Greetings!
The e-publishing revolution is here. According to the Association of American Publishers, e-book sales were up 160 percent for the first half of 2011 compared to the same period last year. At the same time, both paperback and hardcover sales dropped by 17 and 23 percent respectively. It seems that the publishing industry is shifting. It's a very exciting time in history. But what does this mean to you?
It is now easier, more efficient, and more lucrative to publish your words on digital platforms. Authors have more choices and venues to share their stories. Publishers have lower overhead and can offer larger royalties. And self-publishing is no longer an admission of defeat or a vanity project. It's now a proven, credible path toward publication.
Sure, there are bound to be naysayers--those who haven't yet embraced e-readers and the advancement of technology. I was just chatting with a writer online the other day about how the majority of my friends preferred reading with an e-reader, and she said she was surprised since she only knew one person who preferred an e-reader to a print book. She thought maybe it was a regional thing. It could be. California is on the forefront of technology. We have Silicon Valley, after all. But I know great-grandmothers who love their Kindles for the adjustable text size. Portability, wireless delivery, interactivity, and low book prices (including a library of free e-books) are among other perks. It's not too surprising that in May 2011, Amazon announced that Kindle e-book sales surpassed both hardcover and paperback book sales to become the most popular format on Amazon.com.
That said, I also understand the effects digital publishing have had on the publishing world. As magazine and newspapers fold and bookstores go out of business, traditional publishers struggle to position themselves as content providers and not just suppliers of paper books. They want to hold on to their intellectual property and backlists. They don't want to make the same mistakes that the music industry made back in 1999 when consumers downloaded countless MP3s for free through sharing applications like Napster. They want to find the perfect balance of jointly distributing e-books and print books to an audience of voracious readers, but many are still trying to figure out just whom that e-audience is and how to promote their e-titles. In the meantime, many literary agents are dreading their impending demise and hope to grab a foothold in the e-publishing revolution somewhere. Booksellers and librarians are also trying to figure out where they stand in all of this, with librarians and publishers battling head-to-head over e-book lending policies. But here's the thing: all of this change, these technological advancements and proliferation of devices capable of viewing and downloading content--e-readers, smartphones, and tablets--may alter our lives and the way we consume words, if we choose to embrace it; but that doesn't mean it should alter our editorial ethics and best business practices. There will always be a place for smart agents and editors to vet manuscripts for publication, and there will always be publishers to help authors promote their titles. And authors, boy, are there exciting opportunities for you. You get all the cake!
In this issue, we talk to successful e-book authors and e-publishers to get both sides of the story. We even talk to a screenwriter/playwright and a librarian to get their take on the future of digital publishing. We provide you with the resources and know-how to start your own self-publishing business, and introduce you to a self-publisher who is making a big difference in children's lives. We show you how to format your manuscript for the Kindle and Nook, build a book cover, and give you some marketing ideas for selling your e-books. We also introduce you to some groundbreaking new e-platforms for projects between a magazine feature and a full-length book. Are you ready? You just got a ticket to the e-publishing revolution. Enjoy the ride!
Continue reading on the Editor's Desk...
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Please take a moment to visit our sponsors:
If you enjoy the free content on the WOW! site, please help support our efforts by visiting our sponsors and seeing what they have to offer. We handpick sponsors that we think will be of interest to WOW! readers.
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Free 1/2 Hour Life Coaching Session to the First 25 WOW Subscribers:
Are you stuck in a writing slump? Convert writer's block into building blocks.
Take if from a winner! Life coach Amy Fuster is a previous 1st Place WOW! Women On Writing Flash Fiction Contest Winner. She conquered NaNoWriMo--twice! And she's a life coach to awesome women like you!
If you are feeling bound by time constraints, learn to bend time around your clock (or around you). Amy can show you how!
Free 1/2 Hour Life Coaching Sessions to the first 25 WOW's to snap them up! http://www.amyfuster.com/ScheduleNow.en.html
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Spruce up your writing wardrobe or discover a new career you can do from your laptop between chapters.
Jockey Person to Person (yes, the underwear people!) are now making jeans! Let me help you try some on for size, or introduce you to a new career that will allow you great income while you wait for your next book advance.
Amy Lamphere, Sr. Jockey P2P Team Leader, is offering WOW! subscribers 25% Off their first order! Visit her website http://www.myjockeyp2p.com/goodstuff or contact Amy directly at a-lamp[at]earthlink[dot]net.
[To find out more, read an interview with Amy on The Muffin: Jockey Person to Person for Writers: Wardrobe and Income]
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Bookmark Services: We bring out your best.
Bookmark Services is a full-service editorial company, offering editing, fact-checking research, transcription, layout, book proposals, website development, self-publishing assistance, and e-book conversion. I have many happy clients. Will you join them?
Let's get started!
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The Man, The Dog, His Owner & Her Lover, a novella by Candace Carrabus
If you love dogs, older heroines, a little magic and visitors from a previous life, check out this quick, fun read available for Kindle and Nook for only $.99. Includes bonus content, and a portion of net proceeds is donated to animal shelters.
http://candacecarrabus.com/
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Thank you for visiting our sponsors!
If you'd like to be featured in this section, please contact us about our special advertising rates and discounts. You can also view our media kit here.
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Fall 2011 Flash Fiction Contest
DEADLINE: November 30, 2011 Midnight,
Pacific Time.
GUEST JUDGE: Literary Agent, Andrea Hurst
About Andrea: Andrea Hurst, President of Andrea Hurst Literary Management, works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times best-selling authors. Andrea represents high profile adult nonfiction and well-crafted fiction. Her clients and their books have appeared on the Oprah Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, National Geographic Network, and in the New York Times.
In addition to working in the publishing field for over 25 years, Andrea is a published author, skilled developmental editor, keynote speaker, and educator. She recently started the AUTHORNOMICS Series on her site to help writers learn about the ever-changing publishing industry. The series features literary agents, editors, authors, marketing experts and more talking about their opinions on the publishing industry, writing, and what a writer needs to know. She enjoys working with authors who have something meaningful to share and are driven by their enthusiasm and desire to create books that touch lives and make a difference. Andrea is the author of The Lazy Dog's Guide to Enlightenment and Everybody's Natural Food Cookbook.
With years of experience in all areas of publishing, Andrea offers professional insight into the business, and works with motivated authors to edit, polish, and perfect their proposal and manuscript. Andrea's passion for books drives her quest to find stories that have the power to change--stories that will take her on a journey to another place, and leave her with an unforgettable impression.
If your work is accepted by Andrea Hurst it is because she believes in your book, your purpose in sharing it, and your career as a writer. She will invest her time and expertise to guide and support your writing career and establish a satisfying and productive long-term relationship.
To learn more about Andrea Hurst and Andrea Hurst Literary Management, please visit www.andreahurst.com.
PROMPT: Open Prompt
WORD COUNT: 750 Max; 250 Min
We raised the cash prizes this season!
LIMIT: 300 Entries
Don't wait until the last minute! Enter
Today. Visit the Contest
Page and download our terms &
conditions ebook. Good luck!
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Announcements
Heartfelt wishes go out to those experiencing Hurricane Irene
We hope you are safe and our positive thoughts are with you. Some of our WOW! team members have been experiencing power outages--one staff member had no electricity for 5 days. We suspect she is not alone, and we send you all our heartfelt wishes to those who have experienced damage from the hurricane.
We are reviewing...
Just about everything! Where has the summer gone? We've been busy coming up with a game plan for the new WOW! website, which has led to a lull in our publishing schedule. We are finally reviewing intern applications, so those that applied at the beginning of July will be receiving notice shortly. We are also reviewing queries for the "Niche Writing" issue next week.
New Twitter feed for blog tours/books
We hope those of you already following WOW! on Twitter (@womenonwriting) will check out WOW! Blog Tour. We'll be keeping you updated daily about where our WOW authors are, giving you info about contests and special events, running month-long Tweet tours, even starting a Twitter book club: @WOWBlogTour
If you like it, Google +1 it!
We've added Google Plus 1 buttons to the articles in this issue. So if you like an article, please click the "+1" button or one of the share buttons at the top of the article, right under the header. Don't know what Google +1 is? It's a brand new social media site from Google that is still field testing but is already huge! Muffin Blogger Anne Greenawalt wrote a post about it here: Writing Resources on Google + (aka Why I'm Using Google +).
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On to the issue... Enjoy!
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The Smell Of Success: Transitioning the Pen and Paper Crowd to E-Books
By Katherine Higgs-Coulthard
Many authors-in-waiting imagine the day when a box of their own printed books will arrive on their doorstep. They may even conjure the scent of new ink and paper--the smell of success!
Katherine Higgs-Coulthard is one such writer. But last fall, at the Highlights Whole Novel Retreat, her definition of success shifted after listening to a talk by editor Stephen Roxburgh on e-books. She began to wonder if success could be as simple as clicking "download."
In this article, Katherine examines the transition from printed-paper to e-ink books, what it means to authors and publishers alike, and how it affects their relationship. She chats with authors Carolyn Coman, Nancy Naigle, Laurie Dalzell, and Renee Vincent to get their best advice, as well as publishers Stephen Roxburgh (namelos), Kim Jacobs (Turquoise Morning Press), and Julie Fletcher (Black Label Books).
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Between Magazines and Books: E-Publishing Platforms for Long-Form Journalism
By Kerrie Flanagan
The Internet has changed the way people get their news, find information, and read books. Many times we will find out about breaking stories through our own online communities like Facebook and Twitter. This shallowness worries many who write nonfiction. They wonder if the desire for in-depth articles is going by the wayside and being replaced by content shared in 140 characters or less.
The good news--options are available. For investigative journalists, magazine writers, and essayists looking to write long-form pieces over 5,000 words, online platforms like Kindle Single, Byliner Originals, and Atavist provide a place to publish and highlight this kind of work.
Kerrie Flanagan chats with Byliner founder and CEO, John Tayman, and Atavist editor, Evan Ratliff, to find out what they're looking for in submissions and the stories that are rattling the publishing world. She also chats with Jodi Picoult briefly who shares why the platform appealed to her. You'll definitely want to read this article and check out the websites. These guys are doing fascinating work, and I'm excited about the possibilities!
MORE>>
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Cha-Ching! Selling E-Books: 5 Authors Share Their Success and Marketing Strategies
By Margo L.Dill
Everywhere you turn, everyone's talking about e-books. Authors are realizing this is a new market of readers to reach, and many of these readers will gladly take a chance on a new author in their favorite genre at the price of $2.99 an e-book, instead of the traditional pricing of $25.00 (or more!) for a hardcover.
Many of these authors are also self-publishing their e-books and seeing great profits. Take author Bella Andre, for example, who made over $116,000 in the first quarter of 2011 and sold over 56,000 e-books. Then there's author Karen McQuestion who self-published five e-books, which were so successful that Amazon's publishing house, AmazonEncore, scooped them up and released them in paperback. Now, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is offering her a contract for two of her novels.
Margo L. Dill chats with both ladies, as well as authors Megg Jensen, Annette Fix, and H.P. Mallory who share their best ideas for marketing e-books.
MORE>>
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20 Questions Answered By 5 Professionals: The Future Of Digital Publishing
By LuAnn Schindler
When Michael S. Hart founded Project Gutenberg forty years ago, today's popularity of e-books and the rapid expansion of digital publishing could never have been predicted.
In May 2011, online bookstore and digital publisher Amazon announced it sold more e-books than print editions. With the surge in appeal, readers, writers, and publishers realize the impact of this growing technological advancement.
How has digital publishing changed or increased competition for readers? Are reader apps shaping a new generation of readers? Where is the digital publishing world headed in the next five years? What specific advantages and concerns do genre writers face? How are libraries adapting to the demand?
LuAnn Schindler interviews five experts to answer these questions: Christina Hamlett (screenwriter and playwright), Laura Schaefer (young adult and non-fiction author), Karen Bergreen (fiction author), Nancy Cleary (publisher, Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing), and Scott Childers (emerging technologies librarian and associate professor).
MORE>>
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WOW! Women On Writing Workshops & Classes
Back to School! Fall Schedule
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):
August 31, 2011
INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING: The Definitive Course On Achieving Self-Publishing Excellence and Profitability You can still join in! by Deana Riddle
In the past, writers let trade publishers decide what readers want. Today, a growing number of writers are now publishing their own works and letting readers decide for themselves. If you have decided to independently publish, this comprehensive 6-week course is going to show you exactly what you need to do, and exactly how to do it.
September 3, 2011
HOW TO WRITE A CRAFT BOOK NEW! Today! You can still join in by Lynne Garner
During this five-week course students will be taught how to access their knowledge base and use this to write a hobby-based "how-to" book. It is hoped by the end of the course each student will have a completed synopsis, first chapter, and query letter, which they will be encouraged to send to an appropriate publisher/packager.
September 5, 2011
LITERARY DEVICES NEW! by Gila Green
In this course we will go beyond the simile and metaphor and learn how to layer our writing with literary devices. Through short readings and in-class assignments, you will learn how to create suspense, tension, change the pace, deepen and control your writing through the use of devices from repetition to personification. This class is suitable for anyone working on a novel, short story, memoir, essay or life story.
SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES: INTRO TO SCREENWRITING by Christina Hamlett
Learn the techniques and formatting requirements to develop an original screenplay. Study character development, dialogue, genre, structure, pacing, budget, and marketability, and receive critiques from an expert!
ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE: INTRO TO PLAYWRITING by Christina Hamlett
Learn what makes a play successful and how to write one yourself. Write a 15-minute one-act play, which will be professionally critiqued.
September 6, 2011
MASTERING POINT OF VIEW by Diane O'Connell
What's the secret every successful author knows and most new authors don't? It's how to use point of view (POV). In this interactive workshop, New York book doctor Diane O'Connell will show how truly understanding and mastering point of view can fix an ailing manuscript and turn a decent but lackluster novel into a page-turner.
September 12, 2011
CREATING AN EFFECTIVE BOOK BUSINESS PLAN by Deborah Riley-Magnus
One of the most productive things an author can do is write a Book Business Plan. For this workshop, we will explore why and how an author should put all the ducks in line, numbers where they belong, and place everything in a neatly wrapped package.
September 14, 2011
SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR WRITERS: TWITTER, FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN AND MORE by Margo L. Dill
This class will teach writers how to use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networking sites such as Shelfari or Jacket Flap (students' choice) to network; to build a following of fans; to start working on a brand/image; and to promote books, articles, magazines, and blogs. Instead of using Facebook and Twitter to write about your fabulous dinner or disastrous day at the grocery store, you will learn to sell yourself and your writing!
September 26, 2011
HOW TO GET THE RIGHT AGENT FOR YOUR MANUSCRIPT by Annette Fix
By the end of this course, you will know how to target the right agent for your material and leave with a list of agents who are signing and selling in your genre. You will develop your "elevator pitch" and learn valuable in-person pitching techniques. You will complete your course with a query letter that showcases your voice and the tone of your book, and lifts your query out of the slush pile.
September 29, 2011
WRITING FOR CHILDREN: Everything You Need to Know About Short Stories, Articles, and Fillers by Margo Dill
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.
October 7, 2011
TRANSLATING A LIFE: THE ART OF PERSONAL ESSAY NEW! by Melanie Faith
Ever dreamt of translating your life experiences into vibrant personal essays, but not sure where to begin? As Virginia Woolf noted, "A good essay must have this permanent quality about it; it must draw its curtain round us, but it must be a curtain that shuts us in not out." In this course, we will explore the various components of well-written essays, via our class writing text Writing Your Life: Putting Your Past on Paper by Lou Willett Stanek, PhD and the collected, short memoir pieces within Safekeeping: Some True Stories From a Life by Abigail Thomas. Students will write five essays of 500-1,000 words (submitting one each week) for in-depth, prompt, and constructive feedback from the instructor.
October 10, 2011
WRITE FROM YOUR SOUL: MEMOIR WORKSHOP by Annette Fix
Through writing prompts, exercises, and handouts created by the instructor, you will begin writing your memoir using specific storytelling techniques: dialogue, characterization, setting, imagery, etc.
WRITING A MIDDLE-GRADE NOVEL by Margo L. Dill
Learn what makes a novel middle-grade and brainstorm different ideas for this age group. The instructor will lead students through pre-writing exercises and help students write their first two chapters with plenty of feedback on ways to revise and edit their work. When the class is over, students will be well on their way to completing a middle-grade novel.
October 14, 2011
GET PAID TO WRITE: BECOME A FREELANCE WRITER by Nicky LaMarco
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.
October 21, 2011
BLOGGING 101 by Margo Dill
Blogging is one of the best and cheapest ways to achieve an Internet presence. This class will help students start a blog. If you already have a blog, it will help you target the readers you want to reach. Students will also learn how to create a unique blog, build followers and/or drive traffic to their blogs, blog on a schedule, connect posts to social networking sites, and monetize their blogs. This course is for beginning and intermediate bloggers or for people who are looking to spice up their blogs!
October 28, 2011
INTRO TO BOOK REVIEWING by Margo Dill
re you the life of your book group? Do you enjoy offering opinions about books on websites like Amazon and Facebook? Would you like to use your skills to get free books and build your freelance writing portfolio at the same time? Book reviewing can be a great way to break into a freelance writing career. In this class, we'll discuss the elements of great book reviews, try our hands at writing book reviews for various genres and publications, and explore the wide market for book review writing, from traditional newspaper book pages to online book blogs.
November 16, 2011
BRING OUT THE STORY-TELLER IN YOU by Karlyn Thayer
This class teaches story-writing from the idea of thinking before writing. Emphasizes correct story structure. Topics covered include: the value of an outline or synopsis; bringing characters to life; building a plot; viewpoint and mechanics; and keeping the action and conflict going.
November 30, 2011
THE UNWILLING GRAMMARIAN by Karlyn Thayer
Do you hate grammar like you hate snakes? This class takes an easy and fun approach to grammar. Other grammar courses require students to learn dozens of complicated terms. This course begins by asking you to learn two terms only, and shows you how those two terms can be the key to writing success.
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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.
VISIT THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR COMPLETE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS>>
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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 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.
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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.
Winter 2011 Flash Fiction First Place Winner: Carolyn Trent-Gurbuz
Interview by Marcia Peterson
Winter 2011 Flash Fiction Third Place Winner: Judy Beaston
Interview by Robyn Chausse
Winter 2011 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Dana Leipold
Interview by LuAnn Schindler
Winter 2011 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Molly Van Norman
Interview by Marcia Peterson
Winter 2011 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Gayle Beveridge
Interview by Margo Dill
Winter 2011 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Trudy Gomez
Interview by Robyn Chausse
Winter 2011 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Tiffany Carboni
Interview by LuAnn Schindler
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Blog Posts of Interest:
30 Blog Topics for Writers
By Chynna Laird
Owning a blog seems to have become a "must-have" for writers these days. It keeps us in contact with our readers, gives us a platform to display some of our great work and it's free marketing tool. But when you choose to blog every day, you can run out of things to talk about. Here's a great list of ideas you can try when your blogging topic well runs a bit dry.
Using Your Time Wisely on Facebook and Twitter
By Margo Dill
Social networking is fun, but it can also be useful for your career--you can network and promote--and it costs nothing but your time. So, learn to use it wisely! Don't miss these great tips for using Facebook and Twitter from WOW!'s Social Networking for Writers instructor!
What "Level" Are You?
By Elizabeth Humphrey
What do you think about putting yourself into a "level" for your writing? And why? What kind of writers do you like to have in your critique group--ones just like you or a mixture? Join the discussion on this blog post.
Reigniting the Flame After a Writing Conference
By LuAnn Schindler
Now that she's returned home with a bounty of fresh information and business cards, what does she do with this information? Store the cards for later perusal? Put away her notebook with pages of notes and ideas? Nope, that's not it. Check out this post on tips for reigniting your flame!
Personal vs Platform: Where is the Line?
By Jodi Webb
Do you have trouble deciding what info to include in your Social Media accounts? Is there a line between personal and platform? Learn about the two schools of thought on this topic, and decide what you think!
Business Writing: What is it Exactly?
By Margo Dill
You've probably heard the old pros mention that they do quite a bit of business writing, and it's often more lucrative and easier to find than magazine and newspaper work. But what does this term business writing mean exactly?
Squeezing Writing In Around Life, Part 2
By Chynna Laird
One of the questions I get asked most often is, "Where on earth do you find the time for writing with four young children?" Believe me, there are days I wonder the very same thing. But I've come to realize that writing isn't just something I love to do, it's something I need to do. It helps keep me in touch with that part of myself that isn't "Mama," and that's very important--for all of us. Allow me to explain...
Order Up...With Audio On The Side
By Robyn Chausse
Will offering audio books suddenly make you rich? Not likely, but you'll gain exposure to readers who may not stumble upon you otherwise. Not every novel is available in audio format, but audio lovers scour over all the novels offered. If they like the audio chances are they will purchase the book, or e-book, and recommend your book to family and friends.
A Bitter Old Writer
By Jodi Webb
Have you missed your chance? Is it time for you to give it up in favor of younger, more hip writers? Check out this inspirational post that includes a long list of writers who were "mature" when they published their first novel!
Working Among Words
By Elizabeth Humphrey
An interesting post with secrets from a former editor with management responsibilities. Find out about her process of editing, which is illustrative of the process of crafting pieces of writing. An inside peek at the thoughts of an editor!
Concerns and Solutions for Freelance Writing (Parts 1 & 2)
By Margo Dill
In her first post, she shared some common concerns freelancers have and ways to solve them, including: running out of ideas, health insurance, and time management. In part two of the discussion, Margo addresses two more concerns: someone stealing your ideas and contracts--rights and payments. Check out both posts, as well as Margo's terrific online freelance class, offered only at WOW!
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly About...Social Media
By Chynna Laird
As authors and writers, we're strongly encouraged to sign up for social media tools because they help us connect with readers, give us access to people who can further our marketing abilities or even give us primary access to new and exciting writing opportunities. But, really. How useful are they? Do we really need them all? And what about the ugly side...being stalked, spammed, or having your account hacked? Check out Chynna's list for staying connected...but from an arms length.
Security for You and Your Writing (In an Insecure World)
By Margo Dill
Do you know authors who are afraid their work will be stolen when they send it to an editor? Margo never thought anything like that would happen to her until someone broke into her iTunes account. How do you make sure your writing and personal lives are secure in an insecure world? Any tips to share?
Fright Factors: Regenerate Decrepit Imagery
By Robyn Chausse
What are some of the elements we usually use to build a frightening tale? Sure, there's abandoned houses and, of course, fog. What are some other images that might be over used? What can we substitute for them?
Personal Essay Writing: Tips for You
By Margo Dill
Recently, Margo judged a personal essay contest and, in most cases, she found herself being able to tell in a few paragraphs whether or not to put the essay in the possible winners pile or the sorry pile. Everything she'd heard from editors and agents was true--in most cases, you can tell whether a piece of writing works or doesn't from the first page. Find out what makes them work with these tips!
Do You Need an Author Photo?
By LuAnn Schindler
Did you know that in today's publishing world the author photo can be one of the most important pieces of the marketing equation? LuAnn shares some great tips and asks for yours!
The Basics for Novice Writers: The Don'ts of Article Querying
By Chynna Laird
For all of you beginning writers out there working so hard to get your fabulous articles and stories noticed, it can be a very tough and frustrating road, can't it? Rejection is never fun. We often put out all the Dos of querying, but you need to understand the Don'ts too. That way you can side-step all the things editors find most annoying and avoid having your idea turfed right into the rejection bin. Chynna shares a few things she's learned the hard way.
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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.
Please put "Friday Speak Out! Submission" in
your subject line. 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!
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Friday Speak Out! Posts of Interest:
Who's Running Your Show? by Sandy Grayson
Virginia Woolf Was Right by Jenny Ryan
Keep the Pen Moving by Jan Marquart
Night Thoughts: When Counting Backwards From 100 to 1 Didn't Do It by Jo Barney
Steampunk is Not for Me by Jo Barney
Using Distractions to Your Advantage by Susan A. Black
Could You Please Beat Me With This Rejection Letter? by Jackie Bouchard
Queen of the Nice Rejection Letter by Kathryn Schleich
At My Age, I'm Still Wet Behind the Ears by Becky Povich
The Procrastinator's Guide to Starting Your Writing Career by Kimberly Zook
If you haven't read these posts, be sure to check them out. They're so inspiration and motivating. F.S.O.s rock!
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Subscribe
to The Muffin with Feedburner and get the
latest delivered straight to your inbox.
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In Closing:
We hope this issue has opened your eyes to the possibilities that e-publishing offers. Whether you choose to traditionally publish, self-publish, have your work published in print, print-on-demand, or via e-reader...there are more choices for authors. I found this issue extremely empowering, and I hope you do too! Take in all the knowledge and apply what works to your writing. This is an exciting time for authors. You are in the driver's seat.
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