Abandoned Towers Writings Contest 2012

To help celebrate the official relaunch of Abandoned Towers we are holding a writing contest!  Please read the whole page for complete details.

Theme:

The theme for the first Abandoned Towers writing contest is:

The concept of “abandoned towers” must be incorporated into the piece, as a phrase, allusion, metaphor, physical tower… however you choose.

Genres:

Short Story: any genre is acceptable for the contest

Poetry: any form is acceptable for the contest

Flash Fiction: any genre is acceptable for the contest

Length:

Short Story: 5,000 words or less

Poetry: 10 pages or less (aprox 250 lines or less)

Flash Fiction: 1000 words or less

Entry fees:

Short Story: $10 per entry or $25 for 3 entries

Poetry: $5 per entry or $12 for 3 entries

Flash Fiction: $2 per entry or $5 for 3 entries

Note: all entry fees and prizes are in US dollars.

Prizes:

Total Prizes: $1,265.00. All winners and honourable mentions receive publication and a free electronic copy of the Abandoned Towers issue in which their entry appears.  They also receive an author page on AbandonedTowers.com where they can include a biography and links to their assorted websites, works and accomplishments.

 

Abandoned Towers Magazine is hosting it’s first writing contest with separate prizes for Flash Fiction, Short Stories and Poetry with a total purse of $1,265.

 

Submissions are now open until May 18th, 2012.

 

Full details can be found here:

http://abandonedtowers.com/contest/

Mad as a Hare Writing Contest from Scribophile.com

Scribophile.com is pleased to announce the Mad as a Hare writing contest.

This fee-free contest has a $50 first prize and a $25 second prize,

and is for fiction or non-fiction of 2500 words or fewer.  

Entries must be about personified animals in some way, shape, or form.  

Beyond that, there are no limits!

Entry is free!

Contest deadline March 31, 2012.  

This contest is hosted by Scribophile–a friendly, knowledgeable,

and intensive online critique community for writers and poets.  

E-mail entries will not be accepted.

For full rules and guidelines, see:

http://www.scribophile.com/contests/mad-as-a-hare-contest/

The Just One Book Project- Writers

My name is Laura and I’m working on getting the Just One Book Project off the ground.

We are looking for writers and I would like to know how I could get our project featured on your website.

There is no fee for submission and we are looking for writers from the LGBT community and its supporters.

For all the info check out our website or facebook page.

For more info, visit:

justonebookproject.com

http://www.facebook.com/TheJustOneBookProject

MONSTROSITIES OF THE MIDWAY: Literary Contest

Step right up! We want to see mysteries, anomalies, and clashing energies. Bring your giant rats, conjoined twins, Fiji mermaids, and bearded ladies. We invite any writing that complicates issues of performance and identity. Real and unreal. Exposed and concealed.

Submit: March 5th – May 31st

Fee: $15 per entry

Prize: $1000 + publication in Midway Journal for a winning poem (or group of poems), story, or essay.

Judges: Ana Božičević and Amy King

Contest Guidelines:

Entries and payments must be received through Midway Journal‘s online submission manager under “Monstrosities of the Midway Contest.”

Paste the title of your submission and your contact information (name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address) in the cover letter box. Your name and contact information must not appear anywhere on the manuscript you upload. Friends and students (current and former) of the judges are not eligible; please do not submit if you know the judges personally.

You may submit multiple entries, but a new entry fee must be paid for each new submission. Previously published work will not be accepted. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but must be withdrawn from the contest if accepted elsewhere.

Poetry: up to 5 poems per entry. Not more than one poem per page. Maximum of 20 pages per entry.

Prose (Fiction and Nonfiction): 1 piece per entry, up to 6,000 words.

All submissions will be considered for publication.

For more information, please visit http://www.midwayjournal.com/Contest.html

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition 2012

**IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to a web hosting problem that has now been resolved, we have extended our 2012 deadline to May 31, 2012. This applies to our 2012 competition only.

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition 2012

Writers of short fiction are encouraged to enter the 2012 Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition. The competition has a thirty-one year history of literary excellence, and its organizers are dedicated to enthusiastically supporting the efforts and talent of emerging writers of short fiction whose voices have yet to be heard.

Lorian Hemingway, granddaughter of Nobel laureate Ernest Hemingway, is the author of three critically acclaimed books: Walking into the River, Walk on Water, and A World Turned Over. Ms. Hemingway is the competition’s final judge.

Prizes and Publication:

The first-place winner will receive $1,500 and publication of his or her winning story in Cutthroat: A Journal of the Arts. The second – and third-place winners will receive $500 each. Honorable mentions will also be awarded to entrants whose work demonstrates promise.

Cutthroat: A Journal of the Arts was founded by editor-in-chief Pamela Uschuk, winner of the 2010 American Book Award for her book Crazy Love: New Poems, and by poet William Pitt Root, Guggenheim Fellow and NEA recipient. The journal contains some of the finest contemporary fiction and poetry in print, and the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition is both proud and grateful to be associated with such a reputable publication.

Eligibility requirements for our 2012 competition are as follows

What to submit:

* Stories must be original unpublished fiction, typed and double-spaced, and may not exceed 3,500 words in length. We have extended our word limit for the first time in thirty years to 3,500 words rather than 3,000. There are no theme or genre restrictions. Copyright remains property of the author.

Who may submit:

* The literary competition is open to all U.S. and international writers whose fiction has not appeared in a nationally distributed publication with a circulation of 5,000 or more. Writers who have been published by an online magazine or who have self-published will be considered on an individual basis.

Submission requirements:

* Submissions may be sent via regular mail or submitted online. Please visit our online submissions page for complete instructions regarding online submissions. Writers may submit multiple entries, but each must be accompanied by an entry fee and separate cover sheet. We do accept simultaneous submissions; however, the writer must notify us if a story is accepted for publication or wins an award prior to our July announcements. No entry confirmation will be given unless requested. No SASE is required. * The author’s name should not appear on the story. Our entrants are judged anonymously. Each story must be accompanied by a separate cover sheet with the writer’s name, complete mailing address, e-mail address, phone number, the title of the piece, and the word count. Manuscripts will not be returned. These requirements apply for online submissions as well.

Deadlines and Entry Fees:

* The entry fee is $15 for each story postmarked by May 1, 2012. The late entry fee is $20 for each story postmarked by May 31, 2012. We encourage you to enter by May 1 if at all possible, but please know that your story will still be accepted if you meet the later deadline. Entries postmarked after May 31, 2012 will not be accepted. Entries submitted online after May 31, 2012 will not be accepted. Writers may submit for the 2013 competition beginning May 16, 2012.

Visit the website for guidelines:

http://www.shortstorycompetition.com/Guidelines.php

Last Call: Wag’s Revue Winter Contest Closes Friday, March 9, 2012 – $1600 in Prizes!

Dear Writers,   Do you realize that Wag’s Revue Winter Contest closes  in two days?  Like this Friday, March 9th?* Have you been paying any attention? Sure, AWP was distracting and exhausting, but, can you really afford to not enter to win the $1000 first prize? (And that’s not to mention publication in the magazine, which is priceless, nor the second prize of $500 or $100 third.) The answer is you can’t.  We know because we are financial experts. We have like hundreds of dollars in our bank accounts. At least tens of dollars.    Get serious. Click here to go our submit page.

Cheers, The Editors, An online-only literary quarterly of poetry, essays, fiction and interviews with waggish luminaries of our day.  Read all issues for free at www.wagsrevue.com *Which also happens to be the date Issue 11 should drop. It’ll feature new erasure poetry by Mary Ruefle, interviews with Deb Olin Unferth, Mike Birbiglia and Ben Marcus, and three essays on Louis C.K.. Consider yourself notified.

The Lewis-Norton Writing Competition

We love new writing and new writers and so we would like to give

you every opportunity to get your work out to the public!  

Therefore, we are now running a monthly writing competition.

 Each month, you will be given a theme.

You will need to then write a 500 word short story related to that theme.  

Try not to be too tenuous though!

 

All entries will be judged by a panel of three avid readers.  

They will choose a first, second and third place entry.  

Those entries will be published as free downloads in our online shop.  

For prizes, please see below.

 

At the moment, entry is free, and so there is no monetary prize,

however, depending on interest, this may change in the future.  

We would love to offer you a huge cash bonus for being a great writer!

 

First Prize

Full critical reading, edit and proofread of up to 3 short stories

or the first 3 chapters of a novel.  Advice and guidance with writing

a cover letter to promote you and your work, and a synopsis.

We may also consider your work for publication

(see submissions for our publishing information)

 Second and Third Prizes

Full critical reading, edit and proofread of either one short story or one chapter of a novel.

We may also consider your work for publication (see submissions for our publishing information)

March Competition Theme is “Frogs”

Visit the website:  http://tinyurl.com/6s3em6j

 

Words with JAM First Page Competition 2012 NOW OPEN!

First Page Competition 2012

Yep, it was so successful last year, our annual First Page Competition 2012 is now open with an increased first prize of £500 – DOUBLE last year’s. What are we looking for: the most gripping, read-on-able first page of up to 400 words. Any genre, but as always we’re looking for The Best First Page. Bribes can be sent in cash, but we guarantee they won’t do you much good.

Prizes:

1st Prize – £500

2nd Prize – £100

3rd Prize – £50

Closing Date: Friday 8th June 2012 

Entry Fee: £6 for one entry or £10 for two 

Results: All three winning entries will be published in the August 2012 issue of Words with JAM.

Judge: Amanda Hodgkinson

Amanda Hodgkinson is a British writer and journalist who grew up in a small Essex fishing village before moving to Suffolk, and attending the University of East Anglia. She now lives and works in south west France with her husband Guy and their two daughters. 22 Britannia Road is Amanda Hodgkinson’s first novel.

Debuting its first week on the New York Times bestseller list and earning comparisons to Sophie’s Choice and Sarah’s Key, 22 Britannia Road is an astonishing first novel that powerfully chronicles one family’s struggle to create a home in the aftermath of war. 

Waterstones Best Debut Novels Of 2011. Amazon.com Best Books Of 2011. 

Oprah Magazine Irresistible Reads. Library Journal Best Of 2011. Indiebound Best Summer Reads. Nominated Goodreads Choice Awards.  http://www.amandahodgkinson.com/

ENTRY DETAILS CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://www.wordswithjam.co.uk/firstpagecompetition2012

Work Literary Magazine’s Employee of the Year Contest

WORK Literary Magazine is happy to announce our annual workforce motivational agenda. Starting today, we are accepting applications to our benefits and promotions department.

Benefits and promotions include:
* publication!
* cash prizes!
* limited edition WORK team t-shirt!
* honorary title “Employee of the Year”!

Three categories to submit to are essay, memoir / interview, and fiction**.
You may win in any of the three categories.
Winners of each category will be awarded $50.
Editors will rank the category winners and one will be chosen as Employee of the Year, winning an additional $50 for a total of $100.

Employee of the Year Contest begins TODAY.

Deadline for Essay submissions: April 30, 2012
Deadline for Interview or Memoir submissions: May 18, 2012
Deadline for Fiction submissions: June 1, 2012

Employee of the Year, grand prizewinner, will be announced: June 11, 2012

Guidelines are posted at:
http://workmagazinearchives.wordpress.com/employee-of-the-year-contest/

**All submissions must be in the theme of work. Submissions must be in Word (.doc), formatted with Times New Roman, 12-point font, and single space. Email submissions with subject heading “[specific category] Contest Submission” to workzine@gmail.com (example: Memoir Contest Submission).

Please submit only your best work. Include .jpeg photographs, artworks, or illustrations if doing so enhances or supplements your piece. A $15 submission fee will apply to all contest participants. Fees may be filed through this PayPal link.

 

WORK’s category expectations are as follows:

 Essay is a discussion or examination of a particular topic or theme, not  necessarily related to the author.

 Memoir is a narrative based on a person’s experience.

 Interview is an in-depth discussion with, in this context, someone who holds or formerly held an interesting, unusual or otherwise important occupation, that in the process of discussion reveals more about the occupation and/or the person than could be ascertained without the interview.

 Fiction is a rendering of imagined happenings which, through implementation of craft, appears to be true.

Visit the website: http://workmagazinearchives.wordpress.com/employee-of-the-year-contest/

Call for Entries: Switchback March Contest

Each month Switchback provides a prompt and we want you to send us your best work inspired by that prompt. The winning entry as decided by our editors will be featured on Switchback. Contest submissions can be poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or even art but must be 500 words or under. Please send us only one submission per prompt and only previously unpublished works. We accept simultaneous submissions but please notify us immediately of acceptance elsewhere. Make sure your name DOES NOT appear on the submission itself.

The deadline for submissions is 5:00 pm on the last day of the month.

The March prompt is: “Three men walk into a bar.“

Visit the website: http://www.swback.com/call/

25 Inspiring Biographies for Aspiring Writers

Before setting off in pursuit of literary and intellectual greatness (or at least goodness), it behooves the journeyman author to learn a few things from those that came before. Don’t get bogged down in fantasy. Take the time to read up on how successful writers — no matter their chosen genres or mediums — generate ideas and inspiration, process them, then bestow them life on paper or screen. Painting teachers often request their students to copy old masters in order to learn techniques they may uniquely, creatively build upon as their own visions begin emerging. And the exact same strategy works beautifully for the written arts in kind.

Visit the website for more info:

http://www.onlinecollege.org/25-inspiring-biographies-for-aspiring-writers

 

Latest News for Fish Short Story Prize Shortlist

SHORTLIST FOR 2011/12 SHORT STORY PRIZE

There are 145 stories here, selected from an overall entry of 1,900. We would like to congratulate the writers who made this list. See here. http://www.fishpublishing.com/short-stories-news.php

Author David Mitchell is still working on his selection of the winners, so to preserve anonymity we have left out the names of the authors.

The final results will be announced on 17 March on the Fish website and by newsletter. The ten stories chosen by David Mitchell will be published in the 2012 Fish Anthology. This will be launched at the 2012 West Cork Literary Festival in July. All are welcome to attend.

We have not posted the longlist this year, because it is too long, comprising some 550 stories. We have noticed over the years that the quality of stories overall has risen, which has given rise to the unwieldy longlists. For the 2012 Prize we will be tougher on the marking.

Writers who entered can look at their Author Pages where the mark “B” indicates that the story was longlisted. “A” indicates that the story was shortlisted.

Visit the website: http://www.fishpublishing.com/short-stories-news.php

 

Submit Your Work: Enter the Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition

The Aesthetica Creative Writing prize offers existing and aspiring writers the chance to showcase their work to a wider, international audience. We’re really keen to see more writers from across the world involved in the competition and are looking for work across a wide range of themes, styles and subjects. Please find more information below, and for up-to-the-minute updates, join us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aestheticamag.

Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition is now open for entries! The competition celebrates and champions creative writing, nurturing talent and bringing work to international attention. Aesthetica is inviting all writers and poets to submit to the Aesthetica Creative Writing Competition 2012. There are two categories for entry, Poetry and Short Fiction, and a selection of fantastic prizes including:

 £500 prize money – Poetry winner

£500 prize money – Short Fiction winner

Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual

Complimentary copy of the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual

A selection of books from our competition partners

For more information and to enter please visit: http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm

Submissions previously published elsewhere are accepted.

Entry is £10 and allows for the entry of two works into any one category.

Deadline: 31 August 2012

Call for Entries! The 34th Nimrod Literary Awards: Fiction & Poetry

The 34th Nimrod Literary Awards
The Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction &
The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry
 
Founded by Ruth G. Hardman
 
FIRST PLACE: $2,000 and publication
SECOND PLACE: $1,000 and publication
 
Contest Rules
 
Postmark Deadline: April 30, 2012
 
Poetry: 3-10 pages of poetry (one long poem or several short poems).
 
Fiction: 7,500 words maximum (one short story or a self-contained novel excerpt)
 
No previously published works or works accepted for publication elsewhere.  Author’s name must not appear on the manuscript.  Include a cover sheet containing major title and subtitles, author’s name, full address, phone & email. “Contest Entry” should be clearly indicated on both the outer envelope and the cover sheet. Manuscripts should be stapled, if possible; if not, please bind with a heavy clip. Manuscripts will not be returned.  Nimrod retains the right to publish any submission.  Include SASE for results only.  If no SASE is sent, no contest results will be sent; however, the results will be posted on Nimrod’s Web site. Submitters must be living in the US by October of 2012 to enter the contest.  Winners will also be brought to Tulsa for the Awards Ceremony in October. All finalists will be considered for publication.
 
Entry/Subscription Fee: $20 includes both entry fee & a one-year subscription (two issues).  Each entry must each be accompanied by a $20 fee.  Make checks payable to Nimrod.
 
Send to:
 
Nimrod Journal
Literary Contest–Fiction or Poetry
The University of Tulsa
800 S. Tucker Dr.
Tulsa, OK 74104

Visit the website: www.utulsa.edu/nimrod

www.facebook.com/nimrodjournal

The Vallum Award for Poetry 2012

Vallum Award for Poetry 2012

DEADLINE JULY 15, 2012 (postmark)

Some of the best poets in the world have graced the pages of
Vallum: new international poetics. Time to join the ranks!

Vallum is accepting original and previously unpublished poetry submissions for the Vallum Award for Poetry 2012.

ENTRY FEE:

$20 CDN for Canadian residents, $20 USD for international entrants, which includes a free one-year subscription to Vallum. Payment can be made by cheque (payable to “Vallum”) or through our online store hosted by PayPal.

CONTEST RULES:

Submit up to 1-3 poems of approximately 25 lines each. Do not label your poems with your name or address; instead include a cover letter with all pertinent information.

Poems may be on any theme or subject, but must be original and not previously published.

1st prize is $500, 2nd $250. Honourable Mentions may be selected and published but are not eligible for cash prizes. 

If mailing your entry, please send it to:

Vallum
Contest
PO Box 598, Victoria Station
Montreal, QC H3Z 2Y6
CANADA

YOU NOW HAVE THE OPTION TO SEND CONTEST SUBMISSIONS FOR THE VALLUM AWARD FOR POETRY ELECTRONICALLY, FOLLOWING PAYMENT OF ENTRY FEE.

Please write your name, contact information and each poem’s title in the body of the email. Include your poems in an attachment, without any identification. The contest is judged blind. Also write “VALLUM AWARD” in subject line of your email. Your contact information and poem titles must be clearly delineated.
SEND TO:  vallumcontest[at]gmail[dot]com

 Visit the website: http://vallummag.com/contestrules.html

 2011 Winners:

First Place: “Telecommuting Spouses” by Peter Richardson

Second Place: “Veninum Lupinum” by Jack Miller

Honourable Mention: “Dark Matter” by Roxanna Bennett

Honourable Mention: “Tougher Than Leather” by Joseph Anderson

Honourable Mention: “Up Ahead” by Lucy Ricciardi

Winning poems will appear in Vallum 9:1 “Pakistan.”

www.vallummag.com

Cactus Heart, a new e-literary journal: Call for Submissions: Deadline: April 15, 2012

Cactus Heart, a new e-literary journal, seeks original poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art & photography.

We seek spiny writing—writing that is sharp, relentless, coursing with energy and able to thrive in the harshest of places, all while maintaining a vulnerable, succulent interior. We want writing that makes us swoon (Same goes for drawings and photography.)

Inaugural issue – in full-color PDF format – is expected to go live May 15.

Submissions accepted on a rolling basis,

but must be received by April 15, 2012 to be considered for Issue #1.

For more information, visit: http://www.cactusheartpress.com

or email: sara@cactusheartpress.com

Weekly Writing Contest sponsored by Split Oak Press

Hi, I’m an intern at Split Oak Press and I’m running a free, weekly online writing contest. All that’s needed to enter is a twitter account, and access to our twitter page: @splitoakpress. 

 

The Official #Oakleaf Contest Rules

Split Oak Press wants to create a larger readership, and writership, so we will be sponsoring a weekly writing contest on Twitter. The design is to foster an online literary culture by inspiring clever works of prose that fit in the size of one tweet. We’re looking for the interesting and original entries that reverberate with honesty and integrity, evoking the humanity within each of us. The sign of beautiful writing is something difficult spoken simply. Responses can take any shape and form, be it poetry or flash fiction. The contest is open to anyone with a twitter account that follows Split Oak Press. Entries must be original responses to the tweeted prompt and must be finished within the limits of one normal tweet. 

Awards: The winning entry will be published online on our blog (and/or website). There will be additional prizes for future contests, but nothing other than digital publication is promised, unless advertised.

Submission Fee: It’s free to enter the contest, but users are only allowed one entry. You may not enter the contest multiple times with other usernames. In order to enter, you must retweet the writing prompt (it doesn’t matter if you retweet before or after you submit your work, but it must be done). In order for us to see your entry, you must include the hashtag #Oakleaf in your entry at the end.

Timing: We will tweet the writing prompt Mondays. Entries are due the following Friday by 5 P.M.

Judging:  The winner will be announced the Saturday following the contest deadline, at the earliest. At the latest, the winner will be announced before the next writing prompt is tweeted.

Note: If you have a photograph or an idea for a prompt, please send it to us and we will consider it!

Visit the blog:  http://splitoakpress.tumblr.com/post/17556184295/the-offical-oakleaf-contest-rules

Visit the Split Oak Press website: http://splitoakpress.com/

Contact page: http://splitoakpress.tumblr.com/ask

Last Call: The Missouri Review’s 5th Annual Audio Contest

Announcing The Missouri Review’s Audio Literary Competition:

$1,000 prizes awarded in 3 categories

The Missouri Review invites all writers and writer/producers to send us your recordings of original poetry or prose or your audio documentaries on any subject. All you need is a computer, microphone, software such as GarageBand or Audacity, and a great script!

This year, in an effort to expand the contest, we have opened submissions (previously $20) to a pay-by-donation entry fee. Your contribution of any amount includes a one-year, digital subscription to The Missouri Review, and all of your donation goes to support the production of The Missouri Review and its related programs.

Winners and select runners up will have their work featured on The Missouri Review’s website and as part of our iTunes podcast series. Entries will be judged by TMR’s editors in collaboration with guest judge Julie Shapiro of the Third Coast International Audio Festival.

Deadline: March 15th, 2012

Entries and payments are accepted by mail or online. For details, or to submit, please visit our website: http://www.missourireview.com/audiovisual/submissions/

The Ojai Wine Festival’s VIP Lounge Debut Inspires 2012 Expansion Sunday, June 10, 2012, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

The twenty-sixth annual Ojai Wine Festival will take place Sunday, June 10, 2012 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm on the shores of Lake Casitas. Producer of the event, Rotary Club of Ojai West, has made several enhancements to the festival. Last year’s exciting addition was the VIP Lounge.  For an upgraded ticket, patrons had exclusive use of a large canopy tent and patio area on the lakefront.  The lounge included many amenities, and was the perfect place to sit down, relax and take in the natural beauty of the lake. 

The VIP Lounge swiftly sold out and produced enthusiastic reaction from patrons and sponsors alike which has inspired the club to expand it for this year’s festival.  They have already begun work to improve the site in order to accommodate a larger VIP Lounge that will better compliment the Main Tasting Area.

“This year’s VIP Lounge is perfect for wine and beer connoisseurs and “foodies” alike,” states Wine Festival Executive Director, Angela May.   “Several wineries will be pouring their wines by the glass, including two outstanding Paso Robles wineries Le Vigne Winery and Nicora Wines.  Three craft Belgian draft beers: Stella Artois, Leffe and Hoegaarden will be served in specially designed take-home beer glasses to bring out the unique character of each beer.  A delicious selection of hors d’oeuvres will be served buffet style by Sakura Ojai Japanese and La Piu Bella Tavola Italian Catering.  Non-alcoholic beverages will also be served.  The expanded VIP area will have shared seating; shaded tables both under the canopy and in the fenced patio area.”

VIP Admission ($100 presale and $125 event day) includes all of the above plus a fine crystal keepsake wine glass, unlimited tastes of wine and beer in the Main Tasting Area and a 1hour early entry beginning at 12:00 pm.  There are a limited number of VIP tickets for sale and it is expected to sell out again, so order your tickets early if you want the VIP treatment.  Note: You must be 21 years old to enter the VIP Lounge.  No children will be allowed in the lounge area, although they are welcome in the main event area.  Non-VIP General Admission tickets start at $40 for advanced purchase and are $50 on event day.  Entry for General Admission begins at 1 pm. 

Tickets are on sale now on the Ojai Wine Festival’s website and will be made available for sale locally in April at the Attitude Adjustment Shoppe of Ojai or at Reid’s Appliances in Ventura and Santa Barbara.The festival is expecting over 60 wineries and 20 different kinds of beer.  To round out your wine and beer tasting experience you can shop at the craft and restaurant vendors, bid on the Silent Wine Auction, take a free boat ride on the lake or dance to two great bands: Sergeant Pepper and Captain Cardiac and the Coronaries. There is even a free hourly shuttle from various locations in the Ojai area graciously sponsored by Roadrunner Shuttle and Limousine Service.  Best of all, your participation charitably supports a big-hearted community service organization – The Rotary Club of Ojai-West.  For more information, please visit

www.OjaiWineFestival.comCalendar Details
26th Annual Ojai Wine Festival
Wine & beer tasting, food, craft vendors, silent auction and entertainment by the lakeside.
June 10, 2012 at Lake Casitas Recreational Area Event Site
1 to 5 PM
Tickets online at

www.ojaiwinefestival.com
Tickets on sale at Ojai’s Attitude Adjustment Shoppe or Reid’s Appliances of Ventura and Santa Barbara
Advance tickets receive deep discounts and there is a limited number of VIP and General Admission available.

PIPW Announces Workshops at Ojai WordFest on Saturday, March 31 Two half-day sessions will be held at World University in Ojai

The Pacific Institute for Professional Writing (PIPW) announced two educational workshops that in connection with the Second Annual Ojai WordFest March 24  – 31. PIPW will present a day of education on Saturday, March 31 at World University of Ojai. Additionally, PIPW will hold its first mentoring sessions – personalized one-on-one meetings with publishing industry professionals, to evaluate a writer’s work.

Editor and author, Shelly Lowenkopf, will lead PIPW’s morning workshop titled Genre Fiction: Your Ticket to Publication. The afternoon workshop is Author Promote Thyself, an interactive workshop, teaching the basic social media and press/media skills authors need to know and understand. This session will be lead by Kate Sexton, a career-long publicist, president of the Ventura County Writers Club, and executive director of PIPW. An author, publicist, and social media expert in the literary field will also speak at the event. These speakers will be announced shortly.

“We are very pleased to present these workshops to the local writing community, said Kate Sexton. “Our goal is to educate today’s authors, poets, playwrights, screenwriters and essayists through workshops, seminars and master classes. What better location than a new major literary event.”

MORNING WORKSHOP
Genre Fiction: Your Ticket to Publication will take place from 9 to Noon. Participants in Shelly’s interactive presentation will learn what the major selling genres are, what specific promises the readers in each genre expect, how the writer best fulfills them, and which of the genres may be combined (example:  Historical mystery). Shelly will also discuss the nature of genre characters and how to make readers invest in the activities of these characters. Since a thorough grounding in past genre conventions is an absolute necessity, Shelly will also discuss prerequisite reading in the major categories.

       

AFTERNOON WORKSHOP
Author Promote Thyself will take place from 1 to 4 PM and will offer a hands-on session for those attendees who wish to bring a laptop. With Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogging and other social media, capturing an audience has expanded many fold. How does an author decide which to use, or even concentrate on? Each of these outlets will be discussed, their strengths and audience evaluated. Working with the media is also important. Attendees will walk away with their first press release ready to go out. Wi-Fi will be available so bring your laptop and plug in. Participants in this workshop will be shown how to set up a Facebook page, a Twitter account, and how to design their own free website. The tools are out there. Learn how to use them.

       

Each three-hour workshop will cost $49, before March 20th and $59 afterwards. Seating is limited to fifty people per workshop. People wishing to sign up may do so at PIPW’s website: www.PacificInstituteforProfessionalWriting.com.

About the Pacific Institute for Professional Writing
   

The Pacific Institute for Professional Writing’s mission is to promote the skills and standards of professional writing. Our goals: to bridge the unpublished with the professional community of editors, agents and publishers; to produce quality events for the writing community and book lovers; to inspire a curiosity for written and performance related vision; to deliver professional level education on all types of writing; to encourage all new forms of written communication; to demonstrate effective written communication; and, to mentor the next generation of writers.The Pacific Institute for Professional Writing is a California 501 (c)(3) educational nonprofit, located in Santa Barbara, CA, serving the Central Coast. For more information on the Institute’s programs, visit our website: www.PacificInstituteForProfessionalWriting.com