Please see individual URLs for complete contest and anthology information and submission guidelines.

Upcoming Anthologies

Deadline: 03/09/10.
Submit to: Anthology of Memories of Hispanic Grandmothers as Remembered by Their Grandchildren. E-mail to: icas@stlawu.edu and mllorente@stlawu.edu.
Theme: See title.
Type: Short stories, poems, songs, essays, interviews, recipes, folk stories, nonfiction writing, and drawings in black and white along with a short narrative (10-12 pages MAX).
URL: Google for more information.

Deadline: 03/15/10.
Submit to: Flashlight Memories Anthology. Silver Boomer Books, 3301 S. 14th, Suite 16, PMB 134, Abilene, TX 79605, or e-mail (via pasted-in text) to: SilverBoomerBooks@gmail.com.
Theme: Childhood reading.
Type: Poetry (1 poem, 50 lines MAX, prefers shorter) and prose (1,500 words MAX).
URL: http://silverboomerbooks.com

Deadline: 03/31/10.
Submit to: The Way of the Wizard. E-mail your story as a DOC file (preferred) or as an RTF file to jjadams.anthology@gmail.com. Include the words “Wizards Submission” and the title of the story and your byline in the subject line of the e-mail.
Theme: Wizards, witchs, sorcerers, sorceresses, magic, fantasy, etc.
Type: Short stories (5,000 MAX).
URL: http://www.johnjosephadams.com/2009/06/guidelines-the-way-of-the-wizard

Deadline: 03/31/10.
Submit to: Becoming Anthology. Send via e-mail: becominganthology@gmail.com.
Theme: Women's stories.
Type: Personal essays (1,000 words MAX) or one poem.
URL: http://becominganthology.blogspot.com/2010/02/call-for-submissions.html

Deadline: 04/01/10.
Submit to: Bitch. Submit via online form: http://bitchmagazine.org/contact/editorial. Theme: Make-Believe; MUST BE a feminist response to pop culture.
Type: Essays (4,000 words MAX).
URL: http://bitchmagazine.org/guidelines.shtml

Deadline: 04/01/10.
Submit to: Witness. Submit via online form: http://witness.blackmountaininstitute.org/submit/login.php.
Theme: Blurring Borders.
Type: Poetry (5 poems MAX), short stories, and essays.
URL: http://witness.blackmountaininstitute.org/submit

Deadline: 04/15/10.
Submit to: A Whodunit Halloween. E-mail submissions to: whodunit@pillhillpress.com. Please put SUBMISSION - Title of Story in the subject line.
Theme: Halloween mysteries.
Type: Short stories (15,000 words MAX).
URL: http://www.pillhillpress.com/atlantis.html

Deadline: 04/15/10.
Submit to: Align with Global Harmony: Rainmaker’s Prayers Anthology. Send via Word attachment or pasted-in text to: hazelheron.press@gmail.com.
Theme: Environmental topics.
Type: Personal essays (1,000 words MAX).
URL: http://shinanbarclay.vox.com

Deadline: 04/20/10.
Submit to: A Cup of Comfort. Submit via online form: http://www.cupofcomfort.com/memberlogin.
Theme: For Couples.
Type: Personal essays (2,000 words MAX).
URL: http://www.cupofcomfort.com/CallForSubmissions

Deadline: 05/01/10.
Submit to: The Christmas Spirit. Send via online form: http://www.christmasspiritbook.com/story.html
Theme: Christmas.
Type: Personal essays (1,300 words MAX).
URL: http://www.christmasspiritbook.com

Deadline: 05/01/10.
Submit to: The First Line. E-mail (via MS Word or WordPerfect attachment) to: submission@thefirstline.com.
Theme: Every story starts out the same: Paul and Miriam Kaufman met the old-fashioned way.
Type: Short stories (3,000 words MAX).
URL: http://www.thefirstline.com

Deadline: 06/01/10.
Submit to: Pockets. Lynn W. Gilliam, Editor. PO Box 340004, Nashville, TN 37203-0004. 
Theme: Respect. MUST BE appropriate for 8- to 12-year-old Christians. 
Type: Poetry (20 lines MAX), short stories (1,000 words MAX), and essays (1,000 words MAX).
URL: http://pockets.upperroom.org/themes

Deadline: 06/30/10.
Submit to: Cancer Anthology. E-mail to: info@divinetruthpress.com.
Theme: Your journey with cancer, the journey of a loved one, or your secondhand experience as caregiver or medical professional.
Type: Personal essays (500 to 1,500 words MAX).
URL: http://divinetruthpress.atwc1.com/submissions/cancer-anthology

Deadline: 06/30/10.
Submit to: The Haiti I Knew, The Haiti I know, The Haiti I Want to Know.  E-mail (via attachment) to: jessfievre@gmail.com. Put “Anthology” in the subject line.
Theme: Contemporary Writings by Haitian Women.
Type: Short stories and personal essays (3,000-5,000 words MAX).
URL: http://wwohd.blogspot.com/2009/04/call-for-submissions.html

Deadline: 08/01/10.
Submit to: Rattle. E-mail (via pasted-in text) to: submissions@rattle.com.
Theme: Masters of Mental Health.
Type: Poetry and essays (5,000 words MAX).
URL: http://www.rattle.com/callsforsubs.html

Deadline: 09/10/10 or until issue is full. Check Web site below.
Submit to: Workers Write! E-mail to: courtroom@workerswritejournal.com, or send a hard copy to: Blue Cubicle Press, PO Box 250382, Plano, TX 75025-0382.
Theme: Tales from the Courtroom.
Type: Short stories (5,000 words MAX).
URL: http://www.workerswritejournal.com

Deadline: 12/31/10.
Submit to: The Untidy Season: An Anthology of Nebraska Women Poets. The Backwaters Press, PO Box 8067, Omaha, NE 68108, or e-mail (via attachment) to: theuntidyseason@yahoo.com.
Theme: Contributors must be Nebraskan women, which includes all women born or currently residing in Nebraska. Poets who have previously lived in Nebraska for a period of not less than 10 years will also be considered.
Type: Poems (3-5 poems, 10 pages MAX).
URL: http://backwaterpress.com

Deadline: N/A.
Submit to: editor@dreamofthings.com
Theme: Various topics based on one of 15 themes. See http://dreamofthings.com/workshop-2 for more details.
Type: Personal essays (500-5,000 words MAX).
URL: http://dreamofthings.com/guidelines 

---

Upcoming Contests

Deadline: 03/15/10.
Submit to: Bellday Poetry Prize, Bellday Books, Inc., PO Box 3687, Pittsburgh, PA 15230.
Entry fee: $25.  First prize: $2,000 and 25 copies of the book.
Type: Poetry (60 to 90 pages MAX).
URL: http://www.belldaybooks.com/contest.html

Deadline: 03/15/10
Submit to: Noemi Book Award for Poetry, PO Box 1330, Mesilla Park, NM 88047.
Entry fee: $25. First prize: $1,000 and 10 author's copies.
Type: Poetry (48 to 70 pages MAX).
URL: http://noemipress.org/contest.html

Deadline: 03/15/10.
Submit to: The Pinch Fiction Contest or Poetry Contest, Department of English, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152-6176.
Entry fee: $20. First prize: $1,500 (fiction) and $1,000 (poetry) and publication.
Type: Poetry (1 - 3 poems) and fiction (5,000 words MAX).
URL: http://cassian.memphis.edu/pinch/contest/contest.html

Deadline: 03/15/10.
Submit to: Prairie Schooner Prize Series, Attn: Fiction or Poetry, 201 Andrews Hall, PO Box 880334, Lincoln NE 68588-0334.
Entry fee: $25. First prize: $3,000 and publication.
Type: Prose (150 pages MIN) and poetry (50 pages MIN).
URL: http://prairieschooner.unl.edu/prizes/index.html

Deadline: 03/15/10.
Submit to: The South Carolina Review Poetry Contest, 611 Strode Tower, Box 340522, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0522.
Entry fee: $20. First prize: $500 and an invitation to read at the Clemson Literary Festival in April.
Type: Poetry (4 titles, 10 pages MAX).
URL: http://www.clemson.edu/caah/cedp/cudp/scr/poetry_contest.pdf

Deadline: 03/15/10.
Submit to: So to Speak (Fiction Contest), George Mason University, MSN 2C5, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.
Entry fee: $15. First prize: $500 and publication. 
Type: Short stories (5,000 words MAX).
URL: http://www.gmu.edu/org/sts/contests.php

Deadline: 03/15/10.
Submit to: Spokane Prize for Short Fiction. Willow Springs Books, c/o Inland NW Center for Writers, 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd, Ste 425, Spokane, WA 99202.
Entry fee: $25. First prize: $2,000, plus publication.
Type: Book-length manuscript (at least 98 pages).
URL: http://willowsprings.ewu.edu/spokaneprize

Deadline: 03/15/10.
Submit to: The Tusculum Review Poetry Prize, 60 Shiloh Road, PO Box 5113, Greeneville, TN 37743.
Entry fee: $15. First prize: $1,000 and publication.
Type: Poetry (5 titles, 10 pages MAX).
URL: http://www2.tusculum.edu/tusculumreview/contest

Deadline: 03/30/10.
Submit to: DPR/BRIERY CREEK, Department of English, Longwood University, 201 High Street, Farmville, VA 23909.
Entry fee: $20. First prize: $1,000 plus 50 books, a reading, and a letter-pressed broadside created by book-artist Kerri Cushman. 
Type: Poetry collection (48 - 60 pages MAX).
URL: http://www.brierycreekpress.org/mod/resource/view.php?id=3

Deadline: 03/31/10.
Submit to: Winning Writers, Attn: Tom Howard Short Story Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060, or send via online form: https://www.winningwriters.com/contests/tomstory/ts_subonline.php.
Entry fee: $15. First prize: $3,000 and online publication.
Type: Prose (5,000 MAX)
URL: http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/tomstory/ts_guidelines.php

Deadline: 03/31/10.
Submit to: Gemini Magazine Contest. PO Box 1485, Onset, MA 02558, or send via e-mail to: contest@gemini-magazine.com (pay via PayPal).
Entry fee: $4. First prize: $1,000 and publication.
Type: Short stories.
URL: http://www.gemini-magazine.com/contest.html

Deadline: 03/31/10.
Submit to: P53 Open Awards Contest, PO Box 30314, Winston-Salem, NC 27130-0314.
Entry fee: $15. First prize: in each category will receive the Press 53 Open Award (a beautiful, personalized, etched-glass award), publication in the Press 53 Open Awards Anthology, two complimentary copies of the book in which the work appears, and a winner's discount on unlimited additional copies to sell on his or her Web site or at readings.
Type: Poetry (3 poems, 10 pages MAX) and prose (see word count restrictions on Web site).
URL: http://www.press53.com/OpenAwards_2010.html

Deadline: 03/31/10.
Submit to: Four Way Books, PO Box 535 Village Station, New York, New York 10014, or send via online form (preferred): http://www.fourwaybooks.com/2010contest_form.php.
Entry fee: $25. First prize: $1,000 and publication.
Type: Poetry (48-80 pages MAX).
URL: http://www.fourwaybooks.com/contest.php?PHPSESSID=ea76006d2a72d8d7506c8fede4e79d7a

Deadline: 03/31/10.
Submit to: Stephen F. Austin State University Press, (Indicate FICTION OR POETRY PRIZE), c/o Department of English, PO Box 13007 SFA Station, Nacogdoches, TX 75962-3007.
Entry fee: $25. First prize: $1,000 and publication.
Type: Fiction (at least 150 pages) or poetry (60 pages MAX).
URL: http://sfapress.sfasu.edu

Deadline: 03/31/10.
Submit to: Writecorner Press, Koeppel Contest - Poetry, PO Box 140310, Gainesville, FL 32614.
Entry fee: $5. First prize: $500 and online publication.
Type: Poetry (40 lines MAX).
URL: http://www.writecorner.com/poetry_guidelines.asp

Deadline: 04/01/10.
Submit to: BOMB Magazine, 2010 Poetry Contest, 80 Hanson Place, #703, Brooklyn, NY 11217.
Entry fee: $20. First prize: $500 and publication. 
Type: Poetry (5 poems MAX).
URL: http://bombsite.com/issues/0/articles/3406

Deadline: 04/01/10.
Submit to: Passager, 1420 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-5779. 
Entry fee: $20. First prize: $300 and publication. 
Type: Poetry from writers over 50, (5 poems, 50 lines MAX). 
URL: http://www.ubalt.edu/passager/guidelines.htm

Deadline: 04/01/10. 
Submit to: TIFERET Poetry Contest. Send via online form at: http://www.tiferetsubmissions.com.
Entry fee: $5/poem. First prize: $500 and publication.
Type: Poetry (10 poems MAX).
URL: http://tiferetjournal.com/2010/01/01/enter-the-2010-tiferet-poetry-contest-500-first-prize

Deadline: 04/01/10.
Submit to: Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest. Send via online form at: http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/wergle/we_subonline_step1.php.
Entry fee: FREE. First prize: $1,500 and online publication.
Type: Poetry.
URL: http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/wergle/we_guidelines.php

Deadline: 04/02/10.
Submit to: Creative Nonfiction. Attn: End of Life Stories, 5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202, Pittsburgh, PA 15232.
Entry fee: $20. First prize: $1,500.
Type: Essays that explore death, dying, and end of life care (5,000 words MAX).
URL: http://www.creativenonfiction.org/thejournal/submittocnf.htm#EndofLife

Deadline: 04/02/10.
Submit to: Creative Nonfiction. Attn: Animals, 5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202, Pittsburgh, PA 15232.
Entry fee: $20. First prize: $1,000 and publication.
Type: Essays on animals (5,000 words MAX).
URL: http://www.creativenonfiction.org/thejournal/submittocnf.htm#Animals

Deadline: 04/02/10.
Submit to: 2010 Robert Watson Poetry Award, sponsored by storySouth and Spring Garden Press. Send online at: http://www.springgardenpress.com/submissions.
Entry fee: $12. First prize: $500 and the publication of a beautifully designed, letterpress-printed, limited-edition chapbook. 
Type: Poetry collection (24 pages MAX).
URL: http://www.springgardenpress.com/spg/contests.html

Deadline: 04/11/10.
Submit to: 5th Annual Warren Adler Short Story Contest. Send via online form: http://www.warrenadler.com/writing-contest.shtml
Entry fee: $15. First prize: $1,000 and online publication.
Type: Short stories (2,500 words MAX).
URL: http://www.warrenadler.com/writing-contest.shtml 

Deadline: 04/15/10.
Submit to: 11th Annual Tupelo Press/Crazyhorse Award for a First or Second Book of Poetry. Send via online form to: http://www.tupelosubmissions.org, or mail to: PO Box 1767, North Adams, MA 01247. 
Entry fee: $25. First prize: $3,000 and publication. 
Type: Poetry (48 - 88 pages MAX).
URL: http://www.tupelopress.org/first.php

Deadline: 04/20/10.
Submit to: A Cup of Comfort for Couples / REDBOOK Story Contest. Send via online form: http://cupofcomfort.com/submit_story.aspx?StoryType=Submit%20Story
Entry fee: None. First prize: $1,000, plus publication.
Type: Personal essays. MUST BE uplifiting (2,000 words MAX).
URL: http://cupofcomfort.com/lovestory 

Deadline: 04/30/10.
Submit to: E.M. Koeppel Short Fiction Award Koeppel Contest, POB 140310, Gainesville, FL 32614.
Entry fee: $15. First prize: $1,100 and online publication.
Type: Short stories (3,000 words MAX).
URL: http://www.writecorner.com/printable.asp

Deadline: 05/14/10.
Submit to: The Annual Writer’s Digest Competition. Send via online form to: https://competitions.fwmedia.com/dynamiccompetition/wdannual2010/entry_form.
Entry fee: $15 for poetry and $20 for all other manuscripts. First prize: $3,000 plus a trip to New York City to meet with editors or agents. 
Type: Various types. See Web site for more info.
URL: http://writersdigest.com/annual

Deadline: 05/15/10.
Submit to: H.O.W. Journal Short Story Contest, 12 Desbrosses Street, New York, NY 10013.
Entry fee: $20. First prize: $1000 and publication.
Type: Short stories (12,000 words MAX).
URL: http://www.howjournal.com/submit-contests.html

Deadline: 05/15/10.
Submit to: Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition, PO Box 993, Key West, FL 33041, or e-mail to shortstorykw@gmail.com.
Entry fee: $12.  First prize: $1,000 and publication.
Type: Short stories (3,000 words MAX).
URL: http://www.shortstorycompetition.com/guidelines.php

Deadline: 05/18/10.
Submit to: New Letters Literary Awards, University House, 5101 Rockhill Road,
University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64110, or submit online at http://www.newletters.org.
Entry fee: $15. First prize: $1,500.
Type: Poetry (6 poems MAX), essays, and short stories (8,000 words MAX).
URL: http://www.newletters.org/PDFs/2010%20Contest%20Guidelines%20.pdf

Deadline: 05/31/10.
Submit to: River Styx Poetry Contest, 3527 Olive Street, Suite 107, St. Louis, MO 63103-1014.
Entry fee: $20. First prize: $1,500 and publication.
Type: Poetry (3 titles, 14 pages MAX).
URL: http://www.riverstyx.org/contests/index.php

Deadline: 05/31/10.
Submit to: 2010 Linda Bromberg Literary Award, Quiddity, 1500 North Fifth Street, Springfield, IL 62702.
Entry fee: $12. First prize: $500 and publication.
Type: Prose poem (1 poem).
URL: http://www.sci.edu/quiddity/download/2010LindaBrombergLiteraryAward.pdf

Deadline: 05/31/10.
Submit to: Winning Writers, Attn: War Poetry Contest, 351 Pleasant St., PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060-3961, or send via online form at: https://www.winningwriters.com/contests/war/wa_subonline.php
Entry fee: $15. First prize: $2,000 and online publication.
Type: Poetry on the theme of war (1 - 3 poems, 500 lines MAX),
URL: http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/war/wa_guidelines.php

Deadline: 06/01/10.
Submit to: Poetry Contest, Boston Review, 35 Medford St., Suite 302, Somerville, MA 02143
Entry fee: $20. First prize: $1,500 and publication.
Type: Poetry (5 poems MAX).
URL: http://bostonreview.net/about/contest/#Thirteenth

Deadline: 06/10/10.
Submit to: The Writers' Circle, 1087 Warwick Ave., Warwick, RI 02888.
Entry fee: $10. First prize: $500 and publication. 
Type: Short stories (1,000 words MAX).
URL: http://www.riwriterscircle.com/deadlines.html

Deadline: 06/30/10.
Submit to: Winning Writers, Attn: Margaret Reid Poetry Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060, or send via online form at: https://www.winningwriters.com/contests/margaret/ma_subonline.php.
Entry fee: $7 (for 25 lines). First prize: $3,000 and online publication.
Type: Poetry.
URL: http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/margaret/ma_guidelines.php

Deadline: 09/30/10.
Submit to: Poetry Editor, The Ohio State University Press, 180 Pressey Hall, 1070 Carmack Road, Columbus OH 43210-1002.
Entry fee: $25. First prize: $3,000.
Type: Poetry (48 pages MAX).
URL: http://www.ohiostatepress.org/Books/Series%20Pages/Poetry.html

Deadline: 10/15/10.
Submit to: So to Speak (Poetry or Nonfiction Contest), George Mason University, MSN 2C5, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.
Entry fee: $15. First prize: $500 and publication. 
Type: Poetry (5 poems, 10 pages MAX) or essays (4,000 words MAX)
URL: http://www.gmu.edu/org/sts/contests.php

 

Upcoming Conferences and Events

USA

California

International Women’s Writing Guild: The California Conference – Entering the Writer’s Sacred Playground.
Conference dates: March 12 – March 14, 2010.
Workshops: The Form – When One Genre Meets Another: Mary Reynolds Thompson and Richelle McClain, The Craft – Playing with Language and Structure: Rachel de Baere, and The Power of the Collaborative Process – Creating in Community: Mary, Richelle and Rachel.
PROGRAM: What happens when an essay behaves more like a poem?  When memoir bleeds into fiction?  Or when reportage turns into reflection?  Spend a weekend dedicated to drawing from the repertoire of genres to create surprising and dynamic writing. Whether you’re a new or seasoned writer, this weekend will rejuvenate you and your craft.
Contact: ItsmeRach@comcast.net
URL: http://www.iwwg.org

Weekend of Poetry
Conference dates: March 12 - 14, 2010.
Dorianne Laux is the featured poet. The weekend offers workshops with award-winning poets, as well as opportunities to craft and receive feedback on your own work. A master class with Laux wraps up the weekend.
Contact: info@sbwriters.com
URL: http://www.sbwriters.com

White Lotus Poetry Workshop
Conference dates: March 12 - 14, 2010.
Ellen Bass's recent book of poems, The Human Line, was published by Copper Canyon Press in 2007 to favorable reviews. She is known for her lively and bold poems about the everyday. Her poems have the elements of quiet joy and true comfort.
Contact: victors75@rattlebrain.com
URL: http://www.esalen.org

Bay Area Independent Publishers Association 2010 Get Published! Institute
Conference date: March 13, 2010.
Where book publishing is going. Featuring Danny O. Snow - SNCR, Kemble Scott - author/SoMa Literary Review, David Mathison - Be the Media - Book/Speaker.
Contact: Lin A. Lacombe at llacombe@earthlink.net
URL: http://www.baipa.org

First-person Writing That Sells with Adair Lara
Registration deadline: March 18, 2010. Conference dates: March 20 - 21, 2010.
This is an opportunity to draw on your own life experience and find out how to get your work published. Whether you're just beginning or have already published, you will enjoy this time with the author of best-selling books such as Hold Me Close, Let Me Go, The Granny Diaries, and her newest, Naked, Drunk, and Writing.
Contact: crow@starwae.com
URL: http://www.starwae.com

Travel Writing That Sells
Registration deadline: April 15, 2010. Conference dates: April 17 - 18, 2010.
Spend a lively and supportive weekend learning travel writing from veteran travel editor John Flinn. Whether you’re new to professional writing or have been published, you’ll learn how to turn your travel experiences into magazine and newspaper articles that sell. John edited the award-winning San Francisco Chronicle Travel Section for 14 years and is a winner of a Lowell Thomas Award for Travel Journalist of the Year from the Society of American Travel Writers. His writing has appeared in Outside Magazine, Sunset, VIA, Coastal Living, Climbing, and numerous anthologies, including Travelers’ Tales: Tuscany and Not So Funny When It Happened.
Contact: crow@starwae.com
URL: http://www.starwae.com

Santa Barbara Writers Conference
Conference dates: June 17 - 23, 2010.
The Santa Barbara Writers Conference celebrates its 37th year with six days of craft-based workshops, panel discussions, and talks by celebrated authors Ray Bradbury, Pico Iyer, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Ron McLarty, and Luis Alberto Urrea. Join us for a week of writing on the beautiful American Riviera!
Contact: info@sbwriters.com
URL: http://www.sbwriters.com

California Writers Coalition
Year-round events.
California Writers is a club for, by and of writers – across all genres and level of skill. We educate, we learn, we grow, we support each other.
Contact: cwcsfv@gmail.com
URL: http://www.calwriterssfv.com/home.htm

Lakeshore Writers Workshops
Conference dates: Contact T. Burns Gunther to find out specifics.
Workshops are an outgrowth of the method developed by Pat Schneider, founder of Amherst Writers & Artists. The method is based upon the philosophy that "every person is a writer, and every writer deserves a safe environment in which to experiment, learn, and develop craft."
Contact: T. Burns Gunther at teresa@lakeshorewriters.net.
URL: http://www.lakeshorewriters.net

The 2010 Clarion Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers' Workshop.
Registration deadline: March 1, 2010. Conference dates: June 27 through August 7, 2010.
Established in 1968, the Clarion Writers' Workshop is the oldest workshop of its kind and is widely recognized as a premier proving and training ground for aspiring writers of fantasy and science fiction. Many graduates have become well-known writers, and a large number have won major awards. Instructors are among the most respected writers and editors working in the field today. The six-week workshop is held on the beautiful beachside campus of the University of California, San Diego. The instructors will be Delia Sherman, George R.R. Martin, Dale Bailey, Samuel R. Delany, Jeff VanderMeer, and Ann VanderMeer.
Contact: Hadas Blinder at Clarion@ucsd.edu.
URL: http://www.clarionwest.org

Delaware

Writers at the Beach: Pure Sea Glass 
Early bird deadline: February 15, 2010. Conference dates: March 26 - 28, 2010. 
Over 35 nationally renowned authors, agents, and publishers volunteer their time to this event. Over 35 intimate workshops, numerous panel discussions, and 100% of net proceeds donated to charity. 
Contact: contactus@rehobothbeachwritersguild.com
URL: http://www.writersatthebeach.com 

Florida

Tallahassee Festival of Books and Writers Conference 
Registration deadline: March 12, 2010. Conference dates: March 19 - 21, 2009. 
Julianna Baggott, Mike Grunwald, Claudia Hunter-Johnson, Donald Maass, Lisa Rector-Maass, Jeff Shaara, Lucia Robson, Don Yaeger, and more. 
URL: http://www.tallahasseewriters.net

Iowa

David R. Collins Writers’ Conference
Registration deadline: June 23, 2010. Conference dates: June 23 - 25, 2010.
This three day conference will offer workshops in creative nonfiction, freelancing, nonfiction, poetry, publishing, and marketing. Cecil Murphey, coauthor of the New York Times best-selling book, 90 Minutes in Heaven, will teach a workshop on fiction and will speak at our author luncheon on June 24. 
Contact: mwc@midwestwritingcenter.org
URL: http://www.midwestwritingcenter.org/WhatWeDo/2009%20Conference.htm

The First Quad City Book Fair
May 8, 2010.
Offers authors a forum to personally display, promote and sell their books to the public, but also an opportunity to meet and discuss marketing, networking and advertising with their peers. See URL below for registration information.
Contact: mwc@midwestwritingcenter.org
URL: http://qcbookfair.blogspot.com or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quad-City-Book-Fair/298387271635

Kansas

Called To Write Conference
Conference dates: April 9 - 10, 2010.
10 workshops, guest speaker Cecil Murphey.
Contact: Carol Russell at rlrussell@ckt.net
URL: http://www.christianwritersfellowship.blogspot.com

Maine

The Remembered Self: A Memoir Workshop
Conference deadline: May 1, 2010. Conference dates: July 16 - 18, 2010.
This workshop is for those who want to begin a memoir or for those who have already begun one and feel overwhelmed or stuck. Learn how to mine stories, align with authentic voice, and shape material into scenes.
Contact: joan@fifthhouselodge.net
URL: http://www.fifthhouselodge.net

Nebraska

The Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska City, NE offers 2- to 8-week residencies year-round for writers, visual artists, and music composers. Housing, studio space, $100/week stipend are provided.
Approximately 50 residencies are awarded per year. Two deadlines each year: postmarked March 1 for the following July through December 15; postmarked September 1 for the following January through June 15.
Contact: info@KHNCenterfortheArts.org
URL: http://www.KHNCenterfortheArts.org

Nevada

TMCC Writers' Conference
Registration deadline: April 8, 2010. Conference date: April 17, 2010.
This Reno event provides participants with a casual, intimate atmosphere where they can take in marketing and craft workshops and meet one-on-one with the speaker of their choice. The 2010 slate of speakers includes agent/author Sheree Bykofsky, Ebook publisher Mark Coker, nonfiction agent Ted Weinstein, natural world memoirist Robert Leonard Reid, science fiction author Susan Palwick, and more.
Contact: 775-829-9010
URL: http://wdce.tmcc.edu (click on classroom courses, then conferences)

New Jersey

Velocicon Workshops
Registration deadline: February 4, 2010. Conference date: March 6, 2010.
Enjoy workshops geared toward the sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal writer, as well as experience a full-day program of paranormal professionals. Luncheon keynote speaker Dr Dave Goldberg, astrophysicist, will discuss the science of time travel. Paranormal presenters inlude para investigator tv personality and author Jeff Belenger; New Jersey Ghost Hunters Society; Robert Murch, leading Ouija historian; Aura Photography, and more.Writing workshops taught by a Hugo Award winner and best-selling authors of the genre. Book Fair and Paranormal Fair open to the public at conclusion of conference.
Contact: velocicon@yahoo.com
URL: http://www.velocicon.com

Spring Writers Conference
Conference date: April 17, 2010.
Various writing workshops. Keynote speaker is David Means, author of Assorted Fire Events, The Secret Goldfish, and others.
Contact: parrasj@wpunj.edu
URL: http://euphrates.wpunj.edu/faculty/parrasj/Conference/default.htm

New York

 

Millay Colony for the Arts
Registration deadline: October 1, 2010. Program dates: April - November.
Promoting the vitality of the arts and the development of writers, visual artists, and composers by providing a retreat for creative work.
Contact: residency@millaycolony.org
URL: http://www.millaycolony.org

North Carolina

Blue Ridge "Autumn in the Mountain" Novelist Retreat
Registration deadline: October 3, 2010. Conference dates: October 3 - 7, 2010.
All you ever wanted to know about writing/improving a novel: morning large group sessions, afternoon writing time, workshops, evening large group panels, Q & A, and more.
Contact: ylehman@bellsouth.net
URL: http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=164906

Ohio

Writing Works!
Registration deadline: April 23, 2010 by mail; at the door on May 1, 2010. Conference date: May 1, 2010.
This conference is the seventh year that Columbus State has offered a writing conference. Our keynote speaker is David Rakoff, author of Fraud; Rakoff will also be giving a one-hour writing workshop at this year’s event.
Contact: Rita Rice at rrice@cscc.edu
URL: http://www.cscc.edu/writersconference/index.shtml

Oregon

 

Pennsylvania

The Write Stuff
Early-bird deadline: February 25, 2010. Mail-in registration deadline: March 12, 2010. Conference dates: March 25 - 27, 2010.
Our keynote speaker, noted creative writing teacher James N. Frey (How To Write A Damn Good Novel), will give a 2-day pre-conference workshop, "How to Plot Like the Pros." Conference offers fiction, nonfiction, business of publishing, agents, editors, book fair, flash contest.
Contact: WriteStuffAdmin@gmail.com
URL: http://www.glvwg.org/conference/index.html or http://glvwgwritersconference.blogspot.com

2010 Pennwriters Annual Writers Conference
Registration deadline: April 25, 2010. Conference dates: May 14 - 16, 2010.
Join us for three days of pitch sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities. Agents/editors: Janet Reid, Jennifer Jackson, Jenny Bent, Alex Glass, Miriam Kriss, Barbara Lalicki, Leis Pederson, and David Pomerico. Keynote speaker: author James Rollins.
Contact: conference2010@pennwriters.com
URL: http://www.pennwriters.com

The Gettysburg Review Conference for Writers
Registration deadline: May 25, 2010. Conference dates: June 9 - 14, 2010.
Small, intensive workshops will be led this year by Stanley Plumly (poetry), Lee K. Abbott (fiction), and Rebecca McClanahan (nonfiction). Come join us in creating a community of writers in bucolic, convivial, and historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Contact: Kim Dana Kupperman at kkupperm@gettsyburg.edu
URL: http://www.gettysburgreview.com/conference/2010-conference-for-writers

Susquehanna Valley Writers Workshop 
Conference date: October 9, 2010. 
Various author presentations and workshops. 
Contact: ckwriter@evenlink.com
URL: http://www.marshahubler.com/workshop.html

Linda Oatman High Writing Workshops
Various dates throughout the year.
Author/playwright/journalist Linda Oatman High is available for school presentations, writing workshops, and other events.  
Contact: lohigh@frontiernet.net
URL: http://www.lindaoatmanhigh.com

Rhode Island

Tennessee 

Tennessee Mountain Writers Conference 
Registration deadline: March 17, 2010. Conference dates: March 25 - 27, 2010. 
We have major sessions on Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Editing, and Writing for Children & Young People; we also have five single sessions on specialty topics such as Internet Research. Sam Venable is our banquet speaker. 
Contact: Carol Grametbauer at CarolGram@att.net
URL: http://www.tmwi.org/Annual%20Conference/2010confpage.html

Texas

Houston Writers Guild Conference
Early bird deadline: March 30, 2010. Conference date: April 10, 2010.
Various writing workshops. Agents attending are Amy Burkhardt of Kimberley Cameron & Associates, Peter Steinberg of The Steinberg Agency, and Sharon Bowers of The Millery Agency. Keynote speaker is Allison McCabe of Crown Publishing Group, Random House, Penguin, and Harper-Collins.
Contact: rpaulding@sbcglobal.net
URL: http://www.houstonwritersguild.org

Washington

Writing It Real Writers' Conference in Port Townsend
Registration deadline: February 15, 2010. Conference dates: April 23 - 25 2010.
Faculty members Sheila Bender, Meg Files, and Jack Heffron will offer you hands-on lectures, small group in-class writing instruction, manuscript workshops, and writing and publishing consultations.
Contact: sbender@writingitreal.com or danavischer@writingitreal.com.
URL: http://www.writingitreal.com/page.php?p=writers_conference

Various US (and international) locations

Creativity Workshops
We offer workshops in New York, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Crete, Barcelona, and Florence.
Conference dates in 2010: March 12 - 15 (New York), June 18 - 21 (New York), June 26 - July 4 (Crete), July 5 - 13 (Barcelona), July 14 - 22 (Florence), and November 5 - 8 (Carmel).
Workshops on Creative Writing, Drawing, Storytelling and Memoir. Get over creative blocks and the fear of failure.
Contact: admin@creativityworkshops.com
URL: http://www.creativityworkshop.com

Warrior Writer Workshop
Conference dates: Year-round. Check URL below for specifics.
A workshop that focuses on helping writers become professional authors.
Contact: bob@bobmayer.org
URL: http://www.bobmayer.org

France
Women's Writing & Meditation Retreat 
Conference dates: June 19 - 26, 2010. 
Join us a for a week of creative restoration on the Mediterranean! Immerse yourself in the light, warmth, and charm of mythic Côte D’Azur! Follow in the footsteps of Fitzgerald, Picasso,  Gertrude Stein, Matisse, Brangelina, James Baldwin, Van Gogh, Hemingway, and others—but don’t over-exert yourself and remember to chill by the pool while sipping on local Rosé wine and munching on olives. A week of playful and supportive writing, meditation and relaxation, flavorful healthy food, and exploration of colorful farmer’s markets in Provence (Saint-Tropez, Nice, Monaco, Cannes, Ramatuelle...). 
Contact: valentinephilos@gmail.com
URL: http://www.valentineleonard.com

Mallorca, Spain 
Writing For Our Lives 
Registration date: March 31, 2010.
Conference dates: September 25 - October 2, 2010.
Ellen Bass has been teaching at La Serrania for six years. In addition to ample time for writing and sharing, we'll also have the opportunity to visit the local Sunday market, and we'll plan a mid-week sightseeing excursion. This size of the workshop is limited to 13 participants. The earlybird fee for the workshop (which includes accommodations and all meals) is $1500 if you register by March 31, 2010.
Contact: victors75@rattlebrain.com
URL: http://www.ellenbass.com/writing-for-our-lives-la-serrania.php

 

---

 

 Clients in the News

At Writer’s Relief we respect our clients’ privacy and don’t publish any information about them without permission. Whether our clients announce their honors and awards or not, we LOVE cheering for them and are proud of their amazing achievements. To get to our homepage, click here.

Notes from our December- February cycle:

Writer's Relief clients received 172 offers of publication in reputable, national literary magazines in the past 60 days. Way to go!

Clients’ complete novels were requested twelve different times by literary agencies, and client Keith Buie received multiple offers of representation (3!) for his novel!

Client Announcements:

Christy Ferrato was nominated for The Pushcart Prize!

Rosalia Scalia's short story "Unchartered Steps" earned her a Maryland State Art Council Grant for $1,000. Whoo-hoo, Rosalia!

Keith Buie has secured representation for Resistance, his moody contemporary novel about a disenchanted pharmacist, with McIntosh & Otis. A chapter excerpt from this novel is a finalist for publication in an anthology edited by best-selling author Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club, Choke). Keith's work has also appeared or is forthcoming in The MacGuffin, Metal Scratches, Quiddity International Literary Journal, Rio Grande Review, and Willard & Maple. Go Keith! 

Jill Dearman (author of BANG The Keys, published by Penguin) will be holding Jan/Feb classes in the New York area. Visit http://www.jilldearman.com/blog.html for more.

Lori Kagan was nominated for The Pushcart Prize!

Jeffrey Kingman was recently a finalist in the 2009 Cutthroat Magazine contest. 

A blog post on James Harmon's blog was a finalist for 3QuarksDaily's Political Post of the Year.

Carolyn Light Bell is currently teaching a course in Creative Writing to high school seniors at Breck School in Minneapolis.

Lisa Alexander was nominated for and won UCLA's James Kirkwood Prize in Creative Writing (first place!). 

Anthony J. Mohr's essay, "The Doberman Dates," has been accepted by Chicken Soup for the Soul (True Love).  

The World's Smallest Bible, by Dennis Must, has been accepted for publication by Red Hen Press, Los Angeles, CA. Also, his novel, Hush Now, Don't Explain, was a finalist in both the recent William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition and the Michigan Literary Fiction Award, University of Michigan Press. 

Eli Langner was one of three finalists for the Creekwalker Poetry Prize. Check it out: http://creekwalker.com/poetry/EliLangner.html.

Finishing Line Press poet Susanna Rich (Television Daddy and The Drive Home) and Emmy-Award winning documentarist Craig Lindvahl have been nominated for 2009 Mid-America Emmy Awards in the category "Writer/Program" for the film Cobb Field: A Day at the Ballpark. A winner of multiple Emmy Awards, Lindvahl found Susanna's poem "Squeeze Play" in Spitball: The Baseball Literary Magazine and commissioned her to write and voice-over poetry for Cobb Field. For details, link to http://www.emmymid-america.org and check out section 46A. For the film, link to http://www.callanfilms.com. Susanna's Web site is http://www.susannarich.com.

Doris Ferleger, Ph.D, was recently named the Poet Laureate of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in a competition judged by Tony Hoagland. Her book, Big Silences in a Year of Rain, was published by FootHills Publishing. 

Stephanie K. Cohen announces the launch of her site http://www.stephaniekaplancohen.com. Visit to learn more about In My Mother's House (published by Woodley Press), her memoir about Long Beach, Long Island. She recently signed a contract with Plainview Press for a book of poems.

Poet Donnell McGee has just launched a new Web site: http://www.donnellemcgee.com.  


Joanne Weck has signed with The Joy Harris Agency for her novel, Sweet William and Rosemary. She also wishes to announce that her story, "A Bracelet of Glass Beads" was accepted in the North Atlantic Review. Find out more about Joanne's books and writings at: http://www.joanneweck.com.

Lisa Dale’s latest novel, It Happened One Night ($6.99, Grand Central Publishing) recently went into a second printing. A free spirit and dreamer, Lana Biel owns a wildflower farm in Vermont with her sister. When a lighthearted fling leaves her expecting, she turns to her best friend Eli for help. But Eli’s keeping secrets that will change their friendship forever. RT Book Review gave the book 4.5 stars (their highest rating) and said the story “knocks the wind out of you.” More at www.LisaDaleBooks.com.

Tracy DeBrincat’s prize-winning short story collection Moon Is Cotton & She Laugh  All Night has been newly published by Subito Press/University of Colorado. Visit http://www.mooniscotton.com for more!

 

Rosary Hartel O'Neill (www.RosaryOneill.com) is thrilled to announce that eleven of her plays have been published as acting editions by Samuel French, Inc. In Lexington, Kentucky, she will be signing copies on March 5 at the 61st Southeastern Theatre Conference Convention, Lexington Convention Center Heritage Exhibit Hall, located at 430 W. Vine St. She will also be presenting two workshops/panels there: Breaking into the NYC Playwrighting Scene (March 4) and Being Pecked to Death by Ducks: Play Development by Workshop and Reading (March 6). On April 26, there will be a reading of her play Blackjack: The Theif Of Possession at Grand Gallery, The National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, New York, NY 10003.


Bang The Keys by Jill Dearman ($11.53, writing how-to, Alpha/Penguin Group). Jill Dearman is the rising writing guru of the modern era who has already helped legions of published, but pressured authors as well as searching yet serious new inksters to apply a method to their artistic madness. There is no problem a writer faces that she cannot empathize with and throw an armful of clever and penetrating exercises at. If you’re game to write yourself out of a corner, and re-invent your writing life, she just might be able to solve her most challenging mystery yet … you!  Four elegant steps, for when you’re ready to dance with your muse, instead of  singing the blues: •  B is for Begin with your strongest idea. •  A is for Arrange your material into a concrete form.  •  N is for nurture your project with love, so that others may love it too. •  G is for complete it, and let it GO out into the world to live independently. CLICK HERE TO BUY.

 

Fretting over what to buy for your writer friends or family members ? Get them something practical and thoughtful at the same time.

* A light wedge. The cooler older brother of the traditional book light, a light wedge tucks under the pages of a book and illuminates from behind. Perfect for the reader or writer who is always trying to sneak in just a few more chapters before bed.

* Moleskine notebooks. Hemingway, Picasso, and van Gogh were among the more famous Moleskine users. Sturdy yet flexible, these sleek notebooks can fit easily into a pocket and come in a variety of shapes and sizes—perfect for the writer whose best ideas come everywhere but the writing desk.

* A Writer’s Relief gift certificate. Writer’s Relief is offering gift certificates for our A La Carte Services! Give one to your writer friend or relative, and we’ll research the 25+ best-suited markets. With the A La Carte PLUS option, we will also write, proofread, and prepare cover or query letters. Click here for more details about our gift certificates! Perfect for writers who have been meaning to submit work but just don’t have the time or focus!

* Magnetic poetry. Not just for your dorm fridge! These little word magnets can be arranged and rearranged for an endless source of inspiration—all before the morning coffee has finished brewing. Perfect for visual learners and haiku lovers.

* An idea board. Available in just about every form—from your average whiteboard to eco-friendly recycled corkboard options. Feel like doing it yourself this winter? Grab a bunch of old wine corks and create your own! Perfect for the disorganized writer whose desk is covered in a sea of Post-Its.

* A vintage typewriter. Turning the old into new, a typewriter is a unique gift for the writer you love. Cost-efficient options often crop up at flea markets or Web sites like etsy.com. Perfect for writers who want to wean themselves off their laptops.

* Literary action figures. Who said all gifts have to be serious? We challenge you to find someone who wouldn’t love to take a break from writing to play with their doll…ahem, their intellectual, literary-themed miniature effigy. Perfect for the bookworm who would sooner swoon over an author than an actor.

Find any of the above by typing appropriate keywords into the search engine of your choice.

Want to treat yourself? Visit our Web site at www.WritersRelief.com to learn more about our services and how we can help you get your work into the hands of literary agents and journal editors.

Agents and publishers are receiving more manuscripts than ever, and a writer needs every advantage to get noticed. A professionally formatted, well-polished manuscript has a much better chance of discovery than a manuscript riddled with grammatical problems and typos. It goes without saying that a writer should only submit work that has been carefully edited and proofed. The following tips and hints will help you find the right freelance editor to critique your fiction or nonfiction writing.

When should I hire an editor?

      •     Self-published books are not edited or proofed in-house unless you pay for the service. If you’re having a book edited by the book production company’s editors, you will likely have a choice between different levels of editing—from a line by line review (copy edit) to a more extensive edit (content edit). You can also hire your own freelance editor outside of your production company.

      •     An agent will tell you if your work needs revision before shopping it around. Many times these revisions are something you can take care of yourself. Other times the scope of the revision may require an editor’s helping hand.

      •     If a publisher requires revisions that are beyond your ability, a freelance editor may be able to help.

What type of editor should I hire?

Copy Editor. If you’re simply looking for someone to clean up your grammar and spelling, a good copy editor will not only go through your work line by line, correcting punctuation and grammatical errors, they will also flag inappropriate word choice, confusing sentences, redundancies, and other stylistic issues. Copy editors will standardize a manuscript, verifying that your characters’ names and location references are spelled consistently. They will perform fact-checks and alert you if there are any inconsistencies in the manuscript, such as faulty time lines.

Content Editor. For a more complete overhaul, you’ll need a content editor (often referred to as a book doctor). A content editor specializes in analyzing the work overall, making larger revisions and suggesting more sweeping changes. This may include a review of consistency of style, mood, or presentation of content; consistency of point of view and tense; clarity and effectiveness of content or story sequence, including support and resolution. A content editor will also examine the flow and transition (the continuous pace and progress) of the story and evaluate sentences for clarity, flow, and readability.

Substantive Editor. If you’re simply looking for an evaluation of your book to determine its marketability and general appeal, a substantive editor can help. Former acquisition editors at publishing houses and literary agents are well-qualified for this job.

Tips for choosing the right editor.

Match your genre. Editors specialize in many different areas—academic writing, magazine article writing, nonfiction, and fiction, for example—and in the general fiction category, editors tend to specialize in specific genres. If you’ve got a mystery, look for an editor who has experience in this style.

Ask for references. When you’re considering an editor, check his or her track record. Good editors will have editing experience in your genre or category and should have a list of published books they’ve edited under their belt (self-published books don’t count). Take a look at the quality of these books and judge for yourself. Also, take a look at the editor’s qualifications: education, previous experience, etc. If you find an editor who has worked at a large publishing house, all the better.

Recommendations. Ask colleagues, members of your writers’ group, members of university writing programs, or published authors for the names of well-qualified editors. Sometimes authors thank their editors on the acknowledgment page of their books.

Look it up. The Literary Marketplace has a listing of editors, updated annually, and The Editorial Freelancers Association (www.the-efa.org) maintains a Web site of freelancers who are generally well-screened. You can also take your chances on a general Google search, but keep an eye out for less-than-qualified freelancers and scam artists. No editor should ever promise they can get you a publishing contract, and make sure you are comfortable with their credentials and the quality of their work (with a sample edit, for example) before you send a check. (Most editors will ask for a certain percentage up front, with the balance due once the project is completed.)

Get specific information up front. Make sure you and your prospective editor are clear about what is expected. Do you want a line edit or an overall edit? What would each entail? What exactly will the editor be looking for, and what will they not take on? One way to make sure you’re on the same page is to ask for a sample edit. Most editors will edit a small section at no charge, say 5-15 pages, which you can then review. It’s important that the editor is able to follow your particular style and improve your writing without changing your voice.

If you do engage the services of an editor, take the time to study their changes and learn from them. Not only will it help your future writing, but you may have the confidence to make the edits yourself on the next go-round.

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT OUR LIST OF WRITING CONTESTS and ANTHOLOGIES! You won’t find a better list anywhere (AND IT’S FREE!) of upcoming anthologies, special-themed journals, and contests. Find it by visiting: http://www.writersreliefblog.com/post/Anthologies-Contests.aspx 

If you’ve ever suffered through a bad critique, you know how damaging feedback can be to the creative process. Here are a few simple tips to help you determine how to find and choose a critique partner to help with your writing.

Why do I need a critique?
If you’re looking for an honest and objective viewpoint, a critique partner (or beta reader) may be the answer. Your best friend might shower you with well-intended praise, but a good critique partner will spot problems in your writing that you may be unable to see.

Where can I find a critique partner?
Check your local writers’ groups, libraries, bookstores, and the English department at local colleges and universities. If you live in an outlying or remote area, many online writers’ sites offer the opportunity for writers to connect with beta readers. If you write in a specific genre, check writers’ sites and critique groups dedicated to that particular genre (i.e., horror, mystery, romance, and science fiction).

What should I look for in a critique partner?
First, avoid family, friends, neighbors, or anyone who may be afraid to hurt your feelings. Feedback that showers you with praise and feeds your ego will not improve your writing skills.

Second, choose a fellow writer, someone with experience and credentials—someone who knows the ups and downs of the publishing industry and is familiar with the market, the genre, and the nitty-gritty business of writing. If your partner can’t qualify his or her opinion based on education and/or experience, you may be receiving bad advice. Get a sense of your potential beta reader’s writing in advance—if you don’t respect their writing, you won’t respect their comments.

Third, look for a critique partner who will be respectful and helpful. General comments such as “Pretty good story” or “I hated the plot” aren’t constructive—neither are rude and belittling comments like “Where’d you learn to write, anyway?” Your partner should be able to point out specific areas of concern without leaving you feeling small and stupid.

Above all, be patient. Like affairs of the heart, it might take several partners before you find that perfect fit.

Be clear about your expectations from the start.
Are you looking for an overall opinion on plot and pacing? Worried about your point of view? Concerned about your characters? Or are you simply looking for a line edit to catch grammatical errors and typos? Let your critique partner know exactly what you want and avoid conflict down the road.

Go over your expectations of turnaround times. If you want to submit your novel or short fiction in a specific time frame, will your beta reader be able to deliver?

Will you be expected to critique your partner’s work as well? What kind of volume and frequency will be involved?

Online versus face-to-face critique partners.
Interacting with your beta reader online offers greater flexibility, such as submitting your novel at 2:00 a.m. while in your pj's, and allows for e-mail accessibility at all hours (why wait for next month’s meeting?).

Face-to-face critiques can sometimes get heated; online feedback can be more tactful. Your online reviewer has time to carefully frame his or her comments, and you have time to absorb the feedback in private, giving your ego a chance to recover before you respond.
                                                           
People can be influenced by a physical presence—sloppily dressed, mumbling and muttering people may be perceived as strange and sloppy writers, and witty, charismatic people may offer substandard writing despite their dazzling personalities—while online critiques are based solely on the writing itself.

Interacting in person with a critique partner offers a social respite and often inspires idea-generating brainstorming sessions. Writing can be a solitary business, and many fiction writers benefit from interacting with other writers on a regular basis. Online interaction is less personal, less social.   

Other considerations.
You don’t have to implement every change your critique partner suggests. Think about his or her suggestions carefully before you implement them.

Be prepared for criticism. This is a business rife with criticism and rejection, and thick skin and determination to improve your craft are essential to succeed. If you break down in tears every time someone finds a problem in your fiction, you may not be ready to take your writing to the next level.

If you are critiquing for your partner, give them the same respect and consideration you would expect in return. Provide concrete, specific comments and advice in a respectful manner. And don’t hesitate to point out what you like: well-developed characters, certain passages that really caught your attention, anything that stood out in a positive way. Writers should be aware not only of their weaknesses but also of their strengths. And let’s face it: a little good news is always welcome in this business.

Below you'll find a number of lateral thinking puzzles to help you think outside the box in writing and in life. These puzzles came to us as part of an e-mail forward, and though we've done our research to discover where they came from, they seem to be unattributed.

Good luck and enjoy!
 
      man 
1. ----------
      board

      stand
2. ------------
          i

3. /r/e/a/d/i/n/g/

4.     r 
     road 
       a
       d

5.  cycle 
     cycle 
     cycle

    0 
6.  -----
    M.D.
    Ph.D.

    knee 
7. light

    ground 
8.  ------------
    feet feet feet feet feet feet

9. he's X himself

10. ecnalg

11. death ..... life
 
12. THINK

13. ababaaabbbbaaaabbbb ababaabbaaabbbb

Answers:

1) man overboard
2) I understand
3) reading between the lines
4) cross road 
5) tricycle
6) two degrees below zero
7) neon light (knee - on - light)
8) six feet underground
9) he's by himself
10) backward glance
11) life after death
12) think big
13) long time no 'C'

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT OUR LIST OF WRITING CONTESTS and ANTHOLOGIES! You won’t find a better list anywhere (AND IT’S FREE!) of upcoming anthologies, special-themed journals, and contests. Find it by visiting:
http://www.writersreliefblog.com/post/Anthologies-Contests.aspx 

HOT OFF THE PRESS! We love to share our information with writers, and we’re happy to pass some of our INSIDER’S SECRETS along to you. Feel free to print these posts to use as a reference. Pass the links along to your writer friends. It’s packed with great information this month. DEADLINE-DATED lists of anthologies, theme issues, and contests are included at no charge!

In This Issue:

* * TOP QUERY LETTER MISTAKES: AVOID THESE AMATEUR ERRORS

* * HOW TO SUBMIT GREETING CARD VERSES AND POEMS (AND GET PAID)

* * TWITTER FOR WRITERS: DON’T WRITE IT OFF!

* * HOW TO WRITE A KILLER BOOK BLURB FOR YOUR QUERY LETTER: WHAT LITERARY AGENTS WANT TO SEE

* * OH, THE THINGS WE KNOW: THE STRANGE WORKINGS OF THE WRITING MIND

* * You won’t find a better list anywhere (AND IT’S FREE!) of upcoming ANTHOLOGIES, SPECIAL-THEMED JOURNALS, and CONTESTS.

↓ Scroll Down to Read These Exciting and Useful Articles!! ↓

Twitter, a microblogging Web site that restricts posts to 140 characters at a time, can be a fantastic networking tool for writers. If you’re a writer and you’ve never used Twitter before, taking that first step can be a little intimidating.

“I’m totally going to tweet that.” Huh? What does that mean? “Tweeple retweeting tweets.” Say that five times fast! Not many social-networking Web sites have their own vocabulary, but then again, no other social-networking Web site has become part of the Internet’s subconscious in quite the way Twitter has.

Think tweeting is for the birds? Twitter may seem like frivolous fun; but with a little time and some clever effort, Twitter can become a writer’s best microblogging friend.

The Twitterati. Twitter boasts an impressive population of literary agents, book publishers, and industry insiders. Many of them tweet writing tips, news, and helpful leads to keep followers in the loop. Some notable literary Twitters: Lit Park, Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty, workshop guru Michael Geffner, literary agent Nathan Bransford, and The Creative Penn. There are also many successful writers on Twitter, from Neil Gaiman to Margaret Atwood to Deepak Chopra, who actively tweet about their upcoming projects, thoughts on writing, and everyday life.

Know your limits. A blog gives you unlimited space to write in a Kerouacian first-thought-best-thought manner. Twitter, on the other hand, gives you a mere 140 characters to say what’s on your mind. Such confinement can actually be liberating for your writing by forcing you to say exactly what you mean. Boil off the excess fluff and tweet only what you must say, concisely—you’ll be surprised how easily this habit will make its way into your actual writing.

Promote yourself. More than ever before, people are tapping into Twitter’s marketing potential and using it to reach the Internet masses. As you navigate the site and follow people with similar interests, they will begin to follow you back. Once you’ve built up a decent following, you can include links in your tweets to drive traffic to your Web site or online portfolio. This is a great way to not only get your name out there, but to point people’s eyes toward your work.

Hands across Twitter. Above all else, Twitter is a social-networking Web site. As you build up your list of followers, you will be able to connect with fellow writers across the globe. Because of its instantaneous nature, the site allows you to throw questions out there and get answers back just as quickly. Try not to use it as a soapbox—start a discussion, join a debate, retweet what others have to say! Give inspiration and encouragement, and you will receive the same.

Writer’s Relief is on Twitter too! Follow us (@WritersRelief) for writing and publishing tips, lively discussions, and a dose of inspiration every day.

Titled vs. Entitled

“Titled” means that something has received a title, as in The movie was titled, Grammar Gurus Gone Wild.

“Entitled” means that someone has rights to something, as in She felt entitled to special treatment ever since she won an Oscar for Grammar Gurus Gone Wild.

What Are We Supposed to Do?

Don’t use “suppose to” or “use to” when you mean “supposed to” or “used to.”

I Wonder How to Punctuate That

Incorrect: I wondered how he knew that?
Correct: I wondered how he knew that.

Incorrect: I asked her if she knew that?
Correct: I asked her if she knew that.
 
Don’t Use Quotes Indiscriminately

We’ve all seen signs like these:

Today only, “free” samples!
See these “classic” cars!
Employees must “wash their hands” before exiting the restroom.

Or phrases…
It’s not really my “cup of tea.”
If you’re not careful, you could end up with the “swine flu.”

The moral of this story: Don’t use quotation marks unnecessarily or for special emphasis.

And Finally…What Is an Aphorism?

An aphorism is a short, to-the-point sentence that sums up a clever observation or general truth:

The trouble with bucket seats is that not everyone has the same size bucket.

Writers are great. They taste like chicken.

With great power comes great responsibility. With mediocre power comes a 1964 Datsun pickup truck and a power suit from Sears.

When life gives you lemons, try making a lemon chiffon cake with extra lemon.

And finally, from Mark Twain:

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.

We’re so excited to tell you about our newest E-book, Insider’s Secrets: A Step-by-Step Guide To Proper Proofreading in the Creative Writing Industry! Our E-book will tell you everything you need to know to start or expand a professional proofreading business. If you’ve thought about starting your own freelance proofreading business, or if you want to hone your own proofreading skills, this E-book is for you.

If you’ve asked yourself:

• How do I start my own freelance proofreading business?
• Where do I find proofreading jobs?
• How do I expand my freelance proofreading or editing business to include creative writers, such as poets, novelists, and short story writers?
• What do I need to know to proofread my own writing?
• How do I become a better proofreader?
• Where can I learn to proofread specifically for creative writers?
• What are proofreaders’ marks (proofreading symbols)?

We have the solution for you. We know you don’t have a lot of time, so our E-book cuts through the “filler” and gets right to the point. Improve your proofreading skills and your freelance business.

Click here to learn more: http://www.WritersRelief.com/proofreading-manual-for-creative-writing-and-publishing-industry.aspx.

Place any one of our many fun badges on any of your personal or professional Web sites, and we’ll send you a FREE Writer’s Relief E-book, entitled Rejoice in Rejection. You can post a badge on your blog, your MySpace page, your personal Web site, your writer’s group Web site, or anywhere else. Just be sure that the image is visible to the public (i.e. profiles or pages must not be “private” or “invite-only”) for one month (of course, you can leave it there forever if you’d like). We’ll then send you a FREE E-book when the month is up.

To post an image, simply click this link and follow the easy instructions. All you have to do is copy and paste. That’s it! It’s so easy, even a writer could do it.

You can see some of our badges in action on a personal blog (www.LisaDaleBlog.com), on a homepage (http://lisadalebooks.com/writers), or on MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/lisadalebooks).

Once the badge is posted, e-mail us (info@wrelief.com). Tell us 1) the URL where the image is posted; 2) your name and mailing address. The badge has to be in working order for a month in order to get credit for posting it.

We want to send you a FREE Writer’s Relief E-book. Post one of our badges on your site today!

Link and instructions for badges.

“How can you tell if a literary agent or agency is legitimate and not a scam?” New novelists and veteran writers can fall prey to literary agency scams—hidden tricks that literary agents use to fake legitimacy or make a quick buck on a book. Writers should be wary of scams when approaching literary agencies or individual agents.

The way that a reputable literary agent should make money is by selling books. That’s it. If an agent is asking for any fees (reading, evaluations, marketing, or retainer fees), let the red flags unfurl.

Reading fees at agencies weren’t always a red flag, but because several agencies began abusing the system—charging fees without having any genuine interest in the material itself—the practice was abolished by the Association of Authors’ Representatives or AAR (the trade group for US literary agents).

The same goes for evaluation fees. If an agency offers an evaluation of your manuscript, it should be free. Disreputable agencies will sometimes charge the writer for a “critique,” which is generic, widely applicable, or performed by an underqualified staff member. The AAR frowns upon this practice and so should you.

Other dubious fees fall under the category of administration, marketing, or submission costs. A good agent will only charge the client for expenses that are above and beyond normal and reasonable expenses, such as long-distance phone calls and shipping costs. These are usually deducted from the client’s royalties and should not be up-front costs. Watch out for agents who demand money up-front, especially for such vague reasons; if in doubt, request an itemized list of any charges—you should not be billed for every Post-it your agent uses.

Sometimes an agent is not dishonest, but merely inept. This is an agent who uses questionable methods to submit your work to editors—sending your work to editors who aren’t looking for what you are trying to sell; bundling several queries into one package; using shotgun types of submission methods; and not doing their homework. These agents quickly develop a reputation among editors, and their clients can expect their work to be ignored. Some writers feel that any agent is better than none at all, but this simply is not the case.

Reputable agents do not need to advertise in magazines or search for clients online, and they never send spam. If you are approached by an agent without ever having contacted them, beware. Dishonest agents often troll online writers’ forums or purchase subscription lists from writers’ magazines to beef up their client list.

Note: Once in a great while, an agent will read your work in a magazine and contact you directly; this is a legitimate practice, and you should be able to tell that it is not a generic form letter, that the agent actually read your work and admired it.

Read Part Two.

Do you tweet?

You may have noticed that the whole world seems to be buzzing with the newest social-networking trend: www.Twitter.com. And now Writer's Relief is happy to say that we've joined the ranks of Twitterers, and because of that you can chat with us at almost any time online!

What is Twitter?

For those of you who don't know, Twitter is a site that lets you “update your status" (write what you're doing now), chat, or share information with old friends and new in phrases of 140 characters or less. It's free and easy to join—and hey, everybody's doin' it, dude.

Rumor has it that some writers have even started writing stories and poems on Twitter; the limit on characters is a challenge and inspiration for writers to pack a whole lot of information in just a few words.

Follow Writer's Relief on Twitter, and if you have a question, give us a shout. Also, check out our latest tweets on the left sidebar of our blog! See what we’re up to today!

Reader Question: Do you Tweet? Do you think Twitter—and the idea of it—is good for writers? Or is Twitter more of an annoyance than a help for creative writers?

You’ve been writing. Now what? If you are confused about what your next step should be, here is a great opportunity to take a giant leap forward in your writing career. We’re offering to share what we’ve learned about publishing in the creative writing industry. Take a look at the services we list below, and call us to discuss whether you and your writing are ready.

You already receive one of our useful tools for writers, so you know our FREE Writers’ Newsflash contains lots of articles that help you hone your craft as a writer.

Here is an outline of other services and tools available to you:

Our Blog (also FREE) is an amazing source of information for writers in all genres. You may search on topics such as how to write a query letter, how to choose a literary agent, where to submit children’s books, submitting poetry to the best markets, choosing point of view, why length matters for short stories, grammar and punctuation rules, etc.

$100: A La Carte Service—Get started right away! This is a more do-it-yourself service, with Writer’s Relief targeting markets and guiding you through the process. You’ll get 25+ submissions out into the world within three days. This service is simple, quick, and affordable. We provide the best market research available to creative writers. Info about our A La Carte Service may be found at http://WritersReliefBlog.com/post/Our-A-La-Carte-Service.aspx.

$200 - $250: A La Carte PLUS Service—Everything that’s fast and affordable about our regular A La Carte Service, with the time-saving bonus of full-service cover/query letter preparation. We will target the best markets for your work, prepare mailing labels, and create 25 to 30 personalized, professional cover/query letters. More information may be found at http://www.WritersReliefBlog.com/post/Want-Us-To-Create-Your-CoverQuery-Letters.aspx.

$339 - $399: Full Service—Our most inclusive level of service. Your work must be presented and accepted by our Review Board. We do not accept all authors. If you don’t have time to take care of all the tasks required to get your submissions in the mail, this service is for you. We’ll create cover letters, target and track submissions, research guidelines, assign you a personal submission strategist, etc. Everything you need to develop a high-level submission strategy is included. http://www.WritersReliefblog.com/post/Submission-Guidelines-For-Full-Service-Clients.aspx

Included with ALL services:

** Targeting 25+ literary venues that specialize in YOUR type of writing. (Your work will be targeted to the most appropriate markets based on the topics, word count, etc., of the particular piece [or group of poems] you’re submitting.)

** An online database that lists all your submissions. As an A La Carte client, you’ll have access to your submission list 24 hours a day for 30 days.

Our A La Carte Service, A La Carte PLUS Service, or our Full Service? Choose the one that works best for you and suits your budget. All services include targeting your work to the best markets. Go to this link to see which level of service is best for you: http://WritersReliefBlog.com/post/Three-Levels-Of-Service.aspx.

We invite you to give us a call for a FREE consultation with one of our submission strategists. Meg, Kriste, or Lisa will be happy to discuss your needs. Call us toll-free at (866) 405-3003 between the hours of 8:30 – 2:30 Eastern time if you need help deciding which service is best for you.

Writing fiction from real-life experiences isn’t as easy as it sounds. Fiction writers—writers of short stories and novels—must know when to use real-life details and when those details don’t work well in prose. Putting your real life in writing can be inspiring, but it can be dangerous too.

Creating Fiction From Personal Experiences:

Life is a wealth of material for writers. Most fiction is autobiographical to some extent, as writers draw from their real-world experiences—a first kiss, graduation, birth, death, marriage, divorce, career changes, the assassination of JFK, the invention of Spam (both kinds). Sometimes a story is created from the tiniest real-life detail. You notice a little boy digging in the sand at the local playground, and this sparks an entire spin-off—a full-length novel about a man who makes a living digging wells. (Sounds boring but of course you’ll make sure there’s a clever hook, won’t you?)

Creating Fiction From Other People’s Experiences:

Grab a National Enquirer and take a look at the headlines. Surely, there’s something that calls to your creative side in “Man Captures Muck Monster” or “How to Make Millions with Beet Juice.” Or drift back to your childhood/adolescence, and think about someone you haven’t seen since. Did Mary Sue, the terribly shy, mistreated girl who never spoke, become a radio personality or a serial killer? There are many possibilities.

On-the-Job Training:

There are many well-known authors who have used their work backgrounds to create believable, technically correct fiction. John Grisham and Patricia Cornwell come to mind. Grisham made a name for himself writing legal thrillers based on his experiences as an attorney; Cornwell worked in a medical examiner’s office and turned this experience into a series of medical examiner thrillers. The inside knowledge these two authors possess contributed to their success and made their fiction believable.

Warnings About Writing Fiction Based On Real Life:

Consider this story: Once upon a time there was a man who was born, went to school, became a teacher, got married, had two children, and died at the age of 82. This man collected stamps, was afraid of flying, and once broke two ribs in a silly fraternity stunt back in college. During his lifetime, he helped his children and his students become better, more well-rounded people, which is a great accomplishment. But is it a novel?

Most fiction stems from real life, but if you think about the lives of ordinary people, there’s not usually a novel to be had. Real life is messy and complicated and doesn’t follow the rules of fiction; it’s also boring at times…mundane. The trick is to lift characters, events, tragedies, and triumphs from the pages of real life and create a new existence for them—using literary techniques and a good dose of creativity to make them more exciting, more interesting, more disturbing—more worthy of being read.

Just be careful that you’re being honest with the way you show real life in fiction. If you become too emotionally attached to turning your real-life story into fiction, you may lose sight of those elements that differentiate a smooth, well-crafted story from a real-life tale. Emotion can be a stumbling block if a writer isn’t flexible.

Also, sometimes a real-life story simply won’t “feel” real in writing. For example, a story about a jaded “loose cannon” Italian cop who solves mafia murders in New Jersey might be cliché and unbelievable—whether he’s real or not. When real life becomes too unbelievable for good fiction, writing nonfiction is often a better choice.

Disguising a real-life story as fiction doesn’t necessarily ensure that you’ll avoid lawsuits. In a previous article on creative nonfiction, we discussed the possible legal ramifications of using real people in your fiction. Exposing the school principal’s quirky bedroom habits is a risky proposition that could lead to a lawsuit. Better to model a character after the principal; as a writer, you can improve on his character to better suit your story, and no one will be humiliated or prevent your child from graduating elementary school. The same holds true for transplanting Cousin Ida into your fiction; she’s a true character in real life, but she’ll likely need some tweaking if she’s going to feature in a story.

What is your favorite outdoor activity? Is it water-skiing at your lake house? Maybe rock climbing in one of our majestic National Parks? Or maybe you have a favorite running trail that makes your heart rush to the beat of local flora and fauna. Whatever your desired way to play, think about your relationship to nature while enjoying this activity and write about how you feel in the great outdoors. Think about how the impact of pollution and human influence might have on this activity and how it would change your enjoyment. Or, if you're feeling really adventurous, considering looking at your favorite outdoor activity from the perspective of an animal or plant! 

If your dream is to land a publishing contract with Random House and see your book in stores across the country, we recommend that you consider building your publication credits by submitting shorter pieces to journals and magazines.

Some folks believe that it’s not important to have published any short works before approaching an agent. If you’ve written a fantastic book that can stand on its own, you may well be able to find an agent without any publication credentials at all. But getting shorter pieces published before querying an agent is a strategy that gets your foot in the door, and based on our experiences in preparing submissions since 1994, writers who can boast publication of shorter works tend to have an easier time getting agent interest.

There are a number of reasons publishing your individual poems, essays, and short stories can help you get ahead.

1. Being published shows agents that you can manage submission deadlines and guidelines and that you are a serious writer with serious goals. You establish yourself as savvy and in-touch by being published in smaller markets, and you lay the groundwork for a career in lengthier fiction.

2. If editors like publishing your short works, it means they believe that their readers will enjoy your writing. When an agent sees that other people are getting excited about your writing, he or she will be more likely to want in on the action.

3. Having credentials in the small press market may help you get a leg up on the competition. Most agents are aware of how difficult it is to secure one single publishing credit. It may be enough to sway an agent into representing you. If an agent is offered two books of equal merit—with the only difference being that one author has a history of publishing short works and the other doesn’t—you can guess which book will get the contract.

4. Not only will publishing your shorter works make you a more interesting prospect, having those publications is emotionally rewarding. Acceptance letters from literary magazines go a long way toward keeping you motivated as you write your book. A short story can be written in less than a week, whereas the novel can take years. Keep your dream alive with smaller publications of short fiction.

5. Also, publishing in literary magazines might help you directly with getting an agent. A number of our clients have been approached by big New York agencies because an agent read a story in a literary magazine. Getting your work, your name, and your bio out there can get you noticed in the same way that a model might get noticed simply by hanging around at the hottest nightclubs. Add a blurb to your bio that you are “currently working on a novel,” and those who have enjoyed your work can be on the lookout for future projects.

6. Collections are especially difficult to place for writers who have not published any of the works within the collection. Because collections are generally not considered as lucrative as other book-length forms, agents and editors like to be assured of an author's potential for "popularity" by seeing some selections from the longer work published.  

At Writer’s Relief we help our clients build their portfolios as they work toward publishing a book. Some of our clients publish stand-alone works from within a larger book in order to show that their book is marketable. Others write stories that are entirely separate from their books.

There are literally thousands of journals and literary magazines out there, and it should not be an impossible task to find a home for one of your short stories or poems—provided your writing is strong and your submissions are targeted and professional. We have an up-to-date database containing detailed information on hundreds of nationwide publications, their editors, and their guidelines, and we’ve helped hundreds of writers reach their publication goals.

Here are some general tips for submission.

Research carefully. Find the perfect home for your work by submitting to magazines and journals that publish work like yours. Don’t waste your time (or an editor’s) by not doing your homework or blindly submitting to any old publication.

Start small and work your way up. Naturally, if you’re confident, feel free to go straight for the big guns, but most writers start with the smaller markets. You may have to forgo paying markets at this time in order to get your foot in the door.

Follow guidelines to the tee. If the magazine is looking for work under 4,000 words, do not submit 5,000 and hope that your work is good enough to be accepted despite the length or assume that the editor will be willing to cut it down to size for you. Pay attention to submission dates, submission formats, seasonal themes, the genre and style the magazine accepts, and any other rules they set forth. Follow them carefully.

Submit to the proper person. Again, do your homework and make sure you have the most current editor’s name for your submission. Details like this go a long way in impressing an editor and can increase your chance of being noticed.

Call Writer’s Relief (or e-mail us at info@wrelief.com) if you’d like us to help you build up your publication credits. We’ve helped writers fine-tune their personal submission strategies since 1994. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

As writers, we’ve all been there. Having writer’s block is the most frustrating and uncomfortable feeling—sitting and waiting for hours on end until our words flow smoothly again. Sometimes it takes a few hours for us to reenter our world of creativity, but other times it can take a few days, weeks, or even months. It can be tempting to give up completely.

Writer’s block is a personal reminder telling us our “tank” is low on creativity. It’s just like a car; when the tank is full, you have a smooth ride. However, you’ll have to pull over eventually and fuel up. Creativity is the same way.

Even though we can’t magically just fill up our creativity from a gas pump, there are avenues we can take to replete our mental resources (and it’s a lot cheaper than buying gas too!).

One way to boost your creativity is to get away from your writing for a while and look to real life for inspiration. If you’ve been sitting in the same chair for the past nine hours, leave your work area. Just leave. Go anywhere; take a walk outside (weather permitting!), make a phone call, turn on the television, or listen to the radio. When your body and mind are stuck in one place for far too long, you run out of steam. Instead of paying attention to what’s in front of you (a computer screen), go outside and pay attention to what’s AROUND you.

You can find great inspiration just by being around others. For example, in coffeehouses people talk about anything and everything. Sit down next to a group of people just close enough to hear what they’re talking about but far enough away not to be creepy. You can pick up the most random one-liners from strangers’ conversations. When a Writer’s Relief staff member was getting coffee a few days ago, he heard a woman talking on a cell phone say, “…they’re making him pay for what he did.”

Making him pay? Pay what? To whom? And why? What happened? Those eight little words would make a great first line—and it’s inspiration that comes from real life.

Click here for a related writing prompt: http://WritersReliefBlog.com/post/Writing-Prompte28094Real-life-Inspiration.aspx. 

Use some odd bits of overheard conversation to jump-start your writing. Here are a few one-liners to stimulate your creativity:

1. “I just don’t understand how it happened but it did.”

2. “I felt like the lollipop was going to kill me.”

3. “He was always nice until he ran his neighbor over with his car…”

4. “The lights were so bright, I started to cry!”

Whenever you’re suffering from a bad case of writer’s block, try to stop focusing on the block and, instead, shift your attention to your surroundings. What’s being said around you? Take it and write! Just remember that the feeling of writer’s block is temporary.

Creativity is to writers what fuel is to cars; sometimes all it takes is a little inspiration to refuel and get back into drive.

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT OUR LIST OF WRITING CONTESTS and ANTHOLOGIES! You won’t find a better list anywhere (AND IT’S FREE!) of upcoming anthologies, special-themed journals, and contests. Find it by visiting:
http://www.writersreliefblog.com/post/Anthologies-Contests.aspx 

In a previous article we listed the various reasons writers and other artists choose to adopt pseudonyms or pen names. These varied from having a difficult-to-pronounce name to maintaining privacy, to distinguishing oneself from another writer with a similar name. In this article we’ll go over some of the other implications of choosing a pen name, including legal issues and other questions from writers.

Is there a directory of pen names?
Check out http://www.trussel.com/books/pseudo.htm or http://go.to/realnamesfor a fairly comprehensive directory of pen names in use. Also, use the Google search engine to see who else is out there with the name you’ve chosen. It could be a problem if there’s another author by the same name (or a prominent proctologist).

What about copyrights?
According to the U.S. Copyright Office: “A pseudonym or pen name may be used by an author of a copyrighted work. A work is pseudonymous if the author is identified on copies or phonorecords of that work by a fictitious name (nicknames or other diminutive forms of one’s legal name are not considered ‘fictitious’). As is the case with other names, the pseudonym itself is not protected by copyright. If you are writing under a pseudonym but wish to be identified by your legal name in the records of the Copyright Office, you should give your legal name and your pseudonym when filling out your application.”

What about publishing contracts?
Most publishing contracts grant the publisher the right to use your pen name in conjunction with your work and marketing efforts. Sometimes a publisher creates a pen name for the author in anticipation of future work under that alias. Make sure the associated contract is clear about both the rights and restrictions of the author and the publisher. (As with all contractual issues, consult an attorney who specializes in these matters.)

How do I get paid if I write under a pseudonym?
Anytime you submit your work, whether to an agent or an editor, make it clear what your real name and pen names are. If you’ve landed a publishing contract, your publisher should have a record of your real name and your social security number, and they should issue checks in your real name. The IRS will squawk if the author’s name and social security number do not match.

What if I want to freelance under a pen name while under contract with my real name?
Suppose you have landed a book contract that limits the number of outside projects you can work on. You still have bills to pay, so you take on outside projects under a pseudonym—without letting your publisher know. This puts you at risk for breach of contract and civil suits, not to mention harming your reputation as a professional. Instead, try to work out a compromise with your publisher and keep it legit.

Can I expose my boss if I write under an assumed name?
Defamation of character, libel, and slander apply no matter what name you choose to adopt. Exposing your boss’s secrets is likely to get you in serious trouble whether you go by Marty Fishbone or Truman Truthteller.

What about taxes?
Some folks think that using pseudonyms can reduce their taxable income. For example, Mary Smith has a regular day job but writes romance novels on the side under the name Mari Chevalier. She only reports her Mary Smith earnings to the IRS. Can you say tax fraud?

Using a pen name can also complicate matters of advances and royalties, as well as the sale of reprint and subsidiary rights. Again, consult a tax attorney for legal advice.

Many of our clients here at Writer’s Relief tend to shy away from tooting their own horns. So we’re happy to do it for them this month!

Here’s some information about our wonderful writers!

We had 157 acceptances in this December – February cycle: Please note that many magazines accepted work presented by more than one client. (We love when this happens.) The following magazines will be publishing work from Writer’s Relief clients. All of these journals accepted work within the past two months alone:

Agni, Alabama Literary Review, Alembic, American Literary Review, Argestes, Atlanta Review, Bat City Review, Bayou, Cadillac Cicatrix, Cairn, Center: A Journal of the Literary Arts, Chaffin Journal, Chautauqua Literary Journal, Compass Rose, Connecticut Review, CQ (California Quarterly), Cresset, descant, Dislocate, Eclipse, ellipsis . . . literature and art, Emrys Journal, Eureka Literary Magazine, Evansville Review, Fourth River, Grasslimb, Healing Muse, Hurricane Review, Inkwell Magazine, Iodine Poetry Journal, Kerem, Lullwater Review, Lungfull!, Minnetonka Review, Old Red Kimono, Paper Street, Passager, Permafrost, Pisgah Review, Portland Review, Quercus Review, Quiddity Literary Journal, Rambler, Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine, Rhino, Rio Grande Review, RiverSedge, Salamander, Schuylkill Valley Journal of the Arts, South Carolina Review, Sou’wester, Sulphur River Literary Review, Tampa Review, and Willow Springs.

In addition, the following agents requested manuscripts this cycle:

Ann Rittenberg
Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents
Elyse Cheney
Nicholas Ellison Literary Agency

Also, we had six clients nominated last cycle for The Pushcart Prize and another client nominated this cycle!

We love to celebrate with you!

What is creative nonfiction?

Lee Gutkind, editor of Creative Nonfiction magazine, sums it up best: “This is perhaps creative nonfiction’s greatest asset: It offers flexibility and freedom while adhering to the basic tenets of reportage. In creative nonfiction, writers can be poetic and journalistic simultaneously.”

Creative nonfiction is a genre that holds great creative possibilities. It involves the use of factual events or characters to create dramatic nonfiction using techniques such as dialogue, scenery, and POV. It combines the fact-finding of journalism with the literary techniques of the fiction writer to create a dramatic story that just happens to be true. This is also called literary journalism, and, like journalism, it is a genre based on truth.

Suppose an author has written her memoir under the guise of creative nonfiction, but she has spiced things up with a near-death experience and perhaps a rape scene—things that never actually happened in her life. Ethically, this author must redefine her piece as fiction. The basic facts must be true in creative nonfiction.

If the same author wrote a biography about her great-grandfather, she has some license to fill in the blanks, as long as it doesn’t affect the outcome of the story. She most likely doesn’t know what her great-grandfather’s farmhouse looked like on the inside or what he liked in his coffee—ethically, the author has the right to create dialogue and other “facts” that make up the creative element of creative nonfiction. Some authors use disclaimers to make sure their readers don’t feel duped if names or minor details are changed.

Readers must assume that they are reading a biased interpretation of events as they view them through the author’s eyes. The basic facts are there, but the author is reporting his or her own version of those facts. The implied pact between writer and reader is this: I am telling you the truth, but the truth as it is filtered through my eyes.

Legal pitfalls:

While the people and places mentioned in creative nonfiction pieces are still around, writers often change the names of characters in their work to avoid conflict. As long as it doesn’t impact the story, changing Linda, the waitress at the Burger Barn, to Cynthia from the Hamburger Hut might save Linda some awkwardness. And if you’ve fudged the facts about her, changing Linda’s name just might save you from a lawsuit, but there is no guarantee. Linda can still sue you for defamation if she is obviously defamed, regardless of the name you give her in the book. Changing a person's name is not a guarantee of protection, but it might help.

Other ways to stay out of trouble:

Stick to the truth. In a defamation of character suit, an offending statement must be false for a plaintiff to prevail against you or your publisher. Untrue facts that negatively affect a person’s reputation or credibility are considered defamatory.

Be careful not to report facts that may cause damage to another person’s physical being or business. Revealing that Johnny from the bank is actually a mob snitch, even when the facts are true enough, can lead to physical harm to Johnny and legal hot water for you. And be prepared for an invasion of privacy lawsuit if you are exposing embarrassing or private facts about a person, even if they are truthful.

Protect yourself by getting written permission from people you wish to write about. And if they are no longer living, make sure you aren’t setting yourself up for a lawsuit from their family. (Obviously, you are fairly safe in writing about people who died long ago.) If the person is a public figure whose actions or background are a matter of public record, then you do not need permission, but be judicious about the facts you report. Senator Mucky-Muck may have an obsession with women’s feet, but leave his foot fetish out of your story, especially if it’s merely something you’ve thrown in to add some excitement to your story.

This article is for informational purposes only. For expert legal advice about your own publishing questions, always consult an attorney.

Want to know about the legal ramifications of pen names?

Read Pen Names and Pen Names II.