"Absolutely Bursting with writing, publishing and marketing content for the online writer..."
|
"Absolutely Bursting with writing, publishing and marketing content for the online writer..." |
|
| Editor: Darren Andrews. | 8th August, 2003. |
|
CONTENTS
EDITORIALCows, Ping Pong and Publishing Opportunities This issue's editorial comes straight from my home office where, on Wednesday, the temperature hit 43 C (111 F). Outside it got up to 36 C (97 F), with humidity of 50% that's a "feel" of about 40 C (104 F)! Do you know how hard it is to write when it's so hot and humid? ;) I soldier on... OOPPSS.... First of all thanks to Carol Todd an eagle-eyed reader who noticed I had spelt "academic" incorrectly in the last issue (and who very magnanimously asked if perhaps "acadamic" was a British spelling - no such luck!) HUMOUR Humour? What, in the WAPA? A friend sent these to me and I thought you might enjoy them. They've nothing to do with writing but heck they're fun ;)
Matrix Ping Pong
Matrix Cow My favourite is the first ;) Ehem, to more serious matters... IN THIS ISSUE... Don't miss our featured article by Bob McElwain of ActionTales.com - it's vital you understand it if you ever intend to publish anything (offline or on)! Rita Keller of cacoethes-scribendi.com is looking for writing Instructors - check out her announcement near the end of this issue! PUBLISHING UPDATE Things are progressing well with the new publishing company. We are, as you'll know, setting up whilst simultaneously requesting submissions. We are building a list of researchers, indexers, writers, copy editors, proof-readers, and illustrators. If you want to be a part of it then check out the details here: http://www.writers-and-publishers.com/info.html This should explain the basics. *Please* do read the submission rules before submitting! Currently we are especially in need of indexers and researchers - and always for manuscripts; but even if you've a great idea for a book let us know and we'll find the writers to get it written! In the next issue I'll be sharing more about the company and who we are - and what we're about! Stay tuned! **************************** MANUSCRIPTS PLEASE! If you have a completed manuscript for a book of a mainstream nature then send it in and we'll review it! All manuscripts will be read though cannot be returned. Do not submit without first reading the rules for doing so! rules: http://www.writers-and-publishers.com/info.html email: mailto:publish@writers-and-publishers.com **************************** CRITIQUE CONTEST #2 "Guerrilla Marketing for Writers: 100 Weapons for Selling Your Work" by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman & Michael Larsen...
Take a peek inside the cover of this contest's prize: (Just click"look inside" on the cover) "This book teaches the marketing tools every writer needs to know today." (John Gray, author of "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus") Details in Contest Corner section of this issue! Enjoy the rest of this issue, To Your Online Writing Success! Darren Andrews, Editor.
FEATURED ARTICLENever, Ever Release Any Of Your Rights To Anyone by Bob McElwain One of the grandest scams on the Web, which goes largely unnoticed, is for a web-based bookseller or publisher to require some rights to your work in exchange for the service to be provided. Many demand the electronic rights, for example. Don't do it! Never, ever release any of your rights. Here's why. The Writer's Goal Winning the writing game means becoming an established author, one who sells a new book every year or two. One who earns enough to live comfortably from his or her writing alone. The first step toward achieving this goal is to be published by a major house in the real world. That is, offline. Most will not even consider your book if you've muddied the water by releasing or selling any rights to it. Sure, there are exceptions. Some have self-published, then later made a deal with a major house. And the stories make grand reading. But there are not a lot of them. The Better Plan If you are serious about writing, grab a copy of "Writer's Market," then read and follow the rules. While many publishers buy an occasional manuscript directly from an author, your best bet is to find an agent and leave the manner of presentation to publishers in capable hands. (An agent is worth his or her weight in gold in helping you decipher a contract!) It will probably take some time to find an agent. Begin another tale while doing so. And once you find one, while waiting further and hoping for great news, continue writing. If the agent you found can't make it happen, look for another. But keep writing. Again, there are success stories of those who bypassed agents and went directly to a publisher. But unless you're one heck of a salesperson and really in tune with what each publisher is looking for, leave it all to an agent, and do what you do best. Namely, write. How Rights Released Can Bite Bingo. You've made a sale. A good house, too. You and your agent are jumping with joy. Hey, you're on your way! But wait one. A few years back, electronic rights were negotiable, and often retained by the author. So you released these rights, or part of them, to gain some exposure on the Web. But now your publisher-to-be wants them. What for? Books by major authors are selling in electronic formats. The entire publishing industry is closely tuned in to this rapidly changing part of the book arena. Okay, back to the what your publisher-to-be wants. Will they go through the legal hassles and pay the costs to recover those rights you handed out? Or will they just grab another title from the in-stack? If you were in their position, what would you do? The bottom line? You have just lost a shot at the big time. You get to start over with a new book. And you'll probably have to hunt up another agent as well. Why Risk it? Don't sell or release any of your rights to any of your work until absolutely convinced it is not salable to a major print publisher. Then, and only then, should you consider taking it to the Web and seeing what you can make happen. A Case In Point I finished "They Who Betray" (available at http://www.ActionTales.com )in late 1991. I gave up trying to sell it in 1994. Even earlier, it was obvious major houses were no longer interested in this kind of tale. The manuscript has been dozing on various computer disks ever since. While I'd love to have sold it to Pocket Book, I wasn't able to. So off to the Web I have gone. I'm excited about the possibilities. While fame and glory is unlikely to be obtained, lots of people will find they like the tale. And that will be a win for me, any way you look at it. But I would never have made this move had I believed there was even a chance of selling it to a major house. If you're serious about your writing career, you'll follow the same path. Head for the Web as the last resort, never as the starting point. One Exception All who climb a mountain do not hunger to become a noted mountaineer. And all who write a book, do not yearn to be an established author. So if you wrote a book for the fun of it, and now want to share it with family and friends, jump right into the Web bit. Check out services available or self-publish on your own. Either way, go for it. Play By The Rules But if you're serious about writing and dream of becoming an established author, take the conservative, conventional route. This gives you the greatest opportunity for success. Yes, I know. The competition is fierce. But there's a bit of this on the Web as well. The last numbers I saw suggest there are over 100,000 titles available on the Internet. To sell effectively through any website, you'll need a heck of a book. Then you'll have to somehow find your way beyond all those "Buy-Me!" pleas associated with each and every one of those 100,000+ titles. Can it be done? Sure. But it's not easy. Certainly it's not easier than gaining the confidence of an agent who can sell your work to a major publishing house.
--------------------------------------
Bob McElwain Editor's Comment This neatly follows on from last issue's featured article, and I've even included a link to it on the publishing info page! Many writers get confused about the difference between publishing their books electronically (or by Print On Demand) *and* Publishing them with a traditional publisher. If you intend to publish your writing it is vital you know what's in this article (it's not long or difficult to understand). -Ed. WORDCRAFTInspiration, Tips and Exercises to Help You Write Well (+) Writers' Wisdom"I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter." ~ James Michener. Source: http://www.quotegarden.com/writing.html (+) Writing Tip Compound Nouns These are words that are joined (usually by a hyphen). You need to be careful when using the PLURAL form of compound nouns: * armful / armfuls (you don't suddenly sprout more arms to cope with the extra load) * mother-in-law / mothers-in-law (you get another mother, not another law) * manservant / menservants (this one likes to be absolutely sure and takes the -s as well as the 'men') * man-eater / man-eaters (presumably the sharks - or females - can only cope with ONE man at a time). Contributor: Jennifer Stewart. Subscribe to her free weekly Writing Tips: or start your six-part Writing Course now. (+) Writing Exercise Lunchbreak Word Salad 1. Pick three words, nouns or adjectives. Use a magnetic poetry kit, slips of paper from a hat, your child’s spelling homework, or just look around and write down three things you see. 2. Set a timer for five minutes. Open your word processor, sharpen your pencil; take the phone off the hook. Whatever. Prepare to write. 3. Begin, and follow the rules: Create a scene, or continue one you’ve been writing. Use one of your three words as the fist word in a sentence; you may change tense, mood, or number, may not use any article before the word. All three words must be used in the first paragraph. Continue writing until the buzzer sounds. 4. Turn off the buzzer. Read what you’ve written, or just keep going. This issue's Writing Exercise was submitted by Sylverre, creative and intellectual pursuits http:bookwyrm.hypermart.net
This issue's Writing Exercise was submitted by Sylverre,
creative and intellectual pursuits (+) Wordhoard summerings - rustic celebrations originally enjoyed on Midsummer's Day. Remember, you should always try to use the Wordhoard word in your conversation or writing before the next issue comes out in two weeks' time! ;) Please send all Wordcraft contributions here. (do not send attachments or large html emails - they will not be downloaded!) YOUR ARTICLES!
Read the latest articles at: If you want to submit an article, a word of warning: I reject most and give no explanation. Of course, most of them are non-writing-related marketing articles which I clearly state as being inappropriate on the submission page. For the rules and the form to submit your article, go here: http://www.writers-and-publishers.com/submit.html If - and I highly recommend it - you want to earn revenue from the writing course advertised at the bottom of your article page then sign up (free) to do so here: ---------TIP
CONTEST CORNER(+) Critique Contest #2 Top BEST-SELLING BOOK ON OFFER! (see end of this section) AUGUST CONTEST The reader who best critiques the sample below will win the prize. If you want to submit your own sample for a future contest then here are the rules:
Now the rules for the Contest... Make your critique as long or short as you will. Try to be as complete as possible in your critiques: consider the overall 'feel' of the piece as well as the finer critical points. Provide a balanced critique! Make your critiques more than just an edit. When submitting a critique you should end with your name, email address and/or link that you wish to be published under should you win! Your name/link will be mentioned in the WAPA if you win! Critiques must be in by 4th September 2003. Here's the Sample:
A cool breeze lightly brushed her cheek as they rode along.
In the distance gulls in graceful flight cried out their
lonesome call, and for a moment, she was lost in the
serenity of it all.
They made their way down the narrow, very rough roadway,
climbing with the switchbacks to a ridgetop that crested a
thousand feet above the sea. She was in awe of the great
expanse before her. It was rugged, windblown and fogdamp.
They rollarcoasted from timbered gulch to craggy headlands
and wheeled along the brink of knife-edged cliffs where
Pacific waves exploded with thunderous eruptions of surf
and spray. The truck jerked and swayed back and forth as
they made their way along the steep hill towards the ranch
house. She could barely see the rooftop of the house
nestled in a grove of trees to the right of the roadway.
Her mind wandered back to Bayberry where she grew up. Why
had things turned out so badly? She could still remember
the sorrow in her mother’s voice and the emptiness in her
father’s eyes.
THE PRIZE "Guerrilla Marketing for Writers: 100 Weapons for Selling Your Work" by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman and Michael Larsen... The winner will receive a print copy delivered to their doorstep! This book has sold over 1 million copies and I have a copy myself!
See the book at Amazon: MARKET WATCHTools, Resources, Services, Products and Opportunities to Help You in Writing, Publishing, Promoting, and in Generating Revenue and Traffic... (+) Google Adsense Google is a search engine and is now generally accepted as just about the best out there (knocking Overture off the number one position according to many Internet marketers). Now it's just launched a new program called Adsense. What is it? Well, basically you allow your site to display the AdWords (the green boxed ads to the right of the screen when you look at Google search results) of their advertisers and they'll pay you according to how many people click on those ads. Some believe this revenue model could be the beginning of the demise of affiliate programs! I don't know about that, but it is very simple to put in place and that will attract a lot of users. You join Google (free) and then just insert a piece of code into your site and you're done! They deal with everything else. I'm testing it in the WAPA. I hate unrelated ads, so this will be my bugbear. If it can be overcome then I might keep them and see how they perform! Find out more here: https://www.google.com/adsense/home If you've got a good traffic site this could be a way to start getting extra revenue in a matter of minutes! (+) Free sample ebook - 30 Days To Internet Marketing Success by Joe Kumar hot! Joe Kumar is 18. He came online just 2 years ago. He has made hundreds of thousands of dollars since his first ebook launched just a few months ago! His ebook is the hottest info product out there right now. Period. What's in it? Well, Joe went to all the top Internet marketing gurus and asked them what they would do if they lost their money, name, list and contacts and had to start from scratch - as if they had just come online for the first time. In his book "30 Days To Internet Marketing Success" Joe has each guru go through the exact steps - day by day - they would take to become successful in 30 days. Get a f re e sample of this ebook (content-limited) at: http://www.writers-and-publishers.com/sample30days.pdf Or go straight to the main site here. (+) New Way To Make and Receive Payments Online StormPay is set to become the new PayPal but with some interesting and welcome differences... (+) Writers' "Value" Link Exchange hot! "The World's only True-Blue, Real Link Exchanger that works!" A powerful PREseller, now your friends, colleagues, visitors, readers, and just about anyone else can find high-value, similarly themed sites, then exchange links to truly increase your link popularity, in a way that then engines love. Visit: http://value-exchange.sitesell.com P.S. If you want to use the value exchange as a way of earning commission on Sitesell products then sign up as an affiliate for free at: http://affiliates.sitesell.com (+) Would You Like To Be In the Top 50 Writing Sites? If you want to be in the "Top 50" then click here now. Or how about being listed on the "Best Writing Sites and Top Writer-Related Sites"? Get listed by clicking here. ANNOUNCEMENTS & REQUESTS(+) Writing Instructors wanted I am in the process of expanding the writing courses offerings at Cacothes-scribendi.com. If you are a writing instructor and would be interested in teaching writing courses via email at CS, please drop me an email: mailto:katrinka2@earthlink.net To see a sample of what is already offered, go to: http://writingcourses.cacoethes-scribendi.com/courses.html How you design your email writing course is up to you. You set the times, fees, length and format. I do not require exclusivity, so if you're free to teach anywhere else. And of course, you own all rights to your courses. I'm looking to expand the course offerings so eventually Cacoethes-Scribendi.com can be a place where anyone who wants to write can find a course that interests him/her. I look forward to hearing from you... Rita Marie Keller, List Owner OnlyWritingArticles,
Cacoethes Scribendi Creative Writing Workshop (+) New Ebooks Published by WAPA Subscribers #1 Writing Basics by Liana Metal Subject: How to get published fast. A mini guide book for new writers, practical and easy. Get it from : http://liamet.tripod.com/ebooks #2 Bedtime Stories by Liana Metal Subject: Children’s stories/fiction/illustrated Six original stories for kids, or for the kid in yourself! Get it from : http://liamet.tripod.com/ebooks (+) Do You Own A Writing-Related Site That Makes $1000 or More Per Month? If so, a new site launching in a few weeks wants to hear from you now! It won't cost you a penny, and will bring you some great exposure! For more information email me and write that you are responding to this announcement.
|
Copyright © 2003, Writers-and-Publishers.Com, Andrews Technology Marketing.
