Two Articles Accepted--and This Could Be You, Too!

I have two announcements.

First, I'm pleased to share that my two articles, "The Parent Trap: Five Mistakes to Avoid When Writing About Family" and "Cybermoms: Opportunities for Women Writers on the Web" have been accepted for the proposed book, Women Writing on Family: Writing, Publishing, and Teaching Tips by U.S. Women Writers.

Second, one of the co-editors, Carol Smallwood, has asked me to help spread the word that they are still seeking writers for the book. I've cut and pasted the information below.

I encourage anyone who writes for the women or parenting genre to consider this opportunity. The features they seek are how-to's and pretty straight forward to write.

The editors will also be posting a call to submissions on Poets and Writers and The Writer shortly.

Anne

Women Writing on Family: Writing, Publishing, and Teaching Tips by US Women Writers

Foreword: Robbi Hess, Journalist, co-author, Complete Idiot's Guide to 30,000 Baby Names (Penguin Books); Editor, Byline Magazine

Afterword: Suzanne Bunkers, Professor of English, Minnesota State University, editor of Diaries of Girls and Women: a Midwestern American Sampler (University of Wisconsin Press).

This is a book not just on writing but tips for women writing about family. Possible subject areas you might address include: markets; why women write about family; using life experience; critique groups; networking; blogs; unique issues women must overcome; formal education; queries and proposals; conference participation; family scheduling; self-publishing; teaching tips; family in creative nonfiction, poetry, short stories, novels.

Practical, concise, how-to articles with bullets/headings have proven the most helpful to readers. Please avoid writing about “me” and concentrate on what will help the reader.

Word total for 1-2 articles based on your experience:
1,900 minimum; maximum 2,100. Two articles preferred.
If submitting 2, please break them up fairly evenly in word count.

No previously published or simultaneously submitted material, please; no co-authored.

Deadline: May 30, 2008

Contributors receive a complimentary copy and contributor's discount on additional copies. It is common for compilation of an anthology to take upwards of a year, but we will be in touch with updates on securing a publisher.

Editor Carol Smallwood has written, co-authored, and edited 19 books such as Educators as Writers for Peter Lang, Scarecrow, Libraries Unlimited. Her work has appeared in English Journal, Clackamas Literary Review, Michigan Feminist Studies, The Detroit News, several others including anthologies; On the Way to Wendy's Pudding House 2008; a co-edited anthology is with an agent; and
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3575-3

Please send your topics first before writing (to avoid possible duplication) along with brief descriptions and 65-70 word bio with your present position, relevant publications, awards or honors. Use FAMILY for the subject line and submit to Carol at smallwood@tm.net

*In our experience, most publishers return rights to individual contributors variously after publication. However, because we are still seeking a publisher, we cannot speak to those rights specifically at this time. Contributors will be asked to sign a release form from the publisher and therefore will be have the opportunity to agree to the details of the contract or withdraw one's work at that time.

Creating a Writing Career

I was finally able to find my sign-in information so I can post here (sorry for the mass email that went out from blogger!), and not just greedily read all of your great suggestions. Until I'd followed Kir's email to this blog, I'd wondered if I was the only one finding it a challenge to make a career out of this writing thing.

Since January, I've pretty much been working on establishing a freelance writing career, with the goal of earning a full-time income from my writing by next January. Like Ron and Anne, I've been spending SO much time on research and marketing that my actual writing's been pushed beneath a rocking chair in corner of our guest room! But I think that's pretty normal - I've been told that many writers spend more time on the business of writing than the craft itself. Anne's idea of setting aside a ritualistic hour per day sounds like a great way to maintain some kind of balance.

So this month I've begun mailing out four submissions per week, and in June will begin a "$100 per day" writing plan that I've read about. Basically, it means sending out at least one hundred dollars' worth of writing submissions each day - whether it be fillers, articles, contest entries, etc. The idea is that at least some of those attempts will result in acceptances. Even a 10% success rate would mean $280 per month (and, of course, clips & credibility). In September, I'll double the amount I send out in order to increase the number of acceptances, and get closer to my income goal.

Two months ago I started a blog mostly to keep myself motivated, and found it EXTREMEly helpful. It's been a great way to keep track of my progress, get some advice, and organize the marketing and research links I use. Somewhere along the way, it's turned into more of a professional blog.

I'd love to hear more about how all of you are managing your writing lives.
Colleen

Want to Help Clean Up the Planet?

Tired of picking up other people's trash from your yard, local parks, and public sidewalks?

Do something positive about it -- take The Eclectic Writer Early Earth Day Reader Challenge!

I've challenged my blog readers to answer the following question: What can we do throughout the year to change people's behavior so we can keep trash off the streets, out of the woods, and in the garbage cans?

My goal is to collect ideas and post them to The Eclectic Writer on Earth Day, April 22nd.

Think about it -- if everyone picks up on one thing they can do differently over the course of the year, we can make the world a cleaner place.

Visit The Eclectic Writer for more information and to submit an idea. You can post as a comment or email me at AnneWitkavitch@comcast.net.

Writing for a New Blog

If you click on this title you will go to the Big Blog of Marvel, which deals with the slippery and sometimes disputed ideas that are and surrounds magical realism. I was invited recently and I am going to try to contribute weekly. The purpose as described on the blog: Commentary from a cluster of literary writers, educators, scholars and other thoughtful folk interested in literary magical realism. If you are interested in this topic or just curious... check it out.

Old Dog Learning New Tricks

Hello everyone -- The last few months of my life have been truly exhilarating. I've launched a communications company called C-Suite Communications. I have been diligently working on my writing -- sending out queries, meeting new people, and expanding my network. I continue to build a following to my blog, The Eclectic Writer. Most importantly, I've been doing lots and lots of thinking about life, writing, and in general lots of stuff!

I came across one of the handouts I picked up at AWP and finally read it this weekend. It was a Writer's Magazine supplement called "How to be a More Productive Writer." I'm not sure if you can write to the magazine and request a copy, but it really is filled with good tips and advice.

One tip that really caught my attention is the need to set up writing rituals. I will admit, I have not been good about "being a writer" these past few months-- more so, I've focused on "marketing myself as a writer" and "calling myself a writer," as well as sending out queries, thinking about writing, actually writing things here or there, but no true discipline or science behind it.

So I decided it was time to take some of the advice in the articles and begin some rituals. I started this week by setting the timer for one hour in the morning. Once the kids get on the bus, I grab a fresh cup of coffee, sit down at the computer, and write. No emails, no telephone, straight forward writing. Now I realize it will take more than an hour a day to get at my goals; but I'm actually surprised how much I put on the page by forcing myself to write for that block of time. I have two articles due on Sunday for the book, "Writing on Family" that I've thought about ad nauseum for a month now. Suddenly the words are pouring out and I realize I actually know what I'm talking about and how to do this. Amazing rediscovery.

Another piece of advice I plan to try is to send one query a day. I had been trying to figure out a block of time once a week to query. But that didn't work. The advice given is that if you can get one query out a day, the odds are in your favor that eventually something hits. Sort of like buying a lottery ticket a day, or putting a dollar in the piggy bank. Small things will add up to a big bang with time.

I'm really at the start of this journey, but I know others have mentioned the need to jump start their writing lives post-MFA. I find it's really been a process, one that involved giving myself permission not to overthink it, to give myself time to discover what's in my head and what the priorities are. Doing so I've made progress on my novel, identified what my non fiction book is about, and continue to think more about what I want it to all look like down the road.

I'd love to hear some of the tips any of you have, or read some of the discoveries you're making, in your writing lives.

Anne

Miranda Magazine: Politics in Sim World

Politics In Cyber-Space
I would like to announce Kelly Ripley Feller and her article "Riding the Wave" now appearing in Miranda Magazine. She took her Avatar into Second Life to examine the impact of the Presidential Campaigns in this simulated world. Kelly will be a regular to the Miranda staff and we welcome her
professionalism, expertise, and her synthesis of the world of new media. Please forward to others who might be interested.

Kelly has enjoyed a fulfilling and diverse professional career managing marketing and communications strategies for organizations that include non-profit, natural foods, healthcare, and high technology. She has worked with a variety of technology companies including Intel, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, Intuit, SAS Software, Symantec, and IBM. Today she manages social media programs for a Fortune 100 technology company and writes about social media, marketing, business, Second Life, and politics in her dwindling spare time. An enthusiastic live music lover and classical singer, Kelly performs at local schools and senior homes and is a hospice volunteer for veterans. She has been active in Second Life for over a year and a half—the equivalent of several lifetimes in that virtual realm. She lives outside of Portland, OR with her husband and son, and holds a BA in Communications and Political Science from the University of Michigan.

Read the Article

Commencement

Hello everyone,

I got the letter from WCSU a few days ago with information about the May graduate commencement. Clint and I are trying to decide whether or not to make the trip out so I can walk. Are any of you planning to attend?

Kir

Allan's Play - Epilogue

I did get to see Allan's play last evening -- and sat with the playwright and his family! Very nice turnout for this Friday night performance.

The play was awesome! For me, it was inspirational to watch the work of one of my fellow MFA alumn actually performed live. The actors did a terrific job interpreting the work (or at least Allan seemed pleased.) The words have so much more dimension when you get to see actors, directors, and producers add their magic to help evolve the playwright's vision to a multidimensional experience.

If anyone is thinking about going to the final performances this weekend, have a blast!

Anne

Planning to See Allan's Play?

Hello MFA Alumn - I'm posting here as well -- is anyone planning to see Allan's play on Friday evening? If so please let me know tonight (Thursday). I'm looking to find someone who's driving in or taking the train.
Anne

Gratefully disappointed

Hello everyone,

You may or may not know that I did not make it into the top 10 in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. From the day I first submitted my novel in January, I knew winning was uncertain, but I still hoped. After I started to read all the glowing reviews, though, I began to think my novel was even better than I'm afraid it is. So many people, after only reading the first chapter, claimed to be hooked, claimed to want to read more, claimed to be enthralled. And even though Publisher's Weekly did not give an entirely glowing review, it was still pretty impressive. Whenever some hooligan had the temerity to write a 3 or 4 starred review, I downplayed their comments. Just goes to show how a bit of flattery can affect the pessimistic mind.
The cutoff date for the first round loomed and I didn't even feel a flutter of nerves. I read through the contest rules again and saw that they would choose between 10 and 100 to make it to the next round. I checked my novel's status and felt assured since it seemed ranked pretty high compared to others. When I sorted the entries according to "average customer review," I hovered around 26-29. Seemed like my chances were good, even if they just picked the top 30.
But they only chose 10, and my PR Consultant (aka Mother Teresa) (aka Clint) tells me that most of those chosen for the top 10 were not ranked so high according to average customer reviews. However, they all had stellar Publisher's Weekly reviews.
So I didn't win. What did I learn? I learned that my novel does have potential market value, that the story is intriguing, that people like it. I learned that I need to be a more aggressive marketer. My standard method of watching events transpire around me will not sell my book. I emailed a few friends and colleages and ahem...professors, and the number of those contacts who actually wrote a comment was depressing.
But I am quite grateful I submitted A Minor Revolution, and I am glad for the experience. Maybe it will have an affect on my publishing future, maybe not. But it taught me some valuable lessons and let me know what a handful of objective readers think of my work.

Thanks to those of you who posted comments.

Kirstin

Taking Stress Out of Work/Life Balance

I will be presenting my workshop, Taking the Stress Out of Work/Life Balance" on Saturday, March 29th at the Women in Business event at the Rocky Hill Marriott in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. Keynote speaker is Susan Byciewicz, State of Connecticut Secretary of State. A number of other informative workshops are planned; this is also a terrific networking opportunity. Check out the link to the website for more information on how to register.

Anne