Legend:
Questions from the Audience are presented in red.
Answers by the Speaker are in black.
The Moderator's comments are in blue.

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.

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. Also note: If you want to make it possible to ask the longest question you can, first type "/ask" (without the quotation marks), then leave one space after the end of "ask", then type as many characters of your question as you can. If your question is not complete, send the second part next, then if necessary the third, etc.

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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.

mel boring

LOTS of GOODIES today, and I'll start with GOOD NEWS!...

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Christine Collier sent this GOOD NEWS: I had an article, "Give Thanks", on WEE ONES in November about the history and trivia facts concerning Thanksgiving. This past week I received another check for the same amount as when it was first posted from Jennifer Reed for its use on SIRS Discover, a CD-Rom program used by libraries across the country. Articles used at SIRS have to have been published before they can be submitted there.

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DOUBLE CONGRATULATIONS, Christine!!

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It's really a HOME RUN that you've hit,...

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both publishing and REpublishing in SIRS....

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That CD program, SIRS DISCOVER is a GOOD one, and I find is WELL used by classroom teachers and other educators--WAY TO WRITE RIGHT TWICE!!

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If YOU have some GOOD NEWS, you can send it to me here, now!

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ML needs a vocabulary resource: Q:"Precieux"- Is there any source on the web or cassette to aid in increasing one's vocabulary. I know the dictionary helps, but it is as limited as to one's ability to understand.

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THANKS for asking, ML! YOu have increased my OWN vocabulary today with your word!...

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Yes, one BOOK you can get and read and do is THIRTY DAYS TO A MORE POWERFUL VOCABULARY....

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It has been around a looooong time, and is in paperback....

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I used it about 45 years ago, and it works WELL, I believe. It's not "gimmicky," but steadily increases your vocab....

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Now about that word ML sent us:...

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I looked it up at the Merriam-Webster Web site,...

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and YOU can too. Its address is:

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http://www.m-w.com/

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The "m-w" is for Merriam-Webster, and you can go there...

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each day for a new word, or to look up ANY word...

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They do have a PAYing service where they'll send you a word a day,...

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I think it's about thirty-five dollars a year....

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But you can look up words AND SYNONYMS at their site. So GO for it, ML!...

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Now, are you wondering what "precieux"

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means?

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Here 'tis:...

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Main Entry: pré·cieux ...

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Pronunciation: prA-sy[OE]...

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Function: adjective...

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Etymology: French précieux, masculine, & précieuse, ...

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It's meaning is "precious". THANK YOU, ML for such a precious word for today for us!

caq

Learne asked me to ask if she should put in her coverletters that she is a graduate of ICL.

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Thanks, caq, for passing it on!...

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Yes, Learne, you can put in your cover letters that you are an ICL graduate if you want to.

scigirl

Are "Talk About" articles only available from instructors?

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Yes, scigirl, they ARE only available from instructors....

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I got "in trouble" once for asking for one for an...

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Open Forum. But they need to come from an instructor...

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because that is the way they are most easily and inexpensively distributed...

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So just ask your instructor for one, scigirl.

del

I hear how the picture book market is soft, and MG and YA are hot...so where does this leave easy readers and chapter books? Somewhere in the middle, too? I'd appreciate your take on this, Mel.

mel boring

Easy Readers and Chapter Books (my caps) are NOT soft....

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That is because they are so EDUCATION-oriented, del....

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So there is always a built-in audience for them, teachers....

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Teachers may not ask for or order picture books,...

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but they ARE after Easy Readers and Chapter Books for their classroom use. So GO for it, del, write some of those!

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MrsMouse needs to know: Should I include publishing dates when listing writing credits, even if decades ago? ie.: "When Night Comes Again," PALOUSE JOURNAL,1990, Fiction?

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Yes, MrsMouse (whose username we LOVE!)...

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USUALLY, in a cover letter or query letter, where space is limited (to ONE page)...

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you will have to keep credits short, one tiny paragraph....

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So if you have LATER pubs than 1990, by all means list those....

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But if 1990 is one of your latest, DON'T be afraid to list that!...

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Since I know you personally, MrsMouse, methinks you have MANY later bylines, right? (-:}

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Bean16 is looking for an answer: My question is this: Does it make sense to join SCBWI if you're primarily, even exclusively at this point, interested in writing for magazines and not books?  The “Book” in it kind of scares me away, but my mom gave me a generous monetary gift for Christmas, and I was thinking of using it to join SCBWI.  What’s your HONEST opinion?

To find you an answer, Bean16, I scoured my latest SCBWI BULLETIN newsletter,...

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one of the things you get for being a member....

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I was very SURPRISED to find VERY LITTLE for children's magazine writers, friend....

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So I would have to advise you, as a magazine writer...

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NOT to join, but to use the sixty dollars/year (I THINK it is now) for something else....

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ALSO, Bean16, I mentioned last week, I think,...

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a web discussion board strictly for CHILDREN'S MAGAZINE writers....

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Here is their URL again. You search for "Yahoo Groups."...

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Then at the Yahoo Web site, you search for this group:...

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just4kidsmagwriters

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You can sign up for that group, and they'll ALL be interested in mag writing!

craig

is it true that it is an amateur that uses nice letterhead to send letters to editors?

craig

my impression of writing is that it was a profession and professionals use letterhead when they are writing letters

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Hi, Friend craig!...

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NO, it is NOT true that amateurs only use nice letterheads

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Professional writers ALSO use nice neat letterheads....

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The only caution about a professional letterhead is...

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not to make it SHOWY, with wild font(s) and lines and pictures....

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Keep it simple. And my personal suggestion is NOT to call yourself a...

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"freelance writer" or "children's writer" in the letterhead....

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Let your WRITING speak for you there. THANKS for asking, craig!

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guessit asks: 1) I have written articles on aspects of writing for young readers - I used them on my eighth-grade students and age-wise that was perfect. While going through the market listings however, I noticed that most magazines that go for this kind of thing want complete lesson plans and/or resumes (which I don't want to send). I was wondering if you knew of any possible markets for such kinds of writing?

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You are right, guessit, that MOST magazines want a UNIT....

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But I have come up with these that do not, and you may want to try them:...

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They are ONLINE markets for writing articles for children:...

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http://www.kidsonlinemagazine.com/writingtips.html

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http://www.allwritemagazine.com.au/index.htm

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http://www.awpwriter.org/magazine

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ONLINE, Web mags DON'T want the full-blown lesson plans, but simply short articles about writing....

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And knowing you, guessit, I KNOW you write them. So try submitting them online, friend!

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guessit also asked: If I have a whole bunch of "Writing How-to's" could that be a book? And is it okay if some of the parts were published as articles beforehand?

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Yes, it WOULD be a book, with a bunch of how-to articles,...

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but it would be much more difficult to sell than single articles....

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What I would suggest is FIRST to publish an article or few....

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THEN try submitting them as a BOOK manuscript, guessit.

caq

Geoge wants to know if he should send an inquiry to ICL because they received his assignmnet 9 on 12/2/04 and he has not heard from his intructor yet.

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BEST is to e-mail your instructor through the ICL Web site, george....

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You go to: www.institutechildrenslit.com,

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and there, you click on STUDENT CENTER....

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They will ask for your student ID number,...

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and then give you options. One of the options is to contact your instructor....

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And I would advise you to do that, friend.

doug

mel, OED.com does that too- more expensive- but it's the most complete english dictionary (etymology, usage, etc.) on the planet (Oxford English Dictionary)

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ANOTHER vocabulary Web site!...

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For us WORDAPHILIACS! (my word, my word!)...

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THANKS, doug! I'll try that after the forum....

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Words are FUN, I think. Here is a word about a word sent to me by Joan this past week:...

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Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"?

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Does anyone here know? (-:} And thanks, Joan!

tkat_2

a thesaurus is a writer's best friend.

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You are RIGHT, tkat_2!...

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My FAVORITE thesaurus is THE WORD FINDER,...

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published by Rodale Press....

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It is "less formal" than Roget's Thesaurus,...

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and I think has MORE choices.

tkat_2

re: Learne's question To put that on a coverletter shouts NEWBIE. I was told this was a bad idea.

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Thanks for reasking, Learne!...

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My OWN feeling is that yes, it shouts NEWBIE, expecially to editors who know ICL is a correspondence course....

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The reason behind that is that, in general, correspondence courses have gotten a bad rap...

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But ICL's is top-notch. STILL, I wouldn't do it because of what SOME editors think of correspondence courses....

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BUT, Joanne Mattern, a Chat Guest of ours...

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a short time ago, says you SHOULD mention that you're an ICL grad. So, two opinions, learne, to help you form your OWN.

lizr

besides SCBWI and my state's arts council, where can I go to look for grants for writers? I'd google it but don't want scads of scams to show up.

mel boring

Yes, lizr, I'd be leery of doing that in Google too, for the same reason...

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I don't know, but I will LOOK into that for next Tuesday, OK?

caq

to join is SCBWI is and to renew

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THANK YOU, caq! (You can tell that I don't pay the bills at our house! (-:})

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Here are two MORE GOOD tips for people interested in writing for CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES only:...

t green

Mel, for magazine writers, "The Children's Writer" is an excellent resource and less expensive.

lizr

Here is the URL of a GREAT website for children's magazine writers - http://www.kidmagwriters.com/

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Now WHY didn't I think of that, t green?!...

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(Because there is YOU to help out!)...

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CHILDREN'S WRITER is, in my opinion, the BEST source for...

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children's magazine writers, with names of editors, addresses, what each mag needs....

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I don't say that JUST because I work on the ICL Web site....

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I say it because I know Susan Tierney, the editor of CHILDREN'S WRITER,...

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and in my opinion, she is the BEST authority about children's magazines today....

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Also, THANKS, lizr for the URL of the Web site that belongs with the Yahoo Discussion Boards I mentioned earlier!!!

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caq asked us: Can pamphlets acquired at sights of interest be used as source material for a nonfiction article about that place? If so, how do you do the bibliography?

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Yes, they sure CAN, caq!...

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Look on the inside front cover, or the back of the pamphlet,...

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and they will give a PUBLISHER, a PLACE and a DATE....

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In your biblio, it can be like this:...

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"This is Shangrila!" by _____ _____, Published by the Florida State Chamber of Commerce at Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 2005.

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Those ___ ____s are for the name of the author, if given, but usually it isn't. OR you could put the editor's name there.

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CC asked us: Where do you go for a "good" publisher? I know there is the market guides but I'm baffled when it comes to choosing the "good" or "better" publisher. "When?" is another question. Is my writing going to be "publicized" justly?

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CC, it's a matter of research. That is, no market guide will say "This is a good publisher."...

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So, check publishers out with OTHER WRITERS, for one thing....

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Also, a Web Discussion Board can help you, because you could ask writers about such and such a publisher....

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There is a Yahoo Group called: childrens-writers (with that hyphen in the middle!)...

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Go to http://groups.yahoo.com

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and search for the childrens-writers group, CC, and you'll have a MARVELOUS source of info about particular publishers....

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Also, you can ask at our ICL Writer's Retreat discussion boards, too.

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Here's another GOOD word about letterhead, craig:...

mbvoelker

May I add a note about letterhead? If your email is something like "pookiebear", "dragonslayer", or "beanymania" getting a professional account with a name like "janesmith" or "mikerodgers" would probably make a better impression. :-D

mel boring

THANKS, MB! You are absolutely right!...

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I would hesitate to make mine even "boringmel" or such!

casey

Last week you told us that if a publisher doesn't reply to a query, they probably are not interested.

casey

A book publisher was interested in my query and asked me to submit the ms right away. I did on July 30th. Have had no response. I sent follow up in Dec. Still no response. So should I assume they are not interested?

mel boring

No, I wouldn't assume that, casey, BECAUSE they asked for your manuscript, and right away....

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Passing even a query around to all the departments can take a looooong time, friend....

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And that MAY be what they're doing with yours....

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What I would suggest is a gentle query about your query,...

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asking them if they received the manuscript for sure, and if they could tell you its status....

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This kind of inquiry can be handled by a receptionist, and would NOT be a "bad mark" for you. So inquire as the gentle soul I know you are!

grandy1983

What other things must be avoided so that you make a good impression on the editor?

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Of course, NO confetti or perfume or other "attachments" in the envelope, grandy1983....

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But you KNOW those no-nos, I know. ...

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My strongest suggestion is not something to avoid,...

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but something to DO: Let the editor know you....

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That is, DON'T "put on a professional front" as it might be thought of....

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Editors I talk to WANT to know the HUMAN BEING behind the manuscript....

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They are nearly as interested in the AUTHOR, I believe, as they are in the MANUSCRIPT!...

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Other "avoids": Don't e-mail them UNLESS they've established a pattern of e-mailing with you....

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And if you have more or less simple questions (such as "Did you receive my manuscript?"), ask the phone receptionist,...

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or write to "Manuscripts Department," and a receptionist will answer.

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WWC wants to know: I would like to know, what is the difference between self-publishing, e-publishing, and vanity publishing? Since prospects for my plays with ten+ characters aren't good, could I try to "self-publish"?

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SELF-publishing means YOU as the author paid someone to publish/print your book....

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as opposed to Trade Publisher, where the publisher pays YOU for the right to publish your book....

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"Vanity publishing" is what self-publishing USED to be called in the old days....

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when publishing a book yourSELF cost from five to ten thousand dollars. People were said to be in the throes of "vanity" if they paid that much to have it published...

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I have not heard that term "vanity publishing" in at LEAST TEN years.....

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E-publishing is having your story, article or book published electronically....

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This could be either having it posted verbally on some Web site,...

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or it could also be that electronic apparatus will print out a copy of your book whenever one is ordered.

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RLS e-mailed to ask: I've been asked to write in objective 3rd person. Can you clarify what objective means? Is that as opposed to omniscient or to subjective? Does it mean I should use less of the character's inner thoughts and more of a traditional storytelling voice?

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Yes, RLS, OBJECTIVE does mean the opposite of SUBJECTIVE....

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That is, in using FIRST person (I/we), the voice can be very SUBjective....

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Just even by itSELF, THIRD person is more objective than first....

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But third person CAN be somewhat subjective, too.....

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OMNISCIENT third person is simply one that KNOWS EVERYTHING....

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So that voice (most often used with adult readers) may be THOUGHT to know everything by readers, but may not, really....

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With children, it's best to use third person objective,...

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and that will mean that readers will see what they might see in a film of the goings-on, and hear in a recording of the goings-on--the most trustworthy.

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VH has this good question: I have an idea for a children's reference book.  I'm a new writer and in the process of finding a publisher to whom I can pitch the idea.  My concern is whether or not I can make the pitch and still protect the idea.  Since it's
a reference book, anyone could take the idea and publish it themselves. Not a whole lot of creativity involved.  So how do I tell people about my idea and protect it at the same time?

Unfortunately, you CAN'T protect an IDEA, VH....

You can ONLY copyright-protect a MANUSCRIPT....

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BUT, I have NEVER in 35 years known of an idea being stolen in children's writing....

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The TRUTH is that publishers and other authors have SO MANY ideas of their own that they don't need to stoop to stealing ideas....

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So, in my opinion, you're safe. If you want to GET protection, write out the manuscript, or part of it, first, and THAT is copyrightable.

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Joyous is wondering: Is it better to write in first person for a biographical article or short story taken from an interviewee, i.e. the main character of a nonfiction story, or third person?

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It's better to write in THIRD person, Joyous,...

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because, as I mentioned earlier, FIRST person is often subjective, and suspect by readers for that reason....

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So use THIRD person. HOWEVER, also use QUOTES from the biographed person her/himself that use "I" in them....

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Readers and publishers WANT those direct "I" quotes, and that is how you can let the "voice of the subject" come through.

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NB sent us these questions: I have been working on a series of short stories for children, and probably the reading level is for 2nd through 5th grade. I currently have 6 completed manuscripts which have been revised and rewritten and revised again. I would obviously like to have them turned into books, but is it a good idea for me to try to submit them to magazines first? Will it be beneficial for me as an author to have been previously printed, or does being in magazines at all deduct from any manuscript's integrity?

mel boring

Yes, it is BEST to try to submit to magazines first, NB....

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Because, as a newcomer, it is VERY DIFFICULT to get more than one story published....

mel boring

A series as in a book would be a LONG SHOT for you, I'm afraid....

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But if you published the stories one by one in magazines,...

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that would make it much easier.

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BOOK editors are IMPRESSED by magazine publication, believe me!~

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JR has a good question: I am adding a recipe I got out of a cookbook at the end of my children's picture book manuscript. I understand that recipes can be re-used (not copyrighted?) if they are rewritten, which I've done. But I'd like to give a nod to the original by using the same name. Should I (can I) do that?

mel boring

Go ahead and use the same name, for titles like that for a recipe...

mel boring

are NOT copyrightable, JR. Rewrite the recipe, but you can use the same name for it.

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S wanted to ask us this: I had a puzzle published in a children's magazine that only asks for first rights. They said I could send it elsewhere after it ran in their magazine. But I am wondering what magazine would buy a puzzle that was published already?  They all say they want first rights, or all rights. Can you help, please?

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SOME magazines, S, ONLY want Second Rights or Reprint Rights....

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They are FEWER than those who want First Rights, but they do exist.... Look for them in market guides.

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OhMyMickeyMouse! The time is up already!...

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Can you tell I've been reading ANGELS AND DEMONS, the adult novel by Dan Brown, wherein the protagonist has a Mickey Mouse watch?...

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I'm sorry the time is up, and I WILL keep the unanswered questions to use in Q&As for future....

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THANKS for coming today!...

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This Thursday evening, the Guest Chat will be a rare treat:...

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We'll have TWO editors, Heather Delabre of SPIDER and Paula Morrow of BABYBUG and LADYBUG....

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They will answer questions separately and in tandem....

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THey are good FRIENDS as well as co-workers. I had a FUN TIME with them practicing last night. See you Thursday?