This and That Along the Writing Road

Items of interest to writers:

Rachelle Gardner, an agent with WordServe Literary, is hosting a One-Sentence Summary Contest.

Details:

Twenty-five words to capture your book or novel

Deadline to enter is this Saturday, June 5th, at 11:59 p.m. ET

One entry per person

Prizes: Five winners will receive one-year subscriptions to WritersMarket.com.

More information is available here.

For those of us writing for magazines and newspapers:

The just-released updated edition of the 2010 Associated Press (AP) Stylebook contains a separate section on social media.

One notable change: Web site is now written website because of the increasingly common usage of "website" in both print and online, according to AP.

Additional Social Media Guidelines include instructions for journalists on how to use Facebook and Twitter, as well as entries on terms such as app, blogs, click-throughs, widgets and wiki.

Update: Do The Write Thing for Nashville

I blogged about Do The Write Thing for Nashville last Friday. Lots of wonderful authors, agents and editors have donated some great auction items. Here's one you don't want to miss out bidding on:

Agent Rachelle Gardner, of WordServe Literary, donated a 30-minute phone call, during which you can ask questions about the publishing business and get advice about your project or your career. You can even pitch your book!

The bidding has begun, folks--so don't miss your chance! The auction for this item is open until Saturday, the 15th, at midnight.

Check It Out: Advanced Fiction Writing Blog

We've got a great local writer's group. Last night, Rachelle Gardner talked to the group about query letters and book proposals. Rachelle is a literary agent. with lots of experience in the publishing world and a great blog: CBA Ramblings.
Rachelle emphasized the importance of writing an eye-catching summary of your book for your book proposal. She mentioned that author Randy Ingermanson, of SNOWFLAKE fame, had recently blogged about one-sentence summaries. So, I wandered over to Randy's blog and found the starting post. You can follow the rest of the posts by clicking on the Craft link at the end of the post.
Just for fun, you might want to read all the one-sentence summaries that other folks posted for Randy to critique. Along the way, you'll see what other folks are writing about--and learn the ins and outs of crafting a good one-sentence summary of your book.
Enjoy wandering the blogosphere. I'm off to edit!!