M’s Surgery
M’s surgery was last Wednesday. He is recovering comfortably at our home. The first thing the surgeon (M’s new orthopedist) said after the surgery was, “I sure wish I’d seen him two months ago. I could have done more for him.”
Letters To The Editor For April 27th
Letters will return next week.
Effective Bidding Pays Off By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
An editor or client will likely ask for your fee someday. It’s a heady moment, but keep your wits about you. You don’t want to mess this up, especially if the project will take awhile, or represents a stepping stone to more work.
Can I Publish My 24-Hour Short Story Entry After the Contest? Yep!!
Dear Angela,
I was a past participant in one of the 24 hour contests and I have a question regarding that.
I used the exact prompt for the story as written by WritersWeekly.
Now, I want to include that story in a book I plan to publish. My question is, can I use that story as written, or would I need to strike the beginning and change it?*
Thanks,
Mike
How I Finally Landed My First Book Contract in the Educational Marketplace By Dorit Sasson
It was music to my ears to finally receive an email from an editor of a big educational publishing house who wrote, “I would love to work with Dorit and her manuscript, Greater Collaboration for K-5 English Language Learners.”
Initially, I thought this contract had everything to do with the fact that I found the only K-12 agent listing for educational publishing in the United States but I realized it had everything to do with a marketable manuscript. Breaking into educational publishing for this newbie writer was one of the hardest lessons to learn but here’s what I did to increase my chances of acceptance after 100 drafts (and counting!).
Whispers And Warnings For April 27th
Zite, a news aggregator for the iPad – served with a cease and desist letter signed by a long list of major publishers.
In Portland for M’s Surgery
I’m writing this on Tuesday afternoon. M’s surgery is tomorrow. If all goes well, he should be released sometime later that afternoon. We’re going to head back to Bangor immediately while he’s still a bit woozy from the anesthesia. You see, at this time of year in Maine, the results of the frost heave are quite evident. There are huge cracks and potholes everywhere, making for a very bumpy ride.
When we lived in Texas, we didn’t have frost heave and I thought the term referred to men up north who drank too much on cold nights.
Anyway, if we get a hotel room after the surgery, not only would M have to navigate his walker on sidewalks and in the hotel lobby and hallways, but he would also feel the bumps in the road far more the following day. Ali is driving in tonight from Bangor after she finishes her last class. Richard will stay in the hotel room tomorrow with Max and Mason while Ali and I sit nervously in the surgical waiting room at the hospital. M is, understandably, very nervous. He’s never had surgery before. I told him it’ll be a breeze. The doctors and nurses have to do all the work, the family has to wait and worry for hours, and he just gets to sleep. 😉
This Week’s Masonism:
“Mom, I’m almost five. I need a job.”
Hugs to all
Angela
Tempted by “Free” Author Copies Offered by Your POD Publisher? Don’t Be Fooled!
Hi Angela,
I FINALLY had the chance to read your most recent issue of WritersWeekly. I appreciated the article on “free” author copies of books. But do I have a doozie for you. I recently checked out a certain publisher, and found out AFTER I contacted them that they are POD. Not only this, but their contract states that they REQUIRE authors to buy copies of their books upon publication. Not just 1 or 2 copies, but 25 copies!! They add that cost to the set-up fee.
Pretty unbelievable, huh? The whole thing sounds unethical to me.
Keep up the good work!
Hugs,
Dawn Colclasure
—
Author of the following books: November’s Child, Take My Hand, 365 TIPS FOR WRITERS: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat the Block – Tips to Turbo Charge Your Creativity, BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents, Love is Like a Rainbow: Poems of Love and Devotion, Songs of the Dead, co-author of TOTALLY SCARED: The Complete Book on Haunted Houses, The Yellow Rose. Website: https://dmcwriter.tripod.com/
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Upselling Editors for Added Income By John K. Borchardt
If you’re like me, I try to include sidebar options in my queries to improve my chances of having my query accepted by editors…
No, Traditional Publishers Will NOT Wait For You to Get Out of a Long-Term Contract!
I am really interested in using BookLocker.com to print my soon to be finished manuscript. I like everything you offer. I just wanted to verify something just in case as I am always one to prepare for the best to happen!
If I list my book with you and my marketing efforts help the book sales take off, and sell lots of copies, and if a larger publisher approaches me, can I switch to them? Basically I just wanted to ensure I would have this option if all goes well like I anticipate…