In this issue:
- Get published in magazines
- TIP: Raise or rise?
- Write the next Twilight!
- 100 Words or Fewer Writing Contest
- Perfect your pitch – and get published
- Did you know? Foreword, preface and introduction
- Create perfect documents at work
- Did you know? …
- WEBPICK: Pubit!
Do you ever read a magazine or newspaper and think: “I’d love to write like that!” That’s exactly what I used to think when I pored over magazines on the weekend, back when I was still an accountant. But I had no idea how to get my foot in the door.That’s why I love our course Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers. It’s designed to be practical and to get results. So many of our students have been successfully published (and paid) for their articles.
In fact, we want to congratulate Adrian Phoon who recently completed Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers and was published this week in the Good Living section of The Sydney Morning Herald. Great result Adrian! We know it will be the first of many.
This course is no-nonsense and information-packed. Our last two Feature Writing courses for the year are coming up. We have a DAYTIME and EVENING course for you to choose from.
DAYTIME Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Pamela Wilson
When: Wednesdays starting Wednesday 3 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $395
EVENING Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Mathew Nott
When: Wednesdays starting Wednesday 17 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
If you don’t live in Sydney you can join our online course here.
TIP: Raise or rise?
Like lay and lie (which we covered in Get Published, 1 July 2010), ‘raise’ and ‘rise’ can sometimes be confused. While they both essentially mean ‘to move upwards’ they’re definitely not interchangeable. The reason is simple – ‘Raise’ is a transitive verb. In other words, it requires an object to cause the motion. For example:
Rambo raised himself off his bed.Rise, however, is an intransitive verb, which means it doesn’t require an object to cause the motion.
Many schools raise the Australian flag each morning.
The sun rises in the east.Remember, a transitive verb has a doer (subject) and a receiver (direct object) of the action. An intransitive verb has no receiver of the action.
The price of petrol continues to rise.
Write the next Twilight
A quick tour round your local bookstore should be enough to convince you that the young adult market is booming. And our latest student success, Jessica Shirvington, is proof that a great YA book will have publishers knocking down your door! So, if you have a great idea for a book for younger readers and want to explore the best way to get that idea on to the page, our next Online Writing Books for Children and Young Adults course starts soon.
The course will cover:
- how to get started
- finding the right voice
- creating characters and stories young readers will enjoy
- how to write believable dialogue
- common assumptions about writing for children and about young readers
- how to structure a story that works
- the secrets to plotting for different age groups
- what you need to know about getting into the children’s publishing market
‘Exploring so many aspects of children's writing, such as the historical context, contemporary considerations, as well as the technical aspects, was extremely enjoyable. I've been inspired to read more widely too, with many new ideas for authors I can explore coming from the course notes provided. The online course gave me the confidence I needed to take my writing seriously and commit to pursuing my life-long dream to try and become published. I really can't thank you enough for that!’
- Mieka Tabart
‘All of the material was relevant and I feel as though I am much more knowledgeable about writing for children without having endured the hard slog of being bombarded with irrelevant facts. The course was easy and convenient. I also love the fact that I can come back again and again to the audios to review or refresh my memory.’
- Michelle Peterson
Online course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 1 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
100 Words or Fewer Writing Contest
Writing a short, short story is a great way to hone your creative writing skills. When you have only 100 words, you need to make each one count! If you’re confident you’ve got the knack, the sixth 100 Words or Fewer Writing Contest is now accepting entries. Your task is simple – write a great story in no more than 100 words. You can write on anything you like, but you should carefully read the submission guidelines first.
First prize is $US500, and runner up prizes will also be awarded. There is an entry fee of $US15 (lucky the Aussie dollar’s looking so good), and you can also pay for a critique of your work.
Entries close on Saturday 18 December 2010.
Click here for full details. And make sure you have a read of the winners for contest five – even if you don’t decide to enter, there are some great reads here.
Perfect your pitch – and get published
If you’ve completed our Feature Writing Stage 1 course, then you now have the tools to write great articles, and get them published. But if you want to increase your chances of getting paid for your writing and building a great relationship with editors, then you need to perfect your pitch. Perfecting your Pitch with Sue White is a two-week course designed to give you the best chance of getting your articles published.
In this course you’ll learn how to:
- overcome common hurdles that occur in the pitching stage
- refine and tailor a pitch to a specific audience or publication
- keep your confidence levels high during the pitching process
- sell your expertise on a given topic as part of your pitch
- better understand the needs of editors when they are selecting stories
- develop a "how to" process that works when selling your stories
- develop a step-by-step approach to transform your pitching "hit rate"
‘Sue was a brilliant teacher and provided invaluable and practical feedback on our pitches. I loved the editor input too.’
- Catherine Boundy
‘I thought Sue conducted a really accessible and relevant course, made all the more so by including examples from her own inspiring journey. The class exercises brought us out of our comfort zones and encouraged us to just go ahead and take the next step and learn from it. It almost provides a mental preparedness for going ahead and making the pitch.’
- Suzi van Middlekoop
This course is presented by Sue White, a freelance writer whose work has featured in the Sydney Morning Herald, Vogue Australia, Travel + Leisure (Australia), Sun Herald Travel, Women’s Health, Vogue Entertaining + Travel, CNN Traveller, various ABC outlets, Green Living, G magazine and numerous other publications in both Australia and overseas.
Perfecting Your Pitch with Sue White
When: Thursdays 4 & 11 November 2010 (two consecutive weeks)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Did you know? Foreword, preface and introduction
One of our readers recently sent us an interesting question – what is the difference between a foreword, a preface and an introduction? Well, if you’re writing a non-fiction book you really want to get this right, so here’s what The Australian Editing Handbook says: A foreword is written by someone other than the author, often an authority in the field, who commends the publication to the reader or writers in support of its aims. It is placed before the contents page.
The preface, written by the author, may explain why or how the publication came to be written, describe changes introduced to a new edition, and acknowledge the assistance of others. It follows the contents page.
The introduction normally forms part of the main text and is paginated using Arabic numbers. If there is both a preface (to thank colleagues) and an introduction (explanation on how the publication came to be written), it is preferable to combine the two.
Create perfect documents at work
Consistency, clarity and quality – these are the key things you want your business documents to have. A keen eye is essential, but that’s not all it takes to ensure your final draft is free from spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. Knowing the key steps to effectively proofreading documents will give you the confidence to enforce corrections and give you error-free reports, letters, and marketing materials. This seminar perfectly complements Editing with Ease and is also ideal for people who are involved in the final stages of producing documents at work.
After this one-day workshop, you will:
- understand and be able to use the standard proofreading symbols
- be able to identify when to use hyphens, ‘ens’ and ‘ems’, all of which are often misused
- have a clear proofreading process to follow
- be familiar with common proofreading slips (there are more than you think!)
- understand the most efficient way to check whether the designer or wordprocessing operator has done your proofreading corrections
- be more familiar with the terms used in publishing and printing
- create your own proofreading checklist
- know why you should never proofread solely on screen
- know which colour pen to use to mark which correction
- and much more!
‘I learnt a number of things that will help me to improve consistency and accuracy when proofreading reports and documents. Deb made it easy to absorb all the information, she was very clear and confident in what she was teaching.’
- Marianna Vassallo
The workshop is presented by Deb Doyle, an experienced editorial-training consultant and publication editor. Deb has conducted courses for the Productivity Commission, AMP, Wizard Home Loans and the RFTA as well as for many other corporate and government entities located in Sydney or Melbourne. Deb's courses are interactive and collegial. If anyone can turn a proofreading workshop into a fun and interesting day, it’s Deb Doyle.
Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 9 November 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $365
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Did you know? …What’s an ellipsis? You sometimes see three full stops at the end of a sentence like this:
“My cat Rocky jumped on the table but then he …” Aunt Mary’s voice trailed off as she became distracted by the television.
We’ve often heard this referred to as “dot, dot, dot” or “three full stops” but there is an actual word for it - ellipsis.
An ellipsis is “the omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are superfluous or able to be understood from contextual clues. A set of dots indicates such an omission.”
It’s standard practice to use three full stops. You should avoid the temptation to include more then three like this …………
WEBPICK: Pubit!With the explosion of e-books and e-readers overseas (and no doubt here in Australia soon), opportunities for online publishing are growing. The latest addition is Barnes & Noble’s pubit! For independent publishers or authors, this is a great way to tap into a huge market (but keep in mind the publisher’s royalty) and it’s very easy to use. Once you’ve created an account you can start uploading your writing as well as cover art. Pubit! will convert the file to ePub format for you. Then you’re ready to sell!
There’s loads more information on the website on how to use Pubit! Check it out here.
Other upcoming courses
Course: Online Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Nicola Robinson – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 1 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Online Magazine Writing Stage 1 with Valerie Khoo/Pamela Wilson/Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 1 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: DAYTIME Magazine Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Wilson – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 3 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395
Course: Perfecting Your Pitch with Sue White
When: Thursdays 4 & 11 November 2010
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Course: Your Story Structure with Kathryn Heyman – NEW COURSE
When: Fridays 5 & 12 November 2010 (two half-day classes)
Time: 9.30 - 12.30pm
Cost: $215
Course: Online Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 8 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Seminar: Perfect Your Proofreading with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 9 November 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: DAYTIME Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 10 November 2010 (two-hour morning seminar)
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $75
Course: DAYTIME Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 11 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395
Seminar: DAYTIME How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 11 November 2010 (two-hour morning seminar)
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $75
Course: Online Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 15 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding – NEW DATE
When: Every Monday starting Monday 15 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 16 November 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Kate Forsyth – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 16 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Magazine Writing Stage 1 with Mathew Nott – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 17 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Build Your Online Profile with Tristan Bancks
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 18 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Monday 22 November 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $365
Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 25 November 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $495
Seminar: Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Friday 26 November 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $365
Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 1 December 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 1 December 2010 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Seminar: Self-Publishing with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 2 December 2010 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Seminar: Editing with Ease with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 3 December 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 14 January 2011 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $450
Course: Travel Writing: Get Paid for Your Adventures with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 20 January 2011 for four weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $345
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 12 March 2011 and Sunday 13 March 2011 (2 day workshop)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $450
Course: Boost Your Creativity with Laurine Croasdale – NEW DATE
When: Mondays 28 January & 4 February 2010
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
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