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Sunoasis X 2005 V2 Issue 8
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David Eide
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Aug 31, 2005 20:15 PDT
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S U N O A S I S X 2 0 0 5
Volume 2 Issue 8
August 2005
"The art of the pen is to rouse the inward vision,
to spring imagination with a word or a phrase."
-- George Meredith
_____________________T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
1) [Professional Notes- Networking For The Writing Tribe]
2) [Resource Notes]
3) [C/Oasis- new stories and poems]
4) [New Forms of Publishing]
5) [Community]
6) [Etc/Etc/Etc]
http://www.sunoasis.com/sunoasisblog.html
Switch to the online version right now!
http://www.sunoasis.com/honor.html
I'm not charging for subscriptions but if the spirit
moves you please use the Amazon Honor System. Thanks.
Enjoy this issue! Forward any comments to:
eide-@earthlink.net
===========================================================
Can You Write A Simple Letter?
If yes, you could be in big demand, earning big money,
writing just a few hours a day from anywhere in the world
you choose to be. Here's how you can learn the secrets of
this little-known, lucrative business
Learn more: www.thewriterslife.com/ph/soc62
__________________P R O F E S S I O N A L N O T E S
Oh, the pains writers go through. It's not enough to
write until blood spills all over the page. No, then
the precious writer must write query letters, market,
and, now, this humiliation of "networking."
So, what's the poor, introverted writer to do? After all,
most writers are trained to spy on networks, not to
participate in them. For writers, "networking" can be
a tricky, peculiar problem.
A writer would network for several distinct reasons.
One would be if she were shopping a manuscript around.
Or if she wanted to increase exposure of a book
she had just published. And, naturally, a writer wants
to get known to editors and have a chance at writing
assignments. It's all very difficult to do without networking.
A writer's network can be made up of editors, agents,
fellow writers, experts in areas the writer writes about,
people who have interesting tales to tell, people who are
inside sources, and so on.
The art is to make the network a part of the seamless web
you are living. There are techniques to do this.
P o i n t s O f C o n t a c t
Author L. Michelle Tullier identifies six categories where
networking takes place: One-to-one meetings, professional
groups, the Net, education and training, social/
recreational/community settings and, lastly, what she refers
to as serendipity.
Serendipity is when you are riding on an airplane and start
conversing with the passenger next to you. "And what do you
do for a living?" "I"m a writer." "Oh, isn't that interesting
because I'm an editor..." So, a chance for a new relation is
struck 36,000 feet in the sky. Serendipity. And the air is
only one of many places these encounters can take place.
Try the golf course, cafe, grocery store, train, and the
neighborhood. I was in a line at the grocery store last month
and these two women started chatting in front of me. Before
we got to the checkout one had fished around in her purse
and pulled out a business card.
Ask yourself some simple questions: Where am I, where am
I going, where do I want to end up? And then apply the
art of research to discover the layers of structure that
exist between where you are and where you want to get to.
Read any biography of a leader in a democratic society
and you'll find an excellent networker. Most
successful people work the networks for years, over and
over again. And they don't change their personality or
act out of character. They simply learn to apply a few
techniques.
F i r s t T h i n g s F i r s t
Set the goal: "I am networking because..."
Answer that and then plan a series of actions
that will connect you with people who can help you. And
always keep in mind that it's a two-way street. You will
be helped as much as you help in turn. So, whenever you
think about a network, always think in terms of the interest
of the person you are going to have a professional relation
with.
Again and again I come across anecdotal evidence that
editors like to work with a small group of writers who
they've come to trust because they have established reliable
relations with them. The reason you cultivate networks is
to establish this and keep it in place.
The subject of an interview wants to be treated cordially, with
respect. So, don't get into arguments with him even if he says
something stupid. He is using you, as you are using him. And
you use each other for the benefit of a reading audience who
want to know what the subject is thinking.
The trick is to give the other person the confidence that
you will add value to their life and work as they add value
to yours. At that point a relation is made. Whether it goes
beyond that depends on many factors.
* * * *
Chances are you will network at different times for
different reasons. And there will be periods of time when
one network is hot and the rest of them are cool.
If writing is a process so too is networking. Instead of
working with words, meanings, and concepts you are working
with fellow persons.
* * * *
More questions to ask:
Who will give me support for my efforts?
Who can help move my material in the direction I
want it to go?
Who can move the material in wider networks?
* * * *
Anytime you publish something it should get into the hands
of your network. When it's time to write the book you'll
be promoting it a good deal. You will use whatever network
you have set-up and go about creating new one's. The internet
is invaluable since the book has at least one subject that
can be researched through Google or associations. What
you locate are a variety of people organized around that
subject. They are there. Make them part of your network.
Here are some general tips:
1) Focus on key people. Try to map out who can help you
the most.
2) Always look for new people to connect with.
3) Schedule your networking into your day; experts say spend
at least one hour a day in networking activities.
4) Make a portfolio
This last tip should be elaborated. I get questions
from writers and copywriters about the construction of a
portfolio. Just get a three-ring binder and some plastic
sleeves. You can put a lot of stuff in a portfolio or customize
it for a particular conference you are attending. Put in any
press clippings you've received, a resume, writing samples,
lists of projects you've done, any awards you've won,
diplomas, and anything else you can think of.
There's no reason to be stupid about it. Don't go against
your own nature to network. If you are introverted make it
a game. Challenge yourself. Try to understand the motives of
other people and make them equal to your own.
http://tinyurl.com/87236
The CareerJournal has some good advice on the introverted
networker.
http://tinyurl.com/9e6ys
To pull a quote from another CareerJournal article on
integrating networks into your life, "You need to realize
you are building your network everywhere all the time."
Even though these articles are about getting jobs they apply
to the way writers connect with editors, agents, and
potential readers.
Why is networking important? Any busy person will tell you
that a face, a smile, a voice, a set of gestures in real-
time, in a place where all the people want to be is
far more memorable than pieces of paper or email. By
establishing even a modicum of contact you are ahead of
all those who should but haven't. Those, in other words,
who have no context in the minds of people who could help
them.
W r i t e r O r g a n i z a t i o n s
One reason I list writer organizations is that they present
a great way to get involved in networks. Make sure you look
at the resource box below and check out a few. Also look
at the links to writer conferences.
Look for the best local writer's groups as well as national
groups like American Society of Journalists and Authors or
The Writer's Guild. Go and participate in as many functions
as you can. I regret having to decline a chance to be on
a panel discussion a few years ago at the ASJA Conference
in New York. In other conferences I've gone to people meet,
mingle, sell, mix, and exchange cards. Prepare the infamous
elevator speech of twenty seconds or less that says,
succinctly, who you are and how you can help this person.
The elevator speech is what you would say to a person to
explain who you are and what you do in the time it takes
to get into an elevator to the time you step out of it.
This is a technique that can be practiced but like a speech
it shouldn't be done mechanically. Know the contents very
well, eliminate unnecessary words, say it into a tape recorder,
and say it with a smile in the voice.
I saw this in hospitals I worked in. Salespeople, coming to
visit sick relatives or friends, would stop in the nurse's
station and give their elevator speech while handing out
business cards.
The shameless ones usually win out.
I'm not a great veteran of writer conferences but I have
been to conferences where a lot of networking has taken
place. Get a mental picture of what the conference is
going to be, who is going to be there, and how you can
benefit from it. Talk to people. Anyone. Carry a business
card with you and copy down any names or email addresses
that you can get. Use the elevator speech with panache
and confidence. So much of this is a quick evaluation of
large numbers of people; who can be trusted, who is confident,
and who is full of himself?
It's especially important to get involved at the local level
where you can be a physical presense and do some things to
show you are a good and trustworthy sort of person.
What you need to remember is that a lot, if not all, the
other people at a conference are doing the same thing you
are; that is, they are networking their self-interest. If you
meet an editor or an agent and then write them a brief note
after the event make sure to reference what you talked about
because the editor or agent probably talked to dozens of people
during the conference.
T h e N e t I n N e t w o r k i n g
Of course, the Net has cut through a lot of things. It's
not called a "communications revolution," for nothing. And
the impact can be dramatic. Since the Net cuts through the
kinds of judgements that face-to-face encounters have, "shy"
or introverted types can reach out more thoroughly than
before to take advantage of the greatest network in
the world.
It's a raw, imprecise network at times and you always need
to go into it with a bit of due diligence.
In the old days networks were primarily local. The
greengrocer or the sheriff knew everyone and connected
people together. There were always local clubs and
organizations where networking took place. If people got out
beyond that it was only because they had money, could
travel, and had a strong reason to do so.
What the Net does is expand the possibilities of discourse
and the amount of resource that can be exchanged between
people. This expansion is real and hopefully will have
a telling effect on the culture in the future.
Editors troll this Net and in certain cases sites are set
up, like MediaBistro.com, to bring editors and writers
together. This can be effective and I recommend at least
looking at it, especially if you write for magazines.
The added plus to the Net is that the writer moves through
many networks not having to do with writing or publishing. For
instance, if you are preparing a piece on aviation you have
lots of associations, forums, discussion boards, and mailing
lists to find experts, pilots, mechanics, designers and all
people associated with aviation. For every job title, every
industry, every profession there are networks on the Net.
Leaping into some of these can be very stimulating.
* * * *
When you start networking will you get an assignment right
off the bat? No. If you go to a writer's conference and meet
with important editors will they buy your material? Not
necessarily. But if you meet an editor and she has the
least bit of interest in what you are writing you can
go back to your office, type up a short, informative email
about meeting her, put in some contact information and
start the ball rolling in your favor. This tactic works
because the editor can associate the note with a face,
a voice and the fact you shared an experience in a
community you both belong to.
In these short notes on networking I hope the reader comes
away with these thoughts:
(1) Your network needs continuity so remember to drop little
notes or phone calls to your network to catch up, exchange
information and so forth. Do it periodically.
(2) Always deliver the goods. Networking is a process of
establishing trust and credibility. And that is done by
doing what you said you were going to do and doing it better
than expected. That is the buzz that will hum through whatever
network you've established and light up the brains of all the
network passes through.
(3) Make the network more than a party of peers. Reach out
beyond what you already know and have experienced.
(4) Remember that every person has their own motive for doing
what they are doing. They are looking for their own
particular result. Respect that and find out how you can
help them to their desired result.
______________________________R E S O U R C E N O T E S
Connect!
http://www.copydesk.org
American Copy Editors Society
http://www.asja.org
American Society of Magazine Editors
http://www.womcom.org
The Association for Women in Communications
http://www.publishers.org
Association of American Publishers
http://awpwriter.org/wcc/dirHome.htm
Directory of Writing Conferences
http://www.nna.org
National Newspaper Association
http://www.nwu.org
National Writers Union
http://www.newsguild.org
The Newspaper Guild
http://www.stc.org
Society for Technical Commications
http://www.wgaeast.org/
Writers Guild of America-East
Acknowledgements for this article go to:
Networking for Job Search and Career Success by
L. Michelle Tulllier, Ph.D, published by JIST Works,
2004
Self-Promotion for the Creative Person by Lee Silber,
published by Three Rivers Press, 2001
******** advertisement********
http://makeashorterlink.com/?E2D6228CA
Read Nick Usborne's review of Bob Bly's course, "Selling
Yourself as a Copywriter - How to Earn $100,000 a Year".
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=========================
For Freelancers Only:
=========================
http://www.writerswrite.com/selfpublishing/outsellanother.htm
Marketing your books.
http://www.asja.org/cw/cw.php
ASJA Contracts Watch
http://www.authorsguild.org/?p=101
Improving your book contract from The Authors Guild
http://www.actorsfund.org/ahirc/
Artists Health Insurance Resource Center
http://www.writing.org/html/a_stupid.htm
Stupid publisher tricks.
http://tinyurl.com/bvanf
How to find experts.
____________________________________________C R A F T
http://www.holtuncensored.com/ten_mistakes.html
Ten writing mistakes to avoid.
http://tinyurl.com/cffvh
The argument against e-mail interviews.
http://www.ariga.com/yiddish.shtml
A glossary of Yiddish expressions
http://www.westegg.com/cliche/
Cliche Finder
http://www.chiasmus.com/
Chiasmus.com
______________W R I T I N G O R G A N I Z A T I O N S
http://www.rootsweb.com/~cgc/
International Society of Family History Writers and Editors
http://www.personalhistorians.org/
Association of Personal Historians
http://www.ageditors.com/
American Agricultural Editors Association
http://www.inma.org/
International Marketing Newspaper Association
http://www.constructionwriters.org/index.html
Construction Writers Association
______________________________P U B L I S H I N G
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050819/ap_en_ot/book_machines
Books from vending machines? It's happening in Paris.
http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/
This site presents the front pages of newspapers from
around the world.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1733898,00.html
The British have their own take on self-publishing.
http://www.bookjobs.com/
Bookjobs.com is all about book publishing. Recommended
if you're looking for a job in this industry.
http://tinyurl.com/ch8rz
Is editing going by the wayside?
http://tinyurl.com/bx3t7
A stirring defense of reading and books.
http://tinyurl.com/8qceu
Are newsweeklies in trouble?
__________________________M A R K E T S A N D L E A D S
Investment Marketing Writer
Valley Forge, PA
Vanguard, one of the world's leading investment management
companies, needs a creative, disciplined writer to develop
and produce a range of investment and marketing
communications, in a variety of different media including
print and electronic channels. You should be able to tailor
your writing to various audiences, such as sophisticated
investment professionals, financial advisors, and individual
investors.
For Full Ad:
http://www.sunoasis.com/vanguard5.html
____________________________________________________________
Guidebook Authors
Avalon Travel Publishing is seeking writers to author four
new guidebooks: Moon Handbooks Greece and Moon Handbooks
Spain. We are seeking one author for each book. THESE ARE
CONTRACT POSITIONS, NOT FULL-TIME OFFICE JOBS.
Professional writers are preferred. Authors must be able to
quickly and clearly identify the key attractions of the
destination and provide strategic planning advice. They
must have close ties to and strong knowledge of the country.
Authors must also enjoy research and be able to adhere to
strict deadlines. ATP Authors are compensated with an
advance and royalty. Moon Handbooks authors update their
books every two to three years.
For Full Ad:
http://www.sunoasis.com/avalon.html
___________________________________________________________
COPYWRITER
Location: Tualatin, OR
Anthro Corporation, Technology Furniture® is looking for a
creative, enthusiastic copywriter to join our Creative team.
We design, manufacture and market furniture for technology.
Our furniture is flexible, modular and rugged. It is
designed to hold computer, engineering, audio-visual, and
biomedical equipment. Our customers span the globe and
include large corporations, small businesses, hospitals,
universities, non-profits, OEM, and government
organizations.
For Full Ad:
http://www.sunoasis.com/anthro.html
___________________________________________________________
MARKETS:
PARENTING MAGAZINES: Make sure you locate the
editor of a magazine, contact her and request a sample copy
and writer guidelines. If you think you have a story for
her, send an excellent query. Search back issues and try
to understand the type of articles the editor looks for.
We provide the guidelines or mail addresses and phone
number of the publications when available.
http://tinyurl.com/dq892
Chicago Parent
Pays $25-$300 for assigned articles
http://www.child.com
Child
Pays $1/word and up for assigned articles
http://tinyurl.com/exhwr
Family Fun
Pays $1.25/word for articles
http://www.metroparent.com/writersguidelines.html
The Metro Parent Magazine
Pays $50-$300 for assigned articles
Parenting Magazine
Pays $1,000-$3,000 for articles
530 Fifth Avenue, 4th Floor
NY, NY 10036
http://tinyurl.com/dxnou
South Florida Parenting
Pays $40-$300 for articles
http://tinyurl.com/d8xfm
Today's Parent Pregnancy & Birth
Pays $350-$2,000 for articles
http://www.whatsupkids.com/Live/main/writers.asp
What's Up Kids? Family Magazine (Canadian writers only)
Pays $100-$350 for assigned articles
Don't hesitate to tell us what you are looking for:
http://www.sunoasis.com/oasisfeedback.html
There is an index of writer guidelines here:
http://www.sunoasis.com/sunoasismarkets.html
___________________________________________C / O A S I S
http://www.sunoasis.com/douglasstory.html
A View From The Field by Sam Douglas
There was sand in her doll’s hair. And it was all
Monika’s fault. They were playing in the field across
from the Gasthaus only because that was where Monika
wanted to play, and the field was full of sand.
Erika looked intently at Monika and said,
"Du kannst mir nicht sagen wo wir spielen sollen.
Ich bin aelter."
http://www.sunoasis.com/rajstory.html
Springtime in Babylon by Raj Sharma
The waters of the Euphrates were rising with the onset of
spring. It was brief in this land which virtually had
only two basic seasons: winter and summer. Each lasted
about six months, and by the end of March, the snows
had thawed in the far north and the cold winds blew no
more.
http://www.sunoasis.com/burchellpoems.html
Three Poems by Graham Burchell
2995
Nine
Porthole 1
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http://tinyurl.com/8dtpf
Amazon.com is offering short stories online for 49cents.
http://mediachannel.org/blog/node/741
Romenesko is using the power of the net to keep journalism's
feet to the fire.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/08/21/business/book22.php
The 77 year-old author of the War of the Roses has some
comments to make about the new forms of publishing.
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/002784.php
Digital editions of newspapers are doing well.
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/002821_print.php
How do journalists use blogs?
http://www.editorsweblog.org/2005/08/multimedia_news.html
What does it mean when the New York Times merges the
print and online newsrooms?
_______________________________________C O M M U N I T Y
See the Tips Page for more information:
http://www.sunoasis.com/tips.html
Thanks to Steven Evans for his generous contribution.
Thanks Steven! He is an editor and has a splendid
website here:
http://www.the-freelance-editor.com
SEPTEMBER 16-17, 2005 ~ Hundreds of minority media
professionals, journalism students and companies committed
to diversity will convene in Chicago, IL on September 16-17,
2005 to discuss the future of the minority media.
Details: http://www.blackpress.org
SEPTEMBER 23-24, 2005
2005 MID-WESTERN CHRISTIAN BOOK FAIR in Iowa City, Iowa
will feature Christian author, publisher, printer and other
exhibitors from all parts of the US and as far away as
India and Croatia.
Details: http://www.christian-book-fair.com
SEPTEMBER 24, 2005
NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL on the National Mall in Washington
D.C. It is free and open to the public.
Details: http://www.loc.gov/bookfest
OCTOBER 1-2, 2005
WRITERS CONFERENCE AT PENN at the University of Pennsylvania
in Philadelphia. Workshops in fiction, creative nonfiction,
marketing, and publishing.
Details: http://www.pennwritersconference.org
OCTOBER 7-9, 2005
BRATTLEBORO LITERARY FESTIVAL in Brattleboro, Vermont.
Readings and panels featuring John Irving, Russell Edson,
and Maxine Kumin.
Details: http://www.brattleboroliteraryfestival.org
OCTOBER 19-22, 2005
GWENDOLYN BROOKS WRITERS CONFERENCE at Chicago State
University, Chicago, IL. This year's theme is Our
Black Revival.
Details: http://www.csu.edu/gwendolynbrooks/
OCTOBER 28-30, 2005
TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL in Austin, TX. Most events are free and
open to the public.
Details: http://www.texasbookfestival.org
OCTOBER 29- NOVEMBER 13, 2005
Chicago Humanities Festival in various Chicago area
locations. Panel discussions and readings by Ed Hirsch,
Margaret Atwood, Annie Proulx, Salman Rushdie, Scott
Turow, Joan Didion and others.
Details: http://www.chfestival.org
NOVEMBER 18,20, 2005
The international Cat Writers' Association (CWA) will hold
its 12th annual writers' conference in Foster City, CA near
San Francisco on November 18-20, 2005. The conference is
open to anyone interested in pet writing and will feature
two days of professional seminars with nationally known
speakers on topics including screenwriting, how to sell
children's books, online writing, humane shelter issues
and a magazine editor panel.
For more information:
http://www.sunoasis.com/tips.html
http://writing.shawguides.com/search?t=September
Shaw Guide for Writing Conferences in September.
_______________________________________E T C/ E T C/ E T C
Editor/Publisher: David Eide
Sunoasis X 2005 is fully protected by copyright.
Please ask permission if you are going to use any or
all of this publication.
Reprint rights belong to the authors.
Contact them if you wish to use their material.
Unauthorized use of any material is strictly
forbidden.
Our hope is that we can help and enhance the world
of writing, publishing, and editing.
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