The BookBaby’s Ultimate Book Publishing Sweepstakes

Enter to win BookBaby’s ultimate book publishing sweepstakes
Join the thousands of authors who have turned to BookBaby to help realize their dream of publishing their book. BookBaby offers an affordable way for authors to publish eBooks, distribute them to the world’s biggest online bookstores, and get custom, premium quality printed books in the format that best fits their genre – and now you have a chance to win all of this and more!

You can win:

• eBook Premium Publishing: Conversion of your electronic files to ePub and MOBI including graphics, electronic proofs of your final files, ISBN and priority distribution to our retailers.
• Worldwide eBook Distribution: Your eBook available for sale at Amazon, Apple’s iBookstore, Barnes & Noble and many other stores and catalogs.
• Cover Design: Deluxe cover design for both your eBook and printed books.
• Custom Printed Books with Interior Book Design: 100 premium quality printed books in the format that best fits your genre, shipped directly to you. Includes professionally formatted text and graphic design for the interior of your book and ISBN.
• Author’s Website Hosting: One year hosting subscription and domain registration on HostBaby for Authors, your online book marketing hub.

Total prize package value: $2,000!

No purchase necessary. Entry deadline: June 30, 2012. Winning name and email address chosen at random on July 2, 2012 and will be notified by email. See website for complete entry details.

CLICK HERE — >Learn more about the Sweepstakes Prize Package

 

Submit Poetry and Short Fiction to the 2012 LitPOP Awards

Enter the 2012 LitPOP Awards

Matrix Magazine and POP Montreal are searching for poetry and short fiction submissions to the 2012 LitPOP Awards. Prize includes airfare, accommodation and a VIP pass to the POP Montreal Festival plus publication in Matrix Magazine. Entry fee $25. Visit: www.matrixmagazine.org/litpop and www.popmontreal.com for more information.

Deadline: July 1, 2012.

Incredible prizes for incredible writing:

The POP Montreal International Music Festival and Matrix Magazine have joined forces to bring you Canada’s most innovative and exciting literary competition. We are looking for writing that makes ears ring and throats hoarse. So if you can bring the rock heat with poetry and/or short fiction, it’s time to break some hearts and/or scare some parents. If you have what it takes, you will get your work published in Matrix, and get free travel to POP Montreal for a night in your honour.

The winners, one from each category, will receive a round-trip ticket to POP Montreal from September 19-23, 2012, a VIP pass to the Pop Montreal Festival, free accommodation at a bed and breakfast, fall publication in Matrix Magazine with full honorarium, and presentation at a special Matrix Litpop event during the festival.

Submit by July 1, 2012. Winners will be notified in August. Poets are asked to send no more than 5 poems; fiction and non-fiction writers should send stories of no more than 3000 words. Each entry is 25$ and entries and entry fees should be mailed to Matrix Publications, 1400 de Maisonneuve Blvd W., LB 658, Montreal QC, H3G 1M8. Please include your email address. Cheques or money orders should be made out to “Matrix Publications.” PayPal is also available. Multiple entries are welcome. Entries can also be emailed to litpop2012@gmail.com and will be considered valid once payment is verified. Full contest rules and regulations can be found at popmontreal.com and matrixmagazine.org/litpop.

The POETRY judge is Ken Babstock, the author of Methodist Hatchet (Anansi 2011) and Airstream Land Yacht (Anansi, 2006) winner of The Trillium Prize for Poetry, finalist for the Governor General’s Award, The Griffin Prize for Poetry, and The Winterset Award. Earlier collections include Mean, winner of The Atlantic Poetry Prize and The Milton Acorn Award, and Days into Flatspin, winner of a K.M. Hunter Award and finalist for the Winterset Prize. All three books were listed in The Globe and Mail‘s Books of the Year. His poems have won Gold at the National Magazine Awards, appeared widely in anthologies in Canada, The US, and Ireland, and have been translated into French, German, Dutch, Serbo-Croatian and Czech. 

The FICTION judge is Melanie Little. Her debut book, the story collection Confidence, was shortlisted for the Danuta Gleed Award and named one of the Globe and Mail’s Top 100 books of 2003. Her writing has appeared in the anthologies Scribner’s Best of the Fiction Workshops, Outskirts: Women Writing from Small Places, Certain Things About My Mother, and Nerves Out Loud, as well as in magazines including The Malahat Review, sub-TERRAIN, Prairie Fire, Event, The Fiddlehead, and Books in Canada. Her essays and reviews have appeared in the Globe and Mail, Ottawa Citizen, Georgia Straight, Vancouver Sun, and National Post. She is a past winner of the Writers’ Union of Canada Short Prose Competition and the Periodical Writers’ Association of Canada Journalism Award. Little holds a Masters of Arts in English Literature from the University of Toronto and is a graduate of the MFA program in creative writing at the University of British Columbia, where she served as an editor of PRISM International. She is now the Senior Editor with Anansi Press.

Visit: www.matrixmagazine.org/litpop and www.popmontreal.com for more information!

Red Hen Press Writing and Poetry Awards Listing

Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award

For a full manuscript of poetry.

48 page minimum.

Judge: Katharine Coles

Award: $3,000 and publication of the collection with Red Hen Press.

Entry: $25

Deadline: August 31, 2012

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Short Story Award

Up to two stories can be submitted, maximum 25 pages each.

Judge: Mary Guterson

Award: $1,000 and publication in The Los Angeles Review.

Entry: $20

Deadline: June 30, 2012

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Ruskin Art Club Poetry Award

Up to three poems can be submitted, maximum 120 lines each.

Judge: Cynthia Hogue

Award: $1,000 & publication in The Los Angeles Review.

Entry: $20

Deadline: September 30, 2012

 

All submission to be submitted to:

Red Hen Press, [Award Name],

P.O. Box 40820, Pasadena, CA 91114

Include SASE for notification.

Names on cover sheet only.

 

Further information about all contests can be found at http://redhen.org/awards-2/

Salamander Fiction Contest

Salamander 2012 Fiction Prize
$1,500 Honorarium and Publication
Final Judge: Carolyn Cooke

Submit May 15 through June 15, 2012
Reading Fee: $15

Carolyn Cooke’s short fiction has appeared in AGNI, The Paris Review, Ploughshares, and several volumes of Best American Short Stories and Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards. Her short-story collection, The Bostons, was a winner of the PEN/Bingham Award and named one of the best books of the year by the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times. Her new novel, Daughters of the Revolution, was short-listed for the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize and appeared among the New Yorker Magazine Reviewers Favorite Books of 2011. She teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.

Submit Entries Online or by Mail to:
2012 Fiction Prize
Salamander/Suffolk University English Dept.
41 Temple Street
Boston, MA 02114
www.salamandermag.org

Further information and guidelines can be found at http://salamandermag.org/contests/
Questions can be sent to editors@salamandermag.org

The Fifth Annual Real Simple Life Lessons Essay Contest Rules

Enter the Fifth Annual Real Simple Life Lessons Contest

(http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/inspiration-motivation/second-annual-life-lessons-essay-contest-00000000013682/) 

and You Could Win $3000.

Tell us:  If you could change one decision that you made in the past, what would it be?

ONE WINNER WILL RECEIVE: 
•  $3,000 
•  Round-trip tickets for two to New York City, hotel accommodations for two nights, tickets to a Broadway play, and a lunch with Real Simple editors 
•  Publication in Real Simple Magazine 

Contest entries should be typed, double-spaced, and a maximum of 1,500 words.  No purchase necessary.  Contest begins at 12:01 A.M. on May 12, 2012, and ends at 11:50 P.M. on September 13, 2012.  Open to legal residents of the United States 19 or older at the time of entry.  Void where prohibited by law.  (All entries will not be returned.) 

TO ENTER send your typed, double-spaced submission (1,500 words maximum, preferably in a Microsoft  Word attachment) by e-mail to 
lifelessons@realsimple.com.  

For contest rules, visit: http://www.realsimple.com/magazine-more/inside-website/contests-sweepstakes/life-lessons-essay-contest-rules-00000000058214/index.html.

Sheila Bender’s current contest

Does the World Inspire You?

Summer Contest Reading Period May 30 to July 30, 2012

Do you have an essay or poems inspired by your observations of the world around you? It could be a scene or event in nature or even the world outside your window. Perhaps we can challenge you to write one especially for this contest.

Like some of our past contests, this one includes the opportunity for revision because Sheila believes in second chances. She will read and respond to your essays of up to six pages (1500 words) or three poems submitted online or through the mail along with a reading fee of $15 for members (it’s easy to  join). Entrants may revise and resubmit their work for final judging by a guest judge (to be announced) at no extra cost. Our contest deadlines offer you an incentive for creating new work and/or dusting off older work you’ve wanted to develop.

The guest judge will choose three winners from among all entrants; the winners receive free consults with Sheila as well as publication of their winning essay.  Sheila wants everyone to be a winner and by receiving her detailed response to your submitted writing, you get a head start in making your writing sing.

If you are not a current Writing It Real member, sign up to receive our quarterly announcements of events, classes and upcoming contests or become a member now.

Send us what you have already written on this topic (up to 1500 words or three poems) or create a new draft (even a freewrite will do). If you’d like, use this prompt for your freewrite: This is what I see from where I sit: ___________. And this is what I think of when I look more closely: ___________.

The online form allows you to pay the reading fee of $15 via paypal or you can mail a check to Writing It Real, 394 Colman Drive, Port Townsend, WA 98368. You’ll receive Sheila’s detailed response within one week. Revise and resubmit (at no extra charge) for the guest judge’s consideration.  The detailed response is guaranteed to speed you on your way to a finished piece, which may, of course, be longer or shorter than the original, as revision frequently means putting in what we left out or leaving out what turns out to be unnecessary. 1st place – two 30-minute consults with Sheila; 2nd and 3rd place, one 30-minute consult each.

Prepare your entries and enter soon!

The contest fee for nonmembers includes a $35 Courier level year’s membership to Writing It Real, plus the contest reading fee of $15. Please go to Writing It Real Contest to join now. If you are already a member, please login now to pay the $15 reading fee and make your contest submission.  After you submit your payment, you will be routed to the contest submission form.

If you have questions, email us; be sure your submission is attached as a double-spaced Word document. We will not be able to read submissions that are in another file type. If you prefer, send your double-spaced manuscript and a check to 394 Colman Drive, Port Townsend, WA 98368. Either way, include a cover letter with your name, address, email address and phone number as well as the name of your submitted pieces. Do not put your name on the submission itself.

Visit the website for details: http://writingitreal.com/writing-sheila/current-contest

Receive Global Exposure for Your Talents (Writers, Animators, Illustrators, and Musicians)

The app development team at Wickedly Sisters is sponsoring a contest to find writers, animators, illustrators and musicians to expand the storyline of the new, award winning iNovel app Spoon and the Moon. 

Spoon and the Moon is an interactive iNovel app with hot music performed by musicians from North America and Europe, along with whimsical animations and illustrations all woven through a magical storyline. Spoon and the Moon, International Gold Medal eLit Award winner for Illuminating Digital Publishing, is among the TOP 20 best selling apps from Amazon for Android™ Tablets and Kindle Fire™.

Here is a chance for you to get some global exposure for your talents by winning a spot in the next update and a $100.00 cash prize for the winners in each category. For contest details and rules, please go to www.spoonandthemoonapp.com.

The only fee to enter is the cost of the app, which is on sale now at an introductory .99 cents in the Amazon Apps for Android Store.

Davis Studio LLC

Wickedly Sisters

PO Box 4714-0714

Louisville, KY 40204

USA

www.spoonandthemoonapp.com

wickedlysisters@gmail.com

 

US Essay Contest to Honor Veterans and Win a Trip to Korea

June 30 submission deadline; Winners and their companions to receive All-Expenses-Paid VIP Trip to Korea in Sept. 2012; Students and military families are encouraged to submit.

The first US nation-wide essay contest entitled “Korean War Veteran’s Enduring Legacy” will be hosted by Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI USA), a Korean government agency in New York, to pay tributes to Korean War veterans. The contest, a part of the 2012 Body & Seoul – Korean War Veterans & Families Health Appreciation Event, is held in partnership with the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA).

“From the ashes of war, the Korean people today can enjoy our vibrant democracy and coveted economic prosperity. We owe our deep gratitude to the men and women who served to defend the freedom on the Korean peninsula against the reckless aggression from the communist North,” said Amb. Young-mok Kim of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York. “Korean War Veterans’ Enduring Legacy” is a noble and much needed endeavor to preserve the memories of the Korean War veterans and their valor and sacrifices.”

Open to all US Korean War veterans and their families, the commemorative essay contest marks the 59th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, of which date July 27 was proclaimed by President Barak Obama in 2010 as the National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day.

One person per veteran’s family (veteran, or a family member) is eligible to submit. Veterans may share his/her own recount of the Korean War, or family members may submit the story of their Korean War Veteran’s enduring legacy (living or deceased).

“As President of the Korean War Veterans Association, Inc., I believe that our members will welcome the opportunity to take part in this US nation-wide essay contest called the “Korean War Veterans Enduring Legacy.” I hope that many of our members or their families throughout the United States will take the time to submit their essay.” Said KWVA president William F. Mac Swain. “As Veterans of the Korean War, we need to take the time to relate to our nation what was accomplished when we stopped communism from spreading around the world. We appreciate the KHIDI USA for undertaking this project.

Two contest winners will receive grand prize of an exclusive, all-expenses-paid VIP trip to Korea for themselves and one additional travel companion each. The prize includes round trip business-class air tickets; hotel accommodation; KWVA Korea Revisit Program — http://bit.ly/e2YIXR — that includes a guided tour to Panmunjom, DMZ, Joint Security Area, Korean Folk Village Tour and banquet hosted by MPVA and KVA. Winners and their companions will also enjoy as part of the trip a health appreciation services at renowned hospitals in Seoul. The trip will take place Sept. 12-19, 2012.

”Since the armistice, the Republic of Korea has progressed by leaps and bounds, especially in the 21st Century’s innovative healthcare and well-being management as a global leader,” said KHIDI USA director-general Do-hyun Cho. “Commemorating the Korean War veterans’ immeasurable sacrifice and courage, we are proud to share Korea’s remarkable postwar achievements with them through this meaningful contest.”

To participate in the contest, submit an essay at least 1,000 words in length, in English, double spaced, and formatted for 8-1/2″ by 11″ paper as attachment. The essay topic is “The Korean War Veteran’s Enduring Legacy,” which should be specified in the email subject line as well. The body of email must contain contestant’s name; relationship to the veteran; veteran’s name, rank and year of service; home address; email; telephone number; and a recent photo of the contestant. All entries with appropriate information and attachments must be submitted to event(at)khidiusa(dot)org via email no later than June 30, 2012. Select entries will be published online and as a print publication to mark the occasion. The winners will be announced in July at an official ceremony in Washington D.C.

For more information, contact KHIDI USA at event(at)khidiusa(dot)org, (646) 380-1143, or visit http://www.KoreanWarEssayContest.org. The essay contest is supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the General Consulate of the Republic of Korea New York, Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), St. Mary’s Hospital, Chaum and Jaseng Hospital of Oriental Medicine.

About KHIDI: http://www.khidiusa.org
Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), a government institution in the Republic of Korea with offices around the world and in the U.S., is established to promote global healthcare partnerships and business, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics, foods and medical tourism.

About KOREAN WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION: http://www.kwva.org

Korean War and Korea Service Veterans – A Continuity of Service in the Defense of Freedom.

Gemini May issue: fiction, poetry, memoir & The 2012 Flash Fiction Contest

“Let’s Rob a Bank” (debut fiction from Anders Benson), “A Faithful, One Handbag Woman” (Sudha Balagopal), “Personal Foul” (Don Riesett) and other thought provoking work can now be found online in the May issue of Gemini Magazine.

THE 2012
GeminiMAGAZINE
FLASH FICTION CONTEST

Grand Prize: $1,000
Second Place: $100
Third Place: $50
Three Honorable Mentions
Entry fee: $4
($3 for each additional entry)
Deadline: August 31, 2012
Maximum length: 1,000 words

All Six Finalists Will Be Published Online in the
October 2012 Issue of Gemini.

Absolutely no restrictions on content, style or genre.
Simply send your best, most powerful work.

Why such a low entry fee for a major contest? So
EVERYONE can have a chance. Both new and experienced
writers have won our contests.
Visit the website for results of our previous fiction contests.

Website: http://www.gemini-magazine.com/contest.html

8 Apps Every Writer Should Have

If you’re tired of your Moleskine and think that Microsoft Word is for laughable tech dinosaurs, consider going mobile with your writing. With non-verbal communication becoming the norm in today’s fast-paced, tech-forward world, there are many new tools designed to help you get the most out of your writing time, and, indeed, your words. If you’re struck with inspiration when you’re on the go, at least one of these eight essential apps should be available at your fingertips. Beware, wannabe writers! Once you’ve downloaded any or all of these tools, you’ll have less of an excuse to say that you “just can’t find the time” to write. For professionals and amateurs alike, these eight mobile-friendly writing apps are great assets to your toolkit. 

Visit the website for more info:

http://www.onlineclasses.org/2012/05/20/8-apps-every-writer-should-have/

The Writer 2012 Travel Essay Contest

The Writer 2012 Travel Essay Contest

Have you learned something surprising about another culture – or your own? Met a memorable character who altered your world view in some way? Seen something monumental or simple that left an indelible impression? It’s time to write about your unforgettable experiences as a traveler, whether your travels took you to an exotic destination or a hometown treasure. We’re looking for personal stories of up to 1,200 words that convey readers to distant lands – or the park around the corner – to share the traveler’s experience and insight. 

Deadline: June 15, 2012  

Entry fee: $10 per entry.

Prizes: 

• First Place: $1,000 (USD); enrollment in a 10-week online writing workshop offered by Gotham Writers’ Workshop ($420 value); publication in The Writer and on WriterMag.com; and a one-year subscription to The Writer.

• Second Place: $300 (USD); enrollment in a four-week How to Get Published seminar taught online by a literary agent and Gotham Writers’ Workshop ($150 value); publication on WriterMag.com; and a one-year subscription to The Writer.

• Third Place: $200 (USD); enrollment in a four-week How to Get Published seminar taught online by a literary agent and Gotham Writers’ Workshop ($150 value); publication on WriterMag.com; and a one-year subscription to The Writer.

For rules and submission information: http://www.writermag.com/travelcontest

National Poetry Competition open for entries

Established in 1978, the Poetry Society’s National Poetry Competition is one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious poetry contests.

The judges this year are Vicki Feaver, W.N. Herbert and Nick Laird.

Winners include both established and emerging poets, and for many the prize has proved an important career milestone.

The prizes are: £5,000 for the overall winner, £2,000 for the second, £1,000 for the third, with seven commendations of £100.

The deadline is 31 October.

Enter online or download an entry form at:

http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/competitions/npc/

Memoirs Ink Writing Contest

Memoirs Ink is looking for original, well-written personal essays, memoirs, or stories that are based on autobiographical experiences. The narrative must be in first person, other than that, the contest is open to any type, genre or style of story. Stories can be funny or sad, serious, artsy or fragmented. We are interested in pushing the boundaries of memoir and also in just regular memoir that doesn’t try too hard–so long as it moves us. This contest is open to any writer, any age, writing in English–that means Canadians, Brits, Australians, Ugandans and anyone else anywhere can enter.

Max word count: 3000 words

1st Prize: $1,000
2nd Prize: $500 
3rd Prize: $250

Entry Fee: $17

Late entry fees require an additional $5. 

Deadline: August 1, 2012 (postmark)
Late Deadline: August 15, 2012 (postmark)

All winners receive publication on memoirsink.com

Visit the website for complete guidelines:

 http://memoirsink.com/writingcontestguidelines/

Got questions? Contact Jill at: memoirsink.com

Send entries to:
Memoirs Ink Writing Contest
10866 Washington Blvd, Suite 518,
Culver City, CA 90232

Creative Competitor Writing Competitions

Young Adult Fiction Competition

1st Prize: £200.00

2nd Prize: £150.00

3rd Prize: £100.00

Closing date: June 12th 2012

Entry Fee: £3.50 Free to Creative Competitor Premier1 Members

To win any one of our three fantastic prizes, simply create the opening page to  a young adult fiction story and send to us. There is no set word count but please note that your entry must fit onto one A4 page including the title.

Now remember that this story is aimed at the young adult market, so consider your terminology and style.

Your entry must be unique and previously unpublished. All submissions must be written in English.

Email: info@creative-competitor.co.uk

http://creativecompetitor.com/young-adult-fiction-contest/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Text Message Writing Competition

 1st Prize: £75.00

2nd Prize: £50.00

3rd Prize: 3 Months Premier1 Membership

Closing date: June 30th 2012

Entry fee: £2.00 or FREE to Premier1 Members

To win any of our great prizes, all you have to do to win this fantastic writing contest is to interpret the photo and create a text message in less than fifty words. You can be as creative as you like. Surprise us, shock us or simply impress us.

Please do not use ‘text speak’.

Email: info@creative-competitor.co.uk

http://creativecompetitor.com/the-text-message-writing-competition/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Family Secrets Writing Competitions

1st Prize: £150.00

2nd Prize: £100.00

3rd Prize: £75.00

Closing date: 10th July 2012

Entry Fee: £3.00 or FREE to Premier1 Members

Using the photo for inspiration, write a story around the couple and create a family secret. You have only 1200 words excluding the title  in which to wow us with your creativity so don’t waste a word.  All entries must be in English and be unique and previously unpublished.

Email: info@creative-competitor.co.uk

http://creativecompetitor.com/family-secrets-writing-competition/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

500 Word Fiction Competition

1st Prize: £150.00

2nd Prize: £100.00

3rd Prize: £75.00

Closing date: 25th July 2012

Entry fee: £3.00 or FREE to Premier1 Members

To win this fabulous writing competition, all you  have to do is to complete the story in 500 words or less. The title of the story is called ‘ Late’ and you have been given the opening sentence to start you off.

Late again! Vicky knew she was in real trouble this time….

The word count excludes the story title and the opening sentence. Your story must be written in English, be original and previously unpublished.

Competitors must be aged 18 and over to enter.

http://creativecompetitor.com/500-word-writing-competition/

Email: info@creative-competitor.co.uk

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Witness to Murder Writing Competition

1st Prize: £200.00

2nd Prize: £150.00

3rd Prize: £100.00

4th Prize: £50.00

Closing date: 10th August 2012

Entry Fee: £4.00

Imagine that you have witnessed a crime and your life may be in danger. This competition is all about your story-telling abilities writing the story in the first person as the crime and any potential risks unravel for the reader.

You have a maximum of 2000 words excluding the title.  Entries must be original and previously unpublished. All submissions must be written in English.

Email: info@creative-competitor.co.uk

http://creativecompetitor.com/witness-to-murder-writing-competition/

4’33” 60 Second: Flash Fiction contest/ results

Dear Writers –

We have just announced the winners and short listed entries for our 60 Second Story Contest.

You can find the results here:
http://www.fourthirtythree.com/contestresults.html

Thanks for entering.  The standard was incredibly high and the judges (the small group of volunteer editors who run 4’33”) would like to hear more stories like the ones entered in the competition, so whether you were successful or not please do consider submitting to our site generally – we like stories of up to about 5 minutes or 1000 words in length.

Thanks again – and happy National Flash Fiction Day!

To submit a story, visit our website: http://www.fourthirtythree.com/submit.html

All the best,
4’33”

Author Promote Thyself workshop series launched

Author Promote Thyself workshop series launched by Pacific Institute for Professional Writing throughout California

Cost effective education for authors wishing to learn to promote their books

(Santa Barbara, CA – May 15, 2012) – To sell books in today’s market, novice authors must establish an online presence, then do most of the work of promoting their books themselves. Even when published by one of the Big Six legacy houses, new authors must PROMOTE to gain sales and recognition. Recognizing this trend and the need for writers to know how to market their books, the Pacific Institute for Professional Writing (PIPW) has created a series of workshops called:  “Author Promote Thyself.” Through these techniques, writers will learn ways to turn promotion efforts into direct points of sale. The first five-day workshops will be held at Ojai Writers Conference, June 18 – 23 and June 25-29 plus a weekend intensive July 14 and 15 in Santa Barbara. Additional locations throughout California will be announced in June.

“We began these workshops last fall,” said Kate Sexton, executive director of PIPW. “From the post seminar surveys, we learned that attendees required information on basic skills. At Ojai WordFest, we produced a longer class with more details on using social media, blogging, and websites. Again we found that attendees wanted even more basic information. To fulfill that need, we have created five workshops: Book Marketing 101, Social Media Networks, Way Fast Websites, The Fine Art of Blogging, and, Book Publicity for Beginners.”

At the Ojai Writers Conference in June, writers can attend five afternoons of classes, each building upon the next. Every day will cover another of the five workshops from a basic outline of what is book promotion to how authors can use social networks to promote their books. These will be hands on classes and limited to nine attendees so that each writer receives individual attention. Writers are encouraged to bring their laptops so they can work in the class on creating a website, setting up a blog and viewing social networks.

The Santa Barbara weekend intensive will run from 9:30 am to 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday, June 14 and 15. This workshop will be limited to eight attendees. Writers are encouraged to bring their laptops as each segment of the intensive delivers hands on attention, helping writers craft an online image, a website, setting up a blog and proper social media for their book. Basic book publicity and marketing will be part of this class and writers will leave with one or two press releases they can send out promoting their book or an appearance.

As a bonus, attendees to both the Ojai Writer Conference APT workshops and the Weekend Intensive will receive a customized press list based on their book’s topic and genre. The list will be created from the world’s largest press database, Cision.

To learn more about each class and curriculum, visit: www.AuthorPromoteThyself.com.

All APT workshops are presented by the Pacific Institute for Professional Writing, a California educational nonprofit. Learn more about PIPW.

Media contact: Kathleen Kaiser, 805-524-6970 or Kathleen@KathleenKaiser.com.

About PIPW
The Pacific Institute for Professional Writing is a California 501 (c)(3) educational nonprofit, located in Santa Barbara, CA and serving California’s writing communities. For more information on the Institute’s programs, visit our website: www.PacificInstituteForProfessionalWriting.com

Winners of Fish Flash Fiction Prize

Michael Collins comes up with the results of the 2012 

Fish Poetry Prize.

1st  

Serene Suburban Sunday, Spring Street by John Mulligan (Ireland)

2nd 

Hard Times 2 by Mark Fiddes (England)

3rd  

Give a Sucker an Even Break by John Mulligan (Ireland)

HONORARY MENTIONS: 

Birthday Letters by Jennifer Cairns (England)

Ferrets by Amalia Burne

To Rhonda by Sean Murphy (USA)

Neighbourhood Watch by Lezanne Clannachan (Denmark)

The Taste of Death by Mo Loughlin (England)

My Bag by Fiona Price (Ireland)

In The Beginning by Danielle McLoughlin (Ireland)

NOTES:

Many thanks to Michael Collins for his time and wisdom. We appreciate his interest in emerging writers and in Fish’s efforts to bring the best of them to publication.

First prize is €1,000. All of the ten stories selected by Michael Collins will be published in the 2012 Fish Anthology. The launch and award ceremony will take place on 11 July at the West Cork Literary Festival. Chris Stewart, author and travel writer, will launch the Anthology. All are welcome.

The West Cork Literary Festival is a wonderful week for writers, readers, and revelers. Clem Cairns was the festival Director for 11 years before giving it up to run Fish Publishing full-time, so Fish’s involvement with it is long and deep. It is worth a visit for umpteen reasons – many of the readings are free, the workshops are varied and far-ranging in theme, and very reasonably priced, the line-up is superb, the festival is as small and friendly as the town it is in – the small fishing town of Bantry in West Cork, one of Ireland’s most beautiful places. Don’t miss it!

HELP!

We have not been able to contact the author of Ferrets, one of the Honorary Mentions. The name we have is Amalia Burne, though its possible it may be Burnet or something like it. We are appealing for anyone who knows the author to ask her to contact Fish Publishing.

ABOUT THE WINNER:

Author, journalist and Human-Rights activist John Mulligan is from Boyle in County Roscommon. He has had two non-fiction books published; “Dancing on the Waves”, and “Following in the Footsteps of the Four famous Flannerys” in 2007. His debut novel “No Place in the Sun” was published in 2010, and his latest novel “No Place Like Home” is available from Amazon in Kindle format. One of his song lyrics will be recorded by former Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan in August of this year. As well as writing newspaper features, John is working on a book about the Irish in Britain. www.johnmulligan.net

John is in the unprecedented position of coming both first and third in the Fish Flash Fiction Prize.

Visit the website: http://www.fishpublishing.com/short-stories-news.php#flashwinners2012

Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Announces 2012 Winners of Student Stowe Prize

Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Announces

2012 Winners of Student Stowe Prize

 

Hartford – The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center has selected Tess Domb Sadof of Amherst Regional High School (Amherst, MA) and Hannah C. Morgan of the University of Maryland (Washington D.C.) as the 2012 recipients of the inaugural Student Stowe Prize.

The Student Stowe Prize recognizes outstanding writing by United States high school and college students that motivates action for positive social change. The award follows last year’s Stowe Prize, presented to Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn for their work Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a ground-breaking epic in the tradition of Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

The two student winners will be honored at the Stowe Center’s Big Tent Celebration on June 5, 2012.  Annette Gordon-Reed, winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in History for The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, will present the award, which includes a $2,500 cash prize to Hannah Morgan, the college winner.  Former Connecticut State Senator Biagio “Billy” Ciotto will present the award and the $1,000 cash prize to Tess Domb Sadoff, the high school winner.  The cash awards are funded by the Stowe Center.

The Big Tent Celebration will be held on the grounds of the Stowe Center and is a fundraiser supporting the Center’s education programs promoting civic engagement.  The Hartford Financial Services Group is the Presenting Sponsor of the Big Tent. U.S. Congressman John B. Larson is the Honorary Chair.

Tickets to the Big Tent Celebration may be obtained by contacting swolcheski@stowecenter.org or calling 860-522-9258, ext. 305.  The $100 ticket includes cocktails, picnic supper and awards presentation.  The $150 ticket also includes a cocktail reception with Guest of Honor Annette Gordon-Reed.   A free public program, Inspiration to Action: Real Stories of Social Change, precedes the event from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. at Immanuel Congregational Church across the street from the Stowe Center.

Ms. Sadof’s winning entry took on the subject of bullying.  Her editorial, “Young Witnesses to Bullying Must Be Part of Solution,” appeared in the Daily Hampshire Gazette.  Ms. Sadof argues that bullying is not just between bully and victim, and that those who witness bullying make a choice to ignore it or intervene.  “I am committed to using dialogue to build a community where individuals take responsibility to acknowledge, address and respond to injustice,” says Sadof.  In addition to her writing, Ms. Sadof formed the first-ever School Climate Group at her high school to fight bullying and create a safe environment for all.

Ms. Morgan, a budding journalist, submitted her entry from Street Sense, a newspaper sold by homeless individuals in Washington D.C., shining a light on the harrowing life stories of those living on the edge of society.  Whereas many avoid making eye contact with people living on the street, Ms. Morgan wandered the city talking to homeless people and learning their stories.  She gave voice to their struggles through a series of articles which were also published by the Huffington Post and DC Impact.  “I heard harrowing tales of survival through hypothermia season, hurricanes, drug abuse and family tragedies,” says Morgan.  “And through all of this, I solidified my commitment to journalism.”

The winning entries were chosen from submissions from high school and college students throughout the country.  The panel of judges included Dr. Eugene Leach, Trinity College; Renwick Griswold, University of Hartford; Elizabeth Devine, Hall High School, West Hartford, CT; and Dr. William Silva, Lewis S. Mills School, Burlington, CT.

Harriet Beecher Stowe recognized the injustice of slavery and was compelled to take pen to paper and write Uncle Tom’s Cabin.  The Student Stowe Prize winners carry on Stowe’s work by fighting for social justice in our time.  The prize will be awarded every other year, alternating with the Harriet Beecher Stowe Prize for Writing for Social Justice.  Both prizes are integral to the Stowe Center’s mission to inspire social justice and positive change.

The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, a museum, program center and research library, is located at 77 Forest Street in Hartford, CT.  The Stowe Center is open year round for tours and programs. The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center preserves and interprets Stowe’s Hartford home and the Center’s historic collections, promotes vibrant discussion of her life and work, and inspires commitment to social justice and positive change. 

Visit the website: http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/worxcms_published/programs.items_page208.shtml

 

THE ETHER SCI-FI AND FANTASY WRiTING iPAD CONTEST

CALLING ALL SCI-FI AND FANTASY WRITERS

WIN AN IPAD WITH ETHER – OPEN NOW

The Ether Sci-Fi and Fantasy Writing Contest is open to any aspiring writer, anywhere in the world. We are looking for Sci-fi and fantasy stories of 3000 words or less, for downloading and reading on iPhones. Ether calls these ‘Quick Reads’. The stories will be available on our FREE app, which offers hundreds of quality short stories for any iPhone, iPad or iPod touch user.

WHO ARE WE?

Ether provides fantastic Quick Reads from both new and seriously famous writers like Hilary Mantel, Lionel Shriver, Paul McCartney, Alexander McCall Smith, Fay Weldon and many more. We currently publish our Quick Reads on iPhones and will be adding many more mobile devices during 2012. Have a look around some of the other blog posts on here and get to know us! We LOVE our writers and that’s why an important part of what we do is to give them a friendly, supportive community where they can connect with each other, share ideas, and make friends. Even though you will be taking part in a competition, you will benefit from this ethos in our dedicated contest Facebook group. You can see details of our product in the iTunes app Store. Enter, and your photo and story will be available for everyone to read on their iPhone, alongside those famous names. It’s free to enter and your writing career can begin!

WHAT DO WE WANT IN THIS CONTEST?

We want short stories from sci-fi and fantasy writers! That means ANYONE can enter. You should remember that we publish to iPhones – make sure your story works for reading on a mobile. For this contest we are looking for 3000 words or less. Your story could be about anyone, anything or anywhere, it just has to fit one (or both!) of these two genres.  ALL ENTRIES WILL GET PUBLISHED!

HOW CAN I ENTER?

We have an online submission process, which allows you to enter a story in the special genre we have set up for the competition. You will need to have a photo ready (a headshot please) and fill in some details and then you will be able to access our submission page. One entry per person please. It is open NOW!

 HOW DO I WIN?

We will have a period for submissions and a period for downloads. This means that we will close to new entries and then everyone’s story will be released on the same date so everyone will have the same amount of time to promote it. We are talking Facebook, twitter, blogs, videos, hot air balloon…. The more imaginative the better because the story with the most downloads wins! The Ether app is free to download in the iTunes App Store. Your content will appear in our app and will be free to download, so spread the word! People will be able to find your story by searching for it once they are in the app. Please note that we are looking for a minimum of 50 entries before we release the stories onto the app.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M WINNING?

We will keep you updated on our Facebook page by producing leader boards. So like us and stay in the loop. The numbers change all the time so the competition will be hot!

Email contest@etherbooks.com with your name and email with any questions!

VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS/ TO ENTER:

http://theetherblog.posterous.com/the-ether-sci-fi-and-fantasy-writing-ipad-con

Month Long Writers Conference in Ojai, California

Literary Vibe in Ojai: Summer Writers Workshops Offered the Entire Month of June. Ojai Aims to Attract Writers from Across the Nation and Around the World

(Ventura, CA – May 14, 2012) During June – the month of the Summer Solstice when the sun is highest in the sky and the sunset casts the most vibrant hues of pink across the Topa Topa mountain range – writers from around the world are invited to return to Ojai (or visit for the first time) for professional writing workshops offered by some of the best writing teachers on the planet.

“For writers worldwide, we want the month of June to become synonymous with writing in Ojai,” says Sequoia Hamilton, founder of Ojai Writers Conference and Ojai Summer Writers Workshops. “Last year, writers traveled as far away as Europe, Asia, South America, and Canada proving what many locals and visitors already know-that Ojai has international appeal and is a writer’s dream destination.”

“June in Ojai will be 30 days of cultural decadence,” adds Hamilton, “We’ll offer professional writing workshops and an eclectic mix of literary events such as Open Mic Poetry Jams, Well Red – a robust ‘Writers & Wine’ pairing, and a ‘Book Tea’ benefiting the Ojai Library featuring renowned authors and lecturers. Writers can also enjoy The Ojai Music Festival, The Ojai Wine Festival, The Lavender Festival and other vibrant community events. There’s no other place on earth I’d rather be in June than in my own hometown of Ojai.”

The writing workshops and literary events run Friday, June 1 thru Saturday, June 30 and range in price from $99 to $499 depending on topic and length. For those who live in the area or who plan to spend an entire month in Shangri-La, an all-access monthly pass is available for $1,499. For reservations or more educational information,

Visit www.OjaiWritersConference.com or call (805) 669-7373.

CALENDAR INFORMATION

Educational Programs for the Ojai Writers Conference and Workshops
June 2 – Memoir Workshop
June 3 – Screenwriting Workshop
June 9 – Memoir Workshop
June 10 – Humor Workshop
June 16 – Mythology: The Hero’s Journey

June 18 – 22 – Week long Workshops – Poetry Workshop; The Art of Memoir; The 10-day Book Project; Author Promote Thyself; Make Your Best Better: Perfect the First Paragraph, First Sentence, First Chapter; Playwriting Jumpstart; and, Spa-tacular Writing.
June 25-29 – Week long Workshops – Novel Lab for First Time Novelists; Poetry Bootcamp; The Short Story: Your Ticket to Publication; Author Promote Thyself; From Page to Stage; The 10-day Book Project, and, Spa-tacular Writing.
June 30 – Half-day workshops – Why Comics?; Book Marketing 101; I’ve Written a Great Screenplay- Now What?; Memoir

All classes take place in Ojai. Locations depend upon class.

Visit www.OjaiWritersConference.com for full schedule, curriculum and instructors, or call (805) 669-7373.

Philip Booth Poetry Prize

 Philip Booth Poetry Prize

$500 & publication in Salt Hill

Submission Period: May 15^th – August 1^st 2012

Guest judge will be National Book Award Finalist Bruce Smith.

 Guidelines: 

• Enter up to three poems, any length, any style, each starting on a new page. Submit all poems in one document.

• Only previously unpublished work is accepted.

• The Philip Booth prize is judged anonymously: your name and other identifiers (phone number, address, etc.) should NOT appear on any of the poems. 

• All submissions will be considered for general publication. If you would like to provide a bio, include it in the comments section when submitting. If you do not want your poems considered for general publication, include this in the comments section.

• There is a $15 submission fee which includes the issue in which the winning poem appears.

• Simultaneous submissions will be accepted as long as you notify us immediately of its acceptance elsewhere – unfortunately, for withdrawals, we cannot issue refunds. Multiple submissions are permitted, each with a paid submission fee.

• Family, colleagues, current and former students of the last two years of the guest judge are ineligible to submit. As are graduates and those affiliated with the Syracuse University Creative Writing Program.

DEADLINE: AUGUST 1, 2012

• Submit work at  http://salthill.submishmash.com/Submit

If there are questions or a need to retract a poem please send us an email: salthillpoetry@gmail.com

BEST NEW POEMS POETRY CONTEST

BEST NEW POEMS POETRY CONTEST

Enter the free poetry contest
for a chance to win money!
and/or
Help judge the poetry contest
for a chance to win money!

Submission Guidelines:

Only 1 poem will be accepted from each poet to be featured for each yearly contest. If you do not receive an acceptance Email within 5 days, you may submit up to 2 more poems to be considered.

The best new poems you submit must be your own original material that has not been previously published on any other public media platform.

Poems must be at least 10 lines and no more than 39 lines long.

The best new poems submitted must not contain curse words or adults only subject matter, keep em’ clean.

All styles of poetry are allowed.

All poems must be formatted into lines. Poems submitted in the form of a continuous paragraph will be discarded.

I reserve the right not to feature any poem submitted to the contest for any reason.

Note: The contest has a maximum of 350 poets that it can accommodate, so I can’t set a date. Once I receive 350 submissions that meet the submission guide lines, I will stop accepting submissions.

Visit the website: http://bestnewpoems.com/

Scare The Dickens Out of Us ghost story contest

Our ghost story writing contest and fundraiser for the Dr. Eugene Clark Library in Lockhart, Texas, has entered its fourth year this 2012. We offer nice cash prizes and trophies for ghost story entries of 5,000 words or less for an entry fee of $20.00 that goes in its entirety to the Friends of the Dr. Eugene Clark Library.

First place prize is $1000.00 and a trophy. Second place prize is $500.00 and a ribbon. Third place prize is $250.00 and a ribbon. No publication is involved.

There is also a Junior contest for writers aged 12-18. The same rules apply to both contests. First prize for the junior contest is $250.00 and a ribbon. All other top contenders receive a prize ribbon. The junior contest entry fee is $5.00.

We want ghost stories of 5,000 words or less, written in English. No other restrictions apply. We accept entries from July 1, 2012; the deadline is October 1, 2012 (postmarked).

Full rules and entry forms are at http://clarklibraryfriends.com. You can also see a list of all winners from the past contests on this site.

Creative Competitor: Young Adult Fiction Contest

Young Adult Fiction Contest

1st Prize:£200.00

2nd Prize:£150.00

3rd Prize: £100.00

Closing date: June 12th 2012

Entry Fee: £3.50 Free to Creative Competitor Premier1 Members

To win any one of our three fantastic prizes, simply create the opening page to  a young adult fiction story and send to us. There is no set word count but please note that your entry must fit onto one A4 page including the title.

Now remember that this story is aimed at the young adult market, so consider your terminology and style.

Your entry must be unique and previously unpublished. All submissions must be written in English.

More info: http://creativecompetitor.com/young-adult-fiction-contest/

INKTEARS FLASH FICTION COMPETITION 2012

INKTEARS FLASH FICTION COMPETITION 2012

Now open for entries. 

Closing date 31 July 2012

There are six prizes available:  

Winner:  £300        

Runner Up:  £50                

4 x Highly Commended:  £25.00

All prize-winners will have their story published to the InkTears Readership and their Bio published on the InkTears website.

Fees: 1 entry £3.00 GBP; 2 entries £5.00 GBP; 3 entries £6.50 GBP; 4 entries £7.50 GBP

Length – submissions must be 500 words or less in length, any theme.

Full results will be posted on the InkTears website by 31^st October 2012.

NB: stories may have been previously published (in a magazine or online providing the author still owns the copyright and there is no exclusivity with the prior publication) or unpublished.  www.inktears.com for full details.  

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FOR FULL DETAILS, VISIT: www.inktears.com