Next NJCWG Meeting

Next Meeting of the NJCWG
Monday, June 12, 2006
6:15-7:00 - Chat Time
7:00-8:00 - Lesson
8:00 - 9:00 - Critiques

Hope to see you there!

Today - Book Signing - Don Smith

NJCWG member, Don Smith, wrote a book called "Hawthorne" as part of the Arcadia Publishing's series "Images of America."

Don will be at Bennett Books at 2 p.m. today, Saturday, June 10, in Wyckoff for his first booksigning.

Bennett Books is located at:

303 Franklin Ave.
Wyckoff, NJ 07481
Tel: 201-891-8444
You can visit them at their web site at: http://www.bennettbks.com

Writing Op - Focus On The Family

Just got this email from an editor at Focus on the Family. As always, do not contact me if you are interested in this market.

~~~~~~~

Focus on the Family would like to offer paying and non-paying writing opportunities for our outreach Web site, www.Troubledwith.com.

We need articles on parenting teens, parenting children, blended families, media influence, sex before marriage, physical and verbal abuse, homosexuality, and also for many other topics.

For paying articles, compensation ranges from .25 to .35/word, depending upon content type. Articles range from 600-1000 words.

If any of your writers are interested, please have them contact me for more information and visit www.troubledwith.com to learn more about the website.

Writers who are interested will need to submit two clips before they are considered for an assignment.

I can be reached at shana.schutte@fotf.org

Thank you so much! I look forward to answering any questions!

Shana Schutte
Editor
Focus on the Family
shana.schutte@fotf.org

New Book Project !!!

Strike up the band...
Get ready with a drum roll please...

I just got a VERY enthusiastic go ahead from my agent (Janet Kobobel Grant) regarding my next book project! I've been looking at this and that, while my emotions ran to and fro. Then I asked myself some serious questions.

Does God still want me to write?
If so, why am I NOT writing?
If He does want me to write, WHAT does he want me to write?
I want to write fiction, but does HE want me to write fiction?

I prayed fervently and found that God did want me to write -- so the question became, "What is my next project?"

Every good book starts with a need. Fill a need and you've got a book that will sell. Sometime that need is information, or it may be a need for entertainment. Whatever that need is, fill it and you've got your reader's attention.

Did I mention that my youngest is starting to look at engagement rings? This couple is very different from my oldest and his wife so it made me wonder what would be in store for us, wedding-wise, this time around. I searched the library for books on weddings. Low and behold - NO books for guys who are getting married. NO books for the mother of the groom. Not even any books for brides who want to know what their guys are thinking about the wedding.

Lighening struck. Well, duh. How about I write a book for brides and grooms -- from a guy's perspective! Hey, I've got great access to three young men in various stages of wedded or pre-wedded bliss. I also have a not-so-young fellow with over 30 years of wedded bliss (???) under his belt. This was it. I had a book.

This afternoon during my lunch hour I pitched the idea to my agent. She was THRILLED! Not only does she feel this will be a good seller, she did some quick research and found both a need and a vacumn of books in this arena. She already has a few publishers she thinks will be seriously interested and she wants my "blurb" right away!

Whopee!

If you have a title that springs to mind, feel free to send it to me. Right now I have two possibilities but neither is quite right. I'm open to any new possibilities. It should indicate a level of humor that will be a part of the book, it should attract a woman to purchase the book, and should indicate that this book is from the male perspective. Since the book is technically nonfiction, it would be good to have both a title and subtile. Send any ideas to me at: njcwg.dumont@gmail.com

Keep me in prayer. This is going to be a roller coaster ride. The good news is that this time around I know where most of the loops and dips are.


Next meeting of the NJCWG - June 12!

Louise Bergmann DuMont

Unsavory Agents and Literary Agencies

Those of you who know me know that I've said this before, but I really MUST say it again. If you are looking for an agent or literary agency to represent your work -- BE CAREFUL! Once again, a writing colleague I know got taken for thousands of dollars and his manuscript will sit on shelf for years until all the legal battles are fought. Why? He was so eager to get an agent he jumped on the first band wagon that came along. I knew his manuscript wasn't ready yet, I think that he knew it too -- but he wanted to be published, and he wanted it NOW.

It is always best to wait, Wait, WAIT for a respectable agent to pick up your manuscript (which may mean reworking it dozens and dozens of times before it is ready). If you sign with the first person to show some interest in your work, you may find yourself with an unsavory agent who smooth talks you out of your money -- and your reputation.

PLEASE check the following website if you are considering agents. And remember, a person saying that they are a Christian doesn't make them one any more than a person sitting in a garage makes them an automobile.

http://20worstagents.com/

Writing Contest

News: Announcing the First Ever Writing Show Contest

The Writing Show is proud to announce their first ever writing contest.

They are looking for the best first chapter of a novel. That’s all you have to do—just the first chapter. Set up your story and hook them!

For details go to: http://writingshow.com/?p=128

Ground Floor Writing Op

Have you ever wanted to get in on the ground-floor of one of God's grand plans? This may just be your chance.

Here is a (l-o-n-g) letter from a writing colleage that I am posting in its entirety. Please take the time to read every word. Then pray about who God wants you to act on this special opportunity.
In Him, Louise

~~~~~
June 1, 2006

Hi, Fellow Christian Writers

I have some exciting news to share with you which may present opportunities for many of you to serve the Lord in new ways with your writing and other artistic gifts, as I am now doing.

But first, a little introduction:

My name is Steve McLean. I have been serving the Lord as a writer, editor, graphic designer, proofreader, and a songwriter, in various ways since 1978, when I first took on the volunteer work of Editor in Chief for a Christian church newsletter named Grace Notes, which was the newsletter of the church group I belonged to at the time, Grace Fellowship Church, in Mansfield, Ohio. Since then, I’ve written for, edited, and designed several other church newsletters, which the Lord used to “whet my appetite/interest” in writing, editing and designing, preparing me for “bigger and better” plans He had for using the artistic gifts He’s given me through the Holy Spirit.

I’ve been living in Ashland, Ohio since 1995, and in 2001 I became aware there was a Christian writers group here named the Ashland Area Christian Writers Guild. I decided to begin attending this group and in short order became a member and one of its leaders as Editor in Chief for the group’s newsletter publication, Reflections, which I’ve greatly enjoyed putting together with the help of many of the other writers in our group who contributed articles, devotions, poetry, humor columns, writing news items, book reviews, etc. Our writers group had to change its structure and format at the end of 2005, as our Director and group mentor, April Boyer, needed to step down as our leader, and no one has come forward yet to help us as Director/leader and re-establish the meeting structure we had, but our group still has meetings from time to time as individual writers are able to offer their homes for such meetings and others are able to attend. And we keep in touch by phone and e-mail. April has been helping with this, too, by doing a special Bible study series by e-mail with the group, and maintaining her own website where members can contribute writings, tidbits, and advertise their books and CDs.

I came to know your leader, Louise DuMont, through our leader, April Boyer, who had established a relationship with Louise as a fellow Christian writer. At our writing group’s last official meeting with April as leader, she brought some free books in a box from which we could all choose to take what we wanted home with us. After everyone else had made their selections, I took home with me what was left so that April wouldn’t have to worry about carting home any more materials than necessary from what she usually brought and carried home from each meeting. One of the leftover books, I was delighted to discover, was Louise’s Grace by the Cup: A Break from the Daily Grind! I loved reading every one of the devotions in it, and, certain it would be a blessing to Christian friends and relatives as well, I sought to order some copies for Christmas from a nearby local bookstore, but they found Louise’s book was out of print. And so, I decided to try to order the copies I wanted directly from Louise by contacting her through the web address given in her book. Happily, we made quick contact, and she said she had a box full of extra copies she kept to sell through the mail. So I purchased three “personally autographed copies” and she sent them in time for “the Christmas rush.” Everyone I gave a copy to was as thrilled and blessed by Grace by the Cup as I was!

And since then I’ve written back to Louise from time to time to share how this book and its follow-up, Faith-Dipped Chocolate, have blessed me and others as I’ve shared the “essence” of many of Louise’s coffee-and/or-chocolate-flavored devotions with them.

Now, let’s move on to the “exciting news” I mentioned at the beginning of this letter:

I have become the new Editor in Chief for the publication division of a ministry group based in India named the Christian Communication Centre. I will be running their publication division in India from my home base of Ashland, Ohio, and also establishing a branch of this publication division here in the United States in Ashland, with help and contributions, from writers and other artistic personnel, throughout the United States. Everything is in the fledgling stages at the moment, with only a few other staff/team members “on staff” to help so far. The name of our publication division is Christian Communication Centre Publications.

The Lord spoke to my heart through the Holy Spirit and revealed the following goals as His will, plan and purpose for Christian Communication Centre Publications: to create, produce, publish and distribute Christ-centered magazines, books, newsletters, and other types of publications that help Him to build up the Body of Christ and that reach out to unbelievers by example with His love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and the message of salvation through Christ.

There is much work to do to get things started and progressing to the point where we are actually creating, producing, publishing and distributing all of the various magazines, books, newsletters, etc. in India and the United States. We will need lots of help from those whom the Lord would speak to through the Holy Spirit to join me in this work, serving with me as a staff/team member doing the various jobs publication writers, editors, designers, photographers, assistants, secretaries, business managers, production personnel, etc., do in the process of putting together any new publication.

Many of you may have more initial experience than I do in some of these jobs, which is exactly why I need your particular help. I have never worked on a magazine or book production team before, except as an “outsourced” proofreader for the Christian business magazine Business Reform, which has been created and produced in Ashland for several years. Even so, I have enjoyed observing how magazine and book production teams have worked together to create so many unique publications over the years. I’m always checking out the new issues of magazines in the book racks, “design browsing” as I call it, and noting how others work together to bring the public such a wide variety of eye-catching and interesting magazines.

As an Editor in Chief, I have managed others in their work, but I do not yet have all of the business savvy of a Business Manager, so this is one of the areas where I need to have others handle whatever business management work that needs to be done for Christian Communication Centre Publications, and to teach me the best ways to “business manage” the work the Lord’s given us to do. A lot of this new work will be “on the job training” for me, and perhaps, for many of you, but we have the encouragement, inspiration, and guidance of the Lord through the Holy Spirit to help us to achieve all that God has given us to do for Him.

One of the first tasks I have been doing as Editor in Chief is to start getting the word out about Christian Communication Centre Publications, what it is, and what our needs are. In the same way that I am sharing with you, I’ll be sharing with other writers groups, church groups, and in person or by letter with others the Lord leads me to whom He might have been or is preparing to become a part of our publication staff/team in the United States. In India, I have recently been given someone to work with me there as an Editor/Secretary/Translator who will follow my instructions and help me to get the word out there about our work and its needs.

One immediate need is the need for money to run Christian Communication Centre Publications and pay me and our staff/team in both India and the United States for our work. The Christian Communication Centre in India is a non-profit ministry group as a whole, but our Christian Communication Centre Publications will need to function as a profit-making publishing business ministry, just as any other Christian publication business ministry does. We are not set up this way at the moment, and even when we are, we will have to do things from this perspective: we are not to take out loans or go into any degree of debt to pay for anything. I’ve been given a mandate and commandment about this from our Creator through the Holy Spirit. God wants us to be debt-free from start to finish. To trust Him to provide for our financial needs. So, how exactly do we obey Him and do things this way as He commands? Eventually, when we are fully functioning as a business type of ministry, we will be receiving money to operate on through our magazine subscriptions, book orders, and over-the-counter sales, but until then, how does the Lord want us to raise the money every publication company needs? I can think of only three ways myself: 1) fundraising events 2) donations and/or tithes or portions of tithes being given to our work 3) and interesting Christian investors in investing in our work. If any of you know of some other ways, or the Holy Spirit shows you some other ways, please let me know.

Another need we have is for publication offices and professional printing equipment to print magazines and books. Since I live in Ashland, Ohio, and am not able to relocate right now, it makes sense to find offices to rent or purchase that are located in Ashland, since I also do not have a car of my own and do not drive, but use the Ashland Transit system to get around town. Using my home as a staffed office would be impractical because I live in a one-bedroom apartment right now. Some day I hope to live in my own house, but for now I can only do certain types of editing, writing and designing, etc., work “at home” on my computer. So having a publication office and office furniture and equipment for me and my local staff to use is going to be one of the next things that we need to work on getting. Now, in India the Christian Communication Centre has various office buildings they use for their work, but they, too, have yet to be able to do any publishing of books and magazines with new, professional printing equipment. We’re planning on publishing a newsletter titled Christ-Centered before we publish magazines and books, and this newsletter can be put together via a computer design program, such as my Microsoft Publisher 2003 design program, and pages printed out on computer printers, such as my All-in-One printer, to be collated and stapled and distributed, but this will, of course, also require money to pay for printing supplies and postal costs. So, “money, money, money,” is going to be one of our first and continuing concerns for a while. But, let’s set this aside for now, and let me tell you more about the actual work we’ll be doing.

We’ll be creating magazines, books, and other publications that are patterned after the style and excellence of the magazines and books of Reiman Publications, such as Reminisce, Country, Birds and Blooms, Taste of Home, and Country Discoveries, which have been favorites of mine for a long time, and a great inspiration from the Lord to me as the way to do publications that give others an opportunity to be involved as “reader writers.” We will be creating publications like these in the way that they are, basically, “reader/subscriber written” and are ad-free magazines. Certain magazines and books we publish may, by their nature, need to be more staff written than “reader/subscriber written,” but, most of our publications will feature this format. What will make us stand out and be unique, apart from our own designs for covers and inside pages, will be our Christian worldview way of sharing about our lives and about all of the other subjects our staff and reader/ subscribers write about. By design, Reiman Publications’ magazines and books limit the amount of content that is written clearly by its Christian readers that mentions God and their faith, seeking to be able to include short memories and/or article-size memories by anyone of any faith that are on all kinds of topics relating to life.

We will be creating magazines that are clearly Christian written that feature many topics that are directly related to being a Christian, as well as, other topics that are general topics of life that take on a new meaning when viewed from the perspective of dealing with them as “new creatures in Christ” filled with the Holy Spirit who exhibit “the fruit of the Spirit” in their daily walk with God. When the Lord first spoke to my heart, mind and spirit through the Holy Spirit and confirmed His desire for me to become Editor in Chief of Christian Communication Centre Publications, He tapped into my creative side and that week inspired the gifts He’s given me for creating interesting titles and ideas for magazines, books, articles, designs, etc., and I found myself enjoying thinking about and coming up with the titles and ideas for the following magazines that we will be doing as soon as we are able to fully create and do them:

First of all, we will create together a magazine titled Living in the Grace of God. It will be a combination of the types of content that is found in Reminisce, Country, and Birds and Blooms. Some of the content that will become a regular feature of Living in the Grace of God we will preview in our Christ-Centered newsletter. In the attached copy of my “design model” for Christ-Centered you will find these preview sections: “Greeting Places”, “Fruit of the Spirit”, “Designed by God”, “Laugh Lines”, and “Fellowship Diaries.” I’ve written a short description of what each of these sections will feature on their page design. As with some of the Reiman Publications magazines, the demand for more of the content of certain sections featured in our magazines may require and/or inspire us to create a new magazine that gives the readers what they asked for. In particular, I think we might soon create separate magazines titled Fruit of the Spirit and Designed by God. Each of these topics is rich in possibilities for staff and reader-written content. Fruit of the Spirit could feature sections about a facet of each of the nine fruits listed in Galatians 5: 22, with appropriate photographs or artwork that compliment its “fruity” section. We could even feature short reader fiction based on the fruit featured in a particular section of the magazine. Designed by God lends itself to anything and everything that exists in God’s Creation, so we would never run out of fascinating topics to explore and share from the knowledge that those creations were created by God, not “nature” or “Mother Nature” as is often referred to in magazines that don’t want to offend or lose readers who may not believe in God. We believe it’s more important to speak the truth in love for the readers’ sake than be concerned about offending or losing readers who mistakenly believe something other than the truth about God’s Creation. Reiman Publications always feature attractive photographs on their covers and throughout their pages, and so will every magazine of Christian Communication Centre Publications! Living in the Grace of God and Designed by God might well be mistaken for a Reiman Publication because of their abundance of beautiful photographs from cover to cover depicting God’s Creation, His love for His Creation, and how “heaven and earth declare God’s glory.” In fact, Heaven and Earth Declare God’s Glory is another title inspiration that I have had for a future magazine. Here are some other inspirational magazine titles that came to me the first week that I became Editor in Chief: Everyday Miracles, PrayerLines, Men and Women of God, Discovering God’s Word, Inspired Composer, Christian Film Creator, Christian Artist, and Taking Care of God’s Temple. <>Everyday Miracles, I thought we might feature sections or departments with titles like these: “The Miracle of … (molecules, atoms, speech, touch, etc.)”; “Flying Miracles” (birds, butterflies, flying squirrels, etc.); “Miracles of the Sea” (fish, seashells, waves, etc.); “Ancient Miracles/Modern Miracles”; “The Miracle of the Human Brain”; and “The Miracle of Faith.”

Within PrayerLines, we would feature testimonies, thanks, and praises for answered prayers, as well as, offer an opportunity for readers to ask other readers to join them in prayer for specific prayer requests. This may work better as a section of other magazines than as a magazine of its own, but we’ll see ….

Within Men and Women of God, we’ll give staff and readers opportunities to share about men and women of God who have inspired or blessed them. We will also feature sections designed to encourage one another in being men and women of God.

Within Discovering God’s Word, we will feature sections that look at specific instructions, encouragements, and promises from God’s Word and share how God spoke to us through the Holy Spirit about those instructions, encouragements, and promises, blessing us and helping us to apply what we learned. Also, I felt inspired to reproduce portions or whole sections of parts of God’s Word (such as the shorter books of the Bible) for readers to simply reread in magazine design format along with the Holy Spirit to receive whatever He gave them to help them grow in their Christian walk into the likeness of Christ. Haven’t thought of any particular section titles for this magazine yet, but we might include “discovering God’s Word” as a preview in Living in the Grace of God.

Inspired Composer, Christian Film Creator, and Christian Artist we will feature staff and reader written material of the particular artistic topics of each magazine. I’m always blessed to discover how many other Christians have artistic gifts and are using them for the Lord, fulfilling what He has revealed through the Holy Spirit is His will, plan and purpose for their lives in using the artistic gifts He’s given them!

These magazines will help to make other Christians who are artistic just as aware and encouraged as I have been in discovering how many of us there are in the world, and will give each of us an opportunity to encourage one another by sharing what we are doing and looking together at ways to do it better, or more effectively, thereby inspiring one another in creating new artistic works. Christian Artist will include all of the arts: ART (paintings, sculpture, etc.), DANCE, FILM, MUSIC, and SCRIPT (fiction, non-fiction writing, film and playwriting, poetry, songwriting). Inspired Composer will be specifically for music and lyric composers; and Christian Film Creator specifically for everyone involved in creating Christian films and TV series. We may also create magazines as we go along that are specific to each of the Christian artistic genres.

Within Taking Care of God’s Temple, we will be featuring staff and reader written material about the various ways to do this topic, encouraging one another to be attentive and remember that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit that need to be taken care of as such.

Here are some of the section titles that I have thought of that could be featured in our first magazine, Living in the Grace of God, and/or in our other magazines: “Proverbial Truths” (verses of Proverbs with shared experiences), “After God’s Heart” (ways believers have sought God’s heart on some matter), “Life Stories” (short memories of living the Christian life in good times and bad), “Exploring God’s Country” or “Enjoying God’s Country” (vacation experiences of believers), “Everywhere I Look” (a photo section of God’s Creation with readers’ comments captioning the photos); “Pretty Patterns” (another photo section of beautiful patterns found in God’s Creation – like spider webs, snowflakes, cloud banks, etc. -- observed by readers and photographed); “ ‘Luck’ or the Lord?” (incidents shared by readers that unbelievers might consider merely ‘luck’, but believers know was God’s doing); “Scenarios” (a section of “Creation scenes” with comments by staff or readers who photographed them); “Kid Pics” (cute and/or special photos of the kids readers are raising to know the Lord); “Quiet Times with the Lord” ( a section for sharing how readers spent special times communicating with the Lord, perhaps with accompanying photos if readers took some while they were communing with God and His Creation); “Once Upon A Time … “ (a section in the tradition of Reminisce magazine’s “Memoryville” stories that were featured for a while in their earlier issues, with specially drawn artwork like they had that depicted the story that was inside on the cover of their magazine) and “Once Upon A Rhyme” (rhymes or poems with accompanying artwork or photos depicting memorable Christian experiences in life); “Neighbor To Neighbor” (a section for neighbors to help neighbors in various ways with requests or advice); “Toddlin’ Through Life” (readers’ toddler photos and/or heartwarming or humorous memories); “Life’s Little Challenges” (humorous memories of the challenges children encounter and/or that children and parents encounter together); “Encounters On the Light Side” (more humorous Christian memories or stories); “Oops! …” (a “most embarrassing memories” section for believers); “Baby Talk” (cute baby photos with funny “baby thoughts” captions by readers); “Arcs of the Covenant” (beautiful scenic rainbow photos with memory captions shared by readers and/or staff); “The Story Behind … (various inspired works of art, hymns, buildings, etc.).

And there you have a few of the titles and ideas I have had so far for magazines that we will be creating together if the Lord speaks to your heart, mind and spirit through the Holy Spirit to become one of our staff/team members or a reader/subscriber or other type of contributor to our publications. I welcome each one of you who is able to help in any way, now or in the future. If you feel inspired by the Holy Spirit with other titles and ideas for our magazines or books, or sections of the same, please share your inspiration with me. One of our fellow writers in the Ashland Area Christian Writers Guild, Debby Dever, is one of the first to join with me in working on our publications as a writer, editor and designer. Debby has been greatly blessed and encouraged by the ministry of Corrie ten Boom, and has created an inspirational column we’ll be using in one of our magazines (perhaps, as Debby suggested, in Men and Women of God) about the life of Corrie ten Boom.

Recently I purchased a copy of Roy Reiman’s autobiography titled “I Could Write A Book …” and I have been enjoying reading it and noting the advice and information he shares in it about how he started and grew Reiman Publications into the successful publication business it is today. There are some good examples, of course, to follow in our fledgling publication business ministry, but other business ideas or methods we would not be able to emulate, specifically, any involving taking out loans or going into any kind of debt. So, as I read this fascinating and inspiring autobiography of one of my “publishing heroes”, I am sorting out what we can do, too, and what we can’t do, according to our specific instructions and commandment from the Lord through the Holy Spirit. But, I’m so glad to have this book and the excellent examples of Roy Reiman’s publications to follow as we create excellent examples ourselves of worthwhile, helpful and beautiful publications that bless, encourage, inspire, and help to build up the Body of Christ, and reach out to unbelievers with God’s love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and the message of salvation through Christ as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” that we know and live out.

Thank you for reading through this letter. I will look forward to hearing from you and receiving whatever help you can give. And I’ll give you other details on what we’re doing and our needs as you ask for them.

Sincerely,
Steve McLean, Editor in Chief,
Christian Communication Centre Publications

Contact information:
Steve McLean,
62 Cardinal Court
Ashland, OH 44805-4357
Phone: 419-289-6698

Email: Lifeinchrist75@truevine.net

Great Article

Here is one of the most facinating articles I've read in a long time. You'll find it in Mary Ann Diorio's June 1, 2006 blog entry. If you read nothing else this week, read this article!

http://www.maryanndiorio.com/blog/archives/general/000240.php

Writing Op

Keeping your Cool In the Midst of Medical Madness - a compilation of 2500 word stories by patients and health care providers. Tell your story of 'Medical Madness'.

Show how you kept your witness, good name, integrity, and peace in a hair-raising story of medical attention (or inattention). Let's encourage others to maintain, or adopt, a Christian witness in these stressful times.

Deadline: December 20, 2006.

For all submission, write in Times New Roman 12 and double space.

If your story is used, you will receive a book + discounts when the book is published. For further information, please contact Charlotte Holt at cjholt@kingwoodcable.net. For more information regarding Charlotte go to www.publishedauthors.net/charlotteholt.

Publishers are currently looking at proposals for these books. Please send you stories.

Two Writing Ops

Two Writing Opportunities:

Trusting Him for Life After Divorce - a compilation of 1500 word testimonies. The stories should reflect the faithfulness, mercy, love, compassion and power of God through and after divorce. Tell your story for His glory! Help others in their time of heartache.

Trusting Him With Your Addicted Child - a compilation of 1500 word testimonies. Stories of parents with former, or presently, addicted children. Show how God sustained or sustains you. Let's encourage other parents in this situation with our own victories by God's power.

Deadline: August 15.

All in Times New Roman 12 and double space

If your story is used, you will receive a book + discounts when the book is published. For further information, please contact Charlotte Holt at cjholt@kingwoodcable.net. For more information regarding Charlotte go to www.publishedauthors.net/charlotteholt.

Publishers are currently looking at proposals for these books.

Christian Humor

Those of you interested in writing Christian humor might want to check out this blog.
http://www.christianhumorwriters.blogspot.com/

Writing Op - Highlights for Children

From Kim Griswell, Coordinating Editor
Travel and Adventure
Articles that feature adventurous travel. Not the "family vacation" kind of thing, unless your family goes to study turtles in the Galápagos Islands, as does the author of "Stars and Sea Lions" (June 2006). We prefer articles that feature kids in some way. Publishable-quality photos are almost essential for these kinds of articles, since it would be difficult (or impossible) for us to acquire photos if the writer couldn't provide them. Please remember that even travel and adventure articles need a focus—not simply "We went here and did this," but something that reveals the meaning behind the travel or the reason for the adventure, etc. 750 words maximum.

From Marileta Robinson, Senior Editor
Fiction for Young Readers
We need fun, lively stories as well as quiet, thoughtful stories for young readers at first- and second-grade reading levels. I would like to see more stories with boy appeal, like "Training Wheels" in September 2005 and "Fox and His Halloween Tail" in October 2005. 500 words maximum.

From Carolyn Yoder, Senior Editor
World Cultures
• Intimate looks at other peoples and their traditions—particularly in northern and southern Africa, Asia (other than India), Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, and the Pacific (articles on children)
• Holidays—first person

U.S. History
• Modern history (20th century), particularly the Civil Rights movement
• Holidays, particularly Christmas and Thanksgiving
• Articles that touch on the diversity of people in the United States
• Biographies of U.S. subjects as children
• Anecdotal articles on George Washington and Abraham Lincoln
• Articles on patriotic themes
• HUMOROUS articles on U.S. history (review back issues for articles on Lincoln and humor, Washington and his teeth, Jefferson getting his life mask, and Ben Franklin and his love of exercise)

From Judy Burke, Associate Editor
Sports
We're interested in sports articles that focus either on a known athlete (a squeaky-clean one), on the development of specific skills (for example, fielding a grounder), or on the challenges faced by athletes of any kind (for example, being smaller than your teammates). Successful articles often include quotes gained from personal interviews with athletes or experts and useful tips for
readers who play that sport. 800 words maximum.

From Andy Boyles, Science Editor
Science and Nature Articles
Our guidelines state that our word limit is 800, but articles that are even shorter (350–400 words) are especially welcome as possible one-page features. We put a high value on articles that show science as a process—articles that follow a scientist or group of scientists as they try to solve one of nature's mysteries.

We are always looking for science articles about animals that are of high interest to kids. An article might follow researchers who study such animals. The article may tell the adventures of only one day, but information about the animals and the research will arise naturally in the course of the action, so our readers will learn something about both.

We currently have enough articles about birds, reptiles and amphibians, insects (especially bees), and volcanoes.

From Joëlle Dujardin Kirkland, Associate Editor
Crafts: Crafts with boy-appeal, games, holiday crafts, and crafts from other cultures (with background included)

Younger Nonfiction: First-person accounts of fieldwork; arts stories; biographies with interesting slants; kids living in other cultures; ancient history; animals; details from urban life (workers, transportation, etc.). These stories should have a clear focus and should be written at a first- or second-grade reading level. 450 words or fewer.

Gallant Kids: Leads (or articles) on kids under thirteen years old doing service in their communities. 350 words

From Linda Rose, Assistant Editor
Full-Page Puzzle Activities
On the inside-back cover, we like to take advantage of the cover-stock surface by using a large illustration or incorporating photos in the puzzle. Often, this is the page on which we can do several activities within one (for example, using one illustration for a number of activities). Submissions to this area ideally include detailed art directions/notes, as well as succinct and easily understood activity directions for the reader. (Artwork or photos do not need to be submitted with the manuscript.)

Careers Articles
We are always in the market for fresh and interesting articles that take an in-depth look at a career. Our hope is that a career profile will provide kids with information that they cannot easily get elsewhere, such as in a typical "careers" book or in an encyclopedia. Instead, we want our career pieces to be intriguing reads that just happen to be about a person's career.

As our guidelines point out, "We prefer biographies that are rich in anecdotes." Substantive and "insider" anecdotes are often critical to the success of these articles; we want kids to feel that they are getting a "behind the scenes" or inside glimpse into the subject.

Focusing on one individual (or, in some cases, a few) often helps to make the manuscript feel more personal. Career pieces that focus on a person within a career tend to be more appealing. We prefer research based on firsthand experience, consultation with experts, or primary
sources.

From George Brown, Assistant Editor
Short Activities
We're looking for short puzzles, activities, teasers, and interesting tidbits to go on our mixed pages—those four or five pages per issue with a variety of short activities. These activities, which can be almost anything, have to be powerful to pull readers into the magazine. However, we do not publish word searches, crossword puzzles, or fill-in-the-blank activities.

Highlights recommends reviewing the magazine's submission guidelines, available at www.highlights.com, found in the About Us section. Back issues can be found at most local libraries. Please send submissions to the specific editor listed above, or
Manuscript Coordinator
Highlights for Children
803 Church Street
Honesdale, PA 18431

Your Writing IQ

At yesterday's meeting of the NJCWG we took this brief Writing IQ test. Now its your turn!

Each sentence is either True or False. If you check the blog at the end of this week, I will offer the answers along with some explanations.

1. Writing is more art than it is craft.
2. If no one else believes in your writing, maybe it is time to give up.
3. Practicing your craft will increase the likelihood that you will be published.
4. There are many good reasons for writing.
5. Writers are artists and they must wait until the ‘muse strikes’ before they write.
6. You should not submit manuscripts to publishers who are not willing to pay for your work.
7. Your first draft must encompass all that you previously learned.
8. It is OK to “borrow” quotes from other writers – so long as you give them credit.
9. Writing a quality manuscript is only a small part of getting publsihed.
10. Unless you write a book, you are not really a writer.
11. When you receive a rejection it indicates that your work is of poor quality.
12. Always SHOW, rather than TELL in your writing.
13. It is good for a writer to ‘play’ with words.
14. Every sentence must carry the story forward in some way.
15. It is good to start a manuscript with a long section of narrative.
16. Every writer should own and use a dictionary and an extensive thesaurus.
17. They should not depend on the spell check & thesaurus in MSWord.
18. Spelling and grammar don’t count when you write a creative piece.
19. The word said is the best choice for a tag in dialog.
20. It is not important to know how you want to end a story before you begin to write.
21. A writer should concentrate on their main characters. Minor characters do not need to be three dimensional.
22. Send your manuscript out as soon as you are done writing it. Never let it sit for more than a few hours.
23. Each manuscript deserves a minimum of three to five revisions.
24. To an editor, the story is more important than the writing.
25. Editors like when you call them to check on the status of your manuscript.
26. It is not good to read while you are working on your own manuscript.
27. When it comes to books, marketing is at least (if not more) important than the writing.
28. Selling your manuscript all about who you know.
29. It is easier to sell a manuscript with fair writing and a good story, than it is to sell a manuscript with excellent writing and tired story.
30. The number one rule of writing is – KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
31. If a sentence is beautifully written, leave it in your manuscript even if it has little to do with the story.
32. Only new writers need to attend yearly writers conferences.
33. One of the best ways to improve your overall writing is read good writing.
34. Nonfiction sells better than fiction.
35. An established writer should attend a writers conference only to pitch his or her manuscript to a publisher or agent.
36. Finding a title that expresses the essence of the book is important .
37. Once you’ve established your place in the writing community you can skip attending writing seminars, classes, conferences and critique groups.
38. A good writer varies sentence length to create interest, emphasis and flow.
39. Reading magazines, contemporary novels and other “fluff” is a waste of time.
40. Editors are impressed with long manuscripts, complex ideology and a college level vocabulary.
41. The most important sentence in each manuscript is the first one.
42. Sentences are like jokes, the punch line should be at the end.
43. Within a manuscript, a writer should change their POV (point of view) often.
44. Good writers often uses the Golden Triangle when writing.
45. Established writers don’t get many rejection slips.
46. Writers Write. They don’t just talk about writing and read about how to write.
47. Good writers seek out other writers for information, inspiration and affirmation.
48. Writers should devoid themselves of anything that is not connected with writing. This helps them to concentrate and be productive.
49. Every writer should carry a pen and notebook to jot down character descriptions, story ideas, important contacts, interesting words, fascinating facts, or ANYTHING that encourages that writer to write.
50. If God calls you to write something, it will be published.
51. Your query letter is often more important than your manuscript.
52. Editors enjoy rejecting manuscripts – its a power thing.
53. Writing for the web is not really writing.
54. Writers need other writers.
55. If God calls you to write, He provides the tools & the talent. You provide the sweat and the tears.

NEXT MEETING
North Jersey Christian Writers Group (NJCWG)
Ringwood Baptist Church
30 Carletondale Road
Ringwood, NJ

Monday, May 22, 2006
6:15-7:00 - Chat Time
7:00-8:00 - Lesson - The *Writers IQ Test*
Learning the do's and don'ts of good writing.
8:00-9:00 – Critiques

Upcoming topics of discussion:
How to research articles, stories and books (June)
Story Starters - Ideas to get you writing again (June)
Poetry for the Non-Poet (July)
Learn to write by "patterning"
Using Personality Profiles to Creating Credible Characters

If any member of the group has a topic they would like to see taught/discussed, please notify the faciliator, Louise Bergmann DuMont (njcwg.dumont@gmail.com)

Terms of the Writing Trade

Terms of the Writing Trade
Presented to the NJCWG by Louise Bergmann DuMont 4/24/06

Query Letter
A query letter offers your story or article idea to an editor/publisher. When they accept your query you receive an assignment. The more experience you have writing, the more likely you will write query letters rather than cover letters (see below). Query letters allow you to pitch an idea without actually writing the article. This means you don't write something until you know you've sold it. Most query letters use a standard three or four paragraph format and are limited to one page.

Cover Letter
A cover letter accompanies a completed manuscript. It is a single page with your contact information and a short paragraph that describes the piece you are submitting and/or your credits. Both query and cover letters are your "first impression." They are at least, if not more important than the manuscript itself.

Clips
Clips are copies of published articles, stories and other manuscripts. Some (not all) editors want to see clips. Clips are samples of your writing style and let editors know which publications already accepted your work. It is always best to send a photocopy of the actual printed articled. If the copy (due to glossy paper or faulty equipment) is of inferior quality, you can send the photocopy along with a clean computer generated copy of the EXACT article that was printed. This means that you do NOT 'fix' your writing after it was published.

Samples
If you haven't been published yet and an editor requests clips send him or her a ‘writing sample’ instead. Make sure it is your best work and that the writing is related in some way to the type of publication they work for.

Simultaneous Submissions
The term ‘simultaneous submission’ refers to one manuscript sent to different markets during the same time period. Check a publication's guidelines carefully. Many markets do not accept simultaneously sumbited manuscripts.

Multiple Submissions
"Multiple submissions" refers to several different manuscripts that are sent to the same publisher in one envelope. Some editors allow you to send mutiple short works, like poems. Do follow the publication’s guidelines since very few editors will accept multiple submissions of items other than poetry or fillers.

Multiple Queries
Multiple queries refers to pitching one good idea to many different publishers during the same time period. This is always acceptable. BUT, you should never keep one publisher hanging on while you wait to hear if an other publisher will pay you more money. The rule is - first come, first serve.

Lead Time
Small to mid-sized agazines typically work three to six months in advance. Larger publications need up to eighteen months. Lead time is how far ahead editors will consider queries and submissions. When you are lying on the beach you should be writing your Keeping Christ in Christmas article. When the frost first hits the pumpkin, you pitch Spring in Spring Cleaning piece.

Editorial Calendar (AKA - Theme List)
Publishers often plan an annual calendar of topics or themes. Familiarizing yourself with a publications editorial calendar means knowing in advance what the editors want and when. Writing to accomodate the specific needs of an editor is often the difference between a sale and a rejection. You can obtain a publication’s theme list by looking up their address in Sally’s Stuart's Market Guide (CBA) or The Market Guide (ABA). Follow the publishers instrucitons - sending the approriately sized SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) with postage in the amount they indicate. If you are requesting the material via postal mail it is very important that you follow the publishers specific instrucitons. If you check the publishers website you may be able to get their writers guidelines and theme list without paying for the postage.

Copyright
In the United Sates of America your work is copyrighted as soon as you put the words into a readable format. It does not matter if you scribble it on the back of a napkin, type it on a typewriter, or process it using a computer. If you have serious concerns about someone attempting to appropriate your work, you can put a copy (never the original) of your manuscript into an envelope and mail it to yourself. Once it arrives back home, do NOT open the envelope. The postmark will legally date the material as long as the envelope remains sealed.

Reprints
As long as you own the copyright, feel free to sell your work again as a reprint. Markets will pay less for reprints, but recycling your material can bring in substantial profits over the long haul.

Payment on Acceptance
Read the guidelines carefully! Payment on acceptance means you get paid when your work is accepted, no matter when (or if) the magazine publishs it.

Payment on Publication
Payment on publication means you will not get paid until your work is published. This could be months (or even a year) later.

Working On Spec
Spec is short for 'speculation'. Many magazines want to see the finished article before they decide whether to publish it. At times, writing on spec may be the only way to break into a new market, but there is certainly a down side. You can spend a great deal of time writing an article, revising it upon their request, and then find out that the editors decided to use someone else’s piece. Weigh the pros and cons. For new writers, this can be very tough. Experienced writers, can often negotiate a later publishing date.

Expenses
In the course of your research and article preparation, you may incur expenses like travel, long distance calls, cell phone calls, or taking an interview subject out to lunch. You must get approval for necessary expenses BEFORE you write the article. Most publications do not pay expenses for new writers. For experienced writers who work regularly with a publication expenses may be paid for assigned work. Remeber, reasonable requests are often accommodated, but if you are unprofessional or pad a bill, other editors will hear about it.

Kill fees
A kill fee is sometimes paid if your article was accepted for publication but for some reason the editor must drop or "kill" the article before it goes to press. Many of the large markets pay a 10 to 50 percent kill fee. This reimburses a writer for their time and work. When an article is "killed" the author is free to publish it elsewhere.

Rights
Knowing the different kinds of ‘rights’ offered by publishers is very important. I could mean more sales (through reprints) or a greater reimbursement for the savvy freelancer.

- All Rights - When you give up all rights you no longer own that piece of writing. You cannot publish your work before or after this sale, you can not put it on your website and you can’t send it to your mother without permission from the publisher. NEVER give up all rights unless you are being paid substantially for your efforts.

- First Serial Rights - This usually refers to rights in one country. For example: First North American Rights (FNAR).

- Electronic Rights - Used when a market publishes your work on its Web site. Within this you will also find first electronic rights, electronic rights for an exclusive period, or electronic archive rights (to post your work indefinitely).

- Anthology Rights - Used when your work is included in an anthology--a collection of similar stories, essays or articles compiled in a book. For this you are often paid a one-time fee along with some copies of the book. Be sure to read your contract to find out if you may reprint the story elsewhere (after a specified period of time) or if the anthology has purchased the exclusive right to your story.

- One-time Rights - The publisher has the right to publish your work one time. After that you can resell the piece as a reprint.

Writing For Trade Magazines Article

There is an excellent article on writing for trade magazines by Tony P. Martinez & Alison P. Martinezon on The SpiritLed Writer website. Check it it out!
http://spiritledwriter.com/apr06/trades.html

Writing Op - Paramount Cards Inc.

PARAMOUNT CARDS, INC.
P.O. Box 6546
Providence, RI 02940-6546
It is suggested that new freelance contributors make a thorough study of material appearing on published cards by browsing through the greeting card counters to gain a better insight into the types of cards on the market. Paramount Cards currently ONLY accepts submissions sent through a postal carrier. They are not accepting e-mail submissions at this time.

• Please TYPE each idea on a SEPARATE piece of paper, small enough to fit into your envelope without folding. A 3 X 5 size is suggested.
• IDENTIFY each item by NUMBER and keep a duplicate copy for your own records.
• Your NAME, ADDRESS and SENTIMENT NUMBER should be on each item submitted.
• Enclose a SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED ENVELOPE large enough to accommodate the return of your material.
• Only 10 to 15 items should be submitted AT ONE TIME.

Due to the large volume of freelance material we handle, it is impossible for Paramount to offer criticism of your work.

Mail submissions to:
Paramount Cards Inc.
P. O. Box 6546
Providence, RI 02940-6546
ATTN: Freelance

Paramount is interested in EVERYDAY material: (Birthday, Friendship, Get Well, Anniversary, Sympathy, etc.) at all times. Along with verse, they also buy prose sentiments (long or short), cute and juvenile sentiments.http://paramountcards.com.cnchost.com/para_www/freelancers/guidelines.html
Paramount Cards makes and sells a variety of everyday and seasonal greeting cards, with a focus on lower priced and discounted cards for independent and small- to medium-sized card stores, drugstores, supermarkets, and dollar/value store chains. The company also operates the CardSmart retail chain, a group of franchised and company-owned card and gift stores. Paramount Cards was founded in 1906 by Russian immigrant Samuel Markoff.

Writing Op - Contests for Childrens Writers

From the Editors of Childrens Writers Newsletter
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Writer,
We constantly hear from editors that the vast majority of the manuscripts they receive are rejected because they were not written to the editor's specifications. Few editors will consider a story or article that does not meet their specs - precisely.
Writing contests also have exact specifications. That's why we encourage writers - all writers, new ones and old pros too - to enter contests. They're excellent, professional training experiences and, if you win, they can get you published and pay healthy prize money.
The winners in these contests will be published in Children's Writer, the monthly newsletter that goes to every children's book and magazine editor/publisher in North America. Along with the winning piece, we'll publish an article on it and the other top-ranked entries and their authors. There are also cash prizes. The cash prizes alone are a lot of good reasons to write a piece and enter.
Current subscribers to Children's Writer enter free. All others pay a $10 reading fee - standard for writing contests. But, if you are not a subscriber, your $10 fee will also bring you an eight-month trial subscription to Children's Writer. You can submit multiple entries, but please use the attached entry form for each one.
The contest rules are important. They follow this letter. Please read them very carefully.
Please note the opening and closing dates each contest. Be sure that your entry arrives in the correct time window, and note that the deadline is absolute!
Now, warm up your computer and write a prize-winning piece.
P.S. A majority of entries do not make it past the first reading because they are not targeted to the specified age range or because they exceed the word limit. Don't fall out of the running because of either of these two easy-to-meet specifications. Age-target your writing and count your words.

EARLY READER MYSTERY
Entry period is August 1 to October 31, 2006. Winners are announced in the March, 2007 issue of Children’s Writer. Prize structure is $500 for first place plus publication in Children’s Writer, $250 for 2nd place, and $100 for 3rd, 4th, and 5th places.
The contest is for an original early reader mystery story, to 750 words. Early readers are defined here as ages 4 to 7, children beginning to read entire stories on their own, stretching their recognition of words and concepts, but likely to need some assistance from an adult. The entries should not be for reading by an adult to a child. Submissions will be judged on story line, characterization, and freshness, but also on structure, grammar, and ultimate publishability. Mysteries should be well-constructed, and have a strong point-of-view character. The mystery must be one an early reader can grasp and potentially solve: It must be age-appropriate.

YA PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Entry period is December 1, 2006 to February 28, 2007. Winners are announced in the July 2007 issue of Children’s Writer. Prize structure is $250 for first place plus publication in Children’s Writer, $100 for 2nd place, and $50 for 3rd and 4th places.
We are looking for nonfiction articles for teens, ages 13 to 17, based on a personal experience, to 1,200 words. The article may be told in the first or third person, or take the form of an interview, but should be the experience of a teen, for a teen. The subject may be a serious issue (family, school, or community issue) or it may be light (entertainment, fashion, friends, or fun). The subject and approach may be spiritual or inspirational, but may not be denominational or dogmatic. Publishability is the ultimate criterion.

MIDDLE-GRADE ADVENTURE
Entry period is August 1 to October 31, 2007. Winners are announced in the March, 2008 issue of Children’s Writer. Prize structure is $500 for first place plus publication in Children’s Writer, $250 for 2nd place, and $100 for 3rd, 4th, and 5th places.
The contest is for a story about an adventure, small or large, to 1,200 words, for ages 8 to 12. The adventure may take place in another genre, such as historical fiction, or fantasy, or may be contemporary. The antagonist or conflict may stem from other characters, from internal goals, from nature, society, or technology, but the story should balance plot and characterization. Stories will also be judged on age-targeting, originality, style, and the overall quality of writing. Publishability is the ultimate criterion.

Writing Op - Living With Teenagers

LIVING WITH TEENAGERS
LifeWay Christian Resources
One LifeWay Plaza
Nashville, TN 37234-0174
lwt@lifeway.com
www.lifeway.com
Lifeway Writers guidelines:
http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0,1703,A%3D161894%26M%3D200043,00.html
Description: Informs and educates parents of teenagers on how to best deal with typical issues and problems faced by teens. Provides strong Christian emphasis and Biblical solutions.
Frequency: Monthly
Newsstand/Subscription Rate: $20.25/yr
Circulation: 48,000

Writing Op - Young and Alive

YOUNG AND ALIVE
P.O. Box 6097 Lincoln, NE 68506
editorial@christianrecord.org
http://www.christianrecord.org/onlsrv/index.php

Description: Publication for young adults who are blind or visually impaired. Presents material from a non-denominational, Christian viewpoint and features articles on adventure, biography, camping, careers, health, history, hobbies, holidays, marriage, nature, practical Christianity, sports, and travel. Features run 800-1,400 words; pay varies.
Frequency: Quarterly
Circulation: 25,000
Art: Slides or prints; $10/photo.
Queries: Not necessary
E-queries: No
Unsolicited mss: Yes
Submission formats: Hard copy
Response: 12 months.
Freelance content: 90%
Rights: One-time
Payment: On acceptance
Tips: Not accepting mss until 2009.