Hello everyone! And Happy New Year!
I know I've been gone a good little while (talk about that later) but I just wanted to let you all know about two writing contests whose deadlines are coming up soon.
Here's the info:
1) The 2014 Sandy Writing Contest
This contest, sponsored by the Crested Butte Writers Conference, features categories of romance, mainstream adult fiction, suspense/thriller/mystery, fantasy and science fiction, and Children's and YA.
The judge for Children's & YA is Tracey Keevan, Senior Editor at Disney Hyperion. Check out her bio, and interview with the contest coordinator.
Basic entry fee is $30 for Crested Butte Writer members, for all others $35
Entries must be received by midnight, February 10, 2014.
Payments snail mailed (USPS) must be postmarked by February 12th.
And they are only accepting 250 entries so get those entries in soon!
2) 2014 Writers-Editors Network International Writing Competition
For complete guidelines, rules, fees, and entry form go here
Categories include Nonfiction (articles, essays, book chapters, columns), Fiction (short story or novel chapter), Children's Literature (short story, nonfiction article, book , poem), and Poetry.
Entry fee is $5 for members, $10 non-members for each entry under 3,000 words. For entries of 3,000 to 5,000 words, the fee is $10 (members) or $20 (non-members). For complete fee listings, see link to guidelines above.
Entries must be postmarked no later than March 15, 2014.
Enter by postal mail or email
LASTLY, check out this wonderful interview with Carol J. Perry who placed 1st in 2013 for her Novel Chapter, which she later sold to Kensington Publishing in a 3-book deal!
GOOD LUCK, everyone!
Getting back to my absence. . . . When I last posted, my family and I were in the middle of a BIG move from New Jersey to Connecticut, dealing with issues of employment and readjustment. And somewhere along the line I think I lost confidence in myself and my writing, to the point where I couldn't even think about storylines and such. I think even my two daughters lost faith in me!
I didn't TOTALLY forget about the blogosphere, though. I still browsed around the blueboards, and a few authors' and agents' blogs and websites. Now that things are a bit calmer, I am slowly creeping back into the writing life and restarting my journey toward publication.
And so I would like to share links to 2 very encouraging blog posts. The posts aren't recent but they do give HOPE and ENCOURAGEMENT, which I think all of us aspiring writers need!
The first post is by my good blogging friend, Tess Hilmo, middle grade author of the wonderfully heartwarming historical novel, With A Name Like Love (2011, FSG Books for Young Readers). It's called "The Quitting Place." Ever been there? I have. Numerous times. But I'm not stayin'!
Thank you, Tess, for your encouragement and this post! Tess' new book Skies Like These will be released on July 15, 2014, by FSG. Can't wait to read it!
Next, I want to share this post, "Stinky Self-Doubt," by middle grade author Danette Vigilante. This post really hit home for me because it pinpoints what I've been feeling: self-doubt.
Many thanks to Danette for this inspiring post! Danette's a talented writer, too, and uses NYC for her settings. This brings back many good memories for me since I was born and raised in NYC, too. :) Danette's first book, The Trouble with Half A Moon,came out in 2011, and her second book, Saving Baby Doe, is due March 2014 from G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Well, that's it for me right now, guys . . . hope some of this was helpful! :)
Showing posts with label Contests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Contests. Show all posts
Monday, February 3, 2014
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Sunday Musings . . . I'm back, yes, really!
Hi everyone!
Long time, no see . . . yes, I’m back. So sorry I was gone so long but I had to deal with a few personal issues, including unemployment (lost my job in 2010). And with my husband working only part-time, it has been quite stressful to say the least. But I’ve been quite busy, nevertheless, transporting the kids to school and their various activities, doing some freelance proofreading, and of course, working on my middle-grade novel.
But enough about me . . . what I really want to focus on with this comeback post is the DEBUT PUBLICATION of my long-time blogger friend, TESS HILMO’s middle-grade mystery, WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE (Farrar, Straus & Giroux/Macmillan, Margaret Ferguson Books, 2011). The excerpts I read on amazon had me wishin’ I had a Kindle to download the story right away. With a Name Like Love received 2 fantastic STARRED REVIEWS—from Kirkus and the esteemed School Library Journal—before it’s publication date (Sept. 27, 2011). That is a HUGE accomplishment! Congratulations, Tess!
You’ll find a wonderful interview with Tess on Robyn Campbell’s blog, Putting Pen to Paper (Hi Robyn!), as well as this interview with Tess over at CYNSATIONS, the blog of well-known author & resource of publishing info, Cynthia Leitich Smith. (And speaking of Cynthia, you have got to check out this inspiring guest post she wrote over at Adventures in Children’s Publishing, “Your Only Real Competition is Yourself.” Doesn’t she speak the truth?)
*** CONTEST ALERT ***
IN CASE YOU’RE INTERESTED, you can win a copy of TESS HILMO’s With A Name Like Love by leaving a comment at Mother Daughter Book Club.com under the post Book Review and Giveaway: With A Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo. THE CONTEST ENDS OCT. 12th midnight (PDT). Good Luck!
AND, don’t forget to read Tess’ guest post at this same site, where she offers great writerly wisdom on The Power of Words.
You know, there’s been so, so many great blog posts this past year. Did anyone see the wonderful Tribute to Rita Williams-Garcia (author of the 2011 Scott O’Dell and 2011 Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel, One Crazy Summer) by her editor Rosemary Brosnan? This greatly inspiring read is in the July/August 2011 issue of The Horn Book magazine. I think most writers would give their right arm (and leg!) to have such a wonderful author-editor relationship as theirs!
Another great motivational read I came across was a post back in June entitled What’s Holding You Back? by guest writer, Joanne Kraft, on the blog of literary agent Rachelle Gardner.
Finally, here’s another post I though I’d mention. I came across it a few days ago, and it is SO TRUE. It’s called Write What You Love, But Make Sure Only You Can Write It, written by Martina, one of the bloggers at Adventures in Children’s Publishing. I wholeheartedly agree with Martina when she says, “If your pages could have been written by anyone else, there probably isn’t enough of you on them yet.”
Well, that’s it for now folks. I’ve really enjoyed writing this post and intend to post more in the coming days, weeks, and months. I can’t promise a set schedule but I do hope to be more consistent!
And I must give a shout-out to a great blogger friend, Robyn Campbell, who, commenting on my last blog entry, encouraged me to come back to the blogosphere. Thank you, Robyn! :)
Enjoy your week, everyone! :)
Long time, no see . . . yes, I’m back. So sorry I was gone so long but I had to deal with a few personal issues, including unemployment (lost my job in 2010). And with my husband working only part-time, it has been quite stressful to say the least. But I’ve been quite busy, nevertheless, transporting the kids to school and their various activities, doing some freelance proofreading, and of course, working on my middle-grade novel.
But enough about me . . . what I really want to focus on with this comeback post is the DEBUT PUBLICATION of my long-time blogger friend, TESS HILMO’s middle-grade mystery, WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE (Farrar, Straus & Giroux/Macmillan, Margaret Ferguson Books, 2011). The excerpts I read on amazon had me wishin’ I had a Kindle to download the story right away. With a Name Like Love received 2 fantastic STARRED REVIEWS—from Kirkus and the esteemed School Library Journal—before it’s publication date (Sept. 27, 2011). That is a HUGE accomplishment! Congratulations, Tess!
You’ll find a wonderful interview with Tess on Robyn Campbell’s blog, Putting Pen to Paper (Hi Robyn!), as well as this interview with Tess over at CYNSATIONS, the blog of well-known author & resource of publishing info, Cynthia Leitich Smith. (And speaking of Cynthia, you have got to check out this inspiring guest post she wrote over at Adventures in Children’s Publishing, “Your Only Real Competition is Yourself.” Doesn’t she speak the truth?)
*** CONTEST ALERT ***
IN CASE YOU’RE INTERESTED, you can win a copy of TESS HILMO’s With A Name Like Love by leaving a comment at Mother Daughter Book Club.com under the post Book Review and Giveaway: With A Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo. THE CONTEST ENDS OCT. 12th midnight (PDT). Good Luck!
AND, don’t forget to read Tess’ guest post at this same site, where she offers great writerly wisdom on The Power of Words.
You know, there’s been so, so many great blog posts this past year. Did anyone see the wonderful Tribute to Rita Williams-Garcia (author of the 2011 Scott O’Dell and 2011 Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel, One Crazy Summer) by her editor Rosemary Brosnan? This greatly inspiring read is in the July/August 2011 issue of The Horn Book magazine. I think most writers would give their right arm (and leg!) to have such a wonderful author-editor relationship as theirs!
Another great motivational read I came across was a post back in June entitled What’s Holding You Back? by guest writer, Joanne Kraft, on the blog of literary agent Rachelle Gardner.
Finally, here’s another post I though I’d mention. I came across it a few days ago, and it is SO TRUE. It’s called Write What You Love, But Make Sure Only You Can Write It, written by Martina, one of the bloggers at Adventures in Children’s Publishing. I wholeheartedly agree with Martina when she says, “If your pages could have been written by anyone else, there probably isn’t enough of you on them yet.”
Well, that’s it for now folks. I’ve really enjoyed writing this post and intend to post more in the coming days, weeks, and months. I can’t promise a set schedule but I do hope to be more consistent!
And I must give a shout-out to a great blogger friend, Robyn Campbell, who, commenting on my last blog entry, encouraged me to come back to the blogosphere. Thank you, Robyn! :)
Enjoy your week, everyone! :)
Saturday, February 20, 2010
"Dear Lucky Agent" Contest reminder
Hi all!
Most of you know this already. Just a reminder that the 2nd "Dear Lucky Agent" Contest being held on the Guide to Literary Agents blog ends this coming Sunday, February 21, EST. The category this time is Kids Novels (Middle Grade and Young Adult).
To enter, you must submit the first 150-200 words of your unpblished, book-length work of middle grade or young adult fiction. Entry must be e-mailed with no attachments. Also, you must submit the title of your work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with your entry.
***To be eligible to submit, Chuck (the GLA editor) asks that you do one of two things: either mention & link to this contest TWICE through some type of social media (blog, Twitter, Facebook), OR mention the contest once & add Guide to Literary Agents Blog to your blogroll.
FIRST PLACE winner --- critique of 25 pages of your work by your agnt judge, a query critique, and 2 free books from Writer's Digest Books (you get to choose from several choices)
SECOND & THIRD PLACE winners --- critique of 10 pages of your work, and 1 free book from Writer's Digest Books
For complete details & guidelines, click here
Oh yes, the judge for this contest is Jennifer Laughran of the esteemed Andrea Brown Literary Agency
GOOD LUCK to everyone who enters! :)
Most of you know this already. Just a reminder that the 2nd "Dear Lucky Agent" Contest being held on the Guide to Literary Agents blog ends this coming Sunday, February 21, EST. The category this time is Kids Novels (Middle Grade and Young Adult).
To enter, you must submit the first 150-200 words of your unpblished, book-length work of middle grade or young adult fiction. Entry must be e-mailed with no attachments. Also, you must submit the title of your work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with your entry.
***To be eligible to submit, Chuck (the GLA editor) asks that you do one of two things: either mention & link to this contest TWICE through some type of social media (blog, Twitter, Facebook), OR mention the contest once & add Guide to Literary Agents Blog to your blogroll.
FIRST PLACE winner --- critique of 25 pages of your work by your agnt judge, a query critique, and 2 free books from Writer's Digest Books (you get to choose from several choices)
SECOND & THIRD PLACE winners --- critique of 10 pages of your work, and 1 free book from Writer's Digest Books
For complete details & guidelines, click here
Oh yes, the judge for this contest is Jennifer Laughran of the esteemed Andrea Brown Literary Agency
GOOD LUCK to everyone who enters! :)
Friday, January 29, 2010
Contests! Contests! Contests!
**This is a long post so you may want to look this over a bit more on the weekend, you know, when you can sit back & relax (I hope!) with a cup of coffee (or tea or hot chocolate), and read at your leisure . . .
Are you in the mood for a contest or two (or three)?
Now, practically everyone knows about the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition (their 79th is now underway). If you don’t, you can click here for more information. The Grand Prize is $3,000 plus a trip to New York City to meet with editors & agents. There are also 1st through 10th place winners as well as Honorable Mentions (11th through 100th place). It ends May 14, 2010 (late entry deadline is June 1, 2010).
BUT . . . do you also know about these contests?
1) 2010 PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association) Literary Contest
There are 12 contest categories including YA (submission is first 28 pages & synopsis), Children’s PB or chapter book (first 14 pages), as well as Adult Fiction & Non-Fiction. According to the guidelines, there will be 8 finalists in each category.
Awards:
First place winners receive $600
2nd place: $300
3rd place: $150
The entry fee, though, is a bit steep: $35 for PNWA members & $50 for non-members. The good news is that every entry accepted in the contest will receive 2 critiques.
The entry deadline is February 19, 2010.
Click here for complete information & guidelines.
2) 2010 Sandy Writing Contest
This contest, sponsored by the Crested Butte Writers Conference, also includes Children’s (no PB’s) & YA as well as Adult Fiction, Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Romance, & Suspense/Mystery. It is open to all authors unpublished in novel length fiction.
Submission requirements are the first 20 pages of a novel & up to a 2-page synopsis.
Final round judges include:
Christine Pride, editor, Random House (mainstream adult fiction)
Ginger Clark, agent, Curtis Brown (fantasy/science fiction)
Julie Scheina, assistant editor, Little, Brown BFYR (children’s/YA)
Awards:
1st place: $50 & a certificate
2nd place: $25 & a certificate
3rd place: certificate
The entry fee is $25 for Crested Butte Writer members & $30 for non-members.
All entries must be received by midnight, February 15, 2010
Click here for complete information & guidelines.
3) 2010 Writers-Editors Network 27th Annual International Writing Competition
(Formerly CNW/FFWA Florida State Writing Competition)
For children’s writers, this contest has a Children’s Literature Division that includes submission of either an unpublished short story, non-fiction article, book chapter, or poem. For all other writers, there is a Non-fiction Division, a Fiction Division, & a Poetry Division.
Awards:
1st place, each category: $100 + certificate
2nd place, each category: $75 + certificate
3rd place, each category: $50 + certificate
Honorable Mentons are also awarded certificates
The entry fees seem pretty reasonable:
For a fiction/non-fiction entry under 3,000 words, the entry fee is $5 (members) or $10 (non-members)
For entries of 3,000-5,000 words, the fee is $10 (members) or $20 (non-members)
For poems, the fee is $3 (members) or $5 (non-members)
Click here for complete information & guidelines.
Click here for their 10 Tips on Winning Writing Contests.
And you can click here to see their past winners. Interesting note: aspiring author/blogger, Suzette Saxton won 10th place honorable mention last year in the Children’s Literature division.
The entry deadline for this contest is March 15, 2010.
4) Willamette Writers 2010 Kay Snow Writing Contest
Folks, for this contest, both adults AND children can enter in their respective divisions. So if any of you know or have any budding writers . . .
This contest accepts adult fiction, adult non-fiction, poetry, juvenile short story, novel excerpt or article, and complete or partial scripts (for the screenwriting category).
Students enter under grade divisions (grades 1-5, grades 6-8, grades 9-12) and are limited to 1 entry. Also, there is no entry fee for students.
For us adults, though, there is a $10 entry fee for members and a $15 entry fee for non-members
Awards:
Adult categories: 1st place, $300
2nd place, $150
3rd place, $50
Students: 1st place, $50, 2nd place, $20, an 3rd place, $10
The entry deadline is April 23, 2010.
Click here for complete guidelines
Click here to read a Kay Snow Award success story by Rosanne Parry, author of Heart of a Shepherd (Random House, 2009).
5) Houston Writers Guild Spring 2010 Writers Contest
This contest is open to novels and screenplays, any genre. You must submit the first 10 pages of your novel, book, or screenplay, plus synopsis.
The entry fee is $20 for members and non-members.
The deadline is February 28, 2010.
Click here for complete contest rules & guidelines, and here for the entry blank.
Lastly, don’t forget it’s just a few more days to enter Andrea Brown literary agent Mary Kole’s Kidlit Contest. Entry has to be for a FINISHED children’s novel (only MG or YA), and must be under 500 words.
Awards:
Grand Prize: a 15 page critique
1st prize: a 10 page critique
2nd prize: a 5 page critique
3rd prize: a 2 page critique
Honorable Mentions: critique of 1st page of your novel
ENTRY DEADLINE is January 31, 2010 at 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time
Click here for her complete guidelines.
GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE!! :)
Are you in the mood for a contest or two (or three)?
Now, practically everyone knows about the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition (their 79th is now underway). If you don’t, you can click here for more information. The Grand Prize is $3,000 plus a trip to New York City to meet with editors & agents. There are also 1st through 10th place winners as well as Honorable Mentions (11th through 100th place). It ends May 14, 2010 (late entry deadline is June 1, 2010).
BUT . . . do you also know about these contests?
1) 2010 PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association) Literary Contest
There are 12 contest categories including YA (submission is first 28 pages & synopsis), Children’s PB or chapter book (first 14 pages), as well as Adult Fiction & Non-Fiction. According to the guidelines, there will be 8 finalists in each category.
Awards:
First place winners receive $600
2nd place: $300
3rd place: $150
The entry fee, though, is a bit steep: $35 for PNWA members & $50 for non-members. The good news is that every entry accepted in the contest will receive 2 critiques.
The entry deadline is February 19, 2010.
Click here for complete information & guidelines.
2) 2010 Sandy Writing Contest
This contest, sponsored by the Crested Butte Writers Conference, also includes Children’s (no PB’s) & YA as well as Adult Fiction, Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Romance, & Suspense/Mystery. It is open to all authors unpublished in novel length fiction.
Submission requirements are the first 20 pages of a novel & up to a 2-page synopsis.
Final round judges include:
Christine Pride, editor, Random House (mainstream adult fiction)
Ginger Clark, agent, Curtis Brown (fantasy/science fiction)
Julie Scheina, assistant editor, Little, Brown BFYR (children’s/YA)
Awards:
1st place: $50 & a certificate
2nd place: $25 & a certificate
3rd place: certificate
The entry fee is $25 for Crested Butte Writer members & $30 for non-members.
All entries must be received by midnight, February 15, 2010
Click here for complete information & guidelines.
3) 2010 Writers-Editors Network 27th Annual International Writing Competition
(Formerly CNW/FFWA Florida State Writing Competition)
For children’s writers, this contest has a Children’s Literature Division that includes submission of either an unpublished short story, non-fiction article, book chapter, or poem. For all other writers, there is a Non-fiction Division, a Fiction Division, & a Poetry Division.
Awards:
1st place, each category: $100 + certificate
2nd place, each category: $75 + certificate
3rd place, each category: $50 + certificate
Honorable Mentons are also awarded certificates
The entry fees seem pretty reasonable:
For a fiction/non-fiction entry under 3,000 words, the entry fee is $5 (members) or $10 (non-members)
For entries of 3,000-5,000 words, the fee is $10 (members) or $20 (non-members)
For poems, the fee is $3 (members) or $5 (non-members)
Click here for complete information & guidelines.
Click here for their 10 Tips on Winning Writing Contests.
And you can click here to see their past winners. Interesting note: aspiring author/blogger, Suzette Saxton won 10th place honorable mention last year in the Children’s Literature division.
The entry deadline for this contest is March 15, 2010.
4) Willamette Writers 2010 Kay Snow Writing Contest
Folks, for this contest, both adults AND children can enter in their respective divisions. So if any of you know or have any budding writers . . .
This contest accepts adult fiction, adult non-fiction, poetry, juvenile short story, novel excerpt or article, and complete or partial scripts (for the screenwriting category).
Students enter under grade divisions (grades 1-5, grades 6-8, grades 9-12) and are limited to 1 entry. Also, there is no entry fee for students.
For us adults, though, there is a $10 entry fee for members and a $15 entry fee for non-members
Awards:
Adult categories: 1st place, $300
2nd place, $150
3rd place, $50
Students: 1st place, $50, 2nd place, $20, an 3rd place, $10
The entry deadline is April 23, 2010.
Click here for complete guidelines
Click here to read a Kay Snow Award success story by Rosanne Parry, author of Heart of a Shepherd (Random House, 2009).
5) Houston Writers Guild Spring 2010 Writers Contest
This contest is open to novels and screenplays, any genre. You must submit the first 10 pages of your novel, book, or screenplay, plus synopsis.
The entry fee is $20 for members and non-members.
The deadline is February 28, 2010.
Click here for complete contest rules & guidelines, and here for the entry blank.
Lastly, don’t forget it’s just a few more days to enter Andrea Brown literary agent Mary Kole’s Kidlit Contest. Entry has to be for a FINISHED children’s novel (only MG or YA), and must be under 500 words.
Awards:
Grand Prize: a 15 page critique
1st prize: a 10 page critique
2nd prize: a 5 page critique
3rd prize: a 2 page critique
Honorable Mentions: critique of 1st page of your novel
ENTRY DEADLINE is January 31, 2010 at 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time
Click here for her complete guidelines.
GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE!! :)
Monday, January 11, 2010
CONTEST ALERT!!! Miss Snark's First Victim Secret Agent contest starts in less than 1 hour (EST)
Hi all!
So sorry for the rush alert on this (forgot about it over the weekend!), but, if you're interested, Miss Snark's First Victim is back with her first Secret Agent contest of the year . . . and email submissions start at 12 noon (EST). The rules are to submit the first 250 words of a COMPLETED manuscript. Here's the link to find out the rest of the details! Good luck!!
Ooh, I forgot to mention: this month's entries for the Secret Agent contest calls for MIDDLE GRADE FICTION, all genres, & YOUNG ADULT FICTION, all genres! Whoo-Hoo!
I'll be back later today with an official New Year's greeting . . . and more news about other contests going on around the blogosphere and elsewhere (where you can win MONEY as well as critiques!)
See you all later! :)
So sorry for the rush alert on this (forgot about it over the weekend!), but, if you're interested, Miss Snark's First Victim is back with her first Secret Agent contest of the year . . . and email submissions start at 12 noon (EST). The rules are to submit the first 250 words of a COMPLETED manuscript. Here's the link to find out the rest of the details! Good luck!!
Ooh, I forgot to mention: this month's entries for the Secret Agent contest calls for MIDDLE GRADE FICTION, all genres, & YOUNG ADULT FICTION, all genres! Whoo-Hoo!
I'll be back later today with an official New Year's greeting . . . and more news about other contests going on around the blogosphere and elsewhere (where you can win MONEY as well as critiques!)
See you all later! :)
Friday, October 16, 2009
Fabulous Friday Links :)
Hi folks!
Hope all is going well with everyone. Haven't posted much news lately (not that there hasn't been lots in the last month or two!), so I thought I'd offer up a few links/posts that you may or may not have discovered. Hope they help!
) The National Book Award Finalists have been announced! As reported by Publishers Weekly, the nominees in the Young People's Literature category are:
Deborah Heiligman, Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith (Henry Holt)
Phillip Hoose, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Davd Small, Stitches (W.W. Norton & Co.)
Laini Taylor, Lips Touch: Three Times (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic)
Rita Williams-Garcia, Jumped (HarperTeen)
Congratulations to all!
Click here to see the complete list of nominees
Beth Fleisher, Barry Goldblatt Literary
Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, Inc.
Eddie Schneider, JABberwocky Literary Agency
Joe Monti, Barry Goldblatt Literary
Merrilee Heifetz, Senior VP, Writers House
Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio, LLC
Bill Contardi, Brandt and Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.
3) In the mood for a contest or two?
New Associate Agent Mary Kole, of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency is running a QUERY Contest at Kidlit.com. The query must be for a finished children's book manuscript (YA, MG, or picture book) and must be under 500 words. It must be either pasted in the comments field (she explains how on her blog) or emailed to her by October 31st at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
The prize? --- A critique of the first 30 pages of your manuscript
GOOD LUCK!
For the next contest, hop on over to new blogger and aspiring author Sheri Rosen's blog, The Worries and Triumphs of an Unpublished Author. Sheri's giving away a FREE, SIGNED COPY of Michael Grant's GONE. What do you have to do? Become a follower of her blog and/or refer someone to her blog. That's it! Click here for more info on this contest. Oh yes, it ends on December 1st!
AND, while you're there, check out her notes from a talk given by AnnMarie Harris, series editor at Scholastic Trade Paperback, at an Editor's Day event sponsored by the Orange County chapter of SCBWI. AnnMarie's topic: middle grade paperback series for boys & girls. Sheri took some awesome notes, folks!
Also (yeah, she's got more!), for all you aspiring historical fiction writers (myself included), be sure to check out Sheri's Editor's Day Part 2 post on a very interesting talk by Alexandria LaFayette, winner of the 2005 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for her novel, Worth.
4) Ooooh, just remembered! Debut author Cynthia Jaynes Omololu is giving away postcards, bookmarks, & business cards celebrating her YA novel, Dirty Little Secrets (Walker, February 2010). Check it out here!
She also recently published a delightful, multicultural picture book entitled When It's Six O'Clock in San Francisco (Clarion).
5) Want the last word on Word Count for Novels and Children's Books? Peep this definitive post by Guide to Literary Agents' blog editor Chuck Sambuchino.
Hope all is going well with everyone. Haven't posted much news lately (not that there hasn't been lots in the last month or two!), so I thought I'd offer up a few links/posts that you may or may not have discovered. Hope they help!
) The National Book Award Finalists have been announced! As reported by Publishers Weekly, the nominees in the Young People's Literature category are:
Deborah Heiligman, Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith (Henry Holt)
Phillip Hoose, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Davd Small, Stitches (W.W. Norton & Co.)
Laini Taylor, Lips Touch: Three Times (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic)
Rita Williams-Garcia, Jumped (HarperTeen)
Congratulations to all!
Click here to see the complete list of nominees
I've got JUMPED in my to-be-read pile . . . just wondering, has anyone read any of the others (in the Young People's category)?
2) Yesterday, Casey McCormick over at Literary Rambles, shone the Agent Spotlight on Michael Stearns of Upstart Crow Literary.
And in case you missed it, here are a few more that were "spotlighted" these past few weeks:
Beth Fleisher, Barry Goldblatt Literary
Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, Inc.
Eddie Schneider, JABberwocky Literary Agency
Joe Monti, Barry Goldblatt Literary
Merrilee Heifetz, Senior VP, Writers House
Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio, LLC
Bill Contardi, Brandt and Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.
3) In the mood for a contest or two?
New Associate Agent Mary Kole, of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency is running a QUERY Contest at Kidlit.com. The query must be for a finished children's book manuscript (YA, MG, or picture book) and must be under 500 words. It must be either pasted in the comments field (she explains how on her blog) or emailed to her by October 31st at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
The prize? --- A critique of the first 30 pages of your manuscript
GOOD LUCK!
For the next contest, hop on over to new blogger and aspiring author Sheri Rosen's blog, The Worries and Triumphs of an Unpublished Author. Sheri's giving away a FREE, SIGNED COPY of Michael Grant's GONE. What do you have to do? Become a follower of her blog and/or refer someone to her blog. That's it! Click here for more info on this contest. Oh yes, it ends on December 1st!
AND, while you're there, check out her notes from a talk given by AnnMarie Harris, series editor at Scholastic Trade Paperback, at an Editor's Day event sponsored by the Orange County chapter of SCBWI. AnnMarie's topic: middle grade paperback series for boys & girls. Sheri took some awesome notes, folks!
Also (yeah, she's got more!), for all you aspiring historical fiction writers (myself included), be sure to check out Sheri's Editor's Day Part 2 post on a very interesting talk by Alexandria LaFayette, winner of the 2005 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for her novel, Worth.
4) Ooooh, just remembered! Debut author Cynthia Jaynes Omololu is giving away postcards, bookmarks, & business cards celebrating her YA novel, Dirty Little Secrets (Walker, February 2010). Check it out here!
She also recently published a delightful, multicultural picture book entitled When It's Six O'Clock in San Francisco (Clarion).
5) Want the last word on Word Count for Novels and Children's Books? Peep this definitive post by Guide to Literary Agents' blog editor Chuck Sambuchino.
6) Are vampires on their way out? Check out this article on the presumed rise (or fall, depending on the story) of angels posted last month on the Publishers Weekly website!
7) Lastly, for those debut authors coming out with books in the next year or two, and even for us aspiring authors, you may want to take heed of these New Rules for Authors courtesy of Stet!, the Backspace writers' blog. I guess it's never too early to start planning . . . :)
And for a cozier, more personal take, Kristin Tubb, author of Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different (Delacorte) shared, earlier this week on her blog, Do Things Different, what she's learned in her first year as a published author.
Happy Writing!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Work-In-Progress Wednesday
Well, I finally made some progress on a picture book that I've been working on, like, forever this week. I got it down to 500 words! Which, of course, is also the word count limit for the 3rd Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Contest. Yeah, I went ahead and took the plunge and entered the contest. Today. The last day to enter. Yeah, I procrastinated till the end. I really have to stop that. But folks, there's still time if you, too, want to go ahead and take a chance. The deadline is 11:59 p. m. (Central Time).
And to all who have already entered: GOOD LUCK!
:)
And to all who have already entered: GOOD LUCK!
:)
Friday, May 8, 2009
Fabulous Friday! Some News & Tidbits
Hi all!
I know, I know, where have I been? I feel so bad that I haven't posted all week. But I'm making up for it today!
First off, I've been working on revisions to the 1st three chapters of my work-in-progress, like adding descriptive elements to certain scenes, checking the pace & flow of the story, making sure all the familial relationships make sense, etc. I caught one glaring error in a passage that I've read dozens of times. I referred to someone as a cousin when it should have said nephew. An agent or editor reading that passage would have been totally confused!
As usual, I was also perusing the blogosphere this week. Here are some posts that you may or may not be aware of:
1) Today, over at Pub Rants, agent Kristin Nelson has an awesome (when isn't it ever?) post about when an agent gives up on you & your right to know the names of editors who saw your work so that your next agent will know who, or who not, to submit to.
2) Aspiring author Casey McCormick shines the Agent Spotlight on Regina Brooks of Serendipity Literary Agency.
3) Another aspiring author, Tess Hilmo, is giving away a copy of a new writing resource, 20 Master Plots and how to build them by Ronald B. Tobias. To enter the contest, you must leave a comment stating what you would like written on your headstone.
4) For all you historical fans, Kirby Larson, author of the Newbery Honor Award-winning novel Hattie Big Sky, interviews Barbara Kerley, author of the historical picture book biography, What to do about Alice? (Scholastic, 2008). Her book is based on the life of Alice Roosevelt, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt (26th President of the United States). Also check out the rest of Kirby's blog. It's really neat!
5) Let's see, what else?
Lori Degman, winner of the 1st annual Cheerios' Spoonfuls of Stories Contest (btw, the 3rd annual contest is accepting entries now!) tells an exciting story of how she got her agent after winning the contest in this April post. And the story of how she found out she'd won the contest is equally charming.
6) Danette Vigilante offers this post on the power of prayer during her writing journey & search for an agent.
If you want to see the inspiring story of how she got her 2-book deal (BEFORE getting her agent), please see this past interview with her by Danette Haworth (author of Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning, 2008). It's really awesome!
7) Beth Revis, over at writing it out, presents this delightful interview with Sarah Prineas, author of the middle-grade fantasy, The Magic Thief.
8) HarperCollins children's editor Molly O'Neil offers her opinion on The Great American (YA) Novel over on her new blog, Ten Block Walk.
9) Lastly, children's lit agent Elana Roth of the Caren Johnson Literary Agency now has her own blog. Check it out!
Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
I know, I know, where have I been? I feel so bad that I haven't posted all week. But I'm making up for it today!
First off, I've been working on revisions to the 1st three chapters of my work-in-progress, like adding descriptive elements to certain scenes, checking the pace & flow of the story, making sure all the familial relationships make sense, etc. I caught one glaring error in a passage that I've read dozens of times. I referred to someone as a cousin when it should have said nephew. An agent or editor reading that passage would have been totally confused!
As usual, I was also perusing the blogosphere this week. Here are some posts that you may or may not be aware of:
1) Today, over at Pub Rants, agent Kristin Nelson has an awesome (when isn't it ever?) post about when an agent gives up on you & your right to know the names of editors who saw your work so that your next agent will know who, or who not, to submit to.
2) Aspiring author Casey McCormick shines the Agent Spotlight on Regina Brooks of Serendipity Literary Agency.
3) Another aspiring author, Tess Hilmo, is giving away a copy of a new writing resource, 20 Master Plots and how to build them by Ronald B. Tobias. To enter the contest, you must leave a comment stating what you would like written on your headstone.
4) For all you historical fans, Kirby Larson, author of the Newbery Honor Award-winning novel Hattie Big Sky, interviews Barbara Kerley, author of the historical picture book biography, What to do about Alice? (Scholastic, 2008). Her book is based on the life of Alice Roosevelt, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt (26th President of the United States). Also check out the rest of Kirby's blog. It's really neat!
5) Let's see, what else?
Lori Degman, winner of the 1st annual Cheerios' Spoonfuls of Stories Contest (btw, the 3rd annual contest is accepting entries now!) tells an exciting story of how she got her agent after winning the contest in this April post. And the story of how she found out she'd won the contest is equally charming.
6) Danette Vigilante offers this post on the power of prayer during her writing journey & search for an agent.
If you want to see the inspiring story of how she got her 2-book deal (BEFORE getting her agent), please see this past interview with her by Danette Haworth (author of Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning, 2008). It's really awesome!
7) Beth Revis, over at writing it out, presents this delightful interview with Sarah Prineas, author of the middle-grade fantasy, The Magic Thief.
8) HarperCollins children's editor Molly O'Neil offers her opinion on The Great American (YA) Novel over on her new blog, Ten Block Walk.
9) Lastly, children's lit agent Elana Roth of the Caren Johnson Literary Agency now has her own blog. Check it out!
Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children's Writing
Just came from Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog, Cynsations, where she has announced that Hunger Mountain, the arts journal of Vermont College of Fine Arts, has launched the inaugural Katherine Paterson Prize for Young Adult (YA) and Children's Writing.
Folks, my heart literally leaped with joy at this, because Katherine Paterson is, like, one of my literary icons in children's literature. And I know, having chatted in many children's forums, that she is a favorite of MANY writers for children, both published & unpublished. Wow! What a great way to honor her!
The Grand Prize is $1,000, with 2 honorable mentions receiving $100 each. The contest is open to writers of young adult fiction, middle grade fiction, and picture books for a piece of fiction not yet under contract or under consideration by a publisher. They are accepting novel excerpts or a short story for YA and MG, and the whole text of picture books.
And get this, Katherine Paterson will judge! Isn't that exciting?! And maybe a little nerve-wracking, too . . . just knowing a NewberyAward-winning author will be reading your work!
Ok, let me stop babbling. For more info, go to Cynsations. Right. Now. The deadline is June 30th!
Folks, my heart literally leaped with joy at this, because Katherine Paterson is, like, one of my literary icons in children's literature. And I know, having chatted in many children's forums, that she is a favorite of MANY writers for children, both published & unpublished. Wow! What a great way to honor her!
The Grand Prize is $1,000, with 2 honorable mentions receiving $100 each. The contest is open to writers of young adult fiction, middle grade fiction, and picture books for a piece of fiction not yet under contract or under consideration by a publisher. They are accepting novel excerpts or a short story for YA and MG, and the whole text of picture books.
And get this, Katherine Paterson will judge! Isn't that exciting?! And maybe a little nerve-wracking, too . . . just knowing a NewberyAward-winning author will be reading your work!
Ok, let me stop babbling. For more info, go to Cynsations. Right. Now. The deadline is June 30th!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
A Contest or Two
Hi all!
Thought I'd kick off this blog with some contest news. I got an email this evening from QueryTracker.net saying that they will be holding their first ever Agent Judged Contest on Monday, April 13th.
Joanna Stampfel-Volpe of Nancy Coffey Literary will be judging the contest next week on the QueryTracker blog. To enter, you just have to submit a one sentence hook for your book. More details will be provided on the QueryTracker blog on Monday, April 13th.
Grand prize: full submission of manuscript
1st Place: 50 page submission
2nd Place: 30 page submission
3rd Place: 10 page submission
According to Agent Query & her Publisher's Marketplace profile, Ms. Volpe accepts both middle grade and YA. And guess what, there's no cap on the number of submissions she receives, meaning she could get 100 or 1000 entries. The entries however are limited to 2 per person. They also say do not pitch an unfinished manuscript.
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The Knight Agency is holding a contest called BOOK IN A NUTSHELL. You have to submit 3 compelling sentences (150 words maximum) about your completed, unpublished manuscript to submissions@knightagency.net. The deadline is April 20, 2009. Winners will be notified by May 1, 2009.
Thought I'd kick off this blog with some contest news. I got an email this evening from QueryTracker.net saying that they will be holding their first ever Agent Judged Contest on Monday, April 13th.
Joanna Stampfel-Volpe of Nancy Coffey Literary will be judging the contest next week on the QueryTracker blog. To enter, you just have to submit a one sentence hook for your book. More details will be provided on the QueryTracker blog on Monday, April 13th.
Grand prize: full submission of manuscript
1st Place: 50 page submission
2nd Place: 30 page submission
3rd Place: 10 page submission
According to Agent Query & her Publisher's Marketplace profile, Ms. Volpe accepts both middle grade and YA. And guess what, there's no cap on the number of submissions she receives, meaning she could get 100 or 1000 entries. The entries however are limited to 2 per person. They also say do not pitch an unfinished manuscript.
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Knight Agency is holding a contest called BOOK IN A NUTSHELL. You have to submit 3 compelling sentences (150 words maximum) about your completed, unpublished manuscript to submissions@knightagency.net. The deadline is April 20, 2009. Winners will be notified by May 1, 2009.
While they primarily represent adult titles, they also do YA by such authors as Monica McKayhan, L. Divine (Drama High series), Rachel Caine, and Diana Peterfrend.
Good luck to all who decide to enter!
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