Recently an anonymous "angel" got in touch with our office to give the gift of 25 submissions to a promising writer who could use a little help. Though we cannot publish the name of the donor, the recipient wanted the opportunity to say thanks. You'll find his letter below.

To My Unknown Benefactor:
 
Thank you for your end-of-year kindness in bestowing a Writers Relief "scholarship" on me. The last few months have been very trying due to employment/financial difficulties and subsequently my being forced to relocate to a different country to find work. As a result, I was forced to suspend any active attempt to find homes for my poems. Your generosity has enabled me to continue in that endeavor and, more importantly, was a very unexpected demonstration of human kindness from a stranger.
 
May you be well rewarded in this world and beyond for your selflessnesss.
 
Sincerely,
 
D.V.

If you or anyone you know would like to give the gift of submissions (anonymously or not) don't hesitate to call our office. You can learn more about how to purchase a gift certificate by clicking here. We were all deeply moved by this random act of kindness; it was a warm and wonderful way to send off the New Year.

There are weird words in every industry, and the literary world is no exception. We’ve listed some of the stranger-sounding industry-specific jargon common to writers, editors, and agents that may need some clarification.

Anaphora. Too many sentences in a row that begin the same way. Sometimes this is deliberate and effective. Sometimes this is sloppy. Sometimes it is simply irritating.

Avant-garde. Usually associated with artwork, this term can also be applied to literature that is considered new or experimental. If your work has been labeled avant-garde, you can be proud of your innovation. Much better than “same ol’, same ol’.”

Backstory. The history of your characters before the book's present action.

Blurb. This sounds like a bodily function, but, in actuality, it refers to the synopsis on the back cover of the book. Its function is to “hook” the reader like a fish.

Dead metaphor. This is a poor little metaphor that is no longer relevant (“long in the tooth”) and has been overused.

Head-hopping. Jumping from one person’s thoughts to another's or switching back and forth between points of view. This is just another way to give your audience a headache.

Hook. Whether it’s the first line of a query, a novel, or part of the blurb, a hook is designed to capture the reader’s attention. We know that readers aren’t fish. But it paints a cool mental picture.

Novella. Sounds like something vaguely racy. In actuality it is a short novel (approximately half the size).

Round file. A nice word for trash can. A not-so-nice place for your manuscript to end up.

Slush pile. If you live in northern climes, the slush pile usually refers to the pile of slushy snow that threatens to grab your tires or fill up your boots. In writer’s lingo the slush pile is where the hundreds upon hundreds of unsolicited or misdirected manuscripts go—usually a dusty pile in the corner of an editor’s office.

Widows and orphans. A “widow” is the last line of the paragraph floating alone and lonely at the top of the next page. An “orphan” is the first line of a paragraph that languishes at the bottom of the page, all alone.

YA. Young adult. Or “Yikes! Anaphora!”

Feedback from critiques, editors, and agents can also contain some confusing notations we should clarify. Your MS is voicey and organic but switches POV indiscriminately. What the heck? Translation: Your manuscript has a strong, well-defined voice and rings true and authentic, but your point of view switches back and forth. Comments like “Boring and too long” or “I hated this” are fairly self-explanatory. Others are not quite as clear.

No legs. Can your idea or novel stand on its own in the big, scary market? If not, your work may suffer from “no legs.” (You see the metaphor.)

Organic. No, not vegetables. This is writing that is authentic, uncontrived. If your character is organic, it means he comes across as real, not as an artificial, unrealistic protagonist with zero faults and great, big muscles.

Quiet. This work has been labeled as more literary than commercial and, therefore, harder to sell.

Stale. Again, a food reference. If your story has been labeled stale, it’s time to take a “fresh” approach.

Tight. Good job! You’ve eliminated all the unnecessary filler and made it nice and concise and really tried to be spare with your words and things like that, which makes your writing not too padded and fluffy, and you have taken out all the nonessentials.

by Gilda Haber, Ph.D., Department of English Composition, Literature and Professional Writing

As instructors some of us love to write, and some of us also enjoy attending writers’ conferences. This summer I attended three writers’ conferences—one in Manhattan at Marymount Manhattan College, one at UDC, and one at Georgetown University, held by Washington Independent Writers (WIW).

Prior to the conference registrants receive a program and a list of available agents. It is wise for participants to choose the panels they wish to attend and to research and make appointments with agents in your genre prior to the conference. The writing conference is a good opportunity for the serious writer with an idea or a manuscript to network.

We meet other writers and authors, share our interests, attend specific panels of choice (such as a fiction, nonfiction) or meet, one-on-one, with literary agents. Each member of a panel speaks on his or her expertise and takes questions on how to write and sell one’s work. Most importantly, serious writers usually sign up to meet agents who attend the conference. Although hard to get, agents are interested in finding new talent.

One of the goals of a writers’ workshop is to meet agents in person. But both panel speakers and agents are relentlessly focused on writing as a business. Either work is well-written and has possibilities of selling to the public or it isn’t. You may have one but not the other advantage. Agents and publishers also put in long hours without compensation for the love of bringing a book from conception to birth. You must seek out the agent right for you, one who has sold books in the field that interests you, and one with whom you feel comfortable. The agent not only judges your work, but judges you personally, as to whether he or she likes you. You do the same.

I came armed with business cards and with queries, hoping, in 60 seconds, to seduce some agent with the excellence, uniqueness, excitement, and salability of my work. Who else but a writer labors intensively, creatively for months or years for the love of writing, to create a work of art and with no sure reward in sight?

Frankly, I was terrified of meeting some of these agents in person, especially those who have represented famous people. So far I had only read agents’ credentials on paper and seen the kind of deals they made, the kind of books they sold. The agent I most feared seeing turned out to be friendly but strictly businesslike. From my experience and from agents met at writing conferences, I learned the following:

One needs talent to write but, to paraphrase Edison: "success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration." Work hard and be persistent in sending out your work.

Do not copy anyone else’s style. Be yourself and develop your own. Welcome constructive criticism. It is the highest form of friendship. Give constructive comments to friends’ writings. If your grammar is weak, find a good copy editor.

Writing groups are very useful for feedback. (I, myself, run a writing group.)

Find out which books are written on subjects that interest you and who was the agent, editor and publisher for those books. Such information is often found in the book’s acknowledgments or by Googling the book’s name and author. Get to know that agent’s background, even his/her hobbies and interests.

There are books in public and school libraries on publishing markets. Buy one.

Do not send work sloppy in appearance or make spelling mistakes.

Be professional. Make sure to spell the agent’s name correctly. Read the agent’s rules for submission, and strictly observe those rules.

Do not unduly flatter the agent or boast about your own work.

Research dates, times, names, events, even names of paintings for authenticity.

Use verbs. Avoid adjectives and adverbs; show and do not tell readers what happens. Where appropriate, use dialogue; but dialogue must move the action.

Prepare a query before writing to an agent. Your query can refer to one or two books that agent has sold but not to all the agents’ sales. This is gratuitous.

Your query should consist of: why you chose this agent; why you are writing this book; what the book is about; why you are qualified to write this book; and how it differs from other books written on the same theme; say who will read your book and what you can personally do to promote the book’s sales. All this information should be written on one page. This is one of the hardest parts of writing.

If the agent answers your one-page query and says he/she is interested, either you know what the agent wants you to send next or ask the agent what he/she wants you to send. Do not get too excited. This is only the first of many steps.

Only send material when it is your very best work. There are no second chances with an agent. Revise and share it with peers and/or an editor relentlessly.

Fiction should be complete before sending; nonfiction has different rules.

Do not expect to be accepted at once. Expect many rejections. Some famous books were rejected as many as 50 times before becoming best-sellers. Some great books never become best-sellers. Do not leave your job or expect to become rich unless, besides being a good writer, you happen to be lucky. When it is rejected revise, revise, and share your work with other writers. As you revise early work, you will become more adept; writing ages like fine wine. Revisions with constructive peer comments or editorial assistance will refine your writing.

Keep a journal or a diary to write down interesting material, even dialogue as it occurs.
This will make your writing fresh, even if you use the material years later.

Write what you know about, but be careful in writing about someone you know. People may sue a writer if they recognize themselves and object to your presentation of them, especially if their personal lives are revealed.

There are grave challenges and risks to take as a writer. One exposes all of one’s skills and charms, as well as one’s weaknesses and foibles to others. But what joy when I see one of my 40 articles or stories in print, and what a joy it is to write!!

Good luck! See you at the next conference!

First of all, don’t be intimidated by this task. It is no longer necessary to be a Web designer to create a classy, interesting Web site to showcase your work. A great site can also help you sell books, gain readership, and create a Web presence. There are several hosting programs that are inexpensive, professional, and user-friendly. And, if you get stuck, there are always computer-savvy college students willing to help out for a few bucks.

Some tips:

Choose a domain name that accurately reflects you and your work. Use your own name or your pen name. If your name is very difficult to spell or pronounce or if it’s already been claimed, you may want to use the name of the work you’re promoting.

Keep it clean. One of the quickest ways to lose a reader’s interest is to force him or her to scroll through miles of text, navigate blinking graphics and pop-ups, and struggle to turn down the volume of your favorite techno beat just to get to the heart of the matter—you and your work. If your content is simple, keep it all on a single page, in an easy-to-read format. (By easy-to-read, we mean no white text on black backgrounds.) Additional content? Create and post links on the (front) home page; for example, one can click on Publication Credits and Educational Background, which will lead readers to this information about you.

Speaking of keeping it clean… Unless your site is promoting colorful picture books for children, stay away from using too many font styles and sizes or bright-pink and purple backgrounds. Don’t let your graphics and layout distract the reader from the important stuff. However, feel free to use a nice, large, and prominent font when displaying your name on your home page. Being shy won’t help your readers remember your name.

YOUR HOME PAGE:

Contact information.

Make it a snap to contact you. At the very least use a professional-sounding e-mail address with your name or pen name (no cute monikers, please). Some writers include a phone number, but you can decide what other contact information to post.

Ordering information.

If you have books to sell, make it as easy as humanly possible for people to buy them. If you aren’t set up for credit card processing and your books are only available through Amazon, for example, provide a link directly to it. Feature a picture of your book’s cover, a very brief summary, and a great review or recommendation if you’ve got one.

Make sure links to additional pages are prominently displayed.

ADDITIONAL PAGES:

Samples of your work.

If your site is dedicated to promoting your published work, be sure to post excerpts from your work as text. Choose scenes that are sure to pique the reader’s interest. You may also want to include excerpts from other as-yet-published work, either as text or as downloadable files. You may also use this section to promote future projects.

Bio page.

Include a page that describes who you are. Describe your background, interesting facts about your life, your professional credentials—anything that ups your credibility as an author. Include a professional photograph to make it more personal.

Do you give motivational speeches? Organize workshops? Provide editing or mentoring? List any other services you provide here.
 
Blog or journal entries.

If you write a regular blog or journal entry, keep your audience in mind, and give them relevant information—or make them laugh or cry or identify with you in some way. Keep the content new and fresh and update frequently.

Testimonials.

Let ’em fly. Do not hesitate to fill the entire page with glowing praise about your work.

Media room.

If members of the press wish to contact you, make it easy for them. Use this page to display your contact information (again), and include downloadable photographs, press releases, a bio page, and a link to the testimonial page.

OVERALL:

Keep your audience in mind when designing your site. Instead of creating a sales site (Buy now! You won’t regret it!), let your personality shine through, and hook your readers with what makes you and your work unique. Give them something to take away from your site. For example, you can share some of the publishing pitfalls you’ve run into and how you dealt with them. Offer links to sites that have helped you with grammar or finding a literary agent or that inspired you on days when the muse flew the coop or the rejection letters overwhelmed you.

Above all, have fun with it. Your readers will notice!

DON’T:

Be a stalker. It’s not okay to lurk around corners and “accidentally” run into the agent you’ve been trying to contact for a year. It’s not okay to follow them to their hotel room and pretend you’re delivering room service. Barging into their restroom stall might get you arrested, and kidnaping is illegal if you’re considering that route.                  

Wear dumb costumes. That bear suit probably won’t get you any attention—positive attention anyway. A bunny suit might if you can pull it off. It’s even possible that wearing a pirate getup and running around, saying “Aaargh” to promote your manuscript about the high seas will get you noticed, and clown costumes are always a hit. Everyone loves clowns…

Pass out huge tomes. Agents don’t get much exercise and can’t really lift heavy things, so don’t hand them your 300-page manuscript and expect them to lug it around all day. Have copies of your synopsis and sample chapters available, and leave the suitcase of paper at home.

Pass out. Drinking heavily may liven things up for a while, but you probably don’t want to be remembered as that guy or gal who took a little nap in the hallway—covered in vomit and clutching a bottle of whiskey.

Interrupt lectures. Turn off the cell phone, put out the cigarette, and refrain from telling jokes to the woman sitting next to you until after the lecture. It’s weird, but speakers don’t usually enjoy the sounds of your awesome new ringtone or your raucous laughter while they’re trying to make a serious point.

Be a suck-up. It’s good to be polite and even fake interest. It’s bad to fawn all over an editor or give him your firstborn son. (Passing out money might work.)

Be a rude slob. Take a shower, wear deodorant, and don’t drink coffee if you can’t manage to keep it in the cup. You probably shouldn’t make fun of other writers’ clothes, ideas, or genres. Or their religion. No, it’s not a popularity contest, but that great agent might remember the writer who ran around pointing fingers at people and saying, “Children’s lit isn’t REAL writing!”

Steal. Whoee! All those great freebies are definitely a bonus, but somebody might notice if you stuff your briefcase full of them. You’ve gotta save room for the sugar packets, napkins, and cute little soaps from the bathroom.

Dress inappropriately. Tuck in your shirt, zip up your fly, and leave the tube top/miniskirt combo at home.

Be overly aggressive. Don’t get us wrong—editors love aggressive, in-your-face writers looking for an “in.” Really, they do. But physically elbowing someone else aside so that they fall into the potted plant might get you kicked out of the conference. Save that kind of behavior for church.

There are far too many blogs out there that follow a theme and bore their readers with so-called "valuable" information. If you're tired of tagging along behind other, more experienced bloggers, we say follow your own rules and see what happens. Who knows, it could make you popular, famous, and rich!

Avoid themes.

Make sure your blog can't be forced into a box. If you target a specific audience, say, literary types or computer aficionados, think of all the other people who won't read your blog. Don't let The Man give you a label, man.

Provide irrelevant and/or outdated information.

Your readers don't want statistics or helpful hints. They want trivia! Titillate your audience with daily minutia from your own life, such as the current temperature in your part of the world. What you had for lunch. Gossip about an uncle on your father's side. Good stuff like that. Or you can give hints on making your electric typewriter more efficient or how to clean an eight-track tape machine.

Post inactive and/or irrelevant links.

If it's too easy, it's no fun! What reader wants to click on a link and go directly to the site? Make your audience work a bit—do a little investigative clicking, as it were. It's fun to make up sites too—try hyping a fantastic new site called www.grasshopperlegsforfancytimes.com, and let the frustration and confusion begin! You can also post links that are unrelated to your topic du jour and leave your readers wondering what they're missing...

Get personal.

What better forum to air your grievances? If your best friend or significant other has offended you in some way, start typing. A long, personal, privacy-shattering rant will make you feel much better than an e-mail or a simple phone call would. Everyone else will surely be interested in your personal problems too.

Copy and paste.

It's sure a lot of work to come up with new material on a regular basis. Feel free to copy and paste from other people's blogs or Web sites. (It's okay, everybody does it.)

Don't waste your time editing.

This is the number one problem in blogging—overediting! If you continue to waste your time proofing for typos and checking for libelous statements, you'll never keep up with your blog. No one really minds wading through the meandering stream of your consciousness, and we know that you do know how to spell basic words and use punctuation. You just have better things to do—like trying to figure out whose blog to plagiarize next.

We're kidding!! We're kidding!!

Writers know that constructive criticism is an essential part of becoming a better writer. We've come to terms with the role rejection plays in the submission process. And we bravely pass around our latest efforts at our monthly writers group, knowing that we're opening ourselves up to a possible unfavorable comment or two...at best. We're proud of ourselves for accepting this external literary critique as an unavoidable part of the industry.

But how do you deal with the negative comments and thoughts that come from within? How to silence that internal scallywag with the grating voice who likes to whisper in our ear and sabotage our confidence? "Who in the world are you trying to fool with this 'I'm a writer' act? You've got to be kidding!"

Don't let your inner critic derail your writing career. First, determine whether this internal voice is stemming from truth or from fear.

A general "Your writing is terrible" may stem from fear—the fear of failure, rejection, embarrassment. Perhaps, deep down, you fear you've made a bad career choice. Or you're worried that you've been fooling yourself about your talent. It's only natural to hear this negative voice in your head from time to time, telling you that you're risking your family's financial security or that no one will ever respect your work. This voice creates self-doubt, which doesn't help much when you're trying to be productive.

There are other insidious voices that do a writer no good. One is Ms. Procrastination, who likes to suggest, in silky tones, that you'll have plenty of time tomorrow to work on a new story. Her cousin, Ms. Compassion, softly whispers, "You must be so tired. Why don't you take a little nap and try this writing thing again tomorrow?" And then there's Mr. Guilt. "Don't you think your house/kids/dogs/garden could use a little of your attention right now? And you selfishly want to write?" You can ignore these voices or argue with them, replacing their negative messages with words of encouragement, but you mustn't let them distract you from your goals.

On the other hand, if the voice is saying, "Your character is not believable," maybe it's time to take a good look at the character in question. After all, your inner critic actually represents your own instincts as a writer, and we all need to pay attention to what we instinctively recognize as good writing versus bad. It's best if you can squash the voice of reason until you've been allowed to muddle through a first draft—never let the inner critic stop the creative flow—and when it's time for revision, you can then pay attention to your instincts and see what words of wisdom emerge.

You'll always have an internal dialogue in your head—we all do—but it's important to learn what messages to take seriously and what messages are self-defeating. Listen carefully and determine what's true, what's destructive, and what's just plain silly. Befriend that critic, learn from it, and keep writing.

So, I’m sitting here wondering why the query I sent out last week has yet to be answered. It took several months to compose that query, and another four weeks to track down a suitable agency to send it to. You could say that I have quite a lot invested in this query, and now I need answers as to why I’m being ignored.

Could it be something to do with the post office? I suppose it’s possible the neighborhood letter carrier ran into a shambling group of zombies. When he discovered he had only a banana and a toothpick with which to defend himself, my poor query probably fell to the wayside and became covered with banana goo. It’s also possible that a flock of great horned owls swooped down and mistook my query for nesting material—good taste on their part. Even supposing that the letter carrier avoided zombies, owls, and envelope-eating voodoo doctors, my query couldn’t have made it to the agency’s door, or I would have heard something by now.

Unlike the literary agency I queried, my writing group was lightning quick in responding to my complaint. They’re asking why it took so long to complete a single query and wondering why I only managed to send it to one agency. Are they negative or what? They don’t know what I’ve been facing this past year! For one thing, I had a disastrous accident on my scooter last December. Then my frontal lobotomy didn’t go quite as planned, and things started slipping my already slippery mind. Spent several unproductive months watching the Food Network and buying Hulk Hogan Ultimate Grills from the Home Shopping Network. Oh, and let’s not forget my tragic loss in the national 52-Card Pickup tournament in Vegas.

It’s been a rough year, but I hope to get more writing done, not to mention a few more queries submitted in the months ahead. It would be really cool to sell a story or two. If so, I could pay for a few of those Ultimate Grills sitting in my garage...if any literary agents are reading this, maybe we could work out a deal?

Not all writers make it a habit of going to writers’ conferences, but they are a part of many writers’ professional lives. These conferences are a meeting ground for agents, editors, writing instructors, and fellow scribes who gather to share knowledge and expertise, make contacts, and meet specific goals, whether it’s a writer pitching a novel or an agent scoring a best-seller.

Although you can find day workshops that are more affordable, these conferences are often not cheap. They range from 200 to 500 dollars and up, so it’s important to choose wisely. Here are some tips to help you get the most for your money.

What to look for:

First, you’ll want to locate conferences that fit your particular needs. Some focus on children’s writing, while others are for romance or mystery writers. Narrow down the field to those that pertain to your genre. The Internet is full of information on various conferences. Try www.writing.shawguides.com for a fairly comprehensive list.

As with all investments, a little research can go a long way. Request for all the information offered and go over it carefully. Do some checking with fellow writers or critique groups for their opinions, and research the guest speaker(s).

Take a good look at the opportunities available. Are there workshops, networking opportunities, well-known lecturers? If all you’re offered is a chance to hear an obscure author read her work, you won’t get much out of the experience.

Make note of the specifics, such as the travel requirements, lodging choices, and facilities. You may want to stick closer to home, or choose a mountain retreat over urban classrooms. Is there lodging available, or are you responsible for making hotel arrangements separately?

Double-check for hidden costs, and tally all possible expenses. If you’re organized and ask well in advance, you may be able to apply for a scholarship (or partial scholarship) to help defray the cost. The same goes for volunteering at the conference. You’ll have to ask for these options, as they probably won’t be advertised. You may also choose to attend with a friend. If you each take different seminars and workshops and then share notes, you’ll get more for your money.

What to do:

Clarify your conference goals before the actual event. Are you hoping to meet an agent, hone your writing skills, schmooze with other writers, learn new trends, and/or promote your work? Plan your time accordingly. If networking is your objective, skip the guest lecture and attend the less formal cocktail party instead. Or sign up for that "new media" seminar if you’re interested in learning new trends.

Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately. "Business casual" is a safe bet, although there are usually opportunities for more formal dress during dinners, etc. Be sure you’re remembered for your professional and engaging personality, not your plunging neckline or glow-in-the-dark cowboy boots.

Keep an eye on the time. If you’ve made appointments to speak with editors or agents, don’t be late. Stick to your allotted time out of courtesy both to the editor or agent and to your fellow writers.

Bring a light shoulder bag or briefcase stocked with your business cards, a notebook, extra pens...and for the free handouts. When you receive a business card, make a note on the back to remind you who you talked to and what it was about. It’s best to keep your hands free, so check other luggage and your coat in advance.

Position yourself carefully—asking questions from the front of the room will get you noticed, while the back row is a good place if you plan to slip out early.

Be prepared to do some work—networking can be exhausting, and this is not the time to sit back and be a passive observer. Everyone at this conference shares a common interest, so don’t let insecurity keep you from meeting new people and learning from them. The energy of these events can be very inspirational.

After the conference, send "nice to meet you" notes to agents or editors you spoke to, and be sure to mention where you met and (briefly) what you talked about.

Pitching your work:

Feel free to bring copies of your query, synopsis, or a few sample chapters or other writing samples. But leave that 500-page manuscript at home. Some conferences have time set aside specifically for pitching your work, so be prepared in advance and take advantage of this time. Make sure your pitch is polished (practice giving it to the mirror, your friends, your parrot), exciting, and BRIEF. There’s no need to compulsively tell everything about the story and the reason it was written. Agents and editors are trained to spot a good opportunity on very little information, and you want to avoid that glazed look in their eyes if you go on and on.

Do not aggressively corner agents and editors and subject them to a verbal pitch during dinner or in the restroom. You’ll only aggravate them or scare them away. And be careful what you say. Editors and agents often run in the same circles, and if you’ve been ranting about other writers or editors, you will be remembered—but not in the way you’d like.

Above all, have some fun…and happy networking!

Many writers have found success writing for the nonfiction market. The beauty of this market is that your book doesn’t have to be written before you can sell it. (In fact, many claim that it’s downright foolish to invest time and effort in a book that hasn’t yet been sold.) Unlike fiction, you can break into the market armed with nothing more than a killer book proposal, and we’re here to help you go about it.

In general, the nonfiction book proposal is designed to give editors a well-organized, detailed sales pitch describing what your proposed book is about and how it will make money for the publishing company. An additional bonus is that writing the book proposal forces the author to organize and focus the project approach. The book itself may go through many changes depending on editorial input, but the proposal should follow a generally accepted format. We’ll break down the anatomy of a book proposal and then give you some general tips.

COMPONENTS:

Title Page

Include your name and contact information with an approximate word count and the proposed title of your work. Make sure your main title describes the subject matter of the book to aid in keyword searches, and don’t rely on subtitles to convey vital information—subtitles are often dropped in computerized listings and library databases. Consider this your working title, as publishers may elect to change it.

**Optional: Summary (also known as the Overview, Synopsis, or Executive Summary) - 1 page maximum

Begin with a very short description of your book’s basic premise. Whatever makes your book stand out should be highlighted in the first few sentences. This is the "hook," so make it interesting and unique; powerful yet concise. Capture the editor’s attention right off the bat, and make it clear what you’re selling. If the editor has to hunt around for the point of your book, he/she is likely to toss it aside and review the next proposal in the towering pile.

Chapter by Chapter Outline - 1 to 4 paragraphs per chapter

Create a dynamic outline by highlighting each chapter’s major points. Emphasize each chapter’s unique and/or important function in relation to the rest of the book. By the time the editor has read this outline, he or she should have a clear idea of the overall book.

The Market

This section should include information about the book’s intended audience and why the book addresses the needs of that particular audience. Make sure that your market is broad (as in "women ages 30-60" or "people who buy cars"), and provide as many demographics of your targeted audience as possible. Include observations about current trends that favor your book and highlight what makes your book unique.

Also include information about the competition. If there are other books out there on the same subject, yours had best offer a new or original take. Identify current books that are similar, and explain how yours fills a specific niche. If there are complementary books out there, show how your book can be positioned to the publisher’s advantage.

Give the editor or agency enough ammunition to sell your work to their review board.

Author Information

This is where you list your education, writing credentials, contacts, experience—anything that makes you uniquely qualified to write this book. If you don’t have a journalism degree or a list of publishing credits, highlight other things that show you have what it takes to tackle the subject. For instance, you may be a parent of a special-needs child, and, although you have never been published, your experience qualifies you to offer a unique perspective—assuming that your writing is up to par.

You will also need to outline your own promotional ideas and resources to help market the book. Include information about affiliations, contacts, or endorsements you may have lined up. Do you have a prominent person willing to write the foreword? Media contacts? Web sites, bookstore appearances, newsletters, and possible sequels or spin-off information should be included in this section. To use the example above, you may be a member of the Autism Society of America, and with the contacts you have made within that organization you can offer greater promotional opportunities.

Specifications

This is where you outline an approximate word count, the number of chapters, and an estimated completion time frame. If your book will contain a number of charts, photographs, or illustrations, say so. You may also describe the general format you envision. However, be prepared to be flexible when it comes to length and format—the publisher will have the final say.

Note: A full-length nonfiction book contains 9 to 15 chapters. Don’t submit an outline for a book that contains less than 9 chapters. Make sure you have enough material (and time) to fulfill this obligation before you propose it.

Table of Contents

Quite simply, this is a list of chapter titles to give the agent or editor an idea of what will be included in your book.

Sample Chapters

If you have already begun the writing process, send one or two completed chapters (Chapter 1 and 2 are preferable). Do not send chapters from the middle of the book.

OTHER TIPS

Your book proposal should be similar in style to your proposed book. In other words, if your book is meant to be humorous and lighthearted, make sure your proposal is written in the same style.

Make sure the proposal is edited and proofread within an inch of its life. Agents and editors admit to passing over potentially great ideas if they have to wade through a sea of errors and typos and coffee stains.

Always include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) for responses. Your material will be recycled.

When formatting, we recommend using a 12-point, easy-to-read font like Times New Roman or Arial, with one-inch margins all around, and left justification.

We love educating writers about ever-changing industry standards. Let us know if we can help you with any or all elements of putting together a stellar book proposal.

A writer's group is an informal gathering of writers who meet once a month or more to share their work, offer advice and criticism, and generally support each other. These groups are also a great source of writing-related news and industry leads (especially online groups).

Writing is a solitary endeavor, so it's only natural that some writers are drawn to groups of like-minded souls. No one but a fellow writer can properly appreciate the pain of a terse rejection or the angst of yet another creative block. And when it comes to encouragement and constructive criticism, leave it to your fellow writers to step up.

That's the concept behind writer's groups. Reality is often different, and even if you find a group that fits your criteria, you may find that you don't work well in a group dynamic. If you do work well with others, you may have to try out several groups before finding that perfect fit.

What to look for:

Dynamics. Does each member contribute more or less equally? Or does everyone defer to the strongest personality in the group? Does everyone contribute work to be read, as well as read other writers' work? Or do the same two people do all the critiquing while the rest do all the writing? Look for a group dynamic where equality reigns.

Positive atmosphere. There's far too much rejection in the writing world already, and an overly negative atmosphere does not do anyone good. Look for a group that offers constructive criticism as well as encouragement and praise. If you feel like a minnow in a pool of bloodthirsty sharks, it's time to seek out another group.

No fawning! Just as biting comments and harsh criticism hurt, so do the insipid remarks of the well-meaning. While "It was so great!" feeds our ego, it does nothing to improve our craft. Intelligent insight is welcome—vague, obsequious praise is not.

A common goal. If your goal is publication, find a group with the same collective goal. Or it might be your intent to get your feet wet and start learning how to be a better writer. Find a group that will help you with your particular goal.

Logistics. Obviously, you're more likely to attend meetings if they aren't held 40 miles away at 9:00 p.m. And you prefer meeting in a bookstore or a quiet café over that punk rock bar in the red-light district.

Online Groups

Online writer's groups are also very popular and especially handy for those who live in less populated areas. It's also convenient to operate this way, as you may pick and choose what you want to crit, when you want to crit. However, this can also translate into a lack of commitment, as folks pop in and out as they like.

In a physical setting, each writer gets their work read and critiqued. In an online group, stories and poems and portions of manuscripts are either posted online or e-mailed to select members. Critiques can be posted in either a public forum or on the writer's personal area. You have the freedom to choose to critique work of a certain genre or form (only poetry or horror, for example) or by a few select writers whose work you like.

A word of caution, however. Sometimes it's easier to be cruel when you're not looking a fellow writer in the face, so take care with your criticism when in cyberspace. On the other hand, if you've encountered someone who is offensive to you in some way, it's easier to avoid them than if you sat next to them in a physical setting.

In a real-world situation, you're generally forced to deal with the members of your group. And while this is a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and gain valuable input from your peers, there are always those members who make you a bit uncomfortable. We've listed a few types to avoid if you can possibly help it.

Dysfunctional Writer's Group Members

--The Warrior. This is the member who can't just make a point—he has to win the author over to his side of the argument and fight to the bitter end. It's all about winning. And chest-thumping.

--The Alpha-Critiquer. Don't argue with her. She's right at all times, and you are but a lowly, no-talent wimp.

--The Wimp. This is the member who bursts into tears at the first sign of a frowny face, yet has no trouble whatsoever hurling literary barbs at others.

--The Name-Caller. If you write a passionate love scene, you're a sicko. Every sci-fi author is a freak, and watch out if you've used a naughty word or two—you might be labeled a Perv with a capital P. You know this lady. If it's not G-rated and based on her idea of classic American literature, she's not going to like it. And you might end up with a new nickname.

--The Lecturer. This guy has several obscure degrees and was published once in the 1970s. His crits tend to go on for quite some time and are often delivered in a mocking, condescending manner. Gird your loins and grab your dictionary, because this guy uses all the six-syllable words at his disposal.

--The Vampire. This woman lives for blood spillage. She delights in other people's misery and considers writing a combat sport. Sit far away and protect your neck at all times.

--The Egomaniac. This guy has confused "critique" for "brag," and he is a good friend of The Lecturer. Everything he says is designed to show others just how much he knows, how insightful he is, and how many books he's read. You may have to remind him there are others in the room. Don't be surprised if it doesn't help.

--The Genre Freak. Everyone should stick to writing in this woman's favorite genre. Anything else and she'll try to convert you.

--The Wanna-be. She wants to be a writer but doesn't actually want to do any of the work. So she hangs out with writers and talks the talk instead. Give her a goal of 20 pages a week and watch her slink away.

--The Out-of-His-Leaguer. This guy hasn't yet mastered the art of a simple sentence, and the last book he read was in 1980. (Unfortunately, it wasn't a book on improving basic writing skills.)

--The Time-Waster. This woman manages to divert attention from anything related to writing and spends an inordinate amount of time fiddling with her things, clicking pens, searching through her bag, and generally doing anything but paying attention.

--The Obsessed. This writer uses one theme and one theme only for all her work. Or all her characters have red hair and green eyes—no exceptions. Mention this trend and watch her head explode.

--The Creep. This guy's work is a little too focused (obsessed) on preteen girls and their physical development. Plus he wears a trench coat all year round?

Create Your Own Group

If you have tried out a few groups or searched in vain for anything resembling a writer's group, you may have to start your own.

--Find like-minded writers. Teachers, librarians, people who hang out in bookstores, and college students are great candidates. Don't feel guilty about picking and choosing members carefully—it's important to find a good mix of personalities and writing styles.

--Some groups find it best to keep the skill and experience levels of their members similar. You may want to ask for a writing sample from prospective members to make sure they are serious.

--Keep it small, between four and eight members. If you have 20 members, you'll find yourself buried in critiques. Create a plan to keep membership under control.

--Lay out the specifics up front and in writing. When and how often will you meet? What is expected of each member? How much is each person expected to submit and critique?

--Agree on a setting that is quiet and doesn't distract from your work. Avoid meeting places where you have to spend more than the price of a good cappuccino, and make sure it's a location convenient for everyone.

--Set time limits for crit sessions and stick to them. Each person may have ten minutes to evaluate the writer's work, and then it's time to move on.

--Discourage too much chitchat and avoid a happy-hour atmosphere. Make plans to socialize after the meeting.

--Set a positive tone and encourage submission goals. Support, support, support.

Critiquing 101

Critiquing another's work is helpful for you as well. You hone your self-editing skills and fine-tune your sense of what works and what doesn't. You don't have to be filled with the wisdom of the ages to give a good crit. Your input as an intelligent person and a lover of books is valuable. If your first impression is that the work is jumbled and disorganized, the plot difficult to follow, or the characters contrived, the author needs to know this. More experienced writers/critiquers will likely spot more technical problems, such as transition or weak character development, than the general, overall suggestions of the newer writers in the group—but both perspectives are useful.

A critique may well be glowing, but this kind of review is rare and may not be helpful. What is more helpful are specific areas of praise: I loved your transition to the city scene in Chapter 2, or Great metaphor! Criticism sounds like a negative word, but constructive criticism serves a higher purpose. It is designed to give insight from a fresh perspective, and if delivered politely and respectfully, again with concrete examples rather than "I just didn't get it," then it is a positive thing.

Keep an eye out for elements of pacing, characterization, plot, transition, conflict, and dialogue. This is not the time to point out comma errors or typos, unless you've been specifically asked to proofread. You may go over the work more than once with different elements in mind.

Listen to the writer and take your cues from her. If she is a new writer and hesitant to hand over her work, be gentle. This is not the time to tear into her work, or she may never get up the courage to share it again. Some broad, helpful advice is warranted here. On the other hand, if she insists that you be "brutal," then she's looking for some honest advice no matter how hurtful. If the work is posted online, be sure that it is work open for criticism and not just posted for sharing.

Take a moment to assess what the writer is trying to accomplish before you begin your critique. If you take the time to realize the author is going for a dark, humorless stance, you won't irritate him by insisting that he "lighten up." Give specific suggestions and comments. Don't ask the writer to explain himself. This is a group endeavor, not a debate.

Keep it short and to the point. Unless you're posting online crits, you don't want to take up the others' time with long, rambling speeches. It's not feasible to cover every point you'd like to make in one session. Take notes and approach it from another angle next time, if appropriate.

If the writer is hurt or angry over a crit, back off. There may be many reasons for her defensiveness, and you're not going to help the situation by belaboring your point.

Dealing With Criticism

As a writer, you're used to dealing with rejection. Be sure you are able to accept constructive criticism as well, as painful as it may be. Especially when the wide-eyed youngster joins your group and says, "I really loved your characters, but the plot was, like, totally boring!" It's especially painful if the youngster is right. What won't help is to take a defensive stance. If you feel the need to clarify the point, a level-headed discussion is fine if time permits. Sometimes these discussions lead to wonderful and enlightening conversation, but, for the most part, your job is to sit back and LISTEN.

Take notes and review them later when the crit is less fresh (read: less painful). After your ego has had a chance to recover, you may find that your critiquer had a valid point.

Be prepared for many different forms of critique. You may get a story or poem returned with only technical errors pointed out, while another's take might be more theme-oriented. Some members may hate your work, while others love it. Embrace the input as a whole, and take away what you find valuable.

End on a positive note, even if you have to fudge it a little. Egos are fragile, and it takes courage to lower the walls of defense and share your most personal creations. Don't kill this spirit of sharing by trying to be too "helpful."

The common lot of writers is that we all share the anxiety and fear of rejection, whether we're newbies or experienced, published authors. And we all share the love of the written word. So, set your ego aside for a while, and open yourself up for a little constructive criticism. If it doesn't kill you, it'll make you a better writer!

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

You've been writing since you were a kid, or you just got the Big Nudge from your Muse, or you have decided the story in your head would be just perfect for your local newspaper. You sit down at your computer screen, start typing your tale, and watch the words float from your fingers to the electronic page. You print the story, read it over, and realize what's on the paper is not what was in your head. It's a good story, but just needs a little work. What do you do now?

The solution to your problem can be in your own backyard, if you know where to look. Connecting with other writers can be the key to becoming a better writer. Here are some suggestions for ways to improve your writing by networking with other writers in your area.

Find local poetry readings, book readings, or book signings in your neighborhood. Many large chain bookstores have schedules of these events listed on their Web sites and have flyers with this information in the stores when you visit. Find one or two that interest you and just go. It's a great way to meet other writers and find out about other writing events. Or, just enter "poetry readings" or "book signings" followed by your location in your internet browser to see what's in your area.

Contact your local community school. Many high schools and community colleges offer evening classes and other less expensive courses about writing, proofreading, and getting work published. Be sure to check the credentials of the person teaching the course.

Local colleges may also offer individual courses in your area of writing, whether it be fiction writing, memoir crafting, or poetry forms that you can take on a non-matriculated basis. It's worth a look to contact the continuing education adult school in your town.

Workshops are another valuable way to hone your writing craft. Some are held over the course of a weekend; others are day seminars. Still, there are others that are week-long events. An excellent internet resource to find these kinds of workshops and seminars is www.shawguides.com. Click on Writer's Conferences & Workshops. This source allows you to search by location and by type of workshop. Some of these conferences are genre specific such as mystery or romance; others deal with play writing, children's and adult book manuscripts. Many offer workshops for writers of different levels, and others are designed for beginner writers. Some require an application and can be competitive; others are not. Many have a limited number of participants, so it's best to decide early and sign up for the workshop of your choice so you're not left out.

Keep networking with other writers. In this way, you can find out about other events in your area that can help your writing. Make contacts with other writers. Find out what they do to help their own writing. Go back to your story, revise, rewrite, and send it out to the best markets with a better chance of getting published than when you first wrote it.

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

We all learn how to write in grammar school, work on those skills in middle school, torture ourselves and our teachers through high school, and finally embrace the Muse that has perched on our shoulder in college and won't leave us alone. Many writers know at an early age their passion is the written word; others come to that realization later in life, but all successful writers learn writing techniques that serve them well. Let's face it: anyone can put words on a page and call it a story or divide those words up into stanzas and call it a poem. But successful writers know that constructive feedback is tantamount to perfecting the craft of writing.

There are many tools that writers, who are serious about their craft, can use to hone their skills as writers. After struggling with the first draft of a piece, it is best to let it percolate for a while and come back to the page with a fresh eye. No one ever writes "The Road Not Taken" in one sitting. It is important to recognize that writing is a repeated process of draft and craft, and with each revision, nuances and tighter language can emerge properly. Once a writer has a piece he/she is fairly satisfied with, it's time to send it out into the world for another opinion. Other eyes may see what you have missed, offer a different perspective, and question what you have taken for granted.

It is important that a writer does not exist in a vacuum. There are many quality writing workshops, continuing education courses, informal writing groups, and low-residency MFA programs that afford writers trustworthy outlets for critique. While you may be tempted to have your mother, your significant other, or best friend read your work, they should not be your only editors. They are not trained to critique, may not understand your work, and may try to preserve your feelings, regardless of their true opinion. Choose a fellow writer who has already published work in the creative writing field. Network with editors at writer workshops. Seek out those who share your passion for the written word. Research credentials of those to whom you entrust your work. Be wary of online workshops whose principals may not be trained in constructive critique or where untrained writers/members may trample your work. You may want to visit http://www.shawguides.com/ for a listing of weekend and one-day workshops in your area.

Once you have received feedback from a source you trust, it's back to revising again. Keep in mind you do not have to incorporate all suggestions that have been made. In fact, some writers revise TOO much. Look for the criticism you've received numerous times before changing the voice of your entire novel because one agent decided he or she might like it better if written in third person. The object of critique is to force the writer to take an objective look at what has been written, evaluate its suitability, tighten the piece where needed, then let your words stand on their own.

The season is upon us yet again, and you may want to pass this list around to friends and family members. Unless, of course, you truly enjoyed your windup Santa doll from last year—the one that rapped a new version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and caused your cat to have seizures from the obnoxious blinking lights.

What do writers really need this holiday? Pass this list out and hope for the best:

Chances are your writer friend already has a glut of coffee mugs, several probably with literary references or motivational quotes on them. More appreciated might be coffee beans or unique tea blends. Or perhaps an IV to pump the caffeine directly into their bloodstream.

Plants are quiet, relatively easy to keep alive, and don’t require much time or attention. They also add much needed oxygen to the room—something all writers