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Editorial
After
too many months, InkSpotter News is staging a comeback.
As I
mentioned in the August issue, I was going through a rough patch
since mid-July. Dealing with life meant putting certain things
on hold. Sadly, that meant skipping the newsletter for a little
while. Thank
you, everyone, for sticking around while I got my act together.
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The
death of a loved one can shake up anyone's world, but dealing
with the loss can help us put things in perspective. Surviving
family members grow closer. Trivial matters find their proper
place at the bottom of the priority list. We reassess and
refocus our goals. And we learn to embrace the people who make
us truly happy. I've
been lucky enough to have a strong support system, including
family and friends. I've even embarked on a new
relationship. Will it last? Only one way to find out. That's
grief's final lesson. You won't succeed unless you're willing to
risk failure. Keep that in mind as you write and don't be afraid
to submit your work. Will
you get published? Only one way to find out.
Betty
Dobson, Publisher/Editor |
Looking
for a little writing inspiration and camaraderie? Join
the Literary
Lapse mailing list.
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your writing-related product or service in the next issue of InkSpotter
News. Contact the editor
for details.
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Freelance
markets from all over the world.
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How
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Bookmarks
Each
issue, Betty Dobson uses this space to share her writing
successes from the past month. With any luck, she'll never
run out of material.
Oodles
to report this month, so let's get going
|
Joined
forces with a longtime friend to start a new production company.
This exciting new venture is still in the planning stage, but I'll
keep you informed as things progress. |
|
I
won first prize in the Writer
Gazette "Pick a Line" flash fiction contest for "That
Left Turn."
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My first
Up Close & Factual article for Our Mail Network, Dangerous
Curves: Understanding Scoliosis and Choosing a Treatment Option, is now available
for purchase. |
|
The poem
"Fallen Seasons"--a tribute to my late brother-- appeared in the
September edition of Sol
Magazine as Third Place winner of their "September Song"
competition. The issue also included "What We Want" and
"Blinding". |
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I was
invited to give a talk about my fellowship experience in New
Mexico before the Zonta
Club of Halifax. |
On
September 22,
BBC Leeds aired a documentary segment on the Yorkshire Emigration (roughly 1,000
settlers came to Nova Scotia from 1772-1775) on its series Inside
Out. The program included interviews with some of the original settlers'
descendants, including me. I'm currently awaiting a copy of the program. |
| The poem
"Last Hunt Over Bras d'Or" appeared in the October edition of Sol
Magazine and won Honorable Mention in their "October Changes"
competition. The issue also included "Midnight Vision" and
"Piece of Mine". |
| My brief response to the question "Why Write?"
appeared in Chrysalis Creativity Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 4. |
The poems
"Dying Season," "Thanks to My Muse," and "We Gather
Around" appeared in the November edition of Sol
Magazine. |
|
|
The FabJob
Guide to Become a Published Writer, which includes two items by yours
truly, is now available for purchase. |
| The short story "Out
of the Bag"--initially rejected this past June--was accepted
for publication in the November issue of Brady
Magazine. |
Linear
Reflections
Within
our virtual pages you will find comprehensive reviews of as many of the
world's art forms as possible. Our staff works hard to bring you a
mixture of reviews - on music, literature, art, movies, stage, concerts
and even video games. Our reviews are not only for adults, but also for
the kid in everyone. Come visit us at: http://www.linearreflections.com
and sign up for our FREE newsletter. If you have something you'd like to
submit, or are interested in reviewing, please contact us.
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Feature
Article
Your
Odds of Getting Published
by
Laura Backes
Write4Kids.com
- The Children's Writing SuperSite
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Most
beginning writers are curious about their chances of ever seeing
their work in print.
Editors have told me that a mid- to large-sized publishing house
gets upwards of 5000 unsolicited submissions a year. About 95%
are rejected right off the bat (most get form letters, a few
promising authors get personalized notes stating why the
manuscript was rejected). Of the 5% left, some are queries for
which the editors request entire manuscripts. Others are
manuscripts submitted in their entirety, and these go on to the
next stage of the acquisitions process (get passed around the
editorial department, presented at editorial meetings, perhaps
looked at by sales staff to get a sense of the market for the
book). The end result is that 1-2% of unsolicited submissions
are actually purchased for publication.
But,
you ask, if so few manuscripts are bought from the slush pile,
why are so many new books are published each year? The
unsolicited "slush" comes from authors the
editors have never worked with before: new writers and those who
don't have
agents. Experienced writers and those who have already published
with that house make up the rest of the list.
Before
you trash your computer and take up knitting, let's put this all
in perspective. Most manuscripts are rejected because
they're just plain bad. The stories are trite, the characters
wooden, the endings predictable. The plots may smack of
didacticism or patronize the young reader. Authors who don't
understand the basic rules of grammar or who can't send a
properly formatted manuscript won't get a close look. Those who
submit their work to every publisher listed in Children's
Writer's & Illustrator's Market instead of taking the time
to target
publishers appropriate for their work add substantially to the
glut of publishers' mail (and the eventual banning of
unsolicited submissions by some houses).
If
you take the time to learn how to write a strong story
with multifaceted characters, your manuscript will rise to the
top. If you study the age group for which you want to write, and
keep the length and content appropriate for your audience, your
work will stand out. If you watch the current market and find a
niche you can fill, an editor is more likely to give you careful
consideration.
One
more point: General fiction is the most competitive genre in any
age group of children's books. It's also the most
subjective, meaning your manuscript has to appeal to exactly the
right editor. If you have any interest in nonfiction and can
approach a topic in a unique, entertaining way, you'll be a
bigger fish in a much smaller pond. Or, try narrowing your niche
so your work stands out from the ocean of fiction: write
historical fiction for beginning readers, funny mysteries for
middle grades, science fiction for young adults. Stretching your
writing beyond general fiction will give
you a "hook" and also help you zero in on publishers
who want exactly what you've got.
#
# #
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR: Laura Backes is the publisher of Children's Book
Insider, the Newsletter for Children's Writers, and co-founder
of the Children's Authors Bootcamp seminars (www.WeMakeWriters.com).
For more information about writing children's books, including
free articles, market tips, insider secrets and much
more, visit Children's Book Insider's home on the web at http://write4kids.com
Copyright 2003, Children's Book Insider, LLC |
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Share
your writing insights with other writers. |
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Contests
I'm
going to shift gears a little and start including contests with
small entry fees. After all, this isn't a perfect world.
Sometimes even writers have to spend money to make money.
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PHOENIX,
ARIZONA IN THE SPRING - CONFERENCE AND CONTEST
Women
Writers of the Desert, the Phoenix Chapter of NAWW, offers a
one-day conference on May 1, 2004 with the theme May
Day Writing & Self-publishing Solutions for
Women Writers and
an essay contest with the theme "New Beginning."
Six
speakers will address empowerment, marketing, funding,
publishing, and using humor to overcome writers block including
representatives from 1stBooks, Borders, National NAWW, and
FundsforWriters. Cost is $25 before April 15 and $35 at the
door.
The
essay contest offers a $250 first prize with an entry fee of
$10. Come experience author signings, writing and publishing
concessions, and lots of give-away prizes.
Author
signing and commercial booths available beginning at $60
(sharing booths encouraged - the more the merrier). Location is
the Wells Fargo Conference Center, 100 W. Washington St,
Phoenix, AZ. Partial proceeds go to Fresh Start Women'™s
Foundation.
For
more information on the conference and the essay contest, visit
either website:
http://www.womenwritersofthedesert.org
or
http://www.fundsforwriters.com/WWDconference.htm
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What's it all
worth? Check out the The
Universal Currency Converter. |
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Paying
Markets
Well,
since it's February and I'm in love, it only seems logical to
dedicate this month's listings to the romance market.
Then
again, "logical" and "romance" qualify as
contradictory terms. Blame it on the moon.
|
Arabella
Romances Magazine - Publishes short romantic fiction
(750-4,500) in multiple genres, including historical,
contemporary, and paranormal.
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Reading
period: Open
Editor-in-Chief: Melissa
Wohl
Managing
Editor: Sharon Lloyd
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Rights: First
Rights (occasional reprints)
Pays: 10
cents per published word
|
Editor
Arabella Romances Magazine
1735 Market Street, Suite A-523
Philadelphia, PA 19103
submissions@Arabellamagazine.com
NOTE:
Prefers email submissions |
The
Romance Rag - Publishes romance stories with happy
endings. Target audience is educated women aged 25-54.
|
Reading
period: Open Editor: Teresa
Acosta |
Rights:
First North American print rights, FNASR (for Novellas), first
world electronic rights, nonexclusive world electronic archival
rights and permission to use excerpts from accepted work in
advertising materials
Pays: $125
for short stories; $375 for novellas; $25 for poetry and 500-word
true love stories; $10 for Love Laughs
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The
Romance Rag
P.O.
Box 176
Saratoga
CA 95071-0176
Attention:
Submissions
Submit@RomanceRag.com
NOTE:
Prefers email submissions |
True
Story
- Fictional stories told from the first person POV, as if they
really happened. Pieces run the gamut from light romance to
sizzling passion.
|
Reading
period: Open
Online
Editor: Isabelle von Roth
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Rights:
World Rights
Pays: 5
cents per word one month after publication
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Tina
Pappalardo
True Story
The Sterling/Macfadden Partnership
333 Seventh Avenue, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10001 - 5004 |
PROMOBEATS
Word Museum's monthly newsletter for published authors serious about
promotion.
INSIDE
EACH ISSUE:
-Two
feature articles on promotion.
-An
interview where you can learn the promotion secrets of a published
author.
-Hot
Promo Tips.
PromoBeats
Newsletter is available for $6.99 per year (that's less than 60˘ a
month). Subscriptions are available at http://www.wordmuseum.com/newsletter.htm.
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Bragging
Rights
This
is the space where subscribers get to do a little bragging about
their own writing successes. Don't be shy. We want to hear from
you.
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| Jacqueline Seewald is a freelancer
with numerous publishing credits. Her sixth book of fiction, a
young adult novel for teenage girls, Claire's Curse, is
soon to be released by American
Book Publishing |
L. J. Bothell's article "Healthful Travel" appears in Boots
n All, an online travel publication. Another article,
"7 Tips to Avoid the Slush Pile", will be published by The
AWP Job List, a print and password-protected online
publication put out by the Association of Writers & Writing
Programs and affiliated with The Writer's Chronicle. You'll
also find L. J. in the next issue of InkSpotter News!
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Sarah White has recently published an
ebook to help writers edit their work, get more sales and think
more about the words they use. It's called Doing
the Write Thing: The Easy Way to Self Edit and it features
tips, techniques and a checklist of things you should always do
before you send out a manuscript. |
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Want
to share your latest writing successes? |
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Online
Resources
Finding
your muse can be an ongoing challenge. I should know. I spent
the better part of the past few months searching for mine. She
was a slippery character, but I caught up with her eventually.
If you ever find yourself in the same situation, why not check
out one of the following sites?
|
| Instant
Muse Story Starter - The Art of Writing's page uses a
creativity technique called random input to keep writers
writing. Don't know where your story is going? Don't even know
where it starts? Give this page a try. |
| The
Writers Co-Op - This new mailing list evolved out of
the CHPercolator list. Writing prompts are delivered to your
email address on a daily basis. Subscribers are encouraged to
post rough drafts and commentary on other subscribers' stories. |
WritingFix.com
- The site offers a variety of writing prompts--whether you're
right brained, left brained, or don't know the difference--to
help keep you inspired every day. |
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Letters
to the Editor
This
is your chance to provide feedback on the newsletter. Tell us
what you did and didn't like. Make suggestions for future
issues. We
want to hear from you. |
Betty,
I am very impressed with your newsletter. I spent at least 45
minutes reading it and I look forward to the next one.
Gayle Montanez |
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Betty,
Took a look at your websites. Very professional. You have
certainly done well for yourself. I didn't know you were so well
published.
William A. Rieser, The Writers Association |
InkSpotter
News
subscriber list
covers
writers in
Canada
United
States
United
Kingdom
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Australia
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did you think of this month's issue? |
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