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:

* * SUBMITTING TO ANTHOLOGIES may be a great way for you to break into writers’ markets.

* * Is it USE OR UTILIZE?

* * How to choose your SUBMISSION SERVICE.

* * 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.

* * We’ll share important tips in THE ART OF THE PERSONAL ESSAY.

* * 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.

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Anthologies are rich with opportunity for new writers hoping to break into the market. And they're a popular market now—simply count the number of Chicken Soup for the Soul collections in circulation.

An anthology gathers stories and/or essays that center around a common theme, which opens up a great avenue for aspiring authors. Are you a lifetime hiker? There's probably an anthology of nature-based tales waiting for your contribution. Are you a cancer survivor? Caretaker of an elderly parent? If there's a common thread that makes people feel a connection with each other, there's likely a market for your story. These publications depend on the contributions of folks just like you.

Anthologies are often started as a way to fill gaps in the market when a publishing house perceives a need for a certain theme. Sometimes authors get together and submit samples as an anthology package, and other times a single author comes up with the idea and invites other writers to submit. Writers' forums are a good place to find these calls for stories. Smaller publishing houses often put out anthologies too. The process will require research, but it may be well worth it.

A few things to look out for when choosing to submit:

1. Some anthologies consider reprints, and it's best not to be locked into selling all your rights to the piece. Look for "reprints welcome" and "one-time or nonexclusive rights." If the publisher insists on first rights only, you should receive a larger payment. Check the simultaneous submission policies as well, so that you can circulate your story to more than one potential anthology. However, if your piece is highly specific (targeted for Chicken Soup for the Avalanche Survivor's Soul), you may have only one market in mind.

2. You should not be forced to purchase the anthology that has published your work, and you should receive at least one free copy plus discounts on additional copies. Avoid "reading fees" and collections that are "for a good cause" (unless you're willing to write for free).

3. Get the terms of your payment up front and in writing. Some anthologies pay token fees, which can be acceptable when you consider a great writing credit, while others pay quite handsomely.

Tips for Submission:

1. Pay attention to reading periods. Ignore them and risk the Round File.

2. Study the editor's submission guidelines and follow them to the letter. If the editor wants a 4,000 word count and Times New Roman font, do not be the exception to the rule to "stand out."

3. Keep your cover letter brief, professional, and to the point. Do not tell your story in the cover letter and then use a couple of paragraphs persuading the editor to buy it. Let her do her job and get on to the good stuff—your actual piece.

4. If you have writing credits, list only the top four or five recognizable journals or publications. A list of 20 obscure 'zines will likely be skipped over.

5. Make sure your work is proofed and polished to within an inch of its life. Clean copy is your friend.

6. As with all submissions, do not be impatient and pester the editor to make sure your piece was received or to ask if he liked it. This is a sure sign of an amateur and a surefire way to irritate the editor. If the publication deadline is looming and you still haven't heard anything, then a quick query is acceptable.

Overall, anthologies are a great way to get started in this difficult industry. Even if you don't land a lucrative sale, you'll still be able to boast a writing credit, and this is what it's all about—getting your work out there to be read.

Ask any seasoned writer this question, and they'll most likely tell you to ban the word "utilize" from the English language and never speak of it again.

There are many folks who consider "utilize" to be a more sophisticated, intellectual form of the verb "to use," as in "Please be so kind as to utilize the facilities on the first floor with the rest of the riffraff." You're also likely to see it used in military-speak, as in "A Claymore mine was utilized to neutralize the threat." Or in police reports: "The individual utilized a .357 Magnum."

Since there is a slight and subtle distinction between the two verbs, "utilize" is more than just an affectation—it's also usually used incorrectly. Confusing? Yes. Even the dictionaries show the distinction yet imply that both words are interchangeable. Here are the actual definitions, if you're interested.

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, "use" implies "availing oneself of something as a means or instrument to an end," as in willing to use any means to achieve her goal.

"Utilize" may suggest "the discovery of a new, profitable, or practical use for something," as in an old tire utilized as a swing.

Generally, though, the distinction is not widely noted. If in doubt, ditch the "utilize," do the world a favor, and use use.

This old adage rings true today: If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. In the writing world, as in every industry, there are less-than-legitimate companies out there hoping to separate the writer from his money, promising to get you published without the usual hard work, research, dedication, and learning curve the rest of us writers must endure. Now there's a new kind of service being offered to writers, promising to blast off your queries to hundreds, even thousands of agents and editors, saving you countless hours of hard work. But is this a legitimate route? Most editors and agents don't think so.

One new service aimed at writers offers to submit your query online and send it out to hundreds of editors and agents. While it would be lovely to sit back and have your query "blasted" across the country, there are a few areas of concern. First, these services use only e-mail, which eliminates a large percentage of editors who request paper submissions. Second, these mass mailings are often identified as spam and immediately relegated to the junk mail folder. Many editors and agents automatically delete any submissions from services such as Bookblaster or eQuery Online. Some of them already recognize the cut-and-paste formula and weed those queries out automatically. The general consensus is that these cookie-cutter queries are causing serious annoyance in the publishing world.

Another problem is that there's no guarantee that these services maintain a carefully researched, up-to-date database. And if you're paying good money for this scattershot approach, you'd be better off taking the time to research a more manageable target group on your own. At least you'd have your own best interest at heart.

At Writer's Relief, we offer to edit and format your query, target potential agents and editors, and send your query to the appropriate people on a regular submission schedule. We promise to take a load off your shoulders, but we do not promise to do all the work for you. Our clients are seasoned writers who have already put in the long hours. They simply want a little help with the promotion of their work. We screen our writers carefully and only accept those whose work has promise—and we do not charge a reading fee.

If you are a writer who wears too many hats, you may feel it's worth paying someone to deal with the busywork of submission, and that's the service we offer. We do not promise to get you published, and we do not offer you the luxury of sitting back and waiting for a contract to fall in your lap. What we do promise is to help you get organized and motivated to submit on a regular basis to a carefully compiled list of editors and agents so that you can focus your time and energy on the business of writing.

If in doubt, keep the following points in mind when comparing submission services:

Avoid services that keep you out of the loop. Your work should be submitted in your name, not the service's. The only person who should act as your middleman is your agent.

Check references and testimonials. Does the service provide a list of satisfied clients with publication credits that you can confirm? Does the staff have writing or publishing experience? Resumes and testimonials should be accessible to any prospective clients.

Get specific fee information up front and in writing. (It's a bad sign if this information is not easy to locate.)

Assess the quality of editing services if offered. Find out how stringent the qualifications for proofreading or editing are for this company.

Avoid fancy "extras" like cover mock-ups or 8 x 10 glossies of you by the pool. Editors have enough to sort through without fancy binders and clippings and photos.

And lastly, get a feel for the level of personal service. Are you treated well and your questions answered courteously and promptly? Or are you ignored? Given the runaround? Writing is a highly personal endeavor, and the people handling your work should be sensitive and caring enough to treat it as such.

In general, there are no shortcuts in the business. And there's no way to bypass the hard work and devotion required to be a good writer. But there are some legitimate services that help take some of the frustration out of the process and free up a little time for creativity. Writer's Relief is here to do just that. Our database of editors and agents is constantly being updated so that your work is targeted to the people most likely to accept it. Our fees are up front, and our clients have full control over the level of service they want to pay for, which can include record keeping, personal databases, and itemized expense lists for tax purposes. And yes, all these things you certainly could do for yourself. Our clients are quite capable of writing a powerful query letter and researching the market for themselves—but they relish the opportunity to devote more time to their writing, while we take care of the details.

The word essay conjures up feelings of dread or boredom for many of us (think college applications, biology reports)—remember the plodding five-paragraph essay formula you learned to write in grade school? But the personal essay is a highly marketable piece of writing, and the material is as limitless as your own thoughts and experiences. Personal essay columns are one of the most popular columns in newspapers and magazines, providing a rich field for the aspiring writer.

Personal essays are a refreshing change from their stuffy cousin, the formal essay, because the personal essay is just that—personal. It's more chatty and friendly. You are speaking directly to your reader about anything from the death of a parent to a moment of beauty in your garden. From life-changing events to life's mundane moments, viewed from your own unique perspective, anything can be fodder for a gem of an essay, but here's the catch. You must offer a theme that a broader audience can relate to. Whether it's the current state of the nation or an epiphany gained while washing dirty socks, if your readers are nodding their heads and muttering, "Yeah, I know what you mean," you've reached them.

Today we can add "blogging" to this literary form, as people post journal-like entries online to be viewed by as many people as are interested. If the entries are interesting, concise, and well-written, with a somewhat universal theme, a collection of personal essays is born.

One of the differences between writing creative short fiction and personal essays is that in fiction, you must show, not tell. In the personal essay, you must both show AND tell. As the author of a personal essay, you are speaking directly to your reader. So, in a short story, you create a setting and characters and circumstances that, together, show or reveal to the reader that, for instance, a woman named Mary, a farmer's wife, is suffering from profound isolation and loneliness. In a personal essay, you tell the reader that your friend Mary is isolated and lonely in her role as a farmer's wife. You are allowed to comment and offer your opinion, and thus, you are present in the essay.

A few more tips:

Ideas. Brainstorm issues in your own life that are humorous, stressful, upsetting, or life-changing in a negative or positive way. These issues can be momentous (the impact of divorce or winning the lottery) or trivial (an insight into the plight of the elderly brought on by a half hour at the post office). There are no rules. If you find that any one subject generates a rush of writing, it's probably a good place to start. Keeping a journal handy to record pivotal moments or epiphanies can help capture your ideas as you go about your day.

The hook. Once you've started, just as in short stories, you should start off with a bang and get the reader's interest immediately, within the first sentence or paragraph. Some writers use humor, anecdotes, or quotes to get the reader's attention. Barbara Kingsolver, a master of the personal essay, has a collection of essays called High Tide in Tucson. Take a look at some of her classic opening lines:

June is the cruelest month in Tucson, especially when it lasts till the end of July.

A hermit crab lives in my house.

The babysitter surely thought I was having an affair.

A librarian named Miss Truman Richey snatched me from the jaws of ruin, and it's too late now to thank her.

Other masters of the personal essay include Alice Walker, Edward Hoagland, and James Baldwin. We suggest reading widely in this genre to fully immerse yourself in this style.

POV. Use the first-person active voice. You are the narrator and so you must do the "talking."  Also watch for using language that is too informal. The personal essay is more conversational than other literary forms, but you don't want it to read like a high school diary entry. "I saw this totally cool sculpture, and it was way awesome!!!"

Be concise. Word counts differ between publications, but one thing is consistent: tight and concise writing is the hallmark of a good personal essay. When editing, cut the fluff, be specific, and make each word count.

Connect. The personal essay is personal, but the message should be widely recognizable if you want to make a connection with your readers. The wider your target audience, the greater your chance of publication.

Personal essays are published in literary magazines, national magazines, trade journals, local and national newspapers, and anthologies, and they offer a great opportunity for writers. At Writer's Relief, we can develop a specific and organized submission process to help place your work once you've mastered the form. Have fun with it!

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