Have You Ever Read the Declaration of Independence?

Imagine how it must have felt to be a Colonist in 1776 and hear these words spoken. Your country has just declared war against its Government, The British Empire, the biggest super power on the planet. The odds are so stacked against your country it will be a miracle if anyone survives. Despite certain death, you all agree to fight.

Wow...


IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

The Worst Writing in the Whole World

David McKenzie of Federal Way, Washington was declared the winner of the Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest, "where www means 'wretched writers welcome." You can also read an interview with David McKenzie in the San Jose Mercury News.

Follow this link to see his submission, and then try to out do him. Writing bad isn't as easy as it looks.

Here's my attempt:

The road passed the red break house and just kept going, over the horizon to places unseen, never to be seen, by the little girl in the green dress who lived in the red brick house. She wished she could go there, but she had to stay in the yard and watch the cars go by, far away. It made her sad.

Your turn.

Micheal Jackson

I am not what you'd call a Micheal Jackson fan, although I respected his incredible talent. This is a man who was truly unique in the full definition of the word. There was never anyone like him, and I doubt there will ever be another.

His life was tragic. He was so flawed, so gifted, so shattered. As he aged, he seemed to become more and more unreal, alienated from himself and everyone around him. He never had a chance to live in the real world, so he had no grasp of what real was. His talent helped him survive, but also destroyed him. He may have been the loneliest man in the world, despite the fact he was surrounded by millions who adored him.

When Thriller came out in 1983, I had a paper route. Since I lived in the country, I couldn't ride a bicycle to all the homes (spread out over 30 miles), so my mom and I drove a car and blasted Thriller as loud as we dared at 6:00 am on a Sunday. The album became our paper route anthem. To this day I can't help but sing along to Thriller.

Whether you are a fan or not, you can't deny the incredible impact Micheal Jackson has had on our culture and ourselves.

The world does seem emptier now that Micheal is gone.

Where can you find a good Copy Editor?

Sorry for the long delay. I've been swamped with school (two more weeks and I'll have time to think again!).

Last time, I wrote about how important it is to work with a copy editor before sending your work out to agents. But where do you find one?

The best resource on line to find professional copy editors is at the site Editorial Freelancers Association. This is a professional organization for editors with a strict code of conduct. You know you'll get what you paid for when hiring an editor through the organization. The site has a comprehensive search engine that allows you to type in the qualifications you need in an editor. I searched for a copy editor who specializes in memoir who lives in California and found five people meeting my specifications.

You can also check your local college for instructors or students with excellent English language skills, but they may not be versed in the Chicago Manual of Style, which is the primary tool editors use for journalism and literature. I know many authors short on funds who have had success hiring a grad student.

Craigslist is another online resource where editors advertise. Whenever you hire anyone off the Internet, be careful of scams. Some people will take your money and never deliver what you paid for.

I found this great blog about copy editing called The Slot, written by copy editor Bill Walsh. Good writing, humorous, and full of information for editors and those in need of an editor. I particularly liked "What's a Copy Editor?"

We'll spend good money on a new outfit for a job interview and probably even get our nails done. So why don't we pay for quality editing before we send our work to an agent or publisher?

You just wrote a fabulous book. Now what?

Congratulations! You've actually written, and finished, a book. Lots of people dream of being a writer, and a few of those will sit down and write something, but only a handful will complete an entire manuscript. Before you do anything else, relish this moment of accomplishment. You've done the equivalent of climbing Kilamanjaro. Good for you!

So what's the very first thing you should do before you start sending that beautiful book of yours to potential agents?

HIRE A COPY EDITOR.

I cannot stress this enough: hire a copy editor. Even if you have a PHD in Literature or an MA in English, hire a copy editor. Even if you are the best speller in your entire State and you've got the spelling bee awards to prove it, hire a copy editor. Do not send your lovely novel to agents full of typos. It's like showing up for a job interview wearing a dirty blouse.

I'm assuming you've been passing chapters of your novel to friends and family for feedback, and I'm also assuming those friends and family have been giving you good writing advice (if not, you need to hire a different editor to work on plot and character development). But it shocks me when I see how many writers do not hire a copy editor for a final check of their manuscript. I get plenty of submissions ruined by spelling and grammar errors. Know what I do? Toss it. I am way too busy to work with an author who can't take the time to fix spelling errors. It shows me that they do not take their writing career seriously.

I hire a copy editor for my own writing, as well as for the books I publish via Medusa's Muse (although I don't hire her to edit my blog, which as you see could use the help).

The problem is that none of us can see our own mistakes; we are blinded by the words on the page (what I call writer's goggles. They work a lot like beer goggles). Everyone has this problem, and anyone who thinks they don't are fools. I'll bet you twenty dollars that even President Obama hires a copy editor for his written work.

Where do you find a good copy editor to polish your masterpiece? I'll explain that next time.

A Great Review of "What You Need to Know to Be a Pro"

My book just got a great review from the Midwest Book Review. Look for it on their website under the section Library Bookwatch: June 2009: The Writing/Publishing Shelf.

Review by James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review

When it comes to establishing a publishing enterprise, whether for single title self-published authors, or publishers aspiring to create a stable of authors under one imprint, there is no need to re-invent the wheel. Not when Terena Scott has written "What You Need To Know To Be A Pro: The Business Start-Up Guide For Publishers", a comprehensive but thoroughly accessible instruction manual covering all the elements of launching a publishing enterprise from choosing a name, to structuring the fledgling business enterprise, to creating a business plan, to such issues as licenses, financing, office space, and publishing project evaluation on a case by case basis. "What You Need To Know To Be A Pro" addresses working with authors from contracts to editing; the actual publishing of a book from editing to ISBN, to pricing. "What You Need To Know To Be A Pro" also has invaluable, 'real world' advice on launching a book; keeping track of inventory, royalties and taxes; and establishing how many book titles can be managed by the resources available to the publisher. Of special note are the insertions of practical advice from professional in the publishing industry -- including commentary by James A. Cox, the editor-in-chief of the Midwest Book Review and the author of this review. Enhanced with the inclusion of lists of 'Helpful Resources' including a list of 'how to' books, recommended publisher organizations, publisher oriented websites, "What You Need To Know To Be A Pro: The Business Start-Up Guide For Publishers" is particularly recommended to those new to the publishing field and will prove to be as practical and invaluable, as it is insightful and instructional.

The Midwest Book Review has hundreds of book reviews broken down into topics (cooking, history, fantasy, pets, crafts, etc) to help you find the right book for your interests. Publishers and writers should take a look at The Publisher's Bookshelf for a comprehensive list of books on publishing, book marketing, and writing.

I'm reading the review again and I'm just so happy I need to run around the kitchen and squeal like a five year old! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Why Don't People Read my Blog?

First, let me say to all my readers, especially those 16 who subscribe and have stayed through all my ramblings, how much I love and appreciate you. This post in no way belittles your support.

But now, I want to know something. Why is it that no matter what I write or do or say, Medusa's Muse is not one of the top blogs on publishing? This blog has been up and running for five years. I've done everything I'm supposed to do: visit other blogs, comment, share info, provide proper credit, write informative posts with the occasional just for fun bit, and give away books. No matter what, I can't get any more readers.

I'm asking because it's not just me who asks these questions. I hear other bloggers complaining of the same thing. They write great content, but no one knows their blog exists. And with the internet so crowded and stuffed with information, I don't know how anyone finds a blog. What's a blogger to do?

I found this article on Copyblogger which addresses those questions. Here is a snippit:

The Oldest Blogging Myth

“Content is king.”

It sounds good in principle. Produce a truly great piece of content, and you’ll get all the links you could ever hope for.

Maybe it worked too, several years ago. The Web used to be a fairly quiet place compared to what it is now, and it was easier for people to notice great blog posts.

But not anymore.

Now great is no longer good enough. The Web is full of so much remarkable content that bloggers don’t have enough time to read it all, much less link to it.

If you want links now, you need to be more than great. You need to be connected.

(Follow the above link for the full story. If you don't know Copyblogger, you need to check them out, and then bookmark them. Great stuff).

It's a great article with good advice, but I realized that I've been doing those things and I still can't get a date to the prom. If it really is about connections and "who you know," then the internet has turned into a giant high school and I'm back to being that Drama nerd everyone made fun of.

Fine! Me and my 16 nerdy subscribers can still have fun. Right guys?