Thursday’s Pre-Publication Post: Permissions Update

by Erika Dreifus on
2

So, back in April I told you about my quest to procure permission to use certain words penned in a book that was released by a Big Publishing House, because I want to use these words as an epigraph to my forthcoming story collection, Quiet Americans. Then, last week, I mentioned how incredibly helpful it was for me to simply pick up the phone after weeks of apparent non-response to check in on the process. (Apparently, not all of my e-mails had made it through.)

All of which led to my receipt of a hard-copy agreement a few days ago. The good news: The fee the Big Publishing House is requiring is manageable, if exponentially more than anything I’ve ever earned per word. There are seven words in this particular excerpt–two sentences and seven words.

But (you knew this was coming, right?) here’s the not-so-good news: I neglected to realize that my request would cover only the print format of the book. So on Monday, I had to bother my very kind and patient contact at the Big Publishing House to ask for an amendment to cover an electronic version, too. I believe that a revised agreement is on the way. In fact, I was hoping it might have arrived yesterday, in time for me to write this post.

Alas, I’m still waiting. Which means I’m waiting to see how much more they’re going to charge me. Double? Less than double? How much less? What’s your guess?

Quotation of the Week: Diane Lockward

by Erika Dreifus on
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Asked to offer suggestions/advice for beginning poets, Diane Lockward recently responded:

“Have patience and persistence. Respect your tears; they are often where the poems reside. Learn the craft. Be willing to serve an apprenticeship. Read the masters to learn where you came from. Read contemporary poetry to learn what’s being done today. Buy books by other poets; that’s one way we support each other. Mark up the books and learn from them. When you ask for a critique, be sure you are not just looking for compliments; otherwise, you won’t grow as a poet.”

Source: Diane Lockward, interviewed by Nicelle Davis for The Bees’ Knees Blog.

A side note: It’s still somewhat difficult for me to address Diane by her first name, since for many years she taught English at my high school (my sister was one of her students!). But it has been lovely to refind her in the world of poets and poetry. You’ll find her blog, Blogalicious, linked to the right.

Call for Papers on "The Loudest Voice: Jewish American Women’s Literature"

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

(received via e-mail)

Call for Papers

The Loudest Voice: Jewish American Women’s Literature

42nd Annual Convention, Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA)
April 7-10, 2011
New Brunswick, NY – Hyatt New Brunswick
Host Institution: Rutgers University

Is there a common, traceable voice in the writing of Jewish American women writers? This panel seeks papers that explore Jewish American women’s writing from the early 20th century to now and may include poets, fiction and non-fiction authors, and comic writers/artists. Papers can address individual authors, comparisons of works by several women, or comparisons across generations. What does this writing tell us about how Jewish identity has been conceived over the past century? Send 250-500 word abstracts to Tahneer Oksman, toksman(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Deadline: September 30, 2010

Please include with your abstract:

Name and Affiliation
Email address
Postal address
Telephone number
A/V requirements (if any; $10 handling fee with registration)

The 42nd Annual Convention will feature approximately 360 sessions, as well as dynamic speakers and cultural events. Details and the complete Call for Papers for the 2011 Convention will be posted in June: www.nemla.org.

Interested participants may submit abstracts to more than one NeMLA session; however panelists can only present one paper (panel or seminar). Convention participants may present a paper at a panel and also present at a creative session or participate in a roundtable. Do not accept a slot if you may cancel to present on another session.

Friday Find: Free Books!

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

Just a reminder that in the spirit of Short Story Month, Fiction Writers Review is coordinating a multi-blogger “Collection Giveaway Project.” If you’re a blogger and want to participate (by running a short story collection giveaway yourself), there’s still plenty of time to do so, and you can read the details here.

There’s also still plenty of time to win one of the books others (including me) are offering as their giveaway prizes, including (so far) collections by Robin Black, Skip Horack, Joshua Furst, Susan Perabo, and Margot Singer.

Have a great weekend, everyone, and see you back here on Monday.