Read Me A Story! - Toni Morrison Reads from A Mercy

[click on the image to go to the NPR download page]

What could be better than a free download of Toni Morrison reading from her new novel? (Well, okay, if I could send you a latte to sip while you listen, that'd be nice, wouldn't it?)

Raving Dove Seeks Submissions - Reopens November 5, 2008

Raving Dove, a very interesting online publication that has used one of my photographs, has broadened its scope with a new Mission Statement.

Check out full submission guidelines at Raving Dove.


Submissions—
Reopens November 5, 2008
Guidelines have been updated

---

Content

Raving Dove's mission is to share thought-provoking poetry, prose, and art that champions human rights and social justice—and opposes physical and psychological violence in all its forms, including war, discrimination against sexual orientation, and every shade of bigotry. Please submit work that coincides with one of these themes. We publish material about the ramifications of violence, along with messages about kindness and hope as it pertains to one of our themes.

Road Junky 2008 Gonzo Travel Writing Contest : Hell Trips

The Joy Luck Truck, Stuck.

Those of you who are familiar with my recent trip to the Owens Valley--which was extended by two days due to the catalytic converter in our Tahoe literally melting down--will understand why this contest caught my attention.

Roll out your sob stories about journeys gone pear shaped and send them in!

Click on the highlighted title for details regarding the Road Junky 2008 Gonzo Travel Writing Contest. No submission fee!

Contest Alert :7th Annual Funds for Writers Contest - Best Advice

Perhaps it was Don't run with scissors?

7th Annual FundsforWriters Essay Contest, sponsored by IdeaWeaverSoftware.com

FundsforWriters and its annual sponsor IdeaWeaver, creator of writing and creativity software, announces the 7th Annual FundsforWriters Essay Contest. THEME: "The Best Advice I Ever Had." As is the FundsforWriters trademark, applicants enter with or without an entry fee, their choice. Prize monies range from $10 to $200. Limit 750 words. Deadline October 31, 2008. www.fundsforwriters.com/annualcontest.htm Direct any questions to Hope Clark at hope@fundsforwriters.com

This year's theme is The Best Advice I Ever Got, and you have some choices to make if you decide to write an essay for submission.

You can either write about the best advice you ever got and ignored or the best advice you ever got and ignored.

And you can choose to enter the contest with a $5 fee that includes a copy of the book, or without the $5...and no book.

Check out Funds for Writers for more information and submission guidelines.

Reading : Nancy Agabian at Beyond Baroque

Trust me, this will be an entertaining evening.

Nancy and I were briefly in the same writing group years ago, and I used to go see her performance art shows around Los Angeles. (She's in New York these days.) She's funny, smart, and she has something to say that will touch you and make you think.

While you wait, or if you can't make it, check out her website and her new book, Me as Her Again.

Where is Beyond Baroque? It's right here!

10 October, Friday - 7:30 PM
40th ANNIVERSARY SERIES
NANCY AGABIAN, with Guitar Boy

NANCY AGABIAN returns to BB from New York with a new book, Me as her again (Aunt Lute), an untangling of identity, desire, trauma, and multi-continent, multi-identity family history via Walpole Mass., Wellesley, Hollywood, New York, Turkey, and home. Agabian taught a workshop at BB for several years and published her first book with us,Princess Freak (to be reprinted in an expanded edition in 2009). Featuring a special reunion of Agabian and ANN PERICH in the folk-punk duo GUITAR BOY. Perich is a composer andvisual multi-media artist. They'll reprise old faves like "Don't Fall Off the Getty Center," "I Could Have Saved Kurt Cobain," and "I'm Not Gonna Be a Victim Anymore.” Perich and Agabian's 2000 CD was Freaks like me.

NaNoWriMo is Coming!

My NaNoWriMo 2006 Novel : Basura Canyon

Have you heard of National Novel Writing Month [NaNoWriMo]? It's this kind of amazing month long event during which you commit to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

Sound crazy?

You may be right. It may be crazy. But it just may be the lunatic within yourself you're looking for. (Apologies to Billy Joel.)

I did NaNoWriMo in 2006. I wrote 57,000 words in 30 days. It was very empowering.

What'd it do for me? It gave me a half-baked first draft in a vein that's unusual for me. I've worked on revising it, off and on, since then.

My fantasies of writing and rewriting and selling a book a year due to NaNoWriMo were the really crazy part. Yeah, I'm one of those who's likely to build castles with the most flimsy of materials.

The best thing NaNoWriMo did for me was encourage me to put my writing first. Literally. It only took a few days to realize that my normal writing habits weren't going to garner the necessary average of something like 1,750 words a day.


That's when I started getting up earlier, driving to an all-night diner near where I work, and writing before going to my office.

Man, what a good choice that was. Two years later, I'm still an early-morning diner denizon. I do this thing for myself and my writing before I do anything for anyone else.

And some one brings me coffee! And they notice if I don't show up.

I'd encourage you to check it out and to make the one month commitment. See what good habits you can establish in a month. If you're a bit of a perfectionist, going for quantity over quality might actually help you break free of your internal editor.

Even though there's a great online community to tap into at www.nanowrimo.org , let me know how it's going.

Choosing the Right Word

Today my coworker, OneL and I were discussing whether it was appropriate to use "fictional" or "fictitious" in a report she was typing up. I went online and found a great write up about the choice between these words and others that are often mixed up.

Click on the pie and you'll be whizzed away to Chicago Writer's explanations.

(P.S. The pie is neither fictional nor fictitious. It's real. And peachy.)

Market: Per Contra

No, this picture doesn't have anything to do with the
journal, but I thought you might like a cupcake (or a fancy moon pie.)

Found this listing on Craig's list.

It's an online journal.

They even have a place for nanofiction of 55 and 69 words. Check out the submissions page for form guidelines for these pieces.

Bon chance!

Sally



If you are seeking a paying market for your work, you may want to consider Per Contra.

We pay $.07 per word for short fiction manuscripts up to 3,000 words, $50 for creative non-fiction essays and $5 for nano – 55 word and 69 word micro - fiction (Find complete details on rights purchased on our guidelines page). No reading or entry fees are required.

Per Contra has published quarterly since 2005 and has featured poetry and fiction by winners of the MacArthur Award, the Pulitzer Prize, the Pushcart Prize, the Orange Prize, the O. Henry Prize and many others.

Get complete guidelines at http://www.percontra.net/11guidelines.htm Writers can check the archives for aesthetic guidance.

We publish a journal with a global audience that appreciates well crafted fiction.

Market: Cadillac Cicatrix

Click on the image to go to the site.

Submission Guidelines

All submissions should arrive with a cover letter that includes contact information, a brief description of the work, a professional/personal biography, and a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). All submissions should be presented in a professional manner. Simultaneous submissions are fine as long as we are notified if/when your piece is accepted elsewhere. No submissions will be returned unless expressly requested in your cover letter, or without sufficient postage on your SASE. We accept electronic submissions, but the sub must be in the body of the email, not as an attachment. If we like what we read in the email, we will request another sample in another form. All electronic submissions should come via eMail and have the genre of your submission and the word "submission" ... "Poetry Submission" / "Screenplay Submission" ... in your "subject" line. eSubmissions should follow the same format as hard copy submissions: brief intro; bio; sample. Never send the only copy of your work.

* As of January 2008, we will begin a new open reading period for submissions to Cadillac Cicatrix. (Special projects, i.e. Book-length manuscripts and screenplays will also be accepted within the same timeframe.) The reading period will remain open from January 1 - July 31, each year. Manuscripts received/postmarked after the reading period is closed (August 1- December 31) will be held until the following reading period opens in January.

Words

We read poetry, fiction, memoir, nonfiction, criticism, journalism, reviews, letters, and novel treatments for consideration in Cadillac Cicatrix and for other projects. If you don't see your field below, contact us and let us know what you have. We are open to your interpretations of how the written word can be manipulated and how art can be perceived.

Essays - Essays of a journalistic or expository integrity can be submitted electronically or through the mail.

Novels - Mail cover letter with a two-page synopsis of work, including a brief introduction and how you can be reached.

Poems - Send a letter with any selections (3 - 7 poems). Include a brief introduction and how you can be reached.

Stories - We request a cover letter with any submission. Include a brief introduction and how you can be reached.

Art

All visual art should be submitted in a digital format (ie: pdf/jpg/eps/etc). Mail or email sample images with a personal and/or professional bio. We feature artists online and in print. From collage to cartoons, to video and film, we are open to your interpretation of your preferred medium. All submissions should be presented in a professional manner. No organic material please

Call for Submissions: Mid-American Review

Click on the image to go to the site!

An update from the Editor-in-Chief....

Hello!

It's me, Karen Craigo, editor-in-chief of Mid-American Review, just checking in to say hello and to bring you up to speed on our latest news and information.

We had a lively year at MAR, and my staff and I are relieved that summer has finally found us. Unlike many magazines, we actually read work all through the summer, and in fact this is probably our most productive time. So of course it's also a perfect time to reconnect with you.

I've organized our announcements with headings that may make this rather chatty newsletter easier for you to navigate. Below you will find calls for submissions, contest information, and information on various ways that you can get involved in our efforts.

As a reminder, I write to you only twice each year, but you are more than welcome to drop me an e-mail and let me know if you would like a break from future installments.

So ... here goes!

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

As I mentioned earlier, we do read work all through the year, and in general we're actually faster in the summer. So feel free to send your poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, translations, and reviews to the following address:

Mid-American Review

Department of English

Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green OH 43403

Unfortunately, we do not yet accept electronic submissions except in very rare cases for people with special circumstances. We expect to change that and open up electronic submissions to all in the future. Hopefully I'll be able to make that announcement in my fall newsletter.

CHANGES IN CREATIVE NONFICTION

It is with sadness that we say goodbye to our Creative Nonfiction Editor, Karen Babine, who served us in so many ways over the last several years. I will now be taking over the reins at the Creative Nonfiction desk, and I look forward to reading your submissions. Karen will be missed, but I will continue to see to it that your submissions are handled with the utmost care. I particularly welcome lyric essays that push the form in interesting directions, but I welcome most approaches, including the memoir.

OPENINGS REMAIN IN ONLINE WORKSHOP

We look forward to hosting our second online workshop next week, and a few openings remain in each of the workshops -- poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The eight-week session costs $295, which may be paid in installments or by credit card. If you have any interest in participating in our workshops -- basically traditional workshops with an added publishing focus -- please contact my fellow editor, Michael Czyzniejewski, without delay. His address is mikeczy@bgsu.edu.

A full description of our online workshop appears on our website, www.bgsu.edu/midamericanreview. Be advised that work submitted for our workshop will NOT be considered for regular publication in MAR (although you would be welcome to submit future work upon completion of the workshop).

FINELINE DEADLINE APPROACHES

This will be your only reminder of the Fineline Competition for works of prose that are 500 words long or less, so if you're interested in entering, I would encourage you not to wait for the usual extended deadline notification. (I try to stick to my policy of sending only two newsletters per year, and so far I've been successful at that.) Our deadline is later this year than in previous years, but it is firm: Submissions to the Fineline Competition must be postmarked by June 1.

As usual, there is a $10 entry fee, which typically entitles entrants to send up to three prose poems, short-short stories, or micro essays. Our judge for the 2008 competition is Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of two poetry collections, Miracle Fruit and At the Drive-in Volcano. Writers who have a close personal or professional relationship with the editors of MAR or the judge are not eligible to submit their work. You will find complete information about the Fineline contest on our website: www.bgsu.edu/midamericanreview.

As a Friend of MAR (our name for newsletter recipients), you ought to be entitled to some perks, right? So be sure to indicate in your cover letter that you are a Friend of MAR, and we'll be happy to read FOUR entries, rather than three, for the $10 fee.

Please address Fineline submissions as follows:

Fineline Competition

Attn.: Friend of MAR

Mid-American Review

Department of English

Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green OH 43403

WINTER WHEAT PRESENTERS SOUGHT

We are already planning for the next installment of Winter Wheat: The Mid-American Review Festival of Writing, to be held Nov. 13-16 on the campus of BGSU. Are you interested in serving as a presenter? We offer 75-minute sessions on various writing topics, and we depend upon our presenters to keep our offerings fresh and interesting. The ideal session includes a brief presentation on some specific area of writing, followed by exercises and discussion or sharing time. Some of my favorite topics from past festivals include Writing About Food, Journaling for Writers, Using Form to Revitalize Poems, Narration in Fiction, Travel Writing, and the ever-popular Writing About Sex. The sky really is the limit. Use our online form to propose a session of your own; it's located at www.bgsu.edu/midamericanreview (follow the Winter Wheat link at left).

We regret that we cannot pay session presenters.

WINTER WHEAT SYMPOSIUM

In addition to workshops, we also hold a symposium each year, and this year's symposium is all about poetry. If you would like to present a paper on a poetry topic, such as an issue or idea within the areas of form, voice, or imagery, please write to symposium coordinator David Williams (daviddw@bgsu.edu) for more information.

HELP IS AVAILABLE

Do you need to track down our response to your submission, or are you missing an issue from your subscription? Please write to me -- but put the word "QUERY" (and only that word) in the subject line so that I'll be sure to get back to you right away.

If you wish to unsubscribe to the newsletter, please reply with the word "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject line. (I'm not a machine, but this type of label helps me to keep my brain on straight!)

HAPPY READING AND WRITING!

I hope your summer is wonderful, and that you find plenty of time for the written word. And finally, thanks so much for your time and attention. My staff and I truly value your support.

Best,

Karen Craigo

Editor-in-Chief

Workshop : Podcasting for Writers

New Workshop: Podcasting for Writers: Getting your work heard online

When: Saturday & Sunday, May 31 & June 1, 2008 2-5 p.m.

Where: Writers At Work, 4022 Fountain Avenue, Suite 202
Los Angeles, CA 90029

Instructor: Bronwyn Mauldin

Cost: $45

Pre-registration is required. Space is limited. Send check made out to Bronwyn Mauldin at the above address and be sure to include your email address for further information.

Course Description:
If you can write it, you can read it aloud and record it.

If you can record it, you can post it online for all the world to hear.

Podcasting should be part of any artist's marketing plan. Writers can use podcasting to record and post their own work online, sell recordings of their work, and for author interviews. Beyond the Internet, podcast recordings can be distributed on CDs, through mp3 players, or played at live events.

The number of online literary podcast journals is also growing, creating new outlets for writers' work.
With today's technology, podcasting is as easy as sending an email and can be done from a home computer. Audio editing software is "point and click," and uploading mp3 files to the Internet is just like adding an attachment to an email message.
In this workshop we'll cover the basics of how to record, edit and upload your own podcasts. By the end of the workshop you'll have a rough draft of a podcast that you can finish editing and post online.

We'll also explore online literary podcasting sites where you can submit your work for consideration.
To get the most out of this workshop you'll need to bring your own laptop and headphones.The

The afternoon of Saturday, May 31 (2:30-5:00 p.m.) will be set aside for the recording of your audio file. Each enrolled participant will bring a 3-5 minute writing sample, pre-rehearsed, to read aloud and record in the appropriate audio format for podcasting. When you enroll, the instructor will contact you to schedule a time slot.

Instructor Bio: Bronwyn Mauldin is a writer, blogger, podcaster and
consultant. She has taught workshops on web 2.0 and blogging and coached new and established bloggers. She blogs at http://www.workforcedevelopments.com and
http://www.blog52.wordpress.com .
Her writing has appeared in Blithe House Quarterly, Clamor magazine and From ACT-UP to the WTO (Verso). She's also a producer and host of "Indymedia On Air" on KPFK radio in Los Angeles.

Also…don't forget to participate in our Reader's Survey. FMI & to participate: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=DDu9a8VJ5ipw5K0U8kGgTw_3d_3d


Writers At Work
inspiring, encouraging, empowering writers since 1997
4022 Fountain Avenue, Suite 202
Los Angeles, CA 90029-2220
323-661-5954 telephone
email: WtrsAtWork@aol.com
website: http://www.writersatwork.com
blog: http://writersatwork.wordpress.com/

Event : Shades of Love - A reading sponsored by the LGBT Specialization at Antioch University

Hey there, check out this amazing looking event put together by my friend and fellow writing group member, Sheila Traviss!

Hello,

I've organized a reading at A Different Light Bookstore that I think will be really interesting, entertaining and fun.

Wine, water and snacks will be provided.

Click on this link and then go to the calendar listing for May 14th for even more info than listed below.

My best to you,

Sheila Traviss

Wednesday, May 14th @ 7:30 pm
Shades of Love - A reading sponsored by the LGBT Specialization at Antioch University

– The LGBT Specialization in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University Los Angeles invites the public to Shades of Love, the first reading series celebrating the works of well-known-and-loved Lesbian authors. Performed by beloved Lesbian actresses, the reading-event will take place on May 14, 2008 at A Different Light Bookstore in West Hollywood from 7:30-9:30pm.

Popular and familiar faces from television and film, Gina Fields, Sandy Martin, and Beth Malone read excerpts from Leash by Jane DeLynn, Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde, and Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson.

Following the reading, a discussion on lesbian psychology, love and empowerment will be facilitated by LGBT specialization student and student therapist trainee Sheila Traviss, and Antioch University Los Angeles Associate Faculty member and psychotherapist Lauren Costine, Ph.D. Bobreta Franklin, MA, MFT Intern, and Adjunct Faculty at Pacifica Oaks College will analyze Audre Lorde’s book.

*** Have an event? Send a notice to me through the email link!***

A Few Paying Markets

[image from the Internet]

Just poking around on a Saturday afternoon.

Click on the highlighted text to go to the submissions page for each journal.



The Artful Dodge is looking for stories with a sense of place.

"What it boils down to is this: Artful Dodge has always been attracted to writing with a sense of place and looks for work that combines the aesthetic and the human in fresh, unexpected ways. However, don't ask us what that statement means--all we can say is that the work we print shows awareness of the cultural landscape out of which it comes, the words and deeds of people, the language of the bus stop and bar. It involves an illumination of the particular and the concrete, and the transforming of this here-at-hand to the level of the permanent, the mythic. This can be accomplished in ways as diverse as William Carlos Williams' wheelbarrows, Elizabeth Bishop's maps, Langston Hughes' rivers, or William S. Burroughs' disrobed lunches. But some sort of interplay between focus and transcendence must be at work."

Antietem Review is looking for short stories, essays, interviews, poetry, etc.

"FICTION
Contributors may submit ONE entry for fiction. Editors seek high-quality fiction with fewer than 5,000 words. Short stories are preferred; however, a novel excerpt is considered if it works as an independent piece. Non-fiction, essays, interviews, memoirs, and book reviews are also accepted. We encourage contributors to study past issues prior to submitting their work (order request information listed below). As a non-profit organization, we depend on contributions and grants. We believe; however, writers should be paid for their work. Contributors who are chosen for publication will receive $50 to $100 plus two copies of the Antietam Review.

"POETRY
Contributors may submit up to three poems for the poetry category. Editors seek well-crafted pieces of no more than 30 lines (we discourage inspirational verse, doggerel and haiku). Approximately 24 poems are published in each AR issue. Contributors who are chosen for publication will receive $25 per poem plus two copies of the Antietam Review."

Hayden's Ferry Review is similarly broad-minded.

"Send poetry and prose separately and indicate on your envelope which editor (Poetry, Prose, Art, International) should receive your submission. Limit submissions to six poems or one story or essay per submission. Please send one manuscript per genre at a time, and wait for response before you submit additional work."

The Gettysburg Review says:

Published quarterly, The Gettysburg Review considers unsolicited submissions of poetry, fiction, essays, and essay-reviews from September 1 through May 31 (postmark dates). New submissions received from June 1 through August 31 are returned unread. We welcome submissions of full-color graphics year round.

Survey Regarding Your Reading Habits

[Image from David Roberts Books, publishers of poetry]

Please take the time to participate in this survey about reading, sponsored by some of Writer Friendly's favorite bookish institutions.

It only took me a few enjoyable minutes.


Dear Friends,

The Future of Publishing Think Tank invites you to participate in our online Readers' Survey. We are an ad hoc groups of writers, editors, publishers, educators, and booksellers who are concerned about the economic technological, and social trends that are making it more difficult for writers to get their books to readers. We're working on imagining and developing new models to make this easier.

By answering this brief survey, you'll hel us better understand what readers are looking for and how to serve you better. To access the survey click on this link .

You are welcome to forward this invitation to anyone you know who reads books. Thanks in advance for your time and attention!
-- The Future of Publishing Think Tank

Groups assisting in distributing this survey include:
Les Figues Press
Los Angeles Public Library ALOUD series
Red Hed Press
Skylight Books
Writers At Work


Submitted by: Writers At Work
inspiring, encouraging, empowering writers since 1997

Free Workshop at Skylight Books - Sunday April 6, 2008

(photo by Chas Demster)

TWO FREE EVENTS
APRIL 6TH @ SKYLIGHT BOOKS
1818 N. VERMONT AVENUE
LOS ANGELES, CA 90027

1) A FREE WORKSHOP: Appreciating "Difficult" Poems
Instructor: Terry Wolverton
Sunday, April 6 2-4 p.m.

Pre-registration required: call 323-661-5954.

Some readers of poetry may get discouraged, intimidated, or even annoyed when they encounter poems that don't seem to communicate their messages easily. Indeed, several traditions in modern and contemporary poetry are not about making a clear argument or conveying a sincere emotional experience. These poems have other intentions, and understanding those can help increase appreciation and even enjoyment of them.
Together, we'll read and discuss a few select poems that might be considered "difficult," then play with a writing exercise that might render a "difficult" poem.
Instructor Bio: Terry Wolverton is the author of six books, including EMBERS, a novel in poems, and her recent collection, SHADOW AND PRAISE, and the editor of fourteen anthologies. She is the founder of Writers At Work, where she teaches weekly workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

2) FREE READING: Poets At Work
Sunday, April 6 5 p.m.

Join poets Kim Dower, Yvonne M. Estrada, Donna Frazier, Dylan C. Gailey, Brett Guitar Hofer, Eric Howard, Davia Rivka, Jessie Rothwell, Pat Viera, and Terry Wolverton as they read works that explore the gamut of poetic styles-from haiku to cut poems, from sonnets to paradelles-and subjects that surprise, provoke, and make you laugh. The best will do all three and more!

Writers At Work
inspiring, encouraging, empowering writers since 1997
4022 Fountain Avenue, Suite 202
Los Angeles, CA 90029-2220
323-661-5954 telephone
email: WtrsAtWork@aol.com
website: http://www.writersatwork.com
blog: http://writersatwork.wordpress.com/

Marketing Workshop for Writers - Announcement

I just received this info from Writers at Work. I participated in Terry's Women at Work weekly workshop for 5 years and found it invaluable.

This one-day workshop looks terrific!


Let's Talk Marketing: a workshop for writers

Sunday, April 13 2-5 p.m.

Instructor: Terry Wolverton

Location: Writers At Work, 4022 Fountain Avenue, Suite 202, Los Angeles, CA 90029

Cost: $25

Pre-registration required: send checks made out to Terry Wolverton to the address above.

Many writers cling to the myth that their job is simply to write, and once they have, other people will take over the business of promoting and selling their books to a mass audience of strangers eager to read what they have written. If this was ever true, it is no longer. Increasingly, publishers expect writers to do most or all of the promotion and marketing of their work--sometimes even requesting a marketing plan BEFORE accepting the work for publication.
The time to think about cultivating one's audience (readers, listeners, book buyers, reviewers) is not when your book is ready to be sent to publishers but RIGHT NOW, at whatever stage you are in the creative process. There are a bewildering array of possible vehicles for reaching readers, but knowing whom you want to reach and which methods suit your personality will help you plan a strategy that's right for you.

Instructor Bio:
Terry Wolverton is the author of six books (fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry) and the editor of fourteen anthologies. She has published with mainstream publishers, small presses, and on the Internet, and she has published five books through her own small press, Silverton Books.


Writers At Work
inspiring, encouraging, empowering writers since 1997
4022 Fountain Avenue, Suite 202
Los Angeles, CA 90029-2220
323-661-5954 telephone
email: WtrsAtWork@aol.com
website: http://www.writersatwork.com
blog: http://writersatwork.wordpress.com/

Lasting Impressions Book Review Contest from IRB

Lasting Impressions - Arthur C. Clarke left some.
Acton Cemetery

Thanks to the Elegant E over at Lexiconscious for letting me link to her blurb about the Lasting Impressions Book Review Contest from IRB. She's done a great write up, so I won't belabor the point.

Be sure and check out the rest of her lovely lit-news links and commentary.

Market - AGNI Magazine - Fiction, Essays, Poetry

Click image for AGNI's submissions guidelines.

AGNI Magazine is reading new submissions through May 31, 2008. They've been around since 1972 and they're currently published by Boston University.

I mention this because they have a stated interest in publishing both new and established writers, and they actually pay for the privilege whether your work appears in the print edition or the online edition.

I love literary magazines that offer a sampling of their material online, which AGNI does, quite generously.

All publications urge us to read and learn what type of work they're looking for. But honestly, tracking down print copies in libraries or waiting for a sample copy to arrive in the mail is time consuming and expensive.

They're looking for fiction, essays, poetry, reviews and interviews.

" Literature for literature’s sake is not what AGNI is about. Rather, we see literature and the arts as part of a broad, ongoing cultural conversation that every society needs to remain vibrant and alive. What we print requires concentration and takes some time to digest, but it’s worth that time and effort: writers and artists hold a mirror up to nature, mankind, the world; they courageously reflect their age, for better or worse; and their best works provoke perceptions and thoughts that help us understand and respond to our age."

Beyond Baroque Lives!

I don't know if any of you wrote in support of Beyond Baroque, but if you did, thank you!

Beyond Baroque has announced an extension of its contract with the city to rent the building at $1.00 a year for the next 25 years.

Writing Challenge!

Just some participatory fun for your Friday afternoon or weekend entertainment....

Presumably your high school cheerleader's uniforms were better than this! This was Louisiana State University's idea of a good time back in the early 40s. (Click on the photo for its source.)

I hunted this up because an online acquaintance and I briefly riffed on high school mottos. I thought it was fun, and I thought I'd give you a chance to wax nostalgic or get your snark on and write a faux motto for your high school.

Here's our conversation:

Tiisi: My best friend in high school and I used to roar our alma mater when we were drunk. I always wanted our colors to be red and white, so they’d rhyme:

“Guided by our love for Mary
And our motto, ‘God, my light!’
Ever onward, alma mater,
With our colors, red and gold!"

Sundry: Oh, that does kind of stink. ;) I don’t think we had a motto. If we did it would have probably been more like:

“Guided by our love for corn
We are farmers, local born
Graduate and live near home
No one expects any better of you, you smart-aleck little upstart.”

But we did have a real Cougar skin nailed up above the basketball net in the gym.

Tiisi: Blurt-splat!

That’s hysterical! Our mascot was a cougar, from what I remember, but this was a suburban, all-girls, snotty Catholic school in the Bay Area, so no animal skins. A more honest verse would have been:

“Guided by eating disorders
And our motto, ‘You’re not enough!’
Ever onward, desperate cokeheads
With our colors by Benetton!”

I'd love to hear your faux mottos, darlings. They don't have to be this catty.

C'mon, show some spirit!

Call for Submissions: Travel Thru History

Owens Valley, August 2007

Have you been someplace recently that you really should tell the world about?

Ruth Kozak, Friend of the Writer Friendly Blog and (more importantly) editor of the travel website Travel Thru History is looking for your stories.

Check out the interesting array of topics the zine covers. When you've been inspired, click over to the site's very clear submissions guidelines .

Tell her Writer Friendly sent you!

Thanks for the tip, Ruth!

A Call to Action : Save Beyond Baroque!

Okay, I really don't intend to inundate you with information. I'm hoping to make one or two pithy posts a week so you don't get all worn out. But.

I just found the text below on Beyond Baroque's website. I've been a part of two readings at this wonderful arts center in Venice, CA and I've attended many others. They offer readings, free workshops and a bookstore. They are a vital and important part of the L.A. literary and arts community.

And they need our support.

I just wrote an e-mail to the councilman listed at the bottom of their announcement and I hope you will too.

Thanks!

The following is from Fred Dewey, Executive/Artistic Director of Beyond Baroque. Please write or call as directed below. This is important to our community.

Alert - A Call For Community Action

HELP PROTECT
BEYOND BAROQUE,
LA’S HISTORIC INSTITUION!

After much effort on everyone’s part, our Councilman Bill Rosendahl recommended
a 25-year lease extension for Beyond Baroque to the City General Services Department.

Unfortunately, it now appears the City Attorney is recommending against an extension.

We are now in great peril. Our lease is up in a few weeks and uncertainty is threatening grants, programming and our entire future.

Please express your support to the Councilman, ask him why this is happening, and what he is doing to protect Beyond Baroque.

Beyond Baroque is a vital and historic national institution and has been LA’s only literary center for four decades. Please do not let it be destroyed.

Here is the contact information for Councilman Bill Rosendahl:

Councilman Bill Rosendahl
City Hall Office
200 N. Spring Street
Rm 415
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 473-7011
(213) 473-6926 (fax)
Email: Councilman.Rosendahl@lacity.org

Ruth Goring in Raving Dove & Call for Submissions

Most excellent news! Ruth Goring, a friend of the Writer Friendly blog, has published a poem in the current edition of Raving Dove (Spring 2008, #12.)


Experience Ruth's powerful imagery for yourself. Then consider whether you have any work that might contribute to this journal's humanitarian mission.

How does one become a friend of Writer Friendly, you ask? Subscribe, submit ideas, communicate. Pretty easy, huh? Let me know when you publish something and I'll pass it on.

Let's embrace the joy of truly shameless self-promotion together, shall we?

This just in: Raving Dove is sponsoring an Evolve Beyond Violence Nonfiction Essay Award.

And I quote (from an email received today):

"As a way to build awareness of our mission, we are sponsoring our first Evolve Beyond Violence Nonfiction Essay Award, with a first-place prize of $1,000. The reading period begins exactly one week from today and ends September 1. Complete information can be found at www.ravingdove.org/award. Past and current contributors are eligible to participate. "

Poets & Writers Magazine Online

You may be aware of Poets & Writer's magazine, but did you realize that they offer free access to their content online?

Yup! You can read the articles, look for grants, even check out their Classifieds section for everything from calls for submissions to a writer-friendly Paris apartment rental. It's really worth checking out...though you might want to set a timer so you don't lose track of time while you peruse the jobs listings or the grant deadlines.

Since we were just talking about themed writing lately, I'd urge you to check out Poets & Writer's current calls for submissions to anthologies. There are, for example, editors out there looking for stories about depression, being a "military brat," and from the perspective of women over 50.

Markets - Themed Publications

Seems to me that I'm going to have better luck placing a story if they are actively looking for what I'm peddling. Some journals do a special themed issue or two a year. Some, like Thema, are all about writing about a particular concept. [Like "The box under the bed," deadline: March 1, 2008.]

When I'm on the hunt for a home for one of my pieces, I often drop by Duotrope Digest's frequently updated Theme Calendar. It's a concise and clear listing of pertinent calls for submissions. It's organized by deadline date, and each listing is linked to a Duotrope page that gives you more info about the publication in general.

Anthologies Online's monthly Writer's Wanted section is also a good resource. Anthologies are pretty much themed collections, whether by subject matter or the geographical location of the author.

Also consider checking out these sites when you are looking for inspiration. Find a theme that interests you and write something for their deadline. Nice to have a specific external goal to aim for.

While I have you, let me mention that in general Duotrope Digest is a great online resource. You can click on the Home/Search tag at the top of the page to be shown random markets, or you can enter details about the type of writing you are looking to place.

In addition to links to the actual submissions requirements pages of the journals they list, they also collect and share statistics regarding average turnaround times, personal responses, etc. You can create a free account and use Duotrope's system to keep track of your submissions, simultaneously contributing to their statis collection.

[p.s. It worked for me once. My piece "Tools for Living" appears in the anthology at the top of this page. Yeah, expect some shameless self-promotion here. And tell me your success stories, too please!]

I'm a Friendly Writer

Some of my favorite people are also writers. I keep thinking of things I want to share with them. With you, maybe, if you're a writer.

Like what?

1) Calls for submissions.

These I usually share when I am muddling around looking for a place to get my own fiction and creative non-fiction work into print. But I will try to include a market listing at least twice a month, if not more often.

2) Descriptions of Writer Friendly resources.

Both online and in the real live world. I've started by creating some links to the right. Over the next months (oh, who knows, maybe even decades) I'll tell you why I think enough of these venues and sources to include them here.

3) Conversations about writing.

I'd love to get a dialog going here. I'd love it if you'd use the comments area or the email link to tell me about Writer Friendly people, places and goings on you've discovered.

4) Your input.

I am truly hoping for help from all of you with making this web site a fun and helpful resource for writers. Is the site missing a great resource that you have personal experience with? Please let me know. Email me and I will post your review of a Writer Friendly person place or thing with your byline. (If you have a link, include that too!)

Yeah, it's going to be pretty L.A.-centric in some ways, at least at the beginning, because this has been my stomping ground for lo these last 23 years. (Oh my gosh, I can hardly believe that myself!) But it will include market listings, links to retreats, etc. in other areas as I find out about them. Maybe you'll decide to launch your own blog about Writer Friendly Chicago or Writer Friendly Dowagiac, MI.


If you decide to subscribe to the website, you'll get all this and--who knows?--maybe more delivered right to your inbox. (There's a subscription form at the bottom of the column at right.) If not, feel free to drop by any time.