HOT OFF THE PRESS! We love to share our information with writers, and we’re happy to pass some of our INSIDER’S SECRETS along to you. Feel free to print these posts to use as a reference. Pass the links along to your writer friends. It’s packed with great information. DEADLINE-DATED lists of anthologies, theme issues, and contests are included at no charge!

In This Issue:

* * Included is a SHORT STORY CHECKLIST, which contains tips we've gathered over many years. Editors will take your work more seriously if you follow these guidelines.

* * For those of you completing book manuscripts, we've also included a SYNOPSIS SUMMARY. We know you'd rather get a tooth pulled than work on your synopsis. The tips contained in this summary will take some of the pain out of preparing the ever-elusive synopsis.

* * DO YOU NEED AN AGENT FOR YOUR BOOK PROJECT?

* * We've listed many important red flags in THE SEDUCTION OF POETRY CONTEST SCAMS. 
 
* * And every writer can benefit from our list of the TOP 20 MISUSED (AND MISTREATED) WORDS.
 
* * You won’t find a better list anywhere (AND IT’S FREE!) of upcoming ANTHOLOGIES, SPECIAL-THEMED JOURNALS, and CONTESTS. Visit: http://WritersReliefBlog.com/post/Anthologies-Contests.aspx.

↓ Scroll Down to Read These Exciting and Useful Articles!! ↓

There are various writing techniques that will help you get your short stories published. Good characterization, dialogue, mood, tone, action, pacing, and plot development are some of the essential elements found in published short stories.

However, many writers are unfamiliar with the literary strategies that are required when writing short stories for publication. If you’re trying to get your short prose published (as individual stories or as a collection of short stories), this short story checklist will help to increase the chances that your writing will be selected by editors for publication.

Short story checklist: 

• Is the opening sentence (and opening paragraph) of your short story strong, enticing, and confident? Does it set the mood and tone of your entire short story? Is it overly “anything” (overly cute, overly obvious, overly clever), or does it have a hint of mystery?
• Do you ground your short story in scene by appealing to the reader’s five senses?
• Does your description advance your reader’s understanding of character and plot?
• Does the relationship between dialogue and description support your short story’s goals? Is the description well-researched, accurate, and evocative?
• Do you show rather than tell? Is there a sense of immediacy? Do you reveal and imply, rather than explain and state?
• Are the characters unique and memorable—but believable at the same time? Are their motivations clear and are they well-rounded? Do your characters’ personalities complement each other in a way that makes the central conflict more pronounced?
• Is the dialogue believable and effective, striking the right balance between efficiency and realism? Does the dialogue show that the characters are challenged? Is the tension illustrated in a way that is not always “flat and obvious?”
• Are secondary characters as well-developed as main characters, even if their entire backstory doesn’t come across on the page? Have you taken care that your secondary characters aren’t more interesting than your main characters? Do secondary characters truly add to the short story, or can you cut them out?
• Is your pacing even and controlled? Is your beginning engaging (or full of too much backstory)? Is your ending well-developed? Does the action have well-controlled ups and downs?
• Is your ending surprising yet fitting? Does the tension level of your ending deliberately rise above the tension level of the rest of your story? And does the denouement (tying up loose ends) reveal that the character has made a choice (has changed in some way or has had the opportunity to change but instead remained the same)?
• Is your voice unique? Do you have mesmerizing, insightful, and impressive things to say (or imply)?
• Have you read your work aloud at least once?
• Have you had a professional proofreader look at your short story? Even the best writers need a proofreader—in fact, it’s often the best writers who recognize this fact, while new writers tend to think they don’t need help.
These short story techniques will help you wow editors when you’re submitting your short story for publication at literary magazines. As an author’s submission service, Writer’s Relief will proofread and format your short stories to industry standards and will target your work to the best-suited editors.

Writers HATE the job of writing a book synopsis. As anxiety escalates, so many questions may rush through their minds: “What is a literary agent looking for in my synopsis or summary? How many details should I include about my novel? Should I explain my setting and characters in my book synopsis or just stick to the basic plot?”

If you're having trouble and are procrastinating writing your synopsis, don’t despair. Writer’s Relief can help!

What is a synopsis for a book or novel?
To be clear, a synopsis for a novel is different than a book blurb for a novel. A book blurb is a one-paragraph description of your novel in a query letter. A synopsis is a longer description of the entire story. Here’s where you can find more information on How To Write A Killer Book Blurb for your query letter.  

How do I write a synopsis for my novel?
For your novel synopsis, follow these insiders’ tips and get your book synopsis noticed by literary agents, editors, and publishers:

1. How should you format the pages of your synopsis? Write your synopsis in the same format as your manuscript. Double-space your synopsis. Use one-inch margins all around. Do NOT right justify your text. Use left justification only. Put a header on every page. Use Times New Roman or Arial font. Do not use Courier font.

2. How should you begin your synopsis? Begin by describing your story in 25 words or less. You must capture the agent's or editor's attention. If you succeed in creating this "hook," you'll be farther ahead than most people submitting their writing. Editors and literary agents read hundreds of submissions every day. Don't get cutesy, but keep the reader awake. Don't be boring!

3. What verb tense should you use for your synopsis? Include a COMPLETE summary of your story from beginning to end, written in present tense. Focus on major plot points or turning points. Omit secondary characters, subplots, and minor events. Don't go into too much detail.

4. What should you focus on in your synopsis? Include the setting, main characters, and the all-important CONFLICT. Identify conflict between characters. Include motivation. Then, show the resolution of this conflict.

5. Should you tell the ending of your book in your synopsis?  Yes, you should. We know you want to tease your reader and keep ’em guessing, but the novel synopsis is not the place for it. Leave the teasing for your book blurb!

6. Should you ask rhetorical questions in your synopsis to keep readers interested? Do not ask empty questions in your synopsis. They will not fool the agent into asking for the remaining pages of your manuscript.

7. Does proofreading really matter in your synopsis?  Yes, absolutely. Proofread your synopsis. Make sure grammar, punctuation, and spelling are perfect. Test your synopsis on a qualified friend or relative. Would they be interested in reading the entire novel based on your synopsis? If not, ask how you can make it more interesting. Ultimately, use your own gut to determine what works. As part of our services, Writer’s Relief can help you proofread and format your manuscript.

8. Should you write your synopsis in first person from a character’s perspective or third person? Always write your synopsis in third person. Some writers will choose first person, but generally, literary agents prefer third person.

How long is a synopsis for a novel?
Agents and editors don't agree on how long a synopsis should be. How long is a good synopsis: one page? Five? Ten? There are no industry-wide rules at this point to dictate the length of your synopsis.

Our advice: if you’re going to write only one synopsis, limit it to just one or two pages. Our feeling is that it’s better to come in slightly under the requested page count than over. Just make sure you include enough information to tell your story, but don't get bogged down. Your goal is to get the literary agent or editor into the first pages of your book. That’s where the real story begins!!

What if I just can’t figure out how to start writing my book synopsis?
If all else fails, write a mini synopsis that hooks the reader, then use that as a jumping-off point. Taking baby steps might help take the pressure off and free you up emotionally, making it easier to write a full-length synopsis.

You can also use this paragraph when writing your query letter (another task Writer’s Relief can do for you). Writing a synopsis for your book can be difficult, but keep your eye on your goals, and the payoff will make the hard work worth your while!

Writers ask us at Writer's Relief to help them find publishers for their book projects and novels all the time. What many of them don’t know is that they will need a literary agent to sell a book to a publisher. The business of finding a publisher for your work is a multi-step process. After your manuscript has been completed, edited, and formatted according to industry standards, the next step is to launch it properly into the world. Literary agents are the interim contact you need to connect with a publisher.

The majority of larger publishing houses no longer accept unagented submissions. It may seem a waste of time to query a large number of agents before querying publishers. However, this is a very necessary (albeit time-consuming) part of the submission process for book manuscripts.

(Keep in mind that agents do not want to deal with short works such as poetry and short stories. Agents work on commission, and there is no way to support themselves from sales of poetry and short fiction. For more information read: How much money can I make writing poems, short stories, and books.)

If you want to get a good manuscript read, you'll need a literary agent. Agents know what editors want. They spend much of their time cultivating relationships with acquisition editors. These are the folks who present books to their publishers for consideration. Networking with editors is an important part of an agent's job. Editors are happy to receive good manuscripts from agents. It saves them time.

Good agents will help negotiate a decent contract for you. This is their area of expertise. Publishers are interested in making money and taking care of their needs. Your literary agent will function as your advocate and make certain you receive a fair deal. If you don't know about subsidiary rights and escalators, make sure a literary agent is on your side. Your agent will know which clauses are boilerplate and which may hurt your career. (Some people believe an attorney can replace an agent. Unless your attorney specializes in book contracts, find a good agent.)

Because agents work on commission, they are interested in getting you the best deal. Agents will monitor your royalty statements and help ensure that you receive prompt and proper payment. Most agents are paid 15% commission. A reputable agent should also provide you with copies of all rejection letters.

Do not begin querying agents until your book is complete. Unless you're famous, agents won't even read your query unless the book is ready to go. Nonfiction proposals are sometimes the exception to this rule. However, you'll need to prove you can write the book, not just pitch it.

There are many people who advertise themselves as agents. Generally, they are NOT. Legitimate agents do not drum up business. There are literally tens of thousands of writers approaching a limited number of agents. They've got more work than they can handle. If a literary agent requests money from you, run for the hills. Some expenses such as postage and copying costs are to be expected. However, over the years, unscrupulous people posing as literary agents have scammed would-be authors out of lots of money. Sometimes these scams are disguised as "editorial help." Stay away. A literary agent should not insist that you have your manuscript doctored before agreeing to represent you.

Your agent should act in partnership with you throughout the publishing process. A good agent offering good advice is a wonderful asset. There is no better way to build your writing career.

Remember: Your query packet for literary agents must be perfect and represent you as a professional. Writer's Relief (http://www.WritersRelief.com) can help guide you when making submissions to agents. It's a difficult and time-consuming process, but there is no way around it. In all likelihood, you DO need a literary agent for your book project or novel. Writer's Relief can help.

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 scam 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. Try About.com for a list of reputable contests, check the reputable market listings such as those found in Poets & Writers Magazine, Poet’s Market, Writer's Digest, or consult with your local poetry society.

At Writer’s Relief, our proofreading staff keeps a sharp eye out for commonly misused words and phrases, and we’ve compiled a list of the trickiest top 20 misused words for easy reference. Learn the differences between these words to improve your writing!

Accept or Except
accept: to receive; to answer positively
except: not including; everything but

Anxious or Eager
anxious: worried/nervous
eager: excited/looking forward to

Affect or Effect
affect: to pretend; to influence
effect: a result

Assure or Ensure or Insure
assure: to make certain (such as with a person)
ensure: to make sure (such as with a thing)
insure: to provide or obtain insurance

Beside or Besides
beside: at the side of
besides: in addition to

Between or Among
between: two items that are related
among: three or more things related
**Note: According to Gregg Reference Manual, “Ordinarily, use between when referring to two persons or things and among when referring to more than two persons or things.

And: Use between with more than two persons or things when they are being considered in pairs as well as in a group.”

Choice or Choose or Chose
choice: a decision or an option
choose: to make a decision
chose: past tense of choose

Compliment or Complement
compliment: to praise
complement: something that completes

Farther or Further
farther: literal or physical distance
further: to a greater extent

Fewer or Less
fewer: comparative with plural items
less: items that are singular

Imply or Infer
imply: to suggest
infer: to deduce

Its or It’s
its: possessive form of it
it’s: contraction for it is or it has

Lay or Lie
lay: to place, which is always followed by an object
lie: to recline
**For present tense only. Tip: If you can replace the word in question with put, then use lay. For more on this issue, read When To Use Lie Or Lay.

Nauseated or Nauseous
nauseated: not feeling well
nauseous: disgust

Set or Sit
In general, set refers to an object ("Set the materials down on the table") and sit does not ("She sat for an hour, waiting for the bus").

That Or Which
--"Which" is frequently used to introduce a nonrestrictive clause, a phrase that isn’t necessary or supplies additional information and is usually set off by commas.
For example: The burned CD, which she received from a friend, wasn’t as great of quality as the original from a music store.
--"That" is used for introducing restrictive clauses that refer to things, phrases that ARE essential to the meaning of the rest of the sentence.
For example: The CD that consists of all of the band’s top-ten singles is her favorite.

That vs. Who or Whom
In most cases, "who/whom" is the standard form when referring to human beings, especially in regard to an individual person. "That" is used when referring back to a class, species, or type. "Which" should never be used in reference to humans.

A correct example with "who": She goes to the hairstylist who is the best.

A correct example with "that": He is the type of hairstylist that should charge more because he is the best.

Their or There or They’re
their: possessive form of they
there: in or at that place
they’re: contraction for they are

Whose or Who’s
whose: possessive form of which, who
who’s: contraction for who is

Your or You’re
your: possessive form of you; belonging to you
you’re: contraction for you are

Fiction writers, take note: When reviewing your final drafts, pay particular attention to tricky words such as these. If you still have doubts about correct word choice and usage, Writer’s Relief proofreaders will be happy to help. We’ll make sure your creative writing is error-free and your word choices are appropriate. For more on this, read Commonly Confused Words, List Of Confusing Words And Homonyms, or Odds and Ends--More Confusing Words.

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT OUR LIST OF WRITING CONTESTS and ANTHOLOGIES! You won’t find a better list anywhere (AND IT’S FREE!) of upcoming anthologies, special-themed journals, and contests. Find it by visiting: 
http://www.writersreliefblog.com/post/Anthologies-Contests.aspx