I received an email this week from Michael Powers, author of Heart Touchers: Life Changing Stories of Faith, Love, and Laughter. Michael had found one of his book’s chapters published on a website. The website had removed his name from the piece and had even added three paragraphs to the end of what was now a published “article.”
Hi Angela,
Thanks for printing my success story last week. I have also gotten two more articles published quite recently, one in American Libraries Magazine and the other in Reminisce Magazine!! This feels good – writing for a living. Well, I still have to work, too, but I feel like I am on my way.
Thanks again.
Regards,
Carolyn Rhodes
There are a few steps you can take which will turn your great idea into a fantastic query letter, and, hopefully, a well-written, attention-grabbing article.
What is the difference between Mainstream / Literary and Genre Short Stories?
Sherry
Editor’s Note: Both MJ Rose and Angela give their opinion on this week’s question.
‘Think outside the box’ is such a cliche’ these days. I wasn’t thinking outside the box when I was asked to write the story, I was (kind of thinking) outside my clothes. I had gone to a nudist colony for the first time. In the conversation pool that afternoon I met the webmaster for the Michigan park where I was staying. When he learned that it was my first visit and that I was a writer he asked me to write a story about it. Of course, I said “yes.” The story was done within two days and e-mailed to him. He was thrilled with my comments and posted them on the park’s website.
I think it’s rained every single day for the past two weeks here (sigh). Our seedlings are bursting out of their little starter pots but we still can’t plant them. The garden is flooded. Max is dying to play in the green grass…but it’s not only wet, it’s windy and cold, too. I’m begging Richard for a short reprieve…just a tiny RV trip before the official summer vacation begins.
Here are two of the dozens of emails we received about Angela’s article last week:
Attention all you editors: That is NOT a typo in the above headline. I did mean “singing,” not “signing.” But if it’s any consolation, the term “Book Singing” and the book marketing concept it represents did originate from a simple typographical error.
Is it considered plagiarism if you use bible verses from the bible while writing a children’s christian storybook?
The old woman caught my eye one morning on my way to school. I was in the 8th grade and had just turned 13. She called to me from her porch rocking chair and startling me out of my morning daydream as she asked, “Penny for your thoughts?” I can still remember her little wrinkled face and thought she must have been 100 years old. I politely smiled, yet continued to walk faster. I wondered if she could read my mind.
