This issue has links to literally thousands of writing contests, jobs in the publishing field, calls for submissions and publishers for your project. Additionally, we show you how to track your book sales, promote your book through magazine articles, and we update you on changes within the industry. The information in this issue could give you that “award-winning,” moniker, land you a sought-after job as an editor or art director, reveal the right publisher for your manuscript and so much more.
Here’s What’s New – 8 things to report—new literary agent, new deal for Amazon and more
Opportunities for Freelance Writers – 7 calls for submission, 2 HUGE databases full of opps for freelancers and 3 giant job sites.
Opportunities for Authors – 5 publisher directories and two calls for submissions.
Book Promotion Opportunities – 7 sites for tracking book sales, how to promote your book through magazines.
Opportunities for Screenwriters – Submit your sitcom, TV drama or reality show idea.
Resource for Authors – Online book proposal workshop taught by former literary agent/acquisitions editor.
Going, Going, Gone – 2 to report
Bonus Items – 6 contests for writers and 5 contest databases.
Here’s What’s New
Air Facts, a seventy+ year old magazine folded a while back and is making a comeback online only. Check it out at http://www.airfactsjournal.com
Canadian Real Estate is now Canadian Real Estate Wealth. http://www.canadianrealestatemagazine.com
Amazon has bought Marshal Cavendish Children’s Books.
The Stonesong Press is now simply Stonesong. It is a publishing company and a literary agency.
Stonesong has hired a new agent. Emmanuelle Morgen will focus on children’s and women’s fiction as well as romance, historical fiction, YA fiction and a few other things such as self-help and memoir. http://stonesong.com. Contact her at editors@stonesong.com or by using the contact form at their website.
E-Gear is now Tell Magazine.
Utne Reader has moved. The new address is: 1503 SW 42nd St., Topkea, KS 66609-1265
WriteWords.org domain name is for sale.
Opportunities for Freelance Writers
Anotherealm is a monthly online magazine seeking science fiction, fantasy and horror stories. From what I understand, they sometimes pay $25 per piece. Learn more at http://anotherealm.com.
Call for Submissions
DRT Press and the editors of Easy to Love but Hard to Raise: Real Parents Challenging Kids True Stories are seeking personal essays for the second and third books in the “Easy to Love” series, Easy to Love but Hard to Teach, and Easy to Love but Hard to Treat. For details visit http://www.drtpress.com. Click on “Submission Guidelines” on the left pane of the homepages. Contact Kay Marner at kay@kaymarner.com
Flycatcher: A Journal of Native Imagination is seeking material for their second issue. Deadline May 1, 2012. Learn more at http://www.flycatcherjournal.org.
Nectar Magazine is looking for articles related to the theme, “Most of us Die” for their next issue. Deadline June 1, 2012. http://nectarnectar.com
The Cape Rock publishes poetry. http://www6.semo.edu/universitypress/thecaperock While they don’t have many restrictions on the type of poetry they publish, they want you to keep it under 75 lines and they don’t want “cute” and sentimental poetry.
Cerise Press is seeking essays and fiction works for their upcoming issue. http://www.cerisepress.com/guidelines
Here’s the bonus—locate additional opportunities for placing your poetry, fiction and an occasional nonfiction piece here. http://www.newpages.com/classifieds/calls. Check back often as there are always new entries
You’ll find similar opportunities at the Poets and Writers site: http://www.pw.org/classifieds
Jobs Galore in the Writing/Publishing Field
Have you checked out the jobs at Media Bistro? Go here: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings and start pouring through the opportunities. Here are a few I found the day I was compiling this newsletter—I’m sure there are many equally promising new ones posted by now. I found around 85 jobs that had been posted the day before. There were jobs in Chicago, Washington, DC, New York, New Jersey, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Dallas, Pennsylvania, Iowa… And the jobs included copywriter, art director, book editor, web developer, online content manager, political writer, magazine editor, videographer, beauty writer and content contributor (from anywhere you happen to live).
Here’s a job directory directory, including around 30 job sites.
http://www.modernfreelance.com/freelancer-job-sites/freelance-writers.php It includes RealWritingJobs, Freelance Nation, Bid Hire—Writers, Journalism Jobs and more.
Opportunities for Authors
Are you having trouble finding a publisher? Here are some directories for publishers you may not know about.
Publisher Directories
Piers Anthony publishes a directory of publishers of all types. If you are looking for a publisher and you haven’t visited this site, I recommend that you do so and fast. Piers lists what looks like hundreds and hundreds of publishers and follows through with them—frequently adding notes, updates and his opinion with regard to complaints as well as major and minor changes within the company policies, submission guidelines and so forth. http://www.hipiers.com/publishing.html. If you can’t find a few potential publishers for your manuscript here, you aren’t even trying.
Archway offers a publisher directory. http://depository.com/nm/directory.htm
Publishers Global provides publisher listings throughout the world—just click on the country of your choice. This site lists 2,878 publishers in the US, 272 in Turkey, 478 in Australia, 1995 in Germany, 36 in Ireland, 7 in Jamaica and 399 in Spain. Who says you can’t find a publisher? http://www.publishersglobal.com. You’ll have fun with this one.
Here’s a directory of publishers and vendors listed according to subject, region, type, etc. They also list binderies and libraries. http://acqweb.org/pubr.html
Book Crossroads has a nice directory of ebook publishers listed here: http://www.ebookcrossroads.com/epublishers.html
The editors at Riddle Brook Publishing are seeking new book manuscripts—in particular those from New England authors. They are interested in narrative non-fiction in any genre. The only requirement is that the writing be entertaining, enlightening, and emotionally involving. They want completed manuscripts only. http://www.riddlebrookpublishing.com for submission guidelines.
Call for Submissions: Ashland Creek Press is open to receiving novels, memoirs and short story collections. They prefer works related to travel and the environment. For additional information, go to http://www.ashlandcreekpress.com/submissions.html
Book Promotion Opportunities
It’s not easy to track sales when your publishing company is in charge. Here are some programs that might give you some idea of your sales figures between those long waits between royalty statements. All of these seem to be linked to Amazon sales. Some include bookstore sales. While some are FREE, others cost a few dollars to access and track.
Author Central at Amazon. http://authorcentral.amazon.com
Novel Rank http://www.novelrank.com
Metric Junkie http://www.metricjunkie.com
Rank Forest http://www.rankforest.com
Books and Writers http://www.booksandwriters.com
Rank Tracer http://www.ranktracer.com
Sales Rank Express http://www.salesrankexpress.com
Promote Your Book Through Magazine Articles
You’ve heard it mentioned many times in this newsletter, you’ve seen it listed as an option in the book promotion books you read and you’ve seen articles by some of your competing authors and colleagues related to the theme of your book. And you’re still looking for the miracle book promotion idea to move your book from dead center to off the charts in sales. Why not use your writing skill to promote your book?
You are familiar with the publications your audience reads. If you’re paying attention, you know what type of articles those magazines and ezines can use and what you can supply them. Many publications pay. The possibilities are fees of $2000 on down to absolutely 0. But even if you submit your article to a nonpaying enewsletter, if it circulates to thousands of your readers, just imagine the benefit you’re getting. I’m going to give you an idea of the opportunities out there for authors with nonfiction books on a variety of topics.
Those of you who write fiction, could be earning a little money (generally very little in comparison to nonfiction authors) and you could be getting great exposure for your novel or other fiction book by submitting stories in your genre—the theme of your book—to appropriate publications. Remember, your readers read these magazines/ezines. If they like your story or article, they may buy your book.
If you know about a magazine you’d like to write for, visit their website and review their submission guidelines. If you don’t find submission guidelines (or writers guidelines or for writers, etc.) email the editor and ask for a copy.
Perhaps your book features fitness and health and you touch on running as a way to get fit. Consider offering an article to Runner’s World (pays up to $2,000), Running Times ($50 to $200), New York Runner, Inside Texas Running, Washington Runner or Trail Runner, for example. Some of these magazines (and many others) publish book excerpts.
It follows that you could also write for general sports magazines, health magazines, Skiing, aerobics and other magazines related to sports activities. All you have to do is create an article specific to the magazine and related to the theme of your book. Your brief bio at the end introduces you as an authority on this topic and introduces your book to those who want more information on the subject.
Some of you have written books related to business. Check out the business and business management sections in magazine databases, such as WritersMarket.com, WoodenHorsePub.com, and others. You could also conceivably write for publications dedicated to specific fields such as bookstores, the wine business, beauty salons, retail, the auto business, real estate, etc.
Here are a few possibilities:
Advisor Today pays $800 to $2,000 per article. They want material related to insurance and financial planning. The magazine is directed toward insurance agents. Certainly, if you have written a book on business management you could come up with some tips for insurance agents, for example. http://www.advisortoday.com.
Pizza Today uses pieces on business management, trends in the industry, etc. And they pay 50 cents word. It seems that you could come up with some useful topics for pizza company managers. http://www.pizzatoday.com
Today’s Machining World pays up to $2,000 for articles. http://www.todaysmachiningworld.com
Alaska Business Monthly, http://www.akbizmag.com; Cincy Magazine, http://www.cincymagazine.com; Corporate Connecticut Magazine, http://www.corpct.com;
Crain’s Detroit Business, http://www.crainsdetroit.com; Prairie Business, http://www.prairiebizmag.com and Harvard Magazine, http://www.harvardmagazine.com are all regional business magazines. Consider writing something for them on issues of handling the irate customers, networking, business travel, etc.
Opportunities for Screenplay Writers
Scriptapalooza is accepting pilots and submissions for sitcoms as well as for one-hour dramas and reality shows through April 16. The best ones will be read by over 20 production companies. Learn more at http://www.scriptapalooza.com.
Resources for Authors
Former acquisitions editor and literary agent, Terry Whalin is offering a 12-lesson online book proposal course for under $100 ($27 per month for three months). Check it out at http://writeabookproposal.com.
Going, Going, Gone
Script Magazine has gone out of business.
Writer’s Journal has closed. Sorry to see that happen. I wrote quite a few pieces for them. They tried to find a buyer for the magazine, but that just didn’t happen.
Bonus Items
I don’t often include contests in the Market Update. However, some of you enjoy introducing your book as, “An award-winning book,” or yourself as “An award-winning writer.” So I decided to list some contests that look rather intriguing and maybe worth your while to enter. As with everything we offer in the WPN Market Update, however, we issue a caution. It is up to you to research the contest before getting involved. There are sites designed expressly for discovering contest scams. I’ve listed a couple here. But I also want you to always, always—before getting involved with a contest or a publisher or any business or individual you do not know, do an Internet search to find out if there are any legitimate complaints about this company. Use keywords, “name of company or individual” plus “complaint,” or “warning,” for example.
Here are some sites to check for formally registered complaints:
http://www.todayswriting.com/poetry-scams.html (not only about poetry)
http://writersweekly.com/whispers_and_warnings.php
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware
Individual Contests
Discovering the Undiscovered Competition for 2012. Open to all forms of fiction and creative nonfiction. Final deadline not until October, 2012. Entry fee only $23. http://tinyurl.com/7nqsdsr
2012 Foolish Writing Contest. Sounds like fun. You respond to a question in 200 words or less and you could win up to $100 and publication in the Foolish Times. Deadline March 15, 2012. http://www.foolishtimes.net.
Writers-Editors International Writing Competition. This contest is open to fiction and nonfiction, children’s literature and poetry. Awards up to $100. Entry fee $3 to $20. Deadline is March 15, 2012. http://tinyurl.com/3651.
Here’s one with a March 19, 2012 deadline and it boasts 130 categories in newsletters, magazines, reports, brochures, manuals and more. Learn more at http://www.apexawards.com.
Write Reality—the Reality Show Idea Contests awards a top prize of $2,000 and consideration by a reality production company. Deadlines March 31, 2012 and August 31, 2012. The earlier you enter, the cheaper the entry fee. http://www.writerealitytv.com.
Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest awards a prize of $1,000. Fee is $4. Deadline, March 31, 2012. http://www.gemini-magazine.com/contest.htm
Contest Databases
For more contests go to http://www.writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/contests.htm.
Creative Writing Contests: http://writingcontests.wordpress.com
Freelance Writing Contests: http://www.freelancewriting.com/writing-contests.php
More contests http://www.manuscriptediting.com/contests.htm
New Pages Contests: http://www.newpages.com/classifieds/writingcontests