News from the Whidbey Island Writers Association

Vol. 7, No. 1 February - March 2007
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 CONTENTS

Letter from the Editor, by Achaessa James

WIWC 2007 Conference Update – Last minute reminders

WIWA Announces

On the Island

Off the Island

Way Off the Island

MFA Program Update

The Write and Wrong Way to Promote Your Book, by Penny Sansevieri

A Self-Publishing Odyssey, Part 4 – WHY?, by Tom Trimbath

Recent Releases

Cheers!

Contests and Market Requests

WIWA Reporter-at-Large, Sandra Ortgies, reports on another Island’s writers conference

WIWA Web Site News and Member Services

WIWA Wish List

Quotations

CyberSurfing

Writers Ask / And Writers Respond

To Contact Us or Submit an Article

To Subscribe or Unsubscribe

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Well, a year has come and gone since I attended my first Whidbey Island Writers Conference last March. It was an exhilarating experience and I find myself daydreaming about what this year’s conference will be like. If it will live up to the reputation of my memory.

Browsing the conference Web site, reassures me. The workshop titles intrigue and inspire me http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Conference/Sessions.html. The faculty absolutely amazes me http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Conference/Presenters.html . It’s going to be alright. I can see that it’s going to be worth every moment of the long trip from Mexico City. In fact, I’m convinced that it will be a giant step in my career as a freelance editor and writer – I will walk away with at least one offer to edit a novel-length book. And get paid for it.

And that’s the attitude you must bring with you, too. Nobody is going to rip the portfolio out of your hand, yank out the manuscript, and run screaming to the payphone (because we know there’s no cellphone reception on the Island) to tell their Senior Editor that they’ve just found the next shooting star of American literature.

Shooting stars are pretty, but have you ever noticed how quickly they fade? Let us, rather, bring with us an attitude that we are . . . hmm, planets. Yes, we are Planets. Solid in our careers. The contracts and contacts we seek are just the next logical step in the work we have been doing for years. Pitch your idea with verve, intelligence and passion, but remember – this is really about relationships and what your agent and your publisher want to know, above and beyond whether you have any writing talent, is whether you’re in it for the long run. Are you dedicated to your craft or are you a one-story dilettante? Face it, it takes time and money to build a relationship. If you come off like a flake, the investment will not look like a potentially profitable one.

So, come prepared. Do your homework. Look over the program schedule – now. Bring your business cards. Enough to hand out to everyone you meet. If you have a consult, wear the jeans with the missing knees on a different day and, for heavens sake, bring your writing resume. What? You don’t have a writing resume? Then you probably aren’t giving yourself credit for half the writing you’ve done.

Sit down right now and list all the things you’ve written and published. And when I say published, I mean anything that has been read by people other than your life partner and closest friends – anything that you expected someone would read and be critical of and you sent it out anyway. Letters to the Editor, operations manuals at work, research memos in college, writing contests in high school, consumer complaint letters for your neighbor, family histories that went out to the entire family for the holidays, the recipe book you assembled and edited for your daughter’s pep club, the illustrated story book you made on the spur of the moment to accompany your boss’ birthday gift to his nephew because he forgot to include a card when he asked you to send it off (oh, wait a minute, that was me). Ahem . . .

Granted, you will not put these things in your writing resume. They are too valuable. Valuable? They remind you, truly, that writing is your passion. You’ve been writing all your life. You write at the drop of a hat and feel satisfied when you’re finished. You’ve written on enough paper to denude a mountainside. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get off your rump, come to the Conference on Whidbey Island, and meet your destiny – and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

So your first homework assignment is to read this newsletter top to bottom. We have some great articles on pitching, marketing, self-publishing, and conference attending. Approach them with the attitude that “writing is my life and everything I do benefits my writing career.” Practice that attitude in the mirror and bring it to the Island with you in March. See you there.

Keep writing and keep in touch!

Warm regards, Achaessa

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WIWC 2007 Conference Update – Last minute reminders

Well, if you haven’t registered by now, you’ve missed the Early Bird discount deadline. But don’t despair, the First Timer promotion is still going strong. If you refer a new, first-time participant to the conference, and they register, you will receive a free consult with an editor or agent of your choice. That's a $35 thank-you gift for the referral. And there's no limit! For every first-time registrant who gives us your name as a referral you receive a consultation.

So spread the word – and quickly – several of the most popular fireside chats are booked solid with waiting lists and the FREE three-hour Master Classes have only a couple of seats left in each session.

Go now to http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Conference/form_register/Form_Registration.htm.

If you’ve already signed up for an agent or editor consult with one of the skilled conference agents representing many genres and agencies, you’ll want to go to the Newsletter Archives and review Pitching Made Purrfect, by a 2006 conference presenter, Devorah Cutler-Rubenstein, online at: http://www.writeonwhidbey.com/Publications/wiwa_newsletter_6-1.htm #PITCHING

Devorah offers ten MUST-KNOW tips for making a smooth presentation in a stressful situation.

For more updates to the conference program, faculty, workshops, special sessions, agent/editor consults and author critiques, go to: http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Conference/Program.html.

If you absolutely can’t come to the conference , perhaps because your spouse inconsiderately scheduled you to leave for a Caribbean cruise on Friday afternoon, we have some outstanding pre-conference workshops on Thursday, March 1, including an exceptional opportunity to explore haiku poetry with the internationally recognized poet, Michael Dylan Welch, in his full-day workshop “Is Haiku for You?”. In the words of James Atkinson, "Michael Dylan Welch is one of contemporary haiku’s greatest artists and contributors. Through his use of photography and language, Welch is able to illustrate perfectly clear images of solitude, revelation, revelry, spontaneity, and every possible human emotion often times through nature based haiku. In addition, his work in the haiku community as a leader has helped advance the haiku art form in the United States to new levels." On Saturday morning, Welch will also conduct a session exploring how haiku strategies can help improve other forms of writing.

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WIWA ANNOUNCES

2007 Celebrate Writing Contest for Students – Once again, WIWA is sponsoring the Elementary Student Celebrate Writing Contest. This contest has been very successful in the past, and we anticipate a great deal of enthusiasm from students again this year. Submission deadline will be February 2. We expect to receive upwards of 250 submissions from elementary students, and would appreciate help in reading and evaluating them.

The more support we get from the membership of WIWA, the more meaningful this opportunity becomes for our next generation of writers. If you would like to help, or have questions about this program, please contact Judy Feldman at jfeldman@whidbey.com or by telephone at 360-679-7328.

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WIWA Spring 2007 Classes. WIWA’s Winter classes are underway with full seats in almost every class . . . but they’ll be finishing up in March. If you’ve been wondering how to strengthen your writing credentials, sell more books, find new inspiration, work past your writers block or prepare for all the public speaking you’ll do on your new book tour this Fall - it’s time for you to teach a local class this Spring. If you would like to teach a class this Spring please e-mail the office right away at wiwa@whidbey.org. To get a good response, we need to start advertising the classes as soon as possible.

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ON THE ISLAND

February 16 – Poetry Afoot. Reading performance evening at the Island Coffee House. Featured poets and open mic – write, read, perform and generally raise poetry to the rafters...and bring friends - newcomers are always welcome. Island Coffee House, 124 2nd Street, Langley, Washington, for more information, contact Scott Daley at 360-221-2414.

3rd Tuesday Whidbey Island Writers at 3 Cats Cafe, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m. Bayview Corner. Elizabeth George, past Conference presenter and new Whidbey resident whose acclaimed mystery novels feature Inspector Lynley of Scotland Yard, has captured the hearts and minds of fans on both sides of the Atlantic. The Lynley books have been dramatized on PBS TV series Mystery! She will talk about her writing and will autograph her two most recent books: With No One As Witness and What Came Before He Shot Her. Dessert, espresso drinks, wine available. Call 360-221-5460 for more information.

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WIWA Spring 2007 Classes. The Spring classes haven’t been posted to the Web site yet, but here are the offerings we’ve got so far. (And did I tell you that WIWA members get class discounts?) For more details, or when you’re ready to register, call the WIWA office at 1-360-331-6714 or write to wiwa@whidbey.com and you can check out the instructors’ biographies at http://www.writeonwhidbey.com/Classes_Groups/InstructorBios.htm.

Travel And Family Writing Just In Time For Summer Journeys. Times of adventure or family moments are priceless. The time to record them is during and immediately after to preserve the rich impressions which bring them alive at later times, perhaps a century later. And NO, you will not remember the sensuous detail and storytelling twists later—without good notes. In this class, you will learn specifically how to take notes, which will be of the greatest use to you later. You will learn how to make maximum use of small crevices of time during the adventure and how to use that precious hour at the end or beginning of the day for longer description. Dr. Susan Zwinger, will lead this class. Starts April 18, runs 8 weeks, Wednesdays 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Literary Fiction Workshop 101. This workshop is for beginning and intermediate writers who have at least one short story or short novel segment completed. We'll focus on constructive critique to help develop your craft and to enhance understanding of the elements of story. You'll have the opportunity to workshop two stories or novel segments and to work on a revision of one of these. The workshop process is particularly helpful to less experienced writers looking for constructive feedback in an encouraging environment. (Please no genre fiction.) Molly Cook will lead this class. Starts April 17, runs 8 weeks, Tuesdays, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Class limited to 8 students.

Poetry Potpourri. This poetry workshop will celebrate spring, new beginnings, and the joy of words with a mad melange to inspire beginners and seasoned poets alike. We'll get the creative juices flowing by looking at the work of poets, old and new, and by considering a variety of sources (some surprising!) for your own work. We'll do in-class writing, and you'll bring a poem a week for constructive critique in an encouraging environment. In late April, we'll all be inspired by the Burning Word Poetry Festival at Greenbank. Molly Cook leads this class. Starts April 17, runs 8 weeks, Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Class limited to10 students.

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WIWA-Sponsored Writing Groups. WIWA sponsors a broad selection of writing groups, both on-island and online. You can find the details for your particular locale or genre on the WIWA Web site at http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Classes_Groups. In the meantime, here are newsworthy announcements about specific groups:

Whidbey Poets Online. WIWA members interested in poetry are invited to join the fun in our on-line e-mail group. Our work project for February is Poetry as Social Comment. Send a poem, get some feedback. We are a critique group with kindly intentions. Any topic, any form, any style. E-mail requests for membership to the facilitator, Julian Taber, jtaber@whidbey.net.

Editor’s Note: WIWA encourages its members to be creative in forming writing groups that meet your genre’s special needs. If you have an idea for a writing group and you’d like to take the lead in making it a reality, we’d love to assist. The proposal form and group guidelines can be found at: http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Classes_Groups/FormNewGroup.htm. You don’t have to be a WIWA member to join a writers’ group, but you will have to become a member to remain in the group once you’ve joined.

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OFF THE ISLAND

Thursday, February 8, 2007, 7:00 p.m. Reading with Terry Martin at the Northwinds Art Center, 2409 Jefferson St, Port Townsend, WA (360) 379-1086, http://www.northwindarts.org/poetry.html.

SoulFood Poetry Night , Thursday February 15, 7 to 9 pm at SoulFood Books, 15748 Redmond Way, Redmond, WA. Featured readers Jenifer Browne Lawrence and Dan Peters. Open mic follows. Free. For directions, visit www.soulfoodbooks.com or call the store at 425-881-5309. For info contact welchm@aol.comor moonlit.cloud@yahoo.com.

Cranky Literary Journal announces (pro)text: An Independent Press Fair on Saturday, February 17, 12:00 until 5:00 p.m. at the Richard Hugo House in Seattle. (pro)text: it's a sit-in. A stand-up and shout. A chance to yell, "look at me, dammit!" This ain't Book Fest or Bumbershoot. It's a free-for-all. It's a chance for small publishers to show off the work they're doing and to get their texts in the public eye. We'll also have some swanky and provocative performances (a schedule is attached), including a reading by the poet Christian Hawkey (The Book of Funnels, Verse Press, 2004, and Citizen Of, Wave Books, 2007) and a panel on the ethics of literary contests at the end of the day (from 5-6 p.m.), including panelists Matthew Zapruder (Wave Books), Janet Holmes (Ahsahta Press), Sid Miller (Burnside Review), Sam Ligon (Willow Springs), and Nancy Jooyun Kim (Seattle Review). The panel will be moderated by Cranky editor Amber Curtis. We have 36 small publishers displaying their work. The event is FREE to the public (and co-sponsored by Hugo House). We are also having a raffle of goodies -- signed copies of book, chapbooks, and journals -- so bring lots of cash. For the extraordinary list of independent presses attending, go to http://www.crankymag.org/news.html.

Tuesday, March 6, 12:00 p.m., Foothills Writers Series, reading with Terry Martin. Reading held in the Little Theater, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd, Port Angeles, WA 98362 (360) 452-9277 http://www.pc.ctc.edu/news/foothills.asp, e-mail tinah@pcadmin.ctc.edu.

SoulFood Poetry Night , Thursday March 15, 7 to 9 pm at SoulFood Books, 15748 Redmond Way, Redmond, WA. Featured readers Chris Jarmick and Jack McCarthy. Open mic follows. Free. For directions, visit www.soulfoodbooks.com or call the store at 425-881-5309. For info contact welchm@aol.com or moonlit.cloud@yahoo.com.

SoulFood Poetry Night , Thursday April 19, 7 to 9 pm at SoulFood Books, 15748 Redmond Way, Redmond, WA. Featured readers Madeline DeFrees and Thomas Aslin. Open mic follows. Free. For directions, visit www.soulfoodbooks.com or call the store at 425-881-5309. For info contact welchm@aol.com or moonlit.cloud@yahoo.com.

Song&Word . Now in its sixth season, Song&Word offers workshops/retreats in the San Juan Islands for small groups of women only (due to accommodations). This year’s schedule includes two Grammy-nominated songwriters (Kye Fleming, Steve Seskin); travel-book author Myrna Oakley; hit-making songwriter for Heart and the Wilson sisters, Sue Ennis; award-winning book publicist and former book editor Alice B. Acheson; author and music-business consultant John Braheny; songwriter, author and social-justice activist Holly Near; award-winning songwriter Cosy Sheridan; and songwriter/publicist Dinah Brein. Retreats for writers groups are available by arrangement. Information: www.songandword.com; 360-468-3964.

WAY OFF THE ISLAND

Literary Arts is pleased to announce the seventh season of Poetry Downtown featuring nationally-renowned poets reading and discussing their work. All events take place at the First Congregational Church (1126 SW Park, Portland, OR) at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at 503.227.2583 or www.literary-arts.org. They haven’t updated their Web site, yet, so here are some details on the planned readings for February through April:

Monday, February 26 – Mark Strand. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Mark Strand started out as a painter, earning a bachelor’s degree in fine art before entering the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. During his distinguished career, Strand has shaped poems with a precision that reflects this early influence. He has published 11 books of poems, including Blizzard of One (1998), which won the Pulitzer Prize, and Dark Harbor (1993), for which he received the Bollingen Prize. His most recent book is Man and Camel (2006). Strand has edited numerous anthologies, including Another Republic: 17 European and South American Writers (1976) with Poetry Downtown author Charles Simic. He has also published three children’s books and several books of translation.

Monday, March 12 – Kevin Young. Named by Village Voice as a “writer on the verge,” Kevin Young’s poetry resonates with blues rhythms, cinematic images and African-American history. He has published four books of poetry, including Jelly Roll (2003), a finalist for the National Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Award, and Most Way Home (1995), which won the Zacharis First Book Award from Ploughshares. The Providence Black Repertory Theater recently adapted his film noir in verse, Black Maria (2005), for the stage. His latest book is For the Confederate Dead (2007).

Tuesday, March 27 – Carolyn Forché. Known for her work as a poet of witness, Carolyn Forché combines the personal and the political to create poems that are powerful sites of resistance. She is the author of four books of poetry, including Blue Hour (2003) and The Angel of History (1994), which received the Los Angeles Times Book Award.

Monday, April 9 – Charles Simic. Charles Simic began writing poetry in high school when he discovered that one of his friends was “attracting the best-looking girls by writing them sappy love poems.” Throughout his career, Simic has stitched together poems with a playful lyricism that evokes this youthfulness. Since emigrating from Yugoslavia during World War II, he has published more than 60 books, including The World Doesn’t End (1989), winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and National Book Award finalists Walking the Black Cat (1996) and The Voice at 3:00 a.m. (2006). A two-time winner of the PEN International Translation Award, Simic has said that “poetry is not what is lost but what is retained in translation.” He has published four books of essays, most recently Memory Piano (2006).

May 21-30 – Write in Crete on location at Kokini Hani, Crete, Greece with tutors: Bruce Holland Rogers and Eric Witchey. For details, go to http://www.write-in-crete.com .

June 29-July 1 – 27th Winchester Writers' Conference - An International Festival of Writing at the University of Winchester, Hampshire, England, http://www.writersconference.co.uk/index.htm (Web site has details of last year's event, but will eventually be updated.) Bruce Holland Rogers, Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA faculty member and World Fantasy Award winner, will be presenting at this writers conference.

June 11-July 20 – Odyssey Writing Workshop's 2007 session. Odyssey is an internationally known, six-week workshop for writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Held every summer at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH, it offers developing writers intensive, professional critiques and lectures on the major elements of genre writing. Odyssey is the only program of its kind run by an editor. Jeanne Cavelos, the director and primary instructor, is a best-selling author and former senior editor at Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing, where she won the World Fantasy Award for her work. The workshop also attracts top writers in the field to serve as guest lecturers. Over the past ten years, authors such as Harlan Ellison, Terry Brooks, Robert J. Sawyer, Ben Bova, Jane Yolen, George R. R. Martin, Patricia McKillip, Steve Rasnic Tem, Melanie Tem and Dan Simmons have taught at the workshop. Forty-six percent of the workshop’s graduates have gone on to be published. Application deadline is April 13, 2007. Further workshop details can be found on the Web site, www.odysseyworkshop.org.

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MFA PROGRAM UPDATE

Editors Note: The Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Program is a low-residency program that consists annually of two intensive ten-day residencies on Whidbey Island (in August and January), followed by sixteen-week online semesters.

The Campus Community

by Elaine Woods

Much of the software widely used for online education allows only one-to-one discussion between the individual student and the instructor. Catalyst, the choice for the Whidbey Writers Workshop Master of Fine Arts Program is different. Catalyst allows full class-wide give and take, complete with relevant off hand comments, witty repartee and in depth feedback from both instructors and fellow students. The workshop type setting this creates considerably enhances the learning experience. Within this arena, while classes may be held in “virtual reality,” the campus community is alive and very real!

Applications are now being accepted for the Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA degree program beginning with the August, 2007, Residency and Fall Semester. Applications will be accepted until May 5, 2007. A limited number of slots are available, so early application is recommended. Further information and a downloadable application form are available through the Admissions link on the MFA home page, www.writeonwhidbey.org/mfa.

Applications for those wishing to participate on a non-degree basis in the August Residency only (that is, not enrolled in the fall semester) will be open fromMay 15 through June 15. See the Residency link on the MFA home page for further information.

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Editor’s Note: Penny is a regular presenter at the WIWA Conference and if this is your first writers conference be sure to sign up for Penny’s half-day pre-conference workshop “ Making the Most of Your Writers' Conference.”

The Write and Wrong Way to Promote Your Book

By Penny C. Sansevieri

Did you know that if you’re marketing your book to sell books, you may be marketing for all the wrong reasons? Why? Well frankly, marketing a book to make sales will rarely ring the cash register; in fact, most of the time it amounts to what I call the “anti-sale,” the sale that always seems to elude you. If you’re looking at your last 12 months of marketing and wondering what went wrong, ask yourself one question: “What was the driving force behind my book marketing choices?”

In a recent coaching session an author told me: “I spent $30,000 on advertising and I don’t know why I haven’t sold a single book.” Why did the author advertise? Because she thought it would sell books. Now you might think that $30k is extreme, and perhaps it is, but she isn’t the only one. Most of the topics of conversation during coaching calls, consultations or classes I teach are: “I’ve spent all this money and done all this work, what am I doing wrong?” What you’re doing wrong is selling the book and not the message or the benefits. In other words, you’re marketing your book for all the wrong reasons. It’s not that dissimilar from scheduling a slew of book signings because you think you “have to” or because you’re hoping to sell scads of books. If you hate doing them, and they’re not working, why bother?

Let’s take a look at the example of our $30k author more closely. She had a book about child rearing, she was a noted speaker, a child psychologist, and she was quoted extensively in the media. The odd thing was, when you walked into her office her book was no where to be found. “I don’t want to be boastful about my book,” she said, “I think selling my book to my patients is unethical.” Well, perhaps she’s right, but still, she was missing the point. The point was that she had her buyers in front of her all the time and yet she overlooked them in search of the almighty book sale. In fact, I found out later that she wasn’t even selling her book at her speaking sessions. Why? Because she thought the ad space she bought would be enough to carry the momentum of the book. When we finally broke down her marketing campaign and her options, she realized that she could sell thousands of copies of her book and it wouldn’t cost her a dime. She had at her disposal hungry buyers she wasn’t even tapping into.

So, are you missing your buyers? What piece of your campaign have you overlooked in an attempt to “sell” your book? To distill this even further, let’s go through an exercise together to help unearth some marketing opportunities you might be overlooking. When you do this exercise I want you to remove the notion of book sales from your vernacular -- what I mean is, I want you to start looking at your efforts through a different lens.

On a separate sheet of paper, list all the marketing that you’ve done for your book. This may take a while, but seeing it all on paper will be helpful. List everything, even the minutiae.

Now that you have your list, let’s take a hard look at it. First, I want you to cross off the marketing you’ve done that has just been a total waste of your time. Next, go through and star everything that worked really well. Remember, by “really well,” I don’t mean book sales, although that could have been a result of your efforts; I mean star the items you really enjoyed doing that seemed to get you great feedback.

What you have left will be a list of mediocre things, marketing ideas you tried that did reasonably well (at least enough so you didn’t feel you needed to cross them off with the first batch). Take a hard look at the starred items. What do you see? Quite possibly you see a list of things that a) you loved doing, and b) that sold you some books despite the fact that you didn’t think it would.

Now let’s expand on that starred list. For example, if you have “book events” on this list, how can you expand this?

Next, I want you to make a list of the items you’re missing. If you are brainstorming an expansion of your star list, these missing pieces might be self-evident, or they may require some additional brainstorming.

The idea behind this exercise is to become very clear on what’s working and what isn’t and to focus on the stuff you love doing. Generally, the stuff you love is dialed directly into your audience. And if you love it, you’ll probably do more of it, and hopefully this will lead you to book sales.

In author coaching I’ve found that we often set aside the stuff we love because we think book marketing should be hard. Let me tell you, it doesn’t have to be. And if you’re doing stuff that’s hard, you’re probably marketing for all the wrong reasons, anyway.

In a recent interview, media darling Rachael Ray cited that for years she did only local media. She would do cooking show after cooking show, often losing money on each one (when you factored in her time, gas, supplies, etc.). So why did she keep doing it? Because she loved it and because it’s what she wanted to do. Now, of course, she’s on everything from your local cross town bus to any and all kitchen supplies. I’m not saying that her way of marketing is a recipe for success. Certainly it worked for her, but the bigger message is that when you do what you love, you’ll keep at it and that’s the key. Whatever you do, you must love it, and you must do a lot of it.

This coming year can be a revelation for your campaign if you take the time to figure out what worked, what didn’t and what you’d love to do more of. Do it because you love it, and the sales will follow. You can bank on it!

Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. She will be on the faculty of the 2007 Whidbey Island Writers Conference, covering How to Make the Most of Your Writer’s Conference; Striking Internet Gold; How Do I Get a Publisher to Notice Me and Self Publishing, Traditional Publishing. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. She is the author of five books, including Book to Bestseller which has been called the "road map to publishing success." AME is the only marketing and publicity firm that uses Internet promotion to its full impact through The Virtual Author Tour (TM), which strategically works with message boards, blogs, e-zines, and relevant sites to push an author’s message into the virtual community and connect with sites related to the book's topic, positioning the author in his or her market. To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, you can visit her Web site at www.amarketingexpert.com. To subscribe to her free e-zine, send a blank e-mail to: mailto:subscribe@amarketingexpert.com .

Copyright ã 2006 Penny C. Sansevieri

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A Self-Publishing Odyssey, Part 4 – WHY?

By Tom Trimbath

So, why do it?

I’ve had to answer that question too many times because I make the journey sound so fruitless, or at least unprofitable.

Becoming a self-published author takes a lot of lonely work clearing hurdles and scaling walls. I concentrate on the money because a lot of it is required to get the job done. It is a journey that can empty a wallet and leave you with boxes of books in the back bedroom. Financial success is fickle.

Fortunately, for most authors the surest rewards don’t involve checks, cash, or credit cards.

If profit was the only motive, then very few books should ever be written. But, think of the books that greatly affected your life. Chances are that many of them lost money. Yet, they let an author speak, gave you a chance to learn, and maybe kept you entertained for a while. Those are three good reasons that are intangible, but can be incredibly valuable. Imagine how good an author feels to hear that you liked their book, or that it taught you something. That feedback is enough to make someone feel vital and alive and is the encouragement to write the next book.

I love hearing that my books struck a chord. As a pragmatist and an opportunist, I have been equally amazed by the other avenues that opened after my book was finally available for sale.

With your book available and your name on the cover, you might be recognized as an expert. Now, I am asked for advice about hiking, bicycling, and writing. For the web-savvy, your book can become the launch pad for a series of articles, a web site, a newsletter, a blog, and maybe a column. My web site is now a collection point for my photos, quotes that readers particularly enjoyed, insights, and articles like this.

The book can become part of a package. The photos in my books have been so well received that I have been encouraged to sell them, too. My slideshow can be sold as a DVD. The winter shots might become Christmas cards. Recent technology makes it relatively easy for the book to migrate from paper to e-book to an audio version.

I’ve mentioned public speaking in earlier articles. Lots of people attend talks, but few want to get up there and open their mouth. It is so much easier to stand up and tell the story that you lived with for months or years of rewrites. If the story is good enough, or the delivery entertaining enough, you might even get paid.

Becoming an author expands your network of friends and associates. I’ve met a lot of impressive and interesting people as I conducted readings and signings. Almost all of them had something to teach me. The organizers of most of the talks have owned stores, which has given me insights into small businesses and their passions. The readers have surprised me simply with how they read. Evidently not everyone starts at page one and ends at the last page. Those insights into others’ lives are fascinating and can be the start of another book.

If nothing else, publishing a book adds a line to a resume as an accomplishment that can’t be denied.

The reasons writers write are intensely personal, and not always conscious. I am sure that there are ego, esteem and subconscious benefits that I have unknowingly enjoyed. It would probably take a shrink to bring them to the surface, but I didn’t need to know the specifics for them to drive me along. On a more superficial level, I simply enjoyed the ability to essentially talk for thousands of words, making whatever point I wanted, without being interrupted. How often does that happen in a normal day?

Those are good reasons to publish, but why self-publish?

Sure, the self-publishing route is a tough trip and I point out the potholes. But, the alternatives aren’t exactly luxury cruises.

At the last Whidbey Island Writer’s conference I spent a lot of time listening to authors who’d succeeded at getting published the good old-fashioned way. Each conversation started with a defense of the industry, but often included anecdotes of horrible edits, rotten royalties, and unsupported book tours. The benefits of excellent marketing, distribution, and advice are there, but evidently they are fading away for many authors.

The hurdles on the way to traditional publishing aren’t small either. Look at the conference. Many of the discussions are directed at that hurdle of getting a publisher or an agent to look at and maybe accept a manuscript. There are coaches and advisors for query letters, proposals, and what it takes to appease the industry. Even with all of that effort, there are no guarantees that a manuscript will become a book.

I tried that route with my first two books and spent a lot of money and time tailoring custom proposals, shipping them out, and waiting weeks and months for responses. After some very nice rejection letters, I realized that I was working harder to please editors instead of who I really cared about - readers.

A bit of investigation later, I learned about the new brand of self-publishing called print-on-demand. For less than most folks spend on a hobby or a few conferences, and in less time than it took to get a response from a publisher, I was able to get my book distributed worldwide via online bookstores. The debate about whether my book was good enough was no longer an academic debate limited to editors, agents and me. Its value was something being decided upon by people who bought the book and read it.

Happily, the feedback I have received has been better than I expected. (Now, if sales could only match the reviews.)

The traditional method of publishing is still very appealing. If you can, let the industry work for you. They have phenomenal resources and maybe they will use them for your benefit.

If they turn you down, do not despair. Write the story that you feel needs to be added to the world. Finish the book and please whoever really matters to you. Maybe that is you. Maybe that is the reader.

Ironically, self-publishing by any method has become another avenue for getting published by a traditional press. A finished book and proven sales can be more enticing than many queries, proposals and manuscripts. Traditional publishers are beginning to watch the self-published books for titles to pick up and republish. You might end up getting the industry’s help after all.

Becoming a published author is an introduction into a new world that leads to more places than can be imagined. Some journeys will be phenomenal. Some will be more sedate. The only way to see that world is to finish the book, get it published and follow the path. Luckily, we live in an era when authors that don’t please the gatekeepers can step around them.

Think of how many second books were never written because an author never got the first one printed. Each book I write is better than the previous one, and I could never have made that progress if I had let the rejections stop me. Will the book you write for yourself or the readers be different than the book you write for an editor or an agent? And, by finishing this one, how much better will your next one be?

Tom Trimbath is the author of four books, all of which were self-published through iUniverse, a print-on-demand press. His first book, Just Keep Pedaling, is a mixture of cultural essay and travelogue based on bicycling from north of Seattle ( Roche Harbor) to south of Miami ( Key West). The next three are part of a series of nature essays. Each book describes the year-round story of one lake in the Cascades: Twelve Months at Barclay Lake on the wet west side, Twelve Months at Lake Valhalla which is up on the high divide, and Twelve Months at Merritt Lake over on the dry, east side. All are available at local stores, the library, and online. The photos have been well received and can be viewed and purchased via www.trimbathcreative.com and www.trimbathcreative.smugmug.com .

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RECENT RELEASES

You Know You’re in Washington When … 101 Quintessential Places, People, Events, Customs, Lingo, and Eats of the Evergreen State , by Sharon Wootton and Maggie Savage (Globe Pequot Press, Spring 2007)

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CHEERS !

WIWA member Pat Detmer has been chosen to be part of a new national Web site that launched last week: www.boomergirl.com . Pat provides humorous articles on timely topics. Check out her work at http://www.boomergirl.com/blogs/laughing_all_way/2007/jan/19/potential-uses-for-unneeded-womanly-accouterments .

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Island Coffee House Poetry Slam

The monthly poetry slam has a new venue – the Island Coffee House, sponsored by the Island Arts Council. Apart from being a great place for live music and poetry slams, the Island Coffee House has an amazing mission all its own. Check out their Web site at

http://www.swcec.com/IslandCoffeeHouseinfo.html . And, in the meantime, here are two of the favored entries from the January Slam for you to enjoy!

Untitled [incorporating traveler, ambitious, tenacious]

By Kenn O'Firinn

A traveler reluctant,

I braved all the roads

To come to my island green;

ambitious, courageous--

Some might say tenacious--

I cross waves of aquamarine.

I arrive at a venue

With coffee the menu

And take up a seat in between

A poet and poet --

A plethora of poets --

Concocting a Poetry Slam scene.

Very happy my feelings

On this floor, 'neath this ceiling

And a prize from a funny Marine.

And this one, from our very prolific Molly Cook incorporating all nine words – baptized, feelings, traveler, tenacious, wicked, blush, green, primeval, and ambitious.

Untitled

By Molly Cook

I'll baptize you, the traveler said

You'll go to heaven when you're dead.

Don't leave this world with wicked stain

Don't give yourself cause to complain.

Don't let primeval feelings win,

Don't let your weakness lead to sin.

A small crowd gathered near the man

Tenacious as he called his plan

For our salvation in the night.

We heard the words and felt some fright.

The cold wind blew, his face was flushed.

The crowd was laughing, some folks blushed.

My plan's ambitious, traveler cried,

Don't give the green-eyed devil pride!

Release yourselves from worldly woe

And tell that fellow where to go.

And while you're at it, folks, my luck

Has just run out. I need a buck.

He passed the hat. Each person gave

A dollar. Cheap for souls to save.

The traveler left the crowd alone.

Got in his Porsche and headed home.

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CONTESTS AND MARKET REQUESTS

NOTE: When you place in a competition or get a submission accepted for publication, please let us know. We love to celebrate your successes in our CHEERS! section.

DATED CALLS:

when it rains from the ground up , a publication of from the ground up (producer of Seattle's biggest, coolest, hippest reading series, "A Night of Cheap Wine and Poetry"), seeks art and literature submissions. Submission deadline for issue #4 is February 1. Submissions are accepted by e-mail at fromthegroundupfoundation@gmail.com. when it rains from the ground up is released biannually and distributed at our readings and events and select community centers, bookstores, and coffee shops around Seattle and elsewhere. For more information about us, please visit www.cheapwineandpoetry.com.

Whidbey Writers Conference Contest . The Benefactor’s Award Contest gives writers an opportunity to submit their best work for recognition during each Whidbey Island Writers Conference in March. Each year, a particular benefactor to Whidbey Island Writers Association is recognized along with the winners in fiction, poetry, essay and children’s writing at the closing ceremonies. Submission deadline is February 1. For information visit the WIWA Contests Web site at www.writeonwhidbey.org .

Arnazella. Published each year Bellevue Community College (in western WA state), Arnazella is a visually striking literary and arts journal with content chosen by BCC students from submissions by students and non-students living in the Northwest. Whereas most literary journals are inundated by submissions, Arnazella's low profile means that those who submit quality work are more likely than usual to have something chosen for publication. This year the deadline has been extended through February 9. For complete submission information: http://www.bcc.ctc.edu/english/Arnazella.htm.

Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2007 Literary Contest. Don't miss this opportunity to put your work to the test and compete with some of the best in the northwest at the 2007 PNWA Literary Contest. 12 categories (2 new for 2007), cash prizes, and accepted entries receive two valuable critiques. Winners are announced every year at the Summer Conference in front of writers, agents and editors. Submission deadline February 20. Details, contest rules and entry form are available online at www.pnwa.org or e-mail staff@pnwa.org.

2007 GAP (Grants for Artist Projects) Program of Washington State. Artist Trust’s GAP Program provides support for individual artist projects by awarding up to $1,500 for projects including (but not limited to) the development, completion or presentation of new work. Last year 690 artists applied to the GAP Program and 52 artists were funded from around the State. The GAP Program is open to artists working in ALL creative disciplines including visual, performing, literary, media and emerging & cross-disciplinary arts. Applicants must be residents of Washington State but cannot be a graduate or undergraduate student enrolled in a degree program. Submission postmark deadline: February 23. GAP Applications and Guidelines are available on the Artist Trust Web site at www.artisttrust.org.

The Mad Hatter , an international journal of creativity by pre-college students, seeks poetry, black and white photography, and art for 10th annual issue. Submission deadline: February postmark. Issued: April of each year. Payment: 1 copy. Send work, school or home-school affiliation, and SASE to Mad Hatter, 320 S. Seminary St., Madisonville, KY 42431. Visit the Web site for additional information: www.hopkins.k12.ky.us/gifted/mad_hatter.htm.

Bart Baxter Contest for Poetry in Performance. Entrants are asked submit two poems for consideration by a panel of judges and eight finalists will compete in a series of one-on-one Poetry Bouts on Tuesday April 10th, 2007 at the Richard Hugo House (a 2006 event co-sponsor). Finalists will be determined based on how their poetry works on the page and on April 10th three different judges will determine the best poem in each one-on-one bout, leading to a single Champion. The top three finalists will earn a total of $500 in cash prizes: 1st place - $300, 2nd - $125 and 3rd - $75. Deadline for entries is March 1. Finalists will be notified by March 15th. For complete contest information and submission guidelines, please go to the WPA Web site at http://www.washingtonpoets.org/2007_wpa_bart_baxter_contest_entry_form.php.

The Cardinal Stritch University literary magazine, Clare, seeks short fiction and poetry (3-5 poems). SASE. Submission deadline March 1. Send to: Barbara Wuest, Clare, Cardinal Stritch University, 6801 N. Yates Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53217.

Yemassee , the literary journal of the University of South Carolina-Columbia, is currently seeking both general submissions and entries for our 2007 Pocataligo Poetry Contest. Yemassee is a fairly small journal and, as such, our acceptance rate of 3-to-5 percent is considerably higher than many journals. Our contests are also less competitive than most national contests. This makes Yemassee an excellent market for both apprentice writers and those with more publishing experience. Recent issues have included interviews and writing by Conor O’Callaghan, Ron Rash, and Janette Turner Hospital. The forthcoming issue will include work by Daniel Buckman. Yemassee is a member of the CLMP and nominates contributors for the Pushcart and other national prizes every year. Submission deadline March 15. For more information and guidelines, visit our Web site at www.yemasseejournal.org or write to Attn: Poetry Contest, Yemassee, Department of English, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208.

The Washington Poets Association announces its 2007 Annual Poetry Contest. Four categories to enter, cash prices for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each category. Submission period is January 1, 2007-March 15. Submission is only by first-class mail to the address on the entry form. Comprehensive guidelines and entry form can be viewed at http://www.washingtonpoets.org/2007_wpa_contest_entry_form.php

Comstock Review celebrated 20 years of outstanding poetry in 2006. $9 for sample of either Spring/Summer or Fall/Winter Awards edition. Submit 6 poems, short bio for 2007 open reading period: January 1-March 15 postmark. Interested in metaphor, fresh imagery, free or formal verse. No e-mail submissions. Prefer no simultaneous submissions. Replies: 6-8 weeks after end of reading period. Often comments. Check Web site for extensive information, including growing links to online poetry, prize-winning poems, editors’ poems, short book reviews, and downloadable Poet’s Handbook. SASE for guidelines if necessary. Postal inquiries to: John M. Bellinger, Managing Editor, Comstock Review, 4956 St. John Dr., Syracuse, NY 13215. Web site: www.comstockreview.org.

Cranky Literary Journal announces its first-ever chapbook contest. If you’re a poet with 20-45 pages of poetry full of wit and word play and quirky intelligence, the editors at Cranky want to see your work. All entries are read blindly (like the three mice), which means anything that shouts out your name will disqualify you; please do not include in your manuscript any poems previously published by Cranky. Submission deadline is April 15. The winner will be announced August 1. Cranky will pay $500 and 25 copies of the chapbook (and they’re such nice folks that they will even work with the winner on design and cover art). Hurry to the Web site for more details: http://www.crankymag.org/contest.html.

Iron Horse Literary Review reads manuscripts until April 15 each year. We are looking for fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Payment: $100 per prose piece, $40 per poem. For further information, please visit www.english.ttu.edu/ih.

Ecotone welcomes unsolicited works of creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry with a specific focus on place and borders, be them geographical, interpersonal, sexual, spiritual, etc. Our audience appreciates literary work that is vital, thorny, and alive. Submissions accepted until April 30 only. See Web site for details: www.uncw.edu/ecotone.

Gift of Words; Poetry for the Iraqi People . The Challenge: Write a poem for the Iraqi People, something that you want to express to their citizens. Submission deadline May 2007. More information at http://www.poetslane.com /.

Prose for Papa. Held in conjunction with the 3rd Annual Ernest Hemingway Festival in Sun Valley, ID September 20th- 23rd, 2007, the winner of this short story competition receives $500 and publication in the festival magazine. Submission deadline is June 1. Details at http://www.visitsunvalley.com/static/index.cfm?contentID=555.

Oregon Literary Fellowships announced . Literary Arts congratulates the recipients of the 2006 Oregon Literary Fellowships. Out-of-state judges selected 13 writers and six publishers to receive grants ranging from $500 to $3,000. A reception in March 2007 will honor this year’s recipients. The list of 2006 fellowship recipients, and guidelines and applications for 2007 fellowships will be available in February at http://www.literary-arts.org/fellowships /. Application deadline for 2007 fellowships is June 30, 2007.

OPEN CALLS

Crate , UC Riverside's MFA Literary Magazine, is dedicated to exploring the borders and boundaries of art and literature. This edition's theme is "Margins and Mainstreams" after a series of lectures by historian Gary Okihiro who writes that, "The core values and ideals of the nation emanate not from the mainstream but from the margins." Soliciting poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, essays, interviews, photography, visual art, and multi-media works. For more details, visit www.crate.ucr.edu or e-mail crate.journal@gmail.edu.

divide: Creative Responses to Contemporary Social Questions invites submissions of poetry, fiction, essays, and visual artwork on the theme “Sports and Adventure: Finding the Extraordinary in the Subtle and the Momentous.” Send with SASE: divide, University of Colorado, UCB 317, Boulder, CO 80309. Web site: www.colorado.edu/journals/divide.

Eclipse, a Literary Journal , seeks submissions of quality short fiction and poetry from both new and established writers. Past contributors include Wanda Coleman, Mary Crow, Dana Gioia, William Heyen, Allison Joseph, George Rabasa, James Ragan, Richard Schmitt, and Virgil Suarez. Send manuscript, SASE, and cover letter to Bart Edelman, Editor, Glendale College, 1500 N. Verdugo Rd., Glendale, CA 91208.

Everything Guides Looking for Writers. Request submitted by literary agent Andrea Hurst, for more details, please go to www.andreahurst.com.

Here are the current projects Andrea is seeking writers for:

1. A science person or teacher to write The Everything Kids' Magic Experiments Book. 150-200 science experiments with a magic twist like making things change color.

2. An Everything Guide to Green Living Book. Written by an energy or organic expert. Covers organic food, hybrid cars, nontoxic cleaning products, conserving energy, etc.

Fresh Boiled Peanuts literary magazine. The editors of Fresh Boiled Peanuts have announced a call for entries for their third issue. According to the editors, they have "no grand illusions of money or fame – they just want every issue packed full of good fiction, essays, creative non-fiction, poetry and generally anything they believe is worth reading." For complete submission guidelines and some good editorial humor, check the Fresh Boiled Peanuts Web site at: www.freshboiledpeanuts.com.

Plain View Press , a 30-year-old independent publishing house, is accepting manuscripts-high literary standards, collaborative process, activist orientation, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction relevant to environmental protection, peace, and gender, racial, economic justice. Spoken word and print-offset, pod, e-books, CDs. For guidelines, e-mail sbright1@austin.rr.com, or visit Web site: www.plainviewpress.net.

Rock & Sling: A Journal of Literature, Art, and Faith seeks poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction/memoir, art, critical reviews, and reportage that brushes up against Christianity. We do not publish devotionals, testimonies, or preachy tales. For guidelines, excerpts, and details on upcoming poetry contest, visit www.rockandsling.org.

The Inspired Pen. Now accepting submissions of short stories, poems, vignettes. Check out the new journal devoted to publishing a wide range of short work. The Inspired Pen is currently accepting works from both established and new authors. For more information, pay rates and submissions guidelines, go to www.inspiredpen.net.

The Natural Soul Journal seeks submissions. The Natural Soul Journal is a place where writers and photographers, especially those just starting out, interested in presenting and delving deeper into what wilderness is about and what it means, can find a venue for publication and hopefully have their work stand side-by-side with more established writers and photographers. For more information, visit www.naturalsoul.org, call 425-640- 1328 or e-mail btl@edcc.edu.

Unbound Press open call for submissions. Submissions are limited to 1-6 poems or 1 short story or 1 creative nonfiction contribution at a time. Prose should be no more than 5,000 words - double spaced, 12pt font, 1" margins. Material must be previously unpublished and although we do accept multiple submissions we ask that you note this on your cover letter and notify us as soon as possible if material has been accepted elsewhere. We hold one time rights only. Send e-mail submissions to UnboundPress@gmail.com. Send snail mail submissions to: Unbound Press, P.O. Box 530781, Mountain Brook, Alabama 35253 . Please be sure to include a SASE with sufficient postage or an e-mail address. Do not send the original copy of your submission as material will not be returned. We will do our best to reply within 6 - 8 weeks. For more information, e-mail UnboundPress@gmail.com.

Vertex Press is a new, Seattle-based cooperative publishing house devoted to showcasing the best new literary work by Pacific Northwest writers. Our interests include essay, fiction, poetry, and memoir. Only submissions by Vertex Press members will be considered for publication. Applicants must agree, if accepted into the cooperative, to critique and edit each others' work; to attend workshops, seminars, and readings; and to participate in other promotional and marketing activities sponsored by Vertex Press. For more information, go to http://www.vertexpress.com /.

SPECIAL CALLS

Council of Literary Magazines & Presses, together with the US Consulate in Kolkata ( India), Rattapallax, and a major delegation of American writers and poets are supporting the Kolkata Book Fair in 2008, where the United States will be the featured country this year.

With an annual attendance of 2.8 million people, the Kolkata Book Fair is the largest book festival in the world. We want to showcase small press books and literary magazines at the book fair. You are invited to donate books or magazines to be sold for one dollar each at the event. Note that large house publishers are being asked to do the same. You are not being asked to ship your books to India, only to a clearinghouse in NJ, and the Kolkata folks will cover the cost of getting everything to the fair. All the proceeds will benefit a not-for-profit organization working in India. All books/magazines donated are tax deductible and all the publishers will be prominently displayed in the US pavilion.

US Kolkata Literary Exchange is a coalition of literary organizations, poets, writers, and publishers, led by Pulitzer Prize winning poet Yusef Kumunyakaa, US Poet Laureates Rita Dove and Donald Hall, and writer Erica Jong. The committee is responsible for sending the delegation, shipping the books, and organizing the US pavilion at the book fair. We urge you to be a part of this international endeavor!

More information on the program can be found at http://www.uskle.org/books.html. If you have any questions, please e-mail Ram Devineni at Rattapallax: info@uskle.org.

This is a wonderful opportunity for WIWA members to reach a vibrant new market, help a terrific cause, and represent American arts and letters at an important book festival.

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WIWA REPORTER AT LARGE – Reports on another Island’s writers conference

It’s an Island Thing!

By Sandra Ortgies

With our Whidbey Island Writers Conference coming up in March, I am remembering the Maui Writers Conference last September. It was my first opportunity to attend a conference and I would like to share this experience with you as you may be preparing to attend the Whidbey Conference. Perhaps this will be your first conference, too.

“Welcome to the 2006 Maui Writers Conference,” read the green on white banner stretched across the open air lobby of the Wailea Marriott. The manner in which Hawaiians bring the outdoors in is very appealing, and registration was conducted with ocean breezes cooling the tiled patio area ringed with hibiscus flowers. It was Friday, September 1, and I was excited by the adventure ahead of me. And a bit intimidated.

Name badge around my neck and feeling quite official, I located the conference bookstore in the lower level of the hotel. I’d arrived over an hour ahead of the opening ceremony with the idea of perusing and possibly buying books written by the presenters. In the course of the conference, I spent quite a bit of time in the book store, dashing in to quickly scan a workshop presenter’s book before attending their session (if I hadn’t already read it) and often returning to purchase this book. The bookstore volunteers were an informative and fun group to visit between events as most of them live on Maui.

The opening keynote speech was by Sam Horn, a promotional speaker and author of many books. Sam is gracious, inspiring and funny: a perfect opener. She launched her latest book, POP, at this conference. Sam stressed the importance of a title, and said that it should have no more than seven words, max. Tips included: “Rearrange clichés to be new: LIFE IS A CABERNET introduced a wine seminar. Create a niche, such as linking diabetes and obesity as one author did to come up with DIABESITY. Run the alphabet, substituting a letter in a core word. One father invented a saddle to wear as his toddlers liked to ride horseback style on his back but kept falling off. He successfully marketed it as a DADDLE. Being purposeful, original and pithy (POP) are musts.”

I eagerly anticipated Saturday and the heart of the conference for me, author and agent workshops. I planned to attend a variety of events, taking full advantage of every session, every genre, I could get in from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

The keynote speaker on Saturday morning was one of those people I could listen to all day long. Dorothy Allison who wrote Bastard Out Of Carolina and more recently Cave Dweller, is an earthy, straightforward speaker.

Her speech, “The Intersection of Famous and Despised,” was a window into every writer’s soul. Allison said up front that she is basically shy and had to train herself to speak “like a Georgia preacher on whiskey.” She stressed that writers always feel like we’re not good enough. “You are naked on the page. Go where you are most afraid in your writing, recall your most embarrassing moments and embrace the concept of being despised.” Get used to the reaction “You’re going to write about what?!”

My takeaway tips from Dorothy Allison:

Motivation. When asked what motivated her writing, she replied, “Revenge! Against all the people who put down my southern family.”

Motion. Allison says when she gets stalled she starts a load of laundry, sits down, and gets it on the page to the rhythm of the washer. The story makes itself.

I followed Allison’s moving keynote with Michael Palmieri’s workshop, “Strategic Career Moves for Writers.” Palmieri is an independent producer and consultant after years of executive work with Tristar, Paramount, Warner and Fox. His workshop offered practical advice when writing for the entertainment industry. “The studios are looking for family material like the movie RV, animated like Shrek and Nemo and horror such as Rosemary’s Baby, and trying to keep it under $40 million. Keep in mind that action scenes are expensive.”

His advice for the small screen, “There is a lot of opportunity in the TV networks for hour long dramas such as for TNT. Half hour sit-coms are dead right now but give them two years,” he said, “Ask yourself where does my material fit?

My takeaway tips from Michael Palmieri:

Resources. Palmieri stressed, “Take classes, develop your craft, learn to pitch your story; timing is everything.”

Research. “Get recent screenplays on the internet such as the Sideways script,” he recommended. “The toughest move from novel to screenplay is to kill the novel and retrieve its strongest parts for the screenplay.”

One of my main objectives in attending this conference was to find out more about agents. An afternoon workshop was presented by Eden-Lee Murray co-founder of Jellinek & Murray Literary Agency, the only literary agency in Hawaii. Murray maintained that the agent/writer relationship is like a marriage and you’d better research it carefully. Ask lots of questions. Communication is vital. She advised that if an agent at this conference (including herself) indicates they want to write a contract with you, “you don’t fall to your knees saying, ‘Thank you, Jesus.’” Murray advised us to keep cool and find out what they’re going to do for you. “These conferences are important, as it’s an opportunity to meet an agent and your proposal has to be a great pitch with author passion.”

My takeaway tips from Eden-Lee Murray:

Communication. When asked what other attributes besides talent she looks for in a client, the answer was, “Someone who is going to be easy to get along with.

Coordination. “Do not ever pay an agent upfront for reading; it’s usually 15% later. And, do not ever discuss money with anyone but an agent. Remember, agents work for you.”

The most engaging speaker in my opinion was Academy Award Winner, Diana Ossana, who has been writing with Larry McMurtry since 1992. They collaborated on the screenplay for BrokebackMountain and she outlined all that they went through for years to get this movie filmed. “It was hard to cast as word got around that it could be a career killer.”

McMurtry didn’t even want to read the original story in the New Yorker by Annie Proulx when Ossana brought it to his attention. He said, “You know I don’t read short fiction.” Ossana prevailed and he agreed to read it, finally deciding they should write the screenplay together.

What did I learn from Diana? Persistence. Her resounding advice to us, “Be loyal to your book!”

James Rollins who wrote the NY Times best seller Map of Bones, gave a revealing talk on “Researching for Dummies.” He stressed the freedom of fiction and highlighted the word “verisimilitude,” the appearance of truth, which he gets away with all the time in his fiction.

Rollins never goes to the library, but talks to librarians. “If you say ‘I am a writer,’ there is power in that sentence. People will help you. Watch out for ‘info dumping’ in your books, as in ‘I’ve done all this research and you’re going to read about it.’ It’s better to check with an expert but details you don’t know, make up. Don’t let reality take the life out of your story.” As he reminded us, that’s why they call it Fiction.

“Fiction is about transmitting emotion, and facts can get in the way. Make conflict when you pass out facts. Create a sense of urgency.” He had my attention with that, and he continued, “Research is not writing. Know when to stop. Know a bit about a lot. Keep notes, maps, brochures wherever you travel.”

David Fryxell, former Editor in Chief of Writer’s Digest Magazine and author of Write Faster, Write Better, had two workshops and I attended both. “Travel Writing, Capturing a Sense of Place” (“Fabulous Fargo”) and “Bulletproof Your Queries; Do’s and Don’ts for Selling to Magazines.” He says what it comes down to is, “Is this writer going to be more trouble than it’s worth, the bad date?” His advice, “Present yourself as a pro. Someone they can count on.” And as for topics, “Look for the 100th anniversary of anything for a story; it’s usually a go.”

Sam Horn also gave the farewell keynote speech, “I Can’t Believe I Wrote The Whole Thing.” She left us with solid suggestions for keeping the momentum of everything we learned at the conference:

1. Get off the seesaw of comparisons, and quit being dependent on other people for validation.

2. Stop checking e-mail in the early morning. 11am, 3pm and 10pm is enough. Get to writing.

3. Tap into the third place, feeding off the energy of others who do not distract or interrupt: a private place in public like a coffee shop or library.

4. Muse it or lose it. Write a thought down right away or you’ll lose it. If you’re waiting for inspiration, you’re not a writer; you’re a waiter.

5. Envelopes for each chapter; info and articles go in. Do not start at the beginning; start where your mind is hot.

6. Draft, then you craft. Do not re-read because then you’ll re-write.

7. Don’t be disconnected. Who is your target audience? Go there.

8. Never give up!! What is your dream, story, message? Get that book out of your mind and onto the page!

But it wasn’t just about the workshops. Chance encounters with other writers over lunch, dinner, and session breaks during the conference provided some of my best experiences:

A couple from California told me about their self published non-fiction book on 31 months in Kobe, Japan, setting up Universal’s theme park. After chatting over lunch, they asked me to read and critique the first chapter of their new novel.

A writer/artist from Haiku in the Maui Mountains gave me her agent proposal to read. A poignant and surprising book about a Hawaiian paniolo (cowgirl), now 70 years old, who desperately wanted to be in the “Cowgirl Hall of Fame” in Oklahoma. This writer pulled it off, and in the process the book was born.

One woman, spotted my Coupeville name badge when I was browsing in the conference bookstore while she was working. It turns out she’s a grand-daughter of one of the founding families of Coupeville. She lives on Maui now, but she came to Coupeville as a child, and will return to write a story about her pioneer family.

Evaluation comment: Maui Writer’s Conference, 2006. What a great experience! Three full days of inspiration, purposeful information, and humor. Take an open mind, business cards, and your address book to Whidbey Island and your conference experience will blossom, too! Mahalo!

Editor’s Note: Many thanks to Sandra for reporting on this not-quite-local writers’ event. If you would like to report on a writers’ event that you attended that is pertinent to WIWA newsletter readers, please see the WIWA Seeks Volunteer Reporters paragraph below.

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WIWA WEB SITE NEWS AND MEMBER SERVICES

Keep Up With Your Favorite WIWC Presenters

To make it easy for our members and conference attendees, WIWA links to the Web sites of past conference presenters who provide their Web site addresses to us. It’s a convenient place to look up your favorite presenters and find out where they’re reading and what they’re publishing. Just visit our Web site under Writers Conference/Prior Conference/Prior Presenter at http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Prior_Conferences/Prior_Presenters.html.

If you’re a past WIWC presenter and your link doesn’t appear on our links page, but you would like it to, just let us know. The only requirement is that you provide a reciprocal link to WIWA and/or the conference Web site at: http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/ .

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WIWA'S WISH LIST

The Whidbey Island Writers Association is looking for generous individuals or groups interested in donating any of the following items to help us in our efforts to offer outstanding and new programs to local writers and readers. Please contact 360-331-6714 if you have any questions or to make a donation, or e-mail wiwa@whidbey.org. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, donations to WIWA may be tax deductible.

–Work station (student desk size) with room for a computer and monitor

–Desk chair

–Computer and monitor to run sophisticated graphics software WIWA received through a recent grant. (Please contact Elizabeth Guss, Conference Director, for specific details)

–The Chicago Manual of Style, University of Chicago Press

–AP Stylebook, Associated Press

–New books on writing (to be used as prizes in the annual youth writing contest)

–Phone cards

–Copy paper

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WIWA Seeks Volunteer Reporters

Join WIWA's team of volunteers as event-specific and beat reporters. I know you’re out there attending events and participating in our local writing community and our readers want to hear about your experiences. This position calls for enthusiastic individuals who attend writing-related events in the Whidbey Island and Puget Sound writing community.

There is no payment or stipend available for event or class tuition. Reporters will work with the newsletter editor to cover current events they have already attended to bring pertinent news back to our writing readership. For more information, please contact Achaessa directly at NewsletterEditor@writeonwhidbey.com.

WIWA does not pay for articles published in the newsletter, but your article will be circulated to approximately 2,000 writers, agents and publishers on our e-mail distribution list and posted on the WIWA Web site. After publication, all rights revert to the author, who may freely use publication in the WIWA newsletter as a publishing “clip” either in hardcopy, PDF format, or by citing to the newsletter archives on the WIWA Web site.

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QUOTATIONS

NOTE: Please send us quotations about writing that you would like to share.

“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” – Mark Twain (submitted by WIWA member Diane Schuller)

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” – Sylvia Plath (also submitted by WIWA member Diane Schuller)

“In the history of literature there are many great enduring works which were not published in the lifetimes of the authors. If the authors had not achieved self-affirmation while writing, how could they have continued to write?” – Gao Xingjian (Chinese émigré novelist, playwright, and critic, 2000 Nobel Prize for Literature) (submitted by WIWA member Achaessa James)

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CYBERSURFING

NOTE: If you find a Web site you think other writers would like to visit, send us the URL.

This day in history - http://www.tnl.net/when/today. An exceedingly useful historical trivia site by date created by Tristan Louis, a journalist and Internet veteran who has been active in the movement to secure free speech rights on the Internet. Submitted by me, your Newsletter Editor.

Earth Calendar - http://www.earthcalendar.net/index.php. Want to find out what celebration your protagonist is being chased through in the streets of Montserrat on August 18th? Select Holidays by Country. Need to find out when Beltane is in the southern hemisphere? Select Holidays by Religion-Celticism. Other categories include Lunar Phases, Holidays by Date, and you can even learn about May 33rd.

Not a Web site, but a very informative article for freelance writers and editors, "How Much Should I Charge?": http://www.writersmarket.com/assets/pdf/How_Much_Should_I_Charge.pdf

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WRITERS ASK / WRITERS RESPOND

Do you have a question on writing or publishing that could use additional input? Do you have writing or publishing resources, information or experience that you’d like to share with our readers? Questions and responses can be sent to NewsletterEditor@writeonwhidbey.com and may be published in upcoming editions of the newsletter for the benefit of all readers.

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TO CONTACT US OR SUBMIT AN ARTICLE

We are interested in hearing from you. Perhaps you've been to a recent book fair, heard a favorite author speak, or learned valuable tips from a writing class. Perhaps you're a professional willing to share your expertise. If you would like to submit a writing related article; tell us about your good news for the Cheers or Recent Releases columns; send us your favorite quotes, markets, contests and cyber sites; or contact us about the newsletter for any reason, please e-mail NewsletterEditor@writeonwhidbey.com. For information about the Conference, e-mail writers@whidbey.org. The WIWA Web site is: www.writeonwhidbey.org.

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TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE

The WIWA Newsletter is published approximately every two months and is delivered to subscribers by e-mail. If you would like to subscribe, send an e-mail, with SUBSCRIBE WIWA in the subject line, to wiwa@whidbey.org. If you would like to unsubscribe, please reply to this e-mail with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject, and we will delete you from our records. WIWA will not share or sell your name or e-mail address.