|
|
April 2002 - Issue 36
Wanted: Internet Writers The ads are out there. Are you? ALSO... Visit EmporiumGazette.com We have our guidelines available for your convenience and have posted our planned monthly themes so you can submit your writing to us. Even our back issues are available. Sign up to receive the Emporium Gazette monthly.
|
|
10 WAYS TO EFFECTIVELY PROMOTE YOUR
WRITING THROUGH YOUR WEBSITE CONFESSION YOUR WAY TO AN INCOME WRITING FOR THE INTERNET: FROM ANOTHER ANGLE POETRY WORLD BRYANT THE GIANT
|
|
10 Ways to
Effectively Promote If there is one rule that shakes up writers more than any other in the publishing business, it may well be that the marketing of a book is usually more important than the actual book. While word-of-mouth is the best advertising a writer can hope for, the trick is how to initiate that sought after promotional buzz. Perhaps one of the cheapest and most effective ways to do this these days is through your own website. It may seem bizarre to think about promoting your book online. However, it shouldn't seem that way. More than 90% of Americans have online access, and a healthy percentage of these people are ready to know about your book. The only catch is that you must figure out not only how to present yourself online but also how to attract attention to your website. You don't have to be a cyber-recluse typing codes in the basement of an abandoned warehouse to be able to accomplish your goals. Often, you only need to have a friend that does such things. Or you can pick up a 'dummies' guide. You might even be able to cajole your book publisher into having a Web designer create a site for you. Here I've presented some specific points to keep in mind when you're ready to promote yourself online. By following these tips, you should increase your name recognition and your book's sales. 1. Make sure your home page is
user-friendly. 2. Make your books easy to find. 3. Link to selling points. 4. Offer a newsletter. 5. Add new material regularly. 6. Offer article links to newsletters and
websites. 7. Offer a press release. 8. Provide a 'Contact Me' function. 9. Try to get an easy to remember URL. 10. Provide links to other online sources. © Copyright Writer's Digest Books, an imprint of F&W Publications, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio. All rights reserved. * * * * * Robert Lee Brewer is the assistant editor of Writer's Market and WritersMarket.com. He has written several articles on the business of writing and deals with editors, agents and writers on a daily basis.
|
|
Visit Cool Well! You'll find articles on writing, short stories, 3D art, and free web pages that you can use to build your own site. Go to: http://www.CoolWell.org to take part in the fun.
|
|
Confession
Your Way To An Income I started writing for the confessions in 1984 when they published a short article I wrote. From that beginning I have continued to contribute romantic stories to them. I've found this is a wide-open market hungry for writers. They use at least 12 stories per issue and have a host of magazines in their line. There is True Confession, True Story, True Love, True Romance and others. Confession stories are told in the first person as if you are the one experiencing the situation. They are stories of people in turmoil told with emotion, compassion and usually ending happily or with a positive resolution. Sterling/Macfaddan Partnership publishes nine monthly confession magazines. They each publish stories every month by freelance writers. My editors have been helpful to me, even calling to go over a revision. The pay is in the $100 and up range. This is sent the month after the publication along with a sample or two of the issue. This is a wide open market for beginners and experienced writers. The editors don't care as much about your credentials as your ability to tell a story that stirs the emotions. The one downside is writers need patiences. It can take as little as two months to a year and half to hear back from a busy editor. During that time the writer is free to contribute additional stories. Usually, once an editor knows your writing style you'll hear back much quicker. The editors' names change but basically they are all happy to work with beginners. If a writer receives a rejection with a notation, that is a clue to redo the story and resubmit. My first acceptance came after what I thought was a rejection. I read the editor's comments and called her. She worked through the plot details she wanted tightened and I was published. A confession story is from 3,000 words to a top of 8,000. Shorter has a better chance of acceptance as the editor wants to publish as many stories as possible in each issue. Do a very good proofreading job though. If the story is accepted little work will be done to correct typos. The manuscript is scanned into the computer and reset in the proper format for the magazine, but not edited much at all. In one of my stories I used two different names for a school that was central to the theme. I didn't catch it until I read the published edition. Each magazine has a different editor. Their names are listed in the Writer's Market Guide and on the masthead of the magazines. Each magazine also has a slightly different focus so it pays to pick up a few copies and read them carefully. There are only a few guidelines to telling a confession story. Write it in first person from the female point of view and write it in past tense. While sex scene are allowed, and sometimes encouraged, they don't have to be graphic. Violence is frowned on. Editors prefer strong plots and characterizations, a lot of drama, plot twists, and an upbeat ending. Whether or not the heroine stays with the hero isn't important. What the editors want are a heroine who has learned and grown through a traumatic experience to a more mature human being. The stories are fun to write and don't require a lot of revision. They should sound as if you are telling a true story to a friend. I write regularly for these magazines and also teach a class on how to write for them. My classes are held monthly for four weeks, with three email lectures a week, and critiques. I teach through <http://www.paintedrock.com/>. I'm proud to say many of my students have gone on to be published, and some have expanded into the world of romantic novels. . In fact, I heard that Dean Koontz used to write confessions and so did Stephen King. Some of today's famous romance writers started their careers with short romantic stories in the confessions. What better way to hone your skills than to practice on these intense short romantic stories? Knowing how to write strong characters and plots are good tools to have when you are ready to write a novel. For more information contact me at bts1ct@aol.com * * * * * Bea Sheftel is the former editor of the Coventry Journal. She combines her newspaper background with her love for fiction and writes in both media. She has three romantic novellas published, hundreds of short fiction and articles, two books of poetry and is published in anthologies including Chicken Soup for the Nurses Soul, Cup of Comfort, God Allows U Turns, I Bring You Glad Tidings, and the Recovering Catholic. She writes regularly for the confession magazines which she considers her, "bread and butter."
|
|
Ten (10) completely original pieces that span and combine the genres of music with interesting twists: Ireland Down Under: Ireland with a
touch of Australia All are available to preview
in either Real Player or Windows Media Player format. It's a free listen
or you may purchase your copy of the audio cd format online!
|
|
Writing for
the Internet: The Internet is a visual media. Despite all the typing and reading you do when you’re there, web sites, pages, and portals are visual presentations. To write for the Internet then, you must think visually. Studies have shown the average "netizen" (those who live and work on the net) don’t usually read past the opening page of a web site. If you’re writing for a web site you’ve got to get your message across is as few words as possible. Thinking in terms of words and pictures/graphics will help you keep your message short but visually appealing and to the point. Many sites live or die on the designer’s ability to use the right mix of words, pictures, animation and sound. Creating an article that lends itself to graphics will help the designer and site manager. Remember web presentations are basically advertising. Advertising? Yep! Web sites are constructed to attract "eyeballs" to an internet location that offers a product, a service, or place for presenting a point of view. The words on the site are what attract the "eyeballs," the visuals keep them there long enough to consider the product, service or idea. To write for the Internet, therefore, you must get right to the point using the "key words" that will attract the desired audience. To do this use the journalistic inverted pyramid style of writing. Begin your article with the main point. For instance: Reeses Pieces are making a comeback thanks to a twenty-year-old alien. The rest of this article would detail how the Reese line of candy is benefiting from the re-release of the movie E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial. Ok, I hear you fiction writers out there hollering - "but I just want to write for an e-zine!" The above information still applies. E-zines have presentations. If there very good these net-pubs also have great graphics. If your story can stand up in a graphically enhanced page, you are ahead of the pack. If your story includes key words that will attract "eyeballs" to the zine, you are way ahead. "How so?" you ask. Open your story with a come-on line guaranteed to attract the appropriate reading audience. This is the same as opening an article with the main point. What is the point/plot of your story? Can you summarize it in a short two or three sentence paragraph? This paragraph should read like the back-of-the-book blurb on the back cover of a book. It is this blurb that sells the book to the buying public. Open your "net" fiction with it and it will draw the "eyeballs" to your story and the zine you’re writing it for. Things to Remember When Writing for the Internet: 1) Keep your writing short and to the point. Make every word work toward the focus of your article or the plot of your story. (For articles that easily fit on one page, think in terms of 250 words or less. If you’re writing fiction, be sure to write within the stated word-length.) 2) Make your writing match your audience. If you’re writing articles remember your general audience is young (stats say netizens are 12 to 39 years old) and have a today attitude". The today attitude, according to advertisers, is edgy and out there (translation for old duffers: questioning and pushing the limits). 3) Be sure your writing has a "high interest" quotient. How do you do this? Know your subject, know your audience, and make sure your writing includes something new (new information, new idea, surprising twist on old plot). * * * * * Lucile Davis is the author of 16 books, 2 of them released in 2000. A feature writer, she is currently a regular contributor to the Fort Worth Texas magazine. She teaches Writing for Children through Texas Christian University's Extended Education and the Institute of Children's Literature.
|
|
TAX - FINANCIAL WOES? Have your income taxes given your checkbook the financial equivalent of writer's block? e-mail your tax questions to James G. Rogers, C.P.A., a 26-year veteran of the tax code and an author himself. Mr. Rogers knows the problems authors and others face dealing with this annual chore. For a $5.00 fee, all of which goes to support the Gazette, you can have your answers e-mailed back to you promptly so you can get back to writing. You can even pay by credit card at our secure server. Go to: http://www.23house.com to leave your question.
|
|
I
|
|
I From Another
Angle LOOK, MA! NO POSTAGE, NO ENVELOPES Don't fill the whole blamed paper with a tale
which, at a pinch, Harris's suggestion rings equally true of writers for the Internet. You have less time to catch the surfer's attention online than to interest readers of newspapers. Opportunities abound for nonfiction and fiction writers who are willing to ‘boil her down" and polish the prose until it glimmers. Query and submit by e-mail to online markets. Think of the savings in postage and envelopes while building up a list of credits for your short stories and articles. Even for Internet markets that don't pay, its worth a trickle of your writing for valuable clips to use with submissions to offline markets. If you're a beginning writer or a beginning-again author, the Internet is the place to go. Terrie Murray maintains several websites to further her writing career. She became involved with Suite 101 because they paid their writers a fixed amount every month, depending on how much the writer contributed. "It was a great gig-"Terrie said, "I got paid. I got great exposure, and I developed a nice portfolio of articles." The beginning of this year, Suite 101 stopped paying their writers; however, the website is committed to developing "new revenue streams," which they will share with writers, but for the moment "we're writing for free." Murray's main website, www.aviellasinkwell.com, is mostly a showcase for her writing. In addition to our Emporium Gazette, published monthly, numerous sites and free newsletters for writers invite your submissions and are received via e-mail. Some pay, some don't. In addition to "A World of Writing Tips For Writers Around the World," Writing-World.com lists writing contests in its biweekly newsletter. FictionAddiction.net presents articles on the craft of writing for fiction writers and readers. Check out these markets for submission guidelines. Dan Case's "Writing For Dollars" pays $15 for articles, but query before sending submissions. According to Dan, the semi-monthly publication is a "free e-mail newsletter for writers who want to start selling their work or to increase their writing income." Request detailed guidelines from Editor@WritingForDollars.com A quick search of the Internet will uncover a smorgasbord of markets for writers and places to sell articles and perhaps fiction about your particular expertise. Terrie Murray uses her "birding" knowledge to full advantage for online sales and credits. With no postage and no envelopes, what have you got to lose? Find your market, then write your piece, and follow Joel Chandler's advice to "boil her down until she simmers, polish her till she glimmers." * * * * * Susan Long Turner is co-author with Russ Turner of "Wings Born Out of Dust" which is available now from 23 House Publishing and is also available in trade paperbacks and hardback at other major online bookstores. Visit my Website
|
|
|
|
One of the best marriages in the last few years has been the internet and, well, poetry! There are a plethora of websites available with poetry. Everyone seems to have put up a webpage with poetry on it. Of course, just like the medium it is on, some of it is good, some of it bad. Bad poetry? No, not really. What I mean are bad sites for poets. A poet beware type site. I was at one site, which will remain anonymous, that let you post your poetry for free. The caveat? They requested the rights to do with it as they saw fit -- off the net! In otherwords, you retained your rights on the internet, they got all the other rights -- including the right to publish it in book format. I did some surfing and found many places for the frustrated poet to get the poems online. My first and highly recommended way: Create your OWN website. Even if you don't know anything about how to go about it, for a few dollars, the next door neighbor kid can probably assist you. Or take a quick course at a community college. Now, before I go any further. The following sites are: BEWARE. I'm not recommending any of them in any particular order. I get nothing from them. I found them online through search engines and did a preliminary view of the sites and first appearances seem okay. Again, be sure to read all the fine print and watch for what rights you're giving up. Poetry Portal -- www.poetry-portal.com
How did I find these? I used a search engine and put in the words with quotes: "poetry online", "internet poetry", "poetry" -- the last one was really too much! If you feel that using a search engine is too time consuming I suggest that you invest in an excellent book that I discovered, "2002 Poet's Market" put out by Writer's Digest Books. This book currently lists over 1800 markets for poetry - both online and paper. Obviously there's scads of places for the poet to place his/her poetry. Some even pay, but not many, unfortunately. But the bottomline is: make your poetry available for the world to see. Good luck and happy publishing. ** * * * * Robert Nailor is the Production Manager and Poetry World Editor for the Emporium Gazette. His first novel, a Celtic fantasy, "Three Steps to Reality," is finished and currently seeking representation. Visit him at Lore's Webs.
|
|
Bryant
the Giant Bryant sat atop Giants' Mountain studying the fluffy cloud-tops that pirouetted and danced across the valleys like an ocean of whipped cream. Here and there islands of pine-green poked up through the mass of winter-white. Hefty hippos and white elephants twisted and morphed in the gentle breeze that stirred the grass atop his mountain, transforming the bulky shapes into long-eared bunnies and wide-mouthed frogs.
Today, unlike most, he felt lonesome atop Giants' Mountain. Bryant, the giant, slumped forward into the moist grass, cradling his chin in his palms. What would it be like to be something other than an ogre? Even though he'd never given the humans cause, the villagers feared him almost as much as the dragons who would swoop down and steal their milk cows, goats and woolly sheep. Was it Bryant's fault he had clumsy giant feet? He'd always guarded his step when anywhere near the village, but the town's children still fled in terror whenever he showed his face. Was he that ugly? Bryant put on his best smile, and studied his reflection in the nearby brook. Even his friendliest grin didn't seem to help. Maybe they wouldn't run from a bunny or a frog, if he could only transform like a cloud. He needed a friend, today, above all others. It was his birthday. Bryant plucked a wishing dandelion from the grass, and blew the fluffy magical seeds out over the clouds. "Send me a friend," he whispered. Here, high above the clouds, magic was as common as sunshine, but he didn't feel so special without someone to share these marvelous sights. Bryant held his breath as he watched the fluffy seeds disappear into the white mists. It wouldn't take long. The magic seeds had never failed. Nothing stirred beyond the swirling veils of moisture that seemed to shroud the valleys in gloom. Finally he could wait no longer. Bryant inhaled and roared, "Hello?" No one answered, but he continued his vigil. Maybe he needed to wait longer than one breath for such a grand wish, even if one giant breath lasted him over one hour. After two hours, neither child nor adult had marched forward out of the clouds. He couldn't believe the magic had failed to summon a friend. Again he called, but more gently, thinking his booming voice might have scared his new friend away. He'd blown every wishing seed off the dandelion stalk. Surely at least one of these magical seeds had summoned someone. Still, no one replied. Something felt terribly wrong. Had the sunshine lost its warm sparkle? Had his wishes lost their magic or was this a selfish wish? The spring winds wouldn't grant greedy wishes. Most humans and even the mongering mountain dwarfs knew they wouldn't grant wishes for gold, gems, or other giant treasure. Had he wished for too much? Adult humans were cautious creatures, never venturing this near the summit. Nevertheless, maybe some brave child might risk the climb. Maybe it took longer than an hour for someone with short legs to climb Giants' Mountain. "That's it," he mumbled with a snap of his chubby fingers. A child is bound to have even shorter legs than mortal adults have. If I want a friend, I must meet him or her at least halfway. He didn't dare let the villagers spot him, or they would attack out of fear or flee in terror. He could, however, avoid any panic by hiding in the rocky crags above the village and waiting for his new friend to appear on one of the grassy pastures above the village. That would be where he'd find his friend, since that was surely the best place for a mortal to watch the clouds dance. Sunshine beat down from high overhead by the time he had descended into the vertical cliffs and steep valleys above the village. Morning had vanished, but his hope remained as bright as the mid-day light that cut through the patches of blue. He scrunched his shoulder, making himself as small as a giant can, and squeezed his bulk into a shadowed crag to wait. If it took all night, Bryant vowed he'd find a friend. He watched the village gates for an hour before anyone appeared. A young girl drove her flock of fluffy brown sheep up the hillside to the pasture below where Bryant hid. The sheep were so fat and fluffy they looked like brown clouds floating on a sea of emerald green. Was this his friend? The child watched the sky constantly, but she didn't seem to take the time to enjoy the ballet. Her gaze constantly roamed the clouds, never pausing in one place for long. "Trinity?" came a shout from atop the log wall of thick pine stockade. Although the wall protected the villagers from roaming bands of human raiders, Bryant knew it would do no good against dwarfs or dragons. The greedy dwarfs could tunnel under walls and pop up wherever they smelled gold, and a dragon could level the wall with a single blow from its massive tail. Still, dragons preferred easier pry, and didn't like having their scales punctured with human arrows. "Hurry home at the first sign of danger," the mother shouted. "Make sure you don't let the lambs stray too far from the herd. The sergeant says the watch spotted a dragon soaring above the valley just last week. I don't have to tell you how dangerous those can be." The girl cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted back, "Don't worry, Mom. I'll take special care of Papa's sheep. No dragon will catch me napping." "Dragon," screamed a guard atop the far fence as a huge shadow swept across the pasture toward the flock. Brown sheep fled in every direction but the young girl stood her ground, hurling stones from her sling toward the dragon's scaled hide. The monster had planned a cunning attack, and cut off the panicked sheep by landing at the entrance to the valley between the village and the canyon pasture. The flock turned and charged up the ravine in a blind panic toward where Bryant lay hidden among the blackened rocks of the canyon walls. Bryant suddenly realized this wasn't the first time this dragon had cornered a flock like this. Now the sheep and the girl seemed destined to become dragon-ka-bobs. Bryant's friendly smile turned down into a scowl. How could he help this girl without causing even further panic? "Help," the girl screamed but only fumbled slightly as she loaded another stone in her sling. The guards from town charged out the gates but they wouldn't reach her in time. Her only defense, the tiny stones from her sling, might sting enough to stop a lion or even a bear, but not a fire-breathing dragon. The girl and Bryant both knew she must either sacrifice the sheep or die. Trinity didn't hesitate as she stepped in front of the sheep to face the dragon as it waddled forward on its two stubby but powerful legs. "I warn you, Dragon. I won't let you take our herd." Her bravery seemed admirable, but she didn't stand a prayer against a dragon, not alone. Bryant stretched as he pressed forward from the shadows to stand behind the girl. The girl's jaw dropped as the dragon took a cautious step backward. "Scat!" Trinity' defiant voice echoed down the canyon walls toward the village. She sounded almost confident as she twirled the sling above her head. Still, she didn't look back. Every man in town gasped in amazement as the dragon flapped its wings and rose into the air. Silently the monster retreated across the valley toward its distant lair. They could not see Bryant, only the defiant young child who stood protecting her family's flock. As the mob of family and friends rushed across the pasture, Trinity turned and saw Bryant. He stepped forward but Trinity motioned him back into the shadows. "Hide," she whispered. "It will take the adults time to believe you're friendly. Go on, I'll meet you here again tomorrow and we will talk." "Can we watch clouds together?" he asked. Trinity grinned. "That would be fun. With you around, what creature would dare to steal a sheep?" The giant tiptoed back into the niche in the rock, making sure not to squash any of her excited sheep. Pulling his black cloak up over his red-bearded face, he made certain no one would notice where he hid among the scorched stone. Bryant the Giant had learned a valuable lesson besides making the first of many friends. Sometimes even magic wasn't enough. On those occasions, one must meet a friend more than halfway, particularly if you are slightly different. * * * * * Ronald Wayne Jones is the Managing Editor for Emporium Gazette and autor of "Black Breath of the Lutron" and "The Dwarf and the Demon Tongue" which are available through 23 House.
|
|
IS YOUR WRITING ILL? Would you like a second opinion about POV, dialogue, selling non-fiction, or submitting multiple submissions? For a mere $5 diagnosis fee... You can even pay by credit card at our secure server. Go to: http://www.23house.com to leave your questions. No ache or pain is too big or too small for this veteran freelance editor and author of numerous books and magazine articles. If you have more than one question, please check out her site: http://www.coolwell.org/robyn/index.html
|
|
Ron Jones-- Managing Editor Robert Nailor--Poetry Editor and Production Manager Elyse Salpeter--Fiction Editor Mitchel Whitington--Non-Fiction Editor James Rogers--Business Editor Terrie Murray--Travel Editor & Editorial Assistant Sue Long Turner--The Writing Answer Lady Mark Vass - Marketing Editor & Denise Vitola--Editor-in-Chief
© Copyright 2002 by the Emporium Gazette No portion of any article or other writing in this electronic publication may be copied, used or otherwise taken by any person or organization for any purpose or reason whatsoever without the express written permission of the Emporium Gazette.
|