Tips on Editing and Freelancing from Robin Moore Theiss

Last Saturday, Robin Moore Theiss spoke about editing and freelance writing to Saturday Writers at the St. Peters Cultural Arts Center. New president of Saturday Writers, Becky Povich, did an awesome job heading up the meeting.

The photo of Robin on the left is from her website.

I've known Robin for almost a decade, from when we both served on the board of the Missouri Writers' Guild, and I've always been impressed by her intelligence, candor, and enthusiasm.


Robin is a visionary. She is a writer who thinks big and backs up her thoughts with actions.

Robin's work background is as COO of the largest midwestern managed health care corporation, where her writing focused on corporate publications, such as strategic plans, reports, manuals, technical documents, and other correspondence. She retired to pursue her writing career, and after her retirement, managers sought her out to develop corporate publications.

She has never looked back. Her workload is so large that she now hires other freelancers. Robin also assists with editing and selecting works for the literary magazine published by St. Louis University, Boulevard magazine.


On Saturday she shared some tips for writers who want to pursue a career as an editor or a freelance writer. More than 50 people attended her presentation. I arrived a bit tardy, but I got to hear her entire presentation. She ran out of handouts before the stack got to me, but I did manage to jot down a few notes. Here they are:

* The purpose of editing is to improve the quality of the written work.

* Everyone is an editor. If you belong to a critique group, read books critically, notice mistakes in publications, or correct grammar or spelling on the job, you are an editor.

*Some qualities of a good editor are: love of language, proficiency in grammar and punctuation, attention to detail, and clarity of thought.

* An ethical editor doesn't change a writer's work. While an editor may correct spelling and grammar and make recommendations, the work ultimately belongs to the writer.

* When editing, question all assumptions. As well as focusing on what is there, also ask about what is missing. Look at the white space on the page.

* One way to break in to freelance writing for businesses is to offer your services initially for free. Some corporations are looking for writing help with brochures, newsletters, speeches, and the like. She cautioned about about taking on newsletters because you are dependent on others for content, which can cause missed deadlines.

* Know your audience. If you're writing for a corporate audience, your words will reach both the most informed and the least informed.

* Do your research. Learn about the company before you approach them for a job.

* Have a working knowledge of graphics programs and page layouts.

* Know how to use programs that can find/replace/track changes to documents.


* Know what you know. If you have an area of expertise, capitalize on that to market yourself.


In addition to being a freelance writer and an editor, Robin also has a book selling business, stlbooks.com , a place for new, used, rare, out-of print, signed, and first-edition books. She is looking for writers to do book reviewers, interviews, and blog posts. Contact Robin if you have questions.


Robin's presentation was informative and inspiring. She also gave away several gifts from her book site, including tee-shirts and sweatshirts with book covers on the front. Oh, and don't forget the set of brightly colored, retro book ends, which I won and have just the spot for in my office.

Ghosts and Monsters and Dreams, Oh My!

Hey, Dorothy, you're not in Kansas anymore. This submission call-out is for southern writers. And forget about lions and tigers and bears. These editors want stories with ghosts and monsters and dreams, Oh my!

Submissions for Press 53's Surreal South '11 anthology need to be from writers associated in some way with the South--as in south of the Mason-Dixon line. (Border states like Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Maryland are sometimes included South of the line; others show them above the line.)

Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the editors of Press 53 have specific requirements on what they're looking for in submissions.

The submissions for Surreal South '11: Ghosts and Monsters should be surreal stories: "dream stories, horror stories, monster stories, insanity, magical realism, the distorted, the impossible, the irrational."

Story must have surreal elements
Word limit: 1,000-7,000 words
Author bio: up to 250 words
Deadline: March 15
Payment: One contributor copy and other goodies.

So, instead of clicking your ruby red slippers, click on this link for complete Press 53 submission guidelines.

And good luck, y'all.

Celebrity Writers in the News

While reading Media Bistro's Galley Cat's Deals section, I came across recent announcements about three celebrities signing book deal contracts.

I have mixed feelings on this subject. Like most people, I enjoy reading about famous people (some of them, at least), yet I believe huge advances to celebrities limits the amount of money available to talented writers who struggle to get published. Okay. Enough whining. On to the celebrity deals.

* "How does it feel?" We'll have to wait to find out. Bob Dylan repotedly has signed a six-book deal with Simon & Schuster.

* Brady Bunch mom Florence Henderson is dancing with the literary stars after landing a deal with Hatchette to write her memoir.

* I love the tentative title of Sissy Spacek's memoir--"Barefoot Stories"--with Hyperion. Even more than liking the tentative title, I love this quote attributed to Sissy in Galleycat.

"I'm thrilled to be writing this book. I just wish I had studied harder in English class."

Don't we all, Sissy, don't we all.

Interview with Linda Fisher, Publisher of Mozark Press

Today I have a special guest at Donna's Book Pub. Please welcome Linda Fisher, award-winning writer and editor, and publisher of Mozark Press. I've known Linda for several years through the Missouri Writers' Guild, and I was fortunate enough to have a short story of mine included in Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas, a recent anthology from Mozark Press.

I've co-edited a few anthologies, but I've always been curious about how the publishing end works and Linda was kind enough to answer interview questions about her press. I thought my blog readers would enjoy hearing first-hand from Linda about her publishing company.

DV: First, Linda, thank you for answering my interview questions. Besides being an editor and a publisher, you are an award-winning writer. Please tell us about some of your writing accomplishments.

LF: The first writing contest I ever entered was at our local bookstore and I won first place. That gave me confidence to enter other contests. I’ve had a lot of opportunities to enter contest through writing groups—Ozarks Writers League, Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers’ Guild, and the Missouri Writers Guild—and won prizes from each of them. I was thrilled to win the 2010 Best Book of the Year Award from Ozark Writers League for Early Onset Blog: Essays From an Online Journal. I accepted the other awards I won that night with dignity, but I jumped, hopped, and skipped forward to accept the Book of the Year award! Winning contests is not about the money for me, it’s about validation, especially on those days when my writing doesn’t measure up to my vision of the story.

DV: Wow! Winning Best Book of the Year is an impressive accomplish. Now, a question about publishing: With all the changes in the publishing industry, what inspired you to start Mozark Press?

LF: Not every author can find an agent or sign a contract with a major publishing company. The Shaker anthologies give authors a place to submit short stories for publication. I hope that Mozark Press opens doors for talented authors to see their work in print.

DV: That is so generous of you. I was fortunate enough to have one of my short stories included in Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas. The cover is wonderful and all the stories are great. What has been the response to this anthology?

LF: I’m pleased with the response to Hot Flash Mommas, especially since it was Mozark Press’s first anthology. My expectations were to break even and (yay!) we actually made a small profit. Some of the authors turned out to be fantastic at promotion and sales. Their enthusiasm was contagious. Everything worked for the book—attractive cover, great stories, and promotion from authors, bloggers, and the authors’ local media.

DV: It's wonderful that your first anthology was so successful. You have a submission call-out for a new anthology with a deadline of March 1--Shaker of Margaritas: Cougars on the Prowl. What is the focus of the anthology, and what kind of submissions are you hoping to receive? Where can writers find specific submission guidelines for Cougars on the Prowl?

LF: Cougars on the Prowl will be a fun anthology geared toward “women of a certain age.” I want submissions to tell a great story with a boomer aged protagonist and a younger man. I would recommend that writers don’t go for the obvious, but dig deep to pull off the unusual. The “cougar” portion of the story might be peripheral rather than the focus of the story. The complete guidelines can be found at http://www.mozarkpress.com/.

DV: I imagine you receive tons of submissions for your anthologies. What are some common mistakes you see in submissions?

LF: Among the common mistakes: stilted dialog, not enough dialog, too many characters for a short story, and sentences and paragraphs that do not flow. A lot of errors can be caught when the writer reads the story aloud. I appreciate authors who use one space at the end of sentences (not two) and paragraph indentions rather than tabs. The less time I spend formatting, the more time I have to edit.

DV: Thanks for that advice. Any other tips for writers who submit to Mozark Press?

LF: First, make sure you follow the guidelines. Have another author give you an honest critique of your story. Don’t send me your rough draft—write, re-write, and edit. One of the judges asked me to tell the writers to proofread, proofread, proofread. Here’s a clue—I don’t edit before I send the stories to the judges.

DV: I agree that getting another writer's opinion is so helpful. Beyond your most recent call for submissions, do you have any plans for more anthologies?

LF: I plan to have more Shaker anthologies in the future. They are a lot of fun and it is a pleasure to work with the authors.

DV: That's good news! As an author with a story in your first anthology, I have to say it was a pleasure to work with you. How can readers and writers contact you for more information?

LF: Email me at publisher@mozarkpress.com or become a friend on Mozark Press Facebook. More information can be found at www.mozarkpress.com and http://mozarkpress.blogspot.com.

Thanks again, Linda, for taking time from your busy schedule to visit Donna's Book Pub. I hope you get lots of wonderful submissions for your future anthologies.

Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas is available from Amazon and Mozark Press.

Where Are My Manners?

It occurred to me that I've neglected to formally welcome my new followers since last month. Please excuse my tardiness. Blame it on the holidays, the weather, deadlines, or just plain forgetfulness.

So, please join me in extending a warm WELCOME TO DONNA'S BOOK PUB to all these wonderful people who've joined since December 14:

Louella Turner, Dangerous with a pen, Beautiful Dress, Holly, umdmaurer, Liz Davis, Katie Gates, Melissa Ann Goodwin, Stephen Baird, and Walt M.

If you get a chance, click on their photos and visit their blogs or websites. They have lots of great stories to tell and information to share.

Speaking of sharing, if you're looking for another blog chock full of info, check out the contest going on at Cathy C's Hall of Fame She's giving away a $20 Barnes & Noble gift card to one lucky new follower. Cathy's goal is to have 100 followers, and she's almost there. So, if you want to help a fellow-writer reach her goal, just hop on over and follow her. * Leave a comment. * Tell her Donna from Donna's Book Pub sent you. * Be sure to leave your contact information so she can contact you if you're the winner. One lucky NEW follower will win a $20 gift card and if I'm the one who sent you, I'll also win a $20 gift card. Yay! But act fast, Cathy's contest ends on Jan 24th.

Here's another deadline you might be able to make. The First Line Literary Journal has a call for submissions. Stories should be between 300 and 3,000 words. For the spring call-out, your story must start with the first line: "Sam was a loyal employee." Deadline is Feb 1. I've already started a first draft of a story.

Short story payment is $20 and a copy of the issue in which your story appears, if it is accepted for publication. The magazine also pays $10 for non-fiction essays about your favorite first line from a literary work. For details, check out the submission guidelines on The First Line website.

Welcome to my new followers, thanks to my loyal followers, and good luck to all in the contest and call for submissions.

Snow Days -- Risky Business?

Yesterday afternoon was sunny and pleasant. I parked at my usual carpool spot alongside of Tracy, the mom of one of my grandson Michael's best friends from All Saints School. We thumbed down our windows for our afternoon chat.

"Nice day today," I said. "But we might get snow tonight."

"Yep," Tracy said. "Are you a risk taker?"

"Sometimes," I said while thinking, not much.

"I'm betting on a snow day tomorrow. Think Michael would want to spend the night and go sledding with Caleb?"

"Sounds good to me."

Although the skies were clear, Tracy and I made plans to have Michael pack a bag and bring his overnight clothes to the boys' basketball practice later that evening. After Michael got in the van I told him what was going on. He was excited and told me his science teacher said a big snow storm was headed our way.

"I know we won't have school tomorrow," he said.

"We'll see," I said.

As soon as we got home, Michael began packing his stuff.

"Can I bring my sled?" he asked.

"Sure."

"How about my X-Box?"

"No, just your play clothes and sled. And don't forget your school clothes and bookbag, just in case school isn't cancelled."

I'm a bit of a risk taker, but I still like to be prepared.

There was a nip in the air, but no snowflakes yet when my husband Walt and Michael left for basketball practice a little after seven.

"Did you pack your school clothes?" I asked on his way out the door.

"Yes," he said.

"What about your sled?"

"It's already in the truck."

I kissed him goodbye and told him to have fun.

Half an hour later, by the time my granddaughter Cari and I left for her high school volleyball practice, flakes were flying and filling the streets.

The drive home almost two hours later was dicey. Roads were slick and snow-packed, but we made it back safely.

When we walked in the door, Walt said, "Cari's high school just called. Snow day tomorrow."

"Yes!" Cari chanted as danced down the hall to her room.

"Did All Saints call? Michael will be upset if Cari's off school but he isn't."

"Not yet," Walt said.

Walt was already in bed, Cari was in her room, and I was watching the late-night news when the call came from All Saints announcing school would be closed on Thursday.

Michael was right, and I knew he would be happy to spend a snow day sledding with Caleb.

I had to admit it was fun and a bit exciting taking the risk on a snow day in the middle of the week, but the worrier in me was still glad Michael had his school clothes and bookbag in case school hadn't been cancelled.

As I turned off the television and headed towards the bedroom, I noticed Michael's bookbag sitting near the front door.

Upcoming Contest Deadlines

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. I've been under the weather, but I'm feeling better today and hope to get some writing done. We're supposed to get a snow storm later this evening, so I'm going to bundle up and try to keep warm by generating heat on my keyboard.

If you're looking for a helpful writing resource, Poets & Writers on-line magazine is an excellent one to check out.

One useful feature is the database of contest deadlines. This latest database includes contests for poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and nonfiction. Deadlines shown on the link above land between January 25 and February 11. Entry fees range from None to $50. Some contests have specific residency requirements, but most are open to all. A few contest entry fees include magazine subscriptions to contest entrants.

So, if you're looking for a home for your poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or nonfiction, check out Poets & Writers.