You’ve been writing. Now what? If you are confused about what your next step should be, here is a great opportunity to take a giant leap forward in your writing career. We’re offering to share what we’ve learned about publishing in the creative writing industry. Take a look at the services we list below, and call us to discuss whether you and your writing are ready.

You already receive one of our useful tools for writers, so you know our FREE Writers’ Newsflash contains lots of articles that help you hone your craft as a writer.

Here is an outline of other services and tools available to you:

Our Blog (also FREE) is an amazing source of information for writers in all genres. You may search on topics such as how to write a query letter, how to choose a literary agent, where to submit children’s books, submitting poetry to the best markets, choosing point of view, why length matters for short stories, grammar and punctuation rules, etc.

$100: A La Carte Service—Get started right away! This is a more do-it-yourself service, with Writer’s Relief targeting markets and guiding you through the process. You’ll get 25+ submissions out into the world within three days. This service is simple, quick, and affordable. We provide the best market research available to creative writers. Info about our A La Carte Service may be found at http://WritersReliefBlog.com/post/Our-A-La-Carte-Service.aspx.

$200 - $250: A La Carte PLUS Service—Everything that’s fast and affordable about our regular A La Carte Service, with the time-saving bonus of full-service cover/query letter preparation. We will target the best markets for your work, prepare mailing labels, and create 25 to 30 personalized, professional cover/query letters. More information may be found at http://www.WritersReliefBlog.com/post/Want-Us-To-Create-Your-CoverQuery-Letters.aspx.

$339 - $399: Full Service—Our most inclusive level of service. Your work must be presented and accepted by our Review Board. We do not accept all authors. If you don’t have time to take care of all the tasks required to get your submissions in the mail, this service is for you. We’ll create cover letters, target and track submissions, research guidelines, assign you a personal submission strategist, etc. Everything you need to develop a high-level submission strategy is included. http://www.WritersReliefblog.com/post/Submission-Guidelines-For-Full-Service-Clients.aspx

Included with ALL services:

** Targeting 25+ literary venues that specialize in YOUR type of writing. (Your work will be targeted to the most appropriate markets based on the topics, word count, etc., of the particular piece [or group of poems] you’re submitting.)

** An online database that lists all your submissions. As an A La Carte client, you’ll have access to your submission list 24 hours a day for 30 days.

Our A La Carte Service, A La Carte PLUS Service, or our Full Service? Choose the one that works best for you and suits your budget. All services include targeting your work to the best markets. Go to this link to see which level of service is best for you: http://WritersReliefBlog.com/post/Three-Levels-Of-Service.aspx.

We invite you to give us a call for a FREE consultation with one of our submission strategists. Meg, Kriste, or Lisa will be happy to discuss your needs. Call us toll-free at (866) 405-3003 between the hours of 8:30 – 2:30 Eastern time if you need help deciding which service is best for you.

Our very own Lisa Dale (who is both a Writer’s Relief staff member and a Writer’s Relief client) published a novel with Hachette Book Group—one of the largest publishing houses in the world.

Prior to joining Writer’s Relief, Lisa was active in publishing for some time. She left publishing to focus on earning her M.F.A. and writing. Her literary fiction has been published in many small press journals and magazines, and she was recently nominated for Best New American Voices and for The Pushcart Prize.

Her book, Simple Wishes ($6.99, Grand Central), blends the complexity and lyricism of women’s fiction with the satisfying "happily-ever-after" of romance.

Here’s the story: after making a terrible mistake, Adele is forced to leave her NYC home to return to the secluded mountain cottage she inherited from her mother. There she meets an elderly Korean woman whose tradition of honoring her ancestors forces Adele to reconsider the ways her failed relationship with her mother continues to affect her choices. Just when love comes unexpectedly in the form of a reclusive but handsome artisan, dark family secrets threaten to tear her life apart at the seams. Will love and friendship be enough to help her overcome the past? Only if she can learn that happiness begins with Simple Wishes.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY OF SIMPLE WISHES!

What People Are Saying About Simple Wishes

Publisher’s Weekly writes: “[A] haunting debut...with vivid secondary characters...[Dale] puts the reader through a well-paced emotional wringer.”

Romantic Times: “FOUR STARS! Simplicity delves deep in this tale.”

www.BookPleasures.com: “This book makes you stand up and shout, growl with frustration, and almost needs an applause at the end...[it] is a well-written, emotionally packed, blissful read and unlike others of its kind.”

www.RomanceReaderAtHeart.com: “TOP PICK! Lisa Dale's engaging voice and flawless writing style makes reading Simple Wishes a dream… My own simple wish? That the story could have gone on and on—it was that good.”

www.BookLoons.com: “An impressive debut… Dale creates very believable characters as well as a series of poignant conflicts. Simple Wishes is a character-rich and involving story about acceptance and forgiveness and [the] realization that happiness does indeed begin with the simple things in life.”

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY OF SIMPLE WISHES!

For more information visit www.LisaDaleBooks.com.

As writers, we’ve all been there. Having writer’s block is the most frustrating and uncomfortable feeling—sitting and waiting for hours on end until our words flow smoothly again. Sometimes it takes a few hours for us to reenter our world of creativity, but other times it can take a few days, weeks, or even months. It can be tempting to give up completely.

Writer’s block is a personal reminder telling us our “tank” is low on creativity. It’s just like a car; when the tank is full, you have a smooth ride. However, you’ll have to pull over eventually and fuel up. Creativity is the same way.

Even though we can’t magically just fill up our creativity from a gas pump, there are avenues we can take to replete our mental resources (and it’s a lot cheaper than buying gas too!).

One way to boost your creativity is to get away from your writing for a while and look to real life for inspiration. If you’ve been sitting in the same chair for the past nine hours, leave your work area. Just leave. Go anywhere; take a walk outside (weather permitting!), make a phone call, turn on the television, or listen to the radio. When your body and mind are stuck in one place for far too long, you run out of steam. Instead of paying attention to what’s in front of you (a computer screen), go outside and pay attention to what’s AROUND you.

You can find great inspiration just by being around others. For example, in coffeehouses people talk about anything and everything. Sit down next to a group of people just close enough to hear what they’re talking about but far enough away not to be creepy. You can pick up the most random one-liners from strangers’ conversations. When a Writer’s Relief staff member was getting coffee a few days ago, he heard a woman talking on a cell phone say, “…they’re making him pay for what he did.”

Making him pay? Pay what? To whom? And why? What happened? Those eight little words would make a great first line—and it’s inspiration that comes from real life.

Click here for a related writing prompt: http://WritersReliefBlog.com/post/Writing-Prompte28094Real-life-Inspiration.aspx. 

Greetings from the staff of Writer's Relief!

We enjoy getting to know our clients—and you know we always like to have a little fun with words. So we've compiled a list of some of our favorite words. Please tell us your favorite word by posting a reply!

Dan: Thusly. Like thus, only cooler.

Frank: Persevere.

Hermine: Friend. I find it a very comforting word.

Joi: Bumptious. An adjective meaning presumptuously, obtusely, and often noisily self-assertive; obtrusive.

Jon: Light.

Kriste: Onomatopoeia. I love the definition (words that sound like what they are, like swoosh, zap, etc.), and the word onomatopoeia is fun to say; I think so anyway!

Lisa: Chesapeake.

Liz: Ameliorate has always grabbed my attention because it sounds like an alligator named Amelia ate something. I think this is especially funny because, when you use the word, it implies trying to make things better, not gobbling up something too big to chew.

Margaret: Prestidigitation.

Maria: Chocolate.

Marissa: Whimsicality. Aside from being a pretty word to say and see, what it means is equally as attractive.

Matt: Taco (only if the word free is in front of it) or historicity.

Meg: Serendipity—to discover something when looking for something else. Isaac Asimov said about serendipity: “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’, but ‘That’s funny…’”

Pamela: Electromagnetic.

Ronnie: Grace. My second favorite word is antidisestablishmentarianism because I remember my grandfather teaching it to me before I started going to school. He thought it was an important thing for me to know.*

Simone: Free.

Shawn: Parsimonious. I enjoy the flow of the way it was defined by my high school English teacher the best—cheap, stingy, miserly. I like when definitions have words in them that you also need to look up, which miserly was in that case. Oddly enough, the word parsimonious is not a part of miserly’s definition.

Steve: Fuligin, both a color and a textile having that color, associated with the Guild of Torturers in Gene Wolfe's book The Shadow of the Torturer. The color is described as "blacker than black" and also as "the color of soot."

Wendy: I’m feeling somewhat partial to serendipity for its meaning, as well its pronunciation. Such a blithe, lyrical sound!

* Ronnie's note: “Two people chose serendipity. Isn’t that serendipity-ous (LOL)!”

Some of you may know that the president of Writer’s Relief (Ronnie L. Smith) has been a choral singer for most of her life. She’s sung with various choruses over the years, including The New York Women’s Chorus and The NJ Symphony Orchestra Chorus. She currently sings with Cantigas, a women’s chorus in Hoboken, New Jersey, directed by Joan Isaacs Litman. We have included a link to a wonderful (and upbeat) holiday song, entitled “Zol Zain Sholem,” arranged by Joshua Jacobson. The wish “Let There Be Peace” is sung in Yiddish. The lyrics for this arrangement of a Hasidic melody include words associated with Chanukah, such as “dreydl” (spinning top) and “latkes” (potato pancakes). Listen for the beautiful clarinet solo played by Richard Goldsmith. Ronnie and the staff of Writer’s Relief wish you a joyous and peace-filled holiday season.

Click below to hear “Zol Zain Sholem (Let There Be Peace).”

Web sites are becoming more and more popular, dividing the writing community into two groups: Writers who have sites and writers who don’t.

For most people, having a Web site will not necessarily make or break a writing career. Web sites alone do not clinch book deals, snag agents, or ensure best seller status. However, the decision of whether to create a Web site bears serious consideration.

Here are a few ways having a Web site can help your writing get noticed.

1. Web sites are beginning to function the same way that business cards work. In essence, your URL (posted on blogs, at the bottom of your e-mails, on your friends’ homepages, and on your social-networking sites) is an invitation to writers, editors, and agents to learn more about you.  
2. When you’re sending query letters to agents, publishers, or even literary magazines, showing off your Web skills indicates that you are forward-thinking, cutting-edge, and willing to do the “leg work” of promoting your own writing. If you sell books, they sell books. Your hard work will cause others to work hard for you. 
3. Having a Web site, especially if it’s popular or has a core body of loyal readers, can demonstrate that your writing has the power to touch readers’ lives by inspiring an emotional reaction. Agents and editors can go on your site and read the flurry of activity as people leave their comments, sign your guest book, and show their support. That enthusiasm can be contagious.
4. A Web site can give potential readers access to projects that you have yet to sell. Although most publishers are starting to consider writing published in any digital format as being “previously published,” you can show off synopses and excerpts from your writing, and, with any luck, your snippets will get a few nibbles or even bites. Just be sure not to post too many offerings at one time; otherwise, your readers might get the feeling that the reason you have so many postings is that you are unable to “place” your work.
5. Your Web site is a great place to keep your bio fresh and up to date. In query and cover letters, you’re often given only a brief paragraph to describe your history, your aspirations, and your intentions. If you write a great mini bio in your cover letter, you could inspire your reader to go to your Web site and learn more about you. Time and again, advertising gurus and business coaches stress the importance of “branding”; a good Web site bio can help you do just that.
6. Your site is an excellent promotional tool for published work. Once your short story is published or your novel is on the shelves, use your site to keep readers interested by hosting contests, offering supplemental materials and free stuff, and developing an online “personality” that makes people want to know more.

For an example of an up-and-coming novelist’s site that we like (full disclosure, she works for Writer’s Relief!), have a look at www.LisaDaleBooks.com, where you can find things like audio downloads, interviews, videos, and free stuff. 

For more information about how to make your own Web site, please read our post: http://writersreliefblog.com/post/20-Groovy-Website-Resources-for-Writers.aspx

 
Graphic created by E. Jessie Monaco

We asked the Writer's Relief staff what their favorite costumes and candies are. Tell us your favorites by posting a reply! 

Dan
Costume: Ninja. Low maintenance, high recognizability. Plus black works well on Halloween.

Candy: Milky Way. I could make up some fake answer about the galaxy, endless possibilities, or something equally ridiculous, but really it’s just chocolate + nougat + caramel = win.

Frank
Costume: Years ago I had a clown suit with tan and red stripes. The big, red nose wasn’t necessary.

Candy: Dark chocolate.

Hermine (Guess who she is related to!)
Costume: Black French Poodle—all handmade, very creative.

Candy: Chocolate-covered marshmallow ghosts by Russell Stover.

Joi
Costume: I love Roseanne, and that show had the best Halloween episodes. One, in particular, that sticks out is when Roseanne and Dan dressed up as a dead ventriloquist and his dummy. They performed onstage for their friends, and when the song ended, Dan drank water and it came pouring out of the holes in the dummy's (Roseanne's) body. LOL…

Candy: That's easy. Candy corn. It's awesome, heavenly, and oh, so bad for you, but it makes me happy. So, please, everyone…LOTS OF CANDY CORN.

Jon
Costume: Honestly, I love ghost costumes, the real simple ones with just the two holes for eyes and a giant sheet over your body. It’s so simple yet it freaks me out! It reminds me of the original Halloween movie.

Candy: I love pumpkin spice chocolate…it’s just perfect for the season, and it makes me feel cozy.

Kriste
Costume: Little Orphan Annie—I dressed up as Annie when I was in grade school, and everyone loved it because I had the dress and big, curly wig. I should totally have my mom see if she can’t dig out one of those pictures. It was a hoot!

Candy: Candy corn—Pure sugary goodness!

Lisa
Costume: One year my dad made these hot-pink earrings that attached to a battery pack and blinked on and off. Unfortunately, they kept short-circuiting and shocking my earlobes. But I was determined to keep them on—it’s all about aesthetics!

Candy: Snickers.

Liz
Costume: Hmm… I like it when people dress as inanimate objects, like, say, a box of crayons. And homemade costumes are, by far, superior. I think it shows off creativity and dedication to the sport of dressing up.

Candy: Happy Apples by Laurie’s Candies (local homemade candy). Happy Apples are apples dipped in caramel, enrobed in chocolate, and decorated with a candy face (like M&M’s for eyes and candy corn for a nose, licorice whip for a mouth). You may not find them by going door to door, but Laurie’s Candies has made these treats for the past 15 years—or, at least, that is as long as I can remember! When I see those smiling treats in local markets, I know October has come and my favorite holiday, Halloween, is around the corner. When I lived in Boston, my parents would send me Happy Apples in care packages to remind me of home. I look forward to their arrival every year as a gentle reminder that some things don’t change!

Margaret
Costume: Ghost.

Candy: 3 Musketeers.

Maria
Costume: (This is hard because I like more than one) Elvis.

Candy: (Ditto) Snickers bites (dark chocolate).

Marissa
Costume: My favorite Halloween costume was one my mom made. She teaches elementary school and, therefore, dresses up for her kids each year. A few years ago my mother poked two holes into the bottom of a trash bag for her legs, stepped inside, filled it with fallen leaves, and tied it loosely at her waist. She made a sign that she wore around her neck that read "Tuesday's Pick Up" since that's when the yard waste was picked up…

Candy: My favorite Halloween candy is ANYTHING that involves peanut butter.

Matt
Costume: Undead Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln as a zombie), Robin Hood, Ghostbuster.

Candy: Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallowed Candied Apple.

Meg
Costume: Witch (I love the hair).

Candy: Candy corn.

Pamela
Costume: For Halloween when I was in seventh grade I dressed up as a “Widow’s Web.” It was basically a long, black dress and had a black, sheer shawllike piece with pointed edges, a high collar, and white silk screen print (made to look like a spiderweb) that went over it. Included in my ensemble was makeup (black lipstick/nail polish and white face paint) and a hair clip that had a big, creepy-looking spider on it. I wore my hair half up in a bun, with the spider clip over the bun. I loved that costume and so did my fellow classmates! From the back it really looked like a creepy spider perched high in its web, waiting to attack!

Candy: Snickers fun-size bars are my favorite Halloween candy. Snickers bars are my favorite everyday candy, so getting them on Halloween is always a plus! There’s just something about getting the fun-size bars on Halloween that makes them taste better than the regular size on an average day (kind of like how turkey on Thanksgiving tastes better than a turkey dinner on any other day of the year), not to mention they are a perfect-size chocolatey snack for any time of the day.

Ronnie
Costume: The black Poodle costume my mother made for me when I was a child. It was passed around to many children over the years and won lots of prizes! Must have made an impact on me. I continue to love Poodles, and two of our office mascots are proof (Bella, a standard apricot, and Teddy, a rescued mini apricot). They’re scary smart!

Candy: Anything with chocolate and NO peanuts. I also love homemade popcorn balls.

Shawn
Costume: My favorite Halloween costume would have to be Dorothy from The Wizard Of Oz. I have a complex, what can I say? Oh, wait…am I supposed to be picking my favorite male costume?

Candy: I’m going to stand up for candy corn here as my favorite Halloween candy, simply because almost all other candy is available year-round. And because I happen to think it’s delicious (we’re a small, small army, we candy corn lovers).  

Simone
Costume: Ghost. It's invisible.

Candy: Werther's hard candy caramel drops. It sticks to the roof of my mouth and I love the buttery caramel flavor.

Steve
Costume: Mick Foley (Pro wrestler also known to be Cactus Jack, Dude Love, and Mankind); Superman (with Superdog); Ninja Turtle; Bob Dole.

Candy: Smarties (Nestlé Smarties), only sold in Canada and Europe, similar to M&M’s.

Wendy
Costume/Candy: My parents really rose to the occasion for Halloween—very creative types. Long, long ago, when I was a wee child, they totally knocked themselves out and constructed an unusual costume for me: a small tabletop complete with a Halloween tablecloth, party favors, etc., featuring a pumpkin centerpiece (my head in a pumpkin mask). The absolute BEST THING about this outfit was that the little paper party cups were filled with CANDY CORN, my favorite Halloween candy. Pure bliss!

Although you didn’t ask, my least favorite costume? Mom and Dad’s version of the Pied Piper of Hamelin: I was forever tripping over the fake rats attached by fishing line to my shoes!

Find out what your favorite candy says about you by taking this short survey: http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourfavoritecandysayaboutyouquiz.

According to Wikipedia and other Internet sources, fonts were originally created in the 1450s with lead alloys or sometimes wood for larger fonts. Technology advances have allowed many designers to create other fonts, for both the print and digital worlds. Here at Writer’s Relief we take our fonts pretty seriously. Here’s a list of our personal faves. (Please note: some browsers may not support all of these fonts, so you may not be able to see them all.)

We realize that Arial and Times New Roman are the accepted fonts for manuscripts, but feel free to comment with YOUR favorite font(s) below. Have fun with it! 

Dan: (Wingdings) Wingdings: amusing, arbitrary, utterly incomprehensible.

Frank: Calisto.

Hermine: Times New Roman (or Verdana, because the big print is easier on the eyes).

At Writer’s Relief, we value the hard work and dedication of our staff. And as you can see, Buddy is hard at work in our library. He is a Border Collie mix, about 13 years old. He was rescued by our staff member Hermine, who found him on adoption day at PetSmart. She was told that he was vicious, which, as you can tell, must be true. But Hermine, being a dog lover and skeptical of the story, put her fingers into the cage; Buddy leaned on her hand, and the rest is history. That was Christmas, 12 years ago. When things get stressful here at the office, Buddy is the calm in the eye of the storm. The delivery people love him and so do we. Buddy loves everyone! (He also loves to swim and chase squirrels.)

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UPDATE: In April of 2009, Buddy passed away. The entire staff is thankful that Hermine was kind enough to allow us all to share in Buddy's life every day at the office. He was a gentle, happy soul who would "make the rounds" when he came in, going from one desk to another to say "good morning." We all will miss him.

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Remember to check out the publishing leads for writers in our LIST OF WRITING CONTESTS and ANTHOLOGIES.