| mel
boring |
The Tuesday afternoon
"Open Forum" will begin promptly at 4 Atlantic/CANADA, 3 p.m.
Eastern, 2 p.m. Central, 1 p.m. Mountain, and noon Pacific. While
you wait for the "Open Forum" to start, feel free to use your ASK A
QUESTION button RIGHT BETWEEN THE YELLOW "MAP" AND THE RED QUESTION
MARK IN ICHAT to post some questions for the discussion
group.
|
| mel
boring |
We'll start Open Forum
in about 2 minutes!
|
| mel
boring |
Good afternoon! Welcome
to this Tuesday afternoon's "Open Forum" session. I'm your
moderator, Mel Boring, and the Web Editor for this site. We're back
for an informal time of answering any questions you might like to
ask, on any subject. So feel free to ask what's on your mind--and
I'll tell you what's on mine! First, please read these
announcements, then we'll get started.
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| mel
boring |
IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS:
Send questions you'd like answered or discussed by using your "Ask a
Question" icon/button. (It looks like a thought bubble icon, RIGHT
NEXT TO THE RED QUESTION MARK.) The moderator (me, Mel Boring) will
post the questions one at a time in the chat room and do my best to
answer them.
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| mel
boring |
WARNING: If you don't
post anything at all, SOME of you will be bounced off the system in
15 minutes. TO PREVENT THIS, type something (either a question to
the moderator or even a private message) every 15 minutes to stay
active and remain online.
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| mel
boring |
I have a happy
announcement from me, first....
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| mel
boring |
I finished archiving
all the Open Forums we have last weekend....
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| mel
boring |
So you can read nearly
any Open FOrum during the past year....
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| mel
boring |
They are archived in
the Writer's Support section, the bottom folder in that section.
EnJOY!...
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| mel
boring |
I also have two VERY
HAPPY announcements from others. First Dionna:...
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| mel
boring |
After reading many ICL
articles, and especially the transcripts from various editors and
authors, I decided to submit nonfiction for the older reader. Better
chances for publication, right? Just two weeks ago, Wee Ones decided
to buy one of my stories on hang gliding! Thanks for the On Time
advice! Now, if I can get a hard cover book!!!
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| mel
boring |
CONGRATULATIONS from
all of us, Dionna!!!
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| mel
boring |
Here is a second HAPPY
NEWS to share, from Joan:...
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| mel
boring |
Joan Winter is bustin'
with good news: I received an Honourable Mention Award from WRITER'S
DIGEST for a story I had entered in the Children's Fiction category
of their 2003 writing competition. With such formidable competition
(over 18,000 entries, the WD's cover letter said,) I feel very proud
to have placed, although my entry has not and will not be published
in any of their publications. My name only will appear in the
booklet listing winners of the 72nd Annual Writer's Digest Writing
Competition.
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| mel
boring |
CONGRATULATIONS to you
from us, Joan--and many happy returns! (-:}
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| mel
boring |
I also have something
left over from two weeks ago, when we were discussing MOVING, which
some of you have done. silverdove had a GREAT suggestion
then:...
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| mel
boring |
silverdove shared with
us October 14: Mel, I was a realtor and I believe I still have a
book on how to move with children. We were discussing that topic,
and perhaps silverdove could give us the title of the book
today.
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| mel
boring |
silverdove: If you're
around today, I'd LOVE to know the title of that
book!
|
| nkk |
Answer to Mel's question
from last week: s/w = software.
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| mel
boring |
That was a question I
asked, and THANK YOU, nkk, for the answer!
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| remus |
I would like to know a
bit more about the ICL writing contest. Can you tell us how the
stories are being processed at the ICL? How many people are on the
jury panel, if there is one? And how many submissions do you usually
get for these contest?
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| mel
boring |
To find out info about
the current contests, remus, you should contact someone at the
address you mail your contest entries to....
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| mel
boring |
Nonetheless, I can tell
you the answers as they were...
|
| mel
boring |
when I judged a contest
about 6 or 8 years ago....
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| mel
boring |
The stories are
processed by sending them out to a panel of ICL
Instructors....
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| mel
boring |
They all read a portion
of the entires, then they compare notes about all the
stories....
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| mel
boring |
Also, staff at ICL have
input into the jurying of the contest entries.....
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| mel
boring |
When I worked in the
contest, there were between 5,000 and 6,000
entries....
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| mel
boring |
That's not so many when
you consider that a NUMBER of judges work on the
contest.
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| mel
boring |
And to all of you who
entered the most recent contest: GOOD FORTUNE to
you!
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| mel
boring |
NK needs to know: Are
'as' and 'while' weed words? I tend to use a lot of these in poetry
(but I don't seem to use them in ordinary writing, and I don't know
why!). What can I replace these words with, or how
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| mel
boring |
"Weed words" are those
that could be weeded out of a story or article....
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| mel
boring |
And "as" and "while"
MIGHT be "weed words," but not always, NK....
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| mel
boring |
If you use a LOT of
either or both of those words, then...
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| mel
boring |
weed a lot of them out.
(-:}...
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| mel
boring |
For replacements, I
would suggest maybe "during" or "since" or "at the
time."
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| ekuffmom |
when writing dialogue, do
you start a new paragraph with eac
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| ekuffmom |
each person who
speaks?
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| mel
boring |
Yes, ekuffmom, the rule
is to start a new paragraph for each person who
speaks....
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| mel
boring |
That is so there is
clarity for readers to follow; and even adult readers need that
clarity....
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| mel
boring |
But as you know, last
week I suggested to mbvoelker that she run the dialogue pieces of
two speakers together in one paragraph....
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| mel
boring |
If that were done
OCCASIONALLY, an editor wouldn't mind....
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| mel
boring |
But mainly it should
CLARIFY the meaning of the dialogue....
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| mel
boring |
I saw some further
suggestions for mbvoelker's dialogue in the Writer's Retreat
discussion boards this week,...
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| mel
boring |
and they were GOOD
ones. I want to ask mbvoelker IF she's decided how to do it yet.
Maybe she can reply via a message to us.
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| mel
boring |
Speaking of mbvoelker,
here is a marvelous message from her!:..
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| mbvoelker |
I wish all writers were
as lucky as I am. My DH has offered to take all 3 kids out of the
house Thursday night so I can work on the article you asked for. Any
advice for writers with less actively supportive families? How can
they get the family support that they need?
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| mel
boring |
One way would be maybe
to ASK for it....
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| mel
boring |
Sometimes we have not
because we ask not. (-:}...
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| mel
boring |
And unless your DH or
DW is a writer, they may not understand what a writer
needs....
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| mel
boring |
So ask your DW or DH
today, if they would give you an evening away from the
kids....
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| mel
boring |
I know my DW would,
though our kids are old enough to take care of
themselves....
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| mel
boring |
Any of you others have
ideas about this to share with us?
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| red2 |
Mel, I'm unsure about a
certain mag's rights. I've sold several items to them - would I look
totally unprofessional if I emailed her to clarify the
rights?
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| mel
boring |
No, you wouldn't look
uncool, even, if you were to ask about rights,
red2....
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| mel
boring |
If YOU are not clear
about their rights, chances are good they have not made them
clear....
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| mel
boring |
So e-mail and ask,
preferrable an editor you've worked with, of the "Editor-in-Chief"
or "Senior Editor."...
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| mel
boring |
You'll be helping other
writers too, red2, because the magazine may get the message and make
the rights clearer!
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| mel
boring |
MS wonders: How do you
sell a childrens' book to a company? There are so many out there. Is
there a "buckshot approach" that you send the story to every editor,
or is it a send out...wait..send out...wait approach for every story
you have written. I'd like to see somthing in print some day before
my 99th birthday.
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| mel
boring |
I got a kick out of
that 99th birthday, MS, because ALL we writers feel that way
sometimes....
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| mel
boring |
There is a kind of
"shotgun" approach, called querying....
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| mel
boring |
What you do is prepare
about 6 or 12 of the basically same letter, and send it to that many
publishers....
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| mel
boring |
You only send one page
(unless a publisher asks for MORE, like sample chapters, etc.), so
it doesn't take long to prepare it,...
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| mel
boring |
and it doesn't take as
long to answer. MOST publishers answer queries, and SOONER than they
answer submissions....
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| mel
boring |
Then when you hear back
a "Yes, send it," from a publisher, you send them either the entire
manuscript, or sample chapters and an outline. GOOD question for us
ALL, MS!
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| mel
boring |
Here is mbvoelker's
answer about the "combined dialogue.":...
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| mbvoelker |
At the moment I've got,
Royston grinned, exposing his fangs. "Never give up till you’re all
the way down." Singer joined him to finish the saying together, "
... The enemy might make a mistake." I've decided to leave it that
way and fuss over it later in detail editing. :-)
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| mel
boring |
It sounds GOOD, MB! I
think you'll find that, since it's ONLY an OCCASIONAL "break of the
rules," editors will look FAVORABLY upon it. And GOOD FORTUNE to
you, our friend!
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| donnac |
Is there a standard break
for age catagories?
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| mel
boring |
Hi, donnac! The breaks
are less standard than they were, say, ten years
ago....
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| mel
boring |
but today, there are
narrower and narrower age groupings as we writers more narrowly
specialize....
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| mel
boring |
Here are the "standard"
age breaks:...
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| mel
boring |
Ages 0 to 2, Ages
3&4, Ages 4 to 6, Ages 7 to 9, Ages 8 to 12, Ages 13 to 15, and
Young Adult....
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| mel
boring |
The BEST way to go
about it is read the age specs of each magazine or book publisher to
find out how THEY break them down.
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| remus |
I have to ask you again
about the query letter. Very often you see in the guidelines of
publishers the following sentences "please query with 3 sample
chapters and a synopsis." So this would not be considered a query?
And I could only submit one at a time?
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| mel
boring |
GOOD follow-up
question, remus, actually from last week!...
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| mel
boring |
IF a publisher lists
that they want MORE than just a one-page query, by all means send
them all they want....
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| mel
boring |
You may find some
saying they want 1 sample chapter and an outline--an outline being
about the same as a synopsis....
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| mel
boring |
That can be ferreted
out, usually, from their listings in a market
guide....
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| mel
boring |
It's STILL a query,
remus, in the sense that they want to take a quick look at it before
committing to reading the whole book.
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| mbvoelker |
I'm asking this for kdrw
who is getting kicked out by the question button today. "When
submitting action rhymes do I include the number of words or
lines?"
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| mel
boring |
THANKS, too,
MB!...
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| mel
boring |
Yes, although it's less
important, editors still want to know size,
kdrw....
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| mel
boring |
I would state words and
not lines, because the lines are easy enough for them to
count....
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| mel
boring |
Here's a rather "new
wrinkle" I've heard about recently:...
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| mel
boring |
SOME editors just want
to know the number of pages....
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| mel
boring |
And I think this comes
about because of the computer age,...
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| mel
boring |
bet that SOME
manuscripts are still received handwritten....
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| mel
boring |
When mss used to be
received handwritten, exact word count was more
important.
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| azurec3 |
madison wants to know
(...)
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| azurec3 |
in a rhyming story, is it
o.k. to shorten Timothy (..)
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| azurec3 |
too confusing for young
readers (5 to 8)?
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| mel
boring |
No, madison, it's NOT
too confusing, especially for ages 5 to 8....
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| mel
boring |
I assume you would
shorten "Timothy" to "Tim." And kids would understand that
shortenin'. (-:}
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| mel
boring |
KW wants to know: If
you are submitting a story or article to a children's publisher,
should you include publishing credits that are in adult magazines or
on on-line magazines?
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| mel
boring |
YES, KW, DO include ALL
credits, whether for adults or children....
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| mel
boring |
The basic reason
editors want to know about credits is that...
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| mel
boring |
they can tell that you
HAVE been published, so you have that much writing
ability....
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| mel
boring |
It doesn't matter
whether you've published for adults or children, it's similar
experience, and it speaks to editors.
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| mbvoelker |
kdrw asks "Should the
word count include the actions underneath?"
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| mel
boring |
Only if the words about
the actions underneath would be PUBLISHED with the other
lines....
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| mel
boring |
If they simply explain,
but are not included in the text, then you wouldn't count them in
the word count, kdrw....
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| mel
boring |
By the way kdrw, I'm
really SORRY your question box isn't working--but it's great you
have friends! (-:}
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| pax |
If an editor writes
positive suggestions on a rejection , sh
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| pax |
should I send it revised
to someone else, or back to them?
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| mel
boring |
If the positive
suggestions are scanty, pax, like...
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| mel
boring |
"Nice, but not for us,"
or "Well written," then I WOULDN'T send it back to the same
editor....
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| mel
boring |
But if their comments
are at ALL extensive, such as several
sentences,...'
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| mel
boring |
they are probably
probing for a rewrite, though not committing themselves
yet....
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| mel
boring |
In the case of those
LONGER comments, by all means, send it back to that same
editor!....
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| mel
boring |
Here's from experience
with HIGHLIGHTS: I once wrote an article about the invention of
matches,...
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| mel
boring |
and submitted it to
them. They wrote about a half-page with the rejection, making some
substantive suggestions,...
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| mel
boring |
buy they did NOT ask me
to send it back to them....
|
| mel
boring |
I DID revise,and DID
send it back to HIGHLIGHTS, and they bought it!....
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| mel
boring |
Remember that an editor
doesn't want to tie up a lot of their time....
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| mel
boring |
So if they SEE some
potential, they will only make guarded comments, and not really ask
for a re-submission.
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| mel
boring |
txblonde89: I have
heard of sharing your story with a writer's group or with other
students through the chat room for extra critiquing. I worry about
plagerism or someone stealing my story or idea. Should you get a
copyright first? How do you handle this threat if you want other
opinions on your work?
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| mel
boring |
The FIRST thing to do
when you FIRST start writing a manuscript,
txblonde89,...
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| mel
boring |
is to put the little
"C" in a circle near the top of page 1, with your name and the year
after it....
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| mel
boring |
But the copyright laws,
it is YOURS from that start. So you can copyright it
yourself....
|
| mel
boring |
But I understand your
fears, because I too am a member of a critique
group....
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| mel
boring |
and I know that, though
we are ALL close friends, sometime an idea another person comes up
with...
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| mel
boring |
may find its way inside
MY head, and I'll even subconsciously write about that
idea....
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| mel
boring |
But it's most likely
going to be a totally different development of that
idea....
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| mel
boring |
and I feel that the
BENEFITS received from critiquing FAR outweigh the dangers of
someone plagiarizing my writing.
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| mel
boring |
CC, with a related
question: The most recent Children's Writer newsletter has an
article about "Stealing Ideas" by Patricia Curtis Pfitsch and the
4th paragraph hit home. A story that a woman had published in one
magazine and then saw it published in another magazine by another
person! Anger was building in me when I read that because that's
what happened to me except I hadn't had my article published yet. In
my situation, how can I prove that it was my article and I hadn't
copied it from someone else? I have it on my computer, on paper, but
that isn't enough proof right? I feel very leery to have others look
at my work by chance there is a "thief" lurking somewhere. I guess
these are chances that we as writers must take?
|
| mel
boring |
If you have the work on
your computer, and your computer "date stamps" it, CC, then you have
proof....
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| mel
boring |
What is more
recommended, however, is to put a finished manuscript in the mail,
even if it's not completely finished yet,...
|
| mel
boring |
and MAIL it to
yourself. Then DON'T open it; if you ever need proof, it is right
there....
|
| mel
boring |
I have to say that in
almost 35 years of children's writing, I have NEVER seen this kind
of thievery myself, though.
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| mel
boring |
SW: I found a short
story of mine on an online site and found it by accident. I had
written them twice regarding it, but got no response and I am still
waiting for payment. Should I write again?
|
| mel
boring |
Here's another related
question....
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| mel
boring |
YES, you should
certainly write them again, SW!...
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| mel
boring |
It COULD be that the
payment is on the way by snailmail, but write to check on that,
even.
|
| hawaiianwriter |
What about publishing
credits from a small magazine that is
|
| hawaiianwriter |
no longer in publication?
and was small local magazine?
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| mel
boring |
YES, EVERY credit is a
boon to you, hawaiianwriter! (By the way, I LOVE your
username!)....
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| mel
boring |
What that does for an
editor, even if the magazine is out of print, it tells them you've
made it into print,...
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| mel
boring |
and that other
editor(s) deem your writing publishable....
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| mel
boring |
It cuts a LOT of ice,
believe me. So list EVERY SINGLE CREDIT--proudly!
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| pearlyyates |
may i submit to a mag
while still in ICL writing course
|
| mel
boring |
YES, pearlyyates, you
may submit even BEFORE you take the course, that is your
choice...
|
| mel
boring |
It would be better,
however, if you simply asked your instructor about submitting a
certain piece of writing....
|
| mel
boring |
As an ICL writing
instructor, I was asked that a lot, and I LIKED
it,...
|
| mel
boring |
because I know the
student was thinking toward publishing, and that's a GOOD
THING!
|
| cacarp |
Cacarp How does one find
publishers of ABCs for older kids?
|
| mel
boring |
Usually, ABC books are
for ages about 4 to 6, Cacarp....
|
| mel
boring |
Older than that,
usually they are beyond the ABC's....
|
| mel
boring |
In a market guide, like
the CHILDREN'S BOOK MARKET, put out by ICL,...
|
| mel
boring |
you may find some
publishers who ASK for ABC books. Look those up,
cacarp.
|
| mel
boring |
I feel badly because I
just accidentally dropped a question by pushing the wrong button. If
YOU asked a question and it isn't answered soon, will you PLEASE
give me another chance and re-send it? I'm SORRY!
|
| mel
boring |
PJW asks: If you have
ever seen a cottonmouth snake with its “stand-your-ground”... This
is a sentence in
|
| cottonmouth
snakes. Is it too much to italicize and use quotation marks? This
snake is known for this attitude and this is one way they are easily
identified. Should you use one or the other |
|
| mel
boring |
You might use one OR
the other, PJW, but not both....
|
| mel
boring |
And I think that
quotation marks would work better than italics for this particular
instance....
|
| mel
boring |
Remember that editors
don't like to see a LOT of any formatting, underlining, bolding or
italics, or quotation marks....
|
| mel
boring |
So if it doesn't make a
LOT of quotation marks in the piece you're writing, I'd use
them!
|
| regina |
I've read putting a
little c and the date screams amateur ..
|
| mel
boring |
If it doesn't SCREAM
it, it SAYS it anyway, to a lot of editors,
regina....
|
| mel
boring |
Editors will WONDER why
you're copyrighting it....
|
| mel
boring |
If you were to explain
why to editors, that you don't want it stolen, most editors would
not feel it's going to be stolen....
|
| mel
boring |
And that's because
editors don't steal work if they want to keep their
jobs....
|
| mel
boring |
But if it gives you
peace of mind to use the c in a circle, regina, by all means, use
it!
|
| mel
boring |
Another good question
from NK: If I have a phrase in another language in quotes, and then
I translate it "the night of the ," then, should the
phrase in quotes be in capital letters for both the English and
native language?
|
| mel
boring |
You would put NEITHER
in capital letters, NK....
|
| mel
boring |
But put quote marks
ONLY around the phrase in ANOTHER language....
|
| mel
boring |
Like this: She told me
"oui," which means yes in French.
|
| mel
boring |
From heidiinco: When
you submit an article to a magazine or even have a picture book all
planned out, what kind of photos do editors prefer? I live on a farm
and have some ideas for photos of animals but would like to know if
regular 35mm photos (or the negatives?) will be OK or slides are
preferred or even digital photos or the memory card with the digital
photos on it. I would like to know before I take tons of photos and
find out afterwards that they're the wrong kind.
|
| mel
boring |
They STILL use 35 mm
photos, heidiinco,...
|
| mel
boring |
though more are moving
toward digital photos....
|
| mel
boring |
BUT, you can STILL send
even those digital-users 35mm or prints or slides, and they will use
them....
|
| mel
boring |
Usually publishers
DON'T want negatives, however....
|
| mel
boring |
The bottom line is, if
they want your book, they will use whatEVER kind of images you
have!
|
| lizr |
to help with the
copyright issue - what about mailing it to yourself - you could put
the name of the story on the envelope and then you'd have a postmark
which would have the date on it
|
| mel
boring |
There is MORE good
suggestion from lizr! THANK YOU!
|
| peanut |
I'm confused with your
answer to NK on thoughts not being in italics. I have read many
children's books where the thoughts were in italics. Can you explain
this?
|
| mel
boring |
I can understand your
confusion, peanut, because OLDER books often used italics for
thoughts....
|
| mel
boring |
But with the computer
age, when things like italics became easier, editors became more
resistant to italics, and to bolding and
underlining....
|
| mel
boring |
They want to see it
used only sparingly....
|
| mel
boring |
Part of it is, too,
that children's books have become much more
|
| mel
boring |
subtle, and NOT using
italics for thoughts is part of that preferred subtlty by
editors.
|
| mel
boring |
I'm sorry the time is
up, because I have ever so many questions left over! I'm sorry, but
I WILL save all the questions for answering next
week....
|
| mel
boring |
THANK YOU for coming
today--I LOVE being here with you!
|
| mel
boring |
See you Thursday night
when Marileta Robinson of HIGHLIGHTS MAGAZINE will be our guest in
the
evening!
|