MORE BITS & PIECES FOR Writers/Authors #183

REASON TO KEEP WRITING - SID FLEISCHMAN, age 90, children’s author, Newbery Award-winning author who never set out to write for children but flung himself into the field on a dare. Fleischman’s work was praised by critics for its sly humor, carefully controlled suspense and dexterous sleights-of-hand, characteristics that served him well in his previous careers as a magician, Hollywood screenwriter and novelist for adults. In childhood he taught himself sleight-of-hand from books. By the time he was a teenager, he was touring the country with vaudeville acts with names like Mr. Arthur Bull’s Francisco Spook Show. Over time Mr. Fleischman compiled a handbook of magic tricks, “Between Cocktails,” published by the Abbott Magic Company when he was 19. While at San Diego State College, he began selling short stories to magazines. In the late 1940s Fleischman began writing suspense novels for adults. His first screenplay was “Blood Alley,” an adaptation of his 1955 novel. Fleischman’s other screenwriting credits include “Lafayette Escadrille” (1958, from a story by its director, Mr. Wellman) and “The Deadly Companions” (1961), an adaptation of “Yellowleg” directed by Sam Peckinpah. Besides his son, Paul, whose Newbery Award-winning book is “Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices” (1988). “Mr. Mysterious & Company” (1962), was the first of his dozens of children’s books. A few years later, he knew he had arrived. Signing books at his local library one day, he looked up to see his younger daughter, Anne, standing in line, waiting for his autograph.

ADDICUS BOOKS – a publisher to consider for consumer health, self-help, psychology, business, economics, investing, and books of regional interest, true crime. Guidelines: http://www.addicusbooks.com/submission_guidelines.cfm

ADDitude MAGZINE – open to submissions for first-person articles by parents, employers, teachers, etc. who have personal experience w/ADHD or LD and whose insights might be helpful to ADDitude's readers. Guidelines: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/writers-guidelines.html

ADIRONDACK LIFE - addresses the unique natural and social aspects of New York State's Adirondack Park, and gives those concerns local and national exposure, history, culture, recreation, wildlife and personalities of the area. See submission deadlines. Guidelines: http://www.adirondacklife.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=112

NEW CITY CHICAGO – looking for timely, mag-style stories about Chicago, about its culture both high and low, or about almost any topic of interest to the urban dweller. Likes stories about politics, the arts, virtually all aspects of social affairs and social policy. We love a sense of humor; "we want our readers to have fun with us." Guidelines: http://www.newcitychicago.com/chicago/freelance.html

NORTH WEST REGIONAL MAGAZINES – publishes Northwest Travel and Oregon Coast, bimonthly family-oriented magazines, features stories of regional interest. Insists on accuracy in details, history, background essential. Include brief information, if applicable, that allows and motivates readers to follow in your footsteps: how to get to a featured destination, nearby places of interest or accommodations, opening and closing times of attractions, and how to obtain additional information. Guidelines: http://www.northwestmagazines.com/guidlin.php

APEX MAGAZINE - sci-fi, horror, dark sci-fi, unvarnished awesomeness. We want the stories it scared you to write. We want stories full of marrow and passion, stories that are twisted, strange, and beautiful. We want science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mash-ups of all three—the dark, weird stuff down at the bottom of your little literary heart. Guidelines: http://www.apexbookcompany.com/submissions

THE SOUTHERN REVIEW - publishes fiction, poetry, critical essays, interviews, book reviews, and excerpts from novels in progress, with emphasis on contemporary literature in the United States and abroad. Poems and fiction are selected with careful attention to craftsmanship and technique and to the seriousness of the subject matter. Reads submissions September 1 through June 1, any year. Guidelines: http://www.lsu.edu/thesouthernreview/submit.html

GLIMMER TRAIN STANDARD SHORT FICTION CONTEST - Deadlines: July 1-30, 2010. No entry fee. 12,000/wds/max. Online submissions preferred. No children's stories. $700, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 10 copies of that issue. Guidelines: http://glimmertrain.com/test.html

EPIC's 2011 WRITING COMPETITION FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL & HIGH SCHOOL - accepting entries beginning Aug. 1, 2010. Guidelines: http://www.newvoicesyoungwriters.com/enter.html

MEMOIRS INK ANNUAL PERSONAL ESSAY CONTEST - Deadline: Aug. 14, 2010. Entry fee: US$15. Entries of memoirs, personal essays, and creative non-fiction stories are invited. Any topic. Length: 3000 words max. First prize: US$1000. Guidelines: http://www.memoirsink.com/writingcontestguidelines

MEMOIR JOURNAL PRIZES FOR PROSE & POETRY -Deadline: Aug. 15, 2010. No entry fee. Grand prize $500. Traditional & experimental prose, poetry, graphic memoir, narrative photography, lies, more, can be biography, autobiography, autobiographical fiction, flash memoir, essay, reportage, diary, etc. Guidelines: http://memoirjournal.squarespace.com/general-submissions

DALLAS WEBCOMICS EXPO – Aug. 21, 2010. 11am to 6pm. Admission: $5. Location: The Southfork Hotel, Plano, Texas, Central Expressway (Highway 75) at the 15th St. Exit. Info: http://dwex.info

AESTHETICA CREATIVE WORKS COMPETITION, UK - Deadline: Aug. 31, 2010. Entry Fee: £10. Three categories, Artwork, Poetry and Fiction. Award: £500; http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm

LITERARY SCAMS – Writers should bookmark these links & check lists before embarking on any writing venture. A search will give you more links.
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware
http://www.spamlaws.com/literary-scams.html
http://www.bookawards.bizland.com/literary_scams.htm
http://www.authorslawyer.com/litscam.shtml
http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/avoid/av_avoid.php
http://www.writing-world.com/rights/contests.shtml