**************************************************************
ERMA BOMBECK WRITERS' WORKSHOP NEWSLETTER
University of Dayton
February 2008
**************************************************************
Dear writer:
There's still time to enter the 2008 Erma Bombeck Writing Competition, sponsored by Washington-Centerville Public Library in conjunction with the University of Dayton and WHIO-TV. Deadline for entries is 11:59PM, EST on February 17. All entries must be submitted using the online entry form on the Library's Web site at www.wclibrary.info/erma. Hard copy entries cannot be accepted. There is no entry fee and no age restriction. One Dayton, Ohio-area winner and one global winner will be awarded cash prizes in each of two categories – "Humor" and "Human Interest". All winning essays will be published on the Library's Web site. Judges will also select several essays for "Honorable Mention." For complete writing competition guidelines, online entry form or more information, visit www.wclibrary.info/erma
Five members of our Humor Writers Discussion Group are featured in A Book is Born, published by Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing. The book exposes the emotional underbelly of the publishing process and features the publishing journey of 24 Wyatt-MacKenzie authors. Five of the authors, Christine Louise Hohlbaum, Paula Schmitt, Kathryn Mahoney, Alana Morales and Arlene Schusteff are part of our group. Congratulations!
Kathryn told me, "I was reading the posts from the Yahoo! Humor Writers Group one day and someone mentioned the Mom-Writers Publishing Cooperative, which is a division of Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing. I went to the publisher's Web site and saw that Christine and Paula had already published their books with Wyatt-MacKenzie. Since I recognized
their names from the Yahoo! Group, I e-mailed them off list. After a resounding two thumbs up for Wyatt-MacKenzie, I ended up publishing my book, Cracked at Birth: One Madcap Mom's Thoughts on Motherhood, Marriage & Burnt Meatloaf, with Nancy. Talk about the power of networking!"
To read excerpts from the book, listen to author interviews, read the blog, sign-up for the "Secret and Science to Publishing" online class or enter the video book competition, visit www.abookisborn.com.
Keep writing!
Tim Bete
P.S. Make sure to purchase your copies of the 2006 and 2008 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop recordings. Here's how.
Latest news...
GOODMAN WINS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Ellen Goodman, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist from the Boston Globe, is the 2008 recipient of the Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Read more.
THE DIGBY REPORT
Comedian Horace Digby has some great interviews with top humorists. Here are just a few:
HOW-TO BOOK FOR COLUMNISTS
Suzette Martinez Standring's new book, The Art of Column Writing, is just published. It includes "Insider Secrets from Art Buchwald, Dave Barry, Arianna Huffington, Pete Hamill, and Other Great Columnists." Read more.
WAYOUT TV
Damon Wayans is betting people will fire up their computers to watch videos about an African American leprechaun pimp, a thieving airport security guard and an adulterous Burger King. Read more.
CLEAN COMEDY
Teresa Roberts Logan imports clean headline comedy acts from around the country. Read more.
WRITERS' STRIKE LEADS TO BURST OF TV SHOWS FOR THE WEB
Striking writers have created dozens of professional-grade shows for the Web. An extended strike could bring hundreds more. Yes, hundreds. Read more.
HOW STAND-UP IN THE 1970s CHANGED AMERICA
In the rock ’n’ roll 1970s, a new breed of comic, inspired by the fearless Lenny Bruce, made telling jokes an art form. Richard Zoglin gives a backstage view of the time, when a group of brilliant comedians ruled the industry and changed it. Read more.
NEW ONLINE SHOW FOR COLUMNIST RAY HANANIA
Self-syndicated columnist Ray Hanania, who's been doing online TV interviews for about two years, is producing a new show. Read more.
COMEDY WRITERS STRIKE A NERVE
Writers from Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” hosted a debate on Capitol Hill…No, really, they did.. Read more.
Humor writer of the month
KATHLEEN NORTON
Kathleen Norton is the "Boomer Gal'' humor columnist for the Poughkeepsie N.Y. Journal. She also teaches at Vassar College, where she punishes students with endless stories about The Biggest Generation. Her boomer humor columns, in readable and audio formats, can be found at her paper's Web site.
Book giveaway
Each month we give away a book on writing to a few subscribers to our newsletter. If you're subscribed, you're entered to win! This issue's winners are:
* Karen Hickson
* Don McNay
* Brad Petersen
Who's publishing what?
WORKSHOP FACULTY
HJ & AMAZON: Carolyn Howard-Johnson is partnering with Amazon Shorts by publishing a book on writing book proposals.
PAST WORKSHOP ATTENDEES
STANDRING PODCAST: Suzette Standring talked about her new book, The Art of Column Writing, on the Beyond the Book Cast.
PEREL IN SOUP...AGAIN: Award-winning columnist/novelist, Saralee Perel, will have a story published in the upcoming book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: A Tribute to Mom.
FIRST NOVEL: Janet Kay Jensen's first novel, Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys, was released by Cedar Fort Press.
OTHER PUBLISHING NEWS
BARONE ON BASS: Don Barone is now writing for ESPN Outdoors.
UMMM. CHOCOLATE: Linda Kaullen Perkins had a story published in Chicken Soup for the Chocolate Lover's Soul.
Markets, contests and more
LOTS OF SOUP: Chicken Soup for the Soul is looking for stories on these topics: Actively Retired Soul, Baking With Kids, Basketball Lover's Soul, Cat Lover's Soul, Catholic Soul, Celebrating Life's Most Embarrassing Moments, Christmas Collection, Christmas Pet Book, Dog Lover's Soul, Extraordinary Teen's Soul, Football Lover's Soul, Getting In...To College, Green Soul, High School Graduates, High School Student's Soul, Life Lessons for Expectant Mothers, Life Lessons for Leaders, Life Lessons on Relationships/Couples, Middle School Student's Soul, Resolution Stories, Runner's Soul, Stay At Home Mom's Soul and Twins Soul. Read more.
BEACH BOOK FESTIVAL: The 2008 Beach Book Festival has issued a call for entries for its annual program spotlighting the hottest reads of the upcoming summer season. Read more.
NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL: The 2008 New York Book Festival has issued a call for entries to its annual program celebrating books that deserve greater recognition from the world’s publishing capital. Read more.
iFOGO: New book promotion site includes audio excerpts and video author interviews. Read more.
SUBMIT A PILOT: Make the first episode of any kind of show you want, no longer than 5 minutes. Read more.
-----------------------------------------------
NETWORK WITH OTHER HUMOR WRITERS: Network with other humor writers. Join the e-mail discussion group for past attendees of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop and those who would like to attend in the future. Join now.
-----------------------------------------------
SUGGEST A RESOURCE: If you have a favorite book or Web site, let us know at bete@udayton.edu.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 2008, University of Dayton
