“We’re all in this together. It’s not one of us against the other. It’s all of us against the clock.” ~ Galway Kinnell
CONTENTS
Writers' Night In - Monday, April 18
About Blogging
A Tale of Self-Publishing Success: Margaret Atwood
Open Mic Every Thursday
Calling All Book Authors! Tune-In Tuesdays
Grants Available to Low-Income Writers
Kudos
Upcoming Events
Do You Have a Professional Tip?
Can you Help Us on Social Media?
Spread Your News on the Update, Our Website, and Our Facebook Page!
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WRITERS' NIGHT IN
MONDAY, APRIL 18 @ 5:30-6:30 P.M.
VIA ZOOM
It's great when families and friends who aren't writers support and encourage us. But sometimes it's good to touch base with other writers who understand the joys and terrors of the profession. How to find possible new markets for our work. How it feels when piece you had high hopes for gets rejected (or accepted). The college classmate pulling big bucks working in a law firm
If you have something you'd like to complain about (or celebrate) why not stop by our April Boston Chapter’s virtual “Writers' Night In.” The floor’s open to hang out with fellow writers and talk about whatever's on your mind. Your latest project? The annoying editor or client who wants another revision? "Slapgate" at the Oscars? It's all open season.
Our next virtual gathering happens Monday the 18th, from 5:30 to 6:30. Feel free to invite friends who aren’t NWU members.
Hope you can join us...
Your NWU-Boston Steering Committee
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ABOUT BLOGGING
by Shannon O'Connor
Some people blog for their jobs, and some blog to get paid. I stumbled into blogging several years ago because I have a hen purse, which I named Ms. Hen, and I took lots of pictures of it and posted them on social media. People told me I should start a blog with Ms. Hen. I decided she should write reviews.
I started writing reviews of everything I did, but it was too much. I decided to mostly write about books, because that’s what I know the best. When I started my blog, it became an extension of my graduate school annotations – when working on my MFA, we had to write papers that were craft essays, meaning we had to explain what we learned about writing through reading the book – i.e. about dialogue, characterization, setting, food, it could be anything.
I don’t write for an audience; I write for myself. I do get views, but I don’t make any money. I do not blog for glory or fame, but to help myself think more critically about the books I read. I have a record of almost all the books I have read while writing my blog. If glory or fame comes, Ms. Hen will not shy away from it! She is a hen of many talents and strong opinions. You can read her blog here: http://mshenreviewsthings.blogspot.com/
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A STORY OF SELF-PUBLISHING SUCCESS:
MARGARET ATWOOD
by John L. Hodge
Margaret Atwood’s chilling novel The Handmaid’s Tale, published in 1985, has sold over 8 million copies and has formed the basis of a film, a television series, an opera and a ballet. In addition, she has published more than sixty works of fiction, essays, and poetry, and she has won numerous prestigious prizes. Her writing career began in 1961 with “Double Persephone,” a self-published booklet of seven poems contained in 16 pages. She couldn’t be bothered with looking for a publisher or an agent. She designed the cover and printed 220 copies herself with a flatbed press. There are still used copies of the original publication selling for thousands of dollars.
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OPEN MIC EVERY THURSDAY
The NWU New York Chapter, which for many years hosted open mics at the Muhlenberg branch library, is now holding virtual open mics weekly: every Thursday from 6:30 to 8:00 pm.
All writers from all genres are welcome. You can read for up to seven minutes. Just RSVP on meetup.com to view the link to join.
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CALLING ALL BOOK AUTHORS! TUNE-IN TUESDAYS
FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH
Royalty, Compensation & Distribution Issues for Book Authors
Join a discussion about the most pressing issues for book authors today. Share your experience and knowledge and advance your career, hosted by Book Division Chair Dan McCrory and NY Member Timothy Sheard. Planned topics for the first several sessions are listed here.
To REGISTER for the Zoom meeting program email chair Dan McCrory.
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GRANTS AVAILABLE TO LOW-INCOME WRITERS
TO ATTEND CONFERENCES OR WORKSHOPS
The Boston Chapter Steering Committee is offering $100 grants to up to five NWU members in good standing. These grants are available to those who face challenging financial circumstances and would like to attend a writing conference or workshop (one of those listed below or one of your choice), or to take advantage of some other professional development opportunity.
If you would like to apply, or would like more information, please contact Steering Committee Co-Chair Willie Wideman-Pleasants.
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On April 7th, Charles Coe gave a talk at Boston's historic Old South Meeting House about Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved person who in 1773 became the first African-American woman to publish a volume of poetry.
Please send any news of a publication, award, or writing-related appearance that has already happened to editor Barbara Mende. (A piece on your own blog or website doesn't qualify.) Send 50 words or less, plus your name and a link to the publication, event, or website where readers can find more info about you or the happening. Don't send notices of work that will be published in the future. Do send news of future events, but see the "Upcoming Events" block for that.
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Open Mic Every Thursday (see above)
Tune-In Tuesdays - First Tuesday of Every Month (see above)
SEND US NEWS OF YOUR UPCOMING READINGS, BOOK LAUNCHES, OR OTHER PUBLIC APPEARANCES. WE'LL TRY TO HELP YOU RAISE A (VIRTUAL} CROWD.
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DO YOU HAVE A PROFESSIONAL TIP?
Do you have words of wisdom or advice about the business or craft of writing? Suggestions on how to approach editors or publishers? What to look for (or avoid) in an agent? Good online resources for writers? Something like this month's piece on blogging? Or anything else you think might offer helpful insights and information to your fellow writers?
We’d love to hear from you. We’d love to include your tips in our Boston Chapter eNews Update. If you have something you’d like to share (up to 250 words), please send it to editor Barbara Mende.
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CAN YOU HELP US ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
We're looking for people who spend a lot of time on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and/or whatever to help us get the word out about NWU-Boston events past, present and future. If you're interested, please contact editor Barbara Mende.
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USE THE UPDATE, OUR WEBSITE, OUR FACEBOOK PAGE TO SPREAD YOUR NEWS
Are you speaking or reading from your work in the near future? Do you want to publicize an event that writers would be interested in zooming in to? Can you provide a service, such as editing or indexing or publicity, for your fellow union members? Do you just want to introduce yourself to the NWU membership?
Our Boston Chapter website, which you can reach at
nwu.org/chapters/boston/ or www.nwuboston.org, is here for you to use. Not only that, but if you send us an announcement of a specific event by the second Monday of each month, we'll try to include it in these updates.
Please send us news of any upcoming events that you'd like us to publicize, along with Zoom links or PDF posters if you have them. If you'd like to promote your services, plug your latest book, tell us about something writing-related that happened to you, or post anything else you can think of, we'll try to give it a place on the website.
Be sure to like the NWU Boston Facebook page, and visit it often.
And we'd love to hear from you if you'd like to contribute to these updates. Do you have information or a viewpoint on some phase of writing or publishing that you'd like to pass along? Do you have tips that you'd like to share with your fellow writers? Send them in! And don't forget, if you've published something or participated in an event or made an appearance, we'll post it under Kudos.
Send all your news for the Update and website to your webmaster.
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Co-Chairs: Jeanne Cosmos and Willie Wideman-Pleasants
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