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June 2002 - Issue 38
Self Publishing It's a business. Take a look at the options available to you. There's more than one way to get in print! 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.
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SELF-PUBLISHING: A MARKETER'S DREAM FROM ANOTHER ANGLE ESTABLISHINGT THE RIGHT POINT OF VIEW: BLOGGING TO SELF-PUBLICATION BORING SENTIENCE
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This is a writing challenge. If you decide to accept, only you will be the final judge. Channel surfing -- that ever popular sport of the Couch Potato and other persons not to be mentioned at this time. Staring at the boob-tube can eat away all your free time - valuable writing time. Let's make it work for us. Pen and paper in hand, remote control in the other. Click through about 5 to 10 stations, grabbing the first word you hear on each station and then click to the next. I did five and got: beer, marvelous, Alex, hate, sports. It was almost too easy so I did another one: truck, vacation, who, shelf, are, so, mean, actor. I took a few extra words the second time. Got your words? Now take them and let your imagination guide you in the writing of a short story using each and every word in the very first paragraph! * * * * * If you have a quick or interesting way to break that writer's block and get your creative juices flowing, email us with it and we'll share it with others as a challenge.
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Self-Publishing:
A Marketer's Dream A connoisseur of the fine art of business once said, "Nothing happens until someone sells something." That adage is as true of the self-publishing world as it is in any other endeavor in the hurly burly of commerce. One can work for artistic fulfillment, labor for that perfect turn of phrase and pour out blood and sweat to make the plot roar and the characters sing in surround sound. Commercially speaking, though, if you can't get the result of your effort in the hands of your readers willing and able to shell out the cash, there's little, if any, economic joy. All these words were driven home to me when I decided to take the self-publishing path. A highly capable agent I knew had liked my first book but hadn't been able to sell it to traditional New York publishers. The work had punch, grab and pluck, but the Big Apple mavens of popular culture wouldn't extend their tantalizing nibbles of interest to the solid bite of a sale. Unwilling to watch dust gather on the manuscript, I sought a publisher who'd make the work available in printed form through Internet sales. Although the product itself was pleasing to the eye and, even more recently, redesigned to be even more attractive, the marketing was up to me. The publisher gave me tips and suggestions. I received the newsletter and invitations to writers' conferences. I read countless success stories of people who didn't seem dramatically more capable than I thought I was. Everyone told me how easy it was for those determined to succeed. Although I have every reason to believe the counsel was right on target, much of it fell on disturbingly unenthusiastic ears. Okay, I admit it. It was my fault that sales didn't rocket into the ionosphere and achieve escape velocity into that higher plane of success where economic cares of the world have no real weight. Initial sales were acceptable, but they weren't enough to put food on the table for a year or pay for a college education. Color me dull, but the only hobbies that have ever piqued my concentrated interest have been those that contribute to the economic welfare of my family. I'm not a gardener. I derive no pleasure from sticking my hands into the muck and goo of the earth to turn a seedling into a gorgeous flower. In my pedestrian world, "if you can't mow it, don't grow it." Thankfully, my bride has a green thumb lest the oxygen content of our house falls below federal safety standards. I'm a writer, not a marketer, but that huffy claim is a death sentence in this world of self-serve everything. Hey, I pump my own gas, but why do I have to hawk my book? Don't we authors have people to do these things for us? Not in the self-publishing world. The publishers provide the paper, ink, printing and binding. They host the electrons for e-books. They also give the wannabes coverage on their glitzy, inviting Web sites. The commercial success of the individual work, however, leans almost exclusively on the word "self." All right. You're a go-getter who's willing to go the extra mile, fight any fight, face any foe, bear any burden and overcome any obstacle to increase sales of your self-published book. If that even remotely describes you, then self-publishing at least merits a second look and may well be a great place for you to begin. Generally speaking, you keep the copyright. You decide on typeface, artwork, cover design, type of market, and so forth. You have control, and your publisher won't hound you for this or that type of change. They'll even print your typos at no extra charge. Typically, based on a number of your decisions as well as the length and genre of the book, the publisher will recommend the retail price. All of the rest of your success will be based on your getting the word out to as many people as possible with a telephone or a computer and a Visa card. How and how much you do that are the keys to your economic success. Thomas Edison described the process of invention as 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Mr. Edison's words couldn't more aptly describe this avenue of publishing. What do you look for in a self-publisher? Cost, exposure, length of time in business, reputation, Web traffic, payment reliability and levels of assistance they provide are the major facets I considered when I searched for a self-publisher. The fact that they were geographically local to me gave me greater comfort. I went to their office, met the principals, toured the operation. There was something affirming about touching the high-speed printers and watching the back office punch out mailing labels to send books to paying customers. Like anything, self-publishing isn't for everyone. If you have a marketing mindset, it's definitely an avenue worth exploring. If the notion of getting out and hawking books isn't your idea of what it means to be a writer, that could well be problematic, because, like fueling your car, marketing is mostly "self-serve." Doing it yourself means you won't spill gasoline all over your new paint and finish, but it does mean you have to get out of the car to make things happen. * * * * * James Rogers' timely thriller, Capitol Chill, is available
from BuyBooksOnTheWeb.com
either on their Web site or by calling toll-free 1-877-BUY-BOOK. His
pen name is James Gardiner. He currently has a traditional agent marketing
his second work the old-fashioned way. Rogers is at work on the manuscript
for his third novel.
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Polish your fiction to perfection Did you know that fiction editors reject more than 90% of the stories they receive? Here's your chance to beat those odds, by learning the tricks of the trade from an experienced editor of short and long fiction. Marg Gilks will walk you through the steps involved in crafting a memorable, marketable story -- including tips on developing plot, understanding POV, creating believable characters, handling dialogue, building conflict, and more. Learn how to hook the reader with your opening (which, editors say, can be the most important part of your story), and bring your tale to a satisfying conclusion. This 8-week course includes hands-on exercises to help you learn the craft. (This course is offered on a flexible schedule to accommodate summer vacations!) 8 weeks; starts June 3. Fee: $125.
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From Another
Angle THE MYSTERY OF SELF PUBLISHING UNRAVELED Mystery is in the morning, and mystery in the night,
and the beauty of mystery is everywhere; but still the plain truth remains,
that mouth and purse must be filled. The Answer Lady presents the guru of publish and sell, Nancy Robinson Masters. The mystery vanishes from self-publishing with a few words from her. While dissolving the unknown, Masters unveils secrets to feed hungry mouths and fill your purse. Ten years and 30,000+ plus self-published book sales later, Nancy remembers the most important question anyone asked when she announced her intention to self-publish a book: "Who is going to buy it?" According to John Matthews, a former New York editor-turned-book packager, buyers are the key. Don't know what a book packager is? "A book packager is a person you contract with to produce a book that doesn't look like a self-published book," Nancy says. "If you produce a book that looks like a self-published book (no ISBN number, spiral bindings, artwork by relatives who are not graphic designers, etc.), you can expect to have a lot of boxes of unsold books in your garage. Masters explains. "Think of a book packager as the general contractor who builds your house. It is the packager's job to assure the materials fit together to produce a finished product that looks, smells, and feels exactly as good as a book produced by a major publishing house for a price that will let you make a profit. "Who will buy the book once you have made it look, smell, and feel like a book? Your family will not-they will expect you to give them copies. Your friends will not-they, too, will expect freebies. That leaves one category of potential buyers: total strangers." My self-publishing guru emphasizes that therein lies the secret of succeeding as a self-published author. "It has nothing to do with how good the writing may be (although it needs to be good). It has everything to do with finding a way to convince total strangers that your book is something they want bad enough to spend the grocery money to own. "How do you make 'em want it? The answer is when. You make 'em want it before you publish. You must build a readership in magazines, trade journals, newspapers, e-zines, church newsletters -anywhere you can establish reader identification that will give you credibility with total strangers who will become your customers. And customers, my frustrated-by-rejections friend, is what successful self-publishing is all about. " There you have it, folks, the mystery of self-publishing unraveled. Nancy Robinson Masters will tell you to publish and sell is no easy road to riches, but you'll have fun, make friends, and fill your purse like Herman Melville said. The plain truth is no mystery - it's good marketing. Go to http://NancyRobinsonMasters.com and click on "Nancy's books" to see a list of all of the books she has self-published, as well as titles written for major publishers.
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Establishing
the Right Point of View: "Dalquist was shaking with rage, tears streaking down her face. 'Get out,' she whispered. Then she lunged for the other woman, shrieking, 'Get out! Get out!' Tamlinn managed to hide her surprise at the doctor's reaction; she'd expected an angry denial, not near-hysteria. With an exultant laugh, she dodged Dalquist and ran for the door to the head. It hissed shut behind her. Shaking uncontrollably with the roiling emotions the other woman had dredged up, Dalquist collapsed onto the bed, sobbing, and covered her face with her hands." Yikes! Reading this excerpt from my first novel now, I'm not surprised that agents bounced it back to me so fast, the glue was barely dry on the stamp. If you can see what's wrong with this excerpt, congratulations. You understand point of view (POV). If not, don't feel bad; of all the skills a writer must learn, maintaining point of view seems to be one of the hardest. As a freelance editor, I see POV slips in almost every manuscript I work on. Once attuned to it, a careful reader will even notice subtle POV switches that slip past editors to wind up in published novels. What's wrong with the above excerpt? Paragraph one is ambiguous. Who's the POV character? The tears streaking down Dalquist's face could be either felt or seen. Referring to "the other woman" implies that this scene is from Dalquist's POV. But then, in paragraph two, we are inside Tamlinn's head, privy to her thoughts. There is no way that Dalquist can know what Tamlinn had expected, so Tamlinn must be the POV character. However, in paragraph three, our POV character, Tamlinn, has left the room; the door has shut behind her, leaving the reader behind to see what is impossible for Tamlinn to see. More, the reader knows not only that Dalquist is shaking -- something Tamlinn could have seen, had she stayed -- but that she is shaking because her emotions are in turmoil. Tamlinn may have suspected rage, but "turmoil" suggests more. This is Dalquist's POV. Every scene should have only one POV character, and everything must be filtered through that POV character's perceptions. Only the POV character can know what he or she is thinking -- he can't know what anyone else is thinking, so the reader can't, either. The POV character can't see what's going on behind her or what the person on the other end of the phone line is doing while they are talking, so the reader can't know what's going on in those places, either. Keep that in mind -- stay firmly inside your POV character's head -- and you'll rarely have trouble with point of view. But, isn't it so much easier just to tell the reader what character X is thinking, rather than trying to show it in ways the POV character (and thus, the reader) can see and understand? Why stick to the one-point-of-view rule? Let's look at that again, and we'll see a hint: isn't it so much easier just to TELL the reader what character X is thinking, rather than trying to SHOW it in ways the POV character can see and understand? Yup: "show, don't tell." "People become, in our minds, what we see them do," says Orson Scott Card in his book, "Characters and Viewpoint". We believe what we see more readily than what we're told. And what are readers learning, watching through our POV character's eyes? They're learning about the characters. Firstly, they're learning what character X is like by viewing his actions, and secondly, they're learning about our POV character by how he perceives character X's actions. Yup: characterization. Choosing one POV character strengthens readers' identification with that character. The more readers are carried along with that character, the more willing they are to stay immersed in the fictional dream. There is nothing more jarring to readers than a switch in point of view. They must mentally change gears. If readers are tagging along inside character X's head and then find themselves looking through character Y's eyes, they're confused. THEY STOP READING to figure it out. They come out of the fictional dream. Pull another POV switch without warning, and they may never sink into the dream again. Of course you don't have to tell your entire tale from the POV of only one character, but each character who takes up the mantle of POV must have their very own scene -- not merely one paragraph or one sentence within a scene, but a scene devoted wholly to that character's POV. And to avoid any confusion, you have to let readers know right away that they're now tagging along with character Y for this scene instead of their old pal, character X. Here's how: first, tell readers the POV is changing by leaving a blank space between the end of character Y's scene and the beginning of character X's, or start a new chapter. Now that readers have been primed for a change, don't keep them on tender hooks -- tell them who they're with as soon as possible. Here's an example: "Lexas didn't turn around. His heart thundered for escape; could he die of a coronary at twenty? After an eternity, he walked very deliberately to the door. He heard his mother catch her breath as if about to say more, then release it unformed. He pulled the door shut behind him. His legs went to jelly at the soft click of the latch. * * * Faeston pushed away from the wall as the queen's door opened to release Lexas. The prince actually sagged against the door for a moment, eyes closed. What was wrong, Faeston wondered, and put the question into his friend's name. 'Lex?'" There's no confusion here. We end the first scene in Lexas' head; there's a clear break; we immediately start the next scene with Faeston. "Mastery of viewpoint... requires a fair amount of technical skill," says literary agent, Noah Lukeman, author of "The First Five Pages - A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile", "thus it is not surprising that many amateur writers are revealed in this way. Viewpoint and narration comprise a delicate, elaborate façade, in which one tiny break in consistency can be disastrous, the equivalent of striking a dissonant chord in the midst of a harmonious musical performance." Later, while discussing characterization, he says, "Some novels end up being equally dominated by several characters; they keep progressing, and we're still not sure whose story it is, who we should care about." We've seen how point of view strengthens characterization and helps the reader identify with the character; how it keeps the reader immersed in the story the writer weaves. Resist the temptation to step out of your POV character, and you'll strengthen your story overall. Copyright 2002 Marg Gilks - Reprinted by permission * * * * * Marg Gilks' is a professional editor of short and long fiction; her short stories, poetry, and articles have been appearing in newspapers, newsletters, magazines, and e-zines since 1977. She will be offering a course on "The Fundamentals of Fiction" on Writing-World.com, beginning June 3; please visit http://www.writing-world.com/classes/fiction.html or e-mail moira@writing-world.com for details.
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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.
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NEED A WRITING CONTEST
JUDGE? Sue Long Turner is an award-winning author who has been writing professionally for more than forty years. "I kept three children and a goldfish fed writing for a variety of publications in addition to working full time for television and ad agencies. Now that I'm retired, I enjoy helping others do what I still love to do." Ms. Turner provides brief but thorough critiques for a reasonable fee or honorarium. Her comments are objective, encouraging to the experienced writer, and compassionate to the beginner. All categories, including poetry. Contact: sueturner@texasinternet.com
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Blogging to
Self-Publication That's right, I said blogging, not slogging! A weblog, the name shortened like everything else is on the Web, to blog, is taking over the internet as the favored means of self-publication. Weblogs are online journals, diaries, places for articles and short stories. Writers are using blogs to produce a body of work and to get to an audience that, once garnered, is fiercely loyal. A weblog is usually free to create and maintain. It's easy, too. Once the account is set up and you've chosen the graphic background for your journal, the selected blog program will put you into the publishing business with a click of the mouse button. You do not need to know complicated programming language like html or css, and you don't have to be an artist to have cool graphics to accentuate your writing. You simply access your account, using a password, and then you add your entry. The blogging program does everything else for you. Blogs are places of ideas. With most of these blogs, you can create a space for the reader to make comments, giving you instant feedback on your writing. These journals can be testing grounds for new pieces and are invaluable to writers who want to try something different, but who are having trouble placing their work with traditional publishers. So where do you go to set up a blog? Here's a quick list to get you started:
If you would like to read some popular blogs to get an idea of what people are doing with this new mode of publishing, check out these journals:
Weblogs are probably the best thing that the Internet has ever offered
to writers. Take advantage of this new method of publication. You never
know who might take a peek into your journal. ** * * * * Denise Vitola is the Editor-in-Chief for the Emporium Gazette and a multi-published author including the Ty Merrick series.
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Are you Creative? NO !?? Then hustle to The Haven for Creativity Websites now available
at reasonable prices
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Boring Sentience Mindless, the worm squirmed through the loose dirt, gorging on nutrients as it burrowed. It revelled in the musty flavor of decay as it pushed into the soft, moist, cool flesh. The decomposing ear gave little resistance to the worm as it traveled inward through the pierced ear drum. Oblivious, the worm continued to consume the minerals and proteins, fulfilling one of its two natural reasons for existence. * * * * * An arm quickly encircled his neck, pinching the windpipe and threatening to suffocate him. Cold metal touched his ear, but James never realized how excruciating the pain of a ruptured ear drum could be as the ice pick rammed onward into the brain blinding him in white anguish. Losing his equilibrium, James toppled from his chair. Lying on his back James noticed his oldest and closest friend, Harold, towering over him. James memorized Harold's face, twisted by a small, diabolical but quirky smile. Suddenly Harold loomed nearer and knelt nearby to lean closer to the good ear. "You'll never know why," Harold whispered hoarsely. "And you'll never get revenge, at least, not this time, you bastard." Harold started to stand up then suddenly stopped and raised his hand. As if in slow motion from a "B" movie, James watched the hand turn, the diamonds in Harold's ring languidly sparkling in the light. The hand continued and James stared as it moved toward him. The back of Harold's hand hit his face, the stones of the ring ripping and scratching across his face under the pressure of the blow. James could taste Harold's skin as the hand passed over James' open mouth. The flavor of Harold's flesh seared his mind. "My life may be short," James thought. "But I'll remember that taste for eternity." Harold grabbed the ice pick causing a new intensity of pain deep within James' skull. James felt the pick being pulled from his head. Blood oozed from his ear, pumped in spurts by his heartbeat. He felt it flow with greater intensity as the metal device slipped from his ear. James' life ebbed with the ever expanding pool of deep red icor. Thoughts of revenge burned within his mind penetrating every cell. * * * * * The worm moved through the soft brain tissue, growing in size from the abundant food supply. As it fed it gained something new, a new purpose, a new reason for existing and mutated. The minute metal flakes became grappling hooks within its searching mouth. There was a sentience, vengeful, and it bored through the earth toward its goal. There was a goal: revenge. * * * * * "Oh, Daddy!" the small boy's voice exclaimed. "Look at this one." The lad reached down and pulled the night-crawler from it's hole. "Watch," he said to his father as he placed the worm over his ear. "It tickles." The worm squirmed in the bright light, wriggling about the youngster's ear. It wanted to be back in the moist earth, but yet, the worm knew there was a reason to be in the sunlight. "Here," the little boy said. "Try it." And placed the worm on his father's ear. Still the worm writhed in the heat and sunlight. "You're right," the man said. "It does tickle," and started to reach up to remove it. "Now, get inside. Your mother called." The diamond ring sparkled in the sunlight. The worm inched its thick body over the ear and stretched in the air seeking a new destination. It pulled back over the ear's edge and found the channel leading into the ear. "No, Daddy" the lad said. "Leave it to show mom." Then he hustled inside the house. * * * * * The taste was familiar. This was proper. The small metal hooks dug in and the worm inched into the ear canal propelling itself forward with an unrelenting drive. It felt the fingers trying to wrest it from its location and being pulled backwards. * * * * * Harold held the wriggling worm in the air. "This is how to do it properly, son." The metal fish hook pierced the skin of the worm and it writhed in agony and silently shrieked at the memory of piercing steel. * * * * * Robert Nailor is the Poetry Editor for The Emporium Gazette. He is published in 3 unique e-book anthologies available from 23 House.
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IS YOUR WRITING ILL? Would you like a second opinion about POV, dialogue, selling nonfiction, 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
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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.
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