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November20, 2006 - Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine -- Issue Twenty-Six >> |
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Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine - a FR*E*E monthly ezine for writing parents. ************************************************************** You are receiving this e-zine because you subscribed through e-mail. Unsubscribe information is below. ************************************************************** TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. WELCOME NOTES 2. QUOTES FOR THE MONTH 3. EDITOR'S ARTICLE: WHEN BEING A WRITER IS ENOUGH By DAWN COLCLASURE 4. CONTEST CORNER 5. ADVERTISEMENTS 6. GUEST ARTICLE: LESSONS LEARNED FROM MY LAUNCH OF THIS IS THE PLACE By CAROLYN HOWARD-JOHNSON 7. BOOK EXCERPT 8. BOOK GIVEAWAY 9. WHAT’S UP WITH THE BOOK’S WRITERS 10. BOOK NEWS 11. SITES SITED 12. FREEBIE CORNER 13. WRITING PARENT TIPS FOR OCTOBER 14. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 15. UNSUBSCRIBE INSTRUCTIONS ************************************************************** WELCOME NOTES Hello, Everyone! Welcome to another issue of the Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine! As always, feel free to send me any email at BurningMidnightOil@myway.com with comments, suggestions or just to plain chat. In this issue, you’ll notice a lot of quotes by Natalie Goldberg, author of the highly acclaimed book cherished by writers everywhere, WRITING DOWN THE BONES. Actually, all of this month’s quotes are from Goldberg’s book, which I had the recent pleasure of spending hours reading and enjoying. I happened to read this book while faced with a personal dilemma, and just reading it taught me a powerful lesson. You will see what that lesson’s all about in my article below, “When Being a Writer is Enough.” This month’s guest article comes from Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the novel, THIS IS THE PLACE, the nonfiction award-winning book, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T, and the recent poetry collection, TRACINGS. Her article, “Lessons Learned From My Launch of This is the Place,” tips would-be authors on some handy steps to take when telling the whole world they’ve got a book launch coming up, and just what to do if that launch involves a social gathering. Let the lessons Carolyn had to learn the hard way save you the headache of learning them yourself later on! Enjoy this issue! Hugs, Dawn Colclasure Editor and Publisher http://dmcwriter.tripod.com/ ************************************************************** QUOTES FOR THE MONTH NOTE: All quotes come from Natalie Goldberg’s book, WRITING DOWN THE BONES. “A writer must say yes to life, to all of life.” “If you read good books, when you write, good books will come out of you.” “We learn writing by doing it.” “Own anything you want in your writing and then let it go.” “Handwriting is more connected to the movement of the heart.” “Dive into absurdity and write.” "In essence, that beginner’s mind is where we must come back to every time we sit down to write. There is no security, no assurance that because we wrote something good two months ago, we will do it again. Actually, every time we begin, we wonder how we ever did it before. Each time is a new journey with no maps.” “Where you come from affects your writing.” “Where you are is the place to be writing from.” ************************************************************** EDITOR’S ARTICLE When Being a Writer is Enough By: Dawn Colclasure On one particularly sunny Sunday, I left my church with my emotions in turmoil. A recent article I read online renewed an ongoing struggle with my religious beliefs and I really didn’t know who to turn to to discuss this dilemma that’s been haunting me. Many have tried to explain it all away to me from time to time, even those of differing faiths. Yet it seemed something new would come up, something that highlighted this dilemma, and it made me feel doubts all over again. Consulting my religious text did not help; passages only validated that dilemma. Instead of leaving church that day feeling refreshed and energized, as I had so many times before, I left feeling doubtful and disconsolate. There was, however, one resource I hadn’t yet turned to for advice: A book. More to the point, a nonfiction book written specifically on this subject. My quest for answers compelled me to visit the local bookstore that day, hoping I’d find some book that would clear away my clouds of doubt and confusion. I ended up finally choosing two books which seemed to touch on this subject, leading me to believe they would offer me the help I needed. And because as a writer, I always try to stay on top of other books on writing out there, I picked up a copy of Natalie Goldberg’s classic book, WRITING DOWN THE BONES. I’d often hear such positive and encouraging things about this book, but I had never read it. Now, I’m glad I did. Actually, on that very day I started reading her book, covering half of it in the span of three hours, I wasn’t struggling with religious conflict anymore. Goldberg’s book gave me the answers I needed to help resolve my religious dilemma. The other two books, which disappointed me with their discussion of history and modern religious debates, didn’t speak directly to me. Goldberg’s book did, in every way possible. WRITING DOWN THE BONES is not just a book about writing or being a writer. It is no ordinary book on writing. It talks more about being a writer than it does writing itself, and as I read each chapter, relating to her experiences on so many levels (as a woman, as a divorcee, as a member of a religion, etc.), I soon found it talked about ME. Yes, me. The writer. Me, the person struggling with doubts and confusion. Me, the person who can sit down to write about my conflicts just so I can learn how to resolve them myself, because part of being a writer is exploring who we are, what we know, what we try to understand and what we are trying to see. Given this ability, no book in the world will ever tell you what you need to know. You, the writer, will learn all that you need to know, just by writing about it. Goldberg’s book reminded me of this powerful tool every writer carries. Reading Goldberg’s book, I forgot about who I was. Instead, I remembered WHAT I was: a writer. And being a writer helps me to understand the inner struggles I face. I can write about my problems and confusions, thereby allowing me to solve them, understand them and redefine them. By writing about the inner struggles and turning to who I am to help me extricate myself from personal dilemmas, I can free myself from the restraints of doubt, from the restraints of what somebody else has to say about what something means. My muse knows better. My muse is all I really need to trust. The problems we face and struggle with can never really take away who we are: A writer at heart. *** Dawn Colclasure edits and publishes the Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine, which is a product of her book: BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents (Booklocker). She also writes for the newspaper SIGNews and the Web site, The Shadowlands. She’s been published both on and off the Web, in magazines such as Mothering, American Fitness, Home Education Magazine and HOMEspirations, and Web sites such as Absolute Write, Writing Etc. and Writing World. Visit her on the Web at http://dmcwriter.tripod.com/. ************************************************************** CONTEST CORNER ReadingWriters.com Spooky Twist Writing Contest DEADLINE October 31, 2006 (Midnight, PT) On Halloween, we expect to see haunted houses, jack-o-lanterns and trick-or-treaters. But the unexpected has occurred on the spookiest night of the year, and we aren't sure we can take it. Give us a story that showcases your expertise with the element of surprise. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GRAND PRIZE ~ $100 ~ Website publication ~ Twisted The Collected Stories of Jeffery Deaver ENTRY FEE $5 OPEN to writers worldwide who are over 18 years old. ENTRIES must be original and unpublished. LENGTH up to 1,000 words. WINNER will be announced November 14, 2006. JUDGE for this contest is Elizabeth Guy. Read her bio on The Readers page. WINNING entry will be published on this website November '06 - January '07. As always, author retains ALL rights. Period. Details: http://www.readingwriters.com/contest.htm *** Cross Way Publications is announcing our 11th semi-annual poetry contest July through December 2006 The Rose Of Sharon 1st Prize $60.00 2nd Prize $30.00 3rd Prize $15.00 All poems submitted to this contest will be placed in a Flash Poetry Anthology bearing the name of this contest. The book will be placed on our site at http://www.christianpoetry.org/flash_books.shtml. If you do not wish to have your poetry included in this anthology please advise when you submit your work. At the present time we have 5 entries in this contest. The theme of this contest is "The Rose of Sharon". Guidelines Submit any number of poems (single copies). Ineligible submission categories include translations, published poems (including self-published) and unpublished award winners. Poetry will be judged for form, originality and content. Entry deadline is December 31, 2006. Entries will not be returned. Winners will be posted on our site in January 2007. Please follow these steps (any step not followed will disqualify your submission) and send: Poems: typed, double-spaced on 8 1/2" x 11" paper without your name on page, no more than 1 page per poem, and unstapled. A separate page with your name, address, e-mail address if available, and titles of submitted poems. A check totaling $5 for each poem, payable to Cross Way Publications. Mail to: Cross Way Publications PO Box 3192 Williamsport, PA 17701-0192 Or submit online with Paypal. ************************************************************** ADVERTISEMENTS New Message Board for Writers, Writing Parents and Booklovers!!! The Write Stuff is a new message board created by Dawn Colclasure, a disabled writing parent who loves books! The board offers anyone of similar situations a chance to discuss being a disabled writer, a writing parent or a booklover! The write Stuff offers registered members a chance to swap books, talk shop or discuss Dawn’s books, as well! All writers and booklovers of any age or stage are welcome to participate! Check the new board out here: http://p105.ezboard.com/bthewritestuff66370 *** Check out the FREE Ebook for writing parents EVERYWHERE! From one writing parent to another, “Survival Strategies for Writing Parents” by Dawn Colclasure gives the lowdown on finding time to write, strategies for writing the “skeleton” article and tips and ideas for your home office! Details: http://dmcwriter.tripod.com/id31.html *** Pop artist BRANDON is back! Brandon who gave us the Top 100 Billboard HITS like “Kisses in the night”, “Destiny” and the classic dance tune “Moves” is ready to do it again! Bal Harbour Records Inc. is proud to present our featured artist Brandon with his new single "Don't Go Away". Available now for purchase at our website at: http://www.balharbourrecords.com Go ahead and surf into our website and listen before you buy. Let Brandon take you on a freestyle journey into a whole new dimension. A Portion of the proceeds from the sale of this CD will go to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) The foundation provides college scholarship grants, along with financial aid and educational counseling, to the children of Special Operations personnel who were killed in an operational mission or training accident. www.specialops.org Thank you for all your support Now lets get this party started! Bal Harbour Record Staff *** What's Momfidence? It means believing Oreos make a fine snack...TV won't rot kids' brains...Locks are for doors, not toilets...Hollering happens...Toy guns are harmless fun...And Saturday mornings are for sleep, not tiny-tots soccer. Worry less, wing it more. MOMFIDENCE! An Oreo Never Killed Anybody and Other Secrets of Happier Parenting by Paula Spencer "Bold, true, and a hoot." —Jacquelyn Mitchard, The Deep End of the Ocean, mom of seven "If I weren't dead, I'd give 'Momfidence' Five Stars!" --Erma Bombeck Based the popular "Momfidence!" column in Woman's Day and Paula's features in Parenting and Baby Talk On sale September 5, 2006 Crown/Three Rivers Press To pre-order: http://tinyurl.com/rty64 www.momfidence.com www.paulaspencer.com/work1.htm *** Got a book inside you? Having trouble landing a publisher? Like the idea of actually making a living off your book? If you haven't checked out my latest, here's the scoop... The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living http://www.wellfedsp.com As most of you know, I self-published both The Well-Fed Writer and TWFW: Back For Seconds, and together, these two books - over 50,000 copies in print - have provided me with a full-time living for over five years (and counting…). This latest work explains, in step-by-step detail, exactly how I did it… But that's not all. To truly simplify your marketing efforts, I assembled virtually every piece of marketing material I created in the course of my successful book promotion campaigns in one phenomenal 100-page ebook resource called… The Well-Fed SP Biz-in-a-Box To quote one of my first buyers: "I took a quick look at the Biz-in-a-Box. You're drastically undercharging." You said it, my friend. You have to see this beauty to believe it. The cost? Ridiculously low. About what an evening at the movies (okay, with popcorn and drinks…) would cost: $29.95. But, it gets better… Purchase the Biz-in-a-Box along with the book, and it's only $19.95! Check it all out at http://www.wellfedsp.com. And may all your writing - and now your books, too! - be "well-fed"! Peter Bowerman Know anyone who dreams of making a GOOD living as a writer? Steer them to www.wellfedwriter.com for a FREE report, “Why Commercial Writing?” by Peter Bowerman, author of the award winning Well-Fed Writer titles - how-to standards in the field of lucrative commercial freelancing. Subscribe to THE WELL-FED E-PUB, the critically acclaimed FREE monthly ezine and companion to The Well-Fed Writer series: www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine.shtml. Just Released! The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book Into a Full-Time Living. For full details and FREE report, visit www.wellfedsp.com.. www.copywriter.pro - Freelance Copywriting Services *** My newest e-book is here!!! Whether you're a first time home buyer or already living in a great house, "Home is where the Heart/Money Is" will build your financial future. This 135-page e-book is filled with savvy tips and designer secrets to turn your house into a haven for your family and friends. Buy "Home is where the Heart/Money Is" for only 19.99 and download it instantly. From realizing your dreams of home ownership, to living a thankful life, "Home is where the Heart/Money Is" will help you build wealth and give you a great foundation for your financial future. Buy it today! --SHAUNNA PRIVRATSKY http://www.vonage.com/startsavingnow/ *** Hello Fellow Writers, In celebration of the successful release of my new novel, Pressed Pennies, my publisher has proposed the following: Although the book can be found on B&N.com, Amazon.com (please see posted reviews) and in your local bookstore, you can now purchase the book directly from the publisher at www.SunpiperBooks.com for $10.00, a $5.95 discount (just click on the *Book Clubs Only button)! The publisher's hope is that you will enjoy the book and spread the word to other avid readers. Early Reviews: “Steve Manchester has a gift for expressing through his writing the complicated and transcendent beauty of the human experience with poignant clarity.” – Yolanda King (eldest daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King) Higher Ground "Pressed Pennies is priceless! Steve Manchester has an obvious love of words and an amazing ability to use those words to create lasting images in the reader’s mind. His detail-oriented, richly drawn characters and descriptions make this story leap off the pages." - Joyce Handzo, In the Library Reviews "Pressed Pennies is a tale of love and second chances and affirms that love can come at any stage of life if we are just open. This is a book that is sure to warm your heart." - Roberta Austin, The Compulsive Reader Sincere thanks for your time and consideration. Best, Steve www.StevenManchester.com ************************************************************** GUEST ARTICLE Lessons Learned from My Launch of This is the Place How to Fill a Theater for your First Book Launch in Ten Tortured Steps By Carolyn Howard-Johnson Your first launch will not be easy. The groundwork must be laid. The work you do will be well worth it, for this launch will be the foundation for any publicity you do for your book in the future, or for your next book. This isn’t about sales. It is about good will and making your first step one you and others will remember forever. 1. Invitation list: Start building e-mail and mail lists early. Early in life, if possible. Include people you’ve met on trips, in classes (especially writing classes because they understand what you’re going through and tend to be supportive), teachers, fellow club members. Throw in distant relatives, graduating class lists, business contacts. Collect fax numbers, too. Someday you may be glad you did.. 2. Publicity List: Building a publicity list requires the ability to weed thistle from the bedding plants. Scour e-groups, phone books, websites, reading material, junk mail. Pick up throw-aways at local restaurants. Don’t be tempted to trust your memory. Write ideas down on scratch paper, bring them home and plop them into your database. Record e-mail addresses, fax numbers and the names of contacts and their titles. If you’ve had personal contact with the person—like a photographer who took your picture for the newspaper, or a producer who helped you ready for an interview on your local cable channel, make a note of it. Include anything that might offer even a remote spark of hope. Don’t include anything that is so off-the-wall you’ll be wasting your time and postage stamp. 3. Celebrity List: This list includes local and state politicians, authors, actors—especially those who might sympathize with whatever you are passionate about. Think about how much cache the attendance of just one of these people can add to your launch. When the time comes, call them to see if you can count on their support and if they agree, ask if you can use their name in media releases. 4. Arrange for a location of interest, one that ties in with the theme of your book if you can. My first launch was at the Gene Autrey Museum of Western Heritage because This is the Place is based on real history, real western history. 5. Arrange for a tie-in with a charity—preferably something that is associated in some way with your book. Mine Autry launch benefited the museum. That, in turn, interested the local press. 6. Offer Something Free: I gave away thimbles because of the sewing imagery in the book. If I had thought about it, a chapbook of recipes or a chapter edited into a story that would stand by itself would have been a better choice because it might not only be kept but passed along to others. Keepability and viral marketing are both vital considerations in the selection of your favor. Let people know about it (and the refreshments!) when you invite them. 7. Use Prior Events to Promote: If you teach classes, speak, do book signings or even pay bills before the event, use those contacts to promote the launch. I tucked invitations the size of business cards into anything I could find. 8. Repetition: Coordinate all your lists. Send your initial media release (preferably your entire kit) one month before the launch. One week after the kit goes out, phone to see if your contacts received the material. Use the occasion to discuss angles that might be useful to the editor, not what you think will sell your book. The next week send faxes and one or two days before, send out e-mail reminders. Try to emphasize something different with each contact. The final e-mail should be personal enough to include an invitation to attend. Your invitation list for personal contacts should be sent by post two weeks in advance with an e-mail reminder just a few days before. 9. Use the Occasion to Update Lists: Have a drawing for something appealing or rare or personal. You might use a guest book. Ask someone to attend to it so that it includes complete information. If someone forgets their zip, as an example, the caretaker would ask them for it. 10. Thank yous. Use the information you have gleaned from your drawing or guestbook to send thank you notes. This is another reminder for sales as well as a sincere expression of your appreciation for their support. Send a small gift to those who helped with food, book sales, your guest book, etc. If you follow these steps for your first launch, your next will be sweet and easy. Lists are like tulip bulbs, they proliferate with hardly any effort once they’ve been planted. Carolyn Howard-Johnson's first novel, This is the Place, and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered are both award-winners. Her fiction, nonfiction and poems have appeared in national magazines, anthologies and review journals. She speaks on culture, tolerance, writing and promotion and has appeared on TV and hundreds of radio stations nationwide. She is an instructor for UCLA Extension's Writers' Program and has shared her expertise at venues like San Diego State's world renowned Writers' Conference and Call to Arts! EXPO. She was recently awarded Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment by the California Legislature; her home town's Character and Ethics Commission honored for her work on promoting tolerance and the Pasadena Weekly named her to their list of "San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen" for literary activism. Her nitty gritty how-to book, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER won USA Book News' Best Professional Book 2004 and her chapbook of poetry, TRACINGS, was named to The Compulsive Readers Top 10 Best Reads for 2004 and was given the Military Writers Society of American Silver Award for Excellence. Carolyn's newest book is The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success . Cheryl Wright of Writer2Writer.com says, "The Frugal Editor will become a well-used reference for writers around the world." Howard-Johnson loves to travel and has studied writing at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, UK: Herzen University in St. Petersburg, RU; and Charles University in Prague. Carolyn is the founder of Authors' Coalition ( http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com ) and editor of the newsletter for that organization as well as a blog ( http://redenginepress.com/chjohnson ) that helps authors turn a dull book fair booth into a sizzling success. Her website is: http://carolynhoward-johnson.com. ************************************************************** BOOK EXCERPT No book excerpt this month. ************************************************************** BOOK GIVEAWAY Wanna score a FREE book?? Win a FREE copy of the collection of dark, horror poetry by Dawn Colclasure, TOPIARY DREAMS! Details of the book can be found here: http://projectpulp.com/item_detail.asp?bookID=-1848178283 How to win?? Simple! Be the FIRST PERSON to email any quote from this Ezine to Dawn at BurningMidnightOil@myway.com BEFORE November 15th, and it's YOURS! Good luck! ************************************************************** WHAT'S UP WITH THE BOOK'S WRITERS? The following is news of writers you can read interviews with in Volume One of the MIDNIGHT OIL book. JIM VINES, interviewed in Volume One, has a new Web site!!! Check this out: I’d like to invite you to the grand unveiling of the all-new IZEN-VINES PRODUCTIONS website. For those of you unaware of just who Izen and Vines were (and are), allow me to elucidate… Back in high school ('77-'81), I became friends with a fellow by the name of Scott Izen. We were not simply friends, we were creative partners who wrote, produced, and acted in our own student-produced films and television shows. We mostly performed sketch comedy in the vein of “Monty Python,” and a majority of what we did was somewhat twisted and very silly. After high school, Scott and I continued our creative output with other video projects and even some stage work. I’ll tell ya, those were some seriously fun and creative times for both of us. So here we are all these years later and Scott’s living his life and I’m living mine (both quite happily, thanks very much) — and we recently got to thinking, “Gosh, it would be a real shame to keep all that old material and memorabilia hidden away in some dark storage vault!” And that’s why we’re now sharing it with YOU on our new website! As you’ll discover, the site boasts a superfluity of amusing material: interviews, photographs, artwork, screen-captures, newspaper clippings, video and audio clips. We’re certain you’ll find something there that will put a smile on your face. (If not, seek professional help.) So I hope you’ll drop whatever it is you’re doing and take some time to check out the IZEN-VINES PRODUCTIONS website. I think you’ll be glad you did! Thanks…and enjoy! Jim www.IzenVines.com ************************************************************** BOOK NEWS What's the latest with the first volume of BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents? No book news this month. ************************************************************** FREEBIE CORNER Free Online Cookbook http://www.momsnetwork.com/newmomsnet/index.php?page=articles&id=1017 Free animated signatures and names http://www.anisigs.co.uk/ Free horror clip-art (PLEASE NOTE! NOT FOR CHILDREN’S EYES!) http://www.cavernsofblood.com/scarystuff.html Free Halloween games http://www.freehalloween.com/ Free Halloween Screensavers http://www.freehalloweenscreensavers.com/ Free Halloween crafts http://www.allcrafts.net/halloween.htm Download the Opera browser FREE http://www.opera.com/free/ Steven Barnes’ Free Writing Class http://www.lifewrite.com/html/class.htm ************************************************************** SITES SITED The following are interesting, helpful sites that I’d like to pass on. Parents Without Partners: http://www.parentswithoutpartners.org/ Tobias S. Buckell Online: http://www.tobiasbuckell.com/wordpress/ U.S. Newswire: http://www.usnewswire.com/ BookPage: http://www.bookpage.com/ FantasyBookSpot.com: http://www.fantasybookspot.com/ Newbie-Writers.com: http://www.newbie-writers.com/ FindTuition.com: http://www.findtuition.com/index.php?siteid=tuit&lr=tuit DannyWood.NET: http://www.dannywood.net/ The Official Site of the Chicago Bulls: http://nba.com/bulls/ OnlineAuction.com: http://www.onlineauction.com/ ************************************************************** WRITING PARENT TIPS FOR OCTOBER: TIP: Single and divorced parents, use the FREE time your child(ren) has visits with another parent/guardian to squeeze in that time to write! TIP: Take advantage of the Halloween season, AND of convenient, easy writing projects like children’s stories, poems and flash fiction, to make this Halloween season a fun-filled writing event for the whole family! TIP: Have a safe Halloween! ************************************************************** WANNA SUBMIT TO THIS E-ZINE?? I am always open to submissions for the E-zine!! Feel free to submit any of the following: 1. An article. Any style and length. Articles must relate to writing, being a writing parent or successful business/marketing ideas. If the article is a reprint, you must own the reprint rights. 2. Tips for writing parents. 3. Advertising info, a freebie link, fan mail or, if you are included in the book, news and updates on what’s going on in your writing life! PLEASE NOTE: Payment for submissions has been restored to $5 per article, payable on publication. And, please, be sure to include your bio with submissions. It gets everything moving a little faster. :) ************************************************************** You are subscribed to this E-zine because you requested a subscription or signed yourself up on your own. To unsubscribe, send a blank e-mail to: 59308-unsubscribe@zinester.com |
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| << September05, 2006 - Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine -- Issue Twenty-Four |
November20, 2006 - Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine -- Issue Twenty-Six >> |
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