MORE BITS & PIECES FOR Writers/Authors #157

Column will return on January 2, 2010.
A very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah to all my readers and my good wishes for a prosperous and fulfilling New Year.


MORE REASONS TO KEEP WRITING - JULIETTE LACOVARO, age 84, for three decades drew maps for the U.S. government, charted the intricate contours of Hawaii and handled classified work during the Vietnam War. Now 84, the McLean resident sees a dream task emerging just a mile from her home: mapping the new Tysons Corner. She still keeps busy, and works refilling stacks of maps, helping hungry and lost shoppers find their way in the mall, ushering Northern Virginia's political and commercial luminaries up a sweltering elevator to a birthday bash and transportation ribbon-cutting ceremony atop a seven-story parking garage.

BOSTON REVIEW - nonfiction, fiction, fillers on culture, political analysis, reviews, poetry. 4000-5000/wds. Reads fiction and poetry submissions between Sept. 15 and May 15 each year. Boston Review also runs an annual short story contest. Guidelines: http://www.bostonreview.net/about/writers_guidelines

RENAISSANCE MAGAZINE - mag targeted towards re-enactors of Late Medieval and Renaissance periods. While they do publish straight history articles, it's best to have articles be of direct use to re-enactors. Such articles in the past have included pieces on costume, armor, and the culture of the period. Average feature length 2,000 words. Pays $0.10/word on publication. Guidelines: http://www.renaissancemagazine.com/subguide.html

CREATE & DECORATE – gen’l craft pub designed to teach readers principles and techniques for crafts, lay foundations that encourage readers to develop their own ideas. Offers columns that are informative and of interest to inform readers of new ideas, products, and trends within the industry. Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Neg. fees and rights. Guidelines: http://www.createanddecorate.com/information/guidelines.shtml

AMERICAN HERITAGE - Devoted to American history, like articles showing how the American experience is different from that of other countries w/some link to the present. 6000/wds/max. Neg rates. Guidelines: http://www.americanheritage.com/contact (link bottom of page)

PYRAMID - tabletop role-playing games (RPGs), with most articles devoted to either generic (systemless) gaming or GURPS, with the occasional (rare) dabbling into other systems as the mood strikes us. Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork for Role playing games, board games, card games, strategy games, miniatures, wa rgames. 4cts/wd and they edit. Guidelines: http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/writing.html

APRON STRINGS, UK - Essential reading for all mothers. Personal essays to be of length 800/4000/wds. Original, insightful works. Fiction (up to 4500 words) - we welcome pieces in the short story format but it’s really the personal essays that make up the bulk of this publication. €60 - €100/essay. For commissioned pieces such as book reviews and longer feature articles, we neg. w/individual writers. Guidelines: http://www.apronstringsmag.com/index_files/Page2047.htm

ROCK AND ICE - climbing mag, the leading pub for world-class writing, training and technical tips for climbers of all levels, hard-hitting gear reviews and stunning photography. Seeks nonfiction, fiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork on climbing, profiles, destinations, current outdoor/climbing-related issues. Guidelines: http://www.rockandice.com/contributorinfo.php

BRITISH COLUMBIA MAGAZINE, BC - quarterly geographic and travel magazine which focuses on British Columbia. Seeks nonfiction, columns/depts, photos/artwork. Guidelines: http://www.bcmag.ca/guidelines

PILL HILL PRESS “LOVE KILLS” SHORT STORY CONTEST - Deadline Jan. 15, 2010. No Entry Fee. Winning stories will be published in a print anthology. 1st - $125 + 1 copy; 2nd - $50 + 1 copy; 3rd - $25 + 1. Runners-up - 1 copy. Looking for SCARY stories, written in third person, featuring the theme LOVE KILLS: MY BLOODY VALENTINE. Stories should take place at or around Valentine's Day. 3000-5000/wds. Guidelines: http://www.pillhillpress.com/love-kills-contest.html

MALAHAT REVIEW NOVELLA PRIZE (Canada) - Deadline: Feb. 1, 2010. Entry Fee: $35 CAD; $40 USD;. Submit a single work of fiction, 10,000 wds/min- 20,000/wds/max.. No restrictions as to genre, subject matter, or aesthetic approach. $500 CAD is awarded, plus payment at the rate of $40CAD/pg upon publication. Guidelines: http://www.malahatreview.ca/novella_contest/info.html

ATLAS ECONOMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION’S SOUND MONEY ESSAY CONTEST – Deadline: Jan. 15, 2010. You must be a legal resident of the U.S. or engaged as a full-time student in the U.S. You must also be no more than 35 years old on the date of the contest deadline. $5000 prize. Two additional prizes of $1000 each will be given to outstanding essays written by junior faculty, graduate students, or policy writers. Three additional prizes of $500 each will be given to outstanding essays written by undergraduate students. http://atlasnetwork.org/programs/sound-money-project/sound-money-essay-contest-2009

HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN FICTION CONTEST - Deadline: Jan. 31, 2010. Short Stories Open to age 16+. Write a children's story based on your family. 750/wds/max. Stories for beginning readers 475/wds/max. 3 prizes of $1000 or tuition for the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua. Guidelines: http://www.highlights.com/highlights-fiction-contest

AUTHORS NOTE - Work created by unidentified (unknown) authors have a copyright life of only 95 years from publication or 120 years from the work’s creation—whichever comes first. If the author is named (known) and registers his pen name (whether it's his real name or a pseudonym), the copyright term for the work is the author’s life plus 70 years.

CONSUMER MAGAZINES: These are the types of magazines you might find in a grocery store check-out line, convenience store, in your airplane seat pocket, or your doctor’s office and they pay the best.

LITERARY CONTEST SCAMS –Writers should bookmark this link & check the list before entering any contest. http://windpub.com/literary.scams