PASS IT ON ISSUE 64

PASS IT ON - ISSUE 64: DATE 30/10/05






Hi everyone! I hope you have all had a fantastic week. Thanks to all who
have contributed and a special hello to all new members. Thank you also to
everyone who has offered support and encouragement, I really do appreciate
it. Please enjoy this week's issue of PASS IT ON.





A Disclaimer of Liability

Please ensure that your submissions are ACCURATE and clear. I will accept no
responsibility for any errors or omissions contained in the information
submitted. PLEASE be careful.

To unsubscribe send an email to jacket@smartchat.net.au with "unsubscribe"
in the subject heading.





WHAT IS PASS IT ON?

PASS IT ON is a weekly, on-line, interactive, networking newsletter for
those involved with or interested in the children's writing industry. It is
emailed to subscribers every Monday.

PASS IT ON will survive for as long as YOU the CONTRIBUTOR determine. I am
the collection point for YOUR submissions. I am one cog in a tool that has
the potential to be very powerful. (submission guidelines can be found at
the end of the newsletter)

If you wish to receive PASS IT ON - email me, Jackie Hosking at
jacket@smartchat.net.au and I will send you the most recent issue of the
newsletter and an invoice. If you like what you see, please return the
invoice along with your payment and I will add you to the subscriber's list.

If you join in July it will cost you $24.00 If you join in August, it will
cost you $22.00 If you join in September, it will cost you $20.00 etc...
(all subscriptions will then be due on July 1st 2006)

Please contribute as often as you can and be assured that I will treat your
contact details with the utmost confidentiality. I look forward to making
many more new friends.

Past issues may be viewed at my website www.jackiehosking.com



GENERAL INFORMATION
Kids' Tales: Children's Story Books is the name of an exhibition of children's
story books from the 1930s, 40s and 50s to mark Universal Children's Day on
the 26th October during Children's Week 25-31 October. These books include a
rare 1951 version of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. The free exhibition
will be held at the Liverpool Regional Museum, NSW, from 22 October to 24
December. Enquiries: reception@casulapowerhouse.com


Just wanted to pass on the sad news that the Nestle Write Around Australia
competition is no more.

As a primary teacher and a children's author, I know first hand how
important the program has been in sparking children's enthusiasm for
writing. Above all else, it has given regional children opportunities that
they
normally miss out on. I've been lucky enough to have been involved as an
author and as a judge. The children's
writing has inspired me, their enthusiasm at workshops delighted me and
their excitement at presentations thrilled me.
It was one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had as a visiting author!

I'm truly sad, for me, but most importantly for Australia's children to hear
of the program's demise.

The programs demise will leave a massive hole.

Thank you Nestle, Val Noake and team for your amazing work and commitment.
Here's hoping another sponsor will recognise the worth of such a huge
program.





SEEKING

I am currently involved with projects which involve young Australians to the
age of 15 whose achievements are newsworthy. If PIO readers have stories,
either personal or from the media, I would be grateful to receive them and
will acknowledge them. Please contact me on dibates@enterprisingwords.com

Thank you also to those kind people who wrote to me recently with horse
poems for another of my projects.


Hi all

I haven't been able to catch up with the last couple of issues so hopefully
my question hasn't been recently addressed.

I was wondering about agents. You hear that many publishers will not
consider unsolicited manuscripts and prefer to receive them through agents.
You also hear that it's often even harder to find an agent than it is a
publisher. Then, if you do get an agent interested in representing you, you
have to be just as careful with their contract as you would a publishing
one.

I'd like to know if any new or budding children's book writers out there
have attempted to find an agent or have an agent and whether they think the
fee and process are worth it. Does anyone have any idea of what percentage
of 'first contracts' are actually obtained with the help of an agent?

Thanks so much. Lisa Musgrove.

Lisa if you scroll down the HAVE YOUR SAY section there is a contribution
about one person's experience that might be of interest.


Does anyone know of any competitions coming up for young writers? My son is
16 and has a short story that he would like to submit to a competition. It
seems that most of the competitions are for over 18 yo. Thanks in advance.




REPLIES TO SEEKING

A response to the query about Talking to Students about Writing Books.

Samuel could submit his details to the author-visits site run by the
Children's Book Council of Australia
http://www.pa.ash.org.au/authorvisits/ The site allows authors and
illustrators to register their details into a searchable database.

It also has some good guidelines for people planning author and illustrator
visits and also lists booking agents.


Here are some suggestions re the recent query about getting into schools and
libraries.

One way of getting into schools and libraries is by simple hard work and
grass roots networking. Approach local libraries, find out the name of the
Children's Librarian or talk to the local librarians. Find out about their
school holiday activities, eg check noticeboards and websites. Perhaps
suggest your own services. Likewise approach local museums or Arts Centres
which run kids' or literary programs and keep a track of their activities.
Join your local writers centre or similar and link into their networks. Let
them know of your availability and what you wish to do as sometimes they can
pass on referrals. Join your local branch of the Children's Book Council

You can approach schools directly (not sure how successful this would be -
would depend on your background and how proactive you are). Remember that
teachers get inundated with correspondence regarding extra curricula
activities. You can also use any existing contacts you have, eg, children
or grandchildren. Keep Book Week (August) in mind as many schools organise
literary-based activities at this time. You may be lucky to score paid
gigs, or you may have to earn your stripes and a reputation by doing a
couple of voluntary activities. This will provide some experience and help
build your reputation.






NEW PUBLICATIONS





SPECIAL EVENTS

CHILDREN'S WRITERS' FORUM No. 3
The final forum for the year (at Victoria University, St Albans
campus, Melbourne) will be on Saturday 12 November, 12.45pm - 4.30pm.

Guest speakers are:
Eva Mills (editor from Allen and Unwin)
Jacinta di Mase - literary agent who represents adult, children's and YA
writers.

And a session on "How to Survive Rejection Letters". Please bring your
favourite or worst rejection letter to share!
Still only $20, includes coffee and chocolate bikkies.

Email RSVP to Sherryl.Clark@vu.edu.au or phone 9919 2681 if you need more
info.


Somerset College Celebration of Literature March 8-11, 2006
http://www.somerset.qld.edu.au/cofl/default.htm


You are invited to the launch of Lorraine Marwood's second collection of
children's poetry:

*'that downhill yelling'* published by Five Islands Press, will be
launched by Albert Ullin OAM. Janeen Brian will also help launch the
collection.

Illustrations by Ozlem Kesik

*Saturday November 12th at 2.00pm for a 2.30 start. Finish about 4.30 pm*

Refreshments provided

Music by Helen Croome

Readings by Ron Pretty from the Taronga foundation Poetry Prize and
winners of the Kangaroo Flat cluster competition will read their poems.

Mechanics Institute building, School Road, California Gully ( off
Eaglehawk Road, Bendigo)

info@lorrainemarwood.com <mailto:info@lorrainemarwood.com>







MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

· BERKLEY - YA "JAM" SERIES
Kate Seaver, editor at Berkley, is actively looking for Young Adult ROMANCE
manuscripts for Berkley JAM. JAM is looking for all types of young adult
romance stories, geared toward the older teen reader (12 +). The heroines
are usually 15 or 16. They accept agented and unagented submissions but
turnaround on submissions is 4-6 months. They suggest sending a query and a
partial (synopsis and first three chapters.)
Send to:
Berkley/Jove,
375 Hudson Street
New York, New York 10014
USA
Source: Cynthia Sterling e-newsletter, 27 Oct 2005.






COMPETITIONS/AWARDS

The Australian Woman's Weekly Magazine/Penguin Books Short Story Contest.

To encourage this year's writers, The Australian Woman's Weekly has set up
an online writing community. Each month we'll offer at-home exercises to
help your creativity and bring your writing to life. Successful authors and
writing guru Roland Fishman, from The Writers' Studio, will share strategies
for crafting compelling stories.

Our website, www.ninemsn.com.au/aww/writer will be your practical workshop
and run until the contest closes on February 6, 2006.

(From the October edition of the Australian Woman's Weekly.)





WRITING COURSES/WORKSHOPS

VICTORIAN WRITERS' CENTRE
http://www.writers-centre.org/infopage.cfm?menuID=2&submenuID=32&InfoPageID=131
Beautiful picture books delight the senses! Foremost picture book writer,
Libby Gleeson will reveal to you how these books are written - from the
first glimmer of an idea to the final, completed text. Discover:-
the four types of picture books
ways to develop dynamic characters
the power of memory, observation and obsession to help with ideas.
Get tips on how to examine your work for the pitfalls that are the downfall
of many new writers:-
to rhyme or not to rhyme
how to freshen your writing
when to use rhythm and repetition.
Finally, Libby shows how to find the foremost publishers of picture books in
the country and how to get your manuscript to them.
Introductory cost $66 ($88 after December 31st)
To order: Please contact the Writers' Centre on 9654 9068
Libby Gleeson
Libby Gleeson is the writer of The Great Bear, the only Australian picture
book to have won the prestigious international award: the Bologna Ragazzi.
Other awards include the Prime Ministers Multicultural Award (Big Dog), an
IBBY Award (Dodger), the Childrens Literature Peace Prize (Dodger) and the
Australian Childrens Book Council (CBC) Picture Book of the Year (An
Ordinary Day). In fact, eleven of Libbys twenty-six titles have been
shortlisted for the CBC Awards! Libby has received critical acclaim for her
book: Making Picture Books and she teaches a highly successful course
'Writing for Young People' at the University of Sydney. She is in great
demand as a lecturer and presenter at conferences and courses at the
secondary, tertiary and post graduate level. Web: www.libbygleeson.com.au

Course Outline:
Unit 1: Know the form: What is a picture book?
The four types of picture books, interaction of text and pictures, size and
word length.
Unit 2: Gathering ideas
Three main sources of ideas, memory, observation and obsession.
Unit 3: Getting started
Type A and Type B writers, planning, language style and the deeper story
within.
Unit 4: Creating characters
Humans, animals and even inanimate objects, plus four ways of making us care
about characters.
Unit 5: Point-of-view
Who is telling the story? Best uses of linear structure and dramatic
tension.
Unit 6: Language: Rhyme and rhythm
Imagery, rhythm, internal and external rhyme and satisfying repetition.
Unit 7: Revision
Characters, structure, conciseness - six editing points to check and revise.
Also includes the role and relationship with the illustrator.
Unit 8: Submission
Layout of manuscript, finding appropriate publishers, multiple submit or
not, and the work of agents.



SUMMARY NOTES.

.from the Melbourne editors conference October 13/14 2005

Contributed by Maree Kimberley

Keynote address from Michael Webster (Bookscan)

Technology competes against books for entertainment dollar
Books currently 24% of the entertainment industry (others include cds, games
dvds etc)
2005-09 outlook - spending on books projected growth 4.7% - steady &
increasing competition
trade non-fiction - going backwards (mainly due to history, science,
medicine titles)
fiction - increasing in value - YTD up 11%
children's books - increasing in value
independent booksellers are maintaining their share but chain booksellers
are losing out to discount stores (eg Big W, Kmart)
240 000 new titles available for sale this year
there are currently 2 million books in English available world wide
only 17,000 titles sell more than one copy each year: top 10 fiction titles
have 12% of sales revenue; top 1000 titles 76% of sales revenue

Children's books sales (excluding Harry Potter)
discount stores have most sales - high volumes, low price books eg
Funtastic, 5 Mile Press
chain stores - sales going backwards
independents - doing well
top 5 kids writers are selling 18% more books than 2 years ago (Emily Rodda
is no. 4)

Trade non-fiction
chain store sales down
discount stores doing well
independents ok
dominated by Australian titles - 8 Aust titles in top 10
academic/scientific/tech/medical books driving decline in trade non fiction
health/hygiene/ biographies/travel/food doing well

Pricing
hardbacks 4% of sales - replaced by trade paperback due to price
consumers resist paying more than $25 for a book, regardless of format
push back on price - June-Sept 2005 56% of regular book buyers surveyed had
bought a book; those not buying said it was due to price

Why buy books?
Media recommendation
Friends recommendation (esp 18-25 yr olds)
Reading groups
Book staff recommendation - shows in sales for independent bookstores



Children's books panel

Maryann Ballantyne (Black Dog books)
Education books have series requirements, curriculum outcomes, vocab
levelling, market sensibilities
Avoid punctuation that confuses readers
More latitude in trade books but more margin for error
Publishers ask - what is the aim and purpose of this book?

Denise Ryan (Pearson education)
Multinational publishing - take a world view
Balance interests and facts
Represent the world of children (including Middle East, Asia etc)
Factual accuracy - use reputable sources
Teachers reflect their values/beliefs & are the final gatekeepers

Carol Wilkinson (author)
Write a 'meaty' proposal and stick to it - break it down into chapters

Marjorie Gardner (illustrator)
Illustrator's fees are getting lower
Negotiate & speak up - refuse lower paid jobs







HAVE YOUR SAY

HAVE YOUR SAY

Re the person last week having problems with an agent: take heart, I tried
getting an Australian agent years ago when I'd had about fifty books
published. No luck. One established agent was willing to "read" my latest MS
for a $25 fee. As if. Another twenty plus books down the road, I'm of the
opinion that agents aren't a necessity. Some authors do the submitting, and
hand the contract over to the agent to check for any nasties. But that's a
helluva a cost (15% ad infinitum) for reading a pretty standard contract.
Their one redeeming feature is that their submissions to publishers get read
before the slush pile. But in our poor friend's case, his agent hasn't even
bothered to do that! My humble advice is to submit your revised MS to as
many publishers as it takes to get published. Meanwhile, start on the next
book. If you're anything like me, rejection will just make you try harder.

Re the impending "debate" on anonymity -- I believe so long as facts are
verifiable, then submissions should be anonymous if that's the wish of the
person posting. As I've said before, some of us have raised issues that have
reaped rewards -- these issues might not have been voiced had we been forced
to use our names. I'm a frequent contributor to PIO, but most of the time
I'd rather not sign my postings. That, surely, is my prerogative. On the
other hand, some should sign their names, but for other reasons. I laughed
at one posting about sending Mark Macleod anniversary cards for failing to
promptly respond to submissions, and a quip about editors using their slush
piles for bedding when they're working late. A humorist amidst us, but an
anonymous one.



· HAVE YOUR SAY

Thanks Sophia

I can't let Sophia Oravecz's move from Blake Education pass unnoticed,
because she is an outstanding editor. Enthusiastic about your work, prompt
in replying to emails or phone-calls, sensitive to your concerns, diligent
in doing what she's promised, concerned about your point of view: now that's
a good editor! Sophia, we'll miss you.

For writers who have concerns about the length of time their work remains
with publishers without acknowledgement, may I suggest that they try seeing
it from the publisher's point of view? They are inundated with manuscripts,
and the vast majority of these will not be suitable for a whole range of
reasons. Publishers have no control over the number of manuscripts which
arrive, and as writers working in isolation we may not realise how many
other writers there are like us, working on our beloved creation, polishing
and honing and then breathlessly sending it off and waiting for the
response, excitement rising each day as the time to check the letterbox
comes closer. Of course we're disappointed when weeks turn into months
without that response arriving, but remember, we have made the first move.
It's unreasonable to expect publishers to be able to take time out from all
their other tasks to reply instantly - or even fast.

And believe it or not, most publishers actually don't enjoy knocking back
scripts. They realise the love and energy that has gone into creating and
submitting our work, even if it doesn't suit them. That's why so many
publishers' form rejection letters wish us success in submitting our work
elsewhere. And it is true; acceptance relies on luck and timing as well as
the quality of the manuscript. My first work dredged from Penguin Australia's
slush pile, The Princess and the Unicorn, was accepted partly because they
had been looking for a book about a unicorn. Yet the same script had been
rejected over five years earlier by Penguin New Zealand because they had
just published a book about a unicorn.exactly the same reason it was later
accepted. Luck and timing. Thinking of publishers and editors as allies in
the satisfying work of bringing books to birth who are often overwhelmed
with material and work instead of selfish, thoughtless or lazy makes dealing
with them a much more pleasant experience.

Yep, I hate waiting for responses to my submissions too. Sometimes the
response takes months or years; sometimes it simply never arrives. But I don't
see a swift response as my right. It is my responsibility to make my work as
good as possible, and to keep on working. I do think we have the right to
submit our work to a number of publishers, without hiding the fact, because
response times are often so long - but then we need to keep very good
records. Because I write a lot of shorter manuscripts, there are lots to
send out, and I have a goal of so many submissions per week. This reduces
the pressure on waiting for the postie. And getting started on the next
writing task is also a great way to keep yourself occupied, as well as
producing another masterpiece ready to post.

And when that familiar SAE arrives (I'm sure I know that writing - oh dear.)
SEND YOUR BELOVED SCRIPT OUT AGAIN RIGHT AWAY! It may not be published by
the next company you send it to; but if it stays in your filing cabinet it's
certain not to be published. As writers, inspiration isn't enough; we need
patience and persistence.

Let's celebrate our good publishers and editors, try to understand why the
process of assessing our work can take so long - and make sure we keep on
improving so that our next work is the one that rockets out of the slush
pile to begin that marvellous transformation from manuscript to book.

Now, back to that story.



· FROM AUTHOR Clancy Tucker

JUST A NOTE AND.......... SIGNED AS WELL!!!!
* SAD ABOUT WORD WEAVERS PRESS!
* YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB!
* I THINK WE REALLY, REALLY GOT THE MESSAGE ABOUT THOSE WHO DON'T SIGN WHAT
THEY BITCH ABOUT ON PIO!!!!
NOW, LET'S GET BACK TO WRITING AND ALL THE FORTUNATE AND UNFORTUNATE STUFF
THAT IT INVOLVES.
HAVE A GREAT DAY.


FROM AUTHOR Dianne (Di) Bates

It was interesting to look at the American Book Co-operative's rules for
participation in their annual picture book competition and to note that
submission of entries costs each author a "processing fee" of $US55! When I
read some of last year's ABC's entries, I must say the winning texts paled
into comparison with the outstanding texts of contemporary Australian
children's picture books.

Recently I was asked by someone who submitted a manuscript to me for
assessment whether or not publishers wanted p/b authors to indicate page
divisions of their text when submitting. Not sure of this, I consulted Libby
Gleeson's outstanding book, Making Picture Books (Scholastic 2003) but the
book didn't answer this question.

Perhaps publishers who read PIO might like to comment in next week's issue
as to what they prefer.



FROM AUTHOR S M Coleridge

My junior fiction novel was accepted for publication in April 2004, but
not scheduled for publication until 2006. At the time the publisher was
apologetic about the length of time I would have to wait. After I
enquired about a publishing date last week, I was told that publication
had been rescheduled for 2007. This has happened despite the fact that the
contract, which has been signed by both parties, states that it should be
published within 24 months of receipt of it by the publisher.

Also I have received an advance. Any ideas, suggestions etc.

This week's article - UNDERSTAND YOUR CONTRACT - may be of interest - scroll
down to the next section.



FROM AUTHOR Susanne Gervay

THANKYOU NESTLE WRITE AROUND AUSTRALIA

The Nestle Write Around Australia programme is ending this year after 12
brilliant years fostering creativity in Australian children.

Val Noake, National Coordinator of the programme through the NSW State
library, together with State library organisers Suzanne Bennet and Virginia
Mason, have done a brilliant job. Libraries throughout Australia hosted 50
children's authors. I was lucky enough to be one of those writers.

I have been everywhere from Griffiths to Coffs Harbour to Perth to Batesman
Bay to Canberra.

I have had amazing adventures and established warm relationships throughout
the programme. Adventures included -

· trapped by a snow storm as I drove along a cliff road in a
desperate get to Oberon. No I didn't die.
· wonderful cappuccino in Griffiths with its large Italian
population. Yes, I drank too many.
· working with finalists of the writing competition from far flung
places where parents drove through desert and storm 12 hours to get their
children to my workshop. I felt overwhelmed
· reading some powerful stories by young writers.
It's been a wonderful journey.





ARTICLES

Understand Your Contract


© Cheryl Wright 2004 - All rights reserved

When Arabella Magazine notified me they were buying "Popcorn Murders" I was
ecstatic. After all, everyone was vying to be published in that magazine.

Then they told me to "look out for the contract soon". My elation soon
turned to terror. I knew nothing about contracts! And I sure wasn't going to
hire a solicitor to look the contract over - particularly for a short story
contract - so I learned to read the contract myself.

Not a good thing I'm told, but how many writers have the money to rush out
and hire a solicitor every time they receive a contract? (The majority of
publishers issue contracts for each and every piece they buy these days.)
I've now got a bulging file with all my contracts, and if I'd hired a
professional each time, I'd be down a lot of money, believe me.

The information in this article is not intended to replace your solicitor or
legal representative; it is meant only as a guide. (Some writer's
organisations will help you with this as part of your annual fee.)

Things that should be included in your contract:

Scheduled date of publication
Word count of ms
Title of Story
Author's name
Rights Sold
Fee (either per word, or for complete works)
Legal obligations of each party
Kill Fee (if any)
Ownership of Copyright
Mediation and Arbitration (if dispute arises)

Some of the above are self-explanatory, so I won't go into those at all.
Others can be quite confusing, so we'll look at each one individually.

Rights sold:

This can vary from publication to publication, and must be checked
thoroughly. Never agree to sell 'All Rights' as this means you can NEVER
sell the work again. Ever.

With Arabella, I sold first rights, with a clause that I would not allow the
story to be re-published anywhere within thirty days of publication. That
meant I was free to resell it any time I wanted after the thirty days.

So let's look at rights:

First rights means it's the first time the story has been published.
Second rights means it's the second time it's been published, and so on.

However, there can be a variation to this. You can sell (for instance) first
Australian Rights, or First US Rights, First World Rights, etc. The same
applies for second and/or subsequent sales.

Be absolutely sure what rights you are selling when you check your contract.

All Rights:

As mentioned above, selling 'all rights' is not a good thing. Basically, you
can never sell your story again - not in any shape or form. There is only
one way I would do that, and that's if I was paid mega bucks.

But, there's a catch. (Isn't there always?)

If you sell 'all rights' in a book contract - for instance - you can lose a
lot of money by doing so.

Let me tell you a story: a friend sold her novel to a new publisher in the
UK. Her contract stated she was selling them 'all rights'. This was her
first sale, and she accepted that. Around a year down the track, the
publication went bust; her novel went down the gurgler with the publisher.

That was two years ago.

She recently found out that her book has been released in large print.
That's good, right? Well, no. Because she sold 'all rights' so got
absolutely nothing for the subsequent sale.

And if anyone ever decides to make her book into a movie, the same will
apply. Never sell 'all rights' if you can help it, unless, as I said before,
you are being paid mega bucks.

Kill Fee:

A 'kill fee' is literally the fee you get if the publication 'kills' the
story. That is, they decide not to use it after all.

A 'kill fee' may also apply if an editor of the publications asks you to do
rewrites that you feel misrepresent your own opinions, or in the case of a
piece of fiction, distorts the story.

I know someone who had the latter happen, and as he didn't have the kill fee
clause, asked the publication to use a pen name instead of his own.

Copyright:

It is extremely important that writers understand copyright laws. If you
don't, then please, go out and do some research.

In the case of your contract, it should always state that ownership remains
with the author. If it doesn't, you probably have a problem.

If you've sold 'all rights' then ownership is no longer yours.

Publication Date:

Many contracts will state the date that the publication expects to run your
story. They may even give an end date. In my contract with Arabella, it
stated that if the story was not run (published) within twelve months, the
rights reverted back to me, and I still got to keep the payment.

Strange as it may sound, it actually does happen. I have another friend who
sold a story to a major women's magazine in Australia, and two years after
she sold it, the story still hadn't run. She called them, and was told
they'd 'lost' the story.

They sent her a letter of confirmation that the rights had reverted back to
her. And yes, she sold it again - as 'first rights' again, since it was
never published.

Other things to look out for:

For book contracts, make sure there's a clause in case the publisher goes
bust. In my contract it states that if the publisher closes its doors, or
goes into liquidation (or similar) the rights refer back to me.

This is a very important clause to check. A number of writers have had to
wait for seven years for their books to revert back to them after a
publisher has gone bust. Some writers have gone to court over the clause,
but still had to wait for the period to expire.

Please, for your own peace of mind, ensure your contract includes the
liquidation clause. (Remember the writer whose book was sold in large print?
She had that seven year clause too. She can't resell that book, and she's
still got another five years to wait before she can shop it around.)

I also have a clause stating my publisher only has the rights to my book for
two years. That means I can shop the book around after two years if I'm not
happy with my publisher. Or, if I'm happy, I can renew my contract with the
same publisher, and they can continue to sell the book.

Also check that the contract has a 'release' clause. If, for example, your
book is due for release in February 2005, but still hasn't been released in
December 2005, if it's covered in your contract, you can pull out from that
publisher without penalty. If there is no mention of it, then you've got no
come-back whatsoever; you'll just have to wear it. And if that's the case,
and they decide to release it three years down the track instead, there's
not a thing you can do about it.

One more clause that you may wish to consider is in regard to royalties. You
need to have the right to have the publisher's accounts reviewed if you feel
your royalties have been paid incorrectly, whether erroneously or
intentionally. In most cases, if it is found that the royalties have been
withheld, costs are the responsibility of the publisher. If they are found
to be correct, costs are paid by the author. (And this should be stated in
the contract)

Summary:

Ensure you understand the aspects of your contract. It is desirable that
it's in layman's terms, and not legal jargon - which will make it impossible
for you to understand without legal representation.

* Check over your contract at least three times.
* Highlight anything you don't understand or are unhappy about.
* Discuss them with your publisher.
* Keep all correspondence to and from your publisher for future use.
* Always keep a 'paper trail' that can be followed. (Even if it's on the
computer!)
* If you don't feel comfortable with something, there's probably a reason.




About the author: Cheryl Wright is an award-winning Australian author and
freelance journalist. In addition to an array of other projects, she writes
a monthly travel column for a magazine in the US and is the author of "Think
Outside the Square: Writing Publishable (Short) Stories" and "I Wanna Win! -
Tips for Becoming an Award Winning Writer". (Both available from
www.writer2writer.com) Her debut novel "Saving Emma" will be released
January 2005. Visit Cheryl's website www.cheryl-wright.com




PUBLISHER GUIDELINES

BLACK DOG BOOKS

Our submission deadlines are being revised and here is a draft of the
revision:
black dog books is excited about the possibility of finding new authors
through receiving unsolicited manuscripts-but we're struggling to keep up.
We're currently receiving more than 30 submissions a week, and the number
seem to be increasing, and it takes anything from half an hour to half a day
to reject a manuscript and a lot longer to accept one. As this is only one
way we find new authors we are limited in the time we can put into reading
unsolicited manuscripts.

We're asking your help in reducing the flow of unsuitable manuscripts (so we
can more quickly find the manuscripts that are suitable) by asking you to do
the following:

. Be targeted about your submission. Go to our website www.bdb.com.au or to
a bookshop and check out our books-if your book doesn't seem like a good fit
with us, please don't send it.
. Don't send us multiple submissions.
. Don't send us more than one book at a time.

When you do submit, please do the following:
. Explain in your cover letter why you think we are the right publisher for
you.
. Let us know if you have submitted your book to any other publisher in the
past.
. Give us a standard CV and a bio about you as a writer. (We're interested
in publishing authors who have more than one book up their sleeve rather
just publishing one-off manuscripts. For us publishing is all about building
an ongoing relationship with authors.)
. Include your email address.
. Let us know what your plans are as a writer (we aren't interested in
publishing one-off manuscripts, but we are interested in finding authors who
have more than one book up their sleeve).
. Give us a synopsis that's no more than a single page double-spaced.

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUBMIT VIA EMAIL to submissions@bdb.com.au
If you do this, please put your covering letter, CV, bio and book in the one
document and make the document name the title of your book.

If you submit a hardcopy, please address to:

Treasure Chest
Black Dog Books
15 Gertrude Street
Fitzroy VIC 3065

And include an SSAE if you want your manuscript back.

Cheers

Andrew Kelly
Black dog books
15 Gertrude St
Fitzroy Vic 3065
Australia
+61 3 9419 9406
andrew@bdb.com.au
www.bdb.com.au




AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR PROFILE

Come on you shy bunnies - don't make me hunt you down!!

I have a questionnaire template to make things easy. YOUR profile is just a
few clicks away



YOUR WRITING TIPS
**A new section that is begging for your attention. Please feel free to
Pass them On!**



USEFUL BOOKS/WEBSITES
Thanks to Lynn D for drawing my attention to the 'snowflake' approach to
plotting, on the following website.
http://www.rsingermanson.com/html/the_snowflake.html
I have a terrible tendency to start writing as soon as I have got what I
think is a viable plot and a rough idea of character. It's a bit like airily
setting out on a week-long bushwalk with nothing in the backpack except a
bar of chocolate and a hand-drawn map - I have a great time for the first
couple of kilometres, but soon find that the map has fatal errors and I'm
longing for a bit of solid food. I end up retracing my path dozens of times,
wasting energy that I can ill afford. On occasions I have been forced to
give up entirely, crawl back to where I started and admit that the whole
expedition was a waste of time.

But with the snowflake approach... my backpack is bulging with good food and
my map is beginning to look like an aerial photo! (I haven't started the
actual bushwalk yet, but I suspect it is going to be a very different
experience.)

What I particularly like is the idea of summarising the story from the pov
of minor characters. It forces me to think about things in the plot that I
would normally gloss over - and get into trouble with later. It enriches
everything. AND it's a lot of fun.

Lian Tanner



BOOK REVIEWS

"I Am Jack"
by Susanne Gervay
Sydney, HarperCollinsPublishers, ©2000

Reviewed by Beverley George


"I am Jack" is first and foremost a good read. It is briskly-paced, with
warm, engaging characters, and is by turns very funny and extremely sad. It
is also an important book that can make a difference.

"I am Jack" is written from the viewpoint of a young boy who is subjected to
bullying at school. The level of bullying is intense and involves kicking,
spitting, name-calling and ostracism. Jack is bewildered and hurt,
particularly by the defection of some people he previously considered his
friends. At no stage does he resort to self-pity. He has to stay alert and
find strategies for coping, such as arriving late to class and spending
lunch breaks in the school library.

By contrast, his home life is warm and comforting. His single parent mum
and his bargain-seeking, kindly nanna see that he and his sister are
emotionally secure and that their potential is encouraged through hobbies
and interests. The family's Italian neighbours are also loyal friends. And
hovering on the outskirts but about to become more involved in their lives
is the stable character, Rob, who just might become Jack's step-dad.

What gives this book its strength is its balance. Although Jack is the
narrator, we also see the situation through the eyes of others,
particularly of the mother, the school teacher, and the false friends and
true. Even the main bully's point of view is addressed.

"I Am Jack" does not ever 'preach' but the lessons are there for all of us.
What were those telltale signs that could have alerted a hardworking parent
and a busy teacher that something was seriously amiss? How might have
classmates and friends reacted differently? What if Jack had 'dobbed'
instead of trying to cope by himself?

I believe this book should be in every Australian school library. In their
search for identity, children face many difficulties in establishing
themselves -in being seen and heard. Young readers, even those who have not
themselves been the victim of bullying, can gain strength from reading this
book. They will understand the nature of bullying and the mechanisms for
dealing with it. Most importantly, they will know that should Jack's sad
experience one day be theirs, they need not deal with it alone.





INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOPS



CRITIQUE GROUPS BULLETINBOARD
**Looking to create or join a critique group - here's the place!**



MILESTONES
**A new section for members to share their achievements**


Prue Mason is happy to announce that a book she has written called CAMEL
RIDER won the Queensland Premier's Award. The story is about two boys from
different worlds who meet when they got lost in a desert. Although they
don't speak the same language they have to learn to cooperate to survive.
Also judged a Notable Book by the Childrens Book Council of Australia, CAMEL
RIDER is Prue's first YA novel based on her experiences living in the Middle
East. The Queensland Premier's Award is open to national and even
international entries and is, says Prue, the richest literary award in
Australia. There were 14 categories and Prue's book won the Children's
Category. ~~ Prue Mason comes from a family where books and writing are in
the blood. Her mother Pam O'Connor is an historian and writer, her aunt also
was journalist, and her grandfather Errol Knox was Managing Editor of the
Argus in Melbourne. Prue herself has an interesting array of work
experiences.
Travelling extensively around the world with her pilot husband, she has
tried hostessing on a private jet, flying on ferry flights from Australia to
Canada, teaching English as a foreign language to young Arabs, being a
regular columnist for a children's magazine for over 10 years, editing the
biography of an Iranian lady who had worked for the Shah's government and
creating children's activity books for charity. Congratulations, Prue!!

(reprinted with permission from SCBWI's online newsletter 'Expression OnLine')


"Puppy & Me" - Jackie Hosking's first publication with (Pearson Education
Australia) can be found in the October issue of Comet Magazine (p22 & 23).
She would like to thank Pearson for presenting the poem so beautifully with
special thanks to Jane Wallace-Mitchell for her wonderful illustrations.




INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Lao Tzu:

"A man with outward courage dares to die. A man with inward courage dares to
live."



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PASS IT ON SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submit contributions to jacket@smartchat.net.au
Comic Sans MS, 12pt, single-line spacing (not essential but helpful)
Mark PASS IT ON SUBMISSION in the subject line
Submit within the body of the email
Give your piece a title heading: eg New Publications; Seeking; General
Information; etc.
Email addresses and contributor contact details will be withheld unless
otherwise stated



Jackie Hosking
Editor/Compiler "PASS IT ON"
www.jackiehosking.com