| 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 |
It may be all the
winter storms, but things seem very s-l-o-w on my part of the
INternet today--how about yours?
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| mel
boring |
I have a GOOD lot of
GOOD news to tell you about today as we begin:...
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| mel
boring |
First of all,
jer
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| mel
boring |
here (that should
be!)...
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| mel
boring |
is a special Christmas
poem written by Becky Crum:...
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| mel
boring |
Becky Crum's Christmas
Poem:
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| herself |
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| worries |
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| about |
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| stories |
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| names |
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| proclaimed |
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| situation |
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| Mel |
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| Test’ |
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| force |
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| course. |
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| fame |
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| her
books |
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| name! |
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| it! |
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| mel
boring |
AND CONGRATULATIONS,
Becky!!!
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| mel
boring |
Here's some OTHER GOOD
News:...
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| mel
boring |
t green shared: I
wanted to share that I made my VERY FIRST EVER SALE this last week!
I sold my children's devotion to KEYS FOR KIDS! I'm bouncing off the
ceiling, I'm so excited! I'm not sure when exactly it will be
published, but they sent me a check. They didn't send a contract or
anything, just the check. Walking on air for the next couple days.
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| mel
boring |
We're walking on air
WITH you, t green--HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS!
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| mel
boring |
GOOD news, from Barb
Cairns, who just returned from a Caribbean cruise: My latest writing
news is a contract with McGraw-Hill for a language book. YEA! It's
due out early in 2005.
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| mel
boring |
HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS
to you, too, Barb!!!
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| mel
boring |
GOOD News from Mary Jo
Shannon, Roanoke, VA: I recently sold two nonfiction articles to
POCKETS -- one will appear in the May issue and the other in July,
2004. I also have a devotional in the January/February 2004 issue of
DEVOZINE.
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| mel
boring |
WAY TO WRITE RIGHT,
Mary Jo--CONGRATULATIONS from all of us!!!
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| mel
boring |
GOOD News from Julia L.
Nielsen: My young adult novel PAULA'S CHOICE: ON THE WINGS OF FAITH
will be published early next year by PublishAmerica. It is the first
in a triology of Paula's Choice.
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| mel
boring |
CONGRATULATIONS to you,
Julia, and MANY HAPPY RETURNS (and sequels)!!!
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| mel
boring |
GOOD News from
Jacqueline Adams: Cricket has accepted my article, "Saved by the
Ark." This is my second article with them.
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| mel
boring |
Jacqueline, HEARTY
CONGRATULATIONS to you from all of us!!!
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| mel
boring |
Here is a question
about something I've been promising to tell you, but have held off
till today....
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| remus |
Hello Mel! how are things
going with the lawsuit. You emailed me last time that you will tell
us all about it in the next chat. I am curiout to hear. I kept my
fingers crossed for you all the time.
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| mel
boring |
Things are going fine,
and all over, remus!...
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| mel
boring |
You'll remember (in the
last exciting chapter in September)...
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| mel
boring |
that I went to court,
and that we WON on all three charges against the
publisher....
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| mel
boring |
Of course, as I told
you, they appealed the ruling, which is
expected....
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| mel
boring |
But about two weeks
later, they called our lawyer saying they wanted to settle without
appealing....
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| mel
boring |
I was ALL for that, but
still suspicious. So we kept the appeal response
going....
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| mel
boring |
In the meantime, the
publisher DID settle in good faith. And ONLY last Friday did my
lawyer call to say that...
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| mel
boring |
the check was THERE in
her office, and would soon be on its way to me....
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| mel
boring |
THANK YOU to all of you
for your concern and interest....
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| mel
boring |
What I think stopped
them from continuing their appeal is...
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| mel
boring |
that they were ruled
against so overwhelmingly in September that they knew they didn't
stand a chance. I am R-E-L-I-E-V-E-D!!!
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| mbvoelker |
So much good news.
Congratulations to all!
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| mel
boring |
THANK YOU,
mbvoelker--there ARE an especial LOT of GOOD NEWSES today!
(-:}
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| mel
boring |
And here is MORE GOOD
NEWS, from oma:...
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| oma |
I've signed contracts for
writing two editions of a mission magazine for GA girls (Girls in
Action). It is called GA World. They will be out in December 2004
and July 2005. --my very first paid assignments!
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| mel
boring |
I know GA WORLD, oma,
and that's a great credit--HEARTY
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
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| mel
boring |
Here's a follow-up to
our talk about how to make the copyright symbol
recently:...
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| mel
boring |
ESVG speaks an
ENCOURAGING word for Mac users, about the copyright symbol: Mel, in
response to the question: "t green: Where is the copyright symbol on
the computer?" you provided the answer for "MS Windows" users but
overlooked the hordes of fanatical Macintosh users. As one might
expect, the Macintosh answer is more straight forward as follows.
"just strike the 'option +g' keys.
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| 'paste' that.
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| users informed as
well. [I just don't understand |
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| Mac.]-- THANKS,
Ed |
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| mel
boring |
THANKS,
Ed!...
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| mel
boring |
I told Ed when I
answered his e-mail that I am considering getting a Mac for my NEXT
computer....
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| mel
boring |
With the lawsuit
settlement, maybe...hmm!...We'll see!
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| mel
boring |
Here is a VERY
interesting web site sent to me:...
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| mel
boring |
Nidhi let us know: I
found this website
(http://www.elance.com/c/cats/main/sellers.pl?rid=TOEQ), where you
put a bid for your writing. Look at "Writers and Artists," and
"short stories" on the bottom right hand corner. I read their terms
and conditions. They ask for all rights ( does "all rights" also
mean that your name doesn't go in the by line?). Does this look like
a "safe" site to you? If so, we can let our fellow students know, so
that can do some bidding for work assignments!
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| mel
boring |
THANK YOU,
Nidhi!!!
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| mel
boring |
That loooong URL will
be in the Open Forum Archives in about an hour, so you can check it
out back there.
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| remus |
I just sent of my ms. to
a paid editor. It feels so strange after four years to be sitting in
front of an empty page again and start all over on a new book. Since
it is a series I am working on, would you just continue on the next
book or wait until the first book gets published? I am not sure if I
should put all my energy into this series just to find out that the
first book might never get published.
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| mel
boring |
I'm going to ask for
others' advice here, while I offer my own,
remus....
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| mel
boring |
My own thoughts would
be that you're in a "happy spot," done with a project, and free to
move on....
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| mel
boring |
I would suggest that,
while you have the energy of that first book,...
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| mel
boring |
and while it's fresh in
your memory, that you go on and do the second book of the series you
have in mind....
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| mel
boring |
THEN, if the white page
is scarier because it's your "second act" of the play, I would
change mind and move onto something entirely
new....
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| mel
boring |
In fact, even if you
START on the next volume of the series,...
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| mel
boring |
it may turn out that it
leads so far elsewhere as to become a book on its own, not in the
series....
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| mel
boring |
I'll pass on others'
advice as it comes in, since all of us is always smarter than any of
us--and CONTRATULATIONS are in order for you, too, remus--having
finished that great project!!!
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| noodle |
Mel, should I get the
2004 Market Guide? I'm on lesson 3 and
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| noodle |
not sure if it would be
worthwhile just yet.
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| mel
boring |
My only suggestion
would be that if you can get it into your budget right now, I would
get the 2004 Market Guide,...
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| mel
boring |
which I just got myself
recently. But if you need to put it off for a while, your 2003
Market Guide will serve you nearly as well, noodle.
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| verada |
Do you need a signed
release for adults in photos, or only for children? For instance, a
tour guide.
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| mel
boring |
It would be safest,
while you're getting the releases for the children,
verada,...
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| mel
boring |
to get a release from
the adult tour guide, I presume you mean....
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| mel
boring |
It's a case of maybe
ending up with more than you'll need, but...
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| mel
boring |
ending up with LESS
than you need could "paint you into a corner."
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| mel
boring |
GOOD advice from remus
about the PC/MAC computer question!:...
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| remus |
I switched from a Mac to
a PC and I regret it. I worked for 8 years on a Mac and I didn't
have any problems. Now I am working on the PC and I had to reinstall
the whole system just after 7 months. URGH
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| mel
boring |
What I've also heard
from Mac users, one of whom was...
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| mel
boring |
the husband of the
couple Carol and I visited in BC in September,...
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| mel
boring |
and he is a
writer/photographer, is that his Mac is NOT vulnerable to all the
viruses our PCs can get.
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| mel
boring |
Thanks to Soradina for
more good advice:...
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| soradina |
Mel, I would advise doing
some research about computers before you invest a great deal of
money in a new one. There are many computers out there now that you
can get for a resonable price that can do just as much or more than
the mac and may even be less expensive.
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| mel
boring |
THANKS, soradina,
because COST is definitely a factor for me, too!
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| mel
boring |
noodle, I think I
steered you wrong with my answer about the 2004 Market
Guide,...
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| mel
boring |
but thank goodness here
comes t green with a BETTER answer!...
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| t
green |
noodle should be getting
the 2004 guide with hernext section
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| t
green |
of the
lessons
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| mel
boring |
That's absolutely
right, noodle, and THANKS, t green!...
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| mel
boring |
If your new guide
doesn't come as soon as you seem to need it, noodle, DO e-mail your
student counselor and tell them.
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| mel
boring |
remus, here's some
other advice:...
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| katiebug |
Remus should continue
working. Keep positive.
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| mel
boring |
I THINK that means
continue on your SERIES book.
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| rite
1 |
Highlights Contest Theme:
I've Got a Problem. Would you ..
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| rite
1 |
Like, can you have a few
people have that problem?
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| mel
boring |
Yes, I think that would
be very acceptable, rite 1, perhaps even advantagous to writing the
story!
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| rite
1 |
Use the theme as the
title?
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| mel
boring |
I wouldN'T do that,
though, rite 1,...
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| mel
boring |
because probably MANY
people will do it, and you want to make your entry as distinctive as
possible.
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| mel
boring |
Here's thankfully MORE
about the PC/Mac computer question:...
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| remus |
That is very true about
the viruses. Remember when the I LOVE YOU virus went around? The Mac
cannot read these viruses and they arrive as a numeric page in your
email program. So you are completely safe. Besides, you have many
more options on the Mac to arrage your desk the way you want it. You
are not limited by what the PC gives you.
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| mel
boring |
THANKS again,
remus!
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| verada |
Which is correct, a SASE
or an SASE? I've seen it both ways in sample cover
letters.
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| mel
boring |
"a SASE" is correct,
verada, because the "a" goes before
"Self-Addressed,"...
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| mel
boring |
and because
"Self-Addressed" begins with a consonant, it would be "a" instead of
"an." THANKS for asking, friend!
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| mel
boring |
Luvz2rite4kidz wrote to
say: My question concerns formatting my mid-grade historical novel
manuscript. It has a Contents page and a two-page Author's Note. Do
those pages need the standard heading i.e.: left side - Author/Title
word, right side - page number? Or do I begin numbering pages on
page two of the manuscript as I do with PB
manuscripts?
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| mel
boring |
No, the contents pages
doesn't really need the usual heading,
Luvz2rite4kidz,...
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| mel
boring |
but the OTHER pages do,
the author's note, and so on....
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| mel
boring |
By the way, an Author's
Note AND a Prologue really need a GOOD reason for an editor to agree
to them....
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| mel
boring |
They are considered
"old-fashioned" things not usually done anymore,...
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| mel
boring |
and they delay the kids
getting on with the book....
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| mel
boring |
So my unasked-for
advice would be to make SURE you can justify an Author's Note to an
editor, or don't include it.
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| t
green |
is that highlights
contest theme for THIS coming year?
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| mel
boring |
Yes, it is, t green. I
think it was Beth Troop who said last Thursday that it runs during
January and February, 2004, and the end date is February 29,
2004--Happy Leap Year, folks!!!
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| mbvoelker |
IMO the advantages to the
PC are price and software availability. Hard to get an objective
comparison because people are so devoted to their choice.
;-)
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| mel
boring |
You're RIGHT, MB! I
remember our son Zack,...
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| mel
boring |
a few years ago, said
he'd NEVER have a Mac, now he's thinking of getting
one....
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| mel
boring |
We are pretty devoted
to choices we've already made--AND invested time AND money in,
too!
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| mel
boring |
Spotslover2 is asking:
I have a preschool manuscript at STOREYKIDS which the editor is
trying to convince her boss to take. It is outside their targeted
age range, which is the only reason they wouldn't take it. The
editor, Ms. Burns e-mailed me this information back in October. It's
been more than a month since I've heard anything, should I wait
until the first of the year?
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| I've written them
a book targeted for their age range (8-12). Should I wait until I
hear back about the first book, or should I send this book along for
their consideration? |
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| mel
boring |
Spotslover2, I would
write that editor right away,...
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| mel
boring |
and even suggest that
you might be able...
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| mel
boring |
to bring the manuscript
INSIDE the targeted age of the magazine....
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| mel
boring |
And I recommend that
because it's been (if my math is correct) about six weeks since
you've heard from the editor.
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| mel
boring |
Will you please let us
know what you decide, Spotslover2?
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| mel
boring |
t green asks: I was
wondering if it is OK to revise a story and send it to a different
magazine for submission. Keys For Kids bought the story, but didn't
write anything about buying rights. May I revise it and submit it
elsewhere?
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| mel
boring |
I believe you can, t
green. But to be on the safe side, I would
write,...
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| mel
boring |
or e-mail KEYS FOR KIDS
and ask them if they'd have any objection. I don't think they would,
if they did not contract you for specifics rights.
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| mel
boring |
CH needs to know:
Excuse me for this question, but what does P.O.V. mean? You refer to
it often.
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| mel
boring |
I'm one who is ALWAYS
TRYING not to overlook acronyms we commonly use, like POV, expecting
everyone knows them....
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| mel
boring |
So I'm REALLY glad you
asked, CH!...
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| mel
boring |
P.O.V. means "Point of
View," or WHOSE viewpoint a story is told from....
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| mel
boring |
In the Harry Potter
books, Harry himself is the P.O.V., or the POV Character, as we
sometimes call them...
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| mel
boring |
That means that
EVERYthing in the book is shown from HIS viewpoint.
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| mel
boring |
Speaking of Harry
Potter, here's another GOOD question related to
him:...
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| soradina |
Mel, I read in Something
About the Author that you have a Masters in Divinity degree from
Princeton Theological Seminary. I was wondering if in your
professional opinion could you comment on the statement that the
Harry Potter books do not conform to Christian principles and should
be banned from children's reading lists. Thank you.
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| mel
boring |
What you heard is
right, soradina, though friends who know me would probably not call
me "divine." (-:}
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| mel
boring |
What I see in the Harry
Potter books conforms to what I feel is the basic Christian
principle of LOVE....
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| mel
boring |
The good people in
those books, like Harry himself, and the twins and their parents,
and the girl whose name I can never remember,...
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| mel
boring |
are CARING people,
concerned for good, and for the good of the people around
them....
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| mel
boring |
Those good people, of
course, are opposed by the evil people of the
book,...
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| mel
boring |
and that is the essence
of life as we live it....
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| mel
boring |
Any good we try to do
will be opposed by some; but we do it ANYway because we know it's
right....
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| mel
boring |
What I hear from some
people objecting to the Harry Potter books is...
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| mel
boring |
that they promote
witchcraft. But I don't really see that they do,
soradina....
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| mel
boring |
If ANYthing, the books
kind of pooh-pooh the idea of witchcraft by making humor of it. And
the BEST power of the storyline in those books is NOT the power of
witchcraft, but the power of GOOD people struggling to do GOOD in
the world for as many people as they can....
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| mel
boring |
I guess this has turned
out sermon-length, and I don't mean to preach....
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| mel
boring |
Besides that, there is
something about J.K. Rowling that I think also figures into the mix
here....
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| mel
boring |
I've told before of how
JK befriended a girl in the U.S. a year and a half ago who was dying
of an incurable disease....
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| mel
boring |
JK PHONED and READ the
girl the uncompleted latest volume. THAT, to me, speaks VOLUMES of
the books' creator--GOOD volumnes. THANKS for
asking!
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| mel
boring |
katiebug wonders: This
web site, Poetry.com, gives everyone an opportunity to enter
contests and win money every day. They claim to be "by far the
largest and most comprehensive poetry site on the Internet." Well, I
entered their contest and they sent me a letter telling me that I
was one of the finalists. Then they send me another letter telling
me I will be published in one of their poetry books with 2 pages all
my own-one for my poem and one to write 100 words explaining the
poem or a short bio, etc. BUT I have to BUY this book for like I'm
not sure if I am honored or being ripped of my Then I just got a
letter from Noble House, a publishing office in London, via email,
complimenting my poetry (not naming my poem specifically) and
offering me a book deal as well that can be all mine with the
deposit of This is all just a scam to get my money isn't it?
However, does this count towards a published work? Is this just how
it works or is someone trying to pull the wool over my eyes by
dangling the tantilizing view of my work published in a
book?
|
| mel
boring |
You're very wise,
katiebug! You're right,...
|
| mel
boring |
and poetry has spawned
some of the biggest scams in writing....
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| mel
boring |
I THINK it's because
poems are SHORT to write, and those editors of those books, such as
at Noble House,...
|
| mel
boring |
don't have to deal with
editing and publishing loooooong stories, just short
pieces....
|
| mel
boring |
PLUS, I think MOST
people think it's very EASY to write poetry, so it plays a bit upon
our vanity....
|
| mel
boring |
I have NEVER felt
writing poetry was easy. But those who publish these "books" you
mention play upon the fact that most people do....
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| mel
boring |
The basic rule they
break is this: You should be paid for your writing, not pay for
it.
|
| mel
boring |
Taggy wants to know: I
asked for an update on my article with Appleseeds and was told
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| What does that
mean exactly |
|
| mel
boring |
I wanted to be sure to
get to this question also because,...
|
| mel
boring |
Taggy had asked it of
Beth Troop last Thrusday....
|
| mel
boring |
The word "galley" comes
from antique pans that were long, wide and shallow, just an inch or
so deep....
|
| mel
boring |
In the OLD days of
typesetting, all the letters, and the blockprints for illustrations
and such...
|
| mel
boring |
were put in those
galley pans. THen the ink was rolled over them and paper pressed on
them to make a printed impression....
|
| mel
boring |
Galleys are not used
most places anymore, in this electronic time,
Taggy,...
|
| mel
boring |
but editors still use
that term. They mean that your story or article is being set up for
printing, electronic printing today. "In the galleys" is just an
expression, although SOME publishers may still be using
them.
|
| mel
boring |
MS wrote to ask: Do
publishers ever request a re-write on an article or do you just find
another publisher for an article in the original form ?
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|
|
| mel
boring |
Publishers DO request
rewrites, MS. Beth Troop told us we should ALWAYS respond to an
editor returning a piece with ANY advice about
it,...
|
| mel
boring |
because they just
SELDOM do that, they don't have time....
|
| mel
boring |
So Beth was saying send
it BACK revised to that editor....
|
| mel
boring |
AND if you do, and it
comes back, it'll be better for the NEXT editor,
MS.
|
| mel
boring |
Verada has this
question: Does anyone have experience submitting to Children's
Writer? I sent them a query by e-mail nine months ago. Since then,
I've sent three requests for status (two by e-mail and one by snail
mail with an SAS postcard) but have heard nothing. Is this normal
for them? And what should I do now?
|
| mel
boring |
I'm going to ask others
to reply to this question Verada, because...
|
| mel
boring |
I don't know. My GUESS
is that CHILDREN'S WRITER gets so MANY submissions they CAN'T, with
short staff, respond to everyone....
|
| mel
boring |
But here's what I'm
going to do for next week:...
|
| mel
boring |
I'm going to contact
the editor of CW, a good friend of mine, and ask Susan Tierney the
same question. I'll report back then.
|
| mel
boring |
imhopeful asks a
question I can't answer for sure: If a publisher buys first
electronic rights with the option to archive indefinitely, when do
the rights revert back to me?
|
| mel
boring |
I've left this question
to last, because I can only give a part-answer,
imhopeful....
|
| mel
boring |
I THINK the rights
revert to you as SOON as the piece goes into the ARCHIVE and off the
active-piece list...
|
| mel
boring |
But I suggest you get
the "other part" of the answer from the publisher--and let US know
too, will you please? That's a VERY interesting
question!
|
| mel
boring |
Oh, my, LOOK at the
time! I must go before I turn into a pumpkin! THANKS for being here
today--see you next Tuesday! And HAPPY HOLIDAYS to
you!
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