Archive for the ‘FFWG’ Category

$245, not outrageous (excluding lodging)

http://cascadewriters.com/

http://www.newscientist.com/arc

Besides their ongoing interest in good science fiction, they currently have a short story contest with the theme, "The Future Always Wins".  

Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic
Medicine Show http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/cgi-bin/mag.cgi?do=content&article=submissions

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/books/2013876849_litlife10.html?syndication=rss

Interesting article about the failure of the traditional publishing model in today’s environment:

Here’s the way publishing used to work, when it worked well: Author writes book, gets an agent. Agent submits book to publisher. Publisher likes book, pays author decent advance, prints up copies of book. Reviews ensue. Book can be found in bookstores, readers buy books. Readers (hopefully) like book and tell their friends. Author and publisher make money.

This model has been fractured. Advances are anorexic. Bookstores are thinner on the ground. Newspaper reviews, once the mainstay of highlighting a book, have declined. There are now thousands of books blogs, but a relative few of them can get the word out to more than a few readers.

*Stephen King Made $80,000 From Digital Short Story

Stephen King Ur*Steven King’s “Ur
”
novella was written exclusively for the Kindle. The bestselling author
told the /Wall Street Journal/ in an interview

that the 2009 experiment has made him around $80,000 so far.

/I didn’t do “Ur” for money. I did it because it was interesting.
I’m fairly prolific. It took three days, and I’ve made about
$80,000. You can’t get that for short fiction from Playboy or
anybody else. It’s ridiculous./

This does prove there is a market for short stories sold through
ebookstores like Amazon.com’s Kindle store. Unfortunately, not every
author has the brand recognition Stephen King has. Amazon.com recently
announced Kindle Singles, an
attempt to try and create a market for shorter works (from less than
10,000 words to over 50,000) sold for the Kindle.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST WRITERS ASSOCIATION

NOVEMBER 2010 E-NOTES:

E-Notes is your monthly electronic newsletter full of the latest news
about the literary world. Our newsletter is a PNWA Member Benefit.

Please send us an email if you would like to place an announcement in
next month’s E-Notes: enotes@pnwa.org

(Announcements must be received by the 19th of
the previous month to be included).

PNWA NEWS:

*November Member Meeting*

*Date*: Thursday, November 18, 2010
*Presentation**: *7:00 – 9:00 P.M.
/Board Meeting begins at 6:00 P.M./

*Location*: King County Library Systems Service Center
960 Newport Way NW – Issaquah, WA 98027

Topic: /*Plotting: From Beginning to End in Easy Steps*/

Presented by Mary Buckham

Members, please bring your membership card.
This event is co-sponsored by King County Library Systems (www.kcls.org
).

*
*

* Writers’ Cottage Book Signing, November 20*

PNWA is very pleased to be hosting a book signing by the Uptown Writers
on Saturday, November 20, from 12 noon to 2pm. This eclectic writing
group meets every Sunday for timed-writing practice. Their newest book,
*/Sunday Ink: Works by the Uptown/ /Writers/*, is a product of that
process and their commitment to writing and art (see below in the Member
News section for further details on the book). Get the book at Amazon
,
or visit www.arleenwilliams.com

for more information.

*Saturday Signing Sessions
*

Our newest member benefit is the opportunity to sell, sign, and showcase
your published works at our new Writers’ Cottage location in Issaquah.
Sign up for a free block of time (table included) at our relaxed and
intimate Saturday signing sessions for the months of December 2010 or
January 2011. PNWA will handle the free advertising for your event!
You provide the books and handle the sales thereof.

The Writers’ Cottage is located in historic Gilman Village just a few
blocks from I-90 and is the perfect spot for your next book signing.
Close proximity to a wide variety of picturesque shops and restaurants
means that there is plenty of foot traffic in the area.

Let us help you get the word out. Contact pnwa@pnwa.org
for more information, or feel free to drop by the
Cottage: *317 NW Gilman Blvd #8**, Issaquah, WA 98027*

MEMBER NEWS:

*PNWA Member Myne Whitman *will be reading at the Bellevue Regional
Library from her book */A Heart to Mend/.*

Date: Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Venue: Bellevue Regional Library, 1111 110th Avenue NE, Bellevue, 98004

Time: 7:00 P. M.

Website Link: http://www.kcls.org/events/author.cfm

Visit Myne at http://www.mynewhitman.com
.

*PNWA Member Arleen Williams *announces the release of */Sunday Ink:
Works by the Uptown/ /Writers/*, an eclectic, multi-genre anthology of
fiction and fairy tale, poetry and play, with a touch of memoir that
adds an element of personal narrative to the collection. The Uptown
Writers–Carol Bolt, Pamela Hobart Carter, Geri Gale, Sandra E. Jones,
Susan Knox, Stacy Lawson, Arleen Williams, and Janet Yoder–gather for
timed-writing practice every Sunday morning. /Sunday Ink/ is a product
of that process.

http://www.arleenkaywilliams.blogspot.com/

*PNWA Member KK Brees *announces the release of her debut novel
*/Headwind: The Intrepid Adventures of OSS Agent Katrin Nissen/* (Chalet
Publishers, LLC) ISBN 978-0-9840836-9-5.

Katrin’s not your run-of-the-mill government spy. She’s a great deal
more. Her resourcefulness, intelligence, and unique way of looking at
life make her something special. In fact, Winston Churchill puts the
fate of Western civilization in her hands . http://www.karenkbrees.com/

*PNWA Member Candace Murrow* announces the publication of her short
story collection, /*The Day Mel Quit Dreaming and Other Stories*/by RWG
Press. Visit her new website, www.candacemurrow.com
,
to read an excerpt from one of the stories or to view information about
her soon-to-be-published novel, /Visions of Hope/.

*PNWA Member William Slusher* announces release of his latest novel, a
political comedy called */Cascade Chaos, or How Not to Put Your Grizzly
in the Statehouse/* (Country Messenger Press, 2010). Irreverent,
politically incorrect, bipartisan, and funny, this one’s just for fun.
Check it out at www.cascadechaos.com
.
Mr. Slusher’s last novel (*/For Whom to Die/*, Country Messenger Press,
2009, www.forwhomtodie.com

) was nominated as a finalist in multicultural fiction at the 2010 Next
Generation Independent Book Awards in New York. He was also a finalist
in the PNWA 2009 Literary Contest.

*PNWA Member Kaki Warner* is delighted to announce that she has signed
another three-book deal with Berkley of Penguin Group USA. This
series will follow the (mis)adventures of four women stranded in a dying
Colorado mining town in the 1870s. The first book in the series,
/Heartbreak Creek/, will be released in July 2011. To find out more
information about this series and her award-winning Blood Rose Trilogy
(the final book, */Chasing the Sun/*, is due out in January 2011),
please check her website at www.kakiwarner.com
, where
you’ll find book summaries, trailers, and reviews.

*PNWA Member Chrissy Clarke* is seeking to join an e-mail critique
group. She writes paranormal/fantasy novels with romantic elements, and
commercial women’s fiction. Email Chrissy@chrissyclarke.com

*

*CONTESTS/SUBMISSIONS:*

*

*PNWA 2011 Literary Contest*

Our 2011 contest is an opportunity for you to showcase your unpublished
work. Submit entries in any of twelve categories:

1. Mainstream

2. Historical

3. Romance (*this year accepting /electronic submissions/ /only/*)

4. Mystery / Thriller

5. Science Fiction / Fantasy / Horror

6. Young Adult

7. Nonfiction / Memoir

8. Screenwriting

9. Poetry

10. Short Story

11. Children’s Picture / Chapter Book / Middle Grade

12. Adult Short Topics: Article / Essay / Short Memoir

Finalists are judged by an agent/editor/industry professional to
determine the top two in each category. *$700 First Prize* per
category; *$300 Second Prize*.

Entries are $35 per entry for current PNWA members and $50 per entry for
non-members. Simultaneous entries are accepted ONLY in different
categories; that is, you may not submit more than one entry to a single
category. All entries must be received by February 18, 2011.

Entry forms and detailed guidelines are available at www.pnwa.org
.

*SCN Annual Novel Pitch & First 5 Pages Contest *
Sponsored by Smoke City Narrators

http://www.janicewiley-dorn.com/smokecitynarrators.html

Entree fee – $8.50
Deadline – Entries must be postmarked or emailed by November 15, 2010. *

*First prize – $150. Second prize – $75. Third prize – $40.
Feedback posted on website.

Judge – Agent Jeff Kleinman, Folio Literary Management, NY, NY.

Email or snail mail:
1. First 5 pages of a novel, 1,500 words max.
2. One-sentence synopsis of the novel, 25 words or less.
(Novel does not have to be complete.)

Entry pages are not published. Authors keep all rights.
Open internationally. Checks (US bank), money orders or PayPal.

Please see website for complete rules.

*Sleuth “Cozy Mystery” Short Story Contest*
Co-sponsored by the Village Theatre and the Pacific Northwest Writers
Association

Entries must be received by November 20, 2010 to be considered. The
winning entry will be judged by /New York Times/ bestselling mystery
author Bob Dugoni, local literary agents and authors. The winning entry
will be published in Village Theatre’s /Sleuth/ playbill. Three
runners-up will have their stories published on the Village Theatre
website and have the opportunity to read their stories at a Writers’
Cottage Event.

Submission guidelines:
Maximum length is 800 words (no entry fee).
Entries must be double-spaced, in 12point Times New Roman or Times (Mac).
Your name and title of your mystery must appear on each page.

This contest is free and open to all writers, both published and
unpublished. Please send your entries to:

Pacific Northwest Writers Association Sleuth Contest
PMB 2717
1420 NW Gilman Blvd, Suite 2
Issaquah, WA 98027

CLASSES/WORKSHOPS:

*Scribblers’ Retreat Writers’ Conference*

November 11-13, 2010

King and Prince Resort, St. Simons Island, GA

Adam Davies, motion picture writer, former Random House editor and
author of three novels, will share with insights with you in “Publishing
Inside-out: A View of the Industry as a Writer and Editor.”

Adam Davies is the author of three novels: /The Frog King/, soon to be a
major motion picture with a script by Bret Easton Ellis; /Goodbye
Lemon/; and /Mine All Mine/, which was purchased for film with the
author to write the screenplay. His nonfiction has appeared in the/ New
York Times/, and his books are in print in Europe, Thailand, Russia, and
Australia. He lives in Savannah, Georgia.

See www.Scribblersretreatwritersconference.com

for more information or call 800-996-2904

EVENTS/SPEAKERS:

*NaNoWriMo*

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a fun,
seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing
November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by
midnight, November 30. Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over
painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who
has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by
the time and effort involved. Because of the limited writing window,
the only thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about
quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your
expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the
forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of
winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight.
Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word
counters, the partying begins.

For more information, visit http://www.nanowrimo.org/
.

NOVEMBER E-NOTES

*September E-Notes*
*PNWA News <#LETTER.BLOCK6>*
*Member News <#LETTER.BLOCK7>*
*Contests/Submissions <#LETTER.BLOCK8>*
*Classes/Workshops <#LETTER.BLOCK9>*
*Events/Speakers <#LETTER.BLOCK10>*

PNWA E-Notes is a subscription-based email publication from the Pacific
Northwest Writers Association to its members.

Copyright © 2010 Pacific Northwest Writers Association. All rights reserved.

www.pnwa.org

Writing Great YA Fiction
No query? No pitch? No problem!

Serendipity Literary Agency, in collaboration with Sourcebooks and Gotham Writers’ Workshop, is hosting its second Young Adult Novel Discovery Competition for a chance to win a one-on-one consultation with one of New York’s leading YA literary agents!

If you’ve written a novel for young adults—or have an idea for one that you would like to write—we invite you to enter our contest. Simply submit only an enticing title along with the first 250 words from the opening of your original YA novel using the form below.

GREAT PRIZES
The Grand Prize Winner will have the opportunity to submit an entire manuscript to YA literary agent Regina Brooks and receive a free, 10-week writing course, courtesy of Gotham Writers’ Workshop.

The Top Five Entrants (including the Grand Prize winner) will receive a 15-minute, one-on-one pitch session with Regina Brooks, one of New York’s premier literary agents for young adult books. They will also receive commentary on their submissions by editors at Candlewick, Scholastic, Harlequin, MacMillan, Viking, Roaring Brook Press, and Sourcebooks and receive a one-year subscription to The Writer magazine.

The First 100 Entrants will receive a copy of Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks. (Shipped only to addresses in US and Canada.)

JUDGING
YA literary agent Regina Brooks and a select group of readers will read all of the entries and determine the top 20 submissions. These submissions will then be read by Nancy Mercado, Executive Editor at Roaring Brooks Press (MacMillan); Nicole Raymond, Editor at Candlewick; Cheryl Klein, Senior Editor at Arthur Levine Books (Scholastic); Leila Sales, Editor at Viking (Penguin); Evette Porter, Editor at Harlequin; and Leah Hultenschmidt, Executive Editor at Sourcebooks. These judges will whittle the top 20 down to five, and each of the five winners will be provided commentary on their submissions.

NOVEMBER IS NaNoWriMo
In honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org)—an international event where aspiring novelists are encouraged to write an entire novel in 30 days—entries for the YA Novel Discovery Contest will be accepted from 12:01am (ET) November 1 until 11:59pm (ET), November 30, 2010.

IT IS EASY TO ENTER!
The contest is open to writers 18 years of age or older. Entrants will be judged solely on the title and the first 250 words of their YA novel—no additional material will be accepted. For an inside look at what the judges will be looking for, participants can refer to Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks. There is no minimum word count for the submission. Only online entries will be accepted. And only one submission per person.

>> For writing tips from Regina Brooks, click here.
You will be able to submit your entry beginning November 1.