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Hi, this issue I'll start sharing what I learned at the online conference held a couple of weeks ago. Since I will be guest editor for For Authors Newsletter next week, I'll use both weeks to give everyone a sample of the huge amount of information I received.
Anyone interested in next year's conference, the link to register is found in "Invalid Item"
Viv
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Story or Plot Ideas
Ideas for plots or stories can be found in unusual places such as newspaper articles, watching people in a doctor’s office, or from a book of prompts. One such book is The Writer’s Book of Matches – 1001 prompts to ignite your fiction by the staff of fresh boiled peanuts, a literary journal. In an online writing conference (The Muse 2007 Online Writers Conference), Linda Barnett-Johnson gave some examples and initiated some exercises which helped develop ideas. A helpful hint is to keep a small notebook to jot down ideas.
I participated in that conference and in Linda’s exercises. I would like to share some ideas her suggestions triggered in my mind and the results of the exercises.
First some ideas for stories/plots, which I wrote on my own after reading those given by Linda:
1. A SWAT team assaults a building where a multiple killer supposedly hides. What if the “tip” is a trap?
2. A man, after the death of his wife, decides to clean the attic of the house where they lived for over fifty years. He discovers a small trunk in a far corner, under a pile of boxes.
3. “How could you? How could you do ...”
Exercise 1: We randomly opened a dictionary and, and without looking, pointed to a word. We were told to list the word with Village behind it and do a rough outline for a story.
I pointed to “leap”; therefore, my subject became Leap Village. My outline was as follows:
A. Population varies. Full-time residents range from 400-500.
Population with “leapers” hovers around 10,000.
B. Activities: Permanent inhabitants make temporary leapers comfortable and try to calm fears.
C. Main characters include Terry, a newcomer, and Dr. Ross, a permanent villager.
D. Location: Who knows?
Exercise 2: We were to write a hook for a story, one we were working on or one we make up. A hook grabs and keeps a reader’s attention, and one is required for good writing.
Since I had the outline for Exercise 1, I decided to try a hook for that story idea. The result follows:
Terry opened her eyes but closed them quickly when a sharp brightness blinded her. When she sensed, through closed eyelids, the light fading, she peeked. The azure sky above her filled her vision, not a cloud to be seen. She rolled from her back and used shaky arms to push her tingling body upright. In the distance, a cluster of buildings broke the span of flat, empty plains.
“Where am I?” She frowned at her uttered comment. Very original, Terry, she thought as she tried to remember the immediate past, or for that matter - any past.
Those two exercises provided me with the start of my first science fiction story. I hope they will help you, too.
Next week I'll cover "writing tight."
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Words from Our Readers
collins96
I have a basketfull of publishing information that all needed going over. After reading your newsletter, I can, with confidence, throw half of it away. Thank you for another great newsletter and taking some of the mystery out of the process of getting published.
Collin
You're welcome, Collin. I'm always glad when I'm able to help another writer.
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ehrydberg
This was a very interesting and informative newsletter regarding opinions on self-publishing. A few questions/comments.
1) I'm still not clear on the difference between Self-publishing and Vanity press. Could you give some examples? ie: which would Lulu be? what about a company like Trafford?
Self-publishing is put together by the author and sent to a company that prints it. Sometimes the line between self-publishing and vanity blurs when the author doesn't have a good product (not well edited and/or well written). However vanity presses take anything submitted and "publish" it. They require payment up front and offer little or not benefits other than printing the manuscript.
I'm not personally familiar with Trafford, but I know some "independent" publishers do charge the author for publishing a manuscript, but they do a thorough job of editing, making the book valid.
Lulu technically is not a publisher, but a printing service, a print-on-demand company.
2)The attitudes of booksellers was also interesting to hear and suggests that self-published authors have a strong uphill battle for publicity and distribution.
All authors have a major uphill battle. Those published by major publishing houses still have to do their own promotion, publicity, and marketing. In fact most publishers now request that submitters include a marketing plan - details as to how he/she will promote and market his/her own book.
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April Sunday 
VIV, Great tell-all & poll results. On cost of editing --- why not choice a reviewer for a final edit? PRP's filled willing editor criteria.
Teff, we do have some excellent reviewers on this site, but many lack skills to do the type of editing needed to help prepare a manuscript for submission or for publishing. If one wants a complete edit, whether self-publishing or submitting to a publisher, using a professional editor is the better choice.
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monty31802
A very informative Newsletter as only a teacher would write, Viv.
Thanks, Monty, but this teacher is still learning, too. Anyone who isn't learning is starting to die.
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DB Cooper
BEWARE! Some PODs {but not PublishAmerica} say publication is free but they are are misleading you.
True, some PODs may charge for their services, but most Print-on-Demand companies only charge for books ordered.
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Mojo
This was very informative and very helpful for me as a beginner in writing.
Thank you. I'm glad to help.
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Zeke 
I believe that sometimes an author is driven to self-publish in order to get his message out. Waiting for a publisher to share his view may not be possible.
Zeke
That's true, Zeke. The important thing for anyone self-publishing to do first is to be sure the work is well written and well edited.
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Doris
This is very good information, Thanks. Now hopefully not too far from your subject, this question...I have sent three chapters to a company that has offered to critique and edit it without charge for the first three chapters. I haven't heard back from them and it has been three weeks. Question: Do I write again to see if they got it? How it's going? I don't want to be over anxious but would like to know something...anything. Thanks for your response
I'm not sure about what type of company you're talking about, but most do not critique and edit anything for free unless it's a reputable agent or publisher with something accepted. I do know that agents and publishers take anywhere from three months to six months before they respond. Three weeks is a relatively short time to get anything read and evaluated, though.
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billwilcox
Viv,
I have dog-eared this newsletter and put it in my 'Important Keepers' folder. Your advice and links to other authors on the subject is essential. Thanks for sharing, -Bill
Wow, Bill, I bet that was hard on your computer monitor. 
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spazmom
It was fun to see the results of your poll and to see the different opinions. It's pretty much what I have seen. I am leaning more and more to self publishing the works that I don't think will see the light of day otherwise, though I do have stuff that I would still send to a publisher. It's all in the product and how it fits the market. Good information.
I agree. It is all in the product and how it fits the market. Some types of material can hardly find a publisher, such as poetry, which leads to self-publishing for such material.
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Joshiahis
Thank you for the tips and the detailed links. I now see that writing the book is the easy part...
Yes, writing the book is the easy part of the process.
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Jay is studying
Great newsletter, Viv. I attended the BEA Writer's Digest Books Writers Conference this year, and the discussion of self publishing came up time and again in different panels. One consistent message from the agents & publishers there is that they don't consider self-publishing a publishing credit. Good thing to know if your ultimate goal is to be published by a publishing house!
Jay
I realize that agents and major publishers don't accept self-published items as credits. Of course agents won't accept authors unless they are published, and major publishing houses won't accept authors who do not have agents. They want to keep the writing pool under their control, and not acknowledging self-publishing gives them more power.
However, one reason they don't accept self-publishing is because so many people print material that isn't worth publishing - yet. The writing is not good or not edited or revised or polished.
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tailennion
Excellent timing with this topic! I've been doing a bit of research on Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing lately. Thanks for this newsletter. It's really helpful.
I'm glad I was able to help. We must make informed decisions.
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acecorona
I don't understand why so much time is being spent on self-publishing. This seems like the fifth newsletter dealing with that. I consider myself a "real" author, with one publishing credit under my belt so far. (Issue #5 Twisted Tongue science fiction magazine, February 2007) I feel that self-publishing is beneath me, and I'm waiting for a newsletter that deals with issues capable writers such as myself deal with, not a bandwagon to help desperate writers self-publish because they lack the talent to make it in the real publishing world. Most people would never read a book published by a vanity press, because you've got to wonder, if this author didn't have the talent to get published by a reputable publisher, maybe he isn't any good.
Congratulations on having a story accepted for publication. I hope it was a paying job and that is the first of many.
I usually don't select rude comments, but I decided to use this one. You could have voiced your opinion in a much nicer way.
Now to reply to your comments:
First of all, if you have been reading the past For Authors newsletters that I have written (as well as those by other editors), you know that the newsletters have covered all kinds of subjects to help people who want to get published, including many editorials about how to be a better writer - the first step toward being published. I've done the same with my Short Stories newsletters.
Secondly, this newsletter did not advocate self-publishing. It presented information about self-publishing, as requested by other readers, who also have a right to their opinions. Each person has to make his/her own choice, and self-publishing is a bit different from vanity press.
I can't remember the names of the well-known, famous authors who started out self-publishing; apparently self-publishing wasn't beneath them. They used it as a spring board to success. Others are now going the self-publishing route because they want to keep some of the profits for themselves. Most authors with major publishing houses do well if they receive 30 - 50 cents royalty from each book sold.
One credit doesn't a professional author make, either. It is a step in the right direction, but just a step. Be careful that you don't stick your nose so high in the air that you stumble.
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myfreshideas
Hello, My name is Jeanne I am the author of How To Treat Your Skin Naturally! I self published and did entire layout, etc. I went to a commercial printer I still owe him my hard work and the layout was off and I lost control cause was paid upfront,he called the shots and timeline. I got a lousy bound book and no ISBN and no bookstores would touch it. I went to Lulu got a decent book. The cost of my books and shipping is ridiculous. No returns, no telephone number to speak with. Have to do it online chat. I get 5.12 royalty per book it retails for 21.95. I want to submit it to new publishers but never seem to have the time and focus. I do recommend that any one with a book go with www.bookmarketingprofits.com Al Galasso he really does what he says and he promotes books at many book trade shows each year.
Good luck with your books. With any book, the author either has to promote and market it (whether with a major publisher or self-publishing) or hire someone to do the work. It's sad but true.
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Timber
Self Publishing is something I have been thinking about as I am nearly finished with a three year cookbook project for dogs.
I have been unable to find a publisher that is interested in a canine cookbook yet --perhaps because I don't really know how to write the query letter for the pitch.
Perhaps I should join one of the many neat groups and run it past them for suggestions on a publisher to contact.
Have you search for specialty publishers or a small press? I would think you'd have an unusual enough product to interest someone. Look at the popularity of Pets R Us, or whatever it's called. Hmmm ... maybe you should contact one of those stores and see if they know of a publisher who deals with animal writing.
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Time to say good bye for this issue, but I'll be back next week. I'll cover the topic of writing tight.
Vivian
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For Authors: October 31, 2007 Issue [#2030]
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