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The On-Line Publishing Community

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Contents

• Are there publishing communities on-line?
• What are those letters for in some people's postings?
• What are e-mail signatures?
• What is Netiquette?
• I am a terrible speller, but this is only e-mail, so it doesn't matter, right?
• I like to say what I think. If someone doesn't like it, they can just delete, can't they?

Are there publishing communities on-line?

Yes. Most can be found on the Yahoo! Groups list. Here are several of the most popular:

SPAN sponsored Self-Publishing List: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Self-Publishing/

http://www.publish-l.com/
Indy_Publishers@yahoogroups.com
pod-publishers@yahoogroups.com
publishingdesign@yahoogroups.com

Pub-forum: http://www.pub-forum.net/

SmallPub-Civil: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/smallpub-civil/

Fiction Publishers: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/fictionpublishers/

Marketing Travel Books: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingTravelBooks/

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What are those letters for in some people's postings?

HTH — Hope That Helps
FWIW — For What It's Worth
FAIK — For All I Know
DRIB— Don’t Read If Busy
IM(H)O — In My (Humble) Opinion
YMMV— Your Mileage May Vary
WYSIWYG — What You See Is What You Get
TANSTAAFL — There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch (Credit Sci-Fi writer
Robert Heinlein for that one)
LOL — Laugh Out Loud
ROTFL — Rolling On the Floor Laughing
<g> or <bg> — grin or big grin
RTFM — Read the F***ing Manual
TIA — Thanks in advance

Here is a dictionary of acronyms (caution: some are not PG).

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What are e-mail signatures?

These are the identification lines after a post (ie: Jane Doe, Author of "Bob's Your Uncle" a Xenon County Best Seller!). They are a great way to advertise without advertising. It also lets your fellow listmates know who you are and what you do/have out.

How do I do that?
You can easily add a professional-looking signature line by formatting one in your e-mail handling program. In Outlook Express, click on "Tools," then "Options," then "Signatures" and create up to 6 different signature blocks. Then all you have to do when you post to the list is click on "Insert," then "Signature." Remember that some discussion lists only allow 6 lines.

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What is Netiquette?

Just like etiquette, but on the 'Net, good manners are always appreciated.

I am a terrible speller, but this is only e-mail, so it doesn't matter, right?

No, not really. Posting to a self-publishing list, or any other professional list, you should try to be professional. And those lists ARE all about words and getting them in front of people—so it really matters. After all, you wouldn't go to a business meeting in a dirty t-shirt and oily shorts, would you? You can set your e-mail to have spell check on it. In Outlook Express, click on "Options," then "Spelling" and set up your spell check. Remember that spell check is a little stupid and won't catch wrong words spelled correctly. Re-read all your e-mails before sending them out.

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I like to say what I think. If someone doesn't like it, they can just delete, can't they?

Almost all discussion lists have rules against "flaming"—that is, being rude, calling people names and generally behaving cranky. The Golden Rule applies to the 'Net as much as anywhere: Do unto others as you would have done unto you! If your behavior is really egregious, you can be barred from the list.

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Thank you to Creative Minds Press for providing the content for this FAQ