Greetings!
We all started out as readers. And as
our love for literature grew, we wanted to
write too. The more we read, the better
writers we became.
As we finished our short stories, essays, or
perhaps a novel, we yearned for readers to
appreciate our work. It's the main reason we
write--to entertain, to inspire, to find a
home and a heart for our pieces--in hopes
that we can touch someone with our words.
Readers are growing in numbers. The Internet
is all about reading and writing, sharing and
communication. So, this month we appreciate
our readers, and celebrate the gift of
literacy.
Whether you're an avid reader in search of a
book club, or an author looking for her
audience, this issue is bound to inspire and
motivate you to watch less, and read
more!
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Is Hollywood out of original
ideas?
That's what you'd think from the box office
smashes--movies based on remakes, sequels,
video games, Disneyland rides, and
bestselling books. Could this all be because
of the writer's strike, or the death of
Hollywood? In a nutshell, No. The truth is,
Tinsel Town is just like any big publishing
conglomerate--they want to bet on a sure
thing.
Check out the Editor's
Desk to see just how many movies were
made from books last year. You'll be amazed!
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A big, warm, thank you goes out to our
freelancers:
To Beth Morrissey, for reminding us that
before we put pen to paper, it's a good idea
to research our target audience--especially,
when it comes to children
readers. And to Jennifer Wright, who
gives us the ins-and-outs of what you'll need
to break
into freelance reading. We welcome back
Allie Boniface, who gives us some fun tips on
"Netiquette," and teaches us how
to play nice in the cyber-sandbox. And to
C. Hope Clark, for doing it again! Don't miss
Hope's article on how
to wrangle readers online. We also
welcome back Tina Marie Frawley, who shows us
how to build
a successful book club! And if you're a
romantic at heart, Sue Donckels' interview
with Cathy Bueti will pull on your
heartstrings and inspire you.
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To the WOW! Staff:
A warm thank you goes out to Annette Fix, our
Senior Editor, for providing us with three
fabulous articles! For her interviews with Wendy
Kamenoff, Ann
Kent, and her article on resources
for authors looking to garner online book
reviews.
I'd like to thank my interviewee, Patsy
Rodenburg, one of the world's leading voice
and acting coaches, for chatting with me last
minute for our 20 Questions Column.
Stepping up!
This past week we've spent time individually
chatting with all of our new team members,
and we've still got quite a few ladies up to
bat on our phone chat schedule.
It's been so wonderful getting to know
everyone--their personalities, dreams, goals,
and level of involvement. We have such a
diverse and spectacular team! I've had a ball
chatting with you, and look forward to the
great things to come. Although we haven't
completed our phone chats, we do have a few
announcements:
We are thrilled to announce that Janet
Paszkowski is officially our Team
Premium-Green
Group Leader and Managing
Editor of PG. In addition to her WOW!
position, Janet is also an editor for Flash
Me Magazine: http://www.wingedhalo.com/flashme.html,
as well as her own blog: http://diaryofaliteraryfictioneditor.blogspot.com/
when she's not blogging for The
Muffin.
Also on the Premium-Green staff is our
long-time contributing editor, Chynna
Laird,
who heads up our ITT: In the Trenches With
Chynna column, and our Get Writing,
Mamas! Column, exclusively to the
Premium-Green Markets. To find more about
Chynna, visit her website: http://www.lilywolfwords.ca/
And talk about a ball of energy! Carrie
Hulce
manages our markets research staff of Team
Premium-Green. Carrie's enthusiasm is
unbridled, and we're super lucky to have her
be a part of WOW! We adore her!
Carrie's essay was featured in March's Inspiration
Column, and her winning flash fiction
story, The Sign, can be read on our Winter
2006-2007 Contest Winners Feature.
Welcome to our new Blog Mistress, Marcia
Peterson! Now that we have a group of ladies
writing for The Muffin, it takes a special
woman to organize the group--and we're
thrilled to have Marcia on board!
If you readers want to submit an article etc.
for the WOW! blog, please query [email protected],
and we'll be sure to let you know if your
post matches our needs. And thank you for
your interest!
And to Susan Eberling, for taking
charge of
our Quarterly
Flash Fiction Contest, and for authoring
our Must-Haves
Column. Sue has introduced us to some
fabulous finds!
Stay tuned for more updates about the WOW!
Women On Writing Team. And happy reading!
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New to the WOW! site:
Over the past year and a half,
we've tried to keep all of our advertising
in-house. That allows us more control... but
also, creates more work in creating,
implementing, etc. So, for us to keep the
site healthy and alive, we've taken on an
advertising firm, which will, in turn, help
the site continue to provide freelance jobs
and opportunities for
women writers. That's the big leader-board
banner you see at the top of all our pages.
So, if any of the various advertisers
displayed up there interest you, be sure to
click and pay them a visit.
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Announcement:
Several editors have passed through the halls
of WOW! Women On Writing, and it's
always sad to see them depart. But, this is a
happy occasion!
We're proud to announce that Sue
Donckels has
started her own business: InkBridge (www.inkbridge.com),
a website dedicated to emerging writers
wanting to break into the publishing
business.
InkBridge will offer unpaid internships for
rising writers who intend to volunteer their
time with reputable online publications. In
exchange for the intern's time, the publisher
will offer assistance with publishing that
often-elusive, first clip--but only quality
writing that fits the publication's style,
voice, and specific needs.
This is an excellent opportunity to gain
experience in a fast-paced industry. Unlike
the database websites that publish most
articles, InkBridge's internships will
provide industry experience for one's resume,
plus the first clip with a specific
publication.
Emerging writers should take a stroll across
InkBridge
in February 2008 to see all it can offer.
Read my personal letter to Sue Donckels on
the Editor's
Desk.
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WINTER '07-'08: BACK TO FLASH
FICTION:
This season we're going back to flash fiction
and we're opening up the contest to ANY
TOPIC!
That's right, this is your chance to shine,
and get creative. You can write about
anything, as long as it's within the word
count and fiction. So, dig out those stories
you started way back when and tailor them to
the word count.
We're open to any style and genre. From
horror to romance! So, get creative, and most
of all, have fun.
Our honorable sponsor this month is W.W.
NORTON, the indie publisher that packs a
punch! We urge you to check out their website
and sign
up for their newsletter. Did you know
they publish compilations on Flash Fiction?
These books give you excellent examples of
flash fiction writers who are making a living
off of FF!
Our guest judge this season is the remarkable
Literary
Agent, Kristen Nelson! Sue interviewed
Kristen in November's
Literary Agents issue.
We urge you to check out that interview for
insider tips on your guest judge. Best of
luck! Get those entries in EARLY. Early
entries make our preliminary round table of
judges happy and eager to read your
submissions.
-----------------
Now on to the issue, enjoy!
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Fall 2007 Essay Contest Winners Announced!
Drum Roll....
Congratulations goes out to everyone who
entered the Fall 2007 Essay Contest,
Sponsored by skirt! All your entries were
incredible this round, and our esteemed guest
judges, C. Hope Clark, and Nikki Harden, did
not have an easy job:
-- 1st Place Winner: Nancy Wick
-- 2nd Place Winner: Pam Hawley
-- 3rd Place Winner: Dianne Greco
Runners Up (in no particular
order):
-- Julie Anderson Slattery
-- Sangeetha Narayan
-- Stephanie Haefner
-- Marketa Oliver
-- Maria Chythlook
-- Ellen Murphy
-- Sheryl Winters
Read the top 10 winner's stories in our
contest feature!
Honorable Mentions (in no particular
order):
-- Kelli Wheeler
-- Gail Dickert
-- Pauline Flavel
-- CJ Mouser
-- Carol L. Gee
-- Susan Tornga
-- Kelley A. Swan
-- Willma Willis Gore
-- Laurie Strucke
-- Peggy Emhardt
-- Carol E. Ayer
-- Pamela Cosel
-- Carole G. Creekmore
-- Joan Leotta
-- Joanne T. Lewis
-- Lori A. Kennedy
-- Tina Weaver
-- Vickie Clasby
-- Dana McLemore
-- Gretchen Allison
-- Marie Cortez
-- Pamela Maddin
-- Melissa Ohden
-- Jan Coad
-- Felicia Smith
Congrats ladies! And congrats to everyone who
hit the send button -- we know it's not easy,
but each season provides a rebirth of
opportunity!
----------
A HUGE thank you goes out to Jaclyn Wilson,
of the Globe
Pequot Press' skirt! books, for
her generous prize-packs that you ladies will
be receiving. When you finish reading the
books, and would like to thank the skirt!
authors, please thank them by writing a
review on Amazon.
Also, visit skirt!
magazine to see Nancy Wick's winning
story posted!
MORE >>
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Book Groups Unite! Ann Kent of Book Group Expo
By Annette Fix
All across the nation, women in neighborhood
book groups gather to discuss their favorite
authors and books. Now, one woman has created
a way to bring them all together. Ann Kent,
founder of Book Group Expo, has created a
unique venue for authors and book lovers.
It's the ultimate experience for those who
love wine, food, chocolate, and a comfortable
salon-style chat with authors in a friendly
environment. Whether you're an author seeking
the perfect venue to showcase your book, or
an avid reader, this interview will inspire
you! Ann is a blast, and a remarkable woman
as you'll see in this interview.
MORE>>
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20 Q: Patsy Rodenburg
Author of The Second Circle
Patsy Rodenburg is recognized as one of the
world's leading voice and acting
coaches. She
has worked regularly with the biggest stars
of film and television such as Daniel
Day-Lewis, Ralph Fiennes, Nicole Kidman,
Orlando Bloom, Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor,
Keira Knightly and Natalie Portman to name a
few.
Patsy's latest book, The Second
Circle, shows
you how to focus energy and improve your
life--at home, at work, and in every
situation. Her remarkable program transforms
your negative patterns of energy into a
positive presence through easy-to-apply
exercises. Join us as we chat with Patsy
about her latest book, and kick off your New
Year with a journey that will help revitalize
your life!
MORE>>
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Wrangle Your Readers Online
C. Hope Clark's Funds 4 Writers
Have you forgotten the most important part
of being a writer? No, it's not plot,
dialogue, or grammar... it's something far
more valuable: the ones who read our writing.
C. Hope Clark shows us ways to build our
audience online, and gives us the tools we
need to rock their worlds! Websites,
blogs, emails, newsletters, press releases,
talk radio, podcasts, articles, and
columns... Hope gives us the skinny! This
is a fabulous article, and I urge you all to
read it. Take f*r*e*e* advice from our
favorite pro, C.
Hope Clark.
MORE>>
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Give Yourself the Ultimate Gift that Gives Back
ALL YEAR ROUND!
Are you tired of markets newsletters
that simply
"list" a bunch of markets without any personal
guidance?
Get the Guide that Helps you Grow your
Freelance Writing Career!
PREMIUM GREEN MARKETS
The Ultimate Guide for Freelance Women Writers
Will Show You the GREEN!
Premium-Green isn't just market listings,
it's a guide with community benefits. For
only $2 a month, you get a 100+ Page Ebook
delivered to your inbox every month, and
you'll have access to a private community of
women writers just like you!
We know that becoming a freelance writer
takes more than just market listings. You'll
need the opportunity to network with your
peers and have a support system to help you reach
your goals. And that's exactly what your
Premium-Green Markets Subscription will do.
Here's what you get when you subscribe to
PREMIUM GREEN:
- Monthly 100+ page ebook in friendly
PDF format: Easy to print, easy to save.
No need for storing emails to find links and
articles you missed!
- Articles to grow your Freelance
Career: These are articles not found
anywhere else: More than Your Magic 8-Ball,
I.T.T. In the Trenches, Tips & Tricks, Meet
Your Mentor, Get Writing Mamas!, Project
Workbook, and more...
- Access to the PG Subscribers
Group: Network with your peers, post
discussions, ask questions, and receive
insider tips.
- Documents for PG Subscribers:
Upload, download, and share content with
the group. We put up f*r*e*e* articles,
contracts, and ebooks for the group each
month, so take advantage!
- First Calls from WOW!: We
give you
immediate calls for what we need on the spot
(or when we're in a crunch) to fill each
issue. Get on the ground level and write for
us!
- Pink & Green: Find women's markets
only, and get insight from the editors and
what their needs are right now.
- Markets, markets, and more
markets. We provide markets for all
aspects of freelancing. One example is,
"Niche Quiche," which includes greeting card
markets, slogans, and anything you can write
a few words for and get paid! Check
out our markets
page for more details.
Spend less in an entire year than you would
for a few
cups of coffee, and get a real support team
who will help you grow your freelance career.
This subscription price will last for a
lifetime if you sign up now. It's only $24 a
year at this introductory offer. The
price will go up. Putting
out over a hundred pages a month is quite
time-consuming and expensive! But, as
dedicated subscribers, you will always be in
on the ground level. We want to support
you!
Let's make this a
banner year for all women writers. We can
only do it by helping each other and creating
a strong network and community for ourselves.
Together, we can do it!
VISIT OUR MARKETS PAGE >>
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Dress Up Your Reading Room!
Must Haves: By Susan Eberling
Welcome, Sue Eberling! Our fabulous seeker of
must-have finds for writers.
Sue guides you through the tasty treasures
and must-haves for your reading room, your
favorite arm chair, or your nightstand.
Wherever you read the most, these
products will help you get organized, bring a
smile to your face, or a delicious product to
add to your wish-list.
Want to write about your
Must-Haves? We're
collecting them all for compilation! Write
about yours by emailing us
at: [email protected]
and tell us about your favorite product,
website, gadget, retreat, or relaxation
tool--anything that's helped your writing
experience. We're
open to suggestions!
Want to submit your product for review?
Email [email protected]
and ask for details on how to snail-mail your
product for consideration in a f*r*e*e*
advertorial. Please note: we will only review
products that we like. If we don't like it,
well, we won't say a thing. Take advantage of
this great opportunity and email Susan for
details.
MORE>>
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Get Your Book Reviewed Online
By Annette FixResearch Collaboration: Annette Fix & Carrie Hulce
With more and more book review sections
being cut from major newspapers and
magazines, find out where you can go to
build the word-of-mouth buzz your book needs.
But, where do you get your books
reviewed?
If you're an author, check out this
invaluable resource for getting your books
reviewed online. This article gives you
instruction on what to look for, what not
to do, how to
submit your book for review, and where to go
to garner an online book review that will
help your buzz spread like wildfire.
Also, if you'd like to review books for
online publications, this is also a great
resource to start out your freelance
reviewing career!
MORE>>
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WOW! BLOG: THE MUFFIN
Find out the latest from the Bakers of WOW!
Have you checked out what we've been baking
for you in the daily Muffin? We've stirred
together some traditional ingredients with
new ones to deliver more interviews,
enlightenment, thought-provoking ideas, and
inspirational messages to help you through
those gray writing days.
----------
Pump Up the Book Promotion!
Schedule a Blog
Tour with
WOW! Women On
Writing, and our Sister Blogs:
We love to promote women authors! If you're
interested in finding out more details,
please email us with "Blog Tours" in your
subject line.
Send your request to:
WOW!'s Blog Mistress, Marcia Peterson:
[email protected]
or to the Editors: [email protected]
Please include:
- Book Title
- Publication/Launch Date
- Author Bio and Links
- Tour Dates: First Choice
- Any Additional Info--to help us help
you!
We love working one-on-one with authors to
create the best possible campaign and
exposure. Promotion is our expertise! We
receive
over a million hits per month, 700,000
unique--and that's not to mention, our sister
sites. So,
pump up your book promotion by
contacting us. We're here to help, and our
prices are very reasonable. Our goal is to
promote, and support, you as an author.
----------
2007 BLOG RECAP:
By Angela Mackintosh
In light of the New Year, I'm taking Editor
Sue Donckels' suggestion and recapping my
favorite blog posts from 2007. Some of these
posts I'd completely forgotten about, and
when rereading them, I remember where I was
(of course, sitting in the same chair I'm
sitting in now), but more importantly, what
was going on around me at the time. Staff
members have come and gone--leaving the nest
to spread their wings and fly to their own
ventures--and reading their posts make me
smile. I feel truly blessed.
Then there are those moments where gremlins
attacked our emails, our server crashed (for
a whole month!), and we had to switch to a
bigger server. Most of those posts
stayed around, but all the lovely pictures
disappeared. What a bummer! As a
perfectionist to some degree, I feel like I
should go back and re-upload all those
pictures...some posts just don't make sense
without them. For instance, one post started
out by saying, "Look at the picture of Cherie
Rohn's name in lights on the marquee of
Mandalay Bay." That was a great picture and
when I have some time, I'll go back and try to
fix all those.
But that's the thing about growing pains--you
lose some characteristics along the way--the
teenage acne, your favorite jacket that's now
three sizes too small, and some of your old
friends--but you also gain some new and
wonderful things along the way. One being our
fabulous new staff of talented writers. The
Muffin has never been so lively! Each of
you has a unique voice to bring to the table,
a fresh outlook, and keen perspective. It's
what gives our blog a great community feel.
After all, we are "women on writing," which
means we all have our own voices, but it's
our common goal of writing that brings us
together and helps to support one another.
So, ready? Let's recap! My favorite
posts (by Category):
HUMOROUS:
Artistic
Sacrifice
By Tracy Horan
Tracy researches her first romance novel by
going into her local bookstore and gets a
little hot under the collar in the
Romance/Erotic Fiction section for the first
time. She tries to hide her purchases by
plopping a Barbara Kingsolver novel on top of
her "smut," but as she exits the store the
security alarm goes off... Very funny stuff!
As
Per Your Request: A "NOT TO DO"
By Chynna Laird
Once again, I love funny posts. They just
lighten my day, and this one had me laughing
out loud! Chynna shares an excerpt from
Writer's Relief, "How to be an Annoying
Author." If you're an editor, or publisher,
this is a must-read.
Writing
is Like Mud Wrestling?
By Sue Donckels
Sue finds an old box of lesson plans etc. and
shares some of the writing assignments that
her non-writing enthusiast students wrote.
Most of them had zero interest in writing,
period. The assignment was to describe
writing using similes...
Burn
the House Down
By Susan Eberling
Susan's motivational note, which she posted
to herself on her computer, caused some worry
with her hubby, and some laughter.
INSPIRATION:
Mailbox
Letter! From Carrie Hulce
This letter from Carrie Hulce was sent back
in January of 2007, and it's timely since she
was talking about her New Year's Resolutions.
Her resolution was to ignore her drawer
filled with rejection letters, get back on
her feet, and pick up the pen again (after
her knee surgery). And guess what? Carrie has
conquered her resolution on many levels and
is continuing to do so. She placed in the top
10 in WOW!'s Winter '06-'07 Flash Fiction
Contest. That's quite an achievement when you
see how many entries are involved! She also
published a piece in our March issue's
Inspiration
Column, as well as several pieces on our
blog, and is
now an intern for WOW! and the
Premium-Green
Markets' Research Specialist. Carrie has come
a long way on all levels. Her level of
enthusiasm and drive is impressive, and I can
guarantee she has the right stuff to take her
very far. Love you, Carrie!
A
Beautiful Mind
By Chynna Laird
I loved this impromptu post by Chynna because
she was so fresh from her first book signing.
That day, we'd had a miscommunication of who
was going to post etc. and she ended up
posting right when she came back from her
signing. Lucky us! I love when Chynna posts
on the fly--that's the time I truly see her
shine.
Criticism
= Love
By Angela Mackintosh
This isn't really about anything I wrote...
it's more about Randy Pausch's inspirational
video, which brought me to tears. Click on
the link and watch!
My
Inspiration
By Sharon Mortz
Sharon shares some out-of-the-box ideas for
writing inspiration... plus, she touches our
hearts with her experiences. This post moves me.
Pain-Free
Blog
By Kesha Grant
Kesha shares a very real, and often un-talked
about obstacle that affects many people in
all professions--constant back pain. As a
sufferer of this, I know exactly what she's
going through. Kesha's spirit and belief in
herself is amazing, and an inspiration to us
all.
MOTIVATION:
Dare
I Say It? Time to Exercise...
By Jean Lauzier
In this post Jean urges writers to try something
different--step out of your genre and get
into something completely foreign to exercise
your creativity!
The
Power of Words
By Jean Lauzier
I love this post because it's so true. Words
are larger than life. The simplest phrases
can move mountains and people. 11 Comments!
99
"Blopics"
By Sue Donckels
Sue gives us a ton of incredible topics to
blog on! Just reading these blopics feeds my
blogging fire and makes my backside burn!
What a great motivation. After reading this
list, you'll have no more excuses.
A
Change of Perspective
By Annette Fix
It's never too late to achieve your dreams
and goals. Annette reaffirms this with an
anecdote, and a funny-as-all-heck
motivational picture!
Write
Anyway
By Marcia Peterson
Marcia reminds us about the New Year and
encourages us to jot down the things that get
in the way of our creativity and prevent us
from writing. In other words, write about,
"the big but."
A
Thousand Words About Nothing?
By Carrie Hulce
Carrie reminds and inspires us that writing
about simple objects can evoke so many
profound memories.
Handling
Rejection
By LuAnn Womach
This is such an inspirational and
motivational post. LuAnn's spirit is
unrivaled, and all the points she gives are
true.
UNIQUE TAKES/HOOKS:
Ants
in my Kitchen, Traffic to Your Blog
By Angela Mackintosh
This post inspired a couple of unique takes
on the posting angle. I started off with an
anecdote about ants invading my kitchen (as a
tasty hook), and then pulled it around to how
your first paragraph or sentence of your blog
post is the most important and sweet!
Find
Your Striker
By Sue Donckels
This is a super post and a great and a great
analogy about the situations/plays in soccer
and in querying. I adore this post! As a long
time soccer player, four-year varsity
jockette, and state player, gee--this post
was so apropos for me and spot-on!
Writing
and the Purple Cow
By Angela Mackintosh
Seth Godin inspires a fresh outlook to how
people all think about the same thing and
write about George Clooney, lol.
Tag
You're it!
By Chynna Laird
Chynna starts this article explaining a
commercial and how one random act of kindness
inspires another person, and so on, and so
on, until you create this viral effect. It's
so true online and in real life. I loved the
format and creative angle of Chynna's post!
Do
You See What I See?
By Chynna Laird
Chynna tells us how her daughter, Jaimie,
processes the senses, and then she applies
those lessons to fiction writing. This is a
wonderful post full of flavor and opens your
eyes to a new way of seeing.
CRAFTY:
How
to Make Self-Promotion Wings
By Sue Donckels
Sue thinks out of the box and inspires us by
sharing a way to make the most out of our
rejection slips. This is not only a fun craft
exercise, but also a symbolic journey, and a
way to make a positive record out of your
learning experience.
Preheat
the Oven to 375F and Write!
By Debbie Delgado Hand
Writer's snacks--yum! Get your trusty baking
apron on and learn how to make the perfect
treat while writing. Debbie shares her recipe
of Vegan Banana Berry Muffins on World Vegan Day!
KICKIN' KNOWLEDGE:
Part
1: An Introduction to Optimizing Your
Writer's Website or Blog
By Angela Mackintosh
I know this is a tad cheesy to list one of my
own blog posts, but this is the one that
started the ball rolling on SEO Sundays. I
had a ton of fun writing this because I love
when readers ask us questions. This
particular post was prompted by Dannette
Haworth, so it was more about her than me,
and I truly enjoy helping other writers and
giving them information that I can ramble on
about.
The
Right Start
By Jean Lauzier
Jean talks about hooks in fiction writing or
for editors. The example she gives is spot-on
and impressive! I love craft of
fiction-writing articles!
Hung
up on MS Word's Tools? You're Not
Alone
By Angela Mackintosh
Learn how to use MS Word's Readability
Statistics, Flesch Kincaid Reading Level, and
how to eliminate passive sentences in your
blog posts and article writing.
Insight
into Self-Publishers
By Chynna Laird
Chynna tells us all about her publishing
experience with Outskirts Press! Both
Chynna's post and the comments lend insight
into the industry.
SEO
Sundays: How to Write with Key Words
By Angela Mackintosh
I put this one here because it got a lot of
comments from new readers who liked the format.
To
Swear or Not to Swear
By Chynna Laird
Do we say, "Golly Gee," or swear like a truck
driver? Chynna's post and excerpt from Morgan
Hunt's article is a great one for fiction
writers.
The
Usefulness of Writers' Guides
By Del Sandeen
Writers' guides can be great and all if you
don't take every single piece of advice to
heart. Del has a great practical outlook on
how we can use the guides to our advantage
without becoming overloaded.
My
Not So Secret Formula for Winning
By Janet Paszkowski
Janet is passionate about flash fiction, and
she has gotten results! This post is written
in an easy-to-read style and has great
information--and a super reference!
Making
Manly Men
By Valerie Fentress
What characteristics should we apply to our
male protagonist? Valerie gives us some great
starters to consider, and makes us all
chuckle along the way with her lively post!
Ahead
of Time
By Marcia Peterson
Preparing for life's foibles can help you
organize your writing life and your family
time. Marcia provides mom-writers with
fabulous tips to prepare for the unexpected
downtimes.
THE WRITER'S LIFE:
Self-Sabotage
Countdown
By Sue Donckels
Distractions--we all have them. This fun
article counts down Sue's distractions in an
easy-to-read "David Letterman" type top 10
countdown. I loved her format and creativity
on this post! And I'm sure all you readers
can relate.
Subject:
Mid-NaNo
By Sally Franklin Christie
Sally's stove catches on fire and she keeps
writing!
Blog
Entry for the 21st of Nano
By Sally Franklin Christie
Sally gets sidetracked from her writing by a
hefty cell phone bill! And journeys on an
excursion to solve the problem immediately.
Confessions
of a Saving Queen
By Margo L. Dill
What do you do when your computer crashes and
all your writing files are completely erased?
Yikes! This is a writer's worst nightmare!
Find out what practical solutions Margo
employed to make the most out of her sitch.
Breaking
All The Rules: Confessions of a NaNoWriMo
Cheater
By AnnMarie Kolakowski
This post is close to my cheater's heart.
Cutting corners for me is what it's all about
sometimes, and I freely admit it. I admire
AnnMarie for bringing her honesty to the
table! I would've probably done the same thing.
Miss
Misunderstood
By Susan Eberling
LOL. This post is soooo true and something I
always worry about. Thank goodness, I don't
have family to worry about, but I do worry
about what my friends will think once I
publish my "novel." Even in fiction, we have
certain bridges to cross, and people we know
who'll 'kindly' offer their opinions. What a
tough balance! I love the way Sue records the
dialogue... I felt in the moment.
Deck
the Halls
By Cher'ley Grogg
This is a wonderful reminder to take time and
appreciate the small things and loved ones in
our life. And it reminds us how objects, or
ornaments, can spring forth memories for our
writing toolbox.
EVENT RECAPS & CELEBRITY GOSSIP:
This
American Life at Royce Hall - I Went
By Angela Mackintosh
As you know, or don't, I'm a HUGE fan of This
American Life, the spoken word show on KCRW,
public broadcasting. Ira Glass rocks my
socks! And now he has a cable and forthcoming
TV show. Seeing the performance at Royce Hall
in Santa Monica, CA was a once-in-a-lifetime
experience. Seriously. This was the only one
they've ever done, and I had to be there. The
readers were more than amazing, and the
visuals that went on the huge stage behind
the speakers were an artistic addition on all
levels--like a Kate Bush performance art
piece. Read this post for highlights of
brushing up with Jack Black, Catherine
Keener, and a funny anecdote from John
Hodgman, "The PC Guy."
LOL. I just reviewed this blog post, and if
you get a chance, after you watch the OK GO
treadmill video (second video), and the
Youtube banner of related videos pops up,
treat yourself to a much needed laugh, and
watch #2, "Evolution of Dance." Too funny...
How
Media Inspires Our Stories
By Angela Mackintosh
Okay, once again, I'm feeling extremely
cheesy writing about my own posts... but this
one sparked 16 comments! The story about Owen
Wilson's suicide attempt sparked a memory of
a time when I met him at the Chinese Man in
Hollywood, how my hubby says he hit on me,
and thoughts about my past experiences with
suicide.
Notes
From the Baltimore Writers'
Conference
By Jill Earl
This is an excellent recap of an event and a
good example of how we should write them.
It's personal, fun, and gives the reader
first-hand experience on what it was like to
attend the conference.
~~~~~~~
I hope you enjoy these posts and read through
the ones that you're interested in. If you
find one that creates a spark, don't be
afraid to bookmark it with all those little
tags underneath each post! This is what
spreads the love.
Happy New Year Ladies!! Let's make it a
banner one!
Together, we can achieve all of our dreams
and make things happen.
Love,
Angela
~~~~~~~
Visit The Muffin >>
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Authors: Build Your Book Buzz Workshop
Join Sandra Beckwith and Pump Up Your Publicity!
Online book publicity workshop helps
authors build buzz
Got a book coming out you want to hype? Has
your publisher's publicist moved on to other
projects? Do you have a book in stores that
you know deserves more media attention than
it's getting? Are you working on a proposal
that would benefit from a better
understanding of what you can do to promote
your book? You need "Book
Publicity 101: How to Build Book
Buzz," or "Book
Publicity 101 for Self-Published Authors: How
to Build Book Buzz," dynamic online
courses taught by a veteran publicist and author.
Both classes are offered February 4-29,
2008,
and taught in a forum format, with lessons
and homework assignments posted online in a
private, password-protected forum. The
highly-interactive courses cover:
- How to create a book publicity blueprint
you'll be excited about
- The single secret most authors don't know
about generating ongoing media exposure
- The most effective and cost-efficient
publicity tactics
- How to generate buzz online using virtual
book tours and other techniques
- Radio and TV producer hot buttons
- How to bring an energizing new level of
creativity to your publicity efforts
The course for self-published authors also
shows how to announce your book to the press
and other key audiences professionally and
successfully.
Students receive instructional materials and
resources and complete weekly assignments
that help them discover how easy it is to
create book buzz. Student interaction on the
forum enhances the learning experience by
offering fresh perspectives and new ideas for
all participants while instructor guidance
and input takes your work to the next level.
A free-for-all Q&A corner lets students get
answers to questions not covered in the
course materials, making this a
highly-personalized learning experience for
nonfiction and fiction authors.
The class is taught by Sandra Beckwith, a
recovering award-winning publicist; publisher
of the free e-newsletter Build Book Buzz
(subscribe at www.buildbookbuzz.com);
and the
author of three books, including two on
publicity topics. She has promoted many books.
Registration is $179 and is limited to 20
students; deadline for registration is
February 1, 2008. To register for the
original course, go to:
Book
Publicity 101: How to Build Book
Buzz.
To register for the course tailored to the
needs of self-published authors, go to:
Book
Publicity 101 for Self-Published Authors: How
to Build Book Buzz
Please send course inquiries to Sandra at [email protected]
I recently had an opportunity to interview
Sandra for our, "Meet Your Mentor," column in
December's Issue of Premium-Green. Sandra is
fabulous and such an inspiration to writers
and authors everywhere. If you get a chance
to interact with her in any capacity, you'll
have a blast--while learning valuable skills.
What a great combo! She truly is a mentor.
Find Out About the Book Buzz Workshops >>
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Planning for Writing Success
Book of the Month for Freelance Writers!
Are you a new writer?
Do you want to
start your own writing business?
Are you
unsure how to begin?
If you are an independent writer, you're in
business for yourself. Planning for Writing
Success gives you everything you need to
start your writing business, prepare a
business plan to get funding for
your startup, and
set up your office. Included with the book
are financial spreadsheets and business plan
template, so you can get started right away
on your business plan.
Order today at www.thethrivingwriter.com
or call toll free at 866-940-7526 for more
information.
About the Author: Dr. Jean Murray has
been assisting small business owners with
startup and operations for over 27 years.
She has both the education and experience to
help you with your questions about starting
and operating your writing business.
Dr. Murray has an MBA and a PhD in small
business management /entrepreneurship. She
began consulting with small business owners
in 1974 and she's owned two successful
businesses.
With an emphasis on helping professionals
become business owners, she has also written
and published three books on business
startup, one of which, Planning for Writing
Success, is available on her website: http://www.thethrivingwriter.com
or on Amazon.
Email Dr. Murray at [email protected]
Start your writing career off right!
Visit Dr. Jean Murray's Website>>
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A Contest from Lunarpages
The fabulous Tiara Rea, who interviewed
me for lunarpages, sent me this offer to
you WOW! ladies:
Hi Angela,
I hope you had a great holiday.
Just writing to let you know we launched a
pretty amazing contest over here and I
thought you might want to let your readers
know about it. It's a WordPress Theme Design
Contest, where contestants enter their best
WordPress Themes for voting by our community
and staff.
First prize is $1,000 and 5 Years Free
Hosting
Second prize is $300 and 3 years Free
Hosting
Third prize is $100 and 1 year Free
Hosting
I'd love to garnish some interest from the
talented gals over at WOW.
The contest starts December 10 and will
end mid-February 2008.
Hope you're doing well!
-Tiara
Yes Tiara, I'm doing spectacular!
So, you heard it ladies! If you have the
inclination and are familiar w/ blogging and
wordpress, check it out! It sounds like a
great contest with a lot of benefits.
Check it Out>>
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ANNOUNCEMENTS from WOW! ALUMNI:
You ladies have been busy! So
let's kick off the
congrats:
---------- Pat Matsueda:
Last month, we published Pat Matsueda's
fabulous inspirational interview
with Wendy Miyake, and she recently had
the interview republished in Honolulu
Weekly, a print publication.
Congratulations Pat & Wendy!
Pat also noted that WOW! is credited.
How Awesome is that? Mahalo, Pat =o)
--------------------
Letter from Spring Contest Winner, Amy
Smith Linton:
Hi Wow!
Hope you are having a great New Year.
You were kind enough to ask about my sailing
last summer -- you may remember, we did an
e-mail interview while I was competing at a
sailing regatta. Which goes a little way to
explaining my photograph.
In any case, we had a great year on the
water. It's not quite an embarrassment of
riches, because I am going to go right ahead
and toot my horn: we won the Lightning Worlds
in Athens, the Flying Scot Wife-Husband
Nationals in CT, and took first place at the
South American Lightning Championships on
Lake Tomine in Colombia. Icing on the
delicious cake: my husband and I were both
short-listed for the Rolex U. S. Sailing
Yachtsman/Yachtswoman of the Year.
I treasure my WOW! bag and hope to
report exciting progress on the writing front
sometime -- this year? Meanwhile, best wishes
for another successful year of WOW!ing.
Amy Smith Linton
Runner Up
Spring
2007 Flash Fiction contest
WOW: Congratulations Amy! That's quite an
achievement. Three wins, and a finalist in
the Rolex U.S. Sailing Yachtsman/Yachtswoman
of the Year. Very impressive! We wish you the
best of luck, and remember to take time to
write about the experience.
--------------------
Patricia Fry and Bobbie Christmas:
Spring Book Show 2008 Focused Seminar 2
"Preparing Your Book for the Market: Writing
the Proposal and Editing the Manuscript"
March 29, 2008. Georgia World Trade
Center, Atlanta Georgia
Patricia Fry, president, Small Publishers,
Artists and Writers Network (SPAWN), speaks
on "Preparing a Killer Proposal To Market
Your Manuscript to Publishers," and Bobbie
Christmas, author of Write In Style, a
triple-award-winning textbook on creative
writing and owner of Zebra Communications, a
book-editing firm based in metro Atlanta,
explains how to find ways to make your
writing more creative and more marketable.
Details and signup information:
http://www.anvilpub.net/spring_seminar_2.htm
--------------------
Are you an Alumni Member (previously featured
on WOW!) who'd like to be in
our announcements section?
We'd love to hear what you've been up to!
Drop us a note: [email protected]
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In Closing:
We hope you enjoy our annual reader's issue
as much as we have putting it together. This
month's issue not only reminds us of the
importance of literacy, but also, the
importance of bringing writers and readers
together. We hope that this will help
close the gap between both worlds because we
need one another to truly thrive!
We hope you take some time to check out our
Markets
newsletter and support group, Premium-Green.
The PG markets is there to help you achieve
your writing goals. We
hope that you treat yourself this coming
year, and join our supportive group. We want
to help you succeed by giving you one-on-one
support with your writing career. So, let's
make this a banner year for women writers and
support each other!
Happy reading and happy writing!
Big hugs,
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