The 79th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition

Enter the 79th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition

GRAND PRIZE: $3,000 cash and a trip to New York City to meet with editors or agents

Submit your manuscript for a chance to win a trip for you and a guest to New York, where you'll spend three days and two nights in the publishing capital of the world. While you're there, a Writer's Digest editor will escort you to share your work with four editors or agents.

The Grand Prize manuscript, the First Place manuscript in each category, and the names of the top 100 winners in each category will be printed in a special competition collection.

Reserve your copy of the 79th Annual
Writer's Digest Writing Competition Collection.

Compete to Win in 10 Categories:

1. Inspirational Writing (Spiritual/Religious)
2. Memoirs/Personal Essay
3. Magazine Feature Article
4. Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.)
5. Mainstream/Literary Short Story
6. Rhyming Poetry
7. Non-Rhyming Poetry
8. Stage Play
9. Television/Movie Script
10. Children's/Young Adult Fiction

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NEWSFLASH! - Kensington/Brava Writing With The Stars Contest For Unpublished Writers

(Snipped from The Brava Authors blog)

In conjunction with RT Book Reviews, Brava is sending out a call to unpublished writers of paranormal, historical and contemporary romance , as well as romantic suspense: We’re looking for a hot debut novel to be published in 2012 under the Brava imprint at Kensington.

If you’ve written a sensual full-length romance novel, this is a great opportunity to submit to the editors at Brava, who will be reading the entries and selecting the top ten finalists. Starting in September, each of our top ten will be paired with one of Brava’s star authors for the next stage of the competition – creating one-of-a kind opening hooks, to-die-for heroes, sizzling love scenes and more.

For more info, vist The Brava Authors blog.

Workshop Proposals/Instructors Wanted At Savvy Authors

*Permission to Forward Granted and Gratefully Encouraged*

Savvy Authors, a website for writers, is accepting proposals from interested instructors and presenters for the remainder of our 2010 education program and also for our 2011 schedule. We are seeking in-depth, well-structured workshops that are NOT already scheduled more than twice during the 2010 or 2011 calendar year.

We are open to a range of teaching styles including forum and chat based mixtures, and also podcasts and workshops that include an audio or video component. Our workshops are conducted via a bulletin board based forum that can function like an email loop or list.

At this time we are accepting proposals for workshops of all lengths including 1, 2, 3 or 4 weeks of all types (Craft, Topics, Promotion, Business, and Life Issues.)Â All workshops are open to anyone regardless of membership in Savvy Authors. Our stipend structure accommodates a flat fee structure as well as a split of the class fees.

Savvy Authors is committed to supporting published and aspiring authors by providing excellence in educational resources targeted to the specific needs of our membership. Hence, while interested in proposals on any craft, promotion or publishing topic, Savvy Authors is specifically soliciting proposals in the areas described below.

Of particular interest are craft workshops that address the following subjects:

• Character Driven Plotting
• Weaving Together Plot and Character Arcs in a Romance Novel
• Three Act Structure
• Writing in the Active Voice
• Scenes and Sequels
• Revision and Editing, optionally including Grammar and Punctuati
• Subplots and Plot Layers
• World Building
• Deep POV
• Dialogue
• Bad Boys, Wicked Women, Villains, and Antagonists
• Writing Dark Heroines and Heroes
• Planning and Writing a Series or Sequels
• Showing vs Telling
• Crafting a Mystery
• Using Folklore, Religion and Myth to Worldbuild
• The Dark Paranormal
• Urban Fantasy
• Writing Novellas and Short Stories
• Writing a Modern Western
• Writing a Historical Western

Proposals for Preparing Submittal Packages and Responding to Requests, Life as an Author, and the Business Side of Writing are also of interest.

Examples of topics include, but are NOT limited to:

• Researching and Working with Agents
• Query Letters
• The Synopsis
• Contests
• Critiquing
• Professional Behavior for the Author
• What to expect as a Debut Author
• Contracts
• Record Keeping and Taxes
• Writers Block
• The Muse
• Writing on a Shoestring
• Organization for the Writer

Proposals for workshops targeted towards promotion that think outside the box and include innovative strategies will be warmly welcomed. Emphasis will be given to short, intensively focused workshops that address one subject.

Examples of topics include but are NOT limited to:

• Podcasting
• Creating and Maintaining a Blog
• Making a Book Trailer
• Guest Blogging
• Developing a Blog Tour
• Developing a Promotion Campaign for the Debut Author
• Setting Up Book Signings
• Developing a Relationship with Your Local Bookstores
• What Happens After Your Rights Revert to You – Keeping Your Backlist Available
• Designing a Website
• Using a Template for Your Website
• HTML
• Networking for the Introvert
• Promotion for Beginners
• Interacting with Readers and Fans
• Finding Book Reviewers
• Using Social Media
• Second Life as an Avenue for Promotion

Genre specific workshops such as (but not limited to) crafting a mystery or creating an alien are also sought.

In addition we are actively seeking workshops on topics of interests to writers of all genres, including historicals, mysteries, thrillers, novels in a medical setting (or any other specific setting with a requirement for technical accuracy), PI and/or police procedurals, regencies, steam punk, and science fiction.

Examples of topics include but is NOT limited to:

• Medieval Castles 
• Medieval Life 
• Victorian England/Victoriana 
• Weapons and Weapons Use 
• Martial Arts 
• Police Procedures 
• Life in a Hospital, ER or ICU 
• The Napoleonic Wars 
• Regency Society 
• Sleuthing
• Computer Hacking 
• Espionage 
• Life in the Army, Navy or Air Force  
• Special Forces 
• Non Traditional Healing and Medicine  
• Witchcraft 
• Vampire Lore 
• Werewolf Lore 
• Celtic Legends and Folklore 
• Life on the Western Frontier
• Colonial America 
• The Revolutionary War 
• The Civil War 
• The Home Front During WWI or WWII 
• WWI 
• WWII 
• Prohibition  
• The Roaring Twenties 
• Ranching 
• Small Town Sheriff 
• The Old Time Cattle Drive 
• Rodeos
• Cowboys

Instructors and presenters selected for the 2010 calendar year will be asked to provide a complete course promotion package, including a finished course précis, syllabus, bio, book blurb and either a cover graphic or picture of themselves, within five days of notification of selection.

Your proposal MUST specifically include:

1.Class Title and Length
2.Target Audience (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced or Mixed)
3.Prerequisites
4.Description and Syllabus
5. Presenter Bio (including relevant experience and education – first time presenters of topics welcomes and encouraged to apply.)
6.Availability to Present
7. Degree of Instructor Involvement (e.g., will there be assignments and will they be reviewed individually or only as examples)
8. Is this workshop is currently scheduled for anytime in 2010 or 2011? If so provide the dates and sponsor.
9. Email Address

We recognize in order to achieve our goals and best serve our membership it is sometimes necessary a workshop be developed or tailored to our specifications. We also recognize that some instructors or workshop topics in and of themselves may provide a degree of added value not found in other instances. Hence we are willing to negotiate a stipend that reflects that understanding. If you feel that your workshop falls into the latter category please include that information in your proposal.

We make every effort to promote the workshops as widely as possible and ask our instructors to do the same. Therefore we also ask our instructors to guest blog 2-4 weeks prior to the workshop as a part of the promotion for same.

Selected instructors will be asked to agree to not present a workshop on our schedule six months prior to or six months after the date agreed to with us.

Prospective and interested instructors and presenters are STRONGLY encouraged to visit Savvy Authors and its sister site, Savvy Readers , and to ask all questions before submitting a proposal.

Send a complete proposal for all workshops. Incomplete proposal packages will not be considered. Proposals are due by April 1, 2010. All proposals should be addressed to:

Sharon L. Pickrel
Savvy Authors Workshop Coordinator

workshops@savvyauthors.com

savvyauthors.com - Writers Helping Writers
http://www.savvyauthors.com/workshops.cfm

March 7 - 13 Is Read An eBook Week

Hey Everyone, Did You Know From March 7th Through March13th is Read An E-Book Week? What exactly is Read An E-Book Week, you ask?

(Snipped from the website)
Read an E-Book Week was first registered with Chase's Calendar of Events in 2004. Chase's is a day by day directory of special days, weeks and months used by event planners or anyone looking for a reason to celebrate. By having the week officially recognized, e-book authors and publishers acquired a certain extra "legitimacy" during that week to promote the new technology of e-books. The public and media were initially wary of e-books and many doors were closed to promotion. With the week officially recognized by Chase's, authors reported they now had access to television morning chat shows and were allowed to set up library displays during the week-long event.

Read an E-Book Week educates and informs the public about the pleasures and advantages of reading electronically. Authors, publishers, vendors, the media and readers world-wide are welcome to join in the effort. We encourage you to promote electronic reading with any event. These could include: public readings, library displays, reading challenges, school visits, newspaper and blog articles, chat show appearances, internet radio interviews, e-book give-ways, and banners on your website.

E-book information and free e-books define Read an E-Book Week. From March 7-13th major e-book retailers and authors offer free, or deeply discounted e-books for the event. These e-books will be available in the E-Book Store. Many of the participants offer free, or discounted e-books throughout the year, so please return often to see what is available.

The Read an E-Book Website is there to provide the latest information on e-books and to act as a collection point where you can list your event or give-away.

For more information, visit the website and download a banner, go to: http://ebookweek.com/index.html

Classic Romance Revival's First Flight Contest For Aspiring Romance Authors

From

Classic Romance Revival & CRR Publishing

"Giving Wings to Classic Romance"

If you write sweet, sensual or sophisticated romance in all genres, and are an unpublished and un-contracted author, this is the contest for you!

As part of our commitment to "growing" the "classic" romance genre, Classic Romance Revival is now hosting the First Flight Contest for aspiring authors, and the stakes just got higher - you could win a publishing contract plus three month's promo! Along with this is a copy of Barri Bryan's "A Core Curriculum for Creative Writing", a must-have for every writer...

Over the next few months you will have the opportunity to showcase your writing skills and your works in progress, and stand in line to win the Classic Romance Revival "First Flight" award. Not only that, the top stories from our Short Story category will be published in CRR's "First Flight" anthology.

We hope to make this an ongoing contest, a regular opportunity for aspiring authors to reach readers and, hopefully, other publishers as well.

For rules & guidelines, visit: http://www.classicromancerevival.com/first-flight-contest.html