Friday, December 11, 1998
Focus Session
Writitng, Self-publishing and other Internet Tips
with
Marjan Glavac
Teacher and Author of
The Busy Educator's Guide to the World Wide Web
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Teacher Mailring Center
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Marjan - LuAnn, Welcome
to tonight's chat.
LuAnn/2/KS - As long
as there's no crowd of questions, I'll ask one: What is the time-frame
for publishing? With net-based materials, have you had trouble with expired
URL's?
LuAnn/2/KS - I'm
from Kansas. I teach second grade, and I just got my home hookup on the
net this summer. I'm interested in any tested uses for the web. My first
few months I'm just randomly exploring!
Marjan - LuAnn, great
question. This was something that I really worried (and panicked over).
One of my main sites changed their entire format a couple of weeks before
I wrote a chapter on them with screen shots. I made it a point to list
sites that have been around for a while. I did include some lesser known
sites that had excellent content. I thought the links would last 12-18
months, but so far, very few have expired. Some have moved, but left a
"forwarding URL"
Marjan - LuAnn, what
do you mean by tested uses?
LuAnn/2/KS - Marjan,
I noticed you have SCR-TEC. How did you happen to hook up with them? I
attended one of their jfirst conferences (3 yrs. ago, I think) and I think
they have excellent materials, but I almost NEVER see references to the
site.
Marjan - LuAnn, one
of my peer reviewers suggeste that site. Excellent lesson plans and content.
Marjan - LuAnn, one
site that I've recently started using in my computer classes (I teach grades
1-8) is http://www.funbrain.com
We have a slow site at school, but this site loads very quickly. Try them
out and let me know what you think.
Mary K&1 - Marjan,
what program did you use to write your book so that it would be suitable
for a printer? If I wanted to write a book, I wouldn't even know where
to start.
Marjan - Mary, I
started to write in MicrosoftWorks. Then I imported it all into MicrosoftPublisher.
I could have written it all in MSPub, which would have saved me time formatting
it.
Marjan - Mary, I
have a perfectionist tendency (comes with the profession :-) I always wanted
to write but felt overwhelmed by the whole process in addition to not wanting
to make a mistake. I finally decided to just do it.
Marjan - Mary, I
think I would have done it all in MSPublisher. That way I would have known
where the pages ended and the format.
Mary K&1 - Were
there any tricks that you learned that you could pass along about getting
text ready for a printer?
Marjan - One problem
I had was with graphics. Since I didn't realize just how much memory some
graphics take up, there were a number of crashes before I started to make
my files a lot smaller. Chapter one for example was 3 files instead of
just one big one of 20 megs.
LuAnn/2/KS - I've
taken a peek at funbrain. Not much more. I have infrequent access to a
lab. My classroom computers date back to IIe's! ;-) so I'm looking more
for collaborative-style projects that the whole class can work on together!
Have noted the GSN site of collaboratives. Also Kathy Shrock's and Nick
Nacks. Are there any other great sites for collaborative projects? (ps
will wait til later for answer. Continue in the publishing conversation,
which is the topic on hand. When there's a lull we can switch topics! This
sounds like my family's conversations! )
Marjan - LuAnn, http://www.gsn
is the place to check out for collaborative projects. I started there with
NEWSDAY and the GEOGAME project. Check their archive of projects for more
ideas. Also check out Judi Harris' site for more projects. http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~jbharris/Virtual-Architecture/
Marjan - For some
other neat projects with great teacher unit plans, check out http://www.headbone.com
LuAnn/2/KS - Judi
Harris is new to me. Thanks for a new reference!
nj/NH - When mentioning
sites, did you need to get permission from the owner of the site? I've
found my site in books and no one has ever asked.
Marjan - nj, Yes,
I made a point to e-mail every site in the book, especially for use of
thier graphics. A lot of them were pleasantly surprised that I did so.
I found out all kinds of great things, like updates and URL changes.
LuAnn/2/KS - Back
to graphics. Is there any reference you would recommend ? I still get BITMAPS
and PICS and JPEGS all mixed up. (I really need a month off for this TEACHER
to take a computer class)
Mary K&1 - What
image format do printers want?
Marjan - LuAnn, one
of the best references I used to make sense of all this was the Dummies
Guide To The Internet. They really did a great job of explaining all this
stuff.
LuAnn/2/KS - nj/NH,
would you care to share your site here?
nj/NH - LuAnn, sure
if I can manage to stay in the room! The site mentioned is http://www.concord.k12.nh.us/schools/rundlett/booktalks
It's a collection of over 600 ready to use booktalks.
Marjan - Mary, what
do you mean by image format? Do you mean the copy that I send to them?
Mary K&1 - Yes,
Marjan
Marjan - Mary, the
printer wanted at least laser print of 600 dpi minimum 1200 dpi preferable.
As I didn't have a laser printer, a good friend of ours lent us his 1200
dpi laser and received an acknowledgment in the book and a meal and a book!
He was a lifesaver.
Mary K&1 - Oh,
so you send the printer a hard copy! See I told you that I didn't know
anything about this :)
Marjan - Mary, we
could have sent it to them on a disk, but they wanted it in another publishing
program that I didn't have. So, the alternative was to get the best paper
and the best printer and send it to them by courier.
Mary K&1 - Do
you remember the name of the program that they wanted?
Marjan - Mary, I
think it was QuarkXPress
nj/NH - Marjan, I'm
jumping ahead but what about marketing?
Grace/IL - Marjan,
I'm retired but am self-publishing my books -- small quantities but marketing
is my big problem.
Marjan - Grace, I
found that marketing using the Internet was no problem...a lot of work
and a lot of follow up, but the biggest problem for us was distribution.
LuAnn/2/KS - Marjan,
did you start out publishing articles on the net, or did you go right for
the BOOK?
Marjan - LuAnn, for
years I taught an Internet course online and offline, in addition to moderating
a number of teacher conferences here in Ontario on their Internet service.
I love doing projects and I always wanted a book that dealt with Internet
projects. So that's how it all started. I also do a computer column for
kidsworld magazine (8-13 year olds)
LuAnn/2/KS - Grace,
are you the Spell-Lang Tree Grace? ;-D
Grace/IL - LuAnn,
yes.
LuAnn/2/KS - Marjan,
I got your book about a month ago. I really enjoyed the personal touches
that you add. Little people like me just love having signed copies of books
;-)
Marjan - LuAnn, GREAT!
You never know when you're writing at 5:30 am before school whether anyone
will read or care about what you're doing. I really appreciate the feedback
and support.
Grace/IL - I've been
pleased so far with internet sales. My book has a relatively narrow audience,
mostly first-grade and remedial teachers. The dyslexia people are really
interested but people at reading conferences are looking for more glitzy
stuff.
LuAnn/2/KS - P.S.
Marjan, I will be presenting a program on Internet for primary teachers
for our diocese in January. A while back, you published a list of Internet
hints on Teachers.Net and I asked permission to publilsh it (with author
accredited, of course) this is a good (and FAIR) marketting approach. Now
I don't know if my audience will be 2 or 200, but I'll pass along your
info....
Marjan - Grace, our
biggest and best way of marketing/distributing is through direct mailings
of the brochure to schools. I've been reviewed in publications with hundreds
of thousands of readers, but it's the direct mail that has been the best
return.
Grace/IL - Marjan,
who did you approach through the internet and how did you go about it?
Marjan - LuAnn, every
bit helps, no matter how little. You never know who it may help. Thank
you for the support.
LuAnn/2/KS - Grace,
Marjan, unfortunately teachers can be the worst offenders of copyright.
I haven't shown our "tech person" your book, Marjan, because I KNOW she
would photocopy entire sections! As a long-ago published person, I cringe
when I see that.....
nj/NH - Just to let
the group know that Marjan will be in New Hampshire in May for the New
Hampshire Libraries Conference. Hope you don't mind my mentioning that
:-)
Marjan - Grace, amazon.com
was the best thing I did. In addition, there were a number of teacher lists
that I posted news releases on. You may want to e-mail every reading publication
and group on the Internet (including parent support groups)
Grace/IL - Marjan,
I think that shows a difference in our audiences. We've mailed brochures
to schools without a great deal of success. I've also done presentations
at conferences, most recently for principals. I think a spring mailing
would catch their attention again.
Marjan - LuAnn, I
know, I know. I'm hoping to put the whole book online in the near future,
so people don't have to photocopy it.
LuAnn/2/KS - Online?
Do you WANT me to let people photocopy?
Marjan - Grace, do
you have a web site? I also put out a free newsletter and 11 Great Tips
for Making the Most of Your Time on the Internet to anyone who goes to
my web site at http://www.glavac.com
or e-mails me.
LuAnn/2/KS - Yes,
the 11 Great Tips for Making the Most of Your Time on the Internet ---
that's what hooked ME!!!
Marjan - LuAnn, tough
question. I want people to be able to use it. I've given limited permission
for those who ask to photocopy some sections of it for class use. (I know
what budgets are like!)
Grace/IL - LuAnn,
I think to photocopy my book would cost as much as to but it outright when
you figure time into the photocopying, then to have to bind it in some
way. I agree, I've photocopied whole books but that's because they're out
of print.
Marjan - LuAnn, I'm
working on "11 More Tips" but finding the time has been tough!
Grace/IL - Marjan,
I can be found at http://user.mc.net/~gsh
Marjan - Grace, yes,
well said. A book is still more readable than pages in a binder or loose.
Marjan - Grace, try
John Kremer 1001 Ways to Market Your Books http://www.bookmarket.com/
LuAnn/2/KS - Grace,
as long as there's a lull-- What's the "Spell-Lang Tree" stand for?
Grace/IL - LuAnn,
spelling and language. The 'tree' is there because now there's a second
book.
Marjan - Grace, I
love your web site. Nice design and colours.
LuAnn/2/KS - Oh,
dear, now I will have to add another book to my Christmas list? ;-D Do
you autograph, too?
Grace/IL - Thanks
Marjan.
Grace/IL - LuAnn,
I guess I'll have to start doing that. Really hadn't thought about it before.
reva/IN - I am not
familiar with your book, What types of things do you tell us in it?
Marjan - Grace, are
you doing much speaking/presenting to conferences? I'd love to pick your
brain about that.
Marjan - Reva, it's
a book that shows teachers and parents how to best use their time on the
Internet. I not only describe sites for use in the classroom and curriculum,
but how to use the information on the sites and for what grades.
Grace/IL - Ive done
a few this year. It takes a year of planning ahead and waiting to be accepted.
I did the Illinois Reading Conference and the International Reading Association
this year, also Illinois Principals Association. Smaller conferences are
easier to get accepted.
reva/IN - Marjan,
I teach preschool and mainly use the web for mailrings which give me tons
of ideas. I had 14 pages of Christmas crafts, fingerplays, songs, etc.
Marjan - Reva, you
may want to try out http://www.funbrain.com
They have a preschool section there as well.
Marjan - Thank you
all for coming out for a great chat. I really appreciate your time. If
any of you have any questions, please e-mail me at marjan@glavac.com
or visit my web site at http://www.glavac.com
Goodnight!
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