Upcoming Events (Where You'll Find Me!)...

I always think of January as being nothing but dull dull dull and cold cold cold. January 2010, however, is shaping up to rather exciting (and yet...still cold cold cold). Here's what's coming up:

WRITER'S DIGEST 90th ANNIVERSARY PARTY, January 20th
This takes place at the very cool Northside Tavern in Cincinnati. Join us for networking, give-aways, cake and various other anniversary fun. Here's my recent post about the party. No RSVP needed--just show up.

DIGITAL BOOK WORLD, January 26-27
This two-day industry event in New York City is a big ol discussion of current and future strategies, tools, and best practices for consumer publishers big and small in the age of eBook and e-readers. And pretty much everyone will be there. Registration for Digital Book World is still open. (I will be there tweeting and blogging.)
Click here to follow DBW on Twitter.

ALICE RESTS, January 28

SCBWI ANNUAL WINTER CONFERENCE, January 29-31
You can still register for the biggest and best event for children's writers and illustrators there is (besides the SCBWI Summer Conference). If you can't attend, don't fret--you can follow the conference as it happens on The Official SCBWI Conference Blog manned by SCBWI TEAM BLOG (Jaime, Jolie, Lee, Suzanne and me.)

Writer's Digest is Turning 90, We're Having a Party & You're Invited!...

Writer's Digest is hitting the big 9-0 so we're celebrating with a birthday bash at the ubercool Northside Tavern in the Nati on Wednesday, January 20th at 7 PM.

We'll be giving away lots of writerly swag and there will be cake (and a well-stocked bar).

“All of us on staff are honored and humbled to be a part of the Writer’s Digest legacy, and this anniversary gives us a moment to celebrate and give thanks to the writing community that supports us,” says Jane Friedman, our Publisher and WD Community Leader. “Anyone who’s ever worked with or for Writer’s Digest is encouraged to join us, as well as anyone who has read and appreciated the magazine over the years.”

If you are in the area--or even if you're not--come join the WD team in anniversary revelry.

Become a Writer's Digest VIP (and Join Our New WD Community)...

I'm a shopper and I love a bargain, especially if it's for something I wanted to buy anyway (like books and shoes). That's why I think our new Writer's Digest VIP program (which just kicked off yesterday) is a pretty sweet deal--lots of good stuff for not much money.

For $49.95 you get a one-year subscription to both WritersMarket.com (which now includes all the info from CWIM) and Writer’s Digest magazine, plus you also get a free webinar recording (which is usually $99), 10% off WOW courses, and 10% off all WD Shop purchases.

If you do the math, it could normally cost up to $198.80 so you can save $148.85. (The best part about finding a bargain is figuring out how much you save.)

Click here to visit the WD Shop and learn more about becoming a WD VIP.

Here's something else new: We've also just launched the Writer's Digest Community on Ning. Stop by, join, and become my friend. (I only have 79 so far. I want more. One can't have too many friends, too many books, or too many pairs of shoes.)


Visit Writer's Digest Community

Writer's Digest Debuts New Blog, Promptly...


Kicking off today, Promptly is a new blog from Writer's Digest magazine hosted by managing editor Zachary Petit. He'll offer prompts three times a week to get your writing wheels turning. Participants are invited and encouraged to post prompt-inspired pieces--and there are prizes.

Here are more details swiped from Zac's debut post:

I’ll post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday every week, offering flash-fiction prompts, activities, writing-grub-for-thought and maybe even some Q&As—in addition to some positive reinforcement. Prompts can be had Dine In or Carry Out. If you write and post up to 500 words from your responses in the comments section of the blog here—which is the ideal path, so other writers can absorb and play off your inspiration—I (if we haven't met before, I work as the managing editor at Writer’s Digest magazine) and a guest WD judge will pick a favorite post every month for some around-the-office writing swag. Think books, magazines and so on, and expect an array of prompts—from traditional ones to reverse-style prompts and even photo prompts.

Click here to visit Promptly.

I'm Doing a Webinar February 12...

Writer's Digest has recently begun offering a series of webinars as part of Writer's Online Workshops--and the next one will be led by yours truly! These have been popular so far--and pretty exciting. My session, held Thursday, February 12, at 1 p.m. eastern time, will be my webinar debut. I'll be going over some basics, offering tips, answering questions, and doing first page critiques. I'm kinda stoked about this (although nervous about technical difficulties of my own doing. But I always worry about that and the other editors have had no problems, so, really, things will be fine.)

You can click here to register and click here to see the list of upcoming topics that will be offered in upcoming webinars through the end of March.

Upcoming Writer's Digest Webinar:
Get Your Nonfiction Book Published with Jane Friedman...

My very knowledgeable Publisher Jane Friedman is offering a great webinar next week on getting nonfiction published. The session takes place Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 1 pm, EST and lasts a full hour and a half, for only $79.

Here's what attendees will learn during Jane's session:

• Find out the difference between a nonfiction book concept that gets an immediate, enthusiastic response from agents/editors—and one that gets no response.
• Learn how to craft a selling handle with sizzle.
• Learn the one golden rule of nonfiction book ideas and how it assures publication every time.
• Learn the basics of nonfiction book proposal writing (smart authors never write the book first, they always write a proposal).

And there's a BONUS: The first 25 people to register may submit a 100-word summary of their nonfiction book concept (which must include the book’s tentative title), to be critiqued in live time by Jane during the webinar. The second 25 people to register may also submit a summary, and will receive a custom critique within 24 hours of the presentation.

If you or any of your writer friends are interested in publishing nonfiction, you can click here for the full scoop and to register.

(Also note that I'm doing a webinar on children's publishing in February. You can register through the same link. And I'll remind you again later.)

Our New Farmers & Writers Blog Rolls Out...


The editorial staff of Writer's Digest Books has recently debut a new blog called Farmers & Writers. For those of you who don't know, WD Books is an imprint of F+W Media, formerly F+W Publications--the F for farmers, the W for writers. Writer's Digest and Farmer's Quarterly were the first magazines published by F+W back in the '20s. FQ is long gone, but WD magazine and WD Books live on and thrive here in Ohio, so we offer you "footnotes from the midwest publishing empire."

The whole team will participate in the blog--publisher, editors (myself included), designers, and marketing--and we'll be posting daily on weekdays.

Here's the link.

WD Magazine's 101 Best Websites for Writers...

Writer's Digest has recently compiled their annual 101 Best Sites for Writers for 2008.

Says WD:

"We sifted through more than 2,100 nominations and chose the 101 most valuable. This year, we've added a "jobs" category and have expanded the genres/niches category to better fit your needs. The list has been divided into nine sections: general resources, creativity, publishing resources, jobs, writing groups and communities, genres/niches, agent blogs, protect yourself and just for fun. "

Here are couple of children's-writing-related sites that made the list.






Kid Magazine Writers, www.kidmagwriters.com

Yay Jan Fields for making the list! Her site offers news, info and tips on writing for children, along with a wealth of paying children’s markets. Click here for an interview with Jan, excerpted from the 2008 CWIM.

Robyn Opie's Writing for Children, www.robynopie.com

This children’s book author delivers dozens of free articles on constructing, writing, editing and publishing your children’s book. Click on "Free Writing Tips." There are also two books available for free download.

A New Blog from Jane Friedman...

Writer's Digest Books Editorial Director Jane Friedman launched a brand new blog yesterday, There Are No Rules.

Jane, who oversees the publication of more than 50 nonfiction titles a year and speaks at a bazillion writer's conferences on myriad publishing-related topics (and is my boss) says her goal is "to deliver valuable advice to aspiring and established authors through frank commentary on publishing trends, live reports from conferences/events, and brief interviews with agents/editors/authors."

So check it out. Bookmark it. You will likely learn something or come away with a provocative thought about the ever-changing publishing landscape. Leave a comment while you're there. (Feel free to say something nice about me.)

There Are No Rules is part of the new-and-improved WritersDigest.com.