Hello, fellow FWA members and guests.
The meeting schedules are included below. We now start at 6:00 pm on Thursdays.
I would appreciate some input from the critique members on subjects they would like to cover in upcoming workshops. Please email me your suggestions or requests dgould497@aol.com I also include information on other local writing groups and opportunities, Contests, Conferences, Classes and much more.
Before I get started on the normal stuff, I want to tell you some exciting information. We are having a conference! Right here in downtown Bradenton! With the help of the state organization, we are having our own conference on January 10th and 11th, 2014. I am going to need lots of you to volunteer to help keep costs down. I will keep you apprised of all the exciting news as we continue setting our plans. This will be both a writing conference and a reading festival since Sarasota closed theirs down. So please, mark it on your calendars and sign up with Jill or me as volunteers.
Now on to the usual.
Florida Writer’s Association Manatee
Critique group: new attendees, you may bring up to ten pages, double-spaced 12 font of your work, fiction or nonfiction. Please have a minimum of 6 copies for Saturday meetings and 8 copies for Thursday meetings.
First & third Thursdays, at 6:00 pm, September 5th, 2013 and September 19th, 2013.
First & Third Saturdays, at 4 pm, September 7th, 2012, and September 21st, 2013
All meetings held at Village Voices & Eclectic Art Emporium, 1010 10th Ave West, Bradenton,
For more information call Dona Lee at 748-6865 or email to Dgould497@aol.com
I am going to attempt to keep you all apprised of the other local writing groups, events, conferences, workshops, and contests. If you are aware of any new groups, please let me know and I will include them. Now on to the writing news from around the region……
Other Local Writing Groups:
Local area critique groups and meetings
Upcoming Conferences and Workshops
An online writing blog for Sarasota and Manatee Writers includes all the vast resources available to local writers. The web address has been changed:
www.FloridaWritersAssociationManatee.com
I hope you check it out and find it useful. If you know of any other resources please feel free to add them or forward the information to me and I will add them.
There is a similar blog for Pinellas and Hillsborough writing events at:
http://www.marylouihess.com/enews.html
Florida Writers Association, Sarasota Branch
FWA-Sarasota Chapter
Coordinator: George Mindling
FWA Sarasota meets two evenings each month: on the FIRST and THIRD Wednesday. The training room of the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department is located at the corner of US41 and Pavonia Road. Pavonia Road is the street that has the flashing emergency lights on US 41 south of Matthews-Currie Ford. Pavonia is about a quarter mile south of Albee Road.
The FIRST meeting of the month, September 4th, 2013 is dedicated to subgroups of various genres. The members of each subgroup bring stories, poems, articles, or novel chapters for reading and critiquing. The SECOND meeting of the month, September 18th, is the general meeting. A few members read to the entire group and then receive comments and suggestions from the group. The rest of the general meeting is dedicated to questions, discussions, progress reports, and general information about writing, publishing and marketing.
A half hour of socializing is encouraged for attendees arriving at 6:00. The regular meetings begin promptly at 6:30 and last until about 9:00. Come join us on the FIRST and/or THIRD Wednesday of every month.
You can catch up on all their news at the blog: http://fwasarasota.blogspot.com/
The leader is George Mindling. He can be contacted at: myakka@embarqmail.com.
FICTION WRITER’S FORUM
Critique group
6:30 pm Second Thursday of the month, September 12th, 2013
Books-a-Million, Gulf Gate Mall
6:30 pm Fourth Thursday of the month, September 26th, 2013
Books-a-Million, Gulf Gate Mall
Bring ten to fifteen copies of up to ten pages of your fiction.
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Sarasota Fiction Writers
Wednesday
September 4th, 2013 General Meeting
Selby Library
2nd Floor Conference Room
1331 First St., Sarasota
6 pm
Guest Speaker: Walker Meade
Walker Meade will be advising us on the elements of a short story in order to help us pass the “sniff” test when we enter contests locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally. Only stories that have these elements will make it to the finals in our annual shrt story contest, so if you plan to enter, this is a meeting not to miss. Walker has the qualifications to back up his advice. He started at Cosmopolitan as Articles Editor. From there he transferred to Managing Editor of the Reader’s Digest Condensed Book Club where he learned short is sweet. Back to Cosmopolitan as Managing Editor and on to Avon books as VP and Editor in Chief and eventually CEO.
He was responsible for publishing All The President’s Men, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Love Story, A Hundred Years of Solitude, The Thornbirds and many more.
He wrote short stories and was published in Colliers, Saturday Evening Post, Texas Quarterly, Gentlemen’s Quarterly, Good Housekeeping, Redbook and many others. When he retired to California he wrote a novel, Unspeakable Acts, available on Amazon.
Sarasota Fiction Writers Critique Meeting
6:30 pm, Wednesday, September 18th, 2013
Books-a-Million, Gulf Gate Mall
Bring 5 pages of work to read,
At least ten copies, double-spaced, 12 font.
Screen Writer’s Circle
The Screen Writer’s Circle will meet on Thursday, September 12th from 5:30-7:30 pm in the Selby Library conference room on the 2nd floor. We will discuss Ron Pantello’s first draft of his screenplay It’s Time, formerly titled “The Last Amendment.” Since this is his first draft, we will discuss the multiple steps and passes in the rewrite process.
The group has had a number of successes recently. One of the members won the top prize at the recent TV ME, the Sarasota Film Festival Screenwriting contest. Another member recently signed with a Hollywood agent who is shopping her historical fiction script. And our Diane Robertson, who is also a member, also won a category in the TV ME contest. If you are interested in screenwriting, this is the group to check into.
For more information on what they are doing at the workshops, to join the notification list, or to join the group, contact Laurie Stoner at Laurissas@msn.com Hope to see you there!
Sarasota Authors Connection
The Sarasota Authors Connection meeting is on hiatus for summer vacation until October
Grace Bizzarro has accepted the position of Vice President of Sarasota Authors Connection and due to Susan’s busy schedule next year, Grace will run some of the meetings. As president of Sarasota Fiction Writers for two years, she’s definitely qualified. Thanks, Grace!
Sarasota Authors Connection Book Fair
On Nov. 2 at the Sarasota Farmers Market downtown the Sarasota Author’s Connection will again be hosting a book fair. Authors interested in a vending table contact Susan Klaus, furryklaus@aol.com
There are a few spaces left.
The Authors Connection Radio Show
The Author’s Connection Radio Show, hosted by nationally known author Susan Klaus, is now broadcasting on Ft Lauderdale/Broward Co community WFLC Radio. Visit ftlauderdalecommunityradio.com for schedule and other information. The Author’s Connection, one of the air waves longest running shows devoted to local and global authors (over 7 years), is produced here on the Sun Coast. This addition expands the listening audience to the residents in Broward Co, North Miami and Palm Beach Co on public radio in addition to the global internet audience. This station has a high concentration of upscale readers. The one-hour, web-radio show can be heard every Tuesday from 11 AM to 12 PM and repeats on Thursdays from 9 to 10 AM on Radioearnetwork.com. The show consists of interviews with local authors as well as bestselling authors such as Michael Connolly, Tom Corcoran, David Hagberg, Tim Dorsey and others. If you have a book and would like to be interviewed, please contact Susan Klaus, the show director at furryklaus@aol.com
Radio Ear Network now has a listening audience of over 18 million in 148 countries worldwide.
Authors Connection Radio Show:
The summer shows will be reruns of some of the best interviews from the past seven years.
New writing groups
ABC – Artisans of Books
The September General Meeting, September 17th, will be held at the Indigo Hotel.
General Meetings are at 11:30 am on the 3rd Tuesday of each month – except November and December. The meeting includes lunch and you must RSVP so they know how many lunches to order. Contact Nancy Buscher for more information. nancybuscher@yahoo.com
Indigo Hotel, 1223 Boulevard Of The Arts, Sarasota, FL
941 756-6774
The cost is less than $20 for members/non-members.
Membership fee is $25:
ABC – Artisans of Books: Contact Nancy Buscher for membership information.
Applications are on the website: ABCBooks4Children.com
#209 1532 US 41 Highway BP S
Venice FL 34293-1032
ABC– Artisans of Books is made up of book authors & illustrators, and mainstream authors. Our mission is to form a networking alliance of independently published, self-marketing, and aspiring artisans to exchange knowledge, share experiences, assist in marketing, and promote literacy wherever possible.
They focus on children’s writer’s, however, they are not exclusive and do discuss much more..
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For our writers to the north…
The SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writer’s & Illustrator’s), critique group is led by Karen Hamade, (a FWA affiliated group). They are just in the process of setting up their meeting day & location. Any interested parties may contact her at www.brandonwriters.com and she will be happy to email the next meeting information. They are a children’s book author critique group in Brandon, Florida, who primarily critique Picture and Chapter Books, Middle Grade, and YA. For meeting information, please use online ‘contact’ form at: www.brandonwriters.com
For those writers to our south….
Peace River Writers (a FWA affiliated group)
Group Leader: Douglas Houck
Type: Critique and Discussion
Meets: First Saturday of every Month at 9:00 am
New Location: Wyvern Hotel
101 E. Retta Esplanade
Punta Gorda, Florida
For new attendees, you may bring up to ten pages, double-spaced 12 font of your work, fiction or nonfiction. Please have a minimum of 6 copies for Saturday meetings and 8 copies for Thursday meetings.
# # #
To our FWA members:
Please welcome Gay Wasik. She will be heading The Top Shelf, FWA’s Online book store of books written by members and posted for sale on the website. She is working through a backlog of books to be posted in The Top Shelf, as well as handling requests for information. Everything should be current by April 15th. After that, all requests received for posting will be done by the 15th of the following month. Published members, this is another benefit of FWA membership. List your books on The Top Shelf and refer the public to the shopping cart to buy your books.
Contests
Okay, so you think you are smarter than a Fifth grader,
but are you SMART?
The 2013 Sharp writ book awards NOW accepting submissions!
Genres of works accepted by the 2013 Sharp Writ Book Awards:
GENERAL FICTION: Action & Adventure, Graphical Novel, Family, Saga, Historical, Humor, Inspirational, Metaphysicial, Political, Western, and Romance. Other genres may be considered – contact for approval.
MYSTERY: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Sleuths and Crime. Other genres may be considered – contact for approval.
SCIENCE FICTION: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, and Supernatural.
POETRY: All categories of Poetry
GENERAL NON-FICTION: Career, Educational, History, Military, Psychology, Self-Help, and True Crime. Other genres will be considered – contact for approval.
BIOGRAPHY / AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Books that are biographical or autobiographical in nature, including personal memoirs.
YOUNG ADULT: Books specifically targeted at a teen audience. All genres (fiction, non-fiction, etc.) of young adult are placed in this category.
CHILDRENS: Books specifically targeted at a child audience. Examples include picture books or easy readers that combine text and illustrations.
NOTE: Other categories may be opened or categories combined depending on the number of submissions received at the discretion of the SWBA.
REQUIREMENTS FOR MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION
1. All entries must be in English and, if published, have a publication date of 2010 or later.
2. A separate SWBA 2013 Submission Form must accompany each unique entry (i.e. – 1 per title).
3. Printed Books: 4 printed copies must be submitted by mail.
4. Electronic submission are accepted in the following formats:
o Electronic Publication (.ePub) – MUST have ISBN assigned
o Kindle (.prc)
o MobiPocket Reader (.mobi)
o Adobe (.pdf)
o MS Word (.doc)
5. Electronic entries that are LESS THAN 19.9 MB: Email submission form and entry to submissions@book-awards.org
6. Electronic entries that are MORE THAN 19.9 MB: Submit the submission form and a CD containing 4 copies of the entry to the shipping address below.
7. Payment of entry fee may be made by check (made out to A&E SIGs) submitted via mail or by Paypal. Paypal payments may be made directly by clicking here or sent to payments@book-lovers.net. Remember to complete the payment information section on the submission form so payments may be credited to the correct entry.
8. Received a discount code? Click Here to use the web form created specially for entering using a discount code. Payments for discounted entries is required to be submitted via web using a credit card. (Books can be mailed in)
DEADLINES AND ENTRY FEES (subject to change without notice):
Super Early Submission Deadline: April 15th Entry Fee: $40
Early Submission Deadline: June 15th Entry Fee: $50
Regular Submission Deadline: September 15th Entry Fee: $65
Late Submission Deadlline: October 15th Entry Fee: $80
Entry Fees waived through June 15th for books authored by members of recognized High IQ Societies:
*Recognized High IQ Societies: Mensa International, Advanced Elite, Intertel, International Society for Philosophical Inquiry, One-in-a-Thousand Society, Triple Nine Society, Prometheus Society, Mega Society, Smart Generation Xers, Smart Young Ms, Pure Smarts, Channel IQ, Smart Dancers, Smartyz
What do winners receive?
1. A personalized plaque honoring the achievement
2. Access to 1200+ members of Smart Book Lovers and 5000 members of the Intelligent Expressions Consortium, including a 50 px X 50 px display image of the winning submission on the home page for 3 months.
3. Inclusion in a special category for winners at Smart Book Lover’s online book
store.
4. Opportunity to participate in joint PR activities such as press releases and
winners announcements in prestigious publications.
5. A free review posted on our Intelligent Expressions Blog. The judging panel will
provide the full review; in addition, the winning entity (author/publisher/agent) can
provide their own mini-review (less than 300 words).
6. 30 gold foil labels printed with the words “Sharp Writ Book Awards Winner” which
can be affixed to books. More labels may be purchased.
NOTE: A Category Winner may not be awarded if less than 5 entries are received for the category.
2nd and 3rd place receive:
1. Certificate of Achievement
2. A free review posted on our Intelligent Expressions Blog. The judging panel will
provide the review.
3. 20 gold foil labels printed with the words “Sharp Writ Book Awards Finalist” which
can be affixed to books. More labels may be purchased.
NOTE: 2nd and 3rd places may not be awarded based on overall judges scores at the discretion of the Sharp Writ Book Awards.
Finalists will be announced in December, 2013. Winners will be announced by the end of January, 2014.
Ready to submit an entry? Download and entry form in either fillable PDF or MS Word format. Entry form can be mailed with submission OR emailed to submissions@book-awards.org.
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Swansea and District Writers’ Circle
We are holding our first open poetry competition and invite you to send us your entries.
A poster is attached.
Please follow this link for further info. http://www.swanseawriters.co.uk/poetrycompetition.htm
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Midlife Collage sponsors a weekly contest of midlife short stories. U.S. citizens and legal residents age 40 and older may enter. The Editor selects five stories for publication on their website each week. Readers leave comments and Facebook thumbs-up likes urging the panel of Judges to choose a contest winner. Readers also send the Judges their opinion of the best story on our Closing Arguments page. The contest period is Monday through Sunday noon PT. The first-place story enters the Winner’s Circle and receives a cash prize of $50. Winners of a $50 cash prize are eligible for a $100 contest, which we run quarterly. ANYONE, worldwide, age 18 or older can comment on the stories in a contest.
www.MidlifeCollage.com
*yes, the spelling is collage not college.
* * *
Conferences
~ ~ ~
Florida Writer’s Association
is already planning another amazing conference for you!
The Greatest Writers Conference on Earth 12th Annual Conference
October 18-20, 2013 10/17/13
In Orlando, Florida
For more information go to www.floridawriters.net
Announcing FWA’s Mid-Winter Conference West and Reading Festival
For the first time ever, FWA is hosting a two-day Reading Festival open to the public – right in downtown Bradenton! No admission fee for the general public to attend any or all of the Reading Festival. Read on for more details…
When: January 10-11, 2014
Reading Festival Registration – Open Now through January 3, 2014
• Learn about the event
• You are invited
• Reserve a display area
• Reserve a reading time
Registrations for the two-day mini-conference will open November 1, 2013.
Call for Presentations from Potential Faculty – Open Now through September 15, 2013
• Download CFP form
• Benefits/requirements for Agent/Publisher faculty
• Benefits/requirements for Featured Faculty
Click here to go to our online store to reserve your 4’ Display Area for Reading Festival at a cost of $30.
Registrations for the mini-conference will be open as of November 1, 2013. Note that all registrations for mini-conference include lunch, morning and afternoon breaks.
For more information go to: http://www.sonfilmfest.com
Marketing Options:
• For writers who have already published their books there are a few local marketing options you should consider.
• The first is Susan Klaus’ radio show, “The Author’s Connection”. “The Authors Connection” Radio Show is a one-hour, web radio show and can be heard every Tuesday from 11 AM to 12 PM and repeats on Thursdays from 9 to 10 AM on Radioearnetwork.com. The show consists of interviews with local authors as well as best-selling authors such as Michael Connolly, Tom Corcoran, David Hagberg, Tim Dorsey and others. If you have a book and would like to be interviewed, please contact Susan Klaus, the show director at furryklaus@aol.com
They are pleased to announce that Radio Ear Network now has a listening audience of 10 million in 142 countries worldwide.
Due to the closing of Circle Books, the Authors Connection is now being taped at the Coffee Loft, 5025 N. Tamiami Trail, a few blocks south of the Ringling Museum on US 41 Circle on the second Wed. of the month.
And then there is local author and publisher E. P. “Ned” Burke is hosting a Web site, Sarasota Authors Showcase, Sarasota.Authors.Showcase@gmail.com , on which local authors can post info about their books. The service is free. Send bio information along with the title of your book (s) and the book’s URL sales page address on Amazon.com or another location to authorepburke@gmail.com.
Burke also invites submissions and free subscriptions to his online magazines: www.theperspiringwriter.comand www.yesterdaysmagazette.com. See guidelines on site.
Of Writing Interest
Shade in the Sunshine State:
Reflections on Segregation in Florida
an anthology edited and published by
Elizabeth Huntoon Coursen
Call for submissions!
Sarasota author Liz Coursen is compiling a group of first-person stories about segregation in Florida. If you have a story about
segregation in Florida that illustrates something you yourself witnessed, please contact Liz at 941-706-2463, or send her an email at:
LizinSarasota@yahoo.com for more information about submissions.
Shade in the Sunshine State will be published in January 2014, and the deadline for submissions is October.
Elizabeth Huntoon Coursen, Sarasota
author of The Complete Biography Workbook,
Brunswick and Bowdoin College,
Self-Editing for the Self-Published Author, and
The Book Tourist: Seven Steps to a Wildly Successful Book Tour
www.FirstPersonPublications.com
www.AmericanPostcardArt.com
www.HavingFunWishYouWereHere.com
(941) 706-2463
Romance Wanted!
Do you love writing romance as much as you love reading it? If you’ve written a full-length romance, Crimson Romance wants to consider it for publication! We’re looking for romances in all the popular categories (contemporary, historical, romantic suspense and more!)
We’re also looking for short stories for themed collections to be released later in 2013. We’re currently seeking submissions for short story romances (about 5,000 to 10,000 words, but don’t let word count keep you from submitting – we’re flexible
Any heat level is fine.
Have an idea for a collection not listed here? Drop us a line and we’ll consider it.
Please submit your full story to editorcrimson@gmail.com with “Short Story Submission – [intended collection]” in the subject line. If we get enough submissions to publish more than one title in each category, we will.
– See more at: http://www.crimsonromance.com/submissions/?et_mid=624366&rid=235541304#sthash.x3f1PFYf.dpuf
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Agents
A recommended source for finding literary agents:
http://www.ebookcrossroads.com/agents.html
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Local author and publisher E. P. “Ned” Burke is hosting a Web site, Sarasota Authors Showcase, Sarasota.Authors.Showcase@gmail.com , on which local authors can post info about their books. The service is free. Send bio information along with the title of your book (s) and the book’s URL sales page address on Amazon.com or another location to authorepburke@gmail.com.
Burke also invites submissions and free subscriptions to his online magazines: www.theperspiringwriter.comand www.yesterdaysmagazette.com. See guidelines on site.
* * * * *
Leodegraunce (http://www.leodegraunce.com), founded in 2010, is a site for quality flash fiction funded entirely by its owner, author and editor Jolie du Pre. Every author is paid for their work. Jolie also has an associate editor on staff who she pays once a month. Jolie is hoping to keep Leodegraunce online for 2013. All donations are greatly appreciated to keep Jolie’s labor of love up and running for 2013!
* * * * *
Florida Skeptics–WRITE
Andrew Bernardin, with the assistance of two others, recently started a website—Florida Skeptics. They are looking for writers — Florida writers — to contribute articles/posts. There is no restriction on topics, provided the approach is skeptical and informative.
There would be no financial gain, just getting your words “out there” is reward of its own. Our site is already getting over one hundred “reads” per day; I anticipate that number will only go up.
Here is a brief outline of the website:
FLORIDA SKEPTICS
Applying Critical Thought to Matters Great and Small
URL: http://floridaskeptics.com/
Website Goals
* Showcase a number of distinct & thoughtfully skeptical voices.
* Apply skeptical thought to a wide range of topics.
* Encourage the sharing of information and learning from others.
* Establish on online community of Floridians (and welcome others)
who value rationality and learning.
Website Features
• NO third-party advertising. None. Zilch.
• Magazine-style front page with excerpts of most recent articles. Secondary pages with full articles by authors.
• Customizable author pages that could include bio info and other, self-determined, content and links. Any self-promotion (books, upcoming talks…) would appear here.
•
•
• prefer articles to be between 500 – 1500 words.
• Topics
• Any! While there are plenty of sites that continue to beat the already beaten horses of spirit visitation, haunted houses, the existence of gods, homeopathy cures, etc., our site will cast a broader net.
• Certainly there will be updates on the more conventional, skeptical issues, providing these include new material and/or new perspectives on them. Yet the site will strive to include “bigger issues” in terms of impact on the daily life of the general population. This means less emphasis on UFOs, more on . . . politics, education, pop psychology, cultural trends, bad science, etc.
• Additionally, it is our desire that the skeptical evaluation of topics particularly germane to all things Florida will find a home here.
• What will make the site unique (we hope) will be its emphasis on a more equanimous application of skeptical thought. Yes, there will be criticism of alternative medicines. But there will also be criticism of conventional medicine — not in some forced equal measure, but in a degree warranted by the validity of the claims made and in relation to the educational needs of the general public.
• – Desired Style/Tone
• > Assertions made with an appropriate level of confidence (as supported by reliable information and our current understanding of the universe) coupled with a modicum of self-questioning (‘questioning authority’ must begin with the authority of one’s own beliefs)
• > Less pedantic and combative, more inquisitive and instructive
• > Limited use of profanity, but absolutely no concern over making personal styles conform to some preferred style
• – Writing requirements
• > Include a short author bio. If the writer becomes a regular contributor, a longer bio and pic can be added to the “authors” page.
• > All articles must include reference to outside material/information/sources. Informal and in text or as footnotes/links. In other words, we want opinions and conclusions backed up by something.
New Imprint Seeking Romance Stories with Heat
Untreed Reads is pleased to announce a brand-new imprint to expand our catalog of offerings. Untreed After Dark is our new line for romance stories that take the heat level up a few notches from our sweet stories. Even though there is a lot of romance on the market today, we feel that there are still niches to fill. That’s the ultimate goal of our new line.
We do have some rules for this new line:
1. Every sexual orientation is welcome.
2. We would especially love to see romance stories about people of various ethnic backgrounds, people in their fifties or older, people with disabilities, 19th and 20th century historical (1800-2000), etc.
If you have looked around and said, “I don’t see another story out there remotely like mine,” you’re probably what we’re looking for.
3. Works need to be believable and real. No genies, werewolves, vampires, body-switchers, witches, aliens, etc. Need real people in real relationships/situations.
4. Sorry, but no works that take place before 1800. We feel that market has plenty of material already.
5. Only works 25,000 words or more will be considered. Short story collections, however, would be fine.
6. Cross-genre stories are especially welcome (romantic mysteries, for example).
7. As we are not specifically looking for erotica, the heat level is currently limited to “NC-17.” Sex doesn’t have to be in the story, but if it’s appropriate for the work, that’s fine.
8. The overall story is infinitely more important to us than a couple of hot scenes. We prefer to think of this as “literary romance/literary erotica.” We want engaging characters with real romantic struggles and successes.
9. HEA (Happily Ever After) is NOT a requirement. Sometimes romance doesn’t end with the two people ending up together, and that’s perfectly OK. That’s real.
10. Absolutely, positively NO: rape, bestiality, sex with underage people, or all the other things you would expect to be forbidden.
11. Previously published works are definitely acceptable, providing electronic rights have reverted to the author.
12. Works that have been published through a self-publishing venture (i.e.: Smashwords, Kindle Direct/Kindle Prime) will not be accepted.
13. Agents and current Untreed Reads authors may submit directly to:
Jay Hartman.
All others need to send works to submissions@untreedreads.com
14. All submissions need to be sent in their entirety in RTF, DOC or ODP formats, Times New Roman, 12 pt. This rule does not necessarily apply to current Untreed Reads authors or agents.
If you are unsure if a work would be appropriate for us, please do feel
free to query Jay Hartman at jhartman@untreedreads.com .
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Running Out of Ink.
We are a new webzine that just launched its third issue on the 1st January at
www.runningoutofink.com. We accept short stories of all genres as variety is going to be a focus of our webzine – no story too short, no plot too off the wall as we counter balance it with other stories within the issue. The only rules are that the story is previously unpublished
and under 2500 words.
We don’t yet pay our writers unfortunately, but feel this is a fantastic opportunity for new writers to gain a voice and experienced writers to add to their CV. One thing that does pull us apart from other markets and may make your followers keen is that we are interested in having recurring writers throughout our issues, so if we really like you
we will request you back. This can really help in building a following for writers as readers from the site will go on to see Joe Bloggs’ latest story and knowing that they consistently enjoy them, they may look elsewhere to see what he’s done.
Submissions are emailed to: submit@runningoutofink.com.
We are located in Scotland but have a worldwide readership with an especially large US base. We seek a range of short stories, aiming to create an eclectic mix in each issue, but it is only fiction we accept for the time being. We want to build a magazine that unites all fiction lovers without prejudice, quality is the only issue and our Facebook fans are already responding
to this. Judging from Facebook, our readership is both male and female (though a higher emphasis on female readers), and ranges from mid-twenties to retirement age, though most our readers are in their forties or fifties.
It’s early days, but we currently receive just under 1000 views a month, mainly from the UK and US, but a decent sized base in Australia and Canada and regular views in Greece and France.
In the future we plan on expanding the site to have a separate section for our recurring writers with 3 stories or more on the site. These pages will have an extended biography advertising how else to read work from them as well as links to each of their stories, and a photo if the writer wishes. Other plans include future competitions and possible an E-book compilation somewhere down the line. The webzine is completely free to read, just go to the current or past issues and click on the cover to view the stories.
Amy Kinmond
Senior Editor
Running out of Ink
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GATORS AND GLADES
A Gathering Places for Florida Writers
On January 1, 2012, a new resource and reference for Florida writers debuted entitled
Gators and Glades.
This blog celebrates creative writers living, working or writing about the great state of Florida. The blog is in beta test now; readers are able to access and read the blog immediately. We encourage your recommendations and ideas while we are in beta.
Gators and Glades publish new writing related articles every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Tweets are added daily.
We invite individual writers and group leaders to contact us with news, features, events and other information of value to the Florida writing community.
Writers — if you are about to release a title, have a magazine article or other publishing news, please share with a short posting (under 400 words) with the key information on who, what, when, where and how. We cannot guarantee every submission will be posted, but we will try.
Florida Publications — if you are seeking submissions for fiction, non-fiction, and/or poetry, let us know. If you have writing guidelines, we’ll link them or offer as PDFs.
Reader comments are always welcome.
Guest writers are encouraged to submit their own blog entries to broaden interest in creative writing, share insights, knowledge and references.
The site offers several resources, such as Community Chatter, Events, Florida Writer’s Group Directory, Links & Blogs and other resources.
A Twitter feed brings a wide spectrum of tweets and retweets on writing, publishing and other content of interest to writers.
Visit www.GatorsAndGlades.wordpress.com to visit the blog.
Follow @GatorsAndGlades on Twitter to connect to our tweets.
Find us on Facebook at Gators and Glades Writers Group .
Email us at GatorsAndGlades@gmail.com .
The Peppertree Press Bookstore has opened their doors.
Julie Ann Howell advised: “Just a few short years ago when the first seed was planted here at The Pepper Tree as a literary magazine which is dedicated to writers and illustrators in our fi ne community. Then another seed was planted a short while after, which took root when Peppertree Press became an independent book publishing company, offering to publish manuscripts for writers from all over the globe. Now we offer over 500 titles, published in all genres—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, educational, children, inspirational, religious, self-help and even coffee-table style books. Dreams are coming true for those aspiring writers each and every day. Now it is only fitting that Peppertree comes full circle and plants just one more seed.
We will be opening our very own bookstore, yes indeed, a bookstore offering that personal touch to our community and Peppertree Press authors who have published their books with us. The Peppertree Press Bookstore shelves will be filled with titles of books we have published here at Peppertree Press since fruition in 2006. In addition, we will feature many creations from local artisans, such as artwork, notecards, pottery, jewelry, and stained glass.
Our grand opening took place January 26th and we look forward to welcoming you into our cozy retreat set next door to our endearing office in downtown Sarasota at the corner of Cocoanut and Palm Avenue. We are very excited to be planning many book launches, events, lectures, book signings and fundraisers dedicated to our authors and their awesome work.
Writer’s Retreats
Blue Mountain Beach, FL
We’d like to invite your members to apply for a spot at our upcoming writing retreat in Blue Mountain Beach, FL.
Our domestic retreats are designed to provide the writer with both solitude and time to create. We strive to bring together like-minded people in a communal space where encouragement and inspiration abounds.
No one leaves our retreats unchanged, and always, the work gets done. Many times, much more than expected. Authors, poets, writers of all genres are welcome, in any phase of their work.
We also offer international workshops. All are by application only, with limited attendees.
Please visit our website for more information. http://writebythewater.com/
Write By The Water: retreats designed to let your writing flow.
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/writebythewater
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Words of Wisdom:
Robin S. sent us this to finish the newsletter with this month.
It is in Memoriam of Elmor Leonard, a weird and wacky but well respected writer.
From Writer’s Digest in memoriam of a great writer.
We’re saddened to hear about the passing of literary legend Elmore Leonard (I absolutely loved his book Get Shorty when I read it in high school). He was a great writer and will be remembered through his wonderful work for years and years to come. In honor of Leonard’s passing, we’ve pulled five memorable quotes on writing from our Writer’s Digest interviews archive, as we were fortunate to get to speak with him several times over the years. Here they are.
“… The writer has to have patience, the perseverance to just sit there alone and grind It out. And if it’s not worth doing that, then he doesn’t want to write. …” (1982)
“A writer has to read. Read all the time. Decide who you like then study that author’s style. Take the author’s book or story and break it down to see how he put it together.” (1982)
“The main thing I set out to do is tell the point of view of the antagonist as much as the good guy. And that’s the big difference between the way I write and the way most mysteries are written.” (1982)
“It is the most satisfying thing I can think of, to write a scene and have it come out the way I want. Or be surprised and have it come out even better than I thought.” (1997)
“Write the book the way it should be written, then give it to somebody to put in the commas and shit.” (my favorite) (1997)
Self-Promotion Page
I host a weekly show on Radioearnetwork every Thursday at 2pm called Culture Coast. I interview musicians and artists on alternating weeks. Check it out online at Radioearnetwork.com, 2 pm on Thursday. Help my numbers improve by listening in while you learn about local musicians and artists and their exhibitions and appearances in our area.
At the book gallery, Village Voices, we are celebrating the launch of a few new books. Voices offers books written exclusively by Florida residents, as well as some unique gifts for people who already have everything. Please join us for the celebration of Cinco De Mayo. We will have a Salsa Tasting contest, Mexican music, and author Carole Bibisi signing her books on May 3rd from 6 until 9 and again on Saturday, May 4th, with Dona Lee signing Chimera or Published!
And I can’t forget to promote the book we worked so tirelessly on. If you have finished or are close to finishing your manuscript, it would behoove you to buy a copy of my book, Published! A Complete Guide to Nontraditional Publishing.
The book helps every writer decide whether to follow the path to traditional publishing, use a subsidy, or self-publish, and if the decision is subsidy or self-publishing, how to choose the best option for your manuscript. It includes sections on editing, formatting, and marketing as well.
With this research under my belt, I have been selected to teach Publishing 101 at State College starting in October. If you are interested in taking the course, please sign up online. More information is in the section on Classes. If you know any other writers contemplating self or subsidy publishing, please tell them about the class, it is designed to save them money. Lots of money.
I am also presenting “Intro to Publishing,” a one hour discussion on publishing choices and the opportunity e-books present to new authors. Call for scheduled days and times. 941 748-6865.
For more information on any of the above feel free to contact me at DGould497@aol.com
That’s it for this month!