in this issue In the News- Movie Reviews & More Rebeca's Recipes & More Book Reviews For Screenwriters For Authors Featured Article In the News- Movie Reviews & More Why Blacklists Don't Stop Spam - How many news stories do you read that are like this? These blacklist wars can last forever. One company complains about spam coming from a certain IP range, blocks it and tells the owner of the offending IP blocks to clean up its act. Meanwhile, the spammers who have been utilizing those IPs to send spam have moved on to a new IP address and are continuing to send. Folks, blacklists don't work for exactly the reason I just gave. As soon as a spammer's IP is blocked, he gets a new one and continues to send. Meanwhile, the poor guy who inherits that IP from a spammer quickly finds that he's on a blacklist and can't get legitimate email delivered. Thus leaving an entire ISP or even a whole country gets blacklisted and IT folks and legit ISP customers are left holding the bag. AOL Improves Performance - Time Warner's America Online turned in a better than expected performance in the first quarter. The rate of subscriber defections has slowed a bit and AOL says it has more than 3 million subscribers to its broadband product. It's masterminding a new ad campaign for broadband at this moment. A review of the facts: AOL lost 237,000 subscribers in the first quarter. Ad revenue declined 5 percent, attributed to a loss of $31 million in intercompany revenue. Comcast Bids Magic Kingdom Bid Farewell - Ninety days after it surprised the media industry with a bid for the Walt Disney Co., Comcast Corp. took it off the table. "It has become clear that there is no interest on the part of Disney's management and board in putting Comcast and Disney together," said Brian L. Roberts, Comcast's president and chief executive officer, at a briefing with reporters Wednesday morning. The decision puts an end to what would have been a mega-merger in the media industry, combining the content powerhouse and signature brand that is Disney and the huge distribution presence of Comcast in cable and broadband Internet. It means that Disney will grope a solution for its woes, particularly at ABC, without help from a cash-stocked company like Comcast. And Comcast, which already owns a handful of content networks like E and TV One, will have to find other options if it wants to marry content and distribution. CELEBRITY GOSSIP A POLITICALLY-charged disaster movie about global warming is burning up the George Bush campaign, while John Kerry backers hope "The Day After Tomorrrow" will sway eco-conscious voters to their side. Directed by "Independence Day" helmer Roland Emmerich, "The Day After Tomorrow" follows the onset of a new Ice Age just three days after the polar ice caps melt because of smokestack and tailpipe gas emissions. The flick, which stars Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal, features the flooding and freezing of New York and giant tornadoes ripping through Los Angeles. " 'The Day After Tomorrow' presents us with a great opportunity to talk about the scientific realities of climate change," Gore said in a statement to Daily Variety's Gabriel Snyder. "Millions of people will be coming out of theaters on Memorial Day weekend asking the question, 'Could this really happen?' " While the ecological catastrophes depicted in the flick are nearly impossible to imagine happening in the near future, it hasn't stopped the Bush administration from treating the would-be blockbuster with caution. Barbara Walters issued an apology on Wednesday's The View for a much-maligned ABC News promo that compared her upcoming 20/20 special on adoption to a reality contest. The spot said five couples would "compete" to adopt a 16-year-old's baby. "You know what the bad word was? Compete," she said. "We made a mistake." Alright, now what do you have to say about that whole Hasselbeck debacle? MEET THE KING - Oscar winner Sean Penn is being eyed to play populist politician Willie Stark in a remake of All the King's Men, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Broderick Crawford originated the role in the 1949 version and went on to win an Oscar. SCARLETT'S NEW MISSION - Lost in Translation's Scarlett Johansson is the latest A- lister to join Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible 3. Kenneth Branagh and Carrie-Anne Moss round out the all-star cast. MUSIC ROUND-UP - With sales of 191,000 copies, Prince's new CD, Musicology, debuted at No. 3 on Billboard's album chart, behind Usher's Confessions and Mario Winans' latest disc, Hurt No More. MOVIE REVIEWS 13 Going on 30 -4 out 5 points Every week on Alias, Garner proves that she's both an able dramatic actress and a champion butt-kicker, gamely juggling complex plots and bullet-ridden action scenes. She's even done amnesia -- this season her character woke up in an alley and discovered that she'd lost the last two years of her life. All of which seems to have been excellent preparation for 13 Going on 30. Not only does Garner throw herself wholeheartedly into the film's physical comedy sequences (the "Thriller" scene is of particular note), but she also makes Jenna's initial confusion about -- and gradual delight with -- her new life completely believable. Gary Winick must have known from the minute he signed on to direct 13 Going on 30 that comparisons to Big would be inevitable. And rightly so -- the two films have a lot in common, from magical wishes that transform adolescents into adults overnight to ultra- competitive businesses that are transformed by the main character's innocent enthusiasm. What sets 13 Going on 30 apart is that a huge part of Jenna's life has passed her by; unlike Big's Josh, whose surroundings stay more or less the same while he changes, Jenna has to cope with both a new body and 17 years' worth of memories she doesn't have. That difference offers Winick the opportunity to play up one of the movie's most entertaining themes: '80s nostalgia. Jennifer Garner storms the big screen in true star style with this appealingly goofy chick flick. Connie and Carla - 3 out of 5 points Connie (Nia Vardalos) and Carla (Toni Collette) are second rate singers performing show tunes in airport lounges. After witnessing a crime, they flee from the criminals that want them dead and go into hiding. The plot is unbelievable but it does not need to be realistic for the movie to work. While not up to the level of either "Some Like It Hot" or Vardalos' own sleeper hit "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," it is a funny and enjoyable movie. Many of the situations have been covered in other movies but they have been rehashed here in a fresh and lively way. The ending is overplayed and silly, but not so much that it ruins the rest of the film. April 30 - Today's Movie Releases - Bobby Jones - Stroke of Genius - Envy - Godsend - Laws of Attraction - Mean Girls - Monty Python's Life of Brian (NY, LA) - The Saddest Music in the World (NY) **** PUBLISHING NEWS Shops Find Magazines Less Accountable Than Publishers Think - It wasn't surprising that one of the "breakout" panels at Wednesday's New York Magazine Day was devoted to the hot-button issue of accountability. What was surprising was the general consensus among panelists that magazines have a lot of work to do in this regard. And then there's the question as to what publishers are doing with all the magazine data. Questioning the reliance upon circulation data, Men's Health Vice President, Publisher MaryAnn Bekkedahl quipped: "I'd swear on a bible that our fashion advertisers don't know what our [circulation] is." The editorial environment, she suggested, remains as important as rate base for many advertisers, and to measure this would require an entirely different set of questions and metrics--not to mention an entirely different outlook. CONTESTS Noble Generation II Share your personal experiences or those of a loved one about the Great Depression, WWII, the 50s, and 60s. Make the reader laugh, cry, or ponder the lives of these amazing people. Depict the triumphs and tragedies of those we call Grandmom and Grandpop. Limit your stories or poems to 1500 words. Deadline: May 30, 2004 http://fwointl.com/LMPmail/link.php? id=9ba3a0aWordWright Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition This contest was created in 1981 to support and encourage the efforts of writers who have not yet achieved major-market success. This competition is dedicated to the craft of writing and awards $2,000 in cash prizes every year to top writers of short fiction. Deadline: May, 2004 http://fwointl.com/LMPmail/link.php? id=9ba3a0ahemingway 73rd Annual Writer's Digest Writing Award Now accepting manuscripts with a May 15 deadline for 10 categories of writing: Inspiration, Memoirs, Short Stories, Poetry, Stage Plays, TV and Movie scripts, and children's fiction. Manuscripts will be accepted Online at www.writersdigest.com. **** TRYING TO GET ON TV? Dr. Phil - The show begins taping again for the new season in August. Carla Pennington Stewart is the executive producer; Gwynne Thomas is senior producer, Angie Kraus Bell in supervising producer, Kandi Amelon Sawyer is senior contributing producer, with Charlotte Graham, Julie Johnson, Julie Ross, Judy Rybak, Edward Santos, Lisa Steinke, Kathy Giaconia, Katerina Monemvassitis, Lori Read, David Goldman, and John Perry all holding producer titles. The show is located at Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Blvd., Mae WestBldg., Los Angeles, CA 90038, (323) 956-4051. For more information on the show go into their Web Site: www.Dr.Phil.com. The O'Reilly Factor with Bill O'Reilly, is consistently one of the highest rated shows on TV, with opinionated host Bill O'Reilly looking for guests who are top of the line, from all walks of life, be it politics, the economy, authors, ethics, etc. Amy Sohnen is the producer, and she is at 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, (212) 301-3000; amy.sohnen@foxnews.com. Sara's Secrets is seen on the Food Network. Sara Moulton, the executive chef of Gourmet Magazine, is back in the kitchen with recipes and techniques which are specifically focused for a busy lifestyle. Top chiefs, cookbook authors, and food specialists from around the world are often guests on the show which each week night brings the viewer the insider secrets that good cooks want to learn about. The show is seen Monday through Friday at 2PM and 7 PM, is repeated on Saturdays. The executive producer, Georgia Downard, is interested in learning about chefs, food experts, facts about new foods, boutique food items, etc. She is reached at "Sara's Secrets", The Food Network, 1180 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, (212) 649-6338. Check out their Web Site: http://www.foodtv.com The plug has reportedly been pulled on Living It Up! With Ali and Jack! - This begs the question: If a talk show is axed, but no one is around to care, does it make a noise? Discuss. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Hi I was wondering if u had any address for the new 13 yr old singer called "jojo" her real name is Joanna Levesque. If you could find one that would be great. Thanks very much. Ask and ye shall receive! Joanna Levesque C/o Blackground Records LLC. 155 W. 19th St. Manhattan New York, N.Y. 10011 Better known as JoJo - that's the name of the latest croon sensation gripping America. **** FOR AUTOGRAPH SEEKERS Here's a few more artists for you to chase after ^_^ Alec Baldwin C/o 'Twentieth Century' American Airlines Theatre 227 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036-7201 Comment: "Show begin Jan/Feb./04; closes June 6" Renée Zellweger C/o 'Cinderella Man' Imagine Entertainment Toronto Film Studios Inc. 629 Eastern Avenue Bldg.B, Suite 203 Toronto, ON M4M 1E4 Canada Comment: "Shooting from Early April to Early July 2004." Kevin Spacey C/o The Philadelphia Story Old Vic Waterloo Road London SE1 8NB United Kingdom Comment: "Filming starts 3 May 2005 - 23 July 2005" Anne Hathaway 'Princess Diaries 2' c/o Brownhouse Productions 500 S. Buena Vista St. Burbank, CA 91521-1754 **** We appreciate and hope you continue to send us your comments, opinions, articles and suggestions. Remember if you submit anything to our newsletter - include a link back to your site. Betsie's Literary Page is where readers are respected, books are cherished, aspiring writers are encouraged and authors are adored. 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!

Greetings Dear Members! Hi There!! Hope this week was good - I managed to talk to a book club out in LA who said they would like to include my book for next month's reading. I was excited as this group has just over 20 members and the majority are teens! Hey I know this doesn't sound like much, but don't knock it that sale was by phone ^_^ Rebeca's Recipes & More    Beer-Battered Shrimp with Chipotle-Honey Sauce Ingredients : To make BEER BATTER 1cup All-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper 1tsp Salt 1tsp Sugar 1/2tsp Baking powder 1cup Beer To make CHIPOTLE-HONEY DIPPING SAUCE 2x Dried chipotle chili peppers, stemmed and seeded 1x Ripe tomato, quartered 1/2sm Yellow onion, sliced 1x Clove garlic 1/2cup Water 1tsp Salt 1/4cup Honey 2tbl Red wine vinegar Peanut oil for deep-frying All-purpose, (plain) flour for dusting 1 1/4lb Rock shrimp or peeled white shrimp, (prawns) Beer adds both flavor and texture to this lovely batter. If you make the batter early, it may thicken, in which case it can be thinned with a little more beer or with water. Too thick a batter will make the shrimp soggy, while a batter that is too thin won't form a complete coating. Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 minutes To make the batter, in a bowl, combine the flour, cayenne, salt, sugar and baking powder. Stir to mix. Add the beer all at once and whisk until smooth. Set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. To make the dipping sauce, in a small saucepan, combine the chilies, tomato, onion, garlic, water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently until the ingredients soften and the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the puree into a small bowl and stir in the honey and vinegar. Let cool. In a large saucepan, pour in peanut oil to a depth of 5 inches (13 cm) and heat to 350 F (180 C) or until a few drops of batter sprinkled into the oil rise immediately to the surface. Spread some flour in a shallow bowl and toss the shrimp in it to coat evenly, tapping off any excess. Drop the shrimp, a few at a time, into the batter. Using tongs or your fingers, remove the shrimp from the batter, draining off the excess, and drop into the hot oil. Deep-fry until light golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Arrange the shrimp on a warmed platter and serve immediately with the dipping sauce. Have any recipes you'd like to share? BLP's Weekly Joke - How To Annoy the IRS - for Late Filers They have annoyed us long enough. They estimate that this year's forms take 9 more hours than last years. Let's make THEM have to spend more time on their own forms. If everyone would do these things the whole thing would grind to a halt and they would have to REFORM the idiotic tax system. 1. Mark the envelope "GIFT ENCLOSED" and include a small harmless object such as a stick of gum or a condom. 2. Sprinkle a little talcum powder or cornstarch in the return envelope. 3. Sprinkle strong perfume on return 4. Carefully figure your return. Now copy it over and make several glaring math errors but have them cancel out so the amount owed is correct. 5. Put doodles, creative art and graffiti all over the return so that it is distracting and hard to read. 6. Obtain one each of EVERY IRS form you can get your hands on. Write something on each one (even if you just fill the blanks with zeros). Sign all these forms. Scatter your correctly done forms among them. Send them all in. 7. Fill out your forms with yellow ink or use a fountain pen with ink you have diluted so much that it is barely readable. 8. Write extremely small 9. Fill out several bogus forms from fictitious people -- make them look realistic enough so it will take them a while to figure out they are not real. 10. Instead of mailing your return in a regular envelope put it in a "suspicious looking" package such as a mailing tube or use one of those nearly impossible to open Tyvek envelopes along with some strapping tape for good measure. Book Reviews    Title: The Piaculum Author: Richard C. Gray Publisher: iUniverse, Inc.; (January 13, 2004) ISBN: 095303013 Genre: Dark Fantasy/Christian/Inspirational Paperback; 207pp $14.95 Rating: Highly Recommended Keeping faith through crisis - An incredible read! April 29, 2004 This spiritually cased novel depicts the trials and tribulations of a man called, Cearl. Cearl is a Christian of Mone faith, which was born with a rare skin condition known as the white mark. To truly understand the basis of belief surrounding those with the white mark we must go back to the birth of the Kathe religion. Three books discovered long ago in a cave, the book of the testament, the ancient word, and the lost (third) book. It is the third, and definitely the lost book that causes division within the Christian faith. Those who discovered these biblical treasures have very different interpretations as to its scriptures on the second coming of Christ and salvation. The Kathe religious cult was formed from those who believed that atonement was necessary for salvation moreover; this could only be attained through their Piaculum (white-marked Gods). These fierce technically advanced warriors sought out their Piaculum and pursued their religious beliefs relentlessly. The gentile benevolent Mone, whose faith based origin believed Christ suffered for the sins of man. Therefore, all who seek Christ with their hearts shall attain salvation, at the mercy of the Kathe's. Cearl born and raised in the Mone faith is troubled by memories of his childhood adoption by the Kathe's, as well as a ferocious desire to protect his family. The story follows Cearl from boyhood to manhood. As an adult Cearl struggles through life attempting to maintain his faith, while serving God's purpose. This is the most moving, inspirational tale of faith I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Not only does it inspire those struggling with life's woes, but it also teaches how to maintain a closer walk with Christ through faith and love. The Piaculum is well written and the flow is nice, keeping readers entertained. It is truly amazing how well Mr. Gray put this mesmerizing tale together! Reviewed by Juanita Reynolds Title: Blood Dreams and White Lies Author: Susan Gaston Curran Publisher: Publish America; (September 29, 2003) Genre: Horror/Thriller ISBN: 1592869769 Paperback; 229pp $19.95 Rating: Highly Recommended Growing up in deception April 29, 2004 Imagine one of your closest friends is a killer, but not just any killer, it is your father's killer. This is the nightmare that 26 year-old Jess Sullivan lives with. Plagued by messages and phone calls by the killer, Jess is fighting for her survival. With the help of childhood friends, Mark Perry, Siggy Siegenthaler, and Monty Montgomery, they help Jess find the truth to childhood beliefs they grew up with. The story is set in Wisconsin amidst a horse breeding and training farm. Siggy works here and is very protective of Jess. Jess doesn't really want to be there, but feels she must in order to put the pieces together, regarding her father's death. Mark on the other hand wants to rekindle their relationship. Meanwhile, Monty is missing, no one knows where he is. Without giving too much away, it is without doubt the author demonstrates her extraordinary skills in story telling. The extremely vivid descriptions made my heart race, causing this reader to endure difficulties in breathing during certain scenes. Author Susan Gaston Curran, is not quite an A-list writer, but she is certainly on Stephen King's heels. Reviewed by Demetria Harris To read our interview with Curran go here For Screenwriters    Effective Exposition One of the biggest mistakes in screenplays is excessive and unnecessary exposition. There is most certainly a need for some exposition in a screenplay to give the viewers enough information in the action and dialog to understand what is happening in the story. However, you must refrain from giving too much information or information that is not necessary to tell the viewer. For example: there are many films which have a series of scenes or a montage if you will, that will show a new couple doing things together - riding bikes, going to the beach, eating in restaurants, dancing, etc. Now, in certain types of stories this is critical because it must be made clear exactly how their romance is developing. One reason might be if the viewer has the belief that one of the characters only sleeps with members of the opposite sex and doesn't engage in "romance". In this case, it's critical to tell the viewers that this time it was different. Or if how the couple got to this stage of romance had a lot of interesting scenes with intense conflict or other fascinating subplots unfolding, then sure, you might need to show it. Or perhaps, the viewers really need to get how special and heartwarming this romance is. So yes, also in this case you might need to show such scenes. But, in some cases, maybe we just need to know that the couple has been dating for a month or two and have been sleeping together, but nothing of real importance happened besides this fact. Then, it might be better to give the viewer just enough information to fill in the blanks. Humans operate on a constant basis of making assumptions so that they can survive. It's instinct. If you see a man with crazed eyes holding a bloody knife over a corpse, you conclude that this man just killed this person and might very well kill you. The facts could turn out different, but that would be the natural first assumption. A simpler one would be that you come home and see a whiskey bottle empty and your spouse deeply asleep in front of the television, so you conclude that the spouse must have polished off the liquor. Your viewer will do the same thing. They will make natural assumptions in an instant. If you show a couple end a first date with a nice kiss goodnight, then we find your couple in bed together reading the Sunday paper arguing with one of them saying they're getting tired of spending every Sunday staying in the house all day watching football when the weekend is the only time they have together. And the other responds by defending themselves by saying it's only been five out of the last six Sunday's. You can put a lot together, can't you? You don't know every detail, but you get the idea that they've been dating, gotten serious enough to have a standing weekend sleepover, but the relationship hasn't gotten close to marriage yet, and probably a lot more too. What's the advantage of abbreviating the exposition? First of all, in this example the reader who might read your script will not have to suffer through a boring piece of script. Remember, chances are that this reader has a stack of scripts to read and not enough time to do it. All you need to do is give them one chance to think that they are bored and suddenly the tide is against you and your script goes in the reject pile! Secondly, when you show this montage or otherwise boring scenes that inform us about how this couple got to this point, you're letting your reader know that you have an unimaginative script - one that is like the thousands of others filled with dull clichés. Another reason to PASS! And finally, from the point of view of a producer who is trying to figure out if he can possibly raise the money to shoot this film, you've saved a ton of money in the budget, even on a low budget shoot. A montage or the other scenes will take at least a few days to shoot and will cost thousands of dollars. In fact, if the film was a big budget film it could cost $250,000 or more to shoot them. Believe me, many a producer who is reading a script is not only reading it from the point of view of is this a cool story they want to tell, but is it something that is financially feasible. ------- 1) Kaos Films ------- We are looking for a completed low budget screenplay set on the Indian sub-continent. It must be a strong, character driven story. It can be a drama, thriller or action/adventure, as long as it fits the above and the budget range does not exceed US$3 million. We are a UK based production company. Credits include Club Le Monde, The Truth Game and The Case. More info can be found on IMDB.com Please email a logline followed with a synopsis (not more than one page) to: Arif Hussein hi-concept@kaosfilms.co.uk (email attachments will not be read). --- 2) Call for Entries - 26th Annual IFP Market --- Seeking financing for your script? Completion funds for your work-in-progress? Trying to sell your doc? Looking to expand your contact list? IFP Market is a great place to begin: the only place in the U.S. to introduce new work to an industry-only audience of sales companies, fest programmers, distribs, TV buyers, producers, and agents from the U.S. and abroad. An essential networking opportunity, IFP Market connects you with the industry reps you need to know to get your work financed, completed, and distributed. $150,000 in awards including two $10,000 awards for African-American filmmakers. -Deadlines: May 10-28 /$40-$50 -Registration: $200-$450 (paid on acceptance) -Apply Online: http://www.ifp.org/market26 -Info: 212-465-8200 x207 or MarketReg@ifp.org For Authors    FOR BOOK SUBMISSIONS The Horn Book Magazine is a bimonthly which covers children's literature, and is aimed at librarians, booksellers, professors, teachers, and students of children's literature. They are interested in author profiles, and topics of interest to the children's bookworld. The contact is the editor-in-chief, Roger Sutton, who is reached at the magazine, 56 Roland St., Ste. 200, Boston, MA 02129, E-mail: magazine@hbook.com; (617) 628-0225; Fax: (617) 628- 0882; or you can check them out at their Web Site: www.hbook.com. Publisher's Weekly has a May 14 deadline for their Fall feature on children's books. Send information on children's books that will be published from July through December 2004. Material should go to Diane Roback or Joy Bean, at Publishers Weekly. Fax them at (646) 746-6738 for the more information regarding this feature. LOOKING TO GET REVIEWED? All About Murder Reviews send query to: hartigan@pacbell.net Escape to Romance send query to: reviews@escapetoromance.com BURIED.COM - a review site for 'everything that is horror'. http://www.buried.com/ THE WORLD OF SPECULATIVE POETRY - discussion groups and reviews for speculative poetry fans. http://www.labs.net/vixen/specpoet.html Borders Author Showcase For anyone interested, Borders has openings for authors in Mo & Ill - signing's are setup with 4 authors at each showcase so get in while you can! Featured Article    Putting Pen To Paper: A Journal To Publication Getting from a stack of blank paper to a published book can be a daunting experience. We are keeping a journal online so you can read about our challenges and achievements as we research and write "The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories from Top Authors and the Editors, Agents, and Booksellers behind Them." http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com/journal.html April 30 Our survey of literary agents is finished! 55 agents responded from small boutiques, one person shops, and major literary agencies. The number one reason agents (nearly 70%) decline to represent an author is 'poor writing,' followed by 'the agent doesn't represent that genre' (28%). What is surprising is that agents receive on the average, 90 unsolicited submissions (query letters, proposals, writing samples or manuscripts) per week, that's nearly 5000 per year and only accept 11 new clients per year, which translates to odds of about 2 out of 1000. Another way of looking at this is of all the authors looking for representation only one half of one percent finds it. I have to admit I'm a little puzzled where the agents find the time to read the 90 submissions every week. Even if they only spend 15 minutes on each submission, that's over 20 hours a week. It would seem reasonable that they would have to spend at least 15 minutes to determine that the writing is poor. The survey of literary agents went so well and had such a good response rate we decided to survey editors as well. Curiously the preliminary results indicate that the number one reason editors decline a fiction manuscript is - you guessed it -poor writing. Since most major publishing houses will not accept unsolicited manuscripts directly from a writer, but only from agents, does that mean some of those agents really can't tell poor writing from good writing. It would seem so. Below are the questions on the editor's survey. Is the publishing industry environment more or less favorable for new (unpublished) writers than 12 months ago? What is the most common reason you decline a nonfiction book proposal? What is the most common reason you decline a fiction manuscript? In the next 12 to 24 months do you see the publishing industry becoming more or less favorable for new (unpublished) writers. Why? What are the most important factors in a book's success? As part of our interview for "The Bestseller," we asked Jennifer Enderlin, a Senior Editor at St. Martins Press: How does an editor get a feel for what will work in the marketplace and whatwill not? She answered: "I see an editor's job as being a universal reader. What I try to do is envision myself in the place of the consumer. I ask myself, "Would I plunk down my money for this book?" You don't buy a book because you say, well, I don't like this book, but I think it will sell. As an editor, you buy it because you personally connect with the book; you can envision yourself going into a store and spending your hard- earned money on it." Dee Dee Power (Ms.) is co-author with Brian Hill of "The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories from Top Authors and the Editors, Agents, and Booksellers Behind Them" Spring 2005, Dearborn Trade "Overtime" - a novel - September 2003 "Attracting Capital From Angels" 2002, "Inside Secrets To Venture Capital" 2001

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