A hearty thanks to all our readers who sent encouraging comments about the first issue of The Fiction Flyer last month. We have included some of your kind words on page 9.
publishing industry in general, and fiction news in particular. We invite comments from readers, as this will help us understand your needs and guide the content of our articles. Please feel free to email me at:
We have packed this issue with lots of good information for you, inlcuding the feature article, Ebooks: Do They Have a Future? And again, we have included Ray's monthly columns, Investment
of course, don't miss our Subscriber News where we publish your book news. If you have any to share, please send it to us for consideration to publish. See the Subscriber News page under Invitation to Submit to review guidelines.
If you would like to subscribe, send an email to Kathe at the addy above with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. We thank you for your support and hope that you will enjoy this issue of The Fiction Flyer as well as many, many more!
Happy Reading! Sincerely,
Kathe Gogolewski
Jeanne Smith, writing as Jeanne Howard, announces the September 1 release of her second novel, Jared's Promise, the sequel to her debut work, Seasons of Forgetting, which was an April release. Both came from Wings Press, Inc.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Letter from the Editor
Amazon Shorts: A Writer's Perspective
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THE FICTION FLYER An Ezine for Readers and Writers of Fiction TRI Studio Authors LLC www.TRI-Studio.com
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2 SEPTEMBER, 2006
Reader Micros and September Prompt
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FEATURE ARTICLE: eBooks: Do They Have a Future?
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AMAZON SHORTS
successful sales depend on their own efforts. Amazon offers each author a profile page with bio, photo and complete backlist, but other than that, you're on your own.
So, is it worth it, you may ask? It is to me. I suspect more people visit Amazon online in a day than most websites in a year…or even ten years! The association with the giant, in my mind, cannot hurt. After submitting my first story, I promptly searched my files and submitted a second, this one a non-fiction story called “The Gold Coin.” That’s one of the joys of doing this – you only have to complete the paperwork once, and it extends to all your shorts. And I didn’t have to wait three months for acceptance; they accepted it the same day as my submission. I am currently searching my files for another story. :)
1. Writing is Too Rich - Do not surround dense, rich words with dense, rich words. Stories, like paintings, need "negative space" to breathe. Create a center of interest in the sentence, the paragraph, or the chapter with words and imagery, but don't forget to wrap plain, common, and easy words around the special ones. Remember: less can be more. Don't serve your readers too much cheesecake.
2. Pacing is Choppy or Uneven - Writers are dealing with reader expectations, not their own. Be sure that you haven't created a story that moves too quickly or slowly by allowing the wrong amount of information. You, the writer, may be prepared differently than your reader, so test your story by allowing others to read it and offer their honest impressions.
3. Transitions That Don't Work - Take special care with transitions. Changes from one scene to the next can be sensitive moments where the reader is absorbing the impact of the last while being propelled into the next. To start a new scene without understanding that readers are carrying the feelings and ambience of the last with them is a mistake. Writers may use this opportunity to address prior scenes and relate them in some way to the next. This can be very subtle and handled indirectly, but it should be handled.
To date, e-books have endured a short, but tortured saga. They hit the market nearly a decade ago with promises to revolutionize the way people relate to books, yet mainstream users have not embraced them. Why? Can new technology change this? If so, how and when?
Burning questions for members of the industry. Publishing giants and small presses alike are keeping a focused eye on advancing technology for e-book readers. A broad- based acceptance of e-books and e-readers can change the industry. As the iPod captured a broad swath of users (42 million) with digital music, perhaps a similarly engaging device for reading e-books will invite its own stampede. There are persuasive reasons for book publishers, retailers and readers to usher in the technology. E-books offer a lower-cost option for publishing and distributing books by eliminating the costs of printing, delivery and reducing other expenses. For readers, e-books cost 20% to 25% less than traditional print books, and an e-reader can store a small library, allowing a user to hop easily from book to book. A host of advantages and disadvantages surrounds their use, so let’s take a closer look at both, as well as the present technology, before making our predictions.
First, the disadvantages, since they often define the hurdles to successful implementation. So far, the disadvantages of e-readers appear to have outweighed the advantages, creating an anemic market for a device launched in the late 1990s with hyperbolic claims. While sales of e-books are growing steadily, up 44% last year to $179.1 million in the United States according to Management Practice Inc., they still account for less than 1% of total book sales, which amounted to $25.1 billion in the United States in 2005. And, to cap it off, e-books for leisure reading are a niche market within a niche market – most revenue derives from reference and educational books, which are read on computers, not e-readers.
What is the reason behind these dismal figures? The stats are especially surprising for the wireless-generation, raised and fed on computer technology since grade school. Wouldn’t it seem natural for them to prefer an electronic page to a traditional print one? According to Andy Patrizio in a September, 2005 article entitled “Why eBooks Still Suck,” teenagers were the first to herald in electronic devices such as cell phones, iPods, PDAs, Sony PSPs, Blackberries and other gadgets, so why not e-readers? Patrizio explains that e-book hardware is always a “day late and a pound too heavy.” Plus, e-readers have some stiff competition, lagging behind the cell phone, iPod and the PDA in popularity. After grabbing two gadgets before dashing out the door, there is simply no more pocket room left.
“The primary problem,” Patrizio insisits, “is there isn’t any compelling hardware.” Indeed. So far we’ve seen the demise of the first generation of e-readers, including the Rocket/Gem Star series from NuvoMedia and the eBookman from Franklin. Both companies left the business discarding a disgruntled consumer base, save for the technophiles.
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Writing Flash Fiction
THE FICTION FLYER An Ezine for Readers and Writers of Fiction TRI Studio Books LLC www.TRI-Studio.com
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KATHE GOGOLEWSKI To Present at The Muse Online Writers' Conference First Free Online Conference for Writers of Its Kind!
The Muse Online Writers' Conference
INVESTMENT PERSPECTIVES FOR WRITERS
AUDIO CLASSES FOR WRITERS
Head to Head; A Writers’ Audio Handbook featuring award-winning authors Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Joyce Faulkner, Allyn Evans and Kathe Gogolewski
Published by Double Dragon Publishing
Listen and learn in the second half of a series of 30 audio classes. The first half includes audios that cover topics such as Choosing Point of View, Frugal Book Promotion, Secrets of Good Dialogue, The Benefits of Group Promotion, Visualization in Writing, Website Optimization and more.
In the second half of the series, soon to be released, look for innovative topics such as: Fury and Destruction; How to Use Violence Effectively in Your Writing, Ghostwriting, The Art of the Interview, How to Write a Book Review, Short Story Writing, Humor Writing,Travel Writing and more.
Expect the first audio class of the new series in October, 2006 from Double Dragon Publishing.
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Subscribers with book news, book reviews, articles or other relevant information, are invited to submit for consideration to publish in The Fiction Flyer. No erotica, please. Email Kathe with your submission included in the body of the email. Please do not send attachments, as we do not open them. There is no charge for this service.
Each article or story in The Fiction Flyer has been copyrighted by TRI Studio LLC, or by our guest authors. Publication of articles, stories, and/or poems elsewhere is prohibited without the permission of TRI Studio. Copyright 2006 TRI Studio LLC
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AMAZON SHORTS: A WRITER'S PERSPECTIVE by Kathe Gogolewski
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authors and much speculation about how it would fare. Now, in August, 2006, the program is going strong with hundreds of authors representing 533 stories selling for 49 cents each. The website boasts “previously unpublished short story literature for sale exclusively at Amazon.com,” and has expanded to include some of today’s “freshest literary voices.”
The contract buys exclusive rights for only six months, and offers authors a whopping 40% of the 49 cents in royalties. This likely won't fly you around the world, but it might get you down the block! More importantly, the exposure as a featured author at Amazon offers an exceptional branding opportunity.
I decided to try it, but I balked when a writer friend of mine said, “You have to fill out a ton of paperwork before you can submit.” I thought, “What if they don’t want any of my shorts? Then, I’ve done all that paperwork for nothing.” So, I decided to try it without the paperwork and submitted “Weighing In,” a 2,000 word humorous story about weight discrimination reversed. Since 2,000 is their minimum count, I got in under-the-wire. The maximum is 10,000 words.
Several months later, I finally heard from an Amazon representative, who said they would use “Weighing In.” He wanted to know if I had a book on Amazon, which is requisite for participation. Unfortunately, my ebook with Double Dragon Publishing, A Promise to Keep, was no longer featured. However, I had contributed to an anthology called The Muse on Writing, and even though I was just one of eighteen writers, this qualified me for the program.
Suddenly, all that paperwork felt okay…and yes, it was a ton. They wanted a complete bio and asked a number of promotional questions, such as “Who do you envision as your target audience?” and “What makes this short relevant today?” and “Why would a customer buy this short?” By the time I was done with the questionnaire, I had created a complete marketing plan. Not a bad thing at all, because as most authors without an uncle named “John Grisham” eventually discover,
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A little over one year ago, Amazon.com launched their Shorts program with the stories of only a few dozen well-known
Through diligent research, we (that is, my husband Ray and I) hope to bring you cutting edge information about the
Perspectives for Writers and Writing Flash Fiction. We are also featuring some of our readers' micro flash stories in response to a monthly prompt. And,
SHORT STORIES
EBOOKS: DO THEY HAVE A FUTURE? By Kathe Gogolewski
You can purchase “Weighing In" for a whopping 49 cents. It's a dry humor story about weight discrimination reversed...Svelte people beware!
CLICK ON COVER TO BUY
THREE FATAL FLAWS FOR WRITERS
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EBOOKS: DO THEY HAVE A FUTURE?
The early e-readers simply could not compete with print books. The look, feel and even the smell of paper was lost in a back-lit environment where type can be read at only the right angle. Forget about curling up for a good read. More likely, the user had to contort around the ebook in an attempt to adjust the light. Take an old e-reader outside, and sunlight obscures the font almost completely.
And for some, it’s partly about aesthetics: An ebook cannot be displayed on a shelf or coffee table with a beautiful hard jacket. And then, there’s the old tradition of swapping books… an impossibility with proprietary, DRM (Digital Rights Management) driven software. More on that later.
Other problems: slow page turning speeds, low battery life, poor resolution, Adobe PDF files that do not allow the user to adjust font size, weighty devices, plus e-readers were and are far too expensive. Today, readers can buy reams of print material for the price of an e-reader, which ranges from US$175 to $400.
In summary, if e-readers are to overcome the obstacles of a failed generation, the new devices need to:
To usher in the new technology, however, more is needed aside from the successful replication of the printed page, otherwise, it’s merely a solution without a problem. Why simulate something that’s already working? So, we also need to ask: What advantages can an e-reader offer that a traditional print book cannot?
Has any technology surfaced to handle these questions and concerns? Yes, at least in part. Let’s look at the number one greatest objection first: the reflective page. Enter E Ink Corporation’s Electronic Paper Display (EPD), featuring a new technology that allows a page to be read at any angle. The screen absorbs ambient light and uses it to illuminate the page. Taking the screen outdoors only increases the power and creates a brighter font. And indoors or out, the non-reflective surface closely resembles a printed page. It’s still a hand-held device, but reviewers laud the visual aspect as a winning feature.
The next problem, resolution, is also resolved through E Ink Corp. They have increased the pixels to 170 per inch for the EPD pad. The GemStar used around 100 per inch, which is on a par with a newspaper (Laptops average 80 to 90 pixels).
The makers of e-readers picked up the scent and used the technology to create the next generation of e-readers. Sony launched the Librie in Japan in 2004, and while praised for exceptional design, the model failed to take off. This is due in part, at least, to the draconian price, around US $400, and an unrealistic anti-piracy technology—users could only rent a book for 60 days before it would self-destruct, whether the reader had finished it or not!
This has not discouraged Sony, who unveiled the Sony Reader in January, 2006, to wide-spread acclaim at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Rivaling the look of paper, it weighs less than nine ounces, utilizes e-ink with a 6-inch gray scale screen and houses up to 80 “average-sized” books, according to their webpage. Its rechargeable battery powers up to 7,500 page turns, and it can be recharged in as little as 4 hours with an AC adapter. For the hard-of-seeing, the text may be enlarged up to 200%. The font can be resized at the touch of a button. Sony has adopted the iTunes downloadable model through a CONNECT Store, which puts thousands of ebook titles online.—all for a price, of course. With a multi- formatted capability, it equally displays Adobe PDFs, personal documents, newsfeeds and JPEGS, but does not convert encrypted PDF or html files (big minus for readers with tons of pre-owned ebooks that work for other readers, such as Mobiepocket). It even plays audio files. iRex Technologies Inc., a spin off of Philips Electronics, and the Chinese supplier Tianjin Jinke Electronics Company, will also hit the US market with similar e-readers. Competition, of course, is a very good thing.
So that handles a few items on our list, though the Sony Reader is still pretty pricey, retailing between US$299 and US$399. That weighs in about twice the price of other current offerings. However, as the more budget-minded technophiles know, if you wait, the price invariably comes down. As for having too-many-gadgets-to-tote-around, technology is not that far away from creating it all on one device. Imagine one that plays music, operates as a cell phone and a PDA, connects online and allows users to read ebooks with all the advantages mentioned. Already, cell phones are equipped with digital cameras that take both still and moving shots. They key will be to create a small, lightweight device, which isn’t hard to imagine if the EPD or LCD pad is multi-tasked.
All good news…but there’s still that little proprietary issue— the one about the DRM driven content on the Sony Reader that will likely keep users invested in the Sony CONNECT store, buying their titles for at least the life of the reader. Users cannot convert to other popular formats, nor can they share their e-books with others. A lockdown on the software leaves users unable to tweak it. Blog users sharing technical information about the Sony Readers decry these omissions loudly, chastising Sony for setting back the cause of e-books yet again. David Rothman, writer, editor, author and self-appointed Sony watchdog says, “Beware (of Sony). Maybe the interface will be slick, but short of ample evidence to the contrary, don’t dare trust the company behind it…I wonder if people will be able to own Sony books for real…The best approach remains a standards-based one of the OpenReader variety. I hope that competitors such as iRex—which in April will release an E Ink reader able to handle HTML and other common formats from the start—can crush Sony.” As I said before, competition is a good thing.
And, for technophiles who have faithfully used e-readers of one kind or another since their inception, it can only get better. Deron Douglas, owner of Double Dragon Publishing, owns three original Rocket eBooks before they sold out to GemStar. He bought his first seven years ago, and paid between US$100 to US$175 for each. He says, “I can carry thirty to forty novels in a package that is
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STICKER SHOCK
SONY READER
A TECHNOPHILE
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EBOOKS: DO THEY HAVE A FUTURE?
approximately 6 X 9 inches and 2 inches wide. It weighs 1-2 pounds. No heavier than a text book. I like to read 3-4 novels at the same time. So I can switch from one to the other when necessary. The screen is bright and doesn’t hurt my eyes. The font can be set to Paperback size or bigger, and it has a back light for night reading.”
Which addresses the question regarding the advantages of e-books over print books—it may take the next generation of teens to appreciate them, but for lovers of both technology and the written word, these advantages are distinct. A book with a fancy hard jacket cannot allow readers to do any of the features that Douglas outlines, nor can it perform searches or look up words, bookmark pages, or allow for neat note-taking without defacement.
Perhaps Baby Boomers, with a decades-old love affair of brick and mortar bookstores, will hold back the e-book market for as long as they still own their private hard-bound collections.
where ninety-five percent hold post-graduate degrees, will create new solutions that lure both Boomers and teens alike into the new market.
As naysayers define the problems, researchers will strive for the solutions. While e-books have plenty of ground to cover before surpassing the appeal of print books, their progress is, nevertheless, steady. It is easy to imagine that the time will arrive when all the conditions are ripe for the transition. Progress toward this end may resemble the experiment detailed in Kenneth Keyes' book, The Hundredth Monkey: When a good idea plays out long enough (and we are operating from the premise that e- books are a good idea), it becomes a question of when acceptance will hit the mainstream. Already, e-books have tested the market for nearly ten years, a long time in terms of technology. Will we wait another ten years to see significant changes? Less? More? Maybe they will never catch on, though it seems unlikely given the nature of the market always to seek a better solution. This will be an interesting watch as new devices are unveiled.
One thing, is certain: if more people worldwide adopt e- books over print books, it has the potential to propel literacy rates to all-time highs. But that’s a story for another Fiction Flyer. _______________________________________________
This month we focus on micro-flash fiction...stories that are 250 words or fewer. A drabble is a flash fiction story of exactly one hundred words. I have read in numerous places that drabbles were created by the Sci-Fi Society of Birmingham University during the 1980s. Furthermore, the word, drabble, first appeared in Monty Python’s Big Red Book where it was the name of a word game. The winner of the game was the first to write a novel!
Since the requirement of writing a drabble is exacting, it’s a challenge to create a comprehensive and interesting story in exactly one hundred words. Here’s an example of a drabble; Ben Henry submitted this one in response to the prompt in our August issue.
Up a Tree in Snowball, Arkansas By Ben S. Henry
I stopped behind a large tractor block- ing the road. A man in overalls and woman in a nightgown were looking up a tree. Not being able to get around the tractor, I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation. It was some of the most unarguable wisdom I’ve ever heard.
The woman said frantically to the man in overalls, “Well John, can you help or not? My cat's high up in that tree, and it won’t come down.”
John scratched his head and climbed back on the tractor, sourly quipping, “I ain’t never seen no cat bones in a tree yet.”
Here’s another example of a drabble that I wrote.
Old Habits Never Die By Raymond Grant
As it arose, maggot-filled and ant-covered chunks of flesh fell to the earth. "Much lighter and easier without these," it mused.
Stars in the late October night sky stirred what was left of its brain…bio-pyscho-psychic input came streaming through its gateways…translating input to thought and movement. After slithering down from the catafalque, it omni-scanned near and far looking for danger. Nothing…only complex shadows and gusts of a northern wind.
Ambulating along a familiar path, it approached a very large object with glowing casements. Its bony hand grasped the knocker and clanked thrice.
The portal opened.
“Trick or Treat?” It chirruped.
Another popular micro-form among flash fiction authors is the 55-word story, or the “55” Here’s a 55 contributed by Michael Kechula.
DOLPHINS ARE GENUINE By Michael A. Kechula
Helen was poised on a bridge. “Jump!” yelled the madding crowd. Suddenly, ten dolphins gathered below. “Join us!” the dolphins shouted, “Swim and play all day.” Helen recalled how cute, frisky, loveable dolphins were at the aquarium. “People stink!” she yelled. “Dolphins are genuine!” Exhilarated, she leapt toward them.
Ten sharks shed their dolphin costumes.
Michael is the owner of Flash Tales eZine, a monthly internet magazine dedicated to speculative flash fiction. The inaugural issue of Flash Tales appeared on 1 September 2006. Visit Flash Tales eZine (http://www.flash- tales.com). to read outstanding speculative flash fiction.
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DON'T SERVE THE WHOLE PIE
WRITING FLASH FICTION By Raymond Gogolewski, Ph.D.
Micros, Drabbles, 55’s, and Bytes
Perhaps a tree endangerment campaign will turn readers, albeit reluctantly, from their precious paper. Or perhaps researchers, such as those with Tianjin Jinke Electronics,
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The final form of micro-flash fiction I will mention this month is the Byte. These are flash stories for which the word count is exactly a power of two…a flash fiction Byte can be 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, etc. words. Story Bytes, (http://www. storybytes.com) a monthly eZine, features flash fiction stories with word counts of powers of two. The idea for Story Bytes originated with M. Stanley Bubien, who is the editor, an author, and a software engineer. Visit his eZine to enjoy creative micro-flash Bytes and for another opportunity to submit flash fiction stories of your own.
Here’s an example of a 64 word Byte:
Disturbance By Raymond Grant
As Emily walked through the park, she felt something evil. A message from her brain told her spine to shudder. She saw only the path lined with scruffy shrubs.
She sensed something watching. Emily quickened her pace. The disturbance hit again.
She ran.
At her apartment, she picked up the early morning paper. The front page read Young Woman Murdered in Park before Midnight.
Notice that in each of the four stories, you can see, vividly, each character and observe what is happening. Your imagination fills in all the details as you read each sentence of the flash fiction stories above. Close your eyes. Can you describe John as he climbs back on his tractor? What does the creature standing at the front door look like? Can you see the sharks unzipping their disguises as Helen falls from the bridge? And what about Emily? Can you imagine her face when she reads the newspaper headline? Of course, you can!
As an experiment, ask a friend to read one of the stories and answer any of the questions above. And no arguments, please!
“til next month. Flashy writing!
Kathe Gogolewski will present an interactive class, Marketing Children's Books - The Good News, in the chat lounge On Thursday, October 12 at 1 pm PST.
The class comes with a free eBook entitled
Marketing Your Children’s Book to Teachers OR Getting That Class Act Together
Class Description:
Writers of children’s books do not need to brand them- selves in slow motion, selling one book at a time. There is a built-in market for promot- ing children’s books; one where authors of picture books and middle grade readers can market class- room sets. Public and private elementary schools have teachers who are eager to buy what you have, if you understand their needs and know how to approach them. Retired elementary teacher Kathe Gogolewsk, author of Tato, an award winning fantasy adventure for middle grade readers, will talk about her experiences selling her book to classrooms across California. She will share her secrets for creating a package to present to teachers and their administrators, and for grants that pay for class sets of her book and an honorarium. She will also address different ideas for authors to present in a classroom setting.
To register for the class and get the free eBook, click here: Muse Online Writers' Conference Registration Note: you may need to click twice, as the site is sometimes pirated - the second time always works
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above: SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
PROMOTION TIP: Set up a Myspace.com entry and link it to your website
READER MICROS AND SEPTEMBER PROMPT By Ray Grant
This is a new addition to The Fiction Flyer featuring selected reader-contributed micro-flash stories in response to our monthly prompt. I hope you enjoy them.
In our previous issue, I asked our readers to write a micro- flash of one hundred or fewer words. The micro was to begin with the following line:
“Help, my cat’s up in that tree and…”
Our readers contributed a number of innovative micros in response to the prompt. The selection process was difficult, but in the end, I selected two stories for this issue written by Rani Iyer and Debby Sorensen Carlson. Congratulations to Rani and Debby! Nice writing!
Another Day By Rani Iyer
“Mom! Help! My cat’s up in that tree!” called Nick.
“Is my breakfast ready?” asked Dad sniffing the bacon.
“Maggie, where's my newspaper?” said Grandpa.
“Mom! My tennis shoes?” called Jeff.
“My hair? Mom,” wailed Katie.
Mom flipped the bacon, handed Dad his coffee, spied Jeff’s shoes under the couch, brushed Katie’s bangs, and headed into the yard.
“Kitty! Now!” she said opening her arms. He purred and jumped into them. She fished the newspaper from the bushes and headed indoors. It was the start of another day.
Boom! By Debby Sorensen Carlson
"Help, my cat's up that tree," Jan cooed, making sure the neighbor heard her.
Bob broke his neck getting there. After looking her up and down, he said, "Yep, sure is."
Bob's wife followed behind with what looked like a firecracker. She smiled and said, "Hey you two, this should help."
Bob took the stick and tossed it at the cat. Suddenly the sky was raining a cat, a dead husband, and a once sexy neighbor.
Bob's wife walked away chuckling. He should have known dynamite comes in small packages.
September’s Prompt:
This month, I’m asking our readers to write a drabble ending with the phrase: “Who knew?”
As I describe in my article, Writing Flash Fiction, a drabble is a micro-flash fiction story of exactly one hundred words. “Who knew?” are words 99 and 100 and end the story. A hyphenated word counts as one word.
So dear readers have fun with this one, and if you’re pleased with what you’ve written, send me a copy of your drabble in the body of your message to raygogo@sbcglobal.net. I might ask you if we can publish it in a future issue.
Happy writing! Ray
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CLICK ON COVER TO BUY
From the Back Flap: Flashes in the Pan, Fifty Short Stories for the Impatient, by Raymond Grant is a pithy little book that should be onboard when you’re standing in a long, slow line, waiting on a download or upload, or killing time while TV commercials drone on. During any one of these exasperating instances, catch a flash…read a short story…let your spirit soar.
"Flashes...serves up to fifty tasty
stories for busy readers on the go. Raymond Grant has organized his brief stories into categories to whet your appetite… Grant obviously takes pleasure in writing There is something here for every reader.” Review by Esther Schrader, editor of Twisted Cat Tales, author of Desparate Straits and The Shadow People.
“Flashes in the Pan has to be the quickest and funniest read I’ve come across in awhile. Grant has demonstrated with his book that there is no need for an extensive amount of wordage in order to delight, to touch, and to transmit an enjoyable experience to a reader. …If you are searching for an antidote for boredom, then Flashes in the Pan is your prescription.” Review by Lea Schizas, founder of the award winning MuseItUp Club and Muse Marquee, author of Rock of the Realm, a Young Adult fantasy adventure.
RESOURCE BOOK FOR WRITERS
Just released in large print paperback and eBook formats from Double Dragon Publishing:
The Muse on Writing edited by Lea Schizas
What elements are essential when building a fictional world? Do your characters need more dimension? Is your plot going nowhere? Do you want to write like a pro even though you are just beginning? Are you a published writer looking for dynamic insights into the art and craft of writing? You will find these answers and much more in The Muse On Writing, a book geared for all genres and writers at every stage in their career.
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CLICK ON COVER TO BUY
CLICK ON COVER TO BUY
TATO A Children's Fantasy Adventure by Kathe Gogolewski
TATO, for upper elementary readers, is lauded by Piers Anthony as both "compelling" and "well-written." The story captures children's imaginations by recognizing their desire to earn the
admiration of adults closest to them. It casts Michael Tate, an inventive and willful boy, and his bossy oldersister into a strange world filled with mirrors and strange creatures where they must rescue their parents from the evil power that rules the realm.
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Website Optimization Tip: One way to get quick and free traffic to your site is through link services (two are listed below). You can use these services to bring visitors to you - sometimes within minutes. Also called "Social Boomarks Managers," they allow you to start a link collection that can be sorted by theme. When you add other sites with similar topics to your collection and they to yours, the fun begins.
As you're adding links to your collection, be sure to add a description, or "tag", to target your desired visitor. Interested in checking it out? Here's the URLS:
So, you and your lender own a house, townhome, or condo. I say "you and your lender" because if you miss a payment, you may be quite surprised to learn that you have just put your lender in the driver’s seat. Your lender can and will drive away with your home under certain circumstances. Make sure you make every payment on time. It should be easy these days with automatic payment plans.
Now, let’s focus on fixed rate mortgages. There are many flavors of mortgages on the market these days, but the simplest and most easily understood is the fixed rate mortgage. You pay a fixed rate of interest on an annual basis over the lifetime of the loan for the privilege of borrowing money to buy that dream house you’ve been drooling over. Usually, this translates into equal monthly payments over the lifetime of the mortgage.
When mortgage shopping, consider a thirty-year mortgage because it requires the smallest monthly payment. However, before you sign, check that there isn’t a pre-payment penalty; i.e., you won’t be charged a fee for paying the principal down in a shorter time. When you first decide to make extra payments against the principal of the loan, not payments in advance, check with your lender to determine how to signify that the extra dollars are to reduce the principal owed and are not payments ahead of schedule. If there is a pre-payment penalty, consider another lender or the tradeoffs associated with shorter duration loans.
The next question is what to do with extra dollars? For example, one can go to a brokerage firm and ask the following questions: I have so many dollars, and I can put them toward my mortgage, or I can invest them. For the latter, what rate of return can I expect and at what risk?
Suppose you signed up for a mortgage when interest rates were low…say you are holding a five percent, fixed rate, thirty year mortgage. A few years go by and interest rates have gone up. Now, you could buy a new municipal bond from your state with a six percent coupon rate, i.e. the bond will pay you six percent per year free of federal and state income tax. If the bond is highly rated, most likely, it will be insured against default; therefore, the risk in owning the bond to maturity is very low. You have a choice, use those extra dollars to reduce the size of your loan or receive six percent, tax-free interest. Depending on which state you live in and your tax bracket, the combination of federal and state income tax can be over forty percent. Which means that six percent tax free is equivalent to a pre-tax return of ten percent (6 %/0.6). In this case, the question is: Do I invest and receive a low risk ten percent (pre-tax) return or make additional payments to reduce the principal of my mortgage?
Risk is the likelihood of losing some or all of an investment. For example, a growth equity can easily go up or down in price by a factor of two over a relatively short period of time. If the price of an equity is half what you paid for it when you need the money, you’ve lost fifty percent! If, alternatively, you hold a Treasury Bill for six months, say paying five percent per annum, your reward will be 2.5% of the principal, and your risk is almost zero. The federal government would have to fail for you to lose your principal… not likely…the reason for almost zero risk.
Mortgage: Pay Down or Invest By Raymond Gogolewski, Ph.D.
By paying off a mortgage faster than required one can reduce one’s loan obligation sooner and reduce the overall cost of the loan. As an example, suppose a house buyer borrows $100,000. at a continuous, fixed rate of 6% per annum for 30 years. If one makes the $599 payment every month for thirty years (360 payments), the total cost of the mortgage would be over $215,000…more than twice the original value of the loan.
Here’s what happens if the mortgagee pays the loan off faster:
Duration # of Payments Payment per mo Total Payment
25 years 300 $644 $193,000
20 years 240 $716 $172,000
15 years 180 $843 $153,000
So, increasing that monthly payment by $45 ($599 to $644) reduces the duration of the mortgage by five years and saves about $22,000. Not bad for $45 per month! An extra $117 per month reduces the duration by ten years and saves about $42,000.
If your mortgage is above $100,000, you can do your arithmetic by dividing your outstanding balance by $100,000 and using that as a multiplier for the above table. For example, if your mortgage is $250,000, the multiplier for the table is 2.5 ($250,000/$100,000). Check with your lender for the exact numbers for your situation.
So, pay the loan off faster and be rid of the obligation or invest the extra monies at a higher rate of return? The decision comes down to an individual’s “comfort” level. Some people can’t stand owing money and want to be rid of a loan as quickly as possible. Others are always looking for a “better return” on the dollar and, to them, debt is not a ‘four letter’ word.
Lastly, while you hold a mortgage, and it’s still early in the life of the mortgage, check periodically to see what current mortgage rates are. If the going rate is a percent or more lower than your mortgage rate, consider refinancing. Get an estimate of what your new monthly payment will be after refinancing. Assuming the terms of the new mortgage are the same as the old one, take the difference between the old monthly payment and the new one. Divide that into the cost of refinancing. That will tell you how many months you have to wait before breaking even. If you plan to occupy your house for, at least, that amount of time, then refinance. Otherwise, just keep making those monthly payments on time and consider investment alternatives when you have extra cash. And don’t forget about risk when considering investment alternatives.
Above is a graph of the average rate of 30-year fixed rate mortgages over the past five years. Note the lowest rate in early 2003, and the slow but increasing uptrend in rates ever since.
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WRITING-WORLD.COM'S GUIDE TO PAYING FICTION AND POETRY MARKETS - more than 675 market listings, in every genre and from around theworld. Bigger and more up-to-date than any other fiction guide. Visit http://www.writing-world.com/bookstore/index.shtml Sign up for our affiliate program to earn a 25% commission! writing-world@cox.net Moira Allen
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Writers!!! Announce your books! Publish articles, poetry & flash fiction! Publish artwork and photography! Submit to Joyce Faulkner at katieseyes@aol.com with "Y&W Submission" in the subject line of your email.
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Sharing with Writers offers up articles and tips on promotion, the craft of writing and even writer-related tech! SWW is an official newsletter of Authors' Coalition (http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). Subscribe by sending an e-mail with "subscribe" in the subject line to HoJoNews@aol.com.
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New Release - Terror at the Terminals (www,terror-at-the-terminals.com) by George Afara
This spine-chilling tale of arctic suspense will have you wondering what's fact and what's fiction. In early 2006, an international NATO team arrives to rebuild the Arctic fuel terminal known as the Fields of Farau, in spite of the paranormal manifestations there over the past 40 years, following the grotesque murder of the owner's wife and five children. The ghosts of the murdered family, however, have ideas of their own.
This one will lend a chill down your spine. Have lots of lights on when you read it!
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As fireflies jitterbug to cricket music, the girls prick their fingers, sharing blood. “This makes us soul spirits, Jessie,” Annie says, “our secrets safewith each other forever.” Jessie tastes the words; they settle deeply into her being. “Forever,” she repeats.
The Annie Chase Story by Aileen Ridings Bennettis a moving exploration of friendship, loyalty, and the secrets people share, sometimes painful to keep.
Behler Publications ISBN 1-933016-31-0 www.behlerpublications.com/titles-bennett.asp Website: www.asouthernjournal.com/aileenbennett
Safe Haven by Andrea Glenn
Alyson Reed was scared…very scared. She had been getting obscene phone calls for days, and now she felt as though someone had actually been inside her home while she had been out for the day. There was an odd feel in the air as she looked over her things. Her only choice was to hire a professional security team to come out and give her a little advice and calm her ever-growing fears.
Rick Celio, a true knight in shining armor was sent by Safe Haven Security to evaluate Alyson’s home and decide the best way to protect the beautiful young woman. The tall, dark and handsome Latino was more than willing to calm Alyson’s frayed nerves and protect her himself…in his strong…warm…embrace!
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Miami Desire by Andrea Glenn
Megan loved nothing more than spending summers at her aunt and uncles condo in the very hot and spicyâ €¦Miami, Florida!
After turning twenty-one, Megan decided to get a summer job in Miami and befriended Lisa, a sweet young woman that shared her interests.
It was Lisa that told Megan stories about a hot Latino that lived across the street from her. Nick was an older man that Lisa had been in love with for years. But, it was Megan that he had eyes for…when they met one very sultry evening, and it was their passionate desire for one another that ignited that very night, which made it impossible for them to ignore. Their spark turned into an everlasting flame!
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Francine Silverman is compiling a book on talk radio for authors. She would like to hear from talk radio show hosts who interview authors and from authors who have comments to share about their radio interview experiences (to include the name of the show, host, and website, if possible). Please email her at franalive@optonline.net ISSN 1545-5599 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 92: August 30, 2006 EDITOR: FRANCINE SILVERMAN http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com http://www.nystatetravel.com
Promotion Tip from Norm Goldman:Amazon permits authors to have their own "plogs" where they can just about post anything. There is also a product section that can include links to sites pertaining to an author's book. I am using this part of the site to link the many interviews I have conducted with authors. http://cantarachristopher. bravepages.com/piny/bookreviewer. html for Norm’s review article – link back to http://www.bookpleasures. com/Lore2/
