For the first time in a long time, Industry News features as many writing links as publishing-industry links.  This content equality won’t last, so let’s enjoy it while we can. Pick and choose the posts that interest you, or read everything.

 WRITING

If you’ve hit a snag in your writing, there are scores of how-to books and blog posts that could help, but The Intern offers a solution that’s radical in the Internet Age: Go for a long walk and think.

How does a writer keep up the page count when life throws a spanner? Nathan Bransford’s advice supports and encourages.

When fear engulfs you, fight back, says writer/publisher Bob Mayer on The Author Chronicles blog. “Remember fear is an emotion. Action can occur even when your emotions are fighting it. Taking action is the key to conquering fear.  Attacking the ambush.” More intriguing is his following suggestion: “Do the opposite of your Myers-Briggs character.”

Fear prompted a writer to bail out of a conference appointment with agent Michelle Wolfson. Wolfson suggests the f-word undermines many writers, including those who proved most critical of the bailee. 

At Writer Unboxed, RWA-WF’s own Keith Cronin tackles fear head on. “Fear of what? You name it. Fear of failure, of getting it wrong, of not being good enough, of not having a viable story to tell.” His advice? Dare to suck. 

Mylene Dressler, at Boxing the Octopus, helps a new writer stay motivated in the absence of a deadline. 

Books & Such agent Mary Keeley offers advice on handling a phone call from a  prospective agent and reveals what that agent hopes to learn.

Last week, Industry News linked to a Jane Friedman post about when to focus on platform-building. This week, Friedman gives us a nuanced approach to the same topic.

PUBLISHING

A good cover sells a book. Cover-art master Chip Kidd presents book-design tips. 

On Joe Konrath’s blog, romantic-suspense author Ann Voss Peterson explains why she no longer can afford to write for Harlequin. 

At Writing on the Ether, Porter Anderson discusses watermarking or “social DRM”  with Kevin Franco of Canada’s Enthrill Books. Read Anderson’s entire WotE post, and don’t miss the link to agent Rachelle Gardner’s “Quality Books Take Time” post .

By now, you’ve formed an opinion of the Department of Justice lawsuit against Apple and five of the big six publishers (three of whom have chosen to settle). Nevertheless, check out literary agent Simon Lipskar’s letter to the DoJ.

Cuts in schools’ book budgets are pushing Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Last week’s Industry News included a link to Kristen Lamb’s prediction that Big Six publishing was dead. Now she’s back with a plan to revive the dead and rejuvenate bookstores.

Self-pubbed authors must package, market, and distribute their books the way a great publisher would, says Mark Coker, founder and CEO of Smashbooks. What’s more, the book itself must be the best it can be. “Many writers, intoxicated by the freedom to self-publish, will often release their book before it’s ready to be released.”

Simon & Schuster has re-introduced its Pocket Star mass market line in e-book only form. The “new” Pocket Star features debut authors as well as best-selling writers.

Happy Mother’s Day! May you be fearless this week.

Triple kudos this week to our members for their great news.

Susan Crandall … Just wanted to add something to our RWA-WF member news. I just sold my novel WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD to Gallery Books in a pre-empt. It’s slated for release July 2013. Thanks!

Jennifer Gracen … I have news. This morning I was offered agent representation by Melissa Lee of the Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency, and a contract for my romantic women’s fiction novel, AUTUMN GETAWAY. I’m still in shock.

Dee Gatrell … They may change the name, but I just heard. My short story When Bad Things Happen for a Good Reason will be published in the August issue of True Story magazine. Thanks.

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Have something to share? I’d love to hear from you. Have a great week and write on.

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This week’s Industry News opens with a focus on publishing and finishes with writing-related links.  Read everything or pick and choose.

PUBLISHING

Social-media expert Kristen Lamb takes aim at traditional publishing with a blog post entitled Big Six Publishing Is Dead, Welcome the Massive Three.

 Not everyone is taking up arms against legacy publishing. Remember the deals self-pubbed phenom Amanda Hocking signed with St. Martin’s Press? Earlier this week, Hocking took stock of how she’s done with SMP, and her answer is: no regrets. 

Digital-book expert Mike Shatzkin’s take on the current state of publishing considers the weaknesses and strengths of  both traditional publishing and the alternative offered by Amazon.

At TeleRead, Chris Meadows suggests traditional publishers copy what Amazon does right.

A sign of adaptation to survive: Macmillan’s Tor/Forge will remove DRM from its ebooks.

If non-writing friends ask you to summarize the DoJ lawsuit against Apple and big publishing, this article from Publishing Trendsetter serves as a handy crib sheet.

A publisher may be justified in charging $12.99 for an e-book, but if a consumer sees the perceived value as lower, he’s not going to hit the buy button, says Mathew Ingram at Gigaom.

Literary agent Rachelle Gardner isn’t afraid of the future of publishing or of agents’ changing roles. “We’re not the equivalent of buggy-whip makers in the era of the automobile. Maybe we’re more like the road maintenance crew—we facilitated transportation via horse and buggy, and now we’re going to facilitate transportation by automobile, so we just have to figure out how to make the roads better.”

THE WRITING LIFE

Laura Miller at Salon checks out James Hall’s new book, HIT LIT: CRACKING THE CODE OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY’S BIGGEST BESTSELLERS and concludes the secret lies in combining familiar elements in less familiar ways.

Literary agent Kristin Nelson offers plot-catalyst help via a vlog.

Thinking of  hiring a professional editor? Read what Victoria Strauss at Writer Beware has to say about the vetting process.

Wake up and smell the coffee. Chuck Wendig offers a list of twenty-five realizations writers must achieve.

YA author Jackie Morse Kessler offers a behind-the-scenes look at a successful blog tour via editor Alan Rinzler’s blog.

To every thing there is a season. At Writer Unboxed, Jane Friedman offers advice on when to focus on platform-building.

Queriers say the funniest things, and The Intern is adept at reading between the lines.

Agent Rachelle Gardner reminds writers to savor each accomplishment, great or small. 

 Merci bien to Kecia Adams who took over this column so I could toddle off to France, guilt-free. Since Kecia’s a fellow Francophile, I stored up enough memories and impressions for both of us. What am I saying? I stored up enough for the whole chapter.

May you accomplish much this coming week and savor every achievement.

The Young Adult Chapter of RWA (YARWA) announces their Day of YA at RWA Nationals, Wednesday, July 25, 2012, 11am-5pm. Member price $50/Non-member price $70. Day of YA includes workshop, guest speaker, lunch, networking, YA-acquiring editors and agents. For more information and to register visit: http://yarwa.com/yarwa-annual-meeting

RWA Chapter #189, Hearts through History Romance Writers, announces their 2012 Romance through the Ages Published Author Contest. Entries must be received by May 15, 2012. Novels and novellas must have a copyright of first printing date of 2011. For more information, and to enter, visit: http://www.heartsthroughhistory.com/rtta-contest/

35 spots left! The Long Island Romance Writers (LIRW) 15th annual Editor/Agent networking lunch will take place Friday, June 8th, 2012 from noon to 4pm, in Woodbury NY. To see the list of guest agents and editors, and for more information/registration, visit:  http://www.lirw.org/luncheon.html

Georgia Romance Writers announce the Unpublished Maggie Award. Deadline for entries is June 10, 2012. Winners receive the prestigious Maggie Medallion during the Moonlight & Magnolias Conference awards ceremony, Saturday evening, October 6th. For more details, and to register, visit: http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/the-maggies/

Cruise with your Muse! Florida Romance Writers is thrilled to announce thier 2013 Fun in the Sun Conference featuring keynote speaker Charlaine Harris. They will set sail from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida onboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Sea, on Thursday, January 24, 2013 and return to port Monday, January 28, 2013. For more information visit: http://frwfuninthesunmain.blogspot.com/ and http://www.frwriters.org/conferences.html

For the most accurate, up-to-date information on items featured in this installment of Writers’ Corner Roundup, be sure to visit the links posted in each bulletin.

Share in our member news for this week:

Petrina Aubol … I managed to enter my chapter’s (Smoky Mt. Romance Writers) Laurie Contest and I finaled in the very crowded contemporary category which included Women’s Fiction!

YEEHAW PAISANO also came in second in the single title category of GRW’s Maggies. Once settled I’ll finally market my baby, inspired by this fabulous chapter!

Congratulations, Petrina.

Remember, if you have great news you want to share, I send out reminders each Wednesday and post for the following Monday. Have a wonderful week and keep the good news coming our way !

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CONTESTS:

2012 Published Maggie Award Contest (Georgia Romance Writers). Deadline: May 1, 2012. Cost: $20.00. FMI: http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/the-maggies/

2012 Tara Contest (Tampa Area Romance Authors). Accepting unpublished & published entries until May 1, 2012. Cost: $25.00. FMI: www.tararwa.com or email Taracontest

The 5th Annual Alaska Break-Up Contest (Alaska Chapter of RWA). Deadline: May 1, 2012. Cost: $30. FMI: http://akrwa.org.

International Digital Awards (IDA) (Oklahoma Romance Writers of America). Deadline: May 1, 2012. Cost: $15.00. FMI: http://IdaContest.Wordpress.com

Romancing the Script (Scriptscene RWA). Deadline: May 1, 2012. Cost: $20.00. FMI: http://www.scriptscene.org.

The 2012 Golden Claddagh (Celtic Hearts Romance Writers). Deadline: May 5, 2012. Cost: $20.00-$25.00. FMI: http://www.celtichearts.org/contest.html

2012 Ignite the Flame Contest (Central Ohio Fiction Writers). Deadline: May 20, 2012. Cost: $25/COFW Members, $30/non-members. FMI: www.COFW.org or: itfcontest

2012 Molly and Unsinkable Heroine Contest (Heart of Denver Romance Writers). Deadline: earlybird-May 1, 2012; final-May 25, 2012. Cost: $25/HODRW member; $30/RWA member; $40/others. FMI: http://www.hodrw.com/contests Or: Mollycoordinator

2012 Emerald City Opener (Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America). Deadline: May 31, 2012. Cost $12/members; $20/nonmembers. FMI: www.gsrwa.org

WORKSHOPS:

The Character’s Arc by Sue Viders, Becky Martinez. Date: April 30-May 6, 2012. Cost: $10-15. FMI: http://www.romance-ffp.com/workshops.cfm

Revision for Smart Authors by Shirley Jump. Date: May 1, 2012. Cost: $15/KOD member; $30/non-members. FMI: http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org/coffin.html

Ripped from Yellowed Headlines (19th Century Crimes) by Beth Henderson. Date: May 1, 2012. Cost: $15/KOD Members; $30/non-members. FMI: http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org/coffin.html

Author vs. Editors Ten Things I…About You! By Robin Matheson. Date: May 1-2, 2012. Cost: $15-20. FMI: http://www.passionateink.org/workshops

Revision Hel—No, Heaven by Laurie Schnebly. Date: May 1-14, 2012. Cost $20-25.00. FMI: http://www.yosemiteromancewriters.com

Finished That Manuscript? Now What? by Alexa Bourne. Date: May 1-31, 2012. Cost: $5/BDRWA Members/$25 Non-members. FMI: www.bdrwa.com.

Query Letter Workshop by Cindy Carroll. Date: May 1-31, 2012. Cost: $20/OIRW Members; $25/Non-members. FMI: http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#MAY

Writing Scary Scenes by Rayne Hall. Date: May 1-31, 2012. Cost: $20/OIRW Members; $25/Non-Members. FMI: http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#MAY

WriteSEX: Defining Erotica by Sascha Illyvich. Date: May 1-31, 2012. Cost: $20/OIRW Members; $25/Non-members. FMI: http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#MAY

Revision for the Working Writer by Suzan Isik. Date: May 2-23, 2012. Cost: $10/D&DMembers; $25/Non-members. FMI: www.dunesanddreams.org

Deep Story Techniques II: The Critical Element to Success by Carol Hughes. Date: May 3-31, 2012. Cost: $20-25.00. FMI: carolhenry

Self-Editing by Monette Michaels. Date: May 7-8, 2012. Cost: $16. FMI: http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/#MAY

Pesky Pairs by Ester Ermine. Date: May 7-27, 2012. Cost: $16.00. FMI: http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/#MAY

Romancing Resistance by Hilary Hutchinson. Date: May 7-27, 2012. Cost: $16.00. FMI: http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/#MAY

The Writer’s Compass by Fran Colley & Terri Osburn. Date: May 7-27, 2012. Cost: $16.00. FMI: http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/#MAY

Punked by Suzanne Lazear. Date: May 7-27, 2012. Cost: $16.00. FMI:  http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/#MAY

Top Seven Editing Mistakes as Seen by an Undercover Editor by Em Petrova. Date: May 7-28, 2012. Cost: $15/NEORWA Members; $20/Non-members. FMI: http://www.neorwa.com Or: neorwaonline

CONFERENCES:

Alexandra Sokoloff: Screenwriting Tips for Authors. Date: May 11, 2012 (evening) – all day Saturday May 12, 2012. Cost: $50/member; $55/non-members. FMI: http://www.neorwa.com Or contact coordinator at: mjesber17

Connecticut Fiction Fest 2012. Date: May 12, 2012. Cost: FMI: www.ctwra.org Or at: gail_chianese

Annual MERWA Writers Retreat. Date: May 18-19, 2012. Cost: $60/MERWA members; $70/nonMerwa members. FMI: www.mainerwa.com

Fire in Fiction Workshop featuring Donald Maas. Date: May 19, 2012. Cost: includes lunch $35.00/MORWA members; $65.00/non-members. FMI: www.morwa.org Or: megankellybooks.

Today we celebrate the amazing accomplishments of five of our members. We received a note from Linda Avellar announcing her good news. The next day we received a note from our President, Laura Drake about the other four finalists. Please join us in a round of applause:

Look at all our WF finalists in the Fab 5 contest!

WOMEN’S FICTION:

Linda Avellar ­ The Thicket of Happiness

Kristin E. Celms ­ Forget Me Not

Orly Konig-Lopez ­ It¹s Not Me, It¹s You

Sharon A. Struth ­ The Hourglass

Lea Marie Taddonio ­ Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

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Our good thoughts will be with each finalist.

Don’t forget to contact us for Member News. A reminder is sent out each Wednesday and your news is posted the following Monday on our web site.

Have a great week and write on !

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Hi RWA-WF! I’m filling in for our usual Industry News maven, Pat O’Dea Rosen, who is on a brief hiatus this week.

Department of Justice Lawsuit

Pat did an awesome job of presenting the ins and outs of the Department of Justice suit and settlements regarding agency pricing on e-books. Check out last week’s Industry News post if you missed her detailed mashup—from Apple to Amazon to DRM.

No “new” news on the lawsuit and settlement front, but opinions abound on this complicated issue. This post from TeleRead offers a summary of the thoughts and predictions of publishing bloggers Scalzi, Stross, and Shatzkin, and brings up the word “monopsony”—one buyer to many sellers.

Pulitzers–Not So Fast

While still reeling from the DoJ agency model suit, the publishing industry was angered by Monday’s announcement that the Pulitzer Prize 18-member board had failed to choose a winner among three finalists in fiction this year. This New York Times article explains how that circumstance came about, and the industry’s general feeling of ill use as a result.

“The fate of an entire industry seems to hang on the fate of every book, and the feeling is perfectly understandable,” said Leon Wieseltier, the literary editor of The New Republic. “People who know how to publish books are in danger of being put out of business by people who don’t but think they do.”

Here are Pulitzer Prize Juror and Georgetown University Professor of English (one of the three literary experts, including Michael Cunningham and Susan Larson, who chose the three novels forwarded to the Pulitzer board) Maureen Corrigan’s pithy and disappointed remarks regarding the board’s failure.

Novelist and book store owner Ann Patchett weighed in on the controversy too with a piece in the Opinion Pages of the NY Times (of which there was some great discussion on our own RWA-WF Yahoo loop).

Writing Life

Changes and the controversies in publishing can cause us to question our purpose as writers sometimes. Are you in this business for the long haul? Agent Rachelle Gardner has some pointers.

Meanwhile, Nephele Tempest at The Knight Agency asks some hard questions about whether your manuscript is ready for submission to agents.

And for those of you craving a book tour along with your dreams of publishing success, Matthew Gallaway at The Awl weighs in with “Nine Writers And Publicists Tell All About Readings And Book Tours.”

That’s it for this week! Happy publishing dreams, writers! And happy EARTH DAY too!

Member News comes in many different ways. Today we celebrate with two of our members; a contest final and agent feedback.

Every step we take brings us closer to our goals.

Lisa Chaplin:  I finaled in the WF section of the WRW Marlene contest with Butterfly on the Tide.

Linda Avellar:  This is sort of good news… an agent gave me a lengthy critique of my manuscript and offered to look at it again if I revised.

We remind our members to send us their great news and look for our post on Monday. Have a great week and Write On !

Industry News comes to you a day early and leads with links to news stories, blog posts, and other commentary regarding the big event of this week: the lawsuit filed in New York district court by the Department of Justice charging that Apple and five publishers conspired to raise the retail prices of e-books. Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and HarperCollins have agreed to settle with the DoJ without admitting wrongdoing. Penguin and Macmillan plan to fight the suit.

 Today’s column isn’t all lawsuit, however. For information about agents and the writer’s life, keep scrolling down

The Lawsuit

The New York Times offers an overview story. The Times also features a piece about Amazon’s decision, made post-filing, to lower e-book prices. 

At paidContent.org, Laura Hazard Owen penned an overview story with links to background reading. This article explains agency pricing and tells readers what to expect the next time they buy an e-book.

According to GalleyCat, the DoJ alleges publishers took steps to hide evidence of a conspiracy by double-deleting emails.

One lawsuit filing leads to many. GalleyCat reports the attorneys general of sixteen states are suing Apple, Penguin, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster alleging price-fixing.

Apple claims the lawsuit’s charges are not true.

Writer and lawyer Scott Turow, president of The Authors Guild, warns the lawsuit will give Amazon an unfair advantage.

At TeleRead, Dear Author’s Jane Litte offers perspective on the lawsuit.  Don’t miss her “Predictions.”

Publishers Weekly has an overview of the proposed settlement for Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and HarperCollins.

Also from Publishers Weekly, Penguin Group chairman John Makinson says his company will fight the charges “because we have done nothing wrong.”

“We did not collude,” says Macmillan chief executive John Sargent.

E-books aren’t as cheap to produce as some believe contends Nathan Bransford, a former literary agent who is now the social-media manager for CNET—and a children’s book author.  

Agent News

Chuck Sambuchino at Writers Digest has issued a new agent alert for Natasha Alexis of Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary Agency. Alexis is interested in “YA and adult fiction with an edge and fresh point of view, especially works featuring women and people of color.”

Agent Wendy Lawton of Books & Such Literary Agency reveals her opinion of the perfect client.

 The Writer’s Life

Charlotte Rogan wrote in secret for twenty-five years before signing her first book contract a few days after her fifty-seventh birthday. Her publisher, Little, Brown has printed 35,000 copies of  THE LIFEBOAT, her debut novel.

The Intern’s posts are even more illuminating now that she has her own book contract.  Evidently, worry doesn’t fade, but its focus changes.

From the mouths of writers’ come  the good and bad of readings and book tours.

RWA-WF’s Keith Cronin offers tips on putting together an author bio worth reading.

Writer/publisher Bob Mayer talks grit and goals.

Grit your teeth and don’t let industry changes deflect you from your goals. Happy writing.