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| << November01, 2004 - November 1, 2004 - The Writer Buddy Gazette - Issue #3 |
January04, 2005 - January 2005 Writer Buddy Gazette - Issue #5 >> |
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------------------------------------------------------------- The Writer Buddy Gazette December 1, 2004 Issue #4 ------------------------------------------------------------- IN THIS ISSUE => News From the Top => Featured Article: Wax On, Wax Off, Polish, Dragonfly: How Writing a Book, Especially the First One, Can Make You Insane => Featured Article: These Embarassing, Costly, Terrible Typos => Featured Article: All About Copyrights => Writer Buddy Community News => Contest Corner => Writing Markets => The Gazette Writers' Submission Guidelines => Support My Writer Buddy => Classified Ads => Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information ------------------------------------------------------------ NEWS FROM THE TOP ------------------------------------------------------------ Another month has rolled around and it's time for another issue of the Gazette. Despite the best intentions of a hacker, this newsletter is going out only a few hours late, not the days I expected. To anyone planning to submit a story for the inaugural issue of Buddy Tales, this is just a little reminder that the submission deadline is just around the corner. For more information, be sure to check out www.buddytales.writerbuddy.com This month marks the return of our monthly writing contests. The information will also be posted on WB, but newsletter subscribers see it here first. More changes and new features are in the works. Happy Writing! Denise ------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURED ARTICLE: Wax On, Wax Off, Polish, Dragonfly: How Writing a Book, Especially the First One, Can Make You Insane ------------------------------------------------------------ By Robin Grantham Your manuscript is nearly finished. You've been alone, at your computer, for several months (years?) -- drinking diet soda, wearing out dancing fingers and trying to guess when the blood clot you're going to get from sitting all the time is going to dislodge, leaving your manuscript parentless, (not to mention your children). You need input! What if it was all for naught? You think to yourself, I'll just send out a few queries . . . I want to see if anyone is even interested in this idea before I spend any more time on it . . . . Welcome to my quest to experience every mistake possible on your way to becoming a published fiction writer (notice I didn't say rich and famous writer -- do they make the same stupid mistakes? I tell myself they don't so that I'll have an excuse later as to why I didn't make it that big). What is the mistake, you ask? The problem with what I mentioned above is someone might actually be intrigued by your idea. Yes, we all read the agonizing tales of people who send out hundreds of queries, only to get nothing back but form rejections after months of no responses, but what if the agent e-mails you the next day and asks to see the whole burrito? And all the chips, and the sauce, both hot and mild? Let me tell you a few things that might happen when you get that request for your full (nearly finished) manuscript: Read on: http://www.writerbuddy.com/wbhome/articles/wax_on_wax_off.html ------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURED ARTICLE: These Embarassing, Costly, Terrible Typos ------------------------------------------------------------ by Rolf Gompertz Typo n. pl. -os. Informal. A typographical error. Typographical error. A mistake in printing, typing or writing. That's what it says in the New College Edition of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. But it does not begin to tell the story of these mistakes - these embarassing, costly, terrible typos. I know -- from collecting them, and from personal experience. I have used these examples as warnings during 30 years of teaching at UCLA Extension, showing that typos are the bane of a writer's existence - whether you are a reporter, public relations practitioner, or author. Years ago I came across a typo that I still consider to be the funniest and most embarassing typo in human history, as far as I know. Many considered it terrible. It was probably also one of the costliest, if not the costliest. Read on: http://www.writerbuddy.com/wbhome/articles/costly_typos.html ------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURED ARTICLE: All About Copyrights ------------------------------------------------------------ by Pam White ***While this article is to help writers understand copyright laws, it is not legal advice. Please visit the U.S. Copyright website for more information, and call an attorney when legal advice is needed. Writers, new and established, need to understand copyright laws. Writers must have a clear understanding in order to protect their own creative endeavors, as well as to avoid violating someone else's copyrights. I've found it helpful also to be able to educate others' misconceptions about rights concerning works "published" online or in listservs. Copyright laws go back to 1789 when the U.S. Constitution was written. Authors of creative works were protected in order to encourage the continuation and growth of creative arts. It's no different now. What you create is protected the minute you put it down on paper. You don't have to register it, add a copyright symbol (c) to it, or have it published. You don't have to package each essay up in an envelope and send it to yourself certified mail to prove when you created it. That's the good news. And yet, the reality is that it's difficult to prove authorship in a court of law unless you've sent a copy to the U.S. Copyright Office, according to their requirements. And that is important. If you are sued, or you find your work has been used without permission, you need to have that proof. The law is that if you have registered your work with the U.S. Copyright office three months prior to taking legal action, you may receive attorney's fees as well as statutory damages. In fact, you have to have your work registered before pursuing legal action against an infringement of your work. What does this mean for you, practically speaking? You've decided to write an essay about the wonderful ways tofu helps ease the symptoms of menopause. You tell a writer friend. She sends out a query letter to Woman's Day, has it accepted and gleefully shares this information while you are still interviewing dieticians and developing recipes. At this point, no laws have been broken. Why? There are things that cannot be copyrighted: Read on: http://www.writerbuddy.com/wbhome/articles/all_about_copyrights.html ------------------------------------------------------------ WRITER BUDDY MEMBER & COMMUNITY NEWS ------------------------------------------------------------ What's New? Have you checked out the group of characters who inhabit the tiny town of Cranberry Brooke, NH? Here are the particulars: Snuggled in a valley in the mountains of New Hampshire is a small town called Cranberry Brooke with a population of 3,542. Pretty much everyone knows everyone here. They've all grown up there in town, gone to school together and married one another. Occasionally an outsider comes to town and that keeps the pot slightly stirred. We invite you to tell the tale of Cranberry Brooke. The year is 2004 and the autumn colours are manifest on the trees that cover the mountains. Create a character and join the story. You may join in at any time. To read more about Cranberry Brooke or to join in the fun, visit: http://www.writerbuddy.com/wbhome/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=7 --------------- Member Birthdays Could it be true? It appears no WB members will be celebrating birthdays in December. Or maybe they're just too shy to post it. If you have a birthday this month and are not on this list, be sure to add your news to our events calendar by visiting: http://writerbuddy.com/wbhome/modules.php?name=Calendar --------------- Our WB family continues growing. In November, 66 new members joined our family. Join me in welcoming: Rachael1, Vulpie, jtdbkva, MollyKate, Connie, Honey, JakeTheSnake, genelle32, rosiecottonfotheshire, R_H_Hammon, playitagainsam, StormDragon, cliff, demonicharmonic, james, minachoi, artic_girl, daisyjune, Grizzly, selis, Indigo22, jjv78, RealisticWriter, GaryD, earthtwig, QueasyDillo, astonish, Tasajillo, aesop, Ayren, Roofbreaker, KMMC, AJBell, Julia, littleraven d, Chichi, leavin, Brighid, kelly, marrisyn, WerewolfHunter, jenldew, Cyhort, countrygirl, Reaka, crystal, hardend2, Claytonin, dakota25, DofZion1998, StonedSeraph, saddlebag, spudette, liucha07, Wickeder, crypticbuddha, rippdedip, kybudman, wanadon, TOJOPA, Sammi, Cadsimar, Geetanjali, David, Suedadieotan, Tess. Thanks for joinng and welcome home. --------------- Do you have news you'd like to share with your fellow Writer Buddy members? Have you recently been published? Do you have something to crow about? This is the spot. Send your news items to: thegazette@writerbuddy.com ------------------------------------------------------------ CONTEST CORNER ------------------------------------------------------------ The monthly writing contest has been missing from My Writer Buddy for too long. So, we're bringing it back. How does it work? At the beginning of each month the new contest details will be announced in this newsletter and on the Writer Buddy site. You will have until the 15th of the month to submit your entry. On the 16th of each month, the entries will be posted on the WB site and members will have one week to vote for the winning the story, which will be announced in the next month's newsletter. The winning story will be posted online in the winner's circle of the new Contest Corner section of WB. OK, here are the details for the December contest. Your story must be between 500 and 1,000 words and must contain the following sentence somewhere in the story: It was an accident. E-mail your entry to: thegazette@writerbuddy.com Make sure to put the words Contest Entry in the subject line of your E-mail. The entire story should be typed in the body of the E-mail. No attachments will be opened. That's it folks. Gets those pencils and pens moving and those keyboard keys clicking. Who will be the first winner? Could it be you? ------------------------------------------------------------ WRITING MARKETS ------------------------------------------------------------ Valentine's Day is just around the corner. What better way to prepare than to ship off a story to one of these romance markets. Wild Child Publishing Seeks novellas, short stories, love letters, plays and screen plays, how-to articles (excepting web business how-to), reviews, diaries, fun facts, anecdotes, travel articles (preferably with pictures) and photographs. Pays: The author of piece selected as the Editors' Choice receives a $15 gift certificate to Amazon.com and highlighted on the front page of the magazine. Guidelines: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/submit.html A Hint of Seduction Currently accepting submissions of all sub-genres of short romantic fiction for their 2005 publication schedule. Accepts submissions from both previously published and never before published authors. Pays: Pays $10 on publication through PayPal. Guidelines: http://www.ahintofseduction.com/submit.html Wax Romantic Seeking short romance fiction in all related romance sub-genres. They are looking for stories with holiday themes, such as Christmas, and Valentine's Day and for stories in the following romance sub-genres: medieval, regency, inspirational, and humorous contemporary Pays: Not a paying market. Authors receive subscription to magazine. Guidelines: http://www.waxromantic.com/submissions.html The Rose and Thorn Seeks Fiction: Mainstream/Literary, Romance, Fantasy/Sci Fi, Horror/Thriller, Poetry, Essays, Humor, Reviews (Books, Web Sites, etc), Author Interviews, Articles On The Craft Of Writing and The Reading Life. Pays: Not a paying market. Guidelines: http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/Submissions.html ------------------------------------------------------------ THE GAZETTE WRITERS' SUBMISSION GUIDELINES ------------------------------------------------------------ The Writer Buddy Gazette needs writers. We need regular monthly features of interest to all writers and news of interest specifically to Writer Buddy members. Of special interest are how-to articles on all aspects of writing. We are also always looking for interviews with published authors or publishers. Book reviews of published fiction or books on writing are also needed. All articles should be 500-1,500 words. The WB Gazette is unable to pay for articles/stories at this time. In lieu of payment, all contributors and regular columnists will have a short bio with a link to their email address and Web site listed at the end of the story or article. The Gazette seeks non-exclusive rights to reprint articles in this newsletter and in the reference section of the My Writer Buddy site: http://writerbuddy.com/wbhome/modules.php?name=NukeWrap&page=articles/index.html To suggest an idea for a regular column or to query an article, review or author interview, send an email to thegazette@writerbuddy.com ------------------------------------------------------------ SUPPORT MY WRITER BUDDY ------------------------------------------------------------ Since its inception in 1999, My Writer Buddy has been committed to the ideal of writers helping writers. In that time many of our members have achieved the elusive goal of publication. 2005 will bring other publication opportunities for WB members, including our very own paying e-zine - Buddy Tales. How can you help? Donations of any amount will be greatly appreciated. All members who donate at least $5 will receive a "three-star Community Sponsor" designation under their names. They will also receive a note of gratitude in The Writer Buddy Gazette newsletter. To make a donation, visit the Writer Buddy site and click on the Donate button. All donations are handled through PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account or prefer to send your donation via snail mail, write to: thegazette@writerbuddy.com for address information. ------------------------------------------------------------ CLASSIFIED ADS ------------------------------------------------------------ WriteSparks!?„? Software for Writers can generate more than 10 million story sparks to keep you writing for years... and all at a click of a button. Getting ideas for your stories has never been this easy! For more information, go to: http://hop.clickbank.net/?writerbudd/ewrite2001 ********* The 10 Top 10 Lists for Writers list contests, ezines and newsletters, encouragement and tips from successful writers, resource information and more. For more information, visit: http://hop.clickbank.net/?writerbudd/babayaga ********* Buy "Think Outside the Square" and learn to write short stories and have them published. This book covers the basics: developing characters, setting the scene, writing and selling short stories. For more information, click on: http://hop.clickbank.net/?writerbudd/journalist Do you have a product or service of interest to writers? Put your classified ad in front of more than 1,600 WB members. For more information, write to: thegazette@writerbuddy.com ------------------------------------------------------------ SUBSCRIBER MANAGEMENT / CONTACT INFORMATION ------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright 2004 - Denise Williams All Rights reserved http://www.writerbuddy.com To Subscribe: http://www.zinester.com/mpb/ml_fs.cgi?topic=91205 To Unsubscribe: Archived issues of this newsletter can be found at http://archives.zinester.com/91205 Denise Williams, Editor The Writer Buddy Gazette email: thegazette@writerbuddy.com |
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| << November01, 2004 - November 1, 2004 - The Writer Buddy Gazette - Issue #3 |
January04, 2005 - January 2005 Writer Buddy Gazette - Issue #5 >> |
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