Inked Voices is giving away a spot in their upcoming Online First Pages Workshop with Katie Grimm of Don Congdon Associates. The spot is for a writer of a diverse background novel related to their experience, frequently shorthanded on Twitter as #ownvoices. Submissions should be literary or upmarket adult fiction.
Diverse experiences include, but are not limited to: LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities (learn more about We Need Diverse Books in children’s literature: http://weneeddiversebooks.org/mission-statement/).
If you’re interested, fill out the submission form before April 23rd, 2017. As always, good luck!
If you haven’t heard, the Revise & Resub contest is newly created for writers looking to win a complete and free editing of their manuscript. Although their main goal is to help authors polish their stories, they’ll showcase the winners finished projects on the website and agents are welcome to attend! So, spread the word.
Because the Pitch To Publication editors found themselves with open availability because P2P got postponed, they created this contest to still give writers the opportunity to win edits. Yay! The submission window opens April 7, 2017 at noon EDT and closes April 9, 2017 at 11:59 PM EDT.
You can visit the site for a complete list of editors. To learn the submission guidelines, go here. As always, good luck!
Nothing soothes the writerly soul than a good twitter pitch party! Tomorrow is Brenda Drake‘s infamous #PitMad between the hours of 8am-8pm (EDT). This is for completed and polished manuscripts only. Common age category and genre hashtags are below.
Age Categories:
#PB = Picture Book #C = Children’s #CB = Chapter Book #CL = Children’s Lit #MG = Middle Grade #YA = Young Adult #NA = New Adult #A = Adult
The rules clearly state to only pitch THREE times per manuscript during the contest. Don’t break the rules and clog the feed! Also, please remember anyone can stalk the feed. So, do your research before submitting your manuscript!
Operation Awesome is hosting a Pass or Pagescontest finally this year. Woot! For this round, the category is for adult science fiction or fantasy. Submissions are open NOW from February 13-15, 2017. This is an opportunity to get feedback from an agent on your query and first 250 words of you manuscript. Peeps, this is priceless! And as a possible bonus, the agent reserves the right to request your FULL.
There will be a form for submissions on Operation Awesome when the entry window opens. For complete rules and previous feedback reveals, go here. As always, good luck!
If you’ve ever wanted to sit down with an agent or editor? Well now you can! Manuscript Academy has put together a day for authors to chat with the professional’s of the publishing world called 10 Minutes With An Expert. The time can be used to:
Pitch your project
Get instant feedback on your query or first page
Ask about your unique publishing situation
Ask any publishing question!
Meetings last 10 minutes and are first come first served. The cost for this invaluable access is $49 (US). To make the most of your time, have your questions ready. And have fun learning!
Who’s up for another retreat to stimulate the writerly mind? Then you’ll want to check out Write Away Greece in Paros, Greece! Spring session is April 22-29, 2017 and has limited places remaining. If you can’t make this session, no worries. There will be a summer session June 4-14, 2017. Yes, two opportunities to attend a place of inspiration.
Spend the time writing your latest WIP in workshops and mentoring sessions. Mingle with other authors, talk over group dinners, and chat on the weekend social occasions. Of course, you can also purchase extras such as tour of Paros, boat trip to neighboring island of Antiparos, horseback riding, guided hikes, yoga, private massages, and private boat tours. For more information, or to see all the Write Away Retreats in different countries, go to Write Away Europe website.
Each year, tens of thousands of Smashwords authors, publishers and readers participate in this global ebook celebration which offers FREE and deep-discounted ebooks. The event is live and ends March 11, 2017. You can find the promotional catalog on the Smashwords home page (or just go here). The special home page catalog enables readers to browse by coupon discount and filter by category, bestseller status, word count and multiple other factors.
And remember, check back often because thousands of new books will join the promotion during the week. You can also keep up with announcements using Twitter hashtags #Smashwords and #ebookweek17.
Please note, these are solely my thoughts and nothing more. But, I had to share, regardless of how shallow my readers might think me to be. Recently I got asked to select a free book from a publisher to read. It was my choice, so I could’ve selected anything. I was slightly familiar with the publisher, since I know someone that edits for them. Thus, I was thrilled to take my freebie! (Besides…booooooks people!)
Now, we’ve all heard the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover”. And sure, this holds true for many things, especially humans. But in marketing, what’s in front of a consumer must be visually stimulating. And I confess, I am a consumer that needs roused to pick up a book before I’ve ever read the blurb. But from a marketing standpoint, this is just smart business!
So, imagine my dismay as I perused unpleasant cover art from various titles to select my awarded freebie. Most looked cheaply done or simply didn’t mesh with the title. And forgive me for this, but I judge the lack of detail given to a book’s cover as indication of the lack of editing probably given to the story. My eyes will roam over the cover and move along to the next. And with technology today, there simply isn’t a good reason to have bad cover art!
As authors, we don’t always have control over the cover art, but I’d stress to stand ground when something seems extremely off or comes across cheap in appearance. Should a writer want a lovely embracing couple on their horror book? No, this would lead readers to think it’s a love story and could result in bad reviews from romance readers. And authors wouldn’t want a picture of an ocean if their entire story is set within a magical forest. Why would authors expect anything less than perfect for their book baby? This is even more important for authors self publishing. Take the same amount of time on the cover art as you spend on editing. If you hire out the art, be sure to check previous work before settling on the artist or company. This is about proper marketing. Give the reader a reason to pick up the book BEFORE they’ve read the blurb!
If you don’t know what Manuscript Wish List, you’re in for a treat. This fantastic blog was created by agent Jessica Sinsheimer for agents (and some editors) to let writer’s know what they’d like to see in their inbox. Yes, it’s that simple! So, before you decide to query that shiny new manuscript, check out the website to see if any agents would be a perfect fit. Even more exciting, they’ve created a sign-up for upcoming newsletters!
So when will the next one take place? On February 8th, 2017, tweeting of wishes will unfold on twitter using the hashtag #MSWL. But remember, this IS NOT for direct pitching. Please make a list of agents and/or editors stating your MS might be what they’re looking for. Then send queries as directed by the agent/editor. (If you have trouble locating the information, most can be found on the agency/publisher websites.
Then stay tuned to twitter on February 8th, 2017, as Jessica promises a BIG announcement!
Nothing soothes the writerly soul than a good twitter pitch party! Tomorrow is Brenda Drake‘s infamous #PitMad between the hours of 8am-pm (EDT). Common age category and genre hashtags are below.
Age Categories:
#PB = Picture Book #C = Children’s #CB = Chapter Book #CL = Children’s Lit #MG = Middle Grade #YA = Young Adult #NA = New Adult #A = Adult
The rules clearly state to only pitch THREE times per manuscript during the contest. Don’t break the rules and clog the feed! Also, please remember anyone can stalk the feed. So, do your research before submitting your manuscript!
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