Archive for September, 2008
Announcing: Ottawa International Writers Festival Coming Soon: October 18-27th
Wordbot here, informing all writers about the big shindig approaching. That’s right! Come October 18th, the Ottawa International Writers Festival starts…
Even if you’re not in the area, be sure to drop by their Web site, read about the events and perhaps even download the insightful, interesting podcasts of the events, which are sure to get your creative juices flowing.
Discover the possibilities at:
Ottawa’s Festival of Ideas (since 1997)
Read their Mission Statement below for more information…
We launched the first Ottawa International Writers Festival at the National Arts Centre on September 5, 1997. It featured sixteen writers from Ireland (the largest contingent ever to read beyond the Emerald Isle), sharing the stage with thirty-five Canadians writers from across the country. We called our inaugural Festival the “Writes of Passage” and we spoke of the gift of literature and the intimate relationship between the writer and audience that reminds us that “ultimately none of us lives in isolation, that we are all interconnected, all part of one large, often cramped, sometimes raucous, but never dull world-family.”
The Festival opened with an Aboriginal elder conducting a sweet grass ceremony, followed by the haunting sounds of Celtic music and dancing. From opening night to our closing celebration with Pulitzer Prize winner Frank McCourt reading from Angela’s Ashes, those nine days had transported us to a different world. Those were heady days, when we were crazy enough to program six writers each evening without an intermission! Heady days, when we transformed a former NAC bookstore turned storage room into our “Irishtown Pub” — selling more beer during the course of the Festival than the entire NAC summer program! The Fourth Stage was born!
For more than a decade now, (more…)
Closing the Book: Moving from Creation to Promotion
‘Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie…’- William Shakespeare-All’s Well That Ends Well
It is hard for you to ever feel that a piece of written work is complete. The plots and characters tend to continue to develop in your mind after the final draft. You start to wonder if there’s a sequel in there somewhere, or perhaps should you go back into the finished piece and re-write it around the new ideas and developments?
If you want to avoid Book Munchausen’s Syndrome the best thing to do is to get someone else involved. That second set of eyes can help you catch minor spelling and grammar issues and plotholes (areas which have been left confusing or unresolved).You will never be able to market and promote, and ultimately publish and sell your book if you aren’t 100 percent sure about your work. If you are unconfident when you present your writing to the reading public, then they will be even less confident that it is worth their time and money.
Draw the line when you feel that you have a well-structured, completed book. Let it go. Get it out there, and see what people think. If you want feedback, try publishing a version under a pseudonym for free using Wordclay. Pass a copy along to someone, and don’t tell them you wrote the book. Trying things that might be a little unconventional might help to balance the scales.
Large, traditional publishing companies do A/B testing and pay large amounts of money to get real feedback before they really push a product to the mainstream. If you do similar things and receive nothing but negative feedback, then be happy, as you are likely to get unbiased and actionable information. And if your critics just flat out don’t think it is a good book, maybe you can recover the ideas that are worth saving and incorporate them into a new novel.
Remember, people will be forgiving of minor errors if they like the story. If your book is a total page-turner, then readers probably won’t even have time to notice minor errors. Focus on the story. Catch what you can before you send your manuscript out. Respond to feedback, and keep moving forward.
‘Be not afraid of greatness…’ William Shakespeare-Twelfth Night
ASI’s Christian Publishing Program: Free ISBNs & Global Distribution
Are you a Christian writer? Have a manuscript you want to self-publish for free? ASI’s new Christian Publishing Program may just be your ticket…
Equipped with a publishing wizard that allows registered members to design their own covers and select their own royalty rate, Words of Belief allows authors to turn their manuscripts into perfect bound, professional quality books in less than an hour, from the comfort of their own home.
Best of all, all WOB authors receive free, unlimited channel distribution, which means your book will be available for order at Amazon.com, Borders.com and Barnes & Noble, free of charge. Once you complete the process, your publication will automatically be assigned an ISBN, and the Author Solutions, Inc, team will make certain your title is distributed within the retail book marketplace.
About Words of Belief:
Words of Belief is a Christian self-publishing company that employs a free online publishing wizard to help both emerging and established authors spread the word of God. [read more]
Read their announcements as well as the full press release here>>
This is Justin, blogcasting from Wordclay, signing off.
Goodreads: Managing & Sharing Your Online Bookshelf
Just published a book? Looking for an online community where you can mention your new publication?
The good people at Goodreads.com may have your answer. Register as a member for free, engage other readers and writers about books, and get some buzz started about your new publications.
Visit them their homepage and take the tour. Read all about their groups by genre, how their community works, and even peruse a brief letter from the founder that says:
One afternoon while I was scanning a friend’s bookshelf for my next great read, it struck me. When I want to know what books to read, I’d rather turn to a friend than any random person, bestseller list or algorithm. So I thought I’d build a website — a website where I could see my friends’ bookshelves and learn about what they thought of all their books.
Goodreads
Goodreads is a community of friends who enjoy reading and sharing their opinions about books. To improve the process of reading and learning throughout the world, Goodreads allows for the creation of personalized bookshelves, where you can organize what you’ve read, what you want to read and spread the word about good books. Review a title and get comments from other members. For new authors, goodreads is prime real estate to explore for marketing and sheer entertainment.
The Point: Getting involved with online communities that specialize in books is not only a rewarding, enriching experience, but also an opportunity to mention your recent release.
This is Justin, blogcasting from Wordclay, signing off.
Poetry Contest: WritingRoom Calls Poets to Submit in September
Greetings, Earthlings,
As the writing community that allows writers to connect with other writers and readers, WritingRoom is now calling for poetry submissions for their September Poetry Contest.
One Grand Prize Winner will receive:
(1) $50.00 cash
(2) A featured spot in the Anthology of the September ’08 contest entries
(3) A printed and bound copy of the published Anthology
(4) Entry into the yearly contest, and a chance to win $1000.00
One Runner Up will receive:
(1) A printed and bound copy of the published Anthology
All participants will receive:
(1) A certificate of achievement and publication in an Anthology
The deadline for poetry submissions is Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008.
All styles of poems are eligible, with a maximum of three individual poems, each poem must be 50 lines or fewer. Be sure to list your name and screen-name on each page of your submission.
To enter, simply create your profile at WritingRoom, and e-mail your selected poem(s) to contest@WritingRoom.com, with the subject line “September Poetry Contest.” Include your full name, phone number, WritingRoom screen-name, title of poem(s) and e-mail address within your e-mail.
Visit WritingRoom’s Contest Page for more information.
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Become a Published Author Before Graduation Day: Innovative Lesson Plans
Every one of us, no matter our age, has a story to tell; and teachers across the country are empowering their students to tell theirs. With online access to self-publishing companies, such as Wordclay available to anyone, publishing is a surefire way to spark students’ interest in reading and writing (and have some fun).
Using Wordclay in the classroom is quite simple for a few reasons:
- User-friendly design is built right into the program. No training is necessary to utilize the Web site. You can sit down at your computer and begin using the publishing program instantly. An online wizard leads you step-by-step through the process.
- Teachers already have all the tools they need. There’s no software you need to install or purchase to publish because Wordclay uses software that school systems already have, such as Microsoft Word and Adobe Reader. You can start working right away.
- Turnaround time is fast. Not only is the actual online publishing program fast, but the printing time is fast, too. You could have a finished, printed book in your hands within a couple of weeks – not months.
If you’re a teacher, a parent, administrator or student, you can (and should) be 
publishing. A DIY self-publishing program, such as Wordclay, is adaptable to any grade level and has loads of educational benefits. Students see that hard work pays off, and they have something to show for it when they can hold their own printed book in their hands.
In fact, Wordclay recently published Rain White and the Seven 3rd Graders, which was written by a group of students in New Jersey participating in just such a school project. Their teacher gave them a highly involved assignment, including writing and making a book, and then trying to get it published. And they did. I think they deserve an A+, (as well as their teacher) for a marvelous job well done.
-Angie
POD Rising: Is Print on Demand the Future of Publishing or the Latest Fad?
As Sara Nelson pointed out in her Publishers Weekly Blog The Summer of POD, neither traditional publishers, nor independent presses are above approaching POD companies such as Lightning Source or Amazon’s BookSurge when there’s high demand for a title.
Simply put, publishers can approach POD printers when their inventory runs short. Instead of waiting for a massive print-run, POD printers can store a digital file of the book, which can be printed as each copy is sold. Which means, should you purchase a copy of a POD book online, the printer only needs to print your individual copy only, shipping your order the same day.
Theoretically, this not only saves traditional publishers money on physical warehouse storage space, but also ensures anyone who wants a copy, actually receives a copy in merely a few days time. In a word, POD printing allows indie presses to curtail the risk so often associated with standard printing, like:
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Going out of print because you’ve run out of copies
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Running short on titles during hot market trends
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Warehousing unsold copies of out-dated books
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Potentially wasting resources such as paper and labor
And it doesn’t seem as though POD is losing momentum. In fact, POD companies seem stronger and healthier than ever before. As self-publishing becomes a more viable and respected option for even established authors, and traditional presses begin to come around to the advantages of the print-on-demand process, the future of books has never been brighter.
Now, the smallest press can partner with The Perseus Books Group Constellation or even Author Solutions Publishing Serives Group, where publishers can basically request an affordable POD option for some of their titles and rush orders. “Out-of-print” is quickly becoming a thing of the past, and print-on-demand is definitely gaining acceptance.
The Point: Saving time, money and energy is the ultimate goal of POD, and though traditional publishers may be hesitant to the change, bother readers and authors should expect a print revolution that can benefit everyone!
Honey, While You’re Out: Traveling to Support Your Book
“I will go lose myself, and wander up and down to view the city.”
William Shakespeare-The Comedy of Errors
Going on vacation? Taking a business trip? Going to see the in-laws? Why not take your marketing plan with you?
You might as well multi-task in your free-time. As an emerging author, you are probably used to doing more than one thing at a time (hopefully making time for writing, too). Likely, you’ve become familiar with your local market and gotten involved in promoting your book in your hometown.
So if you are going to be out in the world for some reason, why not take that opportunity to double the impact you’ve already made in your local market? We’ve talked about electronic resources and going online to support your projects, but let’s not forget about the real places out there where you can make an impact.
I have personally worked with a number of authors in the past, and many have told me stories about sneaking copies of their books into bookstores and leaving them on the shelf. Nowadays, with communities like Book Crossing, you can actually tag your book and follow its progress. Who knows, your publication could take on a life of its own. Why not release a book into the wild any time you’re on the road?
While you’re at it, call ahead and see if local bookstores might have an opening for you to do a signing. Call the area newspapers, and let them know that you’re an author and you’ll be in their area soon. Editors might like to feature you in their local events, or even do a review about your book.
Don’t stop there. Contact the local radio stations where you might be wandering, and see if they would be inclined to interview you or host a radio event. There’s absolutely no shame in promoting your project. While you might not be able to take six months off for an international tour, you can definitely hit the road for other practical promotion strategies. Let’s see what kind of impact you can make while you’re out there…
“By east, west, north, and south, I spread my conquering might…”
A Novel in 31 Days: Preparing for National Novel Writing Month
Let’s talk about November, which you may know as National Novel Writing Month. That means you only have two more months to register at NaNoWriMo, and think about the novel you’ve always wanted to write.
But what is NaNoWriMo?
NaNoWriMo.com is an innovative, yet fun approach to novel writing. Anyone can register for free, and join the thousands of others in your area who want to finish a novel. All participants begin writing Nov. 1, 2008, and try to write at a 50,000-word novel by midnight, Nov. 30, 2008.
Because of the limited writing window, the only thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and simply write. Reread, rewrite and revise later, but get your draft out in November.
Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that’s a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.
As you spend November writing, take comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows, taking breaks and heading to work in the morning. Wrimos in your area even meet throughout the month to offer encouragement and commiseration.
In 2007, they had over 100,000 participants. More than 15,000 of them crossed the 50k finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away as novelists.
Seriously think about entering. You have a passion for writing, and you may have a novel inside you. What’s the harm? Simply register, buckle down and churn out a book. Maybe your revision will take a few more months, but we just hope you’ll remember Wordclay when you’re finished.
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