Tidings of Comfort and Joy

For those who celebrate it, I wish you a Merry Christmas. And for those who don't, may you enjoy the good tidings of the season. And I hope we all have a peaceful, joyous new year in 2012.

Looking for a Few Good Book Reviewers

I try not to mix my business writing with my pleasure writing on this site, but from time to time I've posted book reviews in the field of nonprofit organizations and foundations, public policy, and fundraising.

Now I have an opportunity for you, dear readers. The Website I edit is looking for new book reviewers. These would be paying jobs, but I can't say we pay a lot. Still, it's a publishing credit, which might be very attractive to some of you.

What's the catch? Well, the books we review are all nonfiction and all related to the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. We'd be assigning the books to you; these aren't books you'd be choosing by yourself. Still, many people find the topic fascinating. You may just be one of those people.

Ok, if you're interested, please send me an email at mws@foundationcenter.org and in the subject line write "Off the Shelf reviewers." I get hundreds of emails every day and it's hard to separate the wheat from the chaff sometimes, so that subject line at least will help. Also, please include a link or two to show me some writing samples if you have any.

If you're assigned a piece, you'll be given a deadline by which to submit the review. We'd send you the book and cover postage for its return as well. (Sorry, you can't keep the book.) Reviewers will be paid upon publication.

If you have questions, ask away.

Soon It Can Be Told

I'm excited about a project I'm not ready to fully divulge just yet. It saw a deadline pass the other day. A few of you know what I'm talking about.

Suffice it to say, it will involve writing. Quality stuff, I'd venture to say. And at least one writer with a book in traditional-publication production is involved. The final number of participants has not been determined yet, but I believe that when all is said and done, we'll have something to write home about. Certainly something to talk about on our blogs. I know I'll be doing so.

Soon. Soon, my precious....

A Return to NaNormalcy?

Well, life has quite the repertoire. It throws knuckleballs, sliders, change-ups, as well as hellacious curve balls. Lately, I've faced a bunch of different pitchers who successfully twisted me into knots. The gap of nearly two months between posts should be evidence of that.

Now that baseball season is done, however, National Novel Writing Month has begun. Once again, I've entered NaNo WriMo (see my little "participant" badge?), and I'll take on a new set of knot-twisting challenges. But today I actually did something different: I ate my lunch in a room with an electrical outlet, which enables me to use my archaic laptop. I use the outlet to spark up the gerbils that run on the Intel wheel inside. As a result, I was able to write today.

It only accounted for 400 words so far. Maybe I'll get more tonight after I put the girls to bed. But it feels good to go out of my way to write creatively.

How are you doing? Are you participating in Nano? Are you feeling creative?