SAGUARO BOOKS

I manage a new publishing company, Saguaro Books, publishing middle grade and young adult fiction by first-time authors. Please send queries with first three chapters to mjnickum@saguarobooks.com. visit our website at www.saguarobooks.com

Mom's Story

Mom's Story has received the Books in Sync 2012 Best Book Cover Award. Mom's Story is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and www.marynickum.com

Writers Beware

MECHANICS WHEN PREPARING A MANUSCRIPT FOR PUBLICATION

__________ Spelling

• Don't trust spell-check to interpret your connotation. Use a dictionary.

__________ Capitalization

• Know the rules and obey them.
• Essentials of English; p. 2-3, 134-135

__________ Punctuation

• Avoid overuse of commas and exclamation points. Properly punctuate quotes.
• Essentials of English: p. 119-139

__________ Manuscript properly formatted

• Editors appreciate a double-spaced manuscript with one-inch margins. 

Be sure to read the publisher's submission guidelines. Not all publishers have the same requirements. Read them and reread them again.

25 Synonyms for “Delete”

The word delete did not loom large in the general vocabulary until the personal-computer revolution exposed us all to the keyboard key labeled with the word based on the Latin term delēre, meaning “to wipe out” or “destroy.” Modern usage is not so vivid; the term is usually neutral in connotation. But many of its synonyms come with a more potent and portentous sense of removal.
1. Bowdlerize: This word, derived from the surname of an editor notorious for removing words and passages he considered vulgar, connotes puritanical pruning.
2. Censor: The connotation of this word, originally a Latin term for an official charged with approving literary works, is of removal of content considered subversive or dangerous to the stability of the state and society.
3. Efface: This term, from an Anglo-French word literally meaning “un-face,” refers to the physical act of removal, but in the context of content, it suggests removing content so as to eliminate it from memory. The verb also refers to wearing away or making inconspicuous.
4. Eradicate: The Latin progenitor of this word, eradicatus, literally means “pull up from roots,” but the contemporary sense is similar to that of efface. However, the idea is that the content is destroyed from the roots up rather than from the surface down.
5. Erase: The Latin predecessor, erasus, which means “to scratch or scrape,” refers to the removal of ink from parchment or paper or of incisions in clay by literally abrading the surface, which a modern rubber eraser does more gently. The sense, however, is of an action just as definitive.
6. Excise: Excise literally means “to cut out,” as if referring to an element lifted out from the whole.
7. Expunge: The literal translation of the Latin term expungere is “to dot out,” from when words were marked for deletion by making dots underneath them. An idiom employing this word, “expunge from the record,” indicates the modern sense of elimination from documentation.
8. Expurgate: The meaning of this word is clear from its central element — it means “to purge,” to remove objectionable material. An unexpurgated version of a document retains the original content.
9. Launder: To launder language is to clean it by removing objectionable material.
10. Obliterate: The root of obliterate is disguised by the pronunciation of the first two consonants as a blend; its elements are ob and literate. The Latin term from which the word is derived, oblitteratus, literally means “against letters.” The sense of obliterate is of definitive destruction.
11. Omit: This word’s Latin forbear originally had the same prefix as obliterate. The other element, found in admit, remit, and submit, means “to let go or send.” Now, omit means “to leave out.”
12. Redact: Redact means “to select for removal.” It is also a synonym for edit, but the primary sense is of removing sensitive information in documents, usually by superimposing blocks of black marks over the text.
13. Repress: This is perhaps the most figurative of the synonyms for delete, in that it refers to preventing expression.
14. Silence: Though this word is normally associated with speaking and hearing, rather than writing and reading, it has a figurative connotation of removing the means of communication.
15. Suppress: Suppress differs only slightly in form and meaning from repress (“hold down,” as compared to “hold back”); the connotation is of authoritarian action to block publication.
16-25: Idiomatic expressions for delete include “black out,” “blot out,” “rub out,” and “wipe out.” Informal single-word synonyms are bleep, blip, clip, cut, and crop. (The first two derive from acoustic deletion but are sometimes applied to writing.) The most colorful of terms stems from the nearly obsolete tradition of using a brightly colored writing instrument to make deletions stand out on a page: red-pencil.

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Original Post: 25 Synonyms for “Delete”
Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.

Guide for a Good Manuscript Critique

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Joan Y. Edwards

 How can you give a good manuscript critique? When you critique a manuscript, you want to do a good job. You want the writer to be able to tell easily what you think. You want to give them both ways to correct and ways to enhance the manuscript. Here are ways that will guide you and insure you give a good critique.

When you critique a manuscript, make your notes stand out:

• Put in blue text at least three Blue Ribbon passages or highlight in blue – my name for words, sentences, phrases, paragraphs, or scenes that are especially well-written. In this particular manuscript, these parts win First Prize – the Blue Ribbon.
• Put in red text, highlight in yellow, and/or cross out words you believe should be deleted like this.
• Use a different color font for your remarks from the one the writer used.
• Use all caps for your input. WHAT A STRONG BEGINNING!
• Note punctuation and grammar errors.
• Point out where the writer needs to show, not tell. SHOW, DON’T TELL.
• Write questions in the manuscript when you think of them.
• Or do your own thing. Be creative.

Write the following questions at the beginning of the manuscript you’re about to critique. It will help you focus on the story’s strengths, as well as give the author places that need enrichment. If you’re the author, ask yourself these questions about one of your own manuscripts.

23 Questions for a Critique

After reading a manuscript, answer these questions.

1. What does the main character want?
2. What was he willing to do to get it?
3. What kept the main character from getting what he wanted?
4. Does he get what he wants? How?
5. What are the mistakes that the main character makes?
6. What are his flaws? (He’s got to have flaws.)
7. What is the lowest point in the story?
8. Did the main character change? How?
9.  What does the main character learn about life from his experiences in this story?
10. Do you know what each main character wants?
11. Does each main character have a distinct voice of his own?
12. Can you tell when a different character is talking?
13. What do you want to know that the writer is not telling you?
14. Does it make sense? If not, note in the manuscript which parts that don’t make sense.
15. Does the main character face his conflict or run away?
16. Does the main character save himself by human means or is he saved with unbelievable circumstances that seems like magic?
17. Mark where writer needs to show, don’t tell.
18. Can you write a short summary of the story? Do it.
19. What are three main errors-main punctuation and grammar errors-for the author to correct?
20. Point out any pet words that the author uses over and over again? A thesaurus might have other words to use in place of them.
21. What are three Blue Ribbon passages?
22. What questions come to mind as you read the manuscript?
23. After reading the story, can you write a short (25-100 word) summary? Do so. If not, tell the parts of the story that are missing.

I wish you great success in your writing career. Thanks for reading this blog post. I am honored by your presence here. Please leave a message in the comment area. I’d love to hear your ideas on how to give a good critique.

Never Give Up!
Joan Y. Edwards

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The submission period for the fourth issue of THE PATH is open. Please refer to the submission guidelines at www.thepathmagazine.com when developing your manuscript. The theme for this next issue is 'One Fine Night.' 

Saguaro Books

The Path to Publication Group, Inc. announces a new imprint,  Saguaro Books, publishing middle grade and young adult fiction by first time authors. The Path to Publication Group is a nonprofit company dedicated to the advancement of literacy. More information can be found at http://saguarobooks.com or mjnickum@saguarobooks.com

Mom's Story

I am working on a second edition of Mom's Story, A Child Learns About MS. It will be at Amazon this fall.

THE PATH vol.2, number 1

                                  TABLE OF CONTENTS

                             Volume 2, Number 1  Summer, 2012

D. E. Z. Butler	Two Poems	7
Catherine Becker Reynolds Joanne M. Deck Paul Grella Betty Mathews Steven G. Farrell Isadora Dahlen	Michael and the Mother’s Day Present Life Lessons from the Littlest Ones The Marathon Poem The Crimson Druid of Wisconsin Mom, Where are you?	10  17  23  33  35  56
Eva Willis	Two Poems	65
Budd Nelson Steven G. Farrell	The Ancient One Four Irish-American Hellcats!	67  75
Tatjana Debeljački  Chris Wilkensen	Poem Skydiving off Skyscrapers	92  94
Tracy Werth	What a Boy Needs	101
A  Paul Bergen R. J.  Buckley Mary J. Nickum Contributor Bios Submission Guidelines Advertisements	On The Necessity of Being God Jessica Carter Sanford Book Review:  Steve Jobs	108 117 131 142 147

Advertise in THE PATH now

THE PATH is available in print from Amazon ( http://ning.it/oHXSxK via @amazon), Smashwords (www.smashwords.com), CreateSpace (www.createspace.com)  and Barnes and Noble (www.barnesandnoble.com).

THE PATH is available electronically for Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, and at Smashwords (www.smashwords.com); in print on Amazon and CreateSpace (www.createspace.com).

THE PATH is a publication of The Path to Publication Group, a 501(c)(3) non-profit literature and writing organization. Dedicated to supporting innovative, cross-genre writing, the press publishes the work of translators, poets, and other writers. We encourage interaction between writers and readers by featuring works that appeal to a wide range of readers in our semi-annual literary journal. By actualizing the potential linguistic, cultural and political benefits of international literary exchange, we aim to ensure the advancement of literacy.

Specifications for Advertising in THE PATH

Full Page:         8”x10” black and white                                              $75.00

                          Any font that is easy to read

½ Page:               8”x5” black and white                                               $50.00

                          Any font that is easy to read

¼ Page:              2” x 2 ½” black and white                                          $35.00

                          Any font that is easy to read.

    Business Card is ok.

All ads must be submitted in .jpeg format and sized to fit. It must be ready to drop into the publication without further editing or resizing.

Orders to:

Mary Nickum

The Path to Publication Group

www.thepathmagazine.com

16201 E. Keymar Dr.

Fountain Hills, AZ 85268

New blog for Nickum's Nook

Please visit my new Nickum's Nook blog at: http://nickumsnook.com/

Follow me

Nickum's Nook has moved to: http://nickumsnook.com/. Please follow my new blog.

The Path to Publication Group

The Path to Publication Group is a proud member of:

 The Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (clmp)

 And The Independent Book Publishers Association (ibpa)

The Path

THE PATH is available electronically for Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, and at Smashwords (www.smashwords.com); in print on Amazon and CreateSpace (www.createspace.com).

THE PATH

 THE PATH, a literary magazine issue #2 is available

THE PATH

Issue Number 2 of THE PATH, published by The Path to Publication Group, is now available. Buy a copy through CreateSpace.com and Amazon.com.

THE PATH is a semiannual ebook/ezine magazine featuring essays, short stories, poetry, interviews and book reviews.

This literary magazine is not something written by and for the "elite." It's a down-to-earth vehicle for writers of fiction and non-fiction to express themselves about a given theme. The theme of issue no. 2 is "Urban Gone Wild."

The Path is taken by all writers. The Path to Publication can be long and arduous. This publication is dedicated to straightening and shortening that path. Please enjoy the work of authors who have chosen to take the path to publication.

THE PATH is published with the purpose of providing quality works to the reading public. It is our wish to also provide a venue not only for established authors, but to open another door for new writers to make their entrance into the literary world.

THE PATH is available for US$8.99 (paper) and $3.99 (ezine).

For more information or to place an ad, contact:

Mary Nickum, Editor-in-Chief

mjnickum@cox.net

www.pathtopublication.net

602-309-7670

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The submission period for the third issue of THE PATH is now open. Please refer to the submission guidelines below when developing your manuscript. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2012.

Submission Guidelines*

The Path

The Path to Publication Group is publishing a new literary publication – The Path.    You are invited to submit short stories, essays, book reviews and poems for inclusion in the semi-annual issues.  

 The theme for this issue is ‘Potpourri.’ For more information please visit the websites: www.pathtopublication.net and www.thepathmagazine.com . Past contributors will receive a call for submissions by e-mail automatically.  

1)      Short stories and essays - 2500 to 7000 words

2)             Poetry - 1 page

Please polish your manuscripts to the best of your ability and, of course, have someone else edit your work before sending to Path to Publication.   Do not format your work: no page numbers, no headers or footers, no paragraph indentations (skip a line for paragraph spacing).  Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word or RTF form.  Font: Times New Roman - size 12. All submissions must be submitted electronically, as e-mail attachments, to: mjnickum@cox.net .

Deadline for Issue #3 is April 30, 2012

All rights are retained by the author, and there will be no compensation for accepted work at this time*.

*Because we are staffed by volunteers, we can only compensate our writers in exposure to our audience.  Our columnists enjoy great publicity for their own blogs, books, websites, and projects.  Many find great reward in doing something good for the world of literature and literacy. You may also purchase add space to further promote your work.

Three ways to promote your book for free

by Robert Medak  

1. Create a Web site for the book before you begin writing your book to build interest in both the book and the author.

There are many free sites where you can build the Web site for your book and to draw people in to learn about what you are writing and build their interest.

By having a Web site, you also have to keep the viewers of the Web site up to date on your progress which will force you to complete the book, because they will demand it.

2. Create a Blog for your book and how it is progressing.

Comment back on any posts to build a more personal relationship with the visitors to your Blog. When you interact with possible readers on a personal level they are more likely to read your book, and if they like what they read, they are more inclined to tell their friends and family about it.

3. Create a video trailer on YouTube for your book.

You can create an account on YouTube for free and upload your trailer there.

If you don’t know how, there are site where you can bid the job out on bidding sites like oDesk, Guru, and others for little money. You might even know someone that can create the trailer for you and even upload it for you.

These are only three ways to promote your book for free. Do you have accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, or other social sites? Use them to talk about your book there as well to mention your Blog or Web site.

Robert Medak
Freelance Writer/Editor