Plotting Pointers/Slice Magazine

Writer’s Thought for the Week: “…you’re a writer if you look at yourself and see a writer. Everyone else…sees an obsessive-compulsive, anal-retentive insomniac with a pen fetish.” ~ Lisa Shearin

PLOTTING POINTERS

Whether you’re a plotter or pantser, Robyn DeHart has an article with pointers to keep you on track when writing a character driven novel. After all, we must give some thought to what we are writing before we set pen to paper or fingers to keys. DeHart outlines three steps to plotting a character driven novel: theme, premise or character lesson, and character arc.

SLICE
http://www.slicemagazine.org/submit.html

Slice will pay $100 for stories and essays and $50 for poems beginning with issue 12, which launches spring 2013. The theme for that issue is "Obsession." The reading period will run from July 1 - August 31. Slice welcomes submissions for short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Do not submit anything over 5,000 words.

Two Surveys/Poetry Chapbook Contest

Thought for the week: One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak. ~ G. K. Chesterton 

TWO SURVEYS

Victoria Strauss recently blogged an excellent write-up on two surveys of authors, one of traditionally published and the other of self-published authors. I can’t say it any better than she. They contain interesting comments on, among other things, marketing and editing.

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2012/05/two-surveys.html

CASEY SHAY PRESS MARY BALLARD CHAPBOOK PRIZE

Deadline: June 30, 2012

No entry fee. Each entrant may submit only one manuscript.

Open to all poets, published or unpublished.

The winner will receive $500, 25 printed copies of the chapbook, and a book
contract for the sale of physical and electronic versions of the chapbook.

Poems should adhere to a theme, however loosely. They consider themes for adults as well as collections for children. Manuscripts may be either a collection of poems or one long poem and should be a minimum of 20 pages and a maximum of 40 pages.

JacketFlap/Drue Heinz Prize

Thought for the Week: Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing.  ~ Harriet Braiker

JacketFlap connects you to the work of more than 200,000 authors, illustrators, publishers and other creators of books for Children and Young Adults. The free, searchable database is updated regularly. Publisher entries include details on what they publish as well as contact information and web site links.

Drue Heinz Literature Prize
http://www.upress.pitt.edu/prizes.aspx
Deadline: June 30, 2012
No entry fee.

The Drue Heinz Literature Prize is open to writers who have published a book-length collection of fiction or at least three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals. Manuscripts are judged anonymously. The prize carries a cash award of $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press under its standard contract. Open to writers in English, regardless of citizenship. You may submit more than one entry.

Oz Fiction/Reversion of Rights

Writer’s Thought for the Week: A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say. ~ Italo Calvino

Oz Fiction Contest at Winkie Con 2012

Deadline: June 30, 2012

No entry fee.

$100 First Prize; $50 Second Prize

Yes, that’s Oz as in “Wizard of” not “Dr.” The Winkie Con is reviving the Winkie Research Table for the 2012 Convention, including the Fred Otto Prize for Oz Fiction. Prose story submissions up to 10,000 words invited.

“Oz Fiction” is defined as any story about or pertaining to the Land of Oz as originally created by L. Frank Baum in the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its sequels, but stories need not be confined to Baum’s vision. Submissions about or pertaining to the Land of Oz in any of its forms will be accepted. Stories may follow on from Oz books, Oz plays, Oz movies, Magic Land, or any other fictional version of Oz.

REVERSION CLAUSES IN CONTRACTS

Writers and other creative people often try to avoid or gloss over the business side of things, but we do so at our peril. The contract details that you failed to understand and did not ask about can come back to bite you. The “reversion of rights” contract clause is one of the most important. Read about it at Writer Beware.

Emotion Thesaurus/Crimson Romance

Thought for the Week: None of the secrets of success will work unless you do.  ~ Vic Harville

Emotion Thesaurus

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13554235-the-emotion-thesaurus#other_reviews

One of the biggest problem areas for writers is conveying a character's emotions in a unique, compelling way. This book comes to the rescue by highlighting 75 emotions and listing the possible body language cues, thoughts, and visceral responses for each. Available in both print, Kindle, and Nook format.

Crimson Romance/Adams Media seeks e-book submissions.

This new eBook line is open to romance submissions in five popular subgenres: romantic suspense, contemporary, paranormal, historical, and spicy (sexy) romance. Unagented writers welcome. Their Facebook page says they launch June 2012 but they are already signing writers.

Here’s an interview with Jennifer Lawler, editor of this imprint:

http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2012/04/spring-brings-romanceand-new-romance.html

Bookbaby/Short stories

Writer’s Thought for the Week: Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart…  ~ William Wordsworth

BOOKBABY

You’ve probably heard of CD Baby, an online distributor for CDs created by independent musicians. CD Baby has paid out over $200 million to musicians.

Now there one for us – BookBaby, a distributor of self-published e-books. Here's how it works: http://www.bookbaby.com/howitworks

ONE STORY

http://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=guidelines

Open for submissions through May 31. (Reopens September 1.) Seeks literary fiction 3,000 - 8,000 words. Pays $250 plus 25 copies for First North American Serial Rights. Use their online submission manager to submit your story.

Book of the Future/Fiction Contest

Writer’s Thought for the Week: Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind, which are delivered down from generation to generation as presents to the posterity of those who are yet unborn. ~ Joseph Addison

Book of the Future – a different perspective:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/03/30/books/review/snider01.html

Hay House Visions Fiction Writing Contest
Deadline: June 1, 2012
No entry fee. Only one manuscript per entrant.

Hay House Visions, the new fiction publishing division of Hay House, is teaming with Balboa Press for the first-ever Hay House Vision Fiction Writing Contest. The Grand-Prize winner will receive a publishing contract with Hay House Visions and a $5,000 advance. Minimum 50,000 words. Adult and young adult novels accepted, but no picture books or children’s books. All writers of previously unpublished full-length books are eligible.