Midge Raymond's Blog, page 28

Calls for submissions!

There are a few great opportunities for fiction writers coming up, so I wanted to mention a few upcoming awards and deadlines…

The submission deadline for the 2013-14 Bear Deluxe Magazine Doug Fir Fiction Award is September 3!

The Bear Deluxe Magazine welcomes submissions of previously unpublished short stories up to 5,000 words, relating to a sense of place or the natural world, interpreted as broadly or narrowly as the author defines.

Details:

Entry Fee: $15

Word limit: 5,000

Grand Prize: $1,000, writer’s residency at Sitka Center for Art & Ecology, national publication, and manuscript review

Finalists: Manuscript review, recognition, publication consideration

Click here for more information and complete details.

 

The Press 53 Award for Short Fiction opens September 1!

The Press 53 Award for Short Fiction will be awarded annually to an outstanding, unpublished collection of short stories. This contest is open to any writer, regardless of his or her publication history, provided the manuscript is written in English and the author lives in the United States. The winner of this contest will receive publication, a $1,000 cash advance, travel expenses and lodging for a special reading and book signing party at Press 53 headquarters at the Community Arts Café in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina, attendance to the 2014 Press 53/Prime Number Magazine Gathering of Writers, and ten copies of the book. Click here for full details.

 

Everywhere Stories: Short Fiction from a Small Planet seeks submissions until December 31!

Editor Cliff Garstang seeks submissions for a new anthology titled Everywhere Stories: Short Fiction from a Small Planet, to be published by Press 53 in Fall 2014. This is an anthology of short fiction (short stories of any length, including short shorts and flash) set around the globe, including the United States. Click here for full details and how to submit.

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Weekly Writing: Making peace

Write about an animal you’re afraid of — from bears to spiders. Write about an encounter (or feared encounter) with this animal. Next, write about making peace with this creature.

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Weekly Writing: Noise

Write about a noise you dislike, from fingernails on a chalkboard to the sound of people eating bananas to weekend-morning leaf blowers. Describe a time you heard this sound, the circumstances, and how you reacted. (Fiction writers: This is an excellent exercise to apply to one of your characters.)

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Author Academy beginning in September in San Diego!

When Forgetting English was published back in 2009, I was overwhelmed with all the book promotion I had ahead of me. And one thing I learned quickly was that I could promote my book around the clock, and it still wouldn’t be enough. Because there’s always more that can be done, how does an author decide where to start and — just as important — where and when to end?

The bad and good news is that there is no end to book promotion, but you can find a balance. This is one of the reasons I wrote Everyday Book Marketing. And I am absolutely thrilled to be part of Adventure by the Book‘s new Author Academy, which launches in September and offers incredible opportunities for authors to prioritize, strategize, and make the most of their budgets, even if time and/or dollars may be hard to find.

The inaugural workshops for the Author Academy will take place on Sunday, September 29, in San Diego. The day will be divided into two parts, starting with a general overview of Everyday Book Marketing that covers essential book promotion basics (from 10 to 11:30 a.m.), followed by an interactive workshop (from noon to 2:30) that builds upon the morning session and in which, using a checklist, you will create your own customized marketing plan. Click here for more details and for registration details.

I’m particularly excited about teaming up with Susan McBeth of Adventures by the Book, whose Author Academy series will continue with monthly interactive workshops covering everything from how to take the best author photo possible to how to shine at your book events.

Visit Adventures by the Book for more info — we hope to see you in September!

Weekly Writing: Foreign Language

Write about a foreign language you speak, studied, or wish you could speak. How does the language or the idea of the language affect your world view, and in particular your place in the world?

Weekly Writing: Local news

Write about a local news story. Begin with the actual story, then take it in a fictional direction — create your own ending, have the main players go off in some other direction, etc. Just have fun with it.

Here’s an example of a recent news piece from where I live: A man burglarized a home, then fell asleep on the lawn of the burgled home; this is how he was caught. (I can’t wait to write about this and see where it takes me.)

Weekly Writing: Vacant

Write about a vacant lot.

Bookstore Geek: The Writers’ Workshoppe

I was delighted to visit The Writers’ Workshoppe while I was at the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference last week — this spot is a veritable candy store for writers (literally; the store sells chocolate and other goodies).

This amazing bookstore and writers’ center offers an abundance of books, gifts (fabulous T-shirts, mugs, coffee, writing implements, and other necessities for readers and writers), as well as writing workshops. Owner (and writer) Anna Quinn‘s vision is that of what every bookstore should be — a hub for writers, readers, and all things literary.

It’s especially fun to browse the stacks here, as Quinn does not merely stock the shelves; she is a curator of her inventory and has arranged books by subject and theme as well as the usual categories, with such sections as “Influential Women Writers You May Not Have Read” and “Best Kick-Ass Female Characters.”

This wonderful spot also offers classes, from weekly workshops to one-day intensives, for writers of all levels and genres. These classes are both literary and hands-on:  offerings include everything from poetry and fiction to social media and blogging classes for writers.

The Writers’ Workshoppe is located in beautiful downtown Port Townsend and is a must-visit for writers and readers … and those who love them.

Weekly Writing: Moving

Write about the last time you moved into a new home. What went with you, and what stayed behind? And why?

 

Weekly Writing: Water

What is the first thing the comes to mind when you see or hear the word “water”? Write about all the meanings this word has for you.