In this issue:

• When it's time to say goodbye

• Starbooks?

• LJ Dovichi gets good a juggling

Writing is hard work-- and there are no shortcuts. When it comes right down to the nitty gritty, it's just you and that glowing computer screen. That's when you need to know the basics of writing and finishing your novel. Learn the no-nonsense, no-frills writing that will give you the tools to finish that novel and start submitting to publishers! Now open enrollment-- Click here!

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With Susan Gunelius

NEW! Do you want to transition your writing career to include copywriting in your list of services? This course will teach you the fundamentals of writing compelling marketing and advertising copy that will exceed your clients’ expectations. You'll learn not to be intimidated or overwhelmed by copywriting, but rather to be inspired and confident each time you tackle a new copywriting project. Starts April 1! Click here!

Welcome, Absolute Writers!

If you're working on the internet at all, and even slightly interested in getting the word out about your site, you need to read this article by Cory Doctorow: 
 

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206903066 
 

When I got to this part, I knew I had to point you to the article:

I encountered an example of exactly that, while I was assembling this week's Absolute Markets Premium newsletter. (You can get a free sample issue here.) 

I was cruising the websites of little poetry and fiction markets, and came across what looked like a promising site, so I clicked on the guidelines and right-clicked to include a quote from the writers' guidelines, for our Markets Newsletter.  I immediately got a snotty message in a little pop-up javascript box, telling me that I couldn't legally copy any text from the site.  You know what happened? Here's a hint -- I can promise you I didn't type the paragraph of text out, for the Markets newsletter . . .

And that's an ezine that will never get a listing in the AW newsletter with the nice accompanying plug and link back to the site.  For that matter, it's an ezine that I'll never so much as email a single friend about, either. It's simply not worth the extra effort, and what am I going to say?  "Go look at this cool ezine - I can't give you any examples or quotes or even so much as a single smart, beautiful sentence, to show you what I mean about how cool it is unless I carefully and painstakingly type them out from one window into another -- which is such an enormous pain in the butt that I just don't have time to mess with it, so you'll just have to go check it out for yourself."    
 

It really is a sort of internet suicide, to try and control how people link you or even what they copy from your site.  And to make it difficult for readers to share tasty tidbits of your site, to lure their friends and family into checking you out?  That's just dumb.  If you've put it on the internet, your currency is in traffic. 
 

Look, I realize that writers are instinctively inclined to be utterly freaked at the idea that our words -- the words we've sweated and paced the floor over -- might get swiped, plagiarized, given away, or good-lord-anything-but-THAT *gasp* changed without our permission.  We have to get over that.  Seriously. It runs directly contrary to how the web works -- and if we want the web to work for us then we need to understand the nature of the medium. 
 

Go forth.  Read the article.  If those are mistakes you're making on your own site, fix them! 
 

Write hard this week, folks.  Write true.  And write on! 

PROMPT OF THE WEEK

Spring

This week, writers want to know about:

* The experience of being pregnant

* Slang of the 1940s and 1950s

* Mid-life crises

* Dissociative identity disorder

* Mac vs. Mc

* Stab wounds

* The reading of a will and life insurance

and more.

To answer a question or ask one of your own, visit: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=66

Never posted at the forums before? Start here:

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34886

WRITE MORE AND WRITE MORE OFTEN… Achieve Your 2008 Writing and Publishing Goals

http://www.writingtogether.com

"Six Proven Secrets to Writing a Trash-Proof Press Release"
By Bill Stoller, Publisher
Free Publicity, The Newsletter for PR-Hungry Businesses
http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp

In baseball, it's said that you know an umpire is top-notch when you never notice his presence. If he's doing his job, he won't call attention to himself in any way. It's much the same for the writer of a press release. When the recipient of a press release focuses only on its content-- and not on its creation-- the writer has succeeded. With that in mind, here's how to develop a style that can help give you a big edge in placing your press releases.

Read more:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/specialty_writing/six.htm

Like most authors, I belong to several writing-related organizations and groups, and subscribe to a number of newsletters, e-zines, and databases. After being ggone for several weeks during the holidays, I began looking at all the writing-related endeavors I'm involved with and came to the following realization-- I needed to tell some of them goodbye. 

Maybe it was returning to e-mail inboxes overflowing with newsletters and e-zines that would most likely never get read or the fresh promise of a new year, but I knew it was time for some serious house cleaning.

Read more:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/freelance_writing/sometimes.htm

Absolute Markets Premium.

Absolutely Essential.

Magazines, book publishers,  international calls for freelance writers plus exclusive interviews with editors and publishers you won't find anywhere else all in one newsletter and delivered to your inbox every other week. Subscribe for less than $0.58 per issue!

http://www.absolutemarkets.com

FIRST PERSON

"Becoming Adept at Juggling"
By LJ Dovichi

I'd always dreamed of becoming a professional writer but I was too busy working to take the time. Sure, I had free time, but I spent it doing things with my husband, not because I had to but because I wanted to.

Then I gave birth to our son and the luxury (first time mom, what did I know?) of being a stay-at-home mom presented itself. I figured it was the perfect opportunity to start my writing career. Well, actually it was more like after my son turned one and started sleeping through the night did it seem like the perfect opportunity.

Read more:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/freelance_writing/becoming_adept.htm

Shop Amazon, support AW!

Our new Absolute Write Amazon store means you can shop Amazon's books, DVDs, electronics, software, toys, and games with us and then check out through Amazon.com to securely complete your transaction! Click here to get started!

Starbooks, "The Starbucks Chronicles"
By Noelle Sterne

Another Friday, and here I was on the Starbucks line, waiting for my choice of word-inspiring ambrosia. As the line inched along, I gazed longingly at the pastry shelf next to the counter. Then, with more discipline than it takes to sit down at the computer, I tore my eyes away from the brownies with everything and forced my head toward the opposite shelf. 

There stood a three-tiered, eye-catching green and yellow display stand-- not of less damaging Danish or modest biscotti-- but of a book! Was the management suggesting we drink in words with our brew?

Read more:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/freelance_writing/Sterne/starbooks.htm

Invest in Your Writing!!

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Make Your Website Work Harder for You!

Laura Wright's Developing a Web Presence for "Local" Writers and Optimize Your Web Presence are designed to help you get the most out of your website and blog! No experience? No problem! Classes start every Monday!

Click here for details and registration:

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We're always looking for new interviews, articles, essays, and humor for this newsletter. We pay $0.02 per published word ($10 minimum) or a 1-year subscription to the Absolute Markets Premium Edition ($15 value, see  www.absolutemarkets.com for a free sample). We're happy to consider reprints, and we ask only for nonexclusive electronic rights. Got some advice for your fellow writers?Check out our guidelines here:  Writers' guidelines

WATER COOLER

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Tonto Books' North East New Novelist 2008

(due March 31, 2008; no entry fee; win publication)

http://www.tontobooks.com/writers/

12th Annual Rhode Island International Film Festival: call for entries

(August 5-10, 2008; Providence, RI)

http://www.film-festival.org/index07A.htm

Edgewise Media/Panasonic Digital Media Film and Video Shorts 2008 Awards

(due March 31, 2008; no entry fee; win $5,000)

http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/edgewise-media/index.shtml

Travel Writers Wanted!

There's great demand for an elite corps of highly skilled, professional travel writers...a pool of travel writing specialists that can be relied on to write vivid, lively and interesting articles.

If you ever dreamed about the romantic life of a travel writer, here's a very unusual opportunity to actually live it!
http://www.absolutewrite.com/dt/t/travelawn.php

Inexpensive Exposure for Your Writing

Writers and Services for Writers: If you have a website, we'll set up your company or book information in the Absolute Write Writers Directory. The listing is just $10 and you'll be showcased in the category of your choice.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/site/writers_directory.htm

E-books For Writers!

Check out the Absolute Write E-book store at:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/ebookstore/index.htm

All titles are recommended by Absolute Write!

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