Truth Will Out

I've been opening up old file cabinets, going through clips that (until here, now) were only on paper. Seems somehow fitting I found this one so close to election day. If you enjoy this, you might want to look at my new book, Dumb Things We Say to Dogs. It's a collection of essays, including this one. Enjoy.

Truth in Akron:

Ain’t I a woman? 

In 1797, near the Hudson River in New York, a slave girl was born. She was named Isabella. Thirty years later, she was free – free to move, free to chose a name of her own. She chose Sojourner Truth.

She could not read or write, but she knew the bible well. She spoke out publicly against slavery and social injustice. Unimaginable for a black woman at the time, she filed two lawsuits. The first suit was to get her son, Peter, back after had had been illegally sold across state lines. She filed a second suit, against a newspaper, for slandering her name. She won both times.

Truth crossed paths several times with anti-slavery spokesman Frederick Douglass. He encouraged her to continue to oppose slavery. I don't think she needed much encouragement. Ever outspoken, Truth challenged Douglass in public speeches. When he proclaimed that only bloodshed would end slavery, Truth yelled out, “Frederick, is God dead?”

Douglass described Truth as a “strange compound of wit and wisdom, of wild enthusiasm, and flint-like common sense.” I’d describe her as smart enough to know when righteous indignation is called for.

In 1864, Truth traveled to Washington DC to meet with Abraham Lincoln, to thank him for his efforts on behalf of blacks. She reportedly said to him, “I heard of you before you ran for President.” Lincoln supposedly replied, “I heard of you long before I thought about running for President.” With such a reputation, it’s not surprising that Truth left a mark on Ohio.

It was in Akron, on May 29, 1851, at the second Ohio Women’s Rights Convention, held at the Old Stone Church on North High Street, where  Truth delivered her hallmark “Ain’t I a Woman” speech. She was listening, the story goes, to several male ministers explain why women should not have the right to vote.

One minister suggested that women were weaker, and less intelligent, than men. He said that God had intended for men to have more power than women, offering as evidence the fact that Christ was a man. At that point, Truth stood up. She was six feet tall, and likely made quite an impression on everyone in the room. Texts of the speech vary, but the lines below are included in all of the accounts I’ve read. She reportedly walked to the stage and said:

Ain’t I a woman?

I have ploughed and planted, and worked as hard as any man, and eat as much too. And Ain’t I a woman? My mother bore ten children and saw them sold off to slavery, and when I cried with my mother’s grief, nobody but Jesus heard me.

And Ain’t I a woman?

Then that little man in black there, he says women can’t have as much rights as men, ‘cause Christ wasn’t a woman! Where did your Christ come from?

Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.”

The Sojourner Truth Coalition commemorated the 150^th anniversary of Truth’s speech at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Akron on May 19, 2001.

## 

This article appeared in the May 2001 issue of Focus magazine, with an announcement regarding the commemoration. A building in Akron is named for Truth, and monuments to the woman can be found in New York, Michigan, and Massachusetts, and other places throughout the US. I think it’s really cool that this speech was heard first in Akron. Although in a quick search, I did not find a current listing for the coalition in Akron, I was happy to see that her message continues to inspire changes in Ohio. 

~Diane Stresing

A Few More Favorites in 2012

It's always hard for me to determine which article is my favorite in an issue of CJR, and this time it took longer than usual. Drum roll, please... it was this one. Most of the Nov/Dec issue focused on celebrity coverage and publicity - a faction of the trade that's not often esteemed by the newsier types. But CJR, not surprisingly, managed to address the bias, admit it, explain it, and go beyond it.

Which is why I love CJR.

And yet I'm not ready to call it my favorite magazine. It has some pretty tough competition for my reading attention as it sits next to National Geographic on my nightstand, on the car seat, and bleachers throughout the year. We're also known to pick up an issue of Scientific American or something (just a little) lighter so there's some darned fine writing at my fingertips wherever I am.

What about you? If you had to, could you pick ONE favorite thing, or o ne favorite writer, to read?  I doubt it. Look, it's practically 2013 - so how 'bout for the new year, you pick 3 (if you want to show off) or 13, and share them here. Tell me why you love them, and why the writing lands on your favorites list and your reading table.

*cheers*    

~Diane Stresing

The Scary Path to a Book Deal

A Guest Ghost Post by Derek Taylor Kent, AKA Derek the Ghost, and author of Scary School, HarperCollins (c) 2011

My name is Derek Taylor Kent (AKA Derek the Ghost). I recently received a three-book deal for my YA series Scary School, which comes out June 21, 2011 (scaryschool.com). Sounds like a dream come true, right? Keep reading.

My story begins when I was 15 years old. It’s March 1994. For a creative writing class, I undertake writing an epic illustrated fantasy series. As I write it, I love it so much that I am 100% sure that I want to be a children’s book writer for the rest of my life.

For the next six years, I work relentlessly on this illustrated series. My mother (a well-known artist) creates sample illustrations but can’t finish an entire book.

The furthest I could ever get with it is in 2000 when I obtained a small agent based in Florida who was unable to sell it. I was confused. I was angry. I was petrified that what I believed was incredible was actually no good, or at the very least, unsellable.

Around this time, the Harry Potter series started blowing up. I was resistant to read it, as I must admit, I had an inner jealousy for her success as a children’s writer. However, I had to see what the fuss was about. As soon as I read the first book, I became JK’s biggest fan. Like her, I had been trying to create a dark, epic fantasy series, but I realized that I was misguided in trying to make them into short illustrated books. What I believed was “unique” was actually tonally confused. The illustrations suggested a six to eight year old audience, but the epic fantasy storyline suggested a nine to twelve year old audience; and worse, the themes and high language could only be appreciated by adults.

Despite pouring ten years into this series, I had to abandon it in 2004 (although my mother remains sure it will eventually be my biggest success). I realized I had to reinvent myself as a novelist if I was going to make this work, and I was so inspired by young Harry, that I just had to create my own world like JK did.

April 2005. I spend about a year writing my first novel: Scary School, Book 1: My Homework Ate my Dog. Here’s the logline from my query:
When an enchanted sheet of homework "eats" his pet beagle and disappears, a gutsy 11-year-old boy embarks on a terrifying quest to rescue his beloved pet from a greater evil than he could ever imagine.
Not bad, I think.

October 2006. After completing the first draft of My Homework Ate My Dog, I began sending out a light mailing to a few agents and publishers. All rejections.

Again confused, I started giving the manuscript to readers, and one especially helpful woman who used to work as an editor. She gave me detailed notes that would require a heavy rewrite, but also said I definitely had something that could sell. If I have one strength as I writer, it’s my willingness to not only to take, but implement notes from critique.

I spend months doing exhausting rewrites implementing all of her notes to the letter. I may not have agreed with all of her notes at first, but after incorporating them, I had to agree the book was greatly improved.

Early 2007. I felt the time was finally right to do a serious submission. But guess what? I had a day job and my spare time was filled with other projects (I was doing theater and also forming a production company).

My Homework Ate My Dog goes on the backburner as another year passes.

July 2008. There’s a brief window of time off from my day job. I decide that it’s time to go full-out toward finding an agent or a publisher. If it doesn’t happen, it will probably be the end of my YA writing aspirations.

The task before me is daunting. I have the Guide to Literary Agents and the Children’s Marketplace books. I scour all the online resources. I make a thorough list of every single agent and publisher possible who might be interested. I quickly realize it would probably take me a year to reach out to all of them, and I only have a couple weeks of free time. So, I hire an assistant. His job is to sit in my apartment for eight hours a day and do nothing but create and send out packages to every single YA lit agent in America. There are thousands. I spend my time focusing on the online querying campaign. I send out dozens of query emails per day.

The mailings and the assistant cost a lot of money – probably a couple thousand –but I ration that it’s a fraction of what I would get for a book advance, so it’s an investment. And tax deductible.

Responses start coming in. Email responses come in quickly. I’m getting bites. About one in every ten I send out is asking to read my manuscript or sample chapters. Most are rejections of course, but if you have a 10% positive response rate to your query, you know that you probably have something really good, at least in concept.

Weeks go by as the agents are reading my manuscript. Of the hundreds upon hundreds of queries and packages sent out, I continue receiving requests for the manuscript at a rate of about 10%.

Responses from agents who requested the book start coming in. I get some positive feedback but nobody “feels strongly enough” to take it on.

August 2008. Eric Myers from the Joe Spieler Agency requests sample chapters. A week later he requests the complete manuscript. On September 20, 2008, Eric Myers is my agent. He is very enthusiastic and has a great track record.

Based on Eric’s notes, I do another rewrite of the book before he sends it out. The book is improved.

December 2008. Every publisher my agent has submitted to has passed on Scary School: My Homework Ate My Dog.

There is one glimmer of hope. A junior editor at HarperCollins says that “she really likes my writing and the humor of the book, but what I was expecting from a book called Scary School: My Homework Ate My Dog was not what I got. I was hoping for a light, funny book about a Scary School for a young audience, but instead got a dark fantasy book for an older YA audience.”

She was exactly right. I had made the same mistake I had made with my illustrated series. My title was screaming: silly/funny book for the 8-9 year old audience. But I had given her an even darker Harry Potter. Had I learned nothing?

The editor concluded with: “I do feel there is a market for a Scary School book series for a younger audience should he feel inclined to write it.”

There it was. A bite from a publisher. I had a fan and she had told me exactly what she wanted. The only problem was my “bite” feels like an orca whale. I’d have to write a whole new book for her, and I’d have to write it fast so she didn’t forget about me or buy another book in the same genre. But, if there’s one thing I like it’s “challenge” writing. And I love working on it deadlines. It keeps me focused and productive.

I sequester myself over the Christmas holiday and complete the first draft of the new book series, simply titled Scary School. It’s a comedy. I laugh out loud while writing it. I’ve always been a comedy writer at heart. I should have done this before.

The first draft is done by January, 2009. I spend two months showing it to my trusted readers and editing it based on their notes. I send it to my agent in March 2009. He doesn’t like it as much as My Homework Ate My Dog. He says it reads more like a collection of short stories instead of a linear story with a main character. He thinks I should rewrite it.

I really don’t want to do this rewrite. I feel confident this is the proper format. We eventually agree to send it to HarperCollins as is.

A couple weeks later, the junior editor writes back: “This is exactly what I was hoping for. I love it! I think we really have something here!”

I dance around my apartment and weep with joy.

For the next several weeks, I work on a new draft of Scary School with the editor. She needs it to be as good as possible before showing it to the higher ups for approval. We add more of a linear storyline into it while keeping the integrity of the short story format.

It’s much better. Everyone at HarperCollins loves it.

May 2009. HarperCollins offers me a three-book deal for Scary School.

The advance is not enough to quit my day job, but it’s enough to put a down payment on a new car, create a website, hire a publicist, and print thousands of Scary School t-shirts.

As I write this, Scary School was released a couple months ago, on June 21, 2011. Yes, after all that, I had to wait another two years before it was scheduled for release.

Over that time I have self-published My Homework Ate My Dog, which is now called Rudy and the Beast: My Homework Ate My Dog! There’s still an issue with the title, but I won’t surrender it. I also self-published an illustrated book called Simon and the Solar System.

This year, I finished a new YA novel called Principal Mikey about a kid who becomes principal of his school. I think it’s the best novel I’ve written and is absolutely hilarious.

No bites yet. Fingers crossed!

Writer as Tour Guide

Would you get on a bus if you didn't know its destination? Or if you knew the driver was likely to deviate from the posted route?

Most people will answer "NO!" and maybe...

And my point is? Writing should take you somewhere. Whether you consider yourself a professional writer or you're just an exuberant Facebook "sharer," your words should direct readers to a point.

(If you're a writer/illustrator, you know the same goes for the visual stuff, too. Darren Rowse's article at Digital-Photography-School.com explains it well.)

Writing should take you somewhere.

Good bus drivers and good writers have a little tour guide inside. They shouldn't describe exactly what I'll see - that spoils everything! - but I need to be confident that they know where we're going. Or I'm not going along.

Whether you're writing creative fiction, performance reviews, recipes, or a letter to the editor, you probably have a point in mind. Once you start writing, hey, it happens - you can get lost. Words can be misleading, send you off in the wrong direction. When that happens, call it a draft. Read it before you send it, and ask yourself: did I take the reader to the intended destination? If the answer is oops, not quite - revise it, get back on track, and get your reader to the right place.

Losing your way? Here's a quick fix: Start with "I am writing to you to ______________" and state your purpose.

I am writing to you to quit my job.
I am writing to you to tell you the party is here next Saturday. 
I am writing to you to ask for money. 
I am writing to sell you a box of widgets. 
I am writing to you because your Facebook status updates bore me. 

Of course no polished piece of writing starts with a clunker like that. Remember, this is a draft. Once you've stated your point (to yourself) your destination is clear. Then, you're ready to roll.

No matter what you're writing, be part tour guide. Keep your intended destination in mind. Mentioning points of interest along the way is nice; just check the map occasionally to make sure you're still on track.

==== Are your corporate blogs going in the right direction? Free consultation.

The ABCs of Customer Newsletters

26 Things a Customer Newsletter Can - or Shouldn't - Do 

Advertise a sale, of course
Bring in referral business
Collect customer data
---Go beyond demographics - find out where your customers buy related products, and use the info to partner with other businesses. Do it right and you'll both be able to increase sales!)
Deliver something extra
---What that is depends on your business model and your clientele. It doesn't have to be much, but you better figure it out, or no one will read past your first newsletter.
Erase misconceptions 
--A local restaurant owner I know casually has said to me about five times in the past five years, "Everybody thinks we're more expensive than (competitor), but we're not." To which I reply, "I know; you've told me. Why don't you tell all of your customers?" A newsletter could do it. I hope he gets the message before the place goes out of business... 
Fix a problem
Go green. 
---Paper isn't totally passe, but if you can deliver electronically, do it.
Help others
---Highlighting a (deserving) charitable organization or cause can not only improve your business's reputation, it can actually help others. Pretty nice feeling, isn't it?
Increase repeat visits
Jokes... are something you should leave out of your newsletter.
Kill 'em with kindness. 
---Let's hope you and your employees do this in person, on the phone, and every chance you get. Just in case, though, it's wise to take a really, really courteous tone in your newsletter.
List all of your products and services. 
---Even your most loyal customers probably don't take advantage of all you offer because they really don't know about everything you offer. 
Mold customer expectations
Name your products. See 'list' above.
Open new lines of communications
Prepare customers for what's next
Q & A sections are easy to read and are a great way to train customers so they can better use your store and your services. They can also help reduce confusion (and increase satisfaction) at purchase time.
Reward customers for reading
Surprise employees!
-----What better way to get them to read than to slip in a little personal recognition?
Thank your customers
----Offer a no-exceptions $10 off a minimum order coupon, or something even better. They're your customers. They're worth it.
Urge action 
---Successful newsletters do what successful salespeople do. They ask for the sale.
Validate customer concerns
Weed your list 
---Always provide an obvious, easy way for customers to opt out of the communications loop.
Xtra, xtra
---Even if your newsletter is delivered electronically, keep some (paper) copies on hand for new customers, employees who don't read it, or anyone who might send new business your way.
Yield to the demands of business, and the rest of life, if need be.
---You know your business better than anyone. If a legal complication or personal health crisis demands your attention, you can hand off the next issue to someone you trust, or just skip a newsletter. Return to your publication schedule as soon as you can.
Zoom in on your core competencies and position them well, making it oh-so-obvious that your organization is the best at what it does.

----Hey, if you don't do it, who will?

Want to get your message out to customers old and new? 
 Let's get started on your 2011 newsletter, on your schedule, within your budget. 

DOH! Catholics Deserve Better PR

Newsflash: Homer and Bart Simpson are Catholic, according to the Vatican, yesterday.

Which begs the question, so what?

Media and religion analysts have stated it's an attempt to make Catholicism more relevant. The Vatican's press release further suggested The Simpsons is good family entertainment. And from there it grew even...less relevant.

Sorry, folks (especially Catholic folks) PR should do a lot better than that. Maybe the Vatican needs a refresher course in public relations. A list of do's and don't's or better yet, a "Doh!" list.  Here's mine:

• The conversation cited as "evidence" Homer and Bart are Catholic occurred in a 2005 episode. 

Doh! Any high school journalism student knows press releases are supposed to be confused with news. (News that's five years old is called recent history.)

• Homer and Bart talked about religion in general, and broached the subject of converting to Catholicism, but didn't. 

Doh! Jumping to the conclusion that they are now Catholic, based on a single scene in a single episode is called faulty logic. Or unclear evidence. Or a weak argument. Until now I thought the Vatican was really into fact-checking. Didn't it take the Catholic powers-that-be more than a few years to come to the conclusion that yes, in fact, the Holocaust actually happened and was a really, really bad thing?

• "Few people know it and he does everything to hide it but it is true: Homer J. Simpson is Catholic," according to the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. 

Doh! Repeat after me: it's OK to lead with a quote, if it's a really good quote. IF we're going to ignore the fact this little gem is five years old, IF we're going to buy the argument that the Simpsons are Catholic, and IF we're going to accept the idea that the Simpsons being Catholic is good or that it matters at all, can we at least get a better quote? IF I were considering converting because Homer and Bart did (if they did) well, sorry L'Osservatore, you lost me at "...he does everything to hide it..."

Hey, I'm all for churches using PR. And I believe (to some extent) that "any publicity is good publicity." Unfortunately, this isn't. It's getting lots of airplay but none that really furthers the faith, good news, thoughtful dialog about religion. In other words, doh!

I'd love to see an effective PR effort  - like (pick a denomination) saying "God said meet me on Facebook!" or something even more relevant. Facebook may have had its 15 minutes...but the Simpsons,  converting to Catholicism? That's so 2005.

Recommended reading: Anything by David Ogilvy, a dead guy who's still relevant, or about him, like this:
http://www.copyblogger.com/the-david-ogilvy-playbook-for-business-blogging/