| 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 |
I have some GOOD NEWS
to get us started:...
|
| mel
boring |
GOOD NEWS from Terri
Hoover Dunham: I have some good news. I just sold a poem to "Wee
Ones." It will appear in the Jan/Feb 2005 issue.
|
| mel
boring |
CONGRATULATIONS, Terri!
WEE ONES is a very prestigious byline for you, and a credit that
will do you GOOD!
|
| mel
boring |
I also have a question
from last week that I promised to find an answer for by
today....
|
| mel
boring |
I was still TRYing
today, when Chippy came to my rescue!...
|
| mel
boring |
Here are the question
AND Chippy's answer:...
|
| mel
boring |
remus' QUESTION from
last week: I was wondering if there is a book like the ICL Book
Market Guide that has listings of British, Irish, Australian and
other International publishers?
|
| and editors,
there is a book called ARTISTS AND WRITERS YEARBOOK 2005 (the
edition is right now). It is updated every year. Amazon has it on
their UK site. I hope this helps the person
who wanted to know about editors etc., on Tuesday's Open Forum.
MEL'S RESPONSE: |
|
| the day for me!
P.S.: I have discovered that there is ALSO the CHILDREN'S WRITERS'
AND ARTISTS' YEARBOOK 2005, available at the same UK
site! |
|
|
|
| mel
boring |
Great info, especially
since there is a CHILDREN'S edition of that book
|
| mel
boring |
Here is a THOUGHT
question from samscratch for you to think on:...
|
| samscratch |
Is there no one that
knows how fairy dust is made??????
|
| mel
boring |
Send me your answers
via the question box, please!
|
| brigitsmom |
I have a question
relating to website linking - what are the legalities of linking to
a website without the approval of the owner of the written
material?
|
| mel
boring |
Good question,
brigitsmom!...
|
| mel
boring |
There are no particular
"legalities," since the Internet is in such a "pioneering" state
that none have been developed, as far as I know....
|
| mel
boring |
But let me answer that
from our ICL point of view....
|
| mel
boring |
Many people and
organizations ask to link with our ICL Web Site....
|
| mel
boring |
and we would need to
check each one out thoroughly to make sure it is a good "link" with
ours....
|
| mel
boring |
For example, if a site
wanted to link, we said yes, and they began to sneak in pornography,
that would not be a good situation....
|
| mel
boring |
And it would take one
person nearly full time just to check every web site out that wants
to link....
|
| mel
boring |
So we have replied
no....
|
| mel
boring |
I can't help but think
that OTHER sites may say no for the same reason, not knowing about
the other site they'd be linking to....
|
| mel
boring |
DEFINITELY seek the
owner's permission BEFORE you link, brigitsmom, is a strong rule of
thumb--and whole hand!...
|
| mel
boring |
Each web site belongs
to its owner(s), so they have the right to say yea or nay to
linking.
|
| george
kulz |
if I have a piece waiting
to be published at a magazine, at what point should I send another
piece to the same magazine?
|
| mel
boring |
George, congratulations
AGAIN for your recent sale to SPIDER!!!...
|
| mel
boring |
You should not send the
magazine another piece UNTIL you have heard back about the previous
one....
|
| mel
boring |
Soon as they say NO, or
YES, it's the time to submit another....
|
| mel
boring |
Especially if they have
said YES, they might be looking for another submission from
you.
|
| mel
boring |
Here are some
deLIGHTsome answers to samscratch's fairy
question:...
|
| catlady |
Fairydust is made by
fairies and they don't like to tell.
|
| brigitsmom |
Fairy Dust is made from
the flakes of skin of fairies that suffer from horrid
psoriasis..
|
| gladys1 |
fairy dust is made from
faries of course. lol .....
|
| gladys1 |
first though yuo have to
find the fairy
|
| catlady |
Think of things that
fairies like and that might be what it
|
| catlady |
is made
of.
|
| chippy |
Fairies collect gold dust
from the stars
|
| mel
boring |
GREAT answers, and
THANK YOU, samscratch for a really FUN question!...
|
| mel
boring |
Any more answers?
Please keep on sending them!
|
| brigitsmom |
I guess I need to clarify
- found out that a commercial publisher has included an article that
I wrote fron an online ezine in their links section - it has been on
their website for almost 2 years - what do I do?
|
| mel
boring |
GOOD clarification,
friend!...
|
| mel
boring |
If you LIKE the
publisher that is linking to your article,...
|
| mel
boring |
then it can't hurt you,
brigitsmom....
|
| mel
boring |
provided you feel they
are a "safe haven" for their link to you....
|
| mel
boring |
If you OBJECT to their
doing it, first e-mail them and ask them to remove
it....
|
| mel
boring |
It IS, after all, YOUR
writing, and they must remove it if you ask....
|
| mel
boring |
If they DON'T, then I
would write them by snailmail and ask....
|
| mel
boring |
Then telephone, if you
know the number....
|
| mel
boring |
But the secret is
PERSISTENCE.'
|
| mel
boring |
Ladybird39pm needs to
know: I have written an article all about the characteristics of an
ostrich. I have put it in a fiction story (eg: the kids reading this
will imagine they have gone to Africa to visit a wild ostrich site.
The driver discribes the ostrich's personality and the kids also see
the features and characteristics of the wild ostrich.) All the facts
about the ostrich are true. Would I call this fiction of
nonfiction?
|
| mel
boring |
What you describe would
TECHNICALLY be "faction," Ladybird, fact +
fiction....
|
| mel
boring |
But it would be treated
as NONfiction by a mangazine, because the FACTUALness is what
predominates, and the reason they want to use
it....
|
| mel
boring |
BUT, let THEM figure
out what they want to call it....
|
| mel
boring |
On your manuscript,
don't label it EITHER fiction or nonfiction. They will decide, and
LIKE to be able to decide.
|
| mythchild |
I sent an article
submission to seventeen
|
| mythchild |
it has been 3 months and
I have heard from no one
|
| mythchild |
weeks ago I sent a query
to Teen People
|
| mythchild |
regarding the same
article, what if I don't here form them
|
| mel
boring |
Here is a multi-part
question:..
|
| mel
boring |
from mythchild, of
which you've heard the first four parts. Here's
more:...
|
| mythchild |
My article is nonfiction
by the way,
|
| mythchild |
I am submitting it for a
MY LIFE or TRUE LIFE topic,
|
| mythchild |
I did call and e-mail
seventeen but no one answers calls
|
| mythchild |
I mean no one returns
calls and I can never get the editor
|
| mythchild |
to whom I sent it to, and
she never answers e-mails or
|
| mythchild |
messages that I leave
just to ask if it was received
|
| mel
boring |
THANK YOU for the
patience with which you submitted your question,
mythchild!...
|
| mel
boring |
First of all, if
SEVENTEEN says it's return time is 3 months,...
|
| mel
boring |
and I see in the ICL
market book they say, "Response time varies,"...
|
| mel
boring |
So you were probably OK
in submitting just a query to TEEN PEOPLE....
|
| mel
boring |
Look to see if you can
find out the response time of the teen magazine,
mythchild....
|
| mel
boring |
and when it's past
their query response time plus about two weeks, then you can query
another magazine....
|
| mel
boring |
I'm sorry you haven't
gotten ANY answer of ANY kind from SEVENTEEN....
|
| mel
boring |
They are TOP DRAWER
among magazines, and they probably have more submissions than they
can use,...
|
| mel
boring |
so they can afford to
ignore us, and that is a situation that has to be lived
with....
|
| mel
boring |
Besides, SEVENTEEN is
mostly STAFF-written, so they depend on freelancers for very
little....
|
| mel
boring |
I would suggest you
follow up on TEEN PEOPLE, if you don't hear from them
soon....
|
| mel
boring |
Also, it always pays to
have three magazine choices when you start submitting, so you can go
from one to the other, if need be....
|
| mel
boring |
Find another three
markets for it, mythchild.
|
| brigitsmom |
would it be a good "in"
to get them to consider a manuscript/book idea etc? Hi.. my name is
... and you have a link to my article on ... on your website... how
would about takign me on as a writer... lol
|
| mel
boring |
Yes, that sounds like a
good strategy, brigitsmom,..
|
| mel
boring |
and they certainly
would consider a book idea if they've linked to your article! Let us
know how it comes out, please.
|
| mel
boring |
M wants to know: Is it
okay to submit the same article/manuscript simulatenously to a
number of editors?
|
| mel
boring |
It's always OKAY to
QUERY more than one editor at a time, M....
|
| mel
boring |
But for sending a
MANUSCRIPT, you need to find out if they accept simultaneous
submissions....
|
| mel
boring |
So if you have six
editors who ACCEPT simultaneous subs, YES, you could send it to all
six at once...
|
| mel
boring |
With editors who do NOT
accept simsubs, you'll need to decide and submit
accordingly.
|
| mel
boring |
LM E-Mailed us to ask:
What exact issues would be considered contemporary for young adults!
I am a new student of the Institute and my children are 4, 6, and 8
and they are my inspiration for writing. Although I would really
like to write about the issues pertaining to the young adult
|
| need to define
the context of "contemporary." |
|
| mel
boring |
Here is a question I
could use ALL of your help with....
|
| mel
boring |
I would start by saing
that issues would be some obvious ones,...
|
| mel
boring |
alcohol and other
drugs,...
|
| mel
boring |
sexual
activeness,...
|
| mel
boring |
what profession or job
they want to take up eventually,...
|
| mel
boring |
how to study least and
still learn the most,...
|
| mel
boring |
ANY problem they face,
which YOU remember facing as a teen, LM.
|
| george
kulz |
So if I send a second
story to Spider, should I mention the first one to them or will they
already know? BTW, it has not been slated for an issue of their
magazine yet.
|
| mel
boring |
YES, by all means,
george, mention your previous sale to them....
|
| mel
boring |
although I think
Heather Delabre there WOULD remember your name!...
|
| mel
boring |
Or she MIGHT remember
the TITLE of your story. But yes, mention it by
title.
|
| gladys1 |
could a second article be
completely different ....
|
| gladys1 |
than the
first
|
| mel
boring |
I didn't get any more
parts for your question, gladys1,..
|
| mel
boring |
so I'm going to guess
that you meant could one article be completely different for a
different AGE GROUP?...
|
| mel
boring |
YES, it could, and
would HAVE to be different for a different age
group...
|
| mel
boring |
For example, an article
about giraffes for the 2-4's might just have a 4-year-old SEEing a
giraffe at the zoo....
|
| mel
boring |
But a giraffe article
for the 8-12's could entail the facts about their necks and other
body parts, more detail and deeper than for the younger
set.
|
| spotslover2 |
Wouldn't Ladybird's story
be what they are calling creative
|
| spotslover2 |
nonfiction?
|
| mel
boring |
GOOD point made,
spotslover2!...
|
| mel
boring |
You prolly won't hear
the term "faction" today,...
|
| mel
boring |
but you will hear
"creative nonfiction."...
|
| mel
boring |
In fact, though made-up
dialogue used to be TABOO, now they're making it up in SOME books
and calling it "creative dialogue."
|
| mel
boring |
More about fairies for
us children's writers!...
|
| delima-e |
look in your back yard
for fairie/ mushroom circles
|
| mel
boring |
THANKS,
delima-e!...
|
| mel
boring |
By the way, I am
intrigued by your username, friend....
|
| mel
boring |
SOMEday, I think it
would be fun to have people share how their usernames were chosen
and what they mean to them!...
|
| mel
boring |
For example, at some
sites, I am BoringMel, for obvious reasons!
|
| mel
boring |
Here's another answer
about the fairies that I LOVE:...
|
| gingerpye |
Fairy dust is 3 parts
glitter to 1 part honey, mixed well and sun dried on Summer
Solstice. Used exclusively by fairies in all seasons but winter when
nature makes a similar, more short-term variety.
|
| mel
boring |
THAT sounds like the
makin's of a STORY or BOOK, gingerpye!
|
| mythchild |
TEEN PEOPLE has no
response time in the market book
|
| mythchild |
SEVENTEEN published REAL
LIFE articles on real people
|
| mythchild |
I'm just wondering why
they can't say whether I sent it to
|
| mythchild |
the right person or if it
was received
|
| mythchild |
I know submitting to
SEVENTEEN was a long shot
|
| mythchild |
but because real subjects
are used I thought my topic
|
| mythchild |
would have a place or
consideration
|
| mythchild |
TEEN PEOPLE didn't have a
phone number or address, how can I
|
| mythchild |
contact
them?
|
| mythchild |
Emergency, must go, but
thanks for answering the first quest
|
| mel
boring |
It looks like TEEN
PEOPLE and SEVENTEEN might "leave you hanging forever" without an
answer, mythchild....
|
| mel
boring |
And your REAL LIFE
article would seem just right for SEVENTEEN....
|
| mel
boring |
Here is the probable
answer to why you haven't heard from THEM:..
|
| mel
boring |
They likely receive
ZILLIONS of submissions for FEW spots in their
magazines,...
|
| mel
boring |
and they have a
surprisingly SMALL staff....
|
| mel
boring |
So they just do what
they consider the ESSENTIAL stuff...
|
| mel
boring |
and let the rest slide,
unfortunately....
|
| mel
boring |
and it won't HURT them
a bit!...
|
| mel
boring |
If TEEN PEOPLE doesn't
list a phone,...
|
| mel
boring |
try phoning information
in the city or town where they are....
|
| mel
boring |
If that fails, all you
can do is send them a registered letter, one they must SIGN
for,...
|
| mel
boring |
and at least you'll
know if they received it or not....
|
| mel
boring |
Here is maybe the
"bottom line," though, mythchild:...
|
| mel
boring |
If they really WANT to
buy a story or article, they WILL...
|
| mel
boring |
contact the author. So,
with big magazines, sometimes "silence is a no."
|
| mel
boring |
Here's another
longie:...
|
| lisalisa |
Is it ever appropriate to
do a status query by mail on a
|
| lisalisa |
query letter? I know the
editor I sent a query to has left
|
| lisalisa |
this particular
publisher. I had received a very personal
|
| lisalisa |
rejection from her on a
different ms, but now that she's
|
| lisalisa |
gone, do I need to worry
whether it was passed on?
|
| lisalisa |
How long should you wait
to status check after receiving the
|
| lisalisa |
"yellow card" from
Spider?
|
| mel
boring |
Yes, it IS appropriate
to check on the status of a QUERY by mail,
lisalisa....
|
| mel
boring |
ESPECIALLY if the
editor you addressed is gone....
|
| mel
boring |
Perhaps no one is
answering the "gone one's" mail....
|
| mel
boring |
WRITE them, I would,
lisalisa, and ASK the status of your manuscript...
|
| mel
boring |
Send your letter by
some traceable US Postal method so you'll know if they get
it....
|
| mel
boring |
OR, find out where the
editor has moved to, and address the editor at their NEW place with
the manuscript....
|
| mel
boring |
As for SPIDER's yellow
card, I would wait as much as 3 months in SUMMER, because things
slow down....
|
| mel
boring |
For example SPIDER's
editor is in South Africa right now, attending the IBBY
conference....
|
| mel
boring |
In the FALL, WINTER and
SPRING, I would wait only 2 months before inquiring, perhaps just
one month.
|
| caq |
If a magazine publishers
your manuscript, will they send you
|
| caq |
a copy of the magazine
your article appears in?
|
| mel
boring |
They MIGHT, caq, but
might not....
|
| mel
boring |
Usually they state in
the market book whether they do or not....
|
| mel
boring |
I know that CRICKET
just habitually sends 3 or 6 copies of the issue with your piece in
it...
|
| mel
boring |
The BEST thing to do is
just ASK them if they will or won't, and offer to BUY some of they
don't.
|
| omalizzie |
I've got a story
published in a highschool reunion yearbook.
|
| omalizzie |
does this count as
"published" in the eyes of others?
|
| christa |
I would say contemporary
issues could be anything from....
|
| christa |
making friends with the
new kid to war and politics.
|
| mel
boring |
THANK YOU, christa, for
a very wise answer!...
|
| mel
boring |
What you said covers a
WIDE gamut of issues, from neighborhood to
WORLD-wide....
|
| mel
boring |
And that says that
ANYthing could be a contemporary issue for kids.
|
| spotslover2 |
Scholastic's new imprint
"Push" deals with contemporary teen
|
| mel
boring |
problems?,
spotslover2?...
|
| mel
boring |
What a GREAT tip for
the asker of that question--THANK YOU!
|
| chippy |
In childrens writing can
you use an adult protagonist, or
|
| chippy |
should you only use a
child?
|
| mel
boring |
Usually a CHILD,
chippy, but adults are SOMEtimes used,...
|
| mel
boring |
but if so, the story
must involve CHILDREN mainly....
|
| mel
boring |
That's a hard trick to
pull off, but it CAN be done.
|
| delima-e |
why don't editors like
using rhyming poems
|
| delima-e |
why is it so hard to
write, when poem writing fo me is easy
|
| delima-e |
for mythchild "Sharice
Williams is the publisher's
|
| delima-e |
assistant?Office manager
phone
|
| delima-e |
I have the seventeen
magazine Oct, 2004 issue
|
| mel
boring |
GREAT help,
delima-e!...
|
| mel
boring |
Could you send that
phone number along here, so that...
|
| mel
boring |
anyone could read it in
the transcript, please?
|
| mel
boring |
By the by, here's
dilema's explanation of the username:...
|
| delima-e |
always having one delima
or another
|
| mel
boring |
HA, sounds
familiar!
|
| mel
boring |
I want to save your
question about poetry, delima-e...
|
| mel
boring |
and answer it in next
Monday's announcement about the Open Forum--it's a GOOD one,
thanks!
|
| mel
boring |
People, I'm going to
have to stop, and I'm as sorry for me as for
you....
|
| mel
boring |
I will look for you
NEXT Tuesday, and THANK YOU FOR YOUR INSIGHTS AND QUESTIONS
TODAY!
|
| mel
boring |
One P.S.:Here's the
phone number of the Office Manager at SEVENTEEN
Magazine:...
|
| delima-e |
it's
1-866-858-2154
|