Friday, March 29, 2013

Entry # 144 - "Cover Me! - Submission Letters"

Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - May 2012
Muriel Rukeyser is reported to have said something like, “A writer should never submit to anyone! So I don’t submit. I offer.” 

So - what should be included in a good cover letter when you “offer” your work to a literary journal?  Your cover letter is your introduction to a journal editor. Most editors say, "Keep your submission cover letter simple."  Send a short single page letter consisting of no more than two-paragraphs.  Tell them the title, word count, type of work (fiction or non-fiction or poetry), include your name and how to contact you. You can write a brief bio of a couple of sentences at the bottom of the letter that lists prior publications, if it’s relevant. But avoid telling about papers you wrote for college or grad school - and please don't tell them your personal life story. That's guaranteed to get your story or essay rejected rather than read. And don’t summarize what you’ve sent them. They’ll figure it out. It’s what they do! They read, and decide if your work is ready and suitable for their particular journal, and whether they have space for it. 

When sending out work that seems ready for publication, it helps to remember that as a writer, you should read a range of literary journals. Think about how your work fits the genre, style, setting, narrative style, length, or theme of a particular journal.
 Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - May 2012
Send your work to publications you enjoy reading. Many good publication samples can be found at your local library, book store or online. Subscribe to 2-4 of your favorites and develop a target list of 5-10 markets that you’ll send your work. Send your work out to those markets first to see if you are a good fit. Your goal is to have your work published in one or more of them in a set period of time of  - perhaps one-to-two years.

In addition, various Writers’ Market Books provide lists of magazines that you never imagined existed. Check deadlines and guidelines. Editors will say that they’re looking for a reason to say no, because they get thousands of manuscripts each year. So be sure to follow guidelines. If they set a 5-page limit, don’t send 10 pages - they won’t read it. If you use font sizes of less than 12 - they won’t read it.  So pay close attention to posted guidelines, as well as the “needs” and “advice” sections in these listings.  Send your work to the appropriate editor and make sure they still work there.  Colleges and universities have regular staff turnover. 
Send a brief cover letter.  Good luck!
Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - May 2012
About Jan Bowman

Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, a Pen/O’Henry award and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction work pending publication in Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or


Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Entry # 143 - "Sending Stories Out Into The World"

March 25, 2013 - Spring Snow - Photo - Jan Bowman
What do writers need to know about sending stories out into the publication world? There are no substitutes for talent, hard work and attention to the details of craft. Poorly written work is rarely selected in this day/age of stiff competition and advanced technology.  Writers can select appropriate journals for their work and increase the odds of publication. Then they must attend to basics of craft structure and manuscript preparation, and follow manuscript guidelines and deadlines.

Spring in Maryland - March 2013 - Photo: Jan Bowman
Most publications have moved to online submissions, but if the guidelines do require snail mail – as is often the case with contest entries - send by first class mail to an appropriate editor.  Send a self-addressed, stamped (forever stamp) envelope for a reply. Use white (8.5 x 11) good quality paper and typed, double-spaced text in 12-point standard font, like Times New Roman. Avoid weird fonts. Leave a one-inch margin on top, bottom and sides of the pages. Proof the work and get editing help. 

All of us need someone else to look for the glitches. Never send out work with typos or crossed out words. Most publications expect a standard layout for manuscripts. For example:  on the first page - top left corner – type your name, address, phone, email address. And in top right corner - identify that it’s a story or essay - and give the word count. Next – start the title in center of first page - about a third of the way down on the page; then, skip four lines down and begin the story or essay. Remember to double-space.  Indent each new paragraph.  And don’t be tempted to use an extra double space between paragraphs, unless you meant to suggest a change in time or place, because that extra space suggests a shift of some sort, in time, place, or point of view.


On the subsequent pages of the manuscript – at the top left side (usually), type the title, your last name and a page number.  For example:  Sending out Stories/Bowman/2.


Here are a couple of things to know if you wish to avoid future embarrassment. Don’t write – The End – on the last page. Don’t say this work is copyrighted and/or the property of (your name) or say how much money you want for your story or essay.  Please don’t tell them how great it is or summarize the story or essay.  Don’t send it by certified or any other weird mail. Just ordinary first class mail will work nicely.


Finally, don’t expect an immediate reply. Most publications won’t respond for months.  It is safe to say that most editors are looking for interesting, original work with good openings, sustained plot and characters who not only are believable, but who connect to readers. They want to read work that they themselves can’t stop reading.  That’s what they look for and hope for every time they rip open an envelope or open an online submission. That’s what you have to send out into the world, if you want to make the cut. 
"But - If You Believe in Spring & In Your Writing..."
About Jan Bowman 

Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, a Pen/O’Henry award and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction work pending publication in Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or

Friday, March 15, 2013

Entry # 142 - Port Townsend - CENTRUM - Writers Conference -Featured Workshop


The Port Townsend - CENTRUM - Writers’ Conference
July 7-14 and 14-21, 2013 - Fort Worden State Park
Port Townsend, Washington

Please Note:  The following comes directly from their website - except for Catherine Alexander's personal comments - show as DQs.  Go to website for more details & to register.
 

The Port Townsend Writers’ Conference has been since 1974 at the heart of the thriving Pacific Northwest literary scene. With a focus on community and rigorous attention to craft, the Conference offers morning workshops, afternoon workshops, residencies, guided freewrites, and a vibrant readings and lectures series presented by vital, contemporary writers.  Go to the website for more.
centrum.org/the-port-townsend-writers-conference/




Catherine Alexander writes to me to say,
  "I attended this conference way back in 1990 when I was a fledging writer.  At that time, it was packed full of readings and lectures, well into the night, aside from the regular workshops. I don't think that has changed very much.   I was totally immersed in this intense conference.  You can't beat the setting."

Located in Port Townsend, Washington, Fort Worden—a turn-of-the-century army base–offers an unmatched combination of natural beauty and historic interest. Acres of saltwater beaches, wooded hills, and open fields are framed by stunning vistas of the Olympic and Cascade ranges and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It’s a place where the land stops, the sea begins, and the mind keeps going.  (from website)  Over the past three decades Centrum has gathered hundreds of thousands of individuals—great artists, creative thinkers, ardent students, and passionate fans—who have transformed Fort Worden into a legendary site of creative learning and interaction.  (from website)


Catherine says, "Although there is plenty of time for socializing, the aim of the conference is the process of writing.  I would recommend Centrum to anyone who is serious about the craft of writing."         Catherine's  email:    catalexander@yahoo.com


View our 2013 faculty members!

Whether you’re new to writing, and seeking an inspirational environment to create new work; looking for advanced post-MFA revision workshops; or simply desire to renew and recharge yourself in a writing retreat, the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference gives you the craft and connections to make breakthroughs in your work.

  • Register for the 2013 Conference

Mornings
For those who register for a
core morning workshop, you’ll spend the morning in intimate workshops with your core faculty member. Early risers will also find optional freewrites that happen before the morning workshops begin. Register.

Afternoons

The Conference features afternoon-workshop offerings in special topics. These workshops are taught both by the morning faculty members and by visiting writers and editors. They are available on a drop-in basis free to participants registered for morning workshop and at a special price for those who only want to take workshops in the afternoon. Following these workshops, a vibrant
lectures series presents the core morning faculty members discussing their process from origin to completed product. 2012 afternoon-workshop offerings.

Residency-Only
Many of the participants who come here come simply to write, and do not take workshops while they are here. This option gives you the opportunity to take the time and space that you need to disconnect from your daily life and write and revise. As part of this registration, you have access to all of the craft lectures, evening readings, and open-mike events that are part of the Conference. Register.

Evenings
Each evening at 7:30, two faculty writers give a reading at the Joseph F. Wheeler Theater. These readings are free for all participants.
Schedule.

Tuition

Tuition ranges from $50 to $695. Room and board options range from $125 to $580. All freewrites, morning writing exercises, and afternoon workshops are free for those who register for the core morning workshops.

Financial aid and scholarship funds are available. Register.

The Daily Schedule
8-9—Breakfast
9-11:30—Morning workshop
11:45-12:45—Lunch
1-1:50—Craft Lecture
2-3:30—Workshops and lectures in special topics
5:30-6:30—Dinner
7:30—Readings

Smith Island Light
Transportation
Centrum operates airport shuttle to and from Sea-Tac airport on the first and last days of the Conference.
Please read our shuttle information guide to learn how you can access this service.

centrum.org/the-port-townsend-writers-conference/

About Jan Bowman:

Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including most recently, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Another story won the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, Pen/O'Henry's and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or  visit blog:  http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com
Email:    janbowmanwriter@gmail.com   
Facebook:  janbowman.77
 


 

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Entry # 141 - Phyllis Duncan Reports from AWP's 2013 Boston Conference

Background: 
The AWP: The Association of Writers and Writing Programs is based at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. AWP provides support, advocacy, resources, and community to nearly 50,000 writers, 500 college and university creative writing programs, and 125 writers’ conferences and centers. Our mission is to foster literary achievement, advance the art of writing as essential to a good education, and serve the makers, teachers, students, and readers of contemporary writing. In addition to the annual writer's conference--for writers and teachers of writing--AWP publishes the magazine The Writer's Chronicle.

 Phyllis Duncan says, "In my opinion, worth the membership fee."     https://www.awpwriter.org/


Phyllis Anne "Maggie" Duncan:  - is a retired bureaucrat with an overactive imagination--at least that's what everyone has told her since she first started making up stories in elementary school prompted by her weekly list of spelling words. 
 

Her first print collection of short stories was the 2000 paperback, Rarely Well Behaved, which, in 2012, became two separate, reissued books, Blood Vengeance and Fences. In December 2012, she published Spy Flash, a collection of espionage flash fiction stories.

Other short stories have appeared in eFiction Magazine in 2011 and 2012, in the 2013 Blue Ridge Anthology, and in 1 x 50 x 100, a collection of 100-word flash fiction. Ms. Duncan has studied writing at the Gotham Writers Workshop, Writers.com, and Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop. End Times, book one of a trilogy on domestic terrorism, was a semi-finalist in the 2011 James River Writers Best Unpublished Novel contest.

She is a member of WriterHouse, James River Writers, Virginia Writers Club, Shenandoah Valley Writers, SWAG (Staunton, Waynesboro, Augusta Group) Writers, and the Association of Writers and Writing Programs.

Jan:    What were the most interesting presentations that you attended at this year’s AWP conference in Boston?


Phyllis:    A panel on writing historical fiction and one featuring women crime thriller writers were particularly useful to me since I write historical espionage thrillers. The writers on both panels offered practical advice (e.g., when do you stop researching and start writing) and enthusiastic support. The writers on the Women in Crime panel were all driven and erudite but hilarious, and the Q&A session after delved into issues of gender equality in publishing, which was timely and lively.
The keynote speakers on the first night were Novel Laureates Seamus Heaney and Derek Walcott--both poets, but Heaney, being Irish, has secured a place in my half-Irish heart. Just to be in the same room with him was thrilling, and the mutual admiration society between him and Walcott was refreshing. Walcott has been known to imitate his favorite poets, and he read from a piece, looked up at the audience and said, "That's pure Heaney," and Heaney agreed. It was wonderful. Then, the next day, I passed Heaney in the hallway, and he gave me a nod and a smile. As I said in my blog, I'm sure he's polite to every middle-aged woman who gawks at him, but I want to believe he thought, "Ah, what a great Irish lass!" ;-)
Jan:     Given your expectations, did you find any presentations not particularly useful? And what was missing?  If you could offer advice to presenters, what would you say is essential for an effective presentation?

Phyllis:   I selected one program, "Career Suicide," which was for teachers of writing, but that was entirely my fault because I didn't bother to read the description. Over the three days, there were nearly 500 different sessions offered, so you'd be hard-pressed to find one that wasn't useful. It's usually the opposite--you wish you could clone yourself and be at several sessions at the same time. That redundancy was good because there were several sessions I wanted I couldn't get into because they were full, but there were plenty of alternatives to attend.
I was a bit dismayed at several sessions when neither the moderator nor the panel introduced themselves. Yes, they are listed in the one-inch thick program, but most of us worked from a much smaller planner which just listed the sessions. You got the impression the panelists didn't think they had to introduce themselves because we all should know who they are. Most are mid-list writers, so recognizing them is not that easy.
What was missing was any acknowledgement of self-publishing at all. AWP is heavily invested in traditional publishers for sponsorship and for donations, so it doesn't surprise me that there were maybe one or two sessions that even hinted at self-publishing.

Jan:     In your opinion – do you think it helps future sales and contacts for writers to have a table or display at the “back of the room”?

Phyllis:     Normally, this would be a good idea but not for a conference where 12,000 people show up and there are only fifteen minutes between sessions. At the AWP Bookfair--the largest bookfair I've ever seen--publishers associated with the presenters offer their books, usually with a conference discount. Individual author tables are rare, mainly because paying for the table is expensive, and you'd have to sell a lot of books to cover it. Better to have your publisher pay for it, and book signings are always scheduled throughout the Bookfair.
Jan:     What “take-aways” do you have from your experiences this year at AWP?

Phyllis:    Wear comfortable shoes. You do a lot of walking. I tended to skip out on some of the Q&A sessions so I could hit the head and get to the next session and have a seat. Engage in conversation with the writer next to you. Don't be shy with the panelists. If they say to follow them on Twitter, do it. You never know what networking may occur. Obviously, that's not a license to stalk the author or beg them to read your manuscript, but you can make valuable connections.

Jan:    Any particular advice to share with future AWP attendees?

Phyllis:     Stretch yourself a little. Even if you don't teach writing, try one of the "pedagogy" sessions because they can be useful.
Go to the hotel bar after--because you know where there's a bar there are writers, and a touch of the creature makes for great writerly discussions. ;-)

Jan:   And where do hungry writers go to get wonderful “chowdah” in Boston?



Phyllis:    I've never had bad "chowdah" in Boston. Normally, I like to go to Legal Seafood for my chowdah fix, but quite often you'll find delicious offerings in non-franchise pubs and restaurants. My hotel (Marriott Copley Place) had an excellent one, and The Cheesecake Factory in the mall attached to the convention center had a decent one as well. I made sure I had chowdah every day because, well, the best place to get Boston Clam Chowder is Boston, maybe Cambridge. Next year's AWP Conference is in Seattle, WA, so I'm already looking forward to fresh salmon.

Jan:     AND I shall I call you Phyllis for this interview.
Phyllis:     You just did.  Here's my email contact: 
                  Phyllis Duncan <unspywriter@gmail.com


Buy my books "Blood Vengeance," "Fences," and "Spy Flash" from Amazon.com


About Jan Bowman:
Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including most recently, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Trajectory, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Another story won the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award.  Her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or


For a more detailed series of Interviews with Phyllis Duncan - go to Jan's blog and read 
Entry # 84 - 8/14/12 Part 1  and Entry # 86 - 8/21/12 Part 2