Meeting Highlights - June 21, 2023

Attendees: Karen, Pete, Ruthann, Debbie, Alan and Patty

Readers: Alan, Pete, Patty

Pete started off meeting requesting info on self-publishing. He has an illustrator for his story, about the Gypsy Cemetery in Lowell. Karen, Debbie, and Alan all had excellent suggestions and ideas.  Alan recommends 48 Hour Self-publishing. Karen mentioned Kindle Direct. Debbie spoke about hybrid publishers.  Pete also talked about PENIT, which has published several of his stories, but has been bought out by another company.

Alan read, "Angel and the Magic Badger," "The Encounter," and "The Soul of the Wooden Indian," all outstanding poems to a vigorous round of applause.

Pete read poems "157" and "158", which are rhyming poems historical in nature that ends with a question to identify who the poems were about. Group had fun guessing the answers.

Patty read Chapter Six – “Wedding Day” of the never-ending Vienne saga.

Meeting ended at 8:35

PY

Spring Meeting Highlights

4-19-23

Members Present: Debbie, Jackie, Judy, Karen, Patty, Ruthann, Suzi, Valia

Patty read Chapter 4 of The Iron Ladies entitled “A Real Family Home.”

Judy shared “Kickin’ It, Getting Along on Our Aging Legs” an article she wrote about senior citizens and venous disease. In it she discussed her personal experience and how she consulted her doctor to make sure she was passing on the right information to her peers.

Suzy read an excerpt from her fantasy story about continuing troubles in a trinity of witches.

Debbie submitted her story and discussed Word on Fire publishing.

Karen read her poem “The Best in the Breadbox” which included 5 fun facts about cockatiels.

Valia read three poems that he wrote years ago: "Eclipse," "One Feathered Dove," and "Beggar's Sleeves." He wrote them in Hindi but discussed how to write in his language and included the translation of each line.

 

5-17-23

Members Present: Alan, Debbie, Jackie, Karen, Patty, Ruthann

Jackie passed out Kirkus Reviews to members of the group. She got them from the librarian at her high school.

Karen said Create Space is now called Kindle Direct. https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/

Alan read two poems – “Nature’s Way” and “The Ballad of Dick and Rusty.” Members discussed places he should consider submitting to including Ideals Books, Reminiscence, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Reader’s Digest.

Karen reported SCBWI is trying to connect members to agents and editors.

Patty read Chapter 5 from her novel The Iron Ladies. Members discussed dialogue and identifiers.

Debbie received a rejection letter but but the publisher wished her luck and included some recommendations of where else to submit to.

Karen will send the group a list of 80 publishers that are accepting submissions.

Jackie read the presentation speech she wrote for her high school's awards assembly. Her family sponsored a memorial scholarship the last two years.

Members discussed their favorite books from their childhood.

Next Meeting:  June 21^st at Rosati’s in Schererville.

January and February Meeting Recap, 2023

 1-11-23 Zoom meeting

Members Present:  Jackie, Judy, Karen, Luneil, Patty, Suzy

Members caught up with each other after the holidays. They also discussed authors Caleb Carr and Erik Larson.

Patty read her revised version of Chapter 1 of The Iron Ladies. Vienne has “gifts’ that she doesn’t understand and doesn’t know how to use yet. Members discussed Vienne's subtle and uncontrollable intuitions / feelings and how often they should appear in the manuscript.

2-8-23 Zoom meeting

Members Present: Jackie, Judy, Karen, Patty

Members decided to change meeting to 3^rd Wednesday of the month.

Karen read The Beast in the Breadbox, a poem about her pet cockatiel. She plans to submit it to Cricket, a children’s magazine. Karen reported she finished Ivy and reached out to an old acquaintance who ended up encouraging her to send her manuscript in again, now that her story has been revised several times and has evolved over the years.

Patty read Chapter 3 of The Iron Ladies and will send out Chapter 2 to the group.

Judy participated in a workshop about how novels are born. She confessed she gets wrapped up with the characters and is fine up to a certain point but then has problems developing the rest of the story. Members plan to help her brainstorm to get over her writer’s block.

Next Meeting: March 15, 2023 at Rosati's in Schererville at 6:30pm

Meeting Highlights: December 14, 2022

Members Present: Alan, Debbie, Jackie, Karen, Pete, Valia

Karen submitted For the Life of Ivy. She discussed how she paid Kirkus for a critique and that Kirkus is known for book reviews. Prices are based on type and length of book. Karen talked about the first edition and how she ordered 300 in the beginning. Over time she sold 600 herself through school visits and heavy promotion.

Pete discussed the five books he published with Pen It! and details about working with the publisher and illustrators. He admitted he did not spend much time marketing his books and most were bought by friends and students. His main goals were met though. He wanted to see them in print and one was a tribute to a colleague.

Debbie discussed her experience with dealing with publishers and is feeling very frustrated. She said she is also having a hard time finding an illustrator. They are either too busy or too expensive.

Alan is doing stand up comedy after taking a break for over a decade. He will be putting on shows where proceeds will go to charity. He then read his poem “The Angel in the Snow.” He does not think he will submit to any of the publishers on the list he got from Karen, but is looking into joining SCBWI.

Valia read his mythical short story “A Bird, A Tree, and a Volcano.” He too is frustrated about not making it in the children's market but Jackie talked about his numerous sucesses with literary magazines.

Pete read two rhyming riddles and stated he appreciated feedback he got at the last meeting. He explained that the clues are tougher in the beginning and get more obvious as the riddle goes on. He submitted a couple to Readers Digest.

Jackie suggested meeting via Zoom in January and February then resuming in person meetings in March, after the weather breaks.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 11, 2023 via Zoom

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Meeting Highlights: November 9, 2022

Members Present:  Alan, Debbie, Jackie, Karen, Pete, Ruthann

Karen has been busy updating six display cases at the Griffith Train Museum. She submitted her revised version of Ivy, now titled “For the Life of Ivy,” and read the first chapter to the group. Her book “Medal with a Heart” was nominated for the Excellence in American History for Children Award.

Alan read his rhyming poem “Mothers are Tougher than Pirates.” Member agreed it needs to be published and discussed submission guidelines and requirements. Alan also discussed his anthology book “Poems for the Pioneer Spirit.” Karen will send Alan a list of 20 publishers that do not require submission by an agent.

Pete shared a rhyming riddle. Members suggested he consider submitting to magazines geared for seniors and their caregivers. After retiring and taking a long break from coaching, Pete’s friend convinced him to take on the new role of boy’s assistant volleyball coach.

Ruthann read “Another Day,” a memoir poem about a dark time in her life.

Debbie reported she is struggling to find an illustrator for her children’s book. Since she is a member of SCBWI, Karen suggested she contact the illustrator coordinator. Members discussed using notes or voice memos when ideas pop up. Debbie talked about adventure books where you create your own ending.

Jackie discussed benefits of meeting in person vs. video meetings but if there is inclement weather, meetings via Zoom will resume. Meetings at Rosati’s will get back on the second Wednesday of the month schedule.

Next Meeting: Rosati’s at 6:30 on December 14, 2022.

JSH

Meeting Highlights 10.26.22

Members Present:  Jackie, Patty, Pete Ruthann

Members met in person at Rosati’s in Schererville after meeting primarily through Zoom since early 2020.

Pete briefly discussed the 5^th book he had published with Pen It! Publishers. He has written 10-15 Halloween Poems since then and has dozens of rhyming riddle poems. He shared one of his riddles and members tried to guess the answer. Members discussed different ways to share his poem to various audiences.

Ruthann started writing a book set back in England in the 1960’s. She brought the first chapter of the working title “Dawn of a New Day.”

Patty had to find and read comps to her novel, Vienne. She continues to attend workshops, participate in writing challenges, and has been submitting to publishers. Patty has gotten six rejections so far but plans to submit to several more. She is rewriting with a new angle where Vienne has uncontrollable premonitions.

Jackie has been focusing on her work at Lake Central and photography when able. She is considering submitting some old rhyming poems to the anthology Alan, another member, is working on. Pete submitted poems to that project earlier in the summer.

JSH

Zoom Meeting Highlights - May 11, 2022

Members Attending: Judy, JC, Patty

Judy shared her experiences with the Writing for Young Children workshop she has completed through Authors Publish.

Judy shared a book recommended by John Claude Bemis who led the workshop she just finished.  It is the Emotional Wound Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi.  She feels this is a great book that helps writers craft emotion in their stories.  

When the group discussed agents, Judy shared the following statistics

    1.      If you are published through an agent, your advance would average $27,000.  Without the average is $3,000

    2.      In 2017, 75% of middle grade books published were through an agent.  Picture books 50% were agent assisted.

    3.      Even with an agent, no guarantee of being published.  Agented authors get 30 or more rejections for debut novels.

    4.      Getting an agent isn't a breeze. 20% of authors get rejected by more than 60 agents a year. An average agent will sign 1% of the authors who query them.

JC is considering trying her hand at poetry for children.

Patty read chapters 31 &32. She discussed the SCBWI webinar she and Karen attended regarding “LOG lines” and submitting your book to agents and editors. Patty recommended Story Genius by Lisa Cron.  Story Genius is a writing guide on how to use cognitive storytelling strategies to build a blueprint for a story. She had heard about it from that Esther.

Next Meeting:  June 8, 2022