Test your knowledge
At the SeeKnows Living page Sarah Brooks lists 17 phrases that people frequently misuse. Do you misuse them in your writing? I did not know the correct phrasing for two of the 17. Yikes!
Test your knowledge by going to this page. Leave a comment on the number you got correct. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
100 Words Every Expert Author Should Know
As I looked at this list of words in this EzineArticles.com blog post, I was taken aback. I doubt I have used a fraction of the words on this list in my writing, words like amalgamate, obfuscate, ostentatious or supercilious. The audience I typically write for could not relate. I’d lose them. As a former junior high school teacher, we were conscious of the grade level of the writing of texts and articles we gave to our students. For general audiences, the reading level is pretty low, even for high school graduates. My readers would not get beyond paragraph one.
Take a look at this list. Do you use many of these words in your writing? This blog got a lot of comments. So many, in fact, that it spurred a part 2, explaining that they did not mean you should use all of these in your writing. You do need to know your audience, but knowledge of these words and their meaning could improve your writing. See Part II here.
Any comments? Do you have to “dumb down” your writing? From teaching, I think I have dumb-downed my vocabulary overall! Jaimie
Reminder – deadline for writers’ retreat coming up
The time to take advantage of discounted registration fees for the writers’ retreat up in the cool pines of Payson will end on June 26. Join us on July 27 and 28 in a 
lovely setting. Kick start your creativity, write, paint, hike or relax. The $95 fee is a real steal; it includes a room plus four meals, water and snacks. The retreat is sponsored by the Rim Country District. Read the recent blog entry for more information.
Should you give away your eBook free?
Dan Janal, author of Internet Marketing Confidential, writes about a marketing strategy some authors use , that of giving your eBook away for free. This should generate enough interest that Amazon puts your eBook on the “Hot New FREE Books” list so even more people find out about it. Janal explains this strategy and why it is NOT a good idea in “What They “Forgot” to Tell You about “Give Away Your eBook Free.”
His first point is:
1. You’ve blown all your initial launch goodwill not making money. You’ve given the book away to people who hear you speak and to your true fans on your ezine and blog. Those people are the MOST likely buyers because they know, like and trust you.
He goes on in the article to give additional reasons, but bottom line, this strategy is probably not in your best interest.
A little about Dan Janal: He is considered one of the founding fathers of internet marketing. He has written more than 6 books that have been translated into over 6 languages and has spoken all over the world about internet marketing. His website, prleads.com, can help authors get more interviews and more publicity for their books or eBooks.
APW Writers’ Retreat near Payson- July 27-28
June 2013 Typerider
The latest issue of Typerider – June 2013 – has been posted.
2013 At-large Communications Contest Winners
APW winners in the 2013 NFPW at-large communications contest were recognized at the May 4 conference. Photos are of those in attendance being presented their certificates by Brenda Warneka, President. The at-large contest takes the place of our state contest. The winners are as follows:
Elizabeth Bruening-Lewis
- 1st Place, 57B Nonfiction Book, history, for Visitors to the Past: A Cultural Historian Unlocks the Mysteries Behind Five Sacred Shrines
Jaimie Bruzenak
- 1st Place, 11C Columns, informational, for Workamper Viewpoint column for Workamper News
- 1st Place, 57E Nonfiction Book, General, for Retire to an RV: The Roadmap to Affordable Retirement by Jaimie Hall Bruzenak and Alice Zyetz (deceased)
Jaimie Bruzenak receiving two awards.
Lynda Exley
- 1st Place, 16B Page Design, magazine, newsletter, etc., for Arizona Press Women Typerider
- 2nd Place, 15B Pubs Regularly Edited by Entrant, magazine, etc., for Arizona Press Women Typerider
Lynda Exley receiving two awards
Marion Gold
- HM, 63 Essay, Chapter, or Section In a Book, for Skirting Traditions, Chapter 28: Pam Knight Stevenson
Carol Hughes
- 3rd Place, 63 Essay, Chapter or Section in a Book, for Skirting Traditions, Chapter 17: Esther Clark
Cheryl Kohout
- 1st Place, 19 Photographer/Writer for Riding High on a Bubble Bath
- 1st Place, 41 PR Reports for the Tucson Medical Center 2011 Report to Our Community
Patricia Myers
- 1st Place, 10C Specialty Articles, arts & entertainment, online or print for two articles: Paris Jazz Diary 2011; All That Jazz Month @ MIM
- 1st Place, 51 Speeches for Jazz Goes to the Movies (Paris Soirees, July 2012); Myers’ second consecutive year to win first-place in at-large speech category
- 2nd Place, 11D Columns, personal opinion, for Riffs
- 3rd Place, 8C Feature Story, online for Paris Jazz Diary 2012
- 3rd Place, 10O Specialty Articles, online or print for two reviews: Newport Beach Jazz Party; Lewis Nash-Wynton Marsalis Concert @ MIM
Patricia Myers receiving 5 awards
Sheila Roe
- 1st Place, 63 Essay, Chapter, or Section in a Book, for Skirting Traditions, Chapter 4: Mary Kidder Rak
Sheila Roe receiving two awards
Brenda Warneka
- 2nd Place, 63 Essay, Chapter, or Section in a Book, for Skirting Traditions, Chapter 15: Meredith Howard Harless
Brenda Warneka receiving 2 awards, presented by Vice President Pam Stevenson.
Carol Hughes, Lois McFarland, June P. Payne (deceased), Sheila Roe, Pam Knight Stevenson, and Brenda Kimsey Warneka (JOINT ENTRY)
- 1st Place, 64 Book Edited by Entrants for Skirting Traditions: Arizona Women Writers and Journalists: 1912-2012
Editors of Skirting Traditions: Sheila Roe, Lois McFarland, Brenda Warneka, Pam Stevenson. Carol Hughes absent, June P. Payne deceased.
The first-place winners will compete with first-place winners from other states in their category in the national NFPW contest. National winners will be honored at the 2013 NFPW annual communications contest in Salt Lake City in August.
2013 APW State Convention wrap up
“Don’t post anything online that you wouldn’t put on the front page of the newspaper,” was a key point Ruth Carter, Phoenix attorney, made in her talk, “Social Media Law.” Carter, who spoke about copyright issues and social media, was one of five speakers at the Arizona Press Women’s State Conference held on May 4 in Scottsdale. The theme for the day’s sessions was “Social Media for Writers and Journalists: What Works and Why.”
After giving us many points of advice on what was protected online and what we could or should use, she left us with this thought: “Assume every post will be seen by your best friend, your worst enemy, your boss, and your mother.” Things you write online will be there for years to come.
After a welcome by President, Brenda Warneka, our first speaker of the morning was New York City journalist-marketing expert, Pamela Bayless. Her topic was “Fast-Forward Your Career with 21st Century Tools.” Bayless described how her career has changed over the years. Proficiency in writing for the web and use of social media is a necessity. She favors LinkedIn as a social media tool for writers who want to develop their business. (Above photo: Ruth Carter (L), Pamela Bayless (R).)
Ruth Carter followed her and then, while we ate lunch, best-selling urban fantasy author Kevin Hearne (son of APW member Gail Hearne) spoke on “Social Media for Authors.” Kevin has been able to quit his day job as a high school teacher to focus on his writing. With his sixth book due out in June, Kevin shared how he has used social media to boost sales and expand his reader base.
Always willing to share his expertise with APW, Dave Barnhart of Business Blogging Pros, spoke on “Random Acts of Social Media.” Social media is a two-way conversation with the goal of building relationships, Barnhart stressed. He talked about strategy for using blogs, websites and social media as a cost-effective way to gain a digital presence that boosts credibility and revenue and offered tips for using Twitter Facebook, LinkedIn and other networking groups more efficiently.
Our final speaker, John Southard, an Arizona historian, spoke on “The Dollars and Sense of Facebook: Social Media as a Personal Branding Tools.” He uses social media to help nonprofits establish a social media presence.
Kevin Hearne, Dave Barnhart, John Southard
Right after lunch, APW winners in the 2013 NFPW at-large communications contest were recognized. See separate page with photos. The annual APW high school journalism scholarships were awarded also. Kelcie Anne Johson was the winner of the Betty Latty Hurlburt Scholarship and Rebecca Brisley won the June Payne Scholarship.
Kelcie Anne Johnson, winner of the Betty Latty Hurlburt Scholarship and Rebecca Brisley, winner of the June Payne Scholarship
After the workshop was finished, a short business meeting was conducted followed by the installation of officers. Patricia Myers conducted the traditional installation ceremony. Pictured, Pam Stevenson, president; Katherine Atwell Herbert, secretary; Beverly Raphael Konic, Treasurer; Barbara Lacy, Central District director; Carol Osman Brown, Rim Country District director. Not present were: Jane Eppinga, Southern District director; and Joan Westlake, second vice president/communications and scholarship chair.
Patricia Myers conducting the installation of officers ceremony.
APW scholarship deadline extended to April 27
Arizona high school students, planning to study journalism at an Arizona university or community college in the fall of 2013, are invited to apply for the $500 Arizona Press Women Memorial Journalism Scholarship, sponsored by APW and the Arizona Newspapers Foundation. Application deadline is April 27, 2013.
Arizona Press Women, a statewide organization of professional communicators, established the annual $500 scholarship honoring the memory of Betty Latty-Hurlburt, a notable Phoenix journalist who passed away in 1997.
Applicants must be graduating high school seniors who intend to major in journalism at an accredited Arizona university or community college. Requirements include filling out an application, a letter of recommendation from a high school teacher, two published writing samples and a one-page letter or essay from the student that describes his/her background and the reasons he/she wants to pursue a career in journalism.
Click 2013 Scholarship Application for form and requirements. Questions? Contact scholarship chair Joan Westlake at 480-968-8902 or jkwestlake@aol.com.
Social media focus of May 4 conference in Scottsdale
Social Media for Writers and Journalists: What Works and Why
Saturday, May 4, 2013
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Chaparral Suites Conference Center, 5001 N. Scottsdale Road
Arizona Press Women’s state conference workshops are open to all writers and those in the communication field.
8:00-10:00 a.m. – Registration
10:00 a.m. “Fast-Forward Your Career with 21st Century Tools” by Pamela Bayless, a New York-based journalist, editor and marketing expert who grew her own career while providing website content for media, corporations and nonprofit groups. She says, “To reach a smart, sophisticated audience, you need to cut through the clutter using social media effectively.”
10:45 am. “Social Media Law” by Ruth Carter, an Arizona attorney who focuses on intellectual property and social media law. She wrote a book titled “The Legal Side of Blogging: How to Not Get Sued, Fired, Arrested or Killed.”
12:00 Lunch, followed by presentation of scholarships, NFPW At-Large Communications Awards and Speaker
“Social Media for Authors” — Kevin Hearne, an Arizona native and former high school English teacher, is the New York Times best-selling author of the Iron Druid Chronicles, a series of urban fantasy novels published by Random House/Del Rey. His sixth book, Hunted, will be released on June 25. As an unknown author, he created memorable characters in his first book, then landed an agent and a contract for three novels, published in 2011, and two more last year. Hearne gained local, national and international fans by combining a website, blog and social media to interact with his readers and connect with publishers, editors and other authors in the fantasy/science fiction field.
2:00 p.m. “Random Acts of Social Media” by David Barnhardt. Founder of Business Blogging Pros, Barnhardt helps writers and business owners establish a strategy for using blogs, websites and social media as a cost-effective way to gain a digital presence that boosts credibility and revenue. He offers tips for using Twitter Facebook, LinkedIn and other networking groups more efficiently.
2:45 p.m. “The Dollars & Sense of Facebook: Social Media as a Personal Branding Tool” by John Southard. Southard is an Arizona historian who aids many cultural organizations in establishing a social media presence.
3:30 p.m. End of public part of conference with APW membership meeting to follow.
Click registration form for registration information and form.
For more information, call (480) 620-1358.
Arizona Professional Writers 