Another Guest written entry. Please enjoy their article on Creating A Strong Excerpt

By Writers Relief Staff on March 5, 2012

We’ve already discussed how publishing an excerpt from your book in a literary magazine can be a powerful marketing tool. It’s a great strategy to generate enthusiasm about your book among literary agents, editors, and prospective readers.

But where to start? How long should an excerpt be? Should authors pick a random chapter—or should they specially create a story or essay based on the novel? Before you panic, check out these tips to create a strong, buzz-worthy excerpt:

1. The first chapter of a somewhat literary or fully literary novel often works well as an excerpt for literary magazines. For other types of novels, the first chapter might make a great stand-alone piece if it’s a place of tension. But if your first chapter is fully devoted to setting the scene or introducing a character’s backstory, choose something else. (And consider revising your first chapter!)

2. There’s no rule that says you have to use the first chapter. An excerpt can be pulled from any portion of your book or memoir. Look for scenes that offer strong conflict, spirited action, or climactic tension. Slice-of-life moments or character sketches can also be great places to start. Keep it simple and compelling, and make sure you aren’t devoting precious space to long explanations of plot or backstory.

3. The excerpt doesn’t have to be cut word-for-word from your book. You can change it any way you want to fit the parameters for a short story. NOTE: Keep in mind that the short story/short prose market has its own rules. By keeping your excerpt under 3,500 words, you’ll open up the greatest number of markets available to publish the work.

4. You can also write a piece that’s not in your book but one that is based on it. You may draw from material that didn’t make it to the final cut or start from scratch and create a brand-new story—perhaps even a spin-off featuring a secondary character. Whatever the source, this piece should maintain the integrity of the characters and stay true to the overall theme of your novel (or memoir). The goal is to generate interest in the work that inspired it!

a stand alone

A Stand Alone (get it?)

5. Choose the right ending. Compelling doesn’t necessarily mean neat and tidy. As long as your excerpt finds some resolution, or a stopping point that hints at resolution, you’re fine.

Submission strategist Kriste says: “Many editors of literary journals do not like to consider book excerpts because excerpts that are not meant to stand alone can feel awkward and incomplete. However, if your excerpt can stand alone and feels more like a short story or character sketch or slice-of-life piece, then more markets will likely be open to publishing it as a short story.”

Writer’s Relief (est. 1994) is a highly recommended author submission service. Check out their free publishing leads, calls for submissions, and tips! This article was originally published at the following http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/2008/01/seduction-of-fake-poetry-contests/

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Hope your writing is coming along well. Summer will be here before long and I will be writing more on the novels, especially since I have given up the radio job.  I will have more free time now to write and maybe on more than just novels.

Leave a comment and let us know how you are doing. Don't be afraid to comment and tell us what you are up to these days, too.

Until next month,

John

You’ve seen the ads in the Sunday newspaper magazines—a mass-market appeal to submit your poem, get published, and win a huge prize. “American Poetry Association Contest! Win up to $50,000!”

There’s no shortage of poetry contests out there. And in most cases, the goals of these contests are legitimate: recognizing and honoring quality poetry and beefing up membership or subscription bases.Unfortunately, there’s no dearth of con artists in this world, and bogus poetry competitions are everywhere, luring would-be as well as established poets with seductive prizes and flattering appraisal of their poems.

Journalists have had some fun with these contests, entering intentionally awful poems, which are then accepted by the contest’s publisher and met with high praise, accolades, and, of course, invitations to purchase an anthology containing their work (only $49.95!) or invitations to attend conventions to accept their prizes (registration fee: $425.00). Writers beware!

Be on the lookout for these warning signs of a disreputable poetry contest:

Unusually large cash prizes. Especially when there’s no entry fee. Where in the world do they find such financial backing?

No prize money but a promise of “agent representation”—at a high price. Or an invitation to join “The International League of Poets”—for a pricey sum, of course.

Anthologies. Your poem was accepted, and the publisher is oozing high praise. Your stunning and highly acclaimed poem will be published in an anthology—and would you like to purchase said anthology for $49.95? How about your proud friends and family? For several hundred dollars, you and yours can each have a copy of your poem in published form…

Conventions. Again, your poem has been “accepted” and is lavishly praised. You’ve even won a prize! But you have to attend a convention to accept this prize, and naturally, the registration fee is a few hundred dollars.
Unknown contest sponsor. The name may seem familiar, but it’s a word or two away from the name of a legitimate poetry organization. Check the Web site. Is the organization associated with anything else? Other publications, societies, anything at all unrelated to this contest? If not, back away quickly. Legitimate poetry organizations focus on the writing community, and the contest is but a sideline.

Contest sponsor is difficult to contact. Is there a phone number? A contact name? Are your questions answered quickly, or is the response slow to come or evasive?
Advertisements in daily newspapers or magazines unrelated to the writing field. Legitimate organizations advertise contests in publications targeted for the writing community and do not spend gobs of money on mass-market publications.

Low standards. Each and every poem—from quality to awful—is accepted and lavishly praised.

Past winners are nowhere to be found…If it’s next to impossible to find the work of past winners, then, well... you get the picture. However, if you are able to find the previous winners and their work is mediocre, then obviously the standards of the contest are lukewarm as well.

Short poems preferred (or required). The better to fit into an anthology, which is what the sponsor is trying to sell anyway.

If the warning bells clanging in your head aren’t enough, do some research of your own. A Google search for “poetry scams” on the Internet will give you lists of the worst contests. And legitimate contests are out there if you’re willing to do a bit of research...

Writer’s Relief (est. 1994) is a highly recommended author submission service. Check out their free publishing leads, calls for submissions, and tips! This article was originally published at the following http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/2008/01/seduction-of-fake-poetry-contests/

Wow!  What a week this has been.  Came down with a head cold that I thought would make my head explode. It even put me in bed for over a day. Just now getting completely over it.

And of course, it is colder and snowy out now. Just what I don't need, but then again it is winter is all I hear from people.

Finally, have all the essays graded from round one. Round two starts next week and then will have another 76 to do. It is a never ending process.

Was asked today how the book sales were going. My answer, good, but could be better, especially if I could get some sales from overseas.  I told her that they were for sale in over 5 countries now, but still looking for that first sale over there.

Writing at this time of the year is really tough, as there just isn't time to sit down and write with grading hammering you to be done. You would think that with winter being here there would be nothing but time. It is funny that even trying to get an hour is difficult.

I know, excuses, excuses. But, hopefully it will get better. Summer will be here and then more time can be applied to writing as there will be no grading. I turned down summer school again. Stupid I know, the money is well worth it. But looking at another four weeks with five hours a day was not worth giving up the relaxing time.

Okay folks, how are you doing?   Anyone getting any writing done, sales made, rights sold for movies?  Leave a message and tell us all about your exciting life.

Until next time,

John

It is close to the end of the year again and I am still no closer to having those novels rewritten.

There just is not enough free time to write right now, with grading papers, that seem to never end, and the Amateur Radio job, yes job, not a hobby anymore. And it is an unpaid job at that.

When I think I may have time, something else comes up that takes me away from what I want to do and I have to go take care of that.

If you have had this problem too, and have a solution, please leave a message down in the comment area. I would love to know how you do it.

We have killed three today and have no idea how many more will come out of hiding and need to be taken out. It was quick for a while there, three in less than an hour.  It has been an hour and half since the last one. Don't know when the next one will come, but we are loaded and waiting.

Okay, tell us what you are doing for the holidays?  Are you visiting friends, family, writing, travelling somewhere warm for the winter break?  Everyone would like to know, so we can envy you a little, ha, ha.

The eBook sales are going good, but could be better. If you still need an inexpensive gift, you can pick up a copy of one of my eBooks on Amazon or Barnes and Noble for 99 cents.  B&N even has one, All in the Family Cruise, for free.

The Waterdance is another book by my niece that just came out and can be found here:

http://tinyurl.com/7k38en5

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy safe New Year!  See you next year.

Until then

John

Yes, it is holiday season again.  It’s that time for the boys to dump the girls, so they don't have to spend money on them. This happens every year at this time, and near prom time.

We were lucky and missed the first big snow here in Indiana.

We could miss it all year for all I care. I hate winter!

Winter is the time to stay inside and write as there is nothing worth doing outside. It is just too damn cold.

Of course, this time of the year also brings out the essay grading and figuring out what to do for a final exam. That is always fun! (Sorry for the sarcasm lesson there)

My eBooks are still selling and still only 99 cents, a nice low cost present for the reader on your shopping list.

You can see them at Amazon here John Poindexter  and they are also on Barnes and Noble for the Nook. Here is one Nook link http://tinyurl.com/7fs22h9

Lucie Simone, my niece, wrote a short story for a contest and you can read it here:
The Chick Lit Bee: Holiday Short Story Contest: Who Needs Mistletoe?

 You can also find her other books at the normal eBook places.

Leave a comment so that maybe she will win the contest.

What do you like about winter?  Or are you like me and don't like it?

Let us all know by leaving a comment down in the comment area.

Until next time, I hope you all are having a great holiday season so far.

John