This is something which up with I will not put

For National Grammar Day on March 4, Grammar Girl explores the Top Ten Grammar Myths. Here's number one:

1. You shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition.

Wrong! You shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition when the sentence would mean the same thing if you left off the preposition. That means "Where are you at?" is wrong because "Where are you?" means the same thing. But there are many sentences where the final preposition is part of a phrasal verb or is necessary to keep from making stuffy, stilted sentences: I'm going to throw up, let's kiss and make up, and what are you waiting for are just a few examples (go here for details). Find more information about these myths in the Grammar Girl archives at http://quickanddirtytips.com/

Karen Cotton offers tips for young writers

Karen Cotton, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle features/entertainment reporter and children's writer, will be conducting a presentation for middle school-age students at the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne on Thursday (tonight) at 7 p.m. Her free presentation will focus on journalism and novel writing. It is being sponsored by the New Futures Program through a student loan corporation.

Some of the topics Karen will cover include:

• honing your writing skills
• how-to tips on publishing
• classes for writers
• college degree -- important or not?
• writing organizations, conferences and workshops
• generating writing ideas

She's e-mailed professional writers about their views on these subjects. Their answers are featured on the WTE's entertainment blog at http://wteentertainmentarticles.blogspot.com/.

From Karen's WTE blog, here are some tips from mystery writer and former journalist T. Jefferson Parker:

I think the most important thing a writer can do, besides write every day, is to read a lot. That’s how you learn what good writing is. The human race is lucky to have thousands of years of writing to instruct us – so dig right in. Good books are the diet of the writing mind, just like good nutrition and good exercise build the body. What you take in is what you will eventually put out. So read the best writers you can find. Who are they? That’s up to you. Let’s just say that a good book will delight and instruct and mystify and provoke and educate and satisfy you. There, that’s a nice wide definition. Read on, friends.

I (Mike Shay) will appear with Karen at the library tonight to answer your questions about writing awards and programs offered by the Wyoming Arts Council.

Will the publishing industry make the same mistakes as the music biz?

Hugh McGuire writes this in his Book Oven Blog:

The modern publishing business has been in existence since about 1800, but things are not looking so rosy in the ink-stained world. The publishing business is scared:
if stagnating book sales and the creeping digital shakeup were not enough, the market meltdown has many tightening their belts while trying to figure out the future.

Still, there is no indication that books are going away, or are any less useful, needed or wanted now than they were 200 years ago. Books are still essential. People still love them.

The book publishing business has a great advantage over other big media industries. For various reasons, publishing is late to the digital party. So it can look to all the many mistakes the music business made in the past decade, and decide how to move into the uncertain future.

Go here for his "Five Lessons Publishing Should Learn from Music."

Book TV Bus comes to Wyoming

The Book TV Bus has been touring the nation since 2005, promoting C-SPAN2's unique weekend-long programming of nonfiction books and authors, and collecting interesting literary programming from communities around the country. The Bus is a customized 45-foot long motor coach with a mobile television production studio and media demonstration center on board, giving the crew a perfect venue to conduct author interviews and the public a vivid glimpse into TV production and Book TV's programming. Visit the Book TV Bus on MySpace

The C-Span2 Book TV Bus will be at the Gillette library Tuesday, July 31, from 4-7 p.m., then Sheridan on Wed.

Upcoming Events
Upcoming Book TV Bus events are listed below. Click the Details button for more information on the location and times the Book TV Bus event will be held.
Event Dates
Event Name and Location

July 31
TBAGilette, WY
August 01
TBASheridan, WY
August 02
TBABillings, MT
August 03
TBABillings, MT
August 04
TBAHelena, MT
August 05
TBAMissoula, MT
August 07
TBAMissoula, MT
August 08
TBASpokane, WA
August 08
TBACoeur d'Alene, ID
August 11
TBAYakima , WA

View Complete Schedule

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Tips on getting that coveted free publicity

Taken from the Casper Star-Tribune's May 20 edition, here are some great tips from Lisa Icenogle, Casper College public relations, if you or your organization have an upcoming event and would like to get the word out effectively before the event takes place.

* Think about coverage as soon as you begin organizing the event. If you want publicity, assign someone to inform the media early on.
* Give plenty of warning. If you're inviting the public to your event, give the media three weeks's lead time.
* When sending information to the media, remember the traditional five W's: who, what, where, when, and why.
* Just the facts, ma'am. Reporters will pare down any profusion of words.
* Quotes from an appropriate spokesperson can add punch.
* Deliver your news by e-mail. The reporter can cut and paste hunks of useful text, (I can attest to this) and there's less chance of your hard copy document being lost in the shuffle.
* Have somebody proofread your work. Are the names spelled right? Dates and times accurate? Entities publishing your news are assuming that these details are correct.
* Provide a direct phone number for a knowledgeable spokesperson. The easier it is to get in touch with key personnel, the easier the news can get out there. Your event is not the only one happening that day.
* If you frequently need publicity, establish a relationship with a reporter or editor.
* Don't send posed photos after the event is over. The honesty and spontaneity of the event is lost.
* If your event wasn't covered, why not? Was your information late? Did bigger news break? Whatever the reason don't take it personally. Establish that relationship with the delivering medium for the next event coming up.
* Treat the people you want to spread the information the same way you would like to be treated. Common courtesy goes a long way.

Check out New West's book section

Jenny Shank is the editor for the New West web site's books and writers section. Over the past few months, the section has featured stories about Wyomingites Annie Proulx and Mark Spragg. Last fall, it did a story on the Wyoming Authors Wiki sponsored by the Wyoming Center for the Book. It's also a good way to discover book signings, readings, bookfests, and other literary events in the Rocky Mountain region. Go to http://www.newwest.net/books

One other thing: newspaper book sections are disappearing at an alarming rate. Newspapers are experiencing slumping readership and advertising. They cite those factors -- and others -- as reasons to drop literary supplements. I've read a number of columns by outraged writers and readers decrying this trend. I'm a big fan of writing outraged (and possibly outrageous) columns. But it's a bit like howling at the moon. Web-based publications are on the rise and print pubs --newspapers especially -- are dying.

So check out New West Books and Web del Sol and the interesting array of litblogs such as bookslut and Maud Newton and Beatrice.