Words Matter

Hello Everyone!
"Words matter." This revelation came from the current mayor of Dallas, Texas when he was giving a speech commemorating 50 years since the assassination of JFK. He’s right, words do matter. The words you choose to speak in conversation matter. The words said in anger matter. And the words written down matter the most of all. That’s because readers can go back to them time and time again and those words won’t change. The tricky thing with words on paper is that they can be interpreted in so many different ways because on paper or in an email you miss the body language of the speaker. For a book of fiction, that’s ok. It’s the reader’s imagination that will create the entertainment, but the words they read guide them through the story in their own way.

While it’s great for fiction, it’s not so great when you’re promoting your business and / or product. The reality of the words I speak and write came back to slap me in the face on Friday. Gary and I went to a workshop on marketing and that’s where I discovered I’ve been using words that were unclear and open to interpretation. I am enormously proud of the fact that authors from all over the world submit their stories to us and get published. In my enthusiasm to relay this fact, I’ve given the impression that this is a magazine to appeal to authors – actually not a magazine – but a book. I love the fact that authors read this magazine and enjoy it. I’ve received all sorts of compliments on behalf of the authors that have been published so I know that these are good quality stories.

The market I’m looking for are the readers of the world. These are men and women who have busy lives - their careers, family and any other interests. They are the ones that don’t have time to devote to a full length novel but still need that escape – if only for a few minutes during the day.

This magazine is available throughout the world at a reasonable cost so that anyone anywhere can buy a copy. The app for Ficta Fabula has been downloaded in Pakistan and China (as well as Western Countries) and this fact tells me that people everywhere are looking for a distraction. A good read is often that distraction.

　
Everyone needs an escape from their lives – that’s what fiction is there for. That’s the responsibility of authors of fiction stories. The challenge is to write something that has a compelling story line as well as interesting characters – all in fewer than 5,000 words. It’s no easy task you authors have because readers of fiction have a lot of options. But it can be so rewarding.

I’ve always believed that good fiction can inspire creativity and imagination, and that’s what I want to do with Ficta Fabula and Pages Of Stories Publishing. Because fiction isn’t held back by the rules of the real world , anything can happen. When Gene Roddenberry had Captain Kirk talk to Enterprise on his communicator in the 1960’s Star Trek TV Series – I don’t think anyone realized that 40 years later that would be a reality with flip phones.

Gene Roddenberry’s imagination didn’t end there. It was shocking to see a woman in a significant role with Lieutenant Uhura as the Communications officer on the Enterprise. Of course the shock was not just her role but the fact that she was African American at a time when the U.S. was transitioning to a non segregationist society. I’m going to overlook the fact that her costume showed more leg than it covered – that’s a subject for another day. Since then we’ve had a number of women in leadership roles although the percentage is still far too low. While Great Britain has had women leaders in the past – those were Queens born to the role; Margaret Thatcher was the first woman to become a leader of a Western nation. Since then there have been more and more women running countries, businesses, and holding other highly influential political positions.

Because someone put the idea out there, it sparked the imagination of others. If even the most far out crazy ideas aren’t put forward, then we won’t know what we can do next. All great inventions started with someone with an idea and you never know where that idea comes from.

So, do words matter? You bet they matter. Words can help people enjoy their day just that little bit more; words can inspire people to make goals they never thought possible; words can hurt and words can soothe; and words can educate. My goal is simple – I want to help people enjoy their day and get a few minutes of pleasure by reading a really good story.

If you would like to read the rest of the newsletter and learn about some upcoming and exciting projects then send an email to info@pagesofstories.com. Or you can go to our website at www.pagesofstories.com.

Take care and happy reading!

Darlene Poier
Publisher
Ficta Fabula Magazine

Second Printing!

Hi Everyone,

A quick announcement that we are now going to a second printing of the inaugural issue of Ficta Fabula. We have officially sold out of the first printing and have received some excellent feedback.

The second printing should be ready the week of November 4th. Stay tuned for the exciting developments.

If you missed out on the first one, you can get your name on the list for the next one by sending an email to info@pagesofstories.com.

Take care and happy reading!

Darlene Poier
Publisher
Ficta Fabula
Inspiring Creativity and Imagination
www.fictafabula.com
www.pagesofstories.com

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October Newsletter

What a month it’s been! Between travelling to England and starting work on the December issue of Ficta Fabula and promoting this awesome magazine, I’ve been loving every minute of it.

It’s been such an eventful last few weeks I’m having difficulty getting everything down to share with you.

The deadline for the December issue has come and gone now and submissions are now open until December 31, 2013 for the March issue. The stories for the December issue have been culled down to 25 and and are now in the hands of the story selection committee. As always, this wasn’t an easy process. For those that won’t be published, please know that your efforts are appreciated.

Both the Apple and the Android apps are now available and it never ceases to surprise me where people hear about us. The app has been downloaded in several Asian countries as well as North America, South Africa, Australia, UK and Western Europe.

You can find our Android app by clicking on this link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.yudu.ReaderAIR3922302 and our Apple app can be found by searching for Ficta Fabula in their app store.

While in England I was fortunate enough to visit some fairly stunning places. Going to see Phantom of the Opera in London had been a dream of mine for decades and to see it realized on Monday September 9^th at Her Majesty’s Theatre - well, I had to pinch myself several times to ensure I wasn’t dreaming. I fell in love with London – the beautiful buildings, the availability of shops, the activity and the ease with which you can walk around. I’m looking forward to exploring it more in the future.

　

A little bit of Old London

Besides spending time in my Dad’s home town of Grimsby / Cleethorpes (the two are separated by a line on the road) I also went to Durham and York and of course Harrogate where I met with some members of the Harrogate Writers’ Circle.

The Pier at Cleethorpes

　
Durham is an ancient city that I’ve been fortunate enough to climb the Cathedral steps (325 up and 325 down) twice with my cousin Lynn. When climbing the steps you appreciate the workmanship that it took all those hundreds of years ago to achieve. The steps were actually carved and as you go higher and higher, the narrower the staircase gets. I can assure you though that the view from the top is worth the effort of climbing up 217 ft . The countryside is beautiful with so much going on in such a small place. Durham town centre was also wonderful with all the market stalls and tiny little alleys - you can definitely see why this country is the backdrop to so many fabulous stories.

　

Durham Cathedral

The city of York has got to be one of the most ancient and storied cities of north England. Going back to medieval times, many a British monarch felt the best way to hold on to their reign was to forge an alliance in some way with the leaders of York. York was also quite often the first city that Scottish kings and queens looked to conquer when planning an invasion of their southern neighbour. In this wonderful and highly historic place there is the magnificent York Minster. York Minster, while massive in size, doesn’t overwhelm the city but sits there like a steady beam of support. Of course sitting in behind the fabled Shambles, one can see why it’s not as imposing as it might have been.

　

The Shambles in York　

　
Harrogate is one of the most enchanting places I’ve ever seen. It oozes the English charm that I’ve always imagined and was incredibly picturesque. It wasn’t that difficult to navigate either as I only got a little lost a couple of times.

　

A lovely street in Harrogate

　
I had a very enjoyable evening with the Writer’s Circle where I had an opportunity to speak face to face with authors. The Writers’ Circle has been around for over 60 years and has much to boast about. They have many published authors in their midst and a strong and supportive environment for budding authors. Their website is: http://harrogatewriters.weebly.com/index.html.

Some members of the Harrogate Writers' Circle. L to R: Joan Reed, Rodney Noon, Me, John Chilton

 Having the opportunity to meet with some of the group face to face, I was able to hear about some of the trials and tribulations that authors face when trying to either hone their craft or promote their work. I’m not sure that I could offer much by way of suggestions but could only talk to what I see as a publisher for this magazine. Authors, rightfully so, want to to know why their work wasn’t accepted by a publisher and I can honestly tell you that’s a difficult question to answer.
　

In the case of Pages Of Stories Publishing and Ficta Fabula, if the story doesn’t meet the criteria (word count, essays instead of fiction stories, etc.) then I will give that feedback. I believe every story has the potential to be published and there can be a myriad of reasons why it hasn’t been picked up. The story may not be complete and have left some unanswered questions, there may not have been enough character development, and in the case of a short story - perhaps the characters went through a change too quickly. Keep in mind that publisher’s make mistakes too - J.K. Rowling went to 13 or 14 different publishers before she found one wise enough to see the potential in Harry Potter.

The publishing business is particularly tricky right now. We have major publishers struggling to stay afloat, we have small independent publishers trying to make a go of it and in amongst it all we have a new way of distributing stories through electronic media. We’re all trying to find our way through this new environment and for authors and publishers alike there are some commonalities to be successful.

1) Believe in yourself and your product.
2) Be persistent.
3) Be open minded when you get feedback.

Actually, I think that applies to many areas of life. There are so many talented authors out there and so much need for highly imaginative and creative work, my goal is to link the readers of the work with the people that create it.

Getting back to the challenges that some authors face, all I can suggest is to get feedback from fellow authors, editors, family and friends. Every story has potential with the enough work and the right environment, they’ll all find their place in the sun.

Please feel free to send an email or comment on our blog or Facebook page (Pages Of Stories FB page) about what you love to read or write.

Take care and happy reading!

Darlene Poier
Publisher, Ficta Fabula
Inspiring Creativity and Imagination
A wholly owned subsidiary of Pages Of Stories, Inc.
www.fictafabula.com
www.pagesofstories.com