Why hello there! Happy Thursday to you!

READ Magazine's publishing year has come to an end. Our last issue took the form of a web site called Student Writing Showcase. We received so many great submissions for it. Thank you all!

Next year, we want to publish a new piece of student writing in every issue of READ (and Writing for that matter). Right now though, we are specifically looking for poems and stories about MAGIC. We are also looking for poems and stories about MONSTERS. Please email your work to word@weeklyreader.com. Put either "Monsters" or "Magic" in the subject line (depending on what your writing is about).

A writer's work is never done, eh?

Word.

The following post was written by Alicia Zadrozny, Associate Editor of READ and Writing Magazines.

At 15 years old, sisters Jessica and Danielle Dunn achieved what many people of all ages yearn for--they published a book.

The first edition of A Teen's Guide to Getting Published came out 10 years ago. What makes this book so interesting is that the authors want to help other teens get published, too. The second edition was published just last year in 2006. This edition features updated information. Basically, all references to typewriters are out. Blogs and online publishing are in.

A Teen's Guide to Getting Published offers teens a common sense approach to becoming a writer. Each chapter is filled with the nuts and bolts of all phases of the writing process. There are sections about finding inspiration, editing, and selecting the right market for your work. The second half of the book contains valuable directories of writer's markets, contests, and creative writing programs around the nation.

Jessica and Danielle included some of their own early publishing experiences as a resource for other teens. Their advice is encouraging and realistic at the same time. For one, they advise teens to "start small and work your way up." They tell teens not to expect to be paid in the beginning and to expect some rejection along the way. And still, the book's tone remains optimistic.

"Writerly" teens would be lucky to have Jessica and Danielle's combination of motivation and enthusiasm that infuses their book.

READ and Writing Magazines recently featured A Teen's Guide to Getting Published in our electronic issue, Student Writing Showcase. To read the excerpt, click here.

The following post was written by Alicia Zadrozny, Associate Editor of READ and Writing Magazines.

It was Friday night and I was in the mood for a party. I had spent the day perusing Book Expo America, picking up book galleys and meeting authors. (I'm hoping heaven is a lot like BEA, lots and lots of free books, but sans the bathroom lines.) Anyway, I headed downtown to Webster Hall not knowing exactly what to expect from the Rock Bottom Remainders, an improbable band formed with mostly famous and best-selling writers. Some of the better known members include Stephen King, humor columnist Dave Barry, Scott Turow, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom and Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons. Frank McCourt made a special guest appearance. Roger McGuinn, formerly with the 1960s rock band The Byrds, was billed as the concert's "real musician." The $25 admission price benefited children's literacy programs.

By all appearances, this was going to be a concert like any other. Lines of people waited outside the venue to get in, after the show had already started. There was a surly bouncer and even a snotty reporter who huffed and puffed when told she had to wait in line.

By the time I got inside, the band was in full swing playing their favorite rock music through the ages, such as Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and the Monkees. So now you're probably wondering if these writers sing and play instruments as well as they write. Well, I'll spell it out for you. Stephen King: Terrible. Scott Turow: Truly, truly terrible. Dave Barry: Tape his hands down and take away that guitar. Mitch Albom: If only you had spent your Tuesdays practicing that keyboard. Amy Tan: Gets my vote for the worst singer-ever.  I'd go through all the performers, but that gives you a pretty good idea.

Most likely, it's a certain sort of person who's going to love this kind of concert. It's the person who gets the joke behind the joke. It's not their corny cracks at each other. It's the fact that Stephen King gets people to pay money to hear him howl his way through Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London." The "king of horror" is also a master of irony. His real song was, "I'm so bad; I'm good."

Roger McGuinn saved the musical day to an extent with "Turn! Turn! Turn!" along with some other old hits by The Byrds. So what if his accompanists couldn't stay on key with him? I didn't really mind. It was just plain funny to see these writers have so much fun together. They looked like a bunch of goofballs, sure. But they are also very smart goofballs.

Editor's Note: We here at Weekly Reader love and admire the above artists for their day jobs. Any negative criticisms toward their musical ability is overshadowed by the brilliance that comes through in their true work: Teaching the blind to bowl. God bless you fine people.

On Friday, I attended Book Expo America (BEA) at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. It was a day filled with literature great and small, classic and contemporary. Readers from all corners of the country flooded the floor where publishers flaunted their achievements in the printed word.

The Jacob Javits Center is a mile if it's a yard. The place is big. It covers no less than five New York City blocks and is multi-leveled. No wonder the show is three days long! Lucky for me, I still have a bit of a bounce in my step and I was able to get the full BEA experience in just under 8 hours.

I met a Monster Spotter named Scott Francis, and a wizard author named Zendric. Zendric's passion for keeping Monsters at bay will be shared with the world this August when her very important survival guide, A Practical Guide to Monsters, hits bookstores everywhere. In it, she shows us characteristics of Chimera and vampires, griffons and Thri-kreen (giant, intelligent insects that hunt in packs) and then offers advice on how to defeat them all in battle. Monster Spotter's Guide to North America is a result of an deep obsession that's 1,000 times more dangerous than bird watching. By looking through a monster spotter's eyes, readers learn stories of Phantom Felines, The South Carolina Lizard Man, The Gloucester Sea Serpent, The Black Fox of Salmon River, The Lake Utopia Monster, Colossal Claude and many many more (including, of course, Bigfoot). Scott's book also comes out in August. Don't be surprised if you see Zendric and Scott side by side in an issue of READ next year. Stranger things have been known to happen.

At Seven Locks Press, I read a recipe inspired by Shakespeare in Spice Chronicles: Exotic Tales of A Hungry Traveler, watched Santa Claus promote his new book, and met an extraordinary young man who has created The Adventures of Captain Candy. Young author Ryan Lederer's fully illustrated, action packed book comes out in July.

At the LongPen booth, a machine signed my name to perfection, exactly as I had done!

I learned a bit about Old English from Patrick Conner at West Virginia University Press.

Grammar Girl wowed me us with a live presentation about apostrophes! ... or should that be apostrophe's? ... Either way, I think I need to get out more.

The Book Expo was a genuine sharing of ideas, of stories. Authors of all walks of life were in attendance and many of them, like Joe Hill, were more interested in checking out the lit than talking about themselves. (I'll let you figure out who Joe Hill is on your own. Not everything in the blogosphere should be linkable.)

Stay tuned for in-depth coverage of the Rock Bottom Remainders concert. Coming next week...