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Inklings Issue 5.17
INKSPOT NOTE: The next issue of Inklings will be sent out September
15th, 1999. (There will be no September 1st issue) [STACKS]
*****************************************************************
i n k l i n g s
Inkspot's newsletter for Writers on the Net
http://www.inkspot.com
Issue 5.17 * Over 45,000 subscribers! * Aug.18, 1999
*****************************************************************
<http;://www.inkspot.com/inklings/issues/ink0517.html>
In this issue, Charles Deemer (ASK THE SCREENWRITER) discusses
optioning screenplays, and Moira Allen offers tips on conducting
interviews and surveys by e-mail.
This issue sponsored by:
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ISSN 1205-6413. Copyright 1995-1999 Debbie Ridpath Ohi. See end
of issue for copyright/contact info. http://www.inkspot.com
*****************************************************************
CONTENTS THIS ISSUE:
From The Associate Editor's Desk
Fresh Ink and Market Information
Ask The Screenwriter
Conducting E-mail Interviews and Surveys
Writers' Classifieds
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FROM THE ASSOCIATE EDITOR'S DESK:
---------------------------------
Debbie is traveling this month, far from phone and computer
connections, so this issue of Inklings comes from my desk.
Not that she left me much to do, except greet you all and bring
you up to date on what is happening at Inkspot and Inklings!
(Because of Debbie's travel schedule, there will be no issue
of Inklings on September 1. The next issue will be published
on September 15.)
The big news from Inkspot this week is the debut of Global
Writers' Ink, which premiered August 11. The first issue is
available free, either by e-mail (send a blank e-mail to the
autoresponder at globalsample@inkspot.com), or online at
http://www.inkspot.com/global/sample.html. We've also launched
the "International Ink" section of the Inkspot website, which
includes articles on writing for international markets, links,
and a list of useful reference books (including international
writers' market guides to the UK, Australia, and Canada).
Remember, though: While the first issue of Global Writers' Ink
is free, future issues will be available by subscription only.
For complete details on how to subscribe, visit
http://www.inkspot.com/global/subscribe, or send a blank e-mail
to infoglobal@inkspot.com. The first 500 subscribers will be
eligible to win one of five copies of Michael Sedge's THE
WRITER'S AND PHOTOGRAPHER'S GUIDE TO GLOBAL MARKETS; for more
information on this book and the giveaway, see
http://www.inkspot.com/global/giveaway.html.
In other news, I'm happy to announce that my book, WRITING.COM:
CREATIVE INTERNET STRATEGIES TO ADVANCE YOUR WRITING CAREER, is
due out from Allworth Press on August 21. It's already listed
on Amazon.com, and will be available from the Allworth website
(http://www.allworth.com) once it is launched, as well as at
bookstores. WRITING.COM looks at ways in which the Internet
and electronic technologies are changing how writers do business,
and how writers can make the most of the opportunities offered
by those technologies and resources. A "sneak preview" excerpt
is offered below; for more information, please visit my site at
http://www.tipsforwriters.com/WC.shtml.
And last but not least, congratulations to Wayne Adams, who wins
a copy of WRITING FOR INTERACTIVE MEDIA by Jon Samsel and Darryl
Wimberley (Allworth Press, Nov/98).
-- Moira Anderson Allen
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FRESH INK
---------
PRIZE GIVEAWAYS: DO THE WRITE THING
----------------------------------------------------------------
DO THE WRITE THING: Making The Transition to Professional (Myriad
Press, 1993). Useful information and tips from Gloria Stern, a
literary agent, teacher, and author, and founder of the Gloria
Stern Literary Agency. The book began as a handbook created to
answer questions frequently asked by her students.
Deadline: Sept.11, 1999. For more info about this book and how
to enter, see: http://www.inkspot.com/admin/giveaway.html.
GrammarNow!
-----------
Grammar, composition, editing, and proofreading resource. (MW)
http://www.grammarnow.com/
E-Book Readers
--------------
New Inkspot article about e-book reader options. By Mary Wolf
(Hard Shell Word Factory). (DRO)
http://www.inkspot.com/feature/wolf.html
Merriam Webster's Word Puzzles
------------------------------
Fun diversions for writers. (JK)
http://www.m-w.com/game/
The Victory Page
----------------
For fiction writers, Victory Crayne's webpage has well-written
guides on critiquing, advice for joining on-line writing groups
and motivational information for writer's slumps. (JE)
http://www.crayne.com/
Novel Advice
------------
Billed as a "Cyber-Journal for Writers" this site contains many
comprehensive articles on the craft of writing. (JE)
http://www.noveladvice.com/
Timeless Hemingway
------------------
Anyone interested in Papa will enjoy this site. There are
questions and answers, a quote finder, family tree, help center
and links to other Hemingway sites. (JE)
http://www.timelesshemingway.com/
Finding information online
--------------------------
Chris Sherman, research guru of About.Com, has put together a
topic index of articles he's written on finding information
online. (GH)
http://websearch.about.com/library/weekly/topicmenu.htm
Inscriptions
------------
The writing newsletter Inscriptions has changed its URL. (MKA)
http://www.inscriptionsmagazine.com
Fresh Ink contributors this issue:
JE:Jan Edwards, DRO:Debbie Ridpath Ohi, JK:Jill Kosmensky,
GH:Gail Heinsohn, MKA:Moira Allen, MW:Mark Wise
** Please send suggestions for Fresh Ink to freshink@inkspot.com
*****************************************************************
FREELANCE SUCCESS newsletter gives nonfiction writers the tools
to earn a fulltime living. Detailed market info and online
writing classes. SASE to 801 NE 70th St., Miami, FL 33138, email
freelance-success@usa.net or see http://www.freelancesuccess.com
*****************************************************************
GOTHAM WRITERS' WORKSHOP: Creative writing classes in Fiction,
Nonfiction, Screenwriting, Poetry, Children's Books, more. 10-wk
& 1-day classes in NYC and online for adults and teens. For free
catalog, call 212-WRITERS or visit http://www.WritingClasses.com
*****************************************************************
MARKET INFORMATION
------------------
Please get current, detailed guidelines before submitting to
publications if possible. Don't submit to email addresses unless
specifically stated. Include a SASE for surface mail replies.
More market info at: http://www.inkspot.com/market/.
==-----------------------------------------------------==
"FNASR" = First North American Serial Rights, "SASE" =
self-addressed, stamped envelope, "simsubs" = simultaneous
submissions, "mss" = manuscript, "RT" = response time, "GL" =
guidelines, "wds" = words, "cc" = contributor's copy.
Markets Editor: Sal Towse (ST). Research assistants:
Shane Stacks (SS), Margaret Shauers (MS), Kathie Meyer (KM),
Fox (FX).
THE IOWA REVIEW
---------------
[Note: Work can be submitted September-March only. Work sent
April-August will be returned. This market is for the print
edition only. The Iowa Review Web edition is not a paying market
at this time.] The Iowa Review. Editor: David Hamilton, 308 EPB,
The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1492. Phone:
319-335-0462. The Iowa Review is a well-respected contemporary
literary magazine est. 1970. FREQ: Triannual. CIRC: 2,500, 192
pps. AUDIENCE: lovers of short fiction and poetry. NEEDS:
Fiction, poetry, essays, reviews, memoirs, and novel excerpts.
Essays do not need to be academic criticism. "Possibly there are
other literary forms of which we are not aware and in which we
would be interested." LENGTH: "We have no set guidelines as to
content or length. We have published several novellas, long
plays, and long poems in the past. Our rule of thumb is the
longer it is, the more we've got to love it. And, of course, the
length of 192 pps. implies something." Writers should browse
through some issues before submitting. The Iowa Review does not
accept e-submissions at this time. Reprints are not accepted;
simsubs are okay as long as the editor is informed. However,
"What [The Iowa Review staff] comes to feel over time is that if
the writer isn't to some degree seeking us out, let someone,
anyone else have him." Please send submissions by postal
mail with a SASE including a cover letter indicating title of work
and genre. Sample issues may be obtained by sending $6 to the
postal mail address. RT: 1-3 mos. in most cases. RIGHTS: FNASR,
non-exclusive anthology rights, non-exclusive classroom copy
rights, and non-exclusive e-rights for reproduction on the
magazine's Web site. PAYS: $1 per line for poetry, $10 per page
for prose on publication. Contributors also receive a year's
subscription starting from the issue in which they appear. TIPS:
"Become a student of your tradition, as you formulate it: let
your work display some hints of what your form affirms." (KM)
URL: http://www.uiowa.edu/~iareview/
GL: http://www.uiowa.edu/~iareview/guidelines.htm
E-mail: iowa-review@uiowa.edu
GARDENGUIDES
------------
GardenGuides. 2509 Dare Street, Burlington, NC 27217.
336-226-7649 FAX: 770-216-1756. Editor: Jackie Carroll.
Gardening. Updated with new articles weekly. CIRC: The website
peaks in May with about 600,000 visitors. Our newsletter has
about 20,000 subscribers. We are currently working on plans for
syndication through various other media, and we will work with
our authors individually as their articles are considered for
syndication. AUDIENCE: Gardeners, average age 46, 83% homeowners,
71% female. NEEDS: Articles about gardening from experienced
gardeners. PAY: $25/article. Checks are mailed in the first week
of the month following publication. Example: If your article is
published in August the check will be mailed the first week in
Sept. RIGHTS: Buys the right to publish, then archive the article.
After 90 days authors may ask that the article be removed from
the archives. Sometimes accepts articles that contain quality
information, but don't meet our high quality of writing
standards. In this case an editor will spend considerable time
with the author helping him/her to meet our standards. We may
ask for additional rights in exchange for our editorial
assistance in these cases; however the author will always retain
the copyright. RT: We try to respond within a couple of days. If
the article requires editing there may be a delay in our final
decision. In this case we will notify the author that we are
considering the article. SUBMISSIONS: We prefer e-mail
submissions that are a plain text or Microsoft Word attachment.
TIPS: We are looking for articles by experienced gardeners only.
Most of our writers are master gardeners and several have
published books on various gardening topics. Although these
credentials are not required, we will not consider articles by
beginners, or articles based on research with no personal
experience. I strongly suggest that anyone considering submitting
an article to GardenGuides look at the site and read some of the
articles first. (ST)
URL: http://www.gardenguides.com
GL: available through e-mail
E-mail: gardener@interpath.com
CEMETERY DANCE
--------------
Cemetery Dance. Editor: Richard Chizmar. World Fantasy
Award-winning bi-monthly magazine of horror, dark mystery, and
suspense. ~100pp. CIRC: 10K. NEEDS: FICTION: Stories that are
powerful and emotional, chilling and disturbing, moody and scary.
Our most common reasons for rejection are: lack of originality,
lack of power, slow pacing, and disliked storylines. Unsolicited
short stories up to 5,000 wds. And don't be afraid to submit; we
very much enjoy working with new, unpublished authors, as well as
the best the genre has to offer! NON-FICTION: Always interested
in non-fiction: articles, essays, and interviews relating to the
horror, suspense and crime genres. Always send a query letter
first, outlining your idea and projected length. If we like your
concept, we'll assign you the job with a deadline. RT: Currently
4-10 wks. PAY: $0.03-0.05/wd. On publication. RIGHTS: One-time
North American serial rights.SUBMISSIONS: Fiction (with SASE)
should go to assistant editor Bill Schafer at: Cemetery Dance,
P.O. Box 190238, Burton, MI 48519. Please note: we are closed to
submissions from October 1 - March 1. Non-fiction queries should
be mailed (with SASE) to Editor Richard Chizmar, Cemetery Dance,
P.O. Box 943, Abingdon, MD 21009. Note that Cemetery Dance does
not accept e-mail submissions, proposals, or queries. Any
submissions or queries sent via e-mail will be discarded. (ST)
URL: http://www.cemeterydance.com
GL: http://www.cemeterydance.com/html/guidelines.html
or e-mail our guidelines autoresponder at
guidelines@cemeterydance.com
ORION
-----
Orion. 195 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA, 01230. Managing
Editor: H. Emerson Blake. Magazine working to reconnect human
culture with the natural world. FREQ: Quarterly. CIRC: 20K.
NEEDS: Nature/Environmental-based fiction, poetry, non-fiction,
and essays. Needs are split among the following areas: Special
Sections, Features, and Departments. LENGTH: Varies, depending on
type or area meant for (see GL URL below). 5K wds max regardless.
GL: Submissions accepted via postal mail only. Submit in
standard ms format, ensuring phone number and SASE are enclosed.
Previously published material okay ("we consider articles that
have already received a very limited or regional audience").
Queries are considered, but completed submissions are preferred.
RIGHTS: FNASR, plus limited reprint rights. PAYS: Fiction,
Non-Fiction, and Essays: $.10/wd; Poems: $100/poem. Pays on
publication. RT: 2 months. TIP: "Because ORION has a very
particular sensibility and style, potential writers should
familiarize themselves with the magazine and our editorial
guidelines before submitting their work." (ST)
URL: http://www.orionsociety.org/orion.html
GL: http://www.orionsociety.org/omguidelines.html
E-Mail: orion@orionsociety.org
CONTEST: INSCRIPTIONS HAIKU CONTEST
----------------------------------
Inscriptions e-zine: http://www.inscriptionsmagazine.com. Editor
Pamela Wilfinger. The weekly e-zine for professional writers is
hosting a haiku contest. CIRC: 2.5K. NEEDS: "We are looking for
haiku or senryu poetry on any topic. Traditionally, haiku deals
with man's interaction or appreciation of nature, and is written
in three lines of 5 syllables, 7 syllables and 5 syllables.
Modern senryu is similar to haiku in that it's written in the
same format; however, the subject can be about any topic. Unlike
other haiku contests you may have seen online or in print, we
encourage the use of metaphors, punctuation (when appropriate)
and titles in your senryu and haiku entries." All entries in
English please. Entrants from all over the world are welcome.
Submissions accepted via email *only*; send entries to
maidenfate@aol.com. Paste directly into body of e-mail and send
with "Haiku Contest" in the subject header. One haiku per email.
Include your real name, mailing address and email address with
each entry. Without this, your entry will be disqualified. Enter
as often as you like. If you do not receive confirmation of your
entry within 48 hours, please resend your entry. DEADLINE: August
27, 1999, 5pm EST. PRIZES: First place: $30 Amazon.com gift
certificate (or cash alternative), a copy of Acorn: A Journal of
Contemporary Haiku, and publication in Inscriptions. Second place:
$20 gift certificate to Amazon.com (or cash alternative) and
publication in Inscriptions. Third place: $10 gift certificate to
Amazon.com (or cash alternative) and publication in Inscriptions.
Winners will be announced in the September 11 issue of Inscriptions.
(KM)
URL: http://www.inscriptionsmagazine.com
Email: maidenfate@aol.com
MARKET UPDATES:
Lois Rosenthal, Editor, and Richard Rosenthal, Publisher, Story
Magazine, recently announced the upcoming winter millennium issue
will be its last due to the sale of F&W; Publications. They are no
longer accepting manuscripts. (KM)
Please send market news to Sal Towse, towse@inkspot.com.
*****************************************************************
Ask The Experts
---------------
*** Please put "inklings question" in the subject header. ***
Judith Bowen (ROMANCE WRITER) JudithBowen@poboxes.com
David Breeden (POET) drpoetry@ktc.com
Charles Deemer (SCREENWRITER) charlesd@inkspot.com
Mark Fowler (LAWYER) askthelawyer@inkspot.com
Carol Henson (BOOK DOCTOR) bookdoc@Prodigy.net
Ken Jenks (ELECTRONIC PUBLISHER) MindsEye@tale.com
Ginger Knowlton (AGENT) agent@inkspot.com
Michelle Sagara (SF/FANTASY WRITER) Michelle.Sagara@sff.net
Lee Wardlaw (CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITER) lee@inkspot.com
Marcia Yudkin (FREELANCE WRITER) yudkin@inkspot.com
Columnists may be unable to reply privately to every message,
but will answer selected questions in future issues of Inklings.
Please keep your question BRIEF and send it to *one* columnist.
*****************************************************************
ASK THE SCREENWRITER
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Charles Deemer <charlesd;@inkspot.com>
Optioning scripts without pay
-----------------------------
Q: A producer wants to option my script without paying me any
money. What's up?
A: You've hit upon the latest trend in Hollywood, which typically
works against the interests of writers. The Free Option is
quickly becoming accepted among producers, despite lip service
against it by the WGA (Writer's Guild of America -- the
screenwriters union).
It used to work this way. A producer would option a screenplay,
usually for a year, in order to see if s/he could put a deal
together with a studio to make and distribute the movie.
Typically the producer would pay the writer 10% of the script's
purchase price for the option (and the purchase price was in the
range of 3% of the movie's budget). So if it would cost $10
million to make a "lower budget" film, the sale price of the
screenplay would be $300,000 and the option would be $30,000.
A prolific writer who could option a few scripts a year could
make a good income. Indeed, I had a friend who made a six-digit
income year to year and never had a movie made!
How things have changed! First, screenwriting became THE thing
to do by young writers. The Great American Novel was replaced by
the Great American Screenplay. It became a buyer's market.
Whenever there is a buyer's market, with more writers hawking
more product than the marketplace can bear, the buyers make the
rules. Producers discovered they could option scripts without
paying anything for them (usually a low price like ten dollars is
indicated in the contract). Why? Because writers were hungry
enough to accept their offers.
And that's the way the market is today. In fact, I just gave a
producer a free RENEWAL on an option, overriding the payment
indicated in the contract, because it was the only way I could
keep him on board, and I didn't feel like going back to point
zero (I did this against my agent's advice, by the way: she
wanted to just abandon the script. The producer still thinks he
can put a deal together. So my choice was to shelve it or let
the producer keep running with it. Only the latter keeps
possibility alive.)
The free option, in essence, makes the independent producer act
like a second agent. So today the process looks like this: the
agent gets a producer interested, who options the script for
nothing in order to try and get financing, usually from a studio,
and only at the end of this process will the writer get paid. So
an extra step without payment is now in the writer's marketing
journey. And it doesn't look like the free option is going to go
away soon.
In the July/August issue of Creative Screenwriting, there is an
article on this development and suggestions on how writers can
minimize its consequences.
**------------------------------------**
Charles Deemer is the author of "Screenwright: the Craft of
Screenwriting," which has been called "the bible of screenwriting
for the novice." Details at
http://www.teleport.com/~cdeemer/book/index.html
Also see the Screenwriters' and Playwrights' Discussion Forum:
http://writers-bbs.com/inkspot/threads.cgi?forum=screen
Copyright (c) 1999 Charles Deemer.
*****************************************************************
CONDUCTING E-MAIL INTERVIEWS AND SURVEYS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Moira Allen <moira;@inkspot.com>
E-mail can be an effective and convenient way to conduct an
interview, and is often appreciated by busy experts who don't
have time for a face-to-face or telephone interview. It enables
you to compose questions carefully rather than "on the fly," and
gives your interviewee time to respond carefully as well. E-mail
also offers a good way to follow up on a traditional interview,
when seeking clarification or additional information.
E-mail interviews are especially useful when the interviewee's
information will constitute a very small part of your article,
or, alternatively, when the article will be based almost verbatim
on the interviewee's words, as in a Q&A; interview or similar
piece. They may also be appropriate when:
* The interviewee specifies a preference for being interviewed
in this fashion.
* The interviewee is too busy for a traditional interview.
* Conflicting schedules and/or time zones make telephone
interviewing difficult.
* You know exactly what questions you want to ask. (This often
requires some background knowledge of the subject.)
* The subject is relatively impersonal. (An e-mail interview
wouldn't be appropriate for discussing a tragic or deeply
personal issue.)
* The interview can be conducted with a limited number of
questions.
E-mail interviews are less effective when you're trying to
develop a profile or catch a personal glimpse of the interviewee
-- a profile that would include not only the individual's words
but also your observations of the person's appearance, actions,
skills, emotions, tone of voice, etc. They are less effective if
you don't know enough about a subject to develop useful
questions, or when you're more likely to get information from the
natural flow of questions and answers than from a predefined
script. In an e-mail interview, you can't change direction if a
more promising tangent emerges from the conversation; you can't
nudge the interviewee back on track if the conversation strays or
ask follow-on questions if your first questions don't elicit
enough information; and you can't ask for immediate explanations
or clarification.
The following strategies can help you develop and refine an
e-mail interview:
1) Determine your goals before writing your questions. Decide
exactly what you need to know; then develop questions that will
best elicit that information.
2) Ask open-ended questions rather than questions that can be
answered "yes" or "no." For example, instead of asking, "Do you
enjoy writing children's books?" ask, "What do you enjoy most
about writing children's books?" or "What are some of the things
you enjoy about writing children's books?"
3) If necessary, explain why you are asking a particular
question, so the interviewee has a better idea of the response
you're looking for.
4) Let the interviewee know what audience or market you're
writing for, so that the interviewee will know how detailed or
technical the information should be.
5) Keep your questions as clear, uncomplicated, and short as
possible.
6) Keep your list of questions as short as possible. Ten is
good; twenty is likely to tax an interviewee's patience.
7) List your questions numerically, and leave space between each
question for the interviewee to insert the answer.
8) Include a final "open" question -- e.g., "Is there anything
else you'd like to say on this subject that hasn't been covered
above?" that will enable the interviewee to add information or
ideas that weren't covered by your script.
9) Let the interviewee know how soon you need the answers. (If
you need to follow up on a late interview, be polite; remember
that the interviewee is doing you a favor, and is under no
obligation to comply with your request or meet your deadline.)
10) Don't be afraid to ask for clarification, or to follow up on
questions or answers that beg for additional information. And
always thank your interviewee!
E-mail interviews don't work for everyone, or in every
circumstance. They may not be appropriate, for example, if your
interviewee is uncomfortable with written questions (they may
look too much like a test) or doesn't enjoy expressing ideas in
writing. Under the right conditions, however, e-mail can add an
extra level of convenience to an interview -- and give you a
written record of the conversation.
E-mail Surveys
--------------
Another way to gather information via e-mail is to conduct a
survey. Once again, the Internet offers an unparalleled
opportunity: You can send a list of questions to hundreds of
potential respondents, at no cost.
At the same time, caution is in order. Some respondents may
regard a survey as a form of spam. Your e-mail should state the
nature and purpose of the survey as quickly, succinctly, and
courteously as possible. Assure respondents of privacy, and
guarantee that you won't cite anyone by name or organization
without permission. If you're soliciting comments as well as
statistics, ask respondents to indicate whether or not they may
be quoted, and how they should be cited.
Like interview questions, survey questions should be short,
clear, well-organized, and limited in number. Unlike interview
questions, however, survey questions should encourage "yes/no"
answers, or answers to a multiple-choice selection of options.
Respondents are also more likely to answer a short questionnaire
than a long one.
An easy format is to follow each question with the answer options
(e.g., "Yes" or "No") on a separate line or lines. Place a set
of parentheses in front of each option, with space for a
response:
1) Do you accept e-mail queries?
( ) Yes
( ) No
2) How do you prefer to receive manuscripts?
( ) Hardcopy (printed)
( ) On diskette
( ) By e-mail, in the body of the e-mail message
( ) As an e-mail attachment
This enables the respondent to simply insert an "x" in the
appropriate space and mail the form back as a reply. If you are
offering a multiple-choice question that could have more than one
answer, indicate whether you want the respondent to "check only
one" or "check all that apply."
To ensure your respondents' privacy, place all your survey
addresses in the "BCC" (blind copy) field of your header. Leave
the "TO" field blank, or enter a generic title in that field
(such as "editor" or "director"). That title will then show up
as the "addressee" on each survey form, but addressees won't be
able to see the addresses of your other respondents.. (You'll
receive a notice that this "blank" e-mail was undeliverable, but
the blind copies will go through.) If you have a large number of
addressees, send the survey in several batches rather than all at
once.
When you mail your survey, several may bounce back immediately as
undeliverable. Keep track of these bounces so that you know
exactly how many surveys went out. This will enable you to
calculate the correct percentage of responses. For example, if
you send out 100 surveys, get ten back as undeliverable, and
receive fifty responses, you have a 55 percent response rate.
The bulk of your responses will typically arrive in a flood
within the first two or three days of your mailing. After that,
the flow will taper to a trickle. At some point, you'll have to
decide when it's time to cut off the survey and tally the
results, even if you're still getting an occasional response.
It's also helpful to set up a separate mailbox to store your
responses until you're ready to tally them.
Once you've completed the survey, make a list of the respondents
and send them a thank-you note for participating. If respondents
are interested in the results of your survey, let them know when
and where the article will appear.
Perhaps more than any other electronic invention, e-mail has
changed the way writers and editors do business. Like any
technology, however, e-mail can easily be abused. Its simplicity
often fosters an inappropriate attitude of informality, an
inattention to detail. Because e-mail costs virtually nothing,
it can also be overused. Editors have no more wish to be
bombarded with e-mail messages than with phone calls. Authors,
experts, and others who post an e-mail address on a Web site
still value their privacy, and are under no obligation to reply
to every message they receive.
Simple courtesy and professionalism, however, will go far toward
keeping lines of communication open between writers, editors, and
experts, for whom the negatives are generally far outweighed by
the positives!
(Excerpted from "Writing.com: Creative Internet Strategies to
Advance Your Writing Career", Allworth Press, Aug/99)
**-------------------------------------**
Moira Allen is the author of "Writing.com: Creative Internet
Strategies to Advance Your Writing Career," forthcoming from
Allworth Press on August 21. For more information about
Writing.com, please visit Allen's "Tips for Writers" Web site at
http://www.tipsforwriters.com/WC.shtml. Allen is the Associate
Editor of Inklings, and Editor of Inkspot's new e-mail
newsletter, Global Writers' Ink (http://www.inkspot.com/global).
Copyright 1999 Moira Anderson Allen.
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INKSPOT WRITERS' COMMUNITY CENTER UPDATE
http://www.inkspot.com/forums/
INKSPOT MOO/CHATS:
------------------
(From Shane Stacks) Speculative fiction author Brian A. Hopkins's
August 11th Inkspot chat was a lot of fun; shame on you if you
missed it! :-) Brian ran a very friendly and informal chat,
entertaining and educating all present. Brian will be hosting
another chat soon. Meantime, you can find out more about him at:
http://www.sff.net/people/brian_a_hopkins/
NEXT CHAT: John A. Goodman, bestselling and award-winning computer
book author (books include PETER NORTON'S INSIDE THE PC). Chat
will be scheduled for mid-to-late September; be sure to check
the Sept. 15th issue.
The Inkspot MOO is generously supported by the kind folks at
MOOkti (http://noisey.oise.utoronto.ca:9996/). For more info,
please contact Shane Stacks at ss@inkspot.com or see
http://www.inkspot.com/ss/iwcc/
DISCUSSION FORUMS:
------------------
Many new forums available, including Women Working at Home,
Humor Writing, Speak Your Mind, Marketing and Tips For Writers,
many more. For a full list of topics, see:
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W R I T E R S ' C L A S S I F I E D S
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WEBSTORE FOR WRITERS includes the popular "Writers' Software
Store". Ready to be a Master? http://www.MasterFreelancer.com/ink
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Authorlink! (http://www.authorlink.com), site for editors,
agents, writers. New publishing imprint, Authorlink Press.
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PHYSICIAN WRITERS: submissions needed for planned inspirational
book dealing with doctors and patients. "Feel good" stories,
fiction or nonfiction, 500-5000 words. Pays percentage of
profits. Chris Wiggins, M.D., cewmd1@datasync.com
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Sensational book proposals are the essential key to being
published. Mark Shaw, author of eight published books in the
1990s, can show you his Ten Magic Steps To Becoming a Published
Author. For free consultation and more information, check out
Mark's webpage at http://www.markshaw.com or call 812-988-8215.
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Do you write fiction? StoryCraft software can help you to
overcome writer's block and really make your story come to life.
Check it out: http://writersbbs.com/storycraft/
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