The Writer's Perspective by Maria Schneider

Hi Writers,
I was sitting in an online workshop last week. Dozens of other magazine and book editors were present as well as much of upper management, including our CEO. And he made a statement that I've been thinking about ever since: when it comes to the Internet, we need to let go of our perfectionism.

Now I've always believed that perfectionism is ultimately frustrating, since it can really cripple creativity. But as the editor of a print magazine, perfectionism is always the goal, even if it's never quite achieved. We hone and polish the magazine to a high shine, send it off to press with a wish and a prayer and cringe when the inevitable typo gets through. It's an editor's way to want the baby to be as perfect as possible. (By the way, there's a wonderful essay on this topic in Salon: Let Us Now Praise Editors.)

But the Internet is fast and loose and free. More casual language rules and no one seems to care if you get lax with your commas or use a dash where there should have been a semi-colon. Perfectionism slows you down. And I have to admit that this is really appealing to the writer in me.

So this is a dichotomy for the writer, isn't it? All writers are editors, in a sense. And letting go of perfectionism can be difficult.

Are you a perfectionist with your writing? And do you relax your standards when you write online?

As always, I'd love to hear from you, especially all of you busy writer/bloggers out there.

Yours in non-perfectionism.

Keep Writing,
Maria

blogs and online writing

7/24/2007 11:34:40 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [9]

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

WORDS WE LOVE
Posted by maria

Hi Writers,
Thanks to all who contributed to "Words We Hate" (see my previous post). Back on this language sensitivity issue, though, I've been feeling a bit like an uptight English teacher who's picking on the bad kids without acknowledging the good ones.

So in that spirit, I'd like to share with you "Words I Love" and I'd like you to share your darlings, too.

I love words that have double oos:
oomph (even though it's an onomatopoeia and I hate the word onomatopoeia)
smooth
spoof

I love French menu sounding words, and try to work them into my writing whenever I can get away with it, without sounding pretentious (which is a challenge):
frisson
flambe
beignet

I love almost all words that begin with a Z:
zip
zither
zest

I don't know why I like these words--maybe one of our resident linguists can tell us why.

So let's hear it: What words make your heart beat faster?

Keep Writing,
Maria

language issues

7/17/2007 4:40:14 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [10]

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Is there a language sensitivity gene?
Posted by maria

Hi Writers,
I just read an interesting "On Language" column in the NYT this week written by Jaimie Epstein, "Sentence Sensibility"

This column (difficult to get through due to the satiric(?) use of Jane Austen-esque run-on sentences that could poke a person's eye out) brings up an important question for writers to obsess over: "Is there a language-sensitivity gene?"

From my own observations, I'd have to say, absolutely, yes. Case in point: This very weekend a song came on the car radio. It was a locally produced song, circa-1978 called, "Music, Sex and Cookies." I hadn't heard this particular song in at least two decades. Well, my passengers were stunned to witness that I knew the lyrics in their entirety.

This happens often and I never really think about it until I'm with non language sensitive types, and they infer how utterly freakish it is.

This, coupled with the fact that certain words will turn me so pale that our managing editor keeps smelling salts in her desk, leads me to believe there is, in fact, a language sensitivity gene.

To prove my point, I'm going to list one of my most hated words right here so you'll see for yourself:

penultima...

See, I just passed out.

Here's my question to you: Is there such a thing as a language sensitivity gene?
Also, what's your most hated word? Go ahead and share, it's good to let it out.

Keep Writing,
Maria
P.S. A loyal WD forum member (cooltouch) has correctly pointed out that I offer no sound scientific findings in my thesis here stated. I am ordering DNA testing of grandparents on both sides and will report back on the results.

language issues

7/10/2007 11:15:35 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [13]

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

IS SUMMER-TIME DOWNTIME?
Posted by maria

Hi Writers,
I've been trying like crazy to come up with something newsy to share with you. But as I mentioned before, in summertime the wheels of publishing turn slowly since editors are frolicking in the Hamptons. And with the Fourth of July holiday, it's pretty quiet.

Of course, not much going on is a plus for writers: More time to write!

Thinking ahead, it is time to start getting your query letters and submissions ready for fall when publishing returns to full tilt. Here's a creative nonfiction contest Graywolf Press is putting on to whet your appetite:

Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize Submission Guidelines
Graywolf Press is pleased to announce the fourth annual Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize. A $12,000 advance and publication by Graywolf in 2009 will be awarded to the best previously unpublished, full-length work of literary nonfiction by a writer not yet established in the genre. Robert Polito will serve as the judge.

“This prize seeks to acknowledge – and honor – the great traditions of literary nonfiction, extending from Robert Burton and Thomas Browne in the seventeenth century through Defoe and Strachey and on to James Baldwin, Joan Didion, and Jamaica Kincaid in our own time,” says Robert Polito. In looking for the winner, Polito goes on to say, “We seek the boldest and most innovative books from emerging nonfiction writers, although we define ‘emerging’ (no more than two published books) as lightly and flexibly as we define literary nonfiction. Whether grounded in observation, autobiography, or research, much of the most beautiful, daring, and original writing over the past few decades can be categorized as nonfiction. Submissions to the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize might span memoir, biography, or history – but it’s essential that they be finished books (no miscellaneous essay collections, sample chapters, or proposals).”

Eligibility: Any writer who has not published more than two books of literary nonfiction (this excludes academic work and books in other genres) and resides in the United States is eligible. We welcome submissions from previously unpublished writers. Collections of miscellaneous essays/prose are not eligible for the prize. We will consider one submission per person. Manuscripts submitted for previous years' prizes will not be reconsidered unless resubmission has been specifically invited by Graywolf’s editors or the judge.

Timeline: Submissions must arrive in the Graywolf offices between September 1-30, 2007. Please note that this is not a postmark deadline. The winner will be announced in February 2008 and published in February 2009.

And here's my question for you: Does your writing slow down in the summer? Why or why not? Do tell.

Keep Writing,
Maria
P.S. Cincinnati editors do not frolic in the Hamptons. They frolic instead in the Ohio River, dodging river barges and debris floating downriver from Pittsburgh.

the writing life

7/3/2007 10:24:39 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [8]

Friday, June 29, 2007

Welcome Poets
Posted by maria

Hi Writers,
I'd like to officially welcome aboard our newest bloggers, Nancy Breen and Robert Brewer, who are coauthoring Poetic Asides. In addition to being poets themselves, Nancy and Robert are part of the Writer's Digest brain trust as the editors of Poet's Market and Writer's Market, respectively.

Nancy wrote a great piece for Writer's Digest in April, The 21st Century Poet.

The dynamic poetry duo made their first posts this week, and they already have a healthy debate going on. It's an interesting mix of their personal experiences in the poetry world combined with their expertise as editors covering these same markets.

Allow me to share a poetic aside of my own. I just finished editing a piece on sestinas for our October issue. Question: How many lines are there in a sestina?

Keep Writing,
Maria
p.s. There are 39 lines in a sestina. Six, six-line stanzas followed by a tercet. Don't say I never teach you anything.

Writer's Digest news

6/29/2007 4:22:22 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [5]

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Turning Forward the Clock
Posted by maria

Hi Writers,
You may or may not realize that Writer's Digest has been around for a long, long time—nearly 90 years, in fact. One of my favorite things to do here is peruse our archives. And I nearly always find fascinating stuff, such as an essay on writing by H.G. Wells, or an article touting the young upstart F. Scott Fitzgerald.

As I'm responsible for finding ways to integrate our historic magazine into the digital realm, I've been spending a lot of time lately, not only reading industry news, but just thinking about our changing world and what this all means to writers.

I could send you to dozens of news reports and analyses about magazines moving to the Internet at a furious pace. But I'm sure you've read plenty of these on your own and don't need me to point them out to you.

What I would like to propose to you is this creative exercise:

Think about what our famous writers of centuries past would be doing in the year 2007.

Would Shakespeare be hosting a poetry forum? Would Mary Shelley be making slasher films? How about good old Lord Byron—what the heck would he be doing with himself? Writing for the soaps, perhaps?

Let your imagination run wild. Go ahead and post here in the comments section. And I'll publish my favorite responses in the December issue of Writer's Digest.

Keep Writing,
Maria

p.s. Update on my last post: unfortunately my dastardly scheme to make Cincinnati the worldwide hub of publishing has been thwarted, as lots of midwest editors have admitted they like to nap, too.

the writing life

6/26/2007 11:29:37 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [5]

Friday, June 22, 2007

Sweet Dreams New York
Posted by maria

As all writers and editors know, in the publishing world, New York sets the trends and standards for the rest of us.

With this in mind, I was perusing The New Yorker this week, when I came across this article in The Talk of the Town "Lights Out"

The newest trend in publishing—remember you heard it here first (well, OK second) is—naps.

Here's an excerpt from the piece:

Peter Workman, the founder and chief executive of Workman Publishing, is known among his employees as a stickler for traditional business hours: his editors are expected to be at their desks every morning at nine, an hour at which many in the industry are still spilling crumbs upon Michiko Kakutani. In January though, the house published “Take a Nap! Change Your Life,” a how-to and why-you-should, by Sara Mednick, which argues that napping increases productivity improves health, and encourages weight loss, among other benefits. After it came out, Workman was persuaded that his own minions ought to be encouraged to fall asleep on the job

“If it does work, why not us?” Workman said the other day in his office, whose bookshelves are filled with copies of “The Silver Palate Cookbook” and “1,000 Places to See Before You Die” and other books that his team had produced while not napping. Tie loosened and wire-rimmed glasses askew, Workman looked as if he had just woken up from a nap himself, but a can of Diet Coke and a jar of chocolate candies on his conference table testified to a dependence upon more traditional means of stimulation. (He has brought a pillow to the office but has yet to use it.)

First of all, can I just say that, wow New York, you have to be at work by 9 a.m.?! I can see why you must be tired (which I type from my office while sipping my third cup of coffee at 7:15 a.m.).

Having been in the position of needing to reach New York publishing types in the summer, I'm aware that New Yorkers in publishing work "summer hours" which pretty much means, no work so you can frolic in the Hampton and whatnot.

I'm just going to put an offer out on the table, so between your naps and your summer hours, the engine of publishing keeps moving through this long, hot summer: Farm your editing work out to Midwestern editors, who are not known to nap or observe summer hours. Just think about it: Smart, corn-fed Midwesterners who can fulfill all of your writing and editing needs. You can think of us as your own between-the-coasts Kelly Services. And you won't even be accused of outsourcing—we're American, too!

And by the way, we'd be happy to take on The New Yorker for the summer, also. Would you mind if we called it, just for the summer, The Cincinnatian? We're even willing to throw in a couple of pillows to seal the deal. Think about it. We're here for you.

Keep Writing,
Maria
p.s. You may, perhaps, enjoy Europe for your summer break. I understand they like to nap there, too.

publishing news and views

6/22/2007 9:36:03 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [4]

Friday, June 15, 2007

BUY A BOOK FOR MCSWEENEY'S
Posted by maria

Hi Writers,
You may remember a few posts back I wrote about a Dave Eggers interview we're running. Well, here it is, hot off the presses and coincidentally soon to be available in the August issue of Writer's Digest. I wanted to go ahead and post this article featuring Eggers writing about Sudanese refugee Valentino Achak Deng.

McSweeney's—Eggers publishing house—is undergoing some tough times financially. Their distributor, PGW went bankrupt and left McSweeney's in a cash crisis.

You can read all about it on McSweeney's.net. They're holding a big sale with hugely discounted books, journals and magazines, including hard-to-find volumes of the literary journal McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, back issues of a great literary magazine, The Believer and beautiful literary works aplenty. Go to their online store for the goods.

I own several issues of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern including the coveted Comics issue, and I adore them all. Each one is so unique and imaginative in design, I'm going to take this opportunity to get all I can get my hands on. I also enjoy Your Disgusting Head, which is great to leave out on your coffee table to liven up a dull cocktail party.

I would go as far to say that these books and journals are collector's items. Own them and your friends will think you're cooler; your grandchildren will one day thank you for your incredible foresight.

Remember, there are only 193 days left until Christmas. Be impressed that I counted.

Keep Writing,
Maria

publishing news and views

6/15/2007 3:18:52 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Messy or Neat?
Posted by maria

Hi Writers,
It's funny how interested writers are in how other writers do their work.

In the August issue of Writer's Digest, we profile four writers in their writing spaces (Vendela Vida, Richard Adams Carey, Lemony Snicket and Lisa Gardner). So I decided to put out a call for readers to post photos of themselves in their writing spaces. To get things rolling, I posted a photo of my home office. I can't believe how much grief I'm getting for having a neat desk.

I wouldn't say I'm all that neat, really, but I do need an organized work space to do my work, otherwise I find myself compulsively cleaning and straightening in order to sit down and write (elaborate procrastination ritual?). I'm kind of a serial neatnik at work. My desk isn't always clean, especially around deadlines, but I do go through some serious binge cleaning every few weeks to keep the clutter at bay.

Well, I was reading the BoSacks newsletter today, and found that I have a kindred spirit in Rolling Stones editor Jann Wenner.

His desire for control occasionally may seem excessive. For example, he insists on neat desks.

"I think if you've got a messy office, you must have a messy mind," he says. "If I walk down the hallway of the company I own, this is the way I want it to look. And I think it makes a good environment for everybody."

So how about your writing space? Tell the truth: Messy or neat?
And please share your own photos on the WD forum.

Keep Writing,
(even if it's in a pig sty)
Maria

the writing life

6/12/2007 11:03:51 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [9]

Thursday, June 07, 2007

We made the NYT!
Posted by maria

Hi Writers,
The New York Times posted an article about our conference/ pitch slam, if you want to know how a pitch slam goes. This reporter was actually in the room Kevin and I moderated, "Tough Sell for Writers at NY Literary Speed-Dating."

Here's an excerpt:
Several dozen agents and editors were taking pitches at Wednesday's "pitch-slam" at the end of a one-day seminar that also included workshops on writing the perfect book proposal.

"Don't feel like you're a failure if you don't come out of here with a contract," Lauren Mosko, editor of writers' guide "Novel & Short Story Writer's Market," told her workshop.

Brief note to The New York Times: I know you're busy covering world affairs and such, but it would have been lovely if you would have mentioned in this piece that you were at the BEA/ Writer's Digest Books Writer's Conference.

You know that whole Who, What, When, Where, Why thing you learned in J-School? The Where part is kind of important.

Keep Writing,
Maria

publishing news and views | Writer's Digest news

6/7/2007 9:08:08 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Post-Conference
Posted by maria

Chuck Sambuchino, Me, Kevin and John Warner cutting loose
after the Writer's Digest conference

publishing news and views | Writer's Digest news

6/5/2007 2:34:39 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [6]

Monday, June 04, 2007

BEA WRAP-UP
Posted by maria

Hi Writers,
Well, I'm back home in Cincy where the lights are a little less bright than NY, but at least they let you sleep occasionally.

This was my third trip to BEA and I have to say, the crowds seemed more enormous than ever this year. This bodes well for the publishing industry, I suppose. But it was difficult to grab the galleys I wanted including Tom Perrotta's new book, The Abstinence Teacher and Alice Sebold's new novel, The Almost Moon. Oh well, made for a lighter suitcase on the trip home.

I ran into lots of agents at the show this year including the always delightful Katharine Sands, agent and author of the book Making a Perfect Pitch.

I also got to meet bestselling author Luanne Rice, who showed up at the TOW book signing to support her lovely assistant Sarah Walker. Sarah was signing the galleys for her upcoming Really You've Done Enough, a book of satirical advice for parents of "grown-up" children. Also signing was Jason Roeder, author of Oh, the Humanity, a book of humorous advice for the socially inept.

As I mentioned previously, whiskey shots were served at the signing and yes, many shots were imbibed along with the literary offerings. I did not, as promised, drink enough whiskey to encourage me to start showing my Strunk & White tattoo. But I did indulge in one small, baby shot to show my support of Sarah and Jason's literary efforts. At any rate, both of these books are hilarious and they'll be available in the fall, so stay tuned. I'll let you know when they're for sale.

After the show, Sarah, Jason, Kevin Alexander, John Warner (TOW Books bigshot and editor of McSweeney's Internet Tendency) and I all walked down to the nearby Chelsea district, mostly because I wanted to go to Sebastian Junger's restaurant, the Half King Bar.

Here's the scene from our table: Two writers tossing about clever bon mots about male models, one is nodding and smiling ironically, one completely ignoring the conversation in favor of the televised baseball game, and the last has eyes glued on the door, waiting, hopelessly for Sebastian Junger to walk in.

I'll let you guess which one I was.

Until next time...

Keep Writing,
Maria

publishing news and views | Writer's Digest news

6/4/2007 2:00:04 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

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