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W R I T I N G W O R L D
A World of Writing Information - For Writers Around the World
http://www.writing-world.com
Issue 5:25 15,400 subscribers December 8, 2005
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SPECIAL NOTICE: Please DO NOT REPLY to this e-mail; any messages
sent to the listbox address are deleted. See the bottom of this
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CONTENTS
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From the Editor's Desk
WRITER TO WRITER: Do writers need an agent?
by Peggy Tibbetts
News from the World of Writing
FEATURE: Making Your Writing World Safe
by Jane Anne Staw
The Write Sites -- Online Resources for Writers
WRITING DESK: Will it damage my career when someone
plagiarizes my work? by Moira Allen
WHAT'S NEW at Writing World
MARKET ROUNDUP/Writing Contests
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FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
=================================================================
When All Else Fails, Blame Your Mother-in-Law...
------------------------------------------------
Bear with me, folks, because this is going to be a LOOOONNNGGG
editorial. The bottom line will be a discussion of some changes
I plan to bring to Writing World -- but as usual I plan to take
the long route in getting there.
It all started this summer. You may recall my mention of "The
Scanning Project that Wouldn't Die" (it still hasn't!). This
summer I started scanning my older photo albums so that I'd have
a digital archive of the family photos. In the process, I
dragged out the box of 2-1/4 transparencies that has been living
in the back of my closet for about 15 years. While some of those
photos were mine, most were taken by my grandmother -- family
photos, travel photos, and best of all, a collection of photos of
the Mendocino farmhouse where we spent our weekends during my
childhood. All told, the box included about 2000 of these
"family archive" photos. And no, I did NOT try to scan them all
myself; I sent them out (to http://www.slideconverter.com).
Once I got them back and began going over them on the computer
(it's amazing what Photoshop can do to old, red-tinted, spotty
slides), it dawned on me that a COPY of this family archive (on
CD-ROM) would make a lovely Christmas gift to other members of
the family. Of course, I'd have to clean them up and give them
labels a bit more meaningful than "MG1224-D.jpg"... From there,
it was a short mental leap to "wouldn't it be cool to make
printed photo albums for everyone?" (the kind you can get on
Shutterfly.com, who must LOVE me by now). But I also realized
that my nieces had never seen our Mendocino "ranch" and would
need a bit of explanation as to what these photos were about.
And that's when my mother-in-law said, "You should write a book!"
I told her that I had no intention of doing any such thing. "I
don't DO memoirs," I informed her. I've never even kept a
journal. I'll just write some extended photo captions...
So, of course, I wrote a book. At first I thought I'd just put
together some text to go with the photo album. But the text made
more sense when the photos themselves were included, so pretty
soon the photos ended up in the book as well as the album. (In
fact I probably could have skipped the albums, but that was water
under the bridge...)
To make a long story short, my new book, "Mendocino Memories," is
now available at Lulu.com. It's not an autobiography; it's a
memoir of a place, of pets and pies and holidays, of harvesting
chestnuts and huckleberries, of chopping wood and feeding fires
and making popcorn on a wood stove. In it, you'll discover the
very first magazine I ever edited and published (a hand-written
natural history magazine with a page from a coloring book as its
cover), and my first self-publishing venture (a hand-stitched
poetry "chapbook" bound in gold wrapping paper). Shameless plug:
It's a fun read, and it's available in print and electronic
formats (and in color and black and white) at Lulu.com.
Brief pause here for promotional inserts:
Black and white edition:
http://www.lulu.com/content/192828
(For some reason this PDF download is huge; do yourself a favor
and download the color version if you want an electronic copy.)
Color edition:
http://www.lulu.com/content/192816
(This link gets you to the color version of the download; the print
version, created for family members, is horribly expensive!)
Sample chapter:
http://www.writing-world.com/admin1/Christmas.pdf
Writing this book changed my life. Not because of the content of
the book itself (it's fun but it's not life-changing). What
changed my life was the process of applying butt to chair for two
solid months and WRITING. As I spent those months with butt in
chair and fingers on keyboard, I realized that I was ENJOYING it.
I was writing nearly every day (just like we always tell folks
they should), and I was loving it. I had more fun writing this
book than I've had in the "writing business" for years.
And that made me realize that it was time that I got back to
WRITING. Not just editing, or producing magazine articles on
topics that I don't have all that much interest in beyond the
dollar amount on the contract, but WRITING. The sort of thing
that got me into this business in the first place -- but that
fell by the wayside when the "business" of writing took over.
One of the things I always tell people who write in to say that
they would "like to become writers -- someday" is not to put
their dreams on hold. So I've decided that, as of 2006, it's
time to take my own advice. And so, in the year to come, I'm
going to be reassessing my schedule and my priorities, and
shifting more and more of my time to the upstairs "fun and
photos" computer and away from the downstairs "business and
e-mail" computer.
And one of the areas in which I am going to make changes is
Writing-World.com. I've been flipflopping like a pancake for
most of the fall as to just what to change, what not to change,
etc. I considered discontinuing the newsletter -- and of course
while toying with this idea I kept getting e-mails from readers
saying how much they loved it and how it was the best on the web
etc. etc.! I considered selling the site and newsletter, but
pulled back at the last minute; mama can't let her baby go just
yet! Finally I've come up with a compromise -- a plan that will
give me more time to pursue "other interests," while keeping the
site and newsletter alive and active.
The most significant change will be that the newsletter, which is
currently biweekly, is going to go "monthly" in January 2006. It
will also have a new managing editor. I'm not the only one with
too much on her plate; Peggy Tibbetts, our current managing
editor, now has a two-book contract from her agent. The first
book on the contract is under revision; the second hasn't been
written. Like me, Peggy finds that just as she's building up
momentum on something else, she has to drop everything to do the
newsletter -- and while I have "newsletter day," Peggy has
"newsletter week."
Our new managing editor will be Dawn Copeman, who lives in
England and has been working with me on the TimeTravel-
Britain.com site. We've been discussing some ideas for changing
the newsletter itself (she has some good ones!). We haven't
finalized the "new" newsletter yet, but two things we've agreed
upon are "more content" and "no more markets." At present, we
only run three markets per issue, and there are other, far better
market newsletters. (Unfortunately I doubt Dawn is going to let
me off the hook with respect to the editorial...)
Another factor in all this is "revenue." In 2005, I lost two of
my regular column assignments (and their income), and by shifting
more of my time in 2006 to non-paying work, writing-related
revenue is going to be a bit tighter. Thus while I will continue
to add material and resources to the Writing-World.com website, I
will be adding fewer articles than in the past, and have dropped
the existing columns. (The site already has almost 700 articles
and columns now, which for all I know may already be a record!) I
will continue to accept new material, but will be particularly
interested in reprints (including book excerpts) and ad swaps.
What this means, bottom line, is simply that Writing-World.com is
going to be "downshifted" a bit. It will continue to be a huge
resource for writers of all interests and levels of expertise;
hopefully, however, it will no longer be quite such a huge
drain on my time -- so that, instead of just talking about
writing, I will actually be able to spend more time DOING it!
And now I'm going to turn the downstairs computer off and start
dragging my Christmas ornaments out of the closet! (It's 25
degrees outside, with the promise of more snow tonight, so the
outdoor lights are going to have to wait a bit...) And speaking
of Christmas, if you're looking for a little holiday spirit, surf
on over to the spectacular holiday issue of TimeTravel-
Britain.com (http://www.timetravel-britain.com), which is packed
with articles on Christmas traditions and history, and lots of
cool photos.
Since this is the last issue of 2005, I wish you all a happy
holiday, and all the best for the New Year! See you in 2006!
-- Moira Allen, Editor
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WHAT IF YOU LEFT THE 40-HOUR WORK WEEK BEHIND? For some, that
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AUTHOR AND EDITOR Sigrid Macdonald is available for copy editing.
$1.50 a page for grammar, punctuation and spelling errors. $2.00
a page for content analysis, review of structure, repetitious
words, confusing sentences, etc. Call 613-224-0762 or e-mail
sigridmac"at"rogers.com.
*****************************************************************
WRITER TO WRITER:
=================================================================
by Peggy Tibbetts (peggyt"at"siltnet.net)
Do writers need an agent?
-------------------------
Writers generally accept the fact that to get a contract with a
major publisher we need agent representation. Combining common
sense and humor, E. Hanes summed it up the best: "The question is
something akin to: Does a human being need a doctor? The answer,
of course, can be 'no', but it begs the question: why would you
want to doctor yourself? It's the same with writing. At a certain
level, a writer does not need an agent. Placing a short story in
a journal? No. But selling a novel? For me, the answer is yes,
because: Agenting is not my profession. Just as I expect to be
paid for rendering my professional service -- writing -- I have
no problem paying others for rendering their professional
services, whether agenting, doctoring or car fixering. In fact,
not only would I be willing to pay in good old-fashioned
greenbacks, truth be told, I'd practically give my right arm in
exchange for agent representation. OK, maybe not my arm.
Definitely a portion of my spleen, though."
In the vast publishing world, agents serve a purpose, as
described by V. Laherty: "It seems to me that an unagented
manuscript lacks having been through some kind of screening, and
in a 'perceived value' environment, marketability is key to
people keeping their jobs based on their recommendation, as well
as time spent sorting through manuscripts for fatal flaws."
When M.B. Miller collaborated on a book with a friend, she
learned the advantages of having a good agent: "We got an agent,
but after a few months, the agent declared she wasn't going to
try again with our book for six months or more. We fired her.
Then, finally, without an agent, we succeeded in getting the book
published, by what we thought was a good publisher. Talk about
languishing. We received one royalty check, which might have paid
for paper costs and another small one that didn't cover postage.
Not only does a writer need a good agent, he or she also needs a
good publicist, and an editor, not just a publisher that prints
whatever a writer sends."
But what happens when the agent doesn't sell your manuscript?
S.F. Lick shared her story: "It's a sore subject for me right now
because my agent just informed me that she has tried every
publisher that seemed likely to her and she can't do any more for
me. Ouch. Our relationship is over unless I can pull a
blockbuster out of my file cabinet. Let me look. Nope. Don't have
one. But in three months, she queried 23 major publishers that
don't accept unagented submissions. It would have taken me years
to do that on my own. She also forced me to rewrite my proposal
and sample chapters until they were flawless. So it wasn't a
waste of time."
She comes away from her experience with a positive attitude and
stresses the importance of keeping it all in perspective: "I have
published three books without an agent, and the new books I'm
working on now are so specialized in topic or geography that I
don't believe an agent would represent them, and I don't need an
agent for the smaller publishers I'm contacting. I think one
should definitely try for an agent for novels and for nonfiction
with widespread interest and best-seller potential. But for
poetry or books with limited audiences, go ahead and sell it on
your own. Although we would all love to have that million dollar
contract and a place on the bestseller list, with an agent
handling all the negotiations, I think most of us are just happy
to have our books published, with or without an agent."
In a perfect world every writer would have an agent and every
agent would sell his client's work. Since this is far from a
perfect world, even if you don't have an agent, writers agree you
shouldn't let that deter you from moving your career forward on
your own.
>>-----------------------------------------------------<<
Peggy Tibbetts answers your questions about writing for children
in her monthly column, Advice from a Caterpillar:
http://www.writing-world.com/caterpillar/index.shtml
She is the author of "The Road to Weird" and "Rumors of War".
Visit her web site at: http://www.peggytibbetts.net
Copyright (c) 2005 by Peggy Tibbetts
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NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF WRITING
=================================================================
US postal rates will rise in 2006
---------------------------------
The US Postal Service will raise key rates on January 8, 2006,
raising the price of a first class letter to 39 cents for the
first ounce and 24 cents for each additional ounce and all
postcards. Priority Mail will go to $4.05 for up to one pound. No
change in Media Mail rates have been announced at this time.
(Your wandering editor asked a postal official whether this meant
that the post office would finally produce some self-stick 2-cent
stamps; his answer was "I sure hope so.") So do we... For more
information: http://snipurl.com/kbaz
Google gives Library of Congress $3 million
-------------------------------------------
On November 22, Google announced that it would give $3 million to
the Library of Congress to help create a new non-profit digital
library. The Library of Congress will use the money to help
create the World Digital Library. According to Chief Librarian
James Billington, the program will create an archive of "rare and
unique cultural materials held in US and Western repositories
along with those of other great cultures." It will be available
free to users worldwide and will consist of both public domain
and licensed works. For more information:
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2005/05-250.html
Reader privacy efforts postponed to mid-December
------------------------------------------------
A vote on the USA Patriot Act conference committee draft is
expected to come some time in mid-December. To ensure Congress
accepts a Patriot Act bill that protects readers' right to
privacy, the sponsors of the Campaign for Reader Privacy (CRP)
are asking supporters to be ready for a final big push in the
coming weeks. The 16 sunsetting provisions of the Patriot Act,
including Section 215, are set to expire on December 31, 2005.
For more information: http://news.bookweb.org/freeexpression/
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MAKING YOUR WRITING WORLD SAFE
=================================================================
by Jane Anne Staw
"I realized yesterday that whenever I start writing, I say the
most awful things to myself," a writing client announced the
other day. "I couldn't believe how mean I was. 'You're no good.
Nobody will want to read anything you write. Who cares?' were
only some of the criticisms dancing around in my head. I was
never aware of this before; I didn't realize how awful I am to
myself whenever I try to write."
My client is not alone. Whether they realize it or not, far too
many writers are cruel to themselves when they write. From the
moment they first think about sitting down to put words on the
page to the day they begin to consider sending a manuscript out
for possible publication, many writers transform their writing
into a war zone and become their own worst enemies.
Hearing the Voices in Your Head
-------------------------------
First there are the voices in their heads. My client was able to
hear hers for the first time yesterday. Other clients are unaware
of the hostile crowd they bring with them into the writing
process. For these writers, I often suggest creating a separate
page or column as they write, a place to jot down any of the
negative voices or comments that they overhear. Very quickly, the
uninitiated tune in to the hail of insults and condemnations
striking them. "You don't have anything interesting to say. You
are too shallow to write anything important. Your punctuation is
awful. Nobody likes you so why would they read what you write?
You're one of the stupidest people you know." These are only some
of the hundreds of bullets aimed directly at the writers I work
with, and not necessarily the most cruel.
Once you become aware of the hostile voices in your head, you can
learn to negotiate with these voices in order to create the quiet
and safety you need to write. Some writers are able to identify
at least some of the people -- a parent, former teacher, ex-best
friend -- behind the insults, and can then negotiate with these
voices. When I realized that one of my critics was a revered
professor from my undergraduate university, I learned to thank
him for wanting to help me, then to explain that I didn't need
his help at the moment. I would, however, probably need it later,
and would call upon him then. One of my clients realized that the
most vitriolic voice she heard was her mother's, and decided that
the best way for her to deal with her mother's intrusive presence
was to ask her to leave. It was that simple. Every morning my
client would sit down to write, then the minute she heard her
mother's voice chastising her about some aspect of her writing,
she would get up from her chair and accompany her mother out the
door. "Thanks for coming to see me, Mom, but I have to write
right now and don't have time to talk."
Even if you can't identify the people behind the voices, you can
devise strategies to silence them. I've suggested that clients
draw interpretive pictures of some of their voices, then turn
these pictures to face the wall when they start to write. Often,
finding an alternative activity to engage the negative chorus
provides writers the quiet they need. "There's a great movie at
the Lumiere you might like to see," I've suggested to my personal
chorus. Or, "It's such a beautiful day, wouldn't you rather be
gardening?"
Most writers find that all that's necessary to distract their
harsh critics is a bit of diplomacy. And I emphasize the word
diplomacy. While some writing coaches offer hostile strategies to
silence critics, I maintain that there is already too much enmity
and hostility in the writing process. And in the long run,
hostility is counterproductive, generating only temporary
solutions; while compassion is enduring.
Finding the Right Audience
--------------------------
Related to this barrage of critics many writers face without the
proper ammunition, is the question of the ideal reader. And when
it comes to envisioning readers, most of the writers I've worked
with place themselves in front of the firing line. "Whenever I
write, I consciously think about what my meanest editor will say
when he reads my piece," one writer told me. "I know that I'm
still trying to show the chairman of my dissertation committee
that he was wrong about my writing," a poet admitted. "Even
though he had nothing to do with poetry, I'm determined to make
him respect me."
Once you understand that writing with the wrong audience in mind
is like writing with a gun to your head, it's easy to see how
helpful writing for the right audience could be. But who is the
right audience? Not necessarily your future readers, I tell my
clients. The right audience is a person who knows and respects
you and whose opinion and judgment you respect in return. It
might be a loving aunt. A cousin. A close friend.
During a workshop I was giving for graduate students, a biologist
with a post-doc at a prestigious university told the audience
that she would never have finished her dissertation if it hadn't
have been for her friend. The student had been completely blocked
for several months, when her friend said, "I'm so interested in
your thesis topic, I'd love to read what you've written so far."
Hearing this, the biologist panicked, then rushed home to try to
produce something for her friend to read. She did, and when the
friend came to her apartment the next week, she was enthusiastic
about what she read.
"So I asked her if she would come to my apartment and read what I
had written each week," the biologist told the group. "And that
was how I was able to finish my dissertation -- with my friend,
whom I respected and who respected me -- as my most immediate
audience."
Embracing the Process
---------------------
Understanding that writing is a process and not a product also
helps quell the critics. When I was in college, I thought that
every word, every sentence, every paragraph I wrote had to be
exquisite before I could move on to the next word or sentence or
paragraph. With this standard of perfection, it took me weeks and
weeks to finish each and every writing assignment. Even worse,
since I was a far from perfect writer -- as we all are -- I
created an open season for the critics.
It took me many years to understand that the actual writing takes
place in stages, each stage requiring a different focus and
concentration from the others. During the first stage, the writer
is responsible only for generating material. Whether this
material may be ideas for an essay, incidents for a story, or the
images for a poem, the only task of the writer at this initial
stage is to generate raw material. Think of it as creating a gold
mine for yourself. Worry about punctuation, word choice, syntax
come much, much later. Even structure and development can be put
off while you are creating the ore for your future project.
It is only once writers have created this gold mine that they
proceed to the next phase, which involves cutting and pasting in
order to create structure or logic for what they have written so
far. If it's a story, the writer begins thinking about plot. If
it's a poem, the poet starts to consider how the images might
appear on the page. If it's an essay or argument, the essayist
considers the logic of the piece. The writer is still not
responsible for the full development of any one idea or image or
scene. And certainly not for spelling and grammar. Not at all!
During the third stage of the writing, you look over what is on
the page and ask, Which of my ideas or moments or images need
more development. Does this idea feel too flimsy? If it does,
what can I do to bolster it? Does this scene seem trivial? What
can I do to strengthen it? Does this stanza seem too thin? How
can I create more density?
It is only now, once you have revised the piece for logic and
development, that the fourth phase of the writing begins:
refining syntax and taking a look at word choice. Are too many of
my sentences long and rambling? Is there not enough variety in my
syntax? Can I find a more precise word? These are all efforts
that affect the surface of the piece, putting the writer's muscle
to polishing and refining. If we engage in this refining too
early, we risk skating along the surface of whatever we are
writing, never penetrating to the subterranean pockets where the
deepest ideas, images or stories reside.
The last phase of the writing process involves copy editing --
reading over what you have written to check that all the I'd are
dotted; that you have no dangling modifiers or run on sentences.
It's easy to put off the critics when you approach writing as
consisting of a series of stages. "I'm not ready to copy edit
yet," you can say. "Come back in a week or two." Or, "I know this
idea deserves more development, but I'm not responsible for
development yet. I promise I'll get to that by next week."
Learning to Think "Small"
-------------------------
Grandiose thinking is another way to sabotage yourself. In fact,
it doesn't even have to be grandiose for your thinking to create
a minefield as you write. Thinking too far ahead, to where you
want to be in a week or a month; or to when you want to finish
your essay or your book, is thinking too big. Thinking about the
whole book when you are beginning the first chapter or the
entire essay when you are putting your toe in the first paragraph
are also ways of thinking too big. So is wondering what kind of
advance you might receive.
Thinking too large takes you off course, and stirs up all those
anxieties that help make your writing world unsafe: Will I be
able to finish this story? Will I be able to convince my reader
of my argument? Will my last lines provide the catharsis the
reader expects from a poem? Will this novel be good enough to
attract a publisher? Will I receive good reviews? Am I up to the
task? How will I be able to weave together all the characters and
themes and incidents into a coherent novel? How will I be able to
sustain this mood for twenty pages?
And stirring up our anxieties brings us right back to where we
began: with the barrage of critics shooting criticisms at us as
we write. To stop the bullets from strafing us, we need to learn
to think small. If you are writing a novel or a book of
nonfiction, don't get ahead of yourself with worry about the last
chapter. And if you find yourself thinking about the Pulitzer,
simply bring yourself back to the chapter or the scene you are
currently writing. If it's a poem you are working on, return to
the image you have just created or focus on a particular word. If
it's an essay or a story, lead yourself back to the paragraph or
the sentence you are engaged with fashioning. By reminding
yourself to think small, you will allow yourself to remain calm
and focused upon what you are writing at the moment. And you will
be able to witness your words blossoming fully on the page.
To thrive as writers, we need to fashion for ourselves the sort
of lasting peace that allows us to write within the safety of our
very personal relationship with our writing. It is a relationship
bathed in understanding and compassion, a relationship that we
nurture by negotiating with our critics, understanding that
writing is a process, not a product, envisioning an ideal and
receptive audience and thinking small. Once this peace is in
place for a while, you will see flowers blooming where
devastation once laid waste to the territory of the blank page.
>>-----------------------------------------------------<<
Jane Anne Staw is the author of "Unstuck: A Supportive and
Practical Guide to Working Through Writer's Block", which
explores the causes and consequences of writer's block --
conceptual, practical and emotional -- as well as strategies
for working through them.
Copyright (c) 2005 by Jane Anne Staw
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-----------------------
An Internet radio talk show for mom writers.
http://www.momwriterstalkradio.com
Bookstore Tourism
-----------------
"Cultural tourism" that promotes independent bookstores as a
group travel destination.
http://www.bookstoretourism.com
ABC's of the Writing Process
----------------------------
A user-friendly online resource for students or teachers.
http://www.angelfire.com/wi/writingprocess/
Perspicuity
-----------
The English Language in Cyberspace: an entertaining and useful
discussion of various writing peeves by screenwriter David Siegel.
http://www.dsiegel.com/tips/wonk9/usage.html
Free Creative Articles, Advice and More
---------------------------------------
Free tips, suggestions and software designed to help you have
more and better ideas.
http://www.jpb.com/creative/index.php
Rhyme Zone
----------
Enter a word to find its rhymes, synonyms, definitions, and more.
http://www.rhymezone.com
*****************************************************************
CREATIVITY IS THE KEY TO GETTING PUBLISHED. Highly creative
people use 10 tricks to form their best ideas. Get them at
http://www.morecreativity.com
*****************************************************************
CONTEMPORARY PRESS has open submissions for novels and short
stories! Distribution: PGW. No agent? No problem. We just want
plot-driven, hot, pulp fiction. For submission guidelines and
contact info, visit http://www.contemporarypress.com.
*****************************************************************
THE WRITING DESK
=================================================================
by Moira Allen
Will It Harm My Career When Someone Plagiarizes My Work?
--------------------------------------------------------
Q: I do book reviews for a site on a volunteer basis. I recently
became aware of another site that stole several of the reviews I
and several other people associated with the site wrote. This
author copied the reviews word for word, with a few minor
alterations. I tried to contact the individual, and she was also
confronted by the owner of the site I work for. Instead of
admitting her nefarious actions, she just pulled the plug on her
website and ran. I am trying to get my writing published and am
very concerned about the effect this will have on me as an
author. A site for reviewers printed a letter regarding this
issue but didn't name the authors the woman plagiarized. This
concerns me greatly as I feel it could be turned against me and
she will say I plagiarized her. I have proof to the contrary, but
to even have my name associated with plagiarism could end my
career even before it begins. Do you have any suggestions? Also,
even though my review was copyrighted by the site it was
published on, do I have any recourse against this individual?
A: Although this has undoubtedly been a disturbing experience,
don't let it disturb you too much. No, it will not affect your
career as a whole. It certainly won't "end" your career. It is
simply one of those things that happens, and, sadly, it has
happened to many of us.
First, you need to understand that your work is covered by YOUR
copyright, whether or not the site on which it was published also
published a copyright notice (most likely a notice for the site
as a whole rather than a notice that indicates the site's claim
to your work). You are the person who was infringed upon. (For
more information, see my article on copyright at
http://www.writing-world.com/rights/copyright.shtml).
I'm not going to go out on a limb and try to recommend what legal
action you might be able to take, or what recourse you have in
that area. However, I doubt that you would find any legal action
worthwhile, even if you were able to track down the infringer
(which you may also find difficult).
As an editor, I have encountered this type of situation far more
often than I'd like. Several "writers" have tried to sell
articles to me that have proven to be stolen from some other
website. And as you noted, such people do not admit to their
actions or take any responsibility for their behavior; I have yet
to encounter even one who would say "Yes, I stole this." Each
and every one has an excuse: "It was research. I never even SAW
that other website!" (This in regards to an article that was
plagiarized word for word -- what a coincidence!)
The only career a plagiarist damages is his or her own.
Eventually, word starts getting out. Editors talk to editors.
Writers talk to writers. One thing I like to do when I run into
a plagiarist is to hunt for other articles that this person has
"published" under his or her name -- and then do a search to see
if I can find the site from which those works were stolen. I
then alert the original author to the plagiarism -- because the
only person who can take action over a copyright infringement is
the person who is actually infringed upon. (Thus, for example,
as an editor, I can't take legal action against someone who sends
me a plagiarized article -- but the actual author of that article
could.)
The best thing that you can do is keep full documentation of the
issue -- your letters or e-mails to the plagiarist, to the editor
of the site you work for, and any other correspondence that took
place. If you have correspondence from any of the other writers
whose work was stolen, keep that as well. It is highly unlikely,
however, that you will ever need to "prove" to anyone else that
you were the person plagiarized against, rather than the person
at fault.
Mainly, though, just take a deep breath and restore your peace of
mind. You have been infringed upon, but you've managed to resolve
the situation with respect to your own editor AND by getting the
plagiarist to close up shop and disappear, at least for now. Be
glad you're not the other person -- the one who steals so much to
accomplish so little!
>>-----------------------------------------------------<<
Moira Allen has been writing and editing professionally for more
than 20 years. A columnist for The Writer, she is also the author
of "Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer", "The Writer's
Guide to Queries, Pitches and Proposals" (now available as an
e-book) and "Writing.com: Creative Internet Strategies to
Advance Your Writing Career". For more details, visit:
http://www.writing-world.com/moira/moira.shtml
Copyright (c) 2005 by Moira Allen
*****************************************************************
INTERESTED IN WRITING FICTION OR NONFICTION? Find inspiration
and ideas for that next project at Profitable Pen's newest
forums! Register for free at http://www.profitable-pen.com.
*****************************************************************
WRITE IN STYLE AND SELL MORE! We edit and evaluate manuscripts,
proposals, synopses and more. Bobbie Christmas (author of Write
In Style) BZEBRA"at"aol.com. Sign up for our free tips/markets
newsletter! Zebra Communications: http://www.zebraeditor.com.
*****************************************************************
WHAT'S NEW AT WRITING-WORLD.COM
=================================================================
DECEMBER COLUMNS:
-----------------
Advice from a Caterpillar, by Peggy Tibbetts
Understanding "Reluctant Readers," Fighting Writer's Block,
Getting Online Reviews and Interviews
http://www.writing-world.com/caterpillar/cat59.shtml
Ask the Book Doctor, by Bobbie Christmas
Getting that First Draft Unstuck
http://www.writing-world.com/columns/book/book13.shtml
Imagination's Edge, by Paula Fleming
Your Writing Career: Connecting the Dots
http://www.writing-world.com/columns/sf/edge25.shtml
The Screening Room, by Laura Brennan
Getting Your Writing Career into Gear
http://www.writing-world.com/columns/screen/screen22.shtml
ARTICLES:
---------
What Every Writer Needs to Know About Titles, by Julie K. Cohen
http://www.writing-world.com/basics/titles.shtml
*****************************************************************
SOUTHERN REVIVAL: DEEP MAGIC FOR HURRICANE RELIEF seeks mss for a
publication to benefit Southern library restoration. Free verse,
flash fiction, creative nonfiction, prose poems. Deadline 3/1/06.
http://www.magical-realism.com, click on "Southern Revival."
*****************************************************************
MARKET ROUNDUP
=================================================================
THE EDGE
Dave Clark, Editor
65 Guiness Buildings, Hammersmith, London W6 8BD UK
EMAIL: davec"at"theedge.abelgratis.co.uk
URL: http://www.theedge.abelgratis.co.uk/
The Edge is interested in fiction, features and reviews and open
to anyone. Many short stories have urban themes, and/or could be
described as modern and borderline gothic horror/fantasy/sf,
slipstream, crime fiction or erotica; please don't send cliched
stories. Experimental work is welcome.
LENGTH: Fiction: 2,000 words or less; Nonfiction: 20,000 words
or less
PAYMENT: Up to £50 per 1,000 words
RIGHTS: First rights
REPRINTS: No
SUBMISSIONS: By mail only
GUIDELINES: http://www.theedge.abelgratis.co.uk/order.htm
>>-----------------------------------------------------<<
ASCENT MAGAZINE
Anurag Dhir, Managing Editor
837 rue Gilford, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2J 1P1
EMAIL: managing_editor"at"ascentmagazine.com
URL: http://www.ascentmagazine.com
Ascent is a quarterly journal of yoga and engaged spirituality.
We seek writers who have fresh, diverse perspectives on these
topics, and a real story to tell. With an emphasis on personal
narrative, articles translate the philosophy of yoga and other
spiritual traditions into practical realities. Each issue centers
around a specific theme, exploring the intersection of spiritual
values with social and political issues, art, culture and
contemporary thought related to the theme. Please see online
submission guidelines for upcoming themes.
LENGTH: Features: 2,000-3,500 words; Q&A interviews: 1,800-2,500
words; Profiles: 1,000-2,000 words; Reviews: 300-500 words
PAYMENT: 10-20 cents/word (Canadian); Book or CD reviews: $50
RIGHTS: FNASR
REPRINTS: No
SUBMISSIONS: Query first by email
GUIDELINES:
http://www.ascentmagazine.com/images/writer_guidelines_2006.pdf
>>-----------------------------------------------------<<
AUREALIS
Ben Payne, Editor
PO Box 15026 City East
Queensland, Australia 4002
EMAIL: submissions"at"aurealis.com.au.
URL: http://www.aurealis.com.au/
Aurealis is looking for science fiction, fantasy or horror short
stories. All types of science fiction, fantasy and horror will be
considered, but we do not want stories that are derivative in
nature, particularly those based on TV series. Stories do not
have to be explicitly Australian, although we always like to see
some with Australian characterization and background, provided
the local element is not merely a self-conscious insertion into a
standard plot. We are interested in articles about Australian
science fiction, fantasy and horror, as well as articles of
interest to Australian writers of science fiction, fantasy and
horror. We will also consider reviews of recently released
Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror books.
LENGTH: Fiction: 2,000-8,000 words; Nonfiction: 500-4,000 words;
Reviews: 300-500 words
PAYMENT: $20-$60
RIGHTS: First Australian Serial Rights
REPRINTS: No
SUBMISSIONS: Submit by mail or email as RTF attachment
GUIDELINES: http://www.aurealis.com.au/submissions.php
>>-----------------------------------------------------<<
Please send Market News to: peggyt"at"siltnet.net
"FNASR": First North American Serial Rights, "SASE":
self-addressed, stamped envelope, "GL": guidelines. If you have
questions about rights, please see "Rights: What They Mean and
Why They're Important"
http://www.writing-world.com/rights/rights.shtml
*****************************************************************
WRITING CONTESTS
=================================================================
This section lists contests that charge no entry fees. For more
contests, check our online contests section.
http://www.writing-world.com/contests/index.shtml
>>-----------------------------------------------------<<
Levis Reading Prize
DEADLINE: January 15, 2006
GENRE: Poetry
OPEN TO: Book of poetry published in 2005
LENGTH: 48 pages or more
THEME: In memory of distinguished poet Larry Levis, the English
Department at Virginia Commonwealth University aims to encourage
poets early in their careers by sponsoring an award for the best
first or second book of poetry.
PRIZE: $1,000 and expenses paid to Richmond, VA to present a
public reading in September 2006.
ELECTRONIC ENTRY: No
ADDRESS: Levis Reading Prize, VCU Department of English, PO Box
842005, Richmond, VA 23284-2005
EMAIL: jalodge"at"vcu.edu
URL: http://www.has.vcu.edu/eng/resources/levis_prize.htm
>>-----------------------------------------------------<<
PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship
DEADLINE: January 17, 2006
GENRE: Fiction
OPEN TO: Writer of children's or young adult fiction in financial
need, who has published at least two books, and no more than
five, during the past ten years, which may have been well
reviewed and warmly received by literary critics, but which have
not generated sufficient income to support the author.
LENGTH: No word length requirement
THEME: The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship is
offered annually to an author of children's or young-adult
fiction. Writers must be nominated by an editor or a fellow
writer.
PRIZE: $5,000
ELECTRONIC ENTRY: No
ADDRESS: PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship, PEN
American Center, 588 Broadway, Suite 303, New York, NY 10012
EMAIL: awards"at"pen.org
URL: http://pen.org/page.php/prmID/281
>>-----------------------------------------------------<<
Amy Writing Awards
DEADLINE: January 31, 2006
GENRE: Biblical nonfiction
OPEN TO: To be eligible, the article must have been published in
a secular, non-religious publication in calendar year 2005.
LENGTH: No word length requirements
THEME: The Amy Foundation Writing Awards program is designed to
recognize creative, skillful writing that presents in a
sensitive, thought-provoking manner the biblical position on
issues affecting the world today. Articles must be reinforced
with at least one passage of scripture.
PRIZES: 1st Prize: $10,000; 2nd Prize: $5,000; 3rd Prize: $4,000;
4th Prize: $3,000; 5th Prize: $2,000; 10 Finalist Prizes: $1,000
ELECTRONIC ENTRY: No
ADDRESS: The Amy Foundation Writing Awards, PO Box 16091, Lansing,
MI 48901-6091
EMAIL: Online inquiries: http://www.amyfound.org/order.html
URL: http://www.amyfound.org/awa.html
*****************************************************************
New Listings on THE AUTHOR'S BOOKSHELF:
---------------------------------------
MENDOCINO MEMORIES, by MOIRA ALLEN
Beluga Sky, by Winky Deveze
Hate That Thunder! by William Adams
Out of Cullen Street (A House of Madness),
by Rebecca Guile Hudson
The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book,
by Patricia Fry
Find these and more great books at
http://www.writing-world.com/books/index.shtml
Advertise your own book on Writing-World.com:
http://www.writing-world.com/books/listyours.shtml
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****************************************************************
Writing World is a publication of Writing-World.com
http://www.writing-world.com
Editor/Publisher: MOIRA ALLEN (writing-world"at"cox.net)
Managing Editor (Newsletter): PEGGY TIBBETTS (peggyt"at"siltnet.net)
Copyright 2005 Moira Allen
Individual articles copyrighted by their authors.
Back issues archived at
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