July 27, 2008

Sharing with Writers

A newsletter that is also a community. Share your ideas. Learn from theirs!

From the Desks of
Carolyn Howard - Johnson
And Authors' Coalition Friends
Sharing with Writers is the official newsletter of Authors' Coalition,
www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com
an organization of writers who help writers.

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To read this newsletter with a bit more pizzazz (not much, though!) at Authors Den go to:

http://www.AuthorsDen.com/adstorage/1713/SharingwithWriters_July_No4Week_2008.pdf

To read this letter as a .PDF, scroll down. Free ADOBE READER available here:

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

In the spirit of the advice I give in the Frugal Editor - - that is to use an extra pair of eyes whenever possible - - this newsletter is voluntarily copyedited by Authors' Coalition member, Mindy Phillips Lawrence ~ mplcreative1@aol.com ~ www.freewebs.com/mplcreative . I also tell writers to be patient with other writers when they make editing boo - boos. We're all human and this letter comes out weekly and it's long!

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Contents

Regular Features
• Notes from Carolyn (Editorial)
• Tips Galore! (They're scattered, you'll just have to find them!)
• Opportunities: Library Journal cals for first novels
• Thank Yous (They're full of resources if you pause to read them)
• On Poetry
• Author Successes (also full of resources that have worked for your fellow subscribers)
• Mindy Lawrence's Itty Bitty Column
• Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
• Wordstuff ™

Special to this Issue
• Q&A: What About Those Hyphen and Em Dash Spaces?
• In the News: Bowker
• Feature: How to Evaluate Good Writing Gigs by Jennifer Brown Banks
• Book Related Review: Spelling Anyone?




Note from Carolyn

Dear Subscribers and Authors' Coalition Members:

Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites is now accepting nominations for next year’s list. I am so proud that my Sharing with Writers blog was named to their 101 list and it has made such a difference in the number of writers I've been privileged to cheer for and nudge forward in their careers. If you find this letter and my site with its Resources for Writers and Resources for Readers pages valuable, please nominate it. Just send this note:

"Dear Mr. Klem, I nominate Sharing with Writers and HowToDoItFrugally.com website for the 'Writer's Digest's 101 Best Sites of The Year'!"

If you have a complete autosignature in your e - mail program as I advise in the Frugal Book Promoter, that's all it takes. Send it with "101 Websites" in your subject line to writersdig@fwpubs.com before Jan. 1.

Happy promoting! And yes, writing and editing, too!

Carolyn Howard - Johnson

PS: No newsletter next week. I'm off to spend time on the beach with my two adorable granddaughters!

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Please pass this letter on to others. Unlike many, I do not mind if you use only portions of it as long as you credit the writers and include this subscribe information. "To subscribe to 'Sharing with Writers' send an e - mail to HoJoNews@aol.com with 'Subscribe' in the subject line."
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Tip: In answer to the question I probably get the most frequently - - Yes, it is better to send e - mail media release than snail mail. Why? Because editors need to rewrite or scan a snail mail release. If the editor should decide to adapt your release to something else, he can easily copy and paste an e - mail. There are other things you can do to give your release a fighting chance among the dozens of releases that editors receive each day. Use the Frugal Book Promoter's index and look up every reference to media, press or news releases.

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New members will help Authors' Coalition serve all its members better! Ask your writing friends to join at www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com/. Paid members get a favorite review posted, consideration for an interview or review in Yarnspinners and Wordweavers, ditto for The Fiction Flyer and Betty Dobson's Inkspotter. Membership is reasonable, too.
Tell friends to visit the Authors' Coalition blog. There they'll learn how to spark generally insipid book fairs by using value - added promotions. www.authorscoalition.blogspot.com.
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Tip: The Southern Review I love the most is published by Anvil Press. It’s a compendium of industry news and ideas, like a Reader's Digest for the publishing industry. Go to www.anvilpub.net/southern_review_of_books.htm. Or send an e - mail to custserv@anvilpub.com.

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Tip: There are all kinds of helpful articles for you at www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/free_content.htm. Look under Reviews for Riters. Or go to my domain name, www.howtodoitfrugally.com and click on the Free Articles tab at the top of the page. My most recent additions is a review on Jill Lublin's Get Noticed . . . Get Referrals published by McGraw Hill.


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My blog, War, Peace, Tolerance and Our Soldiers is where I get to nag and rag to try to make things better for our troops and maybe for the world. I'd love to have you leave a comment. www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com
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Opportunities

Library Journal will list first novels premiering during the fall - winter season that are submitted by publishers. It will include books published between September 1, 2008, and January 31, 2009. To be featured, publishers should send a list of their fiction debuts to Ann Burns (burns@reedbusiness.com) and include the following information: author, title, publication date, and state or country of residence. Novels only, please. Does that mean independent authors can't apply? I'd sure try, regardless!


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So you got As in English. You know grammar and spelling. That's great but an editor of you it doth not make. An editor knows formatting, front and back matter, indexing, structure, the elements of fiction and on and on. But mostly she'll see your manuscript in a fresh, new light. Learn how to hire a great editor and learn to be a better partner for any author - - awful to superb - - in The Frugal Editor.
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Thank Yous

(There are leads here, just as you'll find in all the most innocent - looking areas of this newsletter. You never know when you'll find a name or a site that will help you network or write better!)


Thank You to Boyd Sutton . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . for including a thank you in the e - notice he sends to his Wisconsin Writers Association members. He repeated one of the tips I used in my newsletter (It was for science fiction writers: www.jasonsanford.com/jason/2008/06/ and http://efanzines.com/EK/eI29/index.htm). But then he went on to recommend Sharing with Writers to his membership (Yay!) and, even more exciting, said that his Wisconsin organization had accrued two new members from hearing about it in this newsletter. Now that's the kind of thing I love to hear!


Thank You to Kathe and Ray Gogolewski . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . for selecting my flash fiction piece "Trying to Love Artemis" for the Fiction Flyer, a f r ^ ^ quarterly newsletter and showcase. Find the summer editions at http://www.tri - studio.com/ezine.html. Past issues are archived there also. You should know that paid members of Authors' Coalition get a f r ^ ^ ad in this e - zine.


Thank You to Shirley Roe . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
. . . editor of All Books Review for publishing my Review for Riters ™ at http://www.allbookreviews.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1063 Maybe you should add this site to your list of great places to find reviews and get reviewed!



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No part of this newsletter is paid advertising. If you would like to advertise to subscribers, display ads are available at www.howtodoitfrugally.com at less per year than most sites charge for a single month (see the advertising tab at the top of the page). Authors' Coalition www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com is also accepting ads. So is Yarnspinners and Wordweavers. Contact katieseyes@aol.com.
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Q&A A La Ann Landers

So, Okay. About Those Spaces

Question:

Carolyn, I LOVE Verdana - I do all my writing in it, as it is tremendously easy on the eyes...on the computer screen. I personally HATE Times New Roman - very difficult to find errors because of the typeface. But, I always convert to Times New Roman before I send out a query letter, submission, etc. because of its popularity with the publishing community.

So, keep up the good work. BTW, what is with all the spaces before and after a hyphen? Even e - mail showed up as e - mail. - - - - - Katie Hines

Answer:

Thank you for your input, Katie. Yes, as I suggest in The Frugal Editor, better to go with tradition when we're trying to get our work past a gatekeeper! Otherwise we get to break rules and maybe, in the process, make some new ones that are better. Glad you love Verdana. I almost settled on Calibri which I like, too, but decided to go with Annette Fix's (author of the Break - Up Diet) recommendation.

As for the hyphens. I checked and my Word copy shows no spaces on either side of the hyphen in the word e - mail or others. Can't tell you what is up with that! Maybe something to do with line - breaks or servers. Gee. Who knows.

As for em dashes, I do use spaces on either side of them. This is a style choice for online reading (not a rule, but it is often done and sometimes advised). It is never, never done in books or other print, though. I used the spaces before when I was using Arial font but they may not be quite right for Verdana because it is more widely spaced or "kerned." Thank you! I'll try them without. - - - - - CHJ



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Subscribers who have websites or newsletters of their own may be interested in the Free Articles 4 Readers and Writers on my site, www.howtodoitfrugally.com. I try to add new articles to it frequently. If you don't see what you need for your blog or newsletter, just ask. HoJoNews@aol.com.
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In The News: It's not news that money is tight and it's not news that more books are being published than ever before. What may be news is that Bowker has changed its policy to publishing projected title output in two groups instead of lumping them together in one. They feel their figures will be more useful if they separate out the traditionally published from those published on demand (or what some call "short - runs"). The total projected number for 2007 is 411,422 books. I chose the total of the two. For our purposes there is no reason to discriminate. The upshot? Tight money or not, this is not the time to reduce your promotion efforts or budget.


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Fun and F r * *: If you purchased the Frugal Book Promoter or the Frugal Editor, I'd love for you to review it on Amazon or BN.com. Make it simple; just tell what part of it you found most valuable. If you do, send me the review link (URL) and I will send you a handout from one of my UCLA classes. As a thank you, of course. HoJoNews@aol.com
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On Poetry

This is a running feature for the poets among us and those who would like to try writing poetry but feel, well . . . inadequate. Please send in your poetry tips and resources for this section.

Poem, Revised provides an in - depth look at the writing processes of 54 poems, each by a different modern author, complete with early drafts, subsequent revised versions, and short essays from the poets themselves revealing how and why they made specific changes. The editors are Laura Cherry and Robert Hartwell Fiske. Fiske edits The Vocabula Review, a journal about the English language and is the author of The Dictionary of Concise Writin
g, The Dictionary of Disagreeable English, and The Dimwit's Dictionary. Cherry is the author of What We Planted, winner of the 2002 Philbrick Poetry Award.


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Don't suffer with book proposals. You can be a pro with and investment of only 20 minutes and 49 cents with my Great First Impression Book Proposal Short.
http://www.amazon.com/Great - First - Impression - Book - Proposal/dp/B000YG6O5U
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Feature

How to Evaluate Good Writing Gigs
By Jennifer Brown Banks

Like it or not, the success of today’s writer is not based solely upon being good with words. The savvy writer recognizes that survival also depends upon one’s ability to competitively seek and find continuous writing opportunities, and to make wise decisions regarding potential work.

With the advent of the Internet, and the emergence of 1000s of e - zines and websites, truth is, there’s no shortage of outlets for those who know how to hustle! In fact, online forums and bulletin boards like Craigslist, Journalism jobs. Com and Elance are saturated with weekly calls for submissions and help wanted postings for writers of every level and genre.
But don’t be fooled. Every offer is not necessarily worth pursuing. Some are legitimate and lucrative, some are not. Due diligence is important.

Consider this. Bad affiliations, bad decisions, and simple oversights on your part can translate into thousands of dollars in lost time and potential revenue. There’s a better way!

Based upon my extensive experience, here’s a cheat sheet to help you weed out the bad from the good.

Before you do the “official handshake” or sign any obligatory contract, do your homework. Research the company through online writers’ watchdog agencies like Preditors and Editors and Writers Beware forum.

1. Make sure that the contact information reflected on a website is verifiable. If a phone number is available, use it. Go even further - - try the fax. If there’s no physical address, exercise caution.

2. Browse the publication’s website. What’s their history? What are their stats for online visitors? How long have they been in business? Is the website info updated regularly? Are there many ads? Any contributions from well - known writers? This will help to determine their track record and your future success.

3. Is the publisher or owner responsive to your e - mails or questions within a reasonable time frame?

4. Is it a quality publication or business? In other words, would you patronize them, based upon the information you have?

5. Is there full disclosure? Are payment terms expressed clearly, with amounts and/or ranges, time frames and methods? PayPal or check?

6. What does your gut say? Does it feel right? Sometimes it just boils down to whether or not the trust factor is there.

For example, one of my longest writing assignments and best clients to date is with a woman with whom I’ve never had any contract or agreement in writing. Not ever.

From the very beginning she came across as kind and credible. She merely stated what she was able to pay me when she hired me, gave me her word, and has kept it for more than a decade!

So the next time you’re scouting . . . “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” - - - - - Jennifer is a relationship columnist for several online and print publications, the founder of a community based arts group, and an award - winning poet. http://www.writergazette.com/jenniferbrownbanks.shtml


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A general marketing rule is that a product must be seen seven times before it is purchased. That is just as true for books (because they are products, like it or not!). Let people see that book cover image! To do that, you are invited to advertise as a site sponsor at www.howtodoitfrugally.com for only $25 to $30 a year. Yep, the frugal way! Click on the Advertising tab at the top of the page or contact me personally at hojonews@aol.com.
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Author Successes

(If you read about others' successes you'll not only be inspired, you'll glean resources for future successes of your own. You are invited to send me news about your successes. Please use "AUTHOR SUCCESSES" as a subject lines.)


West Hollywood Book Fair Award
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The Passion of Maryam by Loren Woodsen was awarded Winner in the category of Wild Card books (one of 14 categories) for the 2008 Hollywood Book Festival.
In case you are interested in entering your own book for next year the link is: http://www.hollywoodbookfestival.com


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Available: Audios from Audio Divas on many aspects of building a writing career are published by Double Dragon Press. Here is the page where you'll find the full list (http://www.double - dragon - ebooks.com/eAuthor.php?Name=Carolyn%20Howard - Johnson ) including one on "Do It Yourself Indexing." The first audio, "Promoting Easy and Cheap!" is a F R ^ ^ sample you can download. Each comes with a resource guide. Here is an example of a guide for the audio - lesson Your Divas did on "Contests": http://www.derondouglas.com/audiosample/AwardResourceGuideContests.pdf
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Tip: I ran an article on Gather.com in the last issue of Sharing with Writers. I found entry to the site a burden, more so than many others (though they all use membership and entry processes that seem to be more about discouraging visitors than keeping out spammers). So, though it has some excellent features, I'd avoid making it a central part of any project until they get some of the kinks out.


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Endorsement: "I am so happy for you to receive a second award [Reader Views Literary Award] for The Frugal Editor. I bought this book a week ago, and I love it. I can already see the improvement in my work. Thank you. You deserve this award." ~Katherine Harms, author
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Tip: How Novels Work by John Mullan (Oxford Press) is a book for fiction writers. You may want to read it for some advanced critical and historical insights: http://www.amazon.com/How - Novels - Work - John - Mullan/dp/0199281785/


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Authors' Coalition members! For credibility, use the AC logo on your promotional materials. Ask for it by sending an e - mail to HoJoNews@aol.com or download it with a click from the AC site: http://www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com/AC_Promotional_Videos,%20Logos%20&%20More.
You know you want it on your website! Be sure to link it to the AC site, too! And there is a cross - promotional slide show there that will add movement and color to your site or blog, even if you aren't featured on it. It's all about Karma. ( - :
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Book - Related Review

Nothing Like It Except Maybe Library Edition Dictionaries...

. . . and most of us - - even those of us who love etymology - - aren't that crazy about reading dictionaries. That is part of it. The other is the getting of the history of words with a dictionary is haphazard at best.

Along comes Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling by David Wolman. I know of no other book quite like it. I love June Casagrande's Mortal Syntax: 101 Language Choices That Will Get You Clobbered by the Grammar Snobs - - Even If You're Right and Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite and even Lynn Truss's British hardass take on punctuation, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. I remember reading a book on the origins of the alphabet back in the early 60s. This, however, is the only book I know that capsulates the history of spelling.

I found it funny and disturbing (I don't suppose one expects a book on spelling to be disturbing), but take the word "e - mail." As an editor, I've been fighting to keep the hyphen because the word is short for electronic mail and the hyphen preserves that origin. But,There! There on the cover is "e - mail" spelled "email." Guess I'm fighting a losing battle. Which, after all, is the point of this book.
Don't let the fact that you now know the premise of this book keep you from reading it. If you love words and history, you'll be entertained.



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Authors' Coalition: No Hum - Drum Book Fair Promotion Allowed is a blog where you can watch how Authors' Coalition members make book fairs successful with cross - promotion, value - added promotions and a good assessment process. Find it at www.authorscoalition.blogspot.com. It's time to sign up for 2009's LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books with Christine Alexanians, tinooshik@yahoo.com
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Tip: For extensive information on the subject of endorsements (blurbs), read The Endorsement Quest by Gregory Kompes. If you have your copy of the Frugal Book Promoter sitting on your desk (where it should be!), read the section on endorsements in that book, too.


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"AC is the current that powers your writing career." http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com
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TIP: "10 Killer Marketing Myths That Can Kill Your Book and Career (And Their Remedies)" is a new article for you that's especially pertinent to these times when everyone is cutting budgets. Find it at www.sharingwithwriters.com. Scroll down a bit, too. Gregory Kompes guest blogs on endorsements and you'll love his ideas.


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Reciprocal Links: Many subscribers are in a position to cross promote. Let me know if you would like to trade some recommendation or promotion for any of my books - - from the HowToDoItFrugally series to my chapbook of poetry - - for a place on my Resources for Writers or Resources for Readers pages on www.HowToDoItFrugally.com.
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Tip: for science fiction writers only: The Central Coast Science - UFO Symposium might be a good place to get ideas. It's Aug 16 - 17 at Santa Maria, CA. www.centralcoastscience - ufosymposium.com.


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I use Vista Print for lots of my promotional materials. Be aware that shipping prices may fluctuate, depending on the deal of the moment. Please use this link:
http://www.vistaprint.com/frf?frf=815651421184
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Tip: Do you have videos to post? Try www.smilingmonk.com and www.mogulus.com in addition to the usuals like YouTube, Veoh, Google Video, etc. I've used several of my videos on the various social networks (like Squidoo, MySpace, BookMarket.ning.com, etc) and on my website and blogs.


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Tip: Rey Ybarra offers Recession Proof Marketing tips. They're "recession proof" because they are all about the Internet and videos so they reach huge numbers of people for a relatively little amount of money. Find this new blog at www.recessionproofmarketing.blogspot.com.



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The New Book Review is a service of this newsletter and Authors' Coalition. It allows authors to get more exposure from their favorite review and reviewers a chance to have more readers see their reviews - - with links, of course. Please check the guidelines on the blog site at www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com.
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An Itty - Bitty Column on Writing

Some Words on Verse
By Mindy Phillips Lawrence

I’m in the mood for poetry for some reason. Could be because the Missouri State Poetry Convention is in Springfield, Missouri this year and I want something to offer to them. When I think deeply about a topic, I often use a poem to resolve the issue in my mind. I also use poetry to blow off steam when I’m too close to a story I’m writing.

Poetry is tight, one concept thinking which can be about something small or about the entire universe in the guise of something small. It can be sappy or profound. I err toward the thoughtful.

Publishing Poetry

Poetry is difficult to sell. You can’t quit your day job unless you are a notable US poet like Mary Oliver, Maya Angelou, Rita Dove, Alice Walker, Philip Levine and Wendell Berry. They write other work, too, which gives them a chance to succeed with their verse. They are all award winners.

If you are interested in getting your poetry published, there are a few sources below that might help you (and, of course, there’s Poetry Market from Writers’ Digest Books). AVOID POETRY.COM LIKE THE PLAGUE!

Chapbooks

A chapbook is a glorified booklet you can assemble for yourself in either Microsoft Word or Publisher. You have to know a little about book pagination to have it make sense, though. A link below will help you with that issue. Print your pages, design a cover, take it all to FedEx/Kinkos, Staples or Office Max and get it assembled. Bingo, you have a poetry book. If you want to offer your work to bookstores, you’ll have to go the extra mile and get an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) for it. There’s a link below for that as well.
If you are all fingers and thumbs on a computer, a company called Shadow Poetry will assemble your book for you. The link below gives information about them and explains what they offer. Other places do similar work.

Mary Oliver, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1984, has two wonderful books out on the composition of verse that I’ve listed below. She’s a wonderful writer who actually knows how to read her own work well.
Whether you chose to rhyme or not, poetry is a great way to study the power of words.

Resurrection

You made bread today.
Your fingers shaped the dough
into a soft, solid lump.
I remember your hands working,
strong and gentle extensions of
compassion,
interludes of grace
in a cruel world,
shaping a prayer.
The loaves rose,
a Kyrie Eleison stretching to heaven. - - - - Mindy Phillips Lawrence

Links

“Versification in English Poetry” ~ An in - depth link with tons of information.
http://theliterarylink.com/versification.html

“Shadow Poetry” ~ A Missouri - based company that assembles and sells poetry chapbooks.
http://www.shadowpoetry.com/chapbooks/introduction.html

A Poetry Handbook, Mary Oliver ~ Excellent tutorial on writing poetry.
http://www.amazon.com/Poetry - Handbook - Mary - Oliver/dp/0156724006/ref=pd_bbs_sr_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217081244&sr=8 - 8

Rules for the Dance: A Handbook for Writing and Reading Metrical Verse, Mary Oliver ~ Metrical verse is "the art of moving in accord with a pattern.
http://www.amazon.com/Rules - Dance - Handbook - Writing - Metrical/dp/039585086X/ref=pd_bbs_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217081244&sr=8 - 11

The Art and Craft of Poetry, Michael Bugeja, Excellent book on the topic
http://www.amazon.com/Art - Craft - Poetry - Michael - Bugeja/dp/1582971013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217081568&sr=1 - 1

“Page Sequencing in Printer Spreads”, REALTIME, Inc. (PDF file)
http://www.realtimepip.com/assets/templates/download/Booklet_Page_Sequencing.pdf

Literary Press and Magazine Directory
http://www.clmp.org/about/dir.html

ISBN/SAN/BARCODES
http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/index.asp
- - - - - Mindy Phillips Lawrence www.freewebs.com/mplcreative is the author of One Blue Star and co - author of The Complete Writer. She is also the publicist and literary agent for Dr. Dan Skelton and representative for the fiction work of Bev Walton - Porter. She is in the process of researching a novel titled Alone is Where We Begin. Blogging at: www.mplcreative.blogspot.com/





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Endorsement:
"www.HowToDoItFrugally.com , by Carolyn Howard - Johnson [is] a top website for writers . . . I'd say my ROI is over 1,000%. The advice is particularly strong in addressing the new author where they are in learning the publishing/selling process. Very practical. The site is excellent."
~ Hill Kemp, author of Capitol Offense, and contributor to Secrets, Fact or Fiction? I, ISBN 0 - 9737282 - 5 - 6 and Secrets, Fact or Fiction? II, ISBN 1 - 59594 - 062 - 6, LOC 2006904627, http://www.secretsfactorfiction.com
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Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching

(I'm taking the month of July off to write. August is vacation time (sort of). so my schedule is limited. It doesn't mean I don't love you all!

Carolyn Howard - Johnson will read from her chapbook of poetry, Tracings, Monday evening, Aug. 11, at 7:30 pm at the Village Bookstore 1049 Swarthmore Ave, Pacific Palisades, CA. Poets Alice Pero and Lois P. Jones sponsor ongoing featured readings called Moonday. Learn more at www.home.earthlink.net/ ~pero/moonday.html.

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Evie Ybarra will interview Carolyn Howard - Johnson on her Ventura evening drive talk show, "Talk with Evie" on Wednesday, August 13 at 6 pm. Listen in on live radio in Ventura area or on the website at www.1400kkzz.com. We'll be talking about getting the information you've been stowing in your scrapbooks and journals in print. It's designed for record - keepers, the photographers, genealogists and history - makers among us.

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Join Carolyn Howard Johnson as she shares her expertise on promoting your book...frugally. Author of The Frugal Editor and The Frugal Book Promoter, Carolyn will be available to answer your questions on August 20 and 21 at the Long Ridge Writers Group Website's Professional Connection Q&A. The conversation will take place on the Long Ridge Writers Group Post - A - Note board. http://longridgewritersgroup.net/index.php New users must create a user name and password, but there is no charge and the site is open to the public. Long Ridge Writers Group is a writing program that has, for 30 years, taught thousands of aspiring authors how to find their own writing niche - - and how to break into print. All its instructors are professional authors and editors as well as excellent teachers. There is no set time. Carolyn will check back during the day on both days.
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be the featured interview October 10, 2008 on Novel Journey, recently named one of Writer's Digest's top websites for writers. The site is known for its author interviews, commentary on the writing life and book giveaways, and appears on My Space News. Novel Journey has become a "must visit" blog that is frequented by publicists, editors, publishers and multi - published authors. The Novel Journey contributors have crafted questions designed to guarantee that each post will offer something valuable to our growing readership.
http://www.noveljourney.blogspot.com/

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The f r e ^ Muse Online Writers' Conference, sponsored by Lea Schizas and Carolyn Howard - Johnson, is accepting early registration. Nearly 2,000 attended last year and openings are limited. Learn more about this year's conference, October 13 to 19th, and how you can assure your spot in 2008. We will present an all - new program soon. Carolyn will do a seminar on "Query Letters! Editing them perfectly for a great first impression." Go to: For more information click here:
http://www.themuseonlinewritersconference.com

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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will speak to the California Writers Club of San Fernando Valley at 1 pm on December 13, 2008. It's at the Encino Community Center, 4939 Balboa Blvd (just north of Ventura Blvd.), Encino, CA 91316. Learn more about the year's programs www.calwriterssfv.com and sign up to join. It's a dynamic group. E - mail is cwcsfv@gmail.com.

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Sign up to receive a copy of my Sharing with Writers blog in your e - mail box. It is a focused blog on all things related to writing and publishing. Go to www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com. Sign up in the left hand column. Find related resources by scrolling to the bottom of the blog.
It’s hotter than August!
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Wordstuff ™

Something to Make Writers Smile

(Definitions in the next few newsletters are from www.butlerwebs.com/jokes/definitions.htm.You might have some favorite neologisms, metaphors or similes that make you smile. If so, please contribute.)

"COFFEE: A person who is coughed upon."


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Essential Book and Record Keeping:

This letter is an entity of Authors' Coalition http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com

Edited and distributed by Carolyn Howard - Johnson,
http://carolynhoward - johnson.com

This is a place to share with others and learn from others.

Though I do attempt to verify information used within this newsletter's pages, Sharing with Writers does not guarantee entities or information. Subscribers should research resources.

To submit information articles, tips or other information, e - mail Carolyn at HoJoNews@aol.com. Please put "Submission: Sharing with Writers" in the subject line.

If you do not care to receive this newsletter, send an e - mail to HoJoNews@aol.com with "Unsubscribe” in the subject line, but please, please don't tell me you've given up writing or promoting!

To subscribe to Sharing with Writers send an e - mail with "Subscribe" in the subject line to: HoJoNews@aol.com.

Please pass this newsletter on to friends or e - groups. It needn't be pasted in its complete form, but please credit this newsletter, Authors' Coalition and the individual contributors with anything you snip and paste.

Ordering Information:
Order the Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't at stores like UCLA, Dayton University and San Diego State University's bookstores or at Amazon where it is discounted:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/193299310X/qid=1149015406/sr=2 - 1/ Order it as an e - book at http://starpublish.com/carolyn_howard - johnson.htm

The second in the How To Do It Frugally series of books, The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success, is available at www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870/

The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know About Selling Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less, is available on Amazon as a Short for 49 cents.
http://www.amazon.com/Great - First - Impression - Book - Proposal/dp/B000YG6O5U/

This Is the Place,
Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, Tracings,
www.howtodoitfrugally.com.

Tracings, a chapbook of poetry, published by Finishing Line Press may be ordered at
www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/qid=1139084827/sr=1 - 1/

Contact Information
Websites: http://carolynhoward - Johnson.com (literary)
http://HowToDoItFrugally.com (all things about writing)
Authors' Coalition: http://www.AuthorsCoalitionandRedEnginepress.com
For the Frugal Editor, Amazon - direct: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870/

Blogs:
http://AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog focused on book fairs

http://www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com, a blog on all things publishing

http://www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog focused on YOUR reviews

http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, a blog focused on editing, formatting and craft

http://www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com War. Peace. Tolerance. And Our Soldiers.

And now! Squidooing at
http://www.squidoo.com/HowToDoItFrugallyforAuthors
and http://www.squidoo.com/carolynhoward - johnson