NEWS TO USE TODAY!

Short Story writing contest

Angela Hoy at Writers Weekly holds a yearly 24-hour short story writing contest, and I encourage subscribers to submit their stories. The contest happens THIS SATURDAY (22 Sept.) so if you're interested, go immediately to her website and sign up. Cost to enter is $5.00. The contest is limited to 500 entrants and is a very popular contest among writers because of the prize money. It definitelty usually fills up, so sign up right away! There are 85 prizes given (first prize - $300, second prize -$250, third prize - $200 - plus 82 other prizes). Sign up at: http://www.writersweekly.com/misc/contest.html.


ISBN Numbers

Angela Hoy had a letter in her latest newsletter asking if it was legal to resell ISBN numbers. If you're not familiar with ISBN numbers, they're the number that is assigned to each published book, and that belongs only to that book. Books must have this number to be listed for sale through distributors to book shops, and to libraries.

Authors or publishers must buy these numbers from R.R. Bowker company in blocks of ten, and the cost is prohibitive for many self-publishers to buy the entire block. Still, if writers can't afford to buy their own block of numbers, or if they only expect to ever publish one book, it's best to sign up with a "Print on Demand" Publisher like Booklocker to get their book printed: http://www.booklocker.com. Booklocker also helps with marketing and offers tips and suggestions to authors for getting their book publicized. They only sign-up about 10 percent of authors who apply, but it's an honest, legal company that provides a wonderful service to its authors.

Warning! Now it appears that a company is buying up ISBN numbers and advertising them for sale individually, at a profit. Don't be fooled if you run across an ad for individual ISBN numbers! If you buy one, you can never be listed as the publisher under that number. Find information about this problem on R.R. Bowker's Web site: http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/resellers.asp.

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I'm attempting to keep subscribers informed about issues they might need, so I will include the above types of information in blogs and the newsletter as I learn it. Also, you might want to subscribe to Angela Hoy's ezine: http://www.writersweekly.com for lots of great information on writing.


Update on new book:

LOOKING BACK is keeping me busy. Already I have moved 25 books, and am having to order more. This is only my personal activity in less than one week. Booklocker carries them (book's page - http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html) , and the trading post here where we're staying is now carrying the book, too. I'm weighing a few other options that have proved beneficial in the past. And the book is available through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble's Web site and as a special order in their bookstores.

Hopefully contributors have received their autographed copies and are enjoying reading the book and their and other essays by now.