, do they accept unsolicited manuscripts? Your manuscript is unsolicited if a publisher or editor hasn't requested to read it. In other words, your manuscript is unsolicited if you're sending it to a publisher without their prior knowledge. A lot of publishers inlcude submission guidelines on their websites, which can be downloaded with a minimum of fuss. Always read a publisher's guidelines and always follow their instructions. Give your manuscript the best chance. If guidelines aren't readily available on a publisher's website, then send them a polite and professional email asking for a copy of their guidelines.

The reason you conduct research on publishers before you submit a manuscript is to save you time and money. There's no point sending your horror novel to a publisher that only publishes romance novels. There's no point sending your children's picture book to a publisher that doesn't publish children's books or picture books. There's no point sending your unsolicited manuscript to a publisher that doesn't accept unsolicted manuscripts.

4) Be professionalWhen you deal with publishers or anyone associated with the publishing industry it pays to always be polite, friendly and professional. Publishers are looking for writers who can produce great novels and conduct themselves professionally. This includes submitting your work in a professional manner. A neatly formatted manuscript, accompanied by a well-written query letter will be more readily accepted than a hand-written, unedited story!You can find plenty of articles about query letters, manuscript submission and formatting here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/submission.html

5) Be RealisticBiggest does not equal best! Almost every writer wants to see his or her own book up there on the New York Times Best Seller lists. But aiming your book at the biggest name publishing house you can locate is not always realistic - nor is it always the best possible publishing home for your precious work. In many cases, a smaller, more specialized publisher might have a better chance of placing your book in front of the right readers for your particular genre.

6) Research again!Just because you may have found the name of a publisher willing to publish a book similar to your own does not necessarily mean they are still accepting submissions! Keep a close eye on websites that list publishers actively seeking manuscripts.

Some of these even list publishers who are no longer accepting submissions, so you'll at least have some idea of where NOT to send your work.Here are some links to help you find a publisher's website:http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ozlit/austpub.html http://www.publishers.asn.au/links.cfm?doc_id=35 http://www.publishers.ca/CNM_Index.wws http://www.lights.com/publisher/alphabetic.html http://www.publishers.org/member/members.cfm http://www.ukwebstart.com/listbookpubs.html http://www.booktrust.org.uk/publishers/pubindex.htmNaturally

there are many more websites on publishers that you can find for yourself by searching the Internet.You are in the driver's seat of your writing career. Take control and target your submissions to the best of your ability. And that means researching the market and researching publishers. © Copyright Robyn Opie. All Rights Reserved.

Robyn Opie is a children's author from South Australia. She has been writing for ten years and has 55 published titles, with more on the way. She enjoys visiting schools to share with the students her love of books and reading. She is the author of the wildly popular "How to Write A GREAT Children's Book"and the new "How to Write A GREAT Picture Book". You can visit http://children.fictionfactor.com and http://www.robynopie.com for more of Robyn's advice, articles, writer's resources and free children's ebooks.

StoryTelling

2007-11-18T05:32:00.000-08:00

by Tina Morgan

The elements of a novel are illustrated in dozens of how-to manuals and websites. As beginning writers, we visit these sites and read the books in an effort to craft the perfect fiction stories. We take classes and workshops. We write exercises and outlines, but how far can these go to improve the quality of our writing?

As a member of several on-line writers' groups, I am always amazed by the number of writers who timidly toss out story ideas and ask if the group feels they're worth pursuing. Character exercises and setting descriptions flow through my in-box almost as quickly as the porn spam. Unlike the ads to enlarge my non-existent male anatomy, I actually read these and I wonder how I can help these inexperienced writers gain the confidence they deserve.

Unfortunately there is no magic spell that can bestow this gift. It has to be earned but not in the way you might think. Becoming published isn't the only way to build confidence in your writing.

Ask yourself this question:
If a musician, athlete or scholar is expected to practice and study to improve their talents, then why isn't a storyteller?

Why do we expect to put pen to paper and create a masterpiece the first time we try? Many of us have played games of skill, studied for a test, or learned to play an instrument. We knew we had to work to improve; yet we don't carry that expectation over to our writing.

In an interview with Orson Scott Card, he told me, "And since every writer has about ten thousand pages of utter drivel in them, you might as well start now so you can get a good portion of that out of your way while you're still young. After all, you learn more about writing from writing a 100,000-word manuscript than you ever will from any writing class or writing book (and I say that as a teacher of writing classes and a writer of writing books)."

We have to practice. We have to work to improve our talent. It doesn't matter how old we are. It doesn't matter what level of talent we have. We will never improve if we don't start somewhere. So don't question your story ideas. Write them. Put them to paper and then put them away for a day, a week, or a month. Read a new author. Try a new genre. Then go back and reread what you've written. How does the story affect you? Do you feel you've captured that elusive element of 'storytelling' and not just written what the how-to books and classes tell you is required? The writers we remember are those that tell a good story. Even if they work from a formulaic plot, we continue reading them because they're "storytellers" . They don't just "talk" on the page, they tell a story that comes to life and lives inside our mind while we read.

Some of them write flowery prose that almost sings, while others remind us of down home relatives talking about everyday things. Whatever their style, we read each page with anticipation.

Broken Pencil seeks fiction

2007-10-28T17:46:00.001-07:00

PAY: $30 Broken Pencil seeks "fiction that conforms to no principles, no guidelines and no reconceptions...work that hurts you to write, and us to read". Submit stories 50-3000 words. Payment varies; magazine endeavors to pay contributors $30 minimum, but hopefully more. Send stories to mailto:fiction@brokenpencil.com attention Ken Sparling, along with bio and complete contact information. Guidelines: http://www.brokenpencil.com/about/submit.php

Online Media Releases

2007-09-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

This is for writers who want to submit online media releases, I have a number of free ones with direct links posted on my site. Easy to use. Bookmark it for your convenience:http://tri-studio.com/MediaReleasesSubmit.html

Why Write or Read Stories?

2007-07-22T16:55:00.001-07:00

"The thing about a story is that you dream it as you tell it, hoping that others might then dream along with you, and in this way memory and imagination and language combine to make spirits in your head."— Tim O'Brien
by Christopher Meeks

Why look at the stars? Why make banana bread?
Last month I gave an overview on structure, speaking about essays, mythic structure, and narrative. One question that started to emerge is why write or read stories? Why learn story structure in the first place? Using the Web to buy and sell objects is one thing—and interesting, well-written text can certainly help commerce—but what's the big deal about stories? How does that help you get ahead?

These questions led me, in part, to teaching English at a local college. I hated English classes in high school and most of college. It was only after one brilliant teacher encouraged my writing that I stumbled onto a passion and a career, and now I feel I'm returning the favor. My goal isn't to create a legion of fiction writers or playwrights but simply to show people that, hey, reading can be incredible—and writing is something you can do.

What writing can do for those who read it
I don't try to cover any historical period of English literature. I only want people to discover that reading fiction can be an experience. What kind of experience? That was my single question on the final test, after we spent the semester reading The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien, In Country by Bobbie Ann Mason, and "Soldier's Home" by Ernest Hemingway, among other pieces. The Vietnam War was our main subject. What follows are some of the thoughts by the students.

"Many history books talk about history as if it were some kind of game with written rules; this is way wrong. History involves people, and you can't talk in just facts and numbers. History isn't an exact science," wrote Gil. "With Vietnam, not a lot of us knew what it was like to be there, to wake up everyday into this terror, to walk around the woods with the feeling your next step may be your last. Stories bring us the cultures we never had a chance to be a part of, and they give us an opportunity to live the lives we never had. Stories are the least we can make for the next generations; stories are the most we can give the world."

I like that. Gil is suggesting stories are both an obligation and a gift. He makes a good point, as does Jose: "After reading The Things They Carried, I asked myself, 'How would I handle being sent to a war I did not believe in or did not want to fight in?' How would I handle facing the prospect of my death? Am I ready? We are all going to die—me, you, the whole class—but if we begin to discuss it openly, many would probably feel uncomfortable. It makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it. These were young men full of romantic notions, carrying guns, fear, anger…and the possibility of death. In life, everything is temporary, even life."

Wow! Jose is right. We are just temporary. Are we meant to buy so many fruit baskets from Harry and David on-line, then call it a life? "I shop, therefore I am?" Who knows—maybe. Good fiction has us consider these things. You must realize, there is no one answer. Jose walked into class the first day worried he was not "a writer," and just trying to figure out how he was going to make it through the semester, and he left with such thoughts. I'm impressed.

Eye-opening
"When you are able to write believably, your reader will fall gracefully into your story, awaiting the next twist," wrote Lori. "If you don't believe in your own story, don't expect anyone else to. This confidence can only come from experience." Further in the paper, she added, "I can't express the shock I felt as O'Brien shared his inner struggle in 'The Vietnam in Me.' He expressed his suicidal thoughts so vividly, that I found his instability alarming, much as people must have felt when Hemingway took his own life. Men with such talent and so much torment: truly eye-opening. "

Lori ended her paper with a poetic image of her own: "The journey through literature is a solo flight."
Tim O'Brien in The Things They Carried speaks of story, too. He writes, "Forty-three years old, and the war occurred half a lifetime ago, and yet the remembering will lead to a story, which makes it forever. That's what stories are for. Stories are for joining the past to the future."

Later in the book he writes, "The thing about a story is that you dream it as you tell it, hoping that others might then dream along with you, and in this way memory and imagination and language combine to make spirits in your head."

I encourage you all to read, if not write, stories. Make spirits in the head.

15 Tips for Becoming A Better Writer

2007-07-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

By Michael Angier

Whether you're writing a memo, a letter, an article or a full-length book, there are a few basic rules to keep in mind that will help your message first to be read and then to be better understood and accepted.

1. Never Be Boring Your reader will forgive almost anything except you being boring. Your reader doesn't have to agree with you, but he or she should at least be intrigued. Make the reader care. Don't be afraid to be "edgy." Look at every sentence and ask yourself, "Why will the reader care about this?"

2. Write in Short Sentences The reader shouldn't have to work hard to understand what you're saying. If he or she has to go back over a sentence because of poor structure it's not his or her fault, it's yours. Read what you've written aloud or have someone else read it aloud to look for sentences that are too long or convoluted.

3. Write to the Reader Use "you" often. Look for ways to eliminate or reduce "I" and "me."
Present tense, second person is always best. It feels more to readers like you're talking to them.

4. Go Active Use active verbs as much as possible. They're more engaging. They move the reader along and take fewer words to get your message across. "John loves Mary" is much more powerful than "Mary is loved by John."

5. Keep it Simple The front page of The Wall Street Journal and all of USA Today is written for the eighth grade reading level. Why should we be any different? People aren't interested in things they don't understand. Make your points quickly and succinctly. Make your words work and use as few of them as possible. Use the right word, not just to show off your vocabulary (or your new thesaurus), but to convey your message clearly.

6. Tell Stories Facts tell and stories sell. The best writers and speakers of the world have always been good storytellers. Your own stories are the best. What you are sharing is wisdom from your point of view and stories can illustrate this better than anything else.

7. Know Your Subject Write on things on which you've earned the right to write. The more you know, the more confidence and credibility you'll have.

8. WIFM This is the radio station that everyone listens to. The call letters stand for "What's in It For Me". People want to know what they'll get out of what you're writing, so appeal to what they want.

9. Write Like You Talk Often I see people who are good verbal communicators trying to put on a different air in their writing. It doesn't work. It's much better to be conversational.

10. Paint Pictures We think in pictures and should write in ways that create these pictures in the mind of the reader. Be descriptive. Use examples. Describe the unfamiliar by using some of the familiar. For example: "Jennifer's first day at her new job reminded her of the freshness and unfamiliarity she experienced on her first day of school."

11. Sleep On it It's a rare individual who can sit down and write something well at the first attempt. Any writing of import should be written and then reviewed later, preferably at least a day later. Some things should be edited several times over an extended period of time in order to properly convey a clear understandable message.

12. Write and Read Extensively This advice is from Stephen King, a prolific writer. If you want to be a good writer you have to do two things … read a lot and write a lot. Enough said.

13. Break it Down Where appropriate use bullet points. Use them for summaries or outlines. Think about someone who may only start out by scanning your text. Let your bullet points draw the reader in.

14. Keep Paragraphs to no more than Six LinesShort paragraphs provide white space to the text. They break up the page and make it appear less formidable to the reader. Like in music, the space between the notes is as important as the notes themselves.

15. Avoid using Capital Letters to make a Point Capital letters are harder to read than upper and lower case. They also can be perceived as SHOUTING! A little uppercase usage is OK but regular use of words with every letter shown as a capital doesn't work and it looks amateurish.
Writing can be a happy and rewarding experience. If you follow these tips, you will find it easier to convey your written communications to others.

© Copyright 1995-2001 Success Networks International.Success Net is a worldwide association committed to helping people become more knowledgeable, productive and effective. Their mission is to inform, inspire and empower people to be their best-personally and professionally. Free subscriptions, memberships, books and SuccessMark™ Cards available at www.SuccessNet.org

Creating A Vivid Setting

2007-07-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

One of the first problems a writer must contend with is setting. Where there is a story, there must also be somewhere for it to take place. Setting is a much-overlooked part of the storytelling process--my feeling is that you should regard setting not as an external element to your story, but as another character. In many ways, it is!

The setting is integral to the story. You can't separate the two and still have a complete work. Your setting adds dimension to your story, giving it realism. It can also tell the readers things about your characters without "telling" them--imagine the difference in our impressions if we had met Lando Calrissian in the bubbling swamps of Dagobah and Yoda in Cloud City!

Especially in the genres of fantasy and science fiction, when we praise a novel as being "vivid" or "detailed" or even "realistic", what we are usually praising is the depiction of setting. When you write in this sort of genre, you have to build your setting from the ground up. In fact, setting is one of the major reasons why these novels tend to be so lengthy--the fantasy author can't make the assumptions about setting that the mainstream fiction author can. The fantasy author must construct a whole new world for their setting; from the ground up.

So setting is important. We want the most vivid depiction of setting possible without boring our readers. What are some of the ways we can make a setting more vivid?

Your setting should be planned during the story planning--not tacked on at the end. If you plan the setting as part of the story from the beginning, it will show. From your very first glimmer of an idea, you have some conception of where it must occur. Develop that along with the rest of the work, and you're one step ahead.

What requirements does your story place on its environment? Does your story require a setting near water? In the city? Way out in the country? Is this a cold climate? Tropical? What time of year is it? What sort of people and animals might your characters encounter? What kind of social change is going on? What sort of issues are important to your characters?
You'll need a whole extra set of questions to develop a fantasy setting. What sort of magic is standard here? What sort of governing body is there? What kind of currency do they use? How do they dress? What patterns of speech might they use? How technologically advanced are they?

Don't neglect the passage of time in your storytelling. Everything your characters do will take time, and it is up to you to provide a realistic sense of the time passing while they do it. Don't forget that even the hardiest heroes need to sleep! A common beginners' mistake is a story that reads like one long day, or heroes who never stop to sleep. This kind of pace will exhaust your readers too! Let your characters progress through time naturally, and keep a timeline so you can see what happened when, and make sure your days are broken up realistically.

What about weather? The weather in your character's world will change. Depending on the season, you may have rain, or snow, or blistering heat. If you don't provide a sense of the weather--and the greater context of season--the reader is left with a sense of unreality about this place. It wouldn't hurt to note the weather on your timeline, so that you can make sure your seasons progress as they should.

Draw a map.
Especially in fantasy story-telling, a map will often show you things about your world or give you plot ideas that you would not have found otherwise. It also makes sure you have a clear idea of the layout of your setting, and keeps your directions and sense of space constant.

Tips for Romance Writers

2007-07-01T21:41:00.001-07:00

If you're serious about writing romance, consider joining Romance Writers of America. (I believe their monthly magazine, Romance Writers' Report, is worth the price of membership all by itself.) The RWA website is helpful and informative, but as a member you'll have access to many more pages of articles and tips.
Many of the RWA chapters have excellent websites stuffed with good writing tips. One of my favorites is The Heart of Denver Romance Writers, which at my last visit had 149 very well organized "how-to write" articles. (You need not be a member to view these.)
Harlequin Enterprises, which owns Steeple Hill Books, has a mega-website packed with information for both romance fans and aspiring writers. Take a look at eHarlequin.com.
If you're interested in "inspirational" romance, visit SteepleHill.com. There you'll find information on all the Steeple Hill books and authors, plus a very active message board where a couple of dozen Steeple Hill authors (like me!) participate regularly. Even the editors pop in from time to time to answer questions about writing for Steeple Hill.
Here's another good resource site for writers: Romance Central has a Writers Workshop with lots of helpful articles.
If money's tight and you're feeling sorry for yourself because you can't afford any "how to write romance" books, here is my very best tip: Head over to Charlotte Dillon's Resources for Romance Writers. You'll find more helpful articles at this site than you'll be able to read in several sittings. Bookmark the site and keep going back until you've sucked it dry. Trust me--that will take a while!

The Top Ten Checklist to Edit Your Own Writing

2007-06-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

Judy Cullins c. 2007

Whether you are writing a book, an article, or your web site salescopy, you need to know that your words speak well for you. Power writing isnot easy for most writers, yet when you know that the benefits ofsmart editing =more clients and customers, you will want to use the 10-itemcheck list below.

Use This 10 Checklist to Edit your Own Work

1. Start your book, article, or chapter ntroduction with a question orstartling fact. You must hook your readers with something that reaches their emotions. Make it "you" centered. Include a few key words in your first sentence to attract the search engines.
2. Make your introduction only a few sentences. Your readers want abenefit early on so they will want to read more. Make the rest of yourarticle support your thesis and first paragraph that includes the hook.
3. Make all of your sentences short. Since standard sentence length is15-17 words, make most of your sentences under that number. Complexsentences and multiple phrases make the reading tougher and slower. Makeit easy for your readers to get the point fast.
4. Avoid dull, slow passive sentences. Start them with a subject, thenfollow with a verb to avoid passive construction. "The coach marketedher business and books through submitting articles online" is an activesentence. "The coach's books were marketed online through submittingarticles" is passive. Drop linking verbs such as "is," "was," "seemed,"or "had." Replace them with power, active verbs. Instead of "she isbeautiful," you could say,"Her beauty compels you to stare at her".
5. Aim for compelling, clear copy. Write for the 8-10th grade reader.Always think "What's in it for them?" Your reader wants to get to theheart of your book chapter, article, or Web copy fast. While a shortstory is fine, make all you write clear and easy to read. That's what makesreaders finish a chapter and want to read more. That's what makes theweb visitor stay with your site more than 10 seconds.
6. Use specific nouns and names. General references don't engage yourreaders' emotions. Let them see the size, color, shape. Rather than say,"Write your book fast to make lifelong income," say "Write and finishyour book fast so you can take that long vacation to a Caribbean islandsuch as Tobago." Money isn't a specific pull, but a vacation is.
7. Let go of adverbs. Words like very, suddenly, and sparingly thattell instead of show. People want to see and feel and don't pay muchattention to adverbs. Use adverbs only at Christmas.
8. Don't use pompous words. Use the shortest, most well-known word.Instead of "utilize," try "use." The more syllables in a word, the harderto get the point across. Let go of unneeded adjectives. Instead of"Kathy is a super-intelligent person, you can say "Kathy, a genius, cansell a bikini to an Eskimo."
9. Appeal to the senses of sight, sound, and emotions. Telling is notan effective. Instead of "Buy this book today because it is so useful,"say, "Would you like to double, even quadruple your business income infive months?"
10.Cut redundancies. Don't talk down to your reader with too muchrepetition. Be willing to part with your "precious" words. The first editusually reduces your words by ¼ to 1/3.

If you are a professional who wants your writing to reflect that, besure to follow the editing tips above. With active, thoughtful writing,you'll gain confidence that your writing will attract and sell.

Flashbacks and Foreshadowing

2007-06-19T21:29:00.001-07:00

Flashbacks and foreshadowing are tools that we can use to add dimension to our writing. Flashbacks give us the ability to see into a character's past in real time. Foreshadowing drops hints of what may happen in the future. Are either one required in order to tell an effective story? No. However, there are times when they can add depth to our characters or suspense to our plot, and trust me, we can use whatever help we can get.

Flashbacks interrupt the current action of the story to show a scene from the past. As such, we must always weigh the advantages to the disadvantages. Are the benefits we receive worth leaving our characters dangling in time while we go into the past? If so, don't hesitate to use a flashback. If not, continue with your story line and find other ways, such as exposition, discussion, etc. to entwine the past with the present.

If you choose to use a flashback, you must tip the reader that you are leaving the present. This can be done with a transition statement such as, "John remembered the day his father died." Then, use past perfect ("had") two or three times to complete the clue that we are entering real time in the past. And you are in the past. Act out your scene with action and dialogue, and when you are finished, clue the reader that you are returning to the present by using past perfect once or twice, and, if necessary, another transition sentence ("But that was then and this was now, and John had to let the past stay in the past."). Here is an example:

Danny remembered more about his mother's death than he'd ever told anyone. The day she had died, she had called each of her sons to her bedside individually.

"Pour me a cup of fresh water, please," she said, her voice thick with the Polish accent that decorated her words when she was tired or sick.

Danny filled the cup, careful not to splash it on the bedside table.
"Now, hand me my lipstick."

But he didn't leave. He stood in the doorway and had watched as she had swallowed the pills, three at a time, until they were gone.

Even now, Danny felt responsible for her death. He looked at his father and swallowed hard . . .
Note that once we entered the flashback, we stopped using past perfect ("had") and just acted out the story. Otherwise, the "hads" weigh down the prose and suck the action out of the words.

Foreshadowing is even easier to use. It usually consists of only one or two sentences, and is especially effective when ending a scene or chapter. An example of foreshadowing:
Sam wished he could rid himself of the sick feeling in his gut that told him something terrible was going to happen, and happen soon.

Study what works in fiction you admire. Notice the tools the author uses to enter the past or foretell the future. Unless you are a writer, these techniques should appear invisible and smooth. But as a writer, you must learn to use these techniques to add punch to your own work. Good luck.

The Elements of Plot Development

2007-06-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

If an author writes, "The king died and then the queen died," there is no plot for a story. But by writing, "The king died and then the queen died of grief," the writer has provided a plot line for a story.

A plot is a causal sequence of events, the "why" for the things that happen in the story. The plot draws the reader into the character's lives and helps the reader understand the choices that the characters make.

A plot's structure is the way in which the story elements are arranged. Writers vary structure depending on the needs of the story. For example, in a mystery, the author will withhold plot exposition until later in the story. In William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" it is only at the end of the story that we learn what Miss Emily has been up to all those years while locked away in her Southern mansion.

Creating Dialogue in Fiction

2007-06-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

All fiction writers know that a strong story shows more of the elements of its story than it tells. This is important to draw a reader in and keep him or her reading until the end. A fiction writer wants his or her story to be dynamic and interesting enough that the reader wants more and would like to read more of that writer's work. The tricky part is knowing exactly what is considered showing and what is considered telling.

One very important aspect of showing your reader who your characters are is the dialogue you give them. Their voices speak loud and clear to your readers about internal conflicts they may be going through. They can also convey their belief system and their moral character through their conversations with the other characters. What they say mixed with what they do will determine the validity of each of them. The question remains, however, as to how this dialogue can be constructed so it comes across as genuine and believable.

The first thing to remember about dialogue is that it needs to sound like a person is really talking. It is a good idea to read all of your conversations out loud to yourself to make sure they actually do sound like a normal conversation. What sounds great in your head just may sound completely unreal when spoken out loud. You will recognize clichés a lot faster when you read your writing out loud, also.

When beginning a conversation between two or more of your characters, keep in mind exactly how you wish these characters to be portrayed. It is a good idea to do a character sketch on each personality portrayed in your story before beginning. This will help you develop the proper dialogue for each of your characters. Keep these character sketches filed with all of your research and other pertinent information you need while writing your story.

Know exactly how your characters are feeling during their conversation. Keep a running tab on changing emotions. You don't want a happy college graduated growling at the university dean who hands her her degree. Save that for the college graduate that suffered sexual harassment at the hands of the dean. Keep the dialogue in keeping with your character's emotions. An old man that has had his farm taken away from him is not going to go into beautiful poetic prose about the sunset behind the tree line he used to own.

Make the actions match the dialogue, unless your character is hiding something. You don't want a blushing bride who is beaming about her beautiful dress to be slumping her shoulders. Of course if your husband, who is returning from a business trip and is trying to hide an affair, he may not be as excited about the $5,000.00 bonus check his company gave him, as he would be if his conscience were clear. Therefore, it is important to remember that all the elements of your story should be taken into consideration as you write the words that will be coming out of your characters' mouths.

Dialect can be a very strong tool in identifying personality traits of a character. However, it is consequential to remember not to overdo dialect. You very may well know someone who sounds exactly like the person you are trying to portray, but your readers are not going to be happy about having to translate his or her meanings. Lace your dialect with proper spoken words and it will be just as strong an indicator of your character as his or her actions.

A good rule of thumb is to let other writers read your work. Find people who love writing as much as you do, but are not going to be biased about your work. Let them read your work and ask them for suggestions. Be willing to take constructive criticism in a professional manner and you will be on the road to perfecting the art of creating dialogue.

Ten Tips on Creativity

2007-06-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

by Emily Hanlon

1. Don’t think. Creating a story or book has little to do with the intellect or language when we first begin. Our best ideas will emerge as a spark or image. Like dreams, they will make little sense. Followed, they will hold the key to the creative unconscious.

2. Creativity is cyclical. You cannot and will not be creative all the time. What is full must empty and what is empty will fill. Creativity has its own internal rhythms. Learn to listen to yours.

3. Nothing kills creativity faster than criticism. Don’t share your work-in-progress with people who are critical or those whose opinions leave you vulnerable, no matter how much you love them. Good critiquing should leave you inspired, not deflated.

4. Spend time listening to your inner critic. He or she is not comfortable with the risks demanded by a creative endeavor. By becoming aware of the foul jabber of your inner critic, you can see how your own mind puts up roadblocks to your creativity.

5. Being a creator is risky business. Don’t underestimate the tremendous emotional and psychic risks the journey demands. Learn to push ahead even when you are afraid. Learn to love the risk.

6. Don’t be afraid to fail. Every successful creator has failed hundreds of times. Failure is an integral part of creativity. It doesn’t mean you’re wrong or stupid. It only means you’ve uncovered a path or technique that does not work.

7. Don’t be afraid to write garbage. Every successful writer writes mounds of garbage. Give your work time to percolate. Play the What If game. For example, if you’re writing fiction and a characters is sweet and loving and you’re stuck, have the character mean and hateful. In the world of the imagination, anything can happen.

8. Nurture your creativity. It is as fragile as a budding flower. Open to the dance. Listen to music that makes you feel like flying. Go for a walk. Laugh with a friend, child or lover. Creativity is about feeling.

9. Be passionate. Creativity is passionate. Passion is always creative.

10. Learn your craft. And write, write, write! The more you write, the better you will get. Discipline yourself. Successful writers are disciplined writers.

Explore The Art of Fiction Writing
Explore Emily's coaching

© 2005 Ten Tips on Creativity by Emily Hanlon may be used on your website or blog
so long as there is a link back to www.thefictionwritersjourney.com.
You must email emily@emilyhanlon.com advising her about your usage.
Emily Hanlon
The Fiction Writer's Journey
PO Box 536
Yorktown, NY 10598
914 962 4432

2007-06-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

By Sophfronia Scott, "The Book Sistah"
Copyright is the writer's security blanket. It just makes you feel better to know your words are protected. I once knew a writer who was so scared his work would be stolen, he never sent it anywhere. Talk about counterproductive! But if you can understand these four simple copyright keys, you can rest easy and submit at will.

1. Create!
That's all you have to do to copyright something: write it. You don't have to publish it and you don't have to register it with the United States Copyright Office, although there are certain advantages to registration (see below). The moment a piece is written down, it automatically gains copyright and that copyright is owned by the author.

2. Give Notice.
That's when you put that little encircled "c" on the work. You can also use the word "Copyright", then your name and the year of first publication. For instance, this newsletter is "Copyright 2006 Sophfronia Scott". It tells the world that the work is protected so someone can't show up in court and claim they didn't know it was. Speaking of court...

3. Register Your Copyright.
Again, registering with the United States Copyright Office is really just a legality. You don't have to do it. But you do get a few benefits for the $30 fee that are worth considering.Registration makes your copyright a matter of public record and--get this--if you register and someone later infringes on your copyright and you take them to court, you will be able to sue for "statutory damages and attorney's fees". With an unregistered work you can only get an award of actual damages and profit. To learn more on how to register your literary work go to http://www.copyright.gov/register/literary.html.

4. Send Copies to the Library of Congress.
Once your book is published, you're required to send two copies to the Library of Congress. It's called a "mandatory deposit of published works". If your book is produced by a traditional publisher, the people there will do this for you, but if you are self publishing, keep in mind that you have to do this yourself. You have three months after publication. It doesn't hurt your copyright if you don't do it but, according to the Copyright Office, "failure to make the deposit can result in fines and other penalties." That's it! Pretty simple, really, but all the more reason why it should not become an artificial roadblock to your continuing and submitting your work.

One last note: you can't copyright an idea. I have heard writers say they submitted a story or book proposal and someone else came out with a book just like it, so the agent/editor/writer must have stolen their idea. Well, not quite. It is highly likely that someone else just had the same idea. It does happen. And yes, it is possible for someone to steal your idea--just make REALLY sure that they have done so before you make the accusation. © 2006 Sophfronia Scott

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?See Sophfronia's The Book Sistah Blog, category "Articles". Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah"

TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com

Concentrate On Conflict

2007-05-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

Deborah S. Rossman

The development of conflict is perhaps the single most difficult task of the writer. It is also the most important.

Action in a story is defined by characters talking or moving, much like actors on a stage, but in order to feel written words come to life, a reader needs more. In a time when mass telecommunications have brought information to our fingertips with the flick of a switch, a reader expects excitement and entertainment in everything she reads. The conflict of the story is the avenue by which a writer can hook the reader and keep her turning pages.

A scene should always portray a struggle. It is used to reveal something interesting, important, or exciting that is happening, something which advances the plot of the story, usually by adding to the character's problems. It follows that the conflict of each scene is shown, not told, to the reader in a moment by moment sequence that imitates real life. (No summary allowed.)

The answer to writing conflict begins with the invention of characters. A good rule of thumb to follow is the old adage, opposites attract. When hero and heroine come from separate ends of the spectrum, struggle results from their differences.

The progression of each scene into conflict can be categorized into three steps.

Identify the character's goal:
Just as a book should start by stating a character's goal, so should each scene begin by showing what the character wants to accomplish and why. There are several ways to do this. Direct dialogue is an excellent approach to introduce character, while at the same time showing his motivation and intent. Well written dialogue makes writing flow and brings a realism that simulates life's experiences. Another way to reveal goal is through character internalization.

Using a single point of view, delve into the character's thoughts and show how he sees his world. The nature of the character enlightens the reader. This includes revealing prejudices, ignorance, and fears, and most importantly the character's purpose. The third and last way to reveal goal is to paraphrase in the opening line of the story. This brings the character's intent into the reader's mind immediately. Whichever method you choose, be sure that the goal is stated as soon as possible in a clear and concise form.

Present conflict:
After the reader knows what the character wants to accomplish, drop the brick with the all important struggle. Provide conflict by placing an obstacle in the character's path. He can't reach his goal. So, creates the problem. And voila`, a scene is born. A word of caution here. Conflict is not to be confused with sexual tension. Rather, the struggle is intrinsic to the goal of the character, not just a hero trying to sleep with the heroine. Real conflict is further categorized into two kinds. Internal conflict is described as the inner struggle and usually deals with the character's emotions. It must be serious and deep. Examples include a heroine pining for the husband who never came home from the war, a heroine hiding the fact that the son she had born out of wedlock belongs to her brother's best friend. External conflict, on the other hand, is visible. It is defined as the influence from an outside force which threatens the character's life. Examples: a fire that destroys the heroine's home and subsequent threats on her life, a villain trying to kill the hero or heroine, a ghost held captive in an inn. Both types of conflict work together. A word of advice, however. Beware of trivial or unconvincing misunderstandings. Conflict must be believable and strong.

Culminate the action with a catastrophe:
Once you have developed the struggle and brought the character into the depth of the conflict, pull out all the stops and impact the confrontation with a disaster. In other words, make things worse. The story moves forward by shoving the main character farther and farther away from his purpose. Like the black moment at the climax of a novel, each scene should present a major crisis, and that crisis must be directly related to the character's struggle within the scene. Equally important, remember that all conflict in a novel is tied in a progression to the character's ultimate goal. There's a reason for everything. How does the novel end? The poor hero gets a break and finally meets his goal. The conflict is resolved.

In any well-written novel, the struggle is what makes the writing exceptional. Tension brews while the character tries in vain to achieve his goal. And as tension builds, the pacing flows. The reader identifies with the character and feels sorry for her. Emotion is tapped, drawing the reader into the scene until the conclusion, keeping the book in her hand until the very last word.

Writing is anything but easy. An author puts her blood and sweat into her work, her time, her very soul. Perhaps, she might compare the well constructed conflict in a scene to her life as a writer. Good writing is the intent, getting there is the struggle, and there are always disasters along the road. But in the end, the writer who concentrates on creating conflict, studies the craft of writing, and works with diligence and without relent will meet her final goal.

http://www.lionhearted.com/tips.htm#POV

Uncommon Advice For Beginning Writers

2007-05-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

by Dara Girard
1) Convince yourself you want to do something else. If you don't succeed, proceed to number 2.

2) Write what you don't know. Write what interests you. Fiction is about emotion not personal experience--that is a memoir. Truth comes from emotion. Write with passion.

3) Embrace rejections. Not literally unless it makes you feel good. Understand that they are as inevitable as bad hair days, gum on your shoe, and taxes. You’re in the marketing business. Everyone will not buy your product, but eventually somebody will.

4) Procrastinate. You don’t need to write every day. On some days just be idle. Use these days to fill up your creativity well. Take a long leisurely walk, organize your cupboards, read, buy the stationary you’ll send to your fans, imagine a brilliant review and write it down, sketch your book cover with a blurb from an author you admire.

5) Write to make money. Poverty need not be a mandatory requirement of the writing life. Artistic expression is all well and good, but you need to eat. So write the books of your heart, but also understand the market and see if you can tailor some of your work to fit it. You can write your Great Novel on the side, but trust me it’s very difficult to be creative when you’re starving.

6) Skip the book and watch the movie. Especially, the movie versions of classic novels. The writing style has changed drastically in the past centuries. So writing like Charles Dickens or Henry James will not get you far in today’s market. However, don’t let it skip your notice that their books (or the rather movie versions of them) still capture contemporary movie audiences. Why? Because of the stories they tell.

Watching the movie of these books will help you learn how to develop your storytelling abilities. See what stands out, pay attention to what scenes linger in your mind, what dialogue makes you gasp or laugh out loud, what does the camera focus on? How does that enhance the tale? We live in an age where people are very visual; writing to that preference will help make your work successful.

7) Get into character. Use stick figures to lay out a scene, listen to the music a main character would listen to, wear a piece of clothing a character might like, write a diary enter for them. Photograph the area where your character lives; if your character comes from a different place, eat the regional foods they might eat. These activities will help you make your story and your characters come alive.

8) Laugh at yourself and the industry. Many authors like to offer dire warnings about the death of the mid-list, how publishers are consolidating, they bemoan the few options there are for new writers and how publishers promote only the lucky few. Yes, that’s true, but you can be a happy author despite the industry.

Unfortunately, too many writers take themselves too seriously. We’re a maudlin group despite available Prozac, alcohol and pills. It's a crazy life. It’s supposed to be. We make up stories for a living! It’s a Peter Pan profession like dancing and acting. You want to emotionally strip yourself naked and have people applaud. Isn’t that bizarre?

So you can get discouraged, but you don’t need to be depressed. Stories are needed. They keep our cultures alive.

9) Don't worry about promotion. If you haven’t written a word, don't concern yourself with bookmarks, getting on national television, networking bookstores or the like. Anyone can sell an idea, find out if you can deliver.

10) Celebrate milestones that don’t seem to count. Contest losses (can’t win if you don’t enter) bad drafts (at least you finished) rejections (at least you’re in the game), $25 checks (at least you got paid to write), personal notes (someone read your work) and anything else that gets you closer to your publication goal.

Celebrate being a writer in every little way that you can. You deserve it.

© Copyright Dara Girard. All Rights Reserved

Creating Believable Characters

2007-05-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

You're a writer, and you have all these great characters in your head… how do you get them out and onto paper? How to create, through word-pictures, flesh-and-blood characters that are three-dimensional, characters that make your reader say, "Oh, yes, I know someone just like him…"

Any seasoned writer will tell you that creating believable characters takes some work. It's a little like painting a picture, stroke by stroke. Characters have to be constructed, bit by bit, until the whole, complex individual finally comes into view.

Here are a few of the "strokes" that help to build a character:
A characteristic mannerism: If you watch a very good actor creating a role, chances are that one of the things you will note is a distinctive mannerism that defines that character. It can be a small thing, a way of glancing in the mirror admiringly at his own image, a way of rubbing her hands together (remember Lady Macbeth?), or maybe a way of talking. It should be a mannerism that expresses that character's inner being. If you give your character a characteristic mannerism, and use it sparingly but tellingly, that character will take on individuality and stick in the reader's mind.

A consistent world view: When you create a character, you should know all about him or her, whether you actually express those details in the story or not. What does your character like to eat for breakfast? What is his favorite color? Who's his best friend, his worst enemy? Even if those details don't play into your plot, you, as his creator, should know them by heart, and they'll give your character dimension, even if they are not expressed.

An inner life: All right, so your character likes to wear Armani and drink lattes and hustle ladies in singles bars. What's going on inside his head? Does he have an inner life? You, as the author, need to express his thoughts, his way of looking at things, his inner conflicts. You can do this through his dialogue with another character, or you can simply show the reader the character's thoughts in his own inner dialogue. When you go into a character's thoughts, you deepen him, and he becomes more real.

A base in reality: A character also seems more real if he is based in reality. In other words, the old writer's dictum—"Write what you know"—extends to characters. Write characters you know. If you base your character on real people you have observed—even a pastiche of people—the character will seem more real, and you will have a wealth of material to draw on.
And finally, a last word of advice for the would-be creator of characters:

Do your homework: You may have to research your character, especially if you give him a particular profession or a context that requires some special knowledge. She's a scuba diver? Then you'd better know everything you can about scuba diving.

Learn from the greats: A good writer is a good reader. Refresh yourself by taking a look now and then at how the greats wrote their characters. Go back to Shakespeare's Falstaff or Chaucer's Wife of Bath or any more recent character in the hands of a great writer. Study how they do it. Study their strokes. You will see the results as your own characters take on more depth and dimension.

How to Plan out a Novel

2007-05-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

It doesn't matter whether you plan on writing a literary novel, a genre piece or a semi-autobiographic al book, the sheer mass of paperwork can accumulate quickly if you don't plan ahead and organize as you go.

Steps

Label file folders

Goals/Deadlines: Even if you don't have a publisher or editor breathing down your neck, it's a good idea to create personal goals and deadlines for completion. Create a master list for your folder and update both calendars if anything changes. For example, if you have an interview with a veterinarian, place that on the calendars and review your master list as to how that alters your goals.

Characters: One for each major, secondary, and recurring minor characters as well as another for a "master character list." If your story is one that has character "types" (such as aliens or monsters) make a folder for those as well.
Maps/Settings: Not just for large scale settings (such as a "story world" map so you can differentiate between galaxy sectors in a sci-fi tale or which neighbor lives next door to the other one) but for each major household so you don't have your main character with the master bedroom on the first floor in one chapter, and then five chapters later it's on the second or third floor.
Scenes: One for your "Master Scene List" (see tips) for a quick overview and one for each scene in your novel. You may eventually wish to combine scenes into chapter sections, but until you're sure exactly what form your novel is going to take this technique makes it easier to mix and match until the novel is solid.
Research: Start with a list of questions on areas in your novel that you are unsure about and use secondary (encyclopedia etc.) as well as primary resources that you can frequently acquire through a few phone calls whether by using the phone book or by contacts you know from work or your personal life.

Label the hanging file folders with the same categories.
Organize these files appropriately inside of the filing cabinet. File major categories (character, etc) alphabetically and then by sub-categories (specific characters).
Assure that the research materials you'll need are conveniently located.
Create an "On the Go" Kit (see tips). This kit is so you can grab and go needed supplies whenever you leave the house. You never know when you'll run across a reference source or, more importantly, be able to grab a few extra moments to work on a bit of your novel.

Recommended Reading
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus Third Edition
Bartletts' Familiar Quotations
Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia Updated Version
The Writer's Digest Handbook of Novel Writing

http://www.wikihow.com/Plan-out-a-Novel

Staying Motivated

2007-05-07T19:58:00.001-07:00

It's hard to stay motivated. Any advice?

Get away from the place where the distractions are (television, sending/reading e-mail jokes to friends, computer games).

Take on different writing genres you think you couldn't do—step outside your comfort zone and write outside the box.

Go to writers' conferences ... for the contacts and the information.

Don't go into writing thinking, "I'm going to get big writing contracts from newspapers and magazines and get rich. Then I'll write a novel and publishing houses will fight over the rights to it." You have to lay the foundation before you can build the house and live in it.

Be a packrat; throw away nothing. You never know when something you wrote and never got published will be the perfect plot twist or big ending elsewhere.

~ Andrew Zuelke, WRWA member

You Are Not A Writer. You Are A Business

2007-05-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

by Lee Masterson

"Writing is the only profession where no one considers you ridiculous if you earn no money." - Jules Renard

It's silly, isn't it? Honest writers being made to feel guilty if they 'sell out' (otherwise known as compromising art for the sake of money). And yet it happens every day.

There seems to be a sad belief in the mindset of many writers that in order to be a true writer, one must live on almost no income at all, striving day and night for the perfection of his or her 'Art'.

To some writers, 'art' is defined by writing a brilliant novel and receiving copious awards for the content within.

For others, 'art' means living on pittance until the day the One Blockbuster Novel-Contract arrives, thus landing the starving author in the lap of luxury and ending all her troubles.

Neither of the writers in the above examples is earning a comfortable living consistently from his or her writing. They are too busy creating art.

Of course, the same starving writers could probably have been living quite comfortably from alternative writing efforts, if either of them had thought of writing in general as a viable business proposition. You see, just because Starving Writer wants to earn a full-time income from writing fictional novels, there is simply nothing wrong with supplementing his or her income with OTHER writing endeavors until that huge contract arrives.

Writing alternative things can actually boost your writing career as well as boost your writing income - all before you've even sold one novel. An editor might become tempted to buy your novel, based purely on the strength of a short story you wrote. Your readers might be tempted to buy your books just because they liked your non-fiction articles. A publisher might be more willing to print larger print-runs of your novels because you already have an established reading audience.

These things all stem from your writing and still don't 'compromise your art'. In other words, writing purely so you can receive money is not a bad thing. In fact, it could actually kick-start your career.

This is because writing is a business.That's right! A BUSINESS.

I'll explain further.

You are not "getting published". You are Selling a Product (your book, article, short-story, etc)

You are not "receiving rejections". You are being told your product is not right for that customer (editor) at the moment.

You are not "looking for an agent". You are seeking the correct business partner, (sales manager) to whom you will entrust to sell your products.

You are not "selling out" if you compromise your art. You are creating cashflow for your business.

Am I making sense yet? Creativity aside, writing as a hobby is a competitive business. Writing for a living is cut-throat. Let me show you...

Your products (books) are competing with thousands of other products, all packaged just like yours on shelves right beside yours.
You're fighting for the attention of one customer (your editor) right alongside your own business competitors (all those other writers who submitted manuscripts!).
You must show your business manager (your publisher) that your products are good enough (selling well) so they will keep producing more.
You must entice a sales manager (agent) to get you the very best business manager (publisher) possible, so that you can sell more of your own product (Your book).

It all sounds so clinical, doesn't it? That's because it is. Publishing is a business - like any other. Sales and profits dictate much of the business-activity that comes from the publishers, agents and editors. Why should a writer think of his or her business any differently?

Running Your Business

Now that we all understand that writing for a living is the same as running your own business, let's look at why it's okay to run your business profitably.

Cashflow:

All business are made or broken by the amount of cashflow they have (or don't have!). It has been said that cashflow is the life-blood of all businesses - and yet so many people are confused by what cashflow really IS.

Cashflow is NOT profit and it's NOT the amount of money you took out of your account as income.Cashflow is the amount of money coming in from business activity and the amount of money going out on business expenditure. If the amount of money coming in exceeds the amount going out - then you're making a profit.

If the amount of money going out exceeds the amount coming in - then you're making a loss.

It's really that simple!

The trick is to monitor every amount of money that moves within your business structure - in and out - and then improve on each transaction so that your business grows.

Now let's put Starving Writer into the equation. Let's say Starving Writer gives up her day job to write full time. She knows she's going to write a blockbuster novel and get a six-figure advance from Bucking Huge Publishing House. So she decides to live off her savings until the advance arrives in the mail. Four months later, Starving Writer has no savings left and her blockbuster novel is not even finished, let alone sold. There's no money left to pay the bills. Starving Writer has two choices to make: return to her regular day-job or marry a rich guy!

In this example, Starving Writer BEGAN her writing business with a negative cashflow. i.e. she had no incoming cashflow, but plenty of outgoing cashflow, creating a negative cashflow position for her writing business activities.Let's create a new writer for our next example. We'll call him Mercenary Writer.

You see, Mercenary Writer only writes for money. In fact, he'll write ANYTHING for money. He's a happy sell-out, in fact.

When Mercenary Writer decided he wanted to write the Great American Novel, he knew that he'd need to have enough time and money put aside to create his artistic masterpiece. He also knew that his current day-job would never allow him the time or energy to complete it.

So he created a business blue-print. He knew that he would need to spend a portion of his time on money-creating writing. Another portion of his time would need to be set aside for business 'stuff' (account keeping, new-market hunting, reprint submissions etc). Yet another portion would need to be scheduled for promotion of his existing pieces in print and another portion still would need to be arranged to sit down and create his masterpiece novel.

Once the finer points of his plan-of-attack had been honed, he began writing short fiction stories and selling them to magazines, periodicals and web-magazines. He learned that one of the magazines that published one of his short stories also paid a small amount of money for jokes, recipes and cute sayings. Figuring that writing one of each would only take him a few minutes out of his day, Mercenary Writer submitted some of those, too. Luckily, he'd already done this same excercise the week before and there were several small checks in the mail box already.

Mercenary Writer learned the value of 'reprinting' and selling different types of rights around the world, in as many formats as possible. He also wrote things he didn't particularly like, because the pay rate was great and it still got him another published credit to show future editors and agents. In his scheduled time slot, he created his masterpiece.In this example, Mercenary Writer is still keen to create his 'art' - but he's willing to sacrifice some of his time to establish a viable writing business at the same time.

In this example, Mercenary Writer began his writing business with positive cashflow. He worked hard to set aside enough time to keep his cashflow consistent, while still writing his Great American Novel.

Both of the above examples are over-simplified, but they do outline the difference between a person who wants to be a writer and a writer who wants to earn a living from writing.

Building A Professional Writing Portfolio

2007-05-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

by Lee Masterson

Regardless of what type of writing you do, most editors these days will give more consideration to the work of those writers who can display at least some form of verifiable publishing history.

Usually a publishing history will be vaguely summarized in a query letter, not giving the editor much information about the specifics of each sale or submission you may have made, but the fact remains that even small writing credits can do much to sway an editor's choice of which writer's work to represent.

This preference for seeing a verifiable writing history serves several purposes:
1) - Shows the editor that the author has worked with submission deadlines successfully.
2) - Proves that the author is serious about submitting to his specific publication.
3) - Lets the editor see what other professional markets have taken a chance with your work.
4) - Allows the editor to familiarize himself with the author's prior style.
5) - (in the case of short fiction stories) Gives the editor an idea of current popularity with other publications and readership.

There are other considerations that come into play as well, but these are the main factors we'll deal with for now. Please bear in mind that any form of self-publication does not actually constitute a professional writing credit to an editor.

I stressed this last phrase, because I am aware that most editors consider self-publishing sites as a form of vanity press and do not officially count publication in these forums toward a professional writing credit, despite the fact that there are lots of professionally researched and presented stories and articles available.

So how does a beginning writer gain those all-important writing credits? It's actually a lot easier than you think.

Beginning with the premise that "All editors need writers", remember that every newsletter, newspaper, magazine, periodical, publishing house, web site, radio station, television station and movie studio would be absolutely nowhere if some writer did not put pen to paper and WRITE! Without those writers, editors would be out of a job, and the newsagent's stands would be empty.

Now that nobody is so intimidated by the big, bad editors, let's take a look at how to fill that professional portfolio with published work.

Confidence
This is often the hardest obstacle for new writers to overcome. Finding the confidence to send your work to a complete stranger can often delay, or even halt, a fledgling writing career.

Get online. Check out as many potential markets as you can find. Create a file for these sources and rate them as to how difficult or how accepting you would consider them to be. If you've done even a vague amount of homework on these, you would begin to realize that some markets will be relatively easy to crack.

Submit articles to non-paying online sites. These sites won't make you buckets of money (if any at all!) - unless you're into major self-promotion - but they will help you to develop some confidence in your abilities.

Focus on the reader, or even editorial, feedback. You will soon discover which articles held that 'spark' which pulled readers in and which articles did not make the grade. Learn from this and follow your own examples when you write your next piece. When you are confident in your ability to give readers something valid, aim a little wider with your focus.

Start Small
If you are the type of person who prefers to aim high, then go right ahead and aim straight for the top paying markets right off the bat. There's nothing wrong with that approach at all.

But if you would prefer to see your professional portfolio grow, and thus ensure that the larger markets will eventually take you more seriously as a writer, then begin submitting your work to the smaller markets.

Small press newspapers exist in almost every town in the world, serving the communities with local news, events, and trivia. Most of the time, these small press papers exist on a shoe-string budget, but almost all of them will gladly accept a submission from a fledgling author. Offer your work in return for only a by-line (your name printed below the article or story title).I am aware that advocating "Writing for no pay" will bring a round of protests my way, but I am not suggesting you do it often. You only need to submit this way for as long as it takes to get that one clipping with your by-line into your portfolio.

Persistence and Patience
Submitting any writing to a publication is going to mean learning the art of patience. Editors are usually busy people and can often take up to several months just to send you that much-awaited rejection slip.

Rather than sit back and wait for a response from that first piece of writing, sit down and immediately create something else. Then submit THAT, too. While you have more than once piece circulating the 'submission rounds', you will find it easier to cope with the waiting game.

When your response from the editor does arrive, you need to be aware that the envelope in the mailbox could very well be a rejection. Don't give up - and don't throw the piece away. Persist - and submit it to another publication the same day!

Accept Rejection
Rejection is a way of life for a writer. Even the all-time greats were rejected at the start of their careers, and you are no different.

Rejection does not necessarily mean your work is no good. It may mean the publication or publishing house you submitted to is filled to brimming at the moment. It could mean the editor has already blown the budget for that quarter. It could also mean that some other writer has already submitted an article or story that is similar in topic to your own.

Realize that for each rejection you have in your 'rejection file', you are one rejection closer to receiving an acceptance. File the slip accordingly and send the article or story back out the same day .

Expand your Horizons
Armed with a newfound confidence in your abilities, and a small list of professional, verifiable writing credits, you should begin researching larger markets. There are literally thousands of publications wanting more and more submissions from writers just like you. So what are you waiting for?
- 2005 Writer's Markets (Click Here to View Amazon's Reviews) - this is the must-have book for any writer serious about turning his or her craft into a career. Contains thousands of market listings, submission guidelines and more.

- Fiction Factor (http://www.fictionfactor.com/markets.html) - offers heaps of paying online markets, including markets for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, contests and anthologies.

- Ralan.com (http://www.ralan.com) - brilliant market site for fiction writers. Always up-to-date and filled to brimming with great opportunities for any writer.

- Writer's Markets (http://www.writersweekly.com) - list hundreds of current paying print and online markets weekly.

- Literary Market Place (http://www.literarymarketplace.com/lmp/us/index_us.asp) Grab a copy of this excellent writer's market resource from your library, or better yet, buy a new copy.

- And if you're still short of places to look for markets, check out our own resources page
(http://www.fictionfactor.com/links.html)- there are plenty more market listings and writer's pages there for you to choose from.

Study print magazines and genre periodicals. Even the women's glossy mags accept freelance articles and short fiction these days.

Make sure you have a feel for the style of work they prefer to accept before you submit. List your current writing credits on a professionally written query letter, and submit your work.

By this stage you should be seeing those small clippings beginning to work for you. A non-paying by-line in an online web-zine could be the step you need to get you accepted by a large magazine publisher. In turn, that clip from a magazine publisher could just be enough to convince an editor to take a chance on a bigger project, or even your novel.

Good luck with growing your own portfolio!

Writing Query Letters for Fiction or Poetry Markets

2007-05-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

Writing a query letter for fiction or poetry is a bit different from writing a query letter for a nonfiction piece.

Short Fiction and Poetry

In the case of short stories or poetry, you in general won't be writing many query letters; editors may be mildly annoyed at getting a query letter about a piece when their guidelines clearly state that writers should simply submit such pieces. Thus, you will write query letters in only a few circumstances:

You're writing to find out if the publication is currently accepting submissions; do this only if your market research has yielded conflicting information. This type of query should be short and to the point:

Dear (insert title and editor's last name here),Are you currently accepting materials for NAME OF PUBLICATION? I have a (5,000-word/50-line/whatever) (science fiction short story/poem/whatever) that I wish to submit. My work has appeared in (list relevant credits).Thank you,(your name here)(phone and email)

You're writing to find out if they're willing to look at a piece that falls outside their submissions guidelines (for instance, you might have a short story that's a few thousand words longer than what they say they'll take).

You're trying to get into an invitation-only anthology or chapbook.

In the latter two cases, you will be writing a letter similar to the one for the basic are-you-accepting-work? query above. There are a few things to keep in mind when writing such a query:

Make sure you've got the editor's title and name correct; this is basic, but to mess this up really hurts your chances. Not figuring out that Editor Pat Smith is female rather than male and then addressing her as "Mr. Smith" is a common mistake.

Do not try to summarize your poem or story. This is a huge turnoff for most editors. Give them the length and its genre and, if relevant, its topic.

Include your relevant publishing credits ("My fiction has appeared in publications such as NEAT-O STORIES, TALES OF THE UTTERLY FABULOUS, and EEK! IT'S FICTION"). Demonstrating that you are a published writer -- and therefore likely the author of competent, readable work -- will help your cause. If, say, you're an unpublished fiction writer but you've had poems published in magazines that run both fiction and poetry, you can sneakilly rephrase things ("My work has appeared in publications such as TALES OF THE UTTERLY FABULOUS and GRINDSTONE QUARTERLY"). If you are well-published, don't list the whole shebang; pick and choose which publications are likely most recognizable to the editor. A maximum listing of two or three lines is sufficient.

Don't include biographical information unless it's quite relevant to the piece you wish to submit (for instance, if you've written a thriller novellette based on the time you were held captive by guerillas in El Salvador)

If a better-published writer known to the editor has suggested you send your work to this market, by all means mention this. If you're trying to get into an invitation-only anthology, this is pretty much crucial: "(writer name) suggested I submit this piece to you."

Keep a businesslike tone. Don't try to be funny unless you are VERY sure of the editor's sense of humor. It's way too easy to inadvertently offend someone and have your attempt at humor backfire.

A lot of the above advice will equally apply to writing cover letters when you submit a story or poem to a publication.

Novels
Novel queries can be simple documents, or they can be complex works that will take you weeks to properly prepare. It all depends on what the publisher says he or she wants to see. If they say they want a query letter and the first chapter or three of the novel, that's essentially what you send.

Piquing their interest is crucial in getting them to ask to see the rest of your novel.
You will be summarizing the plot and character interactions of your novel. You will also want to include publishing credits and relevant biographical/expert knowledge. In short, your opening letter will be much like a query proposal for nonfiction.

RSW: SELF-EDITING FOR SUCCESS

2007-05-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

Editing Tips

by Mary Embree

Whether you are getting your manuscript and/or book proposal ready to send to an agent, a publisher, or a book doctor/editor, the principles of self-editing are very much the same. Only the reasons are different. You are going to have a much better chance of finding a good agent and a publisher for your work if your presentation is professional-looking. And you are going to spend a lot less money on a professional editor if you do as much editing as you can first. Here are some important things to look for:

Format:
Present your work in the standard format for that genre. For example: query letters and synopses for a proposed book are single-spaced; the other parts of the book proposal, the sample chapters and the pages of your manuscript are double-spaced. There is a special format for television scripts for a half-hour taped series, a different format for a TV script for a "movie of the week" or a miniseries, and still a different format for theatrical film scripts. Do your research, get samples of these formats if you can, and pattern your presentation according to the standards of the industry, genre and entity to which you are making your presentation.

Accuracy:
Always check spelling and word usage. Your computer's spell-check is helpful but has its limitations. Beware of the words it will not pick up, such as using their when it should be there, it's in place of its, affect instead of effect, emigrate when you mean immigrate.
As much as possible, check for grammar and punctuation. There are some simple guidelines in most dictionaries. If you are serious about doing most of your own proofing and copy-editing, though, you should use The Chicago Manual of Style.

Consistency:
Check for tense. If you are writing in present tense, be sure that you don't slip into past-tense from time to time. Once you decide on a style, stick with it. Style is defined as the rules of uniformity in punctuation, capitalization, spelling, word division and other details of expression. They often vary according to custom. Textbook publishers require a different style from publishers of romance novels, for example. Knowing the styles they use and abiding by them will make you appear more experienced in that field of writing.

Repetition:
Once you have stated a character's title, described how she looks or what he does, don't do it again unless you have a very good reason. If you feel that it's important to remind the reader who this person is, say it differently. Repetitions of all kinds can be annoying. If you wish to repeat something for emphasis, put a new twist on it.

Flow, Continuity and Transitions:
In writing, flow means to proceed continuously, smoothly or easily. Continuity is defined as a continuous or connected whole. A transition is a passage that links one scene or topic to another. After you have done all the editing you can, read your entire manuscript through from start to finish at one sitting, if possible, keeping these guidelines in mind. Does it flow or are there words, phrases or ideas that cause glitches or create snags along the way? Do you keep going back and forth in time and, if so, is it really necessary? Maintaining a logical continuity helps the writing flow and makes it easier for the reader to follow. When you begin a new sentence or paragraph, is it jarring, does it seem to skip a beat or to make too big a jump in the storyline? Is it too abrupt a change of subject? Good transitions can cure that problem.

Being aware of the above principles and making the necessary adjustments along the way can help you make your writing more readable, interesting, and certainly more professional-looking.

Your Book's Elevator Speech

2007-04-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

Draw attention and generate interest in one sentence.
© Kimberly Dawn Wells

The elevator speech isn't just interns anymore. Find out how 25 words or less can create the future success of your book.

Years ago, elevator speeches were given in, well, elevators. It is presumed that young, fresh employees, no doubt on their way to run a mediocre errand, were caught on the elevator with a higher-up in the company that had the clout to send them on the fast track to a better place in their career. The catch was, during that short ride in the elevator, could they convince their superior that they were a worthy protégé?

Today, elevator speeches are used much more often at networking events than in actual elevators, but the purpose is the same. In just a few seconds, using just a few words, an elevator speech is designed to inform someone about a product and capture their attention, making them want to know more. As an author, you may have one for yourself, but what about your book?

Each year, thousands and thousands of new book titles are printed and it is your job as an author to make yours stand out. One way you can do this is by coming up with a short description of your book that describes the plot and leaves a listener hanging. For example:

Young lawyer commits a crime so his client can go free
Young woman's fiancé dies hours before their wedding
Sixteen hostages overtake their attacker

How can you reduce your entire 80,000+ word book into a short sentence? Pick out the most important key words about your novel. Forget about all the side plots; ignore everyone except your main characters. Reduce your sentence until every single word has meaning and defines your book. This is your new elevator speech.

There is an old adage, "never judge a book by its cover." Sad but true, most people still do – if not the front cover, the back cover. When you only have a few seconds to make your book stand out among the millions that will be printed this year alone, it is vital to take every advantage possible to make sure yours gets noticed. An elevator speech for your book is one way to draw attention and create interest in a compact presentation.

How to Write A Character Sketch

2007-04-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

When you write a character sketch, you are trying to introduce the reader to someone. You want the reader to have a strong mental image of the person, to know how the person talks, to know the person's characteristic ways of doing things, to know something about the person's value system. Character sketches only give snap shots of people; therefore, you should not try to write a history of the person.

A good way to write a character sketch is to tell a little story about one encounter you had with him or her. If you do that, you could describe a place briefly, hopefully a place that belongs to the person you are describing, focusing on things in the scene that are somehow representative of the person you are describing. Describe how the person is dressed. Then simply tell what happened as you spent time together. From time to time, describe the person's gestures or facial expressions. It is important to put words into the person's mouth in direct quotations.

As you work on this paper, you should decide what kind of emotional reaction you want the reader to have in relationship to this person. What kind of details can you select to create that emotional reaction? Avoid making broad characterizing statements; instead, let the details you give suggest general characteristics. Let the reader draw her own conclusions.

Example
Grandma Atkinson

Character Resource Links

2007-04-23T20:07:00.001-07:00

Creating Unforgettable Charactersby Vicki HinzeStory people emulate real people, though they are actually just the creative genius of the writer who develops them. Creating something or someone from nothing and convincing others the creation is real IS creative genius. And writers do this by incorporating little strokes.http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/unforgettable.html

Using Body Language to Create Believable Charactersby Lisa Hood55% of our communication is through body language. Lisa looks at ways to bring depth and realism to your characters by using body language http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/bodylanguage.html

Adding Character Depth Through Perceptionby Lee MastersonEvery person on the planet sees life through their own personal perceptions. These differing perceptions are what make us unique as human beings - but are you using your characters' perceptions to highlight their own individuality? http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/perception.html

Necessary Transition

2007-04-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

by Elisabeth Dahl

If you've ever taken a writing class, you know what transitions are. They're the glue that binds, the signs that direct, the forward- and backward-looking words, sentences, and paragraphs that -- whatever metaphor you prefer -- help readers follow what you write. Transitions keep our arguments, descriptions, pitches, reports, and explanations not just cohesive but coherent.
As writers and editors, we understand instinctively that readers need transitions, but we also work at getting rid of unnecessary words.

Are nonetheless, but, similarly, at the same time, in addition, and other short transitional words and phrases always "necessary parts" readers can't do without? How far can we trust readers to ride along as points are contradicted or additional information is tacked on? Are there places where more subtle transitions work better -- and save space as well?

Blunt little transitions
As William Zinsser reminds us in his classic On Writing Well, "I can't overstate how much easier it is for readers to process a sentence if you start with 'but' when you're shifting direction." Take this example from Ted C. Fishman's article, "The Joys of Global Investment":

The hope that one's money might scour the globe for fortunes isn't new, of course. For better and for worse, civilization as we know it...derives from the mercantile energies of sixteenth-century Europe. The British East India Company...eventually grasped an entire subcontinent. But it was not until this century that electrical, and then electronic, technology dramatically increased the flexibility of overseas investing.

Had that final sentence started with It was not until or, even more abruptly, In this century, electrical..., the change in overseas investment patterns would have been blurrier.

More subtle transitions
Small transition words aren't the only options for making a message clear, however. In A Writer's Companion, Richard Marius argues that

These are cautious, plodding words, words that leap to mind quickly when we are stuck. When we use them too frequently, they leave the rivets showing....

Good writers seldom use the mechanical transition words such as thus, therefore, moreover, furthermore, and however. The best transitions rarely call attention to themselves.

Less explicit transitions often come naturally. Take the opening paragraphs of Amy Tan's essay "Mother Tongue," first published in The Threepenny Review:

I am not a scholar of English or literature. I cannot give you much more than personal opinions on the English language and its variations in this country or others.

I am a writer. And by that definition, I am someone who has always loved language. I am fascinated by language in daily life.

Tan tells us what she isn't, then reveals what she is, but she makes this shift without relying on however or but. Instead, she establishes a rhythm of repetition that moves from the negative "I am not" and "I cannot" to the affirmative "I am." She could have written an opening that made the same points more conversationally:

You would not call me a scholar of English or literature, and I have only personal opinions on the English language and its variations in this country or others.

I am a writer, however, and have always loved language. Language in daily life fascinates me.
Instead, more subtly, with steadily accumulating force, Tan makes her theme of self-definition clear.

Journalists often use another technique: beginning a paragraph with a quotation that builds on information from a previous paragraph. In "All You Ever Wanted to Know about Gardening," from the San Francisco Chronicle, Elizabeth Navas Finley describes how county agricultural advisers field questions:

If a question stumps everyone in the office, a plant sample is sent off to the plant pathologists at UC Berkeley for an answer.

"We are an information source," emphasizes Hildegard Griffin, desk coordinator for the Marin Master Gardeners in Novato.

Griffin's words give a definite name, information source, to the previous loose description everyone in the office, and the brief quote smoothly identifies Griffin as it introduces a longer quotation from her that explains the service. More interesting techniques often guide the reader through a piece of writing more smoothly.

Ordering information: A Writer's Companion, P.O. Box 18607, Columbus, OH 43218-2607, 800-2MCGRAW.

Your First Steps To Becoming a Writer

2007-04-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

By Sophfronia Scott, "The Book Sistah"

What's the first step to becoming a writer? You'd think it would be "write", but it's not. In speaking to other writers and from what I know of my own journey to becoming a writer, I've come to realize that the biggest obstacle for new writers is that they don't think of themselves as writers. They have trouble developing the belief that they are writers and yet it's something you have to do. When you haven't developed that belief, that conviction, it becomes a source of sabotage--you don't value your work enough to give it the time and the space it needs. How do you come to think of yourself as a writer, especially when you're not earning a paycheck as a writer? Here are a few tips:

What Happens When You Write?
If you want to be a writer, I'm assuming you feel you have something to say and a strong desire to say it. You may not know how you're going to say it or in what form (poetry, novel, essay, etc.) but you know something is there. Okay, you pick up your pencil or pen or you sit down to your computer or typewriter. Write something. Whatever you write, just make sure your heart is in it. It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't have to be neat. It does have to be expressive.

Next, as painful as it may be, you have to show this writing to someone. It can be a friend, it can be a family member. Then, pay attention to what happens. Did the person reading your work cry, laugh or get angry? If so, you did that! It means you can have an effect with your writing. It's worth something. You have to keep going!

A teenager recently wrote to me concerned because she's writing fiction and she's worried her mother will read it and get upset because she thinks it's stuff the teenager really did. On the one hand, that is a bummer to have to explain yourself to your mother, but on the other hand--wow, that means the young lady's work is believeable and effective. That kind of feedback is hard to ignore. It's powerful motivation to keep you going--if you take the time to notice and honor that it's happening. I once had a writer say to me, "I don't know if my stuff is any good. I just know that when people read it, they cry." I told her you can't get a message any clearer than that kind of response. Now she just has to listen to it.

Cultivate Silence
If you're having trouble thinking about what it is you have to say, it may help you to spend some time each day in silence. Some writers pray. Some meditate. The idea is to get used to clearing your brain space and tuning in to your inner voice. You'll also be more aware of those little scraps of possibility floating around in your head that can later grow into big ideas.

What Do You Want to Write?
Experiment!
It's okay if you don't know what you want to write about. It may take a long time journaling for you to see what keeps coming up for you. And it may take longer to find the form that fits you best. I went from poetry to essays to long-form letter writing before I settled on fiction. It took me years to do that. It doesn't mean I won't do anything else in those genres, but what I'm doing right now just fits. I encourage you to experiment until you find the form that suits your writing best.

Continually Remind Yourself You Are a Writer
As you develop your belief that you're a writer, it's helpful to set up reminders that will jog you back to that brain space that you need to be in to write. When you sit down to write it's easy to get distracted and starting thinking about doing laundry or what's for dinner. You'll want to have something either on your desk or on the wall in front of you that reminds you to get back to work and that you are a writer.

It might be your list of values that remind you that writing is a part of who you are. It may be simple words such as CREATE or INSPIRE. Isabel Allende, who writes beautiful, historical novels will sit in her office with photos around her, old photos of people who essentially represent her characters so she’s surrounded by them. That puts her back into the brain space of her book because she is sitting in their world; these people are all around her.

What world do you need to be in? The journey you take to get there will be one of many you'll take as a writer. I hope these ideas will help you take those first steps. What you write--and where you go from here--is entirely up to you. Bon Voyage.

© 2006 Sophfronia Scott Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com

CREATING AN EYE-POPPING BOOKSIGNING TABLECLOTH

2007-04-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

If you have access to graphics software and an inkjet printer (or have a printer close-by that does), and you can iron, you can create your own eye-popping booksigning tablecloth with the images of your own book covers. This tablecloth has been proven to attract buyers' attention from across the room, piquing their interest, and steering them to the table to learn more about the book.

If you look at the picture to the right, the book covers on the stands and the publicity material are not as visible as the book cover images across the length of the tablecloth, so the tablecloth images shout your message more effectively than the other items.

What You'll Need:
A tableclothA rulerElectronic image of your book coverAn ironAvery 3271 or 3279 t-shirt transfers (or the equivalent)
Cost: $20 and up

Step 1: Buy a Tablecloth
The best tablecloth to use is 6 feet (72 inches) in length. Your signing tables will generally range from 4 to 6 feet, though sometimes they can be smaller. Pick a fabric that does not have an imprinted pattern (even if it's tone-on-tone) . You should generally stay away from white because it soils easily. The tablecloth at right used a natural color that appears white from across the room. You can also use dark colors. Pick something substantially different from the colors in your book cover or the cover will appear to blend into the tablecloth, reducing its effectiveness.

You will also want to choose a fabric that does not wrinkle or shrink easily. Wash it and iron it (if necessary) before proceeding.

Step 2: Obtain an Electronic Version of Your Book Cover
Ask your publisher for an electronic copy of your book cover. It should be the same size as your book cover - not the miniature version used on web sites like amazon.com. You'll be resizing it to maximize its effectiveness and the smaller it is when you get started the fuzzier it can get when it's enlarged.

Step 3: Buy T-Shirt Transfers
Office supply and crafts stores sell t-shirt transfers for light or dark material, such as Avery 3271 for light t-shirts or Avery 3279 for dark t-shirts. They come with 5 or 6 sheets in a box.

Step 4: Electronically Enlarge the Cover Image
If you don't have access to graphics software, you can bring this file to your local printer for enlarging. The best software to use is something similar to Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator. Even if you have Microsoft Powerpoint, you can enlarge the file. However, the Adobe products mentioned will allow you to change the resolution as well as the size.

Using the software of your choice, follow that product's instructions on enlarging the file. You will want to maintain proportions. Try sizing only the length and let the width remain predetermined. You will be using paper that is 8.5 x 11 inches, so you'll want to change the length to 10 inches. This will leave a half inch at the top and bottom. Do not change it to 11 inches, or you won't have any edge to work with while ironing and removing the paper backing.

If your software allows you to change the resolution, use at least 300 dpi (dots per inch).
Save this file. You're now ready for printing.

Step 5: Print the Cover Image
Follow the steps contained in the t-shirt transfers EXACTLY for printing the t-shirts. When it has printed, the side without the Avery logo should have your cover printed in reverse. When you turn the paper over so the Avery logo is facing up, you can see the correct book image.
Step 6: Measure the Tablecloth

This step is going to require some basic math skills. You will want to use no more than 4 feet of your tablecloth; this is due to the fact that many of your signing tables are going to be 4 feet in length. If you use the area to the edge of your tablecloth, those book covers may be folded when used on a smaller table.

If you have one book, center the image on the tablecloth approximately 12 inches from the bottom of the tablecloth.

For two books, place them an equal distance apart, and so on.

You can use a straight pin to hold them in place. Use one corner of the transfer label for the pin, and never run the pin through the image itself.

Step 7: Iron the Image
Once you have the images placed exactly where you want them, heat your iron according to the directions contained with the Avery t-shirt transfer. Begin at one corner and iron the transfer for at least three minutes. For the darker book covers shown above, the author ironed the image for more than five minutes. Bear down on the transfer so the image adheres to the tablecloth. Be sure to iron all of the corners, even out past the book cover image. Refer to the instructions that came with the t-shirt transfers for detailed information.

Step 8: Pull Off the Backing
Be sure to wait at least two minutes. The image should be completely cool to the touch. If you notice one or more of the corners are not completely adhered to the tablecloth, iron that corner until it adheres. Then wait again until the entire image is cool. Begin at one corner and very slowly, very gently, begin to pull the paper backing off the tablecloth. If you notice any part of the image coming away from the tablecloth or adhering to the paper, replace it immediately and iron the transfer again. Let it cool and then begin to pull the backing away again.

If you take your time pulling off the backing, the entire image will be perfectly ironed onto the tablecloth!

Step 9: Folding Your Tablecloth
The best way to fold your tablecloth is to fold it widthwise first, making sure no fold is placed on the book cover images. Then instead of folding it lengthwise when you're done, roll the tablecloth. If you fold the tablecloth with the book cover images, you may eventually get cracking in that location.

Now use your new tablecloth at your next book signing and let us know how it works out for you!

These steps provided by p.m.terrell.

What’s In a Title?

2007-04-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

By Richard F.X. O’Connor

A recurring question from students is: How important is the title when submitting to an agent or editor?

The answer is very important sometimes and unimportant at others. Let me clarify. Generally, the idea for the book, comprehensively presented, is of more importance than a precise title. We writers are often too close to our work to be the best judge of the title. Moreover, better than 50 percent of the time, the editor and marketing people in a publishing house will come up with the best title, the "selling" title. They can be an immense help to the author.

And not to put too fine a point on it, when Herman Wouk became well known, he would submit his manuscript with the following: Untitled Work by Herman Wouk.

All that said, it doesn’t hurt to have a great title to intrigue the agent or editor. The one that comes immediately to mind, and a book I ultimately acquired and published, had great big block letters on the title page of the manuscript: The Zen of Oz. The subtitle was Ten Spiritual Lessons from Over the Rainbow.

I remember salivating, hoping that the title’s promise would be delivered in the manuscript. The author, Joey Green, proposed that one of America’s most-treasured films, The Wizard of Oz, offered some sublime, spiritual insights. He delivered on the promise in the title and the book is still in print.

Many titles need some explanation. It helps the writer’s cause if that explanation comes quickly in the presentation. As in the proposal for the memoir, Send Me Someone, A True Story of Love Here and Hereafter, by Diana von Welanetz Wentworth. The short strokes are that Diana was married to Paul von Welanetz for 25 years, after a highly romantic courtship. They shared everything, personally and professionally. Their passion for cooking and entertaining led them to successful careers as award-winning cookbook authors and hosts of a television show. But one day everything changed, when Paul was diagnosed with cancer. In rapidly declining health, Paul told her, "I don’t want you to be alone." She replied impulsively, "Then send me someone." He responded, "I will." That promise is at the heart of the extraordinary story told in Send Me Someone. Then again there is What Color Is My Parachute? Go figure!

–Richard F X. O'Connor is the published author of seven books including the best selling "How To Make Your Man More Sensitive" (E.P. Dutton/ Fawcett) and "Ident-A-Kid" (S&S). His self-published work is "How to Market You and Your Book." His writers’ Web site is http://www.richardf xoconnor. com.

Cover Letters

2007-04-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

Most editors expect to receive a cover letter with your manuscript. It should be short and sweet:

Dear [editor's name]:

Enclosed is my 4,300-word short story entitled "Zombies of Zubenelgenubi"

for consideration in CyberCanuck.

My work has previously been published in On Spec and Tesseracts 4.

The manuscript is a disposable copy; I enclose a letter-sized SASE for your reply.

Make sure your address and phone number appear in the letterhead (they should also be on the manuscript). And, for Algis's sake, spell the editor's name correctly (Kristine Kathryn Rusch used to bounce anything from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction that had any of her names wrong). Also specify the publication you are submitting to — many editors work on multiple projects simultaneously.

If you have some, list a few publication credits (major non-fiction credits are okay, if you don't have any fiction ones). If you have expertise related to the story, you could mention that, too (an astronomy degree would carry weight if you're submitting to Analog). But don't pad the letter with meaningless credentials: no one cares if you belong to the Canadian Authors Association (which has no membership requirements), that you workshop every week, or that your mother thinks you're the new Isaac C. Heinlein.

If the submission is disposable (meaning all you want back is the editor's reply, not the story), say so here — and say it again on the manuscript.

If there's anything else the editor needs to know (for instance, that the story has been previous published, even in another language), say it. Carolyn and I were furious to discover one of the stories we wanted to take was an undisclosed reprint. And don't think that just because the story hasn't been published in English that you don't have to disclose the fact that it's already appeared in French — or the converse, of course — or that you don't need to mention that the story has already been posted on your World Wide Web home page. You must lay out, in plain language, the entire pedigree of the work you are offering for sale.

Just as important is what's not included. Don't try to synopsize the story. It's an instant turnoff to read things like "`Zombies' is a poignant love triangle between two humans and an alien slime-being . . ." Likewise, don't tell the editor why you wrote the story: "I was inspired to pen this tale after discovering slime between my own toes — moving me to ask that classic SF question of `What if?' . . ." None of that matters; the story should stand on its own.

SASEs

A SASE is a self-addressed stamped envelope. That means the destination address — the one that appears on the lower half of the envelope — is your own complete address. (We got some SASEs that were addressed to us, instead of the submitter.)

We were stunned to see how many people sent envelopes with no stamps, or sent big SASEs for return of the manuscript, but with insufficient postage. Also, don't send loose stamps: stick the stamps on the envelope yourself.

If you're submitting to a market outside your own country, you need stamps from that country — Canadian stamps are no good in the United States, and vice versa. If you can't get hold of foreign stamps, buy International Postal Reply Coupons at the post office, and include one for every thirty grams of material you want mailed back to you.

You must submit a SASE with every story manuscript (although one SASE per small batch of poems is fine). Some writers made multiple submissions to Tesseracts 6 on different dates, but only sent a SASE with the first submission, expecting us to sort through hundreds of envelopes to find theirs (instead, of course, they got left to the very end of the reading process).

Others said they hadn't bothered with a SASE, but told us we could reply by email. That's a no-no: never ask an editor for special treatment. The only way in which you want to stand out from the crowd is by making a proper, professional-looking submission.

Good luck!

Hunting for a Literary Agent: Which to Keep and Which to Shoot

2007-04-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

by Chuck Rothman

What is an agent and why do I need one?

An agent is a writer's business representative. His job is to market your book, negotiate a deal with the publisher, keep track of rights sold, and generally handle the business end of things so that the author can concentrate on writing.

You may not need an agent. If you write poetry, or short fiction, or articles, you don't. Agents only handle book length manuscripts -- fiction and nonfiction. It's not worth their while to handle shorter works.

Even if you write books, you may not need an agent. There are two main advantages that an agent can offer you when it comes to marketing:

A good agent knows what editors are looking for. He can target your manuscript more effectively; an author has to send it out hit or miss, wasting time on editors who are overstocked and missing windows of opportunity. Generally, it will take a good agent less time to sell a manuscript than it would take if you did it yourself. However, if the agent can sell the novel, there's a good chance you can sell it, too. Conversely, if the novel is no good, no agent is going to be able to sell it.

Many publishers don't accept unagented submissions. Or, more commonly, they allow an agent to send the entire manuscript, while limiting unagented submissions to outlines and sample chapters. You're more likely to sell if the editor reads the entire book.

The main advantage of having an agent is not in marketing a novel; it's when you find a publisher willing to publish it. A good agent is an expert in negotiating contracts. She knows what clauses to ask for, which are harmless boilerplate, and which seemingly innocuous ones are invitations to disaster. A good agent will know how to get you the best possible deal. Unless you are in the publishing industry, it's unlikely you'll be able to negotiate a contract that gets you the most money possible while protecting all your rights.

(Some people think that a lawyer can replace an agent when it comes to this. However, few lawyers specialize in the type of contracts publishers use. In the words of editor Patrick Nielsen Hayden of Tor Books, every time an author used a lawyer to negotiate with Tor, the author was left "skinned and bleeding.")

When do I need an agent?

The first thing you need to do is write a book-length manuscript. Unless you have the book in hand, an agent won't be interested. He needs something he can see; without a manuscript, there's no knowing if you can write anything that's worth the agent's time to try to sell.
When the manuscript is done, you can start contacting agents. But don't let the search for the agent get in the way of your search for a publisher. You're perfectly welcome to start marketing the book yourself, if you want. It's up to you.

If you do send the book out, and get a call from the publisher that they're interested, this is the perfect time to find an agent. Indeed, some publishers will even recommend you get an agent before there's any negotiation; they'd much rather deal with a professional. It's said that, if you do get the call from a publisher, you automatically say, "I'll have my agent contact you" -- whether you have an agent or not. If you call agents and tell them about the offer, they will often jump at the chance to take you on. After all, it's a quick way for them to make a buck. The hardest part has been done; all they have to do is negotiate a contract, which means they (and you) will be paid in a couple of months, not several years.

How are agents paid?

Agents are paid by publishers. Usually, when they sell your book, the check is written out to the agent. The agent then takes his percentage of this amount and sends you the remainder. Most literary agents nowadays take 15% of any money paid you; a few still stick with the old rate of 10%. (Screenplay agents are required to only charge 10%.) If the agent sells your book to a non-North-American publisher, they usually take 20%, since they often work through a subagent.
Some agents also pass through charges for expenses to their authors. This can happen in different ways. Most commonly, an agent will pass along charges for "extraordinary" expenses.

These include charges for such things as Express Mail, Special Couriers, and other items that are not the usual part of doing business. Regular postage and copying costs are not extraordinary. Agents generally deduct these expenses from any money due you. In other words, if you're paid $1000 for your novel, and the agent spent an extra $15 for Federal Express, you'd be paid $835 instead of $850.

Where to I find information about agents?

There are many sources, of varying degrees of reliability. The best is to ask a published writer about her agent. If the writer likes the agent, ask if the agent is taking clients. If so, contact the agent.

Writer's Market and Literary Market Place list agents in their yearly volume. Check out the agent entries, looking for people who represent authors in your field of writing. Look for names of clients and recent sales.

You can find ads for agents in Writer's Digest. However, many of these are for sham agents who take money and do little to advance your career. I would strongly urge you to look elsewhere. Good agents don't take out ads to find clients.

How do I choose an agent?

This is the hardest question to answer. Anyone can call herself an agent. Scams are common; the pages of Writer's Digest are filled with people who claim to be literary agents, but who have never sold a book in their life. Even among legitimate agents, one agent may be perfect for you, but all wrong for someone else.

The first step is to eliminate the scams. The quickest way is to stick to one invariable rule:
Never, under any circumstances whatsoever, pay money to an agent.

If you follow this, you automatically eliminate the frauds. A fraud is out to get your money. A few years ago, scam agents charged "reading fees." Lately, as word has slowly gotten out that this is the sure sign of a ripoff, the same agents are charging for "expenses." Sound plausible, but the reality is that legitimate agents don't ask for money in advance for any reason.

If you send money to an agent in advance, there's no guarantee she'll do anything other than cash your check. A legitimate agent doesn't get paid unless she sells your novel; a fraud isn't going to go to the bother.

Other signs to be wary of:

Agent asks you for money up front. Yes, I know I just said this, but it bears repeating. Do not pay any agent, and especially don't pay anything in advance merely to have him represent you.
Agent won't give you the names of his clients and recent sales. Always ask for this. A legitimate agent is all too happy to recount his successes; most send out press releases whenever they sell a book. A fraud won't tell you (usually citing "confidentiality"), because it gives you a handle to track him down (and because he often has no recent sales).

Agent recommends an editorial service. Be very wary here. Real agents either like your manuscript or pass on it; if it's close, they may ask you to revise it yourself. There is, however, a common scam where the agent recommends an editorial service. There's a good chance the service is paying the agent a kickback to make that recommendation. (Note: probably the most notorious of these editorial services is a place called Edit Ink. Don't even consider any agent who mentions Edit Ink.)

Agent has contacted you. Agents don't need to go out of their way to find clients. But it's quite common for frauds to buy mailing lists of writers and go fishing. Unless you have published something, or otherwise have a reputation as a writer, no real agent is going to contact you out of the blue.

Agent's contract has a time limit. Agents used to work on a handshake basis, but nowadays even good agents often have contracts. But legitimate agency contracts are open ended: the continue until either party decides to quit. Frauds set a time limit, since this allows them to ask you for a further fee for "expenses" or "representation."

Agent claims sales to a vanity press. A vanity press is one where the author pays to be published. No real agent would even consider sending a manuscript to one (how could they make any money, if the publisher isn't going to pay?). Some agents do recommend vanity presses, most likely because they are getting kickback from the press (how else do they get paid?)

Agent asks you to put up your money in advance. What I tell you three times is true.
If an agent does any of these things, go somewhere else. There is little chance any agent who has these policies will be any help at all to you, and could do great damage to your career -- with you paying for the privilege of having them ruin you. It's just not worth it.
For more information about how agents work, check out this article by Dan Perez.

How do I contact an agent?

Once past this hurdle, the question becomes one of nuances. Does the agent seem interested in having you as a client? Does she have some sort of vision for your career? What do her other clients think of her?

Most agents do business by mail (a few by e-mail). The first thing to do is to send a query letter. The query letter should introduce you to the agent. Explain that you are looking for representation for your completed book. Describe the book in general terms (i.e., it's a science fiction novel), but don't summarize the plot. Mention any publishing history (if you have one, if not, say nothing) or any background information that might indicate a relevant area of expertise (if there's nothing directly relevant, leave this out, too). Keep the query letter short (if it's more than one page, it's way too long). Be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply. Send it off.

A question that crops up is whether you can query several agents at a time. It all depends on what you're comfortable with. It's generally acceptable to send off multiple query letters, so if you want to go that way, do so. However, once an agent asks to see your manuscript (or more likely, sample chapters and an outline), you should send it to that agent alone, and to none other until he says yes or no. If you get a second request, wait until you hear back from the first agent before sending it along (it isn't necessary to tell the second agent it's out somewhere. Just say nothing until you're ready to send it to her).

Incidentally, your agent hunt can be separate from the hunt for a publisher. You can send the book out to editors while agents are deciding; if the book sells, call the agent who is currently considering it. Note, however, that an agent often wants to market the book from scratch, and has a slight preference toward a book that has yet to be rejected.

How do I create an outline and sample chapters?

These are essential to selling a novel. Most agents (and publishers) want to see these instead of a full manuscript (note: if at all possible, it's best to find a way to send a full manuscript. But be careful: doing this when the agency/publisher doesn't allow it may mean that your book will not be read. You can break this rule, but be prepared to suffer the consequences).

The sample chapters are always the first chapters of the book. Usually the first three, but if you're writing extremely short chapters, send the first 50-60 pages (don't stop in the middle of a chapter). The idea is to give the editor/agent an idea of your ability to write.

An outline runs around 20 pages and describes the action in the book. It is usually written in the present tense (our hero kills off all the soldiers, but the princess is kidnapped by the Grand Vizier). Include any particularly important lines of dialog and all important scenes as you lay out the plot and all subplots.

Some agents prefer a synopsis to an outline. This is shorter (5 pages) and is more of an overview. Needless to say, either your outline or your synopsis must be well written and interesting.

What happens if I don't get an agent?

There's no reason you can't market your novel yourself. There are a few hurdles, but it's eminently possible. It isn't the end of your career, so just keep on plugging. Sooner or later, it will click for you.

Four Little-Known Reasons Why “Overlooked” Book Signings Are Key To Your Success

2007-04-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

The reasons for doing book signings are obvious. What’s not so apparent are the hidden benefits they also give you.

You know the drill. You show up at a Barnes & Noble, get behind a table with your name and books on it, wait for readers to start squinting in your direction, be enthusiastic when they finally do talk to you, then autograph each book they decide to buy.

To you, as a writer, it’s just something you do. No big deal. Certainly nothing that’s going to make or break your writing career, right?

Not necessarily. String enough of these humble book signings together and you can build some irresistible momentum and grassroots “buzz” for your book, which is the foundation for any successful book campaign. Here’s what I mean.

The Six Benefits You Know About

Let’s start with six obvious reasons for spending time doing book-signings:

1. You’ll sell books. Granted, this is one-on-one, face-to-face sales, the kind that might take fifteen minutes or longer…but they’re sales nonetheless. And that’s a good thing.

2. May as well face it, Americans love celebrities. Doesn’t really matter what they’re celebrated for, “stars” rule in the U.S. So an author at a table creates a not-so-minor stir…which spells attention and publicity for your and your book.

3. You get to meet the folks who buy your book. Why is this important? Because this is your target audience. Your people. The same people you’ll keep in mind when you write your next book.

4. Many authors have a cause or two in their back pocket. Or on their sleeve. So if you’re passionate about yaks, homeless circus clowns or the chance Seattle will get struck by space junk, here’s your chance to enlighten avid listeners.

5. Speaking of enlightenment, you can actually change a life or two at these signings by doing some teaching and inspiring. And even if all you do is cause a few people to say, “Hmmm,” and they suddenly get a new realization about life – that can make a book-signing very gratifying and well worth your time.

6. Got seminar? Here’s where you can tie that upcoming workshop or speaking engagement you’ve got scheduled to a book-signing event at the local bookstore in that city. Great synergistic marketing here.

Okay…those are the neat book-signing benefits you already know about, right? Well, here are some you probably don’t know.

The Hidden Benefits of Book Signings…

HIDDEN BENEFITS

#1. Instant Distribution. To publishers, good book distribution can be as elusive as bigfoot. Why? With nearly 200,000 new books bombarding bookstores every year, retailers have to be very selective about the titles they put on their shelves.

On the other hand, when a bookstore agrees to schedule an author for a book-signing, the manager automatically orders a decent number of books for the signing event. This, then, becomes a wonderful way to get your books into stores, one that works very nicely.

#2. Free Advertising and Promotion. We talked about the publicity you generate when you show up at a bookstore. What you might not realize is the promotional lengths bookstores go to, to highlight you and your book. Book signings are, after all, two way streets: They draw attention to you, but you also draw attention to the store. So promotional mailings to customers, announcements in newsletters, newspaper ads, media interviews, Internet banners are all promotional actions some bookstores will take to draw attention to your arrival — priceless promotions that costs you nothing!

#3. Free Merchandising (That Normally Costs Big Bucks). Another way bookstores will promote your book and signing (and themselves) is through high profile display materials (provided by your publisher) that are set up in the front of the store announcing your arrival. This display is usually set up a week or so prior to your scheduled book-signing…and can be worth its weight in silver, if not gold.

#4. Infecting Readers with the Word-of-Mouth Virus. After all the advertising you do, it’s word-of-mouth marketing that will either crown or drown you. The smart author knows this…and will try to infect bookstore employees every opportunity they can. They’ll introduce themselves…shake hands…talk about their book in memorable “soundbites”…and make each and every employee feel singled-out and important.

Then, whenever customers ask for recommendations of a book on your topic, you can bet the bookstore people will recommend yours. That’s a no-brainer.

Having said all this, the underlying question here is…just how do you schedule good book-signings around the country?

Doing Author Tours

We’re Event Management Services and book-signings are something we’ve done for over seventeen years now. They’re part of a larger promotion service called an “Author Tour”. We arrange TV, radio and editorial interviews and “appearances” for authors touring in three to four major cities (at a minimum). The book-signings are part of that media blitz.

So, if you don’t mind traveling, and want intense exposure, with each media appearance dovetailed and correlated to each other to strengthen the overall impact (something like the effect buckshot from a shotgun has), then call us. We can set that up for you.

But even if you don’t want to tour, you can and should arrange book-signings on your own. Work within a 300 mile radius of your home, and you’ll land your share of book-signings. The key here is patience and persistence.

Bottom line? If you’re tired of being an invisible writer, if you don’t seem to be making any headway getting your book on reader’s “radar screens,” give us a call and find out what we can do for you.

Call me or Steve Friedman at 727-443-7115 x202 or email us at mfriedman@event-management.com. If we’re not in, we promise to get back to you immediately!

Warmest regards,
Marsha Friedman, President

What Literary Agents Do

2007-04-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

From the Writing the Novel Proposal Workshop

Essentially, a literary agent is the liaison between a writer and a publisher. He is a business representative, whose primary job is to sell a work to the publisher who will pay the most for it (and ideally will handle it most effectively) .

An agent should know the special areas of interest for each publishing house as well as individual editors' tastes and enthusiasms within a particular house. The best literary agents acquire and maintain a wealth of knowledge about publishing, keeping up with trends in an industry that has been undergoing seismic changes in recent years.

A submission from a knowledgeable and respected agent will be read by an editor way before an unsolicited submission from an unknown writer. Editors know each agented submission is backed by the agent's reputation, which goes a long, long way in this business.

Because most major publishing houses accept only agented submissions, those publishers who do accept unagented submissions get so many of them that their slush pile becomes—and remains—overstocked with manuscripts. Many manuscripts get lost in the slush, with nary an editor's eyes ever gazing upon them. Editors just don't have the time to sift through all those submissions. That's what's so great about having an agent submit your material: While almost every unagented submission sits in a slush pile for awhile—sometimes for perpetuity—nearly every agented submission gets a read, usually with editorial enthusiasm if it comes from an agent the editor has worked with before

Can You Afford to Publish Your Book?

2007-04-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

by Sophfronia Scott
All Rights Reserved © 2006

Money blinds. It's as simple as that. Aspiring authors ask about the money issue all the time, in varying forms, (How much does it cost to publish? How much will I get paid in royalties?, etc.) but they can't see beyond that issue to think about the thing that will truly decide the money question.

And here it is:

What Do You Want From Your Book? That is the real question! Once you are clear about what you want out of the publishing process, you can decide what route would be the most satisfying--and profitable--for you. When it comes right down it it, you can spend as much or as little as you want on your book. But how much are you willing to spend to get what you want?

When you aren't clear, you can make poor decisions that won't line up with your goals. For instance, many authors have a goal of making a lot of money, but they won't consider self publishing. The fact is that unless you can immediately sell on the level of an Oprah's Book Club selection or a James Patterson or a Dan Brown, it's going to take a very long time before your royalties add up to much. When you self publish you take on risk, but you stand to gain much more because you get to keep all the profits (unless your agreement with the publishing company you use is a royalties-based one).

Another strong reason to self publish: you can use your first book to build your platform for a bigger deal with a traditional publishing house in the future. Again, you can choose the self publishing deal that's right for you. A print on demand company such as Xlibris charges just $500 for a basic package where you can get your book produced and copies made as they are ordered--so no inventory. Of course, when you pay more, you get more: better design, distribution services, maybe even some marketing help.

The Traditional Road If your dreams of authorship include larger audiences and the literary status that comes of being published by one of the many arms of Random House, Warner or Simon & Schuster, that's fine--just know that this route isn't exactly free either. No, you don't have to pay a traditional publishing house and yes, they do everything for you (design, distribution, some advertising and marketing), but these days a writer is expected to spend a little too on promoting the book. Many writers are even putting the amount they've set aside in their book proposals. If you're serious about marketing your book, you'll need to set aside at least $10,000. That amount can go as high as $30,000 depending on the amount of travel and other advertising you intend to use.

Smart Money, Dumb Money Once you understand what you want out of your book, you'll not only know how much you're willing to spend, you'll also know better how to spend it. You can spend it smart or you can spend it dumb. Many writers spend it dumbly because they don't know what they want. If you're spending money on educating yourself about publishing, improving your writing skills, hiring a good editor or book consultant, and marketing that will help you reach your specific, targeted reader, that's all smart money. You will get more out of those dollars than if you had never spent it at all. You are investing in your writing career.

But if you spend money because someone told you this is "the only way you'll ever get this book published" (and you haven't researched any other ways), or buy advertising simply because it's where other books are advertised, or go to writer's conferences with no clear plan of what you want out of them, or pay agents "reader fees", or pay editors whose work you don't know or whose references you haven't checked, that's dumb money. You'll put those dollars out there and see little or no return.

So I guess the bad news is publishing isn't free. The good news is you have a choice as to how much you spend and where you spend it. Be an educated consumer as well as an educated--and talented--writer. You'll find that to have a book published in the way you want it published is still in the end--priceless. © 2006 Sophfronia Scott

About the AuthorAuthor and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com.

Using Body Language to Create Believable Characters

2007-04-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

by Lisa Hood

Have you ever had a "Gut" feeling about someone? You meet someone and a little voice says: "I like him" or "I don't trust her". Have you ever wondered why you formed that immediate opinion? Body language plays a big role in intuition as it gives us messages about the other person that we can interpret at an intuitive level. We are always communicating verbally and nonverbally. To make a good impression, it is important to understand that you are always communicating through body language, whether it is intentional or not. Studies done in the field indicate that:. 55% of the communication consists of body language, . 38% is expressed through tone of voice (paralanguage) and only . 7% is communicated through words.

(1)As a writer, you can use the body language of your character to convey a great deal of information. There are four types of body language to be aware of: facial expression, including eye contact, gestures, posture and space relationship.

1. Facial Expressions including eye contact - "Darwin believed that facial expressions of emotion are similar among humans, regardless of culture." However, researchers now believe "our non verbal language is partly instinctive, partly taught and partly imitative."

(1) There are some universal facial expressions; a smile, a frown, a scowl, however, there are many more nonverbal messages that are learned and may be unique to specific cultures.Eye contact is direct and powerful. The eyes are always talking. A poet and writer of 19th-century France wrote, `Eyes are so transparent, that through them, one sees the soul.' Nothing builds trust and rapport as effectively as eye contact.

(2) The use of eye contact varies significantly from culture to culture. In some regions, direct eye contact may be considered insulting or challenging. In the United States, direct eye contact is often considered a sign of trustworthiness. So, if your character is American, regular, attentive eye contact would convey honesty, straight forwardness and/or approachability. However, a hard, unblinking stare will send a much different message.

2. Gestures - can be used purposefully to emphasis meaning. Fidgeting shows boredom and restlessness. Pressing fingers together to form a steeple shows interests, assertiveness and determination. Touching the nose or rubbing eyes indicates discomfort, or it may even be a signal that your character is not being completely honest. A hand to the back of the neck may indicate withdrawal from a conversation.

3. Posture - The way people hold themselves gives important information. Body posture can be closed or open. Interested people always pay attention and lean forward. Leaning backwards demonstrates aloofness or rejection. A firm handshake will give the impression of assertiveness or honesty, too firm can seem arrogant or challenging. Folding arms across your chest or body is protective and will give the impression of a character who's closed, guarded and defensive. People with arms folded, legs crossed and bodies turned away are signaling that they are rejecting messages. People showing open hands, both feet planted on the ground are accepting. A head held straight up signals a neutral attitude. A head tilted to the side indicates interest. A head down is negative and judgmental.

4. Space - Dr. Edward T Hall, a professor of anthropology at Northwestern University, coined the phrase "Proxemics" to describe his theories about zones and territory and how we use them. There are four distinct zones in which most people operate, including: intimate distance, personal distance, social distance and public distance. The cultural influence on spatial relationships is significant. "How we guard our zones and how we aggress to other zones is an integral part of how we relate to other people."

(1)"The orientation of speakers and listeners: face-to-face, side to side, or back-to-back, can send powerful non-verbal messages. In a group situation, when the leader faces the group and turns toward the one who is speaking, this conveys strong attention. When two people are communicating, competitors are more likely to sit facing each other while collaborators are more likely to sit side-by-side. If one stands while the other is sitting, the standing person may be sending dominance signals, which can stifle free exchange of ideas."

(2)You now understand different types of body language and you may be able to incorporate body language into your writing to make your characters come alive on the page.

Resources(1) Dick Mooney, Often, actions really do speak louder than words. Knoxville, TN: ACA Communicator, 2002(2) Debbie O'Halloran, How to use Body Language in an Interview. The Irish Jobs Column, 2002

Submission Checklist

2007-03-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

Finishing a manuscript is a wonderful feeling. A first step toward the ultimate goal of publication. But that's what it is. A FIRST step. The next step (after revisions, of course) is to send your "baby" out into the world. Here is a checklist for those of you who are preparing to send your work out for the first time:

1. What should I send?

PART ONE: Well, that depends on who you want to send to! First, you need to determine what kind of book you've written. What is your target audience? Here are some hints:
There are several categories of romance and many sub-categories. Here are the main ones:
Historical -- Any romance with a setting before the turn of the century. If you are setting your novel after the turn of the century, but before modern times (like WWII), you're probably going to have trouble. You might try a smaller house or maybe an epublisher for your story. Otherwise there are Victorian stories, Regency, Americana, Civil War, Medieval... Etc.
Contemporary -- Anything set in modern times. This can be a humorous story, a suspenseful novel, a serious issues romance, etc.
Time Travel -- A story where one of the main characters (hero or heroine) is thrown forward to modern times or back to historical times and falls in love with a character from that time period.
Paranormal -- Werewolves and Vampires and Shapeshifters, oh my!
Category -- Mostly set in modern times, the category romance is generally shorter, and each book fits a very specific set of guidelines. Often there isn't as much space for secondary plot lines or characters
OK, so now you know what kind of book you've written. Harlequin/Silhouette are the main producers of category, so if you've written a book like that, check out the Harlequin pages (link from my publishing resources page). If you've written a book that doesn't fit the category romance genre, then you'll probably want to go with a big publisher or a well-known smaller pub. Either way read the guidelines they lay out and follow them. You're on your way!

PART TWO: What's with all these terms in the guidelines? HELP! This is another common question. Let me give you a layman's dictionary.

Query letter -- A letter (generally one page) that introduces your story to the editor or agent in the most basic way. You don't want to give any details, just a bit of flavor. Here you want to tell the following:

The word length of your story (100,000; 75,000; etc)
The genre your story falls in to (Romantic Suspense, Historical, Romantic Comedy)
A little about the hero and the heroine. Example: Lanie is an independent and strong woman, who only wants to prove to herself, and to her father, that she’s worthy of love and respect. Colin is an intriguing and sensual man who wants to protect Lanie from his lifestyle, and his past. At the same time he feels drawn to her in ways so powerful he can’t deny them.
A bit about the storyline itself.
Any information about yourself that the editor/agent might find useful. This means publishing credits, not that your Mom loves your novel.
Synopsis -- A detailed account of what happens in your novel. OK, that's vague, right. The synopsis is always told in present tense, it NEVER contains dialogue or character point of view, and it shouldn't go chapter by chapter. Think of it this way. If someone asked you to tell them what your story was about, that would be your synopsis. Not too much detail, but enough that they understand where you're coming from. The length varies. Double check the guidelines for the publisher you are targeting. If there are none, then about a page for every 10,000 words is a good guideline.
Proposal -- "Send a proposal", what does that mean? It means a query letter, a synopsis, and the first three chapters. ALWAYS.
Partial -- Different from a proposal. Often it's what an editor/agent asks for after they've read your query letter, but haven't gotten any other material. They will generally specify what they want, whether it be a chapter, three chapters, 50 pages, 100 pages, whatever. If they don't specify, just do three chapters. And toss in a synopsis for good measure.
Slush pile -- the place you don't want to be. The graveyard of unwanted manuscripts. Editors will read them, but it takes time.

2. To whom do I send it?
Here's the tricky part. Send it to a person. Don't send it to "The Bob Smith Agency, Romance Agent" or to "Acquiring Romance Editor, XYZ Publishers". That's like marking it "slush pile". You want to find out who acquires for the publisher you are querying. If you are a member of RWA, check out your January RWR or May RWR, the editors are generally listed there. If you aren't, read the submissions guidelines pages carefully, sometimes the editors names are listed. If you can't find them, you can contact me. I can't promise to know, but I can look around. I can't stress this more: WRITE TO A PERSON!!!

3. How do I send it?
Make sure you include a SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope) with enough postage. At least send one for a return letter, and if you want your manuscript back make sure its big enough to hold it. If you don't, just let the editorial staff shred it.

Priority Mail is best, and try to get a Tyvek envelope. Tyvek is some kind of secret material that can't rip or burn or soak through. It's sent from the writing gods themselves. Priority mail envelopes are Tyvek and you can get them free when you mail priority. Otherwise, they are very inexpensive and can be found at drug stores and mailing stations everywhere.

Also, if you have had material requested, write REQUESTED MATERIAL on the envelope in indelible marker. You will stay out of the slush pile. If it has not been requested... NEVER write REQUESTED MATERIAL on it. You will get caught, and I'd bet you will be rejected, even if you ARE the next Nora Roberts.

Ten PR Secrets No One Will Ever Tell You

2007-03-25T17:57:00.001-07:00

When you’re trying to pitch your book, the last thing you need is old, outdated or false information. PR and marketing guidelines change frequently and what worked five years ago no longer works today. For some red hot publicity that will get you to the top of the pitching file, we’ve unveiled some PR secrets you won’t hear anywhere else but here.

Trying to get on Oprah? Here are some things we’re betting you never knew about getting on her show:

Sending samples and books to the Oprah Show is pretty standard fare for most publicity people but did you know that Oprah’s producers actually prefer finding products or books on their own? Instead of pitching the show why not pitch some publications in the Chicago area instead and let a Producer at the Oprah Show “stumble” on it themselves!

If you think that Oprah’s producers are just in Chicago, think again. The show is known for having “scouts” all over the country; this means that if you’re in Seattle publicizing your book, you might just be getting on the radar screen of one of the most powerful shows on television.

And speaking of getting on a national show, we all know this can be great PR for your book, but did you know that if you don’t have proper distribution it might dissuade a producer from featuring your book? You bet. By now most Producers are well aware of the avalanche of books that have inundated the industry. They don’t want to look bad for picking a book or product no one can get, so be sure and add an info sheet in your media packet telling the Producer that your book is available nationwide.

Trying to decide when to send out your release? Well, timing does matter! If it’s business related, avoid contacting the press between the 15th and 22nd of April, July, and October. That’s when publicly held companies release quarterly earnings reports. As for days of the week, Monday is the worst day to send your release. The best day? Thursday. Thursdays are notoriously slow news days.

Got an event coming up? It might make more sense listing your event on craigslist rather than pitching it to local media. Why? Well, if your event is free you can list it on craigslist at no charge and you could potentially drive crowds to your event, as opposed to the sometimes hit and miss efforts from traditional publicity. A couple of things to remember are that you can’t list events in multiple cities at the same time; the folks at craigslist check this periodically. Events are kept live on the site until the event date has passed.

Despite what some folks might tell you, faxes do not work. While it might be easy to toss a press release on a fax machine and start sending it out to some media contacts, I can guarantee you 99.9% of the time they’ll be ignored and tossed.

Do press kits really work? Well, yes and no. The days of the fancy press kit filled with equally fancy gifts are gone. In fact, more and more the media are paying closer attention to press kits that are more powerful in substance then they are in flash. So keep your press kit lean, mean and real – you’ll not only save yourself a lot of expense but you’ll probably get your book noticed a lot quicker.

Now the second piece to this is how valid your kit is. By “valid” we mean how much of the information is verifiable. When the media gets your kit the first place they might go to verify the contents is the Web. If your Internet presence doesn’t match what your kit says about you, you’ve probably just lost the interview.

When you’re pitching a magazine, many PR folk will tell you to pitch them six to eight months out. The truth is pitching times have shrunk — we’ve seen magazines accept pitches with only a three-month window. Call first to check when a particular issue will close before assuming you’ve missed your window.

If you want to get into publications like The Washington Post or Newsweek, don’t pitch them, blog on them. Both of these sites (and many other sites with high profile publications) have added a new “Blog Round Up” box on their sites. It reports on people who have blogged on their stories. All techie- babble aside, here’s what you do: blog on one of the articles on their site, link it using a trackback link and submit this to Technorati.com. This site will report back to these publications and they’ll link to you (and your site) and voila! A feature on Newsweek or whichever publication you chose!

So you see, it’s not always about creating the perfect pitch or press release. Sometimes it’s about being unconventional, innovative and a tad adventurous. We hope our secrets help you unlock the powerful publicity kingdom!
Wishing you Publishing (and publicity) success!

Terms Every Writer Should Know

2007-03-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

Acceptance: Even after a contract is signed between author and publisher, the editor still has to "accept" the final version of the manuscript. After acceptance, the publisher can proceed with publication and release the author's agreed upon advance.
Advance: The amount of money the publisher pays the author up-front upon acceptance of the manuscript for publication. Typically, the book's sales must "earn out" the the advance before the author is paid any additional monies.
Agent: The author's representative in business dealings with the publisher.
ARC: Advance Review Copy of your book. Distributed to reviewers before book is released.
Author's Voice: The unique use of words, phrases, and writing techniques that places an author's "stamp" on their work. It is recognizable to the reader, even if they don't know who the author is. Prime example of author's "voice" vs. "style": Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Similar style, but very different author voices.
Back Cover Copy: The few paragraphs "blurbed" on the back of a book to give the reader a quick sketch of what the book's about.
Characterization: The author's ability to populate their stories with unique, individual people who are living and breathing to the reader. When two people have a conversation in a novel, the reader should be able to know who is saying what, without the name tags, based on how well the author has developed the character.
Conflict: The driving force of most fiction. Plot without conflict is nothing more than a "journal" of events.
Distributor: Large company that warehouses books from the publishers and distributes them to the booksellers.
Editor: The representative of the publishing house who evaluates your work, and can make decisions on purchasing it. The editor stays with the author through the publication process, recommending revisions, giving final approval over the manuscript before acceptance.
Galleys: The line-edited, copy-edited version of your manuscript before it goes to print. Last chance for minor corrections, but no major overhauls should occur at this point.
Goal: Your character's most desired objective.
Hook: A device for grabbing reader's attention.
IRIS: The color photo-quality image of the book's cover art, spine and back cover copy.
Joint Accounting: The process where a publisher combines the sales of different books by one author in a royalty statement, requiring each book's advance to "earn out" before any additional royalties are paid on any other book
Manuscript: The typed version of your book.
Motivation: The reason your character is struggling so hard to achieve his or her goal.
Pacing: The speed at which the writer moves the reader through the story. Long passages of narrative slow pacing, while dialogue exchanges speed pacing. Note: The pacing of the book is not the same as the time covered in the story.
Partial: A set number of chapters (typically 3) requested by the publisher to evaluate a proposal.
POV: Point of View- whose head are you in during the scene? Most novels today are written in 3rd person (he saw, she did) vs. 1st person (I saw, I did) and most are in past tense (he did, she was) vs. present tense (he does, she is).
Print Run: The number of copies of the book the publisher will print for distribution. Typically a first-time author's print run is pre-determined according to the publisher's expectations for the book, while a more established author will have previous sales records to help determine the run.
Proposal: A package put together for the editor, including a synopsis of your book, plus a partial of the actual manuscript. Generally, first-time authors will only sell on complete manuscript, while subsequent sales are made on proposal.
Publisher: Company that purchases manuscript, prints it, and offers it for sale to the public.
Query: A brief (1 page) letter to an editor, pitching yourself and your manuscript. Should read something like a "back cover blurb" to succinctly grasp the essence of your work and make the editor want to read the synopsis.
Reserves: The amount of money the publisher "holds back" from an author's royalties, based on the assumption that booksellers will strip and return unsold books.
Rights: In a contract, typically the publisher is "buying" the ability to control the author's work for a set amount of time and for set purposes. Some contracts include rights for a number of years, for publication in various forums including print, print on demand, e-publishing. Some even include film rights, meaning the publisher has purchased the ability to negotiate with a Hollywood producer to film your story on your behalf, for a pre-determined percentage Royalties: The money the author makes on a book. Typically, an agreed upon percentage of the cover price, based on book sales.
Scene: The key moments showing the characters progression through their story.
Sequel: A transition to link scenes, gives character the opportunity to react to what just happened and to prepare for what will happen in the next scene.
Synopsis: A brief (1 page per 10,000 ms. words) description of the plot of your book. Should be written in present tense, with as few character names as possible, should cover the turning points in your book and should include no dialogue. Designed to engage the editor's interest in your story, the synopsis should resolve all plot questions and must never leave an editor "hanging."
Tag: A device used by the author to let the reader know which character is speaking.
Turning Point: The times in your book when your characters change direction. The plot builds, your characters act or react to what is going on, and something occurs to send them in an unforeseen direction, bringing the reader along with them

13 Reasons an Author Might Not Get a Book Tour

2007-03-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

by Dr. Lorna Tedder

1. You haven't asked. Maybe you had no idea you could publicize your future bestseller with a book tour. Or maybe you assumed your publisher would take care of everything for you. Have you told your publisher you're willing to spend a week travelling from city to city, visiting talk show hosts and bookstores? The worst they can say is "No."

2. You don't have a publicist. If your publisher doesn't arrange a book tour for you, your publicist can. On the other hand, most of us don't have publicists and they can be pretty pricey....

3. You haven't had an affair with a political figure. Ever notice how both publishers and readers tend to gobble up books about victims of the country's top ten dysfunctional families, orgy-minded bosses, and Congressional dirty laundry? If you're a fairly normal person without a lot of scandalous secrets you're ready to reveal, the t.v. news magazines won't be seeking you out.

4. Your publisher expects you to promote the book yourself. Contrary to the opinion of many unpublished authors, book tours do not come automatically. Some publishers, especially thosewho sell genre fiction, consider their wide distribution to be promotion enough. You don't have to promote yourself at all, one editor says. Then she goes on to add that, of course, other authors will promote their books on their own time and money, and their resulting sales may look better than yours, and who do you think will get the next book contract, huh?

5. Your publisher doesn't promote at all. Subsidy publishers generally don't command widespread publicity or distribute your book to a huge national market. Basically, you pay to have a company print your book, not to promote it. Don't expect more unless it's written into your agreement, and even then you'll have to contend with snooty reviewers and reporters who look down on "vanity presses."

6. Your publisher can't afford it. This is especially true of small presses, even the prestigious ones. Book tours can be expensive and small publishers simply don't have the resources to send you on a show-and-tell tour. Surprisingly, it's also true of large well-known publishing houses, which are being forced to cut back on expenses due to rising paper costs and shifts in readership.

7. Your publisher reserves book tours for "name" authors only. You're probably not a "name." You may even be a new author with a miniscule print run, no sales record, and an editor who answers your calls with "Who?" The "names" are those hugely successful, bestselling authors. Even if you've spent the past decade under a rock and don't recognize their names, you can spot their book in any bookstore by looking at the covers: their names are about twice the size of the book title.

8. You're not rich or famous. If you married a billionaire or if your face is on the cover of any dozen magazines at one time, you can rely on your celebrity status to get a book tour.

9. You didn't receive a huge advance. The more money a publisher invests in you up front, the more likely they are to promote you. They want to see your book earn back that initial outlay of $, and they'll give it an extra push.

10. You don't have a hot-shot agent. A good agent might have negotiated additional terms and conditions to your book contract, complete with a publicity budget, monetary incentives for making bestseller lists, and all sorts of dreamy perks.

11. Your book doesn't have a promotable "hook." Don't let anyone tell you there's nothing unique or interesting about you or your book-they're wrong. What you have to do is find the market because it's rare that the market finds you.

12. You self-published your book. Your fairy godmother is not going to swoop down and take care of marketing the book for you. It's up to you. It's ALL up to you.

13. Getting published is a distant dream. Maybe you haven't finished that book yet. Maybe you're just getting started. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be thinking about how you'll market the book to publishers and eventually to readers.

Dr. Lorna Tedder is an award-winning, best-selling author who routinely shares her writing and marketing expertise at national writers' conferences, online, and through her writing guides. Her non-fiction guides for writers include Book Promotion for the Shameless, Book Promotion Savvy and Reclaiming The Magic: a Writer's Guide to Success. All three books are available at www.SpilledCandy. com

Call for Submissions

2007-03-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Celebrating the International Poetry Day, the Arabesques Review isnow accepting submissions for two upcoming special issues:Vol 03, Issue 02 Contemporary Women Literature>>>

Submissions Deadline: April 30, 2007
Vol 03, Issue 03 Globalization

Submissions Deadline: June 30, 2007
We would be very honored to read and consider your contribution forthese upcoming anthologies To SUBMIT TO THE ARABESQUES REVIEWhttp://www.arabesquespress.org/journal/
Click here <http://www.arabesquespress.org/journal/guidelines.asp> to check out our submission guidelines.
For more details, see our web site at:http://www.arabesquespress.org/or email us at: submissions@arabesquespress.org

Alert for Writers

2007-03-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

Martha Ivery (a.k.a. Kelly O'Donnell, d.b.a. Press-Tige Publishing Inc.) sentenced to 65 months in Federal prison.
Investigation opened into Desert Rose Literary Agency, run by Leann Murphy of San Angelo, TX. See this alert.
Authors published by Quiet Storm Publishing, see this alert.
The great PublishAmerica hoax.
The Literary Agency Group (Children's Literary Agency, Christian Literary Agency, New York Literary Agency, Poet's Literary Agency, The Screenplay Agency, Stylus Literary Agency, Writers' Literary & Publishing Services Company) has changed its name. See this alert.
Clients of The Robins Agency, see this alert.
Authors published by Oak Tree Press and clients or former clients of Johnson-Warren Literary Agency, see this alert.
Authors published by American Book Publishing, see this alert.

Marketing tips for freelance writers

2007-03-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

Writers just starting out and hoping to publish need to do more than perfect their writing skills, including syntax, grammar and lucid use of vocabulary, learn to do excellent research and polish their prose. In fact, the business of writing, the sale of pieces of writing for profit with corresponding protection of rights is an important part of a free lance writer’s work. This piece will suggest a series of steps for the beginning writer who must acquaint him/herself with markets in order for sales to begin.

First, choose a genre or type of writing, or perhaps a couple of them, and place your focus there.Will you write fiction or non-fiction? Poetry is altogether another subject, and markets for poetry will not be dealt with here, nor will play or script-writing.

If you will write fiction, aim for short, picaresque, well-told stories with well-motivated characters and concrete details at every turn. The time for novel-writing should probably be after you have proven your skills as a writer of short fiction, although this is not true for all novelists.

If you decide to write non-fiction, you will have a broader market selection, and must of necessity choose a few subjects on which to base your early work. Later, with research and writing experience, you can dabble in more than one area with ease, but to work, say, in celebrity profiles, business writing and sports writing nay confuse the issue and triple the amount of research you must do.

But, if for example, you decide to write health and medical articles, incidentally, an up and coming area for free lancers, you can hone yourself as an expert by the volume of your work alone, and your research can also double or triple for use in more than one article. Free lancers must work fast, and efficiently, to produce even a modest income. Be logical in your choice of what to write; if you don’t have a scientific bent, don’t decide to write technology articles. If you are impatient with details, don’t bother trying to do craft how-to pieces.

Let’s assume you’ve chosen Health and Medicine to begin with, because there are a few subjects in this field you know a bit about, and even more you’re interested in. Because you once had a sports’ injury that required extensive physical therapy, you know a little about such injuries.

Start doing your research, but in the meantime, research the markets and find out where you might be able to pitch a piece on such a sports injury. With a specific market in mind, you’ll know how to slant your article, how long to make it, and whether to query the editor before it’s completely written or whether they’ll want to see a completed piece.

Where do you find out these things?

Without a hesitation, go to writing magazines like The Writer, Writer’s Digest and Byline. Obtain copies at the library or invest in them at your mega bookstore, and start poring over the market suggestions in current and back issues. You may come up with five or six magazines outside of the top ones like, say Sports; Illustrated, which you may want to save for you fame and glory days.

See if your chosen selections are looking for pieces on sports injuries, sports’ medicine or the physical therapist’s role in keeping athletes fit. Just reading these Writer’s Guidelines, or Submission Guidelines will help you decide how to slant your article. If you can’t locate some specific markets in the magazines, go online and do a search, or go directly to some e-zines which may also be looking for such pieces. E-publishing is incidentally a great way to get started. Even if you have to publish for no pay, get a few “sales” under your belt will help your resume when you query an editor and try to sell later.

There’s also a possibility that straight print magazines who want your piece won’t pay either, except in copies. As a beginner, you’re in a bind, and may have to accept that route as the best starting point, when you have no experience of sales. You decide when you’ve had enough of that routine, though, and when you’re ready to get paid or die trying. My first two short stories were freebies, but the thrill I got from seeing my work in print, and the nice comments I got from the editors of those two literary magazines was pay enough. Later I got paid small amounts, and twice had the pleasure of seeing the cover of two more magazines push my story, with illustrations and headlines—a thrill.

Finally get paid for short stories took a few years, and, incidentally, I’ve never made as much from short fiction as from noon-fiction. So if you’re eager to publish, stay with non-fiction and study the markets. Eventually, you’ll graduate to the Writer’s Annuals, a compendium of all kinds of markets for writers. Most libraries have a few of these annuals in their reference departments, and often you can take out the year-old volumes for study at home. Writer’s Market 2000, for example, is a Writer’s Digest Books selection that costs about $25.00, and offers updated market listings. There are also subject-particular references, such as Christian Writer’s Market Guide Annual, Business Writer’s Guides, and so on.

Study your Writer’s Market like a Bible. You will discover small, niche markets that don’t get 1,000 submissions a month like Sports’ Illustrated does. Aim for the small guys first; they’re hungry for you and your well-written articles. Also, don’t neglect newspapers, local and regional. A regional newspaper near my town is large enough to pay at lest a two-figure amount for my travel and food articles, while my local paper will not, even if I occasionally offer them a freebie for public relations’ sake.

Another tack for marketing is to connect yourself to a writers’ group. I found mine when I took a college evening course called Writer’s Support Group. After a helpful eight-week course, a group of us decided to continue to meet, critique each other’s work and educate one another by sharing market tips and advice. We were all pretty much beginners, but the mutual support we were able to give and receive in our group has been a godsend.

Learn your markets, focus your work, find support and educational resources, and you’re well on your way to a free-lance writing career. If you have enough determination and a modicum of skill and marketing savvy, you’ll make it.

Make Sure Your Nonfiction Book Will Be Read

2007-03-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

Your first step in creating a book proposal is to ask yourself the same questions an editor would ask:

Is this book needed? In broad terms, readers seek instruction, information and entertainment (and ideally some combination of all three).

If the book is needed, can you quickly appeal to that need? In other words, will a reader be able to glance at the book and quickly realize, "I need that" or "I'm interested in that"?
How many people are interested in the topic? Does your idea appeal to a wide national or special-interest readership?

Of the people interested in the topic, how many would naturally seek information about the topic in book form? For some topics, books provide a natural format—cookbooks, biographies and so on. For others, people might first turn to other information sources—television, in-person advice from clubs, etc.

Is the subject matter "big" enough to warrant full-length book treatment, or would it work better as an article or a booklet?

Can the book be produced economically? For example, large-format, full-color hardcover books are expensive to produce.

By answering these questions, you will better be able to "picture" your project as a needed, compelling, potentially profitable

Writing Tip: Selling an Older Title

2007-03-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a teaser for the upcoming blog tour featuring Shel Horowitz, author of Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers. (www.grassrootsmarketingforauthors.com),

I'd like to hear his ideas on how to revive a self-published book that's three (3) years old.

I'm a big believer in deep backlist. Just the other day I did an interview that promoted a book that was published 11 years ago and has been out of print since 2003 (I sell it as an e-book). I regularly promote my titles from 1995, 2000, and 2003, as well as my 2007 title. All the same promotional strategies apply.

Unless the book is actually obsolete (e.g., how to survive the coming Y2K crisis, health benefits of smoking), just promote it as a book you care about and consider relevant. Don't bring up the date unless they do.. But note that bookstores will not usually be your channel if the book is old.

Ideas for Promoting Your Book

2007-03-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

The best promoters in the world can't sell your book unless it delivers value to your reader. The more value your book delivers, the easier the promotion will be.

- Value can be--
- Information your reader needs to reach business or personal objectives
- Motivation to keep your reader on track or aspiring to new heights
- Entertainment bringing smiles, chills or puzzlement to your reader
- Pure esthetics--the joy of a beautiful book
- Besides good content, your book needs to be well-written, organized and packaged, including--

- A memorable title
- High-quality packaging and cover design

Finally, to be successful you need a realistic market for your book, a group of people who will want a copy of your book as soon as they know about it.
Assuming you have all of the above, here are 26 ideas to get you thinking about ways that you can promote your own book.

1 Introduce your book in one burst with all of your publicity and promotion programs synchronized. Pick an event, a date, and plan your book's coming out to coincide with the chosen event. Your publicity will multiply as a result.

2 Print at least 200 copies more than you know you can sell, and give them away to people who can promote your book: news editors, book reviewers, television hosts.

3 Dramatize your cover and walk into the biggest TV station in town in costume, or with your acting troupe in tow.

4 Create an affiliation with a nonprofit organization and dedicate the back cover to explaining this affiliation. Share profits with the nonprofit organization (a dollar amount per book is the simplest and most straightforward) , and they will help you sell the book.

5 If you or a friend is handy with tools, design a small and attractive counter-top book display decorated to showcase your book and take it to local retail outlets. The display rack can be a gift to the store after an agreed period of time showing your book

Wronging Writers: Don't Get Taken

2007-03-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

Writers, for some reason, are especially susceptible to scams. Perhaps this is because success in the writing field takes a great deal of hard work, and people are always looking for short cuts. Also, most writers want see their own name in print. Here are some scams to avoid:

Subsidized Publishing
Subsidized publishing, also known as vanity press, can be a legitimate way to publish small works of personal interest or for niche markets. You pay the publisher/printer a fee and they produce your book. This is a legitimate way to publish, but do not be fooled into thinking your work has been "accepted" by a reputable publisher. The company is publishing your work based on the money you will give them, not the quality or marketability of your writing.

Editor Fees
If a publisher recommends that you pay a particular editor before they consider your work, chances are that both the editor and the publisher are scamming you. There is nothing wrong with paying an outside editor to help you with your writing, but you should research and choose who to have edit your work.

Agent Fees
Legitimate literary agents do not charge you a fee to either read your work or represent you. Finding a quality agent can be difficult, but do not settle for one that charges a fee. Chances are you'll pay more than you'll ever get.

Contests
Poetry and writing contests that sound too good to be true generally are. Be wary of any contest that charges a fee and do not pay to have your poetry published through these contests. For more information see Avoiding Poetry Contest Scams.

Anthologies
Poetry or writing anthologies are an offshoot of the poetry contest scam. Do not pay to have your book published as part of an anthology, and do not agree to purchase a copy. Any legitimate publisher will offer you at least one free copy.

Work From Home
You may or may not be able to make thousands as a freelance writer, but if somebody tries to get you to pay them to find out how, then chances are it's a scam. There are plenty of books about freelance writing, invest in one of those.

Reviews / Polls
This is an offshoot of the work from home scam. Supposedly, you will get paid to review movies, books, web sites and such. Of course, to find out how to do this you just have to pay the advertiser a "small" fee. There are far more people willing to write reviews than people who will pay for them. Chances are, you're being scammed.

Avoiding Writing Scams
If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
Don't pay a fee for what you can get for free.
Always research any publisher, editor or agent you want to work with.
Never be afraid to ask for references.

If you are victimized by a scam, report it to the Better Business Bureau and the FTC.

When Authors Engage in Public Speaking

2007-03-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

by Patricia L. Fry

It's encouraged. It's sometimes necessary. Authors often engage in public speaking in order to promote their books. But not all authors are prepared and trained for this activity. And not all authors even want to participate.

Let's look at the scope of authors' attitudes and aptitudes when it comes to public speaking.
There are authors who:

- are absolute naturals in the public speaking realm.
- absolutely hate the thought of standing before an audience.
- are game speakers, but have poor skills.

Is speaking one of your book promotion activities? Do you hope to start speaking to large and small groups as a way to gain exposure for your book? Please, before you launch out on the speaking circuit, heed the following advice:

Join Toastmasters and actively participate for at least a year. You will benefit in ways that you can't even imagine. Go to Toastmasters International for a list of clubs near you.
Volunteer for opportunities to speak. Take leadership of a project at work or for a charity. Offer to go around and educate citizens on a political issue or to raise funds for the library expansion, for example.

Attend other speakers' programs. If you are observant and alert, you will learn volumes about public speaking by listening and watching. How does the audience respond to the speaker? What techniques seem to work (and what don't work) for this speaker? What would you do differently to put the audience at ease, make this a more pleasing experience for the audience, etc?
Get involved with a storytelling group. This is a particularly fun way to improve your speaking skills. You'll also get some training and practice in using vocal variety.

Hire a voice coach. If you have a soft voice that doesn't carry well or a voice that is not pleasant to listen to, a voice coach might be able to help. You'll find voice coaches listed under music teachers in the Yellow Pages.

Find a mentor -- someone whose speaking abilities you admire.
Start locally. Before heading out to parts unknown to speak about your book in front of huge crowds, plan speaking gigs locally. Speak to the women's group at your church, your local Optimists or Rotary Club, a gathering at the museum or bookstore or even a group of neighbors, for example.

Public speaking rule breakers.

Many speakers let their voices trail off at the end of every sentence. The audience can hear the first part of their sentence, but they have no idea what pearls of wisdom might be lost in the whispers at the end. Sometimes this speaker will deliver complete sentences inaudibly while looking down -- obviously not interested at that moment in engaging the audience.

Some speakers are not good readers. If you are not skilled at reading something out loud, don't do it while speaking. Especially avoid doing this secretly. In other words, if you plan to deliver your speech by reading all or part of it, and you do not have good out loud reading skills, forget it.

Mumbling is not cool. Inexperienced speakers will often speak at conversation level, not giving any thought or consideration to the people in the back of the room. Recently, I sat in on a panel discussion at a workshop. The panelists chose to sit instead of stand to address the standing-room-only crowd, which I thought was rude. And one man, whenever it was his turn to speak, would rest his elbows on the table and fold his hands in front of his mouth during the entire time that he was speaking.

Inexperienced or thoughtless speakers leave members of the audience out. When an audience member asks a question, it is rarely heard in the back of the room. I've seen many expert speakers respond to the question by engaging in a one-on-one conversation with this person while the rest of the audience is left wondering. Speakers, I urge you to repeat the question so everyone is on the same page. And then respond to the question so that everyone in the room can hear it.

Some speakers choose to sit down on the job. In a very small, intimate group or when the audience is sitting in a circle of chairs or on the floor, for example, speaking while seated is generally okay. But if you have a room containing six rows of chairs or more, you really should express respect for those in the back of the room by standing so that you can be seen as well as heard.

Even some professional speakers still use too many filler words. It takes practice, but you can rid your vocabulary (especially while speaking in public) of those filler words like, uh, ah, er. Also avoid connecting sentences by overusing "and."

Many speakers have trouble staying within the time allotment. Most programs or presentations are carefully organized. Each segment is designed to fit into a specific time slot. I've seen speakers completely disregard their time constraints and foul up the entire evening's program. Not cool.

I've written many articles on the topic of public speaking. The following is excerpted from one of them. This list offers specific tips to help get your started on your way to successful public
speaking:

Speak out. Many inexperienced orators speak too softly or they allow their voices to drop toward the end of their sentences. Practice speaking up and speaking out. Whether addressing a large audience or a small group, always speak so that you can be heard even in the back of the room.

Repeat audience questions. When someone asks a question during your presentation, always repeat it before answering it. This ensures that everyone hears it.
Make eye contact. Move your attention around the room as you speak, making eye contact with each person.

Don't apologize. Avoid sabotaging your presentation by making excuses for not being well prepared or for poor speaking skills. Stand tall, appear self-assured and you will gain the confidence of the audience.

Use vocal variety. Make your talks more enjoyable by using an assortment of vocal tones and pitches rather than speaking in monotone. If you need help developing vocal variety, practice reading to children. Use your highest and lowest voice and everything in between.

Eliminate non-words. Inexperienced speakers generally use so many filler words that Toastmasters actually have an "ah counter" at every meeting. This person counts the number of filler words each member uses in the course of the meeting. Filler words include uh, ah, um, er and so forth.

Eliminate poor speaking habits. Rid your vocabulary of stagnant verbiage. Break yourself of those mundane phrases you like to repeat, such as, "yada, yada, yada" or "know what I mean?"

Likewise, watch the overuse of words like "really." Saying "I was exhausted" is a stronger sentence than saying, "I was really exhausted." You can explain how exhausted you were by saying, "I was exhausted beyond anything I'd ever experienced before," or "I was so tired I could have slept for a month."

Be prepared. You will be more at ease if you know what to expect. Find out if there will be a podium or microphone, for example. How many people do they expect? How will the room be set up? Also, have your props or notes organized so there will be no annoying fumbling during your presentation.

Know your audience. And gear your speech to the needs and interests of this particular audience. When I talk about the local history, I give a completely different talk to students at local elementary schools than I do when addressing civic organizations or historic society members.

Anyone can get up in front of an audience and speak. How well you do it is what counts.

More Information
Toastmasters International
http://www.toastmasters.org

Copyright © 2007 Patricia L. Fry

Writer's Voice: Five Places to Find Meaning among the Spring Blossoms

2007-03-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

By Melissa A. Rosati

Have you seen my voice?

Odd question, I know. Voice is associated with sound not sight. Still, I’ve been looking for it everywhere: writer’s retreats, a bedroom converted into a chic writing studio, the refrigerator, which is filled with brainpower snacks, specifically chocolate-mocha Haagen-Dazs (They say it cures writer’s block. I’ve dedicated years to working out the correct dosage). Yet while my words arranged on paper proved that I can hold my own with a comma and I’m no slouch when wielding a semicolon, the words themselves felt to me like hollow echo chambers; they ran in place bouncing off the keyboard onto the page but went nowhere.

Then one day last autumn, I was strolling through a street fair. I noticed two women standing behind a table display of seed packets wrapped attractively as gifts. Muse impulse or poor shopping-impulse control, it no longer matters which, prompted me to buy five of them.

So as not to feel guilty for spending $10 on seed packets that probably had a unit cost of eighty cents each, I went home and found the addresses of five people I’d fallen out of touch with for several years. For each note card, I thought that I’d be clever and enclose an inquiry: “Where will love blossom next in your life?”

Several weeks passed with no acknowledgement.

Naturally, I pulled out my journal to bask in rejection. I’d show them. I’d answer this query myself and rejoice in my own smug self-satisfaction that I was a lone word warrior.

Where will love blossom next in my life? Hmm. That was a puzzler. I couldn’t work out the problem-solving angle or think my way around it. The emptiness of the blank page mirrored the emptiness within me. It was uncomfortable like scratchy underwear. I couldn’t turn back though. I put that query out there and if I ignored it myself I couldn’t justify my ego bruise.

Where’ meant going not to a retreat, my studio or the refrigerator, but to a place of vulnerability. Where did I feel that emptiness in my body? The question triggered my heart to race so fast it felt like a ping-pong ball trapped in my chest. I took several deep breaths and allowed it to lead the way.

I share with you five places to explore for meaning in your writing practice.

Make a list of five people whom you miss having in your life. Pick up the phone and call each one. Start the conversation anew. Don’t allow anxiety about what to say stop you. Trust that the words will come.
Brainstorm 100 words about a person whom you love. Next, imagine that you’re creating a painter’s palette by group similar words together like hues of color. Then, with your pen as the brush and the paper as your canvas, create a message that speaks to who this person is in your life. Send this note.
Celebrate laughter. When people laugh in conversation with you, ask why what you said was humorous. Celebrate who you’re both being in that moment.
Listen with unconditional love. Where do you see pain among your family members or friends? Ask what is hard for them to be with. Listen without judgment, a proposed solution or comment. Simply be there and share the space.
Practice voice play. For one week, note all the different voices that surround you: birds, the wind, children, people and animals. What are they saying? What’s your heart saying back?

Without realizing it, my inquiry planted a self-discovery bulb last fall. Through the cold winter months, I felt the ‘wheres’ unfold gradually and I found that my voice within my heart. Now with the spring buds, I am grateful for the journey and I trust my heart along this continuous path.

I hope one or more of the above bring you to a new place in your writing practice — the place where your voice lives. Where love will blossom next in your life?

© 2005 Melissa A. Rosati. All rights reserved.

Fitting it all into a day, a week . . . a career

2007-03-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

How to decide which writing books, courses, seminars, and conferences to invest money and time in:

1. Set three objectives or goals relative to your writing, such as
a. a specific number of magazine or Web sales during the next year, orb. sales to certain magazines or websites, orc. specific book project(s) completed and published, ord. a certain dollar income from your writing business, ore. entering a new writing field, orf. adding a specific number of new clients.
2. Then, when considering books, courses, groups, seminars, conferences, ask, "Will it help achieve one of these goals?" If it will, go ahead with it.
3. If, because of time or money restraints, you must decide on only one of several qualifying books or conferences, determine which will give you the most value per hour and/or dollar invested.

OK, you've set your writing, business, and personal goals for the next year, and you're really trying to reach them, but there's a problem: too much to do, too many goals; not enough time, not enough money. Which projects, purchases, ideas should you pursue?

Answer the following questions about each possibility to help you set priorities:

Will it help achieve one of my high priority goals?
Will it contribute significantly (at least 20%) to my income?
Will it cut costs significantly?
Will it contribute significantly to better time management?
Will it negatively affect my income in large amount if not done?
Will people suffer significantly if not done?
Will it have a large negative impact on my business position if not done?

Writing Tip: Goals

2007-03-04T21:21:00.000-08:00

If you're serious about getting that book written or published during the next year, or earning a certain amount of money through your writing business, Mark Ellwood says you should take a new approach to reach your goals and ensure success. Among his suggestions, Mark says:

Plan your time every day.
Block off 30% of your writing time on high priority, long-term activities, and don't allow interruptions to interfere.
Share your deadlines with others.
Overcome procrastination by breaking that big project into smaller pieces.
Give yourself rewards for successfully completing the tough parts.
Visualize success when fear of failure gets in the way.

Source: A Complete Waste of Time — Tales & Tips About Getting More Done by Mark Ellwood.

Writing that (Almost) Perfect Poem Using Imagery

2007-02-28T20:36:00.000-08:00

Well-written poems contain certain elements with imagery, imagination, and vision at the top of the list. Even knowing the complete list, though, does not mean every poem will have all the elements of image and discourse, rhythm, effective line breaks, figures of speech (also known as poetic devices), word music, and formal structures. In fact a good poem may have one or two as major strengths and perhaps some of the others to supplement and complement the major element or elements.

However, imagery is a major component of any poetry. Through words, our senses experience a vivid, sensuous reaction. We need to use more than visual images, even though they are the most found in writing. Well-written poetry evokes smell, touch, sound, and/or taste. In other words, “show, don’t tell” is a common rule of poetry writing.

One way to develop the ability to create imagery, creating pictures out of words, comes from developing our imaginations. If we can first learn how to “see” in our minds what we want to share, writing that mental image becomes easier. Playing with senses, scenes, moods, questions, concepts, and faces in our minds and with our words frees our imaginations and allows them to fly, to soar. Writing lists of words that go with an idea wanted in a poem gives us starting points and threads to weave into the image. This list should include words dealing with most of the senses, if not all. Using free association (writing words that pop into our minds) helps us to free ourselves from preconceptions, firing up our imagination.

Play with the ideas and words, creating a tapestry of words to tickle the minds and imaginations of readers. One thing we need to do, too, is keep our images concrete, not abstract. Saying something is beautiful doesn’t “show” us how or why it should be considered beautiful. Giving the item color, texture, shape, and other sensory details gives the reader an idea of what beauty is.

Poetry should appear differently on the page or computer screen than paragraphs of prose. We need to use the thoughts and “threads” to prepare our poems.

Once ideas are listed, played with, and arranged artfully, we need to put the fledgling poem aside for a few days. Later we can see the poem with fresh eyes and decide to polish some more or give it a public debut.

Vivian Gilbert Zabel taught writing for twenty-five years, honing her skills as she studied and taught. An author on Writers (http://www.Writing.Com/), her portfolio can be found at http://www.Writing.Com/authors/vzabel Her books, Hidden Lies and Other Stories, Walking the Earth, and The Base Stealers Club, can be found through book stores or Amazon.com.

Style & PolishingTips

2007-02-27T18:20:00.000-08:00

Try not to use more than two commas in a sentence. It keeps you from saying too many things at one time. Also, it prevents the overuse of adjectives.

Be specific; avoid generalities (blue instead of colorful, Ford instead of car, and so on).
Vary lengths of your sentences and your paragraphs.

Arranging the elements of a series from short to long, from simple to compound, helps comprehension. For example:

-Place longer words at the end of the series. Example: Change "oranges and pears" to "pears and oranges."
-Place phrases at the end of the series. Example: "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" flows better than "liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and life."
-Place compound elements at the end of the series. Example: "He made the bed, mopped the floor, and washed the glasses, dishes and silverware" is far more readable than "He washed the glasses, dishes and silverware, made the bed and mopped the floor.

"Exceptions: When chronology dictates the order of a series (breakfast, lunch and dinner) — When familiarity dictates the order (peaches and cream).from Edit Yourself by Bruce Ross-Larson

In his essay "Politics and the English Language," George Orwell offered guidelines that are even more pertinent today:

-Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech you're used to seeing in print.
-Never use a long word where a short one will do.
-If it is possible to cut out a word, always cut it out.
-Never use the passive where you can use the active.
-Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

Avoid Creative Dialogue Tag Syndrome

2007-02-26T19:58:00.000-08:00

"Just be like that," she pouted.
"Oh, come on," he groaned. "Not this again."
"You don't love me," she replied.
"Right," he snarled. "That's why I bought you an eight hundred dollar diamond."
"Here," she sobbed. "Just take it back. Take it."

Okay, what's wrong with our sample above (other than being melodramatic)? It's an ailment I like to call "Creative Dialogue Tag Syndrome" -- the writer relies on creative tags (pouted, groaned, replied, snarled, sobbed) so the reader will know how to interpret the dialogue. What's wrong with this? Let me count the things:

The reader must interpret the tag and evaluate if the dialogue agrees with the tag. At best, it disrupts the flow. At worst, the reader decides the two are contradictory and the writer loses credibility.
It is telling the reader how the words are said instead of showing.
If the dialogue is well-written and the accompanying action is well-chosen, it is redundant.
It is annoying

Consider, instead:

Shelly's lower lip quivered. "Just be like that."
Mike rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on," he said. "Not this again."
"You don't love me."
"Right," he said. "That's why I bought you an eight hundred dollar diamond."
"Here." She pulled off the ring and shoved it under his nose. "Just take it back," she said, her voice breaking. "Take it."

Okay, so nothing's going to help our melodrama too much, but let's still examine the techniques used. We scrapped every creative dialogue tag. Every one. We replaced each with one of four techniques:

- No tag at all. This allows the power of the words to stand alone. As long as we know who's speaking, no law says we must use a tag.
-Action. "Shelly's lower lip quivered" replaces "she pouted." It's more specific, it allows us to visualize Shelly, and it's showing, not telling.
-The prosaic "said." Yes, "said" is boring. It's overused. In fact, it is so boring and overused that it's invisible. Just like "the" and "a" and "his" and other parts of speech that are used several times on each page, "said" slides right past the reader and allows him to concentrate on what's important: the action and the dialogue.
-A combination of "said" and action. This is particularly effective when interrupting dialogue, as in the last sentence of the after example above.

While we are on the topic of dialogue tags, let's also talk about correct punctuation. If a tag is used (preferably "said," but an occasional "asked" or "repeated" is permitted), a comma separates the dialogue from the tag (see examples in sentences 2 and 4 above). If action only (no tag at all, as in the first sentence in the example) is used, it is considered a separate and complete sentence and should be punctuated as such. If it is necessary to interrupt a dialogue sentence, as in the last sentence in the above example, use the tag and action, thus allowing a comma instead of a period.

Note: "I love you," she smiled, is never correct. "Smiled" cannot be a tag; it is an action. Therefore, it can be written in one of two ways: "I love you," she said and smiled. - or - "I love you." She smiled.

If your dialogue contains a question, such as: "Who are you?" he asked, it is not necessary to punctuate with a question mark and use "asked" as a tag. This is personal choice and personally, I usually use the tag.

Dialogue is one of the most important tools a writer has to convey character and to build plot. Using it effectively means tagging it effectively. Read the before and after examples given here aloud. Hear the difference. Hear the redundancy. Hear the invisibility of the hardworking "said."
It will be the best friend you ever had.

(c) copyright 2001 by Sandy Tritt

How To Get Free Advertising

2007-02-25T17:19:00.000-08:00

Word-of-mouth advertising may be the most productive way to spread the word about your titles – and it’s free. You can get people to talk about your titles constructively through the copy on your book’s rear cover, your publicity and communicating on the Internet.

Your rear-cover copy
Testimonials on your rear cover can work in your favor, and there are people who can start people talking better than others. One is a commercial authority, a person who has demonstrated greater knowledge on a topic than the average consumer. In addition, celebrities have proven to stimulate positive feedback because their influence is attributed to prominence in another field. Connoisseurs have excellent credibility because of their authentic but nonprofessional opinion of the title or topic.

Similarly, the sharer of interest brings similar, credible significance to the topic. An expectant mother singing the praises of your book about pregnancy or the criminal investigator endorsing your murder mystery fit in this category. They are not experts, but are everyday people who have read the book and deem it interesting and informative.

Your press releases
One way to stimulate positive communication in your press releases is to give proof through your words and actions that you have your customers’ best interests in mind. For example, avoid the sense of urgency in your publicity. Avoid terms such as, "buy now or lose this offer forever." Make your message exciting, helpful and informative.

Use the shock-of-difference approach, describing your title from a different, more compelling angle or by offering a challenge (Can You Pass This Memory Test?). Involve the reader by using verbal play such as a sequence of words or sounds that provokes repetition through its rhythm or alliteration.

Advertising on the Internet
Perhaps the fastest way to stimulate word-of-mouth communication is over the Internet. First, actively participate on listserves, but remember that most moderated groups frown upon tactless commercialism. Instead, simply steer the discussions to your topic, reply to every question related to your topic and include a descriptive signature with your reply.

Secondly, motivate word-of-mouse advertising through the design of your web site. Create a site that is educational, simply designed, fast to load and easy to use. Provide better service, more timely information and advice so visitors can find answers to their questions. Give visitors inside information -- something new and unique -- and tell them to pass it on to others. Also, suggest that people bookmark your site so they form the habit of returning to it.

posted by Brian Jud http://blog.bookmarketing.com/

Advice to the Younger Fiction Writer

2007-02-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

by Alex Keegan

I used to be a good club-level athlete, and a very good sprinter who never dedicated himself sufficiently to compete at the top level. Trying to offer advice to a young writer, is a bit like trying to give advice to a young athlete. Can I give any meaningful tips when I don't know if you're a sprinter, built for power, a miler, or a skinny-as-a- fish marathoner? For all I know, you might be a javelin thrower, and what's "young" anyway? A good rule of thumb used to be that forty was young for a good novelist!

But see my opening sentence? I might have made it to the fringes of National Class, but I lacked the dedication. Does that matter? Maybe not. I would have liked to have been a professional soccer player too, and I wouldn't have minded being a film star, but I wasn't cut out for either and I've had a full life (even if I've never bungee-jumped) and now I'm a writer and proud of it.

So point one, by young I mean under forty and not locked into a career you think is more important to you than writing -- and there are lots of great, giving, fulfilling jobs -- don't let all those romantics convince you otherwise. I'm a writer and I wouldn't give it up, but let me tell you as well as there being plenty more important jobs every one of them pays better! So if you're a young and aspiring writer (rather than an old aspiring writer), first ask yourself how serious you are.

Becoming a good writer of fiction takes a mass of work. You have to read and read and read: the good, the bad, the ugly and the eye-bleeding atrocious, then some more of the OK, and some more of the good, some more of the very good, the classics, the stuff you don't get first pass, (so read it again) and then you can go back and you'll see that the OK is pretty bad too.

It takes a minimum of three years' full time study, or 7-10 years of part-time study to get a university degree. Becoming a writer is harder! I think it was Ray Bradbury who said we need to write at least a million words just to make it to the foothills. Seems like a lot? Not really. 3,000 words a day for a year or 1,000 words a day for three years and you're home free. What d'you mean it sounds tough? It IS tough!

Presume that one million words is a real goal. Write 300 words a day, every day, never miss, and nine years from now, you'll be able to write. That is WRITE, that is, as someone once wrote, you will have eaten your technique, absorbed it until it's in your blood, so that HOW to express your thoughts will be semi-automatic.

Meanwhile you will have been walking, sleeping, eating, dreaming like a writer. Why? Because you find time EVERY day to write. Once you get into a daily writing habit (one page, come on, you can write ONE page, can't you?) you begin to see the world as a writer sees it, the ordinary inside the great, the tiny brilliances in the everyday. You begin to see with a writer's eyes. But only, ONLY if you commit to the idea of writing every day.

How to become a writer in one month.

Here is my definition of a writer. A writer is someone who on waking, always thinks, "Now how will I find the time today to write?" If you start writing every day and it becomes a habit, something which gets into your blood. If thirty days down the line the habit is set, then you're a writer, and you'll get there twice as fast as the six-day-a-week writer, ten times as fast as the weekdays only one. Exercise the writing muscles, exercise the soul, become pixel dependent.

The Ten Commandments.

Read them, follow them. Write about things that energise you, that make you buzz, get angry, get sad, emote over. Write about things with weight, meaning, a point. Don't be glib or trite, or clichéd, don't re-write Asimov or Chandler, write yourself, be brave, and while you're writing your million words, don't think you have to write LIKE anyone. You are a true original. Think originally. And when you want me to believe you, paint me pictures, let me see the pain without having it explained. Understand what the pundits mean by show not tell, or better, understand my own term, seduction not instruction. And if you don't understand it, work until you do.

Most importantly, forget plot, let characters do it for you. This always freaks the younger writer (especially since most are first attracted to the genres, such as Science Fiction, where ideas and plot appear more important. They're not. What people remember are people, situations, emotions, character, so be brave, imagine your characters, put them in a spot and let them get out of it.

Think about language, style, flow and lyricism. There are great writers with ordinary styles and there are "stylists" who bore the pants off us. Nevertheless, mastering how words work musically and phonetically as well as semantically can give you an extra level of power and set you apart. Learn about good dialogue, how it is NOT like real speech but artificially creates the illusion of everyday speech. Learn to hone dialogue and read great writers of dialogue -- I love Elmore Leonard for this.

And now an old piece of OK advice -- write at least fifty short stories before you embark on a novel, do exercises, snippets, try rewriting great short stories or novel openings, experiment with poetry, flash-fiction, writing to tough word-limits. Burn off the obvious, the commonplace, the too-closely autobiographical stuff early on. (Writing shorts does this). You will learn so much and still be creating pieces worth submitting.

Try to tell stories that illuminate life: be honest. Don't try to "be a writer," because that's the quickest way to dreadful purple prose and pretentiousness.

I've said already, read, read, read, read, read, and we know we must write, write, write; but don't forget submissions! Submitting our work after it's had time to settle and then has been seriously reworked is one of the most overlooked essentials to becoming a writer. You write to be read. If you aren't writing to be read stop now and go do something else. To be read means getting published, and to get published you have to get rejected, and rejected and rejected, tens, hundreds even thousands of times.

Get used to rejections. They happen for many reasons. Don't instantly aim at the New Yorker, but then don't throw away a great piece on a tiny e-zine, either. Understand the market (i.e.,: READ the Magazines!) and aim a little higher than you ought (but not too much), working your way down and through your list of places -- there are thousands and for these check out The Novel & Short Story Writers Market, a Writer's Digest Publication (U.S. and International) and in the U.K., The Writers & Artist's Yearbook -- but most importantly do read the magazines to which you hope to submit your work.

And if you think it, write it. never hold back. It's not always easy to write some things but if you half-write, if you hold things back, it will show in your work. Be brave. Writers are brave.

Experience, do you need it?

The answer is NO, but it helps. Every day of our lives we are not just gaining experience but we are assimilating it through a more experienced set of senses. If you can fight in wars (and survive -- surviving is definitely useful) have a few broken hearts, make/have babies, suffer trauma, all these things and more can be deepening widening experiences which enrich your writing -- but so can reading and living quietly, so can learning to see and hear with the writer's sensibility.

What experience CAN teach us is that we are not the centre of the universe and that maybe the pictures of us skateboarding AREN'T vivid entertainment.

When we've read Solzenitzin and Henri Carriere our four hours in the slammer may not be so much after all… but then again if we are WRITERS (we write every day) we might be able to compare and contrast the Gulag with Sheriff Tomkins' cell and say something about perspective.

So don't give up the day job, just yet, but write every day, write honestly, read, read, read (never be without a book), rework, polish submit and keep submitting. Work until you see the world as a writer sees it. No matter what is happening around you, you see only "life to be absorbed". Then as the mugger screams in your face, note his dialogue and remember it. Think only, "Wow, great material! Look at the spittle on his chin, that funny tic he has, and isn't a .45 BIG and dark?"

Poetry - Finding Your Inspiration

2007-02-21T19:57:00.000-08:00

A good poet is able to find the natural rhythms of everyday life and express them eloquently in words. But where do the ideas come from? There are thousands of poems out there about tired subjects like love and war; as a poet, your job is to find either a new and original take on these overused subjects or bring an original idea to life. Sometimes, however, the poetry muse takes a hike...and doesn’t return.

Here are just a few of the many ways to either discover or reclaim your wayward muse:
Look around you. Anything, anything at all can be the subject of a poem if dealt with in an original and creative matter.

Keep a notebook with you at all times and keep an eye on the people and places around you. The grocery store, the park, the bus—all can inspire new and creative ideas for poems. You might not necessarily write about what you see, but ideas may come to you in different settings.

Keep a notebook beside the bed for ideas that stem from dreams. Or write a poem about a dream you wish you’d had.

Keep a file of ideas—clippings, sketches, quotes—anything that may inspire a poem later on.

Writing prompts can often generate original thought. Try a "what if" scenario: What if children ruled the world? What if you woke up three feet taller?

Write about something "ugly" and make it beautiful through imagery.

Write a poem that consists solely of dialogue. Or create a poem from a list (I.e. The ten best pieces of advice I ever received).

Write a poem about someone from a distant place and time as if you were that person.
Write about an inanimate object—or from the object’s point of view. "Ode to a Paperclip" may not get you published, but it may spark creativity and original ideas.

Write from someone else’s point of view. Instead of yet another poem about Christmas, try writing about Christmas from the point of view of the homeless woman on the corner. Avoid using the word "Christmas" and rely on imagery instead.

Write about something you did NOT experience but wish you had (I.e. Woodstock) or an era in which you’d like to have lived.

Try writing passionately about something you passionately do NOT believe in—and make it convincing. Write about the joy of being a skinflint or how lovely it is to kill baby seals. Try this with or without the use of irony.

Go back to your childhood and write an apology in the form of a poem. Write a poem to someone you wish you had known or confront someone who did you wrong.

Scan newspaper or magazine headlines—write a poem about the woman who gave birth to six alien babies or the man who built a shrine to cockroaches. Take risks and experiment with the bizarre.

Take your personal demons and put them down on paper. If the subject is painful yet rings true, it will strike a chord with your readers. Don’t be afraid to tackle uncomfortable subjects.
Take on the cliches directly: try writing a good love poem without once using the word "love." Take it a step further and eliminate the words "joy," "desire," and "heart."

Read contemporary poets’ work. Read all you can. Identify what makes a poem call to you and analyze what makes you dislike other poems. Gain inspiration from others’ work.
Remember: all subject matter is worthy. A good poet need not have traveled the world or lived a life of tragedy. Look in your own metaphorical backyard for material.

Above all, keep writing, keep submitting, and write some more. The poems that result may not be worthy, but keep it up. It’s better to write a bad poem than to not write one at all. Eventually, even when your muse has flown the coop, the right poem will emerge.

E-Mail Query Tips

2007-02-20T18:06:00.000-08:00

Don't begin your e-mail query by apologizing for intruding into the editor's e-mailbox. If you have confidence in your idea and if you're positive your proposed article will be of value to the editor's readers, demonstrate your confidence by being positive about your message and your idea, beginning with word one.

Submit Tuesday through Thursday — Mondays are typically hectic for editors, plus e-mail boxes are usually fuller. Fridays are too late in the week and too close to the weekend for e-mail to be handled promptly, so it's either deleted or put in a bottomless hold file.

Make your lead paragraph less than 40 words in length.

Make your entire query less than 200 words, or 5 short paragraphs maximum. Editors don't have time to scroll — especially when it's a query trying to sell them something they didn't ask for.

Short Story Tips

2007-02-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

Why do some stories truly ring in the mind while others leave you with the feeling of 'what was the point?'. To make your short stories more effective, try to keep in mind these following points while writing:

1. Have a clear theme.

What is the story about? That doesn't mean what is the plot line, the sequence of events or the character's actions, it means what is the underlying message or statement behind the words. Get this right and your story will have more resonance in the minds of your readers.

2. An effective short story covers a very short time span.

It may be one single event that proves pivotal in the life of the character, and that event will illustrate the theme.

3. Don't have too many characters.

Each new character will bring a new dimension to the story, and for an effective short story too many diverse dimensions (or directions) will dilute the theme. Have only enough characters to effectively illustrate the theme.

4. Make every word count.

There is no room for unnecessary expansion in a short story. If each word is not working towards putting across the theme, delete it.

5. Focus.

The best stories are the ones that follow a narrow subject line. What is the point of your story? Its point is its theme. It's tempting to digress, but in a 'short' you have to follow the straight and narrow otherwise you end up with either a novel beginning or a hodgepodge of ideas that add up to nothing.

The 4 Can't Miss Keys to Copyright

2007-02-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

By Sophfronia Scott, "The Book Sistah"

Copyright is the writer's security blanket. It just makes you feel better to know your words are protected. I once knew a writer who was so scared his work would be stolen, he never sent it anywhere. Talk about counterproductive! But if you can understand these four simple copyright keys, you can rest easy and submit at will.

1. Create!
That's all you have to do to copyright something: write it. You don't have to publish it and you don't have to register it with the United States Copyright Office, although there are certain advantages to registration (see below). The moment a piece is written down, it automatically gains copyright and that copyright is owned by the author.

2. Give Notice.
That's when you put that little encircled "c" on the work. You can also use the word "Copyright", then your name and the year of first publication. For instance, this newsletter is "Copyright 2006 Sophfronia Scott". It tells the world that the work is protected so someone can't show up in court and claim they didn't know it was. Speaking of court...

3. Register Your Copyright.
Again, registering with the United States Copyright Office is really just a legality. You don't have to do it. But you do get a few benefits for the $30 fee that are worth considering.Registration makes your copyright a matter of public record and--get this--if you register and someone later infringes on your copyright and you take them to court, you will be able to sue for "statutory damages and attorney's fees". With an unregistered work you can only get an award of actual damages and profit. To learn more on how to register your literary work go to http://www.copyright.gov/register/literary.html.

4. Send Copies to the Library of Congress.
Once your book is published, you're required to send two copies to the Library of Congress. It's called a "mandatory deposit of published works". If your book is produced by a traditional publisher, the people there will do this for you, but if you are self publishing, keep in mind that you have to do this yourself. You have three months after publication. It doesn't hurt your copyright if you don't do it but, according to the Copyright Office, "failure to make the deposit can result in fines and other penalties." That's it! Pretty simple, really, but all the more reason why it should not become an artificial roadblock to your continuing and submitting your work. One last note: you can't copyright an idea. I have heard writers say they submitted a story or book proposal and someone else came out with a book just like it, so the agent/editor/writer must have stolen their idea. Well, not quite. It is highly likely that someone else just had the same idea. It does happen. And yes, it is possible for someone to steal your idea--just make REALLY sure that they have done so before you make the accusation.

© 2006 Sophfronia Scott

What Can You Do for Your Writing Style Now?

2007-02-15T21:07:00.000-08:00

To a certain extent, your writing style -- the manner in which you express yourself -- evolves naturally over time, a combination of your personality, your reading choices, and to a certain extent, the decisions you make consciously while writing.

So what can you do to develop your writing style? Thinking about style too consciously can result in mannered, stilted prose, but there are some basic style rules to keep in mind as you begin to write:

Read to develop your writing style.

Read voraciously, and read broadly. Read the classics -- great literature is your best teacher -- but don't be afraid that genre fiction, or any kind of prose, will corrupt your writing style. I first read Raymond Chandler, for instance, after hearing Denis Johnson ("Jesus' Son") interrupt his own reading to note Chandler's influence on a certain line.

Though Johnson is by no means a hard-boiled detective novelist, Chandler's prose had obviously left its mark.

Write.

There's no substitute for simply writing as much as you can. In the beginning, don't worry so much about publishing; that can come later. Attempt different genres. Nonfiction and especially poetry have something to teach as well. Again, don't worry about influence in the beginning, and don't worry if what you're writing seems bad. Write because you love it, and trust that you'll grow into your style.

Use the words that come naturally to you.

Though you should strive to enlarge your vocabulary, stick to words you use in real life. If you're using a word only to sound impressive, you're likely to misuse it or use it awkwardly.

Be clear.

Your goal is to communicate. Make sure each sentence is as direct and simple as possible. You want to make it easy for your readers so that they have the pleasure of getting lost in your prose. Awkward writing takes readers out of the fictional dream you're working so hard to create.

Avoid stereotypes and cliches.

Though it's hard to avoid stereotypes altogether, struggle to craft original sentences, metaphors, and expressions. Think twice before going with the easiest turn of phrase unless anything else would sound unnatural.

Be concise.

Experiment with individual sentences, seeing if they can be rephrased to use fewer words. Don't say, "He walked across the sidewalk with the cracked cement to the field," when you can say, "He walked across the cracked sidewalk to the field," for instance. Or, for another example, don't say, "Make sure each sentence is composed as directly and as simply as possible," when you can say "Make sure each sentence is as direct and simple as possible."

Be precise.

Clear, detailed writing will bring your prose come to life. Struggle to find just the right words for your descriptions. If necessary, do a little research. There's great pleasure in knowing the name for things, and in using those names. Saying that "The grey-haired woman sat by the window tatting a doily," for instance, is more descriptive and more vivid than, "The old woman sat in the corner working on something." Precision is not a matter of filling a sentence with modifiers, however. It's a question of choosing the best, most accurate nouns and verbs.

Pay attention to word choice.

The English language has at least 250,000 words, more than "most comparable world languages," according to the folks at Oxford. Because English is such a mutt of a language, we have synonyms for any given word. Buy a good thesaurus and make the most of our rich linguistic heritage.

FOR THE SYNOPICALLY CHALLENGED

2007-02-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

By Rosalyn Alsobrook

Just what is a synopsis?

A synopsis is that horrible-to-face condensation that tells your story to an editor in as few pages as possible. Keep it to a preferable 3-15 pages, depending on whether you plan a 280 or a 600 page manuscript. For EMERALD STORM, a historical romance saga which ended up being 770 manuscript pages, I wrote a 26 page synopsis. For "The Gift", a time-travel written in anthology form, the synopsis was barely 2 pages.

Synopses are always written so they can stand alone, but have a better "impact" if sent with sample chapters. By sample chapters I mean the first two or three--not the first, third, and tenth. Always start where the book itself starts and always give the ending. Editor's don't play guessing games. They don't have time.

In my synopses, I sometimes list the main characters and offer a very brief verbal sketch about each one, telling what relationship they have to the story. That keeps me from having to stop in the middle of the action to explain that this character is the evil-twin of the hero's ex-mother-in-law's older brother, or whatever. By including character sketches, I keep that sort of information easy-to-find at the front of the synopsis and don't have to repeat it in the text itself.

Many times, for extremely complicated stories, I also include a simple time-line to help simplify what pertinent events happened prior to the opening of the story, usually starting with the birthdates for hero and heroine and any main events pertinent to the story. That not only helps the editor in on the order of things, it helps ME keep "on track". And believe me, that is important to someone like me who is so easily "derailed".

I usually place the time line either directly after the very brief character sketches or at the very end of the synopsis. Placement depends on how important the information is in understanding the synopsis.

Quick and important warnings:
Don't bog your synopsis with a lot of unnecessary detail. You might want to make a "working synopsis" for yourself and in it you can store all those clever little ideas that occur while you work out the plot so you don't lose them, but keep the main synopsis, the one you mail to the editor, down to the bare essentials.

Use present tense. And use dialogue only when doing so will be shorter than explaining what was said and how and why. The whole concept is to be as brief as possible and if using dialogue cuts down on the wordage, use it, though sparingly.

Double space unless otherwise told. A few years ago line spacing didn't really matter but these days more and more editors are asking for double spaced synopses.

Proportional fonts are okay for synopses as long as they are easy to read, but I hear standard Courier is still the best choice for the manuscript itself.

Be sure that somewhere in that synopsis you have listed your heroine's goals and what in her life motivates her toward those goals. Same for the hero. Your two protagonists always have set goals and clear reasons for those goals. Neither the heroine nor the hero should be simply bumbling her or his way through life. Even the antagonist should have definite goals and motivations detailed in the synopsis. Also be clear in what ways the characters are changed by your story. All main characters should be changed in some way by the end. Even the antagonist, if you story has one, should change in some way--whether for the better or worse.

Make sure all the conflicts and complications are covered, especially the main conflict, that one main thing that stands directly in the way of your main characters reaching their goals. Don't forget to mention why the setting you've chosen is vital to your story. This is especially important if you write historical romance or historical time-travel.

You may indicate suspenseful or humorous scenes by labeling them just that: "In a short, humorous scene, the heroine enters the kitchen just as the hero is about to...."

When writing a synopsis for any romance, be clear as to the level of all sensual/sexual activity: "That kiss leads to a very sensual lovescene that is interrupted just as the hero...."
If you have a clever hook for the story, use it in the synopsis if possible.

Always keep in mind that your synopsis is a selling tool. Make it the very "best" selling tool it can be.

Writing query letters for fiction or poetry markets

2007-02-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

Staying Motivated

2007-02-11T19:49:00.001-08:00

How to make a portfolio

2007-02-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

How to make a professional portfolio to increase your chances of publishing your articles.

If you are a writer looking for work, the most important tool in your arsenal will be your portfolio. Editors and publishers want to see examples of your work and what kinds of places you have published with before and they don’t want to get a stack of photocopied papers and folded up newspaper clippings. If you want to present your best side to a prospective editor or publisher, it is important to be professional, organized and thorough. If you want to be chosen out of the hundreds of other writers on the editors slush pile, you need to stand out and present yourself coherently and with style. The portfolio you create could make or break your next writing contract. Before you start, you’ll want to pick up some report folders, the kind with the sliding bracket on the edge are the easiest to put together, but you may find a loose leaf type folder even more professional looking and weighty enough to not get lost in a pile of envelopes.

Get about twenty good quality laser copies of any articles you have published in the past 3 years. If your article included color photos, have them copied in color. On the bottom of each copy, type the name of the publication it appeared in along with the date. Make sure you produce copies of ALL of your clips, not just the best ones. You want to build an arsenal of different types of writing so that when you are querying for a job, you will have a full artillery. Clips can include brochures, newspaper articles, nonfiction articles, poetry, fiction, advertising copy, anything that you have written that has been published. The more different kinds of examples you can assemble, the better.

Before you assemble your portfolio, you will want to work up a resume to include in the front of your package. Include any relevant credits you have accumulated no matter how obscurely related they may seem. Also include any information that really doesn’t have anything to do with writing at all. You never know when an editor is looking for an expert in a field you may have experience in to do an article. Even if your editor isn’t interested in your query, if he sees something in your resume that looks interesting, he may ask you to do an article pertaining to it.
You can tailor make your portfolio to suit the interests of any particular editor. If, for example, you are querying to a children’s magazine, include in the beginning of your portfolio any examples of writing you have done related to this field, followed by a few examples of other things you have published. It is always good to show versatility, even when working for a targeted audience. If possible, you should include a photo of yourself in your portfolio, sometimes magazines like to include photos of their authors and it also helps the editor to put a face to your writing, a big advantage!

Above all, make your portfolio user friendly and unpretentious. An editor can tell by your portfolio whether you will be difficult to work and you want to give the impression that you are easy going, though professional and talented. Portfolios add up to a big plus in your favor if you send them along with your query, you will be less likely to get ignored as a nice looking portfolio is tempting for editors to look through.

Writing query letters for fiction or poetry markets

2007-02-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

Writing a query letter for fiction or poetry is a bit different from writing a query letter for a nonfiction piece.

Short Fiction and Poetry
In the case of short stories or poetry, you in general won't be writing many query letters; editors may be mildly annoyed at getting a query letter about a piece when their guidelines clearly state that writers should simply submit such pieces. Thus, you will write query letters in only a few circumstances:

You're writing to find out if the publication is currently accepting submissions; do this only if your market research has yielded conflicting information. This type of query should be short and to the point:

Dear (insert title and editor's last name here),Are you currently accepting materials for NAME OF PUBLICATION? I have a (5,000-word/50-line/whatever) (science fiction short story/poem/whatever) that I wish to submit. My work has appeared in (list relevant credits).Thank you,(your name here)(phone and email)

You're writing to find out if they're willing to look at a piece that falls outside their submissions guidelines (for instance, you might have a short story that's a few thousand words longer than what they say they'll take).

You're trying to get into an invitation-only anthology or chapbook.
In the latter two cases, you will be writing a letter similar to the one for the basic are-you-accepting-work? query above. There are a few things to keep in mind when writing such a query:

Make sure you've got the editor's title and name correct; this is basic, but to mess this up really hurts your chances. Not figuring out that Editor Pat Smith is female rather than male and then addressing her as "Mr. Smith" is a common mistake.

Do not try to summarize your poem or story. This is a huge turnoff for most editors. Give them the length and its genre and, if relevant, its topic.

Include your relevant publishing credits ("My fiction has appeared in publications such as NEAT-O STORIES, TALES OF THE UTTERLY FABULOUS, and EEK! IT'S FICTION").

Demonstrating that you are a published writer -- and therefore likely the author of competent, readable work -- will help your cause. If, say, you're an unpublished fiction writer but you've had poems published in magazines that run both fiction and poetry, you can sneakilly rephrase things ("My work has appeared in publications such as TALES OF THE UTTERLY FABULOUS and GRINDSTONE QUARTERLY"). If you are well-published, don't list the whole shebang; pick and choose which publications are likely most recognizable to the editor. A maximum listing of two or three lines is sufficient.

Don't include biographical information unless it's quite relevant to the piece you wish to submit (for instance, if you've written a thriller novellette based on the time you were held captive by guerillas in El Salvador)

If a better-published writer known to the editor has suggested you send your work to this market, by all means mention this. If you're trying to get into an invitation-only anthology, this is pretty much crucial: "(writer name) suggested I submit this piece to you."

Keep a businesslike tone. Don't try to be funny unless you are VERY sure of the editor's sense of humor. It's way too easy to inadvertently offend someone and have your attempt at humor backfire.

A lot of the above advice will equally apply to writing cover letters when you submit a story or poem to a publication.

Novels
Novel queries can be simple documents, or they can be complex works that will take you weeks to properly prepare. It all depends on what the publisher says he or she wants to see. If they say they want a query letter and the first chapter or three of the novel, that's essentially what you send.

Piquing their interest is crucial in getting them to ask to see the rest of your novel.
You will be summarizing the plot and character interactions of your novel. You will also want to include publishing credits and relevant biographical/expert knowledge. In short, your opening letter will be much like a query proposal for nonfiction.

Writing a novel synopsis is a complex topic worthy of its own article (which I'll cover sometime in the future).

The Five Golden Rules Of Publicity For Authors

2007-02-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

By Katherine "Kat" Smith

The hard work, you think, is over. You've labored into many late nights writing your book, struggled to literally make sure every "i" is dotted and every "t" crossed. Your book -- your baby -- is all grown up now; completed and ready to set the world on fire.

Then, the cold, hard truth slaps you in the face like a winter chill. Like the proverbial tree falling in the woods with no one around, your book isn't going to make a sound -- or even be known about by anyone -- unless you get the word out. You could hire a publicist, but the often high-costs can be prohibitive, and perhaps most of your "book money" went to editing, design, layout and printing.

What to do?

Relax, set your ego aside, and set up a plan and course of action. Book promotion isn't rocket science; but it does involve a lot of hard work, persistence and some added touches of creativity. Here are some basic yet invaluable pointers for the bold author who has decided to go it alone in the wild world of book promotion.

Change positions with the media

The essence of book promotion is the utilization of the media to get the word out to the public about your book. Sure, producers, editors and journalists can be a gruff bunch, but the reality is they are literally swamped with books and press releases every day.

What you need to do is put yourself in the shoes of the media. If you were a feature editor at a paper or a producer of a talk show, what would interest you? Too often, amateur publicists simply believe that getting a book or press release into the right person's hands will do the trick. WRONG. You've got to think of an angle, hook, slant -- whatever you want to call it -- that will interest the right people.

Listen to talk radio.

Watch TV talk shows. Read the lifestyle and feature sections of newspapers. Read magazines. See what makes it; then create a press release that will make it happen for you.

Remember: No one ever interviews a book Getting on radio and TV talk shows is exciting, fun and can really jumpstart book sales. But if you think your book will get you on the air by itself, you're probably wrong. No one interviews a book ... they interview PEOPLE. Of course, the topic your book may be gets the attention of producers, but they need and want people who can be informative, entertaining and articulate. People make a show ... not books. When you're promoting a book, you're also promoting yourself. Remember this, practice this, and go for it!

Invest in useful resources

No self-promoting author can achieve success without a few essential resources. You need to know who to contact and how to contact them. Media directories are plentiful, and some are actually affordable. Shop around and get one. One of the most popular is the s eries of Bacon's media directories, but there are many available.

But what about non-media publicity resources? Book signings and speaking engagements are excellent ways to get books moving and create word-of-mouth awareness. A book such as The Book Seller's List -- a directory of book stores and other outlets -- puts the information right at your fingertips. Other books cover virtually every aspect of book promotion -- from direct mail and marketing to media coaching and radio interviewing skills.

Practice relentlessness

The reality of book publicity is ... you have to get used to being a salesperson. Make no mistake about it; you are selling something when you try to get the media interested in you or your book. Practice the art of persuasion while always keeping in mind what the media wants.

Any publicist will tell you that being relentless is paramount in book promotion. You have to walk the fine line between persistence and annoyan ce, being careful to not become "pushy," but persuasive. Don't stop with one phone call, email, fax or letter. Follow everything up, and then do it again and again.

Know the game

Think of book promotion as a very simple marketing game: If you give the media what they want -- good stories, solid information, controversial or provocative topics - they'll give you what you want -- print coverage or air time to get the word out about your book.

So many authors complain that they "sent 100 review copies out with fancy press kits … and no responses!" Perhaps the books and press kits didn't give the recipients what they need and want to do their jobs? Are you simply shoving a book in their face, or persuading them to take a look at the book because of a compelling angle or tie-in to a topic many people are interested in?

Anyone can send out books or press releases about a book, but the successful self-promoters lure the media in by enticing them with information that can help them do their job.

**Kat Smith is author of The Bookseller's List, and the co-host of ABC Radio Network's Solid Gold morning show. She is also an actress, model and internationally- published freelance writer. Her website can be found at: awomanofwords. com.

Finding A Publisher

2007-02-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

by Robyn Opie

At Fiction Factor and Children's Fiction Factor, we frequently receive emails from writers asking us to recommend a publisher or publishers. It seems like a simple question. Ah, if only life were so simple!

The problem with most of these emails is that the author neglects to include pertinent details:
a) what they've written - novel, article, short story etc
b) the genre - horror, romance, thriller etc
c) fiction or non-fiction
d) length
e) and in the case of children's fiction, whether it's a picture book, easy reader, chapter book etc
f) where the author livesBut, even with these details, we're not in a position to recommend publishers.We provide FREE information to help people write a book or books. We provide FREE advice on how to get said book or books published. So why don't we recommend publishers?

Simply put, because the author of a book is the best person to find a publisher. The author of a book knows that book better than anyone. With little knowledge of the book, we can only guess about suitable publishers. What if we guess wrongly? After all, we really don't know anything about the book in question. We could be giving you bad advice. And, trust me when I say, the last thing we want to do is give you bad advice. We could be wasting your time. We could be costing you money.

So if we recommend publishers to you then we're not really being fair to you. We're not necessarily giving you and your book the best chance in the market place.Only you can do that, or a good agent if you have one.Now this doesn't mean that we want you all to send us your manuscripts to read so we can learn more about your novels. It doesn't mean that we want you to send us a synosis of your novels.It means that you, as the writer and manager of your career, are in the best position to find a suitable publisher. You know your book. You know what you want from a publisher and your career. You know what matters to you.What we can do, though, is give you advice on how to find a publisher or publishers.

So here's some more FREE advice to help you with your writing career.

1) Write your book.
When you're starting out, publishers want to see a finished product, or at least part of a finished product. They want to know that you're capable of writing the whole novel. So before you approach a publisher or, even research the market, write your novel.

2) Research the market.
First you need to know what sort of book you've written. Who is your reader? Males? Females? Both? What is the age of your audience? Is your book genre fiction? What genre? What about the length?Visit local book stores and look for books similar to your own in length and genre. You'll find the publisher's information easily, both on the cover and inside the book. Write down a list of the publishers you find that might be interested in work similar to your own.

3) Research the publishers.
I own a copy of The Australian Writer's Marketplace. You can buy Writer's Marketplace reference books for other countries as well, including the US and UK. (see book covers at the end of this article) You'll find details of many publishers in this reference resource. These details include their address, phone number, email address, website and submission requirements.

The Internet has made finding publishers a much easier task. If a publisher has a website, and most of them do, then visit the website. Research what they are publishing. And look for submission information. Firstly, do they accept unsolicited manuscripts? Your manuscript is unsolicited if a publisher or editor hasn't requested to read it. In other words, your manuscript is unsolicited if you're sending it to a publisher without their prior knowledge.

A lot of publishers inlcude submission guidelines on their websites, which can be downloaded with a minimum of fuss. Always read a publisher's guidelines and always follow their instructions. Give your manuscript the best chance. If guidelines aren't readily available on a publisher's website, then send them a polite and professional email asking for a copy of their guidelines.

The reason you conduct research on publishers before you submit a manuscript is to save you time and money. There's no point sending your horror novel to a publisher that only publishes romance novels. There's no point sending your children's picture book to a publisher that doesn't publish children's books or picture books. There's no point sending your unsolicited manuscript to a publisher that doesn't accept unsolicted manuscripts.

4) Be professional
When you deal with publishers or anyone associated with the publishing industry it pays to always be polite, friendly and professional. Publishers are looking for writers who can produce great novels and conduct themselves professionally. This includes submitting your work in a professional manner. A neatly formatted manuscript, accompanied by a well-written query letter will be more readily accepted than a hand-written, unedited story!You can find plenty of articles about query letters, manuscript submission and formatting here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/submission.html

5) Be Realistic
Biggest does not equal best! Almost every writer wants to see his or her own book up there on the New York Times Best Seller lists. But aiming your book at the biggest name publishing house you can locate is not always realistic - nor is it always the best possible publishing home for your precious work. In many cases, a smaller, more specialized publisher might have a better chance of placing your book in front of the right readers for your particular genre.

6) Research again!
Just because you may have found the name of a publisher willing to publish a book similar to your own does not necessarily mean they are still accepting submissions! Keep a close eye on websites that list publishers actively seeking manuscripts. Some of these even list publishers who are no longer accepting submissions, so you'll at least have some idea of where NOT to send your work.

Here are some links to help you find a publisher's website:

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ozlit/austpub.html
http://www.publishers.asn.au/links.cfm?doc_id=35
http://www.publishers.ca/CNM_Index.wws
http://www.lights.com/publisher/alphabetic.html
http://www.publishers.org/member/members.cfm http://www.ukwebstart.com/listbookpubs.html http://www.booktrust.org.uk/publishers/pubindex.htmNaturally

there are many more websites on publishers that you can find for yourself by searching the Internet.You are in the driver's seat of your writing career. Take control and target your submissions to the best of your ability. And that means researching the market and researching publishers.

Top 5 Mistakes Authors Make When Choosing a Publisher

2007-02-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

Brent Sampson c. 2006

1) DO NOT CHOOSE SPEED OVER QUALITY
Avoid publishers that claim to publish in 24 hours. After the time it took to write your book, do you want it published right, or overnight? Avoid overnight publishers no matter what they charge because the only one looking at your book will be a computer. It should take between 6-15 weeks.

2) DO NOT BE FOOLED BY HIGH ROYALTY CLAIMS
A royalty is simply a percentage of another number. The actual dollars and cents you earn depends upon that second number. The truest royalty is a royalty based upon the retail price of your book. Many publishers use "net royalty" which is a royalty based upon their profit. To be sure, always confirm your profit in dollars and cents.

3) DO NOT SIGN YOUR RIGHTS AWAY
The main advantage to publishing alternatively with a on-demand publisher is that you keep all the rights to your work. The rights are valuable. Read the contract. Your rights should clearly stay with you.

4) DO NOT BE CONFUSED BY BULK DISCOUNTS
If a publisher normally offers discounts to an author who buys their own book in bulk, that tells you two things. 1) It tells you they are more concerned with selling to you than to other readers. 2) It tells you they are charging you too much for lower quantities. Do you really want to be forced to buy 100 books at a time just to get a fair price? "Bulk" discounts simply trick the author into buying more books than they need, which defeats the whole advantage of on-demand printing.

5) DO NOT BE TRICKED BY AUTHOR DISCOUNTS
As an author, your per-book price should be based upon the production cost of the book, not the retail price. No wonder publishers inflate their retail pricing. You should always receive a below-wholesale price, regardless of how many you buy. You will never make money if you have to buy your own book at wholesale from the publisher.

Brent Sampson is the President & CEO of Outskirts Press Publishing at http://www.outskirt spress.com and author of Self-Publishing Simplified (a free e-book is available at http://outskirtspre ss.com/publishin g)

How To Create A Character Profile

2007-02-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

By The Lazy ScholarTM

One of the most important elements in a novel or short story is characterization: making the characters seem vivid, real, alive. One technique that many writers use with success is to create a character profile for the main characters in the novel. The purpose of a character profile is twofold:

to assist the writer in creating a character that is as lifelike as possible and to help with continuity issues in the story. In interviews many famous authors have stated that they came up with the basics of a character's personality and then they found that the character just "came alive" for them and ended up driving the story all on his own. But for the beginning writer, sometimes a more concrete approach is helpful.

That is where the character profile comes in -- it is simply a tool for organizing your thoughts about a certain character and keeping track of a particular character's idiosyncrasies and relationships. It can help flesh out a cardboard character and even make you think about facets of his or her personality that you had not considered before. Character profiles are especially helpful for novels which involve several main characters and for stories which use multiple points of view.

Character profiles are useful when writing in any genres. Depending on the genre in which you write, you will create additional sections on the Character Profile Worksheet. For example, fantasy writers can use the character profiles to keep track of factors such as magical abilities, family lineage, spells the character is under, and limitations on the character's power to ensure continuity in the action. For literary and mainstream novels, profiles are especially useful for keeping in mind motivations of the character -- hurts and disappointments in the past which may not be alluded to directly in the dialogue, but which nevertheless color everything the character thinks and feels. For example, someone who was abused as a child will most likely react differently in certain situations than someone who had a happy, loving childhood.

A Character Profile is also of great help during the rewrite stage of your novel. You can use the profile to ensure continuity in the character's actions. For example, if in draft 1 your heroine is just recovering from a nasty divorce and in draft 2 you've decided to make her a happily married mother of three, you will know to check every scene with dialogue about her marital status as well as scenes where the (now non-existent) dastardly ex-husband is mentioned. If you change an attribute of your character, be sure to update your Character Profile Worksheet right away.

Obviously, a character can develop over the course of the novel. The Worksheet provides a place for you to note that fact so that when you read over your final draft you can see if you achieved your particular character development goal for that character.

A Character Profile is just meant to be a guide where you can list facts and details to help you get to know your characters, especially if you get stuck on one character who doesn't quite seem real. Maybe he needs a new characteristic -- a hidden trauma, a fabulous skill or a deadly secret -- something that will make the character come alive for you. How detailed you want your character worksheets to be just depends on what works best for you.

So, next time you're stuck on characterization, pull out the Character Profile Worksheet and get to know someone new.

Character Profile Worksheet

Basic Statistics Name:

Age:

Nationality:

Socioeconomic Level as a child:

Socioeconomic Level as an adult:

Hometown:

Current Residence:

Occupation:

Income:

Talents/Skills:Salary:

Birth order:

Siblings (describe relationship) :

Spouse (describe relationship) :

Children (describe relationship) :

Grandparents (describe relationship) :

Grandchildren (describe relationship) :

Significant Others (describe relationship) :

Relationship skills:

Physical Characteristics:

Height:

Weight:

Race:

Eye Color:

Hair Color:

Glasses or contact lenses?

Skin color:

Shape of Face:

Distinguishing features:

How does he/she dress?

Mannerisms:

Habits: (smoking, drinking etc.)

Health:

Hobbies:

Favorite Sayings:

Speech patterns:Disabilities:

Style (Elegant, shabby etc.):

Greatest flaw:

Best quality:Intellectual/ Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes Educational

Background:Intelligence Level:

Any Mental Illnesses?

Learning Experiences:

Character's short-term goals in life:

Character's long-term goals in life:How does Character see himself/herself?

How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others?

How self-confident is the character?

Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof?

What would most embarass this character?

Emotional CharacteristicsStrengths/Weaknesse s:Introvert or Extrovert?

How does the character deal with anger?

With sadness?

With conflict?

With change?With loss?

What does the character want out of life?

What would the character like to change in his/her life?

What motivates this character?

What frightens this character?

What makes this character happy?

Is the character judgmental of others?I

s the character generous or stingy?

Is the character generally polite or rude?

Spiritual Characteristics

Does the character believe in God?

What are the character's spiritual beliefs?Is religion or spirituality a part of this character's life?If so, what role does it play?

How the Character is Involved in the Story Character's role in the novel (main character? hero? heroine? Romantic interest? etc.):Scene where character first appears:Relationships with other characters:

1. Character's Name: -- (Describe relationship with this character and changes to relationship over the course of the novel).

2. Character's Name: -- (Describe relationship with this character and changes to relationship over the course of the novel).

3. Character's Name: -- (Describe relationship with this character and changes to relationship over the course of the novel).

4. Character's Name: -- (Describe relationship with this character and changes to relationship over the course of the novel).How character is different at the end of the novel from when the novel began:

Additional Notes on This Character:

Top 5 Mistakes Authors Make When Choosing a Publisher

2007-01-31T16:38:00.000-08:00

Brent Sampson c. 2006

1) DO NOT CHOOSE SPEED OVER QUALITY
Avoid publishers that claim to publish in 24 hours. After the time it took to write your book, do you want it published right, or overnight? Avoid overnight publishers no matter what they charge because the only one looking at your book will be a computer. It should take between 6-15 weeks.

2) DO NOT BE FOOLED BY HIGH ROYALTY CLAIMS
A royalty is simply a percentage of another number. The actual dollars and cents you earn depends upon that second number. The truest royalty is a royalty based upon the retail price of your book. Many publishers use "net royalty" which is a royalty based upon their profit. To be sure, always confirm your profit in dollars and cents.

3) DO NOT SIGN YOUR RIGHTS AWAY
The main advantage to publishing alternatively with a on-demand publisher is that you keep all the rights to your work. The rights are valuable. Read the contract. Your rights should clearly stay with you.

4) DO NOT BE CONFUSED BY BULK DISCOUNTS
If a publisher normally offers discounts to an author who buys their own book in bulk, that tells you two things.

1) It tells you they are more concerned with selling to you than to other readers.

2) It tells you they are charging you too much for lower quantities. Do you really want to be forced to buy 100 books at a time just to get a fair price? "Bulk" discounts simply trick the author into buying more books than they need, which defeats the whole advantage of on-demand printing.

5) DO NOT BE TRICKED BY AUTHOR DISCOUNTS
As an author, your per-book price should be based upon the production cost of the book, not the retail price. No wonder publishers inflate their retail pricing. You should always receive a below-wholesale price, regardless of how many you buy. You will never make money if you have to buy your own book at wholesale from the publisher.

Brent Sampson is the President & CEO of Outskirts Press Publishing at http://www.outskirt spress.com and author of Self-Publishing Simplified (a free e-book is available at http://outskirtspre ss.com/publishin g)

Seven Steps To Publishing Success

2007-01-30T18:12:00.000-08:00

by Lee Masterson

Nobody can guarantee your success, except yourself

"I don't recall where I originally read that piece of advice, but it is so true. Sure, there are the lucky few writers who receive a kick-start from a distant cousin in the industry, but let's face it - that cousin would have been no help at all if the writer himself had not put in the initial hard work and written something worth selling in the first place.

But unless you are related to someone who happens to own a publishing house, you're pretty much on your own.So let's take a look at the Seven Steps that should send you on your way to Publishing Success.

1 - Read
Read everything you can get your hands on. Devour articles, scan newspapers and check out reviews. Read great books that hook you and suffer through really bad books. Learn to spot what makes them so enjoyable, and look for the pieces that make a piece of writing bad. Remember to keep these things in mind for your own work.

Reading other people's work can be a wonderful source of inspiration, but it can also teach you much about your own writing.

2 - Plan
Have a basic idea what you are going to write before you begin. If you are working on an article, or a short story, know what points you are going to include and how you are going to end it.If you are writing a longer piece, such as a novel or biography, take the time to sit down and plan where the story is going to begin. Create complete character outlines. Know the world you want your readers to immerse themselves in better than your characters do.

Be sure your plotline is filled with tension and plenty of conflict to keep readers turning those pages to see what happens next. Make absolutely certain you have a strong ending planned that ties up all of your plot's loose ends and won't leave your readers disappointed.

3 - Write
This step sounds so logical but, surprisingly, a lot of people don't do it. They have plenty of great ideas, and loads of inspiration, but nothing concrete goes down on paper (or on the screen, as the case may be).

Many find they do not have enough time to write. Some suffer from an attack of the procrastination bug. Others simply have not found a way to break through their stubborn writer's block yet.But in order to get published, in any form, it is essential that you WRITE something. Unless you begin writing, you will never know if what you have created will be worth anything. Who knows? You might just surprise yourself with a spark of hidden talent.

4 - Revise
If you are lucky enough to have been born with the amazing gift of being able to write professional quality prose on your first draft, then this step is not for you.Most people, though, do need to revise what they've written. Sometimes more than once. Think of the editing process as a great way to learn about the strength of your own writing.

Honing your work, correcting any spelling problems, polishing each scene until it shines, defining a character until she dances off the page - all of these things are the finishing touches to any piece of writing.

Print out your story or article on paper. Seeing your words on a different medium can highlight problems that are not always so apparent on the screen. Use a bright red pen to correct anything that strikes you as wrong or unnecessary. Make notes in the margins and between the lines. Be ruthless with your revisions. Edit out any scenes or sections that detract from your main point. Add a few details you might have missed on the first draft about how your character is dealing with a particular problem.When you think you've edited everything there is to edit, join a workshop or critique group. Perhaps an impartial reader will pick up a few things you might have missed, and when you have some critiques to work with, REVISE AGAIN

5 - Submit
This sounds like the easiest step. Right? Wrong. A large number of writers never find the confidence to send their work out to be judged (or worse, rejected!) by a complete stranger. Others never finish the tale they began. And there are still other writers who will spend years revising, searching for perfection, never feeling happy with the work they have created.

Know when to let your work go, and submit it everywhere you can think of. Be optimistic here, but also be professional. Do your homework - research which markets will be suitable for your piece. There are plenty of market guides around which list submission guidelines, pay rates and some even make a note of response times, too. Take the initiative and find out which market you would like to present your work to. Keep track of where you send everything, and note down the date you submitted it. If something is returned to you with a rejection slip attached to it, file the rejection and send your story out to someone else THE SAME DAY.

Persist and be patient. Every writer will be rejected at some point in their careers, and not always because their writing was no good. Perhaps the publication you submitted to already has enough articles or stories to keep them busy for another twelve months. Or maybe you submitted it to the wrong editor - a publishing house which deals with science fiction will almost certainly reject a romance manuscript.Treat rejection slips as a numbers game - for every rejection you receive, you are one closer to acceptance. Send your work out again. The next editor who receives it might just be the one who says "yes".

6 - Promote
The title of this article is "Seven Steps to Publishing Success", and it is important to realize that simply being published is not the same thing as achieving publishing success.A dedicated reader wants to see more work from an author they already admire or enjoy, but how do you gain that reader's attention long enough to entice him to have a look at your work? A new author is faced with some pretty stiff competition here.Established authors have already been through the promotional mill and have created a wide readership for themselves, but popping your lonely title on a shelf beside multiple copies of a big-name author's books is not going to guarantee your success.

You will need to promote public awareness of your story or article. Read as many articles on self-promotion as you can find. Be creative in your pursuit of public awareness, but be professional in your approach at the same time. Learn how to write your own press-releases, and send copies of your books out to be reviewed.

Broaden your horizons a little, and write other pieces for different markets, designed to give future readers a hint at what you're capable of. A person who enjoys your articles or short stories may be more willing to spend their hard-earned cash on your novel once they have seen your style.

7 - Do It Again!
As soon as you have finished one piece of writing, sit down and write something else. Begin from the beginning all over again. Don't promote your one and only piece of published work forever. Get another title sitting alongside it as soon as you possibly can. Write another article and fill up your growing portfolio. Scribble out a short story just for fun.

But above all, keep writing.

Six Tips for Submitting Fiction - If You Want it To Get Published

2007-01-29T17:48:00.000-08:00

by Amber McNaught

You can learn a lot about what it takes to place a story in an ezine by starting up one of your own.

Last month I started work on a new ezine for writers, which I intended to use to publish high-quality, contemporary fiction, from writers all over the world. We placed a few adverts asking for submissions of just that. What we got was a revelation.

As a writer myself, I know how competitive the market is. Even non-paying markets are deluged by wannabe writers desperate for a by-line and some publicity. Competition, I had thought, would surely lead to a high quality of submissions, with every writer determined to submit only their very best work. Not so.

Of the handful of submissions we received the day after the adverts went out, only around four were fiction. One was a “how to write” style article. One was an essay on “the day my gran died”. Two were stories about vampires. One guy just sent us his CV – in Arabic.

Tip one, then: read the guidelines carefully. If the market you’re aiming at publishes fiction, then no matter how brilliant your essay or article is, it’s not going to be accepted. Neither is your CV….

Tip two, I hardly even need mention: If the publication is in English, don’t send your submission in Arabic, on the off-chance that the poor, beleaguered publisher will understand it. Simple. Having deleted the non-fiction submissions, I moved onto the “good stuff”. Or so I thought. Of the four remaining pieces of writing, none had been proofread too carefully. One story made reference to a businessman “clenching the deal.” One made frequent use of the word “teh" and had apparently random. Punctuation. A bit like. This. The other two were … stories about vampires.

Tip three: Proofread. Or, ideally, get someone else to do it for you. Any writer knows that once you’ve worked on a piece of writing, you become blind to its mistakes. You can “proof” it as many times as you like, but you’ll still just see what you think is there, rather than what actually is there. In any artistic endeavour, a fresh pair of eyes is essential in providing a little bit of clarity and perspective. For this reason, I present:

Tip four: constructive criticism is your friend. There are a lot of aspiring writers our there. Get together with one, even if it’s only by email, and swap stories with them. Chances are they’ll be able to point out something about your story that you’ve missed. They may have some knowledge about your subject matter that you lack – for example, the fact that it’s called a “bass” guitar, not a “base guitar”, as one enlightening submission had it.

Tip five: let your writing do the talking. When it comes to biographical info, less is more. I want to read your story, not a breath-by-breath account of the last twenty years of your life. Keep it simple, keep it short.

And tip number six? Well, if you’re thinking of submitting your writing to a publisher, visit our online writing community first for tips, articles, and our popular manuscript appraisal service.

Amber McNaught runs Writing World, a new agency for freelance writers. Writing World provides a free agency service which helps writers find work, and helps employers find the best writer for their project.

How To Make A Portfolio

2007-01-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

How to make a professional portfolio to increase your chances of publishing your articles.

If you are a writer looking for work, the most important tool in your arsenal will be your portfolio. Editors and publishers want to see examples of your work and what kinds of places you have published with before and they don’t want to get a stack of photocopied papers and folded up newspaper clippings. If you want to present your best side to a prospective editor or publisher, it is important to be professional, organized and thorough. If you want to be chosen out of the hundreds of other writers on the editors slush pile, you need to stand out and present yourself coherently and with style. The portfolio you create could make or break your next writing contract. Before you start, you’ll want to pick up some report folders, the kind with the sliding bracket on the edge are the easiest to put together, but you may find a loose leaf type folder even more professional looking and weighty enough to not get lost in a pile of envelopes.

Get about twenty good quality laser copies of any articles you have published in the past 3 years. If your article included color photos, have them copied in color. On the bottom of each copy, type the name of the publication it appeared in along with the date. Make sure you produce copies of ALL of your clips, not just the best ones. You want to build an arsenal of different types of writing so that when you are querying for a job, you will have a full artillery. Clips can include brochures, newspaper articles, nonfiction articles, poetry, fiction, advertising copy, anything that you have written that has been published. The more different kinds of examples you can assemble, the better.

Before you assemble your portfolio, you will want to work up a resume to include in the front of your package. Include any relevant credits you have accumulated no matter how obscurely related they may seem. Also include any information that really doesn’t have anything to do with writing at all. You never know when an editor is looking for an expert in a field you may have experience in to do an article. Even if your editor isn’t interested in your query, if he sees something in your resume that looks interesting, he may ask you to do an article pertaining to it.
You can tailor make your portfolio to suit the interests of any particular editor. If, for example, you are querying to a children’s magazine, include in the beginning of your portfolio any examples of writing you have done related to this field, followed by a few examples of other things you have published. It is always good to show versatility, even when working for a targeted audience. If possible, you should include a photo of yourself in your portfolio, sometimes magazines like to include photos of their authors and it also helps the editor to put a face to your writing, a big advantage!

Above all, make your portfolio user friendly and unpretentious. An editor can tell by your portfolio whether you will be difficult to work and you want to give the impression that you are easy going, though professional and talented. Portfolios add up to a big plus in your favor if you send them along with your query, you will be less likely to get ignored as a nice looking portfolio is tempting for editors to look through.

Writing Press Releases - An Editors Perspective

2007-01-27T19:30:00.000-08:00

As I was writing that email about welcoming press releases, I thought how different it is on this side of the editorial desk. I've been getting a few press releases, and I wonder sometimes, "Do these people really think this will get published?"Here are a few tips about writing an editor-friendly press release:

1. Think about the reader's needs and not your own.

This is very important. As an editor, I am not out to promote your book or to promote Christian literature. I am out to provide something I believe will beneficial to my reader. Knowing about the release of new books in my field is beneficial. Being hit over the head with a lot of blatant propaganda about how wonderful the book is without my having actually reviewed it, is not.

2. Know the publication.

I have an adult (and I mean a site for adults, not the other type of "adult") science fiction e-zine. I got an email from someone who publishes children's books. And they weren't even science fiction oriented. That was a waste of time and effort sending it to me.

3. Just the facts, ma'am.

Remember Joe Friday on Dragnet. Peoplewould wander off telling a story, and he would interrupt them and say, "Justthe facts, just the facts." Facts are neutral, objective, bits of information about your book. "This novel will be released May 15 and is the third novel in the Novel Trilogy," is a fact. "This is a great read thatyou will be talking about tomorrow," is not a fact. It's an opinion. Unless that opinion is part of a quote from someone the audience and the editor will recognize instantly, don't use it.

4. Include quotes.

Quotes humanize a story. You can quote yourself, but keep the quotes interesting, but not like mini sales pitches. Tell about how you came to write the book, what interesting experiences you might have had researching it. Why you think the topic is important. That sort ofthing.

5. Include contact information.

If I want more information, how do Iget back in touch. If I printed out the press release, I might not have your email address on the print out. So include it on the release. Also include a phone number in case the editor wants to talk to you live and in person.

6. Clean it up.

Check spelling, punctuation and grammar. I would say especially check grammar. You can explain away an occasional dropped comma or misspelled word as typos, but there is no excuse for sentence fragments or subject-verb agreement errors.

The ideal press release is one which the editor can feel confident copying and pasting directly into his or herwebsite or print publication.If you can write a good press release from an editor's perspective, you will greatly increase your chances of getting that press release published.

Terri

SIX THING TO AVOID IN A QUERY

2007-01-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

by J. A. Konrath

1. Don’t be needy. Pros don’t mope and moan about how hard the publishing biz is, or beg to be read. I once started a query, “I’ve had forty rejections on this book so far, but I’m not giving up yet.” Do you think the editor even bothered to look at the manuscript?

2. Don’t be cocky. Telling the editor or agent how rich you’ll make them, or how brilliant your idea is, always backfires. For my fourth unpublished novel, I send out a query that stated, “Here’s your next blockbuster.” Among the form letter rejections I received, one had a hand-written note that said, “Guess again.”

3. Don’t use fancy paper. There are many wonderful colors and patterns of paper available at the office supply store. I’ve used pink, blue with white clouds, intricate Aztec borders, and paper that appeared to be stained with blood. The rejections I got back were on plain, white, 20# bond, because that’s what professionals use.

4. Don’t use fancy font. Stick with Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier, 12 pt and double spaced. I tried sending a query once using an exotic, caligraphy font, because I thought it made me stand out and appear intelligent. The agent returned it asking, “Next time, submit in English.”

5. Don’t include a SASE. Everyone in NY requests that you send a self addressed stamped envelope for a reply. In fairness to the publishing biz, they get a ton of unsolicited manuscripts every day, and couldn’t afford to send rejection letters to everyone out of their own pocket. Keep in mind that SASEs are for rejections. In fact, it makes it even easier for them to reject you. If they want your work, they’ll gladly spring for the stamp, or call on the phone. Do you think Tom Clancy sends SASEs?

6. Don’t address is to unknowns. Dear Editor and Dear Sir letters get thrown away. Find out who the editor is, and then call up and make sure that editor still works there. Publishing is a turbulent business, and editors and agents are constantly moving from house to house. Make sure you’ve addressed you package to a real person who still works there.

The Seven C's of Success

2007-01-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

by Brian Tracy

After having studied top achievers and peak performers over the past 25 years, I've concluded that these unique men and women have, in most cases, mastered what I call the Seven C's of Success.

Clarity - Eighty percent of success comes from being clear on who you are, what you believe in and what you want.

Competence - You can't climb to the next rung on the ladder until you are excellent at what you do now.

Constraints - Eighty percent of all obstacles to success come from within. Find out what is constraining in you or your company and deal with it.

Concentration - The ability to focus on one thing single-mindedly and see it through until it's done takes more character than anything else.

Creativity - Flood your life with ideas from many sources. Creativity needs to be exercised like a muscle, if you don't use it you'll lose it.

Courage - Most in demand and least in supply, courage is the willingness to do the things you know are right.

Continuous learning -“ Read, at the very least, one book a week on business to keep you miles ahead of the competition. And just as you eat and bathe, organize your time so you spend 30 minutes a day exploring e-mail, sending messages, going through web sites, because like exercise, it's the only way you can keep on top of technology. If you get away from it, you'll lose your edge.

Why Your Articles Are Rejected

2007-01-23T18:57:00.000-08:00

1. Controversial questions given extreme or one-sided treatment. Special pleading. Argumentation full of unsupported generalizations.

2. Problems raised without any effort at solutions -- inconclusive, pointless.

3. Lack of coherence, unity of theme. The various parts of the article do not "tie together."

4. Subject matter traditional or trite. No fresh insights. Hackneyed, stereotyped, warmed-over ideas and illustrations.

5. A human-interest lead elaborated or allegorized beyond reasonable limits.

6. Trivial or worn-out theme, elaborating the obvious.

7. Shallow or superficial treatment of the subject. Insufficient analysis or research.

8. Lack of structure, plan, or clearly developed theme. Rambling, unbalanced, repetitious.

9. Inarticulate, ungrammatical writing. Poor use of words.

10. Mistaken attempt to be "cute," light," "airy." Too colloquial, chatty.

11. Preachy -- talking down to the reader.

12. Reactionary, depressing, defeatist in mood or emphasis.

13. The opposite error to #12; a local or particular instance treated as if it were universal or general.

14. Excessive wordiness, redundancy.

15. Material carelessly put together. No evidence of serious effort to communicate meaningfully.

16. Material or theme without practical application to the present.

© 2000-2003 Writers Information Network -- 031022

Fourteen Powerful Ways to Market Your Book on the Web

2007-01-22T17:31:00.000-08:00

By Scott Jeffrey

Many authors now understand how important a marketing plan and promotional tools (like an effective publicity service) are for selling more books. Heres a general overview of various Internet Marketing strategies you can employ to help market your book:

Authors Website:
There are two basic types of sites: author-driven and book-driven. Author-driven sites are seen more frequently the website is usually www.[theauthorsname].com and it contains all their products and services. Book-driven websites center around the book itself; this type may be good for very content-rich, nonfiction books, or books that create some kind of a culture. (For examples, go to our website's Resource section at select "Build a Website.")

Search Engine Optimization (SEO):
When someone goes to Google.com, for example, and types in your name or a term related to your book, where are you listed? Are you on the first couple of pages or do you need to click through 20 pages first? SEO is both an art and science; there are e-marketing companies that exclusively focus on SEO. (This top encompasses an entire field. You can use a program like WordTracker to determine the most effective key words, but you may want to hire a SEO expert to optimize and maintain your site.)

Pay-per-click Advertising:
This is one of the most cost-effective, trackable form of advertising on the Web. (Google's Adwords program is possibly the best place to start. Visit their site, watch their demo and they start experimenting.)

Email Marketing / E-Newsletters:
This medium is essential to establishing and growing your platform as an author. In addition to building a general email list, you can deploy an e-newsletter targeting your area of expertise. If youre in the business arena, this can be an effective way to generate new leads and sell books. (If you're just starting out, you may want to check out services like Constant Contact and Vertical Response. If you're more tech savvy a licensed program like ActiveCampaign's 1-2-All might serve you better.)

Discussion Boards:
Always think about how to get people to come to your site, stay on your site, and frequently return. The fresher you keep your site, the more people will want to visit. Discussion boards and chats build a community aspect into your Web presence. Although this isnt appropriate for every author, creating a channel for your readers and potential audience to interact and communicate with you and other like-minded individuals can be a rewarding and powerful strategy for platform building. (Ready to start building a community around your topic of interest? Here's a few popular programs: phpBB.com and vBulletin.)

Autoresponders:
An autoresponder is an automatically generated email response that is triggered by a specific action. For example, when someone signs up for your mailing list or e-newsletter, an autoresponder message to thank the subscriber can be sent automatically. Additionally, you can create a seven-week email tutorial where a new message and assignment is sent out each week automatically. (The abovementioned email programs generally offer autoresponder capability.)

Content Submission and Link Directories:
Your book-buying audience is out there what drives them to your site? There are tons of content submission sites on the web where you can submit articles and/or your Web link with a short description. Article submissions has quickly become a popular way of promoting your website and increasing your search engine positions. These articles and links may or may not lead to more traffic and sales on your site, but its just one more way to plant seeds. (For example, www.selfgrowth.com and www.ideamarketer.com moresites are listed in the Resource section.)

Affiliate Marketing:
Most likely, however, youre going to drive book purchasers from your site to Amazon.com (through their "Associate" program). The reason you want to utilize Amazon.com as opposed to servicing the orders yourself is because they are masters at e-commerce and have defined the online purchasing experience (especially for books). Most people are already comfortable purchasing books at Amazon.com which lowers the perceived risk for ordering your book. However, if you have an e-commerce-enabled website, you can create an affiliate marketing program where a referral fee is given for customers who come from affiliate sites. They earn a commission and you increase your exposure and customer base. (If you're ready to launch your own affiliate program, you need to do your homework. There are numerous programs available with a wide variety of options and pricing. They all seem to have pros and cons.)

Viral Marketing:
Creating word-of-mouth buzz around your book can be challenging. Finding ways to make your book idea viral is unquestionably worth some time. If someone takes the initiative to subscribe to your mailing list, consider providing a Tell a friend feature so the subscriber can share your information with others.

Digital Media:
There are so many exciting new ways to present information on the Web. Can you create audio and video downloads for your site? Maybe you can put together an online tutorial or a Web seminar, highlighting the key principles or lessons from your book. New technologies are constantly becoming available to edutain your audience. (I've seen numerous marketers posting video clips on Google Video to get more exposure for their websites and services.)

Distance Learning Programs:
Perhaps the content of your book lends itself perfectly to a distance learning program. You can create a program that runs for a period of time (like 30 days or three months) and put together a series of modules covering specific topics. Each week you can email a different assignment that participants complete and email back or submit through an online form. Depending on your subject matter and how well you construct and market your program, this can be a substantial revenue source.

Blog:
A blog (from web log) is basically an online publishing tool, like a web-based journal, that provides a forum for you to communicate with your audience. Blogging can enhance your search rankings, but it may not be the best vehicle if you dont already have a subscriber base. (If you're just getting started, Blogger is an easy and free way of launching a blog. If you want a more professional blog with greater functionality, TypePad is the current program of choice.)

Amazon Connect:
Amazon.com's AmazonConnect program has created an incredible opportunity for authors to communicate with their readers who purchase their books on Amazon.com. After creating an Amazon.com Profile with your "Plog" (product blog), your plog entries will show up on your book pages. Plus, your new Plog entries may show up on Amazon.com's home page for those who have already purchased your book.

Google Book Search: Google's Book Search matches the content of your book with the users search. It's a different way to get more exposure ... and it's free. (Sign up here and check out this success story.)

Of course, each of the above are big topics of discussion on their own. All of these elements can be included in your book marketing plan and promotion efforts.

Well try to cover them each in greater detail in other articles and on the blog.

The above article is an excerpt from the guidebook included in Everything You Need to Know to Become a Best-Selling Author

Point of View

2007-01-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

Some folks identify over two dozen points of view, but we'll stick with the basics:

First person - the "I" voice; all narration written as if the narrator were speaking directly to the readers. The narrator is one of the characters, not the author as in omniscient p.o.v.

Third person - the "s/he" voice; a mix of the other two, a compromise between first person and omniscient p.o.v. Confused? You'll find that a great deal of modern fiction is written in *limited* third person (limited to one person). It's probably the best bet for beginning writers, too. Here, the narration refers to all the characters by third-person pronouns (he, she, it), each self-contained scene follows the viewpoint of one specific character.

"Third person multiple," means your viewpoint is limited to more than one character. You'll need at least one other viewpoint if you include scenes in which you protagonist is not present. But always confine yourself to one point of view per scene. Don't switch viewpoint unless you're starting a new scene.

Omniscient - a point of view not written from "inside" anyone's head; unseen narrator knows what all the characters are thinking. Janet Burroughway describes, in WRITING FICTION, the total omniscient author as "God.

Here's an example of *omniscient third person* :
"Janet, don't you remember me? I'm Joe Smith." He realized time had changed everything -- his looks, his voice, even his manner toward her. Janet thought she recognized him, but could not quite place him. We started out in Joe's head, left it, and then were in Janet's.

Now, here's the same paragraph in *limited third person*, solely from Joe's point of view. "Janet, don't you remember me? I'm Joe Smith." He realized that time had changed everything -- his looks, his voice, even his manner toward her. Janet gazed at him for a moment and Joe thought he saw a flicker of recognition in her eyes.

We stayed inside Joe's head. We only knew Janet's thought because Joe recognized an outward sign ("a flicker of recognition on her face") that he interpreted.

You can freely switch viewpoint characters when you change scenes, but it's a little tricky to switch in a short story. You have to make sure you are not confusing the reader. Using a blank line helps.

In novels you can shift at the end of a chapter, or with a blank line within a chapter.

Focus on Successful Book Sales

2007-01-18T18:19:00.000-08:00

Tips from Author Jim Durkin

"The biggest mistake writers make when they get done with a book is to think that when the book is published, their work is done," said featured speaker for the September luncheon of IWPA, author Jim Durkin. "That is, in fact, when the real work just begins!" The author of In My Dreams works full-time as an insurance fraud analyst and part-time as a political science college teacher.

Durkin shared many of the lessons he learned in the course of publishing his first novel. Among the lessons he learned are to back up computer files frequently and that there is significant competition in this arena, with more than 175,000 book titles published each year.

Regarding the business of book sales in books stores, he indicated that most books have only a 43-day shelf life; if they are on shelves with their spines out, they are not doing well, however if they face cover out, they are selling very well. According to Durkin, only one out of three books actually become financial successes in America. However, publishing a book provides a great deal of professional credibility. This particular novel, which is based on his own experiences teaching and working on a political campaign, revolves around a young Chicago south suburban man who wins the lottery and becomes the president of the United States at 29 years old.
In describing the process of writing, Durkin said he wrote the book en route home on the train over four months.

Despite popular belief, Durkin recommended registering the copyright in Washington as soon as it is done, rather than just "mailing it to yourself." It costs $30 to register the copyright, which now takes one to one and a half years to obtain. However, if there is ever a dispute, it will ensure you receive more than punitive damages, which is what would happen if you just mail it," he said.

Tips on Marketing: Book signings can be done anywhere; he urges writers to be creative. For example, he belongs to Bally's Health and Fitness. Since his book is not in competition with their mission, he is able to have a book signing at his local club. He has appeared at Mayor Daley's May Book Conference, became a principal for a day and has promoted himself at a high school reunion. "People are helpful," he said. "It's exciting when you find they will plug you."

He also suggests personally finding stores that will sell the book, adding, "I've spent more time marketing my book and discussing my writing than I spent writing it! I always carry extra copies of the book in my trunk!It's work!"

Durkin notes that speaking engagements actually bring more money in than royalties. He suggests arranging for speaking opportunities.

Chain stores each have their own acquisition policies. "Front door" approaches include offering stores the book as a local one or, a more difficult task, getting the store to feature the book nationally.

A "back door" approach he has used was attending a local author's night at Barnes & Noble, which owns the bookstore on the Illinois State University campus, his alma mater; he convinced them to allow him to be feature his book at the local author's night. In another offbeat approach, Durkin went to a White Sox game, arranged an outing and got his book's name onto the scoreboard; he now uses a photo of that on his website.

Resourceful marketer that he is, Durkin was landed a spot as a call-in guest on "The Bright Side of Life," a segment at 6 p.m. on WGN Radio (AM 720) several times a year over the past four years.

He also suggests attending book clubs. People have questions and it is a free way to get the word out that your book is in print.

The co-founder of a two year-old Writer's Marketing Group--along with Sheila Peters--Durkin described how he's made this a win-win-win situation as well for would-be authors, Barnes & Noble and himself.

As Durkin tells it, "Barnes & Noble publishes a newsletter of events about five times a year, which puts the Writers Marketing Group-about 55 members-into the public eye. In addition, the meeting is a public venue in a friendly environment for reporters to join in - so it was a win for the store, the group and the media. The format consists of 10 to 15 minutes of speeches by members followed by a guest presenter.

One of these was Ginny Richardson from GR * PR in DuPage County. Richardson was the creator of "Free Speech," a forum for those interested to speak free at local organizational meetings like the Kiwanis, Rotary and others, at no charge to be able to attain some public relations visibility. The speaker pays a $25 fee annually to Richardson and her group supplies the venues, matching speakers with group needs.

Other ideas were offering to be a guest on local radio stations, offering copies of your book for silent auction, donating book copies to the library - having them pay for additional copies after donating one or two, and creating a website. He also suggested handing out business cards touting your book, emphasizing the need to make sure the card includes the title of the book, the publishing house and the International Standard Business Number (ISBN), in addition to the writer's name for ease of finding.

On becoming published, Durkin tells of three major means of getting into print. For the traditional marketplace, using houses like Random House, Harper Collins, etc., writers need to hire agents - and to find someone who will take them on, unless the writer is a celebrity. He warns that these operations will rename the book and change the cover - offering little control to the author. He also noted that the book would probably not come out until about two years after the contract is signed.

The second option is self-publishing, where the author does it all - creator, marketer, UPS, artist, and everything from "cradle to grave. In the economies of scale," he said, "You'll make more self-publishing."

The third form of publishing is Print on Demand (POD), a hybrid technique using one of three companies that has the author pay between $400 and $2,000 to have the book published. These companies, which now comprise approximately 95 percent of the industry, are Xlibris, iUniverse and AuthorHouse.

They'll do the cover design and assist with marketing, and bring the book out within about four months, but the author still does the lion's share of sales. Durkin added, "It does help to create a marketing plan, as it will show a publisher that you have given marketing some thought and will, ultimately, help you make more money."

Durkin also suggests trying to convince someone to underwrite the cost of publishing your book; "if it loses money, they can use it as a tax write-off," he said.

The markup on books is high; retail markup is approximately 40 percent, while wholesale is about 30 percent or the cost the publishing house can sell it for on the website and still make money. Durkin contends more money is made through doing speaking engagements about the book. He warns that, at book signings, writers should not stalk the audience or stand behind their tables. "Stand in front of the table and engage those who pass. You are a guest of the store; don't overstay your welcome or you won't be asked back." Don't abuse the relationship developed with a store. Writers need to draw people in to make it a good fit with the store.

"The more you make requests, the more successful you will be," said Durkin. "Think out of the box!" The process, as he described it, is writing the story, getting published and marketing; the latter is the most difficult. "Anyone can write one book," added Durkin, who has a second book in the works, however, "writing subsequent ones is the greater challenge."

#1 - Marketing Your Book--What to Do Arrange for book signing
so Arrange for speaking engagementso Offer chain stores your booko Attend local bookstoreo Arrange to be a guest on a local radio talk showo Attend book clubs and writer's groupso Offer to speak at local organizations like Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.o Offer your book for a charity's silent auctiono Donate a copy to your local library o Distribute business cards touting your book.

#2 - Three Major Means of Getting into Print

1. Traditional big name publishing houses like Random House or Harper Collins (you need an agent)
2. Self Publishing (you do everything)
3. Print on Demand (POD) through one of three companies: Xlibris, iUniverse or AuthorHouse.

Sue Masaracchia-Roberts is a freelance writer and public relations specialist.

The Plot Thickens

2007-01-17T20:06:00.000-08:00

Rob Parnell
It's important to bear in mind that none of the advice below will be useful to you unless you know your main characters well. This is because most good plotting is about the decisions your characters make when confronted with specific situations.

For instance, if you're half way through plotting a novel and you need to know how Janus would react to the death of his sister, if you don't know Janus very well, you might set your novel off in a completely unbelievable direction.

Readers won't necessarily know what happened but will 'get' on a subconscious level that Janus did something out of character. This is not good because, to you also, you will be writing a novel you don't believe in anymore. It won't feel right - one of the main reasons why authors stop writing their novels.

There are many reasons why authors don't finish novels but in my experience you can usually trace back problems to initial characterization - if it's not strong, the story won't work.

Also bear in mind that I believe it's important to plot your novel first - before you start writing. It might be only in the vaguest of ways but, and here's the kicker, you MUST know the ending before you start.

Again, from my experience of working with authors and writers for many years, most books fail to get finished because the writer hadn't decided how the story would end.

Now, I know some of you will howl. Many writers say they don't plot - they let the action unfold for them as they write. Stephen King has famously said that the Dark Tower series just comes to him and he writes it without knowing the ending. But this is deceptive - Stephen King DOES know the ending, in his subconscious mind, in the sense that his characters will always behave in certain ways.

The authors that say they don't plot - and finish their novels - have an advantage. They have a value system that will dictate the correct ending. As a first time novelist you can't afford to assume you can rely on this facility - it's something that comes with age and experience. Writing without plotting requires a maturity that is beyond most of us.

Cause and Effect
There is one very easy way to plot any story and it relies on the law of cause and effect.Try this. Take your main character and place him/her in a situation. Bear in mind he/she has a an agenda. Now, have something happen to them. How do they react? What decisions do they make. Depending on your answer, this is Plot Point One.

Next, based on the actions your main character made, where did your story go? Resolution? Or some little way toward resolution? Whatever. The next part of the story should be dependent upon and caused by the previous plot point. Keep doing this while plotting and your whole story will make sense, even if you go off at tangents and tell all kinds of interweaving stories. As long as you know the ending - or at least have some idea of a resolution that your story will dictate, you can do what you like - take your story wherever seems to make sense at the time.
But this is a golden rule about plotting:

This Happens Because This Happens Because This Happens etc etc.Plots don't make sense unless they are logical and coherent to the reader. They also won't work to you unless they make sense. It's important when plotting to make sure that no events happen without proper cause - and that your characters don't behave inappropriately.

Keep writing!
© Copyright Rob Parnell

Ways to Make Your Book A Page Turner

2007-01-16T19:04:00.000-08:00

Evoke Curiosity:
begin your chapter by provoking the reader's interest. Reveal a secret, generate a plot line or create a mystery, making sure these elements have consequences further into the story.

Never End at Endings:
avoid ending at plot line at the end of a chapter. That makes it too easy for the reader to put down the book.

Pose Questions:
Construct your chapter endings so you ask a question instead of answer it.
Remember to Remind: keep reminding your reader about the problem your character has, the trouble she's in or the goal she's striving for that's just out of reach.

Promote Your Books Through Flyers

2007-01-15T20:41:00.000-08:00

by Judy Collins
© 2003 All Rights Reserved

A good, inexpensive way to promote your books is a flyer.What makes one flyer so much better than another? Use these10 tips to make yours stand out from the crowd.

1. Include your front cover. People want to see what your booklooks like. Color is great, but not necessary. Make sure yourcolored book cover copies well in black and white. It's farcheaper to print in black and white.

2. Hook your prospective buyers with the headline in the top line. For instance, read about SEX as it really is! Give your audiencea reason to buy--Show those benefits!

3. Include some juicy excerpts. Buyers want to see a sample ofyour writing.

4. Include your picture with a brief biography near it. Peoplewant to see what the author looks like. Place it on the rightside if possible.

5. Add praise from others. This is the most important way tomarket. The praise doesn't have to be from famous people. Oneauthor added a testimonial from a convict!

6. Put ordering information on a coupon at the flyer's bottom.Include ISBN number, Web site URL, and discount information.

7. Make it easy to buy. Offer easy ways to buy: credit cards, checksor money orders. Include your toll-free 800 number.

8. Give your buyers all the ways to stay in touch withyou-street address, e-mail, Web Site, local phone and faxnumber, and 800 number.

9. Carry at least 25 flyers with you in a folder. Give one toevery person you meet. Remember the "law of seven." Afterseven exposures, you have a buyer!

10. Use the backside of the flyer. Multiply buying results withmore testimonials on the back. Include a longer excerpt fromyour book there.

Your flyer is an extension of you and your book, and one of theleast expensive ways to market with print. Print hundreds, eventhousands so your book buying public can easily purchase yourbook.

The Importance of a Pre-Publication Marketing Plan

2007-01-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

by Jennifer Hollowell

A Basic Guide for Self-Published and Print on Demand Authors You’ve written your book, gone through the editing gauntlet and decided to publish the finished product yourself. You’ve researched all the self publishing options, decided on a company, approved the book’s cover and polished the book’s final lay-out. All you’re “i’s” are dotted and “t’s” are crossed. Now, you’re ready to go to press. Right? Wrong! Day after day, week after week, my inbox is filled with marketing questions all centered on the same commonality:

· “My book was doing really well in the beginning, but sales have fallen off. Do you have any idea why this happens?”

· “My book has received some great reviews, but they aren’t resulting in any sales. Do you know why this is happening?”

· “I sent out one hundred press kits, but no sales have turned over. Why could this be happening?”

These are just a small sampling of the distressed messages landing in my inbox. How are these situations the same? No pre-publication marketing plans or efforts. Each author felt the impact of “missing the boat” on sales opportunities in one way or another. What’s the solution? A book won’t sell itself. (This is very obvious to some, but not to others.) That’s a reality many self-published authors don’t anticipate until it’s too late. They’ve spent their entire budget without looking at the “entire picture.” The “entire picture” includes setting up a “selling plan” before your book hits the press. These efforts will make or break you. It’s my hope that you’re reading this piece before you’ve gone too far. How do you formulate a selling plan? Step one: target your audience Where do they shop? How much do they spend? What’s your competition? How can they be reached? Step two: outline your goals and objectives

Events:
· Do you plan to do book signings, tours, seminars interviews, radio shows and television appearances? If so, you’ll need press materials and enough books printed to substantiate all these efforts.
· Setting up a workable event schedule for all parties involved is essential.

Pre-pub reviews:
· Line up pre-publication reviews. These are professional reviews published in newspapers (New York Times) and magazines (Publisher’s Weekly).

· Read all submission guidelines thoroughly and adhere to all schedules, deadlines and policies. If the guidelines states self published books aren’t accepted, don’t send an ARC anyway. You’re wasting your budget and the publisher’s time needlessly.
· Be sure to add the cost of ARC’s (Advanced Reader’s Copies), postage and supplies to your budget.

Distribution:
· Research distribution. Remember, brick and mortar booksellers (and some electronic booksellers) won’t stock your title unless it’s carried by one or more major distribution center.
· Add the costs to your budget.

Marketing and Publicity:

· Do you plan to hire someone for marketing and publicity? If so, this needs to be done before the book goes to press. Figure a three to six month campaign into your budget. Explore your options before making your choice. There are a lot of firms following the same “cookie cutter syndrome” as some traditional publication houses tend to follow.

· Do you plan to do the marketing and publicity yourself? If so, READ! There are mountains of books, reports, periodicals and articles’ focusing on the how-to’s of good marketing strategies.
Post-publication reviews:

· Don’t forget to obtain reviews even after the book has already been published. Consumers are driven by both professional and unprofessional opinions.
Step three: determine and realistic budget you can stick to. This is where the most mistakes occur. Without looking at the “big picture,” authors don’t know how much money should be devoted to what aspect of the game. Organization and prioritizing are very important during this stage. Get quotes and estimates for everything (and be prepared for unexpected costs):

1. Printing: galleys and finished copies.
2. Press kits: supplies and postage.
3. Flyers: design, printing and distribution.
4. Publicity: what’s included and for how long?
5. Distribution centers.
6. Print advertising: how long will the ad run? Will it be in color or black and white?
7. ISBN numbers: is it included in your printing fee?
8. Web site: registration, designing, maintaining and hosting.
9. Postal and email address purchasing for booksellers.
10. Posters, post cards and bookmarks for events.

Rule of thumb: blind submissions are bad. Never ever send out materials unsolicited. There are individuals out there selling lists suggesting authors practice in this way and, in reality, it isn’t the way to go. Query first, otherwise your ARC’s are destined for used booksellers and your press materials the recycling bin. This is where I see a lot of authors dwindling down their budgets. Avoid this reality by sending to *interested parties. *There will always be exceptions to any rule, however. If guidelines posted to reviewer databases or publications states querying isn’t necessary, than adhere to that claim. There are numerous other points to ponder in regards to formulating your pre-publication marketing plans. (Remember: pre-publication marketing plans aren’t defined solely as what you do before your book is released, it’s defined as your complete marketing plan outlined in preparation for all eventualities both before and after publication.)

Examples of these points include:

1.Don’t overlook the Internet: get yourself interviewed and or profiled for sites both about writing and about the subjects covered in your book. Build a web site to provide another avenue for ordering, a virtual press kit and link exchanges. Position your book with virtual booksellers and establish link partners.

2.Remember to be sure your book is listed in Books-in-Print. Don’t assume it’s already there.

3.Print/Electronic publications provide longevity to your marketing campaign in terms of having something tangible to reference. Radio shows and television appearances are good during the new release phases, but are often forgotten within hours of the broadcast. Focusing time and attention to an enduring effort is key.

Final thoughts: As the old saying goes, your book is as successful as the efforts put forth by the author, particularly in the cases of self-publishing and print on demand.

How To Get Noticed by Editors And Publishers: Make Your Strengths Shine

2007-01-11T19:23:00.000-08:00

by Shelley Wake

To be a successful writer and get noticed, being good often isn’t good enough. You have to shine. You have to have something that puts you above all others. Of course though, nobody is perfect. Everyone has faults and flaws. But everyone has talents and abilities too. What’s your talent?

Find your talent and focus on it. Develop it. Showcase it in your writing so it really shines through. Remember, one thing that stands out is far easier to notice than ten things that are good, but not great. Make sure your best skill stands out.

Stacey’s Story:
Start With Something SpecialI had my breakthrough while taking a break from writing. I was watching the movie Bring it On and decided to watch the bonus features. One of them was an interview with the director and he talked about how the screenplay got noticed because it opened with the cheer song. That stood out, that got their attention, that made them want to read the rest. I decided to take the same approach. I took chances with the start. I started with a letter, a poem, a snippet from a diary. It must have made the difference because with that one change, a manuscript that had been rejected 14 times got purchased. –Stacey, Novelist

Carmen’s Story:
Use Your StrengthsI was told by my teachers and by readers that my dialogue was really strong. So I decided to stop hiding it away and I put it right out front. I made the first chapter of my novel almost all dialogue. It got the attention of an agent, who has since told me that the individuality of the first chapter told him that he had found a new writer with a clear sense of style. He took me on and is now trying to sell that sense of style to publishers. Even better for me, he’s not just trying to sell my first book, he’s trying to sell me as the next new thing, a young writer to look out for! –Carmen, Novelist

Editor Says:
“Forget Modesty”Writing is not a business where you can afford to be modest. You have to get in there and show what you’ve got. Whatever you do better than everyone else, show it off. Build your work around your best skill. Otherwise, you’re going to be lumped in with the rest of the writers that are good, but don’t stand out. –James, Editor

Editor Says:
“I’m Looking for One Thing”Many writers make the mistake of trying to show me everything they do well. Forget it. I’m glancing at hundreds of manuscripts a day. To catch my attention, you have to hit me between the eyes with one strong point that I can’t not notice. There will be time later to show me your other strengths. For the first contact, focus on making one clear point about yourself and make it a good one.–Darryn,

Susan’s Story: Is it Really a Flaw?
In the early days of Susan’s career, everyone advised her that she relied on dialogue too much. So she cut out the dialogue. She kept writing but found her work lacked energy. Years later, she decided to ignore all the advice. The novel came naturally to her and it was almost all dialogue. The book reviews praised her unique style and voice. Susan learned her lesson—never suppress what comes naturally to you. Remember, what comes naturally to you might be your greatest gift, not your greatest flaw.

Top Six Ways to Find Your Strength
1. Ask other people what stands out about your work.
2. Read some of your best work and make a list of what makes it good.
3. Read through the contents of a book about writing and ask yourself if there is an area you are good at.
4. Think about what other people have said about your work. Are there any comments that keep being repeated?
5. Ask yourself what you care about when you write.
6. What do you like about other people’s work? Often the things you notice in other people’s work are also the things that you are good at.

© Copyright Shelley Wake. All Rights Reserved.

POETRY: FINDING YOUR INSPIRATION

2007-01-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

A good poet is able to find the natural rhythms of everyday life and express them eloquently in words. But where do the ideas come from? There are thousands of poems out there about tired subjects like love and war; as a poet, your job is to find either a new and original take on these overused subjects or bring an original idea to life. Sometimes, however, the poetry muse takes a hike...and doesn’t return.

Here are just a few of the many ways to either discover or reclaim your wayward muse:
Look around you. Anything, anything at all can be the subject of a poem if dealt with in an original and creative matter.

Keep a notebook with you at all times and keep an eye on the people and places around you. The grocery store, the park, the bus—all can inspire new and creative ideas for poems. You might not necessarily write about what you see, but ideas may come to you in different settings.
Keep a notebook beside the bed for ideas that stem from dreams. Or write a poem about a dream you wish you’d had.

Keep a file of ideas—clippings, sketches, quotes—anything that may inspire a poem later on.
Writing prompts can often generate original thought. Try a "what if" scenario: What if children ruled the world? What if you woke up three feet taller?

Write about something "ugly" and make it beautiful through imagery.

Write a poem that consists solely of dialogue. Or create a poem from a list (I.e. The ten best pieces of advice I ever received).

Write a poem about someone from a distant place and time as if you were that person.
Write about an inanimate object—or from the object’s point of view. "Ode to a Paperclip" may not get you published, but it may spark creativity and original ideas.

Write from someone else’s point of view. Instead of yet another poem about Christmas, try writing about Christmas from the point of view of the homeless woman on the corner. Avoid using the word "Christmas" and rely on imagery instead.

Write about something you did NOT experience but wish you had (I.e. Woodstock) or an era in which you’d like to have lived.

Try writing passionately about something you passionately do NOT believe in—and make it convincing. Write about the joy of being a skinflint or how lovely it is to kill baby seals. Try this with or without the use of irony.

Go back to your childhood and write an apology in the form of a poem. Write a poem to someone you wish you had known or confront someone who did you wrong.
Scan newspaper or magazine headlines—write a poem about the woman who gave birth to six alien babies or the man who built a shrine to cockroaches. Take risks and experiment with the bizarre.

Take your personal demons and put them down on paper. If the subject is painful yet rings true, it will strike a chord with your readers. Don’t be afraid to tackle uncomfortable subjects.
Take on the clichés directly: try writing a good love poem without once using the word "love." Take it a step further and eliminate the words "joy," "desire," and "heart."

Read contemporary poets’ work. Read all you can. Identify what makes a poem call to you and analyze what makes you dislike other poems. Gain inspiration from others’ work.
Remember: all subject matter is worthy. A good poet need not have traveled the world or lived a life of tragedy. Look in your own metaphorical backyard for material.

Above all, keep writing, keep submitting, and write some more. The poems that result may not be worthy, but keep it up. It’s better to write a bad poem than to not write one at all. Eventually, even when your muse has flown the coop, the right poem will emerge.

Character Development

2007-01-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

'Flat Characters'
Definition: Flat characters are minor characters in a work of fiction who do not tend to undergo substantial emotional change or growth. Flat characters are also referred to as "two-dimensional characters," and are the opposite of round characters.

Though we don't generally strive to write flat characters, they are often necessary compenents in any given story, along with round characters.

Also Known As: Two-Dimensional Character, Minor Character
Examples: Mr. Collins in "Pride and Prejudice" is a flat character, mostly used to comic effect and to help advance the plot.

'Round Characters'
Definition: A round character is a major character in a work of fiction who encounters conflict and is changed by it. Round characters tend to be more fully developed and described than flat, or minor characters.

If you think of the characters you most remember in fiction you've loved during your life, they will almost all be round characters. These are the characters who may have seemed as real to you as people you know in real life.

A number of elements in fiction reveal character, making the character round, including description of a character, dialogue, a character's actions, and a character's thoughts.
Also Known As: Major Character, Main Character, Dynamic Characters

New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style and Usage
A writing guide for everyone--not just academics and editors. With 13 chapters on style, this thorough guide covers grammar, design, publishing, charts, tables, illustrations, printing, desktop publishing, and every subject from manuscript to fini... Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved....

Why Manuscripts Are Rejected

2007-01-07T21:13:00.000-08:00

by Sharon Good

Submitting manuscripts to publishers is a courageous act. It can also be a frustrating and perplexing one. When you've spent months or years of your life writing a book that you take great pride in, it's hard to understand why editors don't see the value in it that you, your colleagues, and friends do.

Let me share then some of the insights I've gained as a publisher-editor, so you might take your rejections a little less personally and target your submissions more successfully.

Inappropriate subject matter for that publisher
If a publisher does not publish in your genre, you're barking up the wrong tree. Don't submit your romance novel to a publisher of nonfiction, or your self-help book to a publisher of textbooks. It's a waste of the editor's time ... and yours.
Carefully read the listings in Writer's Market. Browse the bookstore for books similar to yours and the publishers that produce them. Then call and get the name of the editor most appropriate for your book.

Manuscript sent without a query or agent
Editors are busy people who work in crowded offices. Be respectful of their time and courteous enough to send a query or proposal first (after verifying that they handle your subject), rather than forcing them to wade through stacks of paper.

Further, many editors, particularly those in larger publishing houses, rely on agents to screen material for them and make appropriate submissions. Submissions that arrive "unagented" are almost always returned unread. Others usually end up at the bottom of the "slush pile" and wait several months to be read—if they're read at all.

Weak book proposal
Writing a proposal can be as hard as writing the book itself. You must make a good case for why your book should be published. Don't take it for granted that the editor already knows the market and competition for your book. Do the research. Consult one or more of the available books that provide guidance and models for writing proposals. Here are two in particular that are worth consulting:

Write the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 Proposals that Sold and WhyBy Jeff Herman and Deborah M. Adamshttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471575178/fiction
Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can WriteBy Elizabeth Lyonhttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0936085312/fiction

Good topic, poor writing
Even if you've chosen a marketable topic, if your proposal or manuscript needs to be substantially rewritten, it's generally not worth an editor's time and effort. Work on your writing skills or hire a ghostwriter. Get feedback and work with a freelance editor to whip your manuscript in shape before you submit it. A poorly written piece rarely gets a second chance.

Saturated market
While it's true that a hot topic will spawn a deluge of books, many publishers, particularly small ones, are looking for books that are unique and will have staying power. If you have an idea for a book in a popular category, be sure your book offers a fresh approach.

Market too small
While it's good to target a specific niche, if the niche is too small, it's not worth a major publisher's time or money. The chances of making a profit are too slim. If you can't broaden the scope of your book, seek out a small press that caters to that niche or a regional audience, or consider self-publishing.

Topic or approach too personal
I can't tell you how many times I've been approached by someone who knows someone with a "really interesting life." While that may be true, interesting lives don't sell books unless they have a hook on which to hang the publisher's marketing and publicity efforts.

Book not to an editor's taste
Unfortunately, there's not much you can do about this, but that doesn't mean your book is undeserving of publication. If you feel it is well-written and marketable, keep sending it out until you find the right match. Literary history is full of stories of authors who submitted their proposals and manuscripts dozens of times before they hit.

Too much advertising and marketing required
In the past, large publishers produced numerous titles, depending on their bestsellers to"carry" their other, more "moderate" sellers. While that's still true to some degree, large publishers today are cutting their lists down while looking for books with a strong market and promotable authors. (Ditto for many of the small presses.) What does that mean for you? That you should expect to contribute to the marketing effort. Further, you should make your willingness to help—and your promotional ideas—known in your proposal.

I hope you'll use these observations to your advantage and find yourself signing a publishing contract in the near future!

© Copyright 2001 by Sharon GoodAll rights reserved in all media.

How Do I Learn To Write?

2007-01-01T19:15:00.000-08:00

By Terry McGarry

Sentence-by- sentence writing improvement:

Line by Line:

How to Edit Your Own Writing, Claire Kehrwald Cook,Houghton Mifflin
A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, William Fowler, Oxford Univ. Press
The Careful Writer, Theodore M. Bernstein, Atheneum
The Practical Stylist, Sheridan Baker, Harper & Row
The Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed, Karen Elizabeth Gordon, Times Books (also The Well-Tempered Sentence by her)
The Elements of Style, Strunk & White

Writing better fiction:
Beginnings, Middles, and Ends, Nancy Kress, Writer's Digest Books
Creating Short Fiction, Damon Knight, St. Martin's
On Becoming a Novelist, John Gardner, Harper & Row
The Art of Creative Writing, Lajos Egri (may be OOP)
Techniques of the Selling Writer, Dwight V. Swain
How to Write a Damn Good Novel II,James N. Frey. St. Martins 1994, ISBN 0-312-10478- 2
Characters and Viewpoint, Orson Scott Card

Writing better speculative fiction:
The Craft of Science Fiction, Reginald Bretnor
Those Who Can, Ed. Robin Scott Wilson (recently reprinted)
Paragons, Ed. Robin Scott Wilson
Creating the Heavens, Melissa Scott, Heinemann
Style manuals (cover grammar, punctuation, usage, treatment of names and terms, editing stages, book production):
The Chicago Manual of Style, University of Chicago
Words into Type, Prentice Hall
A Manual of Style (U.S. Govt Printing Office), Gramercy
The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage

So You Want to Be a Writer

Finding A Publisher

StoryTelling

Broken Pencil seeks fiction

Online Media Releases

Why Write or Read Stories?

15 Tips for Becoming A Better Writer

Creating A Vivid Setting

Tips for Romance Writers

The Top Ten Checklist to Edit Your Own Writing

Flashbacks and Foreshadowing

The Elements of Plot Development

Creating Dialogue in Fiction

Ten Tips on Creativity

Concentrate On Conflict

Uncommon Advice For Beginning Writers

Creating Believable Characters

How to Plan out a Novel

TOP TEN MUSTS TO CREATE ARTICLES WEB SITES WILL LOVE

Staying Motivated

You Are Not A Writer. You Are A Business

Building A Professional Writing Portfolio

Writing Query Letters for Fiction or Poetry Markets

RSW: SELF-EDITING FOR SUCCESS

Your Book's Elevator Speech

How to Write A Character Sketch

Character Resource Links

Necessary Transition

Your First Steps To Becoming a Writer

CREATING AN EYE-POPPING BOOKSIGNING TABLECLOTH

What’s In a Title?

Cover Letters

Hunting for a Literary Agent: Which to Keep and Which to Shoot

Four Little-Known Reasons Why “Overlooked” Book Signings Are Key To Your Success

What Literary Agents Do

Can You Afford to Publish Your Book?

Using Body Language to Create Believable Characters

Submission Checklist

Ten PR Secrets No One Will Ever Tell You

Terms Every Writer Should Know

13 Reasons an Author Might Not Get a Book Tour

Call for Submissions

Alert for Writers

Marketing tips for freelance writers

Make Sure Your Nonfiction Book Will Be Read

Writing Tip: Selling an Older Title

Ideas for Promoting Your Book

Wronging Writers: Don't Get Taken

When Authors Engage in Public Speaking

Writer's Voice: Five Places to Find Meaning among the Spring Blossoms

Fitting it all into a day, a week . . . a career

Writing Tip: Goals

Writing that (Almost) Perfect Poem Using Imagery

Style & PolishingTips

Avoid Creative Dialogue Tag Syndrome

How To Get Free Advertising

Advice to the Younger Fiction Writer

Poetry - Finding Your Inspiration

E-Mail Query Tips

Short Story Tips

The 4 Can't Miss Keys to Copyright

What Can You Do for Your Writing Style Now?

FOR THE SYNOPICALLY CHALLENGED

Writing query letters for fiction or poetry markets

Staying Motivated

How to make a portfolio

Writing query letters for fiction or poetry markets

The Five Golden Rules Of Publicity For Authors

Finding A Publisher

Top 5 Mistakes Authors Make When Choosing a Publisher

How To Create A Character Profile

Top 5 Mistakes Authors Make When Choosing a Publisher

Seven Steps To Publishing Success

Six Tips for Submitting Fiction - If You Want it To Get Published

How To Make A Portfolio

Writing Press Releases - An Editors Perspective

SIX THING TO AVOID IN A QUERY

The Seven C's of Success

Why Your Articles Are Rejected

Fourteen Powerful Ways to Market Your Book on the Web