Should a Manuscript Be Edited Before Querying a Publisher?

That seems like a stupid question and most readers and authors would say, "Of course the book should be edited before it is published." However, I've had authors become upset when we refused to write a review or query letter for their books.

An author asked me to help him write his query letter in hopes of having a publisher pick up the cost of publishing. He also expected the publisher to pay him an advance. When I looked at the unedited, poorly formatted manuscript that I was supposed to "sell" to the publisher, I recommended the author have the manuscript edited first.

He thought I was trying to get more money from him by suggesting that I first edit his book! Can you believe it? I was trying to keep the author from wasting his money and time writing a query letter for a manuscript that doesn't have a chance in hell of being accepted by a conventional publisher.

While we do offer editing services, it's not just an up-sell attempt when we recommend that an author have a book edited before starting the query letter. How can I in good consciousness brag about an unedited book and write a query to a publisher who is not only supposed to accept the manuscript and pay the author an advance, but also do the marketing? Someone's not doing their research, and it's the naïve, unproven author who thinks he or she will get rich by having a publisher assume these responsibilities.Publishers are businesses and the bottom line is can this product make a profit?

What about publish-on-demand (POD) companies? Don't they publish unedited books? Yes, like their name says, they publish on demand or "as is" and that is exactly the reason why many of these companies have a bad reputation among booksellers and in the literary community. That's also why Writers in the Sky doesn't accept every book submitted to us for review. If we can't write a four-star review for the book, we turn it away rather than present a lie to the readers who have come to trust us for factual information.

Publish-on-demand companies get a percentage of the royalties from the books their clients (authors) sell. What publisher would not prefer to have authors bring them a well-written and edited book to publish? Better books make for better sales. Besides that, both the author’s and the publisher’s reputation is on the line.

For more reading on this topic, see these sites:
http://www.dancinglemurpress.com/id10.html (this publisher only accepts professionally edited manuscripts)
http://manuscript-submission.suite101.com
http://publishingcentral.coml (see #16)

I want to hear from authors, PODs, and conventional publishers. Please leave a comment.

Should a manuscript be edited before querying a publisher?

Upload Your Book Video to Your Book Tube

As an author published through Nightengale Press, I have been permitted to offer the folks in my network a chance to upload their book trailers to YourBookTube at no cost.



All authors who have book videos are welcome to post their videos on YourBookTube. Be sure to include the book's title, ISBN, a short description (25-50 words) and a link where you want viewers to buy your book.

Just go to http://www.yourbooktube.com and create your free user account. Then, send the title of your book and the category of your video to publisher@nightengalepress.com to REGISTER and join today!

If you don't have a book video, ask Taryn Simpson to make one for you.

The Real Secret to Succeeding as a Writer

By Anne Walls

Ah, the life of a writer. Toiling away over your keyboard, stacks of old cereal bowls and who knows what else accumulating on your desk while your brain turns itself inside out trying to be brilliant. Finally, one glorious day, you finish your project. Hurrah! Triumph! Glory!
But then what?

Then you have to get your masterpiece out there. Many successful writers believe to maximize the chance of publication, it’s best to have at least ten submissions out at all times. Consider it the writing world’s secret to success. But how can one person manage this feat on a constant basis and still have time to write? Suddenly, you’re required to turn your well-oiled writing brain into a multi-tasking business/publicity machine. You have to research writing markets and competitions. Flawlessly copy and package your work. Juggle the Post Office, Staples, and the ATM because sending those babies out to the world is going to cost you, and not just in your wallet. I’ve seen whole days lost while I’ve turned my living room into “Operation Get Published.”Yes, it is of the utmost importance to send your work out. But, as you sit there with four paper-cuts and three annoying “Return to Sender” stamps, don’t you ever wonder if there’s a better way?

I used to wonder this too. Then my partner John and I decided to stop waiting for a miracle solution and create one ourselves. We started WordHustler.com, a website dedicated to providing writers with everything they need to get published. WordHustler is the first website to take care of the whole process of writing and submitting work.

With WordHustler, you can upload projects of any kind, search markets you want to submit to, and voila! We print and ship everything for you. It's easy to track all of your submissions using WordHustler's organized tracking system and we cost less than doing it yourself. Most importantly, WordHustler saves you time so you can do what you're supposed to be doing: WRITING.

One of the basic tenets of publishing success is that you have to submit often and well, but writers face an incredible barrier because of the sheer amount of secretarial work involved. There has never been anything out there to address the issues of sending and tracking work in one complete package. Since John and I are also writers, we want to provide the most cost-effective, helpful service we can. Our over 3,500 literary markets are free, as is membership. The only thing you pay for is the cost of printing and shipping your work, which starts as low as $0.99 for sending four pages or less. For under a dollar, you can send a query letter, a poetry submission, and more. This price includes shipping, a SASE, and WordHustler’s professional tracking services. Due to the overwhelming request of our clients, we are also about to unveil our email submission system so writers can track all of their submissions using WordHustler.

WordHustler offers additional useful writing tools such as unlimited, protected storage for your projects, a sophisticated letter composer, a signature tool, online contest forms, Virtual Office for writers on the go, an Advanced Submission Wizard and more.

At the end of the day, submissions coming from WordHustler increase your chances of landing on an editor’s desk, not the slush pile. We are constantly strengthening our relationships with agents, editors, and publishers so they are aware of what WordHustler is doing in the writing world. Our goal is to create a place where writers can submit flawless, professional submissions and markets are happy to receive them because they know they will be formatted correctly and organized properly. Everyone wins.

We know how hard it is to get your work out there. But after uploading a project, choosing a few markets, and hitting “Submit Now,” we hope you’ll breathe a sigh of relief because the hard part is over. The best part is that you now have time to start your next project. What’s it going to be about? Not sure yet?

Good thing you’ve got lots of time to think about it.

Anne Walls and John Singleton are the co-founders of WordHustler.com. They live in Los Angeles with their two semi-insane dogs and a house crammed full of books. They enjoy movies, tennis, and of course, writing.

Publish Your Writing in our Newsletter

Come on and Network with Us! Writers in the Sky offers you an opportunity to connect with writers, readers, publishers, and publicist through our newsletter. All you need to do is subscribe to the newsletter and send us your article, announcement, poem, book review, or other material about writing, publishing, or book marketing. Add your announcement or brag about your writing accomplishment. Tell us about your book or business.


Here are the networking items from WITS writing community for July 2008.

Be in the “Author Spotlight” without the paying high advertising costs! For a limited time, A Book Inside online is offering FREE home page positioning for all authors wishing to promote their Web sites and books. This is a great opportunity to show off your talent and gain more exposure for your books. There is absolutely no monetary cost for your listing but a small link from your Web site is required. If you would like to request the “Author Spotlight,” e-mail your request to caroldenbow@gmail.com. We will promptly e-mail you instructions.
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A Book Inside is an online blog offering advice and guidance to new and seasoned authors. To view the blog, visit http://ABookInside.blogspot.com

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The Morning Nudge

When your pen won't budge, read The Morning Nudge. Sign up for free daily inspiration and motivation for your writing. Go to: http://www.workingwriterscoach.com
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New Radio Show for Authors

Authors Read is a new radio show where authors, storytellers, and poets read from their published work. Radio show host, Lillian Brummet, is welcoming applications from authors, poets, and storytellers who would like to appear as guests. Lillian is the co-author of the popular book promotion guide Purple Snowflake Marketing, How to Make Your Book Stand Out in a Crowd. See www.brummet.ca or http://www.blogtalkradio.com/authorsread for guidelines on how to appear on this radio show.
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GEMS has been a labor of love for editor and long-time friend, Erwin A. Thompson. Each of the 274 poems in this book was carefully selected and typed by Mr. Thompson as a tribute to a man he thought of as a kindred spirit and mentor. The poems span a period of close to four decades and cover a rare glimpse of a bygone era. The subject matter ranges from the personal to the philosophical, from dialect to description.

Available on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Gems-Yesterday-poetry-Philosophy-Lewis/dp/0595479057.
All proceeds donated directly to the Godfrey Congregational Church.

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The Earth Vision nature writing contest 2008

short fiction, creative non-fiction, poetic prose, or poetry
Deadline: October 15, 2008

Entries are now invited for the 2008 Earth Vision (EV) nature writing contest. The deadline for receipt of entries is October 15, 2008. The EV nature writing contest is held to support the cause of expression on the subject of nature and deep ecology. Any outstanding proceeds will support the EV project. Two honorable mentions. First Prize $500. Two Second Prizes of $100 each.

This contest is open to any writer in English producing an original short piece of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetic prose, or poetry on a theme of nature, deep ecology, spiritual ecology, or any work that has some element of nature woven into it. Submissions can be published or unpublished material, length to range between 500 and 2500 words per entry. One title per entry, you can enter as many times as you like, new entry fee to accompany each entry. Winners will retain all rights, and will be invited to post their entries on the Earth Vision Web site.

Entry fee: $12 (U.S.). You can either donate $12, or purchase two or more E-books from the Earth Vision site (at $6 each). See http://www.evbooks.net/contest.htm
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How to Escape an Abusive Relationship

If you have ever been in an abusive relationship you know you can't leave, you must escape. An abusive relationship is not just a relationship where hitting is involved. Emotional wounds take longer to heal than bruises. What do you do when you have found yourself in this kind of situation? You won't tell anyone because: you are embarrassed and ashamed, you don't think anyone will believe you, you don't want anyone to worry about you, and you don't want anyone giving you grief about it.

How to Escape an Abusive Relationship is the story of a smart, funny, intelligent woman who found herself in an abusive relationship. Learn of her escape plan and empowering information that can assist you should you find yourself in an abusive relationship.
Purchase on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/4tzabc

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Show Me the Funny
The Summer 2008 Warren Adler Short Story Contest Deadline: August 15

The theme for the Summer 2008 Warren Adler Short Story Contest is humor. We're looking for humorous stories in all their varied forms. From satire to farce, from the whimsical to the uproarious, all writers looking to get a laugh (in a good way!) should enter. We are looking for the subtle and the pungent, the black and dark, the sporty, the salty, the waggish, or whatever can spark a knowing smile, a sly chuckle, or a hysterical belly laugh. In other words, anything goes, just as long as it falls into this category no matter how one stretches its elastic boundaries.

Entries must not exceed 2,500 words, and there is a minimum length of 1,000 words. As in the previous contests, all stories will be judged on the basis of character authenticity, plotting, narrative drive, and the skillful manipulation of the short story literary form. Authors retain worldwide publishing rights. Submissions will be accepted from May 1st to August 15th. Entry fee up until August 1st is $15. After August 1st, a late entry fee is $20. Five cash prizes will be awarded. The winning story will be awarded the $1,000 grand prize and a personalized first edition of Funny Boys. Remaining finalists receive $150 each. See http://www.warrenadler.com/contest08.shtml
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MaAnna Stephenson’s new book, The Sage Age—Blending Science with Intuitive Wisdom will be in print soon. The galley copies are scheduled to be available by the end of July and the book will be released later this fall.

With a well-researched approach to its subjects, The Sage Age covers a broad range of material from ancient to modern thought, frontier science and current intuitive practice to deliver a depth and breadth of understanding that culminates in a holistic perspective for our time. Living up to its mantra of "new models for new thought," The Sage Age is certain to be a catalyst for dialogue and is destined to be a major work in its field. Visit www.SageAge.net for more information on the book and to get a sneak peek by reading the latest articles taken from book excerpts.

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I am so excited to announce that people are loving Wai-nani, High Cheifess of Hawaii my historical novel released in May 2008. They tell me it is truly unique, evocative, and a great ride!

From the cauldron of controversy that is Hawaiian history emerges Wai-nani, a reflection of the personage of the great chiefess Ka'ahumanu. Like all Islanders, she is a water baby finding pleasure, sustenance, solace, wisdom, and courage in the grand and vibrant sea. She is born fifteen years prior to the landing of Captain Cook in Kealakekua in 1779 and is the favorite wife of Makaha, a fierce warrior modeled after Kamehameha the Great. An excerpt from her story and reviews await you at http://www.lindaballouauthor.com/Books.html
An autographed copy of Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawaii Her Epic Journey maybe purchased on my site with free shipping anywhere in the world! If you prefer, you may order at Barnes & Noble.com or Amazon.com.
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Meet Austin software developer Charlie Hills, who has been gaining and losing weight for most of his adult life in Why Your Last Diet Failed You and How This Book Won’t Help You on Your Next One. Has Charlie missed his calling? The book makes great stand-up comedy.
Humor/Nonfiction, paper, 210 pages (Lockshire Press, 2007) www.whyyourlastdietfailedyou.com
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Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours for July 2008

Dyan Garris - Radio Tour to Promote Her Healing Journey Toolbox (Continues). Tour details and schedule http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/05/dyan-garris-radio-show-tour.html

Jill Lublin Author of Get Noticed… Get Referrals: Build Your Client Base and Your Business by Making a Name for Yourself (Touring July 7 - August 1). Tour, author notes, and schedule details at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/06/jill-lublin-author-of-get-noticed-get.html

Jim Musgrave Author of The President's Parasite. Tour, author info, and schedule details at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/05/presidents-parasite-by.html

Book Promo 101 – a book written by Nikki Leigh to assist authors with book promotion is now available at www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm. Learn more about Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours for authors at www.virtualblogtour.blogspot.com.

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Just Released

Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers by Joyce Shafer. This e-book has been called user-friendly, concise, and informative. It provides an overview for new writers from getting the first word down on paper to promoting. Includes resources, active links, and a life coaching approach to move users forward. Visit http://www.freewebs.com/writegetpubishedandpromote to learn more or go to http://www.lulu.com/content/2805803.

Sandy Powell Speaks to Authors about Publish-on-Demand Companies

Our podcast guest this week is Sandy Powell. She will be discussing Wordclay and Author Solutions and how these publish-on-demand companies are able to help authors get their work to the marketplace. Join her and Yvonne Perry today on Writers in the Sky Podcast.

As a life-long lover of books, Sandy Powell, director of online initiatives for Author Solutions, Inc., is well seeded to understand the diverse needs of both authors and readers. Since Powell began her career at Author Solutions more than six years ago, she’s been a strong voice in the industry advocating easy-to-use publishing services for writers across all genres.

Click here to listen to part 1...

Powell’s current role with Author Solutions includes identifying new technologies to increase the scope of services for writers and publishers alike. She is also a key to Author Solutions’ business development team’s efforts in discovering new online partnerships and oversees the Wordclay and AuthorTree brands. She’ll be on the show to discuss two new offerings for authors, Wordclay and AuthorTree.

Wordclay (http://www.wordclay.com/) is a new DIY book publishing Web site that makes it possible to publish a professional-looking book in less than one hour. The Wordclay team has over 100 years of collective book publishing experience – which they’ve “baked” into the Web site. This means you don’t need to be concerned about the details of publishing, such as calculating spine width and gutter size. The publishing tool is completely free, but printing costs are separate. Books can even be sold online at Wordclay’s Web site.

Click here to listen to part 2...

AuthorTree (http://www.authortree.com/) is a free service that allows all authors, regardless of publisher, create a free Web site. Its easy-to-use Web platform makes it simple for authors of all levels of tech-savvyness to create promotional and marketing Web sites to showcase their books. AuthorTree author Web sites feature a robust set of tools, including author biographies, detailed book information, book reviews, excerpts, a calendar of author events, ordering capabilities, a link-sharing tool and a blog.

To learn more about Author Solutions, Inc. and its offerings, visit http://www.authorsolutions.com/, http://www.wordclay.com/ and http://www.authortree.com/

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Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/ and go to my blog.On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.

For information about being a guest on Writers in the Sky Podcast, see http://www.yvonneperry.net/Writing_Packages.htm#Publicity_Packages_

What Writers Need to Know about Publishing and Jerry Simmons

Our WITS podcast guest today is Jerry Simmons--the author of What Writers Need to Know about Publishing.

Jerry has worked for 25 years as a sales rep for a major New York publishing house. He is here to share his experience with us and help authors understand what goes on inside the major publishers from the other side of the desk.

Click here to listen to part 1...

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown says: “The good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of book publishing, told in a straight-from-the-hip manner. Simmons speaks from years of experience, as well as with a genuine caring for the would-be-published writer. New writers, take note.” Then New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan said, “The information was absolutely incredible! I would recommend your book to all aspiring and new authors.”

Click here to listen to part 2...

What Writers Need to Know about Publishing is a behind-the-scenes look at a big New York publisher, what happens, how authors and their books are published, and what an author can do to help themselves and their book become successful. Read more at http://www.nothingbinding.com/.

Jerry's book is only available at his website http://www.writersreaders.com/.

Click here to listen to part 3...

Nightengale's Nuggets: Publishing a Book Is Like Giving Birth to a Child

Remember as a parent the way you felt when you first held your baby in your arms? Kisses, cuddles, smiles that were really burps? All the planning: setting up the nursery, doctor visits, the sonograms, the baby showers with family and friends cheering you on as a new parent.

But, when all the fuss and frenzy dies down, the reality of parenthood sets in. It seems like it is all about the late nights and diapers. Then as the child grows, there are the skinned knees, and the first day of school, the school plays, or sports events, and all the after school activit

ies, vacations and then college. Kids absorb so much of your time, energy and money --- all well spent of course! --- but isn’t parenthood much harder than you ever thought it would be? The challenges are enormous to raise a human being (or two or three or four or more) from diapers to adulthood.

Now compare that image to the way PROMOTING A BOOK IS LIKE RAISING A CHILD!

Remember as a first-time author the way you felt when you first held your book in you hands? Pride of accomplishment, hopes for getting on Oprah’s show, “knowing” you had a best seller? All the planning: writing it, finding a publisher, setting up the first booksignings, calls to the publisher getting enough books, getting an article in the newspaper, appearing on a radio show, entering awards contests, friends and family lining up to buy your book and cheering you on as a new published author. You felt like you were flying.

And THEN reality sets in. When the frenzy has died down, your arms grew tired, your successes seemed small, and the fact that the work of making your book sell began to wear you down. The challenges are enormous to promote a book from idea to bestseller, or at least a book that keeps on selling.

Now, maybe you feel like you’re just hanging in there with the fingers getting tired of clinging to the branch, ready to fall.

Raising a book ― promoting it to its full maturity takes time, energy, money, love, nurture, education, a willingness to try new things and “abiding persistence” to make a book succeed. You should not give up. Your book talks to you all the time, nagging at you to do more, needing you to provide opportunities and visibility. Your book needs to run races, roller blade for fitness, ride in the back of your car wherever you go. Your book needs to be out there, visible to buyers before anyone will pick it up buy it and read it.

“HOW?” you ask. Well, one thing is to put it in the right places ― yes, advertise it. Show it off! Get in into the publications librarians and booksellers use to find new books to put on their shelves. Get into community driven websites, Social Networking is becoming the biggest way to promote anything, books included. Another thing is to budget for the constant demand your book will make of you to let it out of your house. You MUST let your books breathe the fresh air of the market place. If you keep them cloistered and shut in, they will grow yellow, become brittle and soon be forgotten.

Your questions are many.

Question #1: What IS a best seller?

A bestseller is really whatever the author thinks it is. But in the marketplace, on Amazon, a bestseller sells 1,000 books in one day and then keeps on selling everyday. On B&N a best seller is a book that sells 250 books or more in one day, and keeps on selling for a while after that. See the discrepancy? But if you reach that bestseller status even in a genre category, you can put that fact on the cover of your book, and no one can take it away from you.

The Amazon Blast is an email campaign that accomplishes this, but you need to have thousands of contacts who are interested in your success to sell 1000 books on one day…and there is the little known fact that Amazon counts one order (no matter how many copies of one title are in that order) as one book sold. So, if you sell 50 copies to a friend, it counts as one book.

Conversely, on B&N, if you sell 50 to a friend on one order, it counts as 50 books sold. So, to sell 250+ books on one day is a much easier hurdle to leap, and it opens the doors to in-store booksignings if you poise your marketing plan to include notifying the B&N stores in your area when you reach that magic number on your blast day.

A New York Times Best Seller has gotten rave reviews, lots of expensive PR driven promotion and trade support, and usually sells 10,000 copies or more through normal trade outlets, not including internet sales. This kind of effort costs a lot of money to accomplish, and even with the rapid sales, these can disappear once the promos end. Every book has its lifespan, and for some it is a few weeks. For others it is a few months, and for very few it is a matter of years, decades or centuries.

However, in the real world of most books, a best seller is a book that the author can continue to sell for years after publication. Speakers, lecturers, teachers, business trainers and coaches, and authors with the hutzpah to get out and talk about their books can be very successful. This requires making your book your full time job. It requires planning ahead of publication to whom and how you are going to sell your books.

Question #2: How can you reach your readers when you don’t know where they are?

I would counter that question with, “Why don’t you know who your readers are?” A book written without a fore-knowledge of who would want to read it, is a book doomed to sit on a shelf, alone and dusty. Fiction is divided into genre so people who like fantasy don’t accidentally pick up a romance novel. Or those who prefer political suspense can find books other than detective mysteries. Children’s books have so many iterations, it is nearly impossible to categorize them. Then, of course, there are all the non-fiction books and all the how-to books that fill the shelves of bookstores to overflowing.

An author needs to recognize the job belongs to him/her and no one else. You can hire a publicist for the outreach to publications and radio shows you might need help with, but in the end, you will need to do the talking and provide the copy for the articles. You will need to establish your data-base and keep it growing. Take those emails, addresses and phone numbers, and then USE them to keep in touch with your clients about your talks, signings, events and new books. Which leads to the next question:

Question #3: What can you do to keep your book in the limelight?

Write a second book and market it to your client base. Do a blast for online sales. Give talks locally (in libraries) and regionally. Join a speaker’s organization. Write lots of articles and post them online at the many online article sites (http://www.ezinearticles.com/ and http://www.authorsden.com/ are excellent) and of course, start a blog, and get involved in at least one social networking site. Keep up the flow of information about your book.

There are as many ways to market a book as there are ideas you can generate about your book. Think outside the lines, and reach out to businesses in your area whose mission may connect with your book. Children’s boutiques and educational stores are a place where children’s authors can start right in their own areas.

Question #4: How does the size of a book affect it in the marketplace?

The nutshell answer goes like this: books that are smaller in size 4x6” mass market publications, and 5x8" or 5.5x8.5" trade paper publications are usually fiction, though some self-help books are small in size. Larger books (6x9 and up) are usually non-fiction or color children's books which can come in all shapes and sizes. Observation of books in the stores will hold true to this, in most instances. There are many varieties of size for all kinds of specialty books. Mostly, I believe size and page count are a matter of what's best for the subject matter, layout and cover design.
If your manuscript is 75,000 words, your book will be about 250 pages at the 8.5x8.5 format.
It will be more like 300 pages in the smaller mass market format of 4x6” normally reserved for high end runs of well-known authors.

If you have lots of photos or drawings, the larger formats of 6x9 and up are better, because they allow for more page space to make the images easily visible.

If you send a manuscript to a publisher and you have 180,000+ words, the publisher is going to suggest two books, volume one and two, since a 700 page book is very hard to market for a first time author. If you develop a marketplace for your writing, then you can increase the length of the book.

Well, there are so many more questions I could attempt to answer, but authors need to realize that they are responsible for the marketing successes of their books, and the effort and money varies widely from book to book. Some authors spend a lot and get nothing for it. Some spend very little and get a lot. It is all about the author’s ability to persist in the drive to sell his story, and to work at it diligently as a day job.

NIGHTENGALE NUGGETS: Soup-to-Nuts Publishing Service

by Valerie Connelly

Nightengale Press

 has developed an all-inclusive SOUP-TO-NUTS PUBLISHING SERVICE.
Whether you are an author of a fiction title, a non-fiction title, a children’s book or a business person who needs a book to support your business, you need the editing, proofreading, layout and design, and printing and production of your book to just happen.

Every author is looking for a quality publishing partner who knows the industry and can be trusted to deliver a quality book for reasonable prices. You need someone who meets agreed-upon deadlines, works with integrity and can manage the project soup-to-nuts, so you are free to handle your many marketing responsibilities with the confidence that your book will be a top quality work. In short, you need all the publishing services in one place, so you can focus on marketing your book and not the work of publishing your book.

FACT #1: Books are rarely publication-ready when they leave the hand of the author. Books always require careful editing and proof-reading to make them all they can be before they are designed and printed.

FACT #2: Most authors don’t have the time and resources (editing and proofreading can cost several thousand dollars at the customary hourly rate) to seek out and pay for all the people they need to help them publish a book. So, they skimp on some important items, such as editing and proofreading. Typically, writers think they can self-edit, and there are many who encourage them to do so. However, there is nothing better for a book than a pair of trained eyes which are not emotionally and intellectually immersed in the book.

Nightengale Press takes the worry and work out of the process. You will need to approve some things as the book develops, but you won’t be bothered by a pesky account rep asking you to spend hours and hours finding your own typos.

Read more about SOUP-TO-NUTS PUBLISHING SERVICE at http://nightengalepress.biz/

TOP GENRES OF 2007

Bookhitch Index: Surprising Results for the Most Searched Genres of the Year. Most Searched Genres of 2007:

• Romance
• Fiction (General)
• Science Fiction
• Cooking
• History
• Education
• Travel
• Religion
• Poetry
• Medical

According to bookhitch search data Fiction has topped the most searched genres for 2007, holding the top 3 spots. This shows that we all enjoy the occasional escape from reality. Still, Non-Fiction came in close taking up the last seven positions.

The U.S. made up most of the viewing public, closely followed by Canada, the U.K., France, the Netherlands and Sweden. Nevertheless, these results reflect the viewing habits of over 100 countries that have visited bookhitch in 2007.

bookhitch is a book portal designed to connect authors, publishers, and readers. The company was developed to fit the growing needs of authors and publishers within the industry, offering readers one site where they can find all books.

This year alone we received over 1 million hits to bookhitch and have worked with over 2,000 publishers (including Industry leaders) and authors to list their books on our search engine. Bookhitch is opt-in so that publishers and readers can direct consumers to where they would like their books to be purchased.

For More Information Contact
Emma Ward
eward@bookhitch.com
845-463-0024

Book Publishing Methods: Which is Right for you?

Writing a book is the easy part. The hard part begins when you attempt to publish and market the book. In this article, I’ll share the publishing options available today. This will provide you with information needed to make a decision about how you will bring your book to the market.

Option One: You may find a mainstream publisher who is willing to take a look at your book, but if you’ve ever tried to pitch a book you realize that the probability of rejection is extremely high. Even if you do get lucky, you will still have to do a major portion of the marketing, so it helps to have some extra money to use for publicity. While mainstream commercial publishers and university presses have budgets for advertising and promotion, they tend to only use their resources to promote highly visible personalities whose books are easily sold by the power of that person's notoriety. These publishers will rarely risk a dime on an unknown author, and if they do, the window of time for the book to be deemed successful is roughly six to eight weeks. If your book doesn't justify its costs in that time period, it is back-listed and disappears from print. Unless the author wants to do his own publicity, he has little recourse other than to wait out the time period until he can purchase back the rights to his book.

Option Two: is to use a “publish on demand” service such as Lulu.com or iUniverse.com. Most of these companies will accept ANY quality of work from ANYONE, but you can expect to spend between $100 and $3,000 (shop for prices before you decide) and that price may not put any copies in your hand! Copies of the book will cost you about $5-6 each. You may do all the design work yourself or you may choose a la carte services or packages that include editing, cover design, formatting the page layout to their specifications, fulfilling orders and marketing the book. The services will help you obtain an ISBN and list the book on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other major chain bookstores, but remember whoever owns the ISBN, owns the copyright. You may think you are self-publishing, but unless you purchased the ISBN under your name, you may very well have given your publication rights to the publisher.

One good thing about these services is they do handle distribution and order fulfillment. When someone wants to purchase your book, they will print a copy, ship it, and pay you about 30% of the purchase price as a royalty. If you print the book using a POD company, you will still have to market the book, but you won’t have to fulfill and ship orders.

The term "publish on demand" goes way back. When Monks got an order for a book, they would copy it by hand and deliver it to the client. They did not print extra copies and store them in the monastery. When printing presses were developed, we moved away from the monk's reproduction method. Large runs (called offset) were more economical so we printed thousands of copies and waited for orders to come in. Some publishers still pay to warehouse large quantities of books when they expect a high demand from the market. Many authors still have these books in their garages.

The more modern term "print on demand" is used to describe a technology called digital printing. Like the monks, a book is printed only when there is a request from a client, but today we use lightning fast printers to produce one copy at a time. Most conventional publishers use both offset and print on demand to make copies of a book.

Option Three: I checked into printing a book by using a local commercial printing company. The best price I found was three cents per black & white page. A 195-page book would cost about $6.50 including the cover (which you design) and perfect binding. If you want the book in color, the price could easily make the book cost more than you can sell it for. The printer I used allowed me to print as many or as few as I wanted since they offer digital printing technology.

It is very important to have someone proofread your text before submitting your file because the printer will print exactly what you send without making an edits or doing any revisions. If you print the book in this manner, you will still have to market the book, fill and ship orders. If you only sell one book per day, this might not be a problem, but if you sell twenty books a day, you may have yourself a new full time job!

Option Four: Publish it as an eBook. This is the least expensive way to publish, and people do actually buy eBooks. I had a graphic designer create my cover image to use for promotion of the book on my Web site. I set up a business account with PayPal and added my ISBN to my product list. They created an html code that I copied to my Web site. When someone makes a purchase, I receive an email notification. I respond to the email by attaching the pdf of my book and sending it to the customer. It would be better to have an auto responder email the eBook to the customer upon purchase but Godaddy, the company who sends my permission-based newsletter, does not offer an auto responder. Other services may.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you have a good quality alternatively published book, you can offer it for sale in bricks and mortar bookstores. You just have to pound the pavement and make the phone calls. The book must be returnable and wholesaled through Ingram or one of B&N's other suppliers. You may contact Barnes and Noble Small Press Department, 122 Fifth Ave., New York, NY, 10011, Phone (212) 633 - 3300. You will need to send an Advanced Reading Copy and a request for consideration for in-store placement.

You can’t judge a book by its publisher or by its printing method. The type of printing an author uses doesn’t make a good book bad or vice-versa. Content is what makes a good book. However, without good publicity no book will sell regardless of the quality the printing or how pretty the cover may be. Even spectacular content won’t sell a book if no one knows it is available. Therefore, it’s not how you bring a book to market that counts. It’s how you bring the market to the book.

Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services based in Nashville, Tennessee. She and her team of ghostwriters service clients all over the globe by offering quality writing at an affordable price. If you need a brochure, web text, business document, résumé, bio, article or book, visit www.yvonneperry.net .

Check Your Sell-Your-Book Expertise with Carolyn's Quiz!

Every writer should know the answer to these or know how to find out :

1. What is the rule posted by most agents and publishers I can break in order to sell my book faster?

2. How can a style sheet help me edit my book or work better with my editor?

3. Why do I need to know about indexing?

4. How can I corral Word's Spell Checker to help rather than hinder my editing process?

5. Why is editing important to getting a publisher or an agent when my publisher's editor will help me with that anyway?

6. Why should I rarely send out a cover letter rather than a query letter?

7. Why should I avoid using italics for internal dialogue? How do you avoid using them for internal dialogue?

8. What perfectly natural and grammar-perfect thing should I avoid telling an agent?

9. How can I turn adverbs that slow my narrative into metaphors?

10. How can I purge my copy of passive constructions using a computer?

11. How can code words in my document help avoid humiliation?

12. How do I avoid superfluous quotation marks that annoy agents and editors?

If you don't know the answers to most every one of these 12 questions without peeking you are sure to benefit from the newly released book:

The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success available now on Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870/

It's already rocketed to Amazon's Top Ten List in its category!

It should be sitting on your shelf right next to the award-winning* first in the HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't by UCLA Extension Writers' Program Instructor Carolyn Howard-Johnson

*Winner of USA Book News Best Professional Book 2004

*Winner of Book Publicists of Southern California's Irwin Award

Meet 7,000 International Publishers

THE FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR
OCTOBER 10-14, 2007

The world’s largest fair for the book and media industry, will host more than 7,000 publishing companies from over 100 countries presenting 380,000 titles.
Over 280,000 visitors are expected.

If your book warrants international appeal don’t miss this opportunity!

Some interesting statistics:
* The latest book by American author Paul Auster sold only 70,000 copies in the USA . In France , on the other hand, the translation of "Brooklyn Follies" chalked up sales of 165,000 copies.
* In 2006, about two-thirds of translations into German out of a total of 5,773 books were from English.
* 29 % of Czech books published in 2004 were translations
* 29 % of South Korean books published in 2004 were translations
* 25% Spanish books published in 2004 were translations
* 22% Italian books published in 2004 were translations
* 6% German books published in 2004 were translations
* 4% Chinese books published in 2004 were translations

Deanna Leah and International Publishers Alliance have assisted participants in getting books translated into such languages as: German, Italian, French, Hungarian, Turkish, Dutch, Russian, Chinese, Korean and Spanish. Don’t miss this opportunity. SPACE IS LIMITED and DEADLINES are FAST approaching!

For More Information Contact:

Deanna Leah
International Publishers Alliance
(530) 893-4699
deannaleah@sunset.net

Introducing the Axiom Business Book Awards!

Calling All Business Book Authors and Publishers

- Entries now being accepted into the 2007 Axiom Business Book Awards at http://www.axiomawards.com/

The Axiom Business Book Awards are here to celebrate the innovative, intelligent, and creative aspects of the books that make us think, see, and work differently every day. The awards offer no global boundaries, giving participants from every continent the opportunity to earn further recognition for theirEnglish-language titles. The new awards program will recognize books in awide range of business publishing categories, from sales and leadership to branding and best business fable.

The Axiom Business Book Awards offer:

~Increased recognition to the year's very best business books and their creators

~26 categories in all, from Salesmanship to Personal Finance and Entrepreneurship to Philanthropy

~The only U.S. based award contest solely focused on business books

~A moral boost, influencing reviewers and buyers

~The greatest business books the world has to offer

~All publishers are eligible, from large multi-title publishing houses to small one-title publishers

~An introductory savings of $20.00 per entry when you register by October 15th

This is the first call to enter your 2006/2007 releases in the first annual Axiom Business Book Awards, designed to honor the year's best business books, authors and publishers. The new book awards program will accept entries until November 30th, 2007 for books with 2006 or 2007 copyrights or that were released in 2006 or 2007. The new contest is presented by Jenkins Group and their book marketing webzine, Independent Publisher Online, sponsors of the popular Independent Publisher Book Awards.

Complete awards information including entry guidelines and secure onlineentry available at http://www.axiomawards.com/

The 26 Awards Categories will include:

1. Career (job search, career advancement)
2. Sales (sales skills, negotiating, closing)
3. Leadership
4. Communication Skills/Networking
5. Business Ethics
6. Operations Management/Productivity/TQM
7. Human Resources/Employee Training
8. Entrepreneurship
9. Philanthropy/Charity/Nonprofit
10. Accounting/Taxes
11. Economics (micro, macro, global finance)
12. Personal Finance (estate planning, debt management)
13. Investing (stocks, bonds, hedge funds, options, futures)
14. Retirement Planning
15. Coaching/Mentoring
16. Success/Motivation
17. Advertising/Marketing/PR/Event Planning
18. Branding (corporate history, anniversary, promo)
19. Self-Employment/Home-Based Business
20. Real Estate (buying, investing, management)
21. Business Reference (legal, how-to)
22. Business Consumer Guides
23. Memoir/Biography
24. Business Fable-Fiction
25. International Business/Globalization
26. Technology/Computers

"The Axiom business book awards contest is the first of its kind, offering awide variety of categories and global recognition," says Jim Barnes, AwardsDirector at Jenkins Group. "Through judging business books for the past 11years in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, we have seen a veritableexplosion of business books in numerous sub-genres. Our goal is to open thedoors and honor the best books in these genres and beyond."

Visit the Axiom Business Book Award website to learn more and enter online http://www.axiomawards.com/

Please contact me with additional questions at info@AxiomAwards.com or by phone at 1.800.644.0133 x 1011

Thanks and Best of Luck!

Jim Barnes
Awards Director
Axiom Business Book Awards
Jenkins Group Inc.
1.800.644.0133 x1011

Newsworthy Nuggets from Nightengale Press

Query, self-publish or hire a publisher? That IS the question by Valerie Connelly

So many would-be authors find themselves caught between the age-old process of sending endless query letters, with chapters for consideration only to receive an unending stream of rejection notices, and the option to self-publish or actually hire a publisher. Yes, I said hire a publisher. All in all, the decision of how to publish is yours. It is not easy to determine which option is best for you and your book. The trial is by fire, and the results can range from wonderful to horrific. The reality in publishing is simply this: there is no security, everyone is out for himself, and the middleman reaps the most profit. But, your book may just be the next mega-hit. Or, it may be that you just want to see your work in print. Both possibilities are legitimate. However, you should ask a few questions first. Which option is best for you?

If you believe you can withstand the excruciatingly long time the process of query-send chapters-get rejected requires to get an acceptance of your manuscript from a commercial publisher (the Big Five, one of their imprints or one of the many medium-sized publishers who stay with the commercial model of publishing), if you ever do, then by all means be my guest. But, remember, if you should be accepted, you will turn over all control of your book’s design, content (yes, the publisher can change that, too, without your input) and in the end, your advance, if you get one, is vulnerable to returns and charge-backs. Your royalties are less than 10% of net, and you may see them once a year, if there are any left after costs, including printing AND marketing.

If you believe you can go it alone and set up your own publishing business to produce and sell your own books by self-publishing, then I do believe you should do so. Remember, though, you will have all the responsibilities of layout and design, cover design, buying ISBNs, getting an editor and a proofreader, finding a printer, finding distributors, setting up your website, all PR and marketing, and all the expense. And, and you won’t have to relinquish most of the profit to the publisher; you will reap all the profit. It will take longer to sell enough books to pay for your investment, if you ever do, but you won’t lose fifty-five percent right off the top to the wholesaler and more to the distributor. You’ll have all the control of the design, though you would be well-advised to learn about this or hire a designer. If you are computer phobic, have no graphic design experience, prefer to write rather than sell, and/or don’t have a clue who your audience will be, then forget about this option. But, whatever you do, avoid going to a firm that tells you they can help you self-publish. No one can help you self-publish but you, yourself and you.

If, on the other hand, you want to hire a publisher ― and that is really what it is when you pay a startup fee to get your book into print ― then, by all means, research the fine print costs as you would if you were hiring a mechanic, or buying a house, or signing up for a cell phone plan. The details are what matter the most.

What will you get for your fee? What costs are additional? Does the publisher have an all-inclusive option? Will you have a workable website? Will you have a listing in the bookstore on the publisher’s site? Will your book be listed with BooksInPrint and be available on all the online bookstores and available for order in the bricks and mortar bookstores, or will you have to engage in this effort yourself? Will you receive any marketing advice or support? How often are royalties paid, and what are the royalty terms in detail? When will the rights revert to you? What rights do you share with the publisher? Is the contract exclusive or non-exclusive? What happens if the publisher goes out of business? Who owns the copyright and who owns the ISBN? (Typically, you own the copyright and the publisher owns the ISBN ― a requirement for the legitimate registration of the title in the complex accounting system that drives the trade.) How long is the contract in force? And many more.

The main complaint I hear from authors who publish with the so-called self-publishing author-mills is this: the book is useless to them in the marketplace because they do not own the ISBN, it is poorly designed, poorly made and no bookstore will touch it. These authors often gave up trying to get the corrections made on the proofs ― the stall tactics of some of these firms are infuriating ― and the correction process can cost oodles of money to accomplish: sometimes $15 per correction. Yes, that is fifteen dollars per correction. Run like the wind if you see that in the fine print. These authors should have made sure that they had input on the book’s design, and learned what recourse they have if dissatisfied.

Still, the best feeling in the world for a writer is the heft of his book in his hand, the smell of the paper, the gleam reflecting from the high-gloss cover. They bring him the reality that others can at last read his words. There is nothing else like it ― nothing at all. And it is worth all the trouble it takes to get that sensation, once you have done it.

Ms. Connelly’s years as an advertising copywriter, graphic designer and print shop owner served her well as she founded Nightengale Press in July of 2003. By January of 2007 Nightengale Press has published more than 40 authors, with 57 books among them, and several more coming through the process into print every month. Nightengale Press has evolved into Nightengale Media LLC offering its authors a first class website, bookstore, marketing opportunites and more.
Go to www.globaltalkradio.com/shows/callingallauthors to listen to CALLING ALL AUTHORS live on Tuesdays at 4PM Central or to listen to the archives.
Also, as a member of the National Speaker’s Association, Valerie speaks to writer’s groups and conferences. Go to http://www.wisconsinspeakers.com/speakers/connelly.html for more information.
Valerie Connelly’s mystery-thrillers SACRED NIGHT (2003) and SIDETRACKS (2004), her most recent title CALLING ALL AUTHORS --- HOW TO PUBLISH WITH YOUR EYES WIDE OPEN (2007) and her children’s book ARTHUR, THE CHRISTMAS ELF (2006) are all available at www.nightengalepress.com and all online bookstores. Visit www.arthurthechristmaself.com and www.valerieconnelly.com for more about the author, her books and her career.

Niche Publishing

Here's a link to a great source of information about niche publishing:

http://smallpress.typead.com/index/

Find out why blogging is so important to promoting a book

Reader Views has added another service for authors!

Read this post from Irene Watson, Managing Editor:

This added service is for those that have a killer idea for a book, have started writing a book, or have a manuscript ready to be published! And....don't have a publisher.

With our "new" service we will guide you to create a proposal that will at least get the agent or publisher to read the content - and that's the foot in that you want. We want to help you get the best agent or traditional publisher possible.

And...in addition to helping you create the proposal, we will even send it out to publishers and agents - we have specific contacts that are willing to look at the proposals that we send in.

However, the "book" has to be more than good - it has to be great in order to compete with the hundreds of thousands manuscripts floating around. And, the proposal needs to be well crafted, your platform and marketing plan in place, and appeal to the target.

Interested? Send me a query email admin@readerviews.com (not questions about the service) - tell me what you have in mind, what your book is about, and what your platform/marketing plan is. Sell me on what you have and I would be happy to consider helping you get an agent or publisher.

Pressbox media release services

PressBox is a valued source of information for journalists and is used by thousands of media relations professionals each week. This is a f"ree service, but they also have a professional service that increases the impact and exposure of your press release, which targets your press release to journalists in relevant fields. More information on this service can be found at www.pressbox.co.uk/distribution.html.

Here is a media release I sent this week to pressbox.com or you may read it below:

Publicist, Publisher, and Writer Team up to Help Authors

Last October, Yvonne Perry of Nashville, Tennessee started a podcast called Writers in the Sky as an outreach of her company Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services. Since then, she has interviewed more than 30 authors and continues to upload a new show to her Weblog each Friday.

The show follows a consistent format. Most have two 15- to 20-minutes segments containing tips for book marketing, advice to improve writing skills and information to ensure a better understanding of the publishing industry. Guest authors share how they got started as a writer, how they published their work, and a synopsis of their book. By sharing publishing and marketing experience, writers and authors learn from one another's mistakes and triumphs.

Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer, author, podcast host, newsletter publisher, blogger, teleseminar instructor and business owner with a team of full-time freelance ghostwriters and editors. As the author of two non-fiction books, she understands the importance of proper book publicity. She is actively promoting Right to Recover, Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America due to be published by Nightengale Press (www.nightengalepress.com) in October. As a highly sought-after ghostwriter, Yvonne writes and edits mainly for non-fiction clients. Her goal is to connect these and other authors with the publishing industry and help them promote their books.

Having a book accepted by one of the major publishing houses is becoming more and more difficult. Those who have already established their fame have a good chance of being picked up, but most new authors aren't that lucky. Even those who are accepted report that they receive little or no help from the large publisher in marketing their book. Independent publishers are much more willing to work with their authors. Peachtree Publishers of Atlanta, Georgia (www.peachtree-online.com) is quite focused on marketing and publicizing their authors and books. They have a substantial number of previously unpublished authors on their backlist and frontlist. Paula Herr, Publicity Manager for Peachtree Publishers, landed a spot for Sheri Sinykin on Writers in the Sky to talk about her book Giving Up the Ghost. Sinykin was a good fit to share her recent bout and triumph over writer's block.

Many of Yvonne's podcast guests come from Authors Marketing Experts (AME) with spiritual or self-help books or fiction novels to intrigue readers. Several authors represented by AME (www.amarketingexpert.com) will make guest appearances on Writers in the Sky Podcast this summer including: Bill Gottlieb, Eddie Baker, Penny Sansevieri, James Therrian, and Susan Schaab. Many of these guests will be interviewed by other members of the Write On! team who enjoy having a chance to speak directly with authors after reading their book.

The show is available for download on iTunes.com and on Yvonne's blog: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com . For more information about this podcast, see http://www.yvonneperry.net/WritersintheSkyPodcast.htm

Book Expo America is this week!

Right to Recover, Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America will be presented to librarians, bookstore buyers, book distributors and others in the book trade industry at BookExpo America (BEA) this coming Thursday through Sunday. BEA will be held in at the Javits Center in New York from May 31 to June 2, 2007.

Learn more about the publisher of Right to Recover, Nightengale Press.

Calling All Children's Book Publishers

Entries now being accepted into the 2007 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards www.moonbeamawards.com.

This is the first call to enter your 2006/2007 releases in the first annual Moonbeam Children's Book Awards, designed to honor the year's best children’s books, authors and illustrators. The new book awards program will accept entries until August 1st, 2007 for books with 2006 or 2007 copyrights or that were released in 2006 or 2007. The new contest is presented by Jenkins Group and their book marketing webzine, Independent Publisher Online, sponsors of the popular Independent Publisher Book Awards.

Complete entry guidelines and secure online entry form at:
http://bookpublishing.com/ip/includes/moon_beam/moonbeamguidelines3.pdf

The Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators, and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading. The new awards program will recognize books in a wide range of children’s publishing categories, from board books and alphabets books to young adult novels and multicultural non-fiction. The Moonbeam Awards will also recognize excellence in specialty categories like Religion, Holiday, Interactive, and Audiobook, and give special awards to Best First-time Author and Best Children’s Book Illustrator.

25 Awards Categories will include:

1. Board Book
2. Alphabet/Counting Book
3. Pop-up/Cut-out
4. Activity Book - Toddler
5. Activity Book – Young Reader
6. Book with Music
7. Audio Book
8. Picture Book 2-5 Year Old
9. Picture Book 4-7 Year Old
10. Picture Book 6-9 Year Old
11. Picture Book 10+ Year Old
12. Juvenile Fiction (10 & under)
13. Pre-Teen Fiction
14. Young Adult Fiction
15. Young Adult – Mature Issues
16. Multicultural Fiction
17. Multicultural Non-Fiction
18. Children’s Non-Fiction
19. Young Adult Non-Fiction
20. Comic/Graphic Novel
21. Religion
22. Holiday
23. Book with Merchandise (plush toy, etc.)
24. Best First Book
25. Best Illustrator


“This children’s book awards contest will go much deeper than any other,” says Jim Barnes, Awards Director at Jenkins Group. “We’ve learned by judging children’s books for 11 years in the Independent Publisher Book Awards that it’s not fair to judge an alphabet book against a sophisticated book of verse. One of our goals with the Moonbeam Awards is to create a list of categories that allows us to judge the many styles of children’s books being published today."

The Moonbeam Awards will recognize a very diverse group of authors and publishers, and ‘illuminate’ hidden gems that don’t make it onto the national radar screen. These will surely include books from publishers of all sizes, from one-book authors to the New York powerhouses. We intend to bring a great list of award-winners to the public’s attention.

Visit the Moonbeam Children's Book Award website to learn more and enter online www.moonbeamawards.com.

Complete entry guidelines and secure online entry form at:
http://bookpublishing.com/ip/includes/moon_beam/moonbeamguidelines3.pdf

Let me know if I can answer any questions or help in any way. Email or call me 1-800-644-0133 x1011

Thanks and Best of Luck!

Jim Barnes, Awards Director
Moonbeam Children's Book Awards
Independent Publisher Book Awards
Jenkins Group Inc.
800.644.0133 x1011
info@moonbeamawards.com

Network with Us May 2007

NETWORK WITH US is a regular feature of Writers in the Sky (WITS) Newsletter.

You may add your announcement or brag about your writing accomplishment; tell us about your book or business; share information and ideas or send articles and advertorials for the next issue. See our submittal guidelines.

Here are the E-nouncements from our readers this month:

Wanted: Anonymous Voters

Shirley Cheng (http://www.shirleycheng.com/) is conducting two one-question polls for her parental rights in children's medical care advocacy book, and she will include the results in her book. All voters will be anonymous. Please take a moment to vote in these polls:

Who Should Make the Final Decision in Children's Medical Care? http://www.opinionpower.com/Surveys/354037681.html

Should Parents Have the Right to Disagree with Doctors' Recommended Treatments for Their Children? http://www.opinionpower.com/Surveys/123037682.html

If you'd like to support her cause by doing more than just voting, you can contribute to her book
by going to http://www.shirleycheng.com/submission.html. Also sign her Give Parents the

Right to Say No Petition at: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/parentr7/petition.html.

Thank you and please pass the word on to others.

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Article Marketing Challenge Begins May 1

Suzanne Lieurance, the Working Writer's Coach, would like you to visit her blog today and find a great way to get ready for the Lieurance-King Spring Article Challenge that begins May 1st!
http://www.the-working-writers-coach.blogspot.com/.

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Nightengale Press Authors in the News!

Dr. Eric Kaplan, author of DYING TO BE YOUNG --- from Botox to Botulism, A True Story of Survival, will be featured on GOOD MORNING AMERICA May 10th. Tune in!

Author Frank Sobo's new book DNA STEW is up for the BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD sponsoered by ForeWord Magazine. Good luck to Frank!

Author Dr. Eric Kapan's book DYING TO BE YOUNG is reviewed in Foreword Magazine's May/June issue. At last a Nightengale Press author has made it into ForeWord!

Publisher Valerie Connelly gave a Keynote address for Women's History Month on March 29th at the Waukegan Illinois Recreational Center.

Three authors, Jodi Pliszka, Zara Griswold and Yvonne Perry will be represented by Bob Erdmann at the Frankfurt Book Fair in the Foreign Rights program. Their titles, BALD IS BEAUTIFUL, SURROGACY WAS THE WAY, and RIGHT TO RECOVER may be picked up for foreign distribution. Good luck to all three authors!

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Marketing Podcast

Are you ready to kick your marketing into high gear? Then we've got a podcast you're gonna love! Tune in to Book Promotion Made Easy, a weekly podcast packed with tips, tricks and insider advice about all things marketing.

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Tennessee Writers Alliance News invites writers to register for their 2nd annual conference. Writers of all genres and skill levels are invited to attend the 2007 TWA Writers’ Conference June 8-9, at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee. Conference highlights include a keynote speech by The Widow of the South author Robert Hicks; Friday sessions on "What Editors Want" and literary agent panel led by Chuck Sambuchino, editor of the 2008 Guide to Literary Agents; a marketplace for members to sell their books; and Saturday sessions on poetry, fiction, nonfiction, songwriting, mystery writing, children's lit, and creativity.

And that's not all! See http://www.tn-writers.org/conf07.htm for more information and for downloadable (pdf) registration, schedule and more. (For TWA members, you'll also be receiving this information by snail mail soon, in the spring Tennessee Writer.)

- Enter our fiction and poetry contests by July 1st.

Guidelines for our 2007 short fiction and poetry competitions are now posted; judges will be announced soon. First Prize $500, Second Prize $250, Third Prize $100. See www.tn-writers.org/contest07g2.htm for details.

Thanks to all of you who entered our creative nonfiction contest! Results will be announced at our conference in Franklin June 8th - 9th.

- Check out other 2007 writing events and opportunities now posted on our events page at www.tn-writers.org/events.htm.

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Have a Need for Publicity?

PR/PR can help you with all of your publicity needs, from print to television, radio and online media. If you want to sell more books, get more speaking engagements and be hired for more consulting jobs, you need publicity. To receive a free consultation, please contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR: 407-299-6128 or email: pam@prpr.net or visit: http://www.prpr.net/.

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Nightengale Press is putting the finishing touches on 7 forthcoming titles:

CALLING ALL AUTHORS How to Publish with Your Eyes Wide Open by Valerie Connelly is the publishing guidebook writers and authors have been looking for. With a lot of information drawn from the experts and authors who appeared on Ms. Connelly's dynamic 2006 CALLING ALL AUTHORS radio program, and with the first hand experience Ms. Connelly shares from her years as a publisher, she presents it all in a truly accessible manner.

BALD IS BEAUTIFUL My Journey to Becoming by Jodi Pliszka. Jodi's book tells the difficulties of her hair loss, the trials of her dark period in life, and her overcoming of her demons. Inspirational and uplifting, every reader can relate some part of life to Jodi's story of how she became who she is today: Author, Inventor, Inspirational Speaker, and Mom.

THE TALES OF ADARYA by Alain Buchwald, a teen author with the talent and skill of a seasoned storyteller. In the tradition of the Lord of the Rings, as the dark lord Naurleth prepares to unleash his power, all seems lost for the divided peoples of Adarya who must unite to survive.

NET LOSS by Tim Hein is a mystery thriller with the taste and feel of the great Zane Gray novels. Kyle Schmidt seeks only a brief escape from his bleak reality when he ventures into the seedy bowels of online chat. Instead, he unleashes a love so powerful that his escape may become permanent.

RIGHT TO RECOVER Winning the Political and Religious Wars Over Stem Cell Research in America by Yvonne Perry deals with one of the hottest topics facing our country this presidential campaign season, if not this century.

Much more than a basic overview of stem cell research, RIGHT TO RECOVER will answer the questions and define the issues facing international research and U.S. research, legal issues regarding funding for stem cell research all the while breaking down the misconceptions and myths such as What about all those unused embryos in the fertility clinic? This book will clarify the separation of Church and State, the Constitution and founding fathers intention regarding religion and government, and how U.S. religious right is preventing recovery through ignorance. With first hand stories of success, with interviews of those hopeful of a cure, this book will answer the most asked question regarding stem cell research: Is there really hope that stem cells leftover from in-vitro fertilization attempts can cure disease? Doctors in the field and politicians battling to open the legislative doors bring their expertise and vision to us all through this book. http://www.right2recover.com/.

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Writing Contest Makes Every Entrant a Winner with a 750-word Critique

Paula B, host of The Writing Show would like to let everyone know about a writing contest.

Want to get published but don’t know how your novel measures up? Enter The Writing Show First Chapter Contest and get 750 words of feedback from publishing industry pros plus a week’s free access to Literary Market Place Online, a searchable database of the North American book publishing industry.

• First prize: $500, the two-volume print version of Literary Market Place, and an interview on the popular podcast The Writing Show.
• Two second prizes: $100 each.

Enter by May 15, 2007 and pay only $35. After that until June 15, 2007, the entry fee is $45.

Winners will be announced on November 15, 2007.

Judges include publishers, editors, reviewers, authors, and other industry professionals. The winning entries will be selected by a celebrity panel that includes best-selling crime fiction author C.J. Box.

Entries will be judged on:

1. Story. Is it a compelling read with a great hook? Are we engaged?
2. Style. Is the writing smooth and tight, without awkward constructions, extraneous verbiage, and redundancies?
3. Dialog. Is the dialog natural and does it move the story along?
4. Character. Are the characters interesting? Do we care about them?
5. Mechanics. Are grammar, spelling, and punctuation correct?

Rules, instructions for entering, and more detail can be found at The Writing Show Web site. The contest is sponsored by The Writing Show and Literary Market Place.