Arts Writers Grant Program Announces 2011 Grants

The Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant Program is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2011 grant cycle. Designed to encourage and reward writing about contemporary art that is rigorous, passionate, eloquent and precise, as well as to create a broader audience for arts writing, the program aims to strengthen the field as a whole and to ensure that critical writing remains a valued mode of engaging the visual arts. In its 2011 cycle, the Arts Writers Grant Program has awarded a total of $565,000 to twenty-three writers representing twenty projects. Ranging from $8,000 to $50,000 in four categories—articles, blogs, books, and short-form writing—these grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from scholarly studies to self-published blogs.

Art Writing Workshop

The Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant Program is pleased to continue its partnership with the International Art Critics Association/USA Section, to give practicing writers the opportunity to strengthen their work through one-on-one consultations with leading art critics. For a list of 2011 Art Writing Workshop recipients, see http://www.artswriters.org/writing_workshop.html.

   

Articles

• Alexander Dumbaze, Jack Goldstein and the Origins of Postmodernism (Brooklyn)
• Jeff Huebner, William Walker's Mural Art (Chicago)
• Emily Eliza Scott, Toxic Gardens: Patricia Johanson's House and Garden Proposals (Zurich)
• George Stolz, From the Word "Art": Sol LeWitt's Use of Language (Madrid)

     Blogs

• Carol Diehl, Art Vent (Housatonic, MA)
• Jason Farago, Art in Common (New York)
• Claudia La Rocco, The Performance Club (Brooklyn)
• Sohrab Mohebbi, Presence Documents (Brooklyn)
• Valerie Soe, beyondasiaphilia (San Francisco)
• Meredith Tromble, Art and Shadows (Oakland, CA)
• Jason Urban, R.L. Tillman, and Amze Emmons, Printeresting (Austin, TX)

     Books

• Jane McFadden, There and Not There: Walter de Maria (Los Angeles)
• Christine Mehring and Sean Keller, Munich '72: Olympian Art and Architecture (Chicago)
• Judith Ostrowitz, Contemporary Native American Art: Cosmopolitanism and Creative Practice (New York)
• Mark Owens, Graphics Incognito: Design, Material Culture, and Post-punk Aesthetics (Philadelphia)
• Margarita Tupitsyn, Moscow Vanguard Art Between World War II and the Fall of the Soviet Union (New York)
• William Wilson, Ray Johnson: An Illustrated Life in Art (New York)

Short-Form Writing

• Kirsty Bell, Berlin
• Cinqué Hicks, Atlanta
• Murtaza Vali, Brooklyn

Georgia Council for the Arts offers grants in two programs

FY13 Grant Guidelines Ready

GCA Grant Guidelines for fiscal year 2013 are now available for review and download. Applications for funding will be accepted for Operating Support and Project Grants. Applications for inclusion in the Georgia Council for the Arts Touring Artists Roster will also be accepted for adjudication. There are four general eligibility requirements that must be met in order to apply for funding:

•Applicant organizations must be incorporated in the state of Georgia. Organizations with incorporation that is "pending" or "in process" are not eligible.
•Applicant organizations must also be incorporated as a tax-exempt nonprofit or unit of government
•Nonprofit status must have been established and the organization operational for a minimum of one year (twelve consecutive months).
•Grant awards are provided to organizations, not individuals.

Be sure to take the time to review the Guidelines completely. GCA Grants Manager Tina Lilly advises printing the documents and reading them thoroughly before entering any data. “There have been changes to the funding programs,” she said. “It’s important to ask questions and have a good understanding of those changes far in advance of the deadline.”

All applications must be submitted electronically via the e-GRANT SYSTEM, no later than January 25, 2012.

For more information and to download important documents, go to the General Funding Guidelines page.

What Makes a Beautiful (and Marketable) Book?

Re-posted by Alpha Bruton, source ChicagoArtists Resource Creatives At Work Forum:

 

Event Type:

Panel discussion

Thursday, December 1, 2011 6:00pm

Artists, authors, and publishers are invited to take part in this discussion about the impact of good design and how it affects the success of all types of books, from special artists' editions to independent literary titles to mass market best-sellers.
RSVP to info@chicagopublishes.com by Nov. 28.
Panel:
James Goggin, Director of Design, Print and Digital Media, Museum of Contemporary Art
Ellen Gibson, Regional Marketing Manager, University of Chicago Press
Annie Heckman, artist, book designer, and founder of StepSister Press

Moderated by Danielle Chapman, Director of Publishing Industry Programs, Chicago Office of Tourism & Culture
This forum is part of the At Work Forums series, sponsored by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture. At Work Forums are regular seminars, free and open to the public, that focus on issues of interest and concern for the Chicago arts community. Well known artists, experts, and advocates are invited to discuss best practices for Chicago's creatives in music, dance, theater, visual, art, and more. Click here to explore more forums in this series.

Grant Opportunity Georgia Council for the Arts ✆ gaarts

  ARTS & TOURISM UNITE

TO PROVIDE GRANT FUNDING

 Up to $20,000 to be Awarded to Eligible Organizations

ATLANTA -  Georgia Tourism and Georgia Council for the Arts, both divisions of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, have combined resources to offer Tourism Product Development (TPD) Grants for the state's 2012 fiscal year.  The TPD Grant, worth up to $20,000, is designed to financially support tourism development activities at the local level that sustain and create jobs within Georgia's hospitality industry. The grant program also supports the role of the arts in tourism by providing financial assistance to Georgia's Creative Economies with an emphasis on professional Georgia artists and the non-profit arts industry. 

 "The funding will support non-profit arts organizations and individual artists in a way the Council has not been previously able to do," said Karen L. Paty, Georgia Council for the Arts Director. "It creates the opportunity as well as provides the resources to support and generate increased visibility of the role of the arts industry in the State's economy." 

 Examples of projects that will be considered for funding include new tourism product development, such as murals or products for sale, created by professional Georgia artists; an arts project or program, such as a festival or performance, that involves a local arts organization, attracts tourists and strengthens visibility of the local arts; or historic preservation projects that add to the local tourism product portfolio. Although the grant does not fund administration fees or salaries, some related expenses may be eligible. For instance, individual artist fees are not considered administration or salaries and are therefore eligible. Additionally, music equipment or stage lighting for a performance at a festival are also examples of acceptable expenditures. 

"We are very excited about the opportunity to partner with the Georgia Council for the Arts to support the role of the arts in the tourism industry," said Bruce Green, Tourism Product Development Director for the Georgia Department of Economic Development. "Tourism Product Development grants seek to financially support tourism development activities at the local level in both urban and rural areas."

 The submission deadline for all application materials is September 30, 2011. Guidelines and additional information are available for download and review via the websites for the Georgia Department of Economic Development and Georgia Council for the Arts.

About GDEcD

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a destination for arts events and location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development

GCA Contact:

Jhai James

Public Information Officer

404.962.4839  

GDEcD Contact:

Stefanie Paupeck

Communications Specialist

404.962.4075 

Collaborative Publications- Next Objectivi

As always, the Next Objectivists will convene our free poetry workshop at the Mess Hall in Rogers Park at 7:00 pm. Please join us! The Mess Hall is located at 6932 North Glenwood Ave., Chicago, Illinois. Cozied up next to the Morse Street Red Line stop. Our meetings are pot lucks and beer lucky. Everyone is invited!

The Next Objectivists is the world's only %100 autonomous poetry workshop dedicated to the study & reproduction of the OUTSIDEREAL. We meet approximately twice a month to read, write, eat & converse together about the poetics and politics associated with the Objectivist Poets and other writers who have refused the one person - one voice paradigm of professionalized poetry production. All events are free & open to the public.

+ Schedule of meetings for Summer & Fall 2011:  

Friday July 29 Printers Ball  http://www.printersball.org/

Thursday August 4th

Tuesday August 16th

Tuesday August 30th

Tuesday September 13

Tuesday Sept 27

Tuesday Oct 11

Tuesday Oct 25.

Excerpts from Grand Piano, 0 to 9, and Unnatural Acts can be downloaded at the links below.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7387246/KaneonUnnaturalActs.pdf

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7387246/UnnaturalActsand0to9.pdf

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7387246/GrandPiano.pdf

Haters/ By Maya Angelou

(Email submitted by Cynthia Williams, posted by Alpha Bruton)

Haters/ By Maya Angelou

A hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall.

They are very negative people to say the least. 

Nothing is ever

Good enough!

When you make your mark,

you will always attract some haters...That's why you have to be careful with  whom you share your

Blessings and your dreams, because some folk can't handle seeing you blessed...

It's dangerous to be like somebody else... If God wanted you to be like somebody else, He would have given you what He gave them!  Right?

You never know what people have gone through to get what they have...

The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don't know my story....

If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there too!

We've all got some haters among us!

Some people envy you because you can:

a) Have a relationship with God

b) Light up a room when you walk in

c) Start your own business

d) Tell a man/woman to hit the curb (If he/she isn't about the right thing)

e) You are a strong person and don't let people run you over

 f) You have a strong and loving marriage and they can't get in-between spouses to spoil it

Haters can't stand to see you happy.

Haters will never want to see you succeed. Most of our haters are people who are supposed to be on our side (like some family and friends).

How do you handle your undercover haters? You can handle these haters by:

   1. Knowing who you are & who your true friends are

          *(VERY IMPORTANT!!)

2. Having a purpose to your life: Purpose does not mean having a job. You can have a job and still be unfulfilled.

A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be.

Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you

      3. By remembering that what you have is by divine

              Prerogative and not human manipulation.

Fulfill your dreams!  You only have one life to live...when its your

Time to leave this earth, you want to be able to say, 'I've lived my

Life and fulfilled my dreams, Now I'm ready to go HOME!

When God gives you favor, you can tell your haters, 'Don't look at

Me...Look at who is in charge of me...'

Pass this to all of your family & friends who you know are

Not hating on you including the person who sent it to you.

If you don't get it back, maybe you called somebody out!

Don't worry about it, it's not your problem, it's theirs.

Just pray for them, that their life can be as fulfilled as

Yours! Watch out for Haters..

BUT most of all don't become A HATER!

'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man

Should have to seek Him first to find her.--

"The Writer's Well is now taking applications for resident artist, visit our web blog link application...

To the Pen!"

 Maya Angelou

IS THIS A VACATION? WAYS TO FUND YOUR PROFESSIONAL GETAWAY

IS THIS A VACATION?  The Studio of the Key West

Yes, but it's also a new form of professional development, in a place that will welcome and honor your presence, at a new kind of creative community.

THE FINE PRINT

Cultural managers, arts administrators, artistic directors and producers, program officers and curators who can get away from their busy roles for a week or two are welcome to express interest in the TSKW Cultural Manager Residency. Participants must be able to cover travel to and from Key West, as well as some living expenses while on the island.

Fees, stipends, and funding for residencies Most artists ask: "Where can I go that's free?" The short answer is, nothing is free. While some residencies charge fees, some charge nothing, and some provide funding, any residency will cost you something as an individual. So the real question is: "What will participating in this residency cost me?"

Determining cost

The total cost of a residency includes whether there are fees required or stipends provided, but also includes the direct costs to you (including meals, materials, and transportation), as well as the indirect costs (loss of income from jobs, or whether you’re maintaining a home while you are away, among other factors). For example, a residency that charges fees but provides three meals a day and is within driving distance may actually cost you less than a residency that offers a small stipend, but no food, and that you have to fly to. A one-month residency that charges nothing (while you are still paying rent and utilities on your apartment at home) may cost you more than a 3-month residency that charges fees (if you find someone to sublet your apartment).

Once you've narrowed down a list of residencies you are interested in, list all the factors that have a financial impact, so you can more accurately compare residencies.

Scholarships and subsidies

Many residencies that charge fees also have full or partial scholarships available or offer partial subsidies through work-exchange (for example, working in the kitchen a few days a week, teaching a workshop, or assisting with the box-office for performances). Some scholarships are based on financial need, while others are for artists working in specific disciplines or from particular geographic areas. If you don't see information on scholarships or subsidies listed on the residency program's website, it never hurts to ask!

Other funding sources

Even if a residency charges fees, there may be many other funding sources available. Most state arts councils have grants for individual artists that can be applied to travel costs, materials, etc. Community foundations are also a good source of funding, through professional development, research, or project grants.

The Foundation Center is the largest resource on funders in the U.S., and separates their databases by grants for individuals and grants for organizations. The grants for individuals database includes tutorials, sample proposals, and other tools to assist you in your grant-seeking.

Online funding resources

Foundation Center

Intro to narrowing your search

Free online tools for individuals

Online directory ($9.95/month subscription)

List of libraries where you can access the database for free

State Arts Councils (in the U.S. and territories)

List of state arts councils that fund individual artists

Contact information for each state arts council Arts and Humanities

Free online database of international funding sources and other resources

New York Foundation for the Arts / NYFA Source

Free online database of grants, fellowships, and other opportunities for artists

Other resources

Alumni and student career resources

Almost every college or university has an office of career development, and most offer career services -- online or in person -- to alumni as well as current students. Your specific department or dean may also be able to assist with researching grant and residency opportunities, putting together a funding proposal, and developing a strategy for your creative career.

Fractured Atlas

A national network of more than 50,000 arts organizations and individual artists of all disciplines (visual artists, dancers/choreographers, musicians/composers, writers, filmmakers, and more), Fractured Atlas connects its members to career-building resources.

GYST-Ink

GYST (Getting Your Sh*T together) provides artists with a variety of tools for planning their careers, including in-person workshops and computer software that includes sample business plans, grant proposals, and more.

http://www.museumsusa.org/members/forms/200040

https://www.artistcommunities.org/

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Maria-Shriver-Will-Guest-Edit-O-Magazines-April-Poetry-Themed-Issue

https://www.oprah.com/ownshow/plug_form.html?plug_id=6998315

Book Announcement

A Writers’ Retreat: Starting from Scratch to Success!

www.WritersRetreatBizBook.com

A Step-by-Step Guide to Set Up and Operate a Writers’ Retreat

The Writers’ Retreat is pleased to announce that the recently published book A Writers’ Retreat: Starting from Scratch to Success!  by Canadian author Micheline Côté, is now available in print, e-book, and audio formats at www.WritersRetreatBizBook.com, in CreateSpace.com and Amazon.com.

The book A Writers’ Retreat: Starting from Scratch to Success! Was specifically written to assist readers/current and future residential retreat operators in starting, operating, and shaping their retreat business.

 In this book, you have at your disposal the means for starting and operating a writers’ retreat. Based on the author’s extensive experience in marketing, administration, and managing writers’ retreats, A Writers’ Retreat: Starting from Scratch to Success! provides the tools and structure that lead to consistent value to residents. This formula, tools + structure = value, works every time and has proven successful.

 This is the first time that steps to establishing a writers’ retreat have been explained in clear, practical terms. Micheline Côté draws on her years of experience as a retreat operator, a communication specialist, and a realtor to demystify what can seem like a huge undertaking into a methodical approach to defining, framing, planning, and most importantly, welcoming guests in your home and residential retreat.

 Through this book, you will discover that creating a successful retreat business is a calculated formula anyone can follow. More than a guide, A Writers’ Retreat: Starting from Scratch to Success! is an inspiration. Follow its guidance to a vibrant residential retreat you will be proud of.

Visit http://www.writersretreatbizbook.com/ to peek inside this guidebook and place an order for yourself, a friend, or a colleague.

You may forward this announcement to anyone interested in this book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Micheline Côté is the co-founder and owner of The Writers’ Retreat, a network of writing retreats around the world. The membership organization specializes in helping writing mentors and retreat operators implement, promote, and support residential retreats for writers.

 A former cultural attaché, communications specialist, and retreat operator, the consulting services she has provided potential retreat operators for nearly a decade, are enhanced by Micheline’s expertise in marketing and organization. Micheline currently lives in Québec, Canada.

Overview: 

With this book, you will simply rediscover your standards and realize that a successful retreat business is a calculated formula that anyone can follow.

 Reading and following A Writers’ Retreat: Starting from Scratch to Success! you will:

-    Lay the foundation for a solid writer’s retreat by developing a vision

-    Understand your value and strengths by self-evaluating your knowledge, experience, and interests

-    Confidently frame the business you have dreamed of by analyzing your needs, choosing a location, and a property

-    Successfully market your retreat business following Micheline Côté’s expert instruction for defining your territory, and designing a viable program of literary services

-    Develop a long-term clientele by adapting and using successful structure tools and system templates.

 

"The Writer's Well is now taking applications for resident artist, visit our web blog link application...

To the Pen!"

LA Women's Theatre Festival: the Personal to the Universal |

http://www.lastagetimes.com/2011/03/la-women%E2%80%99s-theatre-festival-the-personal-to-the-universal/

LA ...
By Cindy Marie Jenkins
Eighteen years ago, Barnes and Reed saw a great need for female solo performers to have a hub, and today managing producer Shyla La'Sha believes the need is even greater. “Unfortunately,” she says, “although there have been major gains ...
LA STAGE TIMES - http://www.lastagetimes.com/

"The Writer's Well is now taking applications for resident artist, visit our web blog link application...

To the Pen!"

Tips on Working with an Editor

by Helen Corner, Director, Cornerstones

You've finished the first draft of your book, and it's now time for feedback. Does it read well? Are there areas that require self-editing to make it even better? And once that's been done, and you're going down the mainstream route, could it attract an agent or publisher? This is an exciting moment; a rite-of-passage and often nerve-wracking. But getting an outside opinion - one that you can trust - and learning how to self-edit is a process that is as much a part of being a writer as writing the book in the first place. 

Are you ready for feedback?
Receiving feedback before you're ready, and perhaps still at the creative writing stage, can have a negative impact on your writing confidence, so ask yourself if you are ready to hear what's working and what's not. If you feel that you can make no further improvements to your manuscript - or that you can no longer be objective and are going over and over the same sentences - and are excited by the prospect of a second opinion, then you're at self-editing stage.

Preparing your manuscript for feedback
In terms of formatting, your manuscript you should have a title page (title of book, your name, word count, genre, phone, address and email details); the narrative should be in, Times New Roman, font size 12, double-spaced, page numbered, and with a header or footer of your name and the book title. The first paragraph of each new chapter should be left justified and each subsequent paragraph indented with a tab. Dialogue should be on a new line, indented and without a hard-return.
Before you send it out to an editor, it’s a good idea to print off your manuscript and to read it from a hard copy for one last check (reading it aloud also helps for rhythm and flow of the narrative). This is how editors work, with pencil in hand, and you’ll find that it reads differently from on-screen.

At this stage, you’ll be doing a structural edit (different to a copy-edit, which I touch on further down) and, on a simplistic and instinctive level, you’re looking for anything that stops the flow of reading. Mark in the margin what made you stop reading and question why you think that occurred. It may be that you sensed repetition, too much backstory, character inconsistency, clunky sounding dialogue or exposition, a slowing of pace, a scene that could be more exciting and so on. If you can think of a way to fix these issues then go ahead and revise, but only once you’ve finished reading the whole MS (I’m talking mainly here about fiction and narrative non-fiction but even for business books and academic non-fiction you can check for consistency, structure, repetition and pace etc.).
By doing a final check, this will also give you an opportunity to correct typographical errors and basic grammar. Don’t worry too much if this is a weak area for you as your publisher will copy-edit and proofread your manuscript  – the final stages of editing - just before your book gets published. However, it’s important to try and get the narrative as polished as you can (if you can’t do this yourself you can hire an independent copy-editor or proofreader, but there’s no point doing this when you know you’re likely to be making further structural changes).
Once you’re satisfied that you can revise no further it’s time to send it out.

How to source the right editor
I’d recommend not showing your manuscript to friends or family if you wish to remain on speaking terms!
Look for a professional who knows how to deliver constructive feedback, has industry experience - be it an editor, consultant, or writer - and who is aware of market trends.
Author online chat forums such as YouWriteOn, WriteWords, Iwritereadrate, Authonomy, and many others, where writers chat about their experiences and recommend individuals or literary consultancies can be a good indicator.
Writing magazines such as Writing Magazine, Writers’ Forum and Mslexia, feature articles and advertisements for editors and consultants.
Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook and industry trade books often have a section on editors.
Once you’ve identified an editor or a literary consultancy, check out their website, biography, testimonials, what books they’ve worked on, how long they’ve been operating, what services they offer and at what cost, which authors they’ve launched and who’s published them. You’re looking for a hands-on, personal interest in you and your book and an initial phone call or email will usually suffice. It’s a good idea to test the waters with a first chapter and synopsis – this should be at no charge as you’re just shopping around at the moment - to see what feedback they may give. After all, they need to know if they can be of real help to you and that you’re at self-editing stage before taking on your book. And you need to know that you can trust their feedback and that you’re in good hands.

The importance of understanding editor gobbledygook and getting in touch with your inner editor
You can't assume that the publisher/editor/agent will have the time to take you through these self-editing stages so it's up to you to teach yourself; and by receiving professional feedback you’re already on the road to arming yourself with self-editing jargon and techniques. For instance, if an editor says: 'the mid-section falls flat and the structure is unbalanced’, would you know what that means and how to fix it?
Self-editing can be taught, unlike talent, and a good independent editor will explain the technical issues at hand and brainstorm some solutions on how to fix them; what may sound confusing at first will soon become familiar.
Then it’s a question of applying this advice and revising your manuscript. It may need one draft or several redrafts – and while you’re learning how to self-edit this can feel like a frustrating process. With experience, though, you’ll begin to self-edit on your own and may not even need an independent editor’s opinion as you’ll instinctively know what’s working and what’s not, and how to fix it (although a second opinion is always helpful; even Stephen King has six editors who give him feedback before he makes final revisions).
Once you’re more familiar with self-editing you’ll be able to speak the same language as your in-house publisher or editor and they’ll love you for it.
The different stages of editing your book:
1)    Structural editing: ironing out structural issues to ensure that your story reads in the best way.
2)    Copy-editing: checking for grammar, syntax and consistency of facts.
3)    Proofreading: crossing the ‘t’s and dotting the ‘i’s.
I hope this offers an insight into the craft of self-editing and how to find the right editor to help you along the way. Good luck and enjoy the process.

Cornerstones, established in 1998, is the UK's leading literary consultancy. They’re passionate about writing, editing and launching new authors, and they scout for literary agents. All their (60) editors have been chosen for their agenting, publishing or writing experience; specialising in a range of fiction, non-fiction and children’s writing. They use their working knowledge of the UK market to show you what is and isn't working in your manuscript and how to fix it, with an eye on what agents and publishers are looking for. Write a Blockbuster and Get it Published by Lee Weatherly and Helen Corner, Hodder, is based on their workshop teaching techniques. For more information about Cornerstones and their workshop, visit: http://www.cornerstones.co.uk/

If you’re interested in discussing your project, please contact Corinne Liccketto, corinne@smithpublicity.com, http://www.smithpublicity.com/ or 856-489-8654 x309.

Contact information:

Corinne@smithpublicity.com
Smith Publicity, Inc.
856.489.8654 ext 309
http://www.smithpublicity.com/

Books Are Judged By Their Cover…4 reasons why your cover is crucial

 by John Chandler, Chandler Book Design UK

Like it or not books are initially judged by what they look like. Most readers will not experience the wonders to be found in even the most brilliant of books if the cover does not invite them in. And really, this is how it has to be if you think about it. Imagine if all books had the same plain cover – how would you ever know which book to pick up from the thousands in your local bookshop?

Every author needs to think seriously about what their book looks like.  And here are four reasons why:

1)    Covers are packaging: On your weekly trip to the supermarket you know what to expect of the well-known household brands, but you are also enticed to try a new product by its packaging. In a bookshop a customer looking for a new read will look out for books by authors they know or have been recommended, but they may also have their attention grabbed by a well-designed cover. A cover has a purpose and that purpose is to generate sales.

2)    Covers create expectations: In a single glance a shopper expects to learn what a book is about. A romance novel will have an illustration of two people in a passionate embrace, a book on golf will have a photo of a person playing golf on it.  If you want to defy expectations, go right ahead, but understand why you are doing it, what you hope to achieve and that there is a real risk to doing so. Often even a small variation from the usual can make a big difference – for better or for worse.

3)    Audience matters - templates and bespoke covers: Book covers can be created by using template layouts, which are relatively easy to do, or they can be professionally created from scratch by a designer. If your book has been written for a small number of family and friends, say a family history, a standard template cover will be fine. It does not need to sell the book at all. If your book is a local history book that will be sold in a limited area with limited competition a little extra effort will suffice. However, if your book is aimed at a wide audience and is intended to be seen on the same bookshop shelves as those produced by the large publishers, you need to invest in a bespoke professional design.

4)    A cover is an opportunity, not an afterthought: Your book costs money to produce - either yours or a publisher’s. Failing to give your cover proper consideration could well undermine all of the effort and resources that have gone into it. But more positively, the inverse is also true - a cover is an opportunity, a great leveller, something that can make your book sing. Your cover can potentially be better than the competition from the large publishing houses. Put effort into your cover, think about it, spend a bit of money if it needs it and consider it an investment rather than a burden.

Chandler Book Design will create a book for you that is totally unique. They are experienced graphic designers so their designs are totally bespoke. They offer cover design and page layout for paperback novels to full colour illustrated coffee table books.  Chandler Book Design can guarantee that your final book will look and feel as professional as any published book on the shelf.  For more information about their services, please visit: www.chandlerbookdesign.co.uk.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you’re interested in discussing your project, please contact Corinne Liccketto, corinne@smithpublicity.com, www.smithpublicity.com or 856-489-8654 x309.

Contact information:

Corinne@smithpublicity.com

Smith Publicity, Inc.

856.489.8654 ext 309

www.smithpublicity.com

Joanna Davidson (Department of Anthropology, Emory University)

Thank you for visiting the Writer's Well, Joanna, can you tell us about your project?


Joanna Davidson, Guest of The Writer's Well March 07-11-2011



I am in the process of writing a book manuscript entitled Sacred Rice: Identity, Environment, and Development in Rural West Africa.  Based on over ten years of ethnographic and historical research among Diola rice cultivators in Guinea-Bissau, the book explores how rural residents in this region are responding to a range of environmental and economic changes that challenge their capacity to continue the rice cultivation methods that have long defined them as a people.  The story of how Diola are responding to their dramatically changed circumstances resonates with a larger story, in which we all participate, about acknowledging a disappearing resource base, whether in a rice economy, an oil-based economy, a postindustrial town, or a megalopolis reaching its limits. 

Sacred Rice tackles the broad problem of systemic change by zooming in on the intricate details of individual life stories, and zooming out to elucidate the wider context, constraints, and opportunities that shape—and are shaped by—such individuals.  These few days at the Writer’s Well have been enormously productive, as I have been able to “zoom in” and draft a chapter on one of the book’s central characters: AmpaBadji.  Born in 1960 in a rural Diola village, AmpaBadji has lived through the most significant milestones of the past half century: the waning era of Portuguese colonialism, the 11-year independence war, the arrival of many missionaries, the still-shaky transition to independence, the ongoing turbulence of an economically weak and often violent state, the introduction of schooling, and a fluctuating set of environmental conditions and unpredictable pattern of rainfall throughout.  His life story tell a compact history of the last century in Guinea-Bissau, as he reflects upon his parents and grandparents, provides candid accounts of his own biography, and hazards predictions about what is to come for his children and grandchildren.

AmpaBadji is also a member of one of the first cohorts of Diola boys who were brought into the Italian Catholic mission that established itself in his village just prior to his birth.  Against his parent’s will, he stayed in the mission school and completed fourth grade, after which he was eligible to become a teacher himself.  Although he was an early adopter of schooling, he has nonetheless spent his life in the rice paddies, trying to sustain his family with ever-dwindling harvests.  He considers this his true work, despite his long-term position as a teacher in a nearby village school.  AmpaBadji’s story speaks to the various pushes and pulls in contemporary Diola society, in which Diola farmers acknowledge the decline in rice that makes it unfeasible as the centerpiece of their society, and yet are compelled (and often compel each other) to continue rice cultivation as their primary occupation.

It’s been a pleasure – although also a challenge – to re-immerse myself in AmpaBadji’s words through the countless interviews and interactions I’ve had with him over many years.  As I piece together his life history, I have been trying to articulate what it has to tell us about changing cultural economies in rural West Africa.  In a larger sense this has forced me to reflect on how any individual account can illuminate broad processes of social reproduction and improvisation.

"Joanna Davidson joined the faculty of the Department of Anthropology as a specialist in African Anthropology. She earned a Ph.D. at Emory University and currently holds a postdoctoral fellowship there. Her specialties include, among other things, political ecology, rurality and agrarian societies, cultural conceptions of knowledge, and critical international studies. She has long experience working with NGOs on projects relating to social entrepreneurship and rural development in Africa, Latin America, and other regions."

http://www.bu.edu/anthrop/people/faculty/j-davidson/

http://www.bu.edu/anthrop/news-events/events/

http://www.bu.edu/cas/about/faculty/new-faculty/2009/

Book Expo America and London Book Fair.

--Thank you all for the overwhelming response to our Combined Book Exhibit service, showcasing titles at book industry trade shows, including Book Expo America and London Book Fair.

There is still time to register your book for display at Book Expo America (deadline 4/18/2011).

If you have any questions, please email Kathy Weick at cbe@smithpublicity.com or call her at 856-489-8654 x306

--“9 Novel Ways to Promote Fiction,” the teleseminar in which president Sandy Diaz participated, received wonderful participant response - thank you to all of those who joined! If you were unable to attend the teleseminar in January and are interested in finding out what you missed, you can purchase the audio recording and receive three bonus fiction promotion handouts.

To learn more, go to http://www.buildbookbuzz.com/teleseminar/fiction

Upcoming Events:

--Dan Smith is attending and exhibiting at the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) Book Expo March 18 – 19, 2011 at the Red Lion Hotel Denver Central. Please let us know if you’d like to schedule a meeting. For more information about the event, visit:

http://www.cipacatalog.com/pages/CIPA-BOOK-EXPO.html

--Dan Smith and Sandy Diaz are exhibiting at The London Book Fair April 11 – 13, 2011 (Stand R405). If you’re attending and are interested in scheduling a meeting, please let us know. For more information regarding The London Book Fair, please visit:

http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/

--Corinne Liccketto will be participating in the upcoming seminar “How to Write, Publish, & Market Your Book” presented by Open Door Publications on April 16, 2011 at the Princeton Marriott at Forrestal in Princeton, NJ. To register for the event, please visit:

http://www.opendoorpublications.com/

--Dan Smith, Corinne Liccketto, and Marissa Eigenbrood will be exhibiting at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books April 30 – May 1, 2011 (Booth #227) at the University of Southern California. If you’re attending and are interested in scheduling a meeting, please let us know. For more information regarding the book fair, please visit:

http://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/

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Questions? Contact a representative of the Smith Publicity sales team:

Sandy Diaz, sandy@smithpublicity.com, 856.489.8654 x301

Dan Smith, dan@smithpublicity.com, 856.489.8654 x101

Marissa Eigenbrood, marissa@smithpublicity.com, 856.489.8654 x314

Dina Barsky, dina@smithpublicity.com, 856.489.8654 x319

 

From the desk of Corinne Liccketto

JOIN THE LOS ANGELES WOMEN' THEATRE FESTIVAL 2011

AT THE ACTOR'S GANG IN CULVER CITY ON MARCH 30TH!

 The Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival has received a 2011 grant from the City of Culver City to present Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival At The Actor's Gang, an evening presenting past Festival performers for Culver City residents.

"This powerful evening will take place on March 30, 2011 at The Actor's Gang which is housed at the Ivy Substation located at 9070 Venice Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232. "

This will be the first time the Festival has offered programming for  Culver City residents and is delighted to have this opportunity to widen our net to embrace another part of the city.

Our exciting line-up for the evening include Stacie Chaiken (The Dig:Death, Genesis and the Double Helix) Barbara Cole (Surviving Chrysalis) Ingrid Graham (Artemis) and Lydia Nicole (Calling Up Papi.)

For tickets or more information, please visit http://www.lawtf.com/.

Not to be missed!!!

Shamanic Retreat: The Kogi & Daniel Pinchbeck

http://www.realitysandwich.com/RS_Kogi_retreat

You're invited to join the Reality Sandwich retreat, Message from the Heart of the Earth, a unique seven-day shamanic encounter with two powerful Colombian medicine traditions: the spiritual masters of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern Colombia, and the plant medicine ceremonies of the deepest Amazon.

Discover the indigenous wisdom and healing traditions of the Kogi, one of the last surviving pre-Columbian civilizations in South America. Set in the stunning wilderness of Santa Marta, Colombia, participants will have a rare opportunity to explore the sacred Kogi way of life through spiritual teachings and ancient rituals. The Kogis will share their traditions and offer instruction to help us strengthen our healing path while we contribute to the healing of the planet.

This extraordinary Reality Sandwich Retreat takes place March 26 - April 2, 2011.

REGISTRATION

Space for this Reality Sandwich Retreat is limited to 35 participants.

To participate, please download an application below, and email your completed application to rs.retreats (at) gmail (dot) com. If you have questions regarding the retreat, accommodations or travel, please email us at the same address.

50% of the retreat cost is due by March 13 to reserve your space. Full payment is due by March 20.

"To the Pen"

Installation "Creating a Sacred Space”- Writers

I installed the found object installation on the 25th of February, creating the first scared space in the woods at the Writer's Well. I kept looking at the wire tomato cage, looking like a crown, adorned with red nylon fabric and couldn’t adorn it with anything else, so it was time. I also felt the rain coming, and wanted to install it before it got wet in the woods.

I took a rake out with me to help hold down those thorny vines in the brier- patch, making a path.  I was clearing the Georgia pine needles off the machine, and could tell someone years ago had covered it with a nylon tarp which had deterated over time. I cut that away, and then raked around the area. There was this blue and white barrel that I rolled away clearing the area for a small flower bed in front of the sculpture.


I found a fireplace grate under all those pine needles and fit it between the legs of the washing machine, perfect fit for the foundation. I tied the tomato cage to the fireplace grate, and then secured it to the legs of the washing machine, using bio-degradable twine instead of wire or plastic. Now that the crown was secured I went to look for something I could make into a flowering pot.

I found this plastic white bucket with holes in the bottom that would work perfect for a planter, having drain holes already, was perfect for the recycled planting soil, I got from discarded plant containers I found under the back porch deck. I filled the bucket with the potting soil, tilted it with the mouth facing north, because the bucket wouldn’t fit into the opening to stand straight up. I guess could have started over to make it fit upright but that was not going to happen. I planted the seeds of the morning glories sent from my sister Diana Bruton’s garden, in Fresno California, in the center of the container, the heart so to say.



The sculpture looks like a crown sitting on top of the upside down vintage washing machine, it might look like junk thrown out there to some, but when the morning glories take seed, it is going to be a beautiful sight, also if it ever snows again in Georgia the red will stand out, like those two red head woodpeckers I watched scale the side of a tree one afternoon. In the spring and summer you won’t be able to see it from the house, because of all the foliage.


The sculpture stands about 8ft high, I made a little garden plot about 2’ x 2’ and scattered the "Hummingbird -butterflies" from Calumet City, Illinois and the “Bay-bay-kids” marigolds from Fresno California. This soil is really rich from the decades of over growth and undistributed ground cover. The woods has so many years of leaves as ground cover when you walk on them it is like walking on a foam cushion that goes crunch, crunch. I did this installation just in time because last night there was a rain storm. The seeds are being watered, as they will be for years to come.

I made a pathway to the scared space by tying red satin ribbons that I had made from a Victorian secret pajama top that Adilah Barnes, North Hollywood California, and founder of the Writer’s Well Sharpsburg Georgia donated, to trees and branches about 4-5 ft. a part to mark the way to the garden installation, this path was freed from those brier patch thorny-vines, I tied the limbs to each other so the trees as they grow will grow into a natural arch way.

I added Anne Tomlanovich’s, (Mosula Montana) metal plates to the installation, trays on top of the wood poles, that can be bird baths, or bird feeders. I don’t know what this machine is covering up, don’t want to know but it sits on top of two 4’ x 4’ studs up off the ground. I may throw some more flowering seeds underneath, just so there is more than enough to start the garden growing. Once the morning glories take off , they will be beautiful ground cover for years, decades to come.

The first words scribbed on the installation:

Collection of the Writer's Well

:

"I am sister of True Descent
Symbols of out beginnings-
I am the face of your daughters future
Vivid and Strong


I am Akata IaKeya the mother of all
the first wonder of the world


Love ME as you would love self
Knowledgeable - artist Jen Horton