South Bay Schmooze

Suzanne Gibson, Coordinator

Please check the SCBWI Tri-Regions Calendar for the meetings and upcoming topics. CLICK HERE to go to the Calendar.

SOUTH BAY SCHMOOZE SPEAKER'S MEETING:

by
Jalé Pullen

At the November 2005 So. Bay Schmooze, nonfiction writer, Ann Stalcup discussed her many travel and biographical articles and books. She had valuable tips for writers.
1. Don't take a flat fee for books (if you can help it).
2. Instead, negotiate less "up front" money.
3. Research all and everything.
4. You need a strong first paragraph for magazine queries, then a list of inclusions.
5. In interviews, one idea sparks another. Once you have answers to ten questions, that will generate fifty more.
What works best in interviews is an interest in THEIR culture, so write questions in advance. Use a recording device and arrange to meet over coffee or a meal.
If a piece is rejected, have an envelope ready to send it out again. Always think ahead to your next submission, with a publishing house targeted.
Ann said, that as a child she felt more comfortable writing than talking, and ultimately became a teacher. Her travels all over the world became the springboard to many magazine articles and books.
Unlike her first book, "Growing Up In Wartime England," her latest book, "Leo Politi, Artist to the Angels," sold with her first query. Ann describes herself as a descriptive writer and loves doing what she's doing.