=====================================================No part of this newsletter is paid advertising.=====================================================
Newsletter for Writers July/August 2007
NEWS & VIEWS YOU CAN USE
Your monthly newsletter from Patrika, your Author’s Advocate™
Visit her, send an email, at http://www.acappela.com
A WRITER'S DIGEST'S 101 BEST WRITING SITES Distinguished Recipient: The Literary World
IN THIS ISSUE: (Jump to a topic by clicking on the title below)
If you haven't already, nominate us for a listing in Writer's Digest's 101 Best Sites of The Year. Please send your nomination, along with our web name (A Cappela Publishing, Inc.) and our URL (www.acappela.com) to: writersdig@fwpubs.com Subject "101 Sites" Send a copy to acappub@aol.com. Your help won't go unnoticed. Thanks
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Who We Are A Cappela Publishing, home of your Author’s Advocate, prides itself on being a one-stop shop for authors. We can work with you from the time you say to yourself, “I’ve got a great idea for a book.” We can guide you through the completion of that book, and then usher it through successful publication and marketing. Taking these steps piecemeal results in erratic successes...too often steps get lost in the shuffle from one provider to another. Let us oversee the entire operation and provide you with a coordinated plan for success.
Bulletin: Get free articles on writing at http://groups.com/group/WriteBetterGetPublished
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Writing Fears and How to Cure Them, written by Patrika Vaughn, your Author's Advocate.
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*****
Book Gossip: Rosie O’Donnell says she’s going to tell the world in a memoir she’s writing that celebrity “is, in fact, a drug,” scarily similar to that of a “crystal meth” addiction. Her upcoming tell-all is tentatively titled Celebrity Detox, the outspoken former co-host of “The View” told a breakfast gathering at BookExpo America. _______________________________________________________________________________________ I want to hear from you, and to motivate you I have an offer: Send me your biggest writing fear and how you overcame it, and I’ll share it with all the other subscribers to this newsletter and send you a copy of our best-selling tape, Common Writing Problems and How to Cure Them. Patrika _______________________________________________________________________________________ The publishing world is changing We're undergoing a paradigm shift in the way people buy books. It's undeniable. More and more people are buying books online. If there is demand for your book, it doesn't matter where your book was published, only that it can be easily found. When it comes to reaching readers, being available online is becoming a more important success factor than it once was. That means having both a hard-copy version and an electronic version (an e-book) plus a website. Putting all this together is no simple task. It takes time for us to prepare your website and your files for distributed printing, and for our partners to make them available. Sign up now. The sooner we can get started the better! The first step maybe a critique and/or editing. If your manuscript is not quite ready and you want to get a head start, we can begin on some of the administrative aspects of the publishing process before the manuscript it self is finalized. Simply send us the signed Publishing Agreement (Advocate House contract), data form and payment (if you prefer to pay by credit card see: Advocate House page). Once you send us the manuscript and cover materials, we will begin preparing the book itself. The right time to get started is NOW! Remember that: *Your book will enjoy#1 World-Wide Distribution, through Amazon.com, major chains, distributors, wholesalers and bookshops and your own website.. *You retain copyright forever and earn larger royalties. *Your book can be launched internationally in paperback, hardcover and e-book editions simultaneously. Contact Lilo, your Publishing Consultant now at acappub@aol.com for more information. Contact her right away with any questions -- and to reserve a spot on this exciting wave of massive change, advertising, publicity and opportunity. I wish you quick progress in completing the writing and editing stage - please sign up right away so we can begin the preparations for your book. Only by starting now will your books distribution be in place, and your own promotions have started to take advantage of the best selling time of the year. We're looking forward to serving you soon. Thanks,
Patrika
Book Gossip Do you know which celebs wrote their own books? Publishers all too often fail to acknowledge that books, especially those purportedly by celebrities, are ghost-written. Examples: Simpson’s If I Did It; Idol winner Fantasia’s ghost-written memoir, and Madonna’s kids books, reportedly written at least in part by others
. Increase your odds of getting published! Getting published involves more than being a great writer. If your goal is to see your work commercially printed, you need to know how to effectively approach editors and agents. But have no fear--these marketing courses from www.acappela.com/classes.htm will ensure your work catches an editor’s or agent’s eye! Stalking the Markets Book Promotion Book Promotion Time Table ___________________________________________________________________________ Nominations are now being accepted for Writer's Digest's Top 101 Websites for Writers. To nominate A Cappela Publishing ( http://www.acappela.com ) for the 2006 list, e-mail writersdig@fwpubs.com with "101 Sites" as the subject line.
_____________________________________________________________________________ Let’s get interactive! If you've got a Reader Tip you'd like to share, please send it to acappub@aol.com with the subject line "reader tip." _____________________________________________________________________________ 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)
Book Gossip Good News! Adult fiction titles reversed a slide recorded in previous years by climbing to 42,076 new titles in 2006, a nearly 17 percent increase from 34,927 new titles produced in 2005.
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)
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WRITING TIPS For many months now I have been providing you with contact information for Media folks, from talk show hosts to literary agents. But names and addresses are only half of what you need, especially when trying to line up a radio or tv interview. You also need to know how to approach busy media people. So here’s a tip: Prepare your talking points in advance of your pre-interview or interview with the media. This way, you will appear in command over your area of expertise and knowledgeable about the issue under discussion. You’ll avoid stumbling for thoughts or concepts. If the media doubts your ability or expertise in the pre-interview, they will not use you for the placement. They simply have no choice. Their job is to book top qualified experts and if you indicate you are not that, they have to move on. Think of any contact you have with the media as an audition. Everything you do is evaluated by the media with the thought in mind - is this person the perfect expert for the story or the segment? You can make the media contact confident in choosing YOU if you are ready and prepared to discuss the topic. Create at least five discussion points on the topic before you speak to the producer or journalist. You'll be happy you did!
Media Contacts This 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 Interviewed "Rachel Ray" a nationally syndicated, daily one-hour talk show. Ray, familiar to TV viewers from her show on the Food Network, discusses all the messes and successes of life, and how getting there is half the fun. Janet Annino is the executive producer for the New York-based series. Shant Petrossian also books guests on the show. Reach the "Rachel Ray" show at Screen Gems Productions, 222 East 44 St., New York, NY 10017, (212) 450-1600. Shant Petrossian also books guests on the show Get Into Print * Daryn Kagan, a former longtime CNN anchor and reporter, has just started her new Web Site, www.darynkagan.com, which focuses on positive stories of people who are overcoming challenges to accomplish amazing things. The site will run news about celebrities, entrepreneurs, kids, seniors, artists, athletes, and others who inspire us with their accomplishments. To submit a story, send it to: stories@darynkagan.com Get Reviewed The Midwest Review of Books is prestigious place to get your book reviewed – with the added perks offered on the site to list your book in other places. Contact Jim Cox, www.midwestbookreview.com Get An Agent Try something new – the first electronic literary agent, www.eLitAgent.com, promises to get yo fast results through their speedy method of contacting publishers about your book (up to 100 of them!) In the blink of an eye. World’s first electronic literary agency submits your work to up to 100 publishers simultaneously!Www.eLitAgent.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: Now here’s another way to promote yourself on Amazon. In February, Amazon announced it’s new “connection” service, Amazon Connect, allowing authors to post messages directly to their readers in the form of a blog. While some say this is just an expansion on the old I’m-the-author-of-this-book-and-I’d-like-to-comment,” others see it as a powerful marketing tool! If you’d like to sign up for this head on over to: www.amazon.com/connect Anyone who is selling their book on Amazon can sign up for this although you will need some people to verify that you’re the author (either your publisher, agent or publicist). One you’ve got the verification you’re ready to “connect” with your readers in a whole new way! http://www.amazon.com/gp/arms/dispatch.html/ref=cm_arms_su/002-3288922-2015214 ***** How to Become an EXPERT in Your Field Write a book! Here’s why: * Authoring a book will help you gain instant credibility and differentiate 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 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! ***** MARKETS (Some of the listings below have been derived, with thanks, from FundsforWriters.com. Check out this site for listings of further markets and grants for writers.)
Poetry Harbor seeks poetry for its new magazine, Red Hawk Review. Send 3-7 pages plus bio and SASE to Poetry Harbor, PO Box 611, Pueblo, CO 81004. Any style. Beginners welcome. The Chic Lit Review. Our readers enjoy good quality short stories from both established and new authors. CLR publishes entertaining short stories about young women. As chic lit, our audience are women in their 20s and 30s who want light-hearted reads. Stories should not be longer than 2,500 words (or 10 pages double spaced). Previously published stories are welcomed, though the writer must have all rights to the story. Novel excerpts are also welcomed as long as the excerpt is a stand alone short story. Details:http:///chicklitreview.org/submissions.aspx The Women’s Independent Press (WIP)™ is a general interest newspaper covering issues that pertain to the varied interests of all women, regardless of race,class, religious/spiritual or political affiliation, age, or sexual orientation. We will consider well-researched and fact-supported articles, investigations, social commentary,essays, fiction, poetry, and humor. Details: http://www.womensindependentpress.com/guidelines.php RELISH http://www.relishmag.com/aboutus/index.html#contact. Relish, where we celebrate America’s love of food. The best things in life happen around the table, and we want to be part of yours. From Wisconsin's cheesemakers to New Mexico’s chile pepper farmers, we’ll showcase the folks who make our food great. Along the way, we’ll advise you on the best cooking gadgets and cookbooks, serve up nutrition tips and help you get dinner on the table fast. Length varies from 200 to 1,200 words, not including recipes. Payment within 45 days of acceptance. Fees are competitive but vary widely.
CONTESTS Some of these contests come to you courtesy of other websites, such as FundsforWriters.com. Visit this site for information about grants for writers. JULY Deadline July 31, 2007. THE VIRGINIA BRENDEMUEHL PRIZE $10 ENTRY FEE. http://www.rockandsling.org. $1,000 plus publication. Send 1-3 unpublished poems, a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) and entry fee to Rock & Sling, Attn: Virginia Brendemuehl Prize, P.O. Box 30865, Spokane, WA 99223. Please make your fee payable to Rock & Sling. and contest results will be announced by early September. Finalists will also be published. No simultaneous submissions, please. Rock & Sling seeks poems that nudge up against Judeo-Christian faith in surprising and memorable ways, grappling with faith’s tensions as well as its joys. MISS WRITE COSMOPOLITAN WRITING PRIZE - UK AND IRELAND. No Entry Fee, http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/navigate.do?pPageID=1210 We are looking for the next big thing in women's contemporary fiction (think chick lit) and would love to hear from anyone who thinks they can write the next Bridget Jones or The Devil Wears Prada. The competition is open to everyone - yes, that means you too, boys - and the entry requirements are detailed below. So if you fancy the chance of winning a publishing deal with Sphere, including an introduction to a top literary agent and your book being featured as Waterstone's offer of the week, you better get writing. Your entry must include a brief synopsis of your story, the first 3,000 words of your book and a mini biography of yourself. Entrants must be over 18 and residents of the UK or Ireland. The prize will be provided by Little, Brown Book Group. First prize consists of a publishing deal with Little, Brown Book Group, your book featured as Waterstone's Offer of the week, plus an introduction to a top literary agent.
AUGUST DEADLINE AUGUST 1, 2007: BLUECHROME.Three award that aim to find And publish new and experienced writers of poetry and fiction. Entry fee $15. Guidelines: Bluechrome Awards, PO Box 109, Portshead, Bristol BS20 7ZJ or www.bluechrome.co.uk *****
WRITING Q&A
Q. What’s the best way to draw potential customers to my web site? A. Using online news/press releases is one of the most powerful ways for almost instantly driving hundreds or even thousands of potential targeted customers to your new book, web site or newsletter. Within hours of having your release distributed over the Internet your press release could be picked up by some of the major online news networks like Google News and Yahoo News. And then within days or just a few weeks it will begin to show up in the natural search engine results of the major search engines. Now where else can you achieve so much publicity for so little effort – if you do it right.
Wordplay (New words that will appear in the fall in the best-selling 'Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. ) avian influenza (n) 1980: a highly variable mild to fulminant influenza of birds that is caused by strains of the influenza A virus which may mutate and be transmitted to other vertebrates -- called also bird flu gastric bypass (n) 1972: a surgical bypass operation that involves reducing the size of the stomach and reconnecting the smaller stomach to bypass the first portion of the small intestine so as to restrict food intake and reduce caloric absorption in cases of severe obesity
Quote of the Month
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. ~Ray Bradbury
***** 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 TELL A FRIEND - Any writing friends who would be interested in this newsletter? Send them this link with your suggestion to sign up: http://www.acappela.com
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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
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