Submissions
If you're a writer and you would like to submit your work please send an email or use the box below.  Most publishers have lots of rules and will take forever to get back to you. I'm going
to read your work and get back to you as soon as I can.    You can even call me anytime 615-506-3479

                               Do you have a short story you want published?

Until now I have only published my own work.  I have worked hard and my books and stories are available all over the world. However the world is changing. It's time for me to change
with it.  I want to expand Wordwizard Publishing to meet the growing demand for quality writing. So if you are a talented writer you came to right place.

Never pay a publisher to publish your work.  Never ever!    Never pay a printing company thousands of dollars because in the end you will end up with a box of books delivered to your
front door.  What then? It's hard to sell books without marketing and distribution.  

If you have a good book or even a short story and you're ready to be a published writer, then go ahead and submit it. I am not promising you I will publish your work. I am very picky
because so are paying readers.

       Wordwizard Publishing is now publishing short stories!

Make money with your short stories. Any genre, any length.  Must be your original work. You must own the story. If you want me to publish your short story it must be well written. Please
don't send me work that you're not willing to put your name on.

How does it work?     One of two ways;

1. I buy the story.    If I buy the story I am only buying the rights to publish, market and sell your story.  It is still your story.   You own it.  You will get the credit for it.  You can do whatever
you want to with it.

2. I publish, market, and sell your story and  you get a percentage of every copy sold.  The same things that apply to option number one apply to option two as well.  It is still your story.  
You can do whatever you want to with it.

Either way, if you use option 1 or 2 it is still YOUR story.  You wrote it, you should and will get credit for writing it. It's yours.  All I am buying is the right to publish - market - and sell.    

Advantages to publishing with Wordwizard Publishing:

1. You are now a published writer with a real publishing company.    Wordwizard Publishing is NOT a vanity press.      
Being published looks great on a bio or resume.

2. I will give you an honest and timely critique of your work. (If you can't take criticism, don't send me your work)

3. Even if I choose not to publish your work I will try to help you improve your writing skills or even find other
publishing options.

4. I have been marketing my books for years. I have worked hard and formed connections and contacts. I know tricks
and tactics. I will work hard to market your work right along with mine and anything else Wordwizard Publishing   
markets.

5. You can contact me anytime for help with writing, or even advice on how to publish somewhere else.  I don't claim to
know everything because I don't. But I will do the best I can to help you any way I can.

I've been down the road of waiting months and months for responses that never came. Agents and publishers seem to have forgotten that publishing is about writers and writing. For
some reason the whole business has become just that, a business. For me the art is still important. Send me your work if you wish. Keep in mind I will be honest and if you can't take
constructive criticism then don't send it.

Also you have to bear in mind that I am a small press publisher with only six titles published in the past two years. This means you will not be getting a million dollar advance.  If you're
work blows me away and I think it's worthy I just might publish it. You will NOT get rich if I publish your book or short story. But you will get someone who works hard to promote my titles.
To prove this just "Google" my name Steven R. Zellers and you will find hundreds of places all over the world where my titles are available. .I want to grow my business and am looking
for talented writers. However I will be extremely selective as to what I publish.

I WILL NOT CHARGE YOU MONEY to read or publish your work like some vanity publishers do. I will never ask you for money for any reason related to publishing your work.

I will accept attachments in PDF format only.

Steve Zellers



                                                    How to Write


                                                      Books, Stories, Screenplays, Articles, and Letters.

                                     Everything you need to know about writing, publishing and marketing.




                                                                        Written by Steven R. Zellers



                                                                                        Prologue

A blank page is the most powerful force on Earth. Gravity, time, space and all the laws of the universe have no power over a blank page. You
can be anyone you want to be. You can go anywhere, do anything, and you don't have to pay a toll to get there. You can be the hero and save
the girl. Or you can be the spider in the web that  quietly watches and listens. A blank page can be the beginning of the next great American
Novel, or it can be an action adventure scene in a sci-fi screenplay that becomes a block buster movie. A blank page can be a document that
ends up on the President's desk and changes the world. Or it can be a letter to the girl of your dreams that wins her heart. There is no limit
to what you can do with a blank page. If you can dream it you can write it. And if you write it, it becomes a reality

In this book I'm going to tell you everything you I know about writing, fiction and non-fiction. I'm going to tell you how to get your
characters out of your head and on to the screen. I'll tell you how to write from your heart with passion and fire so your words touch the
soul of all those who read them. I'll tell you all I know about agents, and publishing and marketing. I've been there, done that, bought the T-
shirt and wrote a book about it. Not only did I write the book, but I sold a few along the way. I'm going to make you believe you can do it
because you can. I'm going to tell you how and where and when and why to write. Then I'm going to show you how to get your work published
so you can share it with the rest of the world. If you think you can...or if you think you can't....you're right.

They say write what you know. I don't know everything. I've only been writing for ten years and I'm not going to tell you I'm an expert. But I
have a few books published, a screenplay produced, short stories published all over the place. And last but not least people seem to like my
work.  

The long and short of it is this; I knew what I wanted. I worked hard and never quit. My dreams have come true and more are coming true
every day. I love to write. I love it when people ask me to sign one of my books for them. It's an amazing thing to see the words on your
screenplay come to life on the screen. I've sold books all over the world and if you continue reading I'll share everything I know about
writing. I can't promise you that you're going to be the next Stephen King or Steven Sellers for that matter. All I can do for you is share my
thoughts and experiences on my journey to being the artist I always wanted to be. What you do with that information is up to you.


Before I get into the how when what where and why of writing, I want to say that I love to write. It's the one thing I have that's completely
and totally and undeniably mine. Before I started writing I felt like something was missing in my life. Writing gives my life direction and a
purpose. For me writing is my 'safe place.' It's where I go to relax and unwind. It's how I cope with all thats wrong in the world. Because in
the world I create on paper everything can be right, or wrong. If I write it, it's up to me.
Did you ever notice that people rarely lie while writing? They say things in the written word that they would never say out loud. The
written word has power and meaning far beyond the spoken word. I would much rather have someone I care about write me a letter if they
have something important and meaningful to say. Most people write from the heart. When writing non-fiction I find that I can be
completely honest and say things that I would never dare to speak.
There are literally hundreds of books on the market about writing. I honestly can't tell you I'm the best writer in the world. I'm as good as
the next guy I guess. I might even say that I'm probably better than most.
Yes there are other books out there on writing and I think if you're serious about becoming a writer then you should learn as much as you
can. Read this book and some of the other ones out there. But let me say this. If you don't remember anything else that you read in this
book or any other; write for yourself. Don't write to please a publisher or your friends or anyone else.
Also if you're going to put your name on something you write, make sure it's something you're proud of. Make it the best it can possibly be.
Writing is one of the most competitive businesses in the world. Average is not good enough. Good is not good enough. Don't make it good,
make it great.



                  “Just Write”

People often say to me they want to write a book or a story or even a screenplay, but they don't know how to get started. I used to be
surprised at how often people said that to me. It is the number one comment people make when they find out I'm a writer. It happens so
much that it's not really a surprise anymore. My answer is always the same.

“Just write.”

I always say “Just write” because thats how to get started. Just start writing. There is no magic words that I can tell you that will change
the way to get started. The hardest words to write on any writing project are the first words. Once you start writing you will be amazed at
what pours out of you.  Don't worry about how long it's going to be or if its going to get published. Just start writing it. Don't worry about
spelling or editing or grammar. You will go back and fix all that later when you REWRITE. You have to trust me on this one. You will rewrite.

I started writing at age thirty five. I'm forty four now. Basically I wrote my first word almost ten years ago. I have been through quite a lot
since then but we'll get more into that later.  
The first thing I ever wrote was a short story called “1406.” It has nothing to do with Stephen King's story “1408.” Things just are the way
they are. I was living in Carolina Beach NC at the time an it was cold outside. My girlfriend went to bed at around 11:00 O'clock one night
and I wasn't ready for bed, so I did what I always did back then. I jumped on the computer and started messing around in the A.O.L. Chat
rooms. This was the time when a computer cost was about $2300 for a 133 megahertz which was slower than molasses in January. Believe it
or not that was the fastest computer on the market at the time. Anyway our dial-up Internet service went out as usual. Big surprise. So I
played games for a while then found a word processor program. I never used one before so I started typing.
At four O'clock that morning I printed my first short story “1406” off on our brand new 'Dot Matrix' printer. For those of you who don't
know what a dot matrix printer is don't worry. It's kind of like what an 8 track tape is to a CD. Just an old printer is what I'm trying to say.
And this was only ten years ago. Technology is moving at an amazing speed.
I had no idea that I wanted to be a writer. I just started writing. I don't know where the words  came from. I'm being as honest with you as I
can. At four O'clock in the morning I woke my girlfriend up and read her my short story 1406. I read it to myself several times before waking
her and couldn't believe how good it was. 1406 is included in my book Darktales but I'm getting way ahead of myself. I woke my girl and read
her the story. She was not very happy with me for waking her up but by the time I got to the end her eyes were wide and she said these words.
I'll never forget them as long as I live.

“Steve that story is going to change your life.”

My girlfriend was right. The short story 1406 did change my life. The next few nights I hardly slept at all. I stayed up almost all night
pounding the keyboard writing one short story after the next. Within about three weeks I had seven really great stories. “Really great” is
subjective. My opinion is they are really great. Other people's opinion might be different. But I had these seven great stories and had no idea
what to do with them.
You're going to laugh about this but it's true. At the time I had no idea how to contact a publisher and thought an agent was someone who
worked for the FBI. So I went to the office store and bought some orange construction paper and  a new pack of copy paper.  Then I went to
the local printer..”Island Moments Micro Publishing and she printed me off 100 copies of my new book “Darktales...a collection of short
stories.” I  had to staple my own construction paper cover on all the books and took them to all the local book stores the next day.  I had
the luxury of not knowing any better. No one ever told me that writing and marketing a book was hard. I learned that much later. I also
learned about rejection letters and heartbreak. But at the time I wrote just for the joy of writing. I still love writing as much as I used to,
but now I do consider how I'm going to market a project before I start writing it.
Luckily for me  all 100 copies sold out in less than two weeks for $5.95 each. I have since republished Darktales and added several new
stories but people loved my book. I was blown away by all the great comments and reviews it got. The original orange cover first edition
Darktales is a collector's item and is selling for $100 and even more on the Internet today.
Darktales...a collection of sick twisted scary stories is selling well and a few months ago I released Darktales Volume Two. I am also
working on Darktales Volume Three and plan to write many more.
A few weeks after I sold all my copies of Darktales a production company liked it so much that they shot a TV pilot for “Darktales the
series” based on one of the short stories in my book.
Obviously the TV series never sold. Most TV pilots don't sell. But I did get to go the NAPTE convention in New Orleans and meet lots of
famous people. NAPTE is the National Association of Television Program Executives. Lots of Hollywood big wigs were there.
It was less than six months from me ever writing my first word to having a TV pilot shot on one of the stories in my first book. I've since
written several other books and stories and screenplays. I got to work with some of the people on Dawson Creek. And three years after
writing my first word got to write and direct my first feature film. So you have to trust me when I say these two words to you.
“Just write.”
I can't promise you're going to have the success I had. But I can promise you won't if you don't start writing. Just write.


                 How to Write

No matter what you are writing there are a few basic rules that you have to follow. These rules are very simple and they are not negotiable.
These are not my rules. I didn't make them up. But I do live by them. Learn them, know them and love them. Because if you don't follow
these rules you will not survive as a writer.  

Let's start with fiction. Most beginning writers like to write fiction. I love writing fiction.  Whether its a complete novel or just a short
story remember that your story has to have a beginning, a middle and an end.

There are six basic rules to writing a story. The length of a story whether novel or short story is irrelevant. The six rules apply no matter
how long or short your story is. I learned these six rules very early when I started writing. They are very important so grab a pen and write
these six rules down. Because if you follow these six simple rules your story will most likely have a good basic structure and will be worth
reading.

1.Be original. This is the most important of all the six rules. You can bend or break the other rules, but rule number one is a deal breaker.
Breaking the other rules might be considered a misdemeanor. Breaking rule number one is a felony. You will do hard time if you break this
rule. Don't tell me a story I've heard a hundred times before. Be original. Remember there are no laws or limits to your imagination. Just be
original and tell a great story worth telling.                              

2.Put the audience in a believable setting. It doesn't matter if your story takes place on the moon or Mars or right here on Earth. Remember
there are no limits to where your story can take place. It can be at the bottom sea or in a different universe where the sky is green and it
rains cheese. The place doesn't matter as long as you make the audience believe that your story can and should take place in your setting.

3.Introduce the main character. Very early in your story introduce the main character who will carry the tale. This is usually but not always
done within the first one or two paragraphs.

4.Introduce the conflict. You can not have a story to tell unless there is a conflict to be resolved. Any story has a who when why and where.
The conflict is usually the why you are telling the story.

5. Keep the story moving. Many writers like to use too many details and descriptions. I feel this is a huge mistake. It doesn't matter what
color the carpet is or if a leaf falls off a tree if it's not relevant to the story. If you give a detail then there needs to be a reason for that
detail. Too much description will clog, dilute and slow down a story and make it unreadable or completely boring. No one wants to read a
dull or slow book. Keep the story moving. You don't want to still be in the beginning forty pages into a sixty page story. Remember a story
has a beginning, which is your introductions. It has a middle which is where the plot unfolds and most of the action takes place. And it has
an end which is where you resolve your conflicts.

6.Circumnavigate. Any good story ends where it begins. In the end of your story you have to resolve the conflict that you introduced in the
beginning.


Those are the six rules of writing a fictional story. If you follow these six basic rules your story will have a solid structure. However
structure is only part of it. Books and rules and instructions can only give you a format to follow. What rules can't do is give you talent. Is
there an artist inside of you? Writing is no different than being a musician or a painter. It takes practice. Even Jimmy Hendrix had to
practice before he became great. Don't get me wrong, no matter how much you practice you also need talent.
Let's say you're a talented writer and you've studied and practiced and honed your craft. If that's true just about everything you write will
be pretty good. I'll use the example of Jimmy Hendrix again. He was a great guitar player. I'm almost positive no one will argue that. But was
everything he played great? The answer is no. Only some of what he played was great. I'm sure everything he played was good but to create a
masterpiece, something great, you need, talent, structure, practice, and inspiration.

Inspiration is the one thing that can transform a good piece of art into a great piece of art. I think I'm a pretty good writer. I think most of
what I write is good. However there are few things I wrote while inspired that I think are great. Inspiration is that one intangible that can't
be explained Any good artist knows what it feels like and how rare and special it is.

Good = It was a dark and stormy night.

Great = Lightning streaked across a star spangled summer sky.

I can't tell you where or how or when to find inspiration. I can't promise you will ever be inspired. That's not something anyone really has
any control over. It comes when it does. I'm going to cover all the basic rules of writing. And I'm going share a few tips and tricks I've
learned that help me find that 'magic' that we call inspiration.

Most of my inspiration comes from the people in my life I care the most about. I was mad at my wife one night and I wrote the short story
"My Wife." which is the lead story in my Darktales book. In that story my wife gets the 'heave ho' off the side of a cruise ship.
"My Wife" is a great story. In real life I would never hurt my wife or toss her off the side of the ship. But you have to remember on a blank
page there are no limits to what you can do. You can be the hero and save the girl or throw her sorry ass off a boat if that's what you choose
to do. The point is this. I love my wife and she made me mad. So I used that anger to write a great story.

At this exact moment it's 2:13 AM. I do most of my writing late at night. But with that said I had no plans on writing tonight. My plans for
tonight were to just chill and watch a movie. Believe it or not I get a lot of inspiration from movies. I'm not talking about stealing plots or
idea inspiration, I just mean the desire to write. Inspiration is simply that, it's the desire to write. A great movie, let's say Rocky for
example can inspire people to greatness. Almost any time I see any of the Rocky movies I find my self inspired.
Tonight I saw Cinderella Man for the first time and it's a very good movie. It's a lot like Rocky coincidentally, but it also stands on it's own.
Honestly I didn't want to like it. I'm not a big Russell Crowe fan. Although I do have to admit he's a great actor and he did a great job in
Cinderella Man. I highly recommend it.   

Writing is always 100% of the time about what mood you are in when you try to write. No matter what you are writing, fiction, non-fiction,
screenplay, book report, news paper article. Etc. Your mood will be reflected in your work.  

For example: Don't try to write your girlfriend a love letter if you're mad at her. If you do that you will probably say something you
shouldn't and she'll have written proof.

Don't try to write a horror story when you're happy. It doesn't work.

Don't try to write comedy when you're depressed.

Another good tip is don't try to write when you're tired. Your work will be sloppy and not anywhere close to your best.
I used to host a weekly radio show on WBLJ in Dalton GA called "The Write Place."The show only lasted for about eight weeks because things are the way
they are. The show was obviously about writing, and getting published and all the stuff us writers like to talk about. It was a lot of fun and many writers would
call in and ask for help with this and that. I always tried to help and give advice when I could.
As you probably know many writers start lots of projects they never finish. If you're a writer you know this to be true but ones that matter
and are meant to be finished usually are.
One of the projects I started and never finished was a book called "How to write"  subtitled:  "Books, Stories, Screenplays, Articles, and Letters. Everything
you need to know about writing, publishing and marketing."
For some silly reason I was arrogant enough to think I knew how to write a book like this. BUT.... (in big bold capital letters) I am NOT arrogant enough to
publish it. Thank God for small miracles.
With that said, if you're a writer read on because there is some pretty good info the pages that I did finish. So I'm just going to put it up on this website and you
can read it if you wish.
I do consider myself a "pretty good" writer. I know I'm not the best in the world but people seem to like my work. So anyway here is what I finished of "How to
Write." And this is as far as I will probably ever go with this book.
Feel free to email me and let me know what you think.

steve@booksbysteve.com