| mel
boring |
Join us this afternoon
in the AUDITORIUM-Scheduled Events Room for an "Open Forum" with Web
Editor Mel Boring. Mel has published some 25 magazine articles and
stories, as well as eight books for the young readers market. He
taught writing for 18 years, while being home husband and parent to
two of his four children, and doing his own writing. He welcomes
your questions on time management, getting started, writer's block,
marketing, writing rights, writing earnings, or anything else you'd
like to discuss. Bring your QUESTIONS to this open forum-in five
minutes.
|
| 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-two
minutes from now.
|
| 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.
|
| 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.
|
| mel
boring |
First, praise where
praise is WELL due: ...
|
| mel
boring |
You have been doing
VERY EXCELLENTLY at NOT typing to each other in the bottom
slot,...
|
| mel
boring |
but using Private
Messaging to message each other. THANKS for ALL of
us!...
|
| mel
boring |
Keep up the GOOD
work!
|
| mel
boring |
Here are two GOOD
NEWSes, to start:...
|
| mel
boring |
John Prophet wrote us
this GOOD NEWS: I'm happy to announce that my fifth book has been
uploaded to iUniverse, Inc. for publication. The title: A JADED
AFFAIR, A CASEY MILLER MYSTERY. I expect to have it in hand some
time near mid May if all goes well. Mixed emotions abound. Elation,
fear, relief, and more. The roller coaster is over.
|
| mel
boring |
CONGRATULATIONS, friend
John!...
|
| mel
boring |
John has many books
published the same way....
|
| mel
boring |
and he has contributed
articles to our Web site...
|
| mel
boring |
Here is YOUR chance
(Dear Reader, as they said in old timeys! (-:})...
|
| mel
boring |
to see what iUniverse
LOOKS like. Take a stroll over there, don't need to buy
anything....
|
| mel
boring |
Just check them
out.
|
| mel
boring |
Gladys Swedak sent this
GOOD NEWS: I am published again. This time it is on Women's Web, an
online community for women.
|
| mel
boring |
I read Glady's article,
just before coming here...
|
| mel
boring |
and it is GOOD, well
written. I can see...
|
| mel
boring |
improvement in your
writing, Gladys--CONGRATULATIONS on ALL counts!
|
| mel
boring |
Here is some VERY
POSITIVE poetry contest information...
|
| mel
boring |
that Karen Wolf so
KINDLY sent us....
|
| mel
boring |
Since woolwoman and
others have asked where a LEGITIMATE poetry contest can be found.
Here is a GOOD SOURCE:...
|
| mel
boring |
Excellent Poetry
Contest Information from Karen Wolf: I just thought I would throw
out an idea for woolwoman about poetry contests. POETS AND WRITERS
Magazine has a fantastic list in the back of every issue that
features the current contests from a lot of the major literary
magazines, universities, etc. It is a good starting place for anyone
interested in submitting poetry, although, from what I recall, most
of it is poetry for the adult reader not children's poetry. Anyway,
just thought I'd share.
|
| mel
boring |
THANKS so MUCH,
Karen!!!...
|
| mel
boring |
and those literary and
university contests ARE legitimate, so GO for it, POET for
it!
|
| mel
boring |
KB wants to know: What
is a continuity novel?
|
| mel
boring |
THANKS for asking, KB,
because I had to find this out mySELF!...
|
| mel
boring |
A continuity novel is
one that continues the story from a previous
one....
|
| mel
boring |
Max Alan Collins (check
him out on the Web)...
|
| mel
boring |
has a continuing series
of novels....
|
| mel
boring |
Continuity novels
differ SUBTLY from SEQUELS....
|
| mel
boring |
A sequel is usually
another novel "down the road" from the first, not just continuing
the story...
|
| mel
boring |
The sequel might start,
say, a hundred years after the time the FIRST, the PREQUEL,
ended....
|
| mel
boring |
But continuity novels
fill in "every little jot and tittle" of the entire story,
continuously, not missing a beat.
|
| remus |
Hello Mel, I was
wondering if you or anybody in the chatroom might know someone who
has dealt with the publisher Absey & Co. in Texas. If you know
someone would you please put me in contact with that person. Absey
just requested my manuscript and I would like to know a bit how they
do business and if they are a good publisher. I would appreciate
anybody let me know. Thanx.
|
| mel
boring |
I've never dealt with
Absey & Co., remus....
|
| mel
boring |
But I'll ask all of
YOU: Has ANYone had dealings with them? If so, let me know, and I'll
pass it along. THANKS, remus!
|
| tanya26 |
When sending a SASE - how
much postage is usually enough
|
| tanya26 |
for a sample magazine,
and what if i dont put enough on...
|
| mel
boring |
Hi, tanya26! SOMEtimes
a magazine will TELL you in the market guide...
|
| mel
boring |
exactly how much
postage to send, or to affix to a certain-sized
envelope....
|
| mel
boring |
But when they don't
tell you, take your BEST guess, with maybe a little
extra....
|
| mel
boring |
and the magazine, if
there's not quite enough, WILL usually add the
extra....
|
| mel
boring |
For SOME magazines,
they may keep the stamps you send, and use their own postage
machine....
|
| mel
boring |
If you are ordering,
say, 3 samples, take 3 average-weight magazines you have, and weigh
them and figure the postage on them. You'll be close enough,
friend!
|
| mel
boring |
The publisher MIGHT
send you an invoice for the extra postage, if it's "a lot," but not
most of the time.
|
| mel
boring |
More POSITIVE POETRY
news from caq:...
|
| caq |
Mel, ByLine runs poetry
contests too. They have a few different contests of different genres
every month. They don't publish them or purchase rights so you
retain ownership.They have short story, poetry,
etc.
|
| mel
boring |
Thanks,
caq!
|
| mel
boring |
remus: Here's ONE
answer sent to help you:...
|
| tkat_2 |
Re: Remus's question: Try
to Google the company on the 'net.
|
| charweb |
Is there any Website for
the Poets
|
| mel
boring |
Hi, charweb! I'm sorry
if you can't send a rest...
|
| mel
boring |
of the question, but
I'll take a stab at this part....
|
| mel
boring |
If you mean for poets
themSELVES, I would suggest you google, or everdene, the word
"POET," and see what you find....
|
| mel
boring |
If there was MORE to
your question, send it in PARTS, charweb, and I'll gladly put them
all together here!
|
| caq |
Mel, what would a series
be compared to a continuity and sequel?
|
| mel
boring |
A SERIES is a number of
independent, standalone novels, caq. The NANCY DREW Series was
that....
|
| mel
boring |
But continuity novels
take up the SAME PLOT in the moments/hours/days following when the
first one ended.
|
| tanya26 |
/ask when writing a
rebus, how do i let the publisher know..
|
| tanya26 |
what word should be a
picture? or do they pick?
|
| mel
boring |
The magazine picks the
pictures, tanya26, because...
|
| mel
boring |
they have artists "in
their stable" who will do the art work...
|
| mel
boring |
But YOU can SUGGEST
what words might warrant pictures....
|
| mel
boring |
I would do that in your
cover letter, NOT on the rebus itself, however.
|
| mel
boring |
Miriam has this good
question: How do you create intense conflict in a short story where
you have a limited number of words to work with?
|
| mel
boring |
For a short story (of
say 600 words), think "shallow," Miriam....
|
| mel
boring |
That is, you can't
resolve a DEEP conflict like a child is moving far away and must
leave friends, school and neighborhood in a
STORY....
|
| mel
boring |
So take a "shallower"
conflict: Who can the child give their FISH to, because they're
about to move and can't take it along....
|
| mel
boring |
The BEST guide is to
limit the TIME, Miriam,...
|
| mel
boring |
especially in your
early stories, until shallower conflicts become easier to
handle.
|
| mel
boring |
It's not that a
"shallow" conflict is one that doesn't matter, by the
way,...
|
| mel
boring |
it's just that TIME
limits intervene....
|
| mel
boring |
A story should last
part of a day, or a day or few at the most. So limit to a conflict
that can be resolved in that short a time....
|
| mel
boring |
PS: There are very
TALENTED writers who can cover DEEP conflicts in ONE story.
...
|
| mel
boring |
The do it by
foreshortening the time, maybe flashing back, or other techniques
they've learned.
|
| mel
boring |
MH has two good
questions. First: If I watch a video and quote someone videoed, I
would credit the video but do I also need their permission to
include it in my manuscript? I was told that to use material from a
written interview I would need permission. Would I need speaker and
the writer or just the writer?
|
| mel
boring |
No, you don't need to
get permission of the person IN the videotape,
MH....
|
| mel
boring |
The person in the video
GAVE the company the rights to their words when they signed the
contract....
|
| mel
boring |
So JUST credit the
company, and that's enough....
|
| mel
boring |
By the way, here is
what expert interviewer Joanne Mattern said in answer to how to
credit a video:...
|
| mel
boring |
I list the title, the
company that produced the video, and the date it was released. You
can find a more exact description in a book called the Chicago
Manual of Style. - Joanne Mattern
|
| mel
boring |
THANKS, MH, and THANKS,
JOanne!
|
| mel
boring |
Time for the word of
the Forum, ready?...
|
| mel
boring |
it is: gorgonize. Know
what it means?
|
| mel
boring |
Here's a good
suggestion for how much postage to send along for sample
magazines:...
|
| caq |
A suggestion for stamps.
If you are ordering say 3 mags, take 3 mags you have at home, any
kind that might be representative, go to the post office and ask
them to weigh it and tell you how much.
|
| mel
boring |
charweb just clarified
that POETS was meant....
|
| mel
boring |
Look up POETS on the
Web, at Google, or at Everdene, charweb. You should get LOTS of
results!...
|
| mel
boring |
By the by, one Search
Site on the Web I have found helpful for HARD to find files,
is:...
|
| mel
boring |
DogPile, at
www.dogpile.com....
|
| mel
boring |
They are EXCELLENT for
really PINPOINTING a search.
|
| dydy |
Hi Mel, My question is
about PB's. When sending a mss. is
|
| dydy |
it a bad idea to also
send illustrations?
|
| dydy |
to send illustrations by
someone other than the writer?
|
| mel
boring |
GENERALLY, it IS a
no-no, dydy....
|
| mel
boring |
It's because you'd be
taking over what publishers consider THEIR
prerogative....
|
| mel
boring |
That is, choosing the
illustrator and illustrations they consider to be THEIR
business....
|
| mel
boring |
But if YOUR or a
FRIEND's illustrations are a real KNOCK-OUT and very professionally
done, you might want to take the chance, dydy.
|
| writermom |
If anyone has short poems
that will work for cards Blue Mountain cards has a contest right now
I submitted two poems to them
|
| mel
boring |
THANK YOU, writermom!
Leave it to a top-drawer editor to encourage writers and
poets!
|
| mel
boring |
MH also has this
question: Does the author always write the "notes, bibliographies,
|
| for a book or are
there times when the publisher does this? Who does the index? Does
the author always write the sidebars |
|
| mel
boring |
The author is USUALLY
responsible for writing the notes on the flyleaf,
MH,....
|
| mel
boring |
and of course for
making the bibliography, because they know the sources of their book
better than anyone....
|
| mel
boring |
But GLOSSARIES and
INDICES are another matter....
|
| mel
boring |
An author might SUGGEST
what words to define in the glossary,...
|
| mel
boring |
and, in fact, the
editor will usually ASK you; but the editor/publisher round out the
glossary....
|
| mel
boring |
As for an index, I HAVE
done the index for ONE of my books...
|
| mel
boring |
The alternative is
paying someone else, maybe five hundred dollars, to do the
index....
|
| mel
boring |
BUT, it is SUCH a
tedious job that I would suggest you let the PUBLISHER hire someone
to do it...
|
| mel
boring |
Their are professional
indexers, believe or not, and they will ALWAYS do a better job than
I could do.
|
| mel
boring |
Kacey Hartung needs to
know: I was fortunate enough to make a sale to Appleseeds about a
year ago and my article was published in the November 2004 issue.
Now, I am going to submit another query to them - what is the best
way to "remind" them they purchased one of my other articles? Should
my query still be formal or can I make it a little more friendly
since we've worked together before?
|
| 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.,,,
|
| mel
boring |
Someone has asked me to
ask you NOT to chat with each other using the main
channel....
|
| mel
boring |
PLEASE use the Private
Message function to chat with each other, OK?
|
| mel
boring |
So, Kacey,
CONGRATULATIONS on your APPLESEEDS publication,
friend!!!...
|
| mel
boring |
When you submit a
second time, just say "You may remember..." and in the...space, put
"purchasing/publishing my story "The Best Puppy" in your July, 2003
issue."...
|
| mel
boring |
You CAN be a LITTLE
less formal, especially if you've seen the editor lighten up
too....
|
| mel
boring |
But don't let up on
what the magazine REQUIRES for a query--don't take any
shortcuts--follow all the SAME steps. And BON VOYAGE for this second
query, Kacey!
|
| loretta |
Mel, are there any
articles at the institutes web site that contain information on
writing a rebus? Thanks Loretta
|
| mel
boring |
Yes, thanks for asking,
Loretta!...
|
| mel
boring |
There are TWO great
articles:...
|
| mel
boring |
At
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/ws06/mitchell.shtml,...
|
| mel
boring |
there is Marianne
Mitchell's article about "Nuts and Bolts of Rebus
Writing."...
|
| mel
boring |
and at
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/ws06/smith.shtml...
|
| mel
boring |
there is Dottie Smith's
"How to Write a Rebus that's Not 'Ookey."...
|
| mel
boring |
They are BOTH
excellent, and Smith's has a published example from
HIGHLIGHTS.
|
| mel
boring |
DM has this delicious
question: Is it appropriate to send little gifts of appreciation
(like Lindt chocolate) to an editor you've worked
with?
|
| mel
boring |
Hardly ever, DM. On the
book just finished, my co-writer and I...
|
| mel
boring |
got to know the editor
as WELL as I've ever known an editor....
|
| mel
boring |
And I've sent Adriane
small e-mails of thanks, and keep-in-touches,...
|
| mel
boring |
but to send her a gift
of ANY material thing would not be appropriate....
|
| mel
boring |
Of course, DM, now WE
ALL want you to send the chocolate to US! (-:}
YUMMERS!
|
| mel
boring |
Nancy is asking: In a
second/third? cover letter to an editor, should I repeat the
paragraph with my writing credits, even if they were already in the
first? I'm not sure if it will be the same person reading my letter.
If it isn't, then I feel I should inform whoever else is reading my
material. If it is the same person, I'm afraid they'll think I'm
wasting their time by repeating myelf, or insulting their memory
capacity' (This is to a book publisher where I am not yet published,
just trying hard.) Can you help?
|
| mel
boring |
Yes, I WOULD repeat
them, Nancy,...but with a caveat:...
|
| mel
boring |
Put something like "You
may/probably remember my..."...
|
| mel
boring |
and list your credits.
Especially if it may not be the same editor, by ALL MEANS, friend,
list them again....
|
| mel
boring |
What you'll find is
that the ORIGINAL editor will skim over them, and NOT be
offended....
|
| mel
boring |
But if it's a NEW
editor, they will WANT to see them, for sure....
|
| mel
boring |
Don' t worry about
"wasting their time," because...
|
| mel
boring |
editors have VERY
effective time-saving methods, and WON'T let credits they've read of
before slow them down!
|
| lfutral1 |
do sidebars count in
total word count of the mss
|
| mel
boring |
Yes, they do,
lfutral1....
|
| mel
boring |
Put them at the END of
the manuscript is best, labeled SIDEBARS,...
|
| mel
boring |
and DO count them in
the total for the manuscript.
|
| mel
boring |
Not for
"gorgonize"--ready?
|
| cherylann |
/ ask Gorgonize means to
petrify or stupify
|
| delima-e |
or stupefy with a
look
|
| tanya26 |
gorgonize - paralyze with
fear eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!
|
| mel
boring |
You are BOTH right!
Actually it doesn't have to be a LOOk, though, just that you
terrorize someone!
|
| dyett |
does writer mom have
add'l info on the contest?
|
| mel
boring |
I don't know, dyett,
but we'll ask her right here to let us know.
|
| charweb |
How to send long
questions in one shot
|
| mel
boring |
charweb, bless your
heart for waiting!...
|
| mel
boring |
what to do is type in
the first short piece of the question, and send
THAT....
|
| mel
boring |
then type in the NEXT
piece, and send THAT,...
|
| mel
boring |
and so on; I'll put the
pieces back together here.
|
| tkat_2 |
Mel, How do you handle
burnout?? I've been scarce because this computer can become a
monster at times.
|
| mel
boring |
You're RIGHT, tkat_2!
Computers can really "possess" us....
|
| mel
boring |
One thing I do when
that happens is just boot down and turn off the
computer,...
|
| mel
boring |
and go do something I
LIKE, like ride my recumbent bicycle....
|
| mel
boring |
or play with our dog
Mac, or just take a hike....
|
| mel
boring |
BEING AWAY from the
computer for a while can restore your
perspective....
|
| mel
boring |
ANyone else have ideas?
Send them along for tkat_2 and me!
|
| charweb |
once I get back my
corrected lesson from my Instructor
|
| charweb |
..after incorporting the
corrections, will that be a final
|
| charweb |
...and correct one. How
do I know that there are no more
|
| charweb |
mistakes and I can send
it for publication
|
| mel
boring |
WAY to GO,
charweb!!!...
|
| mel
boring |
When you get it back
corrected, and make the suggested changes,...
|
| mel
boring |
that will PROBABLY be
the time you can submit it....
|
| mel
boring |
But here's what I'd
suggest first: Let a trusted friend writer read it and make further
suggestions....
|
| mel
boring |
Be ready to TAKE or
LEAVE their suggestions,...
|
| mel
boring |
but the friend might
find things no one else would/could....
|
| mel
boring |
Then it should REALLY
be ready to submit, friend!
|
| mel
boring |
THANKS for persisting,
charweb!
|
| mel
boring |
KK wonders this: I have
had terrible results (in fact, no luck at all) with getting
responses to my e-mail requests to various publications-even when
they list that option in the Children's Market.
|
| expect these
messages to be ignored |
|
| mail requests? If
that's the case, then why do they bother to list email as an option.
I would think if these publications list e-mail the least they could
do is send a courtesy email |
|
| discouraging to
me |
|
| mel
boring |
Hello,
KK!...
|
| mel
boring |
When they DON'T take
the time to e-mail you back,...
|
| mel
boring |
that PROBABLY means
they're overbusy, and not interested, and just letting the no-reply
be their "reply."...
|
| mel
boring |
I KNOW that's
frustrating, but I would wait a reasonable time (maybe a MONTH for
e-mails), then go on and submit the piece
elsewhere.
|
| mel
boring |
The problem is this:
There are a very FINITE number of magazines and
editors;...
|
| mel
boring |
there are an INFINITE
number of us writers....
|
| mel
boring |
So in that "buyer's
market," they can do that they please,...
|
| mel
boring |
and SOME do just that.
Thank GOODness for those who don't, however, and there ARE a FEW of
those! ...
|
| mel
boring |
The key word is
PERSISTENCE, KK....
|
| mel
boring |
If you persist, you
WILL be published!...
|
| mel
boring |
Remember this: Water
wears out rock, NOT the other way around....
|
| mel
boring |
And your "trickle of
water" of submissions will wear a hole in that
rock!
|
| mel
boring |
Good chatsters, I must
go...
|
| mel
boring |
but just before I
do,here is that sought for answer about the Blue Mountain contest
from writermom:...
|
| writermom |
Mel if anyone is
interested they can go to www.sps.com/index.htm sps is the publisher
for Blue Mountain on the page you will find their call for poetry
submisssions there is no charge and you can enter as many poems as
you want
|
| mel
boring |
THANK YOU,
writermom!!!...
|
| mel
boring |
and THANK YOU ALL for
coming!...
|
| mel
boring |
Remember this THURSDAY
evening, Jan Fields will be our Chat Guest at 7PM Central
Time....
|
| mel
boring |
Jan knows MORE about
the Internet and chatting on it than ANYONE....
|
| mel
boring |
She is the one I ask
difficult questions of about the Internet and chatting on
it....
|
| mel
boring |
So I'll hope to "see
you" Thursday evening,
friend!
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