|
Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine Archives Index
|
Subscribe
|
|
| << January15, 2005 - Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine -- Issue Nine |
March16, 2005 - Burning The Midnight Oil Book Zine -- Issue Eleven >> |
|
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: THE BENEFITS OF WORKING FROM HOME by Dawn Colclasure 4. CONTEST CORNER 5. ADVERTISEMENTS 6. GUEST ARTICLE: REVIEW OF WRITING BASICS by Bill Savanis 7. BOOK EXCERPT: 365 TIPS FOR WRITERS: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat The Block Tips to Turbo Charge Your Creativity 8. MARKETS 9. INDUSTRY INTERVIEW 10. BOOK GIVEAWAY 11. WHAT??™S UP WITH THE BOOK??™S WRITERS 12. BOOK NEWS 13. SITES SITED 14. FREEBIE CORNER 15. WRITING PARENT TIPS FOR FEBRUARY 16. FORUM NEWS 17. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 18. UNSUBSCRIBE INSTRUCTIONS ******************************************************************* Welcome Notes Hello, Everyone! Happy (belated) Valentine??™s Day! In addition to spending time with real, live loved ones, I??™m hoping you found some time to spend with another true love: Your muse. After reading a certain essay in WOMAN??™S DAY MAGAZINE, I was ready to shoot a letter off to the magazine suggesting that the author of the work-from-home bashing essay, Marnell Jameson, pick up a copy of BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents to get some ideas on how to thrive as an at-home journalist even with small children underfoot. Instead, I wrote an article about five great benefits of working from home. I can only wish Ms. Jameson would use them as a reminder of how much working from home can benefit everyone, and not just herself (after all, you give the environment a break since you??™re not driving to work so much!). And even as I didn??™t include a pointer on how you get to be there for your children (I??™ve already done this angle to death), I??™m hoping they still strike a motivational chord in working-from-homers everywhere. Also in this issue, you??™ll find a review by writer Bill Savanis. He??™s reviewed WRITING BASICS, an eBook by Liana Metal, who you can read all about in Volume One of BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL! I enjoyed this review and hope you find it to be useful, as well. As always, feel free to E-mail me anytime at BurningMidnightOil@hotmail.com with comments, suggestions or just to plain chat. Enjoy this issue! Hugs, Dawn Colclasure Editor and Publisher http://dmcwriter.tripod.com/ ******************************************************************* Quotes for the Month ???The link between my experience as an entrepreneur and that of a politician is all in one word: freedom.??? ??“Silvio Berluscon ???Nobody talks of entrepreneurship as survival, but that's exactly what it is and what nurtures creative thinking.??? ??“Anita Roddick "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage."??”Niccolo Machiavelli "The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.?????”Nolan Bushnell "The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it."??”Debbi Fields "Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States."??”Ronald Reagan ???When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him: 'Whose?'??? ??“Don Marquis ******************************************************************* EDITOR??™S ARTICLE The Benefits of Working From Home Copyright ?“ 2005 by: Dawn Colclasure ???Be your own boss.??? ???Live your dreams now.??? ???Take charge of your career.??? ???Make money working from home.??? Sound familiar? To many who only dream of working from home, it does. And while these one-phrase wonders leave everyone trudging through their 9-to-5 jobs fantasizing of a lucrative, relaxed lifestyle of working from home, certain roadblocks exist. Once these roadblocks hit, many people think that working from home isn??™t for them. However, keep in mind five key benefits of working from home and those roadblocks, such as poorly structured schedules and isolation, will make the doom and gloom fade away. Ask yourself why you choose to work from home in the first place. Is it to be at home with your children? To set your own schedule? To avoid the pressures and hassles of a long commute and irritable coworkers? Write these reasons down and go over them with a spouse, relative or friend. Then after you??™ve had the opportunity to remember why exactly you chose to work from home (and put this reason up on your wall in your workspace), think over the five following key benefits of working from home and add this reminder to your list of reasons. 1. You set your own hours. Remember that scene in the movie 9 TO 5, where at the beginning all of the characters working for somebody else sleepily turned off their alarm clocks and shuffled out of bed? If you work from home, this doesn??™t have to be you. In fact, you don??™t even have to start working before noon! However, if you have children, you may have to compromise your schedule, and being your own boss means that can be at any time of the day ??“ or night. You can work from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., 2 a.m. to 8 a.m., 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. then 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and so on. 2. No boss breathing down your neck. One thing I simply CANNOT stand when I??™m working at home is a person standing behind me, hovering RIGHT THERE and watching every single thing that I do. When you work from home, nobody will watch you! If you have children, you may become the object of a child??™s curiosity as you sit at the desk, vigorously typing. Yet, for the most part, there??™s no boss making sure you??™re working and not playing Solitaire and there??™s no nosy coworker spying on you in order to rat you out. In fact, if you adjust your work-from-home schedule accordingly, you??™ll be able to get a good portion of the job done in virtual solitude. 3. You save money. Aside from having to dole out money for the occasional paper or pens, you won??™t have to break the bank if you work from home. While on the surface it may seem like working from home means more money going out than it does in, the truth is, the money you save can add up. Think of all the things you??™d have to spend money on if you were working outside of home: Gas, lunches, clothing (including the occasional pair of shoes), cell phone minutes and childcare. Now think about what you??™ll need to spend money on working from home: Supplies. That??™s right, just one thing. There may be the occasional dash out of the house to mail a package or to pay for lunch with a client, but these expenses won??™t happen as frequently as they would if you were working for somebody else. An extra bonus: Instead of having your meals limited based on where a coworker is picking up lunch or where you??™re being taken to a client lunch, you get to choose healthier, less expensive meals. 4. You get to have your own work environment. In an episode of THE DREW CAREY SHOW, the character, Mimi, who is addicted to those Troll dolls, met with a harsh wave of criticism after she put an army of the dolls on her desk. Had she been decorating her desk from her home office, this wouldn??™t have happened. In fact, she could put the dolls anywhere her heart desired and work in peace. This is just one of the things anyone working outside of home has to put up with. Sure, the occasional poster or picture may be allowed in a work area, but what are the chances you can burn incense, face the window where you??™ll get to watch the rising (or setting) sun and play some Hank Williams, Jr., too? An extra bonus is that you get to CHOOSE what kind of work environment you??™ll have. You get to finally use an ergonomically-friendly keyboard and a desk chair with better back support. And for the pregnant work-from-homers? No shoes and a footstool. 5. You feel better about yourself. If anything, working from home means one thing only: You are in control of your work life. Your job doesn??™t own you; you own it. You??™re your own boss, you make your own money (often more than you??™d make if you were working for somebody else!), you get to take a longer break and be there for any emergencies, you don??™t have to deal with the stress of a long commute, you feel more relaxed and refreshed, you ate a healthy meal and found time to exercise but, more importantly, you worked at your own pace. You didn??™t have a boss knocking on your door every five minutes asking about a report; you did your own report on your own time and got the job done without interruption. You??™ve really accomplished something today, because you put in your own work hours from the comfort and safety of your own home. Keep the above five points in mind the next time you start to think working from home isn??™t for you. Where you choose to work is entirely up to you, but working from home doesn??™t have to be a last resort. In fact, it may just be one of the smartest choices you can make. *** 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 is also a poetry editor for Skyline E-Magazine, contributing writer to the newspaper SIGNews and a staff writer for the Web site, The Shadowlands. She??™s been published both on and off the Web, in magazines such as Mothering and American Fitness, and Web sites such as Absolute Write, Writing Etc. and Writing World. Visit her on the Web at http://dmcwriter.tripod.com/ . ******************************************************************* CONTEST CORNER Call For Submissions For New Anthology Honoring Helen Keller A disability is what you make of it. Take Helen Keller's example. Winner of numerous national and international awards, among them--the Presidential Medal of Freedom; recipient of several honorary doctorates--including one from Harvard; and author of hundreds of articles, lectures, and eleven books: Helen Keller (1880-1968) was one of the most prominent lecturers, activists, and authors in history. That she achieved such success despite losing her sight and hearing in infancy made her a legend in her own time and offers inspiration today. The Helen Keller Foundation plans to publish a collection of memoirs honoring this inspiring woman and is inviting submissions in poetry and prose--not to exceed 3,000 words--explaining how you or someone close to you overcame a physical, mental, or emotional impairment or other adversity. Winning entries will be notified and published in a 2005 anthology. First, second, and third place winners will receive awards of $2,000, $1000, and $500. Send manuscript with three photocopies to The Helen Keller Foundation, c/o Diane Scharper, English Department, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, 21252 by June 1, 2005. Include title of memoir, name, address, telephone number, and email address on cover sheet. Title only should appear on each page of manuscript. Manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The decision of the judges is final. Anyone related to the Helen Keller Foundation or its staff is ineligible. For more information, contact the Helen Keller foundation website at http://www.helenkellerfoundation.org/ ******************************************************************* ADVERTISEMENTS No ads this month. ******************************************************************* GUEST ARTICLE A Review of Writing Basics WRITING BASICS By: Liana Metal Ebook, http://lianametal.tripod.com 90pp., 2004 update, $4.50, at http://www.ebookad.com Very Highly Recommended Reviewed by: Bill Savanis Would you like to write for online and print publications but are not sure how to go about it? Read this ebook, which is specially written for new writers, and learn all the basics you need to get started. You won??™t miss! WRITING BASICS is an innovative writing guide for new writers, though not just for new writers. It is simple and clear and it is a ???must??? for those who wish to break into publishing, both in print and online. There is a market roundup included, as well as tips from various writers. The author, Liana Metal, uses her own experiences to show readers how to achieve a good presentation of their work and how to promote it, and there is reference to a lot of other essential issues such as rejection, creating an ebook, and ways to market your articles/book. WRITING BASICS caters to all writers, old and new, who are not familiar with online publishing. However, some parts of the book focus mainly on the new writer, giving away tips and suggestions on a variety of topics which are the ???essentials??™ in this competitive field. This book is s real page-turner! You can get it from http://www.ebookad.com Related Titles: Where to Promote your Book Online By Dallas Franklin *** Bill Savanis is a Business Administration student and loves writing in his free time. He hopes to have enough time in the future to purse his writing aspirations, but at the moment he is happily occupied writing book reviews while studying. He welcomes books for review, mainly nonfiction (all genres and academic). Please contact him at: billsavvanis@hotmail.com ******************************************************************* BOOK EXCERPT From the book: 365 TIPS FOR WRITERS: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat The Block Tips to Turbo Charge Your Creativity By: Dawn Colclasure Filbert Publishing, December, 2004 http://filbertpublishing.com/tips.htm Tip #20: Finish what you start writing. Imagine picking up a book to read and getting caught up in its story. The plot is exciting, the reading is engaging, the characters are lovable and you just can??™t put it down until you find out what happens in the end. Now imagine that there is no end; the writer couldn??™t figure out how to end their story or they decided they wanted to go fishing instead. This is what it??™s like for our readers when they read an unfinished story. A writer??™s responsibility in telling a tale is to finish that tale. Give your readers the sense of satisfaction of reading your entire story from beginning to end. If you get stuck on how to finish it, work your way around this. If you get writer??™s block, keep working at it, anyway. By finishing what you start writing, it shows your readers that you are in control over your writing and that you want to give them a great, completed story to read. It will also show your editors that you are a writer who can deliver. BEAT THE BLOCK TIP: ???And the Medal for the Most Outstanding Creative Mind goes to ...??? It??™s been said many times: ???There should be a medal for . . .??? And while there may not be a medal to recognize single parents, struggling writers or straight-A students, we can always create one in our minds. Write an acceptance speech for a medal you would like to receive, such as a Medal for the Fastest Reader, Medal for the Greatest Single Parent in the World or a Medal for the Cleanest Desk. It can be a medal awarded for anything, with you being the recipient. What would you say in your speech? Who would you thank? What would you say is the single most important ingredient that helped you win this medal? Tip #22: Use a book of writing exercises. A book of writing exercises is the answer to every writer??™s dilemma of struggling with writer??™s block. They are lifesavers, offering a variety of prompts and exercises all for the writer??™s free use. Some Web sites have even been set up to provide writers with a generous supply of writing exercises. Consider buying one today and using the exercises within a day at a time to keep writer??™s block at bay. And no matter how profound your writer??™s block may be, discipline yourself to use a writing exercise nevertheless. It??™s definitely doable. The results may surprise you. They are also great to use even if you don??™t have writer??™s block, because they discipline you to write and they sharpen your skill in a variety of ways. Tip #23: A degree doesn??™t guarantee success. Some writers have degrees in journalism, creative writing or English. Yet there are other writers, some even popular ones, who have degrees in law, psychology, medicine or art. A degree in a field of writing isn??™t what will make you a successful writer. It may help you in getting your foot in the door, but ultimately you will be judged by how well you can write, not by how many letters come after your name. If you want to pursue a degree in journalism or study for an MBA, by all means, do so. This experience will help you learn fundamentals you may not otherwise learn in books, everyday life or writing classes. But if it??™s not a possibility, don??™t let this be a detriment to your writing career. Write as much as possible and learn everything you can about writing. Participate in writing groups, study other writers and take advantage of free writing courses available on the Internet. This is ultimately the best lesson you will receive as a writer. Tip #24: Learn how to receive criticism. Every writer should obtain criticism of their work, be it a play or short story. Yet the reality about criticism is that it can be harsh, even painful. There are some people who may make personal comments against you or simply say something as vague as, ???It sucks.??? Ignore anything that is not helpful to improving your work. Ignore the remarks about your appearance, your past or unmentionable habits. Look for something that you can really work with instead. Does the person say anything at all about faults in your writing? Take this as their only remark and erase the rest. Criticism that is helpful to the writer is the only criticism that matters. Tip #25: Put yourself ???on the spot.??? Before you submit that polished draft, stand in front of a mirror and read it aloud (or have a small audience). Pretend you are a broadcast reporter or speaker, and your article or short story is your report or speech. This is the ultimate product you are offering to the information-hungry public. As you read, ask yourself if this is something you??™d likely hear on the news, hear at a reading or read in a book. Is it presented in a professional, sufficient manner? Is it something that captivates you, keeps you interested and wanting more information? If your work fails to fulfill any of those requirements, consider giving it one final rewrite until it does. Tip #26: Accept the faults of others (especially your betters). It??™s natural to have high expectations of those who have succeeded what you are still struggling for. Those best-selling novelists, authors of books who make millions with each contract, copywriters whose name is the first on every businesses list, screenwriters penning one script after another. These are all the people we aspire to be, and it??™s natural to see them as, well, almost invincible. Because of this, it??™s easy to forget that they are human beings. Just like us. And human beings make mistakes. They commit snafus, faux pas, misquotes and misdeeds. They spell words wrong in their articles or forget to acknowledge someone who helped them with a project. These mistakes can easily cause any writer on the lower rung of the success ladder to see these people in a different light. And that light is usually an unflattering one. But, really, remember that mistakes can happen to anybody. Words can get misspelled and names can be forgotten. Chances are, this writer (or editor) will later notice this mistake and languish over how they could??™ve missed it in their proofreading. They??™ll slap their foreheads, release loud groans and wonder how on earth they could??™ve let that slip. Mistakes can happen, even with the most successful of writers. No writer is anywhere near being a failure because of a mistake. It??™s just one of life??™s little reminders that no matter who you are or what you have done, you are still human. Tip #27: Explore the many job opportunities available to writers. There are many job opportunities available to writers: ad writing, scriptwriting, newspaper reporting, songwriting, TV writing, greeting card writing, playwriting, technical writing, magazine writing, teaching writing, etc. Being a creative, writers are able to use their skill with words to employ themselves in these various fields, grow as a writer and experiment with their abilities. Consider trying any or all of these various writing fields and see where they take you in your journey as a writer. BEAT THE BLOCK TIP: Write a letter to your muse. Regardless of whether you believe in having a muse or not, write a letter to this creative self. This is your driving force in being a writer, the divine part behind divine inspiration. You can address the letter with ???Dear Muse??? or ???Dear Creativity??? if you prefer. Try giving it a name. You can write anything in the letter you would like. Some options are: ?· A thank you note to your muse for helping you write. ?· A letter of praise for your muse. ?· A request for help in getting over writer??™s block. ?· A few ideas of things you would like your muse to help you write. ?· Why you have (or are having) writer??™s block and what you hope your muse will help you out with in getting over it. Tip #29: Keep track of your work. Create a log, either electronic or in a journal book, where you can keep track of your work. Hold on to copies of your query letters, rejections, submissions and published work so that you don??™t end up resubmitting the same thing or selling first rights to something already published. Keep all of these things in a private, secure place. If you do this on your computer, print out extra copies. If you do this with file folders, keep them under lock and key. Periodically browse through them to remind yourself of what got published where or where you have already queried with that same idea. With the hundreds of work items you can have in circulation each year, it??™ll be easier to get confused about what you have submitted where or if something has already been published. Keeping track will help you ensure this doesn??™t happen. Tip #30: Keep your work organized. Sloppiness with your writing can lead to sloppiness in your writing. Instead of allowing your writing to fly out an open window or gather dust on a closet shelf, consider keeping it filed away or in a desk drawer. Take advantage of the many filing tools available in office supply stores to keep everything organized. Use file folders, paper sorters, index cards, subject dividers and computer disks to store your work with. Keep everything labeled and in one place you know you can always find it in. Keeping everything organized will allow you to work easily on your writing without having to stop and spend hours looking for something. It will also make you feel more professional and orderly with your work as you write. ******************************************************************* MARKETS The following are market information for PAYING MARKETS. Name: Home Education Magazine Address: Home Education Magazine PO Box 1083 Tonasket WA 98855-1083 Print or Electronic?: Print Web Site: http://www.homeedmag.com/ Guidelines online?: No. Email hem-editor@homeedmag.com for guidelines. Description: Home Education Magazine has been informing and inspiring homeschoolers for more than 20 years. Audience: Homeschoolers and those interested in homeschooling. Types of material published: Articles on homeschooling that inspire, share ideas and information, or provide solutions to a problem. Current needs: Any articles on homeschooling. Departments easiest for new writers to break into: Articles. We aren't looking for columnists at this time. Rates: $50/article; $12.50 each for accompanying photos Rights: First North American with credit to HEM for reprints Tips for Querying Writers: Write for guidelines and then send the article. Most reasonable queries are answered with a yes. Until I see your work, I won't accept your article. Don't write from a perspective of teaching homeschoolers how we should do it. Personal articles are more likely to be accepted. Give me something original that will appeal to a significant body of homeschoolers: amuse me, make me cry, but don't tell me your life story. I get lots of articles about how the schools fail children and why parents have chosen to homeschool. Unless it's really good, we've all heard it before. However, if you've got an article you want me to see, send it. I look at everything I receive. Contact (name of editor and E-mail and/or address info): Carol Narigon, Articles Editor, hem-articles@home-ed-magazine.com Name: Filbert Publishing Address: 140 3rd Street, Kandiyohi, MN 56251 Print or Electronic?: Primarily print. Some electronic. Web Site: http://filbertpublishing.com Guidelines online?: http://filbertpublishing.com/guide.htm http://filbertpublishing.com/submissions.htm Description: We publish books for writers. Audience: Writers Types of material published: Books and articles for writers. Current needs: Books and articles writers will find interesting. We also publish a very small amount of fiction. Departments easiest for new writers to break into: Articles Rates: Rights: Articles: 1 time rights, books 2 year contract (http://filbertpublishing.com/contract.htm) Tips for Querying Writers: Read our guidelines (http://filbertpublishing.com/guide/htm) Contact (name of editor and E-mail and/or address info): Beth Erickson Filbert Publishing 140 3rd Street Box 326 Kandiyohi, MN 56251 Filbertpublishing@FilbertPublishing.com ******************************************************************* INDUSTRY INTERVIEW The following is my interview with Beth Erickson, co-owner and publisher at Filbert Publishing. In addition to publishing books through her company, Beth also edits and publishes the E-zine, Writing Etc., as well as working as a copywriter. Together with her Rat Terrier Wonder Dog, Lucy, and her son, Peder, Beth and her husband, Maury, live in Kandiyohi, Minnesota. Q: Why did you decide to start up Writing Etc.? A: I started Writing Etc. because there seemed to be a gap in the world of writing e-zines. Not many of them covered the art of writing ad copy nor did many of them seem very down-to-earth. Most were quite ???ethereal??? in their tone??¦ creating visions of an unrealistic writing life consisting of a wool suit-coat with elbow patch mentality??¦ where my writing experience more resembles that of a business person trying to earn a living. Yeah, writers tend to be creative people. But in my universe, perseverance is far more important than creativity, communication comes before grammar rules, and hard work eclipses inspiration every time. I wanted to create an e-mag to reflect that reality. Q: How have your experiences as a writer helped you when you became an editor of Writing Etc.? Using all I know about copywriting, we work hard to create a conversational tone in Writing Etc. Although this has turned somewhat controversial at times, I ALWAYS prefer effective communication over a grammatically correct sentence. As far as I??™m concerned, if a sentence effectively communicates the writer??™s intent, it??™s a great sentence. If a sentence is grammatically correct, but doesn??™t reflect the writer??™s intent, the sentence doesn??™t need to exist. Here??™s an example of what I??™m talking about: Dear Ms. Erickson, One can communicate more than adequately using correct grammar. No excuses. The English language is being bent, folded, mutilated, and spindled because of neglect, dismal education, and a pseudo-elitist idea that speaking and writing without regard to any sort of language structure is merely "breaking with tradition." It's laziness, folks, pure and simple. It??™s an excuse to avoid the work of learning as much about English (as a writer) as an astronomer or physicist has to learn about math. If structural engineers were allowed to rationalize not paying attention to stresses, weight restrictions, and sine waves, would you drive your car across bridges they designed? Shame on you. Stop rationalizing; stop copping out. {Name deleted} My reply is this: Re-read that first sentence. Why would any writer want to communicate adequately? Aren??™t we supposed to inflame passion in our readers? Aren??™t we supposed to elicit some sort of emotional response? Aren??™t we supposed to COMMUNICATE some sort of message with everything we write? Perhaps step on a toe or two? We need to communicate better than ???adequately??? and Writing Etc./Filbert Publishing searches out writers who understand the power of pure communication and isn??™t afraid to do what it takes to write powerfully. If a writer submits a polite, happy article we??™re apt to refuse it. However when we receive a project filled with passion combined with effective communication, we stumble all over ourselves to work with that person. Q: What are some common mistakes writers have made when they submit to your E-zine? The biggest mistake a prospective writer makes is that they don??™t read our guidelines. Then they don??™t read the e-mag. We??™ve received queries trying to sell everything from short fiction (we don??™t publish short stories in our ???zine) to articles on dog grooming. Q: In addition to editing an E-zine, you're also a book publisher for Filbert Publishing. Why did you decide to start publishing books and how has it affected you as an editor? We decided to branch into the world of publishing after we discovered what POD (Print on Demand) meant to authors. My first novel got accepted by a great publisher. Unfortunately, they were POD. Everything went according to plan until we tried to get the local bookstore to stock a few copies. That??™s when we discovered that bookstores are very leery of POD books. They don??™t like to order them. They??™re slow to schedule book signings for POD authors. Amazon began charging extra for POD books (they may have stopped this). Many reviewers wouldn??™t touch a POD book. Arugh! By then I??™d acquired quite a readership and didn??™t want to simply pull my books out of the market and start over so we established the book publishing arm of Filbert Publishing to take over my titles. Then some wonderful writer friends contacted us about our publishing their books as well. We thought that would be a great idea. Today we??™re a small-by-design publishing company that works with about a dozen other authors. We take on a very limited number of new authors??¦ two or three??¦ each year. Q: What advice do you have for aspiring writers who hope to get published? Thoroughly research every publishing house you approach. Read the guidelines carefully. Include a SASE. Provide enough return postage. Be polite. Be patient. Don??™t give up. Be aware that becoming a published author is not a get rich quick scheme. You need to build a readership. That can be quite challenging (not to mention time consuming) but once you??™ve got a readership, treat them with great respect. Give them your best work. Always persevere. Remember, you??™re the only writer who carries the message you??™re supposed to present to the world. If you give up, your message dies. Once you??™re published, like it or not, you are now a marketer. Learn everything you can about effective marketing. Learn to wear many hats. Oh??¦ and did I mention you must always persevere??¦ ******************************************************************* BOOK GIVEAWAY Wanna score a FREE BOOK?? Win a FREE COPY of my book, 365 TIPS FOR WRITERS: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat The Block Tips to Turbo Charge Your Creativity (read all about it here: http://filbertpublishing.com/tips.htm and check out the excerpt above). How to win? Simple! Be the tenth person to E-mail me with an exact quote from this E-zine, with the person who said this quote, and your free book will be on its way! Please let me know if you want the book signed. Send your quote (it can be ANY QUOTE) to: BurningMidnightOil@hotmail.com and, if you win, I??™ll contact you for land mail contact information. Good luck! ******************************************************************* WHAT'S UP WITH THE BOOK'S WRITERS? JIM VINES, who is interviewed in Volume One, has a short film out on iFilm! Check out his hilarious movie, THAT DARN BILL, at: http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2533663?htv=12 It will leave you in stitches! Also, please consider voting for it at IMDB.com: http://imdb.com/title/tt0398366/ CHRISTINE HOHLBAUM, who is also interviewed in Volume One, has a new book coming out in May: SAHM I Am: Tales of a Stay-at-Home Mom in Europe. Congrats, Christine! She also recently started a quiz, ???Are you a writing parent???? Check it out here: http://pub46.bravenet.com/vote/vote.php?usernum=3917987270&cpv=2 ******************************************************************* BOOK NEWS What's the latest with the first volume of BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents? Volume Two is rolling along very well. There??™s some great stories from writing parents in this book, including one from a Gulf War vet who ???discovered??? writing following his tour of duty, as well as some really great tips and tricks! ******************************************************************* FREEBIE CORNER Download a free copy of Skyline E-Magazine??™s Valentine??™s Day 2005 issue: http://www.skylinemagazines.com/valentineskyline.htm Download a free astronomy 2005 calendar, ???Heavens Above???: http://www.photomeeting.de/astromeeting/_index.htm Get a free hit counter for your Web site: http://freelogs.com/ Get other free stuff for your Web site at FlamingText: http://www.flamingtext.com/ ******************************************************************* SITES SITED The following are interesting, helpful sites that I??™d like to pass on. At Home Mommy??™s: http://www.athomemommys.com/ Convenience Central: http://www.conveniencenet.com/ Cowboy Lyrics.com: http://www.cowboylyrics.com/index.html American Slanguage: http://www.slanguage.com/ Poets??™ Graves: http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/index.html The Word Spy: http://wordspy.com/ EBook Locator: http://www.ebooklocator.com/ ******************************************************************* WRITING PARENT TIPS FOR FEBRUARY: No tips this month. ******************************************************************* FORUM NEWS We have moved! The Absolute Write Water Cooler, where we have a private room for readers (and writers!) of the book and subscribers has changed location. You can find our new digs at: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/index.php? You will need to register to join in on the fun. The password to our private room is: multitask Forum quote: ???This essay was written from an at-home writer named Marnell Jameson. I soon frowned over how she started to whine about being interrupted by her children or how her spouse thinks she has nothing better to do since she's working at home. I really started to wonder why she wrote this essay: To get steam off her chest? Discuss the pitfalls of working from home? Put down working from home altogether???? From the thread: ???Woman??™s Day article??? Post your comments on this and any of the other threads here: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/index.php? WANNA SUBMIT TO THIS E-ZINE?? WE HAVE NEW GUIDELINES!!! 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! I prefer to use free reprinted articles whenever possible but I do offer payment, as well. Payment is only allotted to article submissions. You may choose any one of the following for compensation: ? $5, paid in the form of a money order, on publication, for articles of 200-500 words. ? $10, on publication, for articles 501-2000 words. ? A complimentary copy of the book, BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents (available in September, 2004). Book will be sent once your article is published. ******************************************************************* 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 |
|
| << January15, 2005 - Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine -- Issue Nine |
March16, 2005 - Burning The Midnight Oil Book Zine -- Issue Eleven >> |
|
Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine Archives Index
|
Subscribe
|
|
|
Archives powered by Zinester's Mailing List Service
Details on Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine |
Browse for more newsletters at Zinester's Ezine Directory
Managed by Zinester's Mailing List Management |