Abilene Writers Guild Meeting Minutes
April 26, 2007
Center for Contemporary Arts Building
President Ginny Greene called the meeting to order and noted that April 10 is Ruth Sellers 83rd birthday. We passed around a card for her.
The word of the day is one for writers: prolusion, a preliminary written article, an essay of an introductory nature, preliminary to a more profound work.
Announcements:
Nancy Masters introduced Hartley King as her guest and announced she has an exhibit entitled Deployed downstairs in the Center for Contemporary Arts.
Karen Greene will be publicity person for the contest and the workshop. She is a new member.
Brags and Sags:
Nancy Masters announced the book Devoted to Writing she coauthored with Maurice Mallow is at the printers and will ship May 9. Nancy will have books for the May meeting.
Marissa Jones bragged about Nancy’s Extraordinary Patriots. Marissa teaches 5th grade social studies. Her students love the spy ring story. Marissa told Nancy they need a Civil War book.
Nancy Masters attended the Texas Library Association meeting in San Antonio 2 weeks ago. Extraordinary Patriots was prominently displayed, and Nancy was asked to be on the Scholastic Advisory Board.
Stewart Caffey was asked to assist with the history in Comanche county and is contributing four articles, three of which he’s completed.
B. J. Shirley met our speaker from the March meeting, Dr. Hewitt, and she introduced him to a gentlemen interested in meeting people who wish to reinvent Abilene. Before they finished talking, they had a movie in the planning. The gentleman encouraged B. J. to get his book written.
Ginny Greene told of an anthology, Silver Boomers, and invited submissions from the group. See www.SilverBoomers.com. Hopefully the book will be released in November. Submissions should be by and about Boomers and the Boomer age.
Minutes
The minutes, all seven pages of them, are on the internet. They were approved with the corrected spelling of Chuck Galco’s name..
Financial report:
Gail told of being late because she couldn’t find the card and check she intended to bring. She did find it and was there to announce we have $2161.00 in the bank account.
Old business:
We currently have 90 members. Newcomers are invited to join now and receive the remainder of this year and the new one that begins in June.
Sue Davis passed around a refreshment sheet for the year beginning in June. The Guild furnishes paper goods, napkins, plates, cups, silver and plastic wear. While we can get by with 2 people for a month, three makes the task lots easier. Keep it simple. Don’t worry about signing up and not being able to serve when the time comes. We can work out contingency plans, switches, etc.
Mary Ann Smih has copies of Good Old Days she’s giving away. They use submissions from 1950’s and before, told by an adult..
April contest:
Karen Witemeyer announced we had 7 entries in April, about half of the number for the last couple of months. The May topic is "Soldiers." Start writing for the May contest.
On the April topic of "Making a Difference" the seven entries came from six members.
Jan Carrington won with "Saving Baby Ryan." Ginny Greene had second place with "The Strawberry Patch" and third for "One Young Voice." Other entries came from Cindy Dean, Martha Nawrocki, Ruth Sellers, and Sharon Ellison. The judge was a 20-something college student Lindsay Moore who wrote comments and gave proofreading and editing help.
Nominating Committee Report:
Jan Carrington and Mary Ann Smith serve as the Nominating Committee. They presented the following slate of officers:
Gail – Treasurer
Barbara Darnall – Executive Vice President
John Matthews
Rita Rasco
Stewart Caffey as alternate
Next month is elections. Those voting members present will select the officers and may nominate from the floor. Check with the person before to make sure willing to serve.
Arts Award:
Barbara Darnall is the AWG arts award selection for the year and will be honored with others from members agencies of the Abilene Council on Arts at the Paramont Theater in June.
Coming Programs:
Nancy Masters announced the plans for future programs. Coming attractions include:
- May: In you know Country Western, honkytonks, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, and Willie Nelson you need to come. Tracy Pitcox from Brady, Mr. Country Western interviewer, has a book of interviews of these people published by Hartland Records, Legendary Interviews. He’ll tell us how to interview somebody who’s been interviewed hundreds of time and come up with something new.
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June: Work session critiquing entries and see what makes some people a loser.
Our Program:
Mike Kearby has a publishing contract with Dorchester Publishing, one of the most famous western publishers in America. He Lives in Necessity and is committed to writing for the middle reader which he has done with great success.
"Writing and Marketing to the YA Market"
One of the things most frustrating that happens to a published author is finding his or her expectations not met. Ask the questions you want answers for.
Mike Started writing short stories about 2½ years ago, and is embarrassed by early efforts. We teach each other.
The two most important things every writer must know (Before one word is written)
1. Who is your audience? (very specific.) They’re not really looking for new stuff from beginning writers. 7th to 12th grade males, Texas History. (Westerns has a bad connotation.)
2. How many books will your audience buy? 1100 high schools x 20 per class set = 22000 potential sales = realistic 12%, 2640 sales first year.
Agents are now the editors.
Getting started.
- Join Texas Library Association. $30-$35 a year. You have access to TLA mailing list, members, etc., free unless you ask them to create labels, and that’s cheap.
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Book signings at stores—buy books from them, especially independent stores. It goes a long way.
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Make sure you understand your audience. Kids don’t know enough about Texas history. Mike went to schools with librarians and teachers he knew. What do you need on your shelves? Took notes. Almost unanimously.
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- Diversity.
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Books for young boys, 7th to 12th grade. Those are the readers they’re losing.
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Need wizard or dragon. (not writing for the kid to buy, but for teachers and librarians. Can get 1/3 of the class reading his books.)
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Catch some part in the story to appeal to kids so they’ll want to go read another book.
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Get their attention with the cover. Colorful, cowboys, Indians, look at pages. Not over 200 pages. As large print as you can. He writes about 45-47000 words per book.
- Ask Librarians and teachers for their input
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Classroom discussion questions on website.
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PowerPoint presentations. Teachers can use in coming years after he’s been there.
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Discuss with teachers and kids who have read the book what they need. (map)
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Discussion questions in the book.
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Glossary
Mike will sell about 8000 books this year.
- The Next Important Decision: Find a good editor.
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The Next Important Decision: Find a good publicist. Get a quality review. Mike wanted one in Midwest Review or Genre Review. His publicist Stephanie Barko started Oct. 2 – on Feb 12, Roundup Magazine.
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Make a decision as to the publishing direction you want to go.
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Traditional. 98% of the time an agent is required.
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Independent (Don’t ever, ever, ever say the "s" word! [self publishing])
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Print on Demand.
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Until you get your big chance, hang on to as many of your rights as you can. Jim Ainsworth.
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You have to work it everyday.
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Promote yourself! No one else will.
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Web site
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Media room. Don’t have to put together a package that you mail out.
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Middle school kids, if you are presenting at their school, you’ll get press.
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Ask the librarians to write a review of the presentation and send it to me. Put on website.
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Meet every librarian possible. Meet their aides.
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Offer to speak at public libraries, work with Hastings, speak at middle schools. (Everybody has bad experience with Hastings at Abilene.)
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In Hastings, introduce yourself to everybody working in the store. Be friendly.
Questions:
How authentic is history? Very.
What is historical fiction? Insert 3 or 4 fictional characters in real situations.
How much tragedy? Don’t describe blood flying out. Put it in, but don’t make so graphic the teachers don’t want it in the class. You can have main characters die.
Refreshments
Barbara Sandusky, Marissa Jones, Sam Jones
Respectfully Submitted,
Barbara B. Rollins for Sharon Ellison