The A Cappela Newsletter for Writers July/August 2001
NEWS & VIEWS YOU CAN USE
Your monthly newsletter from Patrika, your Author's Advocate ™
Visit her, send an email, at www.acappela.com
IN THIS ISSUE:
*Pat's Picks What's new at our house
*News You Can Use POD scam; e-rights for authors, slow book sales, iPublish
*Markets humor, eclectic, sci-fi, women's issues, flash fiction
*Trivia things you may not know
*Contests poetry, fiction, literature, short stories
*Book Gossip holiday pay, Victor Hugo sues, most influential publishing people, fake reviewer, Britney Spears, Spike Lee
*Writing Q&A: How should I submit short stories?
*Wordplay: Circumvent, sarchasm, reintarnation
*Quote of the Month: E.M. Forster says...
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PAT'S PICKS: What's new this year
It's been a busy year with the addition of our book packaging arm (more on this in a separate e-mail), but we've managed to add to our offerings for writers. Here are things you'll now find on our site, www.acappela.com:
*Our classic text (the one that gives you an overview of how your writing meshes or fails to with the publishing world), WRITE PUBLISH & MARKET YOUR BOOK, is now available in both hard copy and as an e-book.
*SELLING TO INTERNATIONAL MARKETS is available as an e-book or an 8-week seminar
* The online class, WRITING DIALECT, has been expanded from a 4-week to an 8-week class
*WRITING COACHING (4 weeks of one-on-one consulting on what you're writing)
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NEWS YOU CAN USE:
~WARNING I read something in an on-line newsgroup recently that infuriated me. An elderly author warned of a scam that, if accurate, all POD authors need to be aware of. It appears individuals are approaching mainly elderly, female POD published authors and offering to do a feature or interview. So-called freelance writers interview and then the writer is billed for publicity and threatened with being sued if she doesn't pay up. Don't fall for this and please warn any of your fellow writers who could be susceptible to such a scam.
~E-JUDGMENT FOR WRITERS
The judge overseeing the case in a New York district court ruled in favor of Rosetta,
saying that contracts written prior to the development of e-books do not include the right
to publish electronic versions of the texts, and that those rights could be sold to other
entities. This is in line with the Supreme Court recent ruling on electronic publishing of
newspaper and magazine articles in Tasini v. The New York Times in favor of journalists.
~BAD NEWS FOR AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS Book returns are increasing according to the New
York Times. The returns could potentially be as bad as they were in 1996-1997 when
increasing book returns convinced publishers to cancel some author's book contracts. Poor
book sales can also lead to cutbacks in the numbers of books published and layoffs at the
publishing houses. The Association of American Publishers reported that book returns for
the first 4 months of 2001 were 11% higher than they were in 2000. Source: The New York
Times (This makes self-publishing a better and better deal!)
~BEWARE iPUBLISH
The Author's Guild has come forward with a strongly worded statement advising their
8,000 members to steer clear of signing any contracts with iPublish, the e-publishing arm
of TimeWarner Books. The Guild is especially concerned with the broad list of rights the
contract grants to the publisher, which effectively ties up print rights to an author's
first and second books for low advances, in some cases, $25 or less. The Guild also blasts
the contract for leaving authors vulnerable to frivolous libel suits.
*****
TRIVIA
Things you may not know --
>The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.
>The name Jeep came from the abbreviation used in the army for the "General Purpose" vehicle, GP.
>The first toilet ever seen on television was on "Leave It To Beaver."
*****
CONTESTS
FICTION AWARD JOHN SIMMONS SHORT and IOWA SHORT
FICTION AWARDS, Iowa Short Fiction Award, Iowa Writers' Workshop, 102 Dey
House, Iowa City IA 52242-1000. Offered annually for a collection of short stories. Anyone
who has not published a book of prose fiction is eligible to apply. Prize: publication by
the University of Iowa Press. Guidelines for SASE. Submissions: August 1-September 30
only.
THE SOW'S EAR POETRY PRIZE, The Sow's Ear Poetry Review, 19535
Pleasant View Dr., Abingdon VA 24211-6827 (540) 628-2651. E-mail: richman@preferred.com.
Contact: Larry K. Richman, contest director. Established: 1988. Previously unpublished
poetry. Submit Sept-Oct. Guidelines for SASE or by e-mail. Charges $2
fee/poem. Prizes: $1,000, $250, $100 and publication, plus option of publication for 20-25
finalists. All submissions considered for publication.
DRUE HEINZ LITERATURE PRIZE, University of Pittsburgh Press,
3347 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh PA 15261. http://www.pitt.edu/~press Contact: Melanie
Shrawder, assistant to the director. Established: 1936. Collection of short fiction.
Offered annually to writers who have published a book-length collection of fiction or a
minimum of 3 short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals of
national distribution. Does not return mss. Submit: May-June. Guidelines for SASE
(essential). Prize: $10,000.
FRONTIERS IN WRITING ANNUAL WRITING CONTEST -- Open to all
writers. Enter as many manuscripts as you wish, but you are eligible for only one cash
prize (the highest earned) in each category. The same manuscript may not be entered in
more than one category. Entries must be original works, not accepted for publication prior
to contest submission. Entry must not have won a cash prize in any previous Frontiers in
Writing contest. Fees & prizes.Details:
http://users.arn.net/~ppw/WRITING%20CONTEST.htm
PALM SPRINGS WRITERS GUILD SHORT-STORY CONTEST (Literary
fiction) The Palm Springs Writers Guild is sponsoring a short- story contest. Submissions
should be works of literary fiction, no longer than 2700 words. Judging the contest will
be Anita Clay Kornfeld, best-selling author of Vintage. Send an SASE for a written
critique. First prize is $100 or 6 three-hour workshops (a $300 value). Second prize is
$50; third prize is $25. Entry fee is $15 for each story. Make checks payable to: Palm
Springs Writers Guild, P.O. Box 2385, Palm SpringsCA92263.For more information, call (760)
770-3423.
*****
BOOK GOSSIP
~The Albuquerque Journal has become one of the first newspapers to charge website
visitors for access. The paper plans to begin to start charging August 1st. Nonmembers
will only have free access to online classifieds, advertisements and headlines.
Full-length stories and other local content will be limited to subscribers of the
newspaper and to subscriber-members of the website. The Albuquerque Journal can be found
online at ABQJournal.com( http://www.abqjournal.com ).
~Legal News The European Court of Justice recently ruled that regardless of contract stipulations, freelancers and short-term contract workers are entitled to holiday pay and/or days off. Holiday entitlement will be four weeks per year of work.
The descendants of author Victor Hugo have filed suit against Francois Ceresa for
violating intellectual property rights. The plaintiffs allege Ceresa's book, "Cosette
or the Time of Illusions," kidnaps Hugo's characters from the novel, "Les
Miserable." They seek $594,000 in damages and the discontinuation of its publication.
Ceresa's book takes characters from Hugo's 1862 book and alters them. It's also marketed
as a sequel to "Les Miserables."
Mary Sojourner, a frequent contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, has sold to Scribner her previously self-published story collection entitled Delicate.
Book Magazine released their list of the 10 most influential people in publishing--their focus being "who decides what gets published and what gets read.'' The list comprises: Oprah Winfrey John Grisham J.K. Rowling Carl Lennertz Sessalee Hensley (fiction buyer at Barnes & Noble) Andrea Smith from the Today show Amanda Binky Urban Scott Rudin David Remnick Phyliss Grann
~Sony Invents Fake Reviewer.
Sony Pictures has admitted that it invented a reviewer to help them get better reviews.
David Manning of The Ridgefield Press, the fictional reviewer, was created by Sony's ad
department to help them get great reviews for recent films including A Knight's Tale, The
Animal, Hollow Man and Vertical Limit. Quotes from the reviews were then used in
advertisements to promote the movies.
~Spears Sign Up For Second Book
Teen pop sensation Britney Spears and her mother, Lynne, signed a deal with Delacorte Press to co-author a young adult novel. As yet untitled, it is described by the publisher as "an inspirational story about the relationship between mother and daughter as they face the complexities of life." Beverly Horowitz, v-p and publisher at Random House Children's Books, handled the acquisition, and called the competition for this project "fierce." The book will be published on an accelerated schedule and will release this summer.
Director Spike Lee will write a sports column for Gotham Magazine.
*****
MARKETS
KALAN 97 S. Union Avenue Lansdowne, PA 19050 Attn: Editor. Risque humor for greeting cards, key chains, and "crazy credit cards" (plastic wallet cards with humorous sentiments). No e-mail submissions. Needs: "hilarious birthday, over the hill, and general gags involving sexual terms, humor, positions, illustrations, etc.," as well as seasonal studio cards for Christmas and Valentine's Day ONLY. Also needs one-liners or "very short, very funny rhymes" for key rings. Type or hand-write ideas on 3x5 index cards with your name, address, and phone number on the back of each one, and submit in batches of 8-20 with an SASE. (Key ring copy should be typed on 8 ½ by 11" paper.) Pays $75 for cards, $50 for crazy credit cards, and $35 for key chains. Pays on acceptance, buys all rights. Responds in 6-8 weeks.
"The Royal Saffron Poetry Review," a bi-annual publication (circulation 500) featuring short poetry and photography, is currently accepting submissions for its December issue. They seek fresh, eclectic and literary works from both established and emerging voices--from the evocative to the sublime, yet subtle. (Gratuitous violence and pornographic themes are not welcome, however). Send 3-5 short poems (no longer than 25 lines) with a SASE. Responds in 3-6 months. Not a paying market (payment is in copies), but authors retain rights to their work, and it's an opportunity to get your writing out there. No simultaneous submissions or previously published work accepted. "BUST" magazine, billed as being "for women who want to get something off their chests," invites freelance writers to submit their work. Each issue is related to a different theme--the current theme is "Music." The deadline for submissions on this topic is August 15, 2001. If you've got something to say on the subject, e- mail it to celina@bust.com
. Aardwolf Press, small publisher of intelligent science fiction and fantasy, seeking
manuscripts of 50,000 to 100,000 words. They promise to respond quickly to queries and
partial book submissions (1 week) and complete book submissions (3 weeks). For more
information, visit their website at http://www.aardwolfpress.com/
Online (web sites & ezines)
~Flash Fiction and Poetry Flashquake (http://www.flashquake.org) new quarterly online
literary journal specifically centered around flash literature -- flash fiction, flash
memoir, flash plays and poetry. Send us your best flash, works that leave your readers
thinking. Although we define flash as works less than 1,000 words, shorter pieces will
impress us; poetry can be up to 35 lines. We want to read the best story you have to tell
us in the fewest words you need to do it. Move us, engage us, give us a complete story
that only you could have written! Theme for the Fall issue (to be published on Sept. 1) is
betrayal. We define "flash" as less than 1,000 words for fiction or memoir;
plays of less than 10 minutes in duration; poems of 35 lines or less. However, we admire
brevity and will receive shorter works favorably.Electronic or hard copy submissions. $2
reading fee for fiction, memoir, plays and poetry submissions. No multiple submissions.
Simultaneous submissions accepted. Payment: Themed fiction, nonfiction, plays, poetry: $5
to $25 (pays on acceptance); Open fiction, nonfiction, plays, poetry: Pays in CD copy
(pays on publication). Debi Orton (dorton@flashquake.org), Publisher, Flashquake, P.O. Box
2154, Albany, N.Y. 12220-0154 http://www.flashquake.org
*****
WRITING Q&A
Q: How should I go about submitting short stories etc. to magazines or other publishers? Should I just send it in with a cover letter? What should the letter say? Is there anything important I should know? A: It's crucial that you read a magazine's submission guidelines before submitting your work. Almost all publications offer guidelines online or for self-addressed stamped envelopes.Many offer complete guidelines online, listing everything from preferred paper size and color to cover letter specifications and acceptable submission methods.You can find submission guidelines for more than 3,000 book and magazine publishers in "Writer's Market." Also, the 2001 edition of "Novel & Short Story Writer's Market," which is geared specifically toward fiction, includes the latest submission information for book publishers, literary and genre markets. In addition to reading--and following--the guidelines, it's always wise to read several issues of any publication to which you plan to submit. Having a strong feel for a magazine's standard content allows your submission to be more focused toward a given publication's voice and needs. Keep cover letters to one page. Address the letter to the editor--you should be able to find the correct name by looking at a publication's masthead--and be sure to include your contact information. Include a brief bio and any previous publishing credits. Also, some guidelines request that you state whether you are submitting a simultaneous and/or multiple submission. If you have questions about general writing issues, send your questions to acappub@aol.com with "Ask Pat" in the subject line. The questions with the greatest general interest will be answered here.
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WEBSITES OF INTEREST (for more, see the resources page on http:www.acappela.com)
Create Your Own Newspaper http://www.crayon.net News junkies can now get their fix in a
single spot. CRAYON allows you to create your own personalized Internet news service,
complete with general news, specialty features, even comics and horoscopes
The Spook (http://www.thespook.com), the online horror magazine, recently launched.
¡Gusto!, a bilingual food, health and lifestyle magazine for Hispanic women, recently
debuted. CyberJournalist.net (http://www.CyberJournalist.net), a Web resource for online
writers and editors, recently premiered.
FundsforWriters is a family of newsletters that send funding sources your way. Each
week find grants, contests, awards, markets and nonprofit ideas to aid writers from the
professional to novice to child. Use FFW to get published and bring checks to your
mailbox. FundsforWriters-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
*****
WORDPLAY (Fun Definitions:)
Circumvent (n.), the opening in the front of boxer shorts.
Sarchasm (n.), the gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the reader who doesn't get it.
Reintarnation (n.), coming back to life as a [name your dim-bulb, marginalized group
member].
*****
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
Notable quotes from those who've done it:
I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and
which have gone a little further down our particular path than we have gone
ourselves."-E. M. Forster
*****
Don't forget to send in your suggestions, feedback, and your writing questions and check our website (www.acappela.com) for our page of website resources
Patrika
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