MORE BITS & PIECES FOR Writers/Authors #159

MORE 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.

SWITCH HOLIDAYS - holidays of all sorts make for great promo opps. Work it in with a title of your book. Have Halloween in April or Thanksgiving in June. Make it fun, make it visual and invite the press!).

PER CONTRA - The International Journal of the Arts, Literature and Ideas. Submissions open until March 1, 2010. Seeks nonfiction, fiction. 3000/wds/max. Guidelines: http://www.percontra.net/16guidelinesfiction.htm

PERDIDO MAGAZINE - devoted to examining organizational life as it relates to leadership. Seeks nonfiction, columns/depts on current trends in business, new ways of doing things, new concepts. Guidelines: http://www.perdidomagazine.com/main/submissions.php

RANGE MAGAZINE - award-winning quarterly devoted to issues that threaten the West, its people, lifestyles, lands, wildlife. Known for its powerful photos and straight talk, portrays "The Cowboy Spirit on Americaís Outback." Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Tight writing required. 1200-2000/wds; Guidelines: http://www.rangemagazine.com/guidelines/index.htm

RUTGERS MAGAZINE – mag reaches 70,000 alumni, faculty, and friends of Rutgers University as well as important members of the New Jersey government, education, corporate and community-affairs sectors. Seeks nonfiction about Rutgers issues and to Rutgers alumni, faculty, staff & students. Guidelines: http://ur.rutgers.edu/magazine/page/contact (click on writers guidelines)

DEVOZINE UPPER ROOM – mag to help teen readers grow in their faith and explore the relevancy of the Christian faith. Seeks nonfiction, fiction, fillers, photos/artwork. Guidelines: http://www.upperroom.org/devozine/2008/mayjun/writers_guidelines.asp

JAZZ UP YOUR BIO:
http://www.mainstreetmediasavvy.com/bye-bye-boring-bio-action-eguide

2010 WRITERS LEAGUE OF TEXAS CONFERENCE - June 25-27, 2010, Hyatt Regency Austin, 208 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX 78704. One of the best conferences around, and the place to meet agents & editors & to learn the latest trends in publishing. Check link often for updates & new info. Early bird registration ends Jan. 31, 2010. Info: http://www.writersleague.org/events/10-conf.htm

100 WORDS WRITING CONTEST – Deadline: Feb. 9, 2010. Entry fee: $15. Each entry must be fiction in 100 wds or less. Contest 1: Any subject, any style (no poetry). Contest 2: "The Walk." The story takes place on a walk. Contest 3: Use non-gerund pronouns only--I, me, ours, you, yours, them, their, theirs. Any subject. Contest 1 awards: $300, $50, $50. Contest 2 awards: $150, $50. Contest 3 awards: $150, $50. Guidelines: http://www.100wordsorfewerwritingcontest.com

2010 TINY LIGHTS ESSAY CONTEST - Deadline: Feb. 19, 2010. Entry fee: $15. 1st Place: $350. 2nd: $250. 3rd: $150. Two Honorable Mentions: $100 each. Guidelines: http://www.tiny-lights.com/contest.php

2010 WRITERS & ARTISTS SHORT STORY COMPETITION (UK) - Deadline Feb. 14, 2010. No entry fee: For published and aspiring writers-win a cash prize of £500, a place on an Arvon Foundation residential writing course worth at least £575, and publication of your story on the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook website. 2000 wds on the theme of 'Unity or Union'. Guidelines: http://www.writersandartists.co.uk/short-story-competition

2010-11 STARCHERONE PRIZE FOR INNOVATIVE FICTION - Deadline Feb. 15, 2010. Entry fee: $30. $1000 and publication w/Starcherone Books. Short story collections, novels or indeterminate prose. 400 pgs max. Guidelines: http://www.starcherone.com/prize.htm

2010 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS – Deadline: March 10, 2010. $50 discount if you register before Jan. 31, 2010. Call for entries all indie authors & publishers – including small & mid-size independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, self-published authors. Cash prizes $1500, awards, exposure, & recognition as one of the top independently pub’d books of the year. Top 60 books will be reviewed by NY literary agent Marilyn Allen or her co-agents for possible representation in areas such as distribution, foreign rights, film rights. (Ms. Allen has served as Senior Vice President of Harper Collins, directed sales & marketing teams for Simon & Schuster, Penguin Books, worked w/authors such as Stephen King, Ken Follett, Barbara Kingsolver.) Guidelines: http://www.IndieBookAwards.com

THE LONDON BOOK FAIR – April 19-21, 2010. Get your passports ready. The London Book Fair is the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and digital channels. Even in the digital age, the power of meeting face-to-face cannot be underestimated. Wherever in the world you want to do business, you can do so much more at The London Book Fair. Info & registration: http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk

HARVARD WRITER’S WORKSHOP - March 25 – 27, 2010 • Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, Boston, MA. URL: http://www.harvardwriters.com

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