The winners of the writing contest held in conjunction with our recent conference are listed below. Congratulations to all of the winners from across the country.

James P. Weiss of Florida for his story "The Great Church Robbery of Hermannstadt"

All first, second and third-place winners received engraved plaques or mounted certificates. In addition, Jack Nasser of Nasser Entertainment, a corporate sponsor, provided cash prizes of $25 - $100 for each category.

During our recent conference several members expressed an interest in becoming more involved in the Police Writers Club. They wanted more members, a bigger annual conference and greater input into the operations of the Police Writers Club.

Their voices were heard and the future looks very bright for all of us. Several of the members volunteered to help Ginny, Leslye and me to expand and more fully develop the Club’s potential in the coming year. They also asked us to call upon the rest of the membership to help improve the Club, in resources as well as financially.

To that end, we are calling upon all of our members to recruit one other member for 1999. That will double the size of our club and help many other aspiring writers to get published, either in the fiction or nonfiction areas.

While you recruit, work is underway to develop and write a comprehensive plan for the Club which will take us into the 21st Century as a viable, stable and very influential organization. This comprehensive plan will address our future, our core and optional services, our conference and training programs, as well as setting up a mechanism for the governing and operation of our Club.

If you are willing to be a part of building our future by lending some of your expertise or energy, let me know. You can drop me a note, call me, or e-mail me at rfulton@policewriter.com .

Together we can all learn, work, network, and get our work published.

Roger Fulton
President/Editor

"To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first."
William Shakespeare

Keith Bettinger of New York recently had articles published in North Carolina Police Officer (The FOP magazine) and in the Philadelphia FOP Peace Officer Magazine.

Sarah Cortez of Texas is one of our resident ‘police poets’. Her police poems have recently appeared in issues of WomenPolice, as well as in The Texas Observer. Sarah, an active police officer stays in touch with several other poets who are members of the Police Writers Club.

John Briant, the author of One Cop’s Story, is also a published poet. His poem "Farewell," about the murder of two U.S. Capitol police officers, was published in American Police Beat Magazine and The Gray Rider. John is a retired investigator from the New York State Police.

Chris Vail, a PWC member from Georgia, is the president of Law Enforcement Development (LED). He recently completed making a video for the Professional Security Television Network (PSTN). The tape, "Testifying in Court: Are You a Believable Witness," is also an excellent training tape for police officers according to Chris.

Member Clarice Cox of California (prior to January 1, 1999 of Oregon) doesn’t limit herself to writing solely for police publications. Her article entitled, "Captain Cook’s Other Discoveries," about the legendary explorer’s adventures in the Hawaiian Islands recently appeared in Island Scene. She advises it can be viewed on the Internet at www.islandscene.com at your convenience.

Your editor, Roger Fulton, of Virginia continues his column "Managing in the 90s" for Law Enforcement Technology Magazine. Watch for his new column "Supervisory Survival" in the CD-ROM magazine The Backup.

Doyle "D.T." Wright of Indiana has had his article "Control at the Lowest Levels" published in a recent edition of The Police Marksman. Another of his articles, "High Risk Stops: Safety Through Flexibility" will appear in another issue of The Police Marksman.

Tony L. Jones of Ohio has had his article "Autocratic vs. People-Minded Supervisors" published in Law and Order Magazine.

Hall of Fame News has published an article titled "Dealing with Stress" by John M. Eller of Pennsylvania. Chief Eller was also the subject of a very complimentary article covering the Chief’s use of "police trading cards" in his community policing efforts by PWC Corporate Sponsor, Indiana’s Finest.

Gina Gallo, a member from Illinois, is tapping into the international police writing market. The British Police Magazine has accepted two articles for publication and The Bodyguard, also out of England, will publish a regular column of Gina’s. This is a great second career for Gina after being forced into disability retirement from CPD with a blown out knee. Best wishes Gina.

Tim Dees of Georgia continues his relentless pursuit of law enforcement technology. A recent article, "Public Safety Assesses Speech Recognition" recently appeared in Radio Resource Magazine. He continues his regular technology column in Law and Order.

This club is for those who write for or about, the police and related subjects. Our members write both fiction and nonfiction. They write novels, short stories, poems, technical articles and books. We welcome both published and unpublished writers.

Our goal is to keep our writers motivated, writing, submitting, getting published, and getting paid. We provide writing tips, resources, and news of both members and markets.

At $45.00 per year, membership is a bargain for any current or aspiring writer.

Call or fax (804) 642-2343 for membership information and/or a free copy of our newsletter. Or, you can contact us via the Internet at www.policewriter.com

By: Julie R. Linkins

This is the final part of an extensive series that has been published in the last several issues of The Police Writer.

The guidelines offered here should help prospective authors avoid some of the frustration new writers typically experience and open the door to a rewarding endeavor.

Professional journals provide members of the law enforcement community with a marvelous opportunity to share their ideas, knowledge, and experiences with thousands of their colleagues simply by writing down what they know. Yet, the thought of pursuing publication strikes fear in even the bravest of souls.

Learning how to select a manageable topic, frame a thesis and outline, convince an editor to review and later accept a manuscript, and collaborate with an editor to polish the final product all can be disconcerting at first. But experienced officers should remember that making arrests and investigating cases did not always come easily, either.

Editorial staffs respond daily to numerous questions posed by prospective authors. While most of the questions are tailored specifically to the author’s particular dilemma, three questions, in particular, continue to be asked.

Must I Write Well?

The short answer is no, but it helps. Most editors agree that writing skill has some bearing on an article’s selection, but many would say that other factors, such as topic, factual accuracy, clear analysis and logical flow of information, and presentation, can be more important. Editors can correct grammar and punctuation, but they cannot magically produce the knowledge gained, for example, from years of law enforcement experience.

Are Multiple Queries/Submissions Okay?

Asking more than one editor about the same article idea poses no problem whatsoever at the query stage. Authors may send their article ideas to as many editors as they want; it only takes time and money.

However, editors frown on multiple submissions, that is sending the same article to a number of magazines to see who bites first. Magazines earn their reputations by publishing new material, so editors usually demand exclusive relationships.

And, editors never forget who "cheated" on them. One infidelity could banish an author to that magazine’s perpetual "doghouse."

A magazine’s reprint policy may help prospective authors to decide which editor receives the manuscript first. Some magazines will reprint articles that have been published elsewhere; others will not. Over time, authors can see the same article appear in several publications, depending on the reprint policies of each magazine.

Why Do Editors Decline Articles?

Many factors can compel an editor to decline an article idea. Most often, neglectful authors fail to research their market and send their articles to the wrong publications.

Sometimes, however, another author could have submitted a substantially similar idea first, or the magazine may have covered the topic in depth already. In a few instances, the writing simply will be too poor to make it worth the time and effort to correct. Occasionally, an author’s query letter and preliminary outline will promise something that the finished manuscript does not deliver.

IN THE MARKETPLACE

The National Writers Union is warning that Northern Light, an Internet information source, may be making freelance articles available in its Special Collection without the authors’ permission. The NWU has already received over 60 messages from their members who are convinced they never granted permission for their work to be used in this Special Collection. You can check to see if your work is in this collection by going to www.northernlight.com .

Newfront Publications, Inc. is looking for writers for its electronic mystery publications - adults and kids. Check the following Internet address for information and guidelines.

http://www.newfront.com

Lucy Meyer, a member of the Virginia Writers Club, has introduced us to a pubication which may be of value to our members looking to get their books published. She writes, "Very small presses are ones which publish only one or two titles a year. They are a possibility for us longing to see our works in print."

In her search for these "very small presses," she subscribed to the Small Press Review, which charges $25 per year for a subscription. It is published monthly by Dustbooks. They can be reached at P.O. Box 100, Paradise, CA 95967, (916) 877-6110.

Looking for new and additional markets for your writing? The Gila Queen’s Guide to Markets might help. This publication covers conferences, contests, courses, grants, online magazines, resources and websites. They put out a Mystery and Suspense issue once a year. Published monthly, a 12-issue subscription in the U.S. is $34.00. You can contact them at P.O. Box 97, Newton, N.J. 07860-0097, (973) 579-1537 or

via the Internet at:

http://members.xoom.com/GilaQueen

Margaret and Jim McBride are no longer the editors of Fingerprints - the publication of the Crime Writers of Canada. The new editor is Karen Campbell. Send all Fingerprints submissions to:

c/o Eddy Barber
3007 Kingston Rd., Box 113
Scarborough, Ontario M1M 1P1
Canada
or to: apl113@freenet.toronto.on.can.
URL:http://www.swifty.com/cwc/cwchome.htm

Cops OnLine Magazine is "for Police officers around the world. Find out the latest information from articles written by cops."

To learn more about them, go to:

http://www.copsonline.com

WomenPolice Magazine is seeking submissions from qualified writers. To query or submit, contact Jeannette Taylor, Editor, WomenPolice Magazine, N. Deer Isle Rd., Box 149, Deer Isle, ME 04627; Phone (207) 348-6976; E-mail: Jeanet6877@aol.com .

The Police Marksman Magazine is seeking articles which, "save officers’ lives and keep them informed of the newest and most reliable ways to accomplish their goals." The Publisher, Charles Leslie Dees continued, "Please feel free to submit any articles that you have related to officer survival on the streets, training, new law enforcement equipment, etc. Call me if you have any questions." The Police Marksman has been a Corporate Sponsor of the Police Writers Club for many years. Contact them through Editor Connie Dees, The Police Marksman, 6000 E. Shirley Lane, Montgomery, AL 36117, (334) 271-2010;

E-mail: pma@policemarksman.com
URL: http://www.policemarksman.com

Securimag is a French security and law enforcement magazine. They will translate your articles and pay you between 500 and 750_ when you submit articles. They are seeking articles on Special Units, Training, Private Security, Bodyguards, K-9 and dog handling subjects, terrorism and counter terrorism and intelligence. Seventy-five percent of their readers are in private security. Contact Jean-Guy via e-mail at serr@club-internet.fr for further information and writers guidelines.

Correction: The Treasure Chest’s correct e-mail address is chanslits@sybercom.net . Their publication provides information on contests, conferences and writing workshops.

Washington Irving

Www.writerswebsite.com provides a host of writers’ resources and linked sites.

David M. Somerfleck, a long-time writer, sponsors an open site for writers. Contact it through: http://welcome.to/DMSforever

The Writer & Poet’s Treasure Chest specializes in writing "detail-rich, informative articles about events for writers, poets, playwrights and screenwriters. We offer the most complete, up-to-date source of opportunities for you to market your work and obtain education, training or networking opportunities." You may reach the Treasure Chest at:

http://www.VABCH.com/treasure

Submitted by: Marilyn Olsen, Editor of Indiana’s Finest, and a PWC Corporate Sponsor

1. "I’ve never read your magazine, but I have this great idea for a story."

2. "This story I’m sending you is so good it’s already been published in three other magazines."

3. "I’ve never written a magazine article before, but. ."

4. "I got an A on this term paper and I think it would make a great article."

5. "I’ve seen some of the stories you’ve run and believe me, this is much better than most of them."

6. "To whom it may concern. . ."

7. "My son (daughter, wife) wrote this poem and . ."

8. "Even though your magazine is mostly about law enforcement, I’m sending you this article on . . . (race cars, gardening, nuclear physics . . .)"

9. "This article about our new product would really help boost our sales."

10. "My mother (brother, wife) bet me that you wouldn’t publish this article."

11. "Attached is my 10-page resume. . ."

ARE YOU ON THE WEB?

By: Roger Fulton

We mean is your NAME out there on the Web? If not, you may be missing opportunities for book sales, influence and notoriety.

To help you, we decided to test ourselves to see if Roger V. Fulton was on the Web. Our first stop was Microsoft’s "search engine of the day." We typed in Roger V. Fulton. The computer churned briefly and came up with a webpage for us to investigate.

www.horizon-usa.com/horizon/css.htm

Typing it in, we found that Horizon Institute in Florida, the producer of videos based on our book, Common Sense Supervision was advertising it for sale.

The second hit on the list was:

www.horizon-usa.com/intlartcop/staff.htm

Clicking on it took us to Roger V. Fulton’s biography as a staff member of Horizon Institute.

The next two "hits" took us to online bookstores which handle Roger V. Fulton’s books, Common Sense Supervision and Common Sense Leadership. The hit at www.amazon.com provided pictures of the covers and extensive information about the book. The other,

www.barnesandnoble.com provided basic information about the books, but no pictures.

A further search of the YAHOO search engine took us to our own webpage, www.policewriter.com, which provided information about Roger V. Fulton’s books, his role as president of Knight Management Corporation and information about the Police Writers Club.

In our name search, we even found a reference to an article in the May/June 1994 issue of Police Marksman entitled "Gun Control Laws - Are They Helping You to Stay Alive?" It was written by Roger V. Fulton.

In our search we also found references to an English Roger Fulton who has a book on video reviews, and an engineer who also shares the name Roger Fulton.

Our conclusion to this exercise was that we are "moderately" out on the Web. Certainly we are out there more than those "other" Roger Fultons.

But the point of this exercise was to give you the impetus to ensure that YOUR name is out there on the Web. If it isn’t, you are missing several million people, worldwide, who might want to get to know you. They may even want to buy your book or services.

Roger Fulton, your editor, is "somewhat" computer literate, and luckily knows people who understand this Web stuff and have pointed him in the right direction.

COLLABORATING WITH ANOTHER AUTHOR: PROBLEMS AND TACTICS

By: Tony Lesce

Occasionally you may consider being co-author of a book or article. This can be very gratifying, or it may simply double your problems.

One advantage of collaboration is bringing two minds to work on the same task. If you and your co-author are compatible, the relationship can be very beneficial. However, the disadvantage is that you do not earn as much money as you would have if you had been sole author. Think about this carefully. Unless you are doing it for prestige, or "pro bono," money is important.

Before beginning, it’s important to establish certain ground rules. You and your co-author must decide in advance who will be the senior author. Who has the deciding vote in case of a disagreement? Also, how will you split the proceeds? How will you divide the work? Who will write which chapters? Who will revise and edit? When and how often will you meet for work sessions? Who will take photographs? Who will pay the postage? Failure to face these questions at the start can bring serious problems later.

Another area of concern is whether or not your co-author will hold up his/her end. Do they have the time to devote to this project? This is less important if the project is a magazine article, but before you begin investing time in a book, be sure that your partner is both able and willing to do his share of the work.

If you neglect this aspect, you may be unpleasantly surprised to find out that your co-author’s time is taken up with PTA meetings, taking his wife to work, taking the kid to the doctor, putting in extra hours at work, attending classes at the community college, etc.

This implies that you should know your prospective co-author well, at least well enough to know if he will keep his half of the bargain. During preliminary talks, you should at all costs determine whether or not his schedule allows him to put in enough time with you.

At times, you’ll encounter someone you do not know well, and who suggests working with you on a book. How do you determine if this person is serious, and actually able to do his share?

Years ago, I began collaborating with one man who somehow seemed always to have excuses for non-performance. I seemed to me making all of the effort, while he failed even to show up for meetings to discuss progress. It became very frustrating, and eventually I had to tell him that I could not continue to work with him.

One way I’ve found to diagnose flakes is to agree with them that their idea is promising. Do not lay it on too thickly, as you’ll risk sounding insincere. Tell him that, for you to get a firmer grasp of his ideas, you need an outline, and a few pages of notes. These may be handwritten, if necessary.

My experience has been that about nine out of ten of those who suggest writing a book with me failed to accomplish this simple task. I never heard from them again, and concluded that, if they could not even be motivated enough to write a rough outline, they’d be exceedingly poor prospects as co-authors.

Do you want a written contract with your co-author? The legal-minded among you will of course answer "yes." However, think this through very carefully. If your co-author is a flake, the contract isn’t worth the paper on which it’s written. Yes, you can hire an attorney, but are you in the writing business, or the litigation business? Do you have time for a lawsuit, while you could be doing something else?

Collaborating with another means doubling your risks. Taking calculated risks is prudent, given the possible rewards. However, coming unprepared to the task of collaborating with another person without realistically weighing the prospects is reckless.

Tony Lesce is a professional law enforcement writer and a member of the Police Writers Club. He can be reached through Lesce’s Professional Services, 1925 Juan Tabo NE, Ste. B-262, Albuquerque, NM 87112-3359 (505) 797-4122 Fax or Phone.

THE POLICE WRITERS CLUB’S

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Each year, the Police Writers Club recognizes the accomplishments of one of its members by awarding them the Lifetime Achievement Award. This award goes to a member who has distinguished themselves as a writer, and who has had a significant impact on the law enforcement community by their writing.

Anyone can nominate a member for this award, including the member themselves. All it takes is a note or phone call to the PWC office as listed on the masthead, outlining why you feel the members should be considered for the award. We’ll do the rest.

Our Corporate Sponsors make research and other services available that are not covered by membership dues. Be sure to sponsor THEM whenever you can.

P.O. Box 6208, Holmesburg Station
Philadelphia, PA 19136
(215) 698-5373 Phone
(215) 676-7245 Fax

This journal serves several thousand police officers and detectives throughout Pennsylvania. "We are always seeking articles on new or innovative programs or procedures for combating or solving crime."

6000 East Shirley Lane
Montgomery, AL 36117
(334) 271-2010 Phone

Law officers nationally depend on The Police Marksman to deliver the most current information on training trends, officer survival, new products and legal issues. Call or write for further information.

17 East 47th Street
New York, NY 10017
(212) 888-8171

If you are a writer, or are interested in the mystery field, you have much to gain from association with the Mystery Writers of America, Inc. Call or write for additional information.

One of our successful writers, Kevin Cassidy, is a principal with this licensed investigation and consulting firm. They specialize in fire safety and loss prevention in the New York Metropolitan area, but welcome inquiries from across the country.

507 Walnut St.
Paris, TN 38242
(901) 642-5435

This tabloid-style magazine is new. They are seeking articles of general interest to police officers. They have article guidelines and a payment schedule in place. Contact the editor, Barry Hart, for more information.

11350 Ventura Boulevard, Ste. 101
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 505-8030 Phone
(818) 505-1102 Fax

Nasser Entertainment, the leader in true crime movies, is looking for your stories. Their movie credits as executive producers, co-executive producers or co-producers have appeared in many network movies, including Fight for Justice: The Nancy Conn Story on NBC and Race Against Time: The Search for Sarah on CBS. Submit summaries to the address above.

1333 North US Highway 17-92

Longwood, FL 32750-3724

Phone (800) 847-6502

Fax (407) 695-2906

World Wide Web: http://www.gouldlaw.com

Gould supplies law enforcement officers with a variety of titles, from basic, state-specific, code and law books to promotional aids. Call or write for more information on their titles.

Indiana’s Finest is a 100-page quarterly magazine published by the Indiana State Police Alliance. Its circulation is 6000 and is sent to all Alliance members and other law enforcement officers and members of the Indiana Legislature.

498-A Wythe Creek Road
Poquoson, VA 23662
(804) 868-4400 Phone
http://www.rad-systems.com

Specializing in law enforcement training programs, the Tidewater Academy welcomes students from across the country. Their programs include Arrest Control Tactics, Aerosol Control Options, Impact Weapons, nd Weapon Retention and self-defense for women among others. Call for a list and a schedule of courses.