KSWRITERSINK   JULY 2008

KS Writers, Inc.

Check out our web site at www.kswritersinc.com.

 

 

IN THIS ISSUE

 

Officers Elected

This Month’s Meeting

Minutes 

Kudos and Author’s Releases

In The News

Tanzey’s Spot

Upcoming Program Information

Future Meeting Dates

Officers and Committee Chairs

Editor’s Notes

 

 

KWI 2009 SLATE OF OFFICERS

President  - Tish Glasson

Vice President - Morgan Rothenberger

Treasurer - Tanzey Cutter

Secretary - Lynne Dillon

Membership - Paula Myers

Newsletter - Anne Barringer

Advisor to the President - Shayne Sawyer

 

 

 

THIS MONTH’S MEETING

 

            WHEN:      Saturday, July 26, 2008

 

            WHERE:    Topeka Library

 

            WHO:         Detective Daniel Jaramillo

 

The July meeting speaker is Detective Jaramillo. He wrote a book about moral courage, and what it takes to stand up for something that is wrong. For those who don't live in the Topeka area, Dan is one of the sheriff's officers who testified against Sheriff Dave Meneley for mishandling drug evidence and covering up issues within the sheriff's department. Dan was really challenged by other officers for speaking out against one of their own, and even lost his job at one point.

 

Dan took this experienced and turned it into a new vocation -- he is studying moral courage and police ethics and would like to be a speaker/teacher on the subject. His book is being considered for use by law enforcement agencies for training.

  

I asked Dan to talk with us about the process of putting a book together, getting it published and also about moral courage in general.

  

 

A link to a Capital-Journal story on Dan and his book.

http://www.cjonline.com/stories/062108/lei_293347362.shtml

 

I won't be at the meeting this month, as I will be in Ohio visiting my sister. I'm talking with Dan today about what to expect (lots of nice people!) and answering his questions.

 

 

MINUTES -- LAST MONTH’S MEETING

 

KS Writers Inc.

 

Meeting June 28, 2008

 

Members Present: Lynne Dillon, Shayne Sawyer, Tish Glasson, Paula Myers, Barb Baldwin, Debra Stufflebean, Tanzey Cutter, Angela Johnson, Christina Rich, Ian Hall, Theresa Grenner.

 

Minutes: Stand as printed in newsletter.

 

Treasurer’s Report:  **

 

Correspondence:  Letter from Cancer fund acknowledging the groups contribution in memory of Tom Ard.

Thank you note from Tammy Ard for Tom’s memorial.

 

Membership: Ian Hall officially joined our group.

 

Newsletter:  Items due to Sabrina Marino by the 10th of July.

 

Program Write Up:  Shayne

 

Door Prizes:  Elizabeth and Dianne

 

New Business:

  • Shayne moved that the group pay for Tanzey’s airline tickets to RWA as well as her meals while there. It was seconded by Lynne. We had discussed this in previous years and agreed as a group to pay for one officer to attend the conference.
  • There was a discussion as to whether or not to buy the CD’s of the conference workshops. Lynne moved that we continue to do so for this year and bring it up again next year. Tish seconded the motion and the motion was carried.
  • A vote on the new slate of officers for 2008/2009 beginning August 26th was held.

 

KWI 2009 SLATE OF OFFICERS

President  - Tish Glasson

Vice President - Morgan Rothenberger

Treasurer - Tanzey Cutter

Secretary - Lynne Dillon

Membership - Paula Myers

Newsletter - Anne Barringer

Advisor to the President - Shayne Sawyer

 

Announcements & Kudos: 

            Barb Baldwin is beginning a new series built around the characters of a fictional town called, Snow. She has opened a virtual store on line that mirrors a store in snow and will be featuring unique crafts made by family and friends. The web address is http://snowflakeglass.tripod.com

            Ian finished his novel. Yahoo!

            Christina Rich’s manuscript, HELLION’S HAVEN, finaled in two contests; The Lauries (Smokey Mountain Romance Writers) and TARA (Tampa Area Romance Writers).

 

Next Meeting: July 26th

 

 

 Program Write Up

Estelle Gay, from MB Piland Advertising Agency spoke at our June meeting about “branding.” She began with Piland’s brand, which is “Fat Free Advertising”. Fat Free refers to their lean operation, which reduces costs for their customers. Services like writing, art and PR are contracted out to specialized freelancers whom the Agency pairs with their clients.

 

 “It’s (a brand) the image people get when they see or hear something,” Estelle says. We’re surrounded by brands. A couple of examples would be, “Nike – Just do it” and “Coke –The real thing.”

We were all able to identify a company, product and slogan, which put together, creates the brand.

Creating a brand takes time and money, but is well worth the effort. Some of the advantages of having a brand are:

  • People are loyal to brands
  • People trust a brand to provide consistent products
  • People will pay more for brand products
  • People talk about brands with others
  • People like to associate with good brands

 

Estelle talked about the 3 C’s of branding

 

  1. CLARITY – The promise of value, eg: Richard Branson, the risk taker.
  2. CONSISTENCY – The day in day out of what a company does, eg: Madonna, renews herself, consistently not the same.
  3. CONSTANCY – The ability to be on everyone’s radar, eg: Oprah, a household name with her television show, magazine and online.

 

Estelle says Starbucks is the epitome of the 3 C’s of branding. They’re known all around the world. Folks know what they’re getting when they walk into one of the stores. But even Starbucks can get it wrong. They diluted their brand when they added products and services not original to the company. Starbucks recently closed several hundred stores and regrouped to find their original base.

 

To create your own brand, Estelle says you need to define your strengths and weaknesses.  Ask yourself things like, “Where am I going? What do I want to achieve? What do I want to be famous for?”

Once you’ve decided on a brand the next step is to market that brand.

·        Network

·        Online presence. A web site is the number one marketing tool to have. It should be professional and interesting. Remember that things like fonts, colors, photos, will define who you are. At first glance, your homepage will tell a lot about you. Keep it updated.

·        Blog

·        Attend civic events and offer to speak

·        Teach a class

·        Volunteer at organizations

·        Call the media and talk with reporters. Help with stories and send press releases

·        Write a column for a magazine or local media outlet

 

To conclude Estelle offered this advice. “Be unique, consistent, and genuine. Network and make good choices.”

 

Respectfully submitted

Shayne Sawyer

Adviser to the President

 

 

Kudo and Author Releases

Happy Birthday to our members with July birthdays:

 

Jamie Borgman -- 1st

Rosemary Parsons Torrez – 4th

Carolyn Holland -- 5th

Christina Rich -- 7th

 

~ Find Tanzey’s column at freshfiction.com.

 

 

In The News

 

by Shayne Sawyer

Reprinted with permission from,
Cindi Myers
 
A Soldier Comes Home, Super Romance, June 2008
www.CindiMyers.com, www.myspace.com/CindiMyers
 
Juno Books (http://www.juno-books.com/) which publishes "fantasy with a focus on 
the female" is temporarily closed to submissions. Watch their website and this 
newsletter for updates.
 
************************************************************
 
The link to Belle Books in last week's newsletter was incorrect. The correct 
link is http://www.BelleBooks.com
 
*************************************************************
 
Small Beer Press (http://www.lcrw.net/) is a Maine-based publisher of various 
kinds of fiction, mostly speculative fiction.  In addition to publishing 3-6 
novels a year, the editors also oversee the production of a twice-yearly 
collection of short stories, Lady Churchhill's Rosebud Wristlet. Find the 
guidelines for both novel-length and short fiction at http://www.lcrw.net/lcrw/guide.htm
 
*************************************************************
 
eHarlequin.com is sponsoring the Carla Neggers Live Your Adventure contest. In 
50 words or less, tell them about an adventure you'd like to experience. There's 
no fee to enter and you could win $1000. The entry deadline is July 31, 2008. 
More information is available at http://www.eharlequin.com/swinvitation.html?swid=100012 
or http://tinyurl.com/55qs4e
 
Novelists Inc, a terrific organization of authors published in popular fiction, 
has a new blog which features the postings of published authors, editors and 
other industry professionals. Check it out for savvy advice, industry insights, 
and free books.  http://www.ninc.com/blog/
 
***********************************************************
 
FundsforWriters and its annual sponsor IdeaWeaver, creator of writing and 
creativity software, announce the 7th Annual FundsforWriters Essay Contest. 
THEME: "The Best Advice I Ever Had." As is the FundsforWriters trademark, 
applicants enter with or without an entry fee, their choice. Prize monies range 
from $10 to $200.  Limit 750 words. Deadline October 31, 2008. 
www.fundsforwriters.com/annualcontest.htm Direct any questions to Hope Clark at 
hope@fundsforwriters.com
 
******************************************************************
 
Have you always wanted to attend a writer's conference, but can't stomach the 
high cost of travel and accommodations? Or maybe you simply hate the hassle of 
leaving home. Then mark September 4-7, 2008 on your calendar and plan to attend 
the Writers TeleSummit 2008. Acclaimed author and creativity coach, Eric Maisel, 
PhD., has arranged  what may be the best writers conference ever , to be held as 
a teleconference  and web streaming event from September 4 -September 7, 2008. I 
am a featured presenter  in the Writers TeleSummit 2008 and will be giving a 
talk on "Writing and Selling the Contemporary Novel"  along with 23 other 
amazing  speakers all presenting their best thoughts to help with your writing 
career.  The best part -- you don't have to travel at all.   You can find all 
the details at  (http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=781318)   
 
 
The Writers TeleSummit  features 24 world-class professionals in the field. 
Accomplished authors, agents, publishers, all at your disposal for four  days. 
The cost is $295 -- a fraction of the cost of any other kind of conference  of 
this caliber. All calls are professionally recorded and available for play  back 
and download. Your registration includes  audio downloads of all 24 keynote 
addresses for the entire four day conference.  That's 24 hours of inspiring 
audio available as in MP3 format included in the  low cost of registering.
There is also an option for having CD's of all events sent to your door.
 
 
There are several great free gifts that  are yours to keep when you register. 
You'll get four lessons from Eric Maisel's  popular Coaching Writers Training, 
lessons that  you can't get anywhere else. If you wanted them, you would have to 
pay more than  the cost of The Writers Telesummit to join the training. You get 
them for free  when you sign up. You'll also get three professional tips from 
each presenter, that's 72 tips to jump start our  writing/creative careers 
before the conference even begins. And if you are in the first 50 people to 
register, you  get a free copy of Eric Maisel's E Book "The Power of Sleep 
Thinking."  I hope you  will check it out at _http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=780710_ 
(http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=780710) 
 
*********************************************************
 
Get 2 FREE books and a FREE mystery gift from eHarlequin.com***
https://members.cj.com/member/publisher/other/getlinkdetail.do?adId=6265805
 
Reprinted with permission from Cynthia Sterling
cynthiasterling-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
 
Belle Books (http://new.pineapplepress.com/manuscript.htm) specializes in 
"Southern Fried Fiction at its Best." From their guidelines: "upbeat, 
sentimental, traditional fiction about life in the South. Think "Mayberry" and 
"Chicken Soup" more than "Mitford." We are not looking for genre fiction at this 
time. (No romance, science fiction, fantasy, or mystery.) Nor are we seeking 
literary fiction or non-fiction at this time. No essays, Civil War novels, Civil 
Rights novels, poetry, or how-to books, please. Though we will consider 
historical fiction, we are primarily interested in gentle, wholesome stories 
about contemporary Southern life from the 1930s onward. " Find all the details 
at http://www.bellebooks.com/writers.htm
 
Down East Books (https://secure.downeast.com/store/home.php?cat=700) is devoted 
to all things Maine. While their primary focus is non-fiction, they do welcome 
fiction submissions, as long as the book has strong ties to Maine. See their 
guidelines at http://www.downeast.com/Editorial/Down-East-Books/
 
Down the Shore Books (http://www.down-the-shore.com/) publishes calendars, books 
and gift items related to the mid-Atlantic states and the Jersey Shore. They 
publish a limited amount of fiction. Find their guidelines at 
http://www.down-the-shore.com/writegd.html
 
John F. Blair, Publisher has been producing books about the Southeaster United 
States for more than 50 years. Their list includes a number of fiction titles. 
They publish 2-3 novels a year. No "children’s books, poetry, or category 
fiction such as romances, science fiction, or spy thrillers," though they will 
consider other types of fiction. Check their guidelines at http://www.blairpub.com/submissions.htm
 
Pelican Publishing Company (http://www.pelicanpub.com/) is a family-owned, New 
Orleans-based publisher of Southern fiction and nonfiction, particularly books 
relating to Louisiana and bayou culture. Pelican publishes a wide variety of 
fiction, including children's books. Guidelines are available at 
http://www.pelicanpub.com/auguidelin.htm
 
Pineapple Press (http://new.pineapplepress.com/) has been "publishing great 
Florida books since 1982." Their fiction list includes mysteries, westerns, 
historical fiction, women's fiction and children's and YA novels. Their 
guidelines may be found at http://new.pineapplepress.com/manuscript.htm
 
*********************************************
 
Have you always wanted to attend a writer's conference, but can't stomach the 
high cost of travel and accommodations? Or maybe you simply hate the hassle of 
leaving home. Then mark September 4-7, 2008 on your calendar and plan to attend 
the Writers TeleSummit 2008. Acclaimed author and creativity coach, Eric Maisel, 
PhD., has arranged  what may be the best writers conference ever , to be held as 
a teleconference  and web streaming event from September 4 -September 7, 2008. I 
am a featured presenter  in the Writers TeleSummit 2008 and will be giving a 
talk on "Writing and Selling the Contemporary Novel"  along with 23 other 
amazing  speakers all presenting their best thoughts to help with your writing 
career.  The best part -- you don't have to travel at all.   You can find all 
the details at  (http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=781318)   
 
The Writers TeleSummit  features 24 world-class professionals in the field. 
Accomplished authors, agents, publishers, all at your disposal for four  days. 
The cost is $295 -- a fraction of the cost of any other kind of conference  of 
this caliber. All calls are professionally recorded and available for play  back 
and download. Your registration includes  audio downloads of all 24 keynote 
addresses for the entire four day conference.  That's 24 hours of inspiring 
audio available as in MP3 format included in the  low cost of registering.
There is also an option for having CD's of all events sent to your door.
 
There are several great free gifts that  are yours to keep when you register. 
You'll get four lessons from Eric Maisel's  popular Coaching Writers Training, 
lessons that  you can't get anywhere else. If you wanted them, you would have to 
pay more than  the cost of The Writers Telesummit to join the training. You get 
them for free  when you sign up. You'll also get three professional tips from 
each presenter, that's 72 tips to jump start our  writing/creative careers 
before the conference even begins. And if you are in the first 50 people
to register, you  get a free copy of Eric Maisel's E Book "The Power of Sleep 
Thinking."  I hope you  will check it out at _http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=780710_
(http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=780710) 
 
*********************************************************
 
Get 2 FREE books and a FREE mystery gift from eHarlequin.com***

https://members.cj.com/member/publisher/other/getlinkdetail.do?adId=626580

 

Tanzey’s Spot

 

UNDEAD AND UNWORTHY (Queen Betsy series, book 7) - MaryJanice Davidson – Berkley Sensation – 9780425221624 – 304 pgs – OSD 6/24/08 – paranormal fiction - reviewed by Paula Myers for Fresh Fiction.com                          

Being Queen of the Vampires just never gets any easier for Betsy.    

Recently returned from her honeymoon, Betsy’s life is slowly returning to what could be considered normal. The house is still full of her much-loved roommates, but things start to go downhill when a new tenant shows up: her much-hated, thankfully departed step-monster, The Ant, has decided to haunt her. Not only that, but the Ant refuses to tell Betsy what she wants from her. The situation quickly escalates from bad to worse when the household is attacked by the Fiends, a group of rogue vampires who have slowly regained their senses and now blame Betsy for their downfall. The hunt is on for the unholy group before they can do further damage to Betsy or mankind.

 

When Jessica’s boyfriend, Nick, asks Betsy and Sinclair for their assistance in solving some unusual murders and assaults around town, they fear the recent attacks might be related to their Fiends. As their investigation continues, clues point to the mastermind behind the attacks as someone closer than any of them realize.

 

MaryJanice Davidson’s UNDEAD AND UNWORTHY is a fun visit with familiar friends. Chockfull of Ms. Davidson’s irreverent humor and twisting plot lines, Betsy and Sinclair’s adventures are laugh-out-loud entertainment. Readers learn a little bit more about this cast of much-loved characters and are introduced to new and intriguing ones with each story. There’s a hint of a new direction in UNDEAD AND UNWORTHY, and it will be fun to see where Ms. Davidson’s goes with this. Queen Betsy is back and kicking some serious, and not so serious, butt in this latest installment of the ever-popular Undead series. Fans are going to love this one!

 

What’s Up!

 

 

Ian Hall here, Scotsman and new member of four months or so.

 

I'm asking the amongst you if there's any interest in a New Critique Group?

I'm thinking of three/four of us who have full, near full, or ongoing manuscripts which require critique on quite a heavy level.

I write in the Historical Fiction category, and I'm thinking that maybe people writing in similar genres may be better, but I'm not sure it's necessary.

I have a 200,000 word completed novel, ready for help/critique, and have critique experience to offer others.

Anyway, hopefully we can get something going.

Yours

Ian

 

 

 

Upcoming Program Info

 

 August is our annual birthday party and programs on conferences attended

 

 

Upcoming Meeting Dates

 

7/26/2008    12:30 PM   Menninger Room 206  @  Library 
8/23/2008    12:30 PM   Menninger Room 206  @  Library 
9/27/2008    12:30 PM   Menninger Room 206  @  Library 
10/25/2008   12:30 PM  Menninger Room 206  @  Library 

11/22/2008   12 noon    First Congregational Church, 1701 SW Collins 

December - no meeting

 

 

 

Officers:

President: Tish Glasson

Vice-President/Program: Morgan Rothenberger

Secretary: Lynne Dillon

Treasurer: Tanzey Cutter

Newsletter Editor: Sabrina Marińo

Membership: Dianne Lawson

Special Advisor to the President: Shayne Sawyer

 

Committee Chairs:

Web site: Sabrina Marińo

Tape Librarian: Angela Johnson

 

Editor’s Notes:

 

“Write without pay until somebody offers to pay  -Mark Twain

 

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