NJCWG Meeting Tonight

MEETING TONIGHT

Have you made your New Year's Resolution yet? If God has truly called you to write, why not make a commitment to improve your craft by attending NJCWG meetings regularly?

The first NJCWG meeting of 2006 - January 9, 2006

Ringwood Baptist Church
30 Carletondale Road
Ringwood, NJ 07456

6:15-7:00 - Chat Time
7:00-8:00 - Lesson
8:00-9:00 - Critiques

LESSON:
Fiction A-Z Tonight we'll continue Angela Hunt's lessons recorded at the Glorieta Christian Writers Conference (Oct 2005).

CRITIQUES:
We have a number of crituqes in the pot right now and pleased that so many are using this to better their work.
VISION HUNT by Mark L'Hommedieu
UNTIL THE END OF TIME by Conrad Ross
Chap 3 - Cono Giardullo & Catarina Gallo by Marilyn Gardullo

For more information, email Louise Bergmann DuMont, NJCWG Facilitator at:
njcwg.dumont@gmail.com

Writer's Digest Yearbook

The Writer's Digest YEARBOOK is out and it's PACKED with great information. You'll find it most of the larger books stores (Borders, Barnes & Nobel, etc.)in their magazine section.

Writer's Yearbook 2006 - $8.00

Here is just a taste of what you'll find inside.

CATCHING UP
2005: The Year in Review
By Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Martha Stewart rebounds, poker magazines fly off the shelves and celebrity news still sells. Heres a look back at the magazine world last year.

What Editors Wont Tell You (But We Will)
By Jenna Glatzer
Ever wonder what editors look for in a freelance writer? Here are 15 tips to help keep you on an editors good side.

Just the Facts, Maam
By Roxanne Hawn
Its not just important that you have your facts straightits essential. Heres how to breeze through fact-checking and keep your article accurate.

Using Trademarks
By Lisa Wurster
Hesitant to use brand names in your writing? Dont be. Heres what you need to know about the laws
surrounding trademarks.

Know Your Copyrights
By Howard G. Zaharoff
You dont need to be a legal expert to understand your rights. This breakdown explains all you need to know about copyright protection.

Free Money
By C. Hope Clark
Writing grants are out thereyou just have to know where to look. Let us point you in the right direction.

Weaving Your Web
By Robert W. Bly
These seven must-know strategies will help you create a well-developed, business-focused Web site.

WRITE BETTER
Keeping Your Ideas Fresh
By Craig Wilson
Open your eyes to the world around you to come up with fresh topics for a weekly column.

Writing in First Person
By Marnie Engel Hayutin
Dont haphazardly throw yourself into your article. Follow these tips to turn your first-person writing skills into an asset.

Dropping in Your Data
By David A. Fryxell
Learn how to weave facts into your writing without making it dry.

A Travelers Tale
By Jack Clemens
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Tony Horwitz combines humor and personal references with serious journalism to create riveting travel narratives.

GET PUBLISHED
101 Best Web Sites for Writers
By Robin M. Hampton
Get ready to bookmark these Web sites: Its our annual guide to the best online writing resources.

The Top 100 Markets for Magazine Writers
By Chuck Sambuchino
Weve examined thousands of publications and picked out an exclusive listing of magazines for freelancers to query.

Theres No Place Like Home
By Jenna Glatzer
Looking to break into national magazines? You can start by looking for human-interest stories where you live.

Lost in Cyberspace
By Brian Slemming
Dont let your electronic queries end up in an editors spam folder.
This writer explains how to get past e-mail filters.
PLUS: Lori Cossens tips on how to choose your best clips.

Mastering the Waiting Game
By Joy Lanzendorfer
Advice on maximizing your down time instead of fretting over that last submission.

Costly Mistakes
By Robert W. Bly
Feel like your freelance income is less than it should be? These 10 business mistakes may be the reason you arent earning what you should.

Five Tips for Getting Published
By Chelan David
These guidelines can help you break into the competitive field of freelance writing.

Writing Op - Creative Nonfiction

CREATIVE NONFICTION
Creative Nonfiction Foundation
5501 Walnut St.
Suite 202
Pittsburgh PA 15232
Phone: (412)688-0304
Fax: (412)683-9173
E-Mail: information@creativenonfiction.org
Website: www.creativenonfiction.org
Contact:
Lee Gutkind, editor

About CREATIVE NONFICTION:
Format: Magazine published 3 times/year covering nonfiction--personal essay, memoir, literary journalism. "Creative Nonfiction is the first journal to focus exclusively upon the genre of creative nonfiction. It publishes personal essay, memoir, and literary journalism on a broad range of subjects. Interviews with prominent writers and commentary about the genre also appear on its pages."

Freelance Facts:
100% freelance written
Established: 1993
Circulation: 4,000
Pays on publication
Publishes manuscript 1 year after acceptance.
Byline given. All rights. Editorial lead time 6 months.

Nonfiction: Accepts simultaneous submissions
Responds in 6 months to manuscripts.
Sample copy for $10.

Needs:
Essays
Interview/Profile
Personal Experience
narrative journalism
Does Not Want: No poetry, fiction.
Buys 30 manuscripts/year.
Submission method: Send complete manuscript
Length: 5,000 words maximum.
Pays $10/page--more if grant money available.
Does not pay the expenses of writers on assignment.

Tips: "Points to remember when submitting to Creative Nonfiction: strong reportage; well-written prose, attentive to language, rich with detail and distinctive voice; an informational quality or 'teaching element'; a compelling, focused, sustained narrative that's well-structured and conveys meaning. Manuscripts will not be accepted via fax or e-mail."

Writing Op - Koehler

KOEHLER COMPANIES, INC.
8758 Woodcliff Rd.
Bloomington MN 55438
Phone: (952)942-5666
Fax: (952)942-5208
E-Mail: bob@koehlercompanies.com
Website: www.koehlercompanies.com
Contact: Bob Koehler.

About KOEHLER COMPANIES, INC.:
"We manufacture a decorative plaque line that utilizes verse and art. We are not a greeting card company. We combine art and message to create a product that a consumer will like enough to want to look at for a year or longer."

KEY TO THIS MARKET: "Topics that works best includes: golf, fishing, pets, and other passions; verse that speaks to women, sisters, mom, family; words to inspire without getting preachy; humorous verse for men. See website for examples of our work."

Freelance Facts:
Established: 1988
65% of material freelance written.
Receives 100 submissions/year.
Bought 25 ideas/samples last year.

SUBMISSIONS:
Responds in 1 month.
Pays on acceptance.

Needs:
Humorous
Inspirational

"We pay $125/selected verse and limit the use to our products so that writers may resell their work for other uses."

OTHER PRODUCT LINES: Decorative wall plaques.

TIPS: "We sell wholesale to the retail market and the mail order catalog industry as well. Lengthy verse is sometimes challenging. Usually under 6 lines is best. We prefer to have work submitted by e-mail or mail."

Market News

New Amazon program seeks to connect authors and their fans
Launched last month, Amazon Connect started offering authors their own blogs and extended personal profile pages on the company's online bookstore site to help enhance connections between authors and their fans. So far, Amazon has recruited a group of about a dozen authors. "The program gives people who are interested in a particular author a way to get new insights into them, and gives the authors a way to develop more of a one-on-one relationship with readers." Source: nytimes.com

Cricket Magazine Group office move
"The offices of the 'bug' magazines are moving from Peru, IL, to Chicago as of January, and existing staff were given the choice of moving or leaving. So far, I understand that those who leaving the staff include Executive Editor Deborah Vetter, Executive Editor Paula Morrow, Senior Art Director Ron McCutchan, and Associate Editor Heather Delabre." Cricket, Ladybug, Babybug, Spider, and Cicada will continue to be published without interruption. Source: underdown.org

Online Catholics editorial changes
Penny Edman has been named editor of the independent weekly Online Catholics. Source: cathnews.com

Forbes circulation incorrect
"A report from Audit Bureau of Circulations, released just as the media world went into its annual Christmastime hibernation, found that Forbes incorrectly classified some circulation as paid and missed delivering the circulation it guarantees advertisers." Source: businessweek.com

U.S. postage rates increase in 2006
Effective January 8th, the single-piece rate for First-Class Mail will increase from 37 cents to 39 cents, and the postcard rate will increase by one cent to 24 cents. For other rate changes, see USPS.com.

PC Magazine editorial changes
Jim Louderback has been promoted to editor-in-chief of PC Magazine and editorial director of Consumer Technology Group. Source: mediabistro.com

Ringwood Prose & Poetry Contest

Ringwood Public Library
32nd Annual
Prose and Poetry Contest
Each student may submit 1 or 2 entries:
1 Prose (essay or short story)
1 Poem
on 8 1/2 x 11" paper with your choice of theme.
All entries must be the student's original work.

Contest open to:
* Ringwood elementary school students
* Lakeland Reg. High School students
* Ringwood high school and college students

Essays and short stories may be no longer than 500 words; poems no longer then 24 lines.
A completed entry form (available at the schools and library) must be attached to each entry.
All entries become the property of Ringwood Public Library and will not be returned.
All entries must be received by February 28, 2006.

Winners will be notified by mail in April. The awards ceremony will be held in May.

Phone: (973) 962-6256
Web: palsplus.org/rpl/

2006 Christian Market Guide

2006 Christian Writers’ Market Guide, by Sally E. Stuart

Special Message for NJCWG Members
My standing order of 10 copies of Sally Stuart's Christian Market Guide just arrived. NJCWG members can get copies at my special price - $21.00 (Retail $33.50) -- but hurry, once they are gone I can't get more for this same price. They will be distributed on a first come first serve basis to NJCWG members who contact me. If you would like to hold a copy of this book for yourself, email me at njcwg.dumont@gmail.com as soon as possible.

If you are new to writing, I urge you to consider purchasing this book. Not only does it contain nearly every publising possibility but Sally has classes, resources, groups and things you
can't find anywhere else.

If you are already published, I don't need to tell you what a great book this is and how important it is to get the latest version. AND I'm sure you won't find a better price.

Sally Stuart's Christian Market Guide is a comprehensive guide—the only one specifically for the Christian/religious market—contains 354 book publishers (40 new), 711 periodical publishers (83 new), and 131 gift and specialty markets (17 new). Its topical listings will tell you exactly who is in the market for your topic or type of material. Add to that the listings of agents, groups, conferences, editorial services, distributors, contests, 300 new resources for writers, and market analysis and you have an indispensable guide recommended by many Christian publishers in their rejection letters.
Retail $33.50

A Great Writer's Resource

The Writing Life by Terry Whalin

If you haven't already checked out this website (http://terrywhalin.blogspot.com/), you should. Terry Whalin has written more than 60 nonfiction books plus published in more than 50 magazines. He is the fiction acquisitions editor at Howard Publishing and Terry encourages writers (beginners to pros) at Right-Writing.Com. To help people pursue their own dreams of a published book, Terry has written Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success.

His website recently posted a wonderful article on PyroMarketing - a marketing plan that will set the world on fire!

Writing Op - Five Stones

THE FIVE STONES
Newsletter for Small Churches
The American Baptist Churches--USA
155 Brown St.
Providence RI 02906
Phone: Phone/Fax: (401)861-9405
E-Mail: pappas@tabcom.org
Contact:
Anthony G. Pappas, editor
About THE FIVE STONES:
Magazine covering congregational dynamics in smaller churches.
Frequency: Quarterly
"The Five Stones is a resource for leaders in smaller congregations. Target audience: pastors, lay leaders, denominational officers."

FREELANCE FACTS:
50% freelance written
Established: 1980
Circulation: 500
Pays on publication
Publishes manuscript 1 year after acceptance.
Byline given.
Not copyrighted.
One-time rights
Editorial lead time 6 months.
Submit seasonal material
Accepts queries by: Mail, E-mail, Fax, Phone
Accepts simultaneous submissions
Accepts previously published submissions
Responds in 6 weeks to queries.
Responds in 6 months to manuscripts.
Sample copy and writer's guidelines for 6 months in advance.

NONFICTION
"Articles must be specific to small church-related issues."
Needs:
Book excerpts, Essays, Historical, How-To, Humor, Inspirational, Interview/Profile, Personal Experience, Religious
Buys 8-12 manuscripts/year.
Submission method: Send complete manuscript
Length: 500–3,000 words.
Pays $10.
Does not pay the expenses of writers on assignment.
Reprints:
Accepts previously published submissions.

PHOTOS:
State availability of photos with submission.
Reviews:
GIF/JPEG files
Photos Require:
Identification of subjects
Buys one-time rights
Offers no additional payment for photos accepted with ms.

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS:
Columns open to freelancers: Small Town; Urban; Stewardship; Evangelism; Mission; Church Life; Reources; Humor (all first-person), all 500-2,500 words.
Buys 20 columns/year.
Submission method: Send complete manuscript
Pays: $10 minimum for columns.

FICTION:
Needs: Ethnic (general), Historical (religion), Humorous, Religious, Slice-of-life Vignettes,
Buys 4 manuscripts/year.
Submission method: Send complete manuscript
Length: 300–3,000 words.
Pays $5 (maximum), and 2 contributor's copies.

TIPS: "First-person experiences. Focus on current issues of congregational life. Submit stories of positive events or learnings from negative ones."

Thought to Ponder

An Anecdote from Author, Lynn Vincent

~~~~~

Earlier this month, while attending our son's year-end football banquet, I was inspired by Andy Sullivan, a high school junior. Andy plays linebacker for the Horizon High School Panthers. His coaches selected him for a strength-training award, and his teammates voted him Defensive Player of the Year and overall Most Valuable Player. One of the coaches, when presenting Andy with his defensive award, said this: "Andy hates the weight room and he hates to run, but he loves to play football, so he is faithful to do the other two."

The implication was that Andy knows it's not good enough to love what you do, you have to work at it if you want to be any good -- and working at it often involves doing things you hate. When I heard that, I started to wonder: "What things do I hate to do, but if I were faithful to do them anyway, would make me a better writer? An MVP writer?"

~~~~~

So that's the question: What things do you hate to do? If you were faithful to follow through on these, would you become a better writer? Would it lift you to the level of an MVP writer?

First Line Contest

Here is an other great contest. FirstLine.com has been around since the 1990's so this is not a fly-by-night group. They provide the first line, you provide the story. It doesn't pay as well as the previous contest I posted (where you got the first chapter, then wrote the next one), but it takes less time and to do this one. I also understand that as of 2006, they will be paying out more money. You also have the opportunity to be published in one of their anthologies. Check this out: http://www.thefirstline.com/

Contest

Have you always wanted to write a book? This may be yor chance. All the details for this contest are at: http://mustardweb.com/mystery/

Official Rules and Guidelines – 2005-06 Mustard Mystery Contest

The Contest. The 2005-06 Mustard Mystery Contest is a writing contest. Chapter One of Murder at the Mustard Museum is complete and appears in the 2005-06 catalog of the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum and on this web site.. Contestants will write their best Chapter 2 and a summary of how the story turns out for the opportunity to win the Grand Prize of $5,000.

Who can enter? The 2005-06 Mustard Mystery Contest, is open to all writers and aspiring writers, with the exception of employees of the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum, sponsors of the Mustard Museum or of this contest, as listed below. Entrants under the age of 18 may must have the written consent of a parent or legal guardian. Only one entry per person. There is no entry fee. No purchase of mustard or products from the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum is necessary.

Collaborative efforts are welcome but only one prize for a winning entry will be awarded.

Judging criteria. Judging will be on the basis of literary merit and the creative use of mustard in the story line. Photographs, drawings, or any other illustrations should not be sent and will not be considered.

Contest “divisions” and prizes. This contest has two divisions or categories. Anyone may enter in the “open” category; the grand prize for the “open” category is $5,000. Writers and aspiring writers who are enrolled in any private or public high school as of November 1, 2005, may also enter their work in the “Young Writers” division; the grand prize for this category is $250. If the overall Grand Prize ($5,000) is awarded to a person in the Young Writers category, only the $5,000 prize is awarded.

Additional prizes for the top ten finishers in each division be awarded and will be posted on this site.

The winners will be announced on National Mustard Day (August 5), 2006, at Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, and will be posted on the contest web site and on the Mustard Museum web site, www.mustardmuseum.com as well as on this site.

Acceptance of entries and deadlines. Entries must be typewritten, double-spaced, page numbered and stapled. Handwritten entries, no matter how brilliant they may be, will not be considered. Neither will email or digital (e.g. CD-ROM) entries be accepted. The entrant’s name should appear only on the entry form (click here) and not on any pages of manuscripts. Remember each entry will consist of two writings – a completed Chapter Two (not to exceed 2,500 words) and a summary of how the mystery turns out (not to exceed 800 words). Contestants must provide three copies of their writing entries (the Chapter Two and the summary)

Entries must be in English.

Entries should be postmarked no later than May 15, 2006 and sent to

Mustard Mystery Contest
Mount Horeb Mustard Museum
P.O. Box 468
Mount Horeb, WI 53572

The word limit for the chapter submitted is 2,500 words. The word limit for the summary is 800 words.

Entries will not be returned. We will not send you comments, feedback, or judges’ reactions.

Taxes. Winners are solely responsible for any taxes that may have to be paid as a result of prizes awarded.

Use of entries. Entries become the property of the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum. The winning entry will become the basis for a finished novel to be published by the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum.

Post-Contest Collaboration option. At the conclusion of the contest, after the winning entry has been selected and announced, the Curator of the Mustard Museum may ask the winner to collaborate in the writing of the finished mystery; in that case, the winner shall then receive, in addition to the $5,000 Grand Prize, seven per cent (7%) of the net sales of the finished mystery novel, calculated on the bases of retail sales at the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum and any wholesale sales through the Mustard Museum. The Curator is not required to seek the winner’s participation in finishing the mystery; if the Curator does not request post-contest collaboration or if such collaboration does not result in a finished book, the winner releases the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum and Barry Levenson from any future financial claims that may arise in connection with the book.

Writing Op - LIVE

LIVE
A Weekly Journal of Practical Christian Living
Gospel Publishing House
1445 N. Boonville Ave.
Springfield MO 65802-1894 Phone: (417)862-2781
Fax: (417)862-6059
E-Mail: rl-live@gph.org
Website: www.radiantlife.org This market entry
Contact:
Paul W. Smith, senior editor, adult resources
About LIVE:
Magazine for weekly distribution covering practical Christian living.
Frequency: Weekly
"LIVE is a take-home paper distributed weekly in young adult and adult Sunday school classes. We seek to encourage Christians in living for God through fiction and true stories which apply Biblical principles to everyday problems."

Key To This Market: Break in with "true stories that demonstrate how the principles in the Bible work in everyday circumstances as well as crises."

Freelance Facts:
100% freelance written
Established: 1928
Circulation: 70,000
Pays on acceptance
Publishes manuscript 18 months after acceptance.
Byline given.
Rights purchased: First rights, Second serial (reprint) rights
Editorial lead time 12 months.
Submit seasonal material 18 months in advance.

Accepts queries by: Mail, E-mail, Fax
Accepts simultaneous submissions
Responds in 2 weeks to queries.
Responds in 6 weeks to manuscripts.
Sample copy for #10 SASE.
Writer's guidelines for #10 SASE.

NONFICTION
Needs: Inspirational, Religious
Does Not Want: No preachy articles or stories that refer to religious myths (e.g., Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, etc.)
Buys 50-100 manuscripts/year.
Submission method: Send complete manuscript
Length: 400–1,200 words.
Pays 7-10¢/word.
Does not pay the expenses of writers on assignment.
Reprints:
Accepts previously published submissions.
Send tearsheet, photocopy or typed manuscript
Include:
Rights for sale
Information about when and where the material previously appeared
Pays 7¢/word.

PHOTOS
Send photos with submission.
Reviews:
35mm transparencies and 3 x 4 prints or larger
Photos Require:
Identification of subjects
Buys one-time rights
Offers $35-60/photo.

FICTION
Contact: Paul W. Smith, editor
Needs:
Religious
inspirational, prose poem
Does Not Want: No preachy fiction, fiction about Bible characters, or stories that refer to religious myths (e.g., Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, etc.). No science or Bible fiction. No controversial stories about such subjects as feminism, war or capital punishment.
Buys 20-50 manuscripts/year.
Submission method: Send complete manuscript
Length: 800–1,200 words.
Pays 7-10¢/word.

POETRY
Needs: Free Verse, Haiku, Light Verse, Traditional
Buys 15-24 poems/year.
Submit maximum 3 poems.
Length: 12–25 lines.
Pays: $35–60.

FILLERS
Needs: Anecdotes, Short Humor
Buys 12-36 fillers/year.
Length: 300–600 words.
Pays: 7-10¢/word.

TIPS: "Don't moralize or be preachy. Provide human interest articles with Biblical life application. Stories should consist of action, not just thought-life; interaction, not just insight. Heroes and heroines should rise above failures, take risks for God, prove that scriptural principles meet their needs. Conflict and suspense should increase to a climax! Avoid pious conclusions. Characters should be interesting, believable, and realistic. Avoid stereotypes. Characters should be active, not just pawns to move the plot along. They should confront conflict and change in believable ways. Describe the character's looks and reveal his personality through his actions to such an extent that the reader feels he has met that person. Readers should care about the character enough to finish the story. Feature racial, ethnic, and regional characters in rural and urban settings."

Writing Op: Cobblestone Magazines

DISCOVER AMERICAN HISTORY
Cobblestone Publishing
30 Grove St.
Suite C
Peterborough NH 03458
Fax: (603)924-7380
Website: www.cobblestonepub.com
Contact:
Meg Chorlian, editor

ABOUT COBBLESTONE:
Magazine (September-May) covering American history for children ages 8-14.
Frequency: Monthly
Prefers to work with published/established writers. "Each issue presents a particular theme, making it exciting as well as informative. Half of all subscriptions are for schools." All material must relate to monthly theme.
Editor's Note: No unsolicited manuscripts.
Established: 1979
Circulation: 30,000
Pays on publication
Publishes manuscript 4 months after acceptance.
Byline given.
Offers 50% kill fee.
All rights
Editorial lead time 8 months.
Accepts queries by: Mail & Fax
Does not accept simultaneous submissions
Sample copy for $4.95 and 71/2x101/2 SAE with 4 first-class stamps.
Writer's guidelines for #10 SASE and 1 first-class stamp or on website.

NONFICTION:
"Request a copy of the writer's guidelines to find out specific issue themes in upcoming months."
Needs: Historical, Interview/Profile, Personal Experience, plays, biography, recipes, activities
Does Not Want: No material that editorializes rather than reports.
Buys 80 manuscripts/year.
Submission method: Query by mail with published clips, outline, and bibliography
Length: Feature articles 600-800 words; supplemental nonfiction 300-500 words
Pays 20-25¢/printed word.
Does not pay the expenses of writers on assignment.

PHOTOS:
Photos must relate to theme.
State availability of photos with submission.
Reviews: Contact sheets, Transparencies, Prints
Photos Require: Captions, Identification of subjects
Buys one-time rights
Offers $15-50 for nonprofessional quality, up to $100 for professional quality.

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS:
Columns open to freelancers: Puzzles and Games (no word finds); crosswords and other word puzzles using the vocabulary of the issue's theme.

FICTION:
Contact: Meg Chorlian, editor
Needs: Adventure, Ethnic, Historical, biographical fiction relating to theme. Has to be very strong and accurate.
Buys 5 manuscripts/year.
Submission method: Query with published clips
Length: 500–800 words.
Pays 20-25¢/word

POETRY:
Must relate to theme.
Needs: Free Verse, Light Verse, Traditional
Buys 3 poems/year.
Length: Up to 50 lines

TIPS:
"Review theme lists and past issues of magazine to see what we look for."

Writers Digest : The Year in Review

2005: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

In Writer’s Yearbook 2006, a special publication from the editors of WD, WritersMarket.com columnist Debbie Ridpath Ohi takes a look at what—and who—made magazine headlines (both online and in print) in 2005.

Find out what was hot, and what’s in store for 2006, in Writer’s Yearbook 2006, available in the WD Bookstore: Writer’s Yearbook 2006

Quotable Quote

Bestselling Author, Seth Godin

You do not equal the project. Criticism of the project is not criticism of you.
~ Seth Godin

Quotable Quotes

William Strunk Jr

Katherine Anne Porter

Erasmus

"“Every writer, by the way he uses the language, reveals something of his spirit, his habits, his capacities, his bias….Avoid the elaborate, the pretentious, the coy, and the cute. Do not be tempted by a twenty-dollar word when there is a ten-center handy, ready and able.”
~William Strunk, Jr./ E.B. White

"Writing is a craft. You have to take your apprenticeship in it like anything else."
~Katherine Anne Porter

The desire to write grows with writing.
--Erasmus

Narnia Movie boots Christian Store Sales

NARNIA BEATS OTHERS AT BOX OFFICE, BOOSTS CHRISTIAN STORE SALES.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe dominated the box office this weekend with $67.1 million domestically, the second highest December opening of all time, behind The Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King, which debuted with $72.6 million in 2003. Sales at Christian stores “have taken a dramatic increase, multiple times,” because of the movie’s release, Doug Lockhart, Zondervan president-CEO, told the Assoc. Press. EMI CMG releases Walt Disney Records’ original and special edition Narnia soundtracks tomorrow.

2006 Conferences

This is not a complete list but it will give you an idea of some good conferences available to you in the coming year.

Click on Conference Name for Conference or Contact Information.

Writing for the Soul Conference, (Christian Writers Guild), February 16-19, 2006. Colorado Springs, CO
Oregon Christian Writers One-Day Conference, February 18, 2006. Corban College, Salem OR.
Writer's Weekend at the Beach, Ocean Park Methodist Retreat Center & Camp, Ocean Park WA.. February 24-26, 2006.
Florida Christian Writers Conference, Christian Retreat Conference Center, Bradenton, FL. March 2-5, 2006
The 2006 Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, April 7-11, 2006, Mt. Hermon, CA. (near San Jose)
Susquehanna Valley Writers Workshop, April 8, 2006, Selinsgrove PA
Delaware Christian Writers Conference, April 20-22, 2006. University of Delaware, Newark DE The 2006 ASJA Writers Conference, Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York, NY. April 28-30, 2006.
Orange County Christian Writers Fellowship Spring Writers Day, Mariners Church, Irvine, CA. April 29, 2006
Evangelical Press Association Convention, May 7-10, 2006, Orlando, FL
NJCWG A Reason to Write Conference - with Special Guest Cecil Murphey, Ringwood, New Jersey -- May 13, 2006
The Colorado Christian Writers Conference, May 17-20, 2006. Estes Park, CO.
Oregon Christian Writers One-day Conference, May, 20, 2006, Northwest Christian College, Eugene, OR.
2006 Blue Ridge Writer's Conference, May 21-26, 2006. Ridgecrest, NC. (near Asheville)
Write-to-Publish Conference, June 7-10, 2006, Wheaton, IL
Write! Canada, Guelph, Ontario. June 15-17, 2006
Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference, July 31-Aug 3, 2005. Canby Cove Conference Center, Canby, OR
Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference, Date to be determined (usually August), Philadelphia. PA.
5th Annual American Christian Writers Conference, September 21-24, 2006. Dallas, TX.
Sandy Cove Christian Writers' Conference & Retreat: October 1-5, 2006, North East, MD.
The 2006 Glorieta Christian Writers Conference, October 11-15, 2006. Glorieta, NM. The NJCWG's, Louise Bergmann DuMont will be teach two classes at this conference.

New Postal Rates

Here is a heads-up for those of you sending out queries and manuscripts. On January 8, 2006, the U.S. Postal Serive is raising its key rates. The price of First Class postage will go to 39¢ for the irst ounce and to 24¢ for each addtional ounce and for postcards. Priority Mail will go to $4.05 for up to one pound. No change in Media Mail rates have been announced at this time.