| janfields |
Join us this evening in
the AUDITORIUM-Scheduled Events Room for an "Open Forum" with Web
Editor Jan Fields. I have over 20 years experience in freelance
writing and nearly as much in teaching how to write for freelance
markets. I welcome your questions on any area of writing or
publishing. Bring your QUESTIONS to this open forum—in five
minutes.
|
| janfields |
The Friday Night "Open
Forum" will begin promptly at 10pm Atlantic/CANADA, 9pm Eastern, 8pm
Central, 7pm Mountain, and 6pm Pacific. While you wait for the "Open
Forum" to start, feel free to use your ASK A QUESTION button RIGHT
BETWEEN THE YELLOW “MAP” AND THE RED QUESTION MARK IN ICHAT to post
some questions for the discussion group—two minutes from
now.
|
| janfields |
Good evening! Welcome
to our first FRIDAY NIGHT "Open Forum" session. I’m your moderator,
Jan Fields. This will be an informal time of answering any questions
you might like to ask on any subject related to writing. So feel
free to ask what's on your mind--and I’ll tell you what’s on mine!
First, please read these announcements, then we’ll get
started….
|
| janfields |
IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS:
Send questions you'd like answered or discussed by using your "Ask a
Question" icon/button. (It looks like a thought bubble icon, RIGHT
NEXT TO THE RED QUESTION MARK.) I will post the questions one at a
time in the chat room and do our best to answer them. Also note: If
you want to make it possible to ask the longest question you can,
first type “/ask” (without the quotation marks), then leave one
space after the end of “ask”, then type as many characters of your
question as you can. If your question is not complete, send the
second part next, then if necessary the third, etc…
|
| janfields |
WARNING: If you don't
post anything at all, SOME of you will be bounced off the system in
15 minutes. TO PREVENT THIS, type something (either a question to
the moderator or even a private message) every 15 minutes to stay
active and remain online. Many chatters post just a period right in
the chat…it’s fairly unobtrusive.
|
| janfields |
Hi guys, sorry for the
rocky start.
|
| janfields |
I had some kind of
freeze there.
|
| janfields |
This is our first
FRIDAY night open forum.
|
| janfields |
We'll cover just about
anything you want to ask about tonight.
|
| janfields |
But first...I think I
missed this good news...
|
| janfields |
On the Tuesday forum
and I want to sneak it in tonight...
|
| janfields |
GLADYS: " I received an
e-mail today telling me, my poem "Love" has been selected as a semi
final in a contest and will be published in Immortal Verses. Am not
sure when it will be published but will keep you informed."
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|
|
| janfields |
LISA: Are there any
magazine markets for reluctant ("hi-lo") readers? I subscribe to the
"Children's Writer" newsletter, and it has given book publishers in
the past, but no magazine ones.
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|
|
| janfields |
A lot of magazines are
similar to hi/lo readers....
|
| janfields |
hi-lo means high
interest (subjects of interest to older kids)
|
| janfields |
low reading level (thus
suited for reluctant readers).
|
| janfields |
Many of the general
magazines with broad age groups are similar to
hi-lo
|
| janfields |
because their younger
material needs to ALSO be interesting to older
kids.
|
| janfields |
Highlights, for
example, likes the younger nonfiction to ALSO interest older
kids.
|
| janfields |
That's why you can't
sell really "little kid" topics to Highlights so
well.
|
| janfields |
Now, the Cricket group
has SPIDER which is a "reader level" -- thus for fairly early
readers.
|
| janfields |
But the content tends
to match the age group because each magazine is
specialized.
|
| janfields |
So if you like writing
hi-lo, you're better off to go with a general/multi-age magazine
like Highlights or Pockets.
|
| janfields |
Also...Boys' Quest like
stuff written slightly younger than the interest
level.
|
| monkee |
Cricket has had my script
for 4 years, signed contract, still unused. Should I ask for kill
fee?
|
| janfields |
Did you sell them "All
rights?"
|
| janfields |
If you got one of the
"all rights" contracts, you can't do anything...
|
| janfields |
asking for a kill fee
is out of the question...
|
| janfields |
they won't pay
one.
|
| janfields |
They *might* in a
spirit of niceness simply let you pull the manuscript and sell it
elsewhere...
|
| janfields |
since you haven't been
paid yet...but they won't give you a kill
fee...period.
|
| janfields |
The folks who OWN the
Cricket group are pretty...well...not writer
friendly...
|
| caq |
How do you respond to
market assessment for book ...
|
| caq |
submissions? I am not a
marketing person. Here are two...
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| caq |
examples, but there were
other publishers in the book ...
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| caq |
requested marketing
information....
|
| caq |
New World Library
guidelines states: Query with 2 or 3...
|
| caq |
sample chapters…, outline
or T of C, MARKET...
|
| caq |
ASSESSMENT. Also,
Magination Press has this in their ...
|
| janfields |
Okay....I think I got
it
|
| janfields |
Llewellyn also asks for
a Market Assessment...
|
| janfields |
and I've heard of
agents who want it...though mostly in adult agents.
|
| janfields |
A Market Assessment is
a look at what books are out there LIKE the one you are
proposing.
|
| janfields |
For example...market
assessments are regularly asked for with
nonfiction.
|
| janfields |
So if you were pitching
a nonfiction book on turtles...
|
| janfields |
you would need to look
at all the turtle books published in the last...say ... 5
years.
|
| janfields |
All the ones you can
find in a chain bookstore...
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| janfields |
or on
Amazon.
|
| janfields |
And be able to say that
there is room for yours.
|
| janfields |
That yours is different
somehow.
|
| janfields |
That is meets a need
not met by the existing books.
|
| janfields |
Or that is covers new
undiscovered material.
|
| janfields |
Or better
sources.
|
| janfields |
Whatever...now
Llewellyn also asks for this kind of thing with
fiction.
|
| janfields |
And I think Magination
also wants it with fiction...
|
| janfields |
that's because both of
them have "niche" fiction...
|
| janfields |
fiction that appeals to
a limited markets...
|
| janfields |
so the fiction will
almost always have a very strong "slant" ...
|
| janfields |
say "fiction about
mental illness"
|
| janfields |
so you would look at
all the fiction for that age group on mental
illness...
|
| janfields |
and again, you would
show why there is room for one more novel/picture book/whatever with
a theme of mental illness.
|
| janfields |
They want to know that
you've done your homework...and have a way to stand out in a crowded
market.
|
| janfields |
And really...if you're
writing something with a strong clear slant...you do need to know
what is out there like it.
|
| janfields |
So...a Market
Analysis...
|
| janfields |
list some of the top
selling books similar to yours...
|
| janfields |
Show how yours is
different...
|
| janfields |
Show what market
segment is likely to particularly want yours...
|
| janfields |
Hopefully show that the
market is not already saturated with books of that
type.
|
| janfields |
Oh...I see more to your
question.
|
| janfields |
They do NOT want the
market analysis in a one page cover letter.
|
| janfields |
They want a one-page
cover letter that mentions you are including a MARKET
ANALYSIS
|
| janfields |
And then you'll have a
multipage market analysis attached.
|
| janfields |
The folks who
SPECIFICALLY ask for one...they want something fairly
comprehensive...
|
| janfields |
and that will make it
lengthy.
|
| janfields |
For example, say I was
writing a picture book on ... peanut allergies.
|
| janfields |
I would look at all the
books targeting kids that include allergies (of any
sort)
|
| janfields |
and maybe asthema
too...just to be thorough.
|
| janfields |
I would look at how the
story was approached by others...didactic?
|
| janfields |
Did the other books
seem to be addressing adults more than kids (a lot of picture books
DO)
|
| janfields |
Are the other books so
narrowly focused that they are all niche published...but I believe
mine is more general interest?
|
| janfields |
Anyway...a comparison
really just looks at what's out there...and looks at why yours is
different.
|
| janfields |
Did I help at
all?
|
| janfields |
Gonewest, I can't
answer for the transcript unless you do the /ask thing or use the
quesition button.
|
| janfields |
I can handle a 4 or 5
word question but since I can cut and paste from chat...I can't do
longies unless you use the question thingie
|
| monkee |
It appears I sold all
rights for Old Cricket Says. It has been my personal policy not to
settle for less than payment upon acceptance for some time
now.
|
| janfields |
Actually...I'm afraid
that's going to get harder and harder.
|
| janfields |
Especially if you hope
to sell regularly.
|
| janfields |
Paying on acceptance is
expensive for the magazine.
|
| janfields |
And they just plain
don't have to do it.
|
| janfields |
And with magazines on
shakey financial ground...things are likely to get less writer
friendly, not more.
|
| janfields |
Gonewest just type:
/ask followed by your question... I think that
works
|
| lizziegirl |
If we meet an author and
want to get them in here what do we do?
|
| janfields |
Okay, I'm lost...do you
mean you met someone and want to invite them to
chat?
|
| janfields |
They need to create a
log in ...name and password.
|
| janfields |
Oh...you have someone
who wants to be a guest speaker?
|
| janfields |
Have the person email
me...I'm always interested in guests
|
| janfields |
GONEWEST wants to know
about bibliographies.
|
| janfields |
When I send a
manuscript for nonfiction, I send a bibliography.
|
| janfields |
Always.
|
| janfields |
Along with the
manuscript...I don't wait to be asked.
|
| janfields |
The editor needs to
know right from the get go that you have solid
sources.
|
| janfields |
In fact, if I am
querying...I usually send potential sources with the
query.
|
| janfields |
With nonfiction,
editors love knowing you've got sources...so the sooner you show
them, the better odds to make the sale.
|
| jolie |
/ If I wrote a sequel to
a book but haven't gotten permissio
|
| jolie |
/ to publish, how long
wshould I wait?
|
| janfields |
A sequel to your own
book or someone elses?
|
| janfields |
If you are writing a
sequel to a preexisting book that is currently under copyright to
someone else...you are ... well, you're spending a lot of time for
nothing.
|
| janfields |
Jolie...you want to
write a sequel to someone else's book that is now a
movie?
|
| janfields |
You won't get
permission for that.
|
| janfields |
Not unless it's a book
that is no longer under copyright, but which has been "revived" for
a movie.
|
| janfields |
And in that case, it
would have to be a very old book.
|
| janfields |
Like Little Women...or
David Copperfield...something like that.
|
| janfields |
And in that case, you
don't need permission.
|
| janfields |
But if you're talking
about a property currently under copyright...something contemporary
that has been made into a movie.
|
| janfields |
First, the odds of
getting permission are fairly astranomical...
|
| janfields |
And after that, there
is almost no shot of selling to a publisher because they would
rather either have the original writer do the
sequel.
|
| janfields |
Or choose someone to do
the sequel...if they wanted one and the original writer cxouldn't do
it.
|
| janfields |
Sorry to be a party
pooper.
|
| janfields |
WWWILLIE: 1.) Can a
story be divided between two different eras - example: A character
in present day is reading a letter or diary from another time -1860
- can the story switch to the character in that other time period to
see the scene from his veiw point at that time? 2.) and how could
this be done without confusing the reader?
|
| janfields |
I've seen a lot of
historical novels where someone present day...
|
| janfields |
is reading a diary or
letters (usually a diary)
|
| janfields |
and that is a kind of
POV switch because you'll launch into whole chapters that was
supposed
|
| janfields |
to be diary
excerpts
|
| janfields |
so they are lengthy
descriptions and scenes in the pov of the person in the distant
past.
|
| janfields |
The key is in keeping
it believeable...since most folks don't go into THAT much detail in
a diary.
|
| janfields |
But yes, you
can...usually you preface the dive into the past with either the
"letter saluation" or the "dear diary" entry.
|
| janfields |
But you cannot just
slip into the past like a flashback.
|
| janfields |
Or at least...I haven't
seen it work in novels.
|
| janfields |
I have seen it done on
tv.
|
| janfields |
Ultimately
though...really...almost anything goes if you do it well
enough...but I've not seen sometihing move from
letters
|
| janfields |
to a full-blown
viewpoint switch where you're going beyond letters to enter the past
the way you enter the present witht the contemporary
reader.
|
| janfields |
BECHU: What form does
characteriztion take when you are
|
| is an animal and
the rest of the characters are animals too |
|
| janfields |
Technically, there are
two kinds of talking animal stories...
|
| janfields |
The kind where the
animals are very natural...very animal like.
|
| janfields |
Such as the WARRIORS
series about feral cats.
|
| janfields |
The cats talk to one
another, but they are cats..four legged, bird eating, live outside
cats.
|
| janfields |
In that case, you have
to keep their "catness" in mind at all times so the characterization
is going to be somewhat
|
| janfields |
like characterization
for a human novel
|
| janfields |
but there are a lot of
things you cannot do...because you want to keep their
"catness"
|
| janfields |
So the characters would
play on the kinds of personalities you see in real
cats.
|
| janfields |
The other kind of
talking animal story is the animals who are
half-person/half-animal
|
| janfields |
Such as the Redwall
series or Tale of Desperaux.
|
| janfields |
In those you will have
very human characters in personality...
|
| janfields |
but you'll keep their
"animal-ness' in mind too.
|
| janfields |
Thus rats will be
bigger than mice...and probably more beligerent.
|
| janfields |
But they might wear
clothes or use tools
|
| janfields |
In any animal
story
|
| janfields |
You always need to be
careful not to lose sight of their being animals...
|
| janfields |
even though they talk
and even wear clothes or drive cars
|
| janfields |
In Ralph S. Mouse, for
example, the mouse eventually rides a motorcycle...he is very
sporty.
|
| janfields |
But he's also a
mouse.
|
| janfields |
So in some ways he is a
small boy fantasy...to be free to do things like animals are
free.
|
| janfields |
BECHU: If a writer
bends toward the magazine's prefered voice (in order to clinch a
sale),doesn't that constitute
|
| Is the writer
then authentic? Or simply mimicking the magazine's voice for the
sake of a sale? |
|
|
|
| janfields |
It depends on how far
you're trying to stretch...
|
| janfields |
unless you're an
incredible mimic (in which case there are some GREAT writing
opprortunities available to you)
|
| janfields |
even altering your
natural style to fit a magazine
|
| janfields |
cannot REALLY mask your
voice.
|
| janfields |
Because so much of your
voice isn't something you choose consciously.
|
| janfields |
So...maybe your natural
inclination is to write very storyteller style
voice.
|
| janfields |
But you know the
magazine likes lots of scenes and dialogue.
|
| janfields |
So you stretch to write
scenes and dialogue because you need to do that to make the
sale.
|
| janfields |
You're still going to
write something that is different from what anyone else would
write.
|
| janfields |
Or else...you're really
going to be copying and in that case, well, you won't make the sale
anyway.
|
| janfields |
Because trying to force
it.
|
| janfields |
Trying to write EXACTLY
like what you see is going to come across very
stilted.
|
| janfields |
That's why so many of
us write query letters that really stink.
|
| janfields |
We open a query letter
book and we try to sound EXACTLY like that.
|
| janfields |
And it feels weird and
it comes out weird...and stilted and
|
| janfields |
if you're
me
|
| janfields |
it opens a giant cosmic
void that sucks in all available light.
|
| janfields |
Because copying crushes
your natural writing instincts...but just stretching to try new
things.
|
| janfields |
As long as it still
feels good...feels right to you.
|
| janfields |
That's your voice
too...just with a slightly different pitch.
|
| jolie |
Can someone who crituques
a ms tell you your voice?
|
| janfields |
A lot of times, when
I'm critiquing for students
|
| janfields |
Since I teach the
magazine course here.
|
| janfields |
I will say...you should
read this magazine or that magazine...
|
| janfields |
because you're voice is
really a good match there.
|
| janfields |
But, for the most part,
people won't try to diagnose your voice.
|
| janfields |
Because if you spend
TOO much time pondering it...it probably would freak you completely
out.
|
| janfields |
It would be like
analyzing Faulkner back in high school...the short route to killing
something is analyzing it to death.
|
| janfields |
But, yes, I do nudge
folks in one direction or another so they can get a feel for good
places to fit...
|
| janfields |
and a lot of that is
because of voice.
|
| janfields |
But...honestly...I see
REAL voice as much in the introductory letter...
|
| janfields |
as I do in the
Assignment one... a lot of the times.
|
| janfields |
Because people are
pretty comfortable in the letter...
|
| janfields |
they are talking about
themselves...
|
| janfields |
something they feel
like "experts" on...and they aren't as uptight as they are when
trying to write the great story that will impress me for assignment
one.
|
| lizziegirl |
What is your
email?
|
| janfields |
Hmmm...good
question.
|
| janfields |
I know there is a
webmaster one that's like on all the stuff all over the rx section
of this site.
|
| janfields |
But I hate that
one...gets spam to heck and back.
|
| janfields |
I am amazed at the
folks who think I have sexual problems of one sort or
anthter.
|
| janfields |
Hold on...I'll get the
email that comes to my box.
|
| janfields |
jan.fields@forums.institutechildrenslit.com
|
| janfields |
That one comes to my
REAL email box...so you don't get accidentally deleted so
easily.
|
| janfields |
Okay...I'm out of
questions...oh wait...I have another good news.
|
| janfields |
SARAH: "I just got my
copy of Organic Family Magazine with another published article :- )
Reduce Trash: Five Practical Ways to Help Save the Earth!!! That's
the longest title I've ever had!"
|
|
|
| janfields |
I learn the more
interesting magazine names from these good news
posts.
|
| janfields |
Who would know there's
an organic family magazine.
|
| janfields |
Congratz to Sarah and
to Gladys for the poem.
|
| janfields |
And I want to thank
y'all for coming to the FIRST NIGHT FORUM...
|
| janfields |
Oh man, I would be so
hosed if titles counted in word count.
|
| janfields |
I would end up writing
titles like "CAT" for stories for Highlights and
Ladybug.
|
| janfields |
Anyway, thanks for
hanging...Hope to see y'all next Friday..and Tuesday..Oh and
THURSDAY.
|
| janfields |
We have a great guest
speaker next week...Linda Joy Singleton
|
| janfields |
She's published scads
of series stuff.
|
| janfields |
Hope to see you
then.
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