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:

* * HYPHENS AND TIGERS AND BEARS, OH MY…

* * WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EDITOR AND A LITERARY AGENT? (No, there isn't a punchline.)

* * LOTS OF HELP for CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHORS—100 CONTACTS and Everything You Need To Know To Submit Your Children’s Book. Click this link to get our insider's tips and tricks: http://www.WritersReliefBlog.com/post/For-Childrens-Book-Authors.aspx.

* * We’re giving away a FREE REPORT that outlines industry-standard Manuscript FORMAT Guidelines when you order our E-book entitled REJOICE IN REJECTION. Go to: http://www.WritersReliefBlog.com/post/Rejoice-in-Rejection-e-book.aspx.

* * OUR FILES (we've included three pictures for you).

* * 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!! ↓

Is the hyphen becoming extinct? The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, a compact, two-volume version of the 20-volume set, was recently released, and it has caused a small stir among those who care about such things: the SOED editors have done away with the hyphen in approximately 16,000 words, throwing a wrench into the works of hyphen-addicted old-schoolers.

Shortly afterward, The New York Times printed an article about it, along with a graphic of a gravestone inscribed with: Here Lies The Nearly-Departed, Seldom-Understood, Soon-To-Be-Forgotten Hyphen. It was a fitting epitaph. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/weekinreview/07mcgrath.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

The hyphen has long been a misunderstood creature, and there are no hard and fast rules about its usage. In general, it is used to provide breaks in lines, and in the spelling of certain words, such as father-in-law or anti-American.

Hyphens are also used as "suspension hyphens" to indicate a stand-in word (four-, five-, and six-gallon containers) and to link compound adjectives that precede a noun (We gave the six-foot man a wide berth).

Hyphens can also be used to avoid confusion as in 30-odd people. Without the hyphen, we might be looking at 30 strange people wandering around rather than approximately 30 folks.

We have also traditionally used hyphens to set off prefixes such as "self" and "ex," and when two vowels need separation as in "pre-eminent," although, today you'll find "preeminent" in most standard dictionaries.

If you're a little uncertain about the use of hyphens, don't despair—you're not alone. The English language is terribly unregulated, and your hyphen decisions should be based on common sense and consistency. If in doubt, look it up. At Writer's Relief (an author’s submission service that proofreads AND researches the best literary agents and editors for creative writers), we use Merriam-Webster's dictionary as the final authority, and the no-hyphen trend has been spotted there as well.

The SOED has provided us with thousands of newly de-hyphenated words that, according to editor Angus Stevenson, are "only reflecting widespread everyday use."

So, now we have “bumblebee,” “airstream,” “leapfrog,” and “ice cream” (instead of “ice-cream”). The editors at SOED have been tracking trends for many years and report that the hyphen seems to be falling by the wayside. It is not, however, in any danger of disappearing for good. Otherwise we may get confused and go searching for a good looking date—you know, a date who is good at looking—or a fine tooth comb with which to comb our teeth.

Got the hyphen blues? Writer’s Relief proofreaders can help!

Literary agents and editors play different but important roles in the book publishing industry. Many writers wonder: Can you get an editor without a literary agent? Do you need a literary agent to get a book published? Why have both a literary agent and an editor—isn’t one or the other enough?

The Primary Purposes

What is the point of having a literary agent? A literary agent gives writers access to editors at publishing houses. Without a literary agent’s help, most writers would not be able to approach editors at major publishers with their ideas, proposals, and manuscripts. Agents have a number of other roles as well. Read more: Top Reasons To Query Agents First. 

What is the point of having an editor?  At most major publishing houses, an editor’s work is to acquire strong book projects and make those book projects even stronger through critique.

Professional Relationships

Who pays a literary agent? Literary agents are generally paid a 15 percent commission on the sale of a book; in a sense, a literary agent works for his/her clients. However, it is best to approach a relationship with a literary agent as a partnership. 

Who pays the editor? An editor is generally an employee of a publishing house. A writer and editor are both paid by the publisher for their work; however, editors often are charged with determining how much a writer is paid. 

Read more: How Much Money Can I Make Writing Poems, Stories, and Books? 

Critiquing And Editing Your Book

Will a literary agent critique your book? Yes and no. A literary agent’s primary job is NOT to offer editorial advice on a book: An agent’s task is to sell a book to an editor. Sometimes, a literary agent will offer editorial guidance for a novel, but it’s not mandatory. A literary agent may also be willing to critique a proposal for a nonfiction book. 

Will an editor critique your book? Yes, an editor will critique a book or novel. Editors work closely with authors to make sure a book is ready for a large audience and public scrutiny.  

How to connect

How does a writer get a literary agent? A writer can get a literary agent by composing query letters and sending submissions via email and mail. Writers can also meet literary agents at writing conferences and can network at writing groups. Find out how Writer’s Relief can help you get a literary agent. 

How does a writer get an editor at a publishing house? A writer can get an editor by having his/her literary agent pitch a manuscript to editors. Some editors at independent publishing houses do accept queries from unagented (unrepresented) submissions.

Where Does Writer’s Relief Fit In?

Writer’s Relief is neither a literary agency nor a publishing house that employs editors. Writer’s Relief manages the submission process for writers who wish to submit their work for publication with a major publisher. We have been helping writers submit their nonfiction books, memoirs, and novels to literary agents since 1994. Learn how you can become a client of Writer’s Relief. 

At Writer’s Relief, we LOVE keeping writers organized. For many of us here at Writer's Relief, filing takes up lots of our time. These three photographs represent a SMALL part of our filing system. You already know you can save lots of time by keeping YOUR FILES in order. If you can't accomplish this on your own, send work to our Review Board. If you're part of our Writer's Relief family, we'll do your filing for you!!

Staff members Hermine and Maria filing manuscripts.
 

Learn more:

Getting Organized — The Virtual Way

Successful Record Keeping For Writers’ Submissions

Computer File Management for Writers

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.