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. This FREE e-mail newsletter may help improve your writing and your acceptance rate! Feel free to print any of these articles to use as a reference. This issue is packed with great information. DEADLINE-DATED lists of anthologies, theme issues, and contests are included!

In this issue:

* * INTRODUCING OUR NEWEST E-BOOK! INSIDER’S SECRETS: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO PROPER PROOFREADING IN THE CREATIVE WRITING INDUSTRY. http://www.WritersRelief.com/proofreading-manual-for-creative-writing-and-publishing-industry.aspx

* * SELF-PUBLISHING: WHEN (NOT) TO INCLUDE YOUR SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK IN YOUR COVER OR QUERY LETTER BIO.

* * Here is your opportunity to receive a FREE CONSULTATION WITH ONE OF OUR SUBMISSION STRATEGISTS. Visit http://WritersReliefBlog.com/post/Increase-Your-Acceptance-Rate-By-Submitting-Now.aspx.

* * If you’re a foodie and a bookworm, you’re going to love FRENCH FOOD IDIOMS.

* * DO YOU HAVE AN ARTICLE FOR OUR NEWSFLASH? Read our submission guidelines: http://WritersReliefBlog.com/post/Do-You-Have-An-Article-For-Our-Newsflash.aspx.                                              

* * BUSINESS LETTER FORMAT: HOW TO WRITE A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS LETTER.

* * HOW TO PUBLISH A POETRY CHAPBOOK OR COLLECTION OF POEMS.

* * THE 10 BIGGEST MISTAKES BEGINNING FICTION WRITERS MAKE.

* * 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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Q. When should you include your self-published novel or book in your cover or query letter bio?

You should mention your self-published book in your cover or query letter bio (or any other writing bio) if you can also mention that the book has been successful in any of the following ways:

• You’ve sold a substantial number of copies (“substantial” varies, but the numbers we've heard indicate that about 5,000 in one year is worth mentioning!).
• You have received great reviews worth mentioning.
• You have a great quote from another author or publisher.
• The book received an award, nomination, or other distinguishing honor. 
• You have published a regional or niche book and marketed it to great success.
• Any other interesting acclaim.

When should you NOT mention your self-published book in your query letter bio?  
Completing a book is a big accomplishment—self-publishing a book can also be an impressive undertaking. However, unless your self-published book has garnered any accolades such as those listed above, it may do more harm than good to mention your self-published projects in your bio. Here are a few possible outcomes to consider before mentioning your self-published book (or books, if you have more than one) in your publishing bio when approaching agents.

Presumption. Some writers are choosing to self-publish even before they query literary agents and editors in order to publish traditionally. Historically, there have been a number of self-published novels that were extremely well-written; many have gone on to become wildly popular.

However, if your self-published book isn’t among that throng, mentioning your project in your cover or query letter may cause agents to infer that you tried to publish but ultimately could not find any enthusiasm for your project—even if you didn’t attempt the traditional publishing route at all. To put it crassly, if you mention that your books are self-published, agents may presume your writing isn’t strong enough or suitable for mainstream publication.

Low sales = low enthusiasm. If your self-published book has not sold well, an agent may infer that you have not done the necessary legwork to promote your book; simply don’t know how to promote your book; or an editor may assume that you did promote it but didn’t get reader support (if nobody else wants to join your party, why would an agent or editor show up).

Practice books. Professional writers, agents, and editors know that it can take a writer a few tries before he or she is able to work through the many difficulties of composing a book-length manuscript. Although you rightly love your early-career, self-published book, an agent will likely consider it a “practice” book. While practice books are significant life credits, they are not always significant publishing credits.

The danger of being overeager. If you mention to an agent that you have three books self-published (but you’re pitching only one, or perhaps you’re pitching an entirely different project), the agent might think: “Oh, no. If I take on one project by this writer, he or she will bombard me with all the other books, so I’ll be stuck with all these ‘practice’ books that no one else could place at a traditional house.” If you mention all your other manuscripts, the agent may get scared off.

Other conflicting issues. An agent may be turned off by the self-published books in your bio because he or she may assume that you are the kind of person who wants to have complete editorial and marketing control over your book. Working with a traditional publishing house requires patience, a willingness to compromise, and a certain amount of “letting go.”

NOTE: if you are querying an agent with a book that was previously self-published (as opposed to simply mentioning a self-published book in your bio as discussed above), there is a right way and a wrong way to query. For more information, read After Self-Publishing: How To Find An Agent And A Publisher For Your Self-Published Book.

If you need help submitting your book to literary agents, Writer's Relief has a service for every budget. We've been helping writers with the submission process since 1994, and there are hundreds of testimonials on our Web site. We're happy to answer all your questions, so feel free to write to info@wrelief.com or call (866) 405-3003.

If you’re a foodie and a bookworm, you’re going to love this list of French food idioms that we recently found on the Internet. It’s hilarious.

For example: Ça ne mange pas de pain means “it doesn’t eat bread.” In other words, whatever it is, it won’t be a pain in the neck (like a houseguest who loafs around, raids your refrigerator, and eats all your food/bread).

Read more at http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/cat_french_idioms.php.

Writing a professional business letter is important to making a good impression, and yet so many writers who send their fiction or nonfiction writing projects to Writer’s Relief don’t seem to know how to write a professional business letter. Cover letters for resumes, letters of introduction, sales letters, and pitch letters all require a professional touch. To format a professional business letter using proper layout, start by reading our helpful tips below.

All business letters contain four mandatory parts:

Heading (letterhead or return address and date)

Opening (address of recipient and salutation)

Body (message you’re writing)

Closing (complimentary closing [e.g., “Sincerely”] and signature)

Many word processing programs have several business-letter templates for you to choose from. Here are four typical style arrangements for letters:

Simplified—All lines are flushed left. The salutation is replaced by a subject line, which is in all caps; open punctuation is always used (there is no punctuation at the end of any line outside the body of the letter unless an abbreviation ends that line; e.g., Co., Inc., Jr.). The complimentary closing is omitted (no “Sincerely,” “Thank you for time,” etc.), and only a writer’s signature block in all caps is used.

Modified-Block Style (Standard)—The dateline, closing, company signature, and writer’s identification are all tabbed to and begin at the center. All other lines (body of the letter) are flush left.

Modified-Block Style (Indented Paragraphs)—Exactly the same as the standard format except that the first line of each paragraph is indented a half inch. This style is also referred to as “Semiblock Style.”

Block Style—Every line is flushed left, no indents; nothing centered except for any quotations, tables, and the like that are displayed. Also known as the “Full-Block Style.”

The Modified-Block Styles are the most popular.

Margins should be one inch on the right and left and two inches on the top (to leave room for letterhead).

If your letter will be more than two pages, make each subsequent page with a one-inch top margin.

Use single spacing, with one blank line between paragraphs.

Be sure to use an easy-to-read font (Times New Roman, Arial, Garamond, or Verdana are acceptable), in 10-12 point size.

Items in the Standard Format of Modified-Block Style:

• Letterhead or your return address
• Dateline (begin six lines down from top margin; month, day, and year)
• Inside address (name and address of the person you are writing to)
• Salutation (Dear Zujun Young)
• Message
• Complimentary Closing (Sincerely, or Truly,)
• Company Signature (optional)
• Writer’s Signature Block (your name and title, if applicable)
• Reference Initials (initials of the person who typed the letter for you, if applicable)
• File Name Notation (indicates where the document is saved in computer memory, optional)
• Enclosure Notation (indicates if you’re enclosing something other than the letter)
• Delivery Notation (if your letter is being mailed a special way)
• Copy Notation (list names of additional recipients of the letter)
• Justified right margin (optional for any letter type, makes each line in the body of the letter end at the same point)

Other variables that can be included in any letter format are:

• Personal or confidential notation (in all caps, two spaces below the date line)
• Reference notation (e.g., “In reply to”; two spaces below return address)
• Attention line (positioned as the first line of the inside address)
• Subject line (stating the purpose of the letter, two spaces below salutation)
• Postscript (for presenting a final idea or afterthought, two spaces after the writer’s signature block)

Writing a professional business letter isn’t difficult, but it does take some amount of patience and care in terms of formatting and layout. These guidelines are not designed to be inflexible and can be modified to fit specific occasions as good sense requires. But always be sure to proofread business letters before sending—don’t let oversights in spelling or grammar confuse your purpose! And remember: If you're writing a query letter to literary agents and editors, call Writer's Relief today for help! 

If you’ve written so many poems that you’re interested in publishing your poetry as a book of poems, as a chapbook, or as a collection of poems, there are a number of ways you can get a book of poems published. But before we tell you how to publish your poetry book, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

First, poets approach Writer’s Relief every day asking us how we can help them make money on their poetry. The unfortunate truth is that it’s not very likely you’ll make a significant amount of money by publishing your book of poetry. Traditional, big publishing houses typically do not publish the work of unknown or moderately known poets because there simply isn’t a large audience that is willing to plunk down money for poetry. And because there’s no money in poetry, agents tend not to represent poets (with the exception of the very famous). So that’s the bad news.

But the good news is that poetry readers and writers have created a strong alternative market to big New York publishing houses. And if you’ve got time, talent, and luck, you may be able to get your book of poems published and maybe even make some money on your poetry. It's best to have a solid list of publication credits for your individual poems before you start asking people to publish your poems en masse. If your bio is strong and testifies to your skill, here are some ways to publish your poetry chapbook or collection of poems:

Enter chapbook contests. If you’ve amassed a collection of poems that might not be long enough for a full poetry book, you may want to consider entering a chapbook contest. Although the rules vary, chapbook contests generally want between 25 and 60 pages of poetry. Most chapbook contests are sponsored by universities or small presses, so while there may be an entry fee, there is also usually a payout for the winner in the form of publication and a monetary prize. If your poems are very strong, entering chapbook contests might be a good way to get your poetry chapbook or collection published.

Approach small presses. If your collection of poetry is too big for a chapbook, you may consider approaching small presses (independent publishers) with your poems. To do this, you’ll need to have strong publishing credentials. You can learn more about how to get publishing credentials at these links: Building Publication Credits and No Publishing Credits? Get Publishing Credentials: How To Build Up Your Writing Bio Super Fast. Universities and small presses are the heart of contemporary poetry, so do the proper research and send your queries their way.

Self-publish. If you have not had your individual poems published in reputable magazines, and you don’t have the patience that it takes to develop a good submission strategy, you might want to consider self-publishing. Just be aware that self-publishing requires you do all the legwork regarding distribution. Your book will not appear on bookshelves unless you do something to get it there. If you’d like a way to easily share your poetry with your family and friends, self-publishing may be a good option. But if you’re taking the self-publishing route because you think it’s an easier way to reach a large audience, think again. Unless you’re prepared to do lots of legwork and marketing (more than if you’d spent that time developing a strong submission strategy), your book will not reach far and wide. Before you self-publish your collection of poetry, read this: Is Self-Publishing The Easiest Way To Get Published? Decoding The Hype And The Facts.  

Many poets are competing to publish their poems as poetry collections or chapbooks. Even though there isn’t a strong mainstream market for poetry, the “underground” and independent markets are thriving. In order to keep publishing markets open to poets everywhere, consider subscribing to literary magazines and journals, or consider supporting the work of other poets who are publishing in the small-press market. To build more lucrative publishing markets for poetry, read and buy more poetry.

If you’d like help building up your poetry credentials, Writer’s Relief can help you develop a strong submission strategy to publish your individual poems. Our clients publish regularly in the literary magazine and journal markets. Visit our Overview of Services for more information.

Guest writer Karen Newcomb a fiction consultant, writing teacher, book author, and columnist. She is also Executive Director of the Lake Tahoe Writers Conference and conference weekend writing workshops.

It is rare to find a new writer who has mastered it all, from conception to ending. When I first formed a critique group I had the idea that I could incorporate a lesson each time. Instead, I found that as each author read his or her chapter, the same elements seemed to be missing. Published authors are so polished that beginning writers don't seem to pick up on the techniques.

Here are the top 10 mistakes beginners make:

Not knowing who their readers are. Beginners are often surprised to learn they have to write to a reader, and sometimes there is an age group that goes along with their genre.

Not fully understanding the genre. Again, beginners seemed stumped by the fact there are different types of imprints (or subgenres) within their genre, each with specific guidelines.

Not developing a believable or likable character. Readers like fully developed characters. Another mistake is to add too many other undeveloped characters to interact with the main character. When you create a developed character on paper, before the story starts, the characters will react appropriately in the story.

Not understanding viewpoint. I think this is one of the hardest elements to explain. Instead of getting into the character's head and showing us the story as it happens to them, the author usually begins to tell the story about the character.

Not understanding the need for emotional tension. The characters don't react to the situations they've been put in and walk through the pages as if the conflict is going to solve itself. This is where the need for motivation-reaction is important.

Plotting. Sometimes a plot reads like randomly chosen incidents. “Just because it really happened,” is what I usually hear. Even when the plot makes sense, authors tend to break it up with unnecessary subplots that don't fit into the structure.

Not understanding scenes and sequels to the scenes. If the character walks through a scene with no resolution to the scene, it leaves the reader feeling cheated. Beginning authors seem to need to explain everything…out loud. I remind them they won't be there to tell an editor what they mean. The scene keeps the story moving forward by leading into the next scene. Beginners always skip over the sequel to the scene.

Not understanding the need for the character to change. If the character was well-developed beforehand, then this should be easy. The change can be subtle or enormous, but in the end the character does have to change.

Not understanding conflict. Mastering this element could go on forever.

Rewriting as they go along. This may not seem like a problem but it is. Never do a major rewrite before a book is done. Many beginners spin their gears rewriting and rewriting only to find they need to rewrite after they've finished their manuscript. They need to wait to see the "whole picture" so the flaws jump out in places that need rewriting. Editing is a very important learning curve for beginners. This is where a beginning writer starts their journey to becoming an author. To finish a project is important. Whether the book idea is good or bad, to finish the project is a huge accomplishment.

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