BY KATHI KAMEN GOLDMARK AND SAM BARRY

The Author Enablers are here to answer your questions about writing and publishing. Together, Kathi and Sam have more than 25 years of experience in book publishing. Kathi is an author, radio producer and former publicist; Sam is a marketing manager at a major publishing company and a freelance editor. They are also proud members of the Rock Bottom Remainders, the all-author rock band founded by Kathi in 1992.

When authors attack

Your intrepid Author Enablers had the honor of participating in the Pulpwood Queens' Girlfriend Weekend, held in January in Marshall, Texas. This wonderful event, organized by a tiara-wearing force of nature named Kathy Patrick, is the annual gathering of the Pulpwood Queens book clubs (check our their website at www.beautyandthebook.com).

One evening we were out enjoying the local nightlife with several authors. One woman mentioned that she'd received a nasty review for her new book, and had written a spirited rebuttal. A lively discussion arose about whether or not it's prudent for authors to respond to negative reviews. If your book gets a lousy, unfair slam it's only natural to want to defend yourself, but should you?

Our two cents: If a reviewer gets the facts wrong, a note of correction might be called for. ("The reviewer said I have two heads, when in fact I have three.") But in general, we do not believe negative reviews should be dignified with a response. You are simply calling attention to the bad review, and will inevitably sound defensive. The best revenge is ignoring detractors and writing well.

We'd like to know what you think about this issue, so e-mail your opinions to authorenabler@aol.com (along with your name and city/state, please!). Now, we'll step off our soapbox and answer some questions.

Dear Author Enablers,

I recently sent some children's poems to a publisher and they asked for at least 40 to 50 book pages. What do they mean by "book pages"? Is it lines, words, etc.?

Kevin
Chorley (just outside Preston in Lancashire, England)

We wish our American readers would give their addresses in this charming manner—we almost feel like we can find our way to your house! Our best guess is that you have received a form letter asking for the first 40-50 pages of your manuscript—a standard request made by publishers and agents when they are considering working with an author. However, with a children's book and/or poetry, this page count may not be suitable. You can respond with a proposal that follows industry-standard guidelines for children's books, along with a completed manuscript. There are many how-to books that will walk you through the process of writing an attention-getting proposal. Your local bookseller or librarian should be able recommend a good one.

Dear Author Enablers,

I have written a book documenting my brother-in-law's experience in WWII with the Third Marines. We self-published it for the family. How should we go about getting an ISBN number?

Harold, in an undisclosed location

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. ISBNs are issued by the R.R. Bowker Agency and used to classify and track book titles. The ISBN is usually printed on the book's copyright page and within a barcode on the back cover. Most of the printers who specialize in independent and self-published book manufacturing will offer an ISBN as part of their service, for a small fee. If your book is already printed, you can deal with R.R. Bowker directly. Once you've purchased your ISBN, you can have barcode stickers printed to attach to the back covers of your books.

Dear Author Enablers,

I wrote a sports-oriented column for a biweekly newspaper but have since moved. I want to resume my writing. Who should I direct my query to—a newspaper's editor or the sports editor? Also what are "clips"? (I assume they are photocopies of my columns.) Should I send a few of them with my letter?

Bob
Rye, New Hampshire

You are correct that clips are samples of your writing. It's important for writers to keep all published work on file—no journal is too small to merit a trip to the copy machine. Now use your reporting skills to learn about the paper where you want to work. What are the submission guidelines? Which editor should you talk to? Should you propose a meeting or simply send a letter? These protocols vary, and it's in your best interest to do some research before trying to connect. Good luck!

Note to our readers: The winners of the Limerick Contest will be announced in next month's column, so stay tuned!

Thanks for writing,
THE AUTHOR ENABLERS