The Power of PR

DAVID ICKE, the man who once sat in front of a talk show audience with viewers of millions and proclaimed in all seriousness, that he had been chosen to be the Son of God, is back.

The former TV sports presenter is now claiming that the British Royal Family are “bloodsucking alien lizards”.

Icke, 53, goes on to claim the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are “shape-shifters who drink human blood to look like us”. He adds, “a race of half-human, half-alien creatures has infiltrated all the world’s key power positions. George W Bush, and his father, the former president, George Bush, are both giant lizards who change into humans.” Apparently 9/11, the “murders” of Princess Diana and John F Kennedy are also down to little green men, too

This is not just the rant of your everyday anti-Monarchist – he actually believes it.

Such wild and ridiculous claims may be further proof that working for ITV can seriously damage your brain. But when you consider that Icke, since retiring from television in 1991 due to the public ridicule he endured after his “Son of God” claims, has gone on to publish 16 books and tours the world giving talks and speeches on his theories, one has to stand back and wonder about the PR behind the author, no matter how mad his books may sound. The truth in fact, is that David Icke has never been away.

Any fiction author worth his or her salt would love to be handed TV jobs to comment on their books, or the chance to tour the world talking about them or to be able to make DVD’s from their stories. With a 16 book publishing catalogue behind him, David Icke has done something right.

No matter how much involved in your stories or how much other people don’t believe, the one thing you can be sure about David Icke is the power of good marketing and PR is invaluable.

http://www.davidicke.com
http://tinyurl.com/c9lf2

Crafting A Proposal

For non-fiction writers, the equivalent of the standard query letter to agents and editors, is the non-fiction “book proposal.” Considered by some to be just as daunting at times as the query letter, Scott Mendel offers some on-point advice in his recent article: Writing a Non-Fiction Book Proposal: A Primer for the First-Time Nonfiction Book Writer

The basics for nailing the perfect proposal are clearly outlined, as well as easily explained by Mendel, a longtime literary agent and member of the Association of Authors’ Representatives.

More importantly, you’ll also find out how each phase of the process generally works, from your initial approach to an agent or editor, to the decision-making process between editors and other key publishing house officials. With an emphasis, of course, on the fact that from start to finish, the overall *strength* of your original proposal plays a major role in how smoothly each step along the way will proceed.

So check out his article whenever you can — and good luck!

I Wrote that HOW Many Times???

I read this recently and it was, to say the least, eye-opening. We as writers sometimes can be accused of getting a tad too “close” to our work, and my recent experience is proof.

I was reading that there are certain words that are basically “fluff” words writers overuse, and I thought to myself: “No, I would never do that!” So I put it to the test and did a search and find on one of my WIPs and lo and behold, I was embarrassed to discover that I too, was guilty of what I like to call “Fluff Word Overuse.” Try it out on your own manuscripts. Some of the words are as follows: (Courtesy of Holt Uncensored)

“Actually, totally, absolutely, completely, continually, constantly, continuously, literally, really, unfortunately, ironically, incredibly, hopefully, finally

- these and others are words that promise emphasis, but too often they do the reverse. They suck the meaning out of every sentence. “

I am mortified to admit that I used the word “really” One hundred and seventy-five times. You can bet that I really hurried and omitted the really offensive repetitions of “really,” really fast.

UGH.

So go ahead, try it!

Too Much or Too Little?

Do I have too much to say or too little to say? That’s the question I wrestle with as I face this blank page and wonder what to say this Wednesday to the readers.

On the one hand, I could howl with rage on the state of any number of things in the world. On the other hand, I could praise new books coming out, and delight in my latest reading ramblings. Do I discuss someone else’s work or suggest a tip that helps a writer’s own? Quote a passage from a diary, on this, the birthday of Virginia Woolf and the famous Burns Night, or simply remain silent?

The more I stare at the page, the blanker, the whiter, it seems.

Hundreds of ideas are battling for supremacy in my head. Yet, I stare at the page and feel lethargic. Uninspired. Completely verbally dumb, in all senses of the word.

Several of the local newspapers and television shows pushed out a flurry of articles over the past few days, citing “scientific evidence” that January 23 is the most depressing day of the year. Am I part of a Universal Malaise?

I try to make the words march across the page, but they take alternate routes. I try to sit and read, but my mind wanders back to what I’m supposed to be writing. I’m simultaneously restless and lethargic. I don’t even want a day off from writing – it’s almost a sense of . . .anticipation.

Perhaps something brews under all this conflict. Perhaps the inner volcano of inspiration prepares to spew some literary lava.

Remember how this feels, I tell myself. Remember the physical sensations, the over-caffeinated jitteriness, the inability to focus, the desire to pace and nap simultaneously. Someday, it will be useful. Someday, it will be a way to orientate a reader into a character’s landscape.

Today, however, living it, is merely uncomfortable.

Thought for the Week

Good old Bono! Everyone loves him; rock star lifestyle, good looks, great voice, sexy Irish accent and of course his deep and committed passion for helping the poor, the starving and the less fortunate.

Not only is he the lead singer for one of the world’s most famous bands, and has been for over 20 years, but he is an icon in the world struggle against poverty. Why, only last year he campaigned vociferously alongside Bob Geldof, the British PM and the US President.

His campaigning has nothing to do with ego – he can assure you of that. He genuinely cares about the poor.

This week tickets went on sale for the Brazilian leg of U2’s latest world tour, Vertigo. They are due to play the Morumbi football stadium, home to World Club champions, Sao Paulo, on February 20th.

The price for these tickets? $88 (£50 UK) – two-thirds the average monthly wage for the country.

Nice one Bono.

Want to comment on this? colin@thescruffydogreview.com

Note: These are personal comments and do not necessarily reflect those of anyone else connecetd with The Scruffy Dog Review.

Don’t Forget to Play

We all need a little playtime to keep us fresh. One of my favorite games doesn’t have a name but it uses words from Writer’s Remedy. I shake out four or five words then use them in a maximum of two sentences. I’ve come up with some hilarious sentences playing this game. For those who want to play along, here are the five words I shook out before starting this blog entry:

good
soul
free
fear
beauty

The Members Of The Round Table

No doubt, there are a vast number of great writer kinships and associations these days, both in the real and cyber worlds. Still, many will agree that it was the legendary Round Table at the Algonquin Hotel here in New York City in the early 1900s, that clearly set the standard for literary “style” and wit long beyond its duration, and well into this very day.

After World War I, magazine writers Robert Benchley and Robert E. Sherwood lunched regularly at the hotel, located at that time just a few doors down from Vanity Fair, where they both worked. Throughout the 1920s, Algonquin owner, Frank Case, generously treated the talented but low paid writers to free celery and popover snacks and provided them with their own table and waiter. Thereby, guaranteeing their daily return visits. The group eventually expanded to a core membership that included writers such as Edna Ferber, Peggy Wood, Franklin P. Adams, George S. Kaufman, Heywood Broun, and Marc Connelly.

Also among these great notables of the day was Dorothy Parker (1893-1967), whose poems and short stories will always be characterized for their biting humor and sardonic flair. Born in West End, New Jersey, Parker was a drama and literary critic for Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines until striking out on her own as a freelance writer. Her writings dealt with, for the most part, the frustrations and contradictions of modern everyday living. Her books of verse in the 1930s included Death And Taxes and Not So Deep As A Well. She also wrote the short story collections Laments For The Living and After Such Pleasures. Her book titled Constant Reader (posthumously published, 1970) is a compilation of book reviews she wrote for the New Yorker Magazine from 1927 to 1933 under the pseudonym “Constant Reader.”

Most of the Round Table members were staunch critics to say the least, and as they lunched, they exchanged ideas and gossip that managed to influence writers from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Ernest Hemingway. Another interesting note, is that Harold Ross, editor and friend of the Round Table, created the well-known New Yorker Magazine and secured funding for it at the Algonquin just prior to the magazine’s debut in February of 1925.

This would also explain why, today, each Algonquin Hotel room guest still receives — a complimentary copy of the magazine.

How To Burn Bridges, Lose Contacts, and Generally Not Get Published

A few months ago, I read submissions for a project. There was some lovely work by an author. It was accepted. It also seemed said author would be suited for another project on which I was working, and actively looking for material. I contacted the author with information about the other project and invited the author to submit. I got back a promise that I would receive the material in “a couple of weeks.”

That was in November.

Now, I get quite a few submissions for the various sites each day. When I invite a writer to submit, I, as do most professionals, expect a reasonably short response time. “A couple of weeks” to me, means two, perhaps three. Weeks, not months. Or, at least, contact if the author cannot submit or decides not to submit.

The best response would have been to receive the requested submission via return email. Or within forty-eight hours.

And no, I am not going to send a follow-up. It is the writer’s job to keep track of requests and submissions. It is my job to keep track of the submissions I actually receive, read them, make a decision, and let the writer know in a reasonable amount of time so that the writer can be happy about an acceptance, or can get the piece out again on submission if it’s rejected. I don’t want to tie up a writer’s work indefinitely. If it’s not right for me, it’ll be right for someone else and should go out in search of that someone else.

What will happen if, in six months, said author finally “gets around” to submitting?

Chances are, I’ll reject the work, unless it’s absolutely brilliant. Not because I’m being mean. But because the slot in which the work would have fit is now filled – hey, publication day is coming up and I couldn’t wait around.

Talking with other writers and also agents, they agreed. This goes back to earlier posts, where I encourage writers to “finish first” before submitting queries to agents or editors. If the agent or editor is interested, that professional expects the requested materials to come by return mail.

If you don’t, if you make excuses or ask for more time or tell them the material is not ready, no matter how polite said agent or editor is in response, most of the time, you’ve already made the “unreliable” list and blown the contact.

Remember: there are a limited number of agents and editors and slots for publication, in spite of the insatiable need for stories. There are also, literally, millions of writers. Agents and editors need writers who are not only good at the craft, but keep on top of deadlines and are reliable. Act like a professional and you’ll be treated like one. Part of that means sending out requested materials on time.

Glasgow Poet Wins the TS Eliot Prize for Poetry

Congratulations to Scottish Poet, Carol Ann Duffy, who won the TS Eliot Prize for her latest collection of verse called Rapture.

Carol, 50, from Glasgow, beat such names like Polly Clark, David Harsent and Sinead Morrissey to the £10,000 prize.

She has previously won the Whitbread Poetry Award and Forward Poetry Prize for her 1993 collection Mean Time, and was made an OBE in 1995.

Duffy is also an acclaimed playwright, having written works such as Take My Husband, Loss and Little Women, Big Boys.

Judges described Rapture as “coherent and passionate” and named it the best collection of new poetry published in the UK and Ireland.

The award comes from the Poetry Book Society, and was presented by TS Eliot’s widow Valerie at a London ceremony on Sunday evening. TS Eliot founded the PBS in 1953.

Related links:
The Poetry Book Society

People

In chapter 6 of her book Making A Literary Life, Carolyn See discusses the importance of hanging out with people who support your work. At a minimum she recommends steering clear of people who don’t support your work. I’ve started to pull away from a few people in my life. Each person I’ve decided to distance myself from is a member of the criticism choir – a choir that has been loud and constant since my grandmother’s death last month. My support network shrank noticeably when Grandma died because I realized some people who claimed to support me were core members of the criticism choir. Those people have to go. Is there someone in your life you need to pull away from?