We had such a great day at Indie Author Day on Saturday, October 8, at the Tufts Library in Weymouth! Take a look at some of our photos.
Indie Author Day is an event bringing together members of local libraries, writing communities, and indie authors across North America. The event features local authors, book signings, advice from publishers, and an overview of free library resources for writers!
Join Weymouth Public Libraries and libraries across North America as they host Indie Author Day, an event bringing together members of local writing communities. This event will feature a panel of local authors, book signings, advice from publishers, and an overview of free library resources for writers!
At 2 p.m., everyone will join a nationwide digital gathering featuring a Q&A with writers, agents, and industry leaders who will bring together the larger indie community.
Saturday, October 8th, 1:00-4:30 p.m.
Tufts Library, 46 Broad Street, Weymouth, MA 02188
Program
Moderator: Maureen Walsh
1:00-1:30 Welcome and What the Library Can Do For You: Kristy Lockhart, Head of Reference & Adult Services
1:30-2:00 Top Ten Questions Authors Should Ask a Publisher Before Committing to One: Lisa Akoury Ross, Literary Agent & Publisher
SDP Publishing Solutions LLC
2:00-3:00 Indie Author Day Digital Gathering: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd3_iMTcywC0H-zE4dF0JTA
3:00-3:10 Break for refreshments
3:10-4:00 Author Panel:
Lila Dooley, Each Step I Take
4:00-4:30 Author Book Signings and Mingling
Register Online: http://www.weymouth.ma.us/weymouth-public-libraries/news/indie-author-day
“The author, Lila Dooley, was just thirteen years old when she wrote ‘Each Step I Take.’ Consistently compelling and deftly crafted from beginning to end, it is no exaggeration to observe that ‘Each Step I Take’ is one of those extraordinary works that can be a life altering read. Unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of teens and young adults, as well as an invaluable addition to public school and community library collections, ‘Each Step I Take’ is one of those rare works of literature that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf.”SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
Self-published authors understand the importance of third-party reviews and publicity. The Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards provides self-published authors with an opportunity to compete for some great prizes and publicity for their books, which can help excel an author’s writing career. The deadline to enter has been extended to June 6.
Prizes
One Grand Prize winner will receive:
One First Prize winner in each category will receive:
All Grand Prize and First Prize winners will receive:
Honorable Mention Winners will receive $50 worth of Writer’s Digest Books and promotion on www.writersdigest.com.
All entrants will receive a brief commentary from one of the judges. All entrants will also receive free access to a special 60-minute live webinar (a $79 value). The webinar, 10 Ways to Find an Audience For Your Book by Dan Blank*, will be on June 28.
Categories
Click here to learn more about the contest!
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
JuneDeadline: June 15, 2016
Got something short, sharp, and snappy to tell? Wow us with 1000 words of economical and brilliant storytelling. Final contest judge is flash fiction master, Bob Thurber. (Look him up! Seriously. You’ll thank me later.) Entry fee $15. Prize $300 and publication in Pulp Literature Issue 13. Limited to 300 entries. Critiques available. Details, details: pulpliterature.com/contests/the-hummingbird-flash-fiction-prize/
Deadline: June 15, 2016
Swan Scythe Press is now considering manuscripts for its 2016 Poetry Chapbook Contest. Submit a manuscript of 20-32 pages of poems that includes a title page with author’s name, address, phone number and email address and a second title page without personal identifiers, book title only. Submit to 1468 Mallard Way, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 or to swanscythepress.submittable.com/submit. Entry fee is $18.00 payable to Swan Scythe Press. Deadline is June 15th. Winner receives $200 and 25 perfect-bound chapbooks. For full guidelines and details, please visit www.swanscythe.com.
Extended Deadline: June 15, 2016
2016 Slate Roof Press Chapbook Contest/Elyse Wolf Prize. Slate Roof Press, an art-quality, member-run publisher, produces beautiful books with letterpress covers crafted by an award-winning printer. Send us 28 pages of your best, well-crafted poetry. The winner receives the $500 Elyse Wolf Prize, becomes an active member of the press, and gains valuable experience in many areas of publishing. Remote participation in Slate Roof Press through Skype/phone is possible. Slate Roof is a not-for-profit collaborative, publishing since 2004. Contest reading fee: $10. For additional information: www.slateroofpress.com
Deadline: June 30, 2016
2nd year. Three authors will each win $1,500 plus additional benefits. Categories: Mainstream/Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction/Memoir. $6,000 in total cash prizes. Fee: $50. Judges: Jendi Reiter and Ellen LaFleche. Submit online or by mail. Sponsored by Winning Writers, one of the “101 Best Websites for Writers” (Writer’s Digest) and one of the “100 Best Websites for Writers in 2016” (The Write Life). Guidelines: winningwriters.com/north.
Deadline: June 15, 2016
The Conium Review Online Compendium seeks flash fiction in response to the theme “Dis/appearances” from June 1st through June 15th. You may interpret the “Dis/appearances” theme broadly, but your story should include some variety of unexpected arrival or departure. This theme will be guest edited by Matt Tompkins, author of Studies in Hybrid Morphology and Souvenirs and Other Stories. If your piece is accepted, it will be published on our website, and you’ll receive a complimentary copy of Souvenirs. Send unpublished work under 1,000 words. No reading fee. Full guidelines here: coniumreview.com/themes/disappearances/
Deadline: June 15, 2016
Online journal KYSO Flash (Knock-Your-Socks-Off Art and Literature) seeks to publish memorable literature and visual arts. Short forms (fiction, “faction,” poetry, and hybrids) up to 1,000 words each, including title. Please submit original, unpublished works only. Works accepted for publication will appear in Issue 6 online and may be considered for our annual print anthology. Payment: One complimentary copy per contributor. Reading Period: 15 April through 15 June 2016. Admin fee: $5 (USD) for up to five pieces. (No limit on total number of submissions, but each submission of 1-5 pieces must include an additional five-dollar payment.) Guidelines: www.kysoflash.com/Submissions.aspx
Deadline: June 15, 2016
Writers who have not yet published a collection in book form are warmly invited to submit manuscripts to Slapering Hol Press’ annual poetry chapbook competition. Awards include $1000 cash, ten copies of the published chapbook, a reading at the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center in Sleepy Hollow, NY, and up to $500 in travel expenses. Reading fees: $17 online or $15 hard copy. More details at www.writerscenter.org/shp-sanger-stewart-chapbook-competition.
Deadline: June 20, 2016
Split it, reflect it, flip it, multiply it—Cicada YA lit/comics magazine is looking for poetry, fiction, comics, and humor dealing in doubles, division, dyads, and dichotomies. Send us your terrible twosomes: distorted mirrors, shape-shifters, uncanny similarities, life-stealing doppelgangers. What might you find in a reflection? A perfect copy? Sometimes you might only understand a thing by looking at what it is not. Duality might mean pitting two opposite but equal forces against one another—and not just good/evil or light/dark! cricketmag.submittable.com/submit/17820
Deadline: June 24, 2016
$1,000 award and book publication. All full-length fiction manuscripts welcome, including novels, collections of stories and/or novellas, novels in verse, linked collections, collections of flash fiction, and others. Minimum 100pp, no maximum length. Final judge is Gina Frangello, author of the novels Every Kind of Wanting (Counterpoint, September 2016) and A Life in Men (Algonquin, 2014), as well as the story collections Slut Lullabies (Emergency Press, 2010) and My Sister’s Continent (Chiasmus, 2006). Reading fee: $22.50. Online submissions only, please. Visit website for more information newamericanpress.submittable.com/submit/
Deadline: June 30, 2016
Bauhan Publishing is pleased to announce our sixth annual May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize is now accepting submissions. The award goes to a previously unpublished book-length collection of poetry (50-80 pages). The winning poet will receive $1,000, publication of their collection, and 100 copies of the published book along with distribution through the University Press of New England (UPNE). The cost for submission is $25 per manuscript. Entrants may submit multiple manuscripts. Poet Betsy Sholl is our 2016 judge. Visit our site for complete guidelines: www.bauhanpublishing.com/may-sarton-prize/.
Deadline: June 30, 2016
Milk Journal is seeking poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, for its second issue, set to be released in the Summer of 2016. We’re looking for work which illuminates underrepresented perspectives, makes us swoon, and pulls us in to a fevered relationship with your words. We will now also be welcoming submissions of artwork. For more information, please view our submission guidelines and our mission statement at: www.milkjournal.net.
Deadline: July 1, 2016
The 2016 NANO Prize, awarding publication and $1,000 to a previously unpublished work of fiction 300 words or fewer, will be judged this year by Kellie Wells! To celebrate NANO Fiction’s tenth birthday, the entry fee will only be $10 for up to three shorts, and all entrants will receive issue 10.1. Winners will be announced in mid-August nanofiction.org
Deadline: July 15, 2016
Judged by Claudia Rankine. Grand Prize: $1000 and 20 copies of the chapbook, printed by Paper Hammer. Top 2 finalists receive $100 each and publication in the Seattle Review. Length: 20-30 pages of poetry. Simultaneous submissions permitted. Entry fee: $20. All submissions considered for publication in SR. For full guidelines and to submit: www.theseattlereview.org/new-page/
Deadline: July 29, 2016
Every four months, Portable Story Series holds a contest. Our current theme is “Time Travel”. Details can be found on our website. The winning story is recorded with a narrator at CDM Studios in Manhattan and is posted to portablestoryseries.com as a free download. Performance, recording, and mixing is valued at $5500 and the winning author receives a cash prize of $250 or 75% of the submission fees—whichever is greater. With each contest, we feature three charitable or non-profit organizations. When downloading the winning story, we encourage listeners to contribute to one of the featured organizations.
Deadline: July 31, 2016
A $1,000 advance plus a 1/4-page color ad in Poets & Writers magazine will be awarded to an outstanding, unpublished collection of poems. Tom Lombardo, Press 53 Poetry Series Editor, will serve as judge. Press 53 will publish the winning manuscript as a Tom Lombardo Poetry Selection under a standard publishing contract; all prizes will be awarded upon publication. Finalists will also be considered for publication. Deadline: Midnight Eastern Standard time, July 31, 2016. Winner and finalists announced on or before November 1. Reading fee: $30. Complete information at www.press53.com/Award_for_Poetry.html.
Deadline: August 1, 2016
The Orison Anthology Awards in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry offer $500 and publication by Orison Books in The Orison Anthology for a single work in each genre. Judges: Ravi Howard (fiction), Catherine Reid (nonfiction), and Philip Metres (poetry). Entry fee: $15. Deadline: August 1. Complete details at www.orisonbooks.com/submission-guidelines.
Deadline: August 1 , 2016
The Profane Nonfiction Prize ($1,000), judged by author and Brevity editor Dinty W. Moore, is open for submissions through July. $10 to enter 2 pieces for consideration. There is no theme. Send us your best flash, essays, journalism, or narratives that will spoon out some space in our guts. www.profanejournal.com
Deadline: August 1, 2016
Shake up the CanLit canon! Generate a CanLit premise at canlitgenerator.com, use the premise as the basis for a story (the weirder the better!) and enter to win literary fame and fortune. 500 words or less, any genre. $1000 in prizes to be won. Winning entries published in Geist and at geist.com. Get details and submit at geist.com/canlit-contest.
Deadline: September 1, 2016
Swamp Ape Review is the new beast in South Florida’s growing body of literature. We are a national online journal (produced by the MFA in Creative Writing at Florida Atlantic University) looking for original work in 5 areas: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, visual art (graphics/photography, multimedia, or video), and swamp—our fifth category for works that defy genre. Submissions will be accepted until September 1st for publication in winter. For more info and the “why” behind our name and nature, visit www.swampapereview.com.
Deadline: September 1, 2016
Black Warrior Review’s 2016 Contest in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction awards $1,000 and publication to winners in all three genres. Runners-up receive $100 and will be considered for publication. This year we are honored to have Hoa Nguyen (P), Sofia Samatar (F), and T Clutch Fleischmann (NF) as our guest judges. The cost to enter is $20 and includes a one-year subscription: bwr.ua.edu
Deadline: September 1, 2016
The Conium Press 2016 Book & Chapbook Contest is open for fiction and hybrid submissions. Winner receives $1,000, publication of the winning manuscript, ten author copies, and a copy of the judge’s latest book. This year’s judge is Matt Bell, author of Scrapper, In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods, Cataclysm Baby, How They Were Found, and the forthcoming collection A Tree or a Person or a Wall. September 1st deadline. $25 entry fee. Flexible word count. Full guidelines at coniumreview.com/contests.
Deadline: September 30, 2016
Have you dreamed of having your children’s book published? The second annual First Edition Children’s Book Writing Contest is seeking manuscripts of 600 words or less for children birth to five years old. The winning author will have their manuscript edited, illustrated, printed, and promoted. The book will be sold online and in brick and mortar retail stores. The author will receive a $1,000 advance and 8% royalties. Submission fee of $50 which increases by $25 on August 15 and September 15. Manuscripts accepted beginning May 10, 2016. For more information and to submit your manuscript go to: www.firsteditionproject.com.
Annual deadline: September 30
Every year, the University of Arkansas Press accepts submissions for the Miller Williams Poetry Series and from the books selected awards the $5,000 Miller Williams Poetry Prize in the following summer. Applications are accepted year-round. The deadline for the following year’s prize is September 30th. The series and prize are named for and operated to honor the cofounder and longtime director of the press, Miller Williams. The series is edited by Billy Collins. For more information visit www.uapress.com.
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
“I would recommend SDP Publishing to anyone who wants to rise to the top of the global competition that defines the indie market these days. I self-published all alone with my first book and it was a lesson in loneliness. With The Last Cruz, both sales and my confidence are ballooning with every great review. To “my team” at SDP—thank you!”
Caitlin Avery, Author
The Last Cruz
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
Writer’s Digest’s 85th Annual Writing Competition
DEADLINE: May 6, 2016
Writer’s Digest has been shining a spotlight on up and coming writers in all genres through its Annual Writing Competition for more than 80 years. 501 winners will be chosen. The top winning entries of this writing contest will also be on display in the 85th Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection.
Prizes
One Grand Prize winner will receive:
The First place winner in each category will receive $1,000 in cash and $100 off a purchase from the Writer’s Digest Shop
The Second place winner in each category will receive $500 cash and $100 off a purchase from the Writer’s Digest Shop
The Third place winner in each category will receive $250 in cash and $100 off a purchase from the Writer’s Digest Shop
The Fourth place winner in each category will receive $100 in cash and $50 off a purchase from the Writer’s Digest Shop
The Fifth place winner in each category will receive $50 in cash and $50 off a purchase from the Writer’s Digest Shop
The Sixth through Tenth place winners in each category will receive $25 in cash and $25 off a purchase from the Writer’s Digest Shop
All top winners will also receive:
All Honorable Mentions receive:
Categories
Learn more here: http://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/annual-writing-competition
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
“I loved working with Lisa Akoury-Ross and the team at SDP Publishing Solutions. Lisa guided me through the whole process and every dollar I spent was well worth it. I loved the end product from front to back cover.”
—John Vacovec, Physical Therapist
The Best Therapy Experience
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
Six-year-old Brayden loves playing with his stuffed animals. He dreams of living in the jungle with his animal friends. One day, Brayden finds a pair of green sunglasses while playing outside, and quickly discovers they are no ordinary sunglasses. As he puts them on, he is transported to a magical jungle!
Author Anita A. Caruso takes young readers to the depths of a tropical land where adventure and excitement of the wild awaits! Brayden’s Magical Jungle is the first in a series of Brayden’s Magical Journey books with the promise of many more adventures to come.
Watch for the second book, Brayden’s Magical Carousel Horse, as Brayden rides on his playroom carousel horse and—with help from his magic glasses—finds himself on a real horse in the center of a three-ring circus!
You can purchase Brayden’s Magical Jungle on SDP Publishing’s site, on Amazon.com, or on BarnesandNoble.com.
About the Author:
Anita Ann Caruso was a former interior designer for more than 40 years and the author of the memoir, “As Ever, Pudd:” A Love Story That Never Ends Told in Letters. From the age of 10 her imagination loved to create fun stories and exciting adventures. Being a grandmother to her 31 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren inspired her to write her children’s book.
Brayden’s Magical Jungle is the first in a series of Brayden’s Magical Journey books. In each subsequent book, Brayden will be teamed up with some of his cousins. “With these many great-grandchildren, and I’m sure, more to come, Brayden’s magical journey possibilities are endless,” Anita says.
Anita has lived on Cape Cod for 49 years.
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
Tiferet Journal $1500 in Prizes for Poetry & ProseDeadline: June 1, 2015
$1500 in prizes for best poem, short story, and essay from Tiferet Journal. Judges are Aliki Barnstone for Poetry, Nahid Rachlin for Fiction, and Dr. Danielle Ofri for Nonfiction. One winner and two Honorable Mentions in each category. Publication for winners. Deadline June 1, 2015. Submit to www.tiferetjournal.com.
Deadline: June 1, 2015
Smoky Blue Literary and Arts Magazine welcomes submissions of art, photography, poetry, fiction, memoir, reviews, and essays for issue #3, online September 1. Begun by senior artists and writers in Asheville, NC, SBLAAM encourages contributions from those living life’s second half, but we are open to all writers and artists everywhere and to all forms, genres, and subjects. Established artists and writers are always welcome, but we especially encourage emerging ones. Visit http://sblaam.com/ to examine issues 1-2. Submission guidelines and a bit about our history are also there. If thinking of submitting images, please carefully follow our images guidelines.
Deadline: June 3, 2015
The MacGuffin is once again on the hunt for the best poems we can find! Our 20th National Poet Hunt Contest runs from April 1 to June 3. This year, we’re bringing in poet Laura Kasischke to be our guest judge. To enter, please send three unpublished poems (without author info) along with a check/money order for $15, payable to Schoolcraft College, and an index card with your Poem Titles, Author Name, and Contact Info. For full rules, please see www.schoolcraft.edu/macguffin. Mail all entries to: The MacGuffin Poet Hunt • Schoolcraft College • 18600 Haggerty Road • Livonia, MI 48152-2696.
Deadline: June 15, 2015
The Tishman Review’s Emerging Voices Poetry Contest is open for submissions through June 15, 2015. Our final judge is award-winning writer Barrett Warner. 1st place wins $500 and publication, 2nd place $100 and one honorable mention $50. All entries considered for publication. Simultaneous submissions welcome. Entry fee $15. See full contest details and an interview with the judge on our website: thetishmanreview.com.
Deadline: June 15, 2015
No entry fee, 300-word limit, unlimited entries. Judge: Liz Nugent, Author of Unraveling Oliver. Submit the best story written on the theme of equality and win 50 euro first prize. Deadline: June 15, 2015. brilliantflashfiction.com2015 Curt Johnson Prose Awards in Fiction and Nonfiction
Deadline: June 15, 2015
december invites submissions to its Curt Johnson Prose Awards in Fiction and Nonfiction from April 1-June 15. Fiction Judge: Joyce Carol Oates. Nonfiction Judge: Albert Goldbarth. Winners in each category receive $1,500 and publication; Honorable Mentions in each category receive $500 and publication. All finalists considered for publication. Original, unpublished work only; 8,000 word limit. $20 entry fee includes copy of awards issue. Please go to decembermag.org/december-awards/ for contest guidelines and to submit your work online.
Deadline: June 30, annually
Established in 1979, Mercer University Press has published more than 1400 books in the genres of Literary Fiction, Poetry, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Southern Studies, History, Civil War History, African American Studies, Appalachian Studies, Biography & Memoir, and Religion. Publishing authors from across the United States and abroad, the Press focuses on topics related to the culture of the South. In 2010, MUP established three named book awards in the areas of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Announced each December, the winning manuscripts receive a $500 advance and book contract, with a publication date 15-18 months later. See flyer for details. www.mupress.org
Deadline: June 30, 2015
Bauhan Publishing-May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize is accepting submissions (US Mail and submittable.com). $1,000 and book publication for a full-length poetry collection. Open to all poets. Entry fee $25. Judged exclusively by Mekeel McBride, University of New Hampshire. Postmark/submission deadline: June 30. For guidelines: www.bauhanpublishing.com/contest.
Deadline: July 1, 2015
Door is a Jar is looking for well-crafted poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama and artwork for the first issue of its biannual publication (Released September 2015). For more information on our submission guidelines, please visit www.doorisajarmagazine.com.
Deadline: July 1, 2015
Bellevue Literary Review’s annual prizes recognize exceptional writing about health, healing, illness, the body, and the mind. $1,000 Fiction Prize (Judge: Paul Harding), $1,000 Nonfiction Prize (Judge: Mark Vonnegut), $1,000 Poetry Prize (Judge: Ada Limón). Deadline July 1. Entry fee $20 ($30 includes subscription). Find the complete guidelines and submit online: www.blreview.org.
Deadline: July 15, 2015
In honor of its 10th anniversary, we’re doubling down: The annual Rattle Poetry Prize now offers $10,000 for a single poem—plus a total of $3,000 and publication to ten finalists! With the winners judged in a blind review by the editors to ensure a fair and consistent selection (past winners have ranged from the well-known to the previously unpublished poets), an entry fee that is simply a one-year subscription to the magazine, and a large Readers’ Choice Award chosen by the writers themselves, we’ve designed the Rattle Poetry Prize to be one of the most writer-friendly contests around. www.rattle.com
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book AwardsDeadline: May 1, 2015
Writer’s Digest hosts the 23rd Annual Self-Published Book Awards. This self-published competition spotlights today’s self-published works and honors self-published authors. Whether you’re a professional writer, a part-time freelancer, or a self-starting student, here’s your chance to enter WD’s competition exclusively for self-published books. http://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/self-published-book-awards
Deadline: May 1, 2015
The Healing Muse, annual journal of literary and visual art published by SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Center for Bioethics and Humanities, is looking for artists and writers for our 2015 fall publication. We welcome fiction, poetry, narratives, essays, memoirs, drawings, photography, and graphic art, particularly but not exclusively focusing on themes of medicine and healing. Submission period: September 1, 2014 through May 1, 2015. Original and unpublished works only. Detailed guidelines can be found on our website: http://thehealingmuse.org.
Deadline: May 1, 2015
Slipstream is currently reading for Issue #35, which will be published in 2015. We seek poetry that explores the theme “elements.” Creative interpretations are welcome. Submit up to five (5) poems in one document file only. We also are seeking artwork for the issue. Please do not submit again until you have received a response on the status of your current submission. We also accept mail submissions with a SASE: Slipstream, PO Box 2071, Niagara Falls NY 14301. Deadline for submissions for this issue is May 1, 2015. Submit only unpublished work. Please refer to our submission guidelines on our website www.slipstreampress.org.
Deadline: May 1, 2015
Prairie Schooner, aims to publish the best writing available, both from beginning and established writers. In print since 1926, our quarterly issues feature short stories, poems, imaginative essays of general interest, and reviews of current books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Read the full guidelines on our website: http://prairieschooner.unl.edu/?q=submit. Then send us your best.
Deadline: May 1, 2015
The Conium Review Innovative Short Fiction Contest is open for submissions. Winner receives $500, publication in the next print edition, five copies of the issue, and a copy of the judge’s latest book. This year’s judge is Amelia Gray, author of Gutshot, Threats, Museum of the Weird, and AM/PM. May 1st deadline. $15 entry fee includes free digital download of the next issue. Guidelines available at http://coniumreview.com/contests/.
Deadline: May 1, 2015
The Meyerson contest searches for emerging writers who have not yet experienced publication of a book of fiction, either a novel or collection of stories. This annual prize consists of $1,000 and publication in the Southwest Review, which is celebrating 100 years (1915–2015) in print. Visit www.smu.edu/southwestreview for more information.
Deadline: May 1, 2015
Gold Man Review, a West Coast journal, is currently seeking submissions from writers residing in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii. We are looking for previously unpublished fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We love work that pushes boundaries whether in form or content. Please visit our website, www.goldmanreview.org, for specific submission guidelines. We look forward to reading your work!
Deadline: May 1, 2015
The Call: Seeking stories for an important anthology that will help us comprehend the powerful, often invisible events that shape the hours, days, nights, weeks, months, and years after coming home. Open to all affected by the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts (veterans, families, children, friends). Editor: Dario DiBattista, Marine combat veteran of the Iraq War, Veterans Writing Project instructor. Award: $200 + publication. http://hudsonwhitman.com
Deadline: May 4, 2015
Writer’s Digest has been shining a spotlight on up and coming writers in all genres through its Annual Writing Competition for more than 80 years. Enter our 84th Annual Writing Competition for your chance to win and have your work be seen by editors and agents! The winning entries of this writing contest will also be on display in the 84th Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection.
Deadline: May 15, 2015
Carve Magazine’s 2015 Raymond Carver Short Story Contest is open April 1-May 15, featuring guest judge Andre Dubus III. Prizes: $1,000, $500, $250, and 2 Editor’s Choice $125 each. All 5 winners published in Fall 2015 issue and considered by three lit agencies. Entry fee $17 online/$15 mailed. No limit to number of entries. Max 6,000 words. www.carvezine.com/raymond-carver-contest/.
Deadline: May 15, 2015
If and Only If: A Journal of Body Image and Eating Disorders seeks submissions related to body image, the body and eating disorders for our Summer 2015 issue. We accept art, fiction, nonfiction and poetry for publication in our online journal. We’re also interested in interviews and audio/video submissions for publication on our website. Go to www.ifandonlyifjournal.com for guidelines and to submit your work.
Deadline: May 15, 2015
The 19th Annual Blue Lynx Prize, $2000 plus publication, is awarded for an unpublished, full-length volume of poems by a U.S. resident or citizen. Send a manuscript of at least 48 pages, a $28 reading fee plus SASE (for notification) to Lynx House Press, P.O. Box 940, Spokane, WA 99210; or electronically to lynxhousepress.submittable.com. Postmark deadline: May 15, 2015. Make checks payable to Lynx House Press. The 2014 winner was Prartho Sereno for Elephant Raga. Judges have included Yusef Komunyakaa, Melissa Kwasny, Robert Wrigley, Dorianne Laux, Dara Wier, and David Wojahn. More details at www.lynxhousepress.org.
Deadline: May 25, 2015
Buddhist Poetry Review is seeking submissions for Volume Two, Issue One. The reading period will begin on April 1st and continue through May 25th, 2015. There will not be a theme for this issue, but poems should, as always, be inspired/informed by Buddhism in some way. www.buddhistpoetryreview.com/home
Deadline: May 31, 2015
Baltimore Review Summer Issue Contest Theme: Crime. From infractions to felonies. Prizes are $500, $200, and $100. Entry fee is $10. All contest entries, regardless of genre, should be submitted through the Contest link in Submittable. Three winners will be selected from among all entries. 3,000-word limit for fiction and creative nonfiction (5,000-word limit for non-contest, non-theme submissions). One to three poems in an entry. All entries considered for publication. Final judge: Sujata Massey. See guidelines at http://baltimorereview.org.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
BALLOONS Lit. Journal (BLJ), an independent biannual online journal for children and young adults readers, invites well-crafted and mind-blowing submissions for our audience (12+). We would love to have new poems, fictions, artworks, etc. for our Issue 2. Typical pieces for kids will be unlikely to get through. Visit us at www.balloons-lit-journal.com for the complete guidelines.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
Open to writers whose fiction has not appeared in a print publication with a circulation >5000. First places wins $1500 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories. Second/third win $500/$300 and consideration for publication. Results announced on August 1. Held quarterly. All four of last year’s winning pieces were their authors’ first fiction in print. www.glimmertrain.com
Deadline: May 31, 2015
Haunted Waters Press is currently seeking works of fiction and poetry for the 2015 issue of our literary journal, From the Depths. Backroads and Porch Swings will feature works depicting a slice of life in rural America. Captivate us with the romance and simplicity of country living. Bring us subtle Midwestern tales of lives rooted in soil. Show us the other side of the tracks with darker fiction inspired by the great Southern Gothic and Country Noir storytellers. Most of all, take us back to the places that haunt our memories and call us home. http://hauntedwaterspress.submittable.com/submit
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
There seem to be so many writing contests for the upcoming year! So, we’ve decided to break them up by month to make it easier for people to digest and submit. On the fence about submitting your writing to contests or journals? Take a look at our post Why You Should Submit to Writing Contests and Literary Journals, and good luck!
Deadline: April 4, 2015
We love poetry at Common Good Books, and to prove it our proprietor is putting his money where his mouth is. Garrison Keillor is offering five thousand dollars in prize money to the seven winners of “‘Dear You’: The Third Annual Common Good Books Poetry Contest.” Three poets will receive grand prizes of $1000 each, and four poets will receive $500 for poems of particular merit. http://commongoodbooks.com/%E2%80%9C%E2%80%98dear-you%E2%80%99-third-annual-common-good-books-poetry-contest%E2%80%9D
Deadline: April 14, 2015
What’s in your music library? A few crowd pleasers, that album that was better than you first thought… and too many embarrassing guilty pleasures to mention? If you love listening to music, you just might like to write about it too… If so, check out Write the World’s newest competition for young writers, ages 13-18. The Album Review Competition opens Monday, March 30, 2015. Cash Prizes and Public Praise! http://writetheworld.com
Deadline: April 15, 2015
SRPR (Spoon River Poetry Review) 2015 Editors’ Prize. Winner awarded $1000, an honorarium to read at our annual gala reading event, and a published introduction to the winning poem written by this year’s judge. Two runners up awarded $100 each. Three-five honorable mentions. All winning poems & several finalists are published. 2014 judge: Joshua Corey. 2015 judge announced after winners are selected. Submit up to three poems by 4/15/2015. Entry fee of $20 includes subscription (two issues). See website for guidelines www.srpr.org.
Deadline: April 15, 2015
Beecher’s Magazine, an annual print journal produced by graduate students at the University of Kansas, is open to contest submissions from February 15-April 15, 2015. Judges are LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs (Poetry), Matt Bell (Fiction), and Alissa Nutting (Nonfiction). Winners receive $200 and publication in Beecher’s 5. Runners-up may also be considered for publication. The entry fee is $12 per submission. All entrants will receive a copy of Beecher’s 5. To submit, visit http://beechersmag.submittable.com/submit.
Deadline: April 17, 2015
Sycamore Review’s Wabash Prize in Fiction is open to submissions March 1 through April 17. This year, Kelly Link will judge. Winner receives $1,000 dollars and publication in Sycamore Review. All entries considered for publication. Reading fee of $20 includes copy of the prize issue. For more details, see www.sycamorereview.com.
Deadline: April 20, 2015
Passages North will accept submissions for the Thomas J. Hrushka Memorial Nonfiction Prize and Elinor Benedict Poetry Prize through April 20, 2015. Contest judges will be Steven Church and Lynn Emanuel, respectively. One winner in each contest will receive $1000 and publication in Passages North Issue 37. Entry Fee is $15 and all entrants will receive a copy of Issue 37. See full contest details at http://passagesnorth.com/contests/. Issue 37 will also feature the winner of Little Presque Books’ 2015 Novella Contest. Entry fee is $20 and submissions close April 24. Novella contest details at http://littlepresquebooks.com.
Deadline: April 20, 2015
Reading Fee: $6 per submission. Fiction (judged by Luis Jaramillo), poetry (judged by Katie Peterson), literary nonfiction (judged by Kristin Dombek), and graphic literature (judged by Lydia Conklin) accepted. For fiction, nonfiction, and graphic lit: total of 5k-10k words, double-spaced, 12pt font. You can submit a single story or several stories within that limit to be published as a whole. Graphic lit entries must be black and white illustrations only. For poetry: one poem per page, total page count should not exceed 20 pages. All poems should be unpublished. All poetry forms are acceptable and welcome. Award: Publication, cash prize in each genre, and 5 contributor copies. http://epiphanyzine.com/submit.html
Deadline: April 30, 2015
23rd year. $4,000 in cash prizes, including two top awards of $1,500 each. Seeks short stories and essays up to 6,000 words each. All entries that win cash prizes will be published on WinningWriters.com (nearly one million page views per year) and announced in the Winning Writers Newsletter. Both published and unpublished work accepted. Fee per entry is $16. Final judge: Arthur Powers. See guidelines, past winners, and enter at www.winningwriters.com/tomstory
Deadline: April 30, 2015
The Inlandia Institute is proud to announce The Hillary Gravendyk Prize, an open poetry book competition for all writers regardless of the number of previously published poetry collections. Two winners, one entry fee: National and Regional, $1000 each. Submit a poetry manuscript between 48 – 100 pages. Submissions accepted via Inlandia’s Submittable portal: http://inlandiaaliteraryjourney.submittable.com/submit/37899. Submissions must be received by April 30, 2015 at midnight Pacific Standard Time. Reading fee is $20. The winners will be announced in September 2015, and we expect to publish the winning books in December of 2015.
Deadline: April 30, 2015
Cloudbank magazine is offering a $200 prize for one poem or flash fiction published in the upcoming issue, Cloudbank 9. The winning poem or flash fiction is chosen by editors Michael Malan and Peter Sears, Oregon’s poet laureate. Revive us with your fire! Send up to 5 poems or short prose pieces with the $15 fee by April 30. Fee includes a two-issue subscription, starting with the current issue. Send to: Cloudbank, P.O. Box 610, Corvallis, OR 97339. Full guidelines and more at www.cloudbankbooks.com.
Deadline: April 30, 2015
For writers of poetry, short stories (1500 words) and personal essays (1500 words). Submissions through April 30, 2015. First Prize: $1,000. Second Prize: $500. Third Prize: $250. Top 25 entries will be published in anthology. Submission fee: $20. Managed by the Cascade Writers’ Group and Great Lakes Commonwealth of Letters, Imagine This! An ArtPrize Anthology will be sold through the ArtPrize hub and other venues. ArtPrize is an international art competition held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with over 1,000,000 visitors and 25,900,000 page views each year. Named by Time as one of the top five festivals of the year. http://readwritelive.org/anthology-competition-2015
Deadline: April 30, 2015
The 37th Annual Nimrod Literary Awards are now open! Submit to The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry and The Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction, with first prizes of $2,000 and publication, and second prizes of $1,000 and publication. All finalists will be considered for publication. For poetry, submit 3-10 pages (one long poem or several short poems); for fiction, one short story, 7,500 words maximum. Each entry must be accompanied by a $20 entry fee, which includes a one-year subscription to Nimrod. For more information and complete submission guidelines, visit www.utulsa.edu/nimrod.
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
There are lots of great contests and journals that are almost always accepting submissions for many different types of work, including fiction, non-fiction, fan and flash fiction, essays, short stories, poetry, novels, ebooks, chapbooks — you name it! Why enter writing contests, you ask?
Entering these types of contests can help you keep your writing and publishing momentum going.
Submitting to writing contests is a great way to gain credibility as a writer/author.
They can help create interest in your work, leading to other opportunities and potentially, to sales.
An award will give you an edge, which may be all the difference needed to propel your work into bestseller territory.
When you win or get placed, you can say you are an “award-winning author,” giving your writing a boost that comes from a third-party endorsement.
Awards can help you gain credibility with readers, reviewers, reporters, agents, and publishers.
If you want advice on other ways that you can help increase your status as a writing or published author, please contact SDP Publishing.
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
“Most authors obsess over one statistic: the number of books sold,” Joan Stewart starts her recent article in The Future of Ink: “33 Revenue Streams For Authors – Even If You Write Non-Fiction.” You might be saying to yourself: “Well … duh, of course. That’s what authors should be obsessing about!” Certainly, that’s an important part of being an author. As writers, we want people to be reading our books. We want to sell books. However, in her article, Stewart points out that you should see your books as potential starting points for other opportunities: “For the really smart, savvy authors, only one number really counts: how many revenue streams they can create from a book.”
There seems to be something for every kind of author in her piece. She breaks her 33 ideas for thinking about multiple revenue streams into a number of categories that speak to different genres, including:
Some of our favorite suggestions include:
7) Pocket Guidebooks.
A Foodie’s Guide to New Orleans would be a perfect spinoff product for an author who writes a murder mystery about New Orleans.
24) Board Games
The Settlers of Catan board games, which have sold more than 18 million copies worldwide, are being turned into a book, proof that the book doesn’t always come first.
28) “Rent My Brain”
People who don’t need long-term access to you can rent your brain for an hour. At the end of their session, try to upsell them to a longer-term coaching or membership program.
You can the rest of the article for all of her 33 ideas.
The great thing about many of her suggestions is that they can help you create buzz for your book even before it’s completed. And, it’s likely that these types of spin-off products or booklets will help you sell more books in the long run. If you think about it, the sky is the limit. For example:
We’d love to hear other ideas for creative ways that authors can promote their books. Drop us a line on Facebook or via our website.
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
Do you have a book in you? If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a published author, this event is for you! Join Lisa Akoury-Ross of SDP Publishing and Savvy Workshop to learn about how to successfully publish your own book!
When: Thursday, March 19, 2015 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EDT)
Where: Savvy Workshop
55 South Commercial Street
Manchester, NH 03101
Order tickets via Eventbrite:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-guide-to-indie-publishing-tickets-15541957413?aff=efbevent
Indie publishing is a growing phenomenon. Books of all genres are being published every day – as e-books, print, or both – by people just like you, often with minimal resources.
Join Savvy Workshop and self-published author and publishing expert Lisa Akoury-Ross to get started the top questions about indie publishing, including:
Meet Our Speaker:
Lisa Akoury-Ross began her career in the book production business over 25 years ago, serving the largest publishers in the world in the medical, education, and trade industries. Her family business provided full production services for publishers such as Pearson Education, Houghton Mifflin, Aspen Law & Business, and others.
Lisa launched SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC to help the individual author independently publish their work professionally and cost-effectively. SDP provides publishing services for authors based on their needs and budget, including developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, and publishing for print and e-book formats.
Visit Savvy Workshop at http://www.savvyworkshop.com/ for more event details
About Savvy Workshop:
Savvy Workshop is a multi-channel, business-to-business branding agency, specializing in the production of education-based marketing events, developing customized brand standard guidelines and providing practical B2B marketing strategy for business-Savvy clients.
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
One of the biggest questions authors ask me is: “My book has been published for over a year, now what do I do to help keep it going?” Our advice is similar to what it would be for a newly published author, some of which includes:
Another effective strategy is to try to get your book into as many catalogs as possible. The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), in which SDP is a member, offers several channels to promote your book to libraries, booksellers, reviewers, and the media. The IBPA’s cooperative book catalogs come in both print and digital.
Catalog Options:
Click here to find out more about their list of marketing services and catalog publishing schedule.
Not yet a member of IBPA? Click here to join: http://www.ibpa-online.org/join/. We highly recommend the “Books for Review/Bookstore Catalog Bundle.” Please contact us for more information about these programs so that we can help get you on your way for maximum exposure in 2015!
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
We’re always so pleased when our authors receive great reviews. Our most recent congratulations go to Donna LeBlanc and the first book in her series: Explorations of Commander Josh: “In Space.” Below you can read some of what the reviewers wrote:
“… Author Donna LeBlanc crafts a unique world in which readers can play and explore, with the promise of many more adventures to come! Solidly entertaining from beginning to end, Explorations of Commander Josh: “In Space” is especially recommended for family, school, and community library collections….” ~Midwest Book Review
Recommended reading by Stevo’s Book Review:
“This first installment of the Commander Josh series, ‘In Space,’ takes readers on a high-flying adventure into the great unknown! Join the lovable Josh, who-with ideas from his favorite travel shows and his mother’s laundry basket-uses his brilliant imagination to take off for the stars. With Explorations of Commander Josh, Donna LeBlanc crafts a unique world in which readers can play and explore, with the promise of many more adventures to come!”
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
google.com/+Sdppublishingsolutions
There are lots of great contests and journals that are accepting submissions right now for many different types of work, including fiction, non-fiction, fan and flash fiction, essays, short stories, and poetry. Why enter writing contests, you ask?
Entering these types of contests can help you keep your writing and publishing momentum going.
Submitting to writing contests is a great way to gain credibility as a writer/author.
They can help create interest in your work, leading to other opportunities and potentially, to sales.
An award will give you an edge, which may be all the difference needed to propel your work into bestseller territory.
When you win or get placed, you can say you are an “award-winning author,” giving your writing a boost that comes from a third-party endorsement.
Awards can help you gain credibility with readers, reviewers, reporters, agents, and publishers.
Below is a list of writing contests for the winter that we put together to help you submit your work. Now get submitting!
Deadline: February 15, 2015
Orison Books offers $1,500 and publication in hardcover, paperback, and e-book formats for a poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of 60-100 pages by February 15, 2015. Entry fee: $25. Judge: C. Dale Young. Anyone with a close personal relationship with or who has ever been a student of the judge is ineligible. All finalists considered for publication. Electronic submissions preferred; hard copy submissions may be sent to the following address with a check for the entry fee made out to Orison Books: The Orison Poetry Prize, PO Box 8385, Asheville, NC 28814. For complete guidelines, go to www.orisonbooks.com/submission-guidelines.
Deadline: February 15, 2015; March 31, 2015
Write Prize (poetry & fiction): $500 each plus publication. Final judges are H.L. Hix (poetry) and Eugenia Kim (fiction). $15 entry fee. Deadline February 15, 2015.
Book Award (poetry): $1000 plus book publication. The final judge is Peter Campion. $25 entry fee. Deadline: March 31, 2015. Enter now—go to www.ablemusepress.com for details.
Deadline: February 20, 2015
Ruminate Magazine is currently accepting submissions for our 2015 VanderMey Creative Nonfiction Prize. Along with publication in our Summer 2015 issue, the winner will be awarded $1500 and the runner-up will be awarded publication and $200. There is a $20 entry fee, which includes a copy of the magazine. The deadline for submissions is February 20th, 2015. To read the complete contest guidelines and to submit, please visit our website: www.ruminatemagazine.com/submit/contests/nonfiction/.
Deadline: February 28, 2015
The Annual Vine Leaves Vignette Collection Award is now open. The award includes a cash prize of $500, publication by Vine Leaves Press (paperback and eBook), 20 copies of the paperback, worldwide distribution, and promotion through Vine Leaves Literary Journal and staff websites. Guest judge is Sara Sargent, an editor at Simon Pulse (imprint of Simon & Schuster). Author will receive a 70% net royalty on all eBook and print sales. Submit a 50 to 60 page manuscript, plus $25 fee via Submittable. For more information and submission guidelines, please visit: www.vineleavesliteraryjournal.com/contests.
Deadline: February 28, 2015
Lunch Ticket is accepting submissions for our Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation/Multi-Lingual Texts. Include original work with your translation, and a document showing that you have permission to publish the original work. Original, bilingual work may be submitted under the translation category; please indicate in your cover letter. The responsibility for clearing rights and permissions for translated works, and the payment of any related fees, lies with the translator. The winner receives $200 and will be featured in the next issue of Lunch Ticket alongside two semi-finalists. For submission guidelines (follow guidelines CAREFULLY) visit our website: lunchticket.org.
Deadline: February 28, 2015
The Diana Woods Memorial Award in creative nonfiction was established in Diana’s memory by family, friends, and the Antioch University L.A.’s MFA community. DWMA serves as an opportunity for authors worldwide to be published in Lunch Ticket. Creative nonfiction authors should submit an essay of 5,000 words maximum on the subject of their choice to be considered for the award. Submissions from February 1, 2015 to February 28, 2015. The winner receives $250 and will be featured in the next issue of Lunch Ticket with two semi-finalists. For further details/submission manager (please read the guidelines CAREFULLY before submitting), visit: lunchticket.org.
Deadline: February 28, 2015
The online-only literary quarterly Wag’s Revue is now accepting submissions for its 2015 Winter Contest. Entries in fiction, poetry, and essays are considered. First prize will be $1000 and publication in the magazine. Second will be $500 and third $100. All entires are considered for publication. To familiarize yourself with Wag’s Revue (and read past contest winners), visit the archive (www.wagsrevue.com/archive) where all 19 issues can be read for free.
Deadline: February 28, 2015
Accepting stories (fiction or memoir) of 2000 words or fewer on the theme “Food Stories.” Winners received cash and publication, with the first place story eligible for publication in the anthology, A READABLE FEAST: SWEET, FUNNY, AND STRANGE TALES FOR EVERY TASTE, to be published in the Fall of 2015. (And they’ll receive a free copy of the paperback, too!) Entry Fee: $10
For more information, visit the website at: http://bwgwritersroundtable.com/
Deadline: February 28, 2015
“Nivalis”, the theme of the contest, represents the winter season. Interpretation of the theme is left to the writer’s fancy – the story may have winter as the backdrop, or may convey a sense of chill. It may be a gloomy tale up in the north, or a pleasant story away from the tropical heat. We are not too choosy about the genre either – we love what is known as literary fiction, but your story could as easily belong to the crime / mystery genre, or it may be a tale of horror if you have Edgar Poe in you. In other words, so long as there is a commonly accepted or acceptable interpretation of the theme embedded in the plot, it works for us. However, this contest is not for children’s stories, science fiction, fantasy, young adult, chick lit or similar such. Entry Fee: $10. More info: www.fabulapress.com.
The contest will be judged by four independent judges, including Clare Wallace, Literary Agent for Darley Anderson.
Deadline: March 1, 2015
St. Petersburg Review is an independent, international, nonprofit, annual review of contemporary literature that seeks to foster and promote global connections and affinities through the annual publication of quality fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama from all countries. Our poetry contest, which has a 5% or better publication rate, will be accepting submissions September 1, 2014 – March 1, 2015. Visit www.stpetersburgreview.com for complete information on the contest and other SPRactivities.
Deadline: March 9, 2015
From January 1 through March 9, 2015, The Texas Observer and the Texas Democracy Foundation will be accepting entries for The MOLLY National Journalism Prize. The MOLLY is an annual national print or online journalism award in honor of Molly Ivins with a $5,000 prize and two honorable mentions of $1,000. The prize will be awarded for an article or series of up to four short, related articles or columns telling the stories that need telling, challenge conventional wisdom, focus on civil liberties and/or social justice, and embody the intelligence, deep thinking and/or passionate wit that marked Molly’s work. www.texasobserver.org/mollyawardsubmissions/
Deadline: March 13, 2015
The 13th Annual BrainStorm Poetry Contest is open to poets worldwide who have personally experienced mental illness. The entry fee is $15 for up to three poems, and only $12 if you submit online. This contest, which is blind-judged, is intended as a fundraiser for Open Minds Quarterly as well as a way to support excellence in our peer community. We celebrate the winners and honourable mentions with publication in Open Minds Quarterly and award monetary prizes to the top three winners: $250 First Prize; $150 Second Prize; $75 Third Prize. More details here:www.openmindsquarterly.com/portfolio/2015-brainstorm-poetry/.
Deadline: March 15, 2015
Willow Springs Fiction Prize—$2,000 plus publication. Submission deadline: March 15, 2015. Original, unpublished work only; no word limit for submissions. $15 entry fee. All entrants receive a one-year subscription to Willow Springs. Submit a story online at willowsprings.submittable.com/submit. More details here: willowsprings.ewu.edu/contests.php.
Deadline: March 15, 2015
Jabberwock Review invites submissions to the Nancy D. Hargrove Editors’ Prizes in Fiction and Poetry. Each winner (one for fiction and one for poetry) receives $500 and publication in Jabberwock Review. All finalists are considered for publication. The entry fee of $15 includes a one-year subscription, beginning with the prize issue. Simultaneous submissions welcome. Please go to www.jabberwock.org.msstate.edu for more information and to submit your work online.
Deadline: March 15, 2015
Fiction, judged by Luis Jaramillo; poetry, judged by Katie Peterson; literary nonfiction, judged by Kristin Dombek; Graphic literature, judged by Lydia Conklin. Please submit work for the following genres with a cover sheet, title, name & contact info. Work must be previously unpublished—online or in print: Fiction, Nonfiction, & Graphic Lit: submit 10- 20 pages double-spaced, 12pt font. You can submit a single story or several stories within that page/word count to be published as a whole. For Graphic Lit entries: black and white illustrations only. Poetry: One poem per page. Total page count should not exceed 20 pages; all poetry forms welcome. $6 submission fee. Submit: www.epiphanyzine.com/submissions/.
Deadline: March 14, 2015
Now accepting short story submissions to the 2015 Nelligan Prize. Author of the winning story receives $2,000 and the story is published in the fall issue of Colorado Review. The final judge is Lauren Groff. All stories will be considered for publication. $15 entry fee (add $2 for online submissions). Stories must be under 50 pages and unpublished.coloradoreview.colostate.edu
Deadline: March 15, 2015
PRIZES: $3,000 and publication through the University of Nebraska Press. ELIGIBILITY: The Prairie Schooner Book Prize Series welcomes manuscripts from all writers writing in English. JUDGING: Semi-finalists will be chosen by members of the Prairie Schooner Book Prize Series National Advisory Board. HOW TO SEND: We accept electronic submissions and hard copy submissions, with an entry fee of $25. WHEN TO SEND: Submissions will be accepted between January 15 and March 15, 2015. For submission guidelines or to submit online, visit prairieschooner.unl.edu. General submissions are always free and accepted through May 1.
Deadline: March 15, 2015
Attend, Leviathan. SHARKPACK Poetry Review Annual seeks poetry and very short fiction of unusual philosophical and/or imaginative power for our second issue, themed ‘Cities, Sites.’ The Prospero Prizes include a cash award of $150 and feature publication; winners will be chosen from general (free!) submissions. 1-3 prizes will be awarded. Please visitspr.submittable.com for guidelines and further details. We’re very grateful for your interest.
Deadline: March 22, 2015
Awarding $6,000 in prizes to poets, essayists, and fiction writers, the 2015 judges for the Gulf Coast Prizes are Sarah Shun-lien Bynum (Fiction), Maggie Nelson (Nonfiction), and Carl Phillips (Poetry)! The contest awards publication and $1,500 each to the best poem, essay, and short story, as well as $250 to two honorable mentions in each genre. The winners will appear in Gulf Coast 28.1 in Fall 2015, and all entries are considered for paid publication on our website as Online Exclusives. Deadline: March 22, 2015. Visitgulfcoastmag.org for details.
Deadline: March 31, 2015
Three categories: Poetry, Short Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction. First prize in each category wins $1,000; Second Prize wins $250. First, Second, and Third Prizes published in Prime Number Magazine. Guidelines at www.PrimeNumberMagazine.com.
Deadline: March 31, 2015
Honoring the memory of a celebrated poet and a beloved teacher, the Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry is awarded annually and is sponsored by The University of Utah Press and The University of Utah Department of English. $1,500 Cash Prize and Publication from the Press; $500 and reading in The University of Utah’s Guest Writers Series from The University of Utah Department of English. We are now on Submittable. Manuscripts must be in English and should be between 48 and 100 pages. Manuscripts are due March 31st with a fee of $25. Check our website for more information: upress.lib.utah.edu/ali-poetry-prize.php.
Deadline: March 31, 2015
$5,000 awarded. The Masters Review anthology is open to submissions from any writer who has not published a novel-length work. $500 and publication, which includes an exclusive mailing to agents, editors, and publishers is awarded to ten writers. Entries judged by Kevin Brockmeier. Send up to 7,000 words. All entries considered for publication. $20 (nonrefundable) reading fee required. Visitwww.mastersreview.com/submissions for complete guidelines. “If these are the voices we’ll be hearing from, American literature has an awful lot to look forward to.” –Ramona Ausubel, author of No One is Here Except All of Us and A Guide to Being Born
Deadline: Year-round
Carbon Culture Review is at the intersection of technology + literature + art. Available in bookstores in the United States, we feature monthly creative work, literature and art, as well as articles and reviews on exciting new tech online alongside our annual print edition. We are now offering an annual $1000 film poetry prize—with free entry! Also seeking submissions in all genres. Hack us at carbonculturereview.com.
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
She doesn’t believe in witches or curses or spells. The doctor doesn’t believe in anything that science can’t explain, but Diana Valleverde is about to learn that knowledge is an evolving proposition. Her research into brain function is uncovering secrets within the mind, but none like the one kept hidden from her since before she was born. When her brother, a curator at the university museum, gives her a family keepsake from their recently deceased grandmother, Diana begins a journey that will take her from Pennsylvania to Milan and the Italian Alps, to discover what lies hidden inside and what has caused her recent affliction by what she knows must be sleep paralysis attacks, a frightening condition in which she awakens, unable to move or cry out, with the overwhelming sense something unseen is suffocating her. There must be a medical explanation for these attacks. There must be . . . Right?You can buy The Artemis Connection for only $1.99 from:
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SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book! google.com/+Sdppublishingsolutions
Susie Rich was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has spent her career working in the social work/homelessness prevention field. Several years ago, she began to pursue her passion for writing. Prior to her two recently published children’s books, How My Daddy Taught Me to Dance and Too Much Hopscotch, she published “Beauties, The Eye of the Beholder,” in an Ohio magazine. She has also written a number of short stories and is currently working on a novel. She resides near Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband, Douglas.
Have you always wanted to be a writer? When did you start?
“I did not always want to be a writer but I have always enjoyed writing. I wrote poems that I didn’t share with anyone. I started sharing my poems with family around high school.”
Could you tell us a little bit how How My Daddy Taught Me to Dance and Too Much Hopscotch came to be?
“How Daddy Taught Me to Dance and Too Much Hopscotch along with many other stories were the result of me occupying my time while waiting for my children to complete their activities. Football practices, baseball games, dance classes. I wrote while they played and practiced.”
Where do you get your inspiration?
“My inspiration comes from many places and takes many forms. It can be as simple as the sound of leaves rustling, the scenery while driving, or a single word said in a casual conversation. Inspiration for me is everywhere and it comes from things going on in my life.”
Do you have some Authors that you really admire or that have helped to shape your work?
“I do. I enjoy science fiction quite a bit. Although these authors did not help shape my writing directly, the works of Arthur C. Clarke and J.R.R. Tolkien were among my favorite reads.”
Who is your intended audience and why should they read your books?
“My intended audiences are children and parents who enjoy fun and interesting stories with a positive message presented in an entertaining way.”
Have you written other books, articles, etc.? If so, where can we find them?
“I have written other stories in addition to How My Daddy Taught Me to Dance and Too Much Hopscotch. Currently you can find my published story Beauties, The Eye of the Beholder under the Additional Works page on my website SusiesStories.com.”
How do you think you’ve evolved creatively since you started writing?
“Since I started writing, my creativity has evolved with experience. Family, friends, and life in general have greatly influenced the progression of my work.”
What is the most difficult thing for you when it comes to writing?
“The most difficult thing for me when it comes to writing is getting the idea down on paper. Since inspiration can come in any form and at any time, getting the idea down on paper before the thought or phrase is gone can sometimes be a challenge. While driving down the highway, in the middle of a business meeting, or at the register at the grocery store, I try to find interesting ways to keep the thought intact until I can get it down on paper.”
What is the easiest thing for you when it comes to writing?
“The easiest thing for me when it comes to writing is picking up where I left off. If I have started writing a story, I do not have a problem coming back to it and continuing the story line.”
Do you ever get writer’s block? What do you do to get around it?
“So far I have been very fortunate (fingers crossed) that I have not experienced writer’s block.”
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
“I would definitely say to keep at it. Anything you want to say in the form of writing, be it a story, poem, or novel; just keep it going whether or not you think it will be published or even seen by anyone. If writing is what you want to do and it makes you happy, that passion has already brought you to a wonderful place. Sometimes with our obligations in life, we cannot always get to our writing but make a commitment to try and do at least one hour a day and you will get it done.”
How can we contact you or find out more about your books?
“You can find out more about my stories on my website Susiesstories.com, through Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/SusiesStories, and you can also contact me at Susiesstories@yahoo.com.”
Can you talk a little bit about the process of working with SDP Publishing and going through the process of self-publishing?
“Working with SDP Publishing has been a wonderful experience. I would not have my beautiful finished products without SDP Publishing. From the very first interaction it has been a positive and professional collaboration. My profession is in the Social Services field and not in publishing. SDP Publishing has been positive, professional, and patient while helping me navigate through all aspects of the publishing process.”
Do you have any suggestions to help other writers who are thinking about going the self-publishing/indie publishing route? If so, what are they?
“What I might suggest is to find trusted partners who can help you through the self-publishing/indie publishing process. People who have experience in the industry and can guide you, and help you deal with unexpected details that are unique to this business.”
What can we expect from you in the future? Are you working on any new projects?
“I am working on several different projects and have completed several others waiting to start the publishing process. I am also working with SDP Publishing to complete two other children’s books that are currently being developed.”
Can you tell us where we can find out more about your work?
Website: Susiesstories.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/Susiesstories
Amazon Author Page: SusiesStories Author Page
Goodreads: Susie’s Goodreads page
SDP Publishing Solutions, LLC (formerly Sweet Dreams Publishing of Massachusetts) is a leader of self publishing in Massachusetts. We offer optimal self-publishing solutions for authors worldwide. From literary agency representation to worldwide marketing – including international rights – and independent publishing, we provide the best solutions for authors. Our services include developmental editing and copy editing, custom cover design and layout, book marketing, query letter and book proposals, literary agency representation, print, and e-book development. We provide the best exposure for your book!
google.com/+Sdppublishingsolutions
