Played Hooky On Monday To Go Fishing!
Since I worked the entire weekend for the WritersWeekly Spring 2014 24-Hour Short Story Contest, we played hooky on Monday, and went fishing on Ali and Justin’s boat…
More World’s Worst Book Proposals And Query Letters
Today, I’m going to share another installment of our popular column, World’s Worst Book Proposals and Query Letters. Yes, we can learn from others’ mistakes! Featured are real quotes from query letters (no book proposals today) submitted to us over the past few months.
WritersWeekly Has Blacklisted Gulf Coast: A Journal Of Literature And Fine Arts
Angela,
Let me first say, I am not an editor.
I know a lot of people are against the idea of Lit. Journals charging reading fees. I get it. However the reason so many print journals and magazines need to charge a small fee is because so few people actually buy journals or subscribe to them. (I have been guilty of this myself.)
Everyone wants to see their work in print, but many people don’t financially support those very same journals.
I know Gulf Coast comes out of a big university, but we still need to actually buy the journals and support our fellow artists. Blacklisting is a bit harsh.
$2.00 is a modest fee and Gulf Coast is a top journal that most of us would love to be in.
Marguerite
THE PUBLISHER RESPONDS:
If a publication can only exist charging money to those who are working for the publication (writers are, on a contract level), they are not self-sufficient, and should not be in business. In my opinion, what they’re doing is really nothing more than hosting a contest. Writers pay money for an opportunity to be published and a few lucky souls win, get published, and get some money back. The rest are out of luck.
This is a horrible way to do business. In addition, when they completed our form to be featured on WritersWeekly, they didn’t mention a reading fee at all. Again, in my opinion, that was just plain wrong. The blacklisting was well-deserved.
6 Steps To Self-Publishing Success By James Palmer
Everyone wants to know the “secret sauce,” the precise steps they must take to become a successful self-published author. While there are no hard and fast rules that will work equally for everyone, here are six basic commandments for self-publishing success…
Amazon’s “In Stock” And “Ships In 2-3 Weeks” Verbiage Is Not Always True!
Yesterday was a good day at Amazon for (my book). But, it is hard to see how many books they sell. Their stated numbers of books in stock is erratic, as is its correspondence to delayed but related sales rank. I have tried a few times to watch the books in stock but it fluctuates according to no apparent logic…
Three Steps To Getting Started By Lynn Pribus
I remember clearly how hard it was to get started so here are three pointers that led to my success as a freelancer…
Whispers And Warnings For April 30th
Links to the stories below can be found here:
https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9366
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS AGAINST GOOGLE’S ADSENSE. GOOGLE DENIES THEM, OF COURSE.
Whistleblower Claims Google Stole Money From Publishers Using Adsense
“The self-stylized whistleblower claimed that Google managers directly ordered employees to steal money from publishers through AdSense, its ad placement service, and that the scheme has been active for years.”
PER READER DEMAND
To Kill a Mockingbird finally available as an e-book
“Monday’s announcement came almost exactly a year after Lee sued her former literary agent, Samuel Pinkus, in order to regain rights to her novel.”
NOTE: BOOKS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN PRINT *AND* ELECTRONIC FORMAT TO ATTRACT ALL READERS. MOST AMERICANS STILL DON’T OWN A DEDICATED EBOOK READING DEVICE. See this.
SOME SHOULD BE KEPT SECRET, BUT MOST SHOULD NOT
Groups fight to keep court records from being kept secret in high-profile cases
“Judges trying to close hearings and seal court documents should be a cause for concern among members of news media outlets, two organizations say.”
ANOTHER SCHOOL ATTEMPTS TO SILENCE A YOUNG JOURNALIST
Lakeland Student (former Cancer patient) Fights to Write Story
“An editor of Lakeland High School’s student magazine wants to write about the proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana.” The school says no.
“A RENEWED CLAMPDOWN ON DISSENT IN RUSSIA”
Libel conviction adds to pressure on Putin foe Navalny
“Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was convicted of libel on Tuesday in a ruling his lawyer said could potentially lead to the jailing of the anti-corruption blogger who is one of President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critics.”
DON’T SUE IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE LEGAL STANDING TO DO SO
New York Muslim Group’s Libel Lawsuit Is Dismissed
“A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing a Christian organization of defaming a Muslim group in a book that alleged that the Muslim group conducted terrorist training.”
THE JUDGE COULD NOT YET DETERMINE IF THE REPORTING WAS “FAIR AND TRUE”
Judge denies ESPN request to dismiss libel suit
“A federal judge has denied a request by ESPN to dismiss a libel suit filed by the wife of former Syracuse University assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine.”
Links to the stories above can be found here:
https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9366
How I Tore My MCL
Last week, I told you how I sprained my knee but I couldn’t tell you how. Now I can. You see, we were trying something out and, if we liked it, we were going to buy our adult children gift certificates for their Easter baskets…
14 Tips To Give Yourself A Leg Up In Writing Contests! By Angela Hoy
The next quarterly 24-Hour Short Story Contest is right around the corner! Despite the fact that our guidelines have a list of hints for writers, many either don’t read it, or ignore it. After more than a decade of hosting and judging quarterly writing contests, we’re sharing some hints on how to get a leg up on the other contestants…
BookLocker Has Been the Best!!
They are professional, attentive and simply superb to deal with. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful the staff are at BookLocker. A special shout out to Angela whose patience and guidance have been exemplary!!
Publishing a book is no easy feat but the professionals at BookLocker made the journey so easy and stress free that we endorse them without hesitation.
Thank you BookLocker and please know that your attention to detail is very much appreciated by me and the four Doctors of the Caribbean!
Chuck Furey, Editor
In the Jungle of Medicine: Journeys Through Caribbean Medical School
https://booklocker.com/books/7383.html