Tag Archives: Stories

2022 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards

March 30, 2022Contests, Publishing Opportunity$1000, $10K, Authors, Award, Book, books, Categories, Commentary, Feature Article, Fiction, Guidelines, Judges, Middle Grade, Monetary, Monetary Prize, Non-Fiction, Paid, Pitch Slam, Promotion, Published, Self-Published, Stories, Submission, Subrscription, Trip, Tutorials, Writer's Digest, Writer's Digest Annual Conference, Writers, Young Adultpdpabst

Self-published writers are often left out in the cold, struggling to market and promote their books. But every so often, there is an event to help them get noticed. The Published Book Awards via Writer’s Digest is such an event. Here is what is up for grabs:

GRAND PRIZE:

$10,000 in cash
An interview with writer for the March/April 2023 issue of Writer’s Digest
A paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, including a coveted Pitch Slam slot
Publication of an excerpt from the writer’s winning book on WritersDigest.com

FIRST PRIZE:

$1,000 in cash
Promotion of writer and their winning book the March/April 2023 issue of Writer’s Digest

BOTH WILL RECEIVE:

Be featured on the Writer’s Digest website
One year subscription to Writer’s Digest Tutorials
20% discount off of purchases made at Writer’s Digest University
A special graphic recognizing their winning status

Honorable Mention Winners will receive promotion on http://www.writersdigest.com and a special graphic for use in promoting their win. All entrants will receive a brief commentary from one of the judges. Be sure to check out the categories, guidelines, and submission details. Deadline is April 1, 2022.

As always, good luck.

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Oregon Literary Fellowship FY 2020

July 31, 2021Contests, Fellowship, LiteraryAuthors, Award, Categories, Develop, Entry, Guidelines, Information, Literary Arts, Literary Magazines, Magazines, Manuscript, Monetary Prize, Oregon, Oregon Literary Fellowships, Project, Publishers, Rules, Small Presses, Sponsored, Stories, Submission, Submit, Writers, Writingpdpabst

Oregon Literary Fellowships are intended to help Oregon writers initiate, develop, or complete literary projects. Fellowships are also awarded to support Oregon’s independent publishers, small presses, and literary magazines. Monetary prizes for the fellowships range around $3500 and $10,000 with several being given out in various categories.

This fellowship is sponsored by Literary Arts with a deadline of September 17, 2021. And though being a resident of Oregon is one requirement, be sure to read the entire guidelines and categories before entering.

As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

San Francisco Virtual Writing Workshop

July 27, 2021Literary, Webinar/Workshop#A, Adult, agent, amuiraa, Andrea Brown Literary, Annie Bomke Literary, Art + Deco Agency, Authors, Azantian Litererary, จัดการ ประชุม, Book Wyrm Litereray, books, Brower Literary & Management, California, comhdháil, Conférence, Conferência, Conferencia, Conferentie, Conferenza, Conferinţă, DeFiore and Company, Конференции, Конференция, Конференції, Feedback, Fiction, Folio Literary Management, Go Literary, Golden Wheat Literary, Gynhadledd, Harvey Klinger Inc, Harvey Klinger Literary Agency, Hội nghị, How To Get Published, Industry, Instrution, Διάσκεψη, 회의, Jennifer De Chiara Literary, Joelle Delbourgo Associates, konafesi, Konferans, Konferansen, Konference, Konferencia, Konferencija, Konferencji, Konferens, Konferensi, Konferensie, Konferenssi, Konferenz, Konferenza, KT Literary Agency, kumperensya, Ladderbird Literary, Manuscripts, Martin Literary Management, MG, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Online, P.S. Literary, Paul S. Levine Literary, Persidangan, Pitch, Pitching, Prentis Literary, Publishing, Rainbow Nerds Literary, Ráðstefnu, San Francisco, San Francisco Writing Workshop, Savvy Literary, Speilburg Literary, Sterling Lord Literistic, Stimola Literary, Stories, Storm Literary, The Bent Agency, The Friedrich Agency, The Seymour Agency, Transatlantic Agency, Transatlantic Litereary, کنفرانس, Virtual, Writers, Writers House, Writing, YA, Young Adult, 會議, 会議, 会议, المؤتمرpdpabst

Per the website, the San Francisco Writing Workshop is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of two days, pitch a literary agent (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that this is a virtual workshop, so anyone can attend from anywhere. This workshop is a full-day “How to Get Published” writing event in San Francisco, CA on October 8-9, 2021

Literary agent Elisa Houot of The Seymour Agency
Literary agent Paige Terlip of Andrea Brown Literary
literary agent Sandy Lu (Book Wyrm Literary)
literary agent Amanda Orozco (Transatlantic Literary)
literary agent Leah Pierre (Ladderbird Literary)
literary agent Allison Hellegers (Stimola Literary Studio)
literary agent Kimberly Brower (Brower Literary)
literary agent Amaryah Orenstein (Go Literary)
literary agent Jeff Silberman (Folio Literary Management)
literary agent Stefanie Molina (Ladderbird Literary)
literary agent Lindsay Auld (Writers House)
literary agent Alexandra Weiss (Azantian Literary)
literary agent Hannah Brattesani (The Friedrich Agency)
literary agent Stephanie Winter (P.S. Literary)
literary agent Nicole Payne (Golden Wheat Literary)
literary agent Jennifer Herrington (Harvey Klinger Literary)
literary agent Jamie Vankirk (Rainbow Nerds Literary)
literary agent Leticia Gomez (Savvy Literary)
literary agent Brenna English-Loeb (Transatlantic Agency)
literary agent Kelly Van Sant (KT Literary)
literary agent Leslie Varney (Prentis Literary)
literary agent Reiko Davis (Defiore and Company)
literary agent Lynnette Novak (The Seymour Agency)
literary agent James Mustelier (The Bent Agency)
literary agent Erin Clyburn (Jennifer De Chiara Literary)
literary agent Chris Combemale (Sterling Lord Literistic)
literary agent Sera Rivers (Martin Literary Management)
literary agent Felice Laverne (Art + Deco Agency)
literary agent Joelle Delbourgo (Joelle Delbourgo Associates)
literary agent Devon Halliday (Transatlantic Literary)
literary agent Julie Gwinn (The Seymour Agency)
literary agent Vicki Selvaggio (Storm Literary)
literary agent Analieze Cervantes (Harvey Klinger Literary Agency)
literary agent Paul S. Levine (Paul S. Levine Literary)
literary agent Annie Bomke (Annie Bomke Literary)
literary agent Cecilia Lyra (P.S. Literary)
literary agent Eva Scalzo (Speilburg Literary)
and possibly more to come.

For those partcipating, this sounds like a great day of learning and marketing yourself. Good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Bath Children’s Novel Award

July 20, 2021Contests, Literary#WritingCommunity, agent, Authors, コンテスト, ประกวด, Bath Children's Novel Award, Bell Lomax Moreton Agency, Book Deal, books, Competition, Concorso, Concours, Concurs, Concurso, Contract, Cornerstone Literary Consultany, Course, Cuộc thi, Deal, Конкурс, Edit Your Novel the Professional Way, editor, Entry, 경연 대회, Guidelines, Gystadleuaeth, Independently, Information, International, Διαγωνισμό, Jane Brittan, Judge, kampf, Keppni, Kilpailu, Konkurrence, Konkurs, Kontes, Lauren Gardner, Learning, Longlisted, Lucy Van Smit, Macmillan, Manuscripts, Monetary Prize, Natjecanje, Novelists, Opportunity, Orphans of the Tide, paligsahan, Particpant, Penguin Random House, Published, Publishing, Rules, Sallyanne Sweeney, Shortlistee, Six Figure Deal, Sophie Cameron, Soutěž, Stories, Struan Murray, Submissions, Submit, Tävling, United Kingdom, Unpublished, مسابقه, Verseny, Wedstrijd, Wedstryd, Winners, Writers, Yarışması, 比賽, 比赛, المسابقهpdpabst

The Bath Children’s Novel Award is an international writing competition for unpublished and independently published novelists. This years judge is literary agent Stephanie Thwaites of Curtis Brown literary agency. The winner will receive £3,000 (approximately $2168 USD). And the most promising longlisted novel will recieve the Edit Your Novel the Professional Way from Cornerstones Literary Consultancy.

Some of the past participants and winners have gone on to getting agents and/or publishing deals. Inaugural winner Lucy Van Smit was swiftly signed by literary agent Sallyanne Sweeney. Jane Brittan attracted a Carnegie Medal nomination for her indie-published debut. Shortlistee Sophie Cameron signed a book deal with Macmillan Children’s after accepting representation with literary agent Hellie Ogden for her YA novel Out of the Blue. Struan Murray signed a six figure deal with Penguin Random House for his novel Orphans of the Tide.

Entry for the award ends November 30, 2021 (and remember, this is UK time zone)! For complete guidelines and entry fee information, go here. As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Carina Press (Harlequin) Pitch Event

July 10, 2021Critiques, Literary, Pitch Event#CarinaPitch, Authors, Carina Press, Diversity, editor, Editors, Feedback, Harlequin, Imprint, Inclusive, Manuscript, Opportunity, Publishing, Romance, Stories, Submissions, Submittable, Voices, Writers, Writespdpabst

Carina Press, an imprint of Harlequin, is hosting a Twitter pitch event on July 14, 2021 starting at 9am EST. They didn’t list an end time, so to be safe, I would post by end of their work day time 5pm EST. The press focuses on romances and the editors participating all have their own wish lists.

RULES TO PARTICIPATE

Use the hastag #carinapitch
Your manuscript must be romance. All subgenres of romance are accepted with the exception of inspirational.
Must be new and unpublished material.
Your project can be one that has previously been passed by Carina Press.
Pitch each manuscript no more than two times!
You can pitch more than one manuscript (again though, only two times for each one!)
Use a genre hastag (examples below)
Submit your manuscript to only one editor if multiple are interested (choose one)
Do NOT direct your tweet to a specific editor!

THINGS TO KNOW IF YOU GET A LIKE

#CarinaPitch is only accepting proposals, consisting of a query letter (including your twitter pitch), a synopsis (approximately 1600 words), and the first 7,500 words.
All authors who receive a request and submit by the deadline of August 11, 2021 will get personal feedback no later than September 15, 2021.
If you submit your requested material after the deadline, you will still be considered for publication, but will no longer receive personal feedback.
The requesting editor will contact you via DM with their private submission link. (Note: You may need to follow the editor for them to contact you.)

But what if you have already submitted your manuscript but no one has looked at it yet? You can still participate in the pitch contest. If you get a like then:

Update your submission via Submittable, using a note by the deadline.
In the note, include the twitter pitch, your twitter handle, and they name of the editor that requested the proposal.

PARTICIPATING EDITORS

Kerri Buckley @BuckleyKerri

Stephanie Doig @StephanieDoig

Ronan Sadler @ronanedits

Mackenzie Walton @MackenzieWalton

John Jacobson @DreamingReviews

Deb Nemeth @DebNemeth

Alissa Davis @AlissaDenay

Kate Marope @TheRibbonMarker

You can find the editors wishlists here, or sometimes on their twitter account.

GENRE HASHTAGS

#CR = Contemporary Romance

#DIS = Disability

#DV = Diversity

#ER = Erotic Romance

#F = Fantasy

#HR = Historical Romance

#IRMC = Interracial/Multicultural

#LGBTQ = Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer

#M = Mystery

#OWN = OwnVoices

#POC = People of Color

#PR = Paranormal Romance

#ROMCOM = Romantic Comedy

#RS = Romantic Suspense

#SF = SciFi

#TT = Time Travel

#UF = Urban Fantasy

As always, good luck!

P.D.Pabst

Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Fall Internship: Defiore and Company

July 5, 2021Internship, LiteraryAgency, agent, Application, Authors, インターンシップ, ฝึกงาน, Backend Duties, Behind-The-Scenes, books, Candidates, College, Contracts, Creative Industry, DeFiore and Company, Distribution, Drafting, Стаж, Стажировки, Стажування, Editorial, Estágio, Evaluate, Fall, Fantasy, Fiction, Galuega faataitai, Gyakorlat, Industry, Intéirneacht, Intern, Interniaeth, Internskap, 인턴쉽, Οικοτροφείο, Knowledge, Literary, Magang, Manuscripts, Media, Michael Mejias, Mysteries, New York, Opportunity, Organized, pasantía, Praktik, Praktikum, Publishing, Reader, Reading, Recommendations, Records, Reports, research, Romance, Science Fiction, Social media, Stage, Stagiu, Staj, Stáž, Stories, Student, Submissions, Tập, Thrillers, کارآموزی, Writers, Young Adult, 实习, 實習。pdpabst

Defiore and Company is looking for an intern wanting to learn about all aspects of the publishing industry. Working with agents as they liaison between authors and publishers can give interns a wealth of knowledge to progress in the publishing industry.

Candidates should be motivated, well-organized, responsible, and have excellent communication skills. Some experience analyzing and assessing written materials is preferred, but not necessary. Interns should be willing to commit 15-20 hours per week for a minimum of three months.

To apply, email a resume and cover letter to resumes@defliterary.com to Parik Kostan’s’s attention. Be sure to include ‘resume’ in the subject lin

As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Insecure Writer’s Support Group Pitching Contest on Twitter

January 11, 2021Contests#ISWG, #ISWGPit, AB Literary, Adult, Aevitas Creative, Agents, Authors, コンテスト, ประกวด, books, Britt Siess Creative Managemnet, City Owl Press, Concorso, Concours, Concurs, Concurso, Cuộc thi, Dystel Goderich & Bourret, Конкурс, Editors, 경연 대회, Fiction, Guidelines, Gystadleuaeth, Insecure Writer's Support Group, Διαγωνισμό, kampf, Keppni, Kilpailu, Konkurrence, Konkurs, Kontes, Manuscripts, Middle Grade, Natjecanje, Non-Fiction, Opportunity, paligsahan, Pitch Event, Pitching, Publishing, research, Soutěž, Stories, Submissions, Submitting, Tävling, The Seymour Agency, The Unter Agency, Thompson LIterary Agency, Trident Media Group, مسابقه, Verseny, Wedstrijd, Wedstryd, Writers, Yarışması, Young Adult, 比賽, 比赛, المسابقهpdpabst

Insecure Writer’s Support Group is hosting a twitter pitching contest on January 20, 2021 from 8am-8pm EST. This is for completed and polished manuscripts only! Be sure to pitch only once per hour and include the hashtag #IWSGPit. (As with all pitching events, do NOT fave a pitch unless you are a literary agent or publishing editor.)

There has been some chatter about this being a newer pitching event and caution due to no participating agents listed. However, I can assure you that legitimate agents and editors participated in their previous pitch event. Some of them were:

Samantha Wekstein, literary agent from Thompson Literary Agency
Erica Bauman, literary agent from Aevitas Creative
Jennifer Wills and Lynnette Novak, literary agents from The Seymour Agency
Sharon Pelletier and Ann Leslie Tuttle, literary agent form Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret
Mary Cain, associate editor from City Owl Press
Mark Gottlieb, Literary agent from Trident Media
Annie Bomke, kiteraryagent from AB Literary
Jen Nadol, associate literary agent from The Unter Agency
Britt Siess, literary agent from Britt Siess Creative Management
And several more!

Like all pitch events, be sure to research the agents or editors that favorite your pitch before submitting your materials. For complete details, go here. And as always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction

AUTHOR MENTOR MATCH

January 4, 2021Contests, Mentor ProgramAge Category, Agent Ready, Alexa Donne, Author Mentor Match, Authors, Critique Partners, Feedback, Fiction, Genre, Heather Kaczynski, Manuscript, Mentoring, Middle Grade, Opportunity, Publishing, Query, Stories, Submissions, Synopsis, Writers, Young Adultpdpabst

Author Mentor Match was created by Heather Kaczynski and Alexa Donne. The object is to match new writers with authors further along in the publishing process and gain invaluable mentoring! That’s right, this is an opportunity to get your manuscript critiqued (for free) before submitting to agents!

Authors can select up to four mentors during the submission window which is already opened! Submissions close January 14, 2021. Watch for the mentor BIOS to be posted to learn what age groups and genres they wish to see in their inbox!

Please note there is a two-step process for entering:

Fill out the submission form. (I believe the form will appear during the sub window period.)
Email the proper information to authormentormatch@gmail.com:

A query (pasted in the body of the email!)
The first 50 pages/3 chapters of your novel (whichever is longer & can be attached)
A synopsis

Be sure to include in the subject line the manuscripts Age Category +Genre + Title. (ie: YA Sci-Fi – Mars Plants are the Bomb) on the email submission. And check out the site in order to know how to select the mentors you wish to submit because it isn’t clear quite yet. (I’m guessing this might be part of the submission form.) As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

2021 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition

December 26, 2020Contests$10000, Author's Agreement, Authors, コンテスト, ประกวด, books, Competition, Concorso, Concours, Concurs, Concurso, Contract, Crime, Cuộc thi, Конкурс, english, 경연 대회, Fiction, Genre, Gystadleuaeth, Διαγωνισμό, kampf, Keppni, Kilpailu, Konkurrence, Konkurs, Kontes, Literary, Macmillan Publishers, Manuscripts, Minotaur Books, Monetary Prize, Murder, Mystery, Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition, Natjecanje, Novel, Opporutinty, Over 18, paligsahan, Publishers, Publishing, Publishing Opportunity$10, Royalties, Soutěž, Stories, Submissions, Tävling, مسابقه, Verseny, Wedstrijd, Wedstryd, Writers, Yarışması, 比賽, 比赛, المسابقهpdpabst

Minotaur Books (Macmillan) and Mystery Writers of America are sponsoring the First Crime Novel Competition. This contest is open to writer’s age 18 and older, who has never been published or under contract to be published with a novel. The submitted manuscript must involve murder or another serious crime or crimes at the heart of the story. The winner will be offered a standard form author’s agreement and a $10,000 advance against future royalties. Submissions must be received by 11:59pm EST on January 1, 2021. For complete rules, go here.

As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Writer and blogger of MG/YA fiction

Remote Internship: Writers House

December 18, 2020Internship, LiteraryAgency, agent, Application, Authors, インターンシップ, ฝึกงาน, Backend Duties, Behind-The-Scenes, books, Candidates, College, Contracts, Creative Industry, Distribution, Drafting, Стаж, Стажировки, Стажування, Editorial, Estágio, Evaluate, Fall, Fantasy, Fiction, Galuega faataitai, Gyakorlat, Industry, Intéirneacht, Intern, Interniaeth, Internskap, 인턴쉽, Οικοτροφείο, Knowledge, Literary, Magang, Manuscripts, Media, Michael Mejias, Mysteries, New York, Opportunity, Organized, pasantía, Post-Graduate Degree, Praktik, Praktikum, Publishing, Reader, Reading, Recommendations, Records, Reports, research, Romance, Science Fiction, Social media, Stage, Stagiu, Staj, Stáž, Stories, Student, Submissions, Tập, Thrillers, کارآموزی, Writers, Writers House, Young Adult, 实习pdpabst

Writers House is searching for a remote intern for spring 2021 with an interest in publishing. Office experience is a plus with knowledge and interest in genre fiction; especially, young adult, thrillers, mysteries, romance, and science fiction/ fantasy. The end goal of the internship is to provide its participants an education in the publishing industry from the perspective of a literary agency. According to Writers House, at the end of the program the interns:

•Will have developed sound criteria for evaluating query letters, partial manuscripts, and full manuscripts.
•Will have advanced their ability to generate rejection letters, reader’s reports, editorial letters, and pitch letters.
•Will have gained new administrative skills that pertain specifically to publishing including Literary Expert, comparing contracts, reviewing royalty statements, and managing and maintaining calendars.
•Will have advanced their cover letter and resume writing skills.
•Will have advanced their job interviewing skills.

This internship involves a series of ongoing programs; specifically, weekly intern meetings, weekly tutorials, evening seminars, and one-on-one sessions. Interns will regularly engage in a broad range of editorial, administrative, organizational, and logistical duties as they develop the skills requisite to entry-level positions in publishing.

Length of intership with beFebruary 8 – June 4, 2021. Application is due by January 25, 2021. Payment will be a monthly stipend. To apply, send cover and resume to:

Michael Mejias
Director, Writers House Intern Program
mmejias@writershouse.com

As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

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