A Cappela Publishing How To Write and Get Published

A Cappela Newsletter for Writers March/April 2006

NEWS & VIEWS YOU CAN USE

Your monthly newsletter from Patrika, your Author’s Advocate™

Visit her, send an email, at www.acappela.com

Recipient of the
Certificate of Merit
Writer’s Digest
2001 Zine Publishing Competition

IN THIS ISSUE:

The Editor's Views time to catch up on those resolutions

Word Trippers do you have the ability as well as the capability?

Pat's Picks network and advertise your book -- for free

Writing Tip need some humor?

Markets from travel to humor to literary fiction

Contests thirteen this issue!

Q&A where books are sold other than bookstores

Wordplay newly made words, for fun

Quote of the Month more literary insults

HAVE YOU BEEN FORWARDED THIS E-ZINE? Subscribe now, and we will send our bi-monthly Newsletter For Writers to your own email address.

Subscribe to the A Cappela Newsletter

Please consider nominating Acapppela.com for Writer's Digest's 101 Best Sites of 2006. If you like this site, its newslettter or any of it's products, send comments/nominations to:
E-mail: writersdig@fwpubs.com with "101 Sites" in the subject line

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The New Year isn't so new anymore How are you doing with those writing resolutions you made?

Did you create a contract with yourself, to write for a certain period of time each day?

Did you promise yourself that you’d submit those works that are gathering dust in your desk

drawer or on your computer?

Or did you determine to finish a work begun, or to do a final edit on another?

Whatever it was, it is time to dust off your resolution and roll up your sleeves. Remember, we’re here to help you. Check out the questions below, under “Need Help Getting Published?” and click on the topic that meets your need.

Happy writing/editing/publishing, until next time!

Patrika

*****

NEED HELP GETTING PUBLISHED?

For many writers, writing is the easiest part of getting published. After all, writers love writing, and they love words. But when it comes to the business of the publishing industry, they often need a hand. Here are some great new resources that will provide that much needed help:

Take the following self-quiz to help you figure out just where you are, and to point you toward where you want to go. The links following each question will lead you to some answers. For more information, email me: acappub@aol.com

Where are you?
1) have an idea but haven’t written anything (WP&M, Consult; Writing Coaching)
2) got started, but bogged down (Classes, WP&M, Writing Coaching)
3) have first draft, but don’t know if it’s any good (Critique)

Where do you want to go?
1) improve my writing skills (WP&M, audiobooks, Classes)
2) edit what I’ve got into something publishable (Editing, Book Doctoring)
3) have a great piece of writing, and need to get it published (Stalking the Markets; Book Promotion; Self-Pub; Selling to Ims; eLitAgent)

*****

DON’T MAIL THAT MANUSCRIPT without a professional review from A Cappela

Before you mail out that manuscript or query, make sure it’s as polished and professional as possible. Send your work to A Cappela Publishing and get the specific tailored advice you need to get an extra edge on the competition — and make all your manuscripts more marketable.

After a thorough evaluation of your submission, one of our published, professional staff writers will give you detailed feedback and recommendations. You’ll learn what is and isn’t working in your writing, and how to fix it.

Your Critique includes:

*Genre-specific Advice: Whether your writing is a novel or a nonfiction book, an article or short story, a query letter or book proposal, you can be sure that your work will be evaluated by a pro who has personal experience with the same kind of writing.

*Grammar and Style Suggestions: Your personal reviewer will evaluate your writing to point out common grammatical, structural and stylistic mistakes — mistakes that can mean the difference between a rejection and a sale.

*Market Recommendations: If your manuscript is marketable as is, or with slight revision, you’ll get recommendations for marketing your work — including how to identify the publishers which buy your kind of writing.

For complete information, including submission guidelines and rates, visit

http://www.acappela.com/critiques.htm

*****

Writers! Protect your original work and important documents in minutes! Instantly establish the date and time-of-creation of all your files, including screenplays, proposals, Web pages, treatments, inventions, lyrics and ideas. Register and protect your original work online at ProtectRite.com. ($18.95 (US dollars) for 10-year registration)Go to: http://www.protectrite.com/default.asp?SessID=318256989&AffID=9jlw0RTAF8

Also:Writers Guild of America, West online Registration Service - for concepts, documentaries, manuscripts, lyrics, etc. ($20)

____________________________________________________________________________

This newsletter is sent by subscription only. Please pass this newsletter along to people you feel may benefit by this information. This issue has been sent out to 520 writers. Won't you help this ezine grow? Tell your friends to subscribe at http://www.acappela.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Word Trippers

Ability/Capability:

“Ability” refers to skill while “capability means aptitude.

Example: After years of practice, he has the ability to play the piano. He also has the capability to learn more instruments.

Nominations are now being accepted for Writer's Digest's Top 101 Websites for Writers. To nominate A Cappela Publishing (www.acappela.com) for the 2006 list, e-mail writersdig@fwpubs.com with "101 Sites" as the subject line.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Media Contacts

This new column is for those of you looking for ways to get your writings reviewed, to get a radio or TV interview, or in some other way promote your writing.

Get an Agent

Julie Chytrowski

6916 67^th Terrace East

Bradenton, FL 34203

(941) 758-3110

chytrowski@aol.com

(Especially good for the European market)

Get Reviewed

Armchair Interviews (Book reviews for new and emerging authors)

Contact: Connie@armchairinterviews.com

Get Interviewed

By For and About Women - Invites successful women who are interested in sharing their expertise, stories or experiences that can help others succeed to intverview. Contact: guest@byforandaboutwomen.com

*****

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Enjoying this newsletter?
If you're benefitting from this newsletter, please forward it to three other writers who might find it helpful. (We'd like to hit 10,000 subscribers by this winter.) Thank you!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PAT’S PICKS:

The Reading Tub is a charity that promotes family and children’s literacy. They read every children’s book that is sent to them for a review. They are then donated to community organizations. Go to http://www.thereadingtub.com.

Promote your book MySpace.com (http://www.myspace.com/michelledunn). a
place to network and advertise your business for free

*****

How to Become an EXPERT in Your Field

Write a book! Here’s why:

* Authoring a book will help you gain instant credibility and differentiates you from your competition.

* People will listen to you and respect you because a book proclaims you as an expert.

* Your book will introduce you to new, more affluent clients.

* It will open the door for interviews on radio, TV and in newspapers, and a book review gives you FREE advertising.

Need help writing your book? See http:www.acappela.com/AH.htm

_____

Writing and Selling Your First Book?
If you've ever dreamed of writing a book, now is the time to start. With Write Publish & Market Your Book (www.acappela.com/books.htm) you'll get all the information you need to get started, as well as learn what to do when you're finished writing!

Here's a peek inside:
* Discover 10 easy ways to get past writer’s block
* Learn the nuts and bolts of writing your opening
* Find out how to pace your novel like a pro
* Get the inside scoop on what editors really want
* Discover 25 tips for publishing success
* And of course, pages and pages of information on how to choose the markets that are best for you!

*****

WRITING TIP

Writing a speech and need a warmer-upper? Looking for a joke to put into your character’s mouth? Try the following site for whatever form of humor you’re looking for:

http://www.museumofhumor.com/Library.htm

*****

MARKETS

PLAYBOY (http://www.playboy.com/help/fiction-guidelines.html) We accept unsolicited manuscripts of up to 5,000 words that include stamped, self-addressed return envelopes.
Payment for fiction is up to $5,000 or $1/word.

LONELY PLANET (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/help/guide.htm) Most Lonely Planet guidebooks are updated on a regular basis by teams of between two and 10 authors (sometimes
over 20) and we have a large pool of authors who we regularly contract, but we also regularly recruit new authors. All authors who work on our books are freelancers, hired on a contract-by-contract basis. We do not employ staff writers. If you are interested in becoming a guidebook
writer, please send us a covering letter, your resume and two examples of your published writing work (preferably travel related) including details on where and when they were published.

INKWELL Call for Submissions - The hilarious, the silly, the ironies of being a writer is what we're looking for. If that's what you think you can offer, then send a test/sample article of 500-600
words that will crack us up. We'll talk about you possibly writing for the monthly Chuckles section of Inkwell Newswatch. Email: submissions@fwointl.com subject INside Chuckles Interest

BEST OF TIMES, a monthly tabloid newspaper for individuals of all ages and locations, is currently looking for articles on antiques, golfing, gardening, cooking tips/recipes, and historical tidbits. Pays in copies. Home delivery of this newspaper is available for only $15/year. Subscribe to Best of Times and enter to win a custom 3-page promotional website for your writing, courtesy of Brady Magazine (a $120 value). Mention promo code BRADY when subscribing. For more information: margaret@dswebnet.com.

DRIFTWOOD - a literary journal (http://driftwoodpress.com) We will consider short fiction (not exceeding 6,000 words), essays and photographic profiles. We are particularly interested in writing material depicting the foreign experience, i.e., the Haiti of Danticat, the Calcutta of Lahiri, the China of Ha Jin, etc. Editor: Michael Colonna. Contact: mcolonna@driftwoodpress.com (415) 750-3861

CONTESTS

No deadline: The Masters Literary Awards. Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction. Quarterly nominations made for Honorable mention. From these, a yearly $1,000 Grand Prize is chosen. Both published and unpublished works eligible. $15 entry fee. Details: Titan Press, Box 17897, Encino,CA 91416

Humor Writers: Opportunity to Win a Seat at the Sold-Out Erma Bombeck Writers* Workshop:
This year’s Erma Bombeck Writing Competition is now open. In honor of the competition’s 10^th anniversary, each of the four first-place winners will receive a
complimentary registration for the sold-out Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, to be held March 23-25, 2006, at the University of Dayton (Ohio).

Deadline March 15, 2006. WRITE IT NOW COMPETITION (http://www.SmartWritersPro.com) ENTRY FEE $15 for the first entry, $10 for additional entries
We have a revolutionary online entry system that will allow you to polish your entry right up until we lock it down for judging. Categories: Picture Book, Chapter Book, Mid-grade, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Poetry, Illustration, Dummy Picture Book. Grand Prize: $500, 2007 Children’s Writers’ and Illustrators’ Market, Picture Writing by Anastasia Suen. First Prize, each category: $100, 2007 Children’s Writers’ and Illustrators’ Market. All entrants earn great bonuses, including a 3-month Gold Membership to the new SmartWritersPro.com!

Deadline March 15, 2006. First Annual Flash Fiction Contest (www.writeradvice.com) If you have a complete story that runs under 750 words, has a strong theme, sharp images, a solid
structure, and an unexpected discovery, please submit it to the WriterAdvice Flash Fiction Contest. Type and submit hard copy entries to B. Lynn Goodwin, WriterAdvice, P.O. Box 2665, Danville, CA 94526-4339. Enter up to three stories. Enclose a $10 check for EACH entry made payable to B. Lynn Goodwin. If no prizes are awarded, checks will be refunded.
Include a separate cover sheet with your name, address, phone number, current e-mail address, and each story title. Please put the story title, but not your name, at the top of each page. Winners will be asked to submit a brief bio as well as an e-mail copy of the story. Names of all winners will be announced in the June – July issue of WriterAdvice,www.writeradvice.com .
PRIZES: Winning stories will be published in WriterAdvice. In addition,First Place earns $60, Second Place earns $30, Third Place earns $20, and Fourth Place earns $15. Honorable Mentions will also be published. A list of all winners will be posted in the June – July issue of

WriterAdvice. Special Perk: All entries accompanied by an SASE will be returned with
brief comments.
-----

Deadline March 15, 2006. UNPUBLISHED WRITER AWARD The nation's largest reading group for Black women, The Go On Girl! Book Club, Inc., invites you to write your way to $500!
Founded in 1990, The Go On Girls are a spirited group of sisters who love a good read. We currently boast 33 chapters in 11 states with more than 350 members. Our mission is to encourage the literary pursuits of people of African descent. In this vain, since 1993, we have bestowed our coveted "Author of the Year" award and our "New Author of the Year" award on such talents as
Octavia Butler, Gloria Naylor, Valerie Wilson Wesley, Connie Briscoe, and Stephen Carter, just to name a few. In the year 2006, we will host our annual awards weekend in Tempe, Arizona. Will you be honored there among our literary giants? Award Guidelines:
(1) Applicant may reside anywhere within the United States
(2) Applicant must mail four copies of an original, unpublished fiction work (short story or novel excerpt) not to exceed 2,000 typed words on double-spaced pages
(3) Applicant must include a cover sheet with the following information: applicant's name, address, telephone number and e-mail where possible; 250-word biographical sketch, including your writing goals and current status
(4) Mail your cover sheet, four copies of your manuscript, and your bio by March 15, 2006 to: GOG Awards Committee, Pat Houser, P.O. Box 1656, New York, NY 10163-1656
(5) The $500 winner will be notified by April 30, 2006, and will be invited, along with a guest, to attend our annual awards ceremony. The winner's work may be featured in the Go On Girl! quarterly newsletter and/or on our website.
For further information about the Unpublished Writer Award, contact: Pat Houser, Scholarship Committee Chairperson 212-455-2522 or pathouser@aol.com

Deadline March 30, 2006. THE NATIONAL LATINO PLAYWRITING AWARD
Established by Arizona Theatre Company to create a greater awareness of the work being done by Latino playwrights. Latino playwrights residing in the United States, its territories, or Mexico are encouraged to submit scripts for the 2006 Award. The winner will be awarded $1,000 and will be considered for ATC's GENESIS: New Play Reading Series. For more information, call Elaine Romero, ATC's Playwright-in-Residence at (520) 884-8210. Scripts may be in English, English and Spanish, or solely in Spanish. (Spanish language and bilingual scripts must be accompanied by
an English translation.)

Deadline March 31, 2006. GENESIS PROMOTIONS ROMANCE NOVEL WRITING CONTEST
(http://www.genesispromotions.com/WritingContest.html) NO ENTRY FEE. Linden Bay Romance submission sub-guidelines (http://www.lindenbayromance.com/submissions.php) MUST be used for this contest. (Limited to romance. Pretty much any genre. Sensuality level can vary.) The manuscript must be completed, not previously published, and the author must hold
rights. Submit a detailed synopsis and first chapter for the first round. Please put in the body of the email. Attachments not accepted. The authors of Genesis Promotions will narrow the field to
three and those three will be contacted with information on where to send the full manuscript. The full manuscript will be judged by the Managing Editor of Linden Bay Romance. Winning entrant will be offered the standard writing contract from Linden Bay Romance and the winning entry will be published. Winning entrant will receive free promotion fromGenesis Promotions for the month of the book's release.

Deadline: April 1,2006 Poetry Contest - No Fee. Now in its 5th year. Prizes of $1,190, $169, $60 and 5 honorable mentions of $38 each. No fee to enter. A humor contest with a special twist. Sponsored by Winning Writers, one of the "101 Best Web Sites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2005). Judge: Jendi Reiter. Submit one poem online. More information: http://www.winningwriters.com.

AWARDS/BENEFITS: $100 First Prize for EVERY CATEGORY* Honorable Mentions for Every Category* Coverage in Writers Notes Magazine and on www.WritersNotes.com
* Gold Seal Certificates* Worldwide Exposure. Read previous contest coverage and view past winners and press releases at www.WritersNotes.com.
Awards are open to academic, independent, small press, and self-published books released or copyrighted in the last 2 years, including unique books with small print runs. (Books over 2 years enter the LEGACY category.) For each entry, submit the book, entry form and $40 fee (check or money order) to Hopewell Publications, LLC, PO Box 11, Titusville, NJ 08560. Be certain to specify award category. All entrants will be notified of winners, after March 31, 2006.

Deadline March 2006 GREEN TOWER PRESS MIDWEST CHAPBOOK COMPETITION

The contest is open to anyone who is living in, from, or closely associated with the Midwest. The winning chapbook will be published in an edition of 300 copies. Winner will receive one hundred copies. Additional copies offered at 40% off the list price ($7.00) plus shipping and handling. Winner also will be invited to give a reading at Northwest Missouri State University’s Visiting Writer series, which includes an honorarium of $500. All entries will be considered for publication in The Laurel Review. $10 entry fee

Deadline: March 31 Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest Now in its 14th year: $3,000 in prizes, including a top prize of $1,000. The top entry will be published in a triennial anthology. Other entries may also be published. Submit any type of short story, essay or other work of prose, up to 5,000 words. Both published and unpublished work accepted. $12 entry fee, payable to Winning Writers. Judges: J.H. Reid, D.C. Konrad. Submit online or mail to Winning Writers, Attn: Tom Howard Short Story Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060. Winning Writers is one of the "101 Best Web Sites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2005). For more information: http://www.winningwriters.com

Deadline March 31, 2006 FOUR WAY BOOKS INTRO PRIZE IN POETRY
(http://www.fourwaybooks.com/contest.html) $25 ENTRY FEE Awarding publication of a book-length collection and $1,000. Open to any poet writing in English who is a citizen of the United States and has not previously published a full-length book. by email or regular mail.

Deadline March 31, 2006. MAHONEY RESEARCH LIBRARY POETRY CONTEST
(http://www.mahoneyresearchlibrary.org/page5.html) ENTRY FEE $10 per poem or $20 for three entries .Winning poet receives $1,000 and a winner's certificate from the library. Must be in
English and unpublished. Must be 18 or older. We are sponsoring this annual contest to encourage poetry writing in a meaningful way, namely a cash award. There are no strings attached, nothing to purchase and authors retain all rights to their entries.

Deadline April 30, 2006. THE ONTARIO PRIZE (http://www.blacklawrencepress.com)
$25 ENTRY FEE Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Ontario Prize for an unpublished collection of poems or short stories. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, ten copies of the book, and an interview in The Adirondack Review.

*****

WRITING Q&A

Q: What other ways are there to sell books besides through bookstores?

A: Get yourself down to your local library and introduce yourself.

Before you go, check your library's website to see if they have your book. If not, take a copy with you. Make yourself available to them for book signing events, speaking engagements, and writing workshops. If they do not have a section for "local authors" books, you may want to politely suggest that they set that up. Lastly, do not stop with your local library. Send flyers either snail mail, or send an email to the libraries in your state about your book. Place the cover on it, a brief letter introducing yourself, a brief synopsis of the book, and a few reviewer blurbs. One author did this and now has h books in five Maryland country library systems, including Enoch Pratt, the state library archive in Baltimore. That is just in her state, and does not include the US libraries. All it takes is a little time on your part to make this email. Then send it out. Here are some links to libraries across the US and the world.

By state: http://www.publiclibraries.com/
By Country: http://www.publiclibraries.com/world.htm

*****

WORDPLAY

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.
Here are some of this year's winners:

Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

Bozone(n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer,unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

*****

Quote of the Month (More literary insults)

“Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." -Moses Hadas

"His ears made him look like a taxicab with both doors open." -Howard Hughes (about Clark Gable)

"He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others." -Samuel Johnson

*****

If you have received this mailing in error, or do not wish to receive any further newsletter mailings from us, simply email us. You will be automatically excluded from any future mailings including our Newsletter that shares tons of free writing and marketing tips, tricks and techniques: acappub@aol.com.

Don’t forget to send in your suggestions, feedback and your writing questions. And check out the writing resources page at http://www.acappela.com

Patrika

HAVE YOU BEEN FORWARDED THIS E-ZINE? Subscribe now, and we will send our bi-monthly Newsletter For Writers to your own email address.

Subscribe to the A Cappela Newsletter