Trying to get an early start on the holiday preparations, we put up some of our Christmas decorations last Sunday. Max doesn’t remember Christmas from last year (he turned three in September) so we’ve been having fun reminding him about the season. He seemed to understand the “Santa” concept and even said he’s going to ask Santa for a new train.
Hi Angela,
Boy am I glad you published that shy writer story. I was so shy I used to write with a pencil that had an eraser on both ends.
I am doing the blog thing now, too.
See: https://tenniesup.blogspot.com/
Best wishes!
Kenny
If you’re a shy writer, you should know that shyness is who you are, as much a part of you as eye color and lobed ears. Learn to incorporate it into your writing world. Learn how to recognize your limitations and your abilities and define your ills and your cures.
Angela,
I was referred to you by Mark McCann, an author who published through your program. I am putting together a one-time literary magazine and I wasn’t sure how to get an ISBN # for the magazine. What is the procedure for doing so?
All the best,
Elizabeth
ISBNs are actually assigned to books. ISSNs are for periodicals.
You can apply for an ISSN at:
https://www.lcweb.loc.gov/issn/
You’ll be happy to know that, while ISBNs are quite expensive, there is currently no charge for an ISSN assignment.
This Week:
We did finally get a diagnosis on Blotch’s condition. The news was not good, but we are coping. The story is here: https://www.angelahoy.com/archives/002189.html
I have set a near-impossible personal goal to have all my Christmas shopping and gift wrapping finished before December 9th, which is when Richard’s grandmother is arriving for a one-month visit. She has diabetes, is almost blind and sometimes forgets things that happened yesterday, but she was a nurse in WWII, serving on a ship (and suffering from constant seasickness!), and the kids love hearing her war stories! In fact, she met her husband that way. But that’s a romance story for another day…
It’s always fun to have guests for the holidays and I’m looking forward to tricking her into sharing some of her secret recipes with me. Heh…
Hugs to all!
Ang
P.S. Want to read real query letters that landed these contracts? Woman’s Day – $2,800; Redbook – $3,500; Ladies Home Journal – $3,000; DiscoveryHealth.com – $2,000; Lifetime Magazine – $3,000; Life Extension magazine – $6,480; Natural Remedies $11,300; and many more! See: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/1409.html
When this service was first implemented, I received up to 5-6 submissions per day that required that I “register.” Now, I don’t bother. If a writer wants to receive feedback from us on the status of his/her submission, they will need to pre-register our domain as one that they will allow mail from or they won’t hear back from us. I have yet to bypass a submission we selected for publication because of this maddening practice, but I am prepared to do so if the need arises.
Many writers are so afraid of rejection that they jump at whatever fee an editor offers. Don’t do it! Writers are notorious for not getting paid what they deserve, especially when they are first starting out. We need to think more like my therapist, who advises, “Honor the work you do.” His weekly therapy bill also motivates me to ask for more for my writing work. Whatever your motivation, stand up for the work you do and make more money.
In her article, Reality Check on Publishers’ Dismal Marketing Efforts, MJ Rose is saying a publisher invested $175,000 in an author’s book and then failed to market the book? – that is difficult to fathom.
When the call came from a publisher, I thought it was a practical joke, someone pulling my leg on my birthday. The message slip said to call Chronicle Books in San Francisco. I dutifully called the 415-area code and was connected to an editor.
“I was wondering if you would like to write a book for us, “said the woman from one of the top publishing houses in the West. “What?,” I stammered.
