June 2003

DENTON WRITERS LEAGUE
FIRST EDITION

JUNE 2003 VOL. 14 NUMBER 6

If you would like a copy of the newsletter e-mailed to you instead of through the US post, please contact George Avera or Joni Latham.

WHERE WE MEET AND WHEN

The second Saturday of every month, at the

Evergreen Super Buffet
1006 W. University Dr
Denton, TX 76201

General Meeting 10:30 a.m.

Lunch at Evergreen at Noon.

NEXT MEETING -SATURDAY, June 14

Please note the new meeting place. Rib Rangers has closed. We have space in the new library but it doesn't open until July 27, so we will have the June and July meetings at Evergreen. They will charge us $20 for the room for 3 hours plus each attendee will have to pay $6.45 for the buffet. I realize that some of you may not want to eat but this was the best thing I could find until the library opened.

Guest Speakers

June-Lila Guzman
July-Patty Pfeiffer
August-Jim Pence
September-Workshop-Jim Pence
October-Diane Fanning
November-Julie Rogers & June Ford
December-Open Meeting

Lila was born in the Kentucky Bluegrass and grew up in Louisville. She graduated from Jeffersontown High School. At the Western Kentucky University, she double majored in Spanish and French. Lila published The Campaign of the Maestrazgo, a translation of a Benito Pérez Galdos novel. A translation of A Royalist Volunteer by the same author appeared three years later in 1993. She began writing her own fiction that year and joined the Austin Writers’ League (now the Writers’ League of Texas). Her first short story, “Star Apples,” won honorable mention in fiction from the National League of American Pen Women. Lila has won numerous writing awards since. Her short stories have appeared in San Diego Writers Monthly, Millennium Science Fiction and Fantasy, Xoddity, the Roswell Literary Review, Canadian Writer’s Journal, Arizona Literary Magazine, and other publications. Lila’s first children’s novel, Green Slime and Jam, debuted in March 2001 (Eakin Press). The award-winning fantasy novel introduces children to forgotten classics. Lorenzo’s Secret Mission, a collaboration between Lila and her husband, Rick, is a young adult novel that tells the story of the Spanish contribution to the American Revolution in 1776. Presently, they are working on a sequel, Lorenzo’s Longhorns, about Texas’s role in the American Revolution.

Visit Lila's website at http://home.austin.rr.com/asktheauthor/

APRIL MEETING RECAP

Rhondi Hilstrom Davis discussed marketing. Here are some key points of her presentation:

Authors are responsible for their own marketing these days.
Start planning your marketing early.
Determine what sort of individual you want to target when planning your marketing campaign. I have included a questionnaire she used in the meeting on determining your target market.
Book signings are not prolific. Less than 1/2 of books are sold through the stores.
Be able to tell someone what your book is about in 15 words. How does it benefit them? Tell them something that grabs their interest.
If you plan on selling on the Internet, sell from your own website instead of Amazon.
Check out Speciality stores, catalogues, corporations (if the subject is applicable), fundraisers (pay the kids so much of the price from each sell for their group), special weeks (such as Be Kind to Animals Weeks or Grandparent's Week, etc).
Look for your niche in the market and stick with it.

On whether one should go the indenpendent publishing route, she said to take the followings questions under consideration.

Do you mind doing all your own publicity?
How much do you want to make per book?
Can you afford the printing and other fees associated with printing the book yourself?

Independent publishing isn't for everyone, so weigh the factors carefully.

Jeff Crilley gave some insight on how to grab a reporter's attention when trying to get news coverage for your product or business. Basically, you start by smoozing the reporter. If you don't already know the body of the reporter's work, do research. Start the call (he does suggest calling the reporter instead sending an e-mail or using the fax) by telling the reporter how much you like their work and be specific. Then, lead slowly into your sales pitch.

2003-2004 DWL MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

It's that time of the year. Time to renew your membership to the DWL. I've included two membership applications with the newsletter. Cut them apart and use one for yourself and give one to a friend. Several of you have joined the group within the past month, your membership is already set for the 2003-2004 period.

MEMBER NEWS

Member Millie Jean Coppedge's war memiors are now available through Eakin Press. To order WAR MEMORIES ARE FOREVER, you go to the Eakin Website at http://www.eakinpress.com or use the enclosed announcement.

Since I have so many extra handouts to include in this month's newsletter, there will be no article on writing.

Texas Conferences and Events

August 2, Salado Book Fair, (Salado). Contact: James V. Lee, saladopress@airmail.net
August 30, Georgetown Blue Grass Festival and Book Fair, (Georgetown). $25/booth. Benefits G'town Public Library's children's programs. Contact: Gerald Carson, jcarson@igg-tx.net .
Sept. 26-27, 3rd Annual West Texas Book & Author Festival (Abilene) Civic Center. Contact: Glenn Dromgoole, glenndromgoole@cox.net
October 4, 2nd Annual Book & Art Festival (Brenham). Contact: Charlene Keller phb@alpha1.net .
October 17-18, The Red Dirt Book Festival, (Shawnee, OK). Contact: Jan Anthony, Tecumseh Library, janthony@pls.lib.ok.us.
October 18, 3rd Annual Texas Writers Roundup (Wimberley). Contact: Linda Bingham Linda@texasauthors.org
October 18 and 19, Second Annual Latino Book and Family Festival (Houston). George R. Brown Convention Center, 10 am - 6 pm. Contact: Tony Diaz AztecMuse@aol.com .
November 8-9, Texas Book Festival (Austin). Watch for updates on website http://www.texasbookfestival.org . TCoA will begin organizing co-op booths in June.

From the Texas Author’s Coalition, Inc website. URL in listing below.

On-Line Writers resources

Author's Network-for writers about writing based in Europe, but interesting-http://www.author-network.com/
Copyright Forms- http://www.loc.gov/copyright/forms/
Dallas Sceen Writers- http://www.dallasscreenwriters.com/
New Writer's Market http://hge.members.atlantic.net/
Preditors and Editors-a resources to check out agents and publishers http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/
Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators http://www.scbwi.org/
Texas Coalition of Authors, Inc. http://www.texasauthors.org/
The Novelist's Workshop-essays and advice on how to publish your book-http://www.monash.com/writers.html
Writer's Exchange http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing/
Writer's Market http://www.writersmarket.com/index_ns.asp
Writers Net-source for information for writers, editors, agents, and publishers-http://www.writers.net
The Zuzu's Petals Literary Resource Homepage-for both writers and poets-http://www.zuzu.com/

There are multitudes of writing resources available on the Internet. Go to any search engine and ask for writer's resources, writer's markets, writer's contests, writer's conferences, etc

DWL OFFICERS:

President - Joni Latham (joni@verizon.net) - 940/243-5200
VP - June Powell - 940/565-1013
Treasurer – Joseph Marino
Secretary - Rae Nell Causseaux - 940/321-2739
Newsletter - George Avera (gavera@chatter.com) - 940/382-4130