If you want to submit your writing in the new year, we need to receive your work ASAP.

We are accepting e-mail queries, as well as regular mail submissions to our review board. Be sure to include the words “Review Board” in your subject line.

This is a great time to enroll in our services and to energize your submission strategy. If your work is chosen, you'll begin the new year with your writing as a priority. You'll be enrolled in our client list for the current cycle, and your submissions will go out when the majority of agents and editors are reading. It's a great time of year to begin your new submission strategy. We’ll list openings in specific genres below. Please DO NOT send work in genres that are not listed.

If you're NOT a do-it-yourselfer and want to utilize our FULL service (rather than our A LA CARTE services), you need to send work to our REVIEW BOARD.

There are some important differences between the three levels of services. A complete list of pricing and services may be found at http://www.WritersRelief.com/comparison.asp.

If you are accepted into our FULL-SERVICE client list:

We propose, prepare, and proof content for cover letters. (You’ll benefit from what we’ve learned since 1994.)

We review and target your work to specific markets based on content, length, reading dates, etc. (You’ll never again have to spend hours researching markets for your work.)

We proof and prepare your work to industry standards, prepare master copies, and maintain electronic or hard copy versions of the work here at Writer's Relief, Inc.  (If your computer crashes, we’ll have a master copy of every title on file.)

We prepare 25 - 30 submissions for each title (or group of poems) within each two-month cycle.  (When was the last time you accomplished this?)

We print your individually addressed cover/query letters. (You don’t have to create merge files, etc.)

We track every submission. (You’ll know what’s going on with every submission without doing any filing.)

We offer guidance regarding submissions, acceptances, etc.  (Each client is assigned two personal submission strategists.)

How many submissions have you mailed in the past two months? This is a great time of year to focus energy on your writing. If you've been putting off getting your work to us, NOW is the time to send it. Writers submitting their work regularly and extensively increase their odds of acceptance . . . dramatically. This cycle is one of the best times for you to enter our client list.

We have room to invite a few more writers into our Writer's Relief family. We are reading in the following genres only:

Nonfiction (books)—Send chapter outline, proposal, sample chapters (30 pages) of your unpublished manuscript, your biography, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (For e-queries, chapter outline, proposal, and sample pages may be in one file.)

Novels—Send synopsis, first 30 pages of your unpublished manuscript, sample query letter, your biography, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (For e-queries, synopsis and samples pages may be in one file.)

Poetry—Send 10 - 12 unpublished poems, your biography, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (For e-queries, paste poems into one file; one poem per page.)

Short Stories or Personal/Creative Essays—Send three unpublished stories (each under 5,000 words), your biography, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (For e-queries, each story should be in a separate file.)

Our review is FREE. If our review board determines your writing is strong enough (and markets are plentiful enough), they will send you an invitation to join our services. They will quote you FLAT FEES at that time. You may accept or decline their invitation.

Keep in mind that we must turn away 80 percent of the work that comes to us. However, if your writing is strong, don't let procrastination, hesitation, lack of marketing experience, or fear stop you from submitting your work.

Wouldn't it be amazing to get your submissions in the mail to all the best publishers and agents? Writer's Relief has successfully helped writers beat the procrastinator in them since 1994. We help clients find the time to write.

Writers have been looking to us for years to help them alleviate the countless hours needed to research ever-changing writers' markets. We continue to have the most current and best writers' markets included in our database. Because our database is updated daily from information we receive from all of our clients, as well as thousands of journals and agents directly, our lists are more up-to-date than any market book or online source.

Send Writing Samples To:

For e-mail queries: Send to Kriste@wrelief.com. We will accept the samples as attachments ONLY in .DOC, .RTF, or .WPD format. (E-mail submissions MUST include all pieces itemized above, including complete contact information, cover letter, and BIO pasted into the body of your e-mail, and sample pages attached, or they WILL NOT be reviewed. No SASE needed for e-mail submissions.) Include the words “Review Board” in your subject line.

Or mail your submission to: Review Board, Writer's Relief, Inc., 409 South River Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601

We want to be your partner in the submission process. Call us toll-free (between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time) if you have any questions. One of our personal submission strategists will be happy to spend a few minutes with you on the telephone.

Keep Writing And Submitting!

If you want to submit your writing in the new year, we need to receive your work ASAP.

Writer's Relief Review Board Meets: Monday, December 15 and Tuesday, December 16 (Writers enter our FULL-SERVICE BY INVITATION ONLY, so send your work to our review board ASAP).

We will be accepting e-mail queries, as well as regular mail submissions to our review board. Be sure to include the words “Review Board” in your subject line.

This is a great time to enroll in our services and to energize your submission strategy. If your work is chosen, you’ll begin the new year with your writing as a priority. You’ll be enrolled in our client list for the December – February cycle, and your submissions will go out when the majority of agents and editors are reading. It’s a great time of year to begin your new submission strategy. We’ll list openings in specific genres below. Please DO NOT send work in genres that are not listed.

If you're NOT a do-it-yourselfer and want to utilize our FULL Service (rather than our A LA CARTE Services), you need to send work to our REVIEW BOARD. Keep reading.

There are some important differences between our A La Carte Services and Full Services. If you are accepted into our FULL-SERVICE client list:

We propose, prepare, and proof content for cover letters. (You’ll benefit from what we’ve learned since 1994. We know what editors and agents want to see in your cover/query letter.)

We review and target your work to specific markets based on content, length, reading dates, etc. (You’ll never again have to spend countless hours researching markets for your work.)

We proof and prepare your work to industry standards, prepare master copies, and maintain electronic or hard copy versions of the work here at Writer's Relief, Inc. (Proper formatting ensures a good read,  and, if your computer crashes, we’ll have a master copy of every title on file.)

We prepare 25 - 30 submissions for each title (or group of poems) within each two-month cycle. (When was the last time you accomplished this?)

We print your individually addressed cover/query letters. (You’ll simply sign your letters, and they’ll be ready to go. You don’t have to create merge files, etc.)

We track every submission. (You’ll know what’s going on with every submission without doing any filing.)

We offer guidance regarding submissions, acceptances, etc. (Each client is assigned two personal submission strategists.)

How many submissions have you mailed in the past two months? This is a great time of year to focus energy on your writing. If you've been putting off getting your work to our review board, now's the time to send it to us. Writers submitting their work regularly and extensively increase their odds of acceptance . . . dramatically. We have a limited number of openings available in specific genres. This upcoming cycle is one of the best times for you to enter our client list.

Our review board will meet Monday (December 15) through Tuesday (December 16) and make selections for the coming cycle. This means you will have the opportunity to have your work read in a very timely manner. If you would like your work considered, be sure it arrives in our office before this date. After selections are made we will not be registering new clients for at least two to four months. Use the e-mail or street address below.

We are reading in the following genres only:

Novels—Send synopsis, first 30 pages of your unpublished manuscript, sample query letter, your biography, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (For e-queries, synopsis and samples pages may be in one file.)

Nonfiction (books)—Send chapter outline, proposal, sample chapters (30 pages) of your unpublished manuscript, your biography, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (For e-queries, chapter outline, proposal, and sample pages may be in one file.)

Short Stories or Personal/Creative Essays—Send three unpublished stories (each under 5,000 words), your biography, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (For e-queries, each story should be in a separate file.)

Poetry—Send 10 - 12 unpublished poems, your biography, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. (For e-queries, paste poems into one file; one poem per page.)

We will mail our letters of acceptance or rejection before December 18, which means you won't have to wait long for our decision. Our review is FREE. If our review board determines your writing is strong enough (and markets are plentiful enough), they will send you an invitation to join our services. They will quote you FLAT FEES at that time. You may accept or decline their invitation. A list of fees and services may be found at http://www.writersrelief.com/comparison.asp.

Keep in mind that we must turn away 80 percent of the work that comes to us. However, if your writing is strong, don't let procrastination, hesitation, lack of marketing experience, or fear stop you from submitting your work.

Wouldn't it be amazing to get your submissions in the mail to all the best publishers and agents? Writer's Relief has successfully helped writers beat the procrastinator in them since 1994. We help clients find the time to write.

Writers have been looking to us for years to help them alleviate the countless hours needed to research ever-changing writers' markets. We continue to have the most current and best writers' markets included in our database. Because our database is updated daily from information we receive from all of our clients, as well as thousands of journals and agents directly, our lists are more up-to-date than any market book or online source.

Send Writing Samples To:

For e-mail queries: Send to Kriste@wrelief.com. We will accept the samples as attachments ONLY in .DOC, .RTF, or .WPD format. (E-mail submissions MUST include all pieces itemized above, including cover letter and BIO pasted into the body of your e-mail, and sample pages attached, or they WILL NOT be reviewed. No SASE needed for e-mail submissions.) Include the words “Review Board” in your subject line.

Or mail your submission to: Review Board, Writer's Relief, Inc., 409 South River Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601

Be sure to include your contact information including e-mail and phone number.

We want to be your partner in the submission process. Call us toll-free (between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time) if you have any questions. One of our personal submission strategists will be happy to spend a few minutes with you on the telephone.

Keep Writing And Submitting!

Ronnie L. Smith, President
Writer's Relief, Inc.
(866) 405-3003 (toll-free), (201) 641-3003
http://www.writersrelief.com

P.S. Have your work in our office by Monday (December 15).

Everyone struggles with increasing their productivity, but writers tend to struggle more than most. For one thing, writers either work full-time and have to fit writing into their “spare” time, or they write full-time, most likely from home, where the daily distractions are hard to overcome. How do you get more “butt-in-chair” time? And how do you make the most efficient use of that time?

Identify the things that distract and derail you.

For some this may be a dirty kitchen or a mountain of laundry. For others noise is a deal breaker. For still others the telephone is the biggest problem. Once you’ve identified these distractions, you can make moves to minimize them. Use an answering machine, close the door, and schedule a specific time to tackle the laundry. Learn to delegate and to say no, and do not feel guilty for devoting some time to your craft. Or pack up the laptop and head to the library.

For many people e-mail and Internet surfing can eat up valuable writing time. There are legitimate “writing” reasons to use the Internet, but, if possible, do research and writing-related e-mailing in a separate block of time. Give yourself specific times to check for incoming mail or catch up on your favorite blogs. Stick to a time limit. (The same goes for your favorite TV programs.)

Find your optimum time.

Some people write best in the wee hours of the morning, before the kids get up and the demands of the world begin. The muse hits others in the evening. If you find yourself nodding off at three in the afternoon, this is probably not your optimum writing time. Schedule your most productive hours on a calendar, and make this time your own. If you are only able to grab bits and pieces of time here and there, make the most of those episodes—give yourself one task to tackle, and do not deviate from it. If you are hit with inspiration throughout the day, night, or anytime in between, carry a notebook so you don’t lose those ideas.

Get organized.

It’s hard to be productive when you can’t find a new ink cartridge or lay hands on your favorite thesaurus. Gather your materials before you begin, and clear a space. Sometimes organizing your physical surroundings can help your thoughts organize themselves.

Consolidate your errands and set aside a specific time just for shopping, returning library books, and/or picking up the dry cleaning. If you are in charge of family meals, make a weekly menu and do your grocery shopping all at once. Those little jaunts add up and really cut into writing time.

Set goals. Take advantage of calendars and day planners. There are several electronic organizational tools for those with a techie bent, and most e-mail programs have a schedule function. Other people may prefer a legal pad and a desk calendar. Whatever helps you see the big picture.

The to-do list.

It works well to keep two lists. One list is the master list, and it contains big-picture tasks, like “Write book proposal” or “Find an agent.” The second list breaks down tasks into manageable chunks, like “Outline book proposal” or “Get latest copy of Writer’s Market.” You can keep a running list or create a new one each day. Sometimes filling out your to-do list for the next day keeps those nagging thoughts from disturbing your sleep, and you can wake up fresh, with your day outlined.

Be realistic about your list, or you may find yourself frustrated.

And, finally, make time to write every day. If you’re burned out, write just a few sentences or set a timer and write for five minutes. This will often lead to more enjoyable minutes spent honing your craft. And watching your writing improve is an added bonus.

Achy back? Tired eyes? Sore wrists? Welcome to the wonderful world of writing!

Spending long hours in front of the computer may translate into productive writing sessions, but it may also lead to headaches, backaches, and bloodshot eyes. The following tips may help you work more comfortably.

Adjust your environment.

It’s easier to work in a well-ventilated room with plenty of fresh air. Consider adding a few plants to filter the air and brighten your workspace. Adjust the room temperature so that it’s neither too hot (think: sleepy) nor too cold (think: stiff fingers). It’s also a good idea to wipe down your keyboard, mouse, and phone with antibacterial wipes once in a while (or more frequently, depending on how many little hands touch your equipment).

Adjust your equipment.

Keep your computer monitor situated just below eye level. Positioning it too high or too low can cause strain on your neck muscles. The screen should be approximately an arm’s length away from you. If you have trouble seeing the characters on the screen, try adjusting the brightness and/or contrast first.

Invest in an ergonomically correct chair, one that provides lower back support and can be adjusted to your height requirements. If your feet do not rest flat on the floor, use a footrest to relieve stress on your leg muscles. Check your local office product store for the latest and greatest.

Protect your eyes.

Take frequent eye breaks to reduce eyestrain. Physically walk away from your computer, or look away from the screen and focus on an object farther away. Close your eyes occasionally and keep them closed for several seconds. Or try slow eye rolls, following the shape of an imaginary clock.

Use proper lighting to reduce glare on your monitor. (This may take some experimentation on your part as you adjust blinds, overhead lights, and/or desk lamps.) You can also purchase antiglare computer filters.

Protect your wrists.

Pounding on the keyboard can cause discomfort, as can gripping the mouse too tightly. Use a light touch on both. While typing, keep your arms level with the keyboard and use them, rather than your wrists, to move your hands across the keyboard. Some people find that a wristrest (or a rolled-up towel) helps keep their forearms level, while others use them only as an actual rest between typing. Persistent pain and/or numbness of the hands or wrists could signal a more serious problem, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, so check with your doctor.

Protect your neck.

If you spend a good amount of time on the telephone, try using a speakerphone or a hands-free headset. Cradling the phone between your neck and shoulder is a surefire way to strain your neck muscles.

Take frequent breaks.

Even maintaining perfect posture and using all the latest gadgets can’t protect you from achy muscles if you don’t give your body a break once in a while. Roll your neck and shoulders periodically, and get up at frequent intervals to stretch. Better yet, jog down to the corner post office and mail off a few queries. When you return you’ll be refreshed and ready to work again.

It can be hard to develop a believable character for your story. Most of us don’t have close relationships with dashing heroes or beautiful yet gutsy medical examiners named Desiree. This makes it tempting to take inspiration from people we actually know, and often the resulting characters are thinly disguised versions of ourselves or our friends and relatives. Your wacky Aunt Mabel may be familiar to you and a hoot at holiday get-togethers, but as anything more than a minor comic relief character, Aunt Mabel is going to be an unlikely heroine. It might be better to enlist the scary guy who lives down the street and develop a villain (or an unlikely hero) based on him. Sure, all you know about him is that he rides a loud motorcycle, and his biceps are frighteningly large and tattooed, but boring he’s not!

Successful writers usually develop a detailed character sketch and biography in advance, noting physical, as well as personality, traits. The greater the detail of the sketch, the greater dimension the character develops.

Think about your biker neighbor. You don’t know him, but you can assume that he probably isn’t the son of two college professors, he probably doesn’t attend the opera on a regular basis, and he isn’t likely to be meek and shy. It’s more realistic to assume he’s the son of working-class parents, prefers football to the opera, and he’s pretty brave and tough. And if we’re working on avoiding stereotypes (which is usually our goal), this character could surprise us and become our unlikely hero, despite the prison tats.

The personality needs to fit the fiction. If you’re looking for a hero to save the world from destruction, you can choose the dashing and dapper John Q. College Graduate with broad shoulders and a deep, calm voice, or the scruffy biker dude, who saves the day despite his looks. If you want Aunt Mabel to be the heroine of your novel, you better develop some interesting traits that would support her superhero ways—perhaps she’s not as frail and wobbly as she looks! Just don’t leave Aunt Mabel exactly the way she is in real life, or her character may fail to deliver.

The point is to get to know your characters and make them three-dimensional. Be familiar enough to be able to predict what each character would do if he or she were faced with a certain choice or put into a certain situation. Every person has a darker side or a secret. Give the warmhearted schoolteacher a secret vice, a bit of a temper, or a scandalous past. When you’re sketching your character, include a basic history, his/her dreams and ambitions, obstacles and hurdles, social status, and sexual and economic power. Also include physical characteristics, so that you can make sure Desiree stays a redhead throughout her adventures and Biker Dude’s tattoos stay on the correct shoulder.

The short story presents a different problem. There simply isn’t time or space to let the reader get to know your main character, so you have to present them with as much information as they need to know as succinctly and subtly as possible (show, don’t tell!). If it’s not relevant to the plot, we don’t need to know that the warmhearted schoolteacher is allergic to shellfish or has a degree in Russian literature. We might, however, need to know that she’s a closet smoker, addicted to chocolate truffles, and harbors a long-standing grudge with her sister. For the short story writer, it’s essential to have a fully developed character in mind; but rather than giving us a bulleted list of traits, let your character’s actions demonstrate who she is. Hold back a secret or two about your schoolteacher and surprise the reader.

As writers, we are asking our readers to visualize our characters and relate to them. We want our characters to be realistic so that our audience can connect to them—we want the reader to cheer them on as they surmount obstacles and shed a tear when they fall. Readers care about people, and a fantastic plot populated with bland or one-dimensional characters isn’t enough to hold their interest. Your audience should feel involved with your characters, so that they become vivid and real people. And this isn't easy. If you can get your readers to fall in love with and cheer for the scary biker dude, you can consider him a successful character.

Whether you’re submitting your work via postal mail or e-mail/online, it is important to have your computer files organized and properly named, so you can immediately identify what piece to submit and what you have previously sent.

Making Folders

Create a new folder in "My Documents." Name this folder "Creative Work." This folder can hold whatever genres you write, but you want to distinguish it from any academic work that you might write and from other non-creative writing folders.

Within the "Creative Work" folder, make at least three subfolders: Accepted, Drafts, Poetry (Short Stories, Essays, etc.; you want to make a separate folder for each genre that you write).

The Accepted folder will contain work accepted for publication. It’s imperative to keep all of your work, but you also don’t want to make a mistake and resubmit any previously accepted pieces. The Drafts folder can be the holding place for works in progress, brainstorm ideas, work that is in a state of being proofread, and earlier versions of a finished piece (in the event that you’re the type of writer who likes to save every draft). The genre folders will hold completed versions of your work.

Naming Your Files

Imagine that you’ve written a piece called "The Red Stone." You can drop the beginning articles and spaces when you’re naming a file, but we recommend saving the file with the name of your piece. Let’s say you’ve submitted the named file "RedStone" to 25 markets. As some responses come back, you decide that you want to revise "The Red Stone" for the next time you submit. Make a copy of the original "RedStone" file. Rename this file "RedStoneOLD." Back at your list of documents, you will now rename "RedStone" to "RedStoneNEW." It is in this NEW file you will make revisions. You want to maintain the same name formatting so that the two pieces sort together.

It may happen an editor wants to publish "RedStoneNEW," but he or she wants you to retitle it to "The Brick-Red Stone." You, being the compliant writer, agree. In your files, you need to copy the file "RedStoneNEW" and paste the file in your folder. On a PC, the file should read "Copy of RedStoneNEW." On a Mac, the file should read "RedStoneNEW copy." Rename this file to "Brick-RedStoneWASRedStone." Next, rename the original "RedStoneNEW" file to "RedStoneNOWBrick-RedStone." By doing this, you’re able to see that "Brick-Red Stone" is the latest version, but you’re also able to maintain its previous versions. Since X Journal has accepted "The Brick-Red Stone," you now can move all of these versions into your Accepted folder.

On a PC, sort your files by the "List" view. Select a file to see the details of the file, which at the bottom of the screen. It will show the last date modified; that is, to say the last time you worked in that file. This is another way to be sure you are choosing the most current version to work with. On a Mac, choose the "list" view as well and highlight a file to see the last date modified and other information that opens to the right of the document.

This process of naming and saving files this way works well for prose and book writers who make postal and electronic submissions. However, if you’re a poet, there is more to the process.

Poets should keep each individual poem saved in its own file. It is easier to move poems individually and keep track of newest versions this way.

Organizing Poetry Submissions

E-mail/online submissions are a bit trickier for poets. Some outlets want the poems sent in one document as a DOC or RTF file. Other outlets want the poems sent individually via attachment. Then there are still others who simply prefer that your poems be pasted into the body of the e-mail with no formatting embedded. On a PC, the icons for a DOC and RTF file look the same. We recommend putting "rtf" at the end of the poem file names for RTF files so that you can easily identify RTF from DOC. On a Mac, you’re able to see the difference between these two files, so this isn’t applicable. Nevertheless, when you’re submitting via e-mail/online, always follow the guidelines of each individual journal.

It’s important to know that when you are making poetry submissions, literary journals and magazines only accept groups of poetry consisting of 3-6 titles. We suggest that you create subfolders with a group number to correspond with a specific group of poems. Once you’re happy with the way a particular group of poems reads together, keep these poems submitted and organized together in that group until you’re ready to totally revise and retitle (or retire; that is, to never submit it again) a particular poem in the group.

If you’re making poetry e-mail/online submissions and the journal requests that the poems be sent in one file, paste all the poems into one document, then save the file with the appropriate group name. You should also maintain a separate document called "Groups" that lists each set of poems by group.

We highly recommend this strategy since it will save you time and energy when it comes to tracking your submissions. If you mix and match poems with different groups, you’re more inclined to submit a poem to a journal that might have already seen it.

Back Up Your Files

A final note: It is crucial that you always save your work and create backups for your work. You can save your work onto floppy disks, zip disks, CDs, external backup drives, or flash drives. We personally recommend zip disks or flash drives because your work is less likely to get corrupted on these devices. Also, flash drives can be carried in your pocket when you travel or have a few minutes to work on someone else’s computer (with permission, of course.) In addition, there are also various Web storage sites that can hold your work for you for minimal prices a year.

At Writer’s Relief, our full-service clients benefit from having us be a hub for all their electronic files. We also track your submissions and responses, and we’re here to provide you submission strategy and acceptance advice. Our full-service clients have access to their own personal online database (for submission tracking purposes) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please call our offices toll free at (866) 405-3003 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the best plan for you.

Not all writers make it a habit of going to writers’ conferences, but they are a part of many writers’ professional lives. These conferences are a meeting ground for agents, editors, writing instructors, and fellow scribes who gather to share knowledge and expertise, make contacts, and meet specific goals, whether it’s a writer pitching a novel or an agent scoring a best-seller.

Although you can find day workshops that are more affordable, these conferences are often not cheap. They range from 200 to 500 dollars and up, so it’s important to choose wisely. Here are some tips to help you get the most for your money.

What to look for:

First, you’ll want to locate conferences that fit your particular needs. Some focus on children’s writing, while others are for romance or mystery writers. Narrow down the field to those that pertain to your genre. The Internet is full of information on various conferences. Try www.writing.shawguides.com for a fairly comprehensive list.

As with all investments, a little research can go a long way. Request for all the information offered and go over it carefully. Do some checking with fellow writers or critique groups for their opinions, and research the guest speaker(s).

Take a good look at the opportunities available. Are there workshops, networking opportunities, well-known lecturers? If all you’re offered is a chance to hear an obscure author read her work, you won’t get much out of the experience.

Make note of the specifics, such as the travel requirements, lodging choices, and facilities. You may want to stick closer to home, or choose a mountain retreat over urban classrooms. Is there lodging available, or are you responsible for making hotel arrangements separately?

Double-check for hidden costs, and tally all possible expenses. If you’re organized and ask well in advance, you may be able to apply for a scholarship (or partial scholarship) to help defray the cost. The same goes for volunteering at the conference. You’ll have to ask for these options, as they probably won’t be advertised. You may also choose to attend with a friend. If you each take different seminars and workshops and then share notes, you’ll get more for your money.

What to do:

Clarify your conference goals before the actual event. Are you hoping to meet an agent, hone your writing skills, schmooze with other writers, learn new trends, and/or promote your work? Plan your time accordingly. If networking is your objective, skip the guest lecture and attend the less formal cocktail party instead. Or sign up for that "new media" seminar if you’re interested in learning new trends.

Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately. "Business casual" is a safe bet, although there are usually opportunities for more formal dress during dinners, etc. Be sure you’re remembered for your professional and engaging personality, not your plunging neckline or glow-in-the-dark cowboy boots.

Keep an eye on the time. If you’ve made appointments to speak with editors or agents, don’t be late. Stick to your allotted time out of courtesy both to the editor or agent and to your fellow writers.

Bring a light shoulder bag or briefcase stocked with your business cards, a notebook, extra pens...and for the free handouts. When you receive a business card, make a note on the back to remind you who you talked to and what it was about. It’s best to keep your hands free, so check other luggage and your coat in advance.

Position yourself carefully—asking questions from the front of the room will get you noticed, while the back row is a good place if you plan to slip out early.

Be prepared to do some work—networking can be exhausting, and this is not the time to sit back and be a passive observer. Everyone at this conference shares a common interest, so don’t let insecurity keep you from meeting new people and learning from them. The energy of these events can be very inspirational.

After the conference, send "nice to meet you" notes to agents or editors you spoke to, and be sure to mention where you met and (briefly) what you talked about.

Pitching your work:

Feel free to bring copies of your query, synopsis, or a few sample chapters or other writing samples. But leave that 500-page manuscript at home. Some conferences have time set aside specifically for pitching your work, so be prepared in advance and take advantage of this time. Make sure your pitch is polished (practice giving it to the mirror, your friends, your parrot), exciting, and BRIEF. There’s no need to compulsively tell everything about the story and the reason it was written. Agents and editors are trained to spot a good opportunity on very little information, and you want to avoid that glazed look in their eyes if you go on and on.

Do not aggressively corner agents and editors and subject them to a verbal pitch during dinner or in the restroom. You’ll only aggravate them or scare them away. And be careful what you say. Editors and agents often run in the same circles, and if you’ve been ranting about other writers or editors, you will be remembered—but not in the way you’d like.

Above all, have some fun…and happy networking!

Many writers have found success writing for the nonfiction market. The beauty of this market is that your book doesn’t have to be written before you can sell it. (In fact, many claim that it’s downright foolish to invest time and effort in a book that hasn’t yet been sold.) Unlike fiction, you can break into the market armed with nothing more than a killer book proposal, and we’re here to help you go about it.

In general, the nonfiction book proposal is designed to give editors a well-organized, detailed sales pitch describing what your proposed book is about and how it will make money for the publishing company. An additional bonus is that writing the book proposal forces the author to organize and focus the project approach. The book itself may go through many changes depending on editorial input, but the proposal should follow a generally accepted format. We’ll break down the anatomy of a book proposal and then give you some general tips.

COMPONENTS:

Title Page

Include your name and contact information with an approximate word count and the proposed title of your work. Make sure your main title describes the subject matter of the book to aid in keyword searches, and don’t rely on subtitles to convey vital information—subtitles are often dropped in computerized listings and library databases. Consider this your working title, as publishers may elect to change it.

**Optional: Summary (also known as the Overview, Synopsis, or Executive Summary) - 1 page maximum

Begin with a very short description of your book’s basic premise. Whatever makes your book stand out should be highlighted in the first few sentences. This is the "hook," so make it interesting and unique; powerful yet concise. Capture the editor’s attention right off the bat, and make it clear what you’re selling. If the editor has to hunt around for the point of your book, he/she is likely to toss it aside and review the next proposal in the towering pile.

Chapter by Chapter Outline - 1 to 4 paragraphs per chapter

Create a dynamic outline by highlighting each chapter’s major points. Emphasize each chapter’s unique and/or important function in relation to the rest of the book. By the time the editor has read this outline, he or she should have a clear idea of the overall book.

The Market

This section should include information about the book’s intended audience and why the book addresses the needs of that particular audience. Make sure that your market is broad (as in "women ages 30-60" or "people who buy cars"), and provide as many demographics of your targeted audience as possible. Include observations about current trends that favor your book and highlight what makes your book unique.

Also include information about the competition. If there are other books out there on the same subject, yours had best offer a new or original take. Identify current books that are similar, and explain how yours fills a specific niche. If there are complementary books out there, show how your book can be positioned to the publisher’s advantage.

Give the editor or agency enough ammunition to sell your work to their review board.

Author Information

This is where you list your education, writing credentials, contacts, experience—anything that makes you uniquely qualified to write this book. If you don’t have a journalism degree or a list of publishing credits, highlight other things that show you have what it takes to tackle the subject. For instance, you may be a parent of a special-needs child, and, although you have never been published, your experience qualifies you to offer a unique perspective—assuming that your writing is up to par.

You will also need to outline your own promotional ideas and resources to help market the book. Include information about affiliations, contacts, or endorsements you may have lined up. Do you have a prominent person willing to write the foreword? Media contacts? Web sites, bookstore appearances, newsletters, and possible sequels or spin-off information should be included in this section. To use the example above, you may be a member of the Autism Society of America, and with the contacts you have made within that organization you can offer greater promotional opportunities.

Specifications

This is where you outline an approximate word count, the number of chapters, and an estimated completion time frame. If your book will contain a number of charts, photographs, or illustrations, say so. You may also describe the general format you envision. However, be prepared to be flexible when it comes to length and format—the publisher will have the final say.

Note: A full-length nonfiction book contains 9 to 15 chapters. Don’t submit an outline for a book that contains less than 9 chapters. Make sure you have enough material (and time) to fulfill this obligation before you propose it.

Table of Contents

Quite simply, this is a list of chapter titles to give the agent or editor an idea of what will be included in your book.

Sample Chapters

If you have already begun the writing process, send one or two completed chapters (Chapter 1 and 2 are preferable). Do not send chapters from the middle of the book.

OTHER TIPS

Your book proposal should be similar in style to your proposed book. In other words, if your book is meant to be humorous and lighthearted, make sure your proposal is written in the same style.

Make sure the proposal is edited and proofread within an inch of its life. Agents and editors admit to passing over potentially great ideas if they have to wade through a sea of errors and typos and coffee stains.

Always include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) for responses. Your material will be recycled.

When formatting, we recommend using a 12-point, easy-to-read font like Times New Roman or Arial, with one-inch margins all around, and left justification.

We love educating writers about ever-changing industry standards. Let us know if we can help you with any or all elements of putting together a stellar book proposal.

Every writer has her/his own system for staying organized. Some writers prefer the old-fashioned pen-and-legal-pad method, while others prefer a more elaborate system to keep various projects, complex plots, and characters straight. Whatever your needs or your particular system, we’ve found a few tools on the Internet that you may want to investigate, including software for a wide variety of uses. Let us know if you have any feedback on these or other writing tools that work for you.

Ashleywilde Publishers. Software to help generate solid story plots and outlines.

Autobiography Software Program. For family heirloom documents.

Backpackit.com. An online account where you can keep your to-do lists, notes, and ideas organized.

Biography Software Corporation. For biography writing and genealogy.

Circa Letter Notebook. A notebook specially designed to keep your paper note-taking system organized. Pages can be moved around from section to section, and printed notes can be easily inserted.

Character Pro for Writers 2.0. Character development software.

Dramatica Pro 4.0. Story and character development software.

Great Dialogue Software. Interactive database with thousands of dialogue samples.

LifeJournal. An interactive journaling software designed for writers.

New Novelist.com. Software to help novice writers complete a novel.

StoryView. Software to help plan and present story ideas for novels and screenplays.

StoryCraft Writer’s Software. Story development software

StyleWriter. Software designed to run within your word processor. This program analyzes documents and offers editing, a dictionary-thesaurus, an outliner, and writing guides.

Writer’s Companion. Brainstorm, organize, edit, and publish ideas in one program.

Writer’s DreamKit 4.0. Fiction writing system for the beginner or intermediate writer.

WriterScreen Software. Retains story writing in one place and keeps it organized.

WriteItNow. Novel-writing software.

Novelists and researchers can use these virtual note cards to organize ideas and facts for works in progress: Miss Lonelynotes, SuperNotecard, and Writer’s Blocks (Ashley software).

If you’re looking for idea generators these are helpful: Idea Fisher, WriteThis, and Xerotron.

And, finally, these software packages offer help in editing:

BookWright. An add-in template for editing and formatting book manuscripts.

Editor Software. Offers more coverage and precision than spell-checker and grammar-checker programs already installed.

ScriptWright. Add-in template for editing and formatting screenplays.

WordDog Plain English Editor. For more clear and concise writing.

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

Hard as it is to admit, we all need a little help at times. We depend on doctors, lawyers, accountants, even professional tree trimmers, when their expertise can make our lives a little easier. And let's face it—life is hard enough without trying to do everything ourselves.

That's the philosophy behind Writer's Relief. We make it our business to take the work out of getting published. We don't offer to do the writing for you—but we do offer a valuable service to those who have the talent, perseverance, and courage to offer up their work to readers.

At Writer's Relief, we draw from years of experience to smooth the way for our writers—if we feel a piece is likely to capture an editor or agent's attention, we use proven methods to help that piece find its way to print. It requires research, contacts, and organization, backed by our years of experience since 1994, but that's what we specialize in doing. And we have a proven track record of success.

Submission is a tedious, thankless process, one that many writers simply don't have the time, and sometimes the courage to face. And they're not alone. Many well-known authors ran the submission gauntlet, ending up rejected and frustrated and finally publishing their work themselves. CS Lewis sent more than 800 manuscripts before he made a sale; Ray Bradbury, also around 800. Alex Haley received 200 rejections before reaching success with Roots. Robert Persig's classic, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, couldn't get started at 121 publishing houses. And e.e. cummings dedicated The Enormous Room, which he self-published, to the publishers who had rejected it. Other famous authors who chose the self-publishing route—James Joyce, Beatrix Potter, Anaïs Nin, Mark Twain, Upton Sinclair (to name but a few)—probably did so out of sheer frustration with the submission process!

Writer's Relief also offers formatting, proofreading, and making sure that our writers' finished products are as clean and correct as possible. We know that a careful presentation can be the difference between a haughty sniff and a second look.

It's a well-known fact that Ernest Hemingway completely ignored the rules of punctuation, and spelling just wasn't his "thang." Nor was it W.B. Yeats or Hans Christian Anderson's thang, although they had the additional burden of dyslexia to contend with. F. Scott Fitzgerald was a notoriously bad speller as well, and in a letter of recommendation to his editor, he repeatedly referred to the as yet unknown Hemingway as "Hemmingway." And yet they were all gifted authors.

English spelling appears to be an illogical, often random affair, and there are plenty of confusing exceptions for every rule. Our language is not always phonetic, it's hopelessly complex, and there are far too many rules to remember. One study from Stanford found that more than 300 rules would be required to correctly spell half of our 17,000 most frequently used words! The English language is filled with such land mines as silent consonants (talk, yolk), double letters (vacuum, sapphire), plus a host of everyday words we've stolen from other languages (bureau, ballet, mayonnaise, omelette). Then there are the purely unthinkable combinations that we pass off as words—choir, diphtheria, gherkin, pneumonia—and it's a wunder that anyone can spell anything correctly at all.

Writers are often too close to their work to proofread it effectively, even if they have mastered our ungainly spelling system. At Writer's Relief, our proofreaders do more than check for misspellings. We catch punctuation and grammatical errors that often slip past unnoticed. We flag problems with subject/verb agreement, dangling participles, and formatting errors; we double-check song lyrics, brand names, and quotes; if your character magically transforms from an earl to a lord, our proofers will catch it. We're hunters, tracking inconsistencies in plot, as well as those pesky little homophones that trip everyone up at times. It's simply a matter of having a skilled, objective reader polish your work to perfection.

We have the utmost faith in our writers and their ability to get published—with or without our help. Our writers are intelligent, capable, and dedicated to their craft. We're just here to offer a bit of moral support, a fresh set of eyes, and years of experience navigating the treacherous waters of submission.

So, let us know if you could use a helping hand. We don't want your dreams to be nipped in the butt.

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

Here at Writer’s Relief, our staff is expert in the business of writing. We’re here to organize, encourage, and facilitate the process of writing for creative writers who don’t have time to tackle the business side of their craft.

Unfortunately, there are a few areas in which we are fairly useless:

We can’t fix your parking tickets, leaky faucets, or that pesky termite problem.

We can’t house-train your new puppy (or your toddler).

We can’t smooth wrinkles, halt hair loss, or lower cholesterol.

We can’t refinance your mortgage, negotiate a raise, or solve the social security crisis.

We can’t change your world view, your mind, or your gender.

We can’t locate lost pets, old friends, or wandering muses.

We can’t make you more popular among your peers or cure the heartbreak of psoriasis.

We can’t school you in the art of flower arranging, give you a position of power, or tone your abs.

And we can’t even hook you up with your true love…or the hottie who lives down the street.

What we can do, however, is save you valuable time and effort researching markets and guidelines and keeping track of submissions. You can focus your time and energy on writing, while we relieve you of the burden of promoting your own work. Here’s how it works.

You send us unpublished samples of your work, which we review for quality. We only accept and submit work from writers we believe have the ability to be published. Our review board takes from one day to one month to contact you, depending on the genre being submitted and the timeliness of your submission. We do not charge a reading fee.

After we’ve completed our review, we’ll quote you flat fees for our various services. You tell us how much or how little to do. Our clients stipulate how much work we will complete, so their fees are not open-ended. In other words, you set the pace and budget the time spent by telling us how much work to do for you.

We’ll help you get your act together. We proofread your work with a keen eye for detail. Then, we target those publishers and agents most appropriate and make certain your writing is professionally prepared. Your writing will be organized and targeted to appropriate markets. We will also help with query and cover letters, and we constantly update guidelines for literary journals and agents to make sure your work gets to the right person. Our database contains the most up-to-date information on creative writing outlets available anywhere.

We keep accurate records of all costs related to your work and provide an itemized list with your billing. This service is invaluable at tax season. And most exciting, we create a personal database for each client that details the status of each submission and all titles, acceptance information, etc. and is available to you online 24 hours a day.

So, if you’re looking for a little help getting your submission strategies in order, give us a shout. But if you’re looking for a little help with your mother-in-law or your wayward garden, you might be better off perusing the Yellow Pages.

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

Once you have completed your prose piece or a really inspired group of poems, the next step is to find an outlet for your work. Most writers want to have their work published in a literary venue, sharing in the same magazines that have published such luminaries as Robert Frost, Billy Collins, D. H. Lawrence, Sylvia Plath, Edgar Allen Poe, Guy de Maussapant, and others.

The difficulty lies in determining which magazines might be the best places to send your work. For most writers the writing part is easier than determining where to send your work for publication. There are some ways to make this job a bit easier. Writer’s Relief uses many of these same techniques in successfully finding homes for their clients’ work.

Market books are a good place to start. These are large soft-covered books which include thousands of listings of publication outlets, including literary journals and magazines. The most popular ones are Writer’s Market, Poet’s Market, Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market, and The International Directory of Little Magazines & Small Presses. These books contain a wealth of information that may be useful to you in your search.

It is important to understand that these books are to be used as guides, and oftentimes, information is out of date before publication. However, these books contain much concrete information you can use to build a list of your favorite magazines. When researching literary magazines, be sure to verify the address and submission guidelines, including reading dates and length limit for work. Most literary magazines have Web sites also, but as with the listings in market books, the information may be out of date. Check to see if the guideline page contains dated information, and look to see when their most recent issue was available. These are two easy ways to check if the Web site is up to date.

Another way to research information is to write directly to the magazine and request submission guidelines. This is a necessary step, particularly if there is no Web site available. Additionally, once you send your work to a journal and the editor responds, it is important to check the information on the response slip. Double-check the address, editors’ names, and other guideline information against the information in your records. This way, you’ll be set for the next round of submissions.

There are some Web links that can take you to literary journal Web sites. You may want to investigate http://www.newpages.com and http://www.pshares.org.

Subscribe to Poets & Writers, Writer’s Digest, or The Writer magazine for information about the writing process and links for literary magazines. Visit a full-service bookstore and purchase some literary magazines. Choose a few of your favorites and subscribe to them. Support the literary community. Read and learn what kind of work is getting published and choose markets that suit your style of writing. Keep good records of your research information and update it as it changes. Organization is the key to this part of the process, and once you have the basics, keep submitting your work. Don’t give up. Remember that persistence is the key to a good submission strategy. And, if you decide that you'd rather write and leave the research to someone else, give Writer's Relief a call.

http://www.writersrelief.com/
Author’s Submission Service Since 1994

Sometimes it seems the hardest part of writing is getting your work launched into the literary world. Keeping track of which editors have seen which piece can be confusing, but if you follow these simple steps to error-free record keeping, you'll never need to guess again.

Believe it or not, one of the keys to successful record keeping is a properly prepared cover letter. In the body of the cover letter, it is most important to include the title(s) of the work you are sending for consideration. Be sure the letter also includes your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. This is the first step to organizing your work. And the key to successfully keeping track of your own work? Make a copy of each and every cover letter.

Invest in a portable file box and a small set of hanging files. Label each one as follows: Open Cover Letters, Closed Cover Letters, and Accepted Work. Keep your cover letters in alphabetical order by journal name. (You can also set up an additional file for journal research information you may have printed from the internet or have received in the mail