More Notes from OCW: Tiffany Schofield on "The Unexpected Journey"

During Tiffany Schofield's second session at OCW in Eureka Springs, she talked about her unexpected journey into the world of publishing with Five Star and how her journey can parallel that of a writer.

Her discussion focused on three traits she believes writers need to succeed:
* Tenacity
* Dedication
* Community

* As an example of tenacity and persistence, she pointed out mystery writer Agatha Christie, who was rejected for five years, but who ultimately has had two billion books in print (second only to Shakespeare). Tiffany shared a story about a conversation she had during a writing event with best-selling author Jeffrey Deaver, who told her he received 138 rejections for his first manuscript. One rejection letter was even marred with boot stamps, as if someone at the publishing house had walked on his printed submission. Yet, Deaver never gave up. And the boot-stamped manuscript? It eventually got published, as did scores of other of his novels.

* To be dedicated, Tiffany said that a writer must do more than dream of becoming published -- a writer must "leap off that cliff and get started."

* For community, Tiffany encouraged writers to engage in fellowship with others with similar attitudes, interests, and goals. She suggested that writers connect with their readers, attend conferences (like OCW), join or start a critique group, give back to the writing community, and be part of something more.

She wrapped up with a few quotes from Benjamin Franklin. Here's one I jotted down: "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."

To encourage writers to "leap off that cliff and get started," she directed writers to pick up copies of handouts with Five Star's submission query guidelines. I picked up a copy and have summarized them below.

Five Star Publishing, a part of Gale/Cengage Learning:

* Does not accept or review a project based on a query only.
* Accepts and evaluates completed manuscripts that are unsolicited, as well as agented submissions, in the following genres:
  ** Mystery (set in any time period; manuscripts within 65,000-100,000 word count range). (Mystery subgenre examples: cozy, hard-boiled, private eye, traditional, psychological, crime, police procedurals, suspense, thriller, historical, humorous, contemporary Western mystery, romantic suspense, etc.).
  ** Westerns (set during 1800-1899; manuscripts within  55,000-100,000 word count range). (Western subgenre examples: traditional, lawman, action/adventure, etc.).
  ** Frontier Fiction (set during 1700-1920; manuscripts within 60,000-130,000 word count range). (Subgenre examples: historical thriller, frontier mystery, frontier romance, frontier women's fiction, frontier fiction with YA crossover ability (coming-of-age themes), alternate history, frontier SF/fantasy, pioneer settlers, etc.).
* Does not accept previously published materials (including print or eBook).
* Does not accept simultaneous submissions.
* Only accepts author's own original work.

** Five Star does not accept: nonfiction, poetry, memoirs, autobiography, short story collections, or children/YA literature.

E-mail submission query requirements:
* Send an e-mail to FiveStar@cengage.com
* In the subject line type: SUBMISSION QUERY, Your book title by Author Name
* MUST include in body of your e-mail:
  ** Your full name (pseudonym if applicable)
  ** Address/contact info
  ** Manuscript title
  ** Manuscript word count
  ** Specific subgenre of your submission
  ** Short synopsis about your project

If you have any questions about Five Star's submission guidelines or need clarification of the above, e-mail FiveStar@cengage.com 

Five Star Publishing is located at 10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901

Back to Tiffany's presentation. In addition to tenacity, dedication, and community, I believe writers need talent, patience, and timing to succeed.

How about you? What traits or qualities do you think writers need to be successful?

Notes from OCW: Tiffany Schofield from Five Star Publishing "We're Searching for Your Voice"

Last weekend I attended the 49th annual Ozark Creative Writers conference in historic Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I attended my first OCW conference about 20 years ago and attended faithfully for more than ten years, but due to family circumstances I've missed several of the annual conferences, but I was thrilled to make the trip this year!

 

If you've never been to OCW or visited Eureka Springs, you're missing a wonderful opportunity to hear from some amazing writers and publishers and see some eye-popping scenery.

 

After attending a writing conference like OCW I'm inspired and want to shout from the rooftops, so for my next series of blog posts I will share some of what I learned over the weekend. 

 

First up is keynote speaker Tiffany Schofield, from Five Star Publishing.

 

Tiffany is shown here wearing the sparkly red cowboy hat presented to her by Lou Turner, President of OCW.

 

In Tiffany's opening talk, she spoke with candor and enthusiasm about her love of writers and her joy in discovering new voices at Five Star Publishing. Her passion for books and writers was evident all weekend. She was approachable and knowledgeable -- and did I mention that she loves to talk to writers?

 

Here are some general comments I jotted down from Tiffany's opening presentation:

 

What you do matters

Literature has a way of finding us; story chooses its writer

Challenge the norms

Look for opportunity, not power
Be that rebel spirit
Put your own voice into the story
Write what you love and what that story is telling you
Writing is a solitary journey that can become part of something bigger
Don’t be afraid of the voice in your story

Listen to your characters

Pair the voice with the characters

Challenge the norms
Readers love to be challenged
Avoid head hopping
Don’t confuse your reader

 

Here are some of Tiffany's more specific remarks about Five Star:

Five Star is a niche market known for sales to libraries

Their books get reviewed in: Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus, and Booklist

Their three genre lists are: Mystery, Western, and Frontier Fiction

Frontier Fiction is genre bending, combining elements of western and mystery, even paranormal and sci-fi. The setting is the American frontier, pre-1920
Frontier thriller is very popular in the library market
Fiction writers writing historical fiction do more research than nonfiction writers
Find an historical character and be sure to get historical details correct

** My favorite quote from Tiffany: “Books are better than chocolate, and I love chocolate.”

 

I'll post information about Five Star's submission process in a future post.    

Call for Submissions: A Shaker of Margaritas: That Mysterious Woman

For all you mystery writers out there, here's a paid submission opportunity from Linda Fisher, publisher of Mozark Press.  

Mozark Press is seeking short mystery fiction for the popular Shaker of Margaritas series. 

This issue is called A Shaker of Margaritas: That Mysterious Woman. 

For this anthology, the editors are looking for mysteries with female protagonists. 

Send them your cozies, soft-boiled mysteries, suspenseful tales, capers, or whodunits with a strong emphasis on character, plot -- but most of all good old-fashioned storytelling.

Submission deadline: July 25, 2014

Word Count: Between 2,000 and 3,500 

Approximately 20-25 stories will be selected for the anthology

Previously unpublished work only

One entry per person

No poetry

Keep it clean - PG stories only

Upon publication, authors will be paid $20 

Authors whose work appears in the book will be given a one-time opportunity to pre-purchase books at 60% of retail price + postage.

Author will receive one free copy of the book with his/her story in it -- if author pre-purchases a minimum of one additional copy at the author’s discount.

Electronic submissions only

E-mail to publisher@Mozarkpress.com with subject line: "That Mysterious Woman"

Click here for the complete submission guidelines and publisher's tips for success.

From personal experience, I can attest that Linda is a thorough editor who does a top-notch job with any project she is involved.

Good luck if you submit! 

You Meet the Most Interesting People in Critique Groups

Belonging to a critique group has many advantages. Becoming a better writer is the primary one, which comes from learning about the art and craft and business of writing.

Another fun and interesting benefit is that some of the most fascinating people are writers. The members of our weekly Coffee and Critique group are no exception.

Two critique group members, who also belong to the St. Louis Chapter of Sisters in Crime (Jennifer Hasheider and Judi Moresi), were mentioned recently in an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Judi talked about her mystery novel-in-progress, which our critique group has heard snippets of in the past.

Ghost-hunter Jennifer spoke to the Sisters in Crime group about her ghost hunting adventures, including the tools and equipment she uses while pursuing slippery spirits.

At critique group just last Tuesday Jennifer read an essay about -- you guessed it --- a ghost.

You can read more about Jennifer and Judi in the Post-Dispatch article.

Let's Get Digital, Digital: Random House Accepting Submissions for Digital Imprints

If you are one of the crazies overachievers who wrote a book during NaNoWriMo this month, here is some exciting news for you -- and for the rest of us who have shorter works we'd like to get published.

The Random House Publishing Group has launched three new digital imprints alongside their existing Loveswept digital imprint.

RHPG wants to to "give new authors the opportunity to showcase the best of what these genres have to offer . . . For the first time in history, authors will be able to forge wide-reaching and long-lasting relationships with their audiences, and we at Random House can’t wait to explore and create new opportunities in the digital space. The possibilities are endless, and we’re excited to offer authors the best opportunities to take advantage of this growing marketplace."

Editors are looking for submissions in these individual imprints:

Alibi - Mystery and Suspense
Flirt - New Adult
Hydra - Science fiction, fantasy, and horror
Loveswept - Romance and Women's

Word counts vary between 15,000-30,000 for shorter works and 40,000-60,000 for longer works (for all you NaNo folks).

Visit their website for information about submission process and guidelines and FAQ.

My apologizes to Oliva Newton-John for altering the lyrics to her "Let's Get Physical" song to "Let's Get Digital." Now where did I put my headband and leg warmers?

Guest Post from Carol Kilgore On Using the "Just Right" Words

I'm so pleased to welcome as my guest today Carol Kilgore. I love visiting Carol's blog, Under the Tiki Hut.

Carol is a Texas native who has lived in locations across the U.S. as the wife of a Coast Guard officer. Back under the hot Texas sun in San Antonio, Carol writes a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss. She and her husband share their home and patio with two active herding dogs, and every so often the dogs let them sit on the sofa.

Today Carol is going to share with us some thoughts about one of my favorite parts of speech.

Donna, thank you so much for hosting me on your blog today. I can't believe it's August already. Why is it that summer always speeds by?

Speeds? Not my favorite word. Speeding reminds me of driving too fast and getting a ticket and having to sit through a Defensive Driving class for eight hours. Not that I'll admit to ever having done any of that, so you can't take my statement as an admission of guilt. But the officer was kind of cute J

So maybe I shouldn't have said speeds. Rushes. Water rushes off the roof in a rainstorm. Zooms. Summer rarely lasts long enough, but I don't think it zooms fast like a jet. Flies by? Does a season have wings? Hmmm.

Can you tell where I'm going with this?

I'm talking about verbs. Strong, descriptive verbs that show exactly the action you want to relay to your readers. Think of verbs as the Three Bears.

Papa Bear Verbs are too zippy and bounce our writing along like sugar-coated jumping beans shot full of speed. These verbs force the reader to notice the action in the sentence above all else. Often that's not what we, as writers, want. Another variant of Papa Bear Verbs is the unique verb. These are verbs that really stand out to the reader. We read it and go Oh, wow! That's great. I would've never thought to use such a perfect verb. Then we read it again. And again. And yet again, and swear we'll scream if—aargh!

Spiritless Mama Bear Verbs cause our writing to creep along at a snail's pace. The reader becomes impatient with the progress and begins to skim. She looks at this, she thinks about that. He's walking to the store. Pacing becomes a problem, we skim a page or two or to the end of the chapter and close the book. Maybe we don't pick it up again for a while. Or ever.

But Baby Bear Verbs are just right and capture the exact image, feel, and sound the writer is searching for. These are the verbs that you feel in your bones and know in your soul are Baby Bear Verbs from the moment you write them until the time you read them a dozen drafts later.

What about you? Do you strive to use Baby Bear Verbs in your writing? Do you have tricks you use to keep your verbs in line?

Thanks, Carol. From now on when I'm trying to select a verb, I will do my best to pick one that's "just right."

With a last name like Kilgore, I thought it fitting that Carol writes novels that blend mystery and suspense. If you're looking for a way to stay cool in the summer heat, check out Carol's novel IN NAME ONLY. Here's the back cover blurb:

No home. No family. No place to hide. For Summer Newcombe, that's only the beginning.

The night Summer escapes from a burning Padre Island eatery and discovers the arsonist is stalking her, is the same night she meets Fire Captain Gabriel Duran. As much as she's attracted to Gabe, five years in the Federal Witness Security Program because of her father’s testimony against a mob boss have taught her the importance of being alone and invisible.

No matter how much she yearns for a real home, Summer relinquished that option the night she killed the man who murdered her father. But Gabe breaks down her guard and places both of them in danger. Summer has vowed never to kill again, but she's frantic she'll cost Gabe his life unless she stops running and fights for the future she wants with the man she loves.

The Thrill Isn't Gone, but Romance is Waning

According to a report in Publishers Weekly, a recently conducted Harris Poll about readers' preferences for fiction revealed that mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels were preferred twice as much as romance novels.

Graphic novels, chick-lit, and westerns were the least popular fiction books among readers polled.

Another interesting statistic is that more women than men read mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels.

Hmm. So what does this mean?

For me, it kinda makes sense. I read mysteries and thrillers but few crime novels or romance. From a fairness standpoint, lumping three categories together seems to bias the poll in favor of the those categories.

I'm wondering if respondents would've been asked about their preferences separately about mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels what the results would have been. How would those individual categories stack up against romance and other categories?

On the non-fiction side, histories, biographies, and religious or spiritual books topped the poll. Business books bottomed out on the list. No surprise there. Ho-hum with the business books.

While poll results like these make interesting reading, who is being polled and the way the questions are asked can impact on the results. What really counts is the type of books readers buy.

Read the Publishers Weekly article to read a summary of the results and the names of some of the respondents' favorite authors.

March Madness Mystery Contest Giveaway

Several weeks ago I won a box of mystery books over on Colorado mystery writer Patrcia Stoltey's blog. If you haven't visited Patricia's blog, you should check it out. It's one I visit regularly. Several days each week, Patricia posts writing tips, contest information, and other useful hints and links. Yesterday she posted a link to the Mystery Writers of America contest going on for March. The books in the Mystery Writers contest sound amazing. Her post on Tuesday was on self-editing, which I need to revisit and study.

Back to the box of books I won from Patricia last month. Included in the box were paperback copies of The Prairie Grass Murders, a mystery novel Patricia wrote. Of course, hers was the first book in the box that I read. And I wasn't disappointed. Here are a few reasons I like "Prairie Grass Murders":

* The main characters. They are interesting and vividly portrayed, and like me, they came alive during "Pepsi Generation" of the nineteen-fifties and sixties. Willie is a Vietnam veteran who returns to the home of his youth, and while hiking through the Illinois countryside discovers a body. Like a good citizen he reports his discovery to the authorities. For his actions he gets locked up in a psych ward. Willie's sister Sylvia is a smart cookie who lives in Florida. Sylvia is also a judge with an attitude who comes to Illinois to rescue her brother and help solve the crime.

* The setting. The primary setting is in rural Illinois, but it also moves to sunny Florida.

* The writing. Patricia's writing is crisp and the story moves briskly.

So, as part of my goal to downsize the stacks of books around the house, I'm happy to announce I will be giving away copies of the paperback novel THE PRAIRIE GRASS MURDERS. The copies are signed by Patricia. Two lucky people who post between now and March 15 (the ides of March) will win.

Quick: Which famous literary character was murdered on the ides of March?

Two winners will be picked at random at the end of the day on March 15 and their names will be announced on March 16.

NOTE: To comply with FCC guidelines, please note that Patricia gave me copies of her books to share with my friends in any way I choose. She did not pay me or ask me to post about her book on my blog or ask me to give her book a favorable review. It's just a darned good mystery book I would like to share with my writing friends--plus it will make my wonderful hubby Walt happy that I'm eliminating some books from my shelves so he doesn't have to build new ones.

Good luck!

Win Free Books on Patricia Stoltey's Blog

Today in St. Peters, MO: Partly cloudy, high 25 degrees. Brrr. It's cold outside, but the sun is peeking through my office window and I can hear birds chirping.

One way to chase away the winter doldrums is to read a good mystery novel. Well, how about a contest where you can win several mystery novels?

The other day I found a contest on Patricia Stoltey's blog where you can do just that. Patricia Stoltey is a Colorado mystery author who blogs about writing, social networking and publishing. Her books include The Prairie Grass Murders (2007) and The Desert Hedge Murders (August 2009).

Patricia has a contest going on until January 31st on her blog, where she will give away several books in a mystery/thriller package, some of which are signed first editions. If you love to read mysteries--and frankly, I don't know any of my blog visitors or writing friends who don't--pop on over to Patricia's blog to find out how you can win.

One other note: My friends and regular blog visitors know know how annoyed I get with pesky and complicated contest rules. My philosophy is KISS. Well, I'm very happy to announce that the rules for Patricia's contest are few and simple. That reminds me, I haven't entered yet. And what's that saying, "You can't win if you don't enter."

So good luck! Even if you don't win, visiting her blog is worth the trip. Lots of good stuff there.

Eight Tips for Writing A Mystery from Marcia Preston

It's another glorious day in St. Peters, Missouri: Sunny, high 80 degrees. It was a beautiful evening at the ballpark last night. The Bulldogs, the team Michael plays for, won 18-10.

Yesterday's post about the Hillerman Mystery Novel Contest got me thinking about writing myteries. Specifically, how I need to get more disciplined about the mystery novel I'm plugging away trying to finish--a middle-grade mystery set in St. Charles.

Thinking about mystery writing also reminded me about a presentation Marcia Preston gave at the MWG conference last month. Marcia is a classy lady from Oklahoma with a kind and generous heart for writers trying to succeed. She is a former English teacher and editor who has published several books and is winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award for her novel "Song of the Bones." She also served on the Edgar judging panel, where she read parts of 250 mysteries. So, I think it's safe to say Marcia has insight into what makes a compelling (and selling) mystery.

During her "Writing the Mystery" presentation, here are the notes I took from:

8 Tips for Writing Mysteries from Marcia Preston:

1. Think series - Be thinking about your next book while writing your current one.

2. Look for a hook - The hook is a way for the sales and marketing team to promote your book.

3. Dig into your characters - Characters should be well developed and interesting.

4. Devise a fresh, stunningly clever plot device - and the be the first to do it!

5. Watch your pacing - Don't ever let the pace slack. As an example of what not to do, she warned "Don't let your protagonist think too much in the first chapter."

6. Pay attention to technicalities - "The devil is in the details." Make sure your facts are correct; research is important.

7. Plug into the mystery world - Follow the protocol for submitting to agents. Know the word count for your genre.

8. PERSIST! - If you're not successful landing a big publisher, try independent, small publishers. Try all other ways and avoid subsidy publishing. Keep revising your manuscript!

**

There you have it. Advice from someone who is definitely "plugged into the mystery world." To recap, I think it's time for me to: dig into my characters, watch my pacing, and PERSIST with my novel.

Hillerman Mystery Contest from Wordharvest and St. Martin's Press

Today's forecast for St. Peters: Sunny, high 80 degrees.

Anne Hillerman and her friends at Wordharvest are keeping alive the tradition of her late father through the 2009 Hillerman Prize Contest. The deadline is June 1.

Here are the basics: Novel length mystery manuscript by an author who has never published a mystery (Self-published is usually OK) Story set in the American Southwest Postmarked no later than June 1, 2009 No entry fee Prize: Publication sponsor, St. Martin's Press with a $10,000 advance. You'll find the details and an entry form at their webite. (NOTE: The Tony Hillerman/Cowboys & Indians Short Story Contest will not be held in 2009.)

You can also check the Wordharvest website for information about upcoming workshops.

Submission Opportunity - "Big Pulp"

(Typewriter from Big Pulp website)

Today's forecast for St. Peters: Freezing rain; high 40 degrees. The kiddos are home from school today because of ice on the roads.

Here's an online journal that pays for submissions:

"Big Pulp is an online journal featuring genre fiction and artwork of all kinds. We are actively seeking submissions of prose, poetry, photography, artwork, and comics for our pages. We define 'pulp fiction' very broadly – it’s lively, challenging, thought-provoking, thrilling, and fun, regardless of how many or how few genre elements are packed in. We don’t subscribe to the theory that genre fiction is disposable; in our opinion, a great deal of literary fiction could easily fall under one of our general categories."

According to their website, they accept genre fiction, non-fiction and poetry in the following genres: horror, science fiction, adventure, mystery and romance. They also accept artwork and photography. For complete submission guidelines, including payment rates, visit their website. And if you get something accepted, please let me know.