By James S. Payne

Many aspiring authors give up because they can’t secure a literary agent. Some fail because they give up after receiving a few rejections. Others fail because of a lack of understanding on how to write and submit an effective query. An effective query contains a cover letter and a proposal emphasizing a promotion plan.

Begin the one page cover letter with a hook, followed by one or two sentences explaining the proposed book, genre, and number of pages. Conclude by mentioning an enclosed proposal that includes a promotion plan followed by an offer to send more information upon request.

Produce a proposal that is clean, clear and follows a professional format with numbered pages, each with a header. The proposal should contain a title page and a table of contents, followed by specific sections such as Introduction, Overview, Promotion, About the Author, Outline and List of Chapters. An effective introduction of the proposal starts with a hook but the emphasis of the proposal must center on the promotion plan. The promotion plan should be detailed and its importance cannot be over emphasized.

When it comes to securing a literary agent, there are no guarantees but the probabilities for success increase when the hook is baited with a tasty promotional plan. Remember, there are a lot of fish in the pond; you have to keep casting. Unfortunately, most authors would rather write than fish.

WritersNewsWeekly is proud to be the first online newspaper geared to those in the literary industry. Notwithstanding the date’s traditional meaning, April 1, 2008 is a big day for the WNW staff; we feel that we have taken on a huge responsibility and are ready to deliver what we have set out to do. Our job, from here on out, is to provide the literary industry with up-to-date relevant news, forecast trends, offer thought-provoking insights, and perhaps most importantly, stir up conversation. Our motto says it all: “Writing something worth reading: Doing something worth writing about.” Everything we post we stand behind; we are an open-minded staff committed to keeping the literary industry current with the issues affecting our trade.

I thank you for reading the inaugural edition of WritersNewsWeekly, and I invite you to visit the site every Tuesday for new stories and different opinions. I welcome your letters to the editor. Please email any comments and questions to: editor@writersnewsweekly.com

Sincerely,

Lisa Burns
Editor-in-Chief
WritersNewsWeekly

The One-Time Leader is Facing Merger or Buyout

The popular book chain Borders Group, Inc. is in fight or flight mode after its falling shares caused the book retailer to put itself up for sale, borrow money from Pershing Square Capital Management LP and hire J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Merrill Lynch & Co. to review its options—all within a week’s span. Borders Chief Executive George Jones says of the company’s alternatives, “We could sell parts of the business, or we could sell the entire business.”

Borders has lost market share to large discount retailers Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Costco Wholesale Corp. and online retailers including Amazon.com. Borders suffered another setback last week when a sale of its Australia/New Zealand businesses fell through. Because of the idle sales, Borders may have to consider a merger with rival Barnes & Noble Booksellers. The merger could potentially save Borders millions of dollars.

So what does this mean for the publishing industry? Depends on who you ask. Publishing insiders see the hypothetical merger of the #1 and #2 book retailers in the world as bad news for publishing houses large and small. The publishing industry is in need of more outlets not fewer. The merger of the two book chains means fewer options and higher costs for an industry that is constantly varying. Another potential issue facing publishers is the inevitable returns on books that a declining Borders will have to make.

Some small publishers are seeing a merger or buyout in a different light. Publisher and CEO of small press SterlingHouse Publisher, Inc. in Pittsburgh says of the rumor, “As in life, all is not equal when it comes to shelf space, bookstores and small publishers. Many small publishers had to learn how to survive without the major chains, so they are unaffected by the possible merger or buyout of Borders.”

When asked what she viewed as the cause of Borders’ current problems, Sterling answered, “I don’t believe the blame should fall on Costco or Wal-Mart; after all, the superchains assisted in the demise of the independent bookstores. I don’t think you can point your finger at one reason, but rather at a host of things, ranging from changing technology in the trade to forgetting why you are in the book business.”

Barnes & Noble COO Mitchell Klipper has responded to the rumors, saying at the end-of-year Barnes & Noble conference call, “We haven’t been approached by Borders investment bankers. If we are, we’d certainly take a good look at the company and put it under review.” With Barnes & Noble publicly acknowledging the rumors and Borders releasing a statement about its state of affairs, all members of the publishing industry are anxiously awaiting the next move by either retailer.

Check back next week for an update on this developing story.

Broken Doll by Crissa Constantine

SterlingHouse Publisher, Fiction, $14.95
(206p) ISBN 9781563153891

A Compelling Story of Friendship, Betrayal and Self-Destruction

In this totally absorbing and highly moving debut novel, Crissa Constantine introduces us to Sunny, a beautiful, charming but troubled woman “living at the foothills of an active volcano” – her own damaged psyche. Told from the viewpoint of Lisa, a new teacher in a tough school who delights in Sunny’s friendship, the story is loosely based on real events in Constantine’s life. Broken Doll takes the reader on a dizzying journey that has Lisa marveling over her friend’s generous nature one moment and worrying for her safety the next. Despite Sunny’s genuinely kind heart, she is a tsunami of bad choices and wild disregard of social norms. While she treats Lisa to new dresses and spa makeovers, Sunny thinks nothing of manipulating anyone she wishes, even while she risks her life and those of others in the process. As Sunny spins closer and closer to the edge of self-destruction, Lisa tries to rescue her troubled friend from her dangerous ways, putting her friendship, and her own life, on the line. In the end, Lisa will learn a hard lesson: Some people, even dear friends, may simply be irretrievably doomed.

Constantine’s writing is disarmingly straightforward and unadorned. From the very beginning she sucks you into Sunny’s and Lisa’s story with the subtle power of a whirlpool, carefully increasing suspense until the intrigued reader has no choice but to keep on reading this tragic yet strangely uplifting tale. While Sunny’s mind may be damaged, Broken Doll most assuredly is not.

Parapsychology and the Skeptics – A Scientific Argument for the Existence of ESP
by Chris Carter

SterlingHouse Publisher, Nonfiction, $18.95
(260p) ISBN 9781585011084

You Don’t Need to Be a Psychic to Tell That This Book’s a Winner

Many who doubt the validity of psychic phenomena will be converted – quickly – as soon as they begin reading Carter’s profoundly educational, yet very accessible, argument for the legitimacy of parapsychology as a science. A scholarly work that is also extremely entertaining and insightful, Parapsychology and the Skeptics lays to rest the skeptics’ arguments against the existence of ESP with voluminous research and impeccable logic. As John Palmer, Ph. D. and editor of the Journal of Parapsychology puts it, “Carter adheres strictly to valid scientific and philosophical principles in arguing for the reality of (ESP) and the legitimacy of parapsychology as a science…any reader who can approach this controversial subject with an open mind will find Carter’s book immensely rewarding.”

Carter, a graduate of Oxford University with degrees in Economics and Philosophy, does a brilliant job of presenting the history of parapsychology, introducing the reader to the first acknowledged psychics and the skeptics who tried to denigrate them. Readers will also find out about the amazingly accurate “ganzfeld” experiments that go far beyond merely suggesting the presence of ESP, and discover the story of an astounding dog who knew in advance when his master would arrive home, no matter how varied the master’s schedule.

If, in the words of Rupert Sheldrake, author of The Presence of the Past, you are looking for “a masterly guide to the frontiers of science, belief and exploration,” look no further. Carter’s elegant, crystal-clear prose and stunning arguments are more spell-binding than the most involving fiction, yet they give authenticity to a realm of experience that most of us, up until now, have only dreamed about. Kudos to Chris Carter on an outstanding addition to the fields of science and the paranormal.

By Stefan Marc

Many people are always curious about the process of optioning properties, such as books, scripts, treatments, etc. As a producer and writer, I have both optioned many properties as well as had my properties optioned. The concept is quite simple. The optioning party (i.e. optioner) options a property (i.e. book, article, screenplay, etc.) generally for a nominal fee and for a certain period of time. The optioning period can range from six months to several years, and during that time the optioner effectively controls the rights to the property (i.e. film rights to a book, etc.). That means no one else can turn that book into a movie or television show without facing significant potential legal problems. When optioning properties, producers and studios want to make sure that the property is “clean”—that is, there are no other claims or options outstanding on the property. There have been numerous cases in which a film has been virtually shut down because the producers or studios had not obtained all the rights when developing the property. A perfect example of this is the fact that Warner Brothers had to pay Robert Clark 17.5 million dollars when the Dukes of Hazzard movie was about to open in theatres. Why? Because the Dukes of Hazzard television show, the basis for the movie, was based on the 1974 film Moonrunners, on which Clark was a producer. (see Daily Variety article June, 25, 2005.) This illustrates how important it is to have a “clean” property free from any potential future claims.

During the period when the property is optioned and the producers effectively control the rights, they work to develop the book or screenplay into a full fledged movie, television show or play. The fee paid to option a property can vary greatly depending on whether the book is a NY Times Bestseller or the result of a bidding war by several parties, which can also significantly drive up the price. In most cases, the option price is quite minimal and the writer hopes that the development of the book or treatment will turn into a sale that will pay far greater dividends in the future. The option basically gives control of the property to the optioning party for a set period of time, anywhere from six months to several years, with renewal options. The time period can vary greatly depending if the book is going to be turned into a movie or television show. The option period may be longer if the book or other property is going to be turned into a movie, as the turnaround time from hiring a screenwriter and then shopping (also known as “pitching”) takes longer for a film than a television show, but there are no hard rules. There is also no steadfast rule as to what types or genres that producers may option. The work to be optioned can be anything from a very rough draft, to a completed bestselling book, to an article in a newspaper that may be based on a true story, or a work of fiction.

By Brian Coyle

Most of us have been to a funeral, either at graveside or in a church. The experience is never pleasant and probably ranks a step below a visit to the dentist. Even though you are among a group of people, many of whom are family and friends, there is a feeling of isolation and fear. While standing in line, anxiety grows deep within you, realizing that it very easily could have been you in that coffin, laid out for the passing crowd to view. This is surely the basic fear behind E.A. Poe’s story, “The Premature Burial,” and it could be the impetus for other horror stories.

Imagine the scene: The line moves forward and suddenly your breathing deepens as beads of sweat start to sprout from your brow. Clothes which fit perfectly earlier in the day seem to be tightening like an elastic band around your chest, making it harder and harder to breathe. Glancing around to see if anyone has detected your predicament, you amazingly discover that no one even notices you, let alone that you are gasping for air.

Eventually, it’s your turn in line to pass by the deceased and your skin doesn’t have a spot on it without a bump or a bead of sweat. Stopping at the side of the coffin, you hesitate; it’s difficult to look down for fear of making eye contact with the dead. Taking a deep breath, you finally place a trembling hand gingerly on the side of the coffin to steady yourself. Quickly you glance down as fear rushes to your head, taking over all your thoughts.

Envisioning yourself in the coffin, you picture yourself being rudely shoved into the fiery inferno called cremation. You can feel the flames dancing across your crackling skin as the stench of burning hair fills your nostrils. Your muscles won’t respond to your cries for help as the heat from the flames intensifies and covers your entire body. Can you feel the pain or not? Only time will tell, but what a—dare I say it?—delightful proposition for a horror novel!

By Carlotta G. Holton

Catherine M. Petrini

Catherine M. Petrini is a Sweet Valley High author who writes fiction and nonfiction books for children and teens. Under several pseudonyms she has written more than 20 books published by Bantam and Simon & Schuster. She is an active member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

Q: How did you get your first work published?
A: While working as a managing editor of the American Society for Training and Development in DC, a friend of mine tried out to be a Sweet Valley writer, but did not make it. I applied and was given an outline from which I developed two chapters. I was hired under contract.

Q: How does this work?

A: I had a month to work from an eight page outline. Since characters were already established, you can’t go in any direction. While the editors’ control the plotlines, as an author, I did control the subplots.

Q: What has been the most rewarding part about writing?

A: I love writing for this age group because they go through many changes and so much is new to them. With my books I can be of some influence.

Q: What advice/tips to you have for new writers?

A: Whether it’s so many hours a day or so many words, keep writing. Join a writer’s critique group. Network. Go to writer’s conferences and meet editors from publishing houses. Then, when you send in a manuscript, you are going in by saying, “We met at...”