| SUNOASIS 2004 PUBLISHING and WRITING BLOG
NEW!
"The two most engaging powers of an author are to
make new things familiar and familiar things new."
-- Samuel Johnson
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
- [Editor Notes; Trend-spotting]
- [The Writing Life]
- [Resources]
- [Sunoasis Opinion]
- [Career Advice]
- [At C/Oasis]
- [Markets]
- [Community]
- [Acknowledgments]
E D I T O R N O T E S
Trend-spotting is a good sport for the young at heart.
For writers, it's an important tool to gather
information that might be of interest to editors
in the coming year.
These trends are not silly fads that appear and
disappear like pet rocks. They can be silly but
indicate something that involves a good many
people such as the trend of outsourcing jobs to
India and Malaysia.
Here are some 2004 trends as reported in various
media: Mobile Phones; China; Home Theater; Broadband;
Pharmaceuticals; Baby Boomers
There is a top tier of trend-spotting referred
to as Metatrends (from Trendsetters 2004):
- Time Compression
- Fountain of Youth
- Generation X-tasy
- Multitasking
Every type of magazine
is looking for ways to use these trends in stories
fit to their editorial slant.
The word "trend" was used to describe the way a
river or stream ran in physical space. Now we use
it to describe events running through time. From the
writer's point of view the best tool is simple
observation, intuition, and reading in the right places.
One thing that characterizes a trend is that it has,
like a river, momentum.
The list above indicate trends in the general culture.
But within every industry and community of people
there are trends that can be developed as ideas and sold
to editors.
All a writer needs to do is write a one or two sentence
description of what the trend is. And then brainstorm
to build up ideas, take each idea and break
it down, ask questions of it, begin to research and
interview and look for markets that will want
interesting reports on the trend.
Resources abound for trend-spotting. Most magazines try
to highlight the trends for their subject whether it
is fashion or computers. Futurist think-tanks publish
books and papers on trends. And sometimes just a sharp
eye on what young people are doing can give a writer
a sense of what will be hot and marketable in a short
while.
One of the best sources come from marketing groups
like Iconoclast. Another excellent resource is
the magazine, American Demographics.
Here are some examples of how trends appear in print:
An example of a meta trend in the software infrastructure
industry. It's very technical but if you are able to interpret
the arcane information and relate it to possible advances
in the near-term, it can lead you to some good stories.
An example of a consumer trend that can be the source of all
kinds of ideas.
Six trends in the fashion world.
Often an institute or organization will send out a press
release, like this one, about the Top 10 functional food trends
for 2004.
You can get the more extensive article on trend-spotting
from Sunoasis X 2004 by subscribing today. You pay what
you believe it's worth to you for a whole year of resources,
articles, tips, and market information.
T H E W R I T I N G L I F E
Books on freelance writing are always popular and
usually serve to give a sense of structure to a
freelance career. I buy a few of the books even though
most of the information is available on-line or is old,
recycled material I read years ago.
The dirty, little secret is that most information is
re-circulated as each generation goes through its
stages of development. An innovation like the Internet
will pry loose new forms that can be stimulating but
they, too, get re-purposed after a time. The old heavies
like writing query letters, fighting writer's block,
and preparing manuscripts have been done ad nauseam.
The best freelance books say this to a writer.
"The moment you decide to be a professional writer, you
are in business. And here are the aspects about the business
to watch out for, to sharpen up on, etc." I would stay
away from freelance books that promise on their jacket,
"Make over one hundred thousand dollars writing!" Or, some
such thing. It's not that a writer can't make a sizeable
income from freelance writing; it's that it takes a very
long time and if your business smarts aren't there then
all the talent in the world won't matter.
Books that are appealing are the ones that feature
interviews with important players in the writing game,
such as editors or agents. It's always good to find
those gems. I'm reading Agents, Editors, And You from
Writer's Market Library, edited by Michelle Howry. If
you are preparing to write a book I recommend reading
through this 250-page volume. It has prime material as,
for instance, when an editor says, "yes, we go out and
find writers." What greater signal do you need to get
yourself seen in publications and conferences?
There are more book reviews on
Sunoasis X 2004
For Freelancers Only
A sample invoice from about.com
How to jump start your career from about.com
Sources and Experts Web Page.
Get more from the Premium Sunoasis Newsletter
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So, please continue!
R E S O U R C E S
We want the primary resource. It can be the person who
does the deed or a witness to the deed, responding as
it is occurring. It can be the document that initiates
action. Some of the famed primary resources include
the White House tapes during the Watergate era, the memo
sent from Einstein to FDR telling him the possibility of
making an atomic bomb, and the Zapruder film.
In each case questions have been raised about the credibility
of those resources. Were they doctored? Did they truly
initiate the event? Was the film able to show everything
occurring in the Plaza at that time?
History and journalism are driven by the primary resource
and its interpretation.
Every story has its primary resource, even the infamous
"man bites dog," story. In this case the man can be
a primary resource (if he's not ashamed to talk about
it), as can the photograph of the dog after the strange
deed, and any witnesses who may have seen the oddity occur.
Then years later a writer is looking for background
material for her feature, "Men Who Bite Dogs," and
comes across your story and uses it. That is a
secondary resource. It's very important to know and
understand what type of resource is in front of you.
-----------
C r a f t :
-----------
Style Manuals and Writing Guides
American Heritage Book of English Usage
Punctuation Made Simple
Effective Writing
Public Speaking and Speech Writing
---------------------------
O r g a n i z a t i o n s :
---------------------------
Electronic Literature Organization
Publishing Law Center
Association of Health Care Journalists
-----------------------
P r i n t P u b l i s h i n g :
-----------------------
Do you want to reach teens? They are looking for short,
concise articles and lots of bullet points. "They don't
want the news dumbed down, they just want it more concise,"
says the researcher for a study on teen newspaper readers.
Does the press have an ax to grind?
A cookbook author gets into the fray.
-----------------------
e p u b l i s h i n g :
-----------------------
Blogs are not the transformative entity after all.
The News, One Entry at a Time
Blogs give a voice to former journalists who have
been shut out by mainstream media...
Electronic publishing at university presses.
-----------------------
M e d i a:
-----------------------
Lack of unions makes for good convergence?
The public is very cynical of the press.
TV and the Web appear to be the most popular media
for breaking news among the young, says a study
by the Online Publishers Association. They downplay
newspapers for the news.
S U N O A S I S O P I N I O N
Sunoasis Opinion is a new page that contains some of our
responses to things. No thinking man or woman should let
the world pass without a few comments to throw in the way.
C A R E E R A D V I C E
Sunoasis Career Newsletter is free and is full of interesting stuff,
Q and A, links, and other resources you've expected from Sunoasis.com
the past six years. To subscribe just go here.
Ask a question about your career!
A T C/ O A S I S
Read the memoir of Martha Nemes Fried about her time in
China in the late 40's.
Hey, we even have a new literary newsletter and you can get it free
if you click here!
M A R K E T S A N D L E A D S
PART TIME/ COPYWRITER
Seeking copywriter living in Los Angeles, CA or San Fernando
Valley, CA only. Min.4-5 years experience in professional
copywriting field, with technology based clients. Must be able
to work on-site and at home. BA or Masters Degree in English,
Journalism, or equivalent. Skills in: MS Word, PowerPoint,
Excel, a must. Marketing experience a+.
For full ad go here:
http://www.sunoasis.com/monarch2.html
Technical Writer
Company Information
Hyperwave is an international company with an enthusiastic,
committed team of employees. We produce enterprise knowledge
management software for Global 500 companies.
Our office is in Graz, Austria’s second largest city, located
only 2 hours away from Vienna. Graz is a beautiful city with a
well-preserved historic downtown and is surrounded by the
picturesque countryside of southern Austria.
We are looking for a Technical Writer with one or both of the
following:
- a degree in technical writing or English
- at least 3 years of experience in technical writing
For full ad go here:
http://www.sunoasis.com/hyperware.html
Seeking Senior Editor (Located at Stanford University)
Job Description: The Stanford Social Innovation Review
a new quarterly covering nonprofit and social sector
management published by the Stanford Graduate School of
Business, has an immediate opening for a senior editor.
Join a dynamic new organization with growth plans. You will
work with leading academics, journalists, and thought leaders,
editing research-based articles on nonprofit and social
enterprise strategy.
This is a full time position with benefits. You must be able
to work on site at Stanford University.
For more information click and go!
* * * * * * * *
NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN
POSITION Web Content Writer/Coordinator
LOCATION Alexandria, Virginia
TYPE Full-Time Employment
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Position will coordinate with all NCMEC departments to
ensure timely, accurate, and complete content for the
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children web
sites. Individual will gather, write and edit material.
For more information click and go!
* * * * * * * *
On Sunoasis X 2004 there are market listings for Animal and Pet
publications that pay very good rates. Many are directly linked
to their writer guidelines. Subscribe today
and get a year's worth of resource for only $10.
Job Links for new leads!
* * * * * * * *
Colossal Directory of Children's Publishers
How to find foreign writing markets.
The National Writer's Union has a list of markets
that pay $1/word and up.
Job Links for new leads!
If you have any suggestions about markets you want
guidelines for, just drop a line
C O M M U N I T Y
The international Cat Writers' Association (CWA) announces
its 11th annual writing competition for published writers,
photographers and editors in print, on-line and broadcast
media. The CWA offers corporate-sponsored special awards
of $500 to $1,300, as well as its own Muse Medallions
to winners in 38 categories.
More information on the CWA competition!
Shaw Guide for Writing Conferences in May.
A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S
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Thanks to Lynda Lester from the Digital Information Group
of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder,
Colorado for her generous contribution to
Sunoasis! Thanks Lynda!
F Y I
Put an ad in Sunoasis 2004 and reach its 4,400 subscribers.
Just $25 a month!
Contact mailto:eide491@earthlink.net
* * * * * * * *
Have a story you want to tell--and sell--but don't know where
to start?
Let me help!
Award-winning writer/editor will help you harness the power of
your words and make your stories sing! Call or e-mail for your
free consultation:
J&J Publications
(630) 889-1979
E-mail: jjpub1995@aol.com
* * * * * * * *
What's the difference between good writing and great writing?
Professional editing. Let me help you get your book-length
manuscript into shape for submission to an agent or for
self-publication. Structural, stylistic and copy editing are
my specialties; inspiration is the energy my clients say I
bring to the process. Reasonable rates, timely service!
Email me at gaylv@yahoo.com
* * * * * * * *
Team of experienced professionals, which includes a
Pulitzer Prize nominee and several published authors,
will edit your fiction or non-fiction
manuscript for today's tough market. Reputable firm.
References. First-time writers our specialty.
See us at http://www.a1editing.com
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Sunoasis--You're amazing! A mere five hours after I sent in
the text for my classified ad I got a call for a writing
project, and within two days, the project was mine. Thanks
so much for your invaluable services!
Debbie Lerman, freelance writer
http://www.sunoasis.com/classif.html
E T C/ E T C/ E T C
Editor/Publisher: David Eide
C/Oasis
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David
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