From the Editor's Desk
Hi and
welcome once again to Fiction Factor! And, as always,
welcome to our new subscribers.
My apologies for sending this issue out late. It's been a
hectic month. I spent a week finishing, polishing and
perfecting my old home to present it for sale. (I'm very
pleased to say it sold on the first inspection for a
little more than my original asking price!). I then spent
another week packing and putting everything I own into
boxes to move into the new home I built - and then
unpacking at the other end. I'm very happy with the new
home and pleased with the builder's efforts. It's just
lovely.
While it might seem like all the hard-work is over as far
as selling, building and moving goes, there's still the
issue of installing fencing, floor coverings, curtains,
landscaping, driveways... sigh.
All of this means I've written very little in the last
month and I'm really feeling it. I love being a
freelancer and I love writing, so when I'm not able to
indulge in my favorite activity I get anxious. I miss it.
I'm hoping now the move is complete I'll be able to get
back into my regular writing routine.
Of course, while I've been off doing my thing, our
Managing Editor, Tina Morgan and our friendly forum
Moderator, Terry Ervin, have taken up the reins for me.
What would I do without them? Tina noticed a trend on the
Fiction Factor
forum of questions
about finding the right agent or publisher and created a
two-part article explaining some of the ideal attributes
you should look for when it's time for you to begin
searching for representation for your novel.
A big congratulations also goes out to Terry, whose first
novel "Flank Hawk" was released during the
month. (Terry has been our ever-patient forum moderator
for several years now). You can see more about his new
book later in this issue.
Subscriber special: I managed to arrange a discount
especially for Fiction Factor subscribers on the ebook
"How to Write a Children's Book in 14 Days".
You can read what the ebook has to offer you here: http://tinyurl.com/write4kids
But don't buy from their link or you'll pay full price!
If you want to take advantage of the discount, come back
here and click this link: http://tinyurl.com/kidsdiscount - you'll get $10 off the price.
This discount link isn't shown anywhere else on the
websites, so if you've thought about writing for children
and you want to take advantage of the $10 discount off
the regular price, then remember to come back and buy
through the discount link.
Enough of that - let's get into the writing stuff.
This issue Tina Morgan delves into what you should look
for when researching literary agent's websites and also
what you should be looking for when researching
publisher's websites. Terry W. Ervin II also looks at
writing a novel synopsis.
It's time now to grab a beverage of choice, sit back, and
enjoy this issue of Fiction Factor!
Lee Masterson
Editor-in-Chief
http://www.fictionfactor.com
Pop by and hi
to me on Facebook. I enjoy getting to know our readers! http://www.facebook.com/people/Lee-Masterson/1569278962
"A professional writer is an amateur who didn't
quit."
-- Richard Bach
 Create-A-Character
Clinic
Can you create a great character that editors
can't turn down?
Holly Lisle can and she can show you how too!
Learn to bring all your characters to life with
sparkle - from a full-time author of more than 30
published novels!
Click here for more
details: http://tinyurl.com/yqqawa
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 Turn Your Book into a
Best-Seller!
- Learn to write a GREAT novel from start to
finish
- Find out what editors and agents want
-- 100's of promotion and marketing ideas
PLUS - you'll also get "Write
Here, Write Now" - the hugely popular
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Lee Masterson
Order Now and Receive BOTH best-selling ebooks
for the price of one: http://www.fictionfactor.com/order.html
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Judging
a Book by Its Cover: Part I
How to Evaluate Literary Agent Websites
by Tina Morgan
Our
readers often send us email or ask on the Fiction Factor
Forum if an agent or publisher is legitimate. When this
happens, we start with the industry watchdog sites: P&E, and Writer
Beware. We can
also search the AAR website to see if an agent is a member
(this is not required of all legitimate agents but it
helps validate the agency's business model). However, it
isn't necessary to go farther than the agent or
publisher's homepage to make a pretty solid decision
about whether or not you should submit to or query them.
When you
find a site that looks promising, ask yourself one
question: Does this site appeal to me as a writer or as a
reader? For a publisher, this is extremely important, but
it can also be critical when evaluating an agent as well.
It's
easy to forget when we're looking for just the right
agent that we need to switch from creative to business
mode. The website shouldn't stroke our ego or shore up
our insecurities as a writer, but promotes the books of
the authors it represents. Agents and publishers are in
business to sell books - not to find a first-time author,
regardless of how fabulous that author may be. This may
feel a bit contradictory. After all, they have no product
to sell without the author, but unfortunately for those
of us looking for an agent, our numbers are so high that
lack of new material is not a danger for the business.
Commissions
on sales are the primary income for a legitimate literary
agent. Some agents write books themselves: Donald Maass
and Noah Lukeman both have some excellent books over the
art and business of writing, but this doesn't change the
basic business model or their agencies. They represent
other writers to publishers and receive a percentage of
the royalties for their work.
The
homepage of their websites are dramatically different. If
you visit Noah
Lukeman's site,
you'll find (if you click on returning visitor) a page
listing some of the awards the authors he represents have
won. Click enter again, and you'll find a page of
pictures of some of his best-known clients. The third
enter will bring you to a page of books by his authors
that are currently in print.
You can read the
online version of this article here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/agentwebsites.html
 Create A Plot
Clinic
Have you ever lost interest in your story only 20
pages from the start and not know how to get it
going again?
Best Selling Author of more than 30 novels, Holly
Lisle, can show you exactly how to structure your
story for maximum effect. Learn to fix problem
plotting while you write!
Jump Start your novel today: http://tinyurl.com/2z3ant
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 How
to Write a Children's Book
in 14 Days or Less!
Learn
the system that can show you how to write your
own kid's books in just two weeks.
From basic idea to publisher-ready manuscript,
learn how to write children's books that kids
will love.
http://tinyurl.com/write4kids
(don't forget your $10 discount if
you come back and purchase through this link: http://tinyurl.com/kidsdiscount ) |
Judging a Book by Its Cover: Part II
How to Evaluate Publisher's Websites
By Tina Morgan
Our readers often send us email or ask on
the Fiction Factor Forum if an agent or publisher is
legitimate. When this happens, we start with the industry
watchdog sites: P&E, and Writer Beware. However, the
publisher's homepage can tell you a lot about the
business model that particular publisher is following.
When you find a site that looks promising, ask yourself
one question: Does this site appeal to me as a writer or
as a reader? Publishers are supposed to be in the
business of selling books so they should display their
wares prominently.
The first problem with publishers' websites is when the
publisher isn't honest about the business model they're
following. There are a few who claim to be
"traditional" publishers. One even pays an
advance of $1 (that's not a typo). These publishers claim
to have a submissions and acceptance policy yet offer
publication to anyone, regardless of the quality of the
work: http://www.travistea.com - click on the
"Making of Atlanta Nights in the menu on the left
side for an explanation.
This particular publisher dedicates a third of their home
page to enticing new authors to submit to them. Something
you won't find on any of the "traditional"
publishers' sites: Random House, Penguin Putnum,
Scholastic. Even Baen Books, one of the few publishers to
accept unagented material doesn't have a sales pitch to
authors on their home page. You'll have to dig to find
information about submitting. The other publishers don't
bother to list an address for their slush pile as most
simply discard unsolicited manuscripts.
Once we've made the decision to seek publication for our
work, it can be easy to forget that we need to switch
from creative to business mode. The publisher's website
shouldn't stroke our ego or shore up our insecurities as
a writer, but promotes the books it's publishing. Agents
and publishers are in business to sell books - not to
find a first-time author, regardless of how fabulous that
author may be. This may feel a bit contradictory. After
all, they have no product to sell without the author, but
unfortunately for those of us seeking publication, our
numbers are so high that lack of new material is not a
danger for the business.
This is one of the reasons why self-publishing has become
such a large industry. Most self-publishing companies are
very straightforward and honest about their business
model. An internet search for iUniverse displays a
listing stating that they're a self-publishing company.
The title to their website also states that they're a
self-publisher. Xlibris and Lulu.com are the same. Their
websites offer quick links to the packages they offer and
the cost of those packages. If you're considering
self-publication, these are good sites to begin your
comparison shopping.
If you're considering seeking publication with a small or
independent publisher, then be aware that the second
major problem with publishers' websites has been
exacerbated by the ease and lower expense of using POD
printers. This dramatic change in print technology has
allowed small publishing companies to spring up with
minimal start up costs. As a result, many people who love
books and want to be involved in the industry have
started companies they really don't know how to manage.
These are often well-meaning and dedicated fans of
literature, but their inexperience in running a business
can be detrimental to their business and a writer's
career. Websites for small, independent publishers should
be as well organized and geared toward selling the books
they publish as any of the major publishing houses. If
anything, they should be even easier to navigate and lead
the viewer to sales pages as quickly as possible as most
small publishers won't have the brick and mortar
bookstore presence the larger companies have.
You can
read the rest of this article here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/publisherswebsites.html
Writer's
Announcements
Writers need
all the encouragement they can get, and we're happy to
help keep you motivated as well as offer a little bit of
promotion for you. If you have an announcement you'd like
to share about your writing successes or publications,
then let us know about it and we'll be happy to shout out
a big 'Woo Hoo' to our subscribers for you. You can
either leave us a message on the forum or you can send me a message on Facebook.
This week's Woo Hoo Announcement:
=> A special Congratulations goes to Terry W.
Ervin II on the release of his fantasy novel
"Flank Hawk" through Gryphonwood Press. Terry
is the Fiction Factor
Forum's Moderator,
so pop into the forum and congratulate him on his novel's
acceptance.
=> Congratulations to David Tocher,
who has had his short story 'Letters from a Dead World'
accepted into the Dreamspell Nightmares anthology with
L&L DreamSpell: http://www.lldreamspell.com/DreamspellNightmares.htm
=>
Congratulations to Alice Wisler, who is
pleased to announce that her newest novel "How Sweet
It Is" has been picked up by a Dutch publisher to be
translated into Dutch from English! You can visit Alice's
site here: http://www.alicewisler.com/
 Ebook Money Machine
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 Create Your Own
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science fiction or fantays writers.
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Writing a Novel Synopsis
by Terry W. Ervin II
Once a manuscript is complete and an author
begins to focus on finding an agent or a publisher, one
of the items often requested during the submission
process is a brief synopsis. Unless the agent’s or
publisher’s guidelines indicate specifically what is
expected, the following explanation should provide some
guidance.
What exactly is a brief synopsis? It’s a single
spaced, one page, present tense, summary of the novel.
Sometimes it bleeds onto a second page, but one is
generally best. It is to cover the main action of the
story, what’s at stake, the resolution and the main
character’s involvement. For clarity, a synopsis
isn’t what many call a teaser found on the back
cover to entice readers toward purchasing the novel.
As stated, be sure to include the ending and avoid
attempts to suggest to the editor or agent that he will
have to request the full manuscript to find out what
happens. It will backfire. Editors and agents are
interested in what happens from the beginning to the end.
It helps them determine if it is a novel they think has
strong potential. Remember, the agent or editor reading
the synopsis probably has at least a half dozen other
packets on their desk to consider that day alone. And
that doesn’t count all of the other things on the
list to accomplish that day, of which reading slush
rarely is at the top of the list.
Next question: How can an author condense an entire
novel—all of the characters, plot twists, action and
everything else—onto a single page?
For most writers it’s not easy. Many would prefer to
write an entire novel as opposed to struggling with a
synopsis. Writing a brief synopsis is difficult, but not
impossible. Really, it’s not. It just takes time,
effort and careful thought to boil it all down to what is
important in the story while conveying action and giving
the agent or editor a flavor of what the writer has to
offer.
Here are four steps that may facilitate the writing of a
brief synopsis:
1. Go ahead and write a synopsis. Include all that seems
important, keeping it as short as possible. If it ends up
five or eight pages, that’s okay for a start.
2. After a day or two, go at it again. Use a hard copy
and begin crossing out what really isn’t important
to convey the main action and direction of the story. Be
ruthless. Subplots, dialogue, in-depth character
descriptions and secondary characters have no place in a
synopsis.
3...
You can see
the rest of this article here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/novelsynopsis.html
~ "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug
used by mankind." -- Rudyard Kipling ~
 Flank Hawk
by Terry W. Ervin II
What happens when fire-breathing dragons battle
Stukas for aerial supremacy over a battlefield?
Can an earth wizard’s magic defeat a panzer?
Krish, a farmhand turned mercenary, witnesses
this and much more as he confronts the
Necromancer King.
Flank Hawk is set in the distant
future where magic exists and brutish ogres are
more than a child’s nightmare.
Flank Hawk is available from AmazonRead
more about Flank Hawk on Terry's website: http://www.ervin-author.com/
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Writing Courses
You can see the full list
of available courses here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/courses.html
Fantasy
Writing Course
Fantasy is all about
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amazing. Here is your chance to delve into creating a
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Fantasy related, we’ll be looking at it, in depth,
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Factor)
Writing
Great Horror Novels!
Join this excellent course and learn what it takes to
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~ "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best
friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." ~
~ Groucho Marx ~
Paying Market Listings
You can find the complete
Market Index here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/markets.html
Happy Market Hunting!
(Disclaimer: Mention of a market/ contest in Fiction
Factor is not necessarily an endorsement. Check all
guidelines in full before submitting)
The Way of the Wizard
http://www.johnjosephadams.com/?p=1760
One-time print anthology by Prime Books. Your story
should be about a wizard, witch, sorcerer, sorceress or
any user of magic. Stories should be no longer than 5,000
words
Pay: 5 cents per word plus 50% of earnings plus
contributor copy.
Deadline: 31st March 2010
Submission Guidelines: http://www.johnjosephadams.com/?p=1760
Warrior Wisewoman 3
http://www.norilana.com/norilana-ww-guidelines.htm
Annual anthology series published by Norilana Books of
science fiction stories featuring remarkable and powerful
women characters. Stories should be under 10,000 words.
Payment is 2 cents per word, one contributor's copy and
shared royalties
Deadline: 15th January 2010
Submission Guidelines: http://www.norilana.com/norilana-ww-guidelines.htm
Distant Worlds
http://dwdr.wordpress.com/guidelines-for-distant-worlds/
the Library of Scient Fiction and Fantasy Press is
seeking novella length Science Fiction for an anthology.
Submissions should be between 20,000 and 30,000 words.
Pays $100 plus two contributor's copies. Please read
guidelines in full before submitting.
Deadline: 15 January 2010
Submission Guidelines: http://dwdr.wordpress.com/guidelines-for-distant-worlds/
Best Horror of the Year, Vol. 2
http://www.ralan.com/antho/listings/besthorror09.htm
Annual print anthology is seeking reprints of horror
that were published throughout 2009. All branches of
horror will be considered, from traditional-supernatural
to the borderline, including high-tech sf horror,
supernatural, psychological horror, dark thrillers.
Guidelines are quite specific. Please read guidelines in
full prior to submitting.
Deadline: 15th December 2009
Submission Guidelines: http://www.ralan.com/antho/listings/besthorror09.htm
Brio
Magazine
http://www.briomag.com/
Seeking
short fiction up to 2,000 words to suit teenaged girls.
Romance stories, sibling rivalry and situations faced
daily by teen girls are especially welcomed. Brio’s
target audience is teenaged girls from 12-15 and Brio
& Beyond’s target audience is older teenaged
girls from 16-19.
Both Brio and Brio & Beyond pay between 15 and 35
cents per word on acceptance.
Submission Guidelines: (downloadable) http://www.family.org/sharedassets/correspondence/pdfs/GeneralInformation/Brio_Writers_Guidelines.pdf
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