Receive an e-mail notification of new posts on this site:
|
|
|
WritersNotes.Net: Helping Writers Follow Their Dreams Through Information, Inspiration, and Encouragement!
September 21st 2008 01:26
The Lowdown Right from the Lizard's* Mouth!
Joel Ratner, Director of Zirdland.com, has graciously responded to several somewhat skeptical comments left on my recent post: "That First Line" Contest Offers $500 Prize for One Line! In his comment, Joel addresses a few issues raised by some Writer's Notes readers. I've decided to reproduce his fairly lengthy comment in this post to be certain that everyone who's read the earlier post and either entertained or expressed doubts about the Zirdland website and its writing contests will see his remarks and benefit from hearing the other side of the story.
The Inside Scoop from the Top Man at Zirdland
The following is what Joel had to say about his site:
Hi Jeanne -
Thanks for writing so many wonderful things about our web site. It's been a long development process. But we want to make sure we get this right. For too long, writers have been left in the dark wondering how to get published. Publishers are similarly in the dark about where the "truly" great works can be found. They rely on third-parties to evaluate and recommend. Seems to us (as writers) a tragic failed business model.
So, maybe we're crazy for trying to change things, but somebody needs to do something - the same old stuff keeps getting published - and I can tell you from what we've seen in both the first-line contest and the new novel competition, that there are some incredibly talented people with very meaningful works out there. Even more tragic are some of the tales of their querying experiences.
The Arc Angel is something we've worked on for 4 years now, and when deployed, we hope it can bridge the gap - helping writers structure their plots and characters for maximum reader satisfaction, and helping the publishers wade through their slush-piles in a more organized way. While it can't "read" like a human - or interpret the social significance of a work, it can accurately detect emotional development, dramatic ebb and flow and chart-out the arc structure for each character and for combinations of characters.
The actual user-interface you will eventually see on the site will be very intuitive, graphical, and integrated with a text editor so a writer can work in the desktop environment and have the Arc Angel analyze the edits on the fly.
Our writers focus groups have given us valuable feedback and even some of the die-hard skeptics remained well afterwards to get more hands-on with the Arc Angel - addicted, as we are.
The novel competition is our beta test - giving the Arc Angel and the processing engines a work-out with real submissions. While we've taken reasonable precautions to protect the entries, writers should always copyright their works. No rights are lost by entering - we only expect to test the system. Eventually, each entrant will receive the analysis output of their entry. And of course, one exceptional writer will also get $1,000.
No entry fee this time around. The first-line contest was an effort to raise money for our literacy partners (Firstbook and National Center for Family Literacy) while providing a fun opportunity for writers. We love competitions and feel it sparks creativity. I think Zirdland will always have some sort of contest running...at least we'll try.
Hope that helps. I'm excited to see so much discussion about our project and we'd welcome any suggestions or insights your readers may have.
Thanks again for great coverage of the adventure!
Joel Ratner, Director
Zirdland.com, LLC
Permission to Quote Graciously Granted
In response to my request for permission to turn his comment into a blog post, Joel later posted this friendly follow-up comment:
Hi Jeanne -
No problem at all in distributing my comments. Yes, I did see your later post. Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts and comments about Zirdland. I'm glad to get some opposing viewpoints from all the responses to your post - it helps us understand what areas we need to focus on as we develop this site.
It's been a lot of fun and we've received so many well-wishes.
Let me know if you or your readers have any additional questions, comments or concerns. I'll do my best to answer them.
Any Questions or Comments for Joel About His Site?
There you have it--right from the source. If you still have questions, concerns, thoughts, or opinions about Zirdland, its contests, or its Arc Angel Story Analysis Tool that you'd like to share, Joel would be more than happy to listen and respond to any issues you may have.
Thanks to All!
Thanks so much, Joel, for your willingness to entertain our comments, answer our questions, and assuage our concerns!
And thank-you, Writer's Notes readers for your thoughtful comments left in response to my earlier post! Thanks, too, for any feedback you may decide to give Joel in response to his gracious offer to clarify his site's plans, goals, philosophy, policies, and practices!
To your writing future!
Jeanne
* The Zirdland trademark/mascot is a bright green lizard, appropriately called a zird.
Did you enjoy this post? Have any questions for Joel about his site, his software, or his contests? Any suggestions for ways his site could better serve you as a writer? Any concerns that haven't been addressed either on the site or in his comments? Both he and I would love to hear your thoughts!
Please note: If the StumbleUpon and other social bookmarking buttons aren't visible, please click the "Add Comments" link beneath this post. Thanks!
Shared on
Are You a Business Writer?
If you have a marketing or other business background and enjoy writing about related topics, you might feel right at home participating in this year's Age of Conversation 2008, a second collaborative book project that will bring together writers/bloggers from all over the internet--and all over the world. Even if you simply enjoy reading about business, you'll want to know more about this book!
What Is The Age of Conversation?
To learn more about the collaboration--which is the brainchild of Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton and should be even bigger and better than last year's highly popular version--visit Drew McLellan's blog, Drew's Marketing Minute, and check out his Calling All Authors--Time to Exceed Age of Conversation post! But hurry, because the deadline (which has already been extended once), is February 3rd! (My apologies for posting about the project so late! I only just came on board myself the other day and then was without internet all day today due to computer parts issues. Finally managed to use a part intended for a slightly different use to restore my internet access, though; and now I'm back up and running.)
Become a Project Author or Simply Help Choose the Topic
Even if you aren't able to participate as a writer this year, stop by Drew's blog if you're at all interested in voting on which of three possible topics will become the theme for this year's book. (Again, remember that the deadline is February 3rd.)
Topic choices are the following:
- Marketing Manifesto
- Why Don't People Get It?
- My Marketing Tragedy (and what I learned)
A Worthy Project to Benefit a Worthy Cause
All proceeds from the sale of The Age of Conversation 2008 will be donated to Variety, the children's charity, as they were last year.
This project promises to be an exciting compilation of great writing and one you won't want to miss! So hurry on over to Drew's blog and find out how you can participate. And if you are reading this post after February 3rd, check Drew's blog anyway for periodic updates on the project, because you'll no doubt want your own copy once Age of Conversation 2008 goes to print!
Do check it out!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Have any questions or anything to add? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
The Contest
Wanted to share a gift, of sorts, given to me by Dan at dcrBlogs. Actually it's more of a consolation prize for my non-winning entry to his recent What is This Blog All About? contest. In this contest, Dan asked his writer-readers to write a description of his blog and offered a $10 prize to the blogger whose description he chose as most accurate and well-written. (Entries were left in comments and may be read at the above post.)
The Winner
In a later post, What You Think This Blog is All About, Dan reveals his choice for the winning entry: the one submitted by my blogging friend, Lillie Ammann of A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye. (Congrats, Lillie on a job well-done!)
The Consolation Prize
In the above post Dan generously offers the Good Buzzz Blog Award to the non-winners:
Good Buzzz Blog Award
This award is “for blogs that have generated a happy hum in the blogosphere. Whether it be for their blog in general, one outstanding, unusual or controversial post, or for something cool the blogger has done. Or even for recognizing some promising, brand-new blogs.” Dan received it back in November, and he's kindly decided to pass it on to us, because he considers our taking the time to submit our entries to the contest to be "cool."
Thanks, Dan!
I'd like to thank Dan for the consolation prize, as well as the lesson learned through my submission of an overly lengthy entry--despite what my intuition tried to tell me! Nevertheless, like Dan, I, too, love Lillie's description and readily concede that the best entry did indeed win! Many congratulations to Lillie Ammann on an excellent description of an excellent blog: dcrBlogs!
Till next time,
Jeanne
How much thought have you given to your blog's description? If your blog is listed on Technorati or anywhere else, that description represents your blog. Does it make people want to visit? Any thoughts to share about this topic?
The 2007 Australian Blogging Conference
The next Australian Blogging Conference is slated for Friday, September 28th, 2007 (please forgive the Americanization of the date), from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the Creative Industries Precinct at the Queensland University of Technology's Kelvin Grove Campus In Brisbane. Since I'm not certain how many Orble (and other Australian) bloggers know about this conference, I thought I'd write a post about it.
Thanks Go Out to Darren Rowse, at ProBlogger, for the Info
I learned of the conference from Darren Rowse's ProBlogger website, in his brief Speed Linking - 31 August, 2007 post.
Conference Description
Here's what the event's organizers have to say about it:
This will not be a conference in the traditional sense. It will be relatively informal. Instead of lengthy presentations, people will be invited lead discussions on various topics throughout the day – some practical, such as how to build a better blog, and some theoretical on the role, influence and future of blogs.
It is hoped that this Australian Blogging Conference will be a memorable event where all participants will learn more about the social, cultural, creative and technological aspects of blogging from one another.
Conference Hosts
The conference will be hosted by the following two organizations*:
The Legal and Regulatory Program of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation
The Queensland University of Technology
Conference Topics
Topics covered will be the following:
-The Politics of Blogging
-Researching Blogging
-Blogs, Creativity and Creative Commons
-Legal Issues
-Citizen Journalism
-Blogs and Education
-Business and Corporate Blogging
-Building a Better Blog
-Final Discussion 1: The future for blogging - what's next?
-Final Discussion 2: The future for your blog - promoting your blog and building traffic
Please bear in mind that a number of the above sessions take place simultaneously, requiring you to choose the one you most want to attend.
Conference Registration
If you'd like to attend the conference, you'll need to register in advance.
The organizers of the event hope to have no registration fee, but state, "This will only be possible if we are able to attract sufficient corporate sponsorship. Accordingly we would appreciate any support you and your organisation is able to provide."
Conference Sponsorship
If you or your organization* are interested in helping to eliminate registration fees for participating bloggers by sponsoring the conference, you may visit the site's Sponsorship Opportunities page to learn how you can acquire a Sponsorship Kit.
Post-Conference Activities
There will be a few opportunities for post-conference get-togethers the evening of the conference, so be sure to check out the Friday Dinners Page, if you think you might be interested in attending one of these.
Conference Announcement Badges
Whether or not you are able to attend the conference, if you have a website or blog, you may want to post an Australian Blogging Conference badge, for the benefit of your readers (two sizes available).
Hope many of my Australian blogger/readers will be able to make it to the conference. It promises to be quite an enlightening event! We non-Aussie bloggers will be with you in spirit!
Happy conferencing!
Jeanne
* Hope all my non-American readers will excuse the Americanized spellings used throughout this post (except within specific quotes). The majority of my readers are in the U.S. and, of course, I am, as well. And, while it may seem a bit strange to see two different spellings of this word (organisation/organization) within the same post, the reason for this is that I always use American spellings in my own writing.
Did you enjoy this post? Was it helpful? Have anything to add? Please feel free to comment!
The Lucid Mind: A True Gift
As writers, each of us can appreciate, in a particularly vivid way, the blessing of a lucid mind! Clear thought, dependable memory, logical deductive power: each of these is critical to us as we go about our daily activities, giving us the ability to share ideas via the written--or spoken--word. Because of this, we writers are able, perhaps more than most, to understand just how devastating the loss of these abilities can be--and is--to every person who falls victim to Alzheimer's, and to each of their family members, as well.
The Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk®: Your Opportunity to Make a Difference
The Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk® is America's largest event held to raise awareness about Alzheimer's and funds for Alzheimer's care, support, and research. Held annually since 1989 in hundreds of communities across the U.S., walks are typically 2-3 miles long and take place on a weekend morning in early fall. This year's walk will involve more than 600 communities--communities where volunteers of all ages will gather to champion the cause of Alzheimer's sufferers.
Since its inception, Memory Walk has raised more than $225 million in funds to help in the fight against Alzheimer's, and caring people like you are the ones who have made that happen!
Memory Walk Team Captains Needed Immediately!
Team Captains are needed NOW to assemble, organize, and lead teams of other concerned individuals in preparing for and participating in the Walk. Teams can consist of family members, friends, and/or business associates who are dedicated to helping fight Alzheimer's. As a Team Captain, you can inspire the caring people in your own personal sphere to take action on behalf of a worthwhile cause, becoming true champions of those who face Alzheimer's.
The rewards of taking charge and making this happen in your local area will be great! You'll experience the satisfaction of knowing that you've gone the extra mile--literally!--in the fight to help make Alzheimer's a thing of the past. You'll know that you were the catalyst that brought your entire group's energy, enthusiasm, and compassion together, creating a synergy that would be hard to beat. You'll be respected and admired, not only by those you lead, but by others who learn of your dedication and leadership in such a worthy endeavor. By signing up to become a Team Captain, you can't lose--because you'll know that you're helping those who are contending with Alzheimer's win!
Please Sign Up Early!
The Association recommends that Team Captains sign up as early as possible so they will have sufficient time to recruit their teams and raise funds for the cause. As a Team Captain, you can help make this year's Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk® a success.
To quote the Association, "By teaming up with the Alzheimer's Association, you can walk with a purpose – and move us closer to a world without Alzheimer's. Together, we can MOVE a nation."
Won't that be a wonderful thing?
Thanks for reading,
Jeanne
Was this post helpful to you? Have any questions? Please feel free to comment!
I learned, a few days ago, from reading my friend Yvonne Russell's Grow Your Writing Business blog, that WritersWeekly.Com is raising the rates it pays writers for their work. According to an article, written by Angela Hoy and reproduced in its entirety (with permission) by Yvonne, WritersWeekly is raising its rates 20% for features and 33% for success stories. This is great news for freelancers!
According to Ms. Hoy's article, the 20% increase for feature articles figures to "$60 for around 600 words for non-exclusive electronic rights only," and she adds, "For freelance success stories, we now pay $40 for around 300 words."
Her article is exceptionally interesting reading for freelancers, as it also contains an explanation of the payment history of several other major online publishers of freelance material, as well as several print publishers, giving us a glimpse into their going rates, and letting us know just how long it's been since each has raised its own rates.
Check out this great article on Yvonne's site! You'll find it in her post, entitled, Freelance Writing Rates. The article, entitled, We're Raising Our Freelance Rates, by Angela Hoy, is also posted on the WritersWeekly website.
Thanks, Yvonne for this fascinating and thoroughly helpful info! We can only hope that all the other publishers of freelance material will follow WritersWeekly.Com's shining example of adopting fairer freelance payment rates and thereby engaging in more responsible business practices!
Happy writing!
Jeanne
P.S. You'll want to visit Yvonne's blog often! Through it, she provides lots of great info and many helpful resources for writers! For your convenience, a link to Grow Your Writing Business can always be found in my blog's sidebar in the Helpful Sites for Writers list.
You'll also want to visit WritersWeekly.Com. Their site is packed with articles, market listings, and other resources that will help you reach your writing goals!
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
|
|
|
Comments (2)
Add Comments