My Road to Freedom

Clean Slates

Chicago, Writer's Web Sites, Writing Tools Comments Off

Jan 172011

It’s a new year and new years remind me of clean slates, which I love. I like being able to wipe away the past to start anew. This is why I am so excited about 2011.

I have many goals including meeting more writers, going to more Chicago literary events, attending writing conferences, finding a mentor, joining a few writing societies and associations, and publishing my collaborative children’s book. I also intend on finishing my middle grade novel. I have already put many of these goals in motion and I will do my dandiest to get it all done.

I want to do more of what is working and rid the stuff that isn’t from my life. One of the most toxic things I’ve held onto are negative thoughts. Two of my resolutions are to practice positive thinking and taking the initiative.

That said, a few awesome things happened to my career this past year. I attribute some of my success to electronic devices, writing accessories, and web sites. I decided to carry these tools into the New Year.

We all know that ideas are fleeting. They’re gone in a matter of seconds. This is why it’s important to pay attention and write them down. For me, a few notebooks and a good solid pen will always do me good. If you are a creative or obsessed with lists, then they are important to you too. Looking for a good notepad? Try any of these Rhodia products.

I am also bringing The Complete Writer’s Market Collection and Writer’s Digest Magazine into 2011. The Complete WM Collection is a C.D. consisting of Writer’s Market, Novel and Short Story WM, Guide to Literary Agents, Poet’s Market, and Children’s Writer’s, and Illustrator’s Market. Each of these guides will cost you anywhere from thirty to sixty dollars each. A single disk containing all of those books costs $100 bucks. I bought last year’s disk, which was on sale for fifteen bucks. Score! It lists almost every publisher, magazine, publication, lit agent, and children’s publisher on the market. There are small descriptions under each listing showing what the contact person, publisher, magazine, lit agent, and children’s publisher is looking for from writers and how much it pays among other things. It’s well worth buying. If you’re not interested in the listings, then get it for the author interviews and writer’s advice. It is more than worth it.

I also love Writer’s Digest Magazine. It is one of those magazines loaded with info. Trust me when I say, you will want to read everything in it. WD magazine goes through several techniques to help writers write better manuscripts and book proposals tailored to each writing genre. I find WD to be an incredible resource. Once a year, they publish a 101 best web sites list for writers. Trust me when I say, you do not want to miss this issue. I find Writer’s Market products to be the most helpful and thorough guides on the market to date.

Last year, I purchased an add-in program for Microsoft Word called My Writer’s Tools. It helps to rid each page of unnecessary adverbs and clichés and it formats each work with the click of a button. It is great.

I also purchased My Word Count, which helps you to strengthen your work by finding repetitious words. I use this program often and recommend it to those that need an extra pair of eyes. There are other comparable programs on the market, but you will be paying double or triple the cost. My Writer’s Tools + Word Count works for me, but I say look around to find the one that suits you best.

Over this last year, I found my digital recorder, Flip, and digital camera to be especially helpful. Each one of these tools has pushed me to learn a bit more about myself by helping me find my voice. My digital recorder in particular has helped me to become a better interviewer and listener. Listening to how you ask questions and respond is a lesson in itself. Nobody wants to sound like a tool. My digital camera and Flip also capture what I think is beautiful or interesting. As a whole, they have been great accessories to my articles and stories.

It is difficult to keep hundreds of web sites and submissions in order, but with these sites I find it rather easy. Writersmarket.com, duotrope.com, and delicious.com have all helped to organize my submissions. Writersmarket.com is accessible for a fee, but they offer a ridiculous amount of information about lit agents, publishing houses, magazines and journals in addition to industry information as well as a submission tracker. Duotrope.com is a free web site geared towards fiction and poetry pubs. They also have a free submission tracker. It is great and not to be passed up. Delicious.com is unlike the previous web sites, but it is invaluable. It helps you organize all of your bookmarks by tags. You have the ability to save an unlimited amount of bookmarks to your account. This way, when you are looking for a particular web site, you just look under your tags to find it. Delicious.com is an online hoarder’s savior.

These are just some of the tools I am bringing with me into the New Year. What are some of the tools you can’t live without in your writing or creative career?

Share on Facebook

When One Door Opens …

Chicago, Journalism, Magazines, Motivation, Published Comments Off

Sep 102010

Another door will open. Believe that.

There is nothing better than getting the go ahead on a piece you’ve queried out to several publications. It feels like you’re doing something right, that somebody, the universe even, is giving you the go ahead to pursue your writing career. In other words, it feels great.

Most recently, I submitted a query about Chicago Avenue between Damen and Ashland Avenue in Chicago and it got picked up by a well-read Chicago online Chicago magazine called Gapers Block. I was excited to write about a place that I both love and admire.

When I submitted the piece, I was afraid they weren’t going to like it. There were butterflies in my stomach and my hands were sweaty. But this is how I get whenever I submit something to an editor so I just sent it out. A few hours later, my editor contacted me and told me that she liked it. Joy! Two weeks later, it was in the Arts and Culture section. Score!

It was also posted on Windy Citizen, a Chicago-centric site that I am falling in love with. It is dedicated to all things Chicago – news, blogs and entertainment. I received positive feedback about the piece and it was even posted on the Huffington Post Chicago. It’s crazy how the small pieces you write end up on other web sites. This leads me to believe that people still read.

I needed that boost. I felt like GB gave me the opportunity I was looking for – a platform. I was grateful and I still am. You can read my piece here: A Hood in Limbo.

A few days later, I checked my e-mail and there was a request from a DJ asking if I would be interested in being interviewed for his radio show all about Chicago. I said yes and if you ever get the opportunity to be on a radio show you should say yes too. Why? Why not? Opportunities will always present themselves, but will you be aware enough to notice? Luckily, this time I was. You can check out the radio show here: Outside the Loop Radio.

Keep on truckin’ my writing pals.

Share on Facebook

The Power of Print Ad Campaign

Magazines, Publishing Comments Off

Aug 162010

There is a new ad campaign going on called The Power of Print. It’s supported by five major magazine companies including Hearst, Time, Wenner, Meredith and Condé Nast. It’s supposed to help revive magazine readership or more importantly remind people why magazines are important. It started back in March, 2010.

One of the ads says, “In these wired times of ours, you might think that people don’t read magazines. That the overwhelming allure of the online world has swept them right out of vogue. But it’s not true at all. From seventeen through their sunset years, folks are reading magazines more than they were just a few years ago. Sure, there’s a fortune being spent online. But there’s also a lot of money being spent on magazines, with nearly 300 million paid subscriptions.”

After reading that, I thought, hmm … if there are 300 million paid subscriptions, then why strive for a larger readership? I mean, that seems like plenty of readers to me. But it’s not. It’s not even close. Magazines need to make serious buku to stay afloat. So how do they do it?

Tons of magazines are alive today because they sell ad space. They are able to sell ad space because people buy subscriptions. Subscriptions are important because advertisers put their ads in magazines that are getting seen by thousands or millions of consumers. Why is this important to advertisers? Because they make money by getting you–the consumer, to buy things. And why do you buy the things you do? Believe it or not, it’s because of advertising. Just look at the iPhone.

Everything is linked. Advertising is big business. Unfortunately, many magazines nowadays need those advertisers in order to publish a monthly magazine. The magazine industry isn’t just about reporting real human interest stories anymore, it’s a money making endeavor.

Here is another ad from the Power of Print Campaign:

Magazines, The Power of Print ad campaign

It says, “Young people do everything online. Like order millions of magazines. Somehow, amidst their infatuation with Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the like, young adults are still making time for another one of their favorite pursuits: reading magazines.

Contrary to popular misperception, the phenomenal popularity of the Internet has not come at the expense of magazines. Readership is actually increasing, and adults between 18 and 34 are among the most dedicated readers. They equal or surpass their over-34 counterparts in issues read per month and time spent per issue.

What’s changed isn’t people’s affinity for magazines but the means by which they acquire them. Last year, nearly 22 percent of all new paid subscriptions were ordered online.

And just as the Internet drives magazine subscriptions, magazines drive Web searches–with nearly double the effectiveness of the Internet itself. Some might call it ironic.

The medium that some predicted would vanquish magazines is actually helping fuel their growth. And vice versa.”

Okay, so why put all this time and energy into an ad campaign telling people what they already know? Well, because you have to read between the lines here folks. Magazines are losing serious dollars. They don’t have the money to sustain the cost of hiring a staff, printing and distributing anymore. The more I think about this campaign, the more I think it’s a warning. Magazines are going to die unless you and I start supporting them by buying them.

Now, I don’t believe magazines will become extinct or that paper will become a thing of the past, but it’s apparent that we are witnessing big changes within the publishing industry. People aren’t just getting their news and entertainment from magazines, newspapers and television. They are getting it online.

According to the Facebook Blog, five-hundred million people have signed up for Facebook as of July 21, 2010. This time last year, there were 150 million users says independent.co.uk. What does this mean? It means that social networking sites are big time, too large to ignore that they are changing not only what we view as entertainment, but also the way we receive our news. Our friends post interesting stories on Facebook and we snatch them up and re-post them on our wall to share with our friends. The best part about that is that it’s free. And free is important here because America is on a budget. Now how do you combat free? You can’t.

I think the major contributors to the Power of Print ad campaign need to take a step back and think. This isn’t your typical us versus them situation. The only way people are going to read the way they used to, back in the olden days, is if publishers provide readers with old school news and big time value in new mediums. That means online, through their cell phones, their Ipads, Kindles and Nooks and on whatever latest electronic device is coming soon to a store near you.

Look, people want to read the good stuff. They want to read stories that are interesting, ones that have depth, ones that are well thought-out and those that dig below the surface. They want real news that is reported in a new and fresh way. The publishing industry can have all of that and more if they just surrender to the change. They only have one real option–to embrace the electronic evolution. Truth is, it’s going to happen whether the publishing industry agrees or not.

Magazines ought to do what the newspapers do. Just put some information online and charge online subscription fees at a fraction of the cost of a traditional subscription. Why? For one, it is cheaper for both the subscriber and publisher and it would be available to a larger audience. Where is the downfall?

I don’t suggest the total removal the traditional printed magazines just yet, but maybe publishers should focus on online forums and reduce the amount of printed mags they produce. This would create less environmental waste for everybody and who doesn’t want that?

Maybe McLuhan was right. The medium is the message.

What do you think about the Power of Print ad campaign? Check it out for yourself here.

Share on Facebook

I Heart Magazines

Chicago, Connecting, Literary Mags and Journals, Magazines, Zines 2 Responses »

Jul 292010

I am a lover of magazines; always have been, since the age of thirteen. I remember it like it was yesterday. Teen Magazine caught my eye at a grocery store. I picked it up, flipped through it and begged my mom to buy it for me. When I got home, I read the entire thing–cover to cover. I was enthralled. I requested that my mom buy me a subscription immediately. She obliged. Hey, what can I say–my mom is great. This marked a real turning point for me, one of no return. No newspapers, no books. Magazines became my thing.

I was a faithful reader of Teen Magazine for five years. That’s like a millennium to a teenager, but I loved it. Over the years, I’ve thought about why I chose that mag and I think I know the answer. First, it was geared towards girls like me, young girls, girls going through things. Real things. I could spend one hour a month reading about other teen’s lives, about ways to change the world for the better and about music. Teen Magazine was like a guide for my teenage life and it was written in an intelligent and respectful way. Unfortunately, after a few years, as with all things, it began to deteriorate. The articles became less informative, the advertisements got larger and I just wasn’t into it anymore. Perhaps it had something to do with my subtle aging, but I digress. It was time to move on. I needed something a little more on my level.

I moved on to the sophisticated YM, Lucky and Cosmo. Hey, don’t mock. I had to try out every magazine on the stands to find the right one. But the truth is, those magazines weren’t me.

Nothing changed me quite so much as my early twenties. I was becoming more aware of who I was without my parents, teachers or friend chiming in. This was when I started to get into zines and literary mags. I even created two of my own.

A few years after that, I went back to consumer pubs. I was reading Martha Stewart, Domino and Real Simple. Domestication reared its ugly head, but I knew deep down it wouldn’t be enough. Those magazines didn’t fill my soul. I needed a magazine with style, pizazz, something with projects, one that was home to a good short story, one that had health and make-up tips, reviewed new books and music and most importantly one that featured great articles about real issues affecting women my age. I was searching for a Teen Magazine for twenty-year-old’s. Now where was I supposed to find a magazine like that?

It took me a while to realize, I was never going to find it because it just didn’t exist. I had to subscribe to many magazines just to get my fill. And now that I’m in my thirties, I find myself still searching for that thirty-something Teen Magazine. Seriously, does the search ever end?

I currently subscribe to six consumer magazines a year. It may seem like a lot, but those magazines are secondary to the amount of books, albums and literary magazines I purchase annually. In addition, I realize many people don’t read magazines and I never understood that. Not because there isn’t plenty to read elsewhere, but because magazines are cultural mirrors. They are about us–right here, right now.

If you’re into magazines as much as I am, come and support the Chicago literary community tonight at the Printers’ Ball.

According to the Poetry Foundations Web Site, “It’s a celebration of literary culture. In addition to featuring thousands of magazines, books, broadsides and other takeaways, the Printers’ Ball will showcase live readings, music and performances. They will also host letterpress, offset, silk-screening, rubber-stamping and paper-making demonstrations.”

To learn more about the 2010 Printers’ Ball, please visit their site.

Share on Facebook

A Delicious Discovery

Organization 2 Responses »

Jul 232010

Over the last two weeks, I realized that my system of bookmarking web pages wasn’t working all that well. Honestly, it’s my own fault. I never took the time to organize all of the ones I saved over the years and now it’s a mess. Herein lies my new obsession with Delicious.com.

It’s an organizational freaks savior. In order to gain access, like all web sites, you must sign up. In this case, you’ll need a yahoo.com e-mail address. No need to fret if you don’t have one, simply register. If you’re anything like me, you don’t need another e-mail address, but trust me, the advantages are well worth it.

Once inside, I felt like I opened to the door to some awesome secret underground web site only meant for the privileged few who were in the know. But when I started to navigate around, I realized that I didn’t have a clue as to how this site worked. It took me a few minutes after playing around with the site to understand.

All you need to do is add the Delicious menu bar to your browser. That way you can save your web pages with a single click. Just install and press “tag” whenever you want to bookmark your favorite web page and ta-da it’s saved. It really is that easy.

If you’re interested in organizing your bookmarks, you must use the tag system otherwise it’s completely pointless and a waste of your time. What the tag system does is help you organize your bookmarks under words or phrases that you associate with the page. For instance, I associate dictionary.com with Writer’s-Resources and that’s what I tagged it under. You can click your tags on the right side of the page and there lies your list of wonderful Writer’s Resources.

Now you can delete all of your bookmarked pages and join us in the modern age.

To view my Delicious, please visit: http://delicious.com/ninawilliams

Share on Facebook

Organization is Key

Chicago, Organization Comments Off

Jun 232010

The readers out there already know that I have a list of Chicago pubs, but now I have created a separate page for the literary publications of Chicago as well. There are more lit pubs in Chicago than I previously thought and I bet there are a few more, so if you happen to know of any please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Share on Facebook

My take on the Printer’s Row Book Fair, Chicago 2010

Chicago 4 Responses »

Jun 162010

Dark clouds hung in the sky. The weather report said to expect rain. Right before noon, it dropped from eighty to the mid-sixties. Great … The rain ended in Wicker Park around two in the afternoon. That’s when we decided to make our way to the Printer’s Row Book Fair. The parking space Gods were in our favor as we found a space a block away from the fair.

When we walked in, I noticed a few things. For one, it wasn’t as crowded as previous years. I attributed that to the abysmal weather, but the diehard fans of books, fellow writers and readers were in show. I also noticed that the fair was smaller this year and there weren’t many tables. That was a bummer. I always look forward to seeing the many bookstores, authors and lit pubs. Maybe it was just too expensive for them to pull off this year? Whatever it was, I found it rather unfortunate. The Printer’s Row Book Fair is one of the best festivals in Chicago. Period.

Walking in the rain @ the Printers Row Book Fair 2010

This year I had an agenda. I was going to hit all of the Chicago literary publications and buy some of their back issues. As a writer, it’s a good idea to have a sample issue in which to refer to when figuring out where to send your work for potential publication. You also want to be supportive of your industry. It’s also pretty cheap. You can usually find back issues for about half the cost of a regular issue. So, I bought a few back issues of After Hours and The Common Review.

As I continued to walk around, I saw a table stacked with beautiful, old hardcover books. On a whim, I purchased The Old Wives Tale by Arnold Bennett.

The Old Wives Tale by A. Bennett

I also found a small Chi-town publisher by the name of the Chicago Review Press and I couldn’t pass up one of the books sitting on the table. Zombie Movies, The Ultimate Guide by Glenn Kay. It was calling me. This book is a huge guide detailing zombie movies from the 1930’s through today. I know I’ll use that one for sure. We love zombie movies.

I also came across a few other interesting things and people this year. There is an interactive fiction video game called 1893: A World’s Fair Mystery. In this game, you are able to wander around the grounds of the 1893 world’s fair and read about the exhibits.

Here’s what I found about the game on their Web Site:

“A theft on the fairgrounds! Precious diamonds stolen from the Kimberly Diamond Mining Exhibit! An urgent telegram from your old partner arrives, requesting your help to solve the mystery. How can you refuse? And besides, you’ve been dying to see the wonder of the age everyone has been talking about, this Columbian Exposition. And so, dossier in hand, you take the next train to Chicago.

But this is no simple theft. And as theft turns to kidnapping, and kidnapping to murder, you find yourself at the center of a plot the extent of which you can only begin to imagine…”

It sounds rather interesting and innovative. I’m down for trying this game out in the future.

I also came across a writer by the name of Nick Valentino. He has a book out called Thomas Riley. Apparently, it’s a pretty exciting adventure novel. I didn’t purchase it as adventure novels aren’t really my thing, but I found Nick to be an extremely charismatic author and sales person. If I were into adventure novels, I would have purchased one from him. The woman sitting at the next table seemed rather annoyed. Maybe it was because he was selling more books than her. Come on folks, don’t be haters.

I hope the Printer’s Row Book Fair continues to live on, so keep showing up to support. It’s one of the best festivals in Chicago and something you have to experience for yourself to believe.

Books, books everywhere

Share on Facebook

Exactly What I’m Talking About

Chicago Comments Off

Jun 092010

I agree with this article in saying the publishing industry in Chicago is small and fragmented. What’s going to happen next in this city? Do we become the independent Publishing Hub? Read below. Do you agree or not?

http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=34967

Share on Facebook

The State of the Chicago Publishing Industry from a Writer’s Perspective

Chicago Comments Off

Jun 072010

The Chicago Publishing Industry has changed a lot over the years. Many magazines and newspapers have come and gone. It’s been a little rough, but people are still doing their thing here.

Chicagoans always have a lot to say. I’m excited to see what our future leaders will bring to the table.

Things may be rough for the publishing industry right now, but I believe it will bounce back soon. Hang in there. Change is coming.

Share on Facebook

There Goes my Time Right Down the Drain

Life, Writing Comments Off

Feb 102010

Lately I’ve noticed that I’ve been wasting a lot of time watching television and reading things on random web sites. What is it with me? I need to re-focus my energy. I realized that the sites eating up most of my time are the social networking sites of course. Die Facebook, die. I’ve also been sucked into the world of LinkedIn and Regretsy. Here’s how a normal day in my life breaks down:

Caring for my son – 10 hrs – 42%
Client work and writing, this also includes reading 3 hrs – 13%
Social Networking sites – 2 hrs – 8%
Cleaning – 1 hr – 4%
Sleep – 8 hrs – 33%

Something has to give or I have to give up something. The only place I can see gaining more time to devote to my craft is getting rid of my accounts on these awful social networking sites. I thought I was stronger than this! I really did.

Share on Facebook

Older Entries Newer Entries