SECOND EDITION OF BOOK MAGIC DUE IN SEPTEMBER 2008

I am wildly excited about the new cover for the second edition of Book Magic: Turning Writers into Published Authors.

Much has occurred in past 15 months since this book first appeared, so I have brought many chapters up to date and added a new chapter on the trends and future of electronic books. In all about 40 pages have been added.

Book Magic is due in September 2008.

More details can be found at www.beaconlit.com/writerstools.htm, then click on "Books."

ANOTHER PEARL FROM DANIEL WOOD

FROM THE SUMMER 2008 EDITION OF THE BEACON

Daniel Wood changed a lot of minds at Powell River's recent Festival of Writers when he said magazines pay writers better than books. On average, one print mag needs 200 articles, long and short, every year and uses some freelancers to meet that goal. Thus income from magazine articles can be more regular than book royalties. And, he said there’s room for everyone in mags.

Wood, who teaches writing as well as doing it himself, reminded delegates that article ideas only come alive with story—people doing, feeling, seeing, etc. He advises opening a piece on an issue with a sequence of dramatic scenes filled with strong characters and motivations, and the use of dialogue. After that the writer can pull back and look at the issue through a wide-angle lens, and may (but not always) explicitly state the problem. Then, and only then, should the writer discuss what is being done about the issue and what more is needed. Wood says we should end with another riveting individual’s close-up.

Sound familiar? It should. This is what creative or narrative nonfiction is all about—employing fiction techniques to make nonfiction engage and move the reader.

ARE YOUR ARTICLES WEB 2.0 FRIENDLY?

BEACON FLASH # 28 - MAY 2008

Mid-April found me in Powell River, BC, presenting at the 8th Festival of Writers - a small gathering of seriously aspiring and published authors. Daniel Wood, the award-winning freelance writer, was the other speaker. I was privileged to hear his two hour session, "The Art of Facts: Non-Fiction Storytelling in the 21st Century," and will deliver some of his wisdom over the next few months in Beacon Flashes.

Here is the first pearl:

Daniel urged the attendees, whether they were writing books or articles, "to get modern." He made everyone realize that non-fiction is changing due to the influence of the Internet and interactive websites. Writers should no longer submit mss that are solely text. Daniel said that articles and books need a multi-media feel today to interest editors. Writers need to offer magazine publishers a couple of side-bars, illustrations, maybe a video, pull quotes, and/or a podcast, etc., along with the main story.

Why? Publishers like to buy stories that work on the web, as well as in print. Stories on the web need more, much more, than dense text to captivate readers. Daniel cautioned everyone to make sure the contract covers these eventualities. The publisher should pay more for additional features. For example, Daniel's half hour podcasts net him $500.00 on top of the article fee. He adds 10% for web rights (NOTE: not all e-rights) in a "step-up" clause, and photos that you take are always extra too.

Writers must think beyond the written word today and offer editors material that is Web 2.0 friendly. Are you offering more?

(For more articles about the business of writing, please visit: www.beaconlit.com/freearticles.htm)

FREELANCERS' RESOURCES

BEACON FLASH # 27 - APRIL 2008

I joined the Professional Writers' Association of Canada (PWAC) a couple of years ago. The benefits it provides have proven worthwhile; perhaps PWAC's most valuable asset is the discussion groups, the digests of which plop into my inbox daily. They help me keep up to date with what to charge for articles and work for hire, how freelance contracts are changing, copyright issues, and periodicals that are difficult to work with, etc. I feel less isolated and more supported stuck here alone in front of my computer. PWAC also has local chapters around Canada that put on workshops and have monthly meetings, as well as an annual conference.

Many countries have similar associations for freelancers - just Google for yours - and get connected with like-minded writers.

PWAC runs two web sites, both of which are worth visiting:

• Go to www.writers.ca which is PWAC's site that lists the members and their talents for editors and companies seeking freelancers. The site also has resources for writers, such as copyright info, professional practice, what fees you should charge, etc. The most useful resource is their sample contract for freelance writers at: www.writers.ca/Downloads/agreementFINAL.pdf.
  Writers should always ask for a contract when undertaking work, whether big or small. I am astounded that many writers don't do so, and then wonder why they find their "print" article on a magazine's website or passed along to another organization or individual to use with no remuneration.
• Go to www.pwac.ca for more info about joining PWAC and to see their blog. PWAC membership always looks good in bio paras of your query letters, and costs about $250.00/year.

PWAC also has a webpage (www.pwac.ca/eventsandresources/pwacpublications) with books on writing and the business of writing, which members have written, and are available to non-members to buy. I bought three and have been delighted with them. The list includes the following titles:

• PWAC Guide to Editing as a Sideline: The freelance writers guide to setting-up an editing business
• PWAC Guide to Roughing It in the Market: A Survival Toolkit for the Savvy Writer
• Your Book, Your Way! Powerful Publishing Pointers
• Book Magic: Turning Writers into Published Authors
• Crafting Irresistible Query Letters that Get You Published
• The Writing Fairy Guide to Calling Yourself a Writer: Coaxing closet writers to emerge and make their magic known
• Motivation for Non-Fiction Writers: Learn how to start up or step up a successful freelance non-fiction writing career
• The Business of Freelance Writing: How to Develop Article Ideas and Sell Them to Newspapers and Magazines
• The Six-Figure Freelancer: How to Find, Price and Manage Corporate Writing Assignments
• Regret the Error: How Media Mistakes Pollute the Press and Imperil Free Speech

Enjoy the browsing!

PITCHING A NOVEL

Powerful fiction pitches: verbal and written

Donald Maass, a famed New York literary agent, led a three hour master class a while back, which I attended, on perfecting your novel's pitch. His major thrust was teaching us to avoid the mistakes that most aspiring authors make when pitching their books to agents and editors. Pressure, nerves, and lack of preparation cause writers to talk about how good their work is, why they wrote the novel, and about themselves.

Agents and editors are only interested in the story and if it will sell…! They want to know the essence of your novel and what makes it original. Answer their question, "Why should I read this book?"

According to Maass, a verbal pitch should take no more than 60 seconds and a written pitch should have only four sentences. Both pitches must contain the title and category, the novel's milieu (time and place), the name of protagonist and what s/he does, and the main problem, conflict, or goal of the protagonist. Maass urged authors to clearly define the protagonist's problem and to inject some "out of the ordinary" into the pitch because these are most often left wanting.

When to send a written query with a four sentence pitch? Maass advises not to send them during Christmas week or immediately after a major writers' conference that the editor/agent has attended.

For more details, try reading some of Maass's own books on the subject, such as The Career Novelist: A Literary Agent Offers Strategies for Success. Can$19.11 or Writing the Breakout Novel, Can$12.69.

THE SERIAL COMMA—So Much Over So Little

by Joyce Gram, writer and editor

Who would have thought that the serial comma, quietly bringing clarity to a list or series in a sentence, would be the subject of passionate argument, much ink in grammar texts, and, yes, even surveys?

The serial comma, also called the Oxford or Harvard comma, is that innocuous squiggle before the final and or or in sentences such as “The flag is red, white, and blue” and “I want no ifs, ands, or buts.” It is optional—but be careful where you say that. Lynne Truss writes in Eats, Shoots & Leaves, “There are people who embrace the Oxford comma and people who don’t, and I’ll just say this: never get between these people when drink has been taken.”

The purpose of the serial comma is to prevent ambiguity, especially where the last element in the series consists of a pair joined by and, as in “We ate soup, salad, and macaroni and cheese.” Omitting the comma in the sentence “The flag is red, white and blue” might not cause much ambiguity, but what about “He went to the store to buy milk, butter and eggs”? Is there a product on the shelf called “butter-and-eggs”? Maybe somewhere. Garner’s Modern American Usage says that the argument whether to include the serial comma is “easily answered in favor of inclusion because omitting the final comma may cause ambiguities, whereas including it never will.”

The authors of an authoritative-looking website set out to trace the origin of the “Wrong Rule,” taught by so many English teachers, that says the final comma in a series should be omitted. In the course of their research, they found that “except for journalists, all American authorities say to use the final serial comma.”¹ Newspapers and magazines omit it to save space. My own research has yielded the same result, and I am an unapologetic proponent of the serial comma. Interestingly, Truss does not use it and says, “My own feeling is that one shouldn’t be too rigid about the Oxford comma.” Whether you choose to use it or not in your writing, all readers and editors of your work will agree: be consistent!

As to that survey I mentioned, it is being conducted by the West Coast Editor, newsletter of the Editors’ Association of Canada, B.C. Branch, and asks members, are you for it or against it? Results in March 2008. I’ll let you know.

¹http://www.protrainco.com/essays/serial-comma.htm

© Joyce Gram, 2008. All right reserved
Contact Joyce Gram for all your editing needs: gramkend@shaw.ca

RESEARCH TOOL FOR ALL WRITERS

BEACON FLASH # 26 - February 2008

If you need to do some research for a writing project about a place, event, or era, there is a fascinating website that is collecting historical newspapers from all over the world. The site has a powerful search engine and I tested it on a person living in Victoria, British Columbia, from 1859-1892. I pulled up mountains of useful info about my subject, the town, and attitudes of the time. Searches deliver images of newspaper pages that have your keywords highlighted in yellow. Enlarging these pages does not degrade the text and illustrations. Magic!

Go to www.paperofrecord.com and sign up – it’s free. Then go for a test drive.

MAGS AND EZINES THAT PUBLISH YOUNG WRITERS' WORK

YOUNG WRITERS CAN GET PUBLISHED

When I speak in elementary, middle, and secondary schools, teachers and students often ask me if there are magazines and ezines that publish young writers' work. Yes, there are. Here are some recommendations for your talented writers, at home or in your classroom.

The most highly regarded literary magazine for kids in Canada is, of course, The Claremont Review, run by real editors especially for kids: http://www.theclaremontreview.ca/.

Here are some other links to publications for young writers:
http://www.youthactionnetwork.org/projects/forum/ (Canada)
http://www.youngpoets.ca/ (Canada)
http://www.youngwritersclub.ca/ (Canada)
http://www.amazing-kids.org/writers.htm#top
http://www.cobblestonepub.com/kids.html (US) magazines for all ages
http://www.merlynspen.org/ (US) fiction, essay, and poems by teen writers
http://www.mgfx.com/kilit/artlit/poetry/index.htm (US) poetry
http://www.stonesoup.com/links/in-print/ (US)
http://www.ypp.net/ (US)

In the US, this link will lead you to magazines and ezines that publish student work:
http://www.writing-world.com/links/young.shtml

Get browsing…! If a publication appeals, make sure you check out the submission guidelines and follow them exactly. Who knows? Your kids or your students may be published writers sooner than you think.

LOSING CREATIVITY IN A NANO-SECOND

Recent experience has just taught me what sucks creativity and motivation out of a writer in a nano-second.

On January 2nd, my husband had a massive heart attack and emergency cardiac surgery. He spent the next 7+ days on life support. Although he is now home and doing well, I still have no focus or ability to concentrate. Writing is quite beyond me.

My last three weeks certainly bear out what research tells us: if you are significantly stressed, your adrenalin runs high. It is this high level in your bloodstream that stops creativity in its tracks. I'm not impatient to regain it--I know that it will return when life re-establishes its rhythm and tranquillity. In the meantime, I am relaxing in hot baths, and with my photos, music, and my husband.

HOW TO FIND A SUITABLE PUBLISHER FOR YOUR NOVEL

BEACON FLASH # 25 - January 2008

Here's a question that more than one Beacon subscriber posed after BLS called for ideas last October for the monthly Flashes and e-newsletter.

G.L. asked how to find a commercial publisher for his first novel. He also wondered if he "absolutely needs an agent."

Snagging a likely publisher can be a frustrating task for unpublished authors. It takes time, even with much dedicated effort; and, yes, it's the author's investment. I liken it to serving an apprenticeship. So don't give up, G.L., here are some tips to start navigating the shoals on your voyage to publication:

• Read some of the recommended books for novelists seeking guidance listed at www.beaconlit.com/Resources(Nov07).pdf. (Start with Sell Your Novel Toolkit by Elizabeth Lyon and my 2007 book, Book Magic:Turning Writers into Published Authors at www.beaconlit.com/ebooklets.htm.)
• Take some courses/workshops on how to get published, either from creative writing programs near you or at a writers' conference
• Join a writers' group, either live or virtual, whose members will be a huge well of info and support
• Determine which category and sub-category your novel falls into (email BLS for more help with this)
• Find books that are similar to yours by searching www.amazon.com using keywords, and read the books you find. Decide which ones you like and why. Look at the publication page that follows the title page to determine the books' publishers. Make two lists: "Most likely" and "Possibles."
• Research the publishers on these two lists, focussing first on those that are in your country, by poring over their websites, especially looking at their "Submission Guidelines".

Now your task turns to writing the sizzling short and long synopses and an irresistible query letter - books and courses abound on these topics. At the same time polish your, no doubt, well-revised manuscript, employing a professional editor if necessary (BLS can recommend one).

Now you're ready to send out your query letters to your "Most Likely" list of publishers.

Regarding literary agents: G.L., the idea that agents are vital for commercial publication is untrue. This myth has arisen from US advice where an agent is essential to approach the six publishing conglomerates in New York. I'm happy to report that, in Canada, all publishers accept unagented submissions and most medium and small publishers anywhere do too. Indeed, most unpublished authors are unlikely to attract an agent to represent them as they are an unknown quantity, although there are rare exceptions to this. Don't waste your time trying to find representation if you are unpublished unless you are the next J.K. Rowling, and most of us aren't!! (Rowling went through over 40 rejections until she found her agent and publisher.)

For more info about agents, please read my article, "Are Literary Agents Essential?" at www.beaconlit.com/freearticles.htm.

WHY AMAZON'S KINDLE IS NOT HERE IN CANADA

WHY AMAZON'S KINDLE IS NOT AVAILABLE IN CANADA

Ehren Cheung of Dundurn Press writes to me with the real reason that Amazon's new e-book reader is not available north of the 49th parallel:

Julie, I wouldn't mind getting a Kindle either actually, despite the fact that I think a lot of people around me don't seem to be so fond of e-books :)

The Kindle will take some time to arrive in Canada because at the moment, Amazon is using Sprint/Verizon's wireless technology to operate the Kindle. Perhaps they may crack a deal with Shaw, Rogers, Bell or Telus?

I hope they do - I can't wait!

PUNCTUATION POINTS....

BEACON FLASH # 24 - November 2007

Flash readers quickly responded to my request for topics with a bucketful of ideas. Thanks to everyone who sent in their questions. All of them will be covered, either in a Beacon Flash, the quarterly Beacon e-newsletter, or here over the next few months. (To sign up for Beacon Flashes and the quarterly e-newsletter, please visit www.beaconlit.com/newsletter.htm)

I had to get my expert editor, Joyce Gram, to tackle the first topic.

KJ wrote:

I often enter writing contests and get frustrated by the criticism I sometimes receive—all about punctuation! I have been used all my life to using “normal” punctuation, equal to that presented in Eats, Shoots & Leaves. But I keep seeing novels using single quotation marks instead of the traditional double marks for dialogue. And I was taught to use an exclamation mark when a voice was raised or a yell took place or I wanted to make something dramatic. Now, they tell me that the exclamation marks slowed down the story and ruined the endings (I have had that three times now from the same judge). Is it a hang-up of the particular judge, or is the current punctuation changing?

Writer and editor, Joyce Gram (gramkend@shaw.ca) responds:

Dear KJ,

Sorry you are disappointed by the criticism of judges, but I hope that won’t discourage you from continuing to enter contests.

There are two lessons here (at least). First, writing is an art, not a science, and, while there are conventions, nothing is carved in stone. Second, a reader’s response to a piece of writing, including the punctuation in it, is largely a matter of taste. What I like, you may detest.

You will never go wrong if you pay attention to your punctuation and are careful to follow convention most of the time. When in doubt (and sometimes when not in doubt but for good measure), consult a style book. I recommend Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style (4^th edition), The Chicago Manual of Style (15^th edition), and, of course, Truss’s Eats, Shoots & Leaves. When you choose to defy convention, make sure you have a good reason. Try the conventional punctuation first. Does it work? Might it be better? Never let your burst of cleverness get in the way of your writing.

As for that three-time judge, well, perhaps he or she read one too many exclamation marks and said, “That’s it! No more! The next person to use one gets the axe!”

Regarding quotation marks in novels, Joyce tells us that Garner of Garner's Modern American Usage says:

"In marking quotations, writers and editors of AmE and BrE have developed different conventions for quotation marks (or "inverted commas," as the British call them). In AmE, double quotation marks are used for a first quotation; single marks for a quotation within a quotation; double again for a further quotation inside that; etc. In BrE, the practice is exactly the reverse at each step."

Chicago says (11.33):

"Quoted words, phrases, and sentences run into the text are enclosed in double quotation marks. Single quotation marks enclose quotations within quotations; double marks, quotations within these; and so on....The practice in other English-speaking countries is often the reverse; single marks are used first, then double, and so on."

Couldn't be clearer.

(Ed: Joyce never fails to amaze me--now we all know.)

(c) Joyce Gram 2007. All rights reserved.

CREATIVITY: PART TWO

CREATIVITY NEVER WANES OR DIES OUT!

Although research is incomplete, studies suggest that creative individuals can not only maintain their creativity into their later years, but also resurrect it even if dormant for long stretches. As many writers start writing in their middle years and others pick it up again after they retire, this is excellent news. It heartens, as well, younger writers who struggle to find writing time amidst career and family demands.

The prospect of enjoyment in the task fires creativity more than deadlines, or monetary gain, etc. (I knew that!) But it is not enough for a writer to have a vague idea and a computer. Research from cognitive psychologists shows that creativity also needs the focus of an area of intense interest and a coterie of other like-minded individuals with whom to interact, bounce ideas around, and gain support. (If you don’t know what coterie means, see the entry of September 29, 2007.) This is the science behind the value and motivation we derive from writers’ groups.

Most encouraging of all, is that creativity can be learned—it’s never too late to start getting creative or enhancing what you’ve got, according to the findings of Smith, Ward, and Fink (1995) and, more recently, other researchers.

Here are some tips to increase your creativity:

• Don’t stop at your first idea or even your fourth. Use your first four ideas as a jumping off point for more, whether it is a book or just a turning point in your novel. Try “What if…?” Exhaust all options!
• Never judge your ideas at the brainstorming stage.
• Give yourself time and the relaxed environment conducive to reflection and idea germination.
• Expose yourself to the work of others, within and outside your genre and passion.
  
• Stay curious and highly attuned to everything around you for ideas, new approaches, etc. Keep a creativity journal, a digital recorder, and/or your camera handy.

I think we all have imagination, but those who learn to tap their deep wells of creativity benefit the whole planet with their work.

(First published in The Beacon, Fall 207. For more issues, go to www.beaconlit.com/newsletter.htm)

***

I came across a wonderful essay on creativity by Emily Hanlon a few weeks ago called "Falling Down the Rabbit Hole." I urge writers to read it at:
www.writersdigest.com/articles/hanlon_fallingdown.asp?secondarycategory=Creativity+Subhome+Page

KINDLE IS HERE, BUT NOT HERE!

AMAZON ANNOUNCED KINDLE TODAY

I woke up this morning and found Kindle taking up half the front page of my daily newspaper. If you go to Amazon.com, Kindle is on their front page too. But I most enjoyed watching the promotional video at the link here. I got a better idea of this e-reader from the video than all the text I had read about it.
Go take a look!

But get this--Amazon.com are not shipping Kindles to Canada and the e-reader is not available on Amazon.ca. They've missed a sale from me as I would have bought one on the spot. I even had my credit card out....

I e-mailed Amazon.com asking why and received a response that apologized, citing import/export laws. They could not tell me when I could expect to buy one at amazon.ca. Funny that! I recently bought (online) a small TV from New York with no trouble at all. I wonder if the strength of the Canadian dollar is playing into this and they are waiting for a more opportune time.

CELEBRATING YOUR PROGRESS AS A WRITER

KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE LIST!

Rejection is a fact of life for writers, whether we are new at the game or old hands. But, the first few at the beginning of our careers can be disillusioning at best, or devastating at worst. So, we have to develop a way of coping with the reality of rejection slips. A Beacon reader recently emailed me with an article she wrote about dealing with the negativity that rejection can cause and the danger of believing that you are not making progress with your writing.

Here's Mandana Rastan's antidote (reprinted with her kind permission):

I record my accomplishments in a number of ways. I have a progress chart where I enter the date, time, writing project, and word count. Also, I have a writing resume showing all my publications, as well as all other writing activities such as memberships, workshops, conferences, and courses I’ve taken. ...I have two portfolios – one with all my published articles and letters, and another with all my poems and posters of poetry reading events I’ve participated in over the past six years. All of these help me remember and celebrate my accomplishments.

Mandana has begun her publication list--an essential task at the beginning of her writing career. This not only encourages her, but also ensures she won't forget any of her work that has been published. Twenty years on, her list will always be complete, ready to be attached to book proposals, included on her website, and available to magazine editors. Well done!

What should writers include on their publication lists? Any of your work that has been published in print or electronically, whether you have received a fee for it or not. It does not just have to be articles and/or books. Newsletters, manuals, videos, etc. count too.

To see what a pub list looks like and what can be included, take a look at mine at www.beaconlit.com/Publist.pdf

AMAZON TO RELEASE E-READER

A NEW E-READER FROM AMAZON (hopefully)

The publishing world and avid readers have been awaiting this latest device for some time. Insiders say Amazon will unveil it on Monday, November 19th.

Called Kindle, this electronic book reader will be in competition with Sony's ($300USD), and can hold 200 titles. But it is quite different too, sporting a keyboard for note-taking, wireless connectivity to the web and Amazon's e-book store. Apparently Kindle's display is black and white and does not support animation.

Key issues for potential buyers include the availability of titles that they wish to read--Amazon is saying 88,000 are on tap--and the purchase price of $399.00USD.

Is Kindle going to be better than a book? My answer to that is that it is just different. But in time, undeniably, e-readers are going to save a lot of trees.

For more Kindle info, visit http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9816164-1.html
To see Sony's e-reader, go to http://reviews.cnet.com/e-book-readers/sony-reader-digital-book/4505-3508_7-32686067.html
For a negative view, click on www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2007/11/amazon_planning.html

CREATIVITY: PART ONE

WHAT IS CREATIVITY?

Many have tried to define creativity, which has resulted in almost as many definitions as there are definers. But everyone agrees that we recognize it when we see it.

One way of looking at creativity is that it is the human ability to generate new ideas. But it is more complex than that, as my early research is showing, and includes layers of cognitive ability, environment and culture, and personality traits that predispose towards creativity.

The process itself includes knowing, perceiving, and conceiving (the cognitive ideation phase); then comes preparation; followed by incubation and illumination; lastly the translation phase transforms the idea into reality. This process is familiar to writers – it is a sequence we tend to follow, consciously or sub-consciously, when we write. However, creativity is easily stifled. Adults tend to judge what they are doing while they do it. This tendency destroys creative writing. We should reserve our judgment for the editing phase.

So can we “learn” creativity? Psychologists and other experts say we can. We are at our most creative when we are relaxed, away from our usual work environment. The best time is during the drowsy state when we wake naturally without an alarm clock and before we get out of bed. Other opportunities to practice the process arise during quiet activities, like taking a bath or wallowing in a hot tub, meditating, or having a massage. Music, not heavy metal but Baroque, and the sound of trickling water encourage our creativity too. Moderate aerobic activity releases endorphins and increases blood flow to the brain, which explains why many writers go for a walk/run when in a “dry” patch. Having fun and being happy (playfulness) have also been linked to enhanced creativity.

Experts also say we have to practise our creativity or we will lose the edge: “Use it or lose it.”

(Part Two coming soon)

STOP PRESS! FREELANCERS TAKE HEED....

PWAC CALLS, AGAIN, FOR RESPECT FOR COPYRIGHT IN CONTRACTS

The Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) is advising all Canadian freelance writers to resist recent contract changes involving uncompensated rights demands and undue pressure to sign before publication.

“Writers across the country are being forced to choose between protecting their rights under the law and seeing payment and/or publication for work already completed” notes PWAC President, Carolyn Gibson. “Traditional working agreements are being changed on the fly. Never mind how bad these terms are; it’s completely unfair to expect a writer to agree to new terms after her work has already been accepted.”

Last December, PWAC became involved in a dispute between London, Ontario writers and the London Free Press, after Sun Media circulated a new contract to established Free Press freelancers. The resulting struggle for better terms for writers has yet to be resolved. Recently, PWAC was advised of a similar contract being presented to established columnists and freelancers at The Vancouver Sun, a CanWest MediaWorks paper. While asking for extended rights to the written work, including a waiver of moral rights, the contract provides no extra compensation. Furthermore, it requires the writer to indemnify the paper against all damages and liabilities that may result from publication of the work.

“These terms are simply untenable for a working writer,” added Ms. Gibson. “The Vancouver Sun is sending a sad message to its industry partners. Obviously extended rights are valuable or they wouldn’t be demanding them, so what they are saying to writers is we value the rights you have over your work, but not enough to pay for them.”

PWAC, established in 1976, is the national organization representing 600 professional freelance writers and journalists in Canada.

(with permission)

WRITING FOR THE COMPUTER SCREEN

When reading text on a computer screen, we tire at least 30% faster than while reading text on paper because screen resolution is poor. We also tend to skim the material, which explains why recipients often fail to answer the questions we pose in our emails without a second nudge.

Even if you do not write for online markets, all your electronic communications (especially query letters) should follow screen writing rules to make it easier on editors' eyes. The bonus -- you will look more professional and knowledgeable.

Here are some tips for writing for the computer screen:

• provide plenty of white space around the words to reduce the density of the text
  
• - leave the right side of emails ragged - do not justify the text
  
• "chunk" your material -- by that I mean use short paragraphs so that no more than two paras are on the screen at any time, about 100 words. (http://www.writergazette.com/articles/article62.shtml shows exactly how it should be done for an ezine and will also give you some tips about getting published).
  
• for online articles, use headings and sub-heads, bullets, etc.
  
• double space between paras and bulletted lists
  
• use a large enough font that contrasts with a light background (microscopic or difficult-to-read fancy fonts might just result in a deletion from a recipient who reads for a living)
  
• use only one font - preferably Arial or Times New Roman (Verdana is trendy at the moment but not recommended by the tech-gurus).

Remember too that readers over 45 years, and that's most readers, need reading glasses and some have other visual challenges.... So these screen writing rules make a lot of sense even for emails to Aunt Agatha.

EDITING FOR EVERYONE

BUY YOURSELF A GOOD DICTIONARY!

by Joyce Gram, the ultimate editor for writers
(Reprinted with kind permission of the author)

A year ago, I threw out all my dictionaries—a rash act for an editor. I had just attended an editing course, where the instructor had impressed upon us that our most important—indeed indispensable—reference was an up-to-date, good quality dictionary. Mine were so old they lacked not only current word usage, but also any words to do with computers or the Internet.

I bought myself one of the best, the latest Canadian Oxford. And, because I work for writers planning to publish in the United States, I bought the latest Webster’s New World Dictionary and Thesaurus. My Webster still looks new, but in a year, my Canadian Oxford is looking decidedly used.

Why do I recommend all writers invest in a good dicti