2010 Christmas Wish List!

One of my favorite Christmas movie moments is from A Charlie Brown Christmas when Charlie Brown is forced into writing his sister Sally's Christmas list. She gets rather specific and lets Santa know that he can just avoid the specificity and send her money, preferably "tens and twenties." After all, she just wants her "fair share."
In the real world of Christmas, there is truly no such thing as a fair share, and I will be the first one to admit that I already have more than my fair share--even if I don't receive a single Christmas gift. I have a great wife and family, and we've never had to go without a meal. So I'm going to share my 2010 Christmas Wish List (as if I were still a kid), but I won't be disappointed if all of these items have to carry over to the 2011 Christmas Wish List.

Here is my 2010 Christmas Wish List:

1. eReader. My preference would be an iPad, but I'd be happy with a color Nook or Kindle. While I love the printed book experience, I'm totally into the improved technology of these eReading devices.
2. Running shoes. If I don't get a pair for Christmas, these will need to be got in early 2011, since one of my resolutions is to get running on a regular and consistent basis. My favorite brands are New Balance and Saucony.
3. Couch. Tammy and I have been dreaming of a couch for Christmas ever since we started living together. We've made due without one for years, but maybe Santa can stuff one in a stocking this year.
4. Laptop. I have a laptop stuffed away in storage somewhere, because it crashed. It would be nice to have one again like this one or this one.
5. Digital camera. We have a digital camera, but technology is always improving, and I'd really like an SLR model (for instance, this one looks nice).
6. Video camera. Another one of those long-time wish list items shared by Tammy and myself, a nice video camera (like this one) is something we'd love to capture at least some of the moments produced by our soon-to-be basketball team worth of children.
7. Personal gym. Right now, our personal gym consists of some dumbells, but I'd love to eventually have a treadmill, bench press, eliptical machine, floor mats, etc. Everything except a wall of mirrors.
8. Entertainment. I can never have too many books (like The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, by Stieg Larsson) or movies (like Toy Story 3 or Inception) or music (like Hot Tropics, by the Growlers or Of Montreal's False Priest).
9. Minivan. I'm really high on the Kia Sedona; in fact, I'm really high on Kia as a car company. They're affordable, reliable, safe and have smart designs (I love my Kia Spectra). Anyway, Tammy (who loves her Subaru Outback) and I realize that we need a minivan to transport our team of children.
10. Gift cards. When all else fails, there's always money. You can send "tens and twenties" on iTunes gift cards, Target gift cards, etc.

Special Note on Giving: But seriously, I don't need any of this stuff on my list. The people who really need things don't typically have personal blogs. I often need to remind myself of this fact when I get annoyed that it feels like everyone is asking for my money.

The Salvation Army people are staked out in front the entrance/exits of my local Kroger ringing their bells and wanting money. At school and through the scouts, my boys are asking for money for the needy and toys (which cost money) for the Toys for Tots program. Each time I spend money at the store (any store, whether Kroger, Target, Walmart, Long John Silver, gas station, etc.), I'm asked to donate $1 to $5 in addition to my already budgeted purchase. And I donate away, though sometimes in the wrong spirit (as if I'm donating against my will).

But it's good to give this time of year if you're able. And while I'm not the richest person, I'm able. If you're able, please give when you can however you can. A dollar here or there really does add up over time.

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

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Check out these other Christmas posts:

• Top 10 Christmas Movies List post
• My Top 10 Christmas Albums List post
• Create Your Own Holiday Special Challenge post

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If you're interested in giving gift cards to a loved one this Christmas, here are some:

• GameStop gift card. Let your special someone pick out his or her favorite games and/or gaming equipment.
• iTunes gift card. Give the gift of music this Christmas.
• Target gift card. Give flexibility in your gift, since most Target locations offer everything from food to futons.
• AMC Theaters gift card. Send your friends and family to the movies--probably to watch something in 3D. Maybe even make it a "date night" gift with a Chili's gift card too.
• Amazon gift card. Let your loved one find something off Amazon.com. Or get a box of gift cards for your entire office.

Facebook Tips for Writers

According to MostPopularWebsites.net, Facebook is the second most popular website on the net (after Google.com). If you're reading this blog post, the odds are pretty good that you've got a Facebook profile yourself. (If you don't, then you should create one now, since they're free.) However, you may or may not be optimizing your Facebook use.

Here are some tips for writers who are either new to Facebook or who aren't sure if they're using it the correct way:

1. Complete your profile. You don't have to include EVERYTHING, but I'd suggest at least covering these bases: Current City, Birthday (you don't have to include the year), Bio, Education and Work, Contact Information.
2. Make everything public. As a writer, you should be using sites like Facebook and Twitter to connect with other writers, editors, agents, and your audience. So make it easy for them to find you and learn more about you by making everything available to the public. That said...
3. Think about your audience, friends, family, boss, former teachers, etc., in everything you do on Facebook. Like it or not, you have to understand that if you are completely public on Facebook (and you should be if you want to connect with your audience) that you need to think about what you do on Facebook before you do it. Because Facebook ain't like Vegas: What happens on Facebook could easily go viral. But don't get paranoid; just use common sense.
4. Include a profile pic of yourself. Don't use a picture of a cute animal, house pet, your children, an animated character, a famous celebrity, a model, etc. Just a nice pic of yourself. Even though it's virtual, you want your profile to be as human as possible so that you can connect with others.
5. Update your status regularly. You shouldn't update your status every hour, but once a day is a good pace. This just lets others on Facebook know that you are actively using the site.
6. Communicate with friends on Facebook. Don't stalk your friends; communicate with them. If you like a friend's status update, comment on it--or at the very least, click the Like button (to acknowledge that you liked their update). Speaking of friends...
7. Be selective about friends you add. Don't blindly accept every friend request, because some may be bogus, and others may be from serial frienders (people who are trying to hit their friend limits). You want quality friends who share your interests or who you know from the "real world."
8. Be selective about adding apps. I'm not a huge fan of apps, because they are a distraction and time killer on Facebook. But there are some that could be useful. However, don't waste a month of your life playing Farmville or Mafia Wars; you'd be better off completing a crossword or sudoku puzzle.
9. Join relevant groups. For writers, there are an abundance of groups you could join, from professional organizations to those based around magazines, publishers and literary events. These are great places to connect with other writers. On that same note...
10. Follow relevant fan pages. There are many who once had groups that migrated over to using fan pages, so there are fan pages for writing organizations, magazines, publishers, literary events, and more. (Click here to check out my personal fan page.)

Bonus tip: If you have a blog, you can feed your Facebook profile automatically by using the Notes function. All you have to do is go to Notes, click the "Edit import settings" link, and enter your blog url in the correct field. (Note: I had to enter my full url, including the forward slash at the end, before the Notes function accepted my url.)

If you've found other great ways to use Facebook, I'd love it if you'd share them below in the Comments. Also, I'd be glad to try and hunt down answers to any Facebook questions you might have.

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

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For more on Facebook, check out these resources:

• Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day, by Chris Treadway and Mari Smith
• Facebook Marketing for Dummies, by Paul Dunay and Richard Krueger
• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Facebook, by Joe Kraynak and Mikal E. Belicove
• The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World, by David Kirkpatrick

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Some other posts that might be of interest include:

• Twitter Cheat Sheet for Writers post
• Blogging Tips for Writers post
• Changes in Publishing post

Top Tweeters for Writers to Follow on Twitter

(NOTE: This list is nice, but click here to check out the 2011 list of Best Tweeps for Writers to Follow on Twitter.)

A week ago, I shared my updated Twitter Cheat Sheet for Writers on here. It's a good post for those new to Twitter or who need a refresher course, but then, someone asked the next logical question: Who are the best people for writers to follow on Twitter? So below is my attempt to answer that question.

First, here's my personal Top 5 Tweeters for Writers list:

1. @JaneFriedman, who runs the There Are No Rules blog (highly recommended)
2. @InkyElbows, which is the handle for Debbie Ridpath Ohi, who updates WritersMarket.com's Market Watch column, in addition to plenty of other writerly activities
3. @NathanBransford, who is an author, previous literary agent, and super (duper) tweeter supreme
4. @RachelleGardner, who is a current literary agent, mother of two, and self-professed Starbucks freak
5. @TheWriterMama, which is the handle for the great Christina Katz, who is both writer and mama

But, of course, I couldn't stop at my Top 5, so here are more than 30 other tweeps to follow (in no particular order):

1. @32poems
2. @collinkelley
3. @writersdigest
4. @brianklems
5. @chucksambuchino
6. @jessicastrawser
7. @alicepope
8. @glecharles
9. @gregpincus
10. @sagecohen
11. @thebookmaven
12. @RebeccAgent
13. @Ginger_Clark
14. @jeannevb
15. @janicebashman
16. @PublishersWkly
17. @PoetryFound
18. @PublishersLunch
19. @Mediabistro
20. @nationalbook
21. @DigiBookWorld
22. @BoSacks
23. @mariaschneider
24. @katerados
25. @Janet_Reid
26. @DeidreKnight
27. @sarahw
28. @MichaelBourret
29. @BostonBookGirl
30. @DanielNester
31. @merylkevans
32. @KMWeiland
33. @jessiepoet
34. @tawnafenske (via Amanda Hoving below)

If you're following the above tweeters (plus me, of course, @RobertLeeBrewer), then you should be pretty happy. But I surely missed many other great people in this small list. So, I'll be adding to this post with any recommendations left in the comments below, via Twitter, or especially by anyone listed above.

For instance, here is @JaneFriedman's Top 5 list:

1. @elizabethscraig
2. @Quotes4Writers
3. @writeitsideways
4. @AdvicetoWriters
5. @inkyelbows (yep, that's two votes for her)

I'd like to thank @JMcCannWriter for sharing her Top 5 list (her reasons below):

1. @hopeclark
2. @JodyHedlund
3. @Crytzerfry
4. @GrammarMonkeys
5. @HarrisInt

Here are 5 from @glecharles:

1. @ChuckWendig (who got a nod of approval from Amanda Hoving too)
2. @SimonPulman
3. @emilywoo
4. @DanBlank
5. @arstechnica

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

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Check out other helpful writing posts here:

• Which details should writers worry about post
• Blogging Tips for Writers post
• Changes in Publishing post (and what it means for writers)

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Here are some great social media books to check out:

• The Zen of Social Media Marketing, by Shama Kabani and Chris Brogan
• Social Media Strategies for Professionals and Their Firms, by Michelle Golden
• The Social Media Bible, by Lon Safko
• The Social Media Marketing Book, by Dan Zarrella

Which details writers should worry about

Recently, I posted on how writers sometimes raise flags on themselves in their submissions. There are also writers who worry about the wrong details in their submissions.

For instance, a writer recently sent me an e-mail message, because she was very concerned about our sample query letter to an agent. I take comments very seriously, but I couldn't believe this complaint. You see, the writer was concerned because we used a comma after the agent's name instead of a colon. Apparently, a comma is more personal while the colon is more professional. Actually, an agent isn't going to notice whether you used a comma or colon--just that you got his or her name correct.

Writers worry themselves sick over details like these. Should they use 10-point font or 12-point font? Or 11-point font? Times New Roman or Courier? Let me tell you right now that the answer is yes--unless the agent's guidelines specify fonts and font sizes.

Here's a little publishing secret: Agents and editors emphasize those things they care about in their submission guidelines. So they expect writers to follow their guidelines to the letter and then allow writers wiggle room with anything they don't specify.

So what are some industry standards on query letters?

• Limit queries and pitches to one page maximum. The shorter the better.
• 1" margins on paper or in files; of course, don't worry about margins in the body of your e-mail messages.
• Single space.
• Use a normal font (Times New Roman, Courier, etc.). It just needs to be easy on the eyes.
• Use a 10- to 12-point font. Again, it just needs to be easy on the eyes.
• Address the editor or agent by name if possible; if not, "Dear Editor" or "Dear Agent" will work better than "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear Sirs."
• Include your hook in the first sentence.
• Don't talk about yourself at the end (if at all). If there's nothing special about you or your credentials, skip talking about yourself at all.
• Include your name and contact information. You would be surprised how many freelancers do not think to do this. Seriously.

Of course, there are exceptions to the above rules if the guidelines specify otherwise. But these are the standards. I use a comma after the editor's name in my submissions, but other writers advise using a colon. You can use your own best judgment on that particular quandary.

There are other areas in which writers focus too much on the wrong details as well. Like word count. Sure, it's important to a point, but should you pump a lot of fluff into a 58,568-word novel manuscript to get it to 60,000 words? Of course not. If your 58,568-word novel manuscript is perfect, submit it that way.

If you can write pitches for nonfiction articles in one sentence that get you the assignment, don't feel that you have to follow a three-paragraph format (unless specifically told so in the submission guidelines). Being concise is usually preferable to rambling all over the query letter.

And with that, I invite writers to let me know if they have any other details that keep them up at night. After years of working in publishing, I've probably got an answer for your problem.

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

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Need some details to worry about? Focus on your home office:

• Laptops. The right laptop can give you an edge by making you productive and mobile at the same time.
• Chairs. Many writers don't want to shell out the extra dough to get a good office chair, but back pain can often end up costing them more than a bad night's sleep.
• Desk lamps. Sure, overhead lighting is good, but a desk lamp really makes life easier on your eyes, which are one of the more important assets a writer has.

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Check out these other Tips for Writers posts:

• Twitter Cheat Sheet for Writers. My own personal tips on using this growing social media site.
• Blogging Tips for Writers. If you don't have a blog, you should start one today.
• Changes in Publishing and Media. And what it means for writers.

Top 10 Christmas Movies List

It was a late night tonight. My family and I just finished watching The Polar Express on the ABC Family Channel's 25 Days of Christmas programming. That movie is slowly turning into one I always want to watch around Christmas, but it's not on my Top 10 Christmas Movies List. No, it's pretty tough to crack that list.

Here's my Top 10 list:

1. It's a Wonderful Life. This is not only my favorite Christmas movie; it's my favorite movie. Period. I love the lessons it teaches, the characters it has, and the ending always makes me tear up. Always.
2. A Christmas Story. Ralphie and his Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle! Triple Dog Dare! Ovaltine! The Lamp! If you don't watch this movie around Christmas, you might as well shoot your eye out, kid.
3. A Christmas Carol. Any of the versions will do, whether it's the recent Jim Carrey version or the Mr. Magoo Christmas Carol. Disney made a nice version, of course, and there are the black & white versions, the color versions, etc. You really can't go wrong with this one.
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas. The music is great, and the Peanuts characters don't pull any punches in explaining the true meaning of Christmas and attacking the commercialism that will always obscure that meaning. Speaking of which...
5. Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. From Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to The Year Without a Santa Claus, these out of this world Christmas Specials really seem to both get the true meaning of Christmas and confuse it at the same time. But they're still great fun. (By the way, check out my Create Your Own Crazy Holiday Special to have a shot at winning a prize from me.)
6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I'm more inclined toward the cartoon version of this story, but I applaud the Jim Carrey version for trying to update the story and fill in some cracks. The Grinch despises Christmas because of the noise and commercialism, but when he realizes the true meaning, even his heart melts (and expands).
7. Miracle on 34th Street. Does Santa Claus exist? This movie attempts to explain that question, and the only good version of this movie is the original black & white.
8. Elf. It's hard for a newer movie to crack my Top 10 Christmas List, because there's sentimental value attached to each one on the list, but Elf made it through an amazing combination of humor and Christmas spirit.
9. Home Alone. I was torn on whether to include this one or Santa Claus the Movie, but I included this one because it really is a family movie. A spoiled brat realizes the importance of family around Christmas even as his mother does everything in her power to get reunited with her son.
10. The Nightmare Before Christmas. This is half-Halloween movie and half-Christmas movie. The music is amazing, and the story is great. It might be scary for the little-little ones though.

You'll notice that this list is pretty family oriented.

Here's my Adult Top 5 list of Christmas Movies:

1. Love Actually. I actually love this movie--it's tied with It's a Wonderful Life as my favorite movie, and there are multiple scenes that make me wet-eyed in this movie.
2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Totally funny. Maybe the funniest Christmas movie ever.
3. Scrooged. A crazy 80s spin on A Christmas Carol and the Scrooge story.
4. Gremlins. Just thinking of gremlins gets that catchy theme music in my head (if you've seen Gremlins, you know what I'm talking about). Part funny, part sweet, and part mayhem--this movie is totally Christmas.
5. Die Hard. You knew it was coming. For those who want guns and violence for Christmas, this is the movie for you.

If your fave Christmas movie was snubbed, I'm sorry. I'd love to see your list.

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

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Check out these other Christmas posts:

• My Top 10 Christmas CDs post.
• Create Your Own Holiday Special Challenge post.

Don't raise red flags on yourself (or your writing)

There are times when writers are really good at self-inflicting wounds on their chances of success. For instance, here are a few examples I've encountered recently:

1. Writer who can't seem to find representation for his fictional novel based on real events. First off, this writer called his novel fictional, which is redundant. Beyond that faux pas, the writer spends more time discussing the possibility of his novel being too close to the real story than pitching the story. As a result, most agents and editors are scared off from repping this novel for legal reasons. However, if it's like most novels (99% of which are based off real events), there's probably no need to worry. The writer is shooting himself in the foot by raising a flag in his initial queries.
2. Writer who is too old or young to be published. Almost every time I do a standard Q&A session with writers, I have one (or more) people who seem to think their age is going to limit their chances of success. Personally, I've worked with scores of freelancers, and I don't know how old any of them are.
3. Writer who didn't take enough writing courses in college to be published. Here's another secret: I don't know whether any of my freelancers went to college or not (outside of the freelancers who volunteered that information in their queries). Out of the freelancers who did volunteer their college diplomas, I can't recall any of those qualifications right now. I only know which freelancers turned their work in on time and wrote great articles.

Basically, I advise all writers to focus on pitching their projects in their queries. If you think something might stop an editor or agent from taking you seriously, just leave it out of your pitch. If this means your query focuses 100% of its attention on the manuscript or story idea, that's fine. Instead of providing editors and agents with reasons to reject you, focus on the reasons they should give you a chance.

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

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Are you into Gift Cards? Well, then check these out:

• Amazon gift cards (give from $10-200)
• iTunes gift cards (give $25 a pop)
• AMC Theaters gift cards (give the gift of a movie and popcorn)
• GameStop gift card (for the gamers in your family)
• American Express personalized gift cards (to give plenty of options to your special someone)

Changes in Publishing (and what it means for writers)

If you're not involved in media and publishing on a day-to-day basis, then it's very possible that you don't know just how much the publishing industry has changed in just this past year (or even 3 months). When I first started in publishing (a little less than 11 years ago), changes took years to happen; now, the playing field seems to change every month. How long until things are changing every week? Or day?

Anyway, here are some recent changes in publishing:

• Publishing companies are endangered. Many companies like my own have either already transitioned or are transitioning from being publishing companies to becoming media companies. In 2000, I worked for F&W Publications; now, I work for F + W Media. The company is doing fine, but we've changed the way we do business. This is happening industry-wide with some print-heavy companies even abandoning print completely and offering digital-only products and services.
• Digital readers are selling like hot cakes. Whether it's Wal-Mart carrying iPads or Kindles breaking sales records for Amazon or Nooks dominating Barnes & Noble, digital readers are gaining momentum at the speed of light. And guess what?
• e-Readers and digital books is where the growth is. That's right! A recent survey illustrated that owners of e-Reader devices actually buy more books than the average reader. Anecdotally, I've heard this from many e-Reader owners myself. So it makes sense that digital is the fast approaching future, especially when you consider that...
• Brick and mortar bookstores are having trouble.  June reports showed Barnes & Noble with a 51% increase in Web sales and 3% decrease in store sales. Joseph-Beth files for Bankruptcy and has to shutter some stores. Books-A-Million reports a $1.7M third quarter loss this year. Meanwhile, Borders is closing stores in an attempt to stay in business. It's not hard to imagine the extinction of the brick and mortar bookstore.

So, let's put all this news together and look at how it might affect writers. Here's some of my guesses, which may or may not be on target (y'all can debate that in the Comments below):

1. Writers need to loosen their grip on a dream of making it into bookstores. Sure, writers should continue trying to write bestsellers and quality manuscripts, but brick and mortar bookstores may not even exist in another 5-10 years, since everything is going digital.
2. Writers should be flexible and innovative in how to deliver content. That's right, I called it content. Whether it's nonfiction, fiction, poetry or something completely different, it's still content. And maybe a printed version of it will only serve the author's ego, while not fulfilling the needs of today's audience, who may want it as an iPhone or Droid app, Kindle download, YouTube broadcast, blog post, or any number of other ways.
3. Writers who hold onto the old dreams will be very uncomfortable in the near future. If they're not already uncomfortable, they'll soon feel what all the brick and mortar bookstores are feeling: hopelessness and despair in the face of change. Those willing to adapt will have an easier time of things.
4. Newer writers need to lead the charge on new technologies. If you don't completely comprehend and understand the new technologies, don't worry; after all, no one else does either. The time is right for experimentation and innovation. And the great thing about this is that it levels the playing field for all writers. Seize the day and make a name for yourself.
5. Your potential audience is still hungry for the same things. They still want information, entertainment and engagement. That will never change, whether we're drawing mammoths on cave walls, carving stone tablets or viewing videos on our smartphones.

For a great blog on these topics, I suggest you check out Jane Friedman's There Are No Rules. You can follow Jane along with 30,000+ other tweeps on Twitter @JaneFriedman.

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

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Here are a few other posts that may interest you:

• Twitter Cheat Sheet for Writers, in which I give a refresher/intro lesson on using Twitter
• Blogging Tips for Writers, in which I share some tips and encouragement for writers new to blogging

Both Twitter and blogging are important tools for today's writer. They are free and available to all.

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Not free, but worth checking out are:

• Kindle e-reader
• iPad e-reader
• Nook e-reader

After all, that's where the future is headed. Might as well see what it looks like.