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Screensize: 640 x 480 800 x 600 1024 x 768 1280 x 1024 UserName: Password: Format Mode: Basic  Help  Prompt  Format: Font Andale Mono Arial Arial Black Book Antiqua Century Gothic Comic Sans MS Courier New Georgia Impact Lucida Console Script MT Bold Stencil Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana   Size 1 2 3 4 5 6   Color Black Red Yellow Pink Green Orange Purple Blue Beige Brown Teal Navy Maroon LimeGreen Message: * HTML is OFF * Forum Code is ON [quote][i]Originally posted by M.Chu[/i] [br]***************************************************************** 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 4:23 14,600 subscribers November 11, 2004 ***************************************************************** SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE INSTRUCTIONS AT END OF NEWSLETTER ***************************************************************** SPECIAL NOTICE: Please DO NOT REPLY to this e-mail; any messages sent to the listbox address are deleted. See the bottom of this newsletter for information on contacting the editors. ***************************************************************** CONTENTS ================================================================= From the Editor's Desk News from the World of Writing FEATURE: International Grants, by C. Hope Clark The Write Sites -- Online Resources for Writers WRITING DESK: Help! I'm Rewriting my Novel to Death! by Moira Allen JUST FOR FUN: Advice to a Young Writer, by Patrick Joseph McNamara WHAT'S NEW at Writing World MARKET ROUNDUP/Writing Contests ***************************************************************** WRITTEN A BOOK? GET PUBLISHED TODAY WITH AUTHORHOUSE. Experience the thrill of having your voice in print. With offices in the U.S. and the U.K., join over 20,000 authors who have successfully published with AuthorHouse. To learn more, click here to claim your free Publishing Guide. http://snipurl.com/6yoo ***************************************************************** EARN AN MFA IN WRITING through the brief-residency program at Spalding University in Louisville, KY. Call (800) 896-8941x2105 or e-mail gradadmissions@spalding.edu and request brochure FA90. For more info: http://www.spalding.edu/graduate/MFAinWriting ***************************************************************** WRITERSCOLLEGE.COM has 57 online courses. Prices are low. If you can reach our web site, you can take our courses. http://www.WritersCollege.com ***************************************************************** DISCOUNTED SOFTWARE FOR WRITERS -- PowerWriter, DramaticaPro, StoryCraft, WritePro, MovieMagic, StyleWriter, plus many more. HUGE SAVINGS! GREAT SELECTION! Save online at: http://www.MasterFreelancer.com ***************************************************************** THE WELL-FED WRITER by Peter Bowerman - Learn how you can make $50-100 an hour as a freelance writer and easily earn $1000 a week or more working 2-3 good days. Details: http://www.writingcareer.com/pb001.shtml ***************************************************************** LOOKING FOR PAYING MARKETS? Absolute Write Can Help! Subscribe to the Absolute Markets PREMIUM Edition for just $15 a year and get all the writing markets we can cram into your inbox! We've got calls for freelance writers, screenwriters, editors, greeting card writers, translators... http://www.absolutemarkets.com ***************************************************************** FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK ================================================================= Where did it go? ---------------- Am I just getting old(er), or did 2004 go awfully quickly? The malls already have their Christmas decorations up, and I suppose it's a sign of that advancing elderliness that makes me want to point out, a bit grumpily, that we haven't even gotten through Thanksgiving yet... Of course, in another couple of years, I'll be pointing out grumpily that we haven't passed Halloween, and I suppose before long I'll be a bit annoyed that the Christmas decorations go up right after Easter. Yet this year still seems to have flitted by faster than ever. I do remember, as a child, thinking that Christmas would never come, and being told by my mother that when I grew up, I'd think differently. I didn't believe her then... Every year about this time I make a resolution: I'm going to "relax" and enjoy the holidays. I swear I'm going to find time to do the things I used to enjoy: baking cookies, decorating, making and wrapping presents, and just "being" with the season. This year, I may even manage to keep that resolution! I don't have a book deadline to meet (and since I always procrastinate, I'm always finishing a book at the last minute). In fact, this year I can chuckle, as it's my sister who is scrambling to get a book done before Thanksgiving! Even without book deadlines (or perhaps especially without deadlines), this IS my favorite time of year. It's time for pumpkin pie, and chestnuts, and apples, and fires in the fireplace (even if the fireplace is gas). Most of all, it's time for sparkle -- I'm not so old that I don't love things that glitter! So perhaps I CAN understand those malls that are putting up their wreaths and banners; I'm itching to haul out the Christmas boxes myself. But I WILL wait until Thanksgiving is over... Speaking of Thanksgiving, that's the date of our next issue. Since we actually plan to be out of town VACATIONING during Thanksgiving, you definitely won't be receiving the newsletter on Thursday. You'll probably see it on Tuesday or Wednesday, but if not, you'll have it on Saturday. And then I can start decorating! -- Moira Allen, Editor ***************************************************************** In every city in America, roughly 57% of the population is looking for a new job I know a few simple tricks and secrets to help these people... and I make $2,400 a day because of it. I can show you how to do the same thing. http://www.myresumebiz.com/wworlda6 ***************************************************************** PROMOTE YOUR BOOK! Get your book media exposure & in bookstores & distribution houses. New publication reveals how. Putting It On Paper: The Ground Rules for Creating Promotional Pieces that Sell Books http://snipurl.com/61m5 or http://www.cameopublications.com ***************************************************************** NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF WRITING ================================================================= Writers' voices on the air -------------------------- Writer's Voice Radio is a weekly program produced by Science Interchange in cooperation with A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books and KALW-FM Radio, both of San Francisco. Launched in mid-April, the 30-minute program, now on KALW on Sunday and Wednesday evenings, features guest authors reading and discussing their latest books; a literary calendar highlighting upcoming author appearances in the Bay Area; and a brief interview with a bookseller from a local independent bookstore, who recommends new titles. Neal Sofman, owner of A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books, is the host. "The focus is on emerging authors," he said. "Occasionally we throw in an established author, but ideally we are helping to promote authors who deserve a larger audience." For more information: http://writersvoiceradio.com Nobel Laureate sues for rights to publish memoirs ------------------------------------------------- Shirin Ebadi, a 2003 Nobel Prize-winning author from Iran, is suing the US government over restrictions that could block the publication of her memoirs in the US. On November 1, a federal judge agreed to add the lawsuit to similar litigation brought in September by other publishing groups and authors. A hearing date has not been set. According to Treasury Department regulations, US companies are forbidden to publish the works of authors in Iran, Cuba and Sudan unless the works have already been completed without US involvement. They are also forbidden from promoting or marketing works from the three countries unless they obtain a license from the department's Office of Foreign Asset Control. Ebadi, a Muslim lawyer and human rights activist, said she wants to write a book about her life and career and publish it in the US, rather than Iran, where it would be subject to state approval. Her lawsuit alleges that blocking her memoirs would be a "critical missed opportunity both for Americans to learn more about my country and its people from a variety of Iranian voices and for a better understanding to be achieved between our two countries." Project Gutenberg Consortia Center open to public ------------------------------------------------- In celebration of their "one-third of a century" anniversary, Project Gutenberg opened the Consortia Center for the exchange of entire ebook collections. Their mission is to help people legally exchange ebook collections under the various new copyright laws. Different countries have had copyright law changes during the past few years, and more changes are expected at the end of this year. Project Gutenberg is making this effort to help those affected by copyright extensions and to insure their ability to provide free ebooks within rules of the new copyright laws. For more information: http://www.pgcc.net Looming layoffs and job losses plague newspapers ------------------------------------------------ According to Stuart Wilk, President of the Associated Press Managing Editors (APME), newspapers have become a cross between "Fear Factor," "Survivor" and "Extreme Makeover." "Year after year, budgets are cut, openings go unfilled, and the news hole gets smaller," said Wilk, who is also vice president and associate editor of The Dallas Morning News. "Layoffs loom and, in some places, they abound. In the past two and a half years, 77,000 editorial and business-side jobs have been cut from news organizations." Speaking at last month's APME annual conference, Wilk said today's journalists need to rekindle the fire of their predecessors and boldly cover the news despite those adversities: "If we feel we're too timid and too lazy, if we feel we're going down the wrong road, maybe it's time that we go back to the beginning of the path. The people in this room, like the generations before us, can effect social change. Are we making waves, or are we going with the flow?" NYC Libraries Offer E-books --------------------------- The New York Public Library has launched a website offering over 3,000 e-books for "lending," on a variety of platforms. You must have a NYPL card to "borrow" e-books; the card is free if you are a resident of the area, but costs $100 if you are not. For more information, visit http://snipurl.com/aju3 ***************************************************************** 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. ***************************************************************** TAKE THE TEST -- IT'S FREE! Has that novel been rejected too many times? Worried reviewers will notice poor grammar more than the story? Present a professional image, hire a professional editor. See the difference editing makes with a free test edit. Visit http://www.scripta-word-services.com ***************************************************************** INTERNATIONAL GRANTS ================================================================= by C. Hope Clark (HopeClark1@aol.com) Grants are the candy income that writers dream of. We envision a fellowship that pays all of our obligations for at least a year, while we write, write, write. Not a week passes by that FundsforWriters does not get an email asking how to pluck one of those babies from the money tree. Alas, the money tree is not very big and its branches are way, way over most peoples' heads. It takes long arms to reach them and that usually means a publication history. But grants are a superb goal to strive for down the road. Grants, however, tend to gravitate to the affluent countries with the greatest concentration in English-speaking nations. What about those writers in Europe, Asia, Africa, the East, and South America? Grants do exist for the international population. They focus on health, community development, education, and other social causes with a few available for cultural development. With the Internet you would think the information readily available, but few sites carry these opportunities except the sponsors themselves, who have no need to advertise. You need diligence and motivation, but with a little of each, you will find your financial sponsor. Let's start with the Internet resources that cater to international grant seekers: European Foundation Centre -------------------------- Updated regularly, this site lists European foundations that offer grant assistance. Each foundation has specific purposes for its funds, so expect to spend some time reading each grant site thoroughly. Read the actual grants already distributed to learn what entices the grantors to write the checks. What may surprise you is that these foundations often do not limit themselves to the country in which they physically reside. The King Baudouin Foundation has a Belgium address, yet they distribute funds internationally. This foundation has a current interest in social causes, governance, civil justice and philanthropy development. To some that means no writing grants. But if you can wrap the subject of your writing into one of these topics, you just might land a grant to not only get your work written but also to assist in improving conditions somewhere in the world. Your words might be the tools others need to reach an end. Thing wide, think deep, and think outside the box. http://www.efc.be/ FundersOnline ------------- FundersOnline touts itself as Europe's online source of philanthropic communities. However, once you delve into its database, you'll find foundations and funding sources from all over the world and on all continents. The search and find feature is decent in that you do not have to waste your time reading all information on all foundations to find what you need. http://www.fundersonline.org The Synergos Institute ---------------------- Find grant opportunities in Latin America, Central America and the Caribbean. You will find American foundations as well, but they are internationally connected with grant reaches outside the United States. http://www.synergos.org/globalphilanthropy/database/index.htm Southeast Asia is relatively new in philanthropy and grant making. The Synergos Institute lists these entities as Civil Society Resource Organizations or CSROs. Find these listings at: http://snipurl.com/adis From this site, you go to databases for Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. The Philippine Foundation Center -------------------------------- This center is thirty years old and represents 134 non-government organizations (NGOs) and foundations: http://www.pfconline.org Consider this foundation center the Southeastern equivalent of the US Foundation Center. It provides an excellent starting point for grant seekers in that part of the world and receives part of its own funding from the Ford Foundation. http://www.fdncenter.org The Japan Foundation Center --------------------------- Consider this extensive grant listing in Japan. http://www.jfc.or.jp/eibun/e-links.html F&P Funding Center ------------------ This site focuses on grants made to scholars and students in Russia and NIS. http://www.friends-partners.org/friends/funding/index.html The Foundation Center --------------------- United States-based, the Foundation Center keeps its finger on the pulse of global philanthropy and has some resources of its own. Its international data is located at: http://fdncenter.org/learn/faqs/html/foreign.html Anyone who has written grants understands the wealth of information and accuracy of data from this organization, which serves as the heart of the philanthropic world. http://www.fdncenter.org FundsNet -------- This site has the greatest database of international grant makers known. The main site has wonderful information on grants -- anywhere. But this particular location on global grantors gives a brief description of each one including whether or not they lean toward cultural funding, which saves you time in your research. http://www.fundsnetservices.com The Grantsmanship Center ------------------------ Another well respected website, the Grantsmanship Center carries a database that includes all continents and countries. This page takes you to the general vicinities and you take it from there. The foundations and organizations are listed alphabetically but do not list focus or mission. You have to click on each one to learn the grantmaking direction. http://www.tgci.com/intl/index.asp Welcome Europe -------------- Welcome Europe gives you access to grant makers not just in Europe but on fringe countries as well. http://www.welcomeurope.com Arts International ------------------ Although headquartered in the United States, Arts International focuses on cultural exchange and global interchange in the arts. Note: it does lean toward the visual arts. http://www.artsinternational.org/index2.htm Please note that many grants go to groups, not individuals. As we preach at FundsforWriters, just because a grant restricts applicants to groups does not mean that you cannot reach the funds. Actually, many of the individuals that receive writing grants acquire them through a fiscal agent or group sponsor. They apply to a group to sponsor them in order to complete a project, book or other career endeavor. Obtaining a fiscal agent is a common practice and quite successful for many writers. Make sure that your writing project or goals somehow partner with the vision of the group, and you just might land that dream grant. Grants do exist at the international level. Use them to travel, to research or, occasionally, to support uninterrupted writing time. With a little sweat and research, you might find the entity that likes what you are trying to accomplish. The world is a global community, and if a grant does not exist in your home country, you still have options. Remember than many grant makers reach around the world and want to help you make a difference. >>-----------------------------------------------------<< C. Hope Clark is editor of Fundsforwriters, a family of funding newsletters for writers ranging from kids to serious career scribes: http://www.fundsforwriters.com. She recently authored "The Shy Writer: An Introvert's Guide to Writing Success": http://www.theshywriter.com Copyright (c) 2004 by C. Hope Clark EDITOR'S NOTE: Writing-World.com's ebook "2000 Online Resources for Writers" includes a list of more than 80 funding agencies, including U.S. state arts commissions and a variety of international agencies. To order, visit http://www.writing-world.com/guides/index.shtml ***************************************************************** WRITE IN STYLE AND SELL MORE! We edit and evaluate manuscripts, proposals, synopses and more. Bobbie Christmas (author of Write In Style) BZEBRA@aol.com. Sign up for our free tips/markets newsletter! Zebra Communications: http://www.zebraeditor.com. ***************************************************************** WRITE AND PUBLISH ARTICLES ON TOPICS YOU LOVE! Christina Katz has a proven track record inspiring and guiding emerging writers and recently appeared on Good Morning America. To learn more about writing classes and services, visit http://www.christinakatz.com. ***************************************************************** THE WRITE SITES ================================================================= Romance Divas ------------- Articles, column, book reviews, forum, critique group, free online workshops, and more. (Many of the articles are in PDF format.) http://www.romancedivas.com The Why Files ------------- Uses news and current events as springboards to explore science, health, environment and technology. http://whyfiles.org Who What When ------------- An interactive time line database extending from 1000 AD to present. http://www.sbrowning.com/whowhatwhen/index.php Directory of Publishers and Vendors ----------------------------------- Search for publishers' web sites using this handy subject directory. http://acqweb.library.vanderbilt.edu/pubr.html#subj WordSmitten ----------- Snappy patter and exclusive interviews for the book publishing industry; covering the people, the books, and the business of writing. http://www.wordsmitten.com Popular Names ------------- Links to the US Census Bureau web site lists of male and female first names and last names. http://www.craigcentral.com/names.asp ***************************************************************** SUNPIPER LITERARY & CONSULTING, P.C. is looking for authors possessing creativity and vision in fiction and nonfiction genres. Agency fees are on a strict contingency basis. You don't profit, we don't profit. Visit http://www.sunpiper.com/ for more info. "In the business of representing ideas!" ***************************************************************** EMBARRASSING STORIES WANTED: Need stories titled MY MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT for use in an upcoming book. Must be a minimum of 1,500 words Send stories to icct@att.net ***************************************************************** THE WRITING DESK ================================================================= by Moira Allen Help! I'm Rewriting my Novel to Death! -------------------------------------- Q: Here's the situation, and it had caused the novel I'm working on to grind to a halt. I have worked on this novel for almost two years. The book is basically my child, and I am perfectionist when I write in it, which causes me a lot of trouble. Around a month ago I decided to go back to the begining, to fix some of the storyline that was now obsolete from a major story change in chapter fifteen. This didn't seem like it was going to be hard, but now I'm utterly stuck, because I feel like I'm robbing the book of the freshness it had when I first wrote it. I can't leave it as it is, and I have the fear that it will be ruined if I try to rewrite it. I know this sounds stupid, but I am stuck. Any advice? A: This is far from an unusual problem! One of the reasons for this is that we "grow" as writers -- so we have a tendency to go back over and over our work in progress, improving it each time. And suddenly we realize that we have "improved" it to the point that it has lost what made it fresh and interesting when we first wrote it. Often, we first wrote it from the heart, from inspiration. When we go back with an eye to the quality of the writing, we're no longer working from the same motivation. We're coming to it as editors, not writers. And lest you wonder, this happens to me all the time... One thing that may be causing you problems as well is that subconsciously, you may be recognizing that the major story change that you made later in the story could be affecting a great many things in the earlier story -- things that, perhaps, were very important to the flow and the way that original story was written. I don't know what the change was, but let's say that you wrote "out" a character who might have been minor (and you decided that s/he just wasn't needed). But throughout the earlier part of the book, let's say that this character had a lot of minor, but engaging, interactions with the main characters -- good dialogue, observations, etc. In your revision, all of this material must suddenly go, but perhaps it was some of the really "good" stuff that made your book come alive. This is just a hypothetical example, but what it tends to do is cause one's subconscious writing mind to recognize that "we have a big problem here!" and this often leads to a block on progress. If it's just a matter of looking at your rewritten material and finding that it no longer has the freshness and "music" of your first draft, though, what you are going to need to do is, first of all, step away from the rewrite for a period of time. STOP rewriting entirely. Give your mind a chance to "clear" of the changes that you wanted to make. Then, pick up your original draft and start reading it again. Try to pinpoint those things that DO make it fresh -- and at the same time, watch your "editorial" self and see what sort of automatic editorial changes you're tempted to make to those passages. One of the things I find happens most often when I rewrite and edit my fiction is that I lose "pacing." I may end up with better words, but the material loses its rhythm. When you read a good novel or story, you'll notice that when you hit a section of fast-paced action, if it's written correctly, you'll actually feel your heart rate increase, your attention focus, etc. This is a very difficult "pace" to achieve -- in an action scene, for example, you can't make the paragraphs and sentences too LONG, or it slows it down. But if you make the sequence too SHORT, the events are over before the reader has a chance to be fully engaged. Often, this sort of pacing is exactly what one gets RIGHT in the first draft -- because this is when you, as the writer, are "engaged" in the action. But when you come back as an editor and start to focus on words and sentences rather than the "big picture" of the scene, pacing often gets lost when you begin fixing "other things." You CAN strike a balance between fixing what has to be fixed, and preserving what made the story work in the first place. But it does require very careful attention to that first draft. It means avoiding the temptation to dismiss it as an "early" work, when you were not as "good" a writer as you may be now. It also means that editing is going to have to be a slower and more cautious process than you might have thought. Your goal is to fix what absolutely MUST be fixed -- but not to destroy what you had in the process. And no, it's definitely not easy. All I can say is, never EVER delete those original drafts! >>-----------------------------------------------------<< 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) 2004 by Moira Allen ***************************************************************** THE WRITER'S ANSWER AND RESOURCE BOOK FOR NEW AND EXPERIENCED WRITERS. Filled with answers, insider information and markets for your writing. Become the writer you've always wanted to be, order now http://www.CreativeCauldron.com/mybooks.shtml ***************************************************************** GIVE YOURSELF THE BEST POSSIBLE CHANCE OF PUBLICATION. Have your manuscript professionally assessed by: AN AWARD-WINNING, BEST- SELLING AUTHOR For more info: http://www.davidcrookes.com.au ***************************************************************** JUST FOR FUN: Advice to a Young Writer ================================================================= by Patrick Joseph McNamara (writerpatrick@yahoo.com) Pen names can be useful, especially when the pen is filled with poison. When writing poetry, study the masters extensively. Make note of their use of rhyme and meter, then forget everything you have learned. Learn how to spend long hours ignoring others so you can get some work done. They are jealous of your talent and will try to keep you from your work to justify their artistic failure. Learn how to carefully steal material so as not to get caught plagiarizing. Make note of the inferior or obsolete nature of other writer's works and try not to repeat their mistakes. Read extensively. If you don't have time to read then watch television, especially those shows where someone else has spent the time reading and studying the material for you. Every good fiction book becomes a movie. Every bad fiction book becomes a mini-series. Good nonfiction books become documentaries. Bad nonfiction books become school texts. If you're not really interested in the latest book, save your money until it becomes available second hand. Of course by then everyone will have forgotten about it and you won't need to read it. Don't waste good money on a Bachelor of Arts. By the time you get your degree you could have put in the same amount of time writing material you wanted to. If you must go to university make sure you spend extensive time partying and socializing. These are good sources for material and future publishing contacts. Most creative writing courses are taught by writers who haven't figured out a way to make a living from writing -- except by teaching creative writing courses. Most high school English teachers want to be writers but very few take the time to write. They use school as an excuse -- even during the summer. Those of great talent are often misunderstood by those of lesser talent. That is probably why you got a D in English. English marks are irrelevant to the published author. Every author who has published a book is at least one step ahead of every teacher who hasn't. The two foremost skills of being a writer are the ability to read and the ability to write. Therefore, any elementary school student can be a writer. If a songwriter or university professor claims they make a living as a poet, ignore them. It is virtually impossible to make a living as a poet -- but it is possible to make a living as a songwriter or university professor. Never underestimate the power of sloth. That's what makes you a writer and others not. Don't let others dissuade you from your writing. You'll discover your incompetence on your own. It helps to have an agent if you want to get a book published. If you want to get an agent, it helps if you have a book published. Likewise, if you want to get a book published, it helps to have published some short stories. If you want to get your short stories published, it helps to have published a book. Many writer's groups consist of people who spend more time at writers' groups than at writing. Although it is difficult to be a good writer if you don't read, a good reader doesn't necessarily make for a good writer. It is also difficult to be good writer if you don't write. >>-----------------------------------------------------<< Patrick McNamara holds three diplomas in the fields of computers, business and accounting. His poem appears in the premiere issue of the St. Linus Review. His seven-part series about local Internet sites appeared in Oshawa Life. Visit his web site at: http://www.geocities.com/writerpatrick Copyright (c) 2004 by Patrick Joseph McNamara ***************************************************************** WHAT'S NEW AT WRITING-WORLD.COM ================================================================= NEW NOVEMBER COLUMNS: --------------------- Romancing the Keyboard, by Anne Marble Help for the Title-Challenged http://www.writing-world.com/columns/romance/marble18.shtml ARTICLES: --------- Writing FIllers for the UK (and US) Markets, by Sara Wilson http://www.writing-world.com/international/fillers.shtml ***************************************************************** FIND 1700 MARKETS FOR YOUR WRITING! Writing-World.com's market guides offer DETAILED listings of over 1700 markets, with contact information, pay rates, needs and more. Fourteen themed guides are available for $2.50 apiece or $25 for the set. For details, see http://www.writing-world.com/guides/index.shtml ***************************************************************** MARKET ROUNDUP ================================================================= OUTDOOR AMERICA MAGAZINE Jason McGarvey, Editor IWLA, 707 Conservation Lane, Gaithersburg MD 20878-2983 EMAIL: oa@iwla.org URL: http://www.iwla.org/oa/ Although Outdoor America is primarily staff written, we publish three or four freelance articles per issue. We welcome queries from new writers and ask that you study our magazine and guidelines before submitting material for consideration. All stories must have a direct connection to League members, activities, or policies. Stories should also have a strong conservation or outdoor ethics message. We rarely make exceptions. We prefer writing that has a conversational tone, speaks directly and concisely, and provides a fresh perspective to the subject. We encourage journalists to employ scene, characterization, narrative, and other tools of literary nonfiction. We do not publish fiction, poetry, and unsubstantiated opinion pieces. LENGTH: Features: 2,500-3,000 words; Essays: 1,500-2,000 words; Departments: 200-1,000 words PAYMENT: $700-$1,000 RIGHTS: FNASR REPRINTS: No SUBMISSIONS: Query first, by email or mail GUIDELINES: http://www.iwla.org/oa/guidelines.html >>-----------------------------------------------------<< DISCOVER THE OUTDOORS.COM Walt Tegtmeier, Content Editor 7015 College Blvd., Suite 560, Overland Park, KS 66211 EMAIL: wtegtmeier@dto.com URL: http://www.dto.com Whether it's hunting, fishing, camping or any outdoor activity under the sun, each one has its own world of unique wisdom, skills and experiences behind it. DTO.com is a place where active and future outdoor enthusiasts can: get in touch with our outdoor heritage; make the most of time spent outdoors; discover or enhance the fascination and lifelong benefits of outdoor activities. Articles cover a broad array of subjects for a variety of interests and experience levels. Unless the topic or the assignment demands otherwise, feature articles should be as detailed but concise as possible. All articles require photographic or other art to support the feature. LENGTH: 800-1,200 words PAYMENT: Original articles: $250-$300; Reprints: $175; Photographs & other art: $25 RIGHTS: Original articles: FNASR for 6 months; Reprints: Non-exclusive rights REPRINTS: Yes SUBMISSIONS: By email, as attached MS Word 6.0 (or better) file. For documents created in WordPerfect, Word for Macintosh or other word processing applications, please attempt to "Save As" a Word for Windows file with the ".doc" file extension. Articles may also be sent on floppy disk in the same format(s), though email is preferred. GUIDELINES: http://www.dto.com/dto/about/writers.jsp >>-----------------------------------------------------<< MUSHING MAGAZINE Deirdre Helfferich, Managing Editor PO Box 149, Ester, AK 99725-0149 EMAIL: editor@mushing.com URL: http://www.mushing.com Each issue includes a mix of information, features and columns. We consider articles on canine health and nutrition, sled dog behavior and training, musher profiles and interviews, equipment how-to's, trail tips, expedition and race accounts, innovations, sled dog history, current issues, and humor, including cartoons. We consider personal experience articles only when the experience illustrates information that is useful to mushers and generally do not when the focus is the personal experience itself. See Editorial Schedule at our web site for current special issue focuses. LENGTH: Features: 1,000-2,500 words; Columns & departments: 500-1,000 words; Short news pieces: 150-500 words PAYMENT: 9 cents/word, plus $20 if also published at web site; Photographs & artwork: $15-$165 REPRINTS: Yes RIGHTS: We purchase first serial rights and second (reprint) rights SUBMISSIONS: By email or mail, see online guidelines for further instructions GUIDELINES: http://www.mushing.com/editor.html >>-----------------------------------------------------<< Please send Market News to: peggyt@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 >>-----------------------------------------------------<< Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction DEADLINE: December 31, 2004 GENRE: Civil War fiction OPEN TO: Authors or publishers of Civil War novels LENGTH: No word length requirements THEME: This award is named after Jeff Shaara's father, Pulitzer prize-winning author of the Civil War novel, The Killer Angels, basis for the movie Gettysburg. The United States Civil War Center encourages fresh approaches to Civil War fiction. The Killer Angels and Gods and Generals are examples of Civil War novels that take an unusual approach to the war: both are psychological studies and both evenhandedly deal with both sides of the conflict. Because of the balanced expression of Northern and Southern perspectives by both authors, this award perfectly mirrors the Center's mission. This award is made to the best Civil War novel published each year. Publisher nominations are preferred, but authors, critics, etc. may also nominate. Send 5 copies of the nominated work to the address below. PRIZE: $2,500 ELECTRONIC ENTRY: No ADDRESS: United States Civil War Center, attention Leah W. Jewett, Director, Louisiana State University, Raphael Semmes Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803 URL: http://www.cwc.lsu.edu/cwc/mshaara.htm >>-----------------------------------------------------<< 5th Annual Family History Writing Contest DEADLINE: December 31, 2004 GENRE: Nonfiction OPEN TO: All LENGTH: Category 1: 1,000-2,000 words; Category 2: 1,000-2,000 words; Category 3: 1,000 words or less THEME: Sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS). Category 1: Unpublished family or local history articles, character sketches or memoirs. Category 2: Previously published family or local history articles, character sketches or memoirs. Category 3: Articles of 1,000 words or less, published or unpublished. All previously published entries must be accompanied by the written permission of the publisher allowing article to be reprinted by SCGS. PRIZES: Category 1 & 2: 1st Prize: $250; 2nd Prize: $150; 3rd Prize: $100 Category 3: 1st Prize: $150; 2nd Prize: $100; 3rd Prize: $50 ELECTRONIC ENTRY: No EMAIL: scgs@scgsgenealogy.com ADDRESS: Southern California Genealogical Society, Attention: Writing Contest, 417 Irving Drive, Burbank, California 91504-2408 URL: http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/5thWC.htm >>-----------------------------------------------------<< 3L Short Fiction Contest DEADLINE: December 31, 2004 GENRE: Short story OPEN TO: All LENGTH: 5,000 words or less THEME: Entries must be original, unpublished stories, any genre. Since there is no entry fee for this contest, only one entry is allowed per author. PRIZE: $100 ELECTRONIC ENTRY: Yes EMAIL: sterling3l@yahoo.com ADDRESS: Short Fiction Contest, c/o Jon and Steve, 429 Sterling Place #3L, Brooklyn, NY 11238 URL: http://www.geocities.com/sterling3l/ ***************************************************************** 2000 ONLINE RESOURCES FOR WRITERS -- Just updated, with hundreds of new links for every kind of writer! Still only $5. THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO QUERIES, PITCHES AND PROPOSALS - available as an e-book! Find out how to write the perfect query, book proposal, novel synopsis, column proposal, or grant application. Only $8.95 (save $5 from the print edition.) 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Conference Information: http://www.naww.org/generic109.html Membership Information: http://www.naww.org/generic1.html Free Weekly E-zine: http://www.naww.org/homepage.html ***************************************************************** SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) is launching local networking Chapters. Check with us to find a Chapter near you. Contact us if you'd like to start one. Patricia@spawn.org. Subscribe to newsletter http://www.spawn.org ***************************************************************** WRITERS: FIND MARKETS EASILY - Worldwide Freelance has a NEW fully-searchable Markets Database. Discover writing markets from North America, Europe, Australasia and other places. It's free, so come and try it out here: http://www.worldwidefreelance.com ***************************************************************** WRITING FOR DOLLARS! - the FREE ezine for writers featuring tips, tricks and ideas for selling what you write. FREE ebook, 83 WAYS TO MAKE MONEY WRITING when you subscribe. Email to subscribe@writingfordollars.com http://www.WritingForDollars.com ***************************************************************** Writing World is a publication of Writing-World.com http://www.writing-world.com Editor/Publisher: MOIRA ALLEN (writing-world@cox.net) Managing Editor (Newsletter): PEGGY TIBBETTS (peggyt@siltnet.net) Copyright 2004 Moira Allen Individual articles copyrighted by their authors. Back issues archived at http://www.writing-world.com/newsletter/index.shtml Writing World is hosted by Listbox.com - http://v2.listbox.com ***************************************************************** Subscribers are welcome to recirculate Writing World to friends, discussion lists, etc., as long as the ENTIRE text of the newsletter is included and appropriate credit is given. 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