Studio Blog
Grant applications are being accepted from February 1 – February 7, 2011.
In honor of former Copy Chief Jessica Thompson, we’d like to extend the range of the grant guidelines. We are pleased to announce that February’s Grant is open to applications around charitable ideas. We’ve read some amazing applications and would like to remind you that you can submit one project three times. The guidelines and application are in the Help section of your Resource Center.
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Writers gather for a session at the Writer's Digest Conference in New York
Editor's Note: We're at the Writer's Digest Conference in New York with the winner of our guest conference pass, Heather Brautman. Heather has been writing full-time for Demand Media Studios since 2009 and leverages her education and experience to specialize in technical articles (she holds a M.S. in technical writing, M.A. in public relations and communications, and a B.A. in writing/English). Read her initial thoughts about the conference in her first post.
"The second one isn't finished yet." Kenneth Kraus of West Orange, New Jersey has just kicked off a session at the Writer's Digest 2011 conference by telling me this, and he's not talking about home additions, bottles of Coke Zero or even two cats battling a mouse into submission. He's talking about novels. In my super-writer-brain, I could therefore conclude if he's talking about a second one, it means there's a first. Ken Kraus has two novels. Would you be surprised if I told you I met people this weekend who have three? Four? Eleven? Inside of them, waiting to come out and be exposed to the world.
As I walk through the halls here at WD11, I am overcome. I am overcome by the people who are here with a dream. For some, it's as simple as coming, talking, and making it happen. But for others, the ones who are talking to me and are fragile and scared but HERE, I am overcome by their perseverance and courage.
I'm overcome by the stories. There's a man here talking up a book about him walking from Boston to San Francisco in early 2008 collecting the country's thoughts on the presidency in a journal to give to the incumbent. One of the presenters, Janet Reid, said "Write what you feel is powerful." The sheer strength in that room could have made an American Gladiator even out of this noodle-bodied writer.
And I was physically, mentally and even psychically overcome at yesterday's Pitch Slam. Imagine a speed dating scenario (seriously, with the three-minute bell and everything), then imagine the people sitting at those tables hold the thing you want the most. Maybe it's a book deal, maybe it's a cure for your child's cancer, maybe it's James Spader. They have it. And you have three minutes (actually 90 seconds) to make it yours. It's hot in there. It's loud. Some of the agents aren't paying that much attention to you. People are pushing, shoving, complaining, and tweeting (which, strangely, is not a quiet activity). You have three minutes. Go. Go get your dream.
Since I wasn't ready to pitch a book idea, I used the time to sit down with as many agents as I could and ask them a question or for a piece of advice. Most were friendly, though a few looked at me like, "If you're not pitching, what are you doing here then?" I felt bad for them (I've actually DONE speed dating and by a quarter-way through, you're wishing for a needle to the eye). My face STILL hurts from the smiling. But I was mostly looking at the other writers. I was coaching on my new friend as she had a semi-panic-attack waiting to pitch her book. (And she scored four out of four, so go girl!) I am secretly thanking the quiet guy who pointed out that I had a little bit of lunch in my teeth, though I'm not-so-secretly cursing the 20+ people I talked to before him. I'm wide eyed with wonder with the amount of dreams, hopes and desire in that room.
It was a bloodbath. While I don't think anyone was harmed in the making of this WD11 (ok, actually not true, the very first day, an old man passed out flat as a board on one of the doors, making a noise louder than a gun shot -- PS, he's OK!), that pitch slam wall left the walls smeared. People walked off that battlefield dragging a limb, hunched over, rivules of shedded sweat stinging their eyes. I went back in a few times to grab who I could -- no writer left behind. Then we all went out for what turned into several glasses of my new friend Prosecco and toasted their success. No matter what happens with their novels, they did it. They overcame.
So, as I get ready for the last sessions of the conference, I'm overcome with happiness to have been dropped -- even for just a weekend -- into the presence of such people. It's inspiring and invigorating and empowering all at once. I could not be prouder of a group of people in the world, and I hope to see them all in a Barnes and Nobel "best-seller" table soon.
Anna (DMS staff editor) and Heather (DMS writer) take a snack break at the Writer's Digest Conference
Editor's Note: We're at the Writer's Digest Conference in New York with the winner of our guest conference pass, Heather Brautman. Heather has been writing full-time for Demand Media Studios since 2009 and leverages her education and experience to specialize in technical articles (she holds a M.S. in technical writing, M.A. in public relations and communications, and a B.A. in writing/English).
To win the pass, we asked writers to tell us the #1 reason they wanted to attend. Heather's submission--a 48-line epic poem in rhyming couplets--blew us away for its sheer creativity.
Heather hails from North Carolina, and presented us upon arrival yesterday with this bag of roasted peanuts, a local specialty.
Without further ado, I give you her impressions of Day One:
“What are you pitching today?”
Within two hours of my checking into the Sheraton New York Towers, this question will have been asked of me no less than 20 times. When I started getting looks at my response of “.500!,” I knew I was in some serious waters. Obviously, I mixed up my batting and pitching and all that “sports stuff” that I have no idea about. But let me tell you, pitching is one serious thing here at the 2011 Writer's Digest Conference.
I am competitive about exactly two things (if sports don’t count, and only if euchre and ping pong counted as sports anyway). One, that my cat is the cutest cat ever. And two, my writing. All my life, compliments on my writing have been more important than my looks, education, anything. So when DMS announced its contest for the Writer's Digest conference pass, I wanted to WIN. And when I did win, I felt a little overwhelmed, but ready to get inspired.
Within five minutes of sitting down at table for the first speaker of the conference today, I was not only inspired, but perspiring. All around me, people were asking about pitching. Not lobbing, not slamming, not swinging, and certainly not batting. Pitching. People were here to do some serious pitching and not a Nolan Ryan among them. As I looked around my table waiting for the speaker, I noticed I was seriously out of my league. Like, not even “send her down to the minors AA league,” but “stop sullying the uniform, step away from the plate, and have a hot dog on your way to the parking lot” out of my league. A lady at my table had a big stack of index cards with a photo, name and personal information of every agent who would be at this conference in a pile in front of her. And she was doing some major studying.
It’s okay though. I learned I was coming here exactly one week ago. I didn’t have it in mind to do anything but soak up the inspiration. Being around other writers is, at least for this writer, a huge motivation. I work from home full-time. I chase my cat and try to make her talk to me but it doesn’t (always) happen. Within three hours at the conference, I’ve talked to so many people and if this snail could be any further out of her shell, it would violate the DMS no-adulty-stuff guidelines. And guess what? I’ve never been an autograph hunter or fame crazy (on the record, I have not crossed paths with James Spader YET, so at any point, that statement could be invalidated). But meeting three of the DMS head staffers has been the coolest thing. I’ve never been in a “faceless” work situation before. So when I walked up to the table and saw “The REAL!” Remi, Anna and Yury, it was kind of the coolest thing ever. I’ve seen/heard them in webinars. Definitely seen their forum posts. But I got to see them in action. Recruiting more DMS writers. Chatting about life.
In the few hours I’ve been here, I’ve already had New York pizza (which puts my current hometown of Raleigh to shame), a diner-style grilled cheese sandwich (see pizza) and am currently eating a New York brownie with TWO KINDS OF CHOCOLATE CHIPS. I swear, I’m not just here to eat my way around the Big Apple. Actually, now I’m embarrassed that you may be worried I’ll have to buy two plane seats on the way home. In fact, I fully admit that one of my most-anticipated things coming here was the fact that the hotel was .96 miles (yes, I counted) from the flagship NYC Hello Kitty store. I loaded up (why did my parents say stuff like “Please remember you only have one carry on flying home?” as I was getting ready to come?) and even managed tosnag a pack of “I Heart NY” playing cards for my “everywhere I go” travel collection.
But enough of the eating and buying. Tomorrow is a full slate of meetings, lectures and the great Pitch Slam. For someone as shy and hermit-like as myself, I picture a massive free-for-all of the 400+ attendees and poor 50 or so agents. But you know what? I may be outta my league, and I may not be “pitching” a no-hitter here, but I kind of feel like a Grand (Pitch) Slam is coming my way. After all, DMS had the confidence to pick me, so I’m not about to let them down. Clear the plate, I’m stepping up to swing.
Five Trending Topics:
Five Breakout Topics:
Winter Weather
Blackberry Playbook
Verizon iPhone
Thanks for your inspiration, Kay!
If you see Kay in the forums be sure to give her kudos of your own.
PM us with your contact info & we'll send you an I ♥ DS shirt to say,
Thank You!
Five Trending Topics:
Five Breakout Topics:
Winter Weather
Blackberry Playbook
Verizon iPhone
Congratulations to Carla Mckinney who was chosen as the recipient of December’s $1,000 grant!
Carla is putting together a photography/ text book entitled 'Street Ink: Southwestern Urban Folk Art' in an attempt to explore the human impulse to create art. Street Ink will feature photographs of street murals, impromptu wall art and embellishments from commissioned professionals to anonymous street artists. Her project was both unique and well thought out. She plans to use the grant to help with her research, image preparation, and the creation of a project website to help share her story with the rest of the world.
Carla has been a professional writer since 1989 and she started writing for Demand Media Studios in July 2010. Thanks for such an inspiring project Carla, and best of luck!
We’ve read some amazing applications and would like to remind you that you can submit one project up to three times. The guidelines and application are in the Help section of your Resource Center.
If you see Shannon in the forums be sure to give her kudos of your own.
Thanks and congratulations, Shannon!
PM us with your contact info & we'll send you an I ♥ DS shirt to say,
Thank You!
