What Is Syndication?

by Alan Shearer
Editorial Director/General Manager
Washington Post Writers Group

"Do you carry a violin case?"

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked that question when someone hears that I work for a "syndicate."

I can tell you that my job has nothing to do with organized crime, nor a license to print money. It is based on a simple concept: sell one article or comic strip to more than one buyer.

It's really that simple. But why, then, does my business seem so complicated?  When you are the editor for 40 writers and cartoonists, and are responsible for selling their work around the world, the days are never dull.

In my position as head of The Washington Post Writers Group, I work closely with the writers to research, edit and shape their commentary. Another editor works closely with cartoonists, although I am occasionally asked to evaluate a particular gag. As the saying goes in my office, if Alan gets it, the whole world will get it. This is the one instance where being "the least hip" person on Earth, as writer Ellen Goodman once called me, is beneficial.

Despite all the tumult surrounding the news business these days—and hoots and snorts from those who have already pronounced our death—we are a viable business that represents the largest share of advertising and the largest readership of any industry. Sure, these are declining, but we are developing our electronic business and seeking new ventures to balance everything out.

The syndicate operates at the margins in this climate of fictional anxiety and real diminishing returns. We get 90 percent of our revenue from print publications, and these publications' websites increasingly need content. We are a small but very popular portion of our customers' content.

If I told you that every individual who ever typed a creative sentence wanted to be syndicated, I would be exaggerating only by about half. No matter where I go, after the violin-case joke comes this: "Hey, my brother-in-law, uncle, cousin, daughter writes a column. Could he/she send you some stuff?" Having "syndicated writer" attached to your name carries a cachet that I've never fully understood. Most syndicated writers and cartoonists make a living, but even some of these keep their day jobs. A few have high earnings, but always when coupled with other ventures such as speaking engagements or, in the case of comic strips, character licensing.

Anyone wanting to write a syndicated column should consider a few things. Writing a twice-weekly column is a full-time job, if you do it right. The web is full of bloviators who never leave the house and merely opine off the labor of others. The real stars conduct dozens of interviews by phone and in person, not only to get the facts of an issue but in many cases to decide what they think. Sometimes the facts simply don't support an ideology. Once you realize that, you can see that the ideological cable and radio talk shows are useless as sources of information.

It has been true since the first syndicated column and is true today that every column should produce at least one new fact. I don't mean revealing a secret, but something that our reader can go away thinking, "wow, I didn't know that" —either before or after he says of the writer, "that guy is full of s---."            

Disagree if you must, but learn something you will. That is what the Writers Group seeks every day. And we're pretty damn good at it.

Lauris Faith: The Soundtrack of Her Life

Inspirational author Lauris Faith’s books and website are dedicated to the observation, pursuit, and discovery of life philosophies, whether hidden or obvious. She feels that we all have a life philosophy even if we don’t recognize it. And if Lauris’s life and philosophy had a soundtrack to accompany them, then the music of Bob Marley would get heavy play. In fact, in her book, My Life I Live, Revisited, Faith uses Jamaican reggae lyrics as a platform to share her own view of life.

ARROW: Hi, Lauris. Can you tell our readers a little about yourself?
LF: I was born Lauris Faith Beckford in Kingston, Jamaica, but I write under the name Lauris Faith. I attended the Wolmer’s School for Girls (a high school) and graduated from Montreal’s McGill University, with a B.A. in History and Psychology. I’ve been married for 47 years to a dentist and we have two sons who are 46 and 43. I worked for the government in Jamaica and later as the manager for my husband’s dental practice. I’m an avid reader and ever-diligent student of Life. Also, I’ve traveled to China, Europe, East Africa and the Caribbean.

ARROW: Let's talk about inspirational writing and what motivated you to write in this genre.
LF: I was motivated by my son's request to put in print the ideologies we discussed around the kitchen table.

ARROW: Inspirations created around the kitchen table—nice! Where do you find your inspiration?
LF: I find inspiration in the lives of the people whose lives intersect with mine.

ARROW: People are always seeking and searching. Are any of your writings based upon real life experiences?
LF: They aren’t based on real life experiences, but inspired by them.

ARROW: So, what's your writing background?
LF: I started with a series of greeting cards for my husband's dental practice. And subsequently, writing came out of thoughts that just bubbled up inside me.

ARROW: Are you able to write every day?
LF: Not every day; however, there are times when I'm in the mood to write for several hours at a time, and for several consecutive days.

ARROW: Rhythm is everything. Is there someone who influenced you?
LF: Iyana Vanzant's writing had a big influence on me.

ARROW: Most times, we’re motivated to write as a result of life’s events. Is there any particular situation that influenced you to begin writing inspirational works?
LF: Yes, a rapprochement with my son, after an estrangement of several years.

ARROW: That’s a straight and honest answer. With that being said, have you considered expanding into other genres?
LF: Yes. My next book will be quite different. I'll report life incidents rather than comment on them.

ARROW: So Ms. Faith, what can your readers expect from you in 2011?
LF: An expanded collection of the Slices of Life that now appear on my website.

ARROW: Do you do any special promotions or marketing?
LF: My fans know about my books by extensive word-of-mouth promotion. I’ve also launched my titles in several cities as well as distributed press releases. And I sell my work on my website.

ARROW: Word of mouth is very good. Friends tell friends and so on. Do you use social media to your promotional and marketing advantage?
LF: Each week, I invite my readers to visit my website and view current blog articles.

ARROW: Will we see you anytime soon for a book tour or any special appearances?
LF: Well, I recently did two appearances in Jamaica. However, there are no plans at the moment for another.

ARROW: Before we wrap up, do you have any words of wisdom for new writers?
LF: I am one myself and my biggest obstacle is marketing. So that's what I would suggest we all concentrate on.

ARROW: Thank you, Lauris. It has really been a pleasure finding out about what inspires and inspired you.
LF: You’re welcome and thank you!

What Are They Doing Now?

MyRomanceStory illustrator Ronn Sutton is hard at work on an adaptation of Honey West for Moonstone Books. Arrow caught up with the artist in his Ottawa studio.

"I'm having a lot of fun working on these issues," Sutton said. "In the original novels Honey West was a much sexier character than she was portrayed on television. So I'm trying to reinstate that. The story takes place in 1965 and I've worked hard to visually recreate that era: the hairstyles, clothes, furniture, etc. The mid-60s was also probably the last hurrah for that very girly-girl sex-kitten image. That's what I'm trying to bring to my version of Honey. She's very alluring, well-built and she's always on the verge of spilling out of her clothes."

In case you’ve forgotten, Honey West was a character in a series of detective novels started in the late 1950s by Gloria and Forest Fickling. Later actress Anne Francis won a Golden Globe for playing Honey in the short-lived 1960s TV show. Miss Francis, who died earlier this year at the age of 80, said, “The character made young women think there was more they could reach for.”

Honey West #3, the first part of the trilogy story "Murder on Mars" by writer Elaine Lee and artist Ronn Sutton was released March 9. The three-issue story arc features Honeyjoining the cast of a mid-1960s low-budget science fiction B movie to investigate the murder of the film's starlet.
   
In addition to his illustration work for Arrow Publications’ MyRomanceStory, which include Winter Roses and Summer Love, Sutton is known for drawing other sexy women such as Claypool Comics' Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, as well as Draculina, the vampress Luxura, a Vampira movie comic, and She-Dragon (for the Savage Dragon animated TV series).
  
Honey West is published by Moonstone Books. Each issue, priced at $3.99, has 32 color pages, script by Elaine Lee, pencil-and-ink art by Ronn Sutton and colors by Ken Wolak. The comic ships with three different covers, including one photo cover of Honey West actress Anne Francis. 

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In This Issue

• What Is Syndication?
  
• Lauris Faith: The Soundtrack of Her Life
  
• What Are They Doing Now?: Ronn Sutton
  
• March’s Featured Stories
  
• App of the Month: Breathless Whispers by Jodi Olson
  
• February’s Romance Poll
  
• Calendar of Events
  
• Notice Board
  
• In the News
  

App of the Month

Breathless Whispers by Jodi Olson
Greg Logan and Chase Stevens have a lot in common, especially their desire for Lacey McKenna. But how is a girl to decide when she’s courted by two hunks? Can she have her cake—two helpings, it seems—and eat it too? Breathless Whispers is the sexy sequel to Jodi Olson’s Naughty Whispers.

To find Breathless Whispers in the Apple App Store, search by title or author and keywords Arrow Publications.

February Romance Poll

Last month we posed the question “Most women have several erogenous zones on parts of their body other than genitalia. What percentage of men also have erogenous zones on other parts of their bodies too?”

The responses covered the spectrum. Nearly 62% of respondents thought that 100% of men have other erogenous zones. There was a tie between the next-closest responses, as nearly 15% of our readers thought that under 25% of men have other erogenous zones and another 15% of readers thought men did not have any erogenous zones other than genitalia. Finally, nearly 8% of respondents thought that 25% of men had other erogenous zones. No one took the middle ground by responding that 50% of men have them.

This month we are asking, “What Do You Like Most about Colin Firth?” Tell us what you think at www.myromancestory.com/moreMyRomanceStory.php.

In the News

Digital Publishing Gets a Little Steamier
by Alex Colon, PC Magazine
HarperCollin's Avon Books launched Avon Impulse, an imprint dedicated to digital romance titles. According to Avon, “the growth of e-readers and e-books has created a new opportunity that allows us to begin increasing the number and diversity of our romance list for the first time in 10 years.”

Read more: www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2381646,00.asp

Walter Zacharius, Romance Publisher, Dies at 87
by William Grimes, New York Times
Walter Zacharius, who rode the passion-swollen wave of romance fiction in the early 1980s to build the Kensington Publishing Corporation into a leading purveyor of bodice-rippers and other romance genres, died on March 2 at his home in Manhattan. He was 87.

Read more: www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/business/media/08zacharius.html?_r=1&src=busln

The 28th Annual RT Booklovers' Convention, Sponsored by RT Book Reviews Magazine, Arrives in Los Angeles, April 6-10, 2011
From Press Release
More than 400 authors will attend this year's celebrations, including New York Times and USA Today bestsellers Dean Koontz, Catherine Coulter, Heather Graham, Robyn Carr, Jill Barnett, Gregg Hurwitz, Brenda Jackson, L.A. Banks, Stephanie Bond, Cherry Adair, Shana Abe, Rhys Bowen, Sabrina Jeffries and Gail Carriger.

Read more: www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/the-28th-annual-rt-booklovers-convention-sponsored-by-rt-book-reviews-magazine-arrives-in-los-angeles-april-610-2011-197305.php

All Romance™ eBooks Unveils the ARe Café™
From Press Release
The digital eBook retailer All Romance™ eBooks (ARe™) announced the addition of the ARe Café™, a new reader-centric social networking platform that offers rich content and is fully integrated with the All Romance/Omnilit™ digital bookstores.

Read more: www.prweb.com/releases/2011/2/prweb8143704.htm

Romance novels for the hardheaded woman
From naked werewolves to rock stars —five books that pay tribute to stubborn lovers
by Eloisa James, Barnes & Noble Review/Salon.com
Most women would agree that it's preferable to be labeled a goddess than ”hardheaded.” …These five novels make a strong play for the desirability of a stubborn partner. The problem is that a hardheaded person is likely to have planned out his or her life without including you. And he or she is unlikely to want to change direction.

Read more: www.salon.com/books/fiction/?story=/books/feature/2011/03/07/hard_heads_and_heartbreak

Stu Levy and the Rise and Fall of Tokyopop
by Calvin Reid, Publishers Weekly
The recent layoffs at Tokyopop, the U.S. manga publisher founded by Stu Levy in Japan and L.A. in 1996 and 1997, have turned a spotlight on the house’s decline over the last few years. Battered by the economy, a global decline in manga sales and now the Borders bankruptcy, Tokyopop is a smaller company, much reduced from the days when it published as many as 500 books a year and virtually defined the popularity of Japanese pop culture and the rapid sales growth of manga in the U.S. during the early 2000s.

Read more: www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/comics/article/46397-stu-levy-and-the-rise-and-fall-of-tokyopop.html

Colin Egglesfield to play Tucker Longstreet in Lifetime's 'Carnal Innocence'
by Carol Thomas, Examiner.com
Yes, Virginia, there really is a Lifetime Movie Network adaptation of Nora Roberts’ novel Carnal Innocence currently being filmed, despite the surprising lack of publicity surrounding this event.

Read more: www.examiner.com/nora-roberts-in-national/colin-egglesfield-to-play-tucker-longstreet-lifetime-s-carnal-innocence