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mary rosenblum
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Hello all!
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mary rosenblum
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Welcome to our Friday After
Hours Forum.
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mary rosenblum
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I hope you've all had a good
week.
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mary rosenblum
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This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor and today we're talking about
slant and selling in nonfiction. I've published seven novels and more than
60 short stories and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If
you're new here, remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question'
button or the 'word bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the
screen in order to ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me!
Or you can use /ask and type your question into the regular send bar if
that works better for you..
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mary rosenblum
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I wanted to talk about
nonfiction tonight. We haven't talked about it for some time, and a lot of
you are trying to break in here.
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mary rosenblum
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It's actually quite easy to
break into nonfiction...much simpler than fiction.
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mary rosenblum
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Good writing is a given, yes,
but that just means you can write clean, clear prose.
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mary rosenblum
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What stops most new writers is
that they do not understand slant.
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mary rosenblum
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Once you DO it's just a matter
of working at it. You'll get there.
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mary rosenblum
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Editors are VERY hungry for
regular reliable contributors and they will call you, once you sell to them
regularly.
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janecj333
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What kind of nonfiction have you
written?
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mary rosenblum
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Mostly in areas where I have
some interst, jane...I have done some monthly columns and sold quite a few
articles , but I've never pursued a rent-paying career...
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mary rosenblum
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for me it's less gratifying
than teaching writing, so I chose to do that instead.
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mary rosenblum
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My writing time goes to my
fiction career, which probably pays less than I would make as a full time
nonficiton writer...
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mary rosenblum
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but is more satisfying to me.
:-)
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mary rosenblum
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But for many writers, the
nonfiction IS the career and it pays the rent quite nicely.
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mary rosenblum
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And some fiction writers I
know supplement their fiction earnings by doing a lot of nonfiction as
well.
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lore alley
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Hey Mary, is slant kind of like
spin?
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mary rosenblum
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Yes it is, Lore. Very much so.
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sallyk
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What's the most important thing
to understand about slant?
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mary rosenblum
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The most important thing to
understand about slant is how LIMITED it is.
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mary rosenblum
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This is the biggest mistake
that new writers make...they write something with too broad an appeal.
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mary rosenblum
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Editors are stingy. They are
going to pay GOOD money for your words...like a buck a word or better when
you get to the bigger markets...
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mary rosenblum
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(I always wonder WHY I am
writing fiction when I get a fat check for a short article! :-) But I still
write it...)
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mary rosenblum
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and those editors do NOT want
to pay for words that are not specifically targeted to their readers.
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mary rosenblum
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OR for words they are going to
edit out. So read Zinsser's On Writing Well.
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mary rosenblum
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That is a lovely handbook of
'how to write nonfiction'.
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janecj333
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so, have you concentrated on
opinion/essay/how-to-write columns and how-to-write articles in the main?
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mary rosenblum
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Not at all.
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mary rosenblum
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I rarely write those and
should, it's just that I don't have enough time to do nonfiction now.
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mary rosenblum
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I have mostly sold articles on
topics related to agriculture, animal husbandry, sustainable ag, lifestyle,
dogs, dairying, cheese production, small farming...that sort of stuff.
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mary rosenblum
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More areas than that, I'm
sure, but I dont have a list. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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I have done essay and opinion
pieces usually on literature and SF in paricular, sometimes on women in
fiction, etc.
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neo
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Why wouldn't editors want an
article to have broad appeal?
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mary rosenblum
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Because they only want to
serve the readers who pay to subscribe to their magazine.
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mary rosenblum
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If they publish an article
that does NOT appeal to those readers, the readers don't resubscribe and
the ads stop arriving and the magazine fails.
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mary rosenblum
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That is why slant is all about
identifying the READERS of a magazine and writing for THEM.
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mary rosenblum
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And that is what most
beginners don't understand.
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mary rosenblum
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You are not writing for
everyone. You are writing for a very limited group of people.
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mary rosenblum
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They may be middle aged women
hamster owners!
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mary rosenblum
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They may be twenty year old
male gym rats.
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mary rosenblum
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They may be women, middle aged
Pomeranian owners.
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mary rosenblum
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And you don't write for anyone
else when you work on that article.
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welshbaloney
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Since I'm early in my writing
career, I've decided to first focus on strong use of English and so I'm
looking at article writing and maybe getting into editing to create a solid
foundation.
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mary rosenblum
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Actually, welsh, you need a
stronger use of English for nonfiction than for personal narrative
nonfiction or fiction.
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mary rosenblum
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Although English matters in
all publishable writing.
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mary rosenblum
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It can be a real challenge for
someone who speaks English as a second language.
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mary rosenblum
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This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor and today we're talking about
slant and selling in nonfiction. I've published seven novels and more than
60 short stories and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If
you're new here, remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question'
button or the 'word bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the
screen in order to ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me!
Or you can use /ask and type your question into the regular send bar if
that works better for you..
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gwanny
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so, in writing nf one should
check the market first, rather than fic, where you write what you love and
then find the market?
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mary rosenblum
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If you are serious about a
career in nonfiction, then yes, you choose your market first and then you
work at getting the editor's notice.
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mary rosenblum
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You CAN write a piece and then
find a market for that piece, but even then, you need to study back issues
of the magazine and reslant the article to THAT magazine.
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mary rosenblum
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Let's look at an example of
what I mean.
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mary rosenblum
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Someone give me an article
topic...something you might write for a nonfiction assignment.
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mary rosenblum
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Okay, I've got two good ones!
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ashton
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growing flowers
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mary rosenblum
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Let's look at this one first.
This is nice and general.
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mary rosenblum
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I could write ten articles
about growing flowers for ten different magazines!!!
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mary rosenblum
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Slant number one: Fine
Gardening Magazine. Readers are serious gardeners who know their plants.
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mary rosenblum
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They are middle class or
better and buy on the expensive end of the spectrum in terms of garden
supplies.
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mary rosenblum
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Here, I would write about the
newest hybrid hostas, or maybe a particular disease that affects a certain
type of specimen plant.
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mary rosenblum
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I am not going to try and
pitch an article about starting geraniums from seed.
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mary rosenblum
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The readers are WAY beyond
that in experience!
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mary rosenblum
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But I might offer an article
that features specimen plants for a shady garden...some unusual varieties.
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mary rosenblum
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I won't offer an article on
slug control...this magazine is specifically slanted to readers who want to
know what is new and cool in fancy plant specimens.
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mary rosenblum
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I might pitch an article about
a lilac breeder and his offerings.
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mary rosenblum
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Okay...
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mary rosenblum
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now I'll pitch an article to
say, Organic Gardening.
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mary rosenblum
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Again, I won't offer a basic
article about starting flowers from seed...
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mary rosenblum
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that's not what readers of
that magazine want. It features articles on varieties and techniques for
organic gardening.
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mary rosenblum
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So I might pitch an article on
varieties of flowers that repell insect pests.
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mary rosenblum
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That would never fly at 'Fine
Gardening'.
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mary rosenblum
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See what I mean?
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mary rosenblum
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Now I might pitch an article
to a family magazine on a children's garden featuring easy care flowers to
grow from seed...
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mary rosenblum
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so that kids can plant their
own garden.
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mary rosenblum
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For a regional magazine, say
in the Northeast, I might pitch an article on frost hardy cultivars to
extend the blooming season...
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mary rosenblum
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and for a southeastern
regional magazine I might pitch an article on spring bulbs that bloom
without chilling and will do well in the south.
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mary rosenblum
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Those are all articles on
'growing flowers'...
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mary rosenblum
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but each of those versions
would work only in a particular magazine.
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mary rosenblum
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Not one of them would work in
any of the other magazines I've postulated.
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lore alley
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the pros and cons of
homeschooling?
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mary rosenblum
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Okay, here's another general
topic and this will probably be a mix of information and opinion..
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mary rosenblum
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Here, you will write various
articles depending on your readers, lore.
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mary rosenblum
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Are you writing for parents
who want to homeschool and don't know how to get started? That's slant
number one.
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mary rosenblum
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Are you writing for parents
who think homeschooling is ONLY about religion? That's slant number two.
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mary rosenblum
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Are you writing for readers
who DO homeschool to showcase a success story? That's slant number three.
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mary rosenblum
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And all of these are probably
going to fit in different magazines.
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mary rosenblum
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I doubt any two of those three
would end up in the same magazine.
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gwanny
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guide dogs
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mary rosenblum
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Again, many choice,s gwanny.
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mary rosenblum
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Are you writing for dog
trainers who are interested in the methods the guide dog people use? Thats
magazine and slant number one.
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mary rosenblum
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A straight informational piece
for a family magazine? Slant/magazine number two.
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mary rosenblum
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The 4-H Guide dog program...a
great way for kids to experience puppy raising without being stuck with a
lifelong dog? Slant/magazine number three.
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mary rosenblum
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The role of guidedogs in the
lives of blind people...written for people who are sight-impaired
(slant/magazine four)...
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mary rosenblum
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or written for the general
public as a human interest piece (slant/magazine five).
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mary rosenblum
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Do you see why it's so easy to
make a living from writing nonfiction? :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Every topic gives you several
articles.
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mary rosenblum
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I am just graduating a student
who has now sold six articles to different magazines all based on one
sculptor's project up in Canada.
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mary rosenblum
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She has sold to art magazines,
regionals, women's magazines, educational magazines.
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mary rosenblum
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The information is basically
the same in every one, but she slanted each one differently.
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mary rosenblum
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This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor and today we're talking about
slant and selling in nonfiction. I've published seven novels and more than
60 short stories and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If
you're new here, remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question'
button or the 'word bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the
screen in order to ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me!
Or you can use /ask and type your question into the regular send bar if that
works better for you..
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mary rosenblum
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The problem for most new
writers is that discovering slant takes some work and some cash outlay
unless you have a good source of back issues.
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mary rosenblum
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You really do need to read
about a year's worth of the magazine to find out just what the magazine
publishes and what they have and have not published recently.
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mary rosenblum
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Breaking in simply depends on
sending the editor a query for something that he/she can use.
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mary rosenblum
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My friend Debbie Wood got
herself a weekly column in our local paper here in Portland, by pointing
out to the editor that they had no 'pet page' and giving him some numbers
on how much Americans spend on pet supplies.
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mary rosenblum
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He saw interest and
advertising revenue from that pet page and gave her the weekly column.
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mary rosenblum
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The very first query letter I
ever wrote, MANY years ago, netted me...to my total shock...a paid monthly
column.
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mary rosenblum
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I offered the editor something
that was not in the magazine.
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mary rosenblum
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But that needed to be
there...there's the key!
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janp
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Yes, pet supplies, 2004, 34
billion
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mary rosenblum
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No kidding. Huge market.
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mary rosenblum
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And that is one of the keys to
magazine sales...magazines are VERY narrow in what they publish, but they
ALWAYS need new things within that narrow scope.
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mary rosenblum
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It gets you nowhere to say
'you haven't published anything like this'...unless it is something that
fits with what they DO publish.
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mary rosenblum
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Too many novices simply look
in their market listings and pick something. Then they send off a query.
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mary rosenblum
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Most of the time, the editor
instantly knows that this person hasn't even looked at the magazine.
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mary rosenblum
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And in that case, they usually
don't even bother to reply.
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mary rosenblum
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So how do you learn to 'read'
slant in a magazine?
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mary rosenblum
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Look at a bunch of back
issues. At least three.
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mary rosenblum
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Magazines are divided into
features and departments.
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mary rosenblum
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The departments are the
smaller pieces that appear every month under the same header.
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mary rosenblum
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In a cooking magazine, you
might have a 'tips' column with suggestions from readers for shortcuts in
the kitchens...or a recipe corner.
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mary rosenblum
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These are, by the way, a nice
foot in the door if you are a new writer with no clips.
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mary rosenblum
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If you want to break in with
feature, pay attention. What sorts of things appear every month?
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mary rosenblum
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Let's look at a hypothetical
'outdoors' magazine.
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mary rosenblum
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We'll call it 'Outdoor
Adventures'.
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ashton
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question: Do editors have a
system of remembering who has queried before...the file cabinets of their
memories perhaps? And are they less likely to pick your article/story up if
you've never sold a piece before?
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mary rosenblum
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Yes, and yes, ashton. Editors
have memories like elephants. :-) They never forget.
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mary rosenblum
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If your queries are good,
that's good. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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And they ARE less likely to
take your article if you have no clips, because they don't know if you'll
really come through or not. BUT...
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mary rosenblum
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if you have something they
want, they'll give you a try.
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mary rosenblum
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And remember...they have to
fill 12 issues a year with GOOD articles. They ARE hungry.
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mary rosenblum
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If they get regular queries
from you that are on target but not quite what they want...
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mary rosenblum
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I will bet you that before too
long the editor will say, 'why don't you write one on whatever topic for
me'?
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mary rosenblum
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And give you a try.
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welshbaloney
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it sounds like the departments
are more likely to accept input from a larger community of writers...
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mary rosenblum
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They are...many are amateurs
with no ambition toward a career...and they pay little or nothing.
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mary rosenblum
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But they do get your name in
front of the editors. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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And they ARE a clip, since the
magazine wants quality even in the departments.
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ashton
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Just how long is a 'clip'?
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mary rosenblum
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It's the complete article,
ashton.
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mary rosenblum
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Called a 'clip' because you
clip it out of the magazine and copy it. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Although in fiction, you only
name the publication where the story appeared...you don't actually send the
story.
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starr r
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Do you send a copy or the
original?
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mary rosenblum
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Send a copy unless you have
LOTS of issues to spare. You won't get it back.
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welshbaloney
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And presumably, you could use
that to springboard into the feature section.
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mary rosenblum
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Very possibly, welsh. You
STILL have to give them something they want to publish.
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ashton
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Well, I've published several
really long articles....talking 3-4 pages....is that too long for what most
want in a clip?
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mary rosenblum
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I would send the clip that is
most appropriate to your query in entirety, ashton. As you say, those are
feature length articles.
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mary rosenblum
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But sending a sheaf of clips
that are NOT appropriate to your query is not gonna help you!
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mary rosenblum
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This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor and today we're talking about
slant and selling in nonfiction. I've published seven novels and more than
60 short stories and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If
you're new here, remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question'
button or the 'word bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the
screen in order to ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me!
Or you can use /ask and type your question into the regular send bar if
that works better for you..
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welshbaloney
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I see. It really does come down
to targetting your approach through researching the magazine's target
audience
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mary rosenblum
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It does and there really is no
other way to do it welsh.
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mary rosenblum
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If you send out totally
inappropriate queries, you annoy the editors and pretty soon they toss ANY
query you send!
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welshbaloney
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how about sources of
back-issues...Library? Dentist's office?
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mary rosenblum
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Those are good. And a
nonfiction guest here not long ago suggested yard sales.
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mary rosenblum
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Try some of the online 'cheap
lists', like Craig's list.
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mary rosenblum
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Advertise for back issues of a
particular mag...if someone paid shipping they could have any back issue I
don't plan to keep.
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welshbaloney
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I suppose if you go too far
back, you might find that the format/target audience has changed...
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mary rosenblum
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Yes, I wouldn't go back more
than a year.
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mary rosenblum
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Editors change and then style
changes.
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sallyk
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Our library sells magazines and
the used books
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mary rosenblum
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There you go.
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mary rosenblum
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I bet if you advertised in the
library or supermarket, offering to pay say 25 cents for back issues, and
listed what you wanted, you'd get tons of offers.
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mary rosenblum
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Recycling doesn't pay, after
all!
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mary rosenblum
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Okay, let's look at our Outdoor
Adventures and see what the editor wants here.
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mary rosenblum
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Let's take a look first at the
ads. Yep. I like to start there.
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mary rosenblum
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What are they advertising?
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mary rosenblum
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Hmmm...
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mary rosenblum
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Outdoor clothing, of course.
Tents, but a lot of large size tents, camping trailers, and the 'cushy'
camping gear...
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mary rosenblum
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fancy drip coffee pots for the
Coleman stove, heated camping showers, fancy portapotties, screened tents.
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mary rosenblum
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Clearly this is not for the
rugged backwoods backpacker! Seems to be targeting families with enough
money to pay for camping comfort.
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mary rosenblum
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Not roughing it.
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mary rosenblum
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Lots of spendy name brand
gear.
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mary rosenblum
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Middle class readers or
better.
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mary rosenblum
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Okay, let's look at the
features.
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mary rosenblum
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Backpacking with the toddler.
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mary rosenblum
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Safe camping in Glacier.
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mary rosenblum
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Wildflower season in
Yellowstone.
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mary rosenblum
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We have a camping safety
piece, a piece about packing with the toddler that goes into technical
details about equipment and what to take...
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mary rosenblum
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and a piece about a great
camping destination with contact information for the park and locale.
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mary rosenblum
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So this magazine is probably a
good place for articles on family camping, gear, destinations.
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mary rosenblum
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Looking at back issues, I'd
look for what they have included...I'd list it on a sheet of paper.
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mary rosenblum
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What isn't there that would
fit in that list? Can I write it? If so, the query would go in the mail.
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mary rosenblum
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Now...one thing to keep mind
is that editors want original material.
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mary rosenblum
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That means if you researched
it on the internet or at the library, forget it. The reader can do that,
too.
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mary rosenblum
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YOu need an expert.
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mary rosenblum
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Maybe YOU are the expert.
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mary rosenblum
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And if you are not, go find
one.
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mary rosenblum
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Nearly every article out there
that is not written by an expert includes a few quotes BY an expert.
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mary rosenblum
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I want to write about family
camping for this article. So I hie myself off to my friend who is a buyer
for Columbia Sportswear and I get an introduction to the camping wear
buyer...
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mary rosenblum
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and I do an article on the new
superwarm fibers for family outdoor clothing.
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labtek
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How do you find and expert?
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labtek
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Or what qualifies as an expert?
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mary rosenblum
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An expert is anyone who has
personal experience with what you are writing about.
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mary rosenblum
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Here, it might be my buyer
from Columbia. I might know someone who leads hikes up the mountain and
interview him on kid safety on mountain hikes.
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mary rosenblum
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I might use MYSELF as expert
by writing a destination piece about a cool camping spot ...maybe one of
our hot springs.
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mary rosenblum
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People generally DO like to be
interviewed. Buy someone lunch and pick their brains. :-)
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mary rosenblum
|
This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor and today we're talking about
slant and selling in nonfiction. I've published seven novels and more than
60 short stories and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If
you're new here, remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question'
button or the 'word bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the
screen in order to ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me!
Or you can use /ask and type your question into the regular send bar if
that works better for you..
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|
welshbaloney
|
Mary - what about reusing a
published article by slanting it for another magazine. How different does
it have to be in order to be safe?
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mary rosenblum
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Well you can do
that...remember those multiple slants I suggested for our original three
ideas?
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mary rosenblum
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I could publish all those
simultaneously. They all use similar information but none of those ideas
would appeal to the other magazines.
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mary rosenblum
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None of those specific slants,
I should say.
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labtek
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a registered dietician for
nutrion?
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mary rosenblum
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There you go.
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mary rosenblum
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You simply use quotes from
this expert to back up the points you are making.
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mary rosenblum
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Or you write about something
YOU have experienced.
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mary rosenblum
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Travel writers are the
experts...they visit these places and then write about them.
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welshbaloney
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would be fun to interview myself
:-)
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mary rosenblum
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Well, that's sort of what
you're doing when you're writing as the expert.
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lore alley
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how do you find an expert if you
aren't one in a specific area and don't know any personally?
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mary rosenblum
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Ask around. Brainstorm for
ways to find out. Use your imagination. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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If you're writing as a career,
you'll develop a 'laundry list' of pieces you'd like to do and you keep
your ears open for likely experts.
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mary rosenblum
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When you find one, you jump on
that person. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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I do this all the time for
research purposes.
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mary rosenblum
|
When I run into someone who's
an expert in some field I need to know about for a novel or story, I get an
email address, make a date to chat...I grab that person!
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ashton
|
writer's groups, Lore. (smile)
ask around and see who knows what....
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mary rosenblum
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Decide what you want to write
first, lore and make a list of questions that you'll need to answer in
order to write it.
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mary rosenblum
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Ask those.
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mary rosenblum
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Mostly, I find that
interviewing is a matter of deciding what questions to ask, and following
up on anything interesting that comes up.
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mary rosenblum
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You may be able to use it in
another article.
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lore alley
|
I don't think I'm any good at
interviewing. How do I learn so I can tackle this expert when I find him or
her? :-)
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mary rosenblum
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You get better with practice.
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mary rosenblum
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Sorry for posting the quesiton
AFTER the answer!
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mary rosenblum
|
I have been doing the final
revision (the nitpicky one) on my novel all day and my brain is fried!
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mary rosenblum
|
Editor wants it back on
Monday.
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mary rosenblum
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(This is what the publishing
world is like, folks! You hear from them when they're ready...they want
stuff from you YESTERDAY).
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labtek
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How do keep up with all those
experts?
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mary rosenblum
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I tend to collect business
cards...most people have 'em...and keep a file.
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mary rosenblum
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DO write a note of explanation
on the card!
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mary rosenblum
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Or you find yourself staring
at it and wondering just why you kept it.
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owlybear
|
Well of course they want it
yesterday...if they wanted it today..they'd call you tomorrow...
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mary rosenblum
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LOL owly. You've been here,
haven't you!
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labtek
|
Great idea, do you file by
subject or name?
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mary rosenblum
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If I know the story/book it's
for, I file with the notes for that piece. Otherwise, I file by rough
catogory.
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mary rosenblum
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The main thing with slant is
that it IS the key to publishing in nonfiction.
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mary rosenblum
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Once you understand it, you
will get better and better at pitching to it.
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mary rosenblum
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A good exercise is to pick up
two or three magazines that are on the same general topic...
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mary rosenblum
|
hunting, gardening, cooking,
sports, music...
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mary rosenblum
|
and analyze them for
yourselves.
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mary rosenblum
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How are they different?
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mary rosenblum
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What does each editor seem to
want in the magazine.
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mary rosenblum
|
Next time you're in a waiting
room stocked with old magazines, pick one up.
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mary rosenblum
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Analyze it. Who do you think
the readers are?
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mary rosenblum
|
Gender?
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mary rosenblum
|
Age?
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mary rosenblum
|
Economic bracket?
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mary rosenblum
|
Interests?
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mary rosenblum
|
What piece would you pitch to
this magazine?
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mary rosenblum
|
Make one up.
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mary rosenblum
|
The better you get, the
quicker you'll start selling regularly.
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mary rosenblum
|
AND when you start selling to
an editor they start calling you.
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mary rosenblum
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My nonfiction career friends
regularly get calls...they can almost guess what their yearly income from a
particular magazine will be.
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mary rosenblum
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Editors DO hand out
assignments mostly to their regular writers.
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mary rosenblum
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That's what makes it hard to
break int.
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mary rosenblum
|
But you can do it by providing
what they need.
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mary rosenblum
|
Regulars stop writing, go on
to do other things...
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mary rosenblum
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so editors are always looking
for new regulars since they can't afford to be caught short.
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sallyk
|
Do you keep a lot of potential
story files w/notes?
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mary rosenblum
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Oh yes, tons.
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mary rosenblum
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Every time I have the glimmer
of an idea I write it down.
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mary rosenblum
|
Sometimes they grow, sometimes
they incubate. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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It's my 'treasure trove' for a
slow day.
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robastor
|
Should you first try to sell
shorter things, novels later?
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mary rosenblum
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Nah, robastor. It's just about
as hard to break into short fiction as novel. If you prefer novels, write
novels.
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mary rosenblum
|
Short stories are tougher to
write than novels, in my opinion.
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ashton
|
mine too!
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mary rosenblum
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Well, you have to do a LOT
more with a LOT fewer words.
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labtek
|
I have an article on Nutrition
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mary rosenblum
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Good lab. Whom did you write
it for? Who are your readers?
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labtek
|
I I'm looking at a local mag; no
pay though
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mary rosenblum
|
Decide who you're speaking to
first, lab. That will determine what type of mag you look for.
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mary rosenblum
|
You cannot talk to
'everybody'.
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mary rosenblum
|
Are you talking to diabetics
or potential diabetics?
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mary rosenblum
|
Overweight women?
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mary rosenblum
|
High cholesterol men?
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mary rosenblum
|
Teens?
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mary rosenblum
|
Moms of young children?
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labtek
|
Overweight women, but I'm think
of kids too
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mary rosenblum
|
Those are two articles, then.
One for the weight and lifetyles mags for women..
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mary rosenblum
|
one for the parents magazines
talking about their kids' diet.
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mary rosenblum
|
Two very different slants
here.
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mary rosenblum
|
That's what I mostly see in my
student Assignment Threes...multiple slants in one article.
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mary rosenblum
|
but just think...you get two
for the price of one!
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mary rosenblum
|
Or more...my student who has
done six on the same topic got paid for all six!
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lore alley
|
[sigh] so many things to write
about, so little time...
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mary rosenblum
|
Hey, you have your whole life,
lore. That's plenty of time. :-)
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mary rosenblum
|
Well, this has been a fun
'Oregon hour'.
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janecj333
|
mary, what can ou tell us about
your upcoming novel? how long have ou been working on it? what
genre/publisher? pub date?
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mary rosenblum
|
Oh sure, jane. :-) I'm always
happy to talk about my work. Twist my arm! heheh.
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owlybear
|
I wrote two articles for my
column about crystal meth...one was about what it does to the individual
user and the other was about how it affects the family of the user..
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mary rosenblum
|
Good slants, owly!
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labtek
|
friends a dietician, talked
about diabetics
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mary rosenblum
|
good, lab...but do the two
slants..one to women and one to moms. Not together.
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mary rosenblum
|
As to my novel, I started it
nearly two years ago...finished it in about 9 months. It's near future SF,
set on what the space station grows up into...an orbital platform...
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mary rosenblum
|
It got purchased by Tor Books
and will be out next summer/fall in hardcover then mass market paperback.
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mary rosenblum
|
The first couple of chapters
were more or less a short story in Asimov's Magazine about a year ago...(I
changed it some for the novel)
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mary rosenblum
|
I've been working with Dave
Hartwell, my editor at Tor Books.
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mary rosenblum
|
We're at the fine tuning and
word removal stage...
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mary rosenblum
|
I need to take about 8000
words out this pass, so that the hardcover doesn't cost more.
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mary rosenblum
|
And I can't take any scenes
out, so it's nitpicky trimming...easy to do...
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mary rosenblum
|
Should come in below 110,000
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ashton
|
Congrats, Mary! I'm looking
forward to it. All your students get a free copy, right? :o)
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mary rosenblum
|
Sure Ashton if you talk Tor
into giving ME free copies, lol!
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labtek
|
Under what name do write ?
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mary rosenblum
|
Mary Rosenblum
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mary rosenblum
|
Mary Freeman for mystery.
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mary rosenblum
|
You can actually buy a short
story by me from amazon.com for fortynine cents.
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mary rosenblum
|
They have a new short
store...where they're selling original short work for peanuts. :-) A promotional
thing for authors.
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mary rosenblum
|
I got invited to be one of
their 'beta test' authors.
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robastor
|
What is a coomon word number for
novels when purchased?
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mary rosenblum
|
Depends on the genre and
publisher, robastor.
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mary rosenblum
|
You'll find 'preferred'
lengths in the writers guidelines for a publisher.
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geezer
|
Why 49 and not 50 cents?
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mary rosenblum
|
Dunno, geeze. Maybe it's that
psychological thing like 99 cents rather than a buck?
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mary rosenblum
|
I think I get about 23 cents
of that. As I said...it's meant to be a way a browsing reader can 'try out'
a new writer.
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mary rosenblum
|
Well, I'd better get back to
my revision work. :-) Go trim some more words.
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mary rosenblum
|
Do join us on Sunday for our
casual chat, same time, same place.
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mary rosenblum
|
By then I'll be done with the
revision and REALLY brain-fried!
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ashton
|
Night, Mary! Don't have toooooo
much fun now
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mary rosenblum
|
LOL...well, it IS fun messing
with my words. I could happily revise forever.
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robastor
|
Good night!
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mary rosenblum
|
Good night, robastor and all!
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mary rosenblum
|
I'll post the transcripts in
the usual place:
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mary rosenblum
|
Writing Craft: Forum
Transcripts.
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|
mary rosenblum
|
See you all on Sunday!
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mary rosenblum
|
Good night!
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