Writer to Writer June 2007

Writer to Writer - June 2007

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EDITORIAL:

It may not seem like it to others, but I’ve had a very busy month.

Earlier this year I decided to step up my copywriting business, and a lot of the past two months have been almost devoted to marketing that side of my writing life. I’ve attended several business meetings, and have made some great (and very promising!) contacts, many of whom have indicated their interest in future work.

I’ve also been expanding my website, and endeavouring to streamline some of my other areas of interest.

On top of all this, I’ve completed another ‘business’ ebook that should be released soon. That makes three non-fiction books started and completed this year. (Talk about productive!)

Last weekend I attended a writer’s retreat with my long-time romance writing group. And we had a ball! We went to Ocean Grove, which is about two hour’s drive from Melbourne. Car pooling where possible, eleven of us spent the weekend learning, writing, and getting to know each other.

Last week I began a new novel as a lead-up to the retreat. Our group has recently embarked on a Novel in a Year project, and the majority of members are getting on the bandwagon. I’m one of them.

Since my income is mainly derived from non-fiction writing, my fiction tends to be the poor cousin. It’s left out in the cold until a window of time arrives, which is generally not often. So I vowed to make a specific slot for my fiction, and have already begun my new regime.

Writing non-fiction and editing other people’s work can be very time-consuming. But hey! It pays the bills.

This new novel is called Baby Sings the Blues. It was meant to be a working title, but I’ve had so many comments about it being such a great title, that I may not change it after all. At this stage I’ve written around half a chapter, and have done my backstory. But that’s about as far as I’ve gotten.

Okay, on to this month’s issue: I’ve written an article which many may relate to. How many times has your worth as a writer been questioned? People seem to think that since we are ‘just’ writers, we shouldn’t get paid as much as other professionals. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I guess my article can be seen as a rant, but really it’s not. (But then again???) My aim is to hopefully make you stop and think next time someone belittles you and/or your chosen profession of writer.

In other articles, Judy continues to inform of free and inexpensive ways to market yourself as a writer, Beth has reviewed another great book, and Jodi explores whether or not it’s profitable to write for anthologies.

Okay, that's it from me this time around. Time to sit back, relax with your favourite beverage, and enjoy this issue!

Til next time…

Cheryl

p.s. This newsletter can also be read online by going to: http://www.writer2writer.com/Newsletter_June2007.htm

p.p.s. My emails suffered another great loss. If you've sent an email recently, and I haven't responded, please contact me again. I *think* I've finally fixed the problem!

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Quote of the Month:

'We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.'

-Aristotle

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Please support Writer2Writer.com and the Writer to Writer newsletter by purchasing through the affiliate and advertising links in this newsletter. This keeps the newsletter and other information (such as fr*ee courses) at no charge to subscribers. Some similar publications are now charging a yearly fee - I'm constantly fighting against that trend.

Standing Out As a Professional

One of my pet peeves is not being valued as a writer.

What I mean by this is that people think you’re "just" a writer, so your time is worth far less than theirs. And we both know that’s so far from the truth it isn’t funny.

As writers, we are professionals. We offer a professional service and charge accordingly. We run a business, and have overheads, just like every other business.

And like other professionals, we’ve had to pay our dues by learning our craft. We’ve attended classes and workshops, studied and practiced. But unfortunately most people still don’t get it.

They think because we are writers, our time is not worth as much as theirs.

I recently attended a business meeting where I was approached by another business owner. She asked how she could write, create, and format an ebook she wanted to sell to her clients. I gave her a very brief overview of what would be required, but added I could consult with her on this.

She gave me a very strange look and said "Oh, but I don’t want to pay. I was hoping you would do this for free."

Read the entire article here

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	Write Great Short Fiction - and Then Sell it for Cash! Order your downloadable copy of "How to Write Short Fiction That Sells" now and receive a free bonus copy of the ebook "2006 Short Fiction Market Guide".
This unique guide contains 105 listings for publications all wanting more short stories from all over the world! All of the markets listed will happily pay you for your short stories - anywhere from $5 to $5,000. Just for a simple short story! Don't miss out - grab your FRE*E bonus now!

This month's writing prompt:

"She balanced precariously on the ledge, trying hard not to fall into the bottomless pit...."

*Please note: do not send your work along, as it won't be read.
The purpose of this is to kick start your writing, not to get feedback.

Crafting the Romance Story by Lynette Rees is an interactive workbook for aspiring romance writers. As well as containing useful information and links it also contains character and plot worksheets.

To read an excerpt of this terrific book, go here.

More Free and Inexpensive Ways to Promote Your Romance

Last month I outlined some of the essentials for promoting your work, things such as an author website, blogs, forums and chats, and creating your own promotional materials.

CD samplers are a great way of "teasing" your readers, and introducing potential new readers to your writing style. You could create simple ones for giveaways, introducing your next "to be published" work. Or you could create a taste of all your available work and either choose to give it away, or charge a small fee to recoup your cost of creating the CD. But remember, people love to get something they perceive to have value for free. CD’s are great if you are at a convention or conference and want something tangible to hand out. You could offer the same sampler as a PDF download from your website. Again, fans love to get things for free.

I’ve written about Chapbooks before. See Chapbooks: Nifty Little Promotional Tools, my Nov.06 column. This is my personal favourite promotional tool, perhaps because of the artistry that can be involved in creating them. Again, they can be made as giveaways. I have a short story I’ve put in chapbook form that I use as a bonus giveaway for contests or as a gift for readers from time to time. It’s a nice way to say thank you to new readers who join your fan listing. I have created chapbooks for sale as well. Most retail for under $5. It depends on how many pages, whether it’s printed in colour, the quality of paper used etc.

Read the entire excerpt here

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Read a review of this fantastic book here!

'Show, Don't Tell' Study Pack

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What Would Your Character Do:
Personality Quizzes for Analyzing Your Characters

by Eric Maisel, Ph. D. and Ann Maisel

Writer's Digest Books

2006, 276 Pages

Being an inquisitive sort (mom calls it ‘nosy’), I’ve always loved playing games like 20 Questions and Scruples to get insight on topics not often discussed in casual conversation with my friends.

One more than on occasion, I’ve thought about how fun it would be to play these games with characters from my works-in-progress. Problem is—I stink when it comes to asking the questions. I’m usually the lame friend in the group repeating an old question or asking something too simple because I just can’t come up with those good questions that will really get conversation (and thought) flowing.

Luckily for me, Eric Maisel, Ph.D and Ann Maisel have helped solve my dilemma—for fiction, anyway—with their What Would Your Character Do: Personality Quizzes for Analyzing Your Characters.

Now, I hear some of you regular readers saying, "But you reviewed a character building book last month…." Yes, that’s true. I really didn’t expect to review the same type of book in subsequent reviews, but from the moment I picked this gem up off the shelf I was hooked. I learned more about my heroine (and not just her hair color, eye color and favorite food) from one of the thirty exercises inside that I’d learned from all the character question lists I’ve accumulated over the years.

Read the entire article here

Easy Way to Write Romance

Romance outsells all other fiction by a factor of 5 to I, but it's also one of the most difficult genres to break into. Why? Because the competition is enormous. The good news for you and me is that 90% of all romance manuscripts are reportedly terrible. This is because most new romance writers just don't understand the needs of publishers (magazine and book), agents and indeed, the reading public. This course takes a refreshing new look into the genre.

Go to http://www.writer2writer.com/ewtwromance.htm to begin your career as a romance writer!

Now also available as an ebook! http://www.writer2writer.com/ewtwromancebook.htm

* A complete list of recommended courses can be viewed here: http://www.writer2writer.com/workshops.htm

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Market Round-Up May 2007

The experts are out on whether contributing to anthologies is worth a writer’s time. Well, I have two books with my name on their contributor’s list sitting on a bookshelf and a few more bucks in my pocket. Seems worth my time. I’ve learned that you have a better chance of being published if you pass up the mega-anthology series for the smaller opportunities. There are anthologies for every subject under the sun it seems—and some are very specific which decreases the pool of submissions and increases your chance of acceptance. My mailbox recently contained a call from an anthology for Susquehanna Watershed Writers—those who live or lived in a small section encompassing parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland.

This first market offers a never-ending list of anthologies that June Cotner is working on for various publishers. Most are prayer or inspirational books with a few other topics like "family traditions" thrown in for you more secular writers. A great market for those poems you have stuffed in desk drawers. Coming up: dog blessings, parent blessings, birthday blessings, and that catch all—everyday blessings. Check for the latest at:

June Cotner Anthologies

http://www.junecotner.com/jccallsub.html

Read the entire article here

Resources4Writers.com - grab your discounted membership. Save US$20 just for being a Writer to Writer subscriber! More information here.

Subscriber News:

No news this month!

**If you have any news, please send it along. (Don’t be shy – we won’t bite!)

Click here to email Cheryl

Contests:

A Wild Rose Press contest open to Published and Unpublished authors.

Through the Garden Gate Historical Contest -

We are looking for time travel stories 15,000 - 20,000 words in length. There are four categories: Regency (1811-1820), Civil War(1861-1865), Western (set west of the Mississippi in the 1800's), and Vintage (1955-1965). One story from each category will be e-book published and all entries will receive a critique.

The rules :

All stories must start in 2007 with the heroine vacationing in this cottage (see picture) set in Bury, Lancashire, England. When she walks through the garden gate she is transported in time and finds romance in one of the time periods stated above.

Send your entry as a Word .doc or .rtf attachment with 'Gate Contest: title of ms'" in the subject line to: wrpcontest@thewildrosepress.com Please be sure to use standard manuscript formatting on all entries.

Deadline is August 30, 2007. You may send your entry any time up to that date. Winners will be announced October 31, 2007, and the winning entries will be e-published in December 2007.
http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/contests/historical_contest.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John Kenneth Galbraith Short Story Competition

Deadline for submissions: August 1, 2007

For all details, list of prizes, entry fees etc., go to:
http://www.johnkennethgalbraithliteraryaward.ca/criteria.htm

*Please note: open only to Canadian writers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is open to everyone whether experienced or not. This competition welcomes anyone who loves to arrange words into beautiful art or to write a short story that is worth telling. And to all who have the ability to dream. Write your best short story or poem for a chance to win cash prizes. All works must be original.

Visit http://www.dreamquestone.com for further details, to print out an entry form or to enter online.

Call for Inspiring True Stories

Colleen Sell, editor for Cup of Comfort anthologies, has notified of her current and upcoming needs. This is a paying market:

The bestselling Cup of Comfort book series is actively seeking uplifting true stories for five new volumes. Stories must be uplifting, original, and 1000-2000 words. Preference given to narrative nonfiction stories that read like fiction. $500 grand prize; $100 ea. all other stories published, plus copy of book. No entry fee. Email submissions to wordsinger@aol.com; no attachments; 1 story per email; include your name and mailing address. Writer’s guidelines: www.cupofcomfort.com (click on Share Your Story).

A Cup of Comfort for Cat Lovers

Cats are among the most fascinating, entertaining, and endearing pets on earth. For this collection, we seek the best cat stories never told—original and compelling testaments to the deep connection between cats and the people who love them as well as heartwarming and humorous tales about truly amazing felines. Most of the stories in the book will be about domestic cats (pets), but we are also interested in stories about feral and exotic cats.
Submission Deadline: 7/01/07

A Cup of Comfort for Breast Cancer Survivors

It has been said that “stories are medicine” and that “one of the most valuable things we can do to heal one another is to share our stories.” This volume gives the healing power of story to women (and men) who have survived breast cancer, enabling them to share their inspiring triumphs and courageous trials with others who have beat breast cancer as well as with those who are currently dealing with breast cancer. We want uplifting stories about the experiences and emotions involved in battling and surviving breast cancer. Possible story themes include but are not limited to: diagnosis, treatment, emotional impact, support systems, healing practices, coping mechanisms, effect on loved ones, effect on personal and/or professional life, life after recover, prognosis, positive post-cancer outcomes.
Submission Deadline: 8/15/07

A Cup of Comfort for Spouses & Children of People with Alzheimer’s

What happens when the person who raised you or the person with whom you raised your children slowly becomes a child who doesn’t know you? What if that loved one changes so drastically that he or she is virtually a stranger to you? What if that person is difficult to deal with and requires substantial assistance? How will the reality of having a spouse or parent with Alzheimer’s affect you and your family—emotionally, financially, physically, socially, personally, professionally? The inspiring stories in this collection will answer those questions and more—and will show how love prevails and how lives thrive when a spouse or parent has Alzheimer’s.
Submission Deadline: 10/15/07

A Cup of Comfort for Divorced Women

Divorce in the 21^st century should come with an instruction manual, a release valve, and a support system. This anthology will serve essentially those three purposes, in the form of comforting, insightful, and inspirational stories about surviving and thriving during and after divorce. We seek uplifting, contemporary stories on a wide range of topics of importance to divorced women—including but not limited to: dating, children, relationship with ex, in-laws, finances, friends, solitude, personal transformation, healing, revenge, mending fences, the ex’s new wife or lover, empowerment, rediscovery of self. The majority of stories will be written by women who are or have been divorced. Stories can be poignant, irreverent, humorous, witty, or wise.
Submission Deadline: 12/31/2007

*Australian writers only

Going Down Swinging #26 submissions open

Closing date: 30 June

Submissions for Going Down Swinging #26 are open from 1 April to 30 June. lssue#26 will be a book and CD featuring the best in new Australian writing, and will be released at the end of 2007. “No matter what you’re writing, drawing, performing or creating we are interested in your work.” For full submission details and submission cover sheet, see www.goingdownswinging. org.au/submissions.htm. If you’ve any questions, email info@goingdownswinging.org.au

*Going Down Swinging pays contributors $50-$100 per piece, depending on the level of funding available for that specific issue.

How Do I?

No questions this month.

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FEEDBACK:

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Submissions:

We are a paying market. Full guidelines are available here, along with current needs. *Note: We are again open for submissions.

Disclaimer:

Inclusion of a market, contest, anthology or similar is not necessarily an endorsement. It is strongly suggested that you do your own legwork in checking out any markets etc you decide to approach. If you feel wary or uncomfortable, there's probably a reason!

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Guidelines for advertising, and ad rates can be found here

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