To read this newsletter in PDF (with a bit more pizzazz) copy and paste:

http://www.AuthorsDen.com/adstorage/1713/SharingwithWriters_Feb_01_2009.pdf

February 01, 2009

Sharing with Writers
A newsletter that is also a community. Share your ideas. Learn from theirs! Associated with the multi award - winning series of HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers, www.howtodoitfrugally.com


From the Desks of
Carolyn Howard - Johnson
and Sharing with Writers Subscribers

In the spirit of the advice I give in the Frugal Editor - - that is to use an extra pair of eyes whenever possible - - this newsletter is voluntarily copyedited by, Mindy Phillips Lawrence ~ mplcreative1@aol.com ~ www.freewebs.com/mplcreative. I also tell writers to be patient with other writers when they make editing boo - boos. We're all human, this letter comes out weekly and it's long!

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Contents

Regular Features
~Note from Carolyn (Unethical Endorsements and Charging for Them!)
~Letter - to - the - Editor
~Thank Yous (where you also find leads and great resources!)
~Tips and News Galore! (They're scattered, you'll just have to find them!)
~Opportunities
~Author Successes
~On Poetry
~Humor Hint by Anne Louise
~Mindy Lawrence's Itty Bitty Column
~Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~Wordstuff ™

Special to this Issue
~Q&A a la Ann Landers: Press Copy Dilemma
~Q&A a la Ann Landers: About Those Rejections



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Note from Carolyn

Tonight I am tired. I am tired of people trying to take money from authors - - particularly new, unsuspecting authors - - for services that they can get for themselves or do themselves. That's bad enough. But the ones that take money from authors that also enlists them in something deceitful - - well, that's even worse.

There's a whole list of them. Some paid reviews. The game people play getting to be a "bestseller" on Amazon (and pay hundred of dollars to teleseminar leaders to show them how to do it!) The authors who figure if they buy up enough books from a bookstore, they'll hit the LA Times bestseller list. That kind of thing.

This week, the New York Times reports about a new "service" that will let authors buy blurbs or endorsements (see the link to the article below under "Tips"). Apparently they sell 10 of them for $19.95, with no guarantee that the endorsement has any credibility or for that matter that the endorser even read the book!

Many endorsement practices are considered acceptable because they have been around so long they're part of the tradition. We all tend to go along with the practice because it's almost essential to getting your book read. But to pay someone who pretends to read a book and give an honest opinion adds a dimension that is just plain unacceptable. Leading readers to think those opinions are freely given is perverse.

Furthermore, it's a scam. For a little more than half of that fee, that same author could get The Frugal book Promoter (or other books on promotion) which give them a whole lot of information and also tells them how to get blurbs from fellow authors. Their fellows' names may not be well - known. They will certainly give you the most positive blurb possible and they're not being paid. Those dollar signs make a big difference in crediblity. You know, there's just something about fooling Mother Nature. It's just not nice!

For f r ^^ authors can take newsletters like this, read blogs, do Google searches. If an author doesn't do those things, they're more likely to get roped into stuff like this. Geez. Talk about taking advantage of the uninitiated.

So, this comes with a plea to pass information on about this newsletter and other letters I often recommend here. You're writers. You speak to groups. Blog. Talk on listserves. Let's try to protect one another. It isn't really the $19.95. It's the principle of the thing.

Keep Writing, Promoting and Yes, Editing, Too!
Carolyn Howard - Johnson

PS: Don't forget you can send a f r ^ ^ Valentine chapbook of poetry to your readers, your blog visitors, your Web site visitors and the ones you love. Learn how at www.howtodoitfrugally.com. The message at the top of the page will lead you to where you can learn more about it.

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Please note the new Resource for Writers page on Contests at www.HowToDoItFrugally.com. =====================================================


Letters - to - the Editor
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Dear Carolyn,

Couldn't help but notice the article about the new author wondering about book sales. When my book came out I had the same question and learned by experience what to expect depending on the type of audience. I've only done three bookstores (two out of town, one local) because I found they were the worst in terms of volume vs. expense (21, 3, 2 sales). I did, however, find a couple of niche audiences that do very well. At one appearance I sold a book to 65% of the attendees - - my all time % high. At two other weekend events I sold 98 and 94 books each. So, it varies all over the lot.

How many books should you bring or send ahead? "That," as Hamlet said, "is the question." If I'm doing a convention and they have 300 people attending, I will have 60 books sent ahead. I always hope to sell 20% of the audience as a minimum. I also have cards that I printed up in case I run out of books. This makes it easy for people to fill out and pay before you lose them. Everybody says, "I'd love to read it," and then you never hear from them again. So you have to be prepared to strike while you have them in your sights. I have a suitcase that holds 20 books that I always check with the airlines, along with the cards. At one event, I used 10 cards after all the books were gone.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Raff Ellis, Author Kisses from a Distance, www.raffellis.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohsvMi - VCjI
Note: Keep in mind that you will sell more books if you are speaking or reading than if you are only signing. Please review the sections in The Frugal Book Promoter on book fairs/signings/tours. They list lots of ways you can make them all more successful.


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Please pass this letter on to others. Unlike many, I do not mind if you use only portions of it as long as you credit the writers and include this subscribe information: "To subscribe to 'Sharing with Writers' send an e - mail to HoJoNews@aol.com with 'Subscribe' in the subject line."
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Tip: In its Arts section, Time magazine has presented what may be the best assessment of the future of books and the publishing industry of the past few years. Read my mini - review at www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com and then use the link you'll find there, I beg of you. Print it out. Devour it, don't skim. I bet you thought the reading of novels was on the skids.


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Please paste this little blurb - - perhaps with a little endorsement - - in your newsletter or website: To subscribe to Sharing with Writers send an e - mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to HoJoNews@aol.com or go to www.howtodoitfrugally.com for an auto subscribe box.
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Author Successes


None to report this week. Don't forget to mark your submissions "Author Successes" in the subject line of the e - mail you send to me!

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My blog, War, Peace, Tolerance and Our Soldiers is where I get to nag and rag and try to make things better for our troops and maybe for the world. I'd love to have you leave a comment. www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com
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Thank Yous

Thank You to Evelyn B. Christenson . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
for taking advantage of my Frugal Editor offer and adding a review to her Web site at http://echristensen.atspace.com/writers.html.


Thank You to von Darkmoor . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . for adding considerably to my post "Whatever are Publishers Thinking?" with an answer on his blog at http://www.jasonmwaltz.com/thoughts/2009/01/25/publishing - in - 2009 - an - oxymoron/ I think you'll find his "Oxymoron" post entertaining as well as informative. Leave a comment. Tell him I said "Hi."


===================================================== So you got As in English. You know grammar and spelling. That's great but an editor of you those skills alone doth not make. An editor knows formatting, front and back matter, indexing, structure, the elements of fiction and on and on. But mostly she'll see your manuscript in a fresh, new light. Learn how to hire a great editor and learn to be a better partner for any author - - awful to superb - - in The Frugal Editor.
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Tip: Aha! Another editing blog that may interest you is Blood Red Pencil. The more you know about editing, the better partner you will be for your editor and publisher! Marvin Wilson recommended The Frugal Editor today at http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/.


===================================================== Recently Yvonne Perry, owner of WritersintheSky Creative Services, and I chatted about editing - - everything from em - dashes to why what works on the Web doesn't work for you book's manuscript. And Yvonne offers to you as a F r ^ ^ podcast on her blog: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/2008/12/do - you - have - questions - about - editing.html You'll find other f r ^^ podcasts on writing on her blog, too.
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Opportunity


Searching for a Few Great Promoting Authors . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~.
For cost, participation details, and benefits of a cross - promotional booth like this, please go to http://www.sizzlingbookfairbooths.blogspot.com You'll also find a picture of booth - doings there. To participate send an e - mail to Christine Alexanians at chalexwrite @ yahoo.com. She will invoice you for PayPal or give you an address to send a check. Please put "LA Times Fair" in the subject line and please let her know whether you would like to sign one or two days so she will know how to bill you. Sorry but all display - only slots are filled. We have only poetry - and short story - reading slots and regular book - signing slots available.



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No part of this newsletter is paid advertising. If you would like to advertise to subscribers, display ads are available at www.howtodoitfrugally.com at less per year than most sites charge for a single month (see the advertising tab at the top of the page).
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Tip: Do you have a wonderful story, but need a second pair of eyes to look it over? We all need our stories looked at by others who have experience in the writing world. VS Grenier will look for grammar, spelling, setting, plot, character development, and so much more. Critiques are designed to help us become better writers. Find VS at http://vsgrenier.com/critiques.aspx


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Subscribers who have websites or newsletters of their own may be interested in the Free Articles 4 Readers and Writers on my site, www.howtodoitfrugally.com. I try to add new articles to it frequently. If you don't see what you need for your blog or newsletter, just ask. HoJoNews@aol.com.
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Tip: Sample - My - Books - First feature is a test - my - book - first approach that works especially well for fictions writers. On your blog or website, you periodically feature a chapter, section, or a tip from one of your books. The post should end, of course, with an invitation and easy link to purchase the entire book. Or, if you're a publisher, you could begin a subscription service where you supply opt - in readers with a similar excerpt from each book in your catalog. I'm trying it on my Frugal, Smart and Tuned - In Editor blog and you can learn more about how it works when you go there: www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com. You can even subscribe for future excerpts if you wish. Find the little subscribe window in the left column.



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Fun and F r * *: If you purchased the Frugal Book Promoter or the Frugal Editor, I'd love for you to review it on Amazon or BN.com. Make it simple; just tell what part of it you found most valuable. If you do, send me the review link (URL) and I will send you a handout from one of my UCLA classes. As a thank you, of course. HoJoNews@aol.com
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On Poetry
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This is a running feature for the poets among us and those who would like to try writing poetry but feel, well . . . inadequate. Please send in your poetry tips and resources for this section.

Promoting Poetry . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . my most recent chapbook of poetry coauthored by Magdalena Ball in time for Mother's Day giving was self published in the time - honored tradition of poets since printing was developed. Maggie and I used www.Createspace.com. It's absolutely f r ^ ^ and includes posting on Amazon. Find it at http://www.amazon.com/She - Wore - Emerald - Then - Reflections/dp/1438263791/



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Don't suffer with book proposals. You can be a pro with and investment of only 20 minutes and 49 cents with my Great First Impression Book Proposal Short.
http://www.amazon.com/Great - First - Impression - Book - Proposal/dp/B000YG6O5U
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Q&A a la Ann Landers


Press Copy Dilemma . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Question:

Dear Carolyn,
I've read your book on book promotions and find it very informative. I sent a Tip Sheet to a paper and they have asked me to send them a press copy. I'm not sure what that means. Could you please let me know what that means?

Thank you so much for the book and the information,
Diana S. Dodson, "It's Your Life, Take Charge." www.authorhouse.com/bookstore

Answer:

Diana, I'm not sure what a "press copy" means either other than one that is ready to be published as is, probably one that includes permission to use it as editors would any media release. So a copy that is headed up by the words Media Release automatically gives an editor permission to use and edit it at will as long as credit is given in some way.

Here's my suggestion. Put together a packet. Make it so that each tip may be used separately, complete with a very short tagline about you after each tip. Then do another document as a ten - tips kind of article. That should also include a tagline, title, and byline as you would like it to appear in the paper if they used it as is. Don't overdo the tagline, of course. Twenty to 50 words are enough.

Put these documents together with a nice cover letter noting the editor's name and that a press copy was requested. Also say that these may be used, properly credited, at no charge (if that is true). And that you put together the packet making it as easy on them as possible to pick and choose whatever format they wish - - article or filler.

Then send it by e - mail so the editor can merely copy and paste what she needs. Be sure that the subject line indicates the editor's name and that the information was requested. Because she requested a copy, it will probably be OK to send your packet as an attachment but do offer to send it by post if she prefers.

Then pat yourself on the back. This is great news.
CHJ


PS: If anyone can shed more light on the term "press copy," please let me know know so I can pass it on.



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A general marketing rule is that a product must be seen seven times before it is purchased. That is just as true for books (because they are products, like it or not!). Let people see that book cover image! To do that, you are invited to advertise as a site sponsor at www.howtodoitfrugally.com for only $25 to $30 a year. Yep, the frugal way! Click on the Advertising tab at the top of the page or contact me personally at hojonews@aol.com.
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Tip: Don’t break up dialogue sequences with blocks of narrative. One of dialogue’s greatest advantages is that it moves a story along. If you insert too much stage direction, it will lose the forward motion and any tension it is building. - - - - - From your Author's Advocate, Patrika Vaughn. www.acappela.com)


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Available: (http://www.tri - studio.com/audiodivas.html) from Audio Divas on many aspects of building a writing career. Here is the page where you'll find the full list of the writer - related ones athttp://www.tri - studio.com/writers.html. Titles include Contest Facts: How to Add “Award - winning” to Your Name, Do It Yourself Indexing: The Way to Sell Your Book to Libraries, Schools and Anyone Else That Buys Nonfiction, Fury and Destruction: How to Use Violence Effectively in Your Writing, and more.
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Q&A a la Ann Landers

Deconstructing Rejections . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~.

Question:

I wrote a small story about a girl who wants to help her mom in the kitchen but the mother is an extra careful lady and doesn't trust her daughter. Finally she finds an opportunity to help her mom and wins her mother's trust. I have included a fun recipe.
I submitted the story and the cover letter to my crit groups several times and got a nod from them. But the story was rejected by various magazines. I can take rejections very well because it's a part of our profession. But what I don't understand is why the story is being rejected? If I know the reasons I'll have an opportunity to learn from my mistake. It's a very small story. It would be a great learning for me if you have some time to just glance at my story and tell me where am I going wrong? Please do not think I'm taking an advantage of your kindness and helpfulness. It's just a request. Opinions from experienced writers like you make a lot of difference and that means a lot to me.

Thanks for your time.
Regards, Priya Iyengar, freelancer and writer of fiction for children and adults

Answer:

Dear Priya:

I am flattered that you thought of me at a time of obvious frustration.

As to your request. I would be happy to peek at your story at no charge, or edit it and give complete input at my regular editing fee. Having said that, here is my guess and I'm almost certain that I'm right because you have been through critique with it, etc. And here it is. There is nothing wrong with your story. Here is what IS wrong that you can help:

1. You may not have read the magazine or media you are submitting to - - at least not with a critical eye. Your story may not fit well with their style or goal and those rejections have nothing to do with the quality of the story itself. Just that it's not right for that magazine or that editor.

2. Your story may be similar to one that has been published in the last few weeks, months, or even years. That's another good reason to try to keep up with the magazines you submit to.

Here is what may be wrong that you can't help:

1. There are just so many writers and the places available for them to publish are dwindling.

2. Publishers are having trouble making ends meet in this economy (and actually long before). Thus they are buying less and producing more of their copy/material in - house.

I have one last idea and that is the critique group you may be using. I talk about how to put together a critique group in my Frugal Book Promoter. But here is what may be wrong with yours.

1. None of them have any expertise in children's literature.

2. If they are all more or less amateurs, you may be doing little more for one another than typo hunting or grammar checks.

So, you may need a facilitator. Or it may be time for you to take a class from an accredited university writing program and try to put a critique group together from those who take the class. Fellow students will have already had some guidance from a professional.



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Endorsement: "I am so happy for you to receive a second award [Reader Views Literary Award] for The Frugal Editor. I bought this book a week ago, and I love it. I can already see the improvement in my work. Thank you. You deserve this award." ~Katherine Harms, author
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Tip: If you're wondering who's Twittering about you, wonder no longer, TweetBeep: http://tweetbeep.com, is a service that will alert you anytime your name, book title, product, or company is mentioned or Tweeted about! ~ From your Author's Advocate, Patrika Vaughn. www.acappela.com)


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Reciprocal Links: Many subscribers are in a position to cross promote. Let me know if you would like to trade some recommendation or promotion for any of my books - - from the HowToDoItFrugally series to my chapbook of poetry - - for a place on my Resources for Writers or Resources for Readers pages on www.HowToDoItFrugally.com.
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Tip: Subscriber May Lattanzio sends this link from the New York Times for a take on a new way to get money from desperate, new authors! http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/books/review/Donadio - t.html?fta=y Geez! If you want an unknown author to write a blurb, you can ask someone from your critique group or the last class in writing fiction you took. Why not? Their opinions are more valuable that that of a paid shill!


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I use Vista Print for lots of my promotional materials. Be aware that shipping prices may fluctuate, depending on the deal of the moment. Please use this link: http://www.vistaprint.com/frf?frf=815651421184
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Humor Hint ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By Anne Louise

So, a few weeks ago, I wrote up this absolutely amusing, adorable, and agreeable Humor Hint about alliteration. (ok, I know, somebody needs to slap me). In short, the piece just seemed to read really well, and I decided not to bother having anyone check it over.

So, of course, there was a glaring (in retrospect) error: I had left out the word ‘not’ in one of the sentences. Now, ‘not’ is kind of a bad word to leave out. It’s not like leaving out "very," which would just change the degree of meaning, or forgetting "some," which in many cases would be almost unnoticeable. When you leave out ‘not’ you’ve pretty much said the opposite of what you meant – as in I did (not) vote for Bush. Or please do (not) put your feet on the table. Or they did (not) think my article was junk.

So, for the first time, I find myself hoping that newsletter readers did (not) read my Humor Hint.

- - - - - - Anne Louise is a freelance writer. Send your reassurances and understanding ( ( - : ) to annelouise@annelouise.net


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Announcement: I plan to release a booklet with terms and words that writers often get wrong when they edit. I haven't decided whether to use tech terms in it or not, because the length of the booklet is so important. But watch for it. I promise to keep it lower than the cost of most greeting cards. ( - :
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Tip for F r ^^ Learning and Inspiration: I just finished an interview with Paul Bruno, the Career Czar,
www.alltalkradio.net/careerczar. Our interview is about reinventing yourself - - in the downturn, in retirement, or whenever. The archives are on the right of his site. Click on 01/30/09. And it's F r ^ ^. So are all of these!!
Next up, the famous Fran Silverman, loved by smart, radio conscious authors everywhere.
January 16, 2009 - The Career Czar® himself is interviewed
January 30, 2009 - Reinventing Yourself. Over and Over Again as the Occasion Demands - Carolyn Howard - Johnson
January 9, 2009 - Coach Christine

December 19, 2008 - Generations in the work place - Bill Howlett and Morio Lurenz

December 12, 2008 - Sports Talk Radio - Ken Thomson

December 5, 2008 - Breakthrough Networking - Lillian Bjoreth

November 21, 2008 - Organizational Development - Bill Howlett

November 14, 2008 - Careers in Business and Academia - Skip Swerdlow, PhD

November 7, 2008 - One Year Anniversary Parody Show

October 31, 2008 - Imagination and Career Goals - Melissa Zollo

October 24, 2008 - Effective Communication - Linda Burkley

October 17, 2008 - Talk Radio - Fran Silverman

October 10, 2008 - Careers in Magic and Entertainment - Brenton Keith

October 3, 2008 - Joy on the Job - Doris Helge, PhD

September 26, 2008 - Career Transition and Life Purpose - Heather Resnick

September 19, 2008 - Interviews - Martin Yate

September 12, 2008 - Law Enforcement and Casino Security - Tommy Burns

September 5, 2008 - Motivational Speaking - Rudy Ruettiger of the movie Rudy

August 29, 2008 - SCUBA Diving - Jay Zinner

August 22, 2008 - Customer Service - Barbara Burke

August 15, 20098 - Soft Sell Internet Marketing - Judith Shivren and Jim Sniechowski

August 8, 2008 - Burnout - Steve Forst

July 18, 2005 - Leadership - Dave Arnold

July 11, 2008 - Czar goes Hollywood - Max Freedman

June 27, 2008 - Investing Introduction - Catie Fitzgerald

June 20, 2008 - Financial Management Introduction - Catie Fitzgerald

June 13, 2008 - City Planning - Steve Hoese

June 6, 2008 - Job Search Bonus - Martin Yate

May 30, 2008 - Speed Careers

May 23, 2008 - Training and Transitions - Steve Forst

May 16, 2008 - Owning a Small Business - Lynda and Rick Holman

May 9, 2008 - Portfolios - Linda Burkley

April 25, 2008 - Vocation Vacations - Brian Kurth

April 18, 2008 - The Eclectic Career - Brian Rudolph

April 11, 2008 - Career Services and Cover Letters II - Kelly Wuest

March 28, 2008 - Grants Administration - Glenn Krause

March 21, 2008 - Economic Development - Bob Cooper

March 14, 2008 - Project Management - Peter Fiala

February 22, 2008 - Cover Letters Part I - Kelly Wuest

February 15, 2008 - Publicity and Portfolios - Linda Burkley

February 8, 2008 - Life Balance - Gardening - Ann Edmunds

January 25, 2008 - Life Balance - Spiritual - Dave Charlton

January 18, 2008 - Resumes Part Deuce

January 11, 2008 - Executive Recruiting and Networking - Mark Wayman

January 4, 2008 - Entertainment Careers - Betty Lougaris

December 7, 2007 - Life Balance Basics

November 30, 2007 - Resume Basics - Eileen McGarry

November 16, 2007 - Geographic Information Systems - Sendhil Kolandaivel

November 9, 2007 – Networking

November 2, 2007 - Job Search Basics

October 26, 2007 - Premier

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The New Book Review is a service of this newsletter and Authors' Coalition. It allows authors to get more exposure from their favorite review and reviewers a chance to have more readers see their reviews - - with links, of course. Please check the guidelines on the blog site at www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com.
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An Itty - Bitty Column on Writing

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ By Mindy Phillips Lawrence

Rejection: A Positive Step Toward Publication

You send off a query and wait for an answer. And wait and wait and wait. One day, a thin envelope comes in the mail or an e - mail comes from the publisher. The contents says, “Thanks, but no thanks.” For the next day or so, you are in a blue funk. How could the editor not see how excellent your topic was? How skillfully you wrote about it? You begin to believe that all editors are born to reject.
Are you SURE about that? If that is true, how do all those OTHER articles, stories and books get published? Someone gets accepted. Why not you?
Rejection exposes all our insecurities, dragging them to the surface. Even seasoned authors tend to question their abilities and rejection fuels that fire.
But, here’s the thing. Rejection is a powerful teacher. Here are some of its lessons:

~Rejection lets you know how deeply you want to fight for publication
~Rejection makes you tweak your writing and make it better
~Rejection makes you read the markets you query more closely
~Rejection makes you study the market’s cycle to see what’s hot and what’s not and try to produce a hot bit of writing
~Rejection teaches you not to take rejection letters personally
~Rejection makes you decide whether to choose to think positively or negatively about your work

I read somewhere that when you receive a rejection you should allow yourself FIVE MINUTES to throw a temper tantrum in a room by yourself. After you have done this a time or two, you will realize that five minutes is an awfully long time to rant all alone.
So, get back to writing!

LINKS
“How to Deal with Rejection,” Shruti Chandra Gupta
http://literaryzone.com/?p=340

“How NOT to let Rejection Ruin Your Writing Career,” Melanie Marten
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/76897/fiction_writers_guide_to_getting_over.html?cat=24

“Relishing Writing Rejection,” Janet Grace Riehl
http://ezinearticles.com/?Relishing - Writing - Rejection&id=833204

“Coping With Rejection,” Moira Allen
http://www.writing - world.com/basics/rejection.shtml

“Rejection: A Normal Part of a Writer’s Life,” Jason Lusk
http://writinghood.com/writing/rejection - a - normal - part - of - a - writers - life/


- - - - - Mindy Phillips Lawrence www.freewebs.com/mplcreative is the author of the poetry collections One Blue Star and Above and Below. She is co - author of The Complete Writer and a publicist and literary agent. She is in the process of researching a novel titled Alone is Where We Begin. Blogging at: http://mplcreative.blogspot.com/.



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Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites is now accepting nominations for next year’s list. If you've found Sharing with Writers newsletter or blog or the resources at HowToDoItFrugally.com helpful in the past year, please send your nomination to writersdig@fwpubs.com. Put "101 Websites" in the subject line. Please do it now. Jan 1, 2009, is the deadline and you know how the holidays get! ( - :
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Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will conduct a seminar for the second year at the Catholic Writers’ Conference Friday, Feb 6 at 10 am Pacific Time, 1 pm Eastern. She will speak on “Turning Dreadful Adverbs into Nuggets of Gold.” The conference is f r ^ ^ but writers must register by January 15 at http://www.catholicwritersconference.com.
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be signing a new chapbook of poetry She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood as well as her other books, including the HowToDoItFrugally series of books at the world renowned LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books the last weekend in April, 2009, on the UCLA Campus. To learn more about a signing position for yourself, contact Christine Alexanians at chalexwrite@yahoo.com.
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be presenting two seminars at the National Stationery Show, one on Monday, May 18, called "Move Upward in a Down Market with Free Publicity Exposure and Money - Making In - Store Promotions" and the other, "Grow Your Business Online for No $$$," on Tuesday, May 19. This is a huge show a la Book Expo America! but for stationery retailers and will be at Javits Center in Manhattan. She'll also be publishing a new book for her HowToDoItFrugally series, this time for retailers. Many of the marketing principles are the same, though. ( - :

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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will speak on how editing is one of the most important parts of your book promotion with "Query Letters as Promotion: Let's Make Them Picture Perfect!" at International Conference PROMO DAY! on Saturday, May 9. at 9 am Pacific Time. The conference is on Rome, Italy, time so check your time conversion tables carefully to be sure you join the seminars at the right time. http://jolinsdell.tripod.com/promoday/ PROMO DAY! is an all day international online event for people in the writing industry. There are lots of new features for the 2009 event including a workshop chatroom.

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For the first time, Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles and Mystery Writers of America/SoCal are joining forces to present a new venture, the California Crime Writers Conference, to be held June 13 - 14 at the Pasadena Hilton, Pasadena, CA. The conference is titled “Breaking In & Breaking Out: Plotting the Write Course,” and is the next incarnation of the successful No Crime Unpublished conference held biannually by Sisters in Crime/LA. Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be presenting a class on marketing your book online on Saturday June 13. The time is to be announced. The public is welcome. Learn more at http://www.sistersincrimela.com/ccwc.htm
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Carolyn Howard - Johnson will be speaking on writing picture perfect query letters at the November session of Scribblers' Retreat Writers' Conference, www.scribblersretreatwritersconference.com at Sea Palms Resort, St. Simons Island, Georgia. Scribblers Retreat Writers’ Conference offers four conferences of specifically chosen genres throughout the year. It is brand new and one of the few chances I will speak on the East Coast in 2009.


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Wordstuff ™

Something to Make Writers Smile
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(Definitions in the next few newsletters are from www.butlerwebs.com/jokes/definitions.htm.You might have some favorite neologisms, metaphors or similes that make you smile. If so, please contribute.)

"EYEDROPPER (i' - drop - ur): A clumsy ophthalmologist."


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Essential Book and Record Keeping:

Sharing with Writers is edited and distributed by Carolyn Howard - Johnson, http://carolynhoward - johnson.com. and proofread by Mindy Phillips Lawrence.

This is a place to share with others and learn from others.

Although I do attempt to verify information used within this newsletter's pages, Sharing with Writers does not guarantee entities or information. Subscribers should research resources.

To submit information articles, tips or other information, e - mail Carolyn at HoJoNews@aol.com. Please put "Submission: Sharing with Writers" in the subject line.

If you do not care to receive this newsletter, send an e - mail to HoJoNews@aol.com with "Unsubscribe” in the subject line, but please, please don't tell me you've given up writing or promoting!

To subscribe to Sharing with Writers send an e - mail with "Subscribe" in the subject line to: HoJoNews@aol.com.

Please pass this newsletter to friends or e - groups. It needn't be pasted in its complete form, but please credit this newsletter, and the individual contributors with anything you snip and paste.

Ordering Information:
Order the Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't at stores like UCLA, Dayton University and San Diego State University's bookstores or at Amazon where it is discounted:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/193299310X/qid=1149015406/sr=2 - 1/ Order it as an e - book at http://starpublishllc.com/id43.html

The second in the How To Do It Frugally series of books, The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success, is available at
www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870

The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know About Selling Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less, is available on Amazon as a Short for 49 cents.
http://www.amazon.com/Great - First - Impression - Book - Proposal/dp/B000YG6O5U/

To learn more about This Is the Place,
Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, Tracings,and She Wore Emerald Then: .

Tracings, a chapbook of poetry, published by Finishing Line Press may be ordered at
www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/qid=1139084827/sr=1 - 1/

Contact Information
Websites: http://carolynhoward - Johnson.com (literary)
http://HowToDoItFrugally.com (all things about writing)

For the Frugal Editor, Amazon - direct: www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870

Blogs:

http://www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com, a blog on all things publishing

http://www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog focused on YOUR reviews

http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, a blog focused on editing, formatting and craft

http://www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com War. Peace. Tolerance. And Our Soldiers.

And now! Tweeting at: www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo and Squidooing at http://www.squidoo.com/HowToDoItFrugallyforAuthors
and http://www.squidoo.com/carolynhoward - johnson