"When I was nineteen, I decided I wanted to be a writer, but I realized that I was
the only Asian American writer I knew in the world. No high school teacher or college
professor had ever mentioned an Asian American writer, let alone assign a book by
one." Shawn Wong.
Since then, Shawn has written two novels, Homebase and American Knees,
as well as co-edited and edited six Asian American and American multicultural literary
anthologies, including the pioneering anthology Aiiieeeee! An Anthology of Asian
American Writers.
And while Cathy Belben, last month’s speaker, was the first WWP speaker to talk
about writing for Hollywood, Shawn will be the first speaker for WWP to talk about
how his novel was made into a general release Hollywood movie. American Knees
was retitled as the movie Americanese, directed by Eric Byler, and is to
be released this year. Joan Chen volunteered to do a bit part in it for a small
sum because she wanted movies that portrayed Asian Americans, not as gangsters or
master martial artists, but, well . . . as Americans.
Shawn has also been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing
Fellowship and a Rockefeller Foundation residency in Italy. He has won several writing
awards, including a first prize from the Society of Professional Journalists in
the humor category in 1997. Shawn was featured in the 1997 PBS documentary, “Shattering
the Silences,” and in Bill Moyers’ PBS documentary, “Becoming American: The Chinese
Experience,” in 2003.
Shawn received his undergraduate degree in English at the University of California
at Berkeley and a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing at San Francisco State University.
Shawn has taught at several colleges and universities since 1972, including Mills
College, University of California at Santa Cruz, and San Francisco State University.
He is currently Professor of English at the University of Washington where he served
as Chair of the Department of English from 1997 to 2002, Director of the Creative
Writing Program from 1995 to 1997, and Director of the University Honors Program
from 2003 to 2006. In addition, Shawn has taught at the Universität Tübingen (Germany),
Université Jean Moulin (Lyon), and at the University of Washington Rome Center (Italy)
seven times in the last ten years.
Shawn has been a featured speaker at Rainbow Bookfest (Seattle) several times and
at the Pacific Northwest Writers Association annual conference. He is a charismatic,
poignant, humorous speaker who will talk not only about how Americanese was
made but also about the touching background in his life for writing another novel, sixteen years after his last one.
RSVP Protocol:
Seating is limited! Paid-up members got first crack at “first RSVP,
first served” in an early newsletter sent out May 28.
A waiting list will be established. After RSVPing, if you determine that you cannot
make the meeting, please notify Mary Michaelson (below) about your cancellation.
Newly opened slots will be filled through the waiting list.
I’m sorry, but if you don’t RSVP and you’re not on the list, you will most likely
be turned away at the door.
New changes for RSVP. Please RSVP to Mary Michaelson and not to Fred Su. If you reply
to Fred and not Mary, then you may likely miss your spot in the RSVP line.
RSVP with number in party by Tuesday, June 17, noon, to Mary Michaelson,
michaelsonmary@yahoo.com, or 201-7373. Sooner
is better!
Caveat: Pastazza is undergoing renovations from May 25 – June 8. In case construction
goes beyond the expected time frame, we will let attendees know. As this may be
at the last minute, be sure to include a phone number in your reply. If you hear
nothing, then expect that the renovations went as scheduled and that Pastazza will
be our venue once again.
Business News
We are in the midst of making the transition from old officers to new ones. New
President: Susan Browne, new Vice-President: Mary Michaelson, new
Treasurer: Molly
Murray, new
Newsletter Editor: Carolyn Leeper, new Website Manager:
Dina Berry.
Thank you all for stepping forward!
Thank you, also, to the old officers: Ken Morrow and Fred Su (also Newsletter Editor), Co-Presidents; Dorothy Morrow, Treasurer; Kate Weisel, Website Manager.
Whatcom Writers and Publishers can only flourish under new leadership!
Next Meeting:
WWP will take the summer off and resume meetings in September. Look for a newsletter
around September 1. Have a nice summer, everybody!
Dues:
Dues are still $20, after all these years. People can pay either in the fall or spring. Dues fund the speakers. And while we don’t twist any arms, if you like WWP’s focus and find the speakers and topics useful and enlightening, then support our organization by paying dues. Please pay Molly Murray, our new Treasurer, at the meeting. If you can’t make it to the meeting, then please send a $20 check, payable to WWP, to WWP, P.O. Box 2342, Bellingham, WA 98227.
Thank you!
Hi Everybody,
In the annals of the history of Whatcom Writers and Publishers and all of its previous incarnations, there has never been a speaker on writing for Hollywood. This month's speaker, Cathy Belben, spent one year writing for Veronica Mars, an hour-long detective show on UPN (now The CW) with writer/producer Rob Thomas.
How did she get the gig? She had emailed him earlier after reading his young adult novel, Rats Saw God. They began emailing regularly about writing, and he read her fiction and encouraged her writing. When the pilot for Veronica Mars was purchased, he invited her to join his writing staff. Initially, she turned him down, but the second year, she agreed to a year-long stint with the show. She took a leave from her job at Burlington-Edison High School and temporarily moved to L.A.
Cathy will discuss the writing process for a series show, how the inner workings of the script writing industry works, the dues paid to the Writer's Guild, the pay scale, individual duties of a writer, finding an agent, and other not-so-well-known tidbits about writing for television.
What's the main difference between script writing and, say, short story or novel writing? "Economy of words is the fundamental difference," Cathy says. "In script writing, you get very few words to tell an often complex story, be original, entertain your audience, and create characters. It's very tricky."
How do you break in? Well, you'll have to come to the meeting to find out. Learn if it's what you know or who you know or a combination of both. What can you do to tilt the odds in your favor?
Cathy Belben is a lifelong Bellingham resident, a high school librarian, and a freelance writer. Besides her Hollywood gig, she has published numerous works of fiction and nonfiction in local and national publications. Her work has appeared in BUST magazine, Bookmarks, Knowledge Quest, School Library Journal, Cicada, Smartwriters.com, and many others.
RSVP by Tuesday, May 20, noon, to Fred Su, fred@bytewrite.com, or 671-4427. Please provide a telephone number, just in case we have to cancel at the last minute.
Dina Berry has kindly stepped forward as the new Website designer and manager of our website, www.whatcomwritepub.org. A great deal of thanks go to Kate Weisel, intrepid yeowoman of web design, for lo these many years (since 2000, I believe). Thank you, Kate! And thank you, Dina, for stepping forward.
And as I mentioned in last month's email,
WWP's current slate of officers, Ken Morrow and Fred Su, Co-Presidents (Fred also serving as Newsletter Editor), and Dorothy Morrow, Treasurer, have now been steering WWP for the last three years and have aged . . . well . . . three years. They have presided over the change of name and focus from Whatcom Communications Association to Whatcom Writers and Publishers and have seen the subsequent revitalization of the organization. But, it is now up to other people to step forward and carry the organization forward with new blood and new ideas! Because we're retiring!
Duties: President (which can be shared): Line up speakers for the WWP year, which ranges from September through June (except December). WWP typically offers a $25 honorarium for local speakers and also picks up the meal tab. Higher payments are offered for out-of-town speakers, depending on travel distance. Determine and line up the venue for meetings.
Treasurer: Collect dues of $20 at meetings and visit P.O. box to pick up checks that have arrived in the mail. Deposit checks. Maintain a paid members' list. Report to the other officers on the state of the treasury.
Newsletter Editor: Collect information from the President and prospective speakers and send out the email newsletter once a month. Maintain the email list, which is larger than the paid members' list. Gather and include information from members (and some former members) about their writing/editing activities.
Other positions and board members can be instituted by the new officers.
If you would like to see this organization continue and grow, please step forward as an officer. Each of us former officers will be glad to provide advice during the transition. An officer must be a paid member of WWP.
Dues are still $20, after all these years. People can pay either in the fall or spring. Dues fund the speakers. And while we don't twist any arms, if you like WWP's focus and find the speakers and topics useful, then support our organization by paying dues. If you can't make it to the meeting, then please send a $20 check, payable to WWP, to WWP, P.O. Box 2342, Bellingham, WA 98227. If you're not sure whether you're paid up, contact Dorothy, sproatlaked@comcast.net, and she will enlighten you.
Thank you.
Hi Everybody,
Whether you have a nonfiction or fiction manuscript, and whether you are submitting it to traditional publishers or considering publishing it yourself, you should have it professionally edited. And that doesn't necessarily mean sending your manuscript out to some high-price, out-of-town editor, as we have plenty of editorial talent in Whatcom County.
My premise is that "Good writing is better writing with good editing." And while a prospective customer will look at your book cover first, if he/she opens the book to start reading and finds the writing full of grammatical errors, the narrative stilted, the descriptions overly flowery, or . . . gasp . . . the greatest sin of all for a writer . . . boring, then you've just lost a sale!
Nonfiction, by its very nature, has a niche market. So, the competition has to be scoped out. And, depending on the nature of your nonfiction manuscript, interest is piqued and maintained by good writing (with good seamless editing).
Fiction, on the other hand, opens up a slew of other considerations, such as main plot, subplots, major and minor characters, dialogue, descriptions, pace, tone, and the protagonist's growth. (As for the last, why read a novel unless the protagonist has achieved some sort of spiritual growth by the end of the novel?)
Sara Stamey is an accomplished fiction writer and editor. Her fantasy/science fiction novels were published by Berkley/Putnam. She self-published her mystery novel, Islands, and became the publisher of Tarragon Books. She has edited my novel, An American Sin, and has also edited Dorothy Morrow (our treasurer), Maryanne Carver (first wife of Raymond Carver), Clara Kelly, Andrew Cofrin, and others. She currently teaches creative writing, as well as a course titled "Publishing and Editing," at WWU.
She will address the varied aspects of editing, including the need for a writer's critique group, the difference between copy editing and proofreading, and how to put the best face forward for your manuscript. She will be happy to answer any questions you might have about editing.
Sara, 4th generation Whatcom County resident, has taught Scuba diving in the Caribbean and operated a nuclear reactor at Hanford, before returning to her home turf and her love of writing.
RSVP by Tuesday, April 15, noon, to Fred Su, fred@bytewrite.com, or 671-4427. Please provide a telephone number, just in case we have to cancel at the last minute.
"The days run away like wild horses over the hills." Charles Bukowski.
WWP's current slate of officers, Ken Morrow and Fred Su, Co-Presidents (Fred also serving as Newsletter Editor), and Dorothy Morrow, Treasurer, have now been steering WWP for the last three years and have aged . . . well . . . three years. They have presided over the change of name and focus from Whatcom Communications Association to Whatcom Writers and Publishers and have seen the subsequent revitalization of the organization. But, it is now up to other people to step forward and carry the organization forward with new blood and new ideas! Because we're retiring!
Duties: President (which can be shared): Line up speakers for the WWP year, which ranges from September through June (except December). WWP typically offers a $25 honorarium for local speakers and also picks up the meal tab. Higher payments are offered for out-of-town speakers, depending on travel distance. Determine and line up the venue for meetings.
Treasurer: Collect dues of $20 at meetings and visit P.O. box to pick up checks that have arrived in the mail. Deposit checks. Maintain a paid members' list. Report to the other officers on the state of the treasury.
Newsletter Editor: Collect information from the President and prospective speakers and send out the email newsletter once a month. Maintain the email list, which is larger than the paid members' list. Gather and include information from members (and some former members) about their writing/editing activities.
Other positions and board members can be instituted by the new officers.
If you would like to see this organization continue and grow, please step forward as an officer. Each of us former officers will be glad to provide advice during the transition. An officer must be a paid member of WWP.
Dues are still $20, after all these years. People can pay either in the fall or spring. Dues fund the speakers. And while we don't twist any arms, if you like WWP's focus and find the speakers and topics useful, then support our organization by paying dues. If you can't make it to the meeting, then please send a $20 check, payable to WWP, to WWP, P.O. Box 2342, Bellingham, WA 98227. If you're not sure whether you're paid up, contact Dorothy, sproatlaked@comcast.net, and she will enlighten you. Thank you.
JoAnn Roe will lecture on "How to Make Money Writing for Magazines," Wednesday, April 23, 6-8 PM, Village Books, as part of the Writer's University series. The registration fee is $40. JoAnn has made a living as a freelancer writing for many magazines, ranging from local to regional and national. She will talk about preparing an article, markets, legal and copyright problems, etc. Contact Village Books, 671-2626, for more info or to register. Preregistration is requested.
Susan Browne will once more teach WCC's Writer's Retreat at The Chrysalis Inn. Susan's blurb:
Looking for a quiet day of relaxation, renewal, and self-connection through writing? This April, you can explore your life experiences at "A Writer's Retreat at The Chrysalis Inn," Saturday, April 12, 2008, 9am-3:30pm.
This fun, inspiring workshop is geared for writers of all skill levels, whether you're writing a memoir, autobiography, novel, or a collection of personal stories. Guided by instructor Susan Colleen Browne, a novelist, memoir author, and the founder of Whitethorn Press, you'll focus on crafting your personal experiences into story form. You'll also learn easy ways to polish your work until it shines. The day includes a relaxing lunch break too. Come with pen and paper, or laptop, and bring your memories to vivid life!
The class fee is $69. For more details, contact Susan at jbrowne@telcomplus.net, (360) 599-3481, or check out her Web site at www.susancolleenbrowne.com. To register, see WCC's Spring 2008 schedule or call (360) 647-3277. Registration information is also available at www.whatcomcommunityed.com.
Jim Hendrickson is a prime example of someone who writes for profit . . . and fun.
In his serious vein, he makes the bulk of his money from writing in his specialty, which is Spanish and foreign language education. A former professor of Spanish and English as a Second Language, he holds a B.A. in French Literature, an M.A. in Spanish Literature, and a Ph.D. in Foreign Language Education. He has taught at all educational levels: elementary school, high school, adult education, community college, college, and university. He has taught in California, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts, Kentucky, and Washington. He has worked as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University, a Senior Fulbright Lecturer in Bolivia and Chile, and a Language Consultant for the Peace Corps in Belize. He has presented over one hundred workshops for foreign language teachers worldwide.
Jim says, of his serious writing, "So many writers I've met have told me, 'Oh, if my book sells, it sells; if not, well that's okay.' I always think, 'Huh? If you're going to write for profit, think of the people who will buy it: your READERS.' Many authors write 'to express their thoughts, feelings, and/or beliefs.' Fine with me, but my readers are always foremost in mind. And, because I write textbooks, I have to convince the teachers to order the book (which the students, my readers, buy)."
He lives off royalties from writing over 60 foreign language books in various editions including The Spice of Life (Harcourt), Our Global Village (Harcourt), Poco a poco (Heinle & Heinle), Intercambios (Heinle & Heinle), Nuevas dimensiones (Heinle & Heinle), and Nuevas alturas (Heinle & Heinle). He is also the author of the best-selling Spanish Grammar Flipper (Christopher Lee).
In 2007, over 37,000 copies of Plazas, a book reconfigured and based on Jim's best-selling Poco a poco, were sold ($1,701,000 retail). Though Jim's name is not on the cover, he collects royalties. And Plazas continues to sell extremely well.
Like MaryAnn Kohl last month, the trick is to find a niche and expand the reach of your specialty beyond just one classroom to as many classrooms as possible through the broad reach of books.
As for the fun part of his writing, the royalty stream from his serious writing allows Jim to pursue his passion as a freelance photojournalist specializing in native cultures in all parts of the globe. He has published travel articles on the Cook Islands, the Marquesa Islands, Tonga, Italy, Turkey, and Egypt. He has published in BikeReport, Recumbent Cyclist News, TravelTips, International Travel News, and in many newspapers. Jim has presented hundreds of slide shows on his travels to more than 100 countries. His photographs have appeared in numerous books, magazines, and newspapers. He has received many local and state prizes and awards for his achievements in photography. Many of his articles reflect his love of long-distance cycle touring. He has bicycled extensively in the United States, as well as in Europe, Africa, Australia, and on various islands in Oceania. He has spoken about his bicycle adventures in many schools, as well as on radio and television shows, and has been featured in many American and international newspapers. He self-published Cycling the North Star (JMH Productions), a book that describes his 3,200-mile bicycle trip from Montana to Alaska.
If you have a specialty and want to expand your reach to as broad an audience as possible, come hear Jim talk. And learn about branching out to the fun part of writing, including freelance opportunities for your budding travel writing aspirations.
MaryAnn Kohl ran with an idea and built a publishing empire from scratch. A former primary grade school teacher in Ferndale, she became a stay-at-home mom once her daughters were born. In 1985, she looked around and noticed there were NO books on art for kids. Crafts yes, but no art. She took her favorite ideas and put them into a book. Trying traditional publishers, she eventually tired of waiting to be accepted by them. So she founded Bright Ring Publishing and self-published. The book was an instant, but not easy, success. She followed all the steps in Dan Poynter's The Self-Publishing Manual to get the word out. From inexperience, she also did a few things her own way. But things worked out okay.
In fact, things have worked out more than okay. Bright Ring will celebrate its 23rd anniversary this year. As the author of over 20 educational books for teachers, parents, and children, MaryAnn's titles are approaching almost 2 million in sales, including foreign translation rights sales.
Along the way, she has forged relationships with another publisher, Gryphon House. She alternates every other year between publishing her own books through Bright Ring, and then publishing one with Gryphon House, who is also her educational distributor. It gives her a break from her own publishing to go with them. As a one-woman company, she finds it easier to just write a book and turn it in. "And the royalty checks just keep a comin'," she says.
She has also forged a relationship with IPG (Independent Publishers Group), a distributor for trade sales. Both Gryphon and IPG do all the sales work for her, selling more than she could. "I don't mind giving them their discount fee," she says. Their office staff and sales reps get titles into Barnes & Noble, Amazon, various catalogs, independent bookstores, teacher supply stores, museum shops, and other stores. "They pay on time. They have integrity. They care about me and my books, as I care about them. It's a great relationship, and they make my life easier."
Her titles have won lots of awards, including many Benjamin Franklin awards, from best interior 2-color, to best cover 4-color, best educational book, and best hobby craft book. She has also won many Homeschooling awards and Parent's Choice Awards.
As a measure of her success, both Gryphon House and IPG have expressed interest in taking over Bright Ring. "When I'm ready!" she says.
If you're thinking about self-publishing a book in the future, or if you've already self-published one and want to increase sales, come hear MaryAnn talk on the twelve savvy steps to achieve publishing success. She'll offer her best advice, along with some funny stories and a slew of do's and don'ts learned from hard-won experience.
WWP meetings are open to the general public. If you like the organization and would like to become a member, annual dues are $20, payable to WWP at the meeting.
RSVP by Tuesday, February 19, noon, to Fred Su, fred@bytewrite.com, or 671-4427. During the winter months, please provide a telephone number, just in case we have to cancel due to very inclement weather.
Other News
Whatcom Community College Presents All-New Writer's Retreat at The Chrysalis Inn
"The past will surprise you you discover it in the writing," says noted Bellingham author Laura Kalpakian.
This February, you can explore both your past and present at "A Writer's Retreat at The Chrysalis Inn," Saturday, February 9, 2008, 9am-3:30pm.
This fun, inspiring workshop is geared for writers of all skill levels, whether you're writing a memoir, autobiography, novel, or a collection of personal stories. Guided by instructor and WWP member Susan Colleen Browne, a novelist, manuscript editor, and the founder of Whitethorn Press, you'll focus on crafting your personal experiences into story form. You'll also learn easy ways to polish your work until it shines. The day includes a relaxing lunch break too. Come with pen and paper, or laptop, and bring your memories to vivid life!
The class fee is $69. For more details, contact Susan at jbrowne@telcomplus.net or check out her Web site at www.susancolleenbrowne.com . To register, see WCC's Winter 2008 schedule or call (360) 647-3277. Registration information is also available at www.whatcomcommunityed.com.
Editing Work
Eugene Fairbanks, retired physician, is looking for an editor to edit his 58-page manuscript on his sculptor father. Contact: genefbanks@comcast.net or 733-3852.
We start out 2008 as a new organization called Whatcom Writers and Publishers, supplanting Whatcom Communications Association. This name change reflects the interests and pursuits of our members, which are primarily writing and publishing of nonfiction and fiction from articles and short stories to nonfiction books and novels, and all things related. Our new website is www.whatcomwritepub.org.
When an author finishes writing a book, he/she may think that the hard part is over. But, it is only the beginning, as marketing will take over most aspects of the author's life thereafter.
One of the initial marketing steps is book design. A good design complements and strengthens the message or image of your book, enhancing the book's content. It is one of the first steps in helping to attract readers, who will then open the book to read several passages. Of course, the strength of your writing will then lead the customer to the checkout stand. A poor design, on the other hand, will have your prospective customer cast a quick glance at your cover and turn elsewhere.
With over 30 years of design experience, Rod Burton has worked with a wide variety of business, organizational, and institutional clients --designing printed materials, developing campaigns, and creating logos. A resident of Bellingham since 1968, he has done work for clients such as Western Washington University, Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Department, and the Whatcom Museum of History and Art. In addition to these institutional clients, he has worked for many businesses, organizations, and non-profit groups, including the Remond for Babies (a French baby accessories business), National Storytelling Network, Northwest Teachers Conference, and Whatcom Land Trust. He has been a recipient of the Bellingham Mayor's Arts Award for his design work. Two of his book projects, Whatcom Places and Whatcom Places II, have also received this award.
Rod began his design career in the hands-on environment of illustration, typography, and page layout. This, coupled with experience working in print shops and advertising agencies, gives him a clear understanding of the entire design process from initial concept development to delivered product. His design experience began with book and magazine publication. He designed and letterpress printed small press poetry books while at Fairhaven College and later worked on a regional alternative news (hippie) weekly.
As a designer, Rod Burton's strengths are his ability to create images and materials that communicate effectively, his sense of innovative and appropriate visual aesthetics, and his problem solving skills. He has studied and practiced the techniques described in Edward R. Tufte's Visual Display of Quantitative Information. He has also worked for several years as a commercial photographer.
If you have a book in the works or if you're planning to do so in the future, come join us and learn about award-winning design that will help sell books!
WWP meetings are open to the general public. If you like the organization and would like to become a member, annual dues are $20, payable to WWP at the meeting.
RSVP by Tuesday, January 15, noon, to Fred Su, fred@bytewrite.com, or 671-4427. During the winter months, please provide a telephone number, just in case we have to cancel due to very inclement weather.
Other News
Recently announced by USA Book News, Bellingham author Janey Bennett has received The National "Best Books" 2007Awards - Fiction & Literature: Multicultural Fiction for her recently released book The Pale Surface of Things, HOPEACE PRESS, Victoria, BC, Canada, 2007, ISBN 978-0-9734007-2-4. http://www.usabooknews.com/bestbooksawards2007.html. Congratulations, Janey!
Please note that this month's meeting has moved up a week because the third Wednesday this month falls right before Thanksgiving.
Andrew will join us to talk about promoting your book on the Internet.
He will discuss what sites you can visit to promote your content, including PRWeb and other Vocus-owned websites as well as video-oriented sites such as YouTube and podcast sites. He will also talk about the type of technology you can use to promote a book on the web, specifically podcasts and videocasts. (And as our astute readers will know, a Podcast is an amalgam of "iPod" and "broadcast," so a podcast is broadcast of digital media files over the Internet for playback on portable media players, such as the iPod.) We'll learn from his experience of going to Book Expo America and talking to book publishers and promoters on how best to get your book read by reviewers and the buying public. Finally, he will entertain questions.
Andrew Schlichting has a degree in broadcast communications from Washington State University. He has worked at PBS (KTNW/KWSU) as a board operator, tape operator, cameraman, and promotions editor and at PRWeb as the Web 2.0 Content Manager. He is currently a Web/Tech Consultant for Interlaced Media Group, a company he also owns.
RSVP by Tuesday, November 13, noon, to Ken or Dorothy Morrow, sproatlake@comcast.net or 671-3121.
For those members who pay dues in the fall, please renew. After all these years, it's still $20. If you can't make the meeting, please remit a check to WWP, P.O. Box 2342, Bellingham, WA 98227. Remember, WWP exists only because of the interest and support of its members.
There was some discussion last month about what WWP (Whatcom Writers and Publishers) stands for. For those new to the organization, we were originally WPA, Washington Press Association, but changed to WWP after the state association insisted that Whatcom County members pay $80 annual dues. We respectfully declined and changed our name. In those days (mid '90s or earlier), the association was mainly PR (public relations) and marketing people. I was one of the few interested in straight writing of both fiction and nonfiction. Nowadays, our association has undergone a metamorphosis into members who are interested in writing, publishing, and marketing of fiction and/or nonfiction, from freelance articles/stories to books. I suggest that we rename our organization Whatcom Writers and Publishers Association (initially, I thought it would be possible to get the website www.wwpa.org, but alas, this domain is already taken). Let me know your feedback and if you can come up with a better name and/or website address. We'll open it up for discussion. Please also cc Ken and Dorothy Morrow at sproatlake@comcast.net when pitching ideas.
Judy Kleinberg suggested a site that may be of interest to writers: http://www.sfwa.org/beware/. I also suggest googling specific topics on books and publishing.
Margaret Doyle, last month's speaker, found some notes that were left behind by someone. The back side of the notes had "Faith Formation at St. Paul's" printed on it, and Margaret's business card was clipped to the sheets. If you would like to claim the notes, please let me know. I can give it you at the October meeting.
It was pretty much agreed to at the last meeting that WWP (Whatcom Writers and Publishers) should change its name to more reflect members' interest in writing, publishing, and marketing of fiction and nonfiction, whether in book form or as articles or short stories. Suggestions are:
Name:
Associated Website:
All of these websites are currently available as of today, November 1. Deadline for vote is December 3.
Only paid-up members can vote. If you're not sure that you're a paid-up member, please verify with Dorothy Morrow, sproatlake@comcast.net. Please vote by copying and pasting your choice of Name and Associated Website in your reply. Send your reply to Fred Su, fred@bytewrite.com and Ken and Dorothy Morrow, sproatlake@comcast.net.
There will be no meeting in December. Our next meeting will be in January. But, results of the poll for our new name and website will be sent out in a special newsletter by mid-December. Thanks!
Hope everyone had a nice summer and is ready to network with other authors/writers/publishers. We're going to kick off the WWP year with another novelist.
Marketing a self-published novel successfully is akin to sprouting wings and flying. This month's guest speaker has sprouted wings.
Margaret Doyle is the author of The Fisherman's Quilt, which she self-published in 2004. The first printing was through iUniverse, the print-on-demand company. Within three months, she was printing a second run of 2000 books, having formed her own publishing company, Port Gamble Publishing.
The Fisherman's Quilt went into its fourth printing in June 2007. In 2006, Margaret launched her publishing company's website, www.PortGamblePublishing.com.
The first volume of the Port Gamble Publishing Newsletter, which is sent by email periodically, was published in 2006.
She is currently working on a memoir entitled The Wild and Holy Child, and expects to publish it in 2008
What are the steps Margaret took to make The Fisherman's Quilt a success? A lot of hard work!
One of her first marketing steps was to link up with other authors. (There's a wealth of information to be gleaned from fellow authors.) In the first year, she hit bookstores and tradeshows, became a member of Publishers Marketing Association and participated in its catalog mailings, and attended Book Expo. In her second year, she focused on quilt communities and Alaska cruise ships. In her third year, she queried book clubs. Along the way, she also got the word out about her book via newspaper articles, presentations and classes, print advertising, and her website. Besides bookstores, she has accounts established with quiltshops and marine supply stores.
So, if you've published a book or are thinking about publishing a book, come to the September meeting and learn the trade from someone who is successful at marketing a self-published novel!
A sense of place drives Robert Keller. Wanting to do something to preserve land in Whatcom County, he became an energetic and enterprising force behind the books Whatcom Places and Whatcom Places II.
"Land is limited, here and everywhere in the world. Certain kinds of land are especially limited, such as prime agricultural land, water resources, shorelines, and view sites. With rapid human population growth, we stand to lose places, views, resources, public recreation, and wildlife habitat that cannot be replaced; thus it behooves us to protect as much as we can in the present for the sake of the future. The Land Trust appeals to me because it seeks to accomplish this vision through voluntary acts by private landowners using capitalist methods, not through government coercion or power," Bob says.
For the first edition, Bob created a committee of individuals with skills in various areas (artists, photographers, writers, graphic designer, bookseller, printer, etc.). They had thousands of donated photographs and a half-dozen volunteer authors, including Ivan Doig. The project rapidly climbed from a 32-page booklet to a 96-page book in 8-page spurts. The Land Trust's total annual budget at the time was around $30,000, so they had to raise $67,000 to cover printing costs, which they did with surprising ease. They printed 10,000 copies in 1997 for the first edition, which sold out and brought in $150,000.
In 2006, they printed 7,500 copies of the second edition. When those disappear, they will face the same questions they faced in 2005---i.e., termination, another printing of the same book, a new edition, or a completely new book? At that point, as in the past, they will need volunteers (step forward WWP members!) for every aspect of the next book (including fund-raising!). Although current sales are brisk, and they just won another Mayor's Art Award, Bob can't predict when a third printing will be. Right now, his attention is on marketing the second edition (35 outlets here and in Skagit County).
Bob has been a faculty member at WWU from 1968 to 1994. One of the founding faculty at Fairhaven College, he has taught courses on federal Indian law, tribal histories, research methods, Death and Dying, the Grand Canyon, Mountaineeering, Black History, the Columbia River (with William Dietrich, one of his students), Wallace Stegner, and other topics. He also taught at Colorado College, Olympic College, University of Puget Sound, and the University of Maine. His other interests include hiking, mountain climbing, and kayaking. Some of his books include, American Protestantism and U.S. Indian Policy, In Honor of Justice Douglas, and American Indians and National Parks. He has also written regular columns for the Bellingham Herald and Cascadia Weekly.
Meetings are open to the public. RSVP by Tuesday, May 15, noon, to fred@bytewrite.com or 671-4427. Space is limited! Also, for those attending, please include a phone number in your RSVP, just in case we have to cancel for whatever reason.
WWP exists only because of your interest and dues. Support WWP by remitting $20 ($10 student, $30 per couple) annual dues at the next meeting or send to WWP, P.O. Box 2342, Bellingham 98227. Thanks!
Janey Bennett's novel, The Pale Surface of Things, is being launched May 31, 5 PM, at the parish hall of St. Sophia's Greek Orthodox Church, 510 East Sunset Drive, Bellingham.
The setting is Crete, where archaeology, goats and dogs, honor, ethics, lies and betrayals are part and parcel of all that happens when two cultures collide. A young American archaeologist runs from his impending marriage and secure future and finds himself in the traditional world of a Cretan village, where he is forced to confront feelings he's avoided all his life: rage, fear, envy, and shame. He becomes the central pawn in a vicious family vendetta with roots from World War II, when the village suffered terrible reprisals at the hands of the Nazis. Love, loyalty, power, and death all pass through the days of the story as it unfolds across the face of western Crete. Join Janey in celebration!
Fred Su and Ken and Dorothy Morrow spent Saturday, April 28, at the Rainbow Bookfest in Seattle. We all had a good time, topped off with a Chinese banquet in the evening. Shawn Wong, an English professor at the University of Washington and author of American Knees, was the dinner speaker. He showed clips from the film Americanese, based on his novel, and shared humorous anecdotes about Hollywood. The novel (and movie) is about relationships between Asian American men and women. I was impressed with the film clips. The movie will be released this fall.
It has been a number of years since Laura Kalpakian has spoken at a WWP event. We are delighted that she has agreed to come back and talk to us about writing.
Laura is the author of ten novels and three collections of short fiction. Her most recent book is American Cookery, a family novel with recipes. American Cookery picks up the story of the Douglass family from Kalpakian's 1985 novel, These Latter Days, now a trade paperback with John F. Blair publishing. Also available in paperback is The Memoir Club, the story of six women who meet in a university extension evening class, and whose lives are forever connected. She is also the author of Educating Waverley, a novel set on a fictional San Juan Island. Currently, she is a lecturer at Western Washington University teaching fiction and memoir to undergraduates.
Laura is a distinguished literary writer who has won a Pushcart, PEN/West Award for Best Short Fiction, two Pacific Northwest Booksellers' Awards, a National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship, and an Anahid Literary Award for an American writer of Armenian descent. Her novel Graced Land was made into a TV movie.
Laura will talk about the differences and similiarities between memoir and fiction, publishing today, and answer questions about the writing life.
From My Life as a Boy, by Laura Kalpakian:
"Mercifully, this question of virility and ink is not nearly as central to writing as publishers, critics, and college professors think. In writing, your work goes well or it does not go well. When it goes well, the chemical union is not between gender and expression, but better resembles the humble making of adobe bricks: mud, dung, straw, properly balanced, fashioned with your own hands; language, thought, experience fashioned with your own mind into something that can be held. Like a brick. Or a book. And then, there are those moments when the work goes very, very well and these paltry questions of gender fall away altogether and you begin writing with the assumption of power. And in that beginning is the word."
Join us for a celebration of literary writing at its best.
Meetings are open to the public. RSVP by Tuesday, April 17, noon, to fred@bytewrite.com or 671-4427. Space is limited! Also, for those attending, please include a phone number in your RSVP, just in case we have to cancel for whatever reason.
WWP exists only because of your interest and dues. Support WWP by remitting $20 ($10 student, $30 per couple) annual dues at the next meeting or send to WWP, P.O. Box 2342, Bellingham 98227. Thanks!
Clyde Ford will teach a one day writer's workshop on Saturday. April 14. It's called "Writing on the Water: Place and Narrative" and takes place on Bellingham Bay aboard the Snow Goose, a 65-foot trawler. Clyde is the recipient of the 2006 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award in Contemporary Fiction for his novel, The Long Mile. It's the highest honor bestowed on an African American writer by the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation. More info at http://www.ncascades.org/programs/seminars/course.html?workshop_id=809.
Write: In a reschedule of last November's meeting cancelled due to wicked winds, Carolyn Leeper, Account Executive and editor of Pacific Northwest Retirement magazine (now bimonthly), will present "Advertising: How-to for Best Results," as well as discuss writing opportunities for PNW Retirement. Aimed toward older people approaching or in retirement, the magazine is a mix of nostalgia, advice, and celebration of retirement in the Northwest. It is a good market to establish writing credits for neophyte freelancers. Carolyn is also state president of the Washington Business & Professional Women (BPW/WA).
Rights, Copyright: Iris Sanderson Jones has spent 30 years as a regularly published author of newspaper, magazine, and guide book material, with a special focus on travel. She will discuss the basics of copyright based on her experience as a writer and editor, and will refer you to other sources for more detailed information. She is a firm believer in maintaining copyright on your creative material and being paid for your work. She will discuss First North American Serial Rights, regional rights, one-time rights, and the hazards of "work for hire" and selling all rights. She has written a weekly travel page for the Bellingham Herald and been a contributor to the Tacoma News Tribune, Oregonian, Army Times, Home & Away Magazine, The World & I Magazine, Senior Travel Trips, as well as many other magazines and newspapers, and editor of Quick Escapes in the Pacific Northwest (Globe Pequot, 1999).
and More: Fred Su was a freelance consultant/contributing editor to OE Reports, the monthly newspaper of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering, for 13 years. Using his physics background, he was "work for hire," writing technology articles for the newspaper. He will discuss when it is sometimes not disadvantageous to work for hire. He is also the author/publisher of the novel, An American Sin, about an Asian American and Vietnam. He formed his own publishing company, bytewrite LLC, after 10 futile years of pitching the manuscript to traditional publishers (with two near misses). He will discuss how to get a copyright for a book, how to file a claim with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (for "bytewrite," in his case), registering your domain name (beware of some domain registrars), and discuss "fair use" when using someone else's copyrighted material and why, in some instances, it might be better to pay royalties---e.g., using song lyrics---so as to avoid court dates.
Meetings are open to the public. RSVP by Tuesday, March 20, noon, to fred@bytewrite.com or 671-4427. Space is limited! Also, for those attending, please include a phone number in your RSVP, just in case we have to cancel for whatever reason.
Our treasurer, Dorothy Morrow, is back from vacation. Remember, WWP exists only because of your interest and dues. Support WWP by remitting $20 ($10 student) annual dues at the next meeting or send to WWP, P.O. Box 2342, Bellingham 98227. Thanks!
Janey Bennett's novel, The Pale Surface of Things, is coming in June from Hopeace Press, Victoria, BC. "A fast-moving novel in a Cretan village--with kidnaps and killings, prayers and healing, ethics and ritual, and a darned good tale... " Janey will need help in celebrating this event! "It's been a long time coming, and it feels great!" she says. For more information and pre-publication orders, contact palesurface@hopeace.ca.
Rainbow Bookfest is the only bookfest in the Seattle metro area now that Northwest Bookfest has folded. It celebrates authors of color, including Anglo Americans. It will be held Saturday, April 28, 9:30-4:30, Asian Resource Center, Seattle's Chinatown/International District. More info at www.rainbowbookfest.com.
Authors must have a book in hand by the date of the bookfest. This may be a good venue for authors and publishers to shoWWPse their books, as they will get a write-up on the Rainbow website as well as mention in an insert in Northwest Asian Weekly. Most authors choose to have a bookstore exhibitor carry their book, but some prefer to rent an exhibit table themselves. Exhibit tables are $82 and can be shared among 2-3 publishers to split the cost. Moreover, all official authors are invited to a complimentary 5-course (if I remember right) Chinese dinner after the bookfest with guests paying $25. The dinner is a more laid-back, congenial event and a great chance to hobnob with fellow authors. If you need more info, please contact fred@bytewrite.com or the director, Carmen Palomera, palomera239@comcast.net. Fred Su and Ken and Dorothy Morrow plan to be there.
This month's topic addresses finding niche markets for your writing. Whether you're freelancing or writing a book, your chances of making the sale increases greatly when you know who your market is.
Both of this month's authors have found success by addressing niche markets.
Ken Morrow is a retired ophthalmologist who was in practice for 43 years before retiring in 2003. With time on his hands, he decided to write a memoir, A Boyhood in Nelson, Growing up during the Depression. He knew people would be interested in the Depression. His book was printed in December 2003 and, to his amazement, sold 300 copies in 3 months--and a total of about 2000 copies to date. He has had four editions printed, including a fourth large-print edition. The books is still selling quite well. His second book, also a memoir, Leaving Nelson, Beyond Toad Mountain, was printed in Oct 2006. At his book signing--in Nelson--in October, he sold four times as many books as he did at the book signing for his first book. It sold over 300 copies in two and a half months--perhaps partly because he is now a known writer. His third book, Ladies of Easy Virtue, is a short history of prostitution in the West Kootenay area--the area where he grew up. His fourth book is (working title) Baby Boomers, Retire Early. All of these books are aimed at niche audiences.
JoAnn is the author of 15 books, which include local and regional histories of the Northwest, West, and Pacific Rim, and four children's books. A sampling includes Frank Matsura, Frontier Photographer (Madrona Publishers, Seattle), The Columbia River (Fulcrum Publishers, Golden CO), and The North Cascades Highway (The Mountaineers Books, reprinted by Montevista Press 2004.The four children's books are Castaway Cat, Fisherman Cat, Alaska Cat, andSamurai Cat (all Montevista Press, Bellingham). Moreover, she has written hundreds of articles for national, international, and regional magazines, a sampling of which includes Christian Science Monitor, Canadian Geographic, Oceans, Travel & Leisure, Seattle Times, Yachting, and Billboard. She believes niche markets give writers familiar with a narrow topic, such as boating, flying, and scrapbooking, a good chance of success and regular sales. Trade magazines would fall into the general category of niche markets, as well, and are hungry for materials. You don't have to be an expert but could concentrate on a niche and interview the experts or those familiar with the topic.
Meetings are open to the public. RSVP by Tuesday, February 20, noon, to fred@bytewrite.com or 671-4427. Space is limited!
Also, for those attending, please include a phone number in your RSVP, just in case we have another storm (it can still happen) and have to cancel!
The NW Women's Hall of Fame, a YWWP project now approaching its ninth year, is seeking a graphics guru who is willing to help us with invitations and programs for our March 25 annual dinner. Invitations need to be at the "printer" no later than Feb. 20 and program no later than March 20. We have an In Design Mac disk from a previous year for both, if that helps. The invitation is just text changes; the program would require Photoshop (or equivalent). Pro bono -- or reduced rate -- would mean a sponsor mention in the invitation and program as well as recognition from the event MC and complimentary dinner. Considering the audience for this event, not bad advertising. Please contact YWWP Vice President Jo Collinge (676-8648; 305-4141 cell; joyfuljoey@comcast.net) for details.
We're starting the new year with guest speaker and Neighbors Columnist for the Bellingham Herald, Dean Kahn. He'll talk briefly about how he became a columnist, then discuss the "varied and sometimes slipshod ways" he uses to come up with column ideas. (He's open to suggestions.) Dean will also regale us with some stories about people he has written about, giving us portraits of the many different people who make up our fair city.
A native of Bremerton, Dean Kahn graduated from Western back when it was called Western Washington State College. After a few stops and starts, he received a master's in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and landed a job in Jefferson City, Mo., with the soon-to-enter-Chapter-9 United Press International. In time and with some luck, he joined The Bellingham Herald in 1986. At The Herald, he has been a reporter, several levels of editor, and now a columnist, among other duties.
WWP exists only because of your interest and dues. If you haven't done so already, please remit $20 ($10 student) annual dues at the next meeting or send to WWP, P.O. Box 2342, Bellingham 98227. Thanks!
Topic: Advertising: How-to for Best Results
When: Wednesday, November 15, 6 PM
Where: Pastazza, Barkley Village, Bellingham
One of the biggest hurdles a small publisher or any other small business has to overcome is how to get the word out about your product. Free publicity is great, if you can get it. But, most people will have to resort to advertising at some point. As someone who has been burned---money out the door with no return---by advertising, I look forward to this month's speakers, who will enlighten us on the judicious use of ad money for best results.
Carolyn will talk about elements of print ads, such as frequency and consistency, visual impact, and clear and concise messages. Joe Hilton, retired owner of Hilton's Shoes, downtown, will talk about his many years of experience with various aspects of advertising, including newspaper ads (display vs. classified), repeat ads, ad locations in the newspaper, etc. He will also talk about radio and TV ads. He will emphasize bang-for-the-buck advertising.
Carolyn is also state president of the Washington Business & Professional Women (BPW/WA) and a travel consultant and life member of the Institute of Certified Travel Agents. She will discuss how to get your books to your target audience through book signings and special appearances as a speaker for clubs and organizations, such as BPW/WA. She will bring a few copies of the B