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PUBLIC SAFETY WRITERS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
Editor: Marilyn Meredith, mmeredith@ocsnet.net This is your newsletter, please contribute articles, your news, book reviews, or anything else you think might be of interest. IN THIS ISSUE: MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Hope all of you are enjoying the beginnings of summer wherever you are and finding a lot of inspiration for your writing. As our ever-growing list-serve is revealing, many of you are having great success. Congratulations most recently to Sarah Cortez (see this newsletter for details). After much discussion, we've decided to keep the conference in Las Vegas at least another year. Three factors led to this decision. Everyone who filled out an evaluation at this year's conference expressed enthusiasm for the existing site and Keith has generously offered to coordinate the details for 2009. Also, the uncertainty of what air fares may be next summer has made us believe that if anywhere will be economical to reach by air it will be Las Vegas as it depends so much on tourism. As always, we are certainly open to other suggestions for conference location. As Marilyn Meredith has pointed out, many people plan their conference schedules at least a year in advance, so now wouldn't be too soon to be thinking of other options. Speaking of the conference, Marilyn has also agreed to make arrangements for speakers, so be sure to let her know ASAP of any topics or speakers you think would be good choices. Our goal has always to make the conference as affordable as possible and still break even, so take that into consideration. Thanks to the hard work of everyone involved, our treasurer Nancy Farrar informs us that the conference this year cost us just over $8! I'd say that close to break even is a terrific accomplishment! We're all also pleased to announce that Michelle Perin-Callahan has agreed to organize the writing competition for the third year in a row. At this point she is anxious to have feedback from all of you who have entered or are considering entering regarding categories you'd like to see included in the 2009 competition. This spring, AJ and Nancy Farrar and I spent a weekend creating a set of bylaws for the organization. We're putting the finishing touches on that document and will be sending them to you soon for your approval. As you will see, the bylaws create a formula for the election of officers and outline how major decisions will be made. They also create several standing committees and we hope many of you will be available to participate in this way. Meanwhile, as always if you have any questions about the organization, feel free to contact us (see the contact us button on this site for details). Again, I hope your writing is going well and this you remember to keep your fellow members in mind if you ever need help, encouragement or just the chance to share ideas.--Marilyn Olsen, President REPORT FROM A FIRST-TIMER I wanted to again thank all of you for the wonderful time I had this year at the Public Safety Writers Conference. It really was a neat event with a great group of people. Many smart people. People who care about what's happening in the world around them. And that's what they're writing about. Stories or events that helped to shape their lives. Stories they wanted to now share with us. Short stories. And stories through poetry. And novels and non-fiction. And technical writing. It was all there. And everyone was meeting everyone, making all the right connections and taking the right seminars that will help to shape their futures as authors as well as the futures of the many readers who will meet their work along the way. I hope everyone out there in the public safety field who writes or those who write about those in the public safety field will come out next year and share their life's experiences with us. Tell the stories from the perspective of caring eyes. And by all means enter the writing competition. That may even be the best part. Guys like me getting lucky and winning. And it means a lot to know that people who care, care about what you wrote. It felt terrific standing there and winning First Place for my novel Stolen Boy. I hope it's you who feels the joy next year. Because there's nothing quite like it. Stolen Boy: Voted "Book of The Year" and "Best in Fiction" * * * The panel Marilyn M and I did spawned a ridiculous story to be created in this coming year and shared at the next conference--sorry, I mean a completely plausible murder plot involving a private dick who is also a Chippendale's "dancer" named, uh, Chip, and a whole host of suspects from the doggie doo collector down to the yoga instructor. And the crime scene is in an abandoned meat-packing plant in Omaha. The victim is a judge on a national talent search like American Idol and it is... it goes... it seems... well, I suppose you'll have to see what the guilty do with those sparkling details... Victoria Heckman Victoria Heckman, Author of the K.O.'d in. . . A CONFERENCE WORTH WRITING ABOUT This was only my second year at attending the PSWA conference, but I already feel like an “old timer.” It was good to see familiar faces again, to hear their career advances and new books coming out. I was excited to see Michelle again, who I dubbed “Flamingo” last year after Bugsy's girlfriend. I'm always curious to see her latest fashion statements. I missed Johnny Saunders, but I heard he was busy taking the sergeant's test in Delaware. Networking is one of the main reasons I joined PSWA. This time I'm pitching Michael Mehas, Denny Griffin and John Bellah as possible speakers to organizations in the Central Valley. --Marilyn Meredith, http://fictionforyou.com * * * Sarah Cortez Announces New Project “Cop Stories USA” Each one of you who is a current cop or an ex-cop is eligible to contribute a written piece to “Cop Stories USA.” Write about something in policing that means something to you – the case you can’t forget, the car share you hate, your memory of going solo for the first time. Or, write about the ‘bigger issues” you’ve thought about through the years – justice, retribution, crime, the prison system. In this book we will tell America who we are, what we do, and how we see ourselves. This book will be an anthology of the writing of street cops, jailers, game wardens, military cops, school cops, state or federal agents, and will present different perspectives about policing – how we each do it, and how we each see it. My goal is a book of true life experiences with the authors’ own reflections about the experiences – all written by those of us who police across America. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a writer, fire up your laptop. I will edit this collection of law enforcement experiences, thoughts, and reflections about policing, and I’m willing to help you revise your writing. I recently spent several years helping more than thirty previously unpublished writers revise their memoir pieces for an anthology entitled “Windows into My World: Latino Youth Write Their Lives” published barely a year ago. This book has already won a national award and several of its authors are talking with major publishers about book contracts. I bring the same editorial eye to this project. Please email me at copstoriesusa@gmail.com for further information, deadlines, etc. I can email you the Request for Submissions with all the pertinent details, or answer any other questions. Please tell other cops or retired cops about the project. Be advised that all of the pieces in this new book must be previously unpublished. By Sunny Frazier It felt good to leave the conference with two short story awards in my hands. However, when I returned home, there were 24 stories waiting for me. Suddenly, I was no longer a contender. I was a judge. I'm going to have to give Michelle and Marilyn M. credit. Judging a contest is no easy feat. I had 12 points to rate, from formatting to theme. In addition, there was a section for comments. When I teach, I'm pretty demanding. I knew I'd have to be careful my tough love didn't ruin a budding career. The process was taxing. I had my personal preferences in writing styles and genre, but they were set aside. What I love about writing I looked for in the stories: good word choices, interesting sentence structure, out-of-the-box thinking. Plot takes second place to well-developed characters. I especially sought out that elusive element called “Voice.” There’s something magical about being in Vegas with the PSWA crowd, strutting through a hotel/casino the caliber of the Suncoast, rubbing shoulders with high-rollers, and dining “high on the hog” as we would say here in Illinois. Marilyn Meredith did a great job with the speakers and workshops…I especially loved the “brainstorming to start your novel” one…clearly there are some very creative minds in the PSWA group, even if some were a touch on the perverse side! I posted a batch of pics on the Oak Tree website…here’s the link, if you want to have a look: http://www.oaktreebooks.com/PSWA%202008.htm But all good things must end, and eventually I found myself back at home base, surrounded by all my piles of things to do. Is everyone tracking the Amazon/Booksurge flap? The uproar that hit shortly before the PSWA conference has subsided and chat lines have, for the most part, turned to other subjects, but the situation remains a serious concern for all of us in the publishing industry, writers and publishers and even other retailers. In the event you didn’t catch this news, Amazon has made a decision to insist that all Print On Demand books be printed at their inhouse shop, Booksurge. Those who refuse are having their “SELL” buttons removed from the Amazon site. What this means is that, although your cover and description and reviews and whatever are still displayed, there is no way for an Amazon shopper to buy your book via Amazon. You can, of course, list it for sale via Amazon Marketplace, but the book won’t ship via Amazon and therefore, won’t figure into any shipping deals or any special offers coming from Amazon. Are some parties thinking “Sue the bastards!”…yes, to be sure. There are a number of individual suits and one class action suit that I have heard of. Plus, when Amazon put the squeeze on publishers in the UK, they received a powerful blowback. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out. It was exciting to debut two new titles at the PSWA conference: Bob Cohen’s 2-volume collection SCURVY DOGS, GREEN WATER and GUNSMOKE: Fifty Years in US Navy Destroyers and Mary Montague Sikes’ latest entry into her Passenger to Paradise series, SECRETS By The SEA. And for any PSWAers with a ready-to-go manuscript, consider the COPTALES contest…the book I debut at the 2009 conference could be yours! Billie Johnson, Publisher * * * A small press is an independent publisher like Oak Tree Press. I’m published with a small press that I love. Though Oak Tree and my publisher meet some of the Mystery Writers of America criteria for an approved publisher, neither one meet them all. The reason MWA came up with the list of approved publishers is because of the do-it-yourself publisher. What I’m calling a do-it-yourself publisher is the many online publishers such as iUniverse, Publish America, Lulu.com, etc.. These publishers use the print-on-demand technology to print the books, giving choices as to layout etc., put ISBN numbers on your books etc. There are some wonderful books published by these outfits-but there are far more that aren’t so good. Some of these publishers do offer editorial services if you’re willing to pay for them. Unfortunately, not enough authors take advantage of these services—or have another editor go over their work. Because of the ease of getting published today by this type of publisher, the market is glutted with books that aren’t as good as they could be. This has hurt these authors and authors who are published by other small, independent publishers who use the print-on-demand publishers. If you are one of these authors and have tried to do a book signing in a regular bookstore, you may have already faced this problem. This is part of the MWA criteria for approved publishers:
Many of the major mystery conventions have decided to use the list of approved publishers as the criteria as to which authors can appear on panels at the conventions. Some are using similar or adjusted rules. (PSWA does not use these or any rules to prevent an author from being on a panel.) One thing authors need to understand is print-on-demand is a merely a printing technology. All it means is that the book is stored electronically until more copies are needed. Even the big New York publishers are using print-on-demand technology for some of their trade paperbacks. (A trade paperback is a soft cover book that is the size of a hard back book. Should be cheaper than a hard back. This is another problem with some of the publishers who charge far too much for a trade paperback, making them difficult to sell.) Print on demand also means that books aren’t returned and thrown in a dump to be destroyed. My publishers all use print-on-demand technology. No, they aren’t on the MWA approved publisher list because they don’t meet all of the criteria. They don’t pay advances, they do pay royalties—and most importantly, my manuscripts are edited before they are published. But guess what, folks, I now pay someone to edit them before I send them to my publisher. Why? Because I know that mistakes get by if they aren’t seen by another set of eyes than the author’s. Also, as the judge of many contests, I’ve seen too many errors that could have been corrected by a good editor. For the next newsletter, I’ll write about common errors authors often make. --Marilyn Meredith Request for Short Stories by Member Tony Burton Wolfmont Press and Tony Burton have announced the call for submissions for their third anthology to benefit the Toys for Tots. In 2006, Wolfmont pulled together their first anthology (BY THE CHIMNEY WITH CARE) of Christmas-themed crime stories in sort of a rush, as a last-minute idea, and still was able to raise $1,365 for the Toys for Tots Foundation. Last year, with a little more planning, the second anthology, titled CAROLS AND CRIMES, GIFTS AND GRIFTERS, managed to raise $2,000 for the kids. Both anthologies have received great reviews, and of course the greatest thing is that the purchasers got superb collections of short crime stories while at the same time helping out needy kids. * * * Knight Stick Magazine Knight Stick Magazine is published twice yearly by McKnight Company, Falmouth, MA. Knight Stick is the official publication of the NH Police Association (aka NHPA). The NHPA is open to all full & part time certified police officers in NH (local, state & county).We currently have approximately 3,000 + members. We try to feature material from within the State of New Hampshire and also reprint germane articles from new media sources and groups such as yourselves. Should you have an interest in submitting articles for publication in Knight Stick we would be happy to add them to our magazine on occasion. Our deadlines for submission are September 15 (Fall Edition) & February 15 for (Spring Edition). All articles can be directly forwarded to Blanche Cody blanche@mcknightcompany.com Cc... to myself kplaisted@nhpd.org. Submissions should be on disc to include authors photo & bio-sketch. All photos should have appropriate captions. Please feel free to contact me at my e-mail address with any questions. -- Kerry Plaisted, Editor, Knight Stick Magazine * * * One of the joys of attending and participating in each PSWA annual conference is the opportunity to talk with our members who have been working on individual writing projects and who have the pleasure of introducing them at the event. This year was no exception. "His uncanny and witty remarks, and his piercing penetrating defiant look at police work and human nature, make reading this book (which is filled with high octane action) an unforgettable adventure. You'll experience a kaleidoscope of emotions that range from the heart-felt to the sublimely incredulous! These stories are truly snapshots into the dark side of police work. It'll an exceptional read and hard to put down, but when you finish, you will say to yourself: 'I never knew people like that, including the cops, ever existed.' Beginning with what seems like a rather humorous prank (though it ends up making many in Reverend Wilson's congregation ill) the seriousness of attacks on his church and its members increase until one member dies in an . . . accident?, and Thomas and his wife Amy are threatened. http://www.americanauthorsassociation.com/ Smell of Death is a tightly woven tapestry of romance, human tragedy, and murder. Officer Stacey Wilbur has problems. As a single parent and the only female officer assigned to the Rocky Bluff Police Department, her life is quite complicated enough. When she suddenly finds herself dealing with two murders, a kidnapped child, and a pair of clumsy burglars, things begin to get out of control. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, she’s beginning to fall for one of the detectives in her squad. Author F. M. Meredith has been compared to Joseph Wambaugh, and I can definitely see the connection. The cops of her fictional Rocky Bluff PD have lives that extend beyond the chase and the crime scene. They struggle to raise their children, deal with leaky faucets, and pay their mortgages. They have hopes, loves, fears, and nightmares. They come across like real people, with real lives. The police work in Smell of Death is not fancy, or even particularly high-tech. There’s no CSI magic to be found here. There are no courtroom theatrics, and no hyper-intuitive detectives. Just hard working cops doing the sort of methodical spadework that probably solves most real life crimes. Fans of Hill Street Blues will find this book right up their alley. F. M. Meredith has crafted a smoothly compelling police drama, peopled by convincing characters. Marilyn’s website: http://fictionforyou.com * * * Denny Griffin reports that in addition to The Battle for Las Vegas and Cullotta, for which Books In Motion has contracted with Huntington Press to produce as audio books, I have entered into a contract with BIM for three of my fictions. They are going to do my Vegas-based trilogy, Killer In Pair-A-Dice, One-Armed Bandit, and Vegas Vixen. (Anyone who would like to be interviewed for the newsletter, just contact the editor at mmeredith@ocsnet.net) The End |
