1. Editorial

Hello again. And thank you for being a valued subscriber to E-
Writer!

One of the (few) drawbacks of being a solo freelance writer is
that there is no-one to tell you when you are doing something
stupid. (Of course, I have Jayne to perform this role in other
aspects of my life, but she tends not to venture into my office
very often...)

Anyway, I had one of those 'road to Damascus' moments the other
day that made me kick myself when I realised my own stupidity.
To explain briefly, I bought my current PC a couple of years
ago, and it came with a DVD drive and a CD-RW drive. My previous
computer had possessed a CD drive only.

Well, from time to time I enjoy playing music CDs while I'm
working, so I thought I'd give my new PC a spin. I put the CD
into the drive and - whoosh! - up to speed it came. Sitting at
the computer, I could barely hear the music for the sound of the
drive.

Oh well, I thought, I have a noisy CD drive. I can always listen
to Internet radio instead. I carried on using the CD drive for
music occasionally, but because it made such a noise, I didn't
really enjoy it very much.

Anyway, the other day I was sitting at my computer and my gaze
drifted across to the tower unit which houses its mysterious
inner workings. And what did I see embossed to the right of the
DVD drive? The words 'compact disc'.

And that's when the revelation struck me - over the last two
years I had been playing CDs in a CD-RW drive (which is meant
for writing and rewriting CDs) rather than the DVD drive. Of
course, I put one of my music CDs in the DVD drive, and it
played perfectly (and noiselessly).

So there's the very first free tip of this issue - if you think
your CD drive is noisy, try using your DVD drive for playing CDs
instead! And if this comes as a revelation to you as well, do
write and let me know - I might not feel quite such an idiot if
I know I'm not the only one who's fallen into this trap!

But anyhow, once I'd got over my own stupidity, I began to think
about the wider implications of my mistake. It occurred to me
that many of us carry assumptions around with us for years
without ever bothering to test them. A few possibilities might
include:

* I could never write a book
* I can't write fiction
* I can't write poetry
* I could never produce my own website
* I'd never win a writing competition
* Nobody would want to publish my book
* There's no market today for short stories
* I'm too old/too young to succeed as a writer

And so on, and so on. The probability is that none of the above
is correct, but unless you challenge yourself and test your
assumptions, you'll never know. So - although I know it's early
to start thinking about new year resolutions - why not make it
one of yours to test your assumptions about your own writing,
and see whether or not they really are true in 2005?

Speaking of assumptions, another one you'll hear repeated widely
is that there is no money in writing poetry. E-Writer reader
Roger Dunn looks well on the way to disproving this, however.

Roger specialises in writing sonnets, a poetic form he appears
to have a natural affinity for. A while ago I gave him some
advice on marketing himself, so I was very pleased to hear that
this is starting to bear fruit. Roger e-mailed to say that he
has just won the first prize of £100 (about $180) in a poetry
competition run by UK magazine Writers' Forum. You can read his
winning entry (a sonnet, naturally!) in the current (Dec/Jan)
issue. Roger has also had work performed on local and national
radio, and has had sonnets published in anthologies compiled by
the Open University and the University of Exeter. He has also
performed his work to an audience in a theatre in Birmingham
(UK), and done stand-up at the wonderfully named Dead Poets Inn.

Roger's example shows the value of finding a niche for yourself
and developing your skills and expertise within that niche. My
own 'niches' include small business matters, self-employment,
careers, gambling and - of course - writing for profit. Roger
has found an unusual niche in sonnet-writing, but by pursuing
his enthusiasm for this art and developing his skills, he is
well on the way to generating a regular income from it.

Another reader I heard from recently is author and genealogist
Karen Bali. She was interested to read about the E-Writer-
inspired collaboration between Paul Power and Dr Suzanne Harris,
which arose as a result of an item in an earlier issue. Karen
says she is also looking for collaborators for a number of books
she has planned. One of these is about tracing beneficiaries and
will be aimed at the legal profession. She says, 'Although I am
a professional genealogist...I would need a solicitor familiar
with probate law to provide a certain amount of information and
advice. I would be happy to take a suitable person on board as a
co-author or just use them in a consultative capacity - it would
be their choice.' For future projects, Karen is looking for
collaborators with skills/qualifications in time management and
family finance. If you think you could help Karen, you should be
able to contact her via her website at
http://www.people-search.co.uk. 

Finally, my apologies if you tried to listen in via the web to
my talk on Florida radio station 1230 WBZT on Monday November
22. I assumed that the show would be streamed via the website,
but it wasn't. However, the host, Suzanne Mulvehill, tells me
the programme was recorded and will be available on CD soon via
her website at http://www.profit-strategies.com. The show was an
hour long and devoted to writing. I was on for about ten
minutes!

2. Article: Article Writing Adjudication

A while ago I mentioned in E-Writer that I had been booked by
the Southport Writers Circle to judge their article writing
competition. I found this a very interesting exercise, and
promised at the time that I would reproduce some of my judge's
comments in the newsletter. Well, I guess the time has come to
deliver on that promise. My slightly edited comments are
reproduced below, with a few further thoughts following them.

I should say that the competition was for an article with a
maximum length of 500 words related in some way to the theme of
'pearl' (it happened to be the writers' group's pearl
anniversary!). I commented first on presentation, then on
content.

<<PRESENTATION

Generally entries were well presented. Just a few points arose.

1. As a basic principle with article writing, articles should be
double-spaced - that is to say, they should have alternating
empty lines, so that an editor has plenty of space to insert his
or her amendments.

2. It does need to be clear with an article where one paragraph
ends and another begins. If you’re using block paragraphs, you
should insert an extra space between paragraphs. Otherwise, you
should indent the first line of each new paragraph. In my
experience most editors prefer the second option with indented
first lines and no extra spaces between paragraphs, as it makes
it easier for them to judge how much space an article will take
up on the printed page.

3. Only a single space is needed after a full stop. While in
correspondence a double space may be correct, again editors
normally prefer a single space after a full stop, as that’s how
the article will appear on the printed page.

4. In some of the entries the punctuation was a bit eccentric.
Some entrants seemed to have a fondness for semi-colons, while
one or two were equally enthusiastic about the colon. As a
general principle, I’d advise being sparing with both of these
marks in article writing. And if you do use them, be sure you
understand the rules governing their use.

5. Finally, I was surprised by the number of entries which
included typos and spelling mistakes. In a competition for
articles under 500 words, there really isn’t any excuse for not
proofreading your work. Some quite good articles were spoilt by
silly mistakes, which sometimes made it quite hard to work out
what the author actually meant.

CONTENT

This is, of course, by far the most important aspect of the
competition. As far as I’m aware, no target market was specified
for the article. That made it harder for me to judge, as I had
to set my own criteria. However, I felt that the spirit of the
competition required an article suitable for a popular magazine
or newspaper, which should be entertaining or informative, or
preferably both.

Beyond that, I was looking for articles that grabbed me from the
first sentence and compelled me to read to the end. I wanted to
feel that through reading the article I had learned something
new and been entertained along the way. I wanted articles that
came across as fresh and original, not just collections of facts
and quotations gleaned from textbooks or off the Internet. A bit
of humour would be a welcome bonus. And I wanted articles that
lived on in my mind after I had finished reading them.

I’m pleased to say that the winning article in particular met
all of these requirements. However, I would just like to mention
some of the flaws I found with some of the less successful
entries.

1. Articles that tried to do too much. 500 words is not much at
all. It’s certainly not enough to address two or more different
themes or topics, as some articles tried to do.

2. Articles that lacked focus. I thought some articles needed a
sharper focus. What do I mean by that? I felt that the author
wasn’t quite sure what he or she wanted to say, and consequently
the article meandered along for a while and then stopped. A
short article really needs to be structured around one clear
theme, and every word of the article should be devoted to
exploring and developing that theme.

3. Articles that were just too personal. Quite a few entries I
would describe as opinion pieces. There is a very limited market
for these, and unless you can come up with a really witty and
original approach, you’re going to have a tough time getting
them published. Other articles were anecdotes - stories about
something that had happened to the author. Again, anecdotes can
work as articles, but only if the anecdote is original and well
written, and it has some broader resonance for readers.

4. Articles that were too general and/or predictable. Quite a
few articles, as I hinted above, were basically collections of
facts or quotations. Two of these did make it to the final
shortlist, but generally I was hoping for a more interesting,
original slant. Bear in mind that magazine editors get loads of
articles on topics that have been covered before. What they
really want are articles with a fresh and original slant.>>

So those were my general comments. After that I went into
specifics about the winning entries, which it isn't really
appropriate to do here. I hope the points made above may be of
some interest.

Regarding presentation, my comments applied primarily to
articles submitted in hard copy form. Many publications today,
of course, accept material electronically, and in such cases you
should be guided by the contributors' guidelines. Most articles
I write nowadays are submitted electronically, but I usually
send a printed copy as well, as back-up. There is no need to
double-space the printed copy in these cases. It is only likely
to be used by the editor for quickly checking something that may
not be clear in the electronic version, and single-spaced is
usually more convenient for this purpose.

Finally, the comments about the need for freshness and
originality would, I think, apply to ANY writing competition.
Remember that the judges may view several hundred entries in a
short space of time. Most of these will be at least competently
written, but the one thing guaranteed to make judges sit up and
take notice is a fresh and original approach. Incidentally, my
fellow writer Iain Pattison made very similar comments when
talking about judging short story competitions in E-Writer #2
(www.nickdaws.co.uk/ew002.htm).

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3. Market Info - Miscellany

Here are a few more potential markets for you...

US golf greeting card company Divots, Inc. is looking for verse
submissions from freelance writers. All verses must be related
to golf, and humorous in nature. Compensation is $50.00 (around
£30) per verse. For further information, visit the writing
guidelines area of the company's website at:
http://www.divotscards.com/index.php?do=writing_guidelines. If,
for whatever reason, you are unable to access this link, go to
http://www.divotscards.com and scroll down the left side of the
page for the Art & Writing Guidelines button.

And sticking with poetry/verse, here are a couple of American
anthologies seeking contributions. Poems about bicycles or
bicycling are wanted for an anthology to be published in May
2005. Send via e-mail to justbelmont-at-yahoo.com or by fax to
800-696-9049. Poems are also required for an anthology on
retirement and beyond. The editors say: What makes life vibrant,
engaged, and optimistic? How do you cope with loss? What do you
learn? Send up to five poems with SASE and brief biography to:
R. Chapman and J. Strasser, P.O. Box 1123, Madison, WI 53701.
Non-US residents should presumably enclose an International
Reply Coupon.

Now here's a market for erotic fiction, a genre that seems to be
thriving at present. Venus Press specialises in erotic fiction,
be it erotic romance or pure erotica. They publish all sub-
genres, including fantasy, science fiction, suspense,
historical, etc. They are currently looking for shorts (around
10,000-18,000 words), novellas (around 19,000-30,000 words),
category length novels (around 31,000-45,000 words), and novel
length works (46,000 to 80,000 words). Whatever the length, the
story must be engaging, with a solid plot and fully realised
characters. If you have a story that might be suitable for them,
send a cover letter, synopsis, and the first three chapters to
submissions-at-venuspress.com. While the company does accept
simultaneous submissions, you are asked to indicate whether the
work is currently under consideration with another publishing
company. The cover letter should briefly describe your work,
including the title, word count, and heat level ('Cupid,
Aphrodite or Hephestus'). The synopsis should include a detailed
plot outline, and some information about your main characters.
For more information, visit http://www.venuspress.com. 

Canadian publishing house Creative Guy Publishing will shortly
be looking for contributions for its next tongue-in-cheek horror
anthology, the Amityville House of Pancakes (vol 2). The reading
period will begin Jan 2, 2005, and run until March 31, 2005. The
editor, Pete Allen, says he will be looking for humorous
speculative fiction novellas, which includes the sub-genres of
fantasy, science fiction, horror, dark fantasy, and so on.
Stories should be 15,000 to 50,000 words, and must be funny.
They require electronic and print rights for one year, and pay
20% net royalties. More information about CGP can be found at
http://www.creativeguypublishing.com (though you won't yet find
the call for submissions there). The print version of the first
Amityville House of Pancakes anthology can be found at the
Amazon online bookshop.

Back to poetry again with this next one. Poetry Central is a new
initiative intended to support and encourage poets in the
English Midlands. One of the people behind it is my old friend,
the performance poet Simon Pitt. They are currently offering a
unique opportunity to eight writers who would like to develop
their poetry writing practice with the support of a mentor. More
information about the scheme can be found at this web page.
Alternatively, go to http://www.lit-net.org and click on Opportunities
in the left-hand menu, then on Poetry Central in the list that
appears.) The closing date is Friday 7 January 2005. You can
also e-mail Poetry Central for more information at
poetrycentral1-at-yahoo.co.uk.

Finally, regular readers will know that I am a freelance group
editor for the new UK mobile phone publishing company Kwickee. I
know that a number of E-Writer readers are involved with
Kwickee, as contributors, editors or both. For their benefit
especially, I am reproducing in part below an e-mail I recently
received from Kwickee's new Chairman, Mike Grenville:

<<Kwickee is entering a new and exciting chapter in its history
as we become a professionally run and financed organisation. In
the coming weeks you will see some major improvements to the
presentation and delivery of Kwickee content. We are shortly to
introduce some enhanced communication mechanisms and an
affiliate programme to help you maximise the distribution and
sale of your work. Some of these changes have already taken
place this weekend.

My first announcement is that I am pleased to advise you of the
appointment of a new Chief Technical Officer, John Gillespie.
John has enormous development expertise in both e-commerce and
mobile communications. Although he has a technical background,
he has board-level experience in sales, contract negotiation,
operations and marketing, having been a principal in start-up
companies for the last 10 years. He co-founded figleaves.com,
Europe’s leading online lingerie retailer, and Pollen Mobile, a
pioneer in the development of mobile applications.

No sooner were John's feet under his virtual desk than he
started making significant changes. With immediate effect the
development of Kwickee has moved from India to the UK and work
has already begun on a new software platform that will make
Kwickee suitably better to meet our needs. It is being designed
to be easier to use for both associates, editors and of course
your customers. More news on this will follow shortly.

In the first instance the new development team have concentrated
in improving the presentation of existing Kwickees, both on the
web and the mobile phone, so that we can begin work on marketing
the service to end users.

Please note that as part of the transition we have had to
temporarily suspend submissions. An improved submission, editing
and reporting service will be launched in the next two weeks.
Thank you once again for your support.>>

For the benefit of new readers, Kwickee publishes articles and
fiction which customers can download via their mobile (cell)
phones, PDAs and the net. Anyone is welcome to submit material,
and writers will receive a proportion of the payment received
every time someone pays to receive one of their contributions.
For further details, see the web pages http://www.kwickee.com
and http://www.kwickee.info. Anyone from anywhere in the world
can contribute Kwickees - payments to non-UK residents will be
made by Paypal. As the above message indicates, submissions have
been temporarily suspended while technical changes are made, but
hopefully the upshot will be a new, improved system which can at
last deliver the mass of beautifully written and edited content
which has already accumulated! Watch this space, as they say...


No room for Style File this time, but it will return. I hope
you've enjoyed reading this issue and found something that may
be useful to you. E-Writer will be back again before Christmas,
with festive greetings and a few 'presents'!

Happy writing,

Nick


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Copyright Info

Except where specifically stated, material in E-Writer is
protected by copyright of Nick Daws, 2004. Material from the
newsletter may, however, be reproduced in other online or off-
line publications so long as (a) the text (including any URLs
and e-mail addresses) is not altered in any way, and
(b) the souce is acknowledged and a link or text reference is
provided to my website at http://www.nickdaws.co.uk. Notifying
me is not essential but would be appreciated - please use the e-
mail address above or the link on my site. Many thanks!

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