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 this month. DEADLINE-DATED lists of anthologies, theme issues, and contests are included at no charge!

In This Issue:

The past tense is fairly easy to comprehend. When we talk to our friends we use past, present, and future tenses with ease, but as writers we use other tenses to enhance our work and help explain the sequence of events to our readers. One of these is the past perfect tense, which is, in essence, a little more past than past. When used correctly, this tense tells the reader that we’re going back in time, even beyond the usual past tense that is employed in most fiction. Technically speaking, it is used to refer to a noncontinuous action in the past that was already completed by the time another action in the past took place.

The past perfect can be very useful in fiction writing because you can go back to a previous event without confusing your reader.

She had worried about her sister’s drug problem when their mother died and had taken steps to find a suitable rehab program. But her sister continued to push her away over the years, and eventually, Joann decided to step back from the problem and stay available should her sister need her. She knew how stubborn and independent Julie could be.

It can also be annoying if overdone. Once you’ve established that you’re going back in time, you can revert back to the simple past tense. In the above example, we reverted back to the past tense after "rehab program." The flashback had already been established, and there was no need to continue with the past perfect.

The past tense becomes the past perfect with the addition of the verb "to have."

Past: I wrote that poem.

Past perfect: I had written that poem.

The past perfect tense implies that I wrote that poem before something else happened, as in "I had written that poem before experiencing a broken heart." Another example:

Past: I wanted to learn more about Italy, so I called my friend Stephanie, who lived in Florence.

Stephanie was probably still in Florence at the time of the call.

Past perfect: I wanted to learn more about Italy, so I called my friend Stephanie, who had lived in Florence for several years.

Stephanie no longer lives in Florence.

If you’d like to test your skills, take a crack at our little quiz.

Thomas Edison invented/had invented the lightbulb.

They never owned/had never owned a dog before Samson padded into their lives.

By the time Mr. Johnson got home, his family ate/had already eaten dinner.

As soon as he spotted the guard, he ran/had run off.

When the music started, the teenagers started/had started to dance.

Andrew couldn’t open the door because he forgot/had forgotten his key.

Bobby has never been/had never been to a baseball game before that night.

If I knew/had known, I would have come by yesterday.

The women fell ill a short while after they ate/had eaten the crab salad.

My son already read/had already read that book before the movie came out.

Answers:

invented

had never owned

had already eaten

ran

started

had forgotten

had never been

had known

had eaten

had already read

Write about an adventure that you want to embark on, but haven’t yet. Has it been because of time and/or money? Or you haven’t been brave enough? Whatever the reason, write it all down, examine every emotion that you have toward that activity, and why you haven’t done it yet. Don’t be afraid to go beyond your comfort level. Once it’s written, you might find that you can do that wonderful thing sooner than you realized.

Advent vs. In The Event

Advent: coming into being or use, as in "the advent of winter" or "the advent of electricity"

In the event: if, as in "In the event that Grandma shows up, we should have some coffee available."

Uppermost vs. Uttermost

Uppermost: adverb or adjective meaning in or into the highest or most prominent position, as in "the uppermost layer" or "her illness was uppermost in their minds"

Uttermost (or Utmost): adjective meaning situated at the farthest or most distant point, as in "the utmost peak of the mountain" or of the highest degree, quantity, number, or amount, as in "a matter of utmost concern"

A hungry lion was roaming through the jungle looking for something to eat. He came across two men. One was sitting under a tree reading a book; the other was typing away on his typewriter. The lion quickly pounced on the man reading the book and devoured him. Even the king of the jungle knows that readers digest and writers cramp!

Many writers have found success writing for the nonfiction market. The beauty of this market is that your book doesn’t have to be written before you can sell it. (In fact, many claim that it’s downright foolish to invest time and effort in a book that hasn’t yet been sold.) Unlike fiction, you can break into the market armed with nothing more than a killer book proposal, and we’re here to help you go about it.

In general, the nonfiction book proposal is designed to give editors a well-organized, detailed sales pitch describing what your proposed book is about and how it will make money for the publishing company. An additional bonus is that writing the book proposal forces the author to organize and focus the project approach. The book itself may go through many changes depending on editorial input, but the proposal should follow a generally accepted format. We’ll break down the anatomy of a book proposal and then give you some general tips.

COMPONENTS:

Title Page

Include your name and contact information with an approximate word count and the proposed title of your work. Make sure your main title describes the subject matter of the book to aid in keyword searches, and don’t rely on subtitles to convey vital information—subtitles are often dropped in computerized listings and library databases. Consider this your working title, as publishers may elect to change it.

**Optional: Summary (also known as the Overview, Synopsis, or Executive Summary) - 1 page maximum

Begin with a very short description of your book’s basic premise. Whatever makes your book stand out should be highlighted in the first few sentences. This is the "hook," so make it interesting and unique; powerful yet concise. Capture the editor’s attention right off the bat, and make it clear what you’re selling. If the editor has to hunt around for the point of your book, he/she is likely to toss it aside and review the next proposal in the towering pile.

Chapter by Chapter Outline - 1 to 4 paragraphs per chapter

Create a dynamic outline by highlighting each chapter’s major points. Emphasize each chapter’s unique and/or important function in relation to the rest of the book. By the time the editor has read this outline, he or she should have a clear idea of the overall book.

The Market

This section should include information about the book’s intended audience and why the book addresses the needs of that particular audience. Make sure that your market is broad (as in "women ages 30-60" or "people who buy cars"), and provide as many demographics of your targeted audience as possible. Include observations about current trends that favor your book and highlight what makes your book unique.

Also include information about the competition. If there are other books out there on the same subject, yours had best offer a new or original take. Identify current books that are similar, and explain how yours fills a specific niche. If there are complementary books out there, show how your book can be positioned to the publisher’s advantage.

Give the editor or agency enough ammunition to sell your work to their review board.

Author Information

This is where you list your education, writing credentials, contacts, experience—anything that makes you uniquely qualified to write this book. If you don’t have a journalism degree or a list of publishing credits, highlight other things that show you have what it takes to tackle the subject. For instance, you may be a parent of a special-needs child, and, although you have never been published, your experience qualifies you to offer a unique perspective—assuming that your writing is up to par.

You will also need to outline your own promotional ideas and resources to help market the book. Include information about affiliations, contacts, or endorsements you may have lined up. Do you have a prominent person willing to write the foreword? Media contacts? Web sites, bookstore appearances, newsletters, and possible sequels or spin-off information should be included in this section. To use the example above, you may be a member of the Autism Society of America, and with the contacts you have made within that organization you can offer greater promotional opportunities.

Specifications

This is where you outline an approximate word count, the number of chapters, and an estimated completion time frame. If your book will contain a number of charts, photographs, or illustrations, say so. You may also describe the general format you envision. However, be prepared to be flexible when it comes to length and format—the publisher will have the final say.

Note: A full-length nonfiction book contains 9 to 15 chapters. Don’t submit an outline for a book that contains less than 9 chapters. Make sure you have enough material (and time) to fulfill this obligation before you propose it.

Table of Contents

Quite simply, this is a list of chapter titles to give the agent or editor an idea of what will be included in your book.

Sample Chapters

If you have already begun the writing process, send one or two completed chapters (Chapter 1 and 2 are preferable). Do not send chapters from the middle of the book.

OTHER TIPS

Your book proposal should be similar in style to your proposed book. In other words, if your book is meant to be humorous and lighthearted, make sure your proposal is written in the same style.

Make sure the proposal is edited and proofread within an inch of its life. Agents and editors admit to passing over potentially great ideas if they have to wade through a sea of errors and typos and coffee stains.

Always include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) for responses. Your material will be recycled.

When formatting, we recommend using a 12-point, easy-to-read font like Times New Roman or Arial, with one-inch margins all around, and left justification.

We love educating writers about ever-changing industry standards. Let us know if we can help you with any or all elements of putting together a stellar book proposal.

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