WRITING UP A STORM
December 2009
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Welcome!
In case you’re wondering what to get me (or another writer) for
Christmas, this month’s question of the month addresses that issue.
Since there are a lot of cool items I’m sure I’ve overlooked, won’t
you please and add your favorite wishlist items?
Take care & have a wonderful month!
Gayle
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IN THIS ISSUE
QUESTION OF THE MONTH: WHAT CAN I GET MY FAVORITE WRITER FOR
CHRISTMAS?
CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT
LINK OF THE MONTH
MARKET SPOTLIGHT
S H A M E L E S S SELF-PROMOTION
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QUESTION OF THE MONTH: WHAT CAN I GET MY FAVORITE WRITER FOR
CHRISTMAS?
Finding a Gift for the Writer on Your Gift List
Have you got a writer on your gift list? If you have (even if that
writer is YOU), and you don’t have a clue as to what gift to buy,
I’m here to help.
Let’s start with the simple things. I love these greeting
cards/bookmarks. They’re great and designed to go with any book,
genre, etc. The cards are $3.95 each and you can buy them from
retailers or from the company’s online store.
(http://www.inmybook.net/inmybook.htm)
Literary Calligraphy: This “All American Note Card Assortment”
blends watercolor images with text from American writers. See these
beautiful note cards at
http://www.literarycalligraphy.com/stationery/allamericards.html.
Women Writers Journal — cloth-covered with lined pages. The
Library of Congress has a women writers tote for $24.00. The women
writers featured are Gertrude Stein, Louisa May Alcott, Elizabeth
Barrett Browning, Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent
Millay, Jane Austen, Phyllis Wheatley, Charlotte Bronte, Mary
Shelley and Sylvia Plath.
Submission Trackers: There are several versions of submission
trackers. Most also offer a free demonstration. I’m sure any of
them would be beneficial. See these to determine which might best
suit your writer’s needs.
1) Power Tracker
(http://www.write-brain.com/power_tracker_main.htm) – Features
include automatic follow-up reminders and searchable notes.
2) Quick Query Tracker
(http://www.worldwidefreelance.com/qqt/) – Includes backup feature
and ability to save favorite market details.
3) Write That Down
(http://www.writerssupercenter.com/writethatdown/) – Features
automatic letter of inquiry generator and resume of published work.
4) Luminary Writer’s Database
(http://www.luminarypub.com/services/writersdb/) – This is an
online database and it’s f*ree. The service allows you to keep
track of submissions, acceptances, rejections, amount of money
earned, etc.
5) SwiftTrack for Manuscripts
(http://www.swifttechsoftware.com/tracking.htm) – Features 14
different types of reports.
Writing Books:
1) Writer’s Market 2010 (Writer’s Market) is always a popular
choice. You can now get a deluxe version that includes access to
the Writer’s Market online database. If your writer has a
specialty, you can get Writer’s Market 2010 (Writer’s Market);
Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market 2010 (Novel and Short Story
Writer’s Market); Songwriter’s Market 2010 (Songwriter’s Market);
2010 Photographers Market (Photographer’s Market); Poet’s Market
2010 (Poet’s Market); and 2010 Artist’s & Graphic Designer’s
Market.
2) If the writer you’re buying for is considering self-publishing,
Dan Poynter’s book, Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual, 16th
Edition: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book (Self
Publishing Manual)will get him/her on the right track.
3) If your favorite writer already has a book in print, consider
John Kremer’s 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, Sixth Edition (1001
Ways to Market Your Books: For Authors and Publishers). (
http://www.bookmarketing.com) Other good books on the subject
include Publicize Your Book: An Insider’s Guide to Getting Your
Book the Attention It Deserves by Jacqueline Deval; Confessions of
Shameless Self Promoters by Debbie Allen; and Guerrilla Marketing
for Writers : 100 Weapons to Help You Sell Your Work by Jay Conrad
Levinson, Rick Frishman and Michael Lar.
4) A freelance writer? Some good options include The Renegade
Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success
(The Renegade Writer’s Freelance Writing series) by Linda
Formichelli and Diana Burrell; How to Write Irresistible Query
Lettersby Lisa Collier Cool; Feminine Wiles: Creative Techniques
for Writing Women’s Features Stories That Sell by Donna Elizabeth
Boetig; and Facts in a Flash: A Research Guide for Writers by Ellen
Metter.
5) If your favorite writer is a budding Hollywood screen writer,
you might want to get him/her The Complete Book of Scriptwriting by
J. Michael Straczynski; The Screenwriter’s Bible: A Complete Guide
to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script, by David Trottier;
The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters: Insider’s
Secrets from Hollywood’s Top Writers by Karl Iglesias; or Power
Screenwriting: The 12 Stages of Story Development by Michael Chase
Walker.
If all else fails, pens, pretty stationery and/or gift certificates
to booksellers, office supply stores and computer stores are always
welcome!
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CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT
Murder, Mayhem & $25 Amazon Gift Card from Gayle Trent!
Check it out at FreshFiction:
http://freshfiction.com/contest.php?id=2182
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LINK OF THE MONTH: WOW! Women on Writing
http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/
I know this isn’t the first time I’ve spotlighted WOW! Women on
Writing, but the December issue of the ezine is all about literary
agents; and I know that subject is of interest to many of you. Be
sure to check out my 20-Question Interview with Kim Lionetti of
BookEnds, LLC. She has a lot of wonderful advice and information to
share.
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MARKET SPOTLIGHT: WOW! Women on Writing Freelance Job Board
http://jobs.wow-womenonwriting.com/a/jbb/find-jobs
Terrific resources for finding freelance writing gigs!
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S H A M E L E S S SELF-PROMOTION
Gayle Trent – Look for my latest article, an interview with
literary agent Kim Lionetti in the December issue of WOW! WOMEN ON
WRITING. Also, the reviews for DEAD PAN are starting to filter in,
and so far, they’re all great!
Don’t forget to send in your own success stories!
