Greetings Everyone!
We hope you'll find this issue useful and if you think
you have what it takes to write an article, why not
send an email and if we like what we see we'll be more
than happy to send it out for our readers to enjoy
along with your link!
Maybe you would like to send me your opinions,
suggestions and comments, please feel free to email me
anytime.
Recipes & Jokes |
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Chile con Queso
A famous dish from Northern Mexico. You can ladle this
directly over crisp tortillas or serve from a charfing dish
as a dip.
Ingrdients:
1 T. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. flour
1 T. chili powder
1 (16oz) can tomatoes, drained
1 (4oz) can diced green chiles, drained
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 lb mild cheddar cheese, shredded
In a skillet saute garlic and onion in oil for about 5
minutes.
Stir in flour and chili powder. Cook for 1 minute, stirring
constantly.
Add tomatoes, chilies and peppers and continue to
cooking until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Over low heat, gradually add the cheese and stir until
cheese is completely melted. -- Serve hot.
If a party -- don't forget to serve the margueritas!!
Are You a Dead Duck ?
A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary
surgery. As she lay her pet on the table, the vet pulled
out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest.
After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly
and said, "I'm so sorry, Cuddles has passed away."
The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure?
"Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," he replied.
"How can you be so sure," she protested. "I mean, you
haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might
just be in a coma or something."
The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the
room, and returned a few moments later with a black
Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in
amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his
front paws on the examination table and sniffed the
duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet
with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the
dog and took it out, and returned a few moments later
with a beautiful cat. The cat jumped up on the table
and also sniffed delicately at the bird. The cat sat back
on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and
strolled out of the room.
The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but
as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a
dead duck."
Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few
keys and produced a bill which he handed to the
woman. The duck's owner, still in shock, took the
bill. "$150!", she cried, "$150 just to tell me my duck is
dead?!!"
The vet shrugged. "I'm sorry. If you'd taken my word
for it, the bill would have been only $20, but what with
the Lab Report and the Cat Scan ...."
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For Aspiring Writers |
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Here's a way to visually track your
dedication.
Put a calendar close to your writing space. You should
have some sort of schedule in mind by now (an hour
every night before bed or in the morning before leaving
for work, thirty minutes Monday, Wednesday and
Friday, etc.). If you aren't setting a schedule to write
every day, go through the calendar and mark in yellow
highlighter the days you are scheduling to write. Now,
after each session write in black pen the amount of
work you got done (pages is generally the best way to
track this). You'll soon be able to see how well you're
sticking to your schedule and if you've been disciplined
or not.
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For Screenwriters |
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Oujaba Productions
I am looking for a Sci-Fi horror that can be shot in India
with a minimal cast. The budget range will not exceed
$1.5 million US. So it is clear, the story should not be
about Indian subject matter. It just has to be on sets
or exteriors that we can make look American, but for
our financing requirements, we have to shoot it in
India. There can be a few exteriors that are not shot in
India.
I have directed 11 films and they can be seen on
IMDB.com.
Please email a logline followed with a synopsis to:
Rodney McDonald
oujaba@aol.com
Blind Intersection Pictures Inc.
I am looking for a One Act Stage Play. I do not have
any credits, but I do have my own funding. Please send
responses to jtp@blindintersection.com
Destiny Pictures
I am looking for two different types of scripts:
NOTE: please email no more than half a page (includes
logline and synopsis) and put the genre of the script
you are submitting in the subject of the email.
The first script I am looking for is a completed thriller in
the vein of 'The Hand That Rocks the Cradle' or 'Pacific
Heights'.
The second script I am looking for is a completed
romantic comedy for young adults in their mid to late
20's in the vein of 'Serendipity'.
Budget range will not exceed 2 mil.
My credits include 'The Perfect Tenant' and 'The
Perfect Nanny'.
Please email no more than half a page, which includes
your logline and synopsis (no attachments) to:
Mark Castaldo destinypictures@hotmail.com
THE GREAT AMERICAN PITCHFEST
will be held on Saturday, January 31st at the Los
Angeles Convention Center. This will be the largest
pitchfest ever held, and is for writers, producers and
directors for film and television of all genres and
formats. Attend training sessions with more than 10 "A-
List" speakers, celebrate at our 'Sweet Taste of
Success' champagne and dessert buffet gala and meet
with the power people of Hollywood who can help turn
your movie and show ideas into reality. One 'decision
maker' for every six participants. Only the most credible
companies in the industry are invited. $150 before Dec
31 ($200 after). Please visit our Website at
http://www.pitchfest.com, or call 877/255-2528 to
register and for more information.
Women in Film Las Vegas Pitch
Night - Sponsored by and held at the
Tuscany Hotel in Las Vegas during NATPE week. You
will have the opportunity to "PITCH" your project and/or
ideas to a panel of professionals and industry
executives who develop film and television projects for
the Studios.
Panelist include Development Executives attending
NATPE. Pitch Night is being hosted by It's All About Me
Entertainment.
Date: Monday, January 19th
Time: 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Place: Tuscany Hotel and Casino - Florentine Room "E"
255 East Flamingo Road - Las Vegas, NV 89109
For more Information please log on to WIFLasVegas.Org
Or Call (702) 737-7337
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Media Contacts & More |
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Media Contacts
"Crossfire".
The CNN daily show, which covers both
sides of the political spectrum, is seen at 4:30 PM for
half an hour daily, and has the following producer
changes: Emily D'Alberto is now one of the bookers,
along with Kate Farrell, and Eileen McMenamin. Kristy
Schantz is the senior producer, with Sam Feist
the senior executive producer. Their guests include
political experts, social activists, military experts,
writers and authors or current books, community
leaders, experts on the current situation in the Middle
east. Reach Crossfire at CNN, 820 First St., NE,
Washington, DC 20002, (202) 898-7655; Fax: (202)898-
7611. Their E-mail formula is
firstname.lastname@cnn.com
ESPN2's "Cold Pizza"
* Cold Pizza is a new morning series on ESPN2. This is
the network's signature morning series, and features an
eclectic team of on-air personalities who present the
show's unique treatment of sports with a heavy dose of
pop culture, entertainment, and lifestyle features.
Leading the on-air team as hosts are former Fox News
correspondent Kit Hoover and Emmy Award-winning TV
sports anchor and director Jay Crawford. The show's
news updates desk feature Leslie Maxie, a former
Olympian and Fox Sports Net anchor. He joins the other
hosts in the studio, which is a block away from New
York's Madison Square Garden. Thea Andrews, host of
Canada's WTN Cooking for Love and TSN's Guys TV,
rounds out the team as a reporter. Andrews segments
include on- site features and live reports from
traditional sport and non- sports events, capturing the
places where sports intersects with entertainment.
Steve Friedman, award winning morning show producer,
is the show's consulting producer, with Brian Donlon,
the show's coordinating producer, responsible for day-
to-day content and production. Donlon can be reached
out of the corporate headquarters number, (860) 766-
2000
ATTN: AUTHORS! SUMMER RESIDENCY
PROGRAM!
ARTIST RESIDENCIES The Hall Farm Center for Arts &
Education, located in Townshend, Vermont is accepting
applications for its 2004 summer residency program.
Residencies are offered to artists at all stages of their
careers, including fiction and non-fiction writers, poets,
painters, sculptors, playwrights, photographers,
musicians, and performers. The time is an opportunity
to work, relax, reflect, and be inspired by the quiet
refuge of the Vermont countryside. The Hall Farm is
located on a 221-acre, 200-year-old former farm in the
southeast corner of the state, approximately 4 hours
from New York City and 2? hours from Boston. It
contains miles of hiking trails, woods, open fields, and a
swimming pond. Residents are housed in their own
rooms in a renovated 1830's farmhouse and are
provided with private studio space. Residencies range
from one week to one month. There is no cost to
artists except materials, transportation, and $20
application fee. Deadline for application is February 2,
2004 with notification in early April. For more
information and application forms, visit
http://www.hallfarm.org or contact
802- 365-4483 or mailto:info@hallfarm.org
FOR BOOK ACQUISITIONS
This is a list of libraries hand-picked for their likelihood
to buy small press publications. They all have book
purchasing budgets of over $500,000, and many
have literary or small press special collections. There is
a mix of university and major public libraries, so it is
unlikely many of the addresses will change. I compiled
the list from the Bowker American Library Directory.
Acquisitions,Univ. of Massachusetts -
Amherst,Library,,Amherst,MA,01002
Acquisitions,City Library,220 State
St.,,Springfield,MA,01103
Acquisitions,Boston Public Library,666 Boylston St.,Box
286,Boston,MA,02117
Acquisitions,Harvard University
Library,,,Cambridge,MA,02138
Rare Books & Special Collections,MIT Libraries,Rm 14S-
216 MIT,,Cambridge,MA,02139
Acquisitions,Brandeis University,Goldfarb Library,415
South St.,Waltham,MA,02154
Acquisitions,Boston College,Library,,Chestnut
Hill,MA,02167
Special Collections,Boston Univ. Libraries,Mugar
Memorial Library,771 Commonwealth
Ave.,Boston,MA,02215
Acquisitions,Providence Public Library,150 Empire
St.,,Providence,RI,02903
Acquisitions,Dartmouth College,Baker Memorial
Library,,Hanover,NH,03755
Acquisitions,Univ. of New Hampshire,Ezekiel W. Dimond
Library,,Durham,NH,03824
Acquisitions,University of Vermont,Guy W. Bailey
Memorial Library,,Burlington,VT,05401
Acquisitions,Univ. of Connecticut
Library,,,Storrs,CT,06268
Serials Support Team,Yale University Library,P.O. Box
208240,,New Haven,CT,06520
Acquisitions,Princeton Univ. Library,,,Princeton,NJ,08540
Rare Books & Special Collections,Rutgers
University,University Libraries,College Ave.,New
Brunswick,NJ,08901
Acquisitions,Cooper Union Library,Cooper Square,,New
York,NY,10003
Rare Books,Columbia University,University Libraries,535
W. 114th St.,New York,NY,10027
Acquisitions,The New York Public Library,Grand Central
Station,P.O. Box 2240,New York,NY,10163-2240
Rare Books & Special Collections,Fordham
University,Duane Library,,Bronx,NY,10458
Acquisitions,Brooklyn Public Library,Grand Army
Plaza,,Brooklyn,NY,11238
Acquisitions,SUNY at Stony Brook,Frank Melville Jr
Memorial Library,,Stony Brook,NY,11794
Acquisitions,New York State Library,Cultural Education
Center,,Albany,NY,12230
Acquisitions,Vassar College Library,Raymond
Ave.,,Poughkeepsie,NY,12601
Acquisitions,Syracuse Univ. Library,Ernest S. Bird
Libraries,222 Waverly Ave.,Syracuse,NY,13210
Rare Books,SUNY at Binghamton Library,Vestal Pkwy
E.,,Binghamton,NY,13901
Rare Books,Buffalo & Erie Cty Public Library,Lafayette
Sq.,,Buffalo,NY,14203
Acquisitions,SUNY College at Brockport,Drake Memorial
Library,,Brockport,NY,14420
Rare Books & Special Collections,Univ. of
Rochester,Rush Rhees Library,,Rochester,NY,14627
Rare Books,Cornell University Libraries,University
Libraries,,Ithaca,NY,14853
Acquisitions,Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh,440 Forbes
Ave.,,Pittsburgh,PA,15213
Acquisitions,Univ. of Pittsburgh,Hillman
Library,,Pittsburgh,PA,15260
Acquisitions,Slippery Rock State
College,Library,,Slippery Rock,PA,16057
Acquisitions,Pennsylvania State Univ.,Fred Lewis Pattee
Library,,University Park,PA,16802
Rare Books,Bryn Mawr College,Canady Library,,Bryn
Mawr,PA,19010
Acquisitions,Free Library of Philadelphia,Logan
Square,,Philadelphia,PA,19103
Rare Books,Temple University,Samuel Paley
Library,Berks & 13th Sts.,Philadelphia,PA,19122
Acquisitions,Univ. of Pennsylvania Libraries,3420 Walnut
St.,,Philadelphia,PA,19174
Rare Books & Special Collections,Univ. of Delaware,Hugh
M. Morris Library,,Newark,DE,19711
Acquisitions,Public Library of DC,Martin Luther King
Mem. Library,901 G St. NW,Washington,DC,20001
Acquisitions,Georgetown Univ.,Joseph Mark Lauinger
Library,37th & O Sts. NW,Washington,DC,20057
Acquisitions,Howard Univ. Libraries,Founders Library,500
Howard Pl. NW,Washington,DC,20059
Acquisitions,Univ. of Maryland,University
Libraries,,College Park,MD,20742
Acquisitions,Enoch Pratt Free Library,400 Cathedral
St.,,Baltimore,MD,21201
Acquisitions,Johns Hopkins Univ. Libraries,Milton S.
Eisenhower Library,,Baltimore,MD,21218
** The list I have is horrendously 9 pages long, so I'll
post about 2 pages a week ^_^
***
SPECIAL NEWS REPORT
"The Passion of the Christ" the
Christian movie that is stirring the nation.
What motivated Mel Gibson to make "The Passion of
The Christ"? One of the reasons was the book "The
Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ" written by
Anne Catherine Emmerich. Mel Gibson accidentally
stumbled upon it; it planted a seed in his mind and
finally played a large role in motivating him to make the
film.
While "The Passion of The Christ" is based on the
Gospels of the Bible, this book played an instrumental
role in Mel Gibson's motivation to make his new and
stunning masterpiece.
Here's a portion of an inside account from the movie
preview by Chonda Pierce, a Christan comedian from
Tennessee.
"When the movie was over -- no one moved. It was as
if the room could not take a breath. There were no
words -- silence. A few minutes later a man stepped up
to the microphone as they slowly turn the lights on and
quietly asked, "Do you have any questions?" Still
silence....he broke the ice by saying, "Well, maybe Mel
could answer your questions." And in walked Mel
Gibson -- less than 10 feet away.
He was incredibly humble yet excited as he took the
microphone and sat on the edge of the stage.
The room erupted with applause, shouts of gratitude. I
looked at my Pastor and said, "I wonder if he has a clue
of what he has just done. No wonder he is coming up
against persecution, brick walls, slammed doors -- He
has just unleashed hell on himself." Pastor Allen
said, "Our God is greater." I knew that! I guess a
reminder is good!!
It's a brutal movie. It will be rated R and half the
Christian community will stew over it! Mel Gibson's
comment to the brutality, "If you read the Bible -- the
whole thing is pretty much rated R!"
He's right. And to truly express artistically what Christ
went through? You have to be brutal.
When asked what his goal is for the movie, what he
hopes people will glean from it he said, "I hope they
watch the movie and want to read the book!" ... "I
hope they are changed." When asked what he's doing
to combat some of the persecution in getting this
movie distributed he said, "You know, I just pray for my
enemies. I don't pray for curses on their heads -- I
pray the good angels will go beat up the bad angels
that are making them say and do evil deeds." Mel's a
better person than I am. After watching what Christ
went through for me -- I was ready to knock someone
in the head!I'm thinking Lethal Weapon Part 5!
He spent over 35 million dollars of his own money,
risked the doors of his world being slammed in his face
and when asked "why?" he simply said, "It was time. I
just had to do it. It was just time to tell this story."
I for one, will Love stronger... Work harder... Live
bolder -- embracing the sacrifice made for my sins...I
am changed forever. Make plans now and DO NOT miss
this movie..... The Passion of the Christ, released Feb.
25th. Visit: http://www.thepassionofthechrist.com/
This bit of news was sent in by Deborah Turner, author
of "If I Perish"
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In the News & More |
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GANNETT? MAYBE IT SHOULD BE CALLED
DRAGNET - First we learn that a top reporter
of its venerable USA Today was caught fabricating a
story (shocking news indeed, given the current
credibility of newspaper journalism these days) and now
we find out that a former Gannett employee has pled
guilty to bilking the publisher out of $3.6 million over
nearly a decade. Wade Beck, a controller for flagship
USA Today, copped a plea admitting that he wrote 856
Gannett company checks to fictitious vendors and then
deposited the funds in his personal account between
1994 and 2001.
SPEAKING OF EXPLETIVES THAT ARE
SOMETIMES DELETED The FCC is
reconsidering its decision to let rock star Bono off the
hook for his impromptu use of the f-word during NBC's
telecast of the Golden Globe Awards last year. FCC
Chairman Michael Powell Tuesday circulated a draft
order among the five-member commission that would
overrule a decision by its Enforcement Bureau in
October that initially deemed the utterance, and NBC's
broadcast of it, not obscene or indecent. The bureau
originally said Bono's use of the word was an "adjective"
used to emphasize the euphoria of the moment and not
a crude description of "sexual activity." Specifically,
Bono said, "this is f---ing great." The bureau's decision
was deemed a dangerous precedent by some, because
it theoretically could further relax rules for broadcast
obscenity.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTERS P & R
- As far as media neighborhoods go, Madison
Avenue rarely shows up in the same proximity as
Sesame Street, but the two may be situated closer
than you think. And it's not just because the long-
running pre-school series was one of the first public TV
shows to be officially sponsored. You know, it all
started with the letter A and ultimately worked its way
through the letter Z, with an occasional numeral vying
for brand association. But on the eve of its 35th
anniversary, you could well argue that "Sesame Street"
has always been brought to you by two letters: PR.
With nary an impression of paid media support, the
show's savvy marketing team has crafted one of the
most powerful and longest-running media brands ever
conceived mainly on the basis of word-of-mouth alone.
The 'Apprentice' WorksMaybe Donald
Trump has some drawing power left after all. Trump,
who normally builds big buildings has helped NBC build
some big ratings. "The Apprentice," NBC's new reality
series starring Trump, made the top 10 in many key
rankings for the prime-time week ended Jan. 11,
according to estimates released Tuesday by Nielsen
Media Research. "The Apprentice" drew 12.5 million
total viewers in its debut Thursday night, sandwiched in
between NBC mainstays "Friends" and "ER," which made
the top five.
BUT WILL FLATTOP EVER GIVE UP HIS
LAPTOP - Digital media scion Bill Gates often
seems a bit like a cartoon character, but his latest
media vision comes straight out of the funny pages. In
fact, Dick Tracy was using the kinds of wristwatch
communications devices Microsoft will introduce last
week in the early part of the last century. Of course,
nobody could buy them, much less use them outside of
a comic strip. That will all change as consumers begin
buying timepieces from Fossil and Suunto equipped with
Microsoft's MSN Direct technology that will enable them
to download and display tiny bits of text information
from the Web, including news, weather and financial
data.
MOVIE REVIEWS
CHASING LIBERTY
Mandy Moore, Matthew Goode (PG-13)
Chasing Liberty starts at a more elevated level than the
typical teen romance. Anna Foster (Moore) is not an
average 18-year old girl dealing with baby fat, zits, and
raging hormones. She's the daughter of second-term
President James Foster (Mark Harmon), and has spent
her entire teenage life in the White House, surrounded
by her father's political cronies and the ever-present
Secret Service. She craves privacy and normalcy - two
things that are denied to her because of her father's
vocation.
Anna runs away from home - sort of. While attending a
chaperoned concert in Prague, she momentarily
escapes from her "captors" with the help of a dashing
British chap named Ben Calder (Matthew Goode). It
turns out that Ben is actually a Secret Service agent
incognito, only Anna doesn't know that.
Although Chasing Liberty is at heart a romance, it's also
a road movie, which is its least endearing
characteristic. The film avoids the painful pitfall of
putting Anna's life in danger. Moore and Goode
generate just enough heat and the requisite number of
sparks. The sex scenes are suitably tame and the only
nudity is of Anna skinnydipping, from behind and in the
dark (and not Moore at all - clearly a body-double).
The script is laced with innuendo, but nothing is
raunchy, and there's almost no profanity, making this
friendly to younger teens.
Torque
Martin Henderson, Ice Cube (PG-13)
It amuses me that movies like Torque actually list a
writer. Then again, even porn films have screenplays.
And that's pretty much what this is: porn for bikers.
There are plenty of spread legs, but, in this case,
they're clamped around hogs. But, to the extent that
anyone is looking for erotic symbolism, it's not exactly
subtle. Torque is as much about sex as it is about the
more obvious testosterone and violence.
As for the plot -- what plot? We don't need no
steenkin' plot!
It's difficult to tell which is worse - the acting or the
writing. But, in the end, it really doesn't matter. First-
time director Joseph Kahn understands that the appeal
of the movie isn't the actors, but the machines they're
sitting on. And the reason people are in the seats isn't
because of the trajectory of the storyline, but because
of the speed with which it gets there. (At 81 minutes,
it moves pretty fast, just barely avoiding wearing out
its welcome.) The film delivers plenty of innovative
races, chases, and fights, many of which defy the laws
of physics.
Torque is not a good movie. But it's watchable and
even a little enjoyable, in a perverse sort of way.
Upcoming Movies for January 23
Mindhunters (Dimension Films)
Director: Renny Harlin --- Cast: Val Kilmer, LL Cool J,
Christian Slater, Eion Bailey, Will Kemp, Jonny Lee Miller,
Clifton Collins Jr., Kathryn Morris, Patricia Velazquez
Hiding inside a group of eight young FBI profilers
learning to hunt serial killers is a killer attempting to
hunt them. As one by one the agents begin to
disappear, none can be trusted. Each one is under
suspicion. And they are all in mortal danger until, in the
ultimate test of their crime-solving skills, they uncover
the mysterious predator lurking in their midst.
The Butterfly Effect (New Line Cinema)
Director: Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber -- Cast:
Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Eric Stoltz, Elden Henson,
Ethan Suplee, Melora Walters, John Patrick Amedori,
Cameron Crigger, Irene Gorovaia, Brandy Heidrick, Jesse
James, Callum Keith Rennie, Kevin Schmidt, William Lee
Scott
Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) has lost track of time.
From an early age, crucial moments of his life have
disappeared into a black hole of forgetting, his boyhood
marred by a series of terrifying events he can't
remember. What remains is the ghost of memory and
the broken lives around him - the lives of his childhood
friends, Kayleigh (Amy Smart), Lenny (Elden Henson)
and Tommy (William Lee Scott).
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton (DreamWorks Pictures)
Director: Robert Luketic --- Cast: Kate Bosworth,
Josh Duhamel, Topher Grace, Nathan Lane, Sean
Hayes, Ginnifer Goodwin, Gary Cole
In "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!," Kate Bosworth
stars as Rosalee Futch, a grocery clerk living in rural
West Virginia. But even a small-town girl can have big
dreams, and Rosalee's is to someday ... somehow ...
meet her big-screen idol Tad Hamilton (Duhamel).
Publicity Building Blocks
Getting publicity, it seems to me now, is like flirting: If
you act too interested, the other side (the media)
won't be. But it's also like exercise: You can't get in tip-
top shape all at once.
Target suitable prospects so as not to waste time,
money, and galleys.
Use what I call real-people quotes and a preface by
newspaper columnist.
Create a brochure, including a faxable order form.
Publicity, promo, and saturation have been my
watchwords. I'm not smart enough to be afraid to pick
up the phone (or the mouse), so I contact the biggest
media names; I figure the worst they can do is say "No."
Eat, sleep, and breathe publicity - Publicity never
sleeps. It's an ongoing, 24/7 process that never stops.
Publicity accompanies you everywhere. Once you
understand the components of book marketing, the
bells and whistles of it all --- which you will need during
this journey -- the reward will be enormous!
***
Copyright by Betsie, 2004 All
contents of this email are for the use of Betsie's
Literary Page subscribers and may not be reproduced in
any way and/or posted on websites without prior
express written permission. If you would like to have
friends or associates receive our emails, rather than
forwarding this, please have them subscribe.
Thank You for reading, see you next week!
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