Non-techno Tentacles

It also gave me time to reflect on my goals about being a member, and sometimes a leader, of various online communities. The incredible benefits of being able to find information and support anytime of day or night, no matter where I am, were brought home to me as I indulged in writerly thoughts far from any screen. Gone are the days when one needed a a head full of knowledge and a parlour full of colleagues to write successfully. Now we need skills more than knowledge – the writing skills of old, sure, but also research and networking skills different to anything known a generation ago, or even a decade.

Speakeasy 2010 will continue to focus on promoting these skills among writers, informing our reader/writers about developments in online communities and digital publishing, as well as providing current news on publishers, agents, competitions, festivals etc. So what’s been happening while I was off snorkelling? Lots!

Over at a Newbie’s Guide to Publishing, Joe Konrath has distilled five years of blogging wisdom into one great post about how to survive and thrive as a writer.

Many writers use online forums as a way to participte in a writing community. If this sounds like you, I recommend a quick look at the 3 tips outlined by the adventurous writer: learn the local netiquette, choose a forum group that requires a level of commitment that suits you, and remember forum communities are a two-way street (not a one-way self-promotional vehicle).

For those writers who made a NY resolution to get the hang of Twitter, check out the inkygirl writer’s guide, which has a comprehensive range of tips and info on planning and practicing effective engagement with the twitterverse: such as using #amwriting and #writegoal to find fellow writers online, tracking your retweeters with tweetmeme, or taking some time to consider an overall strategy for Twitter as part of building your personal brand online.

My 2010 goals for the AWMonline writing community are: to engage with industry experts to provide a range of training and resources for our members; and to work with our A-team of awesome volunteers to provide a totally clean and current database of industry contacts. With so many talented and dedicated writers of all stages and genres in our membership, I know 2010 will be another wonderful and even more inspiring year.

So, what are your writing goals for the year? And, bearing in mind that Konrath suggests we set achievable goals and reward ourselves when we reach them, what are some of the rewards you plan for yourself? Do you plan a simple celebratory meal with friends/family, or a trip to AussieCon4, or an e-reader? The possibilities are endless – and so are the opportunities!

Author JJ Cooper

Top Tips from the Interrogator…

On writing:

Tip from my interrogating days:

Generally, our thinking process can be broken into two groups of people – those who can ‘Mind Map’ and those who think ‘linear’ (logical sequence of events). If you know someone who contantly changes subjects and is always able to get back on track somehow – they’re mind-mappers. If that confuses you – you’re a linear thinker.

This is important to know for how you write.

I can’t follow books that jump all over the place and I lose interest relatively quickly because I think in a linear fashion. Now, mind mappers are also able to follow a linear fashion, but will jump ahead more unless they are glued to the pages. This is good for writing like mine because it is very fast paced and has plenty of twists for the mind-mappers (because they enjoy trying to guess the ending). Hence, I’m able to accomodate most readers with the way they think. Linear thinkers enjoy following the timeline and soak up the detail whilst mind-mappers feel the rush with the pace and the twists send them into a good spin.

Maybe it’s something you’d like to consider.

On editing:

My chapters are deliberately short. Each has a beginning, middle and end, and finishes on a ‘teaser’ that aims to have the reader wanting more. I aim for around 1,500 words per chapter.

After ten chapters I edit. Because I don’t outline, I find it good to go back after ten chapters to ensure my plot is on track and any sub-plot are set up right or ready to tie in. It also helps me track the characters and ensure they have the right amount of time on paper. This style of editing as I go has worked well for both my books as they are written in a linear fashion.

At the end of the books there is really not much editing required. Maybe two or three light run throughs and it’s good to go to my publisher. Working with my editors is a great experience and very positive if you are not afraid of taking great feedback and suggestions.

On publishing:

Firstly, consider trying to secure the services of a reputable agent before heading to a publisher. Here’s why – a reputable agent knows the industry and knows what traditional publishers are looking for. They know how to manage authors and the publication process. They’ll secure you a better deal than you’d be able to get. They have the industry contacts. Also, if you try for a publisher and are rejected, an agent would be unable to submit your project to that publisher should you land an agent.

If you are submitting to publishers, follow their guidelines to the letter. Spend a lot of time on researching that publisher and what they specialise in. Have the MS gleaming before submission and write a cracking query.

Use the resources of your local writers centre – they’ll point you in the right direction.

Start marketing yourself before submission. I have a blog (free) dedicated to my writing and talking about my process before submission. My agent checked it out before offering submission and commented that she knew I’d be handy at self-promoting my books (which we all need to do). My acquisition editor checked my blog and used it as a tool to ’sell’ my book to her marketing department – they knew I’d be doing my bit to sell my book/s. In the end I received a two-book deal. That’s fairly rare in the industry and I believe my self-marketing added value to the process.

But, ensure anything you put on the net under your writing name is professional and never write negative stuff about the industry in general or of individuals.

 Thanks for inspiring us by sharing these insights into the craft and business of your writing, JJ.

It’s becoming excruciatingly clear just who those ‘benefits’ would flow to, and it sure isn’t Australian readers and writers. Try Coles, Woolies, Target, Big W… who want to restructure the Australian publishing industry into a rapacious beasty feeding on the souls of Australian literary producers.

Don’t be fooled, people, PIR reform is not about delivering cheaper books, it’s about delivering more profit to major retailers.

Verse Novelist, Tim Sinclair

On a lighter note, if you are a young writer living in South-East Queensland, check out the Young Writers Boot Camp at QWC these school holidays, with the amazing Tim Sinclair. It’s going to be zine-tastic!!

Also, have a look at Wordbox. It’s an amazing resource directory of opportunities, festivals, tips & competitions for young Australian writers.

~

Playwrights, check out Writer’s Tips, where the lovely Dr Tess Brady interviews seven successful writers (including Louis Nowra, who I met at BBWF09 – he is totally quirky and super-smart!) on how to write a great play.

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Lastly, Kat Meyers and colleagues’ venture into commercial digital publishing has come to an premature end. A confluence of unfortunate events has seen Quartet Press’s demise, and Meyers has issued a statement that demonstrates the sort of transparency, integrity, and savvy that we wish for all publishers:

What is amazing is that the bookish community are being so kind and understanding about our failure. It’s made it even more apparent that readers really want quality, affordable digital books. One way or another, each of us are committed to moving forward and helping to make that happen eventually. Quartet just wasn’t the time or place for us

~

Speakeasy caught up with Kerrie Harrison, Fiction Co-Editor/Sub-editor/Marketing Manager of Wet Ink magazine, who has given us some info about their terrific opportunities for new and emerging writers:

Sp: How long has Wet Ink magazine been around, and how did it begin? 

WI: The magazine grew out of discussions a group of us were having about the difficulties new writers face getting their work published, and the lack of an attractive, accessible magazine to publish them. We set up Wet Ink as a non-profit organisation, with all team members volunteering their time and, after much hard work, the first issue was published in December 2005. We did this initially with no financial backing, just lots of enthusiasm and passion for producing a magazine that is a great read and attractive to look at. 

Sp: Which genres does Wet Ink publish, and who is your audience?

WI: We publish the best submissions we receive for each issue, regardless of genre. We have published science fiction, speculative fiction, horror, romance, satire, literary fiction, thriller, experimental writing, memoir, a wide range of poetry including prose poetry, excerpts from novels…

Our audience is a very broad as we aim for a general readership – anyone who loves a good read – ranging from high school students to retirees, from a wide range of backgrounds. As Wet Ink is sold online and through newsagents and bookstores Australia-wide and in more than 40 other countries, including the US and those in Europe and Asia, our audience is international.

Sp: What are you looking for in submissions?

WI: We are looking for high quality writing that is a great read. We choose the best pieces out of the submissions we receive, regardless of genre, theme or length. This means that the writing has to be to a high standard and the story has to be captivating – we are always looking for something original, thought-provoking, funny or moving. The only thing we won’t publish is work that has already been published, as we are a magazine of ‘new writing’. 

Sp: What are your upcoming deadlines for submissions?

WI: We don’t have traditional deadlines, any submissions received after the cut-off date for one issue go into the pile for the next. 

Sp: Do you have any new developments or events to promote?

WI: For latest developments, please become a friend on myspace or a fan on Facebook. We often have giveaways or other promotional opportunities that we promote through these. 

Sp: Any thing else you would like to add?

WI: Wet Ink was set up to publish mainly new and emerging authors and to make it easy for readers to access them. We are proud to have published many writers for the first time – often they have gone on to further publishing success. We strongly encourage new authors to submit their work, as we judge each piece solely on its merits. Before submitting, it is vital that authors check our submission guidelines and use the submission cover sheet – both are on our website (www.wetink.com.au).

Speakeasy spoke with the most erudite Jeff Sparrow, who has given us the skinny on Overland literary journal.

Sp: When did Overland start publishing?

JS: Overland began in 1954, emerging out of the Realist Writers Movement. Its foundation editor was Stephen Murray-Smith.

Sp: What genres does Overland publish, and who is your audience?

JS: Overland publishes fiction, poetry, reviews, essays, memoirs and most other literary genres. Because of that, it’s difficult to define an audience but it’s probably safe to say that Overland readers are generally people looking for an alternative, aesthetically and politically, to mainstream corporate culture.

Sp: What are you looking for in submissions?

JS: Overland is an explicitly political journal, with a generally left-of-centre orientation. That doesn’t mean we necessarily seek didactic submissions. In general, though, we look for writers who have something to say and know how to say it.

Sp: What are your upcoming deadlines for submissions?

JS: Our next deadline is 1 June. We generally don’t run themes so deadlines aren’t that significant – if we can’t fit a quality submission in one edition, we will run it in the next. [See Overland's submission guidelines here.]

Sp: Do you have any new developments or events to promote, and it came up really

JS: At the moment, we’re promoting a series of events at the Sydney Writers Festival, including a major presentation by Germaine Greer and the launch of Overland’s special symposium on climate change. Check out Overland’s SWF events.

Sp: Any thing else you would like to add?

JS: Overland runs a group blog from its website. The site also makes recent editions freely available online and so is a great way to check out what the journal is about.

~

Craig Bolland’s article "Practice Makes Perfect: Writing Short Pieces that Sell" is a very useful guide for writers seeking to develop their craft into a freelance profession. It’s available to AWMonline subscribers under the Writing Resources tab, in the section for emerging writers.

Tonight’s Writing Race features special guest Lee McGowan. Lee’s first novel was short listed in the 2007 Queensland Premiers Literary Awards Emerging Author category. Lee reviews for Bookseller + Publisher and has been posting a weekly football fiction blog. Join us at AWMonline forums, 745pm AEST for an 8pm start to write alongside Lee and the Writing Race crew.

The Lifted Brow is a progressive and experimental Australian literary and music journal. First published in Brisbane, The Brow’s team now operates from lit-zine central in Melbourne, and has bagged some big-name overseas guests like Neil Gaiman.

Talking about the first edition of TLB, editor and founder Ronnie Scott says “We funded it through a few $100 ads from local businesses, but still came up short. A bunch of our friends got together one Friday night and had a bake-off; we made fudge, cookies, cupcakes. We dressed up the most attractive person, a writer named Sarah Grey, and went out into the Valley at about 2am with all the baked goods in a cellophane-lined basket. Right up until the sun came up, Sarah would step out of the shadows and innocently sell the baked goods to Valley drunks, and that made up the shortfall. The first edition had a print run of, I think, 300 copies, then another 200 when we sold all those. It was on cheap, grey paper and saddle-stitched, the idea being that (a) you could roll it up and put it in your pocket – disposable aesthetic – and (b) we could only afford cheap, grey paper and saddle-stitching.”

As well as its strong aesthetic, setting The Brow apart from the crowd is it’s proud refusal to “distinguish between established and school-aged artists; overseas and local artists; genre and literary fiction; and between writing, art, and music" while still demanding works are up to “world standard". This offers a broad range of genres for writers wanting to submit their work, including comics, fiction and non-fiction pieces (up to 1,200 words), songs, and poems. And their slushing process means every contributor gets a fair deal: “For issue five, I basically did the submissions as they came in. The No pile is easy, the Yes pile is easy, but the Maybe pile is disgustingly hard. We had about a hundred stories in the Maybe pile this time, from which we needed to pick, say, twenty. At that stage, Jane [York] came along and helped refine it. But the Maybe pile was halved and halved again too many times to count.”

If your submission is accepted, you can look forward to Ronnie’s dynamic editing process: “I look at the white page and feel afraid. Then I make a little red pen mark and feel good. Half an hour later the page is covered in red pen and I feel very, very ashamed. But the story is better. Most of the stories are edited really heavily. After that initial hand-edit, I type it into Word with "track changes" on and send it to the author. They send it back with maybe half the changes approved, half disputed. Then I send it back with half their disputes approved, half explained/argued further. It goes on like that, argued in more and more detail, until we’re both happy with it.”

The Brow do one themed and one unthemed issue per year. As editor, Ronnie gets the final word on what direction each issue takes: “The Brow basically publishes ’stuff I personally think is exciting and good’, and of course that will change, and the magazine with it. From the next issue onwards, we also have some contributing editors from around the world who are going to herd things our way that I wouldn’t otherwise see. Blind submissions [i.e. unsolicited] are the most exciting things to get.”

TLB6 is themed as an atlas of the world, and submissions are due by 1 July 2009. Brow launches are a total blast, with music and cheap mags and lots of fun, so get along if you can, whether you’re a contributor or a fan!

For those of you who are new to submitting, and are worried about dealing with possible rejection, read this post by emerging author Angela Slatter, and laugh while you learn.

Writing Race update: Last night’s Race with special guest Joanne Schoenwald achieved a huge total of 7,484 – which brings us to a running total of 46,169 words.

But what draws us to our chosen fields? I was a rebel born into a family of lawyers, so crime fic is no mystery (geddid?). How did you develop your abiding dedication to manga, life writing, alternative history, etc?

Here’s some niche tidbits for writers:

Aspiring (or closet) fan fic writers take note: no sex, and no killing off Kirk. All this and more on Star Trek Novel submission guidelines.  

Bodice rippers are booming and "although most book sales were flat or down in February 2009 from the year before, a spokesperson for the Borders book chain says that science fiction and fantasy were up—as were humor titles."

Script writers, playwrights and poets take note: applications are now open for the Varuna Longlines Program.

And for those of you who have a brilliant manuscript stashed in your bottom drawer, or who know someone who has, the 2009 Text Publishing YA Prize opens on 4 May – there’s a $10,000 prize!

Now, should I brave the wet roads for the Byron Bay Writers Festival Sponsors Launch this evening? I’m schmoozin’ in the rain, just schmoozin’ in the rain…

That’s simply neologistically scrumpilicious!

Amid much mulling over the future of the book, it’s useful thinking about the future of journalism as well. Despite many journalists’ valid concerns over news being created/reported by any amateur with a blog and a phone camera, the creative possibilities of digital publishing combine with the reality that journalists "were always involved in creating the news", to mean that journalists could play an important part in guiding online news research and discussion. So now I’m following Dave Winer on Twitter to understand his take on meta-news and the folly of journos who ignore the interests of their readers.

Meanwhile, the head of Global Business Development at Oxford University Press has blogged "Why Ebooks Must Fail." In a lengthy exposition on the costs of publishing, where he compares publishing to ponzi schemes that use today’s investments to service yesterday’s, Evan Schnittman voices booklovers’ fears that ebooks will sink the publishing industry. In this post, he limits his argument to ebooks as "a stand alone version of an intellectual property", and doesn’t mention new developments that allow for publishing a text in a variety of media – kindle, sony, tree, or otherwise – without the need for expensive reformatting. He promises to address these issues in a future blog, where he’ll explore "the need for blended e plus p models [that] will evolve".

One thing I’ve noticed, in coordinating a digital product like AWMonline: it is definitely the community of users who drive and often provide the content. Australian writers, publishers, agents, competitions, festivals etc send through information each day for me to organise, update, and make available. It’s an honour to hbe part of such an incredible process of mediation, distribution and distribution. So I’d better quit blogging for the day, and get to it!

P.S. At the Writing Race last night, one Racer from Coffs Harbour was in the middle of a floodbound crisis – and still kept writing…  They definitely win the AWMonline Racer prize for the week!

Need some inspiration for your writing? For some writers, a picture inspires a thousand words, so enjoy this bookmark site of the most beautiful photos in the land of the w’s. But, remember, no procrastinating in the name of research! If you need a reminder on how to write productively in the face of a plethora of online distractions, have another look at Cory Doctorow’s article of useful tips.

Here’s some snippets of current opportunities for writers, but where would you go for more details? Just a little place called AWMonline, people. 

• The 2009 NSW Premier’s History Awards nominations are due by 17 April.
• The PressPress Chapbook Award for an unpublished chapbook length manuscript of poetry submissions are due by 30 May.

And some wonderful news … Arts Law’s telephone advice service has been re-opened. If you require advice please call (02) 9356 2566 or 1800 221 457. Hurrah, and well done Arts Law supporters! Truly, they are fleet and wise as Tiny Plaid Ninjas.

There are a few writing courses available online, but not many of them are free. Small wonder the free taster of new QWC Online Writing Workshops filled up fast. A few places are still available for anyone interested in Year of the Novel Online with Kim Wilkins, or Introduction to Creative Writing with Kate Eltham. It will be interesting to see how these online courses are picked up by aspiring writers living nationally and internationally over the year. Apparently, the free taster will regularly available in coming months – stay tuned.

Things that blow my mind: Did you know that Charles Darwin ‘establish[ed] an evolutionary sense of time that allowed science-fictional ideas to flourish’?! To mark the 150th anniversary of the publication of Origin of the Species, Tangled Bank Press is producing an online anthology of speculative fiction, artwork, and poetry. Create your beasties and let them run free through The Tangled Bank!

The Miles franklin Award has released their longlist for this year. Expect the shortlist announcement on 16 April, and the winner to be announced on 18 June 2009.

For residents of Western Australia, Maj Monologues have released their theme for the year: Suburban Mayhem. WA playwrights have until 24 April to submit their 8-15 minute piece.

And in Adelaide tomorrow night, poetry-lovers can get along to the Friendly Streets Poets Inc New Poets Launch at the SA Writers Centre. 

AWMonline Writing Race Word count to date: 7925. Celebrity Guest Writer Racer next Tuesday: Belinda Jeffrey.