The A Cappela Newsletter for Writers November 1999
Your monthly newsletter from Patrika, your Author's
Advocate
Visit her, send an email, at www.acappela.com
IN THIS ISSUE:
*Pat's Picks: New classes; Holiday bargains; Getting on Talk Shows
*News You Can Use: Learn in your Pajamas; Read-aloud children's web program
*Book gossip: Rosie's Readers; The Slang of Sin
*Book Review: Write Your Own Life Story
*Markets: Chicken Soup, Romance, Nonfiction
*Writing Q&A: web rights
*Contests: SLS, Byline, Message in a Bottle
*Wordplay: When you rearrange the letters....
*Feedback: "What hill? Where? When?"
*You can do it! Live it again
PAT'S PICKS
Classes: More classes begin November 1. Register now
(www.acappela.com). Classes cover every aspect of writing, submitting and publishing.
There's bound to be one that's what you need now.
Bargains: HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Our Christmas present to you:
We're offering a 10% discount to our friends who want to share our books, audiobooks and
classes with their friends, as holiday gifts. Order by 12/15
Get Published: HOW TO GET ON TALK SHOWS: The
subjects most discussed on the nations leading shows the end of summer and beginning of
fall from a survey compiled by Talkers Magazine:
Politics
Foreign Affairs
Government cover-up
Race relations
Legal system
Sports and entertainment
Weather
Personal relationships
Education
Health and science
Those are the topics. To make your contribution to the shows, keep a
sharp eye out for news happenings relating to your book, and make sure to point out the
connection to the shows of your choice. You'll soon get an idea where your subject might
fit in and get you motivated to get on the shows. By our estimate, there are close to
4,000 talk shows on the air daily in the U.S.,most using three guests each hour, and that
adds up to over 10,000 guest interviews a day, yours included. Give it a try!.
Here are the water cooler topics heard on the shows recently:
Hurricanes
Day of nines/Y2K 9/9/99
NFL season openers MTV/Emmy Awards
Stock market/money Movie Blair Witch Project
Movie Sixth Sense U.S. Open
Homers and pennant races
The surveys are from Talkers Magazine and specifically reflect conversational activity across America between September 1st and 15th.
LIT TRIVIA
What was the name of Hester Prynne's child in The Scarlet Letter?
(See end of newsletter for answer)
NEWS YOU CAN USE:
RESEARCH MADE EASY:
Encyclopedia Britannica's (http://www.britannica.com) 32-volume set of books has debuted
on the Internet, free of charge.
LEARN IN YOUR PAJAMAS:
Beginning this Fall, ACE (The Adult & Community Education Center of the School Board
of Sarasota County, FL)is offering A Cappela's ten online classes as an at-home
alternative to its vast course offerings. The A Cappela classes are ACE's pilot program
for electronic teaching. Initial 4-week classes which took place in October are being
repeated in November, by an increasing number of students who appreciate the convenience
of learning from home. The inclusion of Message Boards for each class allows students to
interact with each other and to read and critique each other's weekly exercises as well as
to read the instructor's critiques.
WEBCASTS NOT JUST FOR ADULTS ANYMORE
Random House Children's Books and Yahoo! Broadcast Services (www.broadcast.com) have
joined forces to bring families a weekly Web broadcast of noted children's authors reading
from their works. The Webcast will be streamed via RealAudio.
Called "Read-Aloud with Random House," the program debuted Wednesday, September
29 at 7PM EST with Stan and Jan Berenstain reading The Berenstain Bears Think of Those in
Need and The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room. Each Wednesday Webcast lasts
approximately 45 minutes and will include a brief interview with the author in addition to
a reading. Books featured on the program will also be sold through Yahoo! Broadcast
Services online merchant partners such as Amazon.com. Authors scheduled to take part over
the next few months include Robert Cormier, Marc Brown, Gary Paulsen, Patricia Reilly
Giff, Louis Sachar and Philip Pullman.
BOOK GOSSIP
ROSIE TO NAME FAVORITE KIDS' TITLES
Kid product e-tailer eToys.com has announced a partnership with Rosie O'Donnell in a new
book club for kids, Rosie's Readers. Each month, O'Donnell will select titles for kids in
the following age breakdowns: 2-4, 4-6 and 8-12.
Rosie's first official pick was announced on the Rosie O'Donnell Show on Thursday, October 14; young readers can send their comments about the books to O'Donnell via e-mail on the eToys website. The correspondence will automatically enroll kids in eToys'Rosie's Reading Rewards Program, where they can win eToys gift certificates; 15 prizes will be awarded each month.
In keeping with O'Donnell's well-known charitable efforts, 10% of the eToy sales of Rosie's Picks will be donated to Rosie's For All Kids Foundation.
The Slang of Sin
"Sin in all of its manifestations," writes Tom Dalzwell in his intro to The
Slang of Sin, "excites linguistic creativity." And so it does. Dalzell
seems to have infiltrated all variety of subcultures to assemble this dazzling collection
of sinful slang. With Dalzell's help, you too can talk body piercing ("poking
holes"), the numbers racket ("the Kentucky lottery"), safecracking
("knocking a peter"), drug dealing ("laying down the hustle") and
prison sex ("jailhouse rock"). Dalzell defines sin as those activities that
"have been at times considered by society to be vices." So alongside "red
chicken" (heroin), "plumbing the bones" (loading the dice), and
"woodsman" (a male porn star who reliably achieves and maintains erection until
the appropriate moment) in this language guide are a "lady's friend"
(contraception), "housewives' special" (daytime bingo), and "night
nurse" (a cigarette smoked in the middle of the night. You can find this little gem
on amazon.com
Spooky Spoken Word: Stephen King's Newest Is Only on Audio
On November 22, Stephen King is releasing his newest work as an audiobook only--with no
print counterpart. The audiobook, Blood and Smoke, contains three short stories linked by
the theme of cigarette smoking, all read by King himself. Two of the stories have never
been published in any form. The Simon & Schuster audio runs three and a half hours
long on three cassettes and retails for $23.50.
Fiftieth Version of NBA's Promise to be Wild and Crazy
This years National Book Awards, the 50th such celebration, will see an, er, different
kind of host. Steve Martin, the man with (at least) two hats, best-known in literary
circles for Pure Drivel (Hyperion), will bring his flair to the ceremony on November 17 at
New York's Marriott Marquis.
Oprah Winfrey will also turn up, as the NBF hands her a Gold Medal for her efforts to promote reading. A statement from the Foundation states that it expects attendance to top record levels, and that submissions have already come from a record number of publishers.
BOOK REVIEW
Published 11/99 in Booklist (The Am. Library Association's magazine -- one of the five most important trade publications in terms of reviews) for our audio book, HOW TO WRITE YOUR OWN LIFE STORY. Here it is:
How to Write Your Own Life Story. A Cappela. 1999. 3 hrs. 4 cassettes. $45. (0-9656309-5-1)
Adult. This tape set provides a wealth of practical, well-organized
information about autobiographical writing. Author, editor, and consultant Patrika Vaughn
skillfully guides the beginner through all the necessary stages. Vaughn's presentation is
well adapted to the audio format and is full of good ideas. Of particular interest is the
inclusion of a variety of good student writing as examples of representative techniques
and styles. The excellent narrators are engaging and help generate writing ideas. In
addition to providing a rationale, organizational framework, and many story ideas, Vaughn
gives detailed, helpful suggestions about producing a finished memoir. Geared to a wide
audience, this quality production should find many takers in public libraries. - Laurie
Hartshorn
MARKETS
~Outdoor Soul
The bestselling series which has sold more than 40 million books worldwide and literally
transformed the lives of readers from all walks of life, is now seeking stories, poems,
quotations, anecdotes and other material appropriate for inclusion in the upcoming
"CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE OUTDOOR SOUL".
An "Outdoor Soul" story is an inspirational, true story that opens the heart and re-kindles the spirit; makes us all feel more connected, more hopeful, more thankful. It usually has that poignant "Chicken Soup" emotional moment of greater clarity and understanding. "Chicken Soup for the Outdoor Soul" will offer readers an increased awareness of the wonders, lessons and adventures of life outdoors--nature's unlimited ability to enhance, enrich and expand our lives, far away or right in our own glorious "backyards".
For details and submissions, email to: submissions@outdoorsoul.com.
~Romance
World of Romance(http://www.willapabay.org/~worldofromance/worwelcome.html) is seeking
high quality romantic fiction stories from 1,000 to 6,000 words. The story must focus on
the romance and have an upbeat ending. All genres are considered, including historical,
contemporary, paranormal and mystery. violence.
We are willing to consider simultaneous submissions and reprints.
If you have a story you would like considered, please mail it, along with an SASE, to Editor, World of Romance Magazine, Willapa Works Department IN, P.O. Box 1220, South Bend, Wash. 98586. We also accept e-mailed submissions (worldofromance@willapabay.org). Please include your story, in text format, in the body of your message (not as an attachment). We will respond using your SASE, or e-mail address, within one to four months. If your story is accepted, we will request a version via e-mail or on a diskette.
~Nonfiction
Fashion Windows (http://www.fashionwindows.com) -- looking for articles which discusses
fashion in your region, be it Fashion On the Street (what people are wearing), an
interview with a local personality in your area who is a designer, hairdresser, fashion
illustrator, visual merchandiser, etc., which has gained local fame. Or you can take a
photo of a store window and discuss it in layman terms -- how you like the window, did it
catch your attention. You can even discuss a local store in your area which in your
opinion is fashion mecca for your region. Or a mannequin collector in your area. There is
really no guidelines on what topic you want to discuss. The idea is to give a local flavor
be it a big city or a small town.
Mari Davis, Webmaster (webmaster@fashionwindows.com)
WRITING Q&A (answers to frequently asked questions. Send in yours.)
Q. I want to showcase a couple of pages of my work on a writer's site on the Web. They are asking no rights to my finished work, just my permission to showcase the couple of pages I will send as a sample. A writer friend says this will undermine my rights to my novel, but I don't see how two pages online (which I will in all likelihood finish up revising anyway) can lose me rights. I need to get my work out there and be noticed, so it seems like a good thing to do. Am I right, or is my friend right?
A. I assume you are considering putting your
opening pages on your friend's site. I don't see a problem with that -- in fact, if there
is then a link to your site or to a site where they can order your book, all the better.
WEBSITES OF INTEREST
Frustrated by the time-consuming labyrinth of search engines? Try AskJeeves (http:www/askjeeves.com), a new search engine that lets you ask questions - in English! - and then lists all internet sources, including other search engines.
Science fiction writer Borislav Belovarski has launched a new Website (http://timeship.org).
CONTESTS
SARASOTA LITERARY SOCIETY is launching Twenty First Century Voices, its annual anthology of writings by new writers. Contest. Prizes. Publication. For details, see www.acappela.com/contest
Monthly Writing Contests from Byline Magazine -- http://www.bylinemag.co
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE CONTEST
GUIDELINES: Your true love is out there. Since before time began, the two of you were
destined to complete each other. Two halves of a whole. At some point in each lifetime, we
all come in contact with our soulmates. We simply have to recognize this person, and then
choose to be with him/her. Unfortunately, your soulmate seems to be a bit preoccupied
lately. So, it's time for you to make your move.
Write a letter to your soulmate. Pretend this letter will be rolled into a cylinder, and placed in a glass bottle to be tossed into the sea. Within a month your soulmate is bound to find it. Somehow.
Letters should be less than 1,500 words. Please single space your entries, with a double space between paragraphs. Do not indent. Paste your letter directly into the body of an e-mail and send to Contest@inscriptionsmagazine.com with the subject heading "Message Contest." Include your real name, pen name (if applicable), mailing address and e-mail address at the bottom of each entry. All letters must include a word count.
PRIZE: 1st place -- $50 gift certificate from Amazon.Com (or cash equivalent) and
publication in Inscriptions. Deadline for all entries is 5 p.m. EST November 26, 1999. Winners will be announced in the December 11th weekend issue of Inscriptions.
WORDPLAY: When you rearrange the letters, look what you get:
Dormitory......................... Dirty Room
Evangelist......................... Evil's Agent
Desperation....................... A Rope Ends It
The Morse Code............... Here Come Dots
Slot Machines .................. Cash Lost in 'em
YOU CAN DO IT
"Writing isn't just self-expression, or a way of life, or a means of achieving immortality. Writing is a second chance -- a way of living your life over again." Aileen Suquila-Santos (kitty5892@yahoo.com) Hell Hath No Greater Fury Than A Writer Scorned
Don't forget to send in your suggestions, feedback, and your writing
questions, and please share information for our upcoming page of website resources
(currently under construction at www.acappela.com).
Patrika
LIT TRIVIA answer: Hester named her
daughter Pearl
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