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

Upcoming Anthologies

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, witches, 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: 03/30/10.
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

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

** FEATURED LISTING **

Independent Book Festival
Registration deadline: May 15, 2010. Conference dates: September 23 – 25, 2010.
Calling all SELF-PUBLISHED authors and those who WANT TO BE PUBLISHED: The first ever Independent Book Festival wants you and your submissions. Over 100 literary agents/managers, book buyers, publishers, reviewers, media specialists, regional and national segment producers for radio and television, celebrity authors, and film producers will not only be in attendance, but judge the submitted self-published books. Many judges will also be giving workshops/lectures, panel discussions, and hearing YOU pitch your book (all events open to writers published or not). Self-published authors will also be able to sell their books to the public. An awards ceremony honoring/celebrating the best of the best will take place on the final evening of this three day festival. 
Contact: contact@abundantmedia.net
URL: http://www.IndependentBookFestival.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

** FEATURED LISTING **

Act One Writing for Film and Television Seminar
Application Deadline April 1, 2010. Dates: June 21, 2010 - July 3, 2010
Over 100 hours of screenwriting instruction from Hollywood writers and industry professionals who literally step off studio lots to teach. Topics covered include the art of visual storytelling, ethics, the realities of working in Hollywood, writing for a global audience, and the spiritual journey of a Christian writer.
Contact: info@ActOneProgram.com
URL: www.ActOneProgram.com

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

Illinois

Writers & Editors / One-on-One Conference
Registration deadline: June 30, 2010. Conference dates: July 16 - 18, 2010.
The premiere freelance writers' conference, Writers & Editors / One-on-One brings together 60 experienced freelance writers with eight national publication and new media editors for a weekend of dialogue, deep dish, and pitch sessions.
Contact: jodi@jodihelmer.com
URL: http://www.magazinewriters.com

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

Minnesota

Split Rock Arts Program, University of Minnesota
Registration is ongoing. March/April/Oct 3-day seasonal retreats; June/July weeklong summer workshops and retreats.
The University’s Split Rock Arts Program offers workshops and retreats in autobiography, poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, screenwriting, writing for children; book arts, calligraphy, picture book illustration, and a variety of visual forms. Writing instructors for 2010 include: Nancy Carlson, Jack El-Hai, Patricia Weaver Francisco, Robin Hemley, Michael Martone, Jim Moore, Matthew Specktor, Joyce Sutphen, Catherine Watson, Larry Watson, Carole Boston Weatherford, and more.
Contact: splitrockarts@umn.edu
URL: http://www.cce.umn.edu/Split-Rock-Arts-Program

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

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

North Wildwood Beach Writers' Conference
Registration deadline: May 28, 2010. Conference dates: June 8 and 9, 2010.
Eighth annual conference held at Wildwoods Convention Center featuring an agent, editor, children's authors; presentations on writing horror, poetry, marketing ideas, 14 workshops, and keynote speaker at closing banquet. Contests and Book Bazaar.
Contact: nwbwc10@gmail.com
URL: http://www.nwbwc.com

New York

** FEATURED LISTING **

ASJA Annual Writers Conference
Early-bird registration deadline: March 22, 2010. Open until April 21, 2010. Conference dates: April 23 – April 25, 2010.
The 39th Annual ASJA Writers Conference brings together writers from all nonfiction specialties (consumer, trade publications, custom publications, and memoirs), with editors, agents, and other industry professionals to take part in more than 40 great seminars and workshops.
Contact Alexandra Owens at director@asja.org
URL: http://www.asja.org/wc

Round Table Writers’ Conference
Registration deadline: April 28, 2010. Conference dates: April 30 and May 1, 2010.
The Round Table Writers’ Conference focuses on the business side of the writing life. We gather editors, agents, publicists, and published authors together to give our attendees inside tips on navigating the publishing industry. Past keynote speakers have included Richard Ford (Independence Day), John Berendt (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic), and Wally Lamb (She’s Come Undone).
Contact: contact@nycip.org
URL: http://www.writersconferencenyc.org

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

2nd Annual Book Marketing at the Beach Seminar
Registration deadline: March 31, 2010. Conference dates: April 16 - 18, 2010.
With over 750,000 books sold, author John Fuhrman has teamed up with a top literary agent to help authors discover what it takes to sell massive quantities of books. First 10 registrants at each conference will be invited to the pre-seminar social where you can meet with John and an agent in a more intimate setting.
Contact: dealerprofitsnow@aol.com 

42nd Annual Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc. Conference
Registration deadline: April 8, 2010. Conference dates: April 29 - May 1, 2010.
Features approximately 25 agents, editors, and professional writers who will present 40 informative seminars on a range of topics. The conference is geared to give writers the opportunity to improve their skills, network, make professional contacts, and have fun!
Contact: deborah@deborahbouziden.com
URL: http://www.owfi.org/Conference/Welcome/tabid/60/Default.aspx

Oregon

Pennsylvania

The Write Stuff
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

East Texas Christian Writers Conference
Early-bird deadline: March 19, 2010. Conference dates: April 9 - 10, 2010.
The Conference offers the following opportunities: Contact, conversation, and exchange of ideas with other aspiring writers; Resources, books, magazines,and bulletins for consideration; Outstanding presentations and workshop experiences with established authors; Potential publishing and writing opportunities; Networking with other writers with related interests; Promotion of both craft and faith; and Consulting with agents, editors and publishers.
Contact: The School of Humanities at 903.923.2083.
URL: http://www.etbu.edu/News/CWC

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

Wisconsin

Writing It Real in Madison WI
Registration deadline: August 1, 2010. Conference dates: October 15 - 17, 2010.
Faculty members Sheila Bender, Meg Files, and Jack Heffron will offer you hands-on lectures, small group in-class writing instruction, small group manuscript workshops, and writing and publishing consultations in our weekend intensive Friday evening through Sunday mid-afternoon at the Holy Wisdom Monastery.
Contact: conference@writingitreal.com
URL: http://www.writingitreal.com/page.php?p=2010

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: 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! 

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. 
 

Dorothy Brooks' chapbook, Interstices, was released by Finishing Line Press. It is available now for orders at http://www.finishinglinepress.com. Just click on "New Releases and Forthcoming Titles" and look for the title. The books are listed alphabetically by author's last name. The cost is $14 plus shipping.

R.M. Hora's story, “Sita's Eyes,” is part of the anthology Ask Me About My Divorce (Seal Press). The book is a spicy, fun, riveting collection of essays by women from all walks of life. With the unifying thread “I got divorced, and the world came into view,” the words within will make readers laugh, cry, nod their heads, and feel inspired to do what they need to for themselves. These aren't stories from women tiptoeing around a difficult subject—they're about the ways divorce can be, in fact, a new lease on life. For more information or to purchase the book, visit http://www.sealpress.com/book.php?isbn=1580052762

Naomi Ruth Lowinsky has won the New Millennium Writings Obama Inauguration Contest, taking the $1,000 grand prize. Read an article about the contest here. Also, Naomi's memoir about being a poet, The Sister from Below: When the Muse Gets Her Way, has been published by Fisher King Press. Read more about it (or order your copy) here: http://www.fisherkingpress.com/order.html

Lucille Lang Day's The Curvature of Blue: Poems was released this spring by Cervena Barva Press. For more information and orders, visit http://www.thelostbookshelf.com. "In Lucille Lang Day's poems, stunning transformations of language cross the placenta barrier between the worlds of science and human emotion. She thinks and feels in color, enabling us to inhabit the complexity of the universe—as experienced at breakfast with a lover, in the wild with caribou, or in meditations on acts of historical horror—all made radiant by her lyric gifts and wisdom." —Teresa Cader

Donna L. Emerson’s book of poetry, Body Rhymes, is now available from Finishing Line Press. The book is available for purchase through Amazon or directly from the publisher. Donna and her editors always appreciate readers who post reviews! "Donna Emerson is a poet who speaks eloquently and elegantly about the body, focusing on sexuality as well as on love and loss. Writing with a righteous anger yet with a tenderness toward the world, she conveys a sense that the words and actions of one person can make a difference, can be redemptive." —Susan Terris, author of Contrariwise

Dick Bentley's poetry book, A General Theory of Desire, is available through Patchwork Farm Press. "It's the poet's voice - inquisitive, edgy at times, tender - that gathers these poems together; a voice both innocent and lacerating," says Clare Rossini. Visit Dick's home page: http://www.dickbentley.com. Or buy your copy here.

Who Sleeps Beneath the Rocks? The Mystery of Canyonlands and the Origin of Human Life, and its sequel (bound in the same volume), Hide in Plain Sight, are loosely based on the popular SyFy channel program, Star Gate SG-1. This fast-moving science fiction novel is set in the Four Corners region of the American southwest and in California. The Sense of Wonder Press, J.R.Rock & Co. published this novel in November 2008. Visit the Web site of John E. Lankford or order here.

Double Out and Back, a novel by Lisa Lipkind Leibow. Not every woman who rides the fertility treatment roller coaster winds up like Octomom. Who will find friends, family, and fertility? Three women’s lives are intricately intertwined, as Amelia Schwartz and Summer Curtis struggle with the complex dynamics of intrafamily embryo adoption, and Chandy Markum strives to make her patients’ dreams a reality. They must confront the painful reality that, no matter what technology humans devise to manipulate reproduction, prolong life, and construct family units, they have not yet mastered control over their beginnings and endings. Are you up to it? Buy it here from Red Rose Publishing.

A Dreamer’s Guide To Cities and Streams (San Francisco Bay Press), by Joan Gelfand. “Passages of ethereal beauty lift Joan Gelfand’s A Dreamer’s Guide to Cities and Streams into the realm of the extraordinary. 'Transported' alone has more poetry in it than most volumes of contemporary poetry. Here, in few short lines we find evocation of all the senses, including the sixth, jumped into being by suggestions of beginning, danger, discovery, alarm, assurance, judgment, mission, death, and eternity—an archetypal transport to the holy realm of dreaming.” Robert Arthur, Publisher. Included poems appear in: Lady Jane, Miscellany, Kalliope, Poetica, and national anthologies. Buy it here from Amazon. Joan also announces that her story "Better Days" was accepted by The MacGuffin.

Fred Yannantuono announces the release of his book A Boilermaker for the Lady by NYQ books. "Fred Yannantuono can tackle the whimsical, the lyrical, the musical, the hypothetical, the critical, the empirical, and the fantastical at the same time and make it all seem sensible. In 35 years as an editor, I've never read a poet with a greater control of form or range of subject matter or voice. He is just plain fun to read." —Tom O’Grady, Founding Editor of The Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review

Mary Carol Moran's Equivocal Blessings is now available for pre-order from http://negativecapabilitypress.org. "With Equivocal Blessings, we are in the hands of a contemplative, a quester, who views the world with empathy, affection, and a touch of humor. Written in a range of voices and styles, the book includes a villanelle inspired by Salvador Dali, a persona poem spoken by Coleridge's daughter, and a free verse poem with a contemporary speaker who lives with an 'Alabama Dog' who drags her kill to the dining room, a 'room where a vegetarian eats side by side / with a river dog...' There's nothing equivocal about the blessing that is this book." —Beth Ann Fennelly, author of Unmentionables. 

Suellen Wedmore's chapbook On Marriage and Other Parallel Universes was recently published by Finishing Line Press. Maxine Kumin says of the book “Wedmore’s deeply felt and skillfully controlled poems exhibit an elegiac grace.” The book is available on Amazon.com and at Finishinglinepress.com.

At Writer’s Relief we’re committed to informing our clients and Newsflash readers of publishing industry scams when we see them. Below you’ll find an article that discusses the possible pitfalls of “who’s who” scams that target writers. There are many “who’s who” organizations—organizations that claim to be the definitive list of professionals in a given industry. Some are legit, some are scams, and some are just questionable. In this article we refer to all such organizations as “who’s who” directories, since many of these companies use the term “who’s who” to describe themselves. Writer’s Relief is not referring to a specific company or scam. So before you add a “who’s who” credit to your bio in your cover and query letters, be sure that you are not being sucked into a money-making scheme.

A letter arrives, informing you that you are being considered for inclusion in a prestigious directory for writers, professionals, and executives. This is a reference publication containing brief biographical information on a particular group of people, supposedly people of note, and as a writer, you are thrilled to be included among the nation’s top professionals. What an honor! Just think of the networking possibilities! You can’t wait to add your who’s who credit to your cover or query letter, since you’re sure it will impress literary agents and editors. The letter encourages you to fill out the enclosed application and turn it in—with special emphasis on this line: There is no cost to be included in this fabulous directory.

Well, that’s all you need to hear, so you fill out the online form and sit back, feeling good. A few weeks later you receive a congratulatory phone call from this esteemed directory, and the caller has quite a few questions for you, which you confidently answer. After this lengthy interview, you are feeling rather important and validated. Finally, your talent as a writer has been recognized.

Once you’re feeling good about being included in a who’s who listing, that’s often when you’ll be hit with the hard sell.

If you’ve felt this way when a who’s who company got in touch with you, don’t feel bad. Writers have to deal with rejection on a daily basis, and sometimes our need for validation can lead to costly mistakes. At some point, the lure of a who’s who or a contest scam tempts everyone. Writers must be careful not to fall prey to such scams.

No, there is no cost to be included in this directory. There is, however, increasing pressure to purchase a membership so that you and your friends and family can access the directory. See your name in print. Peruse the competition. Plus, for a mere thousand bucks, you’ll get fabulous travel vouchers, gift certificates, even a nice award certificate to put up on your wall. Some who’s who directories even (gasp!) send you a personalized press release announcing this great honor.

When you fall over half-dead from shock at being asked to pay so much money, the friendly salesperson relents and decides to offer you a super special deal—the same price offered to nonprofit charities and libraries—but this is a once-in-a-lifetime offer, and you’d better sign up quickly. How can you refuse?

How can you not?

The sales tactics of scam who’s who directories can be downright aggressive. Aside from the “prestige” of being listed in their directory—and you’re likely to find prisoners and people who have been deceased for quite some time among this prestigious group—the focus of the sales pitch is often the promise of social-networking opportunities. But in this age of online social-networking sites, do you really need a thousand-dollar directory? Especially when its listings are randomly solicited? You’re more likely to make a useful connection through LinkedIn or Facebook, and the best part is that they’re free.

Many who’s who directories are not legitimate credits to add to your publishing bio; they work the same way as many poetry contest scams. If you list a who’s who credit that literary agents and editors do not recognize as legitimate, you’ll peg yourself as an amateur and a dupe. When a who’s who organization calls you and asks for your money, do your research before you commit to anything. Then, if necessary, head for the hills. Ask that your name be taken off of their list.

One final note: There are legitimate who’s who directories out there—one of the most respected is the Marquis Who’s Who, an organization that actually researches its candidates (rather than randomly harvesting names from the Internet) and only includes those deserving of inclusion. Marquis doesn’t care if its members actually purchase the directory, and there are no high-pressure sales calls. Who’s who directories that are NOT scams can be a great asset to your writing bio. We at Writer’s Relief watch for scams and keep our clients from mistakenly listing dubious credits in their cover and query letters.

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We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Often, we at Writer's Relief read query letters from writers who will mention more than one book. They mention prequels and sequels, previously published books, unpublished books, self-published books, and more. But is it a good idea to mention other book projects in your query letter? 

Though every writer’s situation is unique, here are some things you’ll want to take into account before you mention other projects when you are pitching via query letter.

Books designed to be part of a series. Certain books are by their very nature meant to be part of a series—such as some fantasy and mystery novels. But always keep in mind that before your agent can sell a second or third book, she or he has to sell a first book. So focus on book one, and then casually mention that the book could be developed into a series (saying “could be” makes it clear that you’re not going to put the cart before the horse by writing the series before the first one has proven that it is viable). 

Manuscripts you wrote a long time ago. Many new writers who do not have writing credits tend to include phrases in their bios such as “I have written five books.” This leads the agent to wonder: five published books (if so, why didn’t the writer mention the publisher?), five self-published books (if so, what is the writer trying to hide?), or five books that are sitting under a bed somewhere (if so, will the writer try to pawn off those stale old manuscripts on the agent who takes that writer on?). If the writer is deliberately vague about the “five books,” the agent will generally assume the writer is an amateur. Rather than mention that you’ve written five books that you were not able to publish traditionally, it may be better not to mention them at all. Focus on building up your bio with publication credits in the literary magazine market or by demonstrating a commitment to the craft. 

Self-published books. Unless a self-published book does well, agents will generally regard self-published books the same way they will regard books that have not been professionally bound and printed. For more on the question of whether or not to mention a self-published book, read this. 

Spin-offs. Some writers will indicate that they are already in the process of spinning their single title book into an alternate venture—perhaps developing the story of the secondary characters, or perhaps taking the story to the next level with a prequel. Again, be sure you’re only pitching one book at a time. If you’ve already completed your spin-off projects, it may be better to hold off on mentioning that those projects are already complete until you and the agent are in serious talks. 

Other unrelated books or genres. If you’re writing a romance novel and you want an agent to work with you on another project (a thriller), it's best to focus on one project at a time. The query letter is not necessarily the place to mention multiple projects. If an agent shows interest in one of your projects and you feel you can develop a rapport, then that’s the time to mention your other ventures. But until that point, try not to overwhelm him or her. 

The moral of the story: an agent can only represent one of your books at a time. Generally, if you are entering a new relationship with an agent, you don’t want to overwhelm him or her by suggesting he or she represent previous projects, future projects, or side projects. A good query letter pitches one book only—and perhaps in certain circumstances, it may casually allude to other projects (if the writer is careful in his or her allusions). Play it safe by focusing on one book and one book only. 

At Writer’s Relief we work with our clients to write strong query letters, and we advise them on strategies and tactics regarding the submission process. For more information, visit www.WritersRelief.com. 

Here are the most common mistakes we at Writer’s Relief see in the query letters that are sent to our Review Board. Don’t make these amateur errors when you’re submitting your work! Some of these may surprise you.

Cheesy lead. Don’t be cute. Skip the rhetorical questions. The “What if you were stuck on a sailboat in a hurricane with a mysterious killer” teasers get old fast. Better to lead with the facts; otherwise your reader may feel as if you’re trying to manipulate him or her to create more sensation than pure fact warrants.

Bobbled blurbs. The biggest problems we see with blurbs are 1) too many characters and secondary characters when only the main character should be the emotional hook, 2) a description that’s more thematic than plot-driven (i.e., this book is about peace and love), 3) the author attempts to tell the whole story, including the ending, when he or she should use the blurb as a teaser instead.

Appearance. The letter looks bad, smells, is printed on cheap paper or photocopied, etc. We also receive e-queries that are poorly formatted (all caps, colored and silly fonts, goofy pictures in the signature line) or that lose their formatting once they are sent. TIP: Do yourself a favor and test your e-query to make sure it keeps its formatting by sending it to a bunch of your family members and friends to see what it looks like in their inboxes. Then you can send it to agents.

Mentioning prior manuscripts (and/or certain self-published books). If you’ve written three unpublished book manuscripts in the past, best not to mention them. Otherwise the agent in question may be intimidated by your prior projects, thinking, “If I take on his/her current project, the writer will probably pester me to represent all those previous books that, for whatever reason, didn’t sell.” The same goes for self-published manuscripts, which agents will look at the same way as unpublished manuscripts UNLESS you have significant accolades for your self-published book. (Read more about the best way to mention your self-publishing credits.)

The multiple personality bio. Often writers will inadvertently begin their bios in first person, but wind up in third. Be on the lookout for pronouns gone wild! Also, some bios will begin in present tense, but then end in past. And, as always, it helps to have a strong bio! Read more about bios: Building Publication Credits and No Publishing Credits? Get Publishing Credentials: How To Build Up Your Writing Bio Super Fast. 

Groveling. It may seem like it makes sense to acknowledge your own humility by pointing out a lack of experience, but resist this urge. Confidence wins hearts.

TMI. While it’s always good to convey your own unique personality in your bio, be careful not to include too much information. If your novel is about sailors, it may help to include your background in the Coast Guard. Be personable and interesting, but do so with care.

Listing publishing credits that aren’t really publishing credits. Be careful that the publishing credentials you’re listing are not part of poetry contest scams or anthology scams. Including bad credits suggests you don’t know the market (and therefore don’t know good writing).

Copyright. Industry standard is to not include the copyright symbol on your work. If you do, it’s like tattooing your pages with the word “amateur.” Do it at your own risk. (For more information on copyright, read: Urban Legend: The Poor Man's Copyright).

Cover art. If you include cover art, you show a) that you don’t know how the industry works (since writers get almost no say over their covers), and b) that you might just be the kind of high-maintenance writer who wants complete control.

If you flatter, mean it. Agents can often see straight through the “I greatly admire your agency” bit; they know a generic form letter compliment when they see one. If you’re going to take the approach of flattery, be specific in your praise.

Some common phrases that authors should not use in query letters:

This is the first book I’ve ever written! If this is true, you don’t need to say it; better to position yourself as a person who knows the biz (which means you must be a person who knows it!).

I’ve been writing since I was five. Writers who feel compelled to explain that “I’ve been writing since I was X years old” or that “It is my greatest wish to get published” inadvertently declare to agents, “I am a newbie.” It’s presumed that you’ve been writing since you were X years old and now want to get a book published. That’s what every writer wants.

This would make a great movie. Almost everyone thinks his or her book could be a great movie. You want your query letter to ask your agent to do one thing and one thing only: represent and sell your BOOK—not a screenplay, not a series of action figures, not your foreign rights. Let the agent in question decide if your book is screenworthy or not.

This book will appeal to readers of all genres. Literary agents want to work with writers who understand that each genre appeals to a very specific demographic. When you say, “This appeals to everyone,” an agent will read, “This appeals to no one in particular.”

My friends/parents/teachers like my writing. We often read how new writers get a favorable response to their writing from close ones. But unless your mom or dad is a renowned literary critic, leave off any amateur praise.

Oprah will love this book. If the story is solid and the writing is strong, there’s no reason an author should feel obligated to proclaim that a book is the next Harry Potter. Don’t promise what you have no control over. Your work should speak for itself.

Writer’s Relief works closely with clients to prepare powerful query letters and target them to the best-suited agents. If you’re not ready for our intensely effective Full Service program, check out our A La Carte services. We can do as much or as little as you like, to help build up your bio and get your submissions to the literary agents and editors who will be most likely to enjoy your work!

Guest blogger Suzan L. Wiener has had many greetings accepted by Andrew McMeal, Gallant Greetings, Peaceable Kingdom Press, Yippie Cards, etc. Many of her tips on writing, short stories, poems, and other short works have appeared in major publications.

Do you wonder how some poets and writers manage to sell their greeting card verses while others miss the mark completely or only get an acceptance on a rare occasion? This Q & A will give you the information you need to see your writing in the greeting card aisle (and help you make a little money at the same time!).

Q. Where do you find companies who will buy your greeting card verses?

A. I look in market books for writers or online at www.google.com. Then search for "paying greeting card markets."

Q. How do I know what type of greetings to send to each company?

A. Always request the company's guidelines. Follow them to the letter. If you don't, your ideas may be disqualified just for that reason.

Q. If I only write rhyming verses, should I try to write unrhymed verses or one-liners?

A. Definitely. Why limit what you are writing? Who knows, you may have a flair for writing unrhymed verses. If you don't give it a try, you will never know. You could be losing out on sales. I find it is a lot of fun to write different types of greetings rather than limiting myself to one form.

Q. When should I give up on a company if I keep getting rejections?

A. Only you can decide that. If submissions have been rejected for a year, it's time to rethink what you are sending to the company. Something obviously isn't meshing. Either you can sell your greeting card verses to another company, or you can rework them and try again. I always find it is best to send my ideas to another company, wait a few months, and then send other ideas to the first company. An editor might move on to another greeting card outfit, and the new editor might love your work. This has happened to me.

Q. What if I'm not an artist? Can I still get my verses published?

A. In fact, unless you are a professional artist, publishers prefer you send submissions without artwork. They have in-house artists to do the illustrations. You can, of course, suggest a visual for your text directly on the card you are sending. Editors even appreciate stick figures. If you cannot draw, just give them an idea of what you are trying to convey.

Q. What rights do greeting card companies acquire?

A. Each company is different. Some will ask for all rights, others will ask for first-time rights, etc. Some will send you a contract and others just an acceptance letter. Giving away all rights isn't the best way to go, but if you want to write for that particular company, you will have to relinquish them, unfortunately. That means you cannot resell your card ideas at all. When acquiring all rights is their policy, they don't normally negotiate different terms.

Q. Do greeting card companies send you free copies of your cards?

A. Usually they do. It's a great feeling to see the greeting that you wrote on the card itself. Some companies will even include your name on the card!

Q. Is there any way to guarantee that a card idea you wrote will sell?

A. The answer, in a nutshell, is no. But if you keep practicing your verse writing, gear your ideas to what editors prefer, make them a me-to-you message—which greeting card enthusiasts refer to as "sendable"—you will have a much higher rate of sales.

Q. How much can I get paid for writing greeting cards?

A. Greeting card payments vary from company to company—anywhere from $50 to $300 per card. These rates can change, and it's best to check each publisher's writers' guidelines.

* * If you’re not already subscribing to our FREE Writers’ Newsflash, you’re missing out on regular publishing leads like this one. Get time-saving tips and important industry etiquette information delivered to your inbox monthly. Just visit this link!

Since we work closely with our clients to write stellar query letters (and since we read many, many query letters via our Review Board), the team here at Writer’s Relief has put together some tips to help you write a better book blurb for your own query letter.

Here are some important things to consider when writing a blurb about your book:

Characters. A good blurb will only introduce one character in an intimate way. Your book may have more than one main character, but because the mini-synopsis is limited in length, there’s usually not enough room to introduce more than one person. Pick the character who is most sympathetic and focus your blurb there. Let any other characters be introduced via the experience (and perspective) of your one main character—always keeping the focus on the “MC.” That way, the reader can develop a bond with (and root for) your character. The most common mistake we see in blurb writing is naming too many characters in a single blurb.

Focus on specific conflict. Rather than talk about how your main character wishes to “get right with her family,” go into detail about her efforts to achieve her goal. What specific steps does she take? What specific obstacles stand in her way?

Skip the thematic descriptions. Some blurbs are so burdened with theme descriptions that there seems to be no story. Toss out vague sentences like “This book is about peace and love.” Or “This story will warm your heart as the main character learns to stand on her own and make the best of things. She sees how important family is and tries hard to reconnect with those from her past.” Both of these ways of talking about theme are too fluffy to have any bite. If your theme is strong, you shouldn’t have to point it out. It will already be there, inherent in the story itself. 

Appeal to the human element. To create a good blurb, be sure that your story appeals to universal human emotions and desires—elements that everyone can relate to. Show what specifically your characters want, then go for the kill. Ask the reader (in not so many words), “Don’t you want to find out if she will make it in showbiz/save her family from danger/repair her relationship with her aunt?”

Length. A book blurb should be no more than one or two paragraphs. You want to focus on the highlights, not the details, of your story.

Flashiness. A blurb is not the best place to show off your billion-dollar vocabulary or your ability to construct sentences the length of football fields. Keep it simple for ease of reading. Agents will be skimming your letter to start with, so make it easy for them. If your story looks promising, they’ll give your letter a more thorough read. 

Subplots. A blurb should focus on the main plot of your book. Although you (rightly) love your subplots, your blurb must be short. Use the two paragraphs you have to drive the main focus of your story home, and leave out the extra.

Endings. A blurb should NOT necessarily tell the ending of your story. Think of your book blurb as a sales pitch: the idea is to make literary agents so eager to know what happens to the characters that they simply must request the complete manuscript to find out what happens.

Precision. Because a blurb can’t go into detail, you’ve got to find precise, gripping language to convey your plot. Choose strong words over weak ones. Pick exact verbs instead of spineless ones like “seem” or “being.” Also, go for language and phrasing that reflect the tone and style of your book.

If you want Writer’s Relief to help you with your query letter (and with targeting that query to the best-suited literary agents), please visit www.WritersRelief.com.

Do you have a great idea for a screenplay? Want to get it turned into a movie? Dipping your toes into the world of screenplay writing might seem a little daunting at first, but you can get your work out there if you have the right tools. Although Writer’s Relief does not offer services to screenwriters at this time, we’ve compiled a short list of reliable resources to help you get started on the path to the silver screen.

1. Final Draft. Even if you’ve read our previous article on how to properly format a screenplay, constantly checking your margins can hinder the flow of your writing. Final Draft takes the technical aspect out of your way, automatically placing all of the elements of your screenplay where they belong and even auto-finishing slug lines and character names so you can write quickly and efficiently. Final Draft also publishes Script magazine, which is a treasure trove of articles, interviews, and in-depth coverage from the industry’s front lines.

2. WGAW or WGAE Script Registries. Just because you don’t have enough writing credits to join the Writer’s Guild of America, that doesn’t mean the WGA can’t help you while you’re starting out. In order to avoid any legal hiccups in the future, it’s best to register your intellectual property before submitting it to agents, managers, or producers. You can register everything from a written idea to a polished, completed script with WGA—that way, you’re covered along every step of the writing process. NOTE: This doesn't necessarily apply to books. See our article on copyright.

3. InkTip. Not unlike Writer’s Relief, InkTip is a service that helps put your work where the right people can see it. You have the choice of listing information about your script on their Web site, in their magazine, or on their e-newsletter—all of which are seen by an international network of industry professionals! InkTip boasts a long list of clients whose scripts have been optioned by production companies, and the list grows every week.

4. Withoutabox. If you would like to take a more hands-on approach to getting your script out there, you might want to try submitting it to film festivals with the help of Withoutabox. This site will help you through every step of the process, from finding the right festivals for your script to tracking the status of each submission. In fact, many film festivals require submissions through Withoutabox. You can register for free, and members often get a discount off of festival entry fees.

5. Your local bookstore. The best way to learn about screenwriting is to follow the example of those who have made it big in the business. Luckily, many of them have written books! Some great reads to check out: Syd Field’s Screenplay and Screenwriter’s Workbook, David Trottier’s The Screenwriter’s Bible, Denny Martin Flinn’s How Not to Write a Screenplay and Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434.

If you’ve written a book and are trying to get published, Writer’s Relief would like to suggest the following strategy to get literary agents and editors excited about your book:

Publish an excerpt.

That’s right. Create a stand-alone short story or essay from within your book.

Creating a short story or essay from within your manuscript may seem time-consuming and counter-productive, but many writers have used this strategy to great effect. Often, when you crack open a book, you’ll notice in the copyright section that the publisher wishes to acknowledge other small presses that previously printed selections from the book. Professional writers will frequently convert the first chapter of a book into a story or essay and then publish it in a literary magazine years before the book is even done.

But, you’re thinking, how can I turn part of my book into a story?

A short story or essay is easiest to place when it is shorter than 5,000 words (here's why). If you decide to create some stand-alone prose from within your book, keep in mind that you are allowed to revise your text. Your story does not need to match the portion of your book word for word. Feel free to play with your prose in order to give your excerpt the best shape for the medium. Also, if you’d like to write a story that is very loosely based on an event in your book—or maybe even a spin-off—that’s fine too. The point is to be able to say in your query letter:

My story “Footsteps in the Hall,” which is [based on/excerpted from] my novel The Monster Keeper, was published in The Name-of-Magazine-Here Review.

Why do writers want to see their excerpts published? There are a number of reasons excerpts can get you where you want to go.

Book excerpts generate enthusiasm. When a literary agent or editor sees that a portion of your book has been published in a reputable literary magazine, you are immediately bumped to the head of the class. Literary agents and editors like to see that you are actively publishing—and it’s even better if what you’re publishing is from the book that you’re pitching.

Published excerpts indicate that there is a pre-existing audience. If a literary agent doesn’t have to hem and haw over how to position your book within the larger market, then you just might strike gold. When you publish an excerpt, you hint that there is already interest out there for your writing. You indicate that the masses are ready and eager for a writer like you.

Excerpts build up your bio. We’ve already discussed how extremely important it is to build up your bio when you’re approaching literary agents with a book project. Publishing an excerpt of your book demonstrates that you are a writer who is serious, professional, and capable. Skip this step at your own peril.

Writer’s Relief often recommends to our clients that they publish excerpts of their books in the literary magazine market, and we can help you submit your excerpt for publication. If you’re not ready for our intensely effective Full Service program, check out our A La Carte services. We can do as much or as little as you like to help you build up your bio and get your submissions to the literary agents and editors who will be most likely to enjoy your work!

Whether or not you decide to partner with Writer’s Relief to help with your submissions (via our exceptional Full Service or our budget-friendly A La Carte Service), NOW is a very important time for serious writers. Here’s why you should get those submissions in the mail ASAP.

1. Many markets are open in the fall. Almost all literary journals that are affiliated with colleges and universities open their doors to new writers for the academic year. Editors are actively searching for exciting new writers; send your work now to take advantage of their enthusiasm.

2. Remember the excitement and importance of those first few days of school? The chatter, the competition, the feeling of beginning again? It’s the same in publishing. When summer hours end, there’s a communal sense of starting fresh.

3. Because fall is so busy for publishing—and there are so many submissions making the rounds—the sooner you send your work out, the better. Although response times vary from market to market and submission to submission, it’s been our experience that replies tend to arrive more quickly in the fall. When student readers and interns arrive at literary magazines in the fall, the response time tends to improve.

4. Since so many writers are submitting in the fall, you’ll be among the publishing movers and shakers. There’s a party going on, and you’re on the guest list. BUT if you want to roll with the in-crowd, you’ve got to show up!

5. Winter is coming, and with it comes the holiday season. Although many writers go into November and December with good intentions of writing and submitting, it’s extremely easy to drop the ball when the days get shorter. Send out a round (or two) of submissions sooner rather than later, and you’ll see better results.

If you want to simplify the submission process but you’re not ready for our long-term Full Service, check out our A La Carte Service. Starting at just $100, we can help you get a round of submissions in the mail in just a few days!

What is an exclusive (or right of first refusal) from a literary agent? Sometimes, when a writer sends a query off to a literary agency, the agent will request an “exclusive”—that is, the privilege of reading a manuscript before any other literary agent is allowed to see it. An exclusive is a kind of “right of first refusal” for agents.

The word “exclusive” tends to make writers panic. What if I grant an exclusive and another agent wants to read the book? What if I don’t want to grant an exclusive because I’m holding out for some other agent? What if I’ve already given the manuscript to someone else before the request for an exclusive?

In any of these situations, there’s no reason to panic. In fact, you should be THRILLED to have such a great problem. If a reputable agent wants to see your work badly enough to request an exclusive, you’re in a good position. Congrats!

Here are a few “problem” scenarios and some steps you might take to wiggle out of them. Keep in mind that every situation will be unique, so these concepts cannot work as a one-size-fits-all solution to your problem. But they may help.

What if the first literary agent who wants to read my book asks for an exclusive?
If the first agent who requests your book wants a guarantee that you won’t send it to anyone else until he or she is finished, don’t panic. First, evaluate your feelings about the agency. Is it your first choice? If so, you may need to be flexible. You do have the power to decline an agent’s request for an exclusive; however, we recommend that instead of turning an agent down flat, consider granting an exclusive for two weeks only. Another option is to indicate to the agent that she or he is the first to request the complete manuscript, and while you cannot grant an exclusive read, you will keep the agent informed if any other literary agencies request the manuscript. This may be enough to put the agent at ease.

What if a literary agent asks for an exclusive, but there’s already another agent reading the book?
If this happens, thank your lucky stars. It means there’s a lot of interest in your book—and you can use that momentum to keep the enthusiasm going. Politely state that the response to the book has been very positive, and you’re unable to grant an exclusive because another agency is already reading the book. Then be sure to go back and tell the first agent that another agent has put in a request. (Note: This isn’t something you’ll want to do unless you can be tactful. You can take the “I was just checking in and oh by the way” approach, or you can say, “I felt it was only right to let you know that another literary agency has requested to see the complete manuscript.”) When agents think other agents are interested in you, they become more interested in you.

How to approach big-time agents who have a lot of rules and demand exclusives.
If you’re querying a big-time agent and he or she wants an exclusive, you may need to be prepared to give it or lose a potential deal. When you approach the bigger agencies (the ones that don’t accept unsolicited queries, the ones that don’t take unpublished writers, the ones that refuse simultaneous submissions, etc.), the rules of making submissions change. You’ll want to query just one agency at a time. If your top agent wants an exclusive, give it—and then stop sending out queries and be very patient. Why? Because if you continue to query agents after you’ve given your top agent an exclusive read, it's like a tease to tell any others who request your book, “Can you wait until I hear back from someone I like better than you?” You’ll botch that deal faster than you can say New York Times Best Seller.

At Writer's Relief, our submission strategists work closely with our clients to answer any of the questions that arise when writers get serious about their submission strategies. To learn more about how to make our submission services part of your effective publishing strategy, visit our Web site today!

We’re excited to present this information to you! Click on this link http://www.writersrelief.com/how-to-publish-a-childrens-book.aspx to order a copy of Insider's Secrets: What You MUST Know To Submit Your Children's Book.

Here’s some of what’s included: 

Sample format pages which illustrate what is considered “industry standard” for children’s book manuscript pages. Do you know how to set up the header on each page of your manuscript? Do you know where the word count belongs? Should you or should you not include your e-mail address? Should you left, right, or full justify your manuscript?

Sample cover letters to help you avoid ruining your chances of a good read by agents and editors. Do you want to know the secrets of preparing a good cover letter? Which type of cover letter gets the best results? Do you know how you should address your letter and to whom? 

A glossary of children’s book terminology. Do you know what differentiates an easy-to-read book from a picture story book and a picture book? What about hi-lo books? Is there a difference between a simultaneous submission and a multiple submission?

A time-saving checklist which outlines the DOs and DON’Ts of children’s book submissions.

And much more! 

BONUS: You'll also receive a FREE REPORT that contains contact information for 100 agents and publishers who specialize in children's books.

Click on this link

http://www.writersrelief.com/how-to-publish-a-childrens-book.aspx

for more!

1. Get the look. If you want people to take you seriously, you’ve got to present yourself in a serious way. When making your submissions to agents and editors, skip the bright-colored paper, the “clever” query letter intros (editors get sick of them fast), the thumbnail image of your face on the manuscript. Just be brief, straightforward, and businesslike. Also, follow industry standard formatting and have your work proofread. Interestingly enough, it’s often the veteran writers who are more inclined to appreciate proofreading than the newbies—but that’s probably why they earn veteran status to begin with.

2. Write to the right people. The first mistake of making submissions is taking the “blanket” approach: wallpapering the whole country with your query and cover letters. A few well-placed and specific queries truly mean much more than 50 that are almost well-placed. Queries that are almost well-targeted will almost get you published. Do the research (or hire someone who will) to make your submissions matter. (NOTE: We’ve found that writers who take this seriously tend to be more successful. Submitting selectively is a sign of a writer who knows what she or he is about. Selective writers put so much love into their manuscripts that they won’t submit to just anyone. Selectiveness is a very good sign because it demonstrates the right attitude for success.)

3. Be the tortoise, not the hare. Make submissions part of your writing habit. Submitting your work in dribbles and drabs is NOT a strategy; it’s a crapshoot. Sustainable and steady wins the race. To a certain extent, submissions are a numbers game. When you submit more regularly, it’s likely you’ll get published more often and more regularly. And the more you build up your bio, the more likely you’ll be well-received. Don’t give up on a story just because twenty places rejected it. Plan to submit to at least 100 markets. AND create a schedule to lock yourself into making submissions. When you create a calendar for your submissions (and deadlines for your writing so that you can make submissions) you will see your publication rate increase.

4. Organization is your friend. Some people are naturally well-organized but others are not. To truly make the most of your submissions, you need to keep track of who read what, who liked what (and why), who rejected what (and why), who wants to see more work from you, and who acquired what rights. It is a TON of work (that’s why Writer’s Relief takes on this burden for our clients). When the acceptance letters start coming in, you’ll thank yourself for the extra effort.

5. Chin up! Last but not least, work to maintain a good attitude. Negative thinking, getting glum about rejections, and believing yourself less than worthy... It’s easy to fall into those traps. Positive thinking takes real work when you’re getting bombarded by rejections (and you WILL get bombarded—it’s part of the process). Start looking at your rejection letters as proof of your dedication, devotion, and all-around awesomeness. Attitude is often the only difference between a nobody and a rising star. Every rejection brings you closer to acceptance, so submit regularly and chip away at those numbers. If you’d like to stay positive and motivated, we’re willing to give you a free E-book, Rejoice in Rejection (details here). We know it will help!

If you’re not able to develop a submission strategy on your own, or you just don’t have the time and patience for it, do yourself a real favor and check out Writer’s Relief. We can take on as much or as little of the submission process as you like so that you can focus on what you love: writing.

At Writer’s Relief it’s our business to work with our clients to develop a submission strategy that 1) keeps them focused on writing, 2) eases the stress and frustration of the submission process, 3) circulates manuscripts regularly (with no spamming) to generate interest, and 4) targets the BEST literary agents and editors (those most likely to enjoy the writing in question).

For more tips on making strong submissions, visit:

How To Write Cover and Query Letters That Get Attention 

Why Length Matters When Submitting Your Stories And Poems For Publication

How To Build Up Your Writing Bio Super Fast

Seven Techniques You Must Know To Make Editors Notice Your Poetry

We’re approached by countless writers every year who want us to help them submit their short story collections to literary agents. The short story is a unique art form that many writers enjoy. But few writers ever truly understand how to get a collection of short stories published.

It takes talent to make short stories work. Some novelists begin their careers writing stories and working their way up to longer works (novels or memoirs). Other writers prefer to work in the short form and, eventually, find themselves with a stack of stories inches high, wondering, “Why not turn my short stories into a collection?”

Short stories are becoming increasingly popular, not only because they are mini works of art, but also because busy people have shorter attention spans. There are hundreds of literary magazines and journals looking to publish individual stories (and Writer’s Relief keeps tabs on all of them), but finding a home for a collection of short stories is no easy task.

Major publishers want novels because they sell and infrequently consider novellas or collections of short stories. Short story collections are harder to place because editors are unwilling to take chances on unknown writers; unless you’re Alice Munro or William Faulkner, you will find it considerably more difficult to sell your work. Publishers tend to do some marketing for their novels, and perhaps if the same marketing momentum were applied to short story collections, authors of short stories would stand a greater chance of landing a deal with the big boys.

Before you protest about the number of successful anthologies on the market, be aware that anthologies are generally collections of stories by a number of different authors—collections appealing to those who are looking for a particular theme or subject matter. Anthologies of work by a single, unknown author are very difficult to sell.

Don’t let us thoroughly discourage you from trying to get your collection published—there are some things you can do to increase your chances.

Publish selected works. It’s easier to sell a collection if you’ve had at least a few short stories previously published in reputable literary journals. Submit individual stories to quality magazines on a regular basis, and with each publication credit, your credibility will increase. At Writer’s Relief we highly recommend that writers build their credits first rather than approaching agents with a collection of unpublished stories. National exposure in quality magazines is key to attracting an agent or editor’s attention.

Theme. It also helps if the stories have a common theme or subject to tie them together. James Herriot was a country vet, not an aspiring author, but his collection of stories had a cohesive theme, and the series is still popular today.

Go for a novel. Some agents recommend scrapping the whole idea of a collection and refashioning the collection into a novel. They might also recommend selling the collection as part of a two-book deal, with the story collection designed to generate interest in the second book, which would be an actual novel.

Win big. Enter as many short story writing competitions as possible. An award-winning story can land a publishing deal. It can also boost a writer’s self-confidence—always a bonus.

Market. Many writers get frustrated and end up self-publishing their work, especially if they’re simply looking for limited quantities to give to family and friends. But for a writer looking to sell a decent number of books and see his or her collection at the major bookstores, the marketing process can be a nightmare. When you self-publish, you are responsible for nearly all the marketing and publicity efforts.

Consider small presses. There are far more small presses than big publishing houses, and they tend to specialize in niche marketing. They also tend to publish out of love for the genre and may be more receptive to a short story collection if they love the quality of your work.

Get an agent. If you have an agent, your chances of selling a collection are better than for unagented writers. To be a writer who gets an agent for a short story collection, you’ll need a strong bio. Also it may help in your query letter to mention that you have a novel in the works.

Get schooled. Short story collections are far easier to sell when their authors have top-notch credentials: publication credits in quality magazines, awards, grants. Graduating from a quality MFA program is a plus as well.

To learn more, check out How To Write A Query Letter For A Short Story Collection. We help writers submit their individual stories for publication because we’ve found it’s the best way to help writers improve their bios (so that they can be competitive when approaching agents). If you would like Writer's Relief to help you submit your individual short stories for publication, or if you would like us to consider working with you on a collection, please give us a call!

If you’re writing literary or mainstream fiction (also called general fiction), the word-count requirements and style guidelines are often not as strict as they are for genre novels. In a previous Newsflash, we offered an article to help you determine if your genre fiction novel meets editors and literary agents’ guidelines for publication. Now, we’re tackling nongenre books. How do you know if your novel is literary or mainstream? Let’s start by looking at the difference between mainstream and literary fiction genres.

What is Literary Fiction? How Do You Know If Your Book Qualifies As Literary?

Literary fiction is fiction of ideas. While the story must be good, emphasis on action is not often as important as emphasis on the ideas, themes, and concerns of the book. Literary fiction tackles “big” issues that are often controversial, difficult, and complex.

Aside from subject matter, literary fiction tends to be written with emphasis on prose style. While genre fiction is “transparent” (readers can see through the text to escape into the story itself), literary writers want the reader to notice how beautiful the writing is. Sometimes the writing prevents the reader from escaping into the story, but that’s not a bad thing in this genre.

Many writers wrongly assume that if their book is not genre fiction (like mystery, romance, or thriller), then it must be literary. But that’s not the case. Literary fiction is very specialized and difficult to do well. Literary readers (especially readers of experimental and “high literary” forms) are very demanding and are sometimes regarded as a niche market.

What is General Fiction? How Do You Know If Your Book Qualifies as Mainstream?

Mainstream fiction, which goes by many other names (like general fiction and literary light), is driven by a mix of genre fiction and literary fiction techniques. In mainstream fiction, the writer must have a strong “hook” or premise. The story must be readable (it must have a traditional plot arc and be relatively plot- and character-driven). Controversy is welcome, but it is not presented in as nuanced a way as in literary fiction. Insight and emotionality are important, but they are often of equal importance as the story.

Mainstream fiction tends to blend transparent language with occasional bouts of prose that feel more literary in tone. Writers of general fiction can have a variety of voices and write in a variety of styles, but all are accessible and not too difficult to read. Insight and perspective are important but should not overshadow story.

Determining How To Market Your Book (Whether To Market As Mainstream Or Literary)

Most novels that don’t fall into the literary category or the genre fiction category are mainstream fiction. If you do not know if your book is literary or mainstream fiction, it is probably mainstream (given that literary fiction is so specialized). Trained literary writers know literary fiction when they see it (and some tend to look at mainstream fiction as one of the commercial genres, as opposed to art). So if you’re not sure that your book is literary, you may want to err on the side of caution by calling your book “mainstream.”

If you are writing literary fiction, it will likely help your cause to have been formally educated or very widely read in modern literary fiction. Having a degree or lots of publication credits in literary journals and magazines goes a long way when an editor is deciding whether to market you as mainstream or literary. For more information on why having a strong bio matters, read Building Publication Credits. Writer's Relief has been helping writers build up their bios by preparing professional submissions since 1994. We can help you build your writing credentials.  

If you don’t have a strong background, you may want to position yourself as a writer of accessible, mainstream fiction (and if you’re trying to produce a best seller, that’s a great place to be).

How Long Is A Literary Novel? How Long Is A Mainstream Novel?

A literary novel can be between 40,000 and 120,000 words long. If you’re a new writer, literary agents and editors will likely want to see a novel between 70,000 and 100,000 words from you. A mainstream novel is usually best-suited when it hits the 70K-100K mark as well.

If you’ve written a literary or a mainstream novel and would like help submitting your work to literary agents, please check out our various packages. Writer’s Relief takes the headache out of the submission process and increases your odds of acceptance. Our clients are multipublished and award winners. For questions, e-mail info@wrelief.com.

Guest writer Suzan L. Wiener has had numerous articles, short stories, poems, and other shorter pieces published in major publications such as Cross & Quill, Verses, Impetus, FellowScript, etc. She also has her love poetry E-book up at http://72.249.118.251/taxonomy/term/83464, and her greeting cards have been published through several major greeting card companies.

On the Internet you need to start your story where the action is. That is most important. You need to build the conflict (action) to keep the editor and reader interested. The climax of your story must be credible. For instance: If you are writing a story for children, don’t have an adult solve the child’s problem. Have the child solve it. Otherwise the editor will lose interest.

I always do a plot outline when I write short stories. Here is a rough outline that I follow to help organize my story:

I. Major characters—
            List the main character(s)
II. Minor characters—
            List the minor character(s)
III. Complications (should always move the story forward)
IV. Subplot (if any)
V. Crisis (turning point)
VI. Resolution (end of story)

Below are several tips to help you get that most-welcomed acceptance.
 
1. Write about something you love—write from the heart and from experience.

2. Look for a new spin on an old concept. (There aren’t really any unique ideas anymore, but when a person can put a new spin on old idea, that makes it interesting.)

3. Don’t be afraid of lesser known e-zines. If you do a Google search for “fiction guidelines,” you will likely find many places you’ve never heard of before. Just always make sure any magazine that you submit to is open to your kind of story. (Writer’s Relief editor’s note: OR you can ask us for help identifying the best markets for your writing!)

4. Network. Having friends who also write fiction opens up a lot of new markets to you. Don’t be afraid to share markets. You might find that your friend has had a good experience with Internet markets, or you might pass your own information along.
 
If you follow the above rules, you will most likely see a publication acceptance in your inbox.

Writer's Relief editor's note: For more help with your short stories, check out this link: Short Story Checklist: Techniques for Getting Short Stories Published. Enjoy!  

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 

Editor's note: This article pertains largely to self-publishing with a third-party publishing house, as opposed to starting a publishing company from scratch. Both processes present their own difficulties and advantages.  

Thinking of self-publishing your book because you’re tired of the stress and frustration of making submissions to literary agents and editors? Feel like self-publishing is the easiest way of making your dreams of being a published novelist come true?

Self-publishing is NOT necessarily the easy route to achieving your dreams. Self-publishing companies strive to make the process of typesetting, binding, and printing your book appear stress-free and easy. But when you buy into the easiness hype, you may be opening yourself up to even more difficulties than if you’d continued trying to publish the traditional way. Here are just a few of the reasons self-publishing isn’t always as easy as it seems:

HYPE: Publishing with a self-publishing company is simple and stress-free.
FACT: Self-publishing is NOT necessarily simple and stress-free. First, you have to research self-publishing companies. We get calls and e-mails all the time from optimistic writers who naively got locked into bad (or just plain disappointing) contracts. To self-publish, you must be able to read, negotiate, and interpret contracts, you must research distribution packages, you must develop and implement a marketing plan…in short, you must develop as much business know-how as if you were seeking a traditional book deal. It’s not impossible develop all the knowledge you’ll need to be successful, but it’s far from easy.

HYPE: Self-publishing will easily satisfy your desire to share your story with the world.
FACT: Unless you have an amazing (expensive) book distribution company in your corner, your book won’t make it to the shelves. And even if it does physically get on the shelves, readers won’t buy your book unless they already know it’s there. Very few sales are made because readers stumble across books. Many self-publishers offer to list their books on Amazon.com; but be warned: it’s unlikely that anyone will buy your book from Amazon.com unless you’ve already enticed them to go there and buy it. You’ll have to do a lot of hard work to get your audience to notice your book; writers who are looking for the instant gratification of being an overnight success will not likely find it in self-publishing.

HYPE: Self-publishing your book could “make” your writing career.
FACT: For every self-publishing success story you hear, there are literally tens of thousands of self-published books that get no attention at all. How hard and long you work to sell books relates directly to your book’s success. For that reason, self-publishing appears easy, but is not necessairly the path of least resistance.

The Truth About Self-Publishing
If you’re trying to figure out where you’re going to get the most bang for your buck in terms of reaching your dreams, the answer may or may not be self-publishing. Our advice (based on watching industry trends) is to exhaust all avenues available to you before you decide to self-publish. If you haven’t queried 100 literary agents for your book project, you don’t have enough information to make the decision to self-publish.

If you self-publish because it seems simpler, be aware that literary agents and editors tend to be somewhat suspicious of the writer who can be tempted to take the easy way out, or the writer who chooses instant gratification over perseverance. If you self-publish, you’ll need to work extra hard to distinguish yourself and your writing. You’ll need to make some serious sales or get some truly reputable and impressive reviews in order to be taken seriously.

The Moral of the Story (aka The Good News)
Self-published books (and all early-career books) are very important in the life of an aspiring writer. Writing a book is a huge accomplishment and should never be dismissed! If you’ve written and self-published a book, celebrate your accomplishments! Literary agents will view your first books as very important life credits, even if they don’t end up being important publishing credits.

The good news is that even in these tough economic times, more books are being published now than ever before!

• Are you ready to commit to spending more time doing what you love (learning about writing and improving your techniques)?
• Can you get your submissions out effectively (can you send them to the right people in a professional format)? 

If you can do those two things, you may have a shot at getting a book published. Not all writers achieve a pie-in-the-sky book deal with a major New York publishing house, but those who quit too soon NEVER have a chance.

Visit www.WritersRelief.com if you would like to learn how we can make the submission process easier and more effective.

If you have an interesting article that pertains to an aspect of creative writing, you may be able to see it published in our Newsflash! We’re always looking for articles that make grammar easy and fun, that inspire or motivate creativity, or that clear up frustrating aspects of the writing life.

Here’s what you need to know:

Previously published work is acceptable, but you must tell us the details of the prior publication.

We acquire first-time rights or one-time rights (you can publish your article elsewhere after we post it).

Articles should be no more than 500 words.

To get ideas of our tone, style, and interests, please read through the articles posted on our blog.

Before you write your article, make sure that we haven’t already written about your topic. Use the search tools on our blog.

Our pay rate is $25 per article.

E-mail your completed article AND a short bio to Lisa@wrelief.com. No attachments, please.

We’re looking forward to reading your work!

Are you looking for the best literary agent to represent your book manuscript or novel so you can get published? Are you researching the literary agencies most likely to enjoy your particular type of writing? If you’re wondering how to get published by landing a literary agent, look no further. Writer’s Relief has helped hundreds of writers (novelists) just like you reach the literary agents who are best-suited for their book manuscripts or book proposals. Our goal is to help you land a literary agent and get published.

Writer’s Relief is an author’s submission service, not a literary agency, publisher, or publicist. We prepare and target our clients’ submissions to the best-suited literary agents and editors. Working with us is like working with a team of industry-specific personal assistants who save you time and who know the strategies that work. In other words, we help our clients get literary agents and get published.

Writers face many hurdles and difficulties during the submission process. All the hours and hours it takes to prepare successful submissions can get very discouraging, especially for writers working alone. Here are just a few ways Writer’s Relief saves our clients from the burden of making submissions to literary agents:

Problem 1. “I’ve been spending endless hours researching via Web sites, directories of literary agents, and market books (like Writer’s Market and Guide to Literary Agents) to find listings of the best agents. It’s discouraging and it’s a headache, and I’m not getting the results I want. Plus, it seems like I have no time to write and work on my books anymore!”

The Writer’s Relief solution: Our job is to save you time and stress. Our professional advice, research, and support can increase your acceptance rate. We prepare your query packets in the proper way and we target your submissions to the literary agents who will be most likely to appreciate your work—you just sit back and wait for the results to come in.

Problem 2. “How do I know if literary agent listings contain outdated contact information, especially if I’m looking for literary agencies on the Internet? I want to send my work to the right agents and be sure that I don’t get roped into a trick, scheme, or scam, but the information out there is unreliable and it wastes my time! Who can help me find a literary agent for my book?”

The Writer’s Relief solution: There are many online writers’ resources (and lists of literary agents) to help you land a literary agent, but many of them are out of date. Our database contains thousands of literary agents and agencies that are updated on a daily basis and are cross-checked through many sources. We carefully vet each agent or agency in our database, and we don’t submit to literary agents who are less than trustworthy. We’ve got our ear to the ground in the publishing industry at all times, and we help protect our clients from getting scammed. Also, we receive personal feedback on thousands of literary agent responses (rejections and acceptances) from our full client base—so we have detailed, personal information on literary agents and editors that you won’t find anywhere else!

Problem 3. “How do I write a query letter that gets a literary agent’s attention without looking like I’m trying too hard? Should I mention my self-published book in my query, or not? Should I mention if I’ve never been published? How do I write a ‘book blurb’ that will make agents pay attention to my novel?”

The Writer’s Relief solution: When you become a Full Service client of our submission services, we help you with the entire process of submitting your book or novel to literary agents. Our submission strategists will write an effective cover or query letter based on the strengths of your book. We KNOW what phrases, information, and organization works in cover and query letters to literary agents and editors. Our clients see results and are frequently asked by literary agencies for complete manuscripts for further review.

Problem 4. “I understand that I need to submit a lot of queries to literary agents before I should start expecting results. But it’s overwhelming. Once I start submitting, how do I keep track of all my submissions and responses? It’s such a pain and I’d rather be writing than doing paperwork!”

The Writer’s Relief solution: Let us do the tedious legwork for you. We have an effective system of targeting submissions and tracking literary agents’ responses. We help you develop a submission strategy that works. Please note that approximately 80% of writers who approach the Writer’s Relief Review Board are turned away. Our staff must feel confident in your book manuscript in order to ethically help you submit your writing to literary agents.

For pricing, packages, submission guidelines, and FAQs about Writer’s Relief, visit http://www.WritersRelief.com/.

If you’re interested in trying to get an agent without the advantage of professional assistance, here are some articles that may help:

• Top Reasons to Query Literary Agents before Editors.
• Do You Need an Agent for Your Book Project?
• How to Spot a Literary Agent Scam (part one).
• How to Spot a Literary Agency Scam (part two).
• The Query Letter.
• The Query Letter from a Marketing Standpoint.
• How to Write Cover and Query Letters that Get Attention.
• Savvy Salutations in Query and Cover Letters; How to Address an Agent.
• Submission Do’s and Don’ts.

Writer’s Relief was born with the intention of helping creative writers (poets, short story writers, novelists, and others) make well-prepared and well-targeted submissions to literary agents and editors. We’ve prepared query letters and query packets for thousands of writers seeking literary agents, and we can help you too. If you want to land a literary agent, you’ll need to use every tool available to beat the competition. We know we can help.

Take a moment to see how we can improve your submission strategy at www.WritersRelief.com.

“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.

What steps can you take to help determine if an agency is legitimate or a scam?

Query only established agents. Not a writer and editor/agent or a PR person/publisher/agent. Some agents do write and agent, but it’s important that agenting is his or her first priority. A good agent will have more than he or she can handle wearing one hat and one hat only.

Check track record/sales. The number one indication of a successful agent will be their track record, and they should be eager to share this with you. If they claim their recent sales are confidential, this is a red flag. Feel free to ask for recent sales, published works, recommendations from satisfied clients, etc. Or look up your agent on www.publishersmarketplace.com, a Web site that chronicles publishing deals. However, there is a fee for this site.

Note: There’s a difference between an agency that doesn’t want to share their track record and an agency that has a minimal number of sales. Many quality agencies start out small, and sometimes this can translate into more personal attention. They may not have a long track record yet; check for quality versus quantity.

Look for professionalism across the board. Is the agency’s Web site or correspondence with you full of typos and/or grammatical errors? Does the agent get defensive or angry when you ask questions about fees and contract issues? Are your calls ignored for weeks? In general, look for professionalism and general courtesy when dealing with an agent.

Note: Again, don’t necessarily dismiss an agency that is operated out of the agent’s home, or that doesn’t have a full staff or a Web site. (In fact, some of the big agencies don’t have Web sites.) Many good agents start off small and keep their costs down, and they may be more willing to represent a new writer. They may also have more time to work harder for their clients.

Watch for “recommended services.” If your agent gives your work high praise…and then suggests that it will only sell if it is professionally edited, you should immediately go on high alert, especially if the agent already has an editor for you. This is usually the sign of a kickback referral scheme that preys on the hopes and dreams of new writers, and it is highly unethical. The same goes for illustrators. A good agent knows that publishers prefer to do the matching of authors and illustrators, and they should not push you to hire one they recommend.

Beware of agents who are looking for poets and short story writers. Most legitimate agents do not make any money off poetry and short fiction—unless the writer is already very strongly established.

Beware of agents who shower you with excessive flattery and praise or who make grand promises. (Good agents don’t make promises they can’t keep.)

Beware of signs of incompetence. There are plenty of mediocre agents out there who engage in unprofessional practices such as using the client’s own query letters, employing random submission strategies, and insisting the client pay for 8x10 photos, fancy binders, and marketing plans (all of which are unnecessary and off-putting to editors).

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Do your homework. Google potential agents, search writers’ forums, and check for references. Writers are a close-knit group and good about protecting each other. When a naughty agent is lurking, chances are there are savvy writers putting out the word to others. You have the power not to get caught in a literary agent scam!

Read Part One.