Friday, January 29, 2010

MORE BITS & PIECES FOR Writers/Authors #161

REASONS TO KEEP WRITING: ARMY ARCHERD, age 87, whose breezy column for the entertainment trade publication Daily Variety kept tabs on various Hollywood doings for more than a half-century. Archerd's first brush with the studios came in the early 1940s when he worked in the Paramount mailroom while a student at the University of California, Los Angeles. After wartime service in the Navy, he returned to Los Angeles and began his news career working with longtime entertainment reporter Bob Thomas on a daily Hollywood column for The Associated Press. Three years later he became an aide to Harrison Carroll, the gossip columnist for the now-defunct Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. In 1953 he was chosen to write Daily Variety's "Just for Variety" column, which was required morning reading for Hollywood's movers and shakers. He later went on to become one of the first journalists to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Archerd won praise from the Hollywood establishment for always checking the accuracy of his news tips before printing them.

THE CHICAGO READER - nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork about Chicago topics. Guidelines: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/about-chicago-reader/Page?oid=1215880&/freelance.html Click on “freelancers wanted.”

GLIMMER TRAIN PRESS – fiction, short stories. See editorial calendar for word count and deadlines. Guidelines: http://www.glimmertrain.com/writguid1.html

CEMETARY DANCE - nonfiction, fiction, photos/artwork, articles, essays, and interviews relating to the horror, suspense and crime genres. Guidelines: http://www.cemeterydance.com/extras/category/guidelines/%22

DESERT SLEUTHS 2nd SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY (SinC) – Deadline: April 1, 2010. Call for submissions "How NOT to Survive a Vacation"! We're looking for mystery/crime fiction 5000/wds/max w/'vacation' theme. Guidelines: http://www.desertsleuths.com

DOLLARS & SENSE - a progressive economics magazine that explains in a popular way both the workings of the economy and struggles to change it. Articles may be on the environment, community organizing, urban conflict, inflation, unemployment, union reform, welfare, changes in government regulation—a broad range of topics that have an economic theme. Guidelines: http://www.dollarsandsense.org/write.html

APOGEE PHOTO MAGAZINE - is interested in providing an electronic forum for high quality work from photographic writers and photographers for nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork. Guidelines: http://www.apogeephoto.com/mag1-6/guidelines.html

BRICK: A LITERARY JOURNAL - nonfiction, photos/artwork, Essays, historical, interviews, opinion, travel. Guidelines: http://www.brickmag.com/submissions.html

NEW PAGES - call for submissions http://www.newpages.com/literary/submissions.htm

2010 INDIE EXCELLENCE BOOK AWARDS - $65 per entry/per Category. All entries must be postmarked by March 31, 2010. Prizes are from some of the best marketing and publicity people & companies in the business and the value this year is about $12,000. http://www.IndieExcellence.com

2010 ARTS & LETTERS COMPETITION - $15 submission fee, includes a two-issue subscription to Arts & Letters. Accepts submissions from Jan. 1, 2010 to March 15, 2010 (postmark deadline). Publication and $1000. Guidelines: http://al.gcsu.edu/currentcontest.htm

2010 AGNES LYNCH STARRETT POETY PRIZE COMPETITION – Deadline: March 1, 2010 to April 30.2010. Entry fee $25. The U of Pittsburgh Press announces the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize for a first full-length book of poems. The prize carries a cash award of $5000 and publication by the U of Pittsburgh Press in the Pitt Poetry Series under its standard royalty contract. Guidelines: http://www.upress.pitt.edu/renderHtmlPage.aspx?srcHtml=htmlSourceFiles/starrett.htm

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ALL ROADS FILM PROJECT - Deadline: Quarterly (next is March 15, 2010.) A National Geographic initiative dedicated to helping indigenous and underrepresented minority-culture storytellers around the world showcase their works. Includes a film festival, photography program and seed-grant program. Open to indigenous and underrepresented minority-culture filmmakers and filmmakers who can demonstrate they’ve been designated by indigenous or minority communities to tell their story. Awards grants ranging from $1000 to $10,000 and up to 16 film projects annually.
http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/all-roads/seed-grants

SOCIAL NETWORKING TIMESAVERS - FREE tools that allow you to post a single message to multiple social media accounts at once.
Ping.fm http://ping.fm
Pixelpipe http://pixelpipe.com
Quub http://quub.com
Minggl http://minggl.com
HelloTxt http://hellotxt.com

For more info on the capabilities of these types of tools: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9135596/Review_3_services_help_keep_all_your_social_networks_up_to_date

PSYCHOLOGY/SELF-HELP BOOKS TARGET MAILING - mail to 3500 bookstore buyers, 3500 reviewers, 4000 acquisition librarians. http://www.ibpaonline.org/programs/coopcats_target.aspx

Friday, January 22, 2010

MORE BITS & PIECES FOR Writers/Authors #160

MORE REASONS TO KEEP WRITING - WILLIAM SHATNER, age 78, star of Boston Legal, beloved Captain Kirk, author, doing precisely what he wants to, and finally no longer terrified about making a living. "Live life like you're gonna die, because you're gonna," he sang a few years ago. And he does: "There is so much going on with me right now, it's difficult to believe all of it," he says. "I have all of the hungers and passions and desires of when I was 20," Shatner says. "There's nothing I can't do." (You GO!)

CERT CITIES.com - online mag geared towards needs of IT professionals who are certified or are seeking certification. Offers readers several types of original editorial, both certification and non-certification related. Guidelines: http://certcities.com/resources/about_us/writer_guidelines/default.asp

360 USA Inc - all topics related to wheelchair community. Overall tone is informative and entertaining. Core readers are men and women between the ages of 18 to 45, living with a spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, spina bifida, amputation or other physical disability that frequently requires use of a wheelchair. Guidelines: http://www.360usainc.com/submissions.cfm

MASSAGE MAGAZINE - internationally circulated trade publication for massage therapists and allied health professionals. Comprehensive coverage of the art and science of massage therapy and related healing arts, w/goal of supporting our readers as they work to promote the benefits of healing touch. Guidelines: http://www.massagemag.com/Advertisers/mediakit/readers.php

INTERACTIVE DAD.com – mag that appeal to dads between 24-40 years old that can't easily be found elsewhere. Expert interviews, household finance issues of concern to dads, children's issues from fathers' perspective, product reviews, sports, ways to save money, celebrity dad profiles, and other subjects of interest to fathers and fathers-to-be, etc. Guidelines: http://www.interactivedadmagazine.com/contributingwriters.htm

FLASHQUAKE MAGAZINE - an independent, quarterly, web-based publication that focuses on works of flash fiction, flash nonfiction (memoirs, essays, creative nonfiction, humor) and short poetry. Awards stipends to all chosen contributors in each category. Guidelines: http://www.flashquake.org/guidelines.html

9-1-1 MAGAZINE - for the public safety communications industry. Serving law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, and disaster management, 9-1-1 Magazine provides valuable information to readers in all aspects of the public safety communications and response community. Each issue contains a blending of product-related, technical, operational, and people-oriented stories, covering the skills, training, and equipment which these professions all share in common. Guidelines: http://www.9-1-1magazine.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=43

CONNECTED HOME MAGAZINE - helps IT prof’ls & technically savvy consumers implement home technologies and make them work together. Looking for articles about how to set up, add on to, and maintain home technologies for target audience- to keep our readers up-to-date about high-tech products and how to make them work securely and effectively. Guidelines: http://www.connectedhomemag.com/Info/Index.cfm?Action=Write

DESCANT’s GHOSTS & THE UNCANNY ANTHOLOGY (Canada) - Deadline March 1, 2010. For this special issue, Descant turns ghost hunter and dares to explore the murky connections between life and death, science & superstition, folk beliefs & fiction. We want to document the existence of ghosts, both literal and metaphorical, on our pages. Poems, short stories, novel excerpts, plays, essays, interviews, musical scores and visual presentations. $100 honorarium on publication. (Check out their other contests, too.) http://www.descant.ca/submit.html

PRIMARY TREASURE - published continuously since 1890; Primary Treasure® (PT) since 1957. Both spiritually oriented mags written for children. Seeks nonfiction: Christian stories for children. Guidelines: http://www.pacificpress.com/index.php?pgName=newsOLFPTsub

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE – business mag, pub of Nat’l Journal Group Inc., serving executives & managers in federal government. Seeks nonfiction: Business, government. 1000-2500/wds. Any sidebars must be figured into the total word count. Guidelines: http://www.govexec.com/fyi/guidelines.htm

THE LEDGE MAGAZINE 2010 FICTION CONTEST – Deadline: March 1, 2010. Entry fee: $10. First prize: $1000 +publication in The Ledge Magazine. Second prize: $250 +publication in The Ledge Magazine. Third prize: $100 +publication in The Ledge Magazine. ALL STORIES must be previously unpublished and not exceed 7500/wds. Guidelines: http://www.theledgemagazine.com/Annual%20Contests.html

2010 STAFFORD POETRY COMPETITION (UK) – Deadline: Feb. 28, 2010. Entry fee: £4
Open to anyone, any age, 40 lines max. £1000. 5 runners up will receive £50 each. There is also an extra prize of £250 for the best poem w/local Staffordshire connection. Guidelines: http://www.imaginingstaffordshire.org.uk/poetrycomp2010.htm

NEW YORK WRITERS PERFECT PITCH FICTION CONFERENCE - April 9-11, 2010. Location: Ripley-Grier Studios, 520 8th Avenue at 36th St., 16th Floor, NYC, NY. Cost: $395 for the three-day Perfect Pitch Fiction Conference, $420 for the Perfect Pitch Fiction Conference + the optional Agents Panel. Info: http://www.newyorkwritersworkshop.com/pitch_fiction.html

MEMOIRS INK HALF YEARLY CONTEST – Deadline: Feb. 15, 2010. Entry fee: $15.
First Prize: $1000. Second Prize: $500. Third Prize: $250. 1,500 words. Guidelines: http://memoirsink.blogspot.com/2009/12/memoirs-inks-half-yearly-writing.html Entry form: http://www.memoirsink.com/writing-contest-entry-form

ACFW BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS - You must be a member of the ACFW to enter. book must be written from a Christian worldview in any Christian fiction genre through a publisher on the ACFW Recognized Publishers list* and for which the author did not participate financially in the production or distribution. Also, e-books will be allowed entry in BOTY for the first time. Guidelines & Eligibility Criteria for this year's contest can be found at http://www.acfw.com/boty.shtml

HOW TO RESPOND TO FALSE CLAIMS OF COPYRIGHT OR TRADEMARK - One of the favorite tools of both cults & corporations seeking to take embarrassing info off the Internet is to falsely claim a violation of copyright or trademark. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, enacted in 1998, set out a notification procedure that can be used to request an ISP to remove allegedly infringing material from a web page. However, there is a defense against this attack if you feel you’ve been targeted: it's called a COUNTER NOTIFICATION LETTER. Most people don't know how to write such a letter, which is why Dave Touretzky put together this helpful form. URL: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Terrorism/form-letter.html

AUTOBIOGRAPHY/BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIRS TARGET MAILING - mails to 3500 bookstore buyers, 3500 reviewers, 4000 acquisition librarians. URL: http://www.ibpaonline.org/programs/coopcats_target.aspx

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

Thursday, January 14, 2010

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 AmericaĆ­s 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

Friday, January 1, 2010

MORE BITS & PIECES FOR Writers/Authors #158

HAPPY, HAPPY AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!!!

MORE REASONS TO KEEP WRITING - PAUL NEWMAN, age 83, actor, director, entrepreneur, children’s advocate, race car driver. Newman's Own, which began as a joke, grew into a multimillion-dollar business selling popcorn, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and other foods. All the company's profits are donated to charities. By 2007, the company had donated more than $175 million, according to its Web site. Michael Brockman, Newman's racing team partner, said Newman told him before he died that he wanted to get back into his race car for a test run and possibly another competition. Newman’s last race was 2007, age 82. He died in 2008.

ABA JOURNAL - read by half of the nation’s 1 million lawyers every month. It covers the trends, people and finances of the legal profession from Wall Street to Main Street to Pennsylvania Avenue. Nonfiction: Current events in the law. Guidelines: http://www.abajournal.com/submissions

PC PHOTO – nat’l mag for people who want to explore and expand their application of photography by making good use of the computer. Takes a fresh look at modern photographic world by encouraging photography and the use of new technologies. Practical use of the camera and the computer, highlighting the technique rather than the technical. Nonfiction, photos/artwork about Photography. Guidelines: http://www.dpmag.com/submissions.html

THE COTTAGER - features that inform, entertain or help cottagers in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario explore lakeside living and the great outdoors. We profile unique cottages and cottagers, and the issues - environmental, social or financial - that affect cottage communities and lifestyles. Nonfiction, columns/depts, photos/artwork. Guidelines: http://thecottager.mb.ca/contact_us.php?ID=contributors_guidelines

OUTDOOR CALIFORNIA - state, non-profit, four-color mag provides readers with access and insight into California's wildlife and wild lands, and the people who work to protect and maintain those resources. Looking for the best in both writing and photography. Nonfiction, photos/artwork. Fee schedule recently changed. Guidelines: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/ocal/submit.html

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE - Covering the natural world and history. The most open sections are the depts, especially The Back Page, a humor section. Other depts open to freelancers include Phenomena & Curiosities (science and nature), Points of Interest (Americana), and Presence of Mind (opinion essays). Also accepts features up to 4000/wds. Submit through online query form only. Submission page: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/contact-us

WEIDER HISTORY GROUP - Publishers of ten magazines including America's Civil War; American History; Aviation History; British Heritage; Civil War Times; Military History Quarterly; Military History; Vietnam; Wild West; World War II. Has a constant appetite for well-written, popular level history that is exciting to the general reader. Note that British Heritage is moving away from straight history articles, but welcomes articles that have a historical bent showing how British culture became what it is today. The military magazines prefer new angles on big subjects, or coverage of little-known aspects of past wars. Payment varies, pays extra for photos. See website for individual contact info under “about us.” Main Link: http://www.historynet.com

HOMELAND SECURITY ESSAY CONTEST - Deadline Jan. 31, 2010. No entry fee. This year's essay question: "How can, or should, the US make homeland security a more layered, networked, and resilient endeavor involving all citizens?" Contest is open to anyone. Essay should be no more than five pages, single-spaced, in 12pt type and in Word or PDF format. $1,500 cash award and an invitation to the Center for Homeland Defense and Security located at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California where he/she will be recognized at the CHDS Forum. Additionally, the winning and four top finalist's essays will be considered for publication by Homeland Security Affairs, the online journal published by the Naval Postgraduate School's Center for the Homeland Defense and Security. Guidelines: http://www.chds.us/?essay/overview

NORTH CAROLINA WRITERS NETWORK DORIS BETTS FICTION PRIZE – Deadline Feb. 1, 2010. Entry fee: $10-$20. Open to any writer who is a legal resident of North Carolina or a member of the North Carolina Writers' Network. North Carolina Literary Review subscribers w/NC connections (lives or has lived in NC) are also eligible. The competition is for short stories up to 6000/wds. $250 and publication in the North Carolina Literary Review. Guidelines: http://www.ncwriters.org/programs-and-services/competitions/19-competitions/25-doris-betts-fiction-prize

PHOENIX DESERT DREAMS 2010 WRITERS CONFERENCE - April 16-17-18, 2010. One of the best conferences around. Chaparral Suites Resort, 5001 N. Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85250. Complete conference and hotel info:
http://www.desertroserwa.org/conference.htm Registration: http://www.desertroserwa.org/registerform.htm Updates on the Desert Dreams Conference blog at: http://desertdreamswritersconference.blogspot.com

PUBLISHERS MARKETPLACE JOB BOARD - http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/jobs

WRITE AN ADVICE COLUMN - Think of yourself as the neighborhood or city, or whatever location’s concierge. New people moving into an area will thank you. Even people living in an area for decades may not know what is available around them. People are always looking for advice about parenting, love, home repairs, career strategies, money. Send a handful of sample columns with cover letters to publications likely to be receptive. Be your city’s historian.

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