Friday, February 27, 2009

MORE BITS & PIECES FOR WRITERS #117

REASONS TO KEEP WRITING – MARY WALSH HEMINGWAY, age 78, Editor, American Florist; Reporter, Chicago Daily News; Reporter, London Daily Express; Correspondent, London Bureau of Time, Inc.; Freelance writer for magazines including Life, Look, Saturday Review, Sports Illustrated, Cosmopolitan, Flare, Today's Woman; Editor, Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast; Editor, Ernest Hemingway's Islands in the Stream; Editor, Ernest Hemingway's The Nick Adams Stories; Author, How It Was. A remarkable woman in any century.

AUTHORS FREE SEMINAR - Want To Make Your Book An Instant Bestseller? Discover how on free telephone seminar Thursday, March 5th. Want to find out how one author made her book an Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and New York Times Bestseller? Join us Thursday, March 5th for a free telephone seminar and discover the ingenious, yet simple "bestseller blueprint" you can use to sell more books in a week than most authors sell all year. It works for all types of books and costs almost nothing to implement. On the call, you'll hear from five authors who've used it to make their books bestsellers and one who sold $184,256.00 of copies at zero cost! To register: http://www.FreeAuthorTips.com/call342

VIOLET REED HAAS PRIZE FOR POETRY – Deadline: March 30, 2009. Entry fee of $25. Send 50-75 page manuscript, $1,000 prize and publication. Previously published eligible Guidelines: http://snakenationpress.org/guidelines.html

BOOK FESTIVALS - a great avenue for promoting your title and putting you in direct contact with book enthusiasts. This article from Publishers Weekly offers great information on 27 upcoming book festivals. Check out the festival websites for more info on the right fit for you. http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6637854.html?rssid=192

INTERNATIONAL RADIO PLAYWRITING COMPETITION, UK – Deadline: March 31, 2009. Scripts/Screenplays: Write a radio play of about 60 minutes in length on any subject. Prize: £2,500, a trip to London; the play will be aired by the BBC. Guidelines: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/indepth/radioplay2008.shtml

ADVENTURES of SWORD and SORCERY - looking for Sword & Sorcery, High Fantasy, and Heroic Fantasy fiction from 1000/8000/wds. Fiction with an emphasis on action and adventure. As examples, think of the fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Jordan, Fritz Leiber, and Katherine Kurtz, but with 90's sensibilities. Include sexual content only as required by the story, but not excessive. $0.03-0.06/wd. FNASR. Also pays for cover art. Guidelines: http://www.marketlist.com/guidelines.asp?id=gls/adventurs.htm

SKIRT! MAGAZINE - reflects on the variety and diversity of women's lives and interests. Nonfiction: Essays, general interest, humor, personal experience, and features on topics relating to women and women's interests. No reprints. No fiction or poetry. 800/1000/wds. Queries preferred, but finished articles are also considered.editor@skirtmag.com Payment varies. One-time rights. 455 1/2 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403, USA. Guidelines: http://www.skirt.com/contributor_guidelines

FUNNIEST PLAY ON EARTH CONTEST – Deadline: April 1, 2009. Scripts/Screenplays:
Entries must be full-length, unpublished comedy plays. Previously performed plays are allowed. $500 royalty advance and publication The Winner will be chosen by theater companies, producers, and actors from around the country. Guidelines: http://www.cheshirecomedy.com/funniest-play-earth-contest-a-28.html

iFOGO.VILLAGE.com – new website to help increase the ways in which authors, both new and established, can bring their work to the attention of the public and other industry professionals such as agents. Loaded with goodies for the writer. URL: http://myifogo.ning.com

TEXAS ARCHITECT - $50-$100 for articles. Submit materials 4 months in advance of issue. Magazine Link: http://tinyurl.com/c8qnw7 Editorial Calendar: http://tinyurl.com/bdndfy

TICONDEROGA ONLINE, Australia - after the best stories being written in SF, Fantasy, Horror and Dark Fiction. We accept submissions of original short stories, between 1500-5000 words. Guidelines and Submission Form: http://ticonderogaonline.com/guidelines.php

8 EASY STEPS TO A LIFETIME OF FREE CRUISES - by Sharing Your Passions and Interests as an Onboard Lecturer (Even if You're Petrified of Public Speaking) By Daniel Hall, Cruise Speaking Guru. URL: http://www.SpeakersCruiseFree.com

UTMOST CHRISTIAN WRITERS - List of markets. http://www.utmostchristianwriters.com/markets/markets.htm

WEST COAST LINE, Canada - literary/arts journal of W. Canada, publishes fiction, poetry, prose, art that pushes boundaries, including bibliographies, literary criticism/theory, experimental fiction, poetics, translations. Especially interested in articles that relate to issues of representation, race, culture, gender, sexuality, technology, media, urban/rural spaces, nature and language. $10(USD$7.50) /pg., plus one-year subscription and contributors copies. Copyright reverts to author post publication. Guidelines: http://www.westcoastline.ca/blog/?cat=7

Friday, February 20, 2009

MORE BITS & PIECES FOR Writers/Authors #116

MORE BITS & PIECES FOR Writers/Authors #116
REASONS TO KEEP WRITING - BILL MOYERS -
"I have no retirement skills," says Bill Moyers, who ended his PBS career in 2004 and again in 2006, but returns with a new documentary series. "It's what I do," the 73-year-old Moyers said from his NY office recently. "It still gives me a thrill. It's the continuing excitement of serious journalism."

MyBusiness MAGAZINE - a guide to survival and success in this new small-business economy. We seek to highlight and celebrate the people and ideas making this movement a reality. That’s why the experiences of real small-business owners are essential to every story. Pays up to $1000 for lead articles. Guidelines : http://www.mybusinessmag.com/about/guide.php

RAY BRADBURY CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST - Deadline: March 20, 2009. Short Stories/Nonfiction. Ray Bradbury anticipated a trend (Farenheit 451) in which reality programming impacts our daily lives. Respond to this theme of social sedation/apathy brought on by the evolution of television by entering the newly revised 25th Annual Ray Bradbury Contest. Categories include responses through writing,visual arts or multimedia. Prize is $200 in each category for Waukegan residents and $100 for non-residents. Guidelines: http://www.waukeganpl.org/programs/bradcontest.html

4 AND 20 - Short form poetry journal Four and Twenty invites submissions of poems fewer than 4 lines and containing fewer than 20 words (hence, Four and Twenty) for the April issue. All submissions are judged on the ability to create a vivid picture, evoke an emotional response, and use creative wordplay. All poetic forms welcome. No set theme. Deadline: March 31, 2009. Guidelines: http://4and20poetry.com/submissions

MY DAILY VISITOR - bimonthly publication of Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. Daily reflections, meditations based on the Scripture readings for the Catholic Mass of the day. Readers are Catholics, although the writing should be relevant to other Christians. We use Catholic writers only. $500 for a month's worth of meditations. Our writers have a full and up-to-date knowledge of Catholic practice and belief. Guidelines: http://www.osv.com/writersguidelines.asp

NORTH AMERICAN COUNTRY INNS, Canada - distributed throughout Canada and the US, the magazine spotlights various inns and B&Bs, including information about nearby attractions and related news. Writers' guidelines available by e-mail request. Pays $200(US$150) for 850/wd feature plus sidebars, $125US$85) for 500/wd column. All rights. The mag has four deadlines: Spring (Nov. 15th), Summer (Feb. 15th), Fall (May 15th) and Winter (July 15th). NorthAmericanInns.com, 361 Jackson Street West, Unit 209, Hamilton, ON., L8P 1N2. Tel: 800-507-6196. Tel: 905-308-9962 Query editor: editor@harworthpublishing.com Contact page: http://www.northamericaninns.com/nai_contact_us.cfm

INTERNATIONAL RADIO PLAYWRITING COMPETITION, UK – Deadline: March 31, 2009. Scripts/Screenplays: Write a radio play of about 60 minutes in length on any subject. Prize: £2,500, a trip to London; the play will be aired by the BBC. Guidelines:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/indepth/radioplay2008.shtml

THE PEOPLE's FRIEND, Scotland- is the famous story magazine, buys hundreds of short stories every year.Then there are serials, run two at a time, because the readers enjoy a continued story. Payment on acceptance. The Peoples’s Friend, D C Thomson & Co., Ltd., 80 KINGSWAY EAST, DUNDEE DD4 8SL, Scotland. Guidelines: http://www.jbwb.co.uk/pfguidelines.htm

PITTSBURGH MAGAZINE - tells the stories of life in our Pennsylvania community. All fields of human existence are fair game for story pitches, as long as they have some direct relation to the greater Pittsburgh region. $50/300. Guidelines: http://www.wqed.org/mag/writers.shtml

PORTABLE MUSE - an e-journal that has been around for about three years now. We are interested in quality short fiction. We pay $25 for featured fiction [accepted fiction over 750 wds]; Authors retain all rights to any work. This is an excellent vehicle for beginning fiction writers to get their work looked at. Email us with any questions or comments as always and we look forward to the many new projects thrown our way. Stanley Tam, Editor submissions@portablemuse.com Scroll down for info: http://www.portablemuse.com/decmain.html

RIMproInsider - is a newsletter publisher in the commercial records management industry. http://www.rimproinsider.com Our articles serve individuals who manage corporate records, health records, financial and legal records for their companies and receive vendor services from records storage vendors, secure shredding companies as well as media and data vaults, imaging companies etc. We need short, focused, relevant, timely and accurate articles 300/500/wds. All Rights only. $0.05/wd max $25/article Articles can be submitted electronically in text format to rimproinsider@yahoo.com Guidelines: http://rimproinsider.com/submissions

SEATTLE MAGAZINE - humorous essays on life in the Northwest to service pieces such as "Best Doctors" to investigative stories that offer insight to a local issue, it covers everything that makes our city uniquely cosmopolitan and uniquely Northwest. $250/1000. Guidelines: http://www.seattlemag.com/0p109/writer-guidelines

SOUTH AMERICAN EXPLORER - 3000/5000 wds. $50 & one-year membership, or extending your existing membership one year. If you have an idea for an article, please send an email which includes a short summary, of no more than 500 words, about your idea to explorer@saexplorers.org Guidelines: http://www.saexplorers.org/publications/home

Saturday, February 14, 2009

MORE BITS & PIECES FOR Writers/Authors #115

REASONS TO KEEP WRITING – TASHA TUDOR, age 92, children's book illustrator, who illustrated such classics as "Little Women" and "The Secret Garden," wrote or collaborated on nearly 100 children's books after making her debut with "Pumpkin Moonshine" in 1938. Besides "The Secret Garden," she illustrated "The Night Before Christmas" and wrote books of her own, including "Corgiville Fair." In later years, her drawings evolved with more whimsy. 'Well, my eyesight is starting to fail, and I don't have the perfection I used to,' so she'd add more stuff," she said.

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL “WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE CAT - Stories about Life, Love, and Lessons/ Deadline: March 31st. $200. We want cat lovers, both lifelong and reluctant, to share the lessons they have learned about life from their furry companions, stories and poems written in the first person of no more than 1200 words. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. Remember, these stories should be about lessons learned from your cat rather than general stories about your cat.
Guidelines: http://chickensoupforthesoul.com/cs.asp?cid=guidelines
Form to submit: http://chickensoupforthesoul.com/form.asp?cid=submit_story
List of Upcoming Projects: http://chickensoupforthesoul.com/form.asp?cid=possible_books

THE FIVE DEADLY SINS OF SUBMITTING SELF-PUBLISHED BOOKS FOR REVIEW - http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/advice/fivedead.htm

THE INDEPENDENT AUTHORS GUILD - The founding members of this guild are all writers - some have written one or two books and took time to do that from our day jobs - and some are established professionals with a dozen or more books to their credit. The guild believes that the publishing world's current way of doing things does not serve writers well. One of the guild’s goals is to increase awareness among those who buy and read books - whether they are readers, retail bookstores, or in the media - of the rich treasures that are available, outside the mainstream publishing channels. If you self-publish, this is something you may want to check out. URL: http://www.independentauthorsguild.com

INTERNATIONAL LIVING - publishes postcards from people all over the world, telling us about undiscovered international gems: cities, restaurants, hotels / B&B's, festivals, golf courses, sports facilities or unusual sporting events, fishing, real estate, where to buy bargain goods, get any form of good value etc. $25/50/note used on website, in E-letter, or in the actuality section of the monthly print issue. More for articles published in our monthly print publications. Query: Magazine Editor editor@internationalliving.com URL: http://www.internationalliving.com

KENTUCKY MONTHLY - we rely heavily on free-lance writers, artists and photographers. $25/300/assigned articles, $25/100/unsolicited articles. Guidelines: http://www.kentuckymonthly.com/submission.shtml

MAD MAGAZINE - looking for writers who are clever, offbeat, and, most importantly, funny. We want to infuse new life, energy and a fresh look into the magazine. Up to $400US. Guidelines: http://www.dccomics.com/mad/?action=submissions

MAISONNEUVE MAGAZINE - considers anything that demonstrates curiosity, energy, elegance across all fields of human endeavor. ARTIFICE [poetry, short & long fiction, humor] and ARTIFACT [essays & reviews on any aspect of the arts or sciences]. Most work is remunerated in the $100/300 range. Guidelines: http://www.maisonneuve.org/index.php?&page_id=113

7th ANNUAL BK EXPO AMERICA/WRITERS DIGEST BKS WRITERS CONFERENCE - Open to the general public. Admission: $199, Wed., May 27, 2009 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, in NY City. A one-day intensive conference, the country's leading writing conference, features name speakers, writers and motivating workshops where aspiring writers learn how to hone their craft in all genres of writing and receive information on getting published. The largest gathering of agents of any conference, providing all attendees an opportunity to personally pitch their book idea to an agent and get immediate feedback. Conference registration is online at http://www.bookexpoamerica.com For up to the minute news on the conference, visit the Writer's Digest: http://www.writersdigest.com/bea

MESSAGE MAGAZINE - African-American religious journal addressing ethnic issues in the USA, working hard to preserve our unique role interpreting current events through a Black Christian perspective. Audience is predominantly Black, though increasingly becoming more and more multicultural. When submitting seasonal material, remember our production schedule requires us to work four to six months ahead. Message@rhpa.org Guidelines: http://www.messagemagazine.com/article.php?id=5

MONDAY MAGAZINE, Canada - independent alternative newspaper concentrating on current events and the arts in Victoria, and specializes in in-depth commentary and reporting. Interested in freelance cover stories 1500/3500/wds, feature articles 800/1500/wds and arts stories 250/450/wds. Payment negotiated. There is no set per-word rate. Submissions by email or hard copy, no phone calls. A brief query is preferred. editorial@mondaymag.com Form to query: http://mondaymag.com/contact

MS MAGAZINE - Women's issues and news with a political slant to the left. Pays $1/wd. Only nonfiction and queries preferred with clips. Guidelines (scroll down): http://www.msmagazine.com/contact.asp

Friday, February 6, 2009

MORE BITS & PIECES FOR Writers/Authors #114

REASONS TO KEEP WRITING - LEO ROSTEN, age 89, a teacher, academic and humorist best remembered for his stories about the night-school "prodigy" Hyman Kaplan (first published in The New Yorker in the 1930s) He is also well-known for his encyclopedic volume “The Joys of Yiddish” (1968), a guide to the Yiddish language and to Jewish culture (as well as a source for anecdotes and Jewish humor). It was followed by "O Kaplan! My Kaplan!" 1976, and Hooray for Yiddish! (1982) , a humorous lexicon of the American language as influenced by Jewish culture. A favorite “Carnival of Wit: From Aristotle to Woody Allen” (1996) was published when he was age 88.

BOATING MAGAZINE - for powerboat enthusiasts, owners, potential owners of powerboats who use boats for offshore or inland boating. Pay negotiated at assignment. All rights. Contact Randy Steele, Editor, for assignments at rsteele@hfmus.com Hachette Filipacchi Media US Inc, 1633 Broadway, 41st Floor, NY, NY 10019. Info: http://www.boatingmag.com Other Hachette Publications to Query: http://www.hfmus.com

HOW PUBLISHING REALLY WORKS – a great blog to bookmark. http://howpublishingreallyworks.blogspot.com

BONMARCHE [UK] - invites short romantic fiction 600/650/wds for their in-store magazine, 100# Query to: Romantic Fiction, Bonmarche, River Publishing, Victory House, 14 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BZ. URL: http://www.bonmarche.co.uk

BRITISH COLUMBIA MAGAZINE, Canada - inspiring profiles of B.C.'s beautiful places, intriguing journeys, remarkable people. Works with freelance writers using both assigned feature articles and manuscripts submitted on spec. Features: 1500/2500/wds. Shorter: 1000/1500/wds. Send original, one-page proposal that demonstrates your writing style. Queries by e-mail are welcome. All proposals on file are reviewed in April/May of each year. Spec manuscripts considered throughout the year. $0.50/wd. Suite 302 - 3939 Quadra Street, Victoria, BC, V8X 1J5, Canada. Bryan McGill, Editor editor@bcmag.ca (works a year or two in advance) Guidelines: http://www.bcmag.ca/guidelines

NATIONAL PUBLICITY SUMMIT - Don't miss your chance to have face-to-face meetings with over 100 editors, writers and producers from major national media outlets at the National Publicity Summit, April 22-25th, 2009, in New York City. Attendance is by application and only 100 attendees will be admitted to ensure everyone gets enough one-on-one time with the journalists and producers. Previous attendees have scored guest appearances or feature stories with ABC's The View, Today Show, Fox News, Time, Woman's World, O the Oprah magazine and other top publications and national TV shows. Info: http://www.NationalPublicitySummit.com/?11332

CABIN LIFE - welcomes queries and story ideas: Boating; Fishing; Home maintenance; Home repairs; Home design; Outdoor entertaining; Cooking; Outdoor activities. Initial contact by e-mail is fine to editor@cabinlife.com include published clips before the query turns into a story assignment. A very specific demographic market: people who own cabins, cottages or lake homes. Your own cabin experience will help immensely. Pay varies depending on the article, the writer and the amount of research involved. Guidelines: http://www.cabinlife.com/info/writer.html

CANTER MAGAZINE - aimed at equestrians and horse enthusiasts. Interested in articles that appeal to a horse person's literary interests: horse-related art, literature, historical, cultural, travel, collectibles, profiles, breed profiles, reviews of horse related books and movies, and some fiction and poetry. Up to $25 for articles. Guidelines: http://www.cantermagazine.com/guidelines.asp

CAPPER's – Nationally distributed monthly magazine, uses historical, inspirational, nostalgic, family-oriented, travel and human-interest stories; unusual accomplishments, collections, occupations, hobbies, etc. Pays $2.50/column inch. Pays $5 more if used on their web site. Guidelines: http://www.cappers.com/guidelines.aspx

COWBOYS & INDIANS - up to $1200/article. Cowboys and Indians Magazine focuses on the western US and its people, past, and places. Queries to: queries@cowboysindians.com Request Guidelines form: http://www.cowboysindians.com/contact/index.html

NEED AN AGENT? - Be very wary. Not all agents are good agents. The worst agents list: http://www.sfwa.org/beware/twentyworst.html

2009 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS - Calling all indie authors and publishers, including small and mid-size independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors. Enter the Next Generation Indie Book Awards™ now to have your book considered for cash prizes of $1,000, awards, exposure, and recognition as one of the top independently published books of the year. The top 70 books will be reviewed by NY literary agent Marilyn Allen or her co-agents for possible representation in areas such as distribution, foreign rights, and film rights. Ms. Allen has served as Senior Vice President of Harper Collins, directed sales and marketing teams for Simon & Schuster and Penguin Books, and worked with authors such as Stephen King, Ken Follett, and Barbara Kingsolver. Info: http://www.indiebookawards.com

5280.COM - Denver's premier guide to the arts, entertainment, dining, and lifestyle issues in the Mile-High City. The best places for new writers to break into the magazine are our Profiles 800/1000/wds), Getaways 1500/wds, or Neighborhoods 1500/wds. Query first with published clips. No telephone queries. $400/600 for departments and $1000/2500 for features. Guidelines: http://www.5280.com/about_guidelines.php

FRANK, France - international journal of contemporary writing and art. Published in Paris in English twice a year, distributed internationally. Original work that demonstrates excellence, innovation, vision, engagement, responds artistically to social, political, and global issues, or reveals original and passionate perspectives on the world, its cultures, traditions, languages. 15 printed pgs or less. For longer work, please query first. $10/printed pgs + two copies. David Applefield, Editor submissions@ReadFrank.com 32 rue Edouard Vaillant, 93100 Montreuil, France. Guidelines: http://www.readfrank.com/submissions/index.php

WRITERS LEAGUE OF TEXAS WRITING CONTEST - Deadline: April 30, 2009. We're offering a writing contest that has merged the Violet Crown and the Teddy Book Awards into The Writers' League of Texas Book Awards. The contest is for books published in 2008. For more information, contact: Kristy Bordine wlt@writersleague.org URL: http://writersleague.org

WERGLE FLOMP HUMOR POETRY CONTEST - Deadline: April 1, 2009. Find a vanity poetry contest, a contest with low standards whose main purpose is to entice poets to buy expensive products like anthologies, chapbooks, CDs, plaques and silver bowls. Vanity contests will often praise remarkably bad poems in their effort to sell as much stuff to as many people as possible. Make up a deliberately absurd, strange, laugh-out-loud humor poem. Submit your parody poem to a vanity contest as a joke. Then when you've submitted it to the vanity contest, submit it to us. Prize: $1,359 for first place. $3,336.40 in total prizes
Guidelines: http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/wergle/we_guidelines.php