Greetings!
Are you looking for a literary
agent to represent your manuscript? How
do you find the perfect agent for your work?
What do agents do for you? How long does it
take to see your book in print? If you've
ever wondered the answers to any of these
questions, then this issue is for you!
This is our third literary agent
issue. Our
first issue, Walking
in an Agent's Shoes
(November '06), featured interviews with
Jennifer
DeChiara, Sandra
Dijkstra, Betsy
Amster, and Wendy
Keller. Our second, Agent
in the Middle (November '07), featured
interviews with Kristin
Nelson, Wendy
Sherman, and Janet
Reid as well as articles
to help you get an agent, including How
To Get a Literary Agent, How
To Write a Bad Query Letter (What Not to
Do), The
Literary Agent Shuffle, and How
To Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal.
We've chosen to explore this
theme again because it's important to get to
know agents personally and professionally
before you have them represent your work.
Each literary agent has their own preferences
when it comes to queries/submissions and
genres they choose to represent.
What does an agent do for you? Agents
are the essential contact for editors whose
jobs depend on choosing the right manuscripts
to publish. Agents provide screening,
editing, and polished material for the
editors that quickly eclipses all other
submissions, especially if that agent has an
established relationship with them. They know
who to pitch your work to and which publisher
would be the best choice for your material.
Agents make deals for you as an author, so
you can focus on your writing.
We also talk to several well known authors in
this issue
to find out how they acquired their agent and
get tips on the process. So without further
ado, let's get to know the fabulous agents
and authors in this issue!
----------------
A big, warm, Thank You goes out to our
freelancers & staff:
A big thank you goes to WOW! columnist
and contributing editor Margo L. Dill
for her interview
with literary agent Noah Lukeman. As an
accomplished agent and bestselling author,
Noah advises from both sides of the fence. He
shares his tips for writing query letters,
what to avoid when seeking an agent, and the
two most important things a writer should do
if she wants to get her manuscript
published.
Another big thank you goes to WOW!
columnist LuAnn Schindler for her interview
with Melissa Jeglinski of the Knight
Agency. Melissa is actively seeking women's
fiction, young adult, and all types of
romance including paranormal, inspirational,
category, and historical. The agency is also
looking for thrillers and futuristic/fantasy
projects. Read this interview to find out how
to query her or one of the other agents at
the Knight Agency.
We first heard of literary agent Jenny Bent
from our blog
tour interview with Celia Rivenbark,
author of You Can't Drink All Day if You
Don't Start in the Morning. In the
interview, Celia talked about how she found
Jenny and raved about what a fantastic agent
she is. After I read that, I knew we had to
interview her. A big thank you goes to
WOW! team member and blog tour manager
Jodi Webb for her lively interview
with literary agent Jenny Bent of The Bent
Agency. In this interview, Jenny walks us
through the process of how an agent submits
an author's proposal to editors and shares
some excellent tips for writing a query
letter.
We welcome back freelancer Gayle Trent
and thank her for her interview
with Kim Lionetti of BookEnds Literary
Agency (20 Questions column). Kim
shares her query letter "turn-offs,"
including a story about a guy who queried her
forty-seven times for the same book! She also
explains what "sell-through" is and shares
what she's looking for in potential
clients.
Writers and readers, you're in for a treat!
WOW! columnist and contributing editor
Margo L. Dill interviews
Julie Powell, author of Julie &
Julia, about her latest book
Cleaving. Julie is hilarious and a
fabulous interviewee. In this interview,
Julie talks about memoir writing, blogging,
and shares her "dweeby" story about how she
wound up getting her agent. Julie also gives
us a sneak preview of what's inside
Cleaving, a book that you'll want to
have on your holiday wish list. If you need a
good laugh, you've come to the right place.
Julie is hysterical, and this interview is
not to miss!
We welcome back freelancer C. Hope
Clark and thank her for her insightful interview
with Marcia Muller, master mystery
author. Marcia is the author of the Sharon
McCone mystery series and has written over
thirty-five novels. In this interview, Marcia
talks about the latest book in the series,
Locked In, and shares some tips for mystery
writers, including how to craft characters
and use plot devices. She also shares the
story of how she acquired her literary
agent.
One of the ways authors acquire a literary
agent is by pitching to them at a writers'
conference. We welcome freelancer Kerrie
Flanagan to the WOW! family and
thank her for her in-depth article, How
2 Pitch to an Agent at a Writers'
Conference. From her experience as
the director of the Northern Colorado
Writers' Conference for the past four years,
Kerrie has had the opportunity to interact
with literary agents on a different level. In
this article, she walks you through the steps
you need to take to prepare your pitch before
you sit down with an agent, the pitch itself,
and the follow up. (She makes it sound so
easy!) She also talks to several literary
agents who share their advice with you on the
subject: Jon Sternfeld of the Irene
Goodman Agency, Kristin Nelson of
Nelson Literary, Jessica Regel of Jean
V. Naggar Literary Agency, and Ken
Sherman of Ken Sherman and Associates. A
big thank you goes to them as well for
sharing their fantastic advice with
WOW! readers.
I'd also like to thank WOW! team
member Jill Earl for collaborating
with me on an interview
with Anita Shreve. In this interview,
Anita talks about her latest book A Change
in Altitude, shares a bit about her
writing life, and tells us what it's like to
have a novel selected for Oprah's Book Club
and a major motion picture!
I'd also like to thank WOW! former
senior editor Annette Fix for editing
this issue and making it a joy to read!
----------------
Summer Contest Updates
As you know, we announced the Summer Flash
Fiction Contest winners last month in our
November Contest
Winners' Feature. (If you haven't read
the stories yet, be sure to check them
out--they're fantastic!)
Critiques: Many of you who
participated in the Summer contest wrote in
to ask about your critique. We sent out a
batch a couple of days ago and will be
sending the remainder out before the end of
this week. My critique manager got caught in
a blizzard (!) and lost her ISP connection
for a couple of days, but she survived the
sub-zero temperatures and is back on track.
Thank you for being patient, and please know
you will
receive your critiques ASAP.
A quick note on how it works: when I receive
the critiques in
a MS Word .doc, I match them up with
contestants' e-mail addresses, look over them
to make sure everything is filled in, and
send them out one at a time. I'm the only
person who sends out critiques (to ensure
anonymity). They will come from the
editors@wow-womenonwriting.com e-mail
address and contain a MS Word .doc
attachment, so be sure to bookmark our e-mail
address so it won't end up in your bulk mail
folder. It's a very slow and tedious
process, but our critiquers are fantastic and
always pay special attention to your
stories.
Prizes: We are packing prizes right
now, as
we speak, so they should be to you in a week.
Happy Holidays!
----------------
Winter 2010 Flash Fiction Contest
DEADLINE: February 28, 2010 Midnight,
Pacific Time.
GUEST JUDGE: Literary Agent, Elise
Capron
About Elise: Elise Capron is an agent with
the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, an
agency known for establishing and guiding the
careers of critically acclaimed fiction and
nonfiction authors, including Amy Tan,
Lisa
See, Maxine Hong Kingston,
Chitra Divakaruni,
Kate White, Diane Mott
Davidson, Luis Urrea,
Janell Cannon, and many others. The Los
Angeles Times dubbed the Dijkstra Agency "the
most powerful literary agency on the West
Coast" and, in its 25+ years, the agency has
developed a reputation for discovering new
talent and representing quality work with
commercial potential.
Elise has been with the Dijkstra Agency since
2003. In addition to her own agenting, she
assists Sandra Dijkstra and handles first
serial sales. She specializes in debut
fiction, character-driven literary and
offbeat fiction, and short story collections.
She is also interested in selected nonfiction
if it has a literary edge. She hopes to find
fiction with unforgettable writing, terrific
narrative voice/tone, and great characters.
Elise loves novels with an unusual or
eccentric edge, and is drawn to stories she
has never heard before. She hopes to work
with writers who are professional, have a
realistic sense of the market, and who are
getting their work published regularly in
literary magazines.
Some of Elise's recent and
soon-to-be-published books include Jonathon
Keats' The Book of the Unknown: Tales of
the Thirty-Six (Random House), Ali
Liebegott's The IHOP Papers (Carroll &
Graf), Peter Plate's Soon the Rest Will
Fall (Seven Stories Press), and Whitney
Lyles' Party Games (Simon Pulse) and
First Comes Love (Berkley).
Find out more about Elise by reading her
interview on WOW! Women On Writing: 20
Questions Answered By Elise Capron.
Visit The Dijkstra Agency's website: http://www.dijkstraagency.com/
This is Elise's second time judging for
us!
She first guest judged for our Summer '08 Flash
Fiction Contest and was one of our most
expedient guest judges to date. You can read
the winning stories she selected here.
We're thrilled to have him as our honorable
guest judge this season!
PROMPT: Open Prompt
WORD COUNT: 750 Max; 250 Min
LIMIT: 300 Entries
Don't wait until the last minute! Enter
Today. Visit our Contest
Page and download our terms &
conditions ebook. Good luck!
----------------
Call for Submissions
WOW! is seeking submissions for their
upcoming themes:
February '10 Romance:
Love is in the air! We're looking for
articles on the craft of romance writing.
Please review our previous romance issues to
see which topics we've covered already:
Romance
issue March '09
Romance
issue Feb '08
March '10 Young Adult Issue:
We're looking for articles on the craft of
writing for a young adult audience. We're
also looking for interviews with YA authors.
Please review our previous children's writing
issues to see which topics we've covered
already:
Children's
Issue Feb '09
Children's
Issue Oct '07
Contributing editor Margo L. Dill will be
guest editing this issue! Margo
will be handpicking the articles and
interviews for this issue as well as writing
the Editor's Desk Welcome, and anything else
she wants to do! We're thrilled to have her
and can't wait to see what she comes up with.
If you are interested in writing for this
issue, please review her detailed
call for submissions on The Muffin.
Also, please review our submission guidelines on
our Contact
Page (scroll to the bottom) for pay rates
and how to submit. We look forward to hearing
from you!
To find out about first calls from
WOW! please subscribe to our Premium-Green
Writer's Markets. We share detailed
descriptions of specific articles we need
right now. Land one gig and it more than pays
for a year's subscription! We currently have
over 25 issues--ebooks filled with over 100
pages of markets--available for immediate
download with the purchase of your
subscription. Join the community that gives
back! And write-on!
----------
On to the issue, enjoy!
 |
|
|
Jenny Bent Tells Us What Agents Want
By Jodi Webb
Jenny Bent worked in magazines, bookselling,
and agenting, most recently at Trident Media
Group, before founding The Bent Agency in
2009. In a career spanning fifteen years,
Jenny has made a practice of making
bestsellers--either by spotting new talent or
developing careers for multi-published
authors. Her list is varied and includes
commercial fiction and nonfiction, literary
fiction, and memoir. All the books she
represents speak to the heart in some way:
they are linked by genuine emotion,
inspiration, and great writing and
storytelling.
In this interview,
Jenny walks
us through the process of how an agent
submits an author's proposal to editors and
shares some excellent tips for writing a
query letter!
MORE>>
|
|
|
|
|
Anita Shreve Reaches New Heights With A Change In Altitude
By Angela Mackintosh & Jill Earl
With fourteen novels under her belt,
including Sea Glass, The Pilot's
Wife, an Oprah's Book Club selection, and
The Weight of Water, both of which
were made into movies, writer Anita Shreve
returns with A Change in Altitude,
which delves into the world of
twenty-eight-year-old newlywed Margaret as
she seeks answers for questions arising after
a life-changing incident in distant
Kenya.
Join us for a conversation with the acclaimed
author as she takes time out from her busy
schedule to share a bit about her new book,
her writing life, and what it's like to
have a novel selected for Oprah's Book Club
and a major motion picture! Also, be
sure to check
out the video of Anita discussing her latest
book!
MORE>>
|
|
|
|
|
20 Questions: Kim Lionetti of BookEnds Literary Agency
By Gayle Trent
After eight years at Berkley Publishing, Kim
Lionetti left her position as Senior Editor
to join BookEnds Literary Agency in March
2004. In her editorial work, Kim enjoyed
overseeing an eclectic list comprised of
romances, westerns, mysteries, nonfiction,
and general fiction. While she enjoys
bringing some of that variety to her agenting
life, her particular areas of interest are
women's fiction, mystery, true crime, pop
science, pop culture, and all areas of
romance. Given her extensive editorial
background, she enjoys helping authors shape
their work into more marketable products and
seeing their writing as part of the "bigger
picture."
In this interview,
conducted by Gayle Trent, Kim shares her
query letter "turn offs," explains what
"sell-through" is, and tells us what
she's looking for in potential clients.
MORE>>
|
|
|
|
|
WOW! Facebook Fan Contest 2: Photos!
Post a photo for your chance to win prizes!
WOW! is having another
Facebook Fan
Contest! You could win a really cute tee,
tote, and hoodie, as well as a subscription
to Premium-Green Writers Markets. If
you are not a fan yet and you are on
Facebook, consider becoming a fan today.
Visit our Facebook
Fan Page.
Official Rules: WOW! Facebook Fan
Contest
#2: Photos
1. Post a photo of your writing spot, writing
buddies, writing workshops, writing
conferences, yourself writing, etc. to the WOW!
Facebook Fan Page for one entry. Multiple
photos will give you multiple entries with a
limit of 5 entries (you can post as many
photos as you want!).
2. If you have already posted photos, you are
already entered into the contest! So, anyone
who has posted a photo is entered. (Margo has
been keeping track!)
3. How to post a photo. There are two
ways: send your photos to margo@wow-womenonwriting.com
as a jpg attachment with captions as to what
the photos are. Please put in the subject
line: Facebook Photo Contest. Margo will
upload your photos to the fan page. The
second way is to do it yourself, right on WOW's
Facebook wall. Simply, type in your
photo's caption in the box on the wall that
says, "What's on your mind?" Then click the
icon for photos underneath this box. You will
have three choices for how to post a photo to
the wall. Click on the one that pertains to
you and follow the directions. You are now
entered!
4. For an extra entry into the contest (so
you could have a total of 6 entries--5 photos
and 1 friend invite), invite some of your
Facebook friends to be fans of WOW!
You can do this by clicking on the link on
the left-hand corner of the wall that says,
"Suggest to friends." Then, on the
wall of WOW's fan page, please leave a
comment, such as: "I just entered WOW's 2nd
ever Facebook Fan page contest. I invited 10
friends to become fans of WOW!" (That's
one more entry!)
5. You cannot enter the contest without
posting a photo. So, if you post one photo
and invite a friend to join WOW! on
Facebook, that is worth two entries. You
cannot ONLY invite friends to enter this
month's contest. If you have any questions
please e-mail
Margo or leave a question on the wall.
6. Your photos need to be posted on our wall
or sent to Margo by Friday, December 18,
2009 8:00 p.m. CST. Winners will be
announced on Sunday, December 20, 2009 on the
fan page and with a personal Facebook
message.
7. Through a random drawing from the fans who
posted photos, one winner will be picked. The
prizes are a WOW! Women On Writing
prize pack, including a WOW! t-shirt,
tote bag, hoodie, and a year-long
subscription to Premium-Green Writer's
Markets.
Thanks in advance for participating, and stay
tuned for our next fan contest in the New Year!
MORE>>
|
|
|
|
|
Premium-Green Writer's Markets: Give Yourself the Ultimate Gift that Gives Back
Jump Start Your Freelance Career this New Year!
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 $4 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 through
the Google list-serve, 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
in a few words and get paid! Check
out our markets
page for more details.
Earn the money you deserve, and get a real
support team
who will help you grow your freelance
career.
Join Now and Download all 25 Premium-Green
ebooks Instantly!
The subscription price is $48 a
year, which is $4 per month. 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 >>
|
|
|
|
|
New Classes for the New Year! WOW! Women On Writing Workshops & Classes
invest in yourself, write now
Whether you are looking to boost your income
or work on your craft, we know that education
is an important part of a writer's career.
That's why WOW! handpicks qualified
instructors and targeted classes that women
writers will benefit from. The instructors
are women we've worked with on a professional
level, and these ladies offer high quality
courses on various topics.
How the courses work: All of the
courses operate online--whether through
email, website, chat room, or listserv,
depending on the instructor's
preferences--and are taught one-on-one with
the instructor. The flexibility of the
platform allows students to complete
assignments on their own time and work at
their own pace in the comfort of their own
home. It's a wonderful experience and an
excellent way to further develop your skills,
or to try your hand at something completely new!
Featured e-Courses (By Date):
GET PAID TO WRITE: BECOME A FREELANCE
WRITER (Boot Camp Edition) by
Nicole LaMarco
START DATE: January 5, 2010
DURATION: 4 Weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Want to get
started making money as a freelance writer?
Jump right in with this four-week intensive
boot camp edition of the original Get Paid to
Write class. Start the new year off
right!
This class is for beginning freelance
writers or for those who are interested
in becoming freelance writers. It includes
all of the basics of freelance writing:
overviews of the different fields in
freelance writing, what is needed to begin,
how to store ideas, where to get ideas, how
much you should make, where to find clients,
and how to get clients.
In this class, I am your writing mentor
through every lesson and every assignment.
Make some extra money with your writing or
create your own full-time freelance career!
Learn from my personal stories, information,
resources, goals, activities, lessons, and
assignments. This class will provide the you
with the structure and guidance you need to
Get Paid to Write. A certification will be
given to those who pass the entire class.
Limit: 25 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
----------
BECOME A GHOSTWRITER by
Nicole LaMarco
START DATE: January 5, 2010
DURATION: 8 Weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Ghostwriting is
one of the most lucrative writing niches.
Ghostwriters get paid to write books,
e-books, articles, and more for their
clients. This email course on becoming a
ghostwriter will show you how you can make
money ghostwriting. I've been a ghostwriter
for 8 years and have ghostwritten over 10
books and thousands of articles for my
clients. I will share my personal stories,
information, resources, goals, activities,
lessons, and assignments. This class will
provide you with the structure and guidance
you need to start making money as a ghostwriter.
Limit: 25 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
----------
THE GATEKEEPERS: ALL ABOUT AGENTS AND
EDITORS--Getting them, Working with them,
and Growing as a Career Author, by Andrea
Campbell
START DATE: January 11, 2010
DURATION: 4 weeks
The Course Objectives
In order to succeed in this industry, you,
the writer, must know it intimately from all
sides. If you were a clothing designer: you
wouldn't start without creative talent, the
right materials, and a pattern to guide you.
If you opened up a retail business, you
wouldn't expect to: sell your products
without knowing how to produce or restock
your merchandise; you wouldn't open your
doors without having a business foundation or
center from which to sell, and you wouldn't
try operating without a market strategy or
knowing the competition. So why would you
expect writing to be any different? Yet
thousands of would-be authors do. They buy
into the philosophy that if I just pen a
terrific book, then I will become
successful.
Well, craft is surely something all writers
should work at and a beautiful book can
certainly open doors, but only those writers
who know and understand the business will
stay on to succeed. Now if you want to write
as a hobby or don't care to try to earn a
living at this work, then this course will
just be a knowledge primer. But if you want
to create and write for a living, then you
must learn the principles for this hard-knock
business.
By the end of this course you will:
- Know how the publishing business works
- Know what the key players do and how to
find them
- Know how to describe your product and its
features
- Be able to do a market survey and
assessment, and apply those skills over and
over to everything you do in the future
- Prepare business documents that help to
position you for a sale
- Ride the wave of rejection with style and
grace
- Learn brainstorming by yourself and with
others
- See networking as a subtle tool
- Make yourself a dream
client/writer/author
- Pave the way for your continuing career
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
----------
FOOD WRITING: THE BASICS by Mary
MacRae Warren
START DATE: January 11, 2010
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Through lectures,
writing exercises, and instructor feedback we
will cover the basics of food writing (in
print and online formats). Students should
complete the class with at least one work
suitable for publication. We will explore
food writing essentials including: food
reporting and research, techniques for
developing sources in the food world,
resources for covering food news, and
conventional forms of food writing.
Course objectives:
1. To complete at least one work that is
publishable.
2. To encourage you to read published food
writing to better understand the genre.
3. To develop your confidence and skills as
a writer.
4. To develop a foundation for the skills of
crafting, editing, and revising.
Limit: 25 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
----------
ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE: An Introduction
to Playwriting by Christina Hamlett
START DATE: January 11, 2010
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Since the time of
the Ancient Greeks, the live theater
experience has satisfied an audience's need
for entertainment that is immediate, intimate
and accessible to all ages and levels of
society. Whether performed in an outdoor
courtyard, on a vintage stage, in a school
auditorium, or above the din of an urban
coffeehouse, a play is an ever-evolving and
timeless art form that derives its energy
from both sides of the footlights. Unlike a
novel or a film which is financed and
produced only once, a theater script
undergoes a new transformation with each
change of cast and each change of venue. Even
the passage of time itself impacts how a
theatrical story will resonate with
successive generations, giving new definition
and perspective to old ideas or providing a
yardstick of how far we've come from social
mores that were once held as truth.
In this class, you'll be learning what makes
a play successful...and how to write one
yourself! Each module consists of a lecture
and writing assignment, as well as
interviews, websites and anecdotes. Ideally,
it should only take one week to complete each
exercise. The final assignment will be the
writing and submission of an original
15-minute one-act play, which will be
professionally critiqued for its adherence to
all of the principles addressed in class.
Limit: 10 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
----------
WRITING FOR CHILDREN: Everything You Need
to Know About Short Stories, Articles, and
Fillers by Margo L. Dill
START DATE: January 13, 2010
DURATION: 7 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class will
teach the basics of writing for children's
magazines, crafting short stories, nonfiction
articles, poetry, and fillers. The student
will come away with a short story and cover
letter, nonfiction query letter, and a filler
or poem. She will also have a list of
potential markets, fitting her manuscripts.
The instructor will also share an
organizational tool for submissions and
information on finding other children's
writers and networking.
Limit: 15 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
----------
FINDING YOUR WRITER'S VOICE by Alison
Dubois
START DATE: January 18, 2010
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Before you start
trying to write, you should find your
voice and the way to perfect it. Perfecting
your voice can mean the difference between
selling your next article or story idea or
that idea remaining in the editor's slush
pile.
Let's face it. There are literally millions
of writers out there but the ones we remember
are the ones that stand out. They stand out
because they have made an impression on us.
And it is their voice that has
impressed us.
Think about your favorite book or books. What
is it about that book, that writer, you love
so much? Now ask yourself, would you have
gotten it if it had been written by someone
else? Would you love it as much? Hold it as
dear?
If you are being honest, the truth would
probably be no. You can always find other
writers but you cannot find another
Jacqueline Susann, J.K. Rowling or Laurrel K.
Hamilton. These writers have become icons
because their voice etches an indelible
marker in the blueprint of our memories.
Throughout the class I will be your guide,
helping you through exercises and instruction
to help unlock your unique writer's voice.
Limit: 10 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
----------
ADVANCED WRITING FOR MAGAZINES by
Linda DiProperzio
START DATE: February 1, 2010
DURATION: 8 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: If you've already
taken an intro to magazine writing class--and
have even had a few of your pieces
published--this course can bring you to the
next level. Not only do I share my real life
experience as a freelance writer and editor
with my students, but I also offer valuable
feedback on all assignments and ideas. My
previous students have been published in such
national publications as Redbook, In Touch,
Woman's World, Cooking Light, Prevention.com,
Vibe, and Ladies' Home Journal.
Limit: 10-15 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
--------------------
Star the New Year off right! I hope
you are as excited about our classes
as we are. WOW! Women On Writing
ensures that our instructors will work with
you one-on-one. In most cases you will
receive emailed course materials and
assignments, or for those with groups, you
will be able to download course materials.
Your instructor will give you assignments and
personal feedback, and guide you through a
charted course of learning. Our instructors
are wonderful ladies who go above and beyond
to help you achieve your writing goals.
MORE>>
|
|
|
|
|
WOW! BLOG: THE MUFFIN
Find out the latest from the Bakers of WOW!
Have you checked out what we've been baking
for you on 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.
----------
Never Stale! Here's the Latest:
Tuesdays are contest interview
days!
If you are interested in
writing for our contests, check out the
interviews with previous Top 10 winners to
find out how they crafted their stories.
Spring
'09 Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up:
Michelle Dwyer
Interview by Jill Earl
Beth
Blake, Summer 2009 Flash Fiction Contest
First Place Winner!
Interview by Marcia Peterson
----------
Blog Posts of Interest:
Kristin
Bair O'Keeffe, Author of Thirsty,
Launches Her Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb
We're thrilled to announce the launch of
Kristin Bair O'Keeffe's blog tour for her
debut novel, a fascinating story of a late
19th-century Croatian émigré. In this
terrific interview, Kristin discusses the
challenges of research, her dislike of
outlining, and how she works hard to nurture
a strong writing network.
B.
Lynn Goodwin, Author of You Want Me To Do
What? Journaling for Caregivers, Launches
Her Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb
Journaling for Caregivers offers
encouragement, instructions, and over 200
sentence prompts to help anyone start putting
their thoughts on paper. Find out about the
book and more, as B. Lynn Goodwin talks about
why she makes journaling a priority, her road
to publication, and the many marketing
options she's found for her book. 26
comments!
There are a few more stops
to go on this tour, check it out! Check
the dates and join in.
Dr.
Catrise Austin, Author of 5 Steps to the
Hollywood A-List Smile, Launches Her Blog
Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb
Dr. Catrise Austin is known as Manhattan's
"celebrity dentist to the stars." Her new
book shares the secrets to a smile worthy of
the red carpet, and she shares even more in
this interview. Find out why she wrote the
book, how she became a guerrilla marketer,
and the most important thing a business owner
can do to help their business succeed. There
are a few more stops
to go on this tour, check it out! Check
the dates and join in.
Stolen
Moment
By Carrie Hulce
Carrie shares some great times to steal for
writing, some you may not have thought of.
You may have stolen moments just lying
around. Use them!
Checklist
for Freelancers
By LuAnn Schindler
You've submitted queries and you're playing
the waiting game. Once the editor bites on
your pitch, there are a few items you need to
cover with the editorial staff. Use this list
when working with an editor. An excellent
resource to keep by your side!
List
of Universal Themes in Memoir Writing
By Angela Mackintosh
If you are serious about writing a memoir,
you need to not only tell your story, but
have a story that others can relate to as
well. This post provides a list of universal
themes you can incorporate in your memoir.
This is one to bookmark!
Writers'
Conference Anxiety
By Margo L. Dill
Do you suffer from anxiety before every
writers' conference? What do you do if you
meet an editor/agent in the bathroom or at
lunch or in the hallway? One writer shares
her conference anxiety story and what she'll
do next time.
Squeeze
in that Writing Time!
By Chynna Laird
Where on earth does she find the time for
writing with four young children? Read this
post to find out!
Making
the "Write Connection" on Facebook
By Jill Earl
Whether you're a newcomer to Facebook, or
know your way about the social networking
site, you might be wondering if there's an
easier way to connect with writers. Take a
peek at two helpful resources.
Reading
aloud uncovers all sorts of treasures and
pleasures
By Elizabeth King Humphrey
Her reading pleasure is cuddling and reading
to her kids. What's a recent reading "guilty"
pleasure you've been experiencing lately? Or
one you wish you could take time for?
You
Want Blog Idea Topics?
By Chynna Laird
Do you ever sit down at the keyboard ready to
post something on your blog and draw a blank?
Here's a list of 99 topics that writers can
post about on their blogs. Feel free to add
your own ideas to the list!
-----------
Want to contribute to The Muffin?
Friday's are "Speak Out!" days. We allow
posts from contributors for promotion. If
you'd like to submit a post, please make sure
that it's about women and writing.
Your post
can be about: writing inspiration, balancing
family life/parenting with writing, craft of
writing fiction/nonfiction, how-tos, tips for
author promotion/marketing/social media, book
reviews, writing prompts, special
opportunities (paying markets for writers),
publishing industry news/gossip, and anything
you think our readers will love.
Please make
sure that there is take-away value to our
readers. No press releases please. We're more
interested in hearing from our core
audience--personal essays and humorous
anecdotes are encouraged as well, as long as
they provide
something useful to our audience--including a
good laugh! ;)
How To Submit: Submit your 250 - 500
word post in the
body of your email to
our blog editor Marcia Peterson: marcia@wow-womenonwriting.com.
Upon acceptance, we will ask for your bio,
links, bio photo, and any other pics to
illustrate the article. We look forward to
hearing from you!
-----------
Want to get blog posts via email?
Subscribe
to The Muffin with Feedburner and get the
latest delivered straight to your inbox.
Visit The Muffin >>
|
|
In Closing:
We hope this issue will encourage you to find
out more about literary agents and get to
know them personally and professionally. If
you've crafted a book, then finding the right
agent for your manuscript is the necessary
next step to seeing your work in print.
(Unless you choose to self-publish. That's a
whole other issue, which we've covered, by
the way, in our issue The
Self-Publishing Travel Guide.) Agents
are the ones you want to have on your side
when you're ready to sell your manuscript.
It's important to find the right agent to
target. Finding out what she/he has sold,
what the agency represents, and how they want
to be contacted will only help you get that
much closer to finding your "perfect
match."
Let's face it, agents are partners! By
learning all you can about a particular
agent, or by listening to stories from
authors who've found their perfect match, you
will discover more about the business of
publishing and get a solid idea of what you
are looking for in a potential partner.
Whatever you do, remember that agents work
for you as an author. It's your job to write,
craft, and produce material that you are
proud of...before you shop it to an agent,
editor, publisher, or the marketplace. So
enjoy writing and crafting material that you
love! In the meantime, keep learning all you
can and never give up. We wish you a happy
and productive holiday season!
Happy writing!
|
