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Inklings Issue 3.10
================================================================
i n k l i n g s
Inkspot's newsletter for Writers on the Net
Issue 3.10 May 14, 1997
================================================================
<http://www.inkspot.com/inklings/issues/ink0310.html>
* Over 10,000 subscribers! *
This issue features an interview with Amanda Boyd, associate
editor of Writer's Digest magazine. Susan Graham (ASK THE AGENT)
discusses resubmitting a novel already published by a vanity
press, and Ken Jenks (ASK THE ELECTRONIC PUBLISHER) focuses on
paying fiction/poetry markets as well as answering a question
about ezines vs hardcopy markets. In addition, Arline Zatz
contributes a review of the Alphasmart laptop "smart keyboard",
and Inklings introduces a new column called "Subscriber Success
Stories".
This issue sponsored in part by:
================================================================
$269 "LAPTOP COMPUTER" for Writers. The AlphaSmart Model 20 is
a smart keyboard with 4-line LCD display. Stores 64 pages text,
downloads via PC/Mac keyboard cable, 150+ hrs on 2-AA batteries
** AlphaSmart ** 1-888-276-2780 x20 http://www.alphasmart.com
================================================================
* ON SPEC Magazine * http://www.greenwoods.com/onspec/
The premiere Canadian Quarterly of Speculative Writing, where
readers can find the best in Canadian SF, Fantasy, Horror and
Magic Realism. E-mail: onspec@earthling.net
================================================================
THE WRITER'S SOFTWARE COMPANION: multimedia software by Writer's
Digest's Nancy Kress. Uses advanced learning tech. and total
immersion to bypass years of trial-and-error, dramatically
accelerating a writer's progress. http://www.novalearn.com
================================================================
* Samurai Consulting * http://www.samurai.com
Services include internet consulting, WWW page design, electro-
nic newsletters, mailing lists, FTP sites, system maintenance,
training. Email: Bryan Fullerton <bryanf@samurai.com>
================================================================
ISSN 1205-6413. Copyright 1995-1997 Debbie Ridpath Ohi. For more
info about Inklings (how to subscribe/unsubscribe, change your
address, submit material, copyright, etc.) send any email message
to infoinklings@inkspot.com. For info on how you can become an
Inklings sponsor, send any email to ratecard@inkspot.com. No
attachments, please. Send comments to editor@inkspot.com (please
use a meaningful subject header!).
================================================================
| CONTENTS THIS ISSUE: |
| From The Editor's Desk |
| Fresh Ink and Market Information |
| Ask The Agent |
| Ask The Electronic Publisher |
| Subscriber Success Stories |
| Interview With Amanda Boyd |
================================================================
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK:
=======================
Congratulations to Andrew Kaye, the 10,000th subscriber to
Inklings! Andrew is 23 years old and lives in Doncaster, South
Yorkshire. He is a columnist for the Doncaster Free Press, and
has just started up and is editing his own fanzine. He is also
looking for "any kind of writing/editing/proof-reading work". If
you're interested in his services, please contact him at
Andekaye@aol.com. When I asked Andrew what writing-related book
he'd like as a prize, his reply was: "I can't think of any book I
particularly want. Why don't you keep the money and put it
towards the upkeep of Inklings. Or better still, get roaring
drunk and toast my name. Whatever. Just being the 10,000th is
good enough for me. Hold the icing on the cake or I'll get fat."
Of course I plan on forcing a prize on him anyway :-), as well as
giving him a Motorized Pez (tm) Dispenser as a bonus.
Join Inklings for a "10,000th Subscriber Online Celebration
Party"! The chat room has been generously supplied by Brian
Rickman of The Writer's BBS (http://www.writersbbs.com). You need
a java-enabled browser or a telnet client to access the chat;
more details at http://www.inkspot.com/inklings/chat.html. The
online celebration party is scheduled for next Wednesday (Wed.
May 21) from 8 to 10 pm EST. Bring your own virtual refreshments.
Meanwhile, do check out the other writers' discussion forums and
chat rooms available 24 hours at The Writer's BBS.
Thanks to Vera Klinkowsky for mentioning Inkspot in her article
for The Writer's Journal (Vol.18, No.3, p23). Incidentally, if
you
ever notice Inkspot or Inklings mentioned in a hardcopy
publication and I don't have it listed in my press clippings
section (http://www.inkspot.com/admin/clippings.html), please do
let me know - thanks.
Last issue I mentioned that GoldenRod XV Writer's Conference had
been kind enough to invite me to West Virginia for their event.
The conference takes places Oct. 17-19 in Morgantown, West
Virginia. I've set up a webpage for those wishing to find out
more info at: http://www.inkspot.com/network/goldenrod.html. You
can also contact conference director George Lies at
glies@wvu.edu.
FRESH INK
=========
The Arrow
---------
Includes tips and advice for writers.
http://www.wport.com/~cawilcox/index.html
MAMA's Hot 100 Grammar Goofs
----------------------------
Only college/university edition available so far, but the results
are
both amusing and informative. Warning: a bit graphic-intensive.
http://www.unl.edu/mama/grammar/MAMAhot100.htm
Society of Technical Communication
----------------------------------
Rich source of information and links for technical writers.
http://stc.org/
Student's Guide To Research/Writing A Paper
-------------------------------------------
Part of the Internet Public library.
http://hypatia.ipl.org/teen/aplus/
Book marketing tips
-------------------
Contains useful marketing tips and articles for authors, as
well as info about John Kremer's book, _1001 Ways To Market Your
Books_.
http://www.bookmarket.com/
Purdue University OWL handouts
------------------------------
Lists over 100 handouts used in Purdue's Writing Lab, including
topics such as "Proofreading Strategies", "Strategies For
Improving Sentence Clarity", "Overcoming Writer's Block", etc.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/by-topic.html
New chat rooms for writers
--------------------------
The Writer's BBS has set up a new chat area for writers. I've
already tried it out and find it way too fun. :-) There are
different rooms depending on the topic (there's even an INKLINGS
chat room!). Come by and explore the chat area, read the
message boards, talk "live" with other writers, even send mail!
You need a java-enabled browser or telnet client (you can
download a free version of the latter from the website).
http://www.talker.com/writersb/
Info about the Inklings chat area at:
http://www.inkspot.com/inklings/chat.html
================================================================
CORRECTION FROM LAST ISSUE:
==========================
In Barbara Seuling's interview last issue, the publication date
of her new picture book, _Winter Lullabye_, was mistakenly
printed as 1968. This book will be published in the fall of 1998
by Browndeer Press, a division of Harcourt Brace & Company. It
is illustrated by Greg Newbold.
Several subscribers asked for more information about Barbara's
other books, so I am including some here. You can also email
Barbara Seuling at Aplbrk@aol.com.
_How To Write A Children's Book And Get It Published_, published
by Charles Scribner's Sons, Macmillan Publishing Company, 866
Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022. Revised and expanded edition
published in 1991. ISBN: 0-684-19343-4.
_To Be A Writer_, published by Twenty-First Century Books, A
Division of Henry Holt & Company, Inc., 115 West 18th Street, New
York, NY 10011. ISBN: 0-8050-4692-5. For young writers.
================================================================
MARKET INFORMATION
==================
Please note: Inklings does its best to print only accurate market
info. However, it cannot be held responsible for lost postage,
time, etc. that you may incur due to inaccuracies. Do not send
submissions by email before inquiring first. You should get
current, detailed guidelines before submitting. Include SASE for
snailmail replies. More market info at:
http://www.inkspot.com/market/.
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING MARKET SOURCES:
SCAVENGER'S NEWSLETTER
Monthly market info letter for sf/f/h/m writers & artists.
More info at: http://users.aol.com/Lemarchand/scavenger.html
THE GILA QUEEN'S GUIDE TO MARKETS
POB 97, Newton, NJ 07860-0097 Email:K.Ptacek@genie.com
http://www.pacifier.com/~alecwest/gila/
CHILDREN'S WRITERS MARKET LIST (magazines only)
Available by e-mail or snailmail. Email mshauers@midusa.net.
==-----------------------------------------------------==
"FNASR" = First North American Serial Rights, "SASE" =
self-addressed, stamped envelope, "simsubs" = simultaneous
submissions, "mss" = manuscript, "RT" = response time, "GL" =
guidelines, "wds" = words.
***If you are a *paying* market and would like your guidelines
included in a future issue of Inklings, please fill out the form
at: http://www.inkspot.com/market/mktpayform.html
PAYING MARKETS:
Chirp
-----
CHIRP, 370 King Street W, Suite 300, Toronto ONT M5V139. Canada:
Nyla Ahmad, Editor-in-Chief. This new OWL Communications magazine
is for children ages 3-6. Each issue contains puzzles, games,
rhymes, crafts and stories on animals, nature, letters, numbers.
Freelance fiction and puzzles are needed. 500-700 words. Pay
varies. (from Children's Writers Market List)
HMS Beagle
----------
Lucy A. Snyder, Poetry Editor, Chemistry A620, Indiana
University, Bloomington, IN 47405. Accepting submissions of
science-oriented poetry. "We aren't interested in overtly science
fictional poetry (i.e., no aliens or mad scientists etc.) We pay
$1/line, and prefer poems under 40 lines. Poems stay active on
the site for a week or two and are then available in an archive
for 6 months." (Source: Scavenger's Newsletter, May/97)
Email: lusnyde@indiana.edu
URL: http://www.hmsbeagle.com/
American Brewer
---------------
Box 510, Hayward, CA 94543-0510. Publisher: Bill Owens. Published
5 times/year. Circ. 20,000. Trade mag that focuses on business
aspects of owning/running a brewpub or microbrewery. Topics
include personality profiles, technical aspects of microbrewing,
and the trials and tribulations of brewing/selling beer in
America. Style: "Zany and fun. Quotes, color & characters."
LENGTH: 1000-3500 wds. PAYMENT: $50-300 on acceptance for all
rights. Send query letters first. (Source: Gila Queen's Guide To
Markets #85)
Email: abrew@aol.com
URL: http://www.ambrew.com
Arabia
------
Jack Numan, Editor. 4426 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland, CA.
94609. Monthly journal focussed on Arabia. PAYMENT: 5c/wd.
"Arabia seeks articles, columns, reviews, and features on the
following: Universe, USA, Middle East, Science, Art and
Humanities." LENGTH: Max 500 words. Humor, simple sentences, and
conversational style greatly encouraged. No submissions returned
to sender. (Confirmed Apr.27/97)
E-mail: jacknewman@hotmail.com
Event Horizon
-------------
Event Horizon, Daniel D. Adams, ed. (or, Mike Allen, Poetry ed.)
PO Box 13511, Roanoke, VA 24034-3511. Semi-professional e-zine
dedicated to publishing quality works of science-fiction,
fantasy, and horror by new and established writers. "We plan to
release two issues in 1997--in March and September--and three
times yearly after that, on the Wizard Workshop and Company
network of Vienna, Virginia." FICTION. Address to Daniel Adams,
ed. "We'll read anything you send us between 500 and 20,000
words--though extremely short or long stories should be extremely
good! If we like the story, it's in, but please don't send us
copies of someone else's work (such as Anne Rice vampires or
Battletech mechs), or 'established universe' fiction such as Star
Trek or Darkover. We don't want to see graphic violence or sex
unless it's an integral part of the story." Unsolicited
submissions pay 1/2 cent per word on publication. POETRY. Address
to Mike Allen, Poetry ed. No length requirements; see above for
subject limitations. Pays $3 plus 10 cents per line on
publication for unsolicited subs. "We buy one-time print
rights only; if we wish to use any material after the original
publication, the author / artist will be offered further
compensation. If for some reason we are unable to publish a piece
one year after acceptance, we will send the contributor the
promised payment as a kill fee. For as long as we're able, access
to Event Horizon will be free of charge. Any further queries--but
not yet stories--may be sent to Daniel Adams at dda@wwco.com."
(Confirmed May 12/97)
Email: event-horizon@wwco.com
URL: http://www.wwco.com/scifi/
Little Green Men
----------------
Greg Meronek, Editor. 23344 El Toro Road, No. 13, El Toro, CA
92630. Quarterly, full-sized, glossy, four-color cover, 48 pages.
Fiction to 10,000 wds, no reprints or simsubs. Nonfiction: book
reviews and articles on the unexplained/strange stuff etc. for
their "Bizarre" column. "While I'm still not accepting fiction
(until September), I'm announcing the new pay rates early so you
can get your manuscripts ready! Pay will be 1c/wd + 2 contrib.
copies after September. Submissions that are received and
accepted before September will be paid the old flat rate of $25.
"Science fiction and fantasy only. Sex only when necessary. To
10,000 words. Always include word count with manuscript. No
reprints, no simultaneous submissions. Include bio and note if
manuscript is available on disk. Stories should have good
conflict and a good plot--no character sketches, etc. Writing
style is important; I'm interested in experimental styles. Sword
& sorcery and space operas better be extra great, otherwise,
please don't send these. Average response time is three weeks.
And little green men are not required. Of late I've been getting
way too many SF comedies and computer/VR/Internet related
stories. Please do not send these for the time being." BOOK
REVIEWS: Pays $1 plus 2 copies of issue. Reviews on well-known
books will not be considered. Books should be recent (two years
or so old is okay). NON-FICTION: Pays $10 plus 2 copies of issue.
"We're now accepting non-fiction articles concerning the
occult/unexplained/etc. for our new "Bizarre" column. Query
first, please." (Source: Scavenger's Newsletter, May/97 + info
from website)
Email: gmeronek@ix.netcom.com (queries only)
URL: http://www.netcom.com/~gmeronek/
GL: http://pw1.netcom.com/~gmeronek/guidelines.html
@LAW
----
Elaine Burkhardt, Editor. NewsGroup, 2622 E. 21st. St., Suite 10,
Tulsa, OK 74114. Quarterly magazine for legal information
specialists (secretaries, paralegals, office administrators). "We
are looking for articles on all subjects of law office
management, human resource issues in the law office, lifestyle
issues relating to professional life: ie. stress, career
juggling,
etc. and articles specifically on legal issues which are very
current in legal information management." LENGTH: 800-2000 wds.
PAYMENT: $200-500/article. Prefers query by email first, followed
by fax of writing samples. "The way to break in is with a great
story idea which applies to legal support staff - anything in
relation to new legal trends, legal technology, law office
management, systems management, client relations, etc."
(Confirmed Apr.30/97)
E-mail: NewsGroupA@aol.com
Newfront Communications
-----------------------
Seeking a variety of mini and short mysteries for various mystery
websites. Reprints okay. Payment varies, depending on format
(e.g. for mini-mysteries, $100 per Twist and $300 per Solve-it).
Writers strongly advised to check out various Newfront mystery
websites before submitting. "Once we have reviewed your
submission, we will contact you with comments or questions. At
that point, if we like your mystery and it meets our guidelines,
we will send you a contract for it and potentially for additional
mysteries." "Mystery should be entertaining. Use humor when it
adds to the story. - No bad language, excessive sex, or violence.
Character names and other names in the story will be easy to read
so they do not slow down nor confuse the reader. Do not use
nicknames. Once a character is introduced, do not switch their
name. It should appeal to all mystery fans, from casual fans to
dedicated fanatics." Only submissions that include all of the
following will be considered: (1) Fax (or send by postal mail) a
signed copy of the Submission Release Agreement with first
submission. (2) Include a current writer's bio, resume and/or a
list of published works. (3) Submissions can be faxed to Newfront
or sent via email to (submissions@newfront.com). Submissions sent
via email should be sent as part of the message or attached as MS
Word 5.0 files. For full guidelines, send email to
editor@newfront.com with "guidelines request" in the subject
header. (Confirmed May.14/97)
URL: http://www.MysteryNet.com/ and http://www.TheCase.com/
Email: editor@newfront.com
ADDITIONAL NOTES/UPDATES:
Fender Publishing reports their writers' guidelines are now
online at http://www.fenderpub.com/writers.html. Lori Enos
reports that Optimal Life Magazine now pays on publication
instead of on acceptance. Keen Science Fiction magazine has
folded.
Margaret Shauers reports the following updated market listing
from Highlights For Children: "HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN, 805
Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431: Rich Wallace, Manuscript
Coordinator. This secular publication buys fiction of 200 to 900
words for children 2 to 12. (They now want beginning reader
fiction of up to 500 words for 6-8 year olds--editor for this is
Beth Troop.) They pay $120 up for ALL rights on acceptance. They
report and pay quickly, but may hold material for years before
publishing. They assign writers personal editors after a sale. No
pen and paper puzzles used here. HIGHLIGHTS has now piloted an
international edition! (Canada & South Africa, primarily). This
will use British English. They are open to writers with expertise
in specific geographic areas. They now list wanting short
activities--but in the past have not used anything that would
cause children to write on the pages."
================================================================
Join Inklings in an online party to celebrate having over 10,000
subscribers! Wednesday, May 21st, 8 - 10pm EST, courtesy The
Writer's BBS (http://www.writersbbs.com) More details at
http://www.inkspot.com/inklings/chat.html.
================================================================
Ask The Experts
---------------
*** Please put "inklings question" in the subject header. ***
Judith Bowen (ROMANCE WRITER) jbowen@max-net.com
David Breeden (POET) drpoetry@ktc.com
Charles Deemer (SCREENWRITER) cdeemer@teleport.com
Mark Fowler (LAWYER) askthelawyer@inkspot.com
Susan Graham (AGENT) slgraham@mindspring.com
Paula Guran (HORROR WRITER) DarkEcho@aol.com
Carol Henson (BOOK DOCTOR) UBKX12C@Prodigy.com
Ken Jenks (ELECTRONIC PUBLISHER) MindsEye@tale.com
David Leit (LAWYER) askthelawyer@inkspot.com
Bob Sablatura (JOURNALIST) bob.sablatura@reporters.net
Michelle Sagara (SF/FANTASY WRITER) Michelle.Sagara@sff.net
Lee Wardlaw (CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITER) Katknip2@aol.com
Marcia Yudkin (FREELANCE WRITER) yudkin@inkspot.com
Sharon Zukowski (MYSTERY/SPY WRITER) 76372.2252@CompuServe.COM
Columnists may be unable to reply privately to every message, but
will answer selected questions in future issues of Inklings.
================================================================
ASK THE AGENT
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Susan Graham
<slgraham@mindspring.com>
Recirculating a vanity press book
---------------------------------
Q: I'm a new author, who made a very big mistake in publishing my
book through a vanity press. Can I submit this to an agent or
editor as an unpublished novel?
A: In its current form, editors and agents consider your novel to
have been published. So the quick answer is "No, you may not
submit this as an unpublished novel to editors or agents."
However, if you want to take some of the ideas and characters and
write a sequel or a similar book, there's nothing to stop you
from doing that. You should think of it as practice, not as
wasted effort. After all, everyone needs to practice in their
chosen field before they can get really good at it, from pianist
to surgeon. Meanwhile, if it's selling well and/or getting good
reviews, putting a little marketing effort into it certainly
wouldn't hurt. If not, perhaps it wasn't ready to be published
yet.
If you think you might need some help next time around when
editing, try a book entitled "Getting The Words Right" by
Theodore Cheney. If a book is good enough to be self-published
(and I include any process where you put your money into it, in
that term), then it's good enough for a publisher to pay you
money for the privilege of publishing it. If not, then you need
to rethink the book and/or revise it thoroughly.
==-----------------------------------------------------==
Susan L. Graham owns Graham Literary Agency, Inc. She represents
genre fiction as well as commercial fiction and nonfiction. Her
unique Website (http://GrahamLiteraryAgency.com) helps to promote
her authors and the agency.
Copyright (c) 1997, Graham Literary Agency, Inc. All rights
reserved.
================================================================
ASK THE ELECTRONIC PUBLISHER
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Ken Jenks
<MindsEye@tale.com>
Paying fiction/poetry markets
-----------------------------
Q: What are the paying markets for fiction and poetry on the
Internet?
A: Apparently, Rictus (see below) is the only paying market for
poetry on
the 'Net. Here are most of the paying markets for fiction:
AS-IS FICTION
http://www.gonesouth.com/asis/
DREAM FORGE e-Maga-Weba-Zine
http://www.pcisys.net/~drmforge/wrtrgide.htm
E-Scape
http://www.interink.com/guide.html
FictionNet
http://www.FictionNet.com/
Futurist
http://www.travlink.com.au/diverse/futurist
Galaxy
http://www.slimeworld.org/galaxy/writguid.html
Hard Shell Word Factory
http://www.hardshell.com/
Hyperbooks
http://www.hyperbooks.com/
Infinite Edge (promises to go on-line in May '97)
http://www.infinite-edge.com/~infedge/
Millennium
http://www.gnp1.com/magazine
Mind's Eye Fiction
http://tale.com/
OMNI
http://www.omnimag.com/
Place
http://www.cranepub.on.ca/place
Pulpless
http://www.pulpless.com/
Rain Crow's 32-pages
http://rain-crow-publishing.com/32pp/
Rictus
http://www.rictus.com/
Sci-Fi WEBzine
http://www.sci-fi-mag.com/
Talebones
http://www.nventure.com/talebones/info/submit.htm
Tomorrow Speculative Fiction
http://www.tomorrowsf.com/
Note the heavy emphasis on science fiction; writers of other
genres have fewer options. You should also take a look through
the following lists:
Critters Source List:
http://www.nyx.net/~kreme/scifi.html
John Labovitz's E-zine List:
http://www.meer.net/~johnl/e-zine-list/
The Market List:
http://www.greyware.com/marketlist/
Rain Crow Publishing's Writer's Market:
http://rain-crow-publishing.com/market/literary.html
Speculations:
http://www.speculations.com/
Speculative Fiction Markets:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mslee/mag.html
Selling to e-zines vs print magazines
-------------------------------------
Q: Because I have been unsuccessful in getting my non-fiction
story published in a print magazine, I thought I would try an
e-zine. Now I am not so sure.
A: If at first you don't succeed, stop beating your head against
the wall and try something else. Maybe your story is
unmarketable. Try writing another, or re-writing the first one
with a completely different style. You might rewrite it as
fiction, or maybe as the sub-plot to a murder mystery.
The paying markets on-line are at usually just as disciminating
as the semi-pro print markets. If your story doesn't sell in
print, it's unlikely to sell on-line. On the other hand, there
are market forces acting in print markets that are different
on-line. For example, there are very few markets for short story
romances in print, while these do very well on-line.
==-----------------------------------------------------==
Ken Jenks is the editor-in-chief and owner of Mind's Eye Fiction,
a paying market for short stories on the Internet. He is pleased
to correspond with readers, writers, agents and publishers about
on-line publishing. Mind's Eye fiction can be found at
<http://tale.com/>.
Copyright (c) 1997 Ken Jenks. All rights reserved.
================================================================
SUBSCRIBER SUCCESS STORIES
==========================
If you've made sales or contacts resulting in sales through
Inklings or Inkspot, please let me know! I'll highlight one or
two here each issue. Keep stories brief, please, and send them
to submissions@inkspot.com.
From Gary <presley@dialnet.net>
-------------------------------
"INKLINGS continues to provide valuable market leads. Almost
every issue provides a query or submission prospect for those of
us who dabble in nonfiction. More than that, when you see word
that an editor will accept e-mail queries and submissions, you
may be in for some 'instant gratification.' Within two short
weeks of seeing the info in INKLINGS, I sold an article to
FolksOnline.com
<http://www.folksonline.com/folks/sd/contrib.htm>
-- a Themed Web Tour (Researching Searching: Sources for
Wanna-be Writers). You can bet I provided a link to INKSPOT.COM
and the INKLINGS e-newsletter in the article."
================================================================
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Alphasmart review
----------------------------------------------------------------
From published author Arline Zatz <azatz@usa.net>:
-------------------------------------------------
"Even though Alphasmart is sponsoring this newsletter in part, I
thought I'd toss in some firsthand knowledge after having had
used this laptop-type computer for several months now. First of
all, it's come in very handy for jotting down notes. I've been
bringing it to car dealerships, doctors' offices, wherever I have
an appointment and may have to wait, because it's easy to enter
notes on. I've also taken it on vacation and, at the end of each
day, type up what I've seen. Besides this use, I now take it to
libraries to jot down information from books, newspapers and
magazines. It sure beats the high cost of library photocopies
when there's only a little bit to copy -- and best of all, as
soon as I get back to my office, I plug it in to my computer, and
transfer everything that's in the files. It's extremely
lightweight, making it possible to fit into a large handbag,
attache case, whatever. Besides the fact that it's STILL running
on the original 2 batteries, I'm now using it to take information
off the internet and then easily transfer it on to my own file.
Also, because it's fairly inexpensive, I'm not afraid to travel
with it. In case it's stolen (and I hope it never is), it costs
very little to replace compared to my $2000 laptop. Am still
using it at the library for making notes. The keyboard is very
easy to use. I highly recommend it to all writers. While the only
drawback is that I can't see an entire page - because only a few
lines show up on the screen - I find it's an excellent,
inexpensive tool for any writer to have. I'd be happy to answer
any questions by e-mail, fax (908-549-4129) or phone (908)
494-9258."
[Editor's note: You can find out more about Alphasmart from
their website at http://www.alphasmart.com; see ad near the
beginning of this issue]
================================================================
INTERVIEW WITH AMANDA BOYD
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
<editor@inkspot.com>
Amanda Boyd is an Associate Editor at Writer's Digest magazine,
where she has been working for two and a half years. During that
time, she's been lead editor on two Writer's Digest Book
projects: the third edition of _Writer's Encyclopedia_ and _The
Writer's Digest Handbook of Making Money Freelance Writing_. She
also edits _Writer's Forum_, a quarterly newsletter for Writer's
Digest School students.
Why doesn't Writer's Digest have a website?
-------------------------------------------
As you may know, WD provided content for eWorld, Apple's
short-lived online service. When that service failed, and our
content area was terminated, we were basically out of the online
business. However, the president of F&W; Publications (our parent
company) is very interested in getting our information out on the
Web--we're planning a site based on information from the
magazine, Writer's Market and Writer's Digest Books. The site
would also feature our other services, such as the Writer's
Digest School and Criticism Service. Story magazine will also be
part of the site.
When do you expect it to be online?
-----------------------------------
That's a good question. We're still in the planning stages, and I
can't speculate on when a site might be up and running.
How many people work in the Writer's Digest offices?
----------------------------------------------------
On the editorial side, there are 4--Thomas Clark, editor; Peter
Blocksom, managing editor; myself, associate editor; and Kelly
Kane, editorial assistant. WD also depends on the services of the
circulation and promotion departments, as well as our art
department.
What happens to the email sent to writersdig@juno.com?
------------------------------------------------------
Either Kelly or I will get the mail every morning. Most of the
messages are Your Assignment entries, and I print those out and
drop them in the box for that particular assignment. We also get
letters to the editor via e-mail, and those are filed. E-mailed
queries and manuscripts are either read and responded to
immediately (short stuff, mostly) or printed out and filed with
other incoming submissions. I answer questions and I pass on
messages to other departments, especially circulation and
Writer's Market.
Do you have any "insider tips" for writers hoping to get
published in Writer's Digest magazine?
--------------------------------------------------------
I can't stress enough the importance of reading back issues of
the magazine. Really study those issues. Become familiar with
what the columnists are writing, what features we've run, who
we've profiled. Our focus is so strongly how-to even our profiles
must have tips and techniques in them!
Right now, we're looking to beef up our coverage of writing
basics--the tools that all writers must know how to use. For
fiction, that means characterization, scene and structure,
plotting, dialogue and more. Nonfiction topics could include
transitions, leads, research, reporting, queries and more. We're
also looking for business of writing pieces--the nuts and bolts
aspects of really building a business.
Also, here is a list of some points in our guidelines that
writers routinely overlook:
1) Housekeeping matters: "submit only one query at a time.... no
erasable paper ... we are not responsible for, and do not respond
to, queries and ms not accompanied by SASE."
2) Queries should "introduce your article proposal and highlight
each of the points you intend to make." (Imagine a proposal for
"Ten Tips for Stronger Transitions" that doesn't include any of
the tips!)
3) WD Style: "Use anecdotes, examples, samples and quotes to
strengthen the message of your article."
4) Profiles and Interviews: "These articles must be directed at
the working writer...[Be sure to include] advice to other
writers. What can other writers learn from the author and his
work, his career? What problems can the writer steer readers
around? What techniques can he instruct them in? What shortcuts
can the writer suggest? What solutions to common problems can the
writer recommend?"
5) Opportunity pieces: "we're more likely to publish an article
on writing expertly about health and fitness than an article on
writing for the health and fitness market."
6) Tip Sheet: these pieces are all middle--no intro, no
conclusion.
What is the best way for writers to submit pieces to Writer's
Digest? (e.g. query or full article?)
-------------------------------------------------------------
We prefer queries. The exceptions to this rule are Chronicle
essays, short poems and other items for The Writing Life and Tip
Sheet departments.
What are your payment rates?
----------------------------
15-40 cents per word
==---------------------------------------------------==
To receive a copy of the current writer's guidelines to Writer's
Digest magazine, send any email to wdguidelines@inkspot.com.
Writer's Digest's email address is writersdig@juno.com. You can
reach them by snailmail at: Writer's Digest, 1507 Dana Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45207.
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