July 2003 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop newsletter

**************************************************************

ERMA BOMBECK WRITERS' WORKSHOP NEWSLETTER

University of Dayton

July 2003

mailto:erma@udayton.edu

**************************************************************

Five years ago, I started writing a humor column. I've had moderate success getting it published in newspapers, magazines and on the Web, but nothing exceptional. But, I

just took a big step -- I signed my first book contract. The book, which is based on my humor column, will be published in spring 2004.

Starting with the September issue of this newsletter, I'll reveal the process I used to get to a book contract -- from Web site promotion, to branding, to contract negotiation,

to writing the book (which was the easy part). I'll also take you through the book publishing and promotion process as I experience it. I've learned most of what I know about writing and marketing from other people. I hope what I have to share will help you as much as I've been helped.

In the meantime, this issue is packed with information to keep you motivated, make you laugh and help you succeed as a writer.

Keep writing!

Tim Bete

Humor columnist (http://www.TimBete.com) and director, Erma

Bombeck Writers' Workshop (http://www.HumorWriters.org)

P.S. Feel free to forward this newsletter to all your

writer friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JUDGING THE BEST HUMOR COLUMNISTS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS

At first I thought it was one of those "Earn money while working at home" e-mail scams. The offer said I could make $0.67 for every newspaper column I read. Then I realized I

was being asked to judge the 2003 National Society of Newspaper Columnists (NSNC) annual competition and a $100 stipend was involved...

See http://www.humorwriters.org/2003NSNCwinners.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'AGNES' CREATOR TO SPEAK AT 2004 WRITERS' WORKSHOP

Tony Cochran will make a return appearance to the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop in March 2004. He spoke at the 2000 workshop.

About Tony: http://www.creators.com/comics_Shell.cfm?pg=biography.html&comicname=agn

Read 'Agnes' http://www.comics.com/creators/agnes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE, IT'S THE FUNNIEST STORIES ABOUT

FLYING!

Knock, knock? Who's there? Effunny. Effunny, who? Effunny thing happened to me on my last flight. The Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop announces the winners of its flight humor contest.

See http://www.humorwriters.org/flightcontestwinners.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ERMA BOMBECK RETURNS TO CAMPUS

Erma Bombeck's smiling face is back on the University of Dayton campus thanks to a new historical marker from the Ohio Bicentennial Commission and Ohio Historical Society.

See http://www.humorwriters.org/histmarker.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DO THE MATH

Want to earn your living as a freelance writer? Paul Lima says, "Be prepared to hone your writing skills and your business skills."

See http://www3.sympatico.ca/plima/plc/articles/math.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PROMOTE YOUR BOOK!

Roger Parker shares "10 Great Ways to Promote Your Book on the Internet."

See http://www.bob-baker.com/qt/10ways.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DISCUSSION GROUP MEMBER'S DAUGHTER WINS NATIONAL WRITING

CONTEST

Heide Kaminski is not only the proud mother of a wonderful writer, she is also a member of the Erma Bombeck online discussion group.

See http://www.humorwriters.org/Kaminski.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GO TO COLLEGE...COMEDY COLLEGE

If you haven't visited the Comedy College Web site (created by Minnesota Public Radio), you don't know what you're missing. Hosts Steve Martin, Rita Rudner, Bob Newhart and

Lily Tomlin present features on comedy greats such as Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Phyllis Diller and Red Foxx.

See http://www.comedycollege.net

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR RECALLS MEMORIES OF ERMA

In her newsletter, "Confessions of a Granny Onlne," Pat Heidenreich recalls meeting and corresponding with Erma Bombeck.

See http://www.betterway2health.com/GRANNY

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WAY TO GO!

Carol Kampf credits the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop Web site with getting her first story published.

See http://www.humorwriters.org/Kampf.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"JUSTICE IS BLIND AND HER DOG JUST PEED IN MY CORNFLAKES"

Syndicated humor columnist and publishing expert, Gordon Kirkland, will be interviewed on Internet radio on July 2, 2003 at 9 am, PST. The Interview will be archived on the

Web site, too. Kirkland will be on the faculty of the 2004 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop. His first book, "Justice Is Blind -- And Her Dog Just Peed In My Cornflakes," was awarded the Stephen Leacock Award of Merit For Humor in 2000.

Listen: http://writersroundtable.com/writersroundtable/

About Gordon: http://www.gkirkland.netfirms.com/bio.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEWSPAPER MOVIES

Looking to escape the rigors of a day at the newsroom? How about a nice newspaper movie? That's sick! You need to get a life.

See http://www.ijpc.org/Newspaper%20movies%20Detroit.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ONE WORD

You'll see one word at the top of the page. You have sixty seconds to write about it. Don't think, just write.

See http://oneword.invisibleland.tv/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GET PUBLISHED

Technological developments coax would-be authors out of the closet.

See http://www.darwinmag.com/read/buzz/column.html?ArticleID=747

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JUDGMENT OR JUDGEMENT?

Take this test of 50 commonly misspelled words.

See http://www.sentex.net/~mmcadams/spelling.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HUMOR WRITER OF THE MONTH: NANCI TANGEMAN

American writer, Nanci Tangeman, lives in Amsterdam, where she writes a monthly column, "An American Family in Holland," for the Netherlands Tourism Board Web site. She has spent the past nine years in the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan and the Netherlands. Her family consists of an Uzbek cat and a husband.

See http://www2.holland.com/us/special/family/american/index.html

If you'd like to be considered as our featured writer, send an e-mail with a link to one of your columns to: mailto:bete@udayton.edu

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOOK GIVEAWAY

Each month we give away a book to one of the subscribers to this newsletter. If you're subscribed, you're entered to win! This issue's winner is Pat Donohue from Oviedo, Fla.

Pat has won a copy of "The Comedy Bible" by Judy Carter, as well as an Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop mouse pad.

Stay tuned! You could be next issue's winner!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MARKETS, CONTESTS AND MORE

-----------------------------------------------

AUDIOBOOK CONTEST: The Gary Awards audiobook competition is open to all writers, published or unpublished. See http://www.fictionworks.com/competition.htm

-----------------------------------------------

ALEX & EMMA: Romantic comedy short story of no more than 1000 words. July 4, deadline. See http://alexandemmamovie.warnerbros.com/contest

-----------------------------------------------

OLDER THAN 41: Anthology seeks submissions from authors who weren't published until after their 41st birthday. See http://www.ralan.com/antho/listings/fortytwo.htm

-----------------------------------------------

WRITERS INTERNET RADIO SHOW: Talk Radio Show focusing on the art, craft, & business of writing. All programs are archived. Guests include authors as well as experts in the fields of agenting, marketing, book packaging, publicity

and self-publishing. See http://writersroundtable.com/writersroundtable

-----------------------------------------------

TV JOBS: Find employment in the competitive broadcast marketplace. See http://www.tvjobs.com

-----------------------------------------------

NEWS JOBS: A directory of news jobs in the United States and Canada. See http://www.newsjobs.net/usa/default.asp

-----------------------------------------------

EMPTY NEST STORIES: Looking for true stories of coping with the changes and challenges of empty nesting. See http://www.emptyneststories.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RESOURCES FOR WRITERS

-----------------------------------------------

GET PUBLISHED! Get published! Get published! Get published! Get published! Get published! Get published! Get published! Get published! Get published! Get published! Get published! Get published! Get published! Get published! Get published! To find out how, visit http://www.1stbooks.com/erma.html

-----------------------------------------------

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE to Become A Freelance Writer. Buy Freelancing Later in Life by Kimberly Ripley at http://www.booklocker.com/books/86.html

-----------------------------------------------

SELL WRITING ONLINE: "Sell Writing Online" is an interactive weekly newsletter for writers. Voted # 1 as Zine Editor for 2002! Discover paying markets, marketing

tips, and more! Plus a chance for writers to promote their Web site and/or books in each issue. Come, grow with us! Send an email to: dallas@sellwritingonline.com OR click on

the link at: http://sellwritingonline.com

-----------------------------------------------

DREAM OF PURSUING A SUCCESSFUL FREELANCE WRITING CAREER?

Subscribe to "WriteSuccess" -- the free ezine of ideas, information and inspiration that will help you turn your dream into reality! mailto:writesuccess-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

-----------------------------------------------

FUNDS FOR WRITERS: FundsforWriters is a family of newsletters for serious writers. Receive grants, markets, jobs and publisher opportunities to make a living at what

you love. 5000+ people can't be wrong! See http://www.fundsforwriters.com

-----------------------------------------------

BE PUBLISHED IN USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand: Get free access to the world's favorite Writing Market Directory at Worldwide Freelance Writer See

http://www.worldwidefreelance.com

-----------------------------------------------

MAKE YOUR WRITING SPARKLE: Make Your Writing Sparkle. Write Killer Queries. Get Published. Subscribe to Writing Etc., the FREE e-mag for writers. Receive the e-booklet "Power Queries" when you subscribe. See http://FilbertPublishing.com

-----------------------------------------------

BELLAONLINE'S WRITING ZINE: Get a free ebook titled "Writer's Freebies" when you subscribe to this free bi-monthly newsletter featuring news, reviews, and regularly updated links to sites including freelance job listings, free stuff for writers, markets and publishers, publications for writers, classes and contests, publications seeking submissions, self-publishing information, online writing labs, research resources, and

much more. Plus all subscribers get one free advertisement and free ebooks and reports. To start your FREE E-mail subscription to BellaOnline's Writing Zine, either send a

blank e-mailto:bellaonlinewriting-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art157.asp

-----------------------------------------------

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. To join, visit the Yahoo! Group at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/humor_writers

SUGGEST A RESOURCE If you have a favorite book or Web

site, let me know at bete@udayton.edu.

mailto:bete@udayton.edu

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OTHER ERMA BOMBECK WRITING WORKSHOP LINKS

-------------------------------------------------------

ERMA MUSEUM http://www.ErmaMuseum.org

FLIGHT HUMOR CONTEST http://www.flighthumor.org

ERMA T-SHIRT http://alumni.udayton.edu/rd.asp?cd=ermashirt&rf=EBWW0203

FREE SCREEN SAVER http://www.humorwriters.org/Screensaver.html

FREE NEWSLETTER http://www.humorwriters.org/Newsletter.html

WORKSHOP SPONSORS http://www.humorwriters.org/Sponsors.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~