The Manatees!

We LOVE manatees! The first wild one we saw in Florida was in our very own backyard, the day we closed on this house. We’ve had a special affection for them ever since. There are three at the local museum and Max and Mason love visiting them.
Last Sunday, we had cabin fever so we threw on shorts and t-shirts (it was 90 here!), and headed north on I-75. Just half an hour away is the Manatee Viewing Area in Apollo Beach…

PROLIFIC AUTHORS! Which Publisher Gives the BEST DEAL to Authors of Two or More Titles? By Angela Hoy

You’re an author with two or more manuscripts ready to go (or books you want to re-publish), and several more in the works. After you go through a publisher’s process the first time, the second time is naturally easier, for both you and for the publisher. You know what to expect, and what they expect, and the publishing process goes much more smoothly.
Shouldn’t you be rewarded for this by receiving a deep discount on setup fees for your second and subsequent books? Yes, you should!
Which P.O.D. publisher offers deep discounts to “returning authors?”

More Warm Fuzzies!

I sure appreciate all your excellent help with publishing my book! You are so kind, considerate, quick and thorough!
Gratefully,
Elizabeth Smith
Twin Strokes

FLEEING UNFAIRFIELD: An Allegory Exposing Unfair Pay for Writing Services Fleeing Unfairfield By Christine Laws

How can we fix the glaring inconsistency of expecting writers to work for free while everybody else receives payment? Well, editors can either pay the writers or writers can move on to publications that do pay. Sometimes, editors do not seem to understand the unfairness of this policy or, at other times, writers sell themselves short. I wrote the following allegory to expose the issue, and to encourage fairness for the work that writers do…

Should I Pay a Fee to Submit to a Literary Journal? No!!

What is your view of publications that charge a fee just to submit work through their online submission portals? I notice many of the literary journals are now charging around $3 to submit, justifying that it’s what it would cost for postage, administrative fees, and to help pay writers, like this quip from a lit journal:
“We charge a $3 submission fee, which is the postage that would be needed for a submission. This helps keep us in business…”

This Author Stayed Home And Became More Grounded, Satisfied & Prosperous By Christina Katz

Most author advice suggests getting out in the world and getting up in front of your book’s real-live audience. I am not going to contradict this advice because I know the benefits of public speaking, making appearances, and teaching workshops at conferences first-hand. If you are a first-time author you need to get out there, get seen, and mingle with your audience, period…

Whispers And Warnings For April 9th

Links to the stories below can be found here:
https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9362
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING!
Toledo Blade lawsuit alleges military guards detained journalists, deleted photos
“The Toledo Blade filed a federal lawsuit Friday against various government officials after military police reportedly detained two of the paper’s journalists outside a military manufacturing facility, seized their equipment, and deleted digital photographs.”
MORE INTERNS SHOULD SUE TO STOP THIS HORRIBLE PRACTICE
Conde Nast Settles Intern Lawsuit
“The lawsuit was brought in June 2013 by former interns Lauren Ballinger and Matthew Lieb, who alleged that the compensation received for the work they did at W Magazine and the New Yorker, respectively, violated New York labor law.”
IF YOU CAN’T SUE IN A TIMELY FASHION, DON’T SUE AT ALL!
NBC Universal Prevails in Epic ‘Ghost Hunters’ Legal Battle
“The dispute, litigated for more than seven years, alleged that the show about a team of paranormal investigators was stolen. This week, a California appeals court ordered a lower court to grant the studio summary judgment because the plaintiffs hadn’t brought their claims in a timely fashion.”
BANNED BOOKS IN PRISON? 17 DIFFERENT REASONS – GOOD ONES, IN MY OPINION!
‘Violent, deviant s*xual acts:’ Prison records show why inmates are denied books
“Mike Hoffman grabbed a copy of one of his favorite books, ‘American Gods’ by Neil Gaiman, and placed it among a pile of donations to be mailed to prisoners…”
ALLOWING UPLOADS OF ILLEGAL MATERIAL ENCOURAGES COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
Disney, Movie Studios Sue Megaupload, Kim Dotcom Over Copyright Claims
“While billing itself as a private data storage provider, Megaupload.com functioned as a hub for uploading and downloading copyrighted movies and TV shows, according to the complaint filed today in federal court…”
Links to the stories above can be found here:
https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9362

Should You Pay To Have Someone Give Feedback On Your Manuscript?

I used four BETA readers for my new novel, choosing two writers and two book club members. All are voracious readers and know me, and they don’t pull punches. From all of them I got different, but equally insightful comments. I paid them with thanks in person and sent Thank You notes after the revise expressing my gratitude for the individual’s unique contribution. Each also will be mentioned in the Acknowledgements. I am wary of paying BETA readers, and would not use one unless recommended by a trusted writer friend.
Sarah Bates
https://www.sarahbatesauthor.com
TWITTER: @Bateswriter