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WPNews, September 2024
The School’s Back Issue
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From Kathleen Kaiser, President
Summer is over, and it's time to get back into the trenches. WPN is ramping up its educational offerings this fall. Many of these events are because of our merger with IWOSC. I'd like to talk about two I think are important in September.
The first is How to Write a Killer Query Letter with Leslie Lehr on September 14. Having worked with Leslie for a client, I have first-hand experience with her depth of knowledge, the quality of her letters, and the fact that she has a very high request for manuscript responses from agents. Of course, after that, it's how good your manuscript is. If you ever want an agent, this is one webinar you can sign up for. Everyone receives the video afterward, so you can keep and review it over and over.
The week of September 23 will be the Annual Literary Agent Panel. IWOSC has done this for years and is one of the most attended. Telly Davidson will moderate and has lined up a panel of agents who are signing clients and getting deals. Hear from them on what they see as future trends and other subjects all authors looking for a traditional book deal need to know.
You can sign up for Leslie's webinar by clicking the graphic in this newsletter below. Registration for the Annual Literary Agents panel will open soon.
Keep on writing and publishing!
Kathleen
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From Sandra Murphy, Editor
Have you made plans to promote your work for the last quarter of the year? It’s the biggest selling season for any gift, but it's especially good for a book. You don’t have to worry that it won’t fit, will be the wrong color, or, like an ugly sweater, that it will itch.
And be sure you’re registered to vote. Know your local politicians and judges as well as state and national candidates. They don’t get as much attention, but they are the ones who may well want to control what you read.
Most of all, make time for yourself—and your characters. You know how they get if they’re neglected too long!
Sandy, Editor, editor@writersandpublishersnetwork.com
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WPN and PALA are both affiliate groups of IBPA. As members of these groups, you are eligible for a $30 discount off IBPA membership. IBPA is an excellent organization. We encourage everyone to join IBPA for its many benefits and resources. For more information, visit http://www.ibpa-online.org.
If you have any questions about IBPA, feel free to contact our affiliate liaison, Sharon Goldinger, at pplspeak@att.net
or 949-581-6190.
The members only page at the WPN website has links to get your discount too.
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October 19: Save The Date To Protect The Freedom To Read At The Polls
Saturday, October 19, will be a nationwide day of action to fight voter apathy and support pro-library, anti-book-banning candidates. Join the Freedom to Read Community Day of Action by organizing an in-person rally in your community. Sign up now to be part of this important movement! www.uniteagainstbookbans.org
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Ask the Book Doctor: How to Handle Numbers by Bobbie Christmas
Q: When am I supposed to write out numbers or use the numeral? Do I use the actual number, for example, 5, or do I write five? Are there certain times when I should write it out and other times when I use the numeral? Does it even matter?
A: It matters if you hope to get your writing published. It doesn’t matter if you’re just writing an email to a friend.
I understand your confusion with numbers because you’ve seen them handled in differing ways, depending on what country you’re in and what you’re reading—a newspaper or a novel, for example.
The first thing you need to know is that professional writers follow specific style guides—a list of rules to follow depending on the intended country, industry, project, or periodical. In America most periodicals follow AP style, most scholarly publishers follow MLA style, and most fiction and nonfiction publishers follow Chicago style, and the styles differ in how to handle numbers. READ MORE...
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Send your questions to Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of Write In Style: Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing, and owner of Zebra Communications. Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or BZebra@aol.com. Read Bobbie’s Zebra Communications blog at https://www.zebraeditor.com/blog/.
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Jay Hartman is on break this month, uploading numerous books to the www.whitecitypress.com
website to be ready for holiday sales. There are several new anthologies coming soon. Stay tuned. He’ll be back next month.
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Playing By the Rules by Lorie Lewis Ham
I have been writing most of my life. I published my first poem and my first song when I was thirteen, and continued to publish poems, short stories, and articles through the years. I also worked off and on for our local newspaper and published my first mystery novel in 2000. Something that I have faced often in my life is people telling me I couldn’t write about a certain topic or in a certain way. I was told I had to play by the “rules.” Did I listen? Usually not.
Now I’m not talking about grammar and style rules—those are important, though even with those there are things that apply in educational writing or journalism that don’t always apply to writing fiction. READ MORE...
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Lorie Lewis Ham has published seven mystery novels. Lorie is the editor-in-chief and publisher of Kings River Life Magazine and produces Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast. You can hear an excerpt of her book One of Us, the first in a new series called The Tower District Mysteries. Book 2, One of You, is now available. You can find her at mysteryrat.com Facebook BookBub, Goodreads Instagram @krlmagazine @lorielewishamauthor.
Buy Links for One of You:
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/one-of-you-3
Universal Buy Link https://books2read.com/u/m0eWAy
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Be Ready: Querying, Submissions, Writer Encouragement by Kathleen Marple Kalb, reprinted with permission
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Short story submissions are different.
For one thing, the piece usually must be much closer to publication-ready than a novel-length manuscript would.
One in a great while, an editor will work with you to extensively polish a piece, but that’s a rare gift, usually from a generous person who sees promise in you and your work. There are also stories of editors who like one sentence and tell the writer to come back with a new story based on it. Again, very much the exception. READ MORE...
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Kathleen Marple Kalb lives in Connecticut with her husband and son in a house owned by their cat. She is the author of historical and contemporary cozy mysteries with diverse cast, dry humor, and a touch of romance. https://www.facebook.com/KathleenMarpleKalb/
or https://kathleenmarplekalb.com/
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Reprinted with permission.
Don’t Say It Twice, Don’t Say It Twice by Arthur Vidro
When I was a child, I attended a free summertime performance (at an outdoor public skating rink) of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” In the story, over a school holiday the Peanuts children are required to write a 100-word report on Peter Rabbit. The word requirement sounded colossal to the little kids. While Charlie Brown was too bewildered even to begin, Lucy raced right in with her essay, which began, according to my memory:
“There is a rabbit in the story, and the name of the rabbit in the story is Peter Rabbit.” Already she had 19 words. But that wasn’t good writing. For she was repeating herself, saying things twice.
Too many writers needlessly repeat themselves. Repetition is one element I’m forever pointing out to writers. READ MORE...
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Arthur Vidro is a freelance editor/proofreader/writer and has sold eight short stories and hundreds of newspaper columns. He may be reached at vidro@myfairpoint.net. This article first appeared in the Winter 2022/2023 issue of Calliope, whose ISSN is 2691-1388.
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September 9 — The Green Room, for members only
September 14 — Irresistible Query Letters
September 23 — Annual Literary Agent Panel
October 7 — The Green Room, for members only
October 13 — From Historical Mystery Writing to Marketing to Career Building
October 24 — Creating Amazon Ads that Sell
October 28 — Graphic Novels
November 7 — Cover Designs that Attracts Reader
November 18 — The Green Room, for members only
November 21 — Authors, Don’t Get Scammed
December dark.
Emails will be sent out about each event with registration information within two weeks of its date.
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| Bits and Pieces – News You Might Have Missed |
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Another scam: If you get an email asking you to write a 3,000 word article, beware. A yes reply gets you an outline of what’s wanted—and an offer of $1.10 a word. That’s a bit high to be offered by someone you’ve never met or worked with. Ask for a Zoom call to iron out details. You’re likely to be turned down because the sender has a problem with their voice or Zoom. That spells SCAM.
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In 2021, the Authors Guild and WPN both issued warnings about Truman
Press, a press that was reported to be overly aggressive, among other
complaints. I didn’t find anything new now, but we received this letter
from them. As with any publisher, know who you’re dealing with and read
the fine print before signing a contract, no matter how tempting it may
be.
TrumanPress
Email:
admin@trumanpress.us
Message:
We appreciate your concern and feedback regarding the recent blogs
that have surfaced about our company. We want to take this opportunity
to address these claims directly and transparently.
It’s important to clarify that the allegations made in these blogs
lack valid proof and seem to be based on misinformation. Our commitment
to integrity and excellence is unwavering, and we are proud of the
reputation we have built over the years through hard work, dedication,
and a focus on our customers and community.
We encourage our audience to look for credible sources and verified
information when forming opinions about our company. We stand by our
values and the quality of our products/services, and we are always here
to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Thank you for your continued support and trust in us. We are
committed to maintaining an open dialogue and fostering a positive
relationship with our community.
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Desert Sleuths Annual Writers Conference
Craft ♦ Publish ♦ Market Virtual
September 20 & 21, 2024
https://desertsleuths.com/writenow-2024/
Pre-conference sessions include Pitch Now, Edit Now (featuring Jay Hartman), and Craft Now.
The amazing agents, authors, and editors list should have you salivating over Friday’s à la carte pricing and Saturday’s all-day-for-one-fee. Pitch your manuscript, get a three-chapter assessment, or attend a workshop (or do a combination!) on Friday. On Saturday, sit back and relax with an interview, a workshop, panels, and presentations. All of this from the comfort of your home.
For those near Phoenix, there will be an in-person Networking Social on Friday evening, too, but space is limited to 30. Sign up early!
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The 2024 Printers Row Lit Fest is set for Saturday, September 7th & Sunday, September 8th, from 10AM-6PM.
Printers Row Lit Fest is an annual book fair and literary festival held in Chicago in September. The fair's literary "tableau fills a downtown district where typesetting machines and printing presses once whirred. The neighborhood was an early book making hub.
This FREE event takes place on the streets of South Dearborn Street, from Ida B. Wells to Polk Street. Over 150 exhibitors will be promoting literature, selling books and book related merchandise. Come Rain or Shine! Learn more at http://printersrowlitfest.org/
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Literary Holidays
Here are some upcoming Literary Holidays to add to your calendar!
September 6: National Read A Book Day
September 7: Buy a Book Day
September 8: International Literacy Day
September 18: Read An eBook Day
September 24: National Punctuation Day
Courtesy of Digital Hygge
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