Benefit of Writing Contests and Book Awards

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How to Get More Readers from an Award
Publicity around a book award will boost your book sales. Contests are a great way to hone your craft and show the world how much better you are than other writers.  Winning a book award for your self-published fiction or nonfiction book is a great way to gain recognition and approval.  You will not only see an increase in your book sales – if you market it well.  You can add the award sticker to your cover and mention the achievement on your back cover, in your books’ description, and in all your marketing and promotions – online or offline.  Most awards call for entries every year, so if the competition is closed for this year, mark your calendar for next years’ contest call.

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Here are a few of the most popular book contests:

http://www.narrativemagazine.com/node/249923

http://www.independentpublisher.com/ipland/ipawards.php (IPPY awards)

http://www.usabooknews.com/2014usabestbookawards.html

http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadawrites/literaryprizes/nonfiction/

http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/selfpublished

http://ibpabenjaminfranklinawards.com/

http://readersfavorite.com/annual-book-award-contest.htm

http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadawrites/literaryprizes/shortstory/index.html

http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadawrites/literaryprizes/poetry/index.html

http://indiereader.com/the-indiereader-discovery-awards-welcome/

https://www.createspace.com/abna?ref=478921&utm_id=5969

http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/writers-digest-self-published-ebook-awards

http://www.forewordreviews.com/services/book-awards/botya/

http://www.thefolioprize.com/

More awards can be found at http://www.pw.org/grants

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Writer Beware
Before you click on “accept” when applying, or pay any money: carefully read the small print, and avoid giving your rights away for free. There are hundreds of options that range from scams to high level and great exposure. Submission fees are anywhere from $25 to $250. Enter any book award contest only after careful consideration and review of its reputation. Google the awards name. You sometimes might be surprised … I ommited two links here in this article after reading about complaints.
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How Will You Market Your Award?
Having written or published an “Award Winning Book,” selected from a hundred or more competing titles by an experienced, professional team of judges gives your book the seal of excellence. Winning the award is one thing, but marketing the fact that your book has been chosen among hundreds of others is equally important. Have a plan how you can spread the word about your award-winning book, also outside of Social Media. Add it to your email signature. Post a press release and write a blog post about it. Create a guest post about your experience, with tips for other writers. Do as many book signings as possible, accompanied by a huge poster of your award. Offer your work to book clubs, mentioning your award.

What has your experience been with book contests and awards?

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9 Writer Residencies, Grants and Funding

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Earlier this month we wrote already about it:  Winter and early spring are good times to apply for Writer Grants, which includes fellowships, workshops, residencies, travel expenses, sometimes even meals or small allowances … and not only in North America, but worldwide. Here are nine additional tips and addresses where you can apply. 

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Australian Publishing and Promotion Grants
This grant supports Australian book publishers and overseas publishers to publish literary work by Australian writers and supports innovative publishing projects that contribute to the development of Australian culture.  Applications are accepted from: Australian book publishers (established and emerging publishers), overseas book and magazine publishers.
The Literature Board will accept applications from Australian and overseas organisations for support towards airfares, fees and expenses for the participation of Australian writers at literary festivals and conferences and other promotional activities.
Deadline March 23
http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/artforms/literature

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Art Kibbutz Residency Program / Scholarship
Art Kibbutz is delighted to announce the launch its spring residency program at Eden Village Camp – a spectacular 248-acre venue bordered on three sides by the wooded hills of Clarence Fahnestock State Park in the Hudson Valley, 50 miles north of New York City.
The pilot residency provides participants with the power to shape an innovative new program, the only one of its kind to explore creative art, Jewish teachings and tradition and environmental awareness. Scholarships are available based on need. Art Kibbutz will also work with accepted artists to find funding for their other expenses; provide letters of invitation and prepare individualized budgets. Artists are expected to participate in events that foster relationships with the international Jewish community.
Deadline March 23
http://www.artkibbutz.org/environmentalland-art-residency.html

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Atlantic Center for the Arts New Smyrna, FL
During the residency, artists participate in informal sessions with their group, interact/collaborate, and work independently on their own projects. The relaxed atmosphere, unstructured program and lush, unspoiled environment provide considerable time for artistic experimentation, exploration and creation. Location New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Application deadlines: Full and partial scholarships provided.
Deadlines: March 24 for Summer, May 19 for Fall residency.
http://www.atlanticcenterforthearts.org/master-artist-residence-program-details-0

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Harlem Community Arts Fund
Grants from US $1,000 – $3,000 for artists and arts organizations based in and providing services within the Harlem community. Individual artists of all disciplines of literary, media, visual, music, and performing arts may apply to support specific, forthcoming professional development opportunities or the cost of a work in progress. Deadline: March 31
http://www.harlemaa.org

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Jack Jerouac Writer in Residency
Provides four residencies a year to writers of any stripe or age, living anywhere in the world. Each residency consists of approximately a three-month stay in the cottage where Jack Kerouac wrote his novel Dharma Bums.
Utilities and a food stipend of $800 are included. Electronic applications only.
Location Orlando, FL. Application fee $25.  Deadline: March 31
http://kerouacproject.org

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Rhode Island Fellowship Grants
Rhode Island artists who have created a substantial body of work that they are prepared to present in a professional manner are encouraged to apply for a RISCA Fellowship award. Artists who are residents of Rhode Island, and working in the disciplines of: Film & Video, Fiction, Photography, Play/Screenwriting, Poetry and Three-Dimensional Art can apply for one $5,000 Fellowship and one $1000 Fellowship Merit Award in each discipline annually.
Deadline April 1
www.arts.ri.gov/grants/guidelines/fellow.php

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The Writer’s Center Bethesda, MD – Fellowship
Three fellowships are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Fellows who live within a 250-mile radius of the center receive a $250 honorarium each, and others receive $500 each. Fellows also give a reading at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Poets who have published no more than three books and prose writers who have published no more
than two books are eligible. There is no entry fee. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the website for complete guidelines. Deadline March 15
http://www.writer.org/page.aspx?pid=927

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Bogliasco Foundation
Bogliasco, Italy. Residencies of an average of 32 days for qualified persons engaged in advanced creative work or scholarly research in archaeology, architecture, classics, dance, film/video, history, landscape architecture, literature, music, philosophy, theatre, and visual arts.
Residency provides housing, meals, and studios. Artist are responsible for travel, materials, and any additional living expenses.
Deadline: April 15
http://www.bfny.org/english/fellowships.cfm

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Hub City Residency
The Writers House provides two residencies per year in a historic cottage in downtown Spartanburg, S.C. The program is open to emerging writers in the United States who have completed a graduate school degree in creative writing within the past five years.
Residents receive lodging, utilities, and a twice-monthly stipend; they are responsible for their own transportation and meals. The 10-week summer residency runs from June 15 to Aug. 24. A nine-month residency runs from September 3 to May 31of the following year. Both residencies include a community service element. The program is targeted at early-career writers, preferably without a published book.
Deadline April 1
http://hubcity.org/writersproject/fellowships-and-scholarships/the-writers-house-residencies//?/residencies/

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For more grant offers, check out this website periodically:  Res Artis (can be sorted by deadlines or countries, however not all listed are free, some are paid retreats). Read also my former posts: Get the Money! Apply! and 10 Important Steps when Applying for Grants.

Everyone knows Kickstarter and IndieGoGo in the meantime. But there are other sources to fund writing projects, workshops, prints, publicizing efforts or lectures. Writers and small publishers are offered quite a number of grants and funding money.  Most are geared towards projects, rather than core funding. Think writing projects for example instead of business/office supply or salaries.
Show an interest in the Funders’ organization, call them for further information and find out the name of the person you should address the proposal if it is not stated specifically.

Study the organization and successful grants. Some of them make samples of grant proposals they have funded online available. You can see the “language” they prefer and get an idea what type of projects were successful. Learn and understand the meanings of the vocabulary being used in grant guidelines. It’s important how well your written presentation answers their questions.

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Are You Ready for NaNoWriMo?

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National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)  is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, thousands of participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel from scratch by 11:59 p.m. on November 30, which means you have to write 1,667 words a day, every day, for thirty days straight. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.

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NaNoWriMo by the Numbers:

• 341,375 participants start on November 1 as electricians, out-of-work clerks, or middle school teachers. They will walk away as novelists.
• 648 volunteer Municipal Liaisons guided 586 regions on six continents.
• 82,554 students and educators created worlds with the Young Writers Program.
• 615 libraries opened their doors to novelists through the Come Write In program.
• See the long list of authors that published their novel, written during NaNoWriMo, from 2006 – 2013:  http://nanowrimo.org/published-wrimos

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NaNoWriMo, provides support, encouragement, and good old-fashioned kick in the pants (which some writers  need) to write the rough draft of their novel in November.  How it all works, explained on NaNoWriMo s website:

• Sign up at the http://nanowrimo.org website
• Choose a home region for in-person events near you – for even more encouragement.
• NaNoWriMo’s user dashboard will usher you through the rest of your account set-up.
• You will be able to add information about your upcoming novel to your profile. Giving your work a title or brief synopsis gets you 225% more pumped for November.
• Use October to read past author pep talks, meet other writers in the forums
• Editing is essential.  However, November isn’t for editing. November is for writing. You can edit in December. your NaNoWriMo novel. Realize that you are just writing the first of many drafts in November. Your novel will have to be polished later on.
• At midnight on November 1, start writing, using your word count.
• Update your word count whenever you can. Some like every day; others prefer a few times a week.
• Stay motivated with pep talks and in-person events in your region.
• There’s a big world of NaNoWriMo out there in social media: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, and Pinterest.  Participating in this NaNoWriMo will help you to focus, help you to prioritize writing, and help you to say no to distractions, such as TV, phone calls, shopping or parties.
• Starting on November 25, you can validate your novel to “win” – even though there is no real prize, the only reward for winning is the finished novel itself and the satisfaction of having written it. Every year, there are many “winners”. There are no “Best Novel” or “Quickest-Written Novel” awards given out.

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NaNoWriMo is all about using the magical power of DEADLINES to tell your story.
Give someone a goal and a goal-minded community and miracles are bound to happen… 50.000 words is certainly a short novel, but it is a doable goal, even for people with full-time jobs and children. Researchers tell us that it takes 21-28 days to create a new habit, sometimes as many as 66 days. So NaNoWriMo is a good start to establish your writing habit.
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When you create an account with NaNoWriMo.org, you will be able to:

• Write a novel in a month!
• Track your progress.
• Get pep talks and support.
• Meet fellow writers online and in person.
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Let Us Help You
While you write for a whole month, you certainly have no time to promote your other books in blogs and social media, or to work on your author platform and your brand.  Get help from professionals to do the promotional work for you in the meantime – and at the same time get lots of publicity tips for your work from us.  Check out our Special Offer that ends on October 31, and which gives you a lot of bang for your bucks, as they say.  http://www.international-ebooks.com/book-promo or take advantage of our extensive online publishing seminar to help you establishing an author platform and your brand – exactly what publishers and literary agents are looking for in authors – not to speak about your own author-publishing career.

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $ 159 for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.international-ebooks.com/book-promo to advertise your new book, specials or KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are almost 900 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and to StumpleUpon.

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3 CBC Literary Prizes for Canadian Authors

Canada Writes Contests

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Image Mt. Logan, Courtesy BC Tourism

What you can win
First prize in each competition is $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts. The winning text will be published in Air Canada’s enRoute magazine and on the Canada Writes website. Winners will also receive a 2-week writing residency at The Banff Centre (details about the residency at The Banff Centre).

Four runner-ups will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and will have their text published on the Canada Writes website.

Writers have been polishing their words at The Banff Centre in the heart of the Canadian Rockies since the 1930s. The Centre is a hot-bed of creativity, providing time, tools, and mentor-ship for the creation of new work in all artistic disciplines. The Centre’s varied Literary Arts programs are led by some of Canada’s top writers, including Ian Brown, Daphne Marlatt, Nino Ricci, and Fred Wah — Canada’s Parliamentary Poet Laureate. Writers, emerging and seasoned, gain input and inspiration in a retreat setting. Programs are offered in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, digital literature and innovative forms, and spoken word.

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CANADIAN SHORT STORY PRIZE

Canada Writes, with partners CBC, Canada Council for the Arts, Air Canada’s enRoute magazine and The Banff Centre, are pleased to announce the Grand Prize winner will receive $6,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts, and will have his/her story published in Air Canada’s enRoute magazine and on the Canada Writes website.

She or he will also be awarded a two-week residency at The Banff Centre’s Leighton Artists’ Colony, and will be interviewed on CBC Radio. The 4 runners-up will each receive $1,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts, and their stories will be published on the Canada Writes website.

Submissions to the short story category must be between 1,200 and 1,500 words.  A fee of $25.00 (taxes included) for administration purposes is required for each entry. Deadline to submit: November 1, 20133. This prize is awarded once a year to the best original, unpublished short story, submitted to the competition. All Canadians can participate. The competition is blind. A jury composed of well-known and respected Canadian authors will select the Grand Prize winner and 4 runners-up.
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POETRY
The First Prize winner will receive $6,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts, and will have his/her poetry published in Air Canada’s “enRoute” magazine and on the Canada Writes website. He or she will also be awarded a two-week residency at The Banff Centre’s Leighton Artists’ Colony, and will be interviewed on CBC Radio’s “The Next Chapter” with Shelagh Rogers.

This prize is awarded once a year to the best original, unpublished, poem or poetry collection submitted to the competition. All Canadians can participate. The competition is blind. A jury composed of well-known and respected Canadian authors will select a 1st place winner and 4 runners-up.

The 4 runners-up will each receive $1,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts, and their stories will be published on the Canada Writes website. Submissions to the poetry category must be between 400 and 600 words.  A fee of $25.00 for administration purposes is required for each entry.
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More Grants for writers in Canada: 
http://www.canadacouncil.ca/grants/writing/ri127227329682968750.htm

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $ 159 for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-Book-PR.com/book-promo to advertise your new book, specials or KDP Select Free Days.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are 880+ of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and to StumpleUpon.

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Like to Win the Prestigious Indie Book Award?

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Indie Book Awards is calling all indie book authors and publishers – including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors.

Entries are now being accepted for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the most exciting and rewarding book awards program open to independent publishers and authors worldwide who have a book written in English with a 2013 or 2014 copyright date.

These awards are:

• Open to independent authors and publishers worldwide
• The largest not-for-profit awards program for independent publishers
• Enter books released in 2012 or 2013 or with a 2012 or 2013 copyright date
• 60 categories to choose from
• Cash prizes and fabulous awards
• Exposure of top 60 books to leading New York literary agent
• Gala awards reception held at a world famous landmark in New York City
• Earn recognition and receive other benefits from having an award-winning book

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is the largest Not-for-Profit book awards program for indie authors and independent publishers. In its seventh year of operation, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books in 60 different categories, for the year, and is presented by Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group (www.IBPPG.com) in cooperation with Marilyn Allen of Allen O’Shea Literary Agency.

Learn about the chair persons and judges for this award, get all your questions to details answered.

Author-Publishers and e-Book Authors:
The 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards is open to all indie publishers including independent publishers (small, medium or otherwise), university presses, self-published authors, e-book authors, seasoned authors and even first time authors based in the U.S., Canada or internationally who have a book written in English.

Good luck for your submission!

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only $ 159 for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/ Once you are on this website, click on Seminar to register.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are 880+ of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and to StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
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Do You Know These Writing / Publishing Resources?

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Are you sometimes scrambling for phrase ideas or marketing tips, not sure, if your query is proper written or do you want to find out where the next writing contest takes place?  All these useful information and more can be found in the following blogs and websites:
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http://www.phrases.org.uk/
The Phrase Thesaurus is a writers’ resource that stimulates ideas for headlines, copy, song lyrics, fiction writing etc. Journalists, advertising copywriters, songwriters, or anyone interested in creative writing in English, can benefit from this ideas generator. Also very interesting: Famous last words of famous people.

http://www.abookinside.blogspot.com
Amazing helpful blog where author Carol Denbow shares excellent writing, publishing and marketing tips. She gives lots of valuable info in each post – tips and expert advice, plus interviews with bestseller authors.

http://www.bookwritinghelp.com/
Chock-full of tips for aspiring writers and their publishing path.
Earma Brown is the author of 12 books including “eBook It! How to Profit from Your Passion with Ebooks & More” and “Article Marketing Speedway”: “How to put your article marketing in the fast lane to sales” as well as other inspirational non-fiction titles.

http://www.booksandtales.com/pod/index.php
This comparison chart of print-on-demand provider shows you the basics about each company. Clea Saal who runs the website also wrote a book about the process of finding a reputable POD company, the title: “The Clearly Confusing World of Self-publishing & POD.”

http://www.carolkluz.homestead.com/index1.html
Lots and lots of writers resources at the click of a button. No explanations – go directly to the companies or associations. Another site for great links is: http://resourcehelp.com/qserwrit.htm

http://www.easywaytowrite.com/articles.htm
“Becoming a Better Writer: A 10-Step Guide” is a perfect place to start browsing. The author has been helping writers and artists improve and further their careers for ten years. Fiction – What to Leave Out!, I Can’t Put It Down – How to Write Compelling Fiction, Don’t Think, Write! are some of the best blogs. Do sign up for the newsletter.

http://www.cbaybooks.blogspot.com/
Professional, valuable tips how to create a winning query. The author describes herself as: Editor/Publisher, Location Texas, United States and overworked, underpaid, with a teething tantrum-throwing toddler. What I Do: Talk about writing, submitting, publishing, and marketing children’s books and teen books.

http://www.newpagesblog.blogspot.com
Find the latest writing contests for all genres.This invaluable free blog provides news, information and guides to literary magazines, alternative media and more. Also: The best online guide to independent & university book publishers.
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Enjoy browsing through these websites and blogs. But don’t get yourself lost in it… Your book waits to be finished!  And bookmark https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com to get even more news and info for the writers and publishers, plus tons of book marketing tips.
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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars

Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/  to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.
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Please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are 970 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and to StumpleUpon.

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Interview With Award-winning Author Lisa Costantino

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Lisa Costantino

Lisa Costantino’s novel Maiden’s Veil, winner of the Chanticleer Reviews’ Best Indie Historical Fiction for 2012 award is today’s interview guest. Her book, which receives constantly rave reviews, is not only available in digital form, but also in print.

Lisa, thanks for this interview and congratulations for your award!  How would you describe your book to someone who has not yet read it?

The alternating timelines of Maiden’s Veil entwine the lives of two women coping with love and risk. In 1733, tapestry weaver Clarinda Asher was the last Maiden to perform the Veil before the ancient fertility ritual was banished, and she along with it, for the ensuing cataclysm that nearly destroyed her remote English village. When present-day weaver Jess Barlow unearths evidence of the ritual during the village’s May Day celebrations, she and Owen Calder reenact the rite, resurrecting the ritual’s power. Although she too is banished and Owen ostracized, Jess is determined not to suffer the same fate as Clarinda.

Is there a message in your book that you want your readers to grasp?
If there’s any message, it’s about forgiveness. Each of the four main characters — Clarinda, Benjamin, Owen, and Jess — is tormented by the blame they have placed on themselves for disastrous events both within and outside of their control. Whether they find forgiveness determines their future.
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Chanticlee Book Reviews

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What inspired you to start writing?
I spent many months during my childhood bedridden from a number of surgeries. When you’re stuck in bed, you read. If you read enough, you want to write.
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How did you get the idea for the novel?
Originally I planned to write a guidebook to Europe’s oldest continuing celebrations and traditions. Finances put that project on hold, but I was inspired to create a fictional story around the events I did attend, ones believed to have pre-Christian origins. So I created Maidenvale’s May Day celebrations out of a conflation of these festivities, and the Maiden’s Veil from historical and anthropological sources.
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Does your book have any underlying theme, message, or moral?
If the reader has read Arthurian literature, she or he may recognize an underlying framework based on the Lady of Shalott: the lady Elaine, who is cursed to remain in her tower and weave in isolation for the crime of falling in love with Lancelot.
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Novel Maiden’s Veil

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Who is your favorite character and why?
My favorite character is the most problematic one: Owen, the male lead in the contemporary story line. He’s in love with one woman while unhappily married to another, and it’s tearing him up. To me he epitomizes the emotional struggle between duty and heart. He genuinely wants to do the right thing, but he’s also desperate for some happiness. I feel for the guy.
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Are your plots based on your real-life experiences?
Only to the extent that most writers use moments from their own lives to add authenticity to their stories; in this case, details about England’s May Day festivities gleaned from my own observations and from conversations in the local pubs.
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Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:
“…like her main female characters, both of whom are artists of the loom, Ms. Costantino has done some expert weaving here herself. The two stories ultimately support and reinforce one another, and all the threads come together in an ending that I found very poignant yet satisfying. With lush evocative descriptions, rich textures, great character development, and some surprising twists and turns, the overall result is a piece of art rather like one of her character’s fine tapestries.”
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What would/could a reader or reviewer say about this book that shows they “get” you as an author? Another of my favorite reviews got it: “The author weaves stories that are full of tension that resist standard story lines. Rather than common characters and situations, she introduces real-life dilemmas that seem true and honest.” This was especially welcome insight after another reader had bemoaned the lack of heroes. Heroes are for romance. I don’t write romance.
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Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you have learned as a writer from then to now?
Always keep going. Don’t let any sticking points render you stuck. Put unresolved issues in the back of your mind and work on what you know. Resolutions to most of my issues arose during long walks with my dog Lucy.
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Considering a book from the first word you write to the moment you see it on a bookstore shelf, what’s your favorite part of the process? What’s your least favorite?
My favorite part is when the story is solid and I can take my time massaging the language until it flows seamlessly. Least favorite? Marketing, I’m afraid to say. I’m a very private person, not at all comfortable with blowing my own horn in the Twittersphere. But you do what you gotta do.
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What scene or bit of dialogue in the book are you most proud of, and why?
The Midsummer’s Eve bonfire scenes, because they were the hardest to write. The scenes appear twice, from Clarinda’s viewpoint in one chapter, and from Benjamin’s in another. I wanted them to echo but not reproduce the same imagery and action, nor the same responses from the two characters.
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If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything about your book?
I’d probably make Sharon Calder a bit more sympathetic. But I try not to dwell on it!
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What genre have you not yet written but really want to try?
Science fiction, for sure. I love the idea of creating an imagined future, but one within the realm of possibility. I’m fascinated by the sciences and would likely have made a career in one discipline or another, had I any aptitude for math. And I’m a Trekkie at heart.
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If your book would be made into a movie, who should play the main character?
Rachel Weisz would be great as Clarinda or Jess. Clive Owen would make an awesome Owen or Benjamin, and I can easily see Brendan Coyle as the farmer Daniel. (Who wouldn’t want a Downton Abbey tie-in?)

How did you get published? Please share your own personal journey.
Impatience, more than anything, led me to self-publish. I went through several cycles of querying agents, and each time I received compliments and positive feedback but no takers. I figured I could continue that game until someone bit, or I could just jump into the self-publishing pool and not wait for representation, a sale, and production, the sum of which would likely take several years.
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Lisa Costantino Facebook

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What general advice do you have for other writers?
Always, always, use an editor or a proofreader before submitting or self-publishing. I can’t bear to read self-pubbed authors who say they don’t care about a few typos. That’s lazy thinking, because plenty of their own readers will care. Poor grammar, incorrect punctuation, bad formatting—all this shows not only a lack of skill in your trade but a disregard for your readers.
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What do you find is the best part of being an author?
Having both the motivation and the justification to sit for hours doodling out ideas and doing research.
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What is ONE thing that you have done that brought you more readers?
Winning an award for best indie women’s fiction from Chanticleer Book Reviews & Media.
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What’s one thing that your readers would be surprised to know about you?
I’m intensely jealous of scholarly authors who can bang out cogent and insightful non-fiction on politics, the environment, and world affairs. I wish I was that smart!

Where can people learn more about your writing?  On my website: www.lisacostantino.com
Read also:
From Corporate Editor to Indie-published Historical Women’s Fiction Author
http://editordevil.blogspot.ca/2013/04/from-corporate-editor-to-indie.html

Follow Lisa Costantino here too:
FB: http://www.facebook.com/#!/LisaCostantinoAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lisa_costantino
Google+:  http://bit.ly/11nCUk5
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lisacostantino/ 
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=44988916&trk=tab_pro

 

 

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If you would like to get help in all things publishing, have your book heavily promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites: We offer all this and more for only a “token” of $1 / day for 3 months. Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/seminar

Please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are 770 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Chime.in, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing

http://on.fb.me/TvqDaK
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+

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Maiden’s Veil – Novel Short-Listed for Award & Won!

 

… and she received the Award!  CONGRATULATIONS Lisa Costantino! 
Wonderful News for Lisa today, January 16, 2013:  
Her book  “Maiden’s Veil” received INDIE 1st Place Blue Ribbon Award,
Women’s Fiction  Read all about her books success here

 

In the remote English countryside, tapestry weaver Clarinda Asher performs a pagan fertility ritual with a local landed man—a sacred union that ignites a firestorm and ultimately has her banished to a lonely hilltop above her village.

Three hundred years later, American Jess Barlow arrives in Maidenvale as the village celebrates a diluted version of that long-ago holy day. Together with the fair’s king of the May, Jess rediscovers—and ultimately reenacts—the ancient rite, which soon rips their lives apart. But the ritual’s potency has been revived, and events take an unexpected turn.

Maiden’s Veil’s alternating stories explore the psychological power of ritual, the complexities of love, and the small actions that can cause devastation far beyond our own hearts and out into our fragile communities.

This fascinating novel, written by Lisa Costantino, is already short-listed for the Best Indie Historical Fiction for 2012 Award. It is available in print and as an e-book on Amazon, Kobo and B&N for Kindle, Kobo and Nook – or your tablet or laptop. 370 pages. 

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From Numerous 5-Star Customer Reviews:

A wonderful new author!

“A very unique and magically woven story. This author transports you through time with vivid descriptions. You will love the characters and the events that connect them.”

“I loved so many things about this book: the history, writing, characters and the twining stories. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for an entertaining read with amazing female characters.”

“This author clearly knows her way around the alphabet. She loves words and paints a rich tapestry of colors, smells, textures, and dialogue that puts the reader in the middle of the action. Maiden’s Veil captures the sense of village life in pre-industrial England and shows it’s lingering effects on modern society.”
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Author Bio

Lisa Costantino writes:

Typing Gothic novelettes on paperback-size sheets of paper and stapling them
together: my very first “publications.” I’ve been writing since my tween years, churning out short stories, poetry, and unfinished novels. But up until now, most of my writing has manifested in travel articles for Virtuoso Life magazine and copious amounts of content for Microsoft, Expedia, Amazon, and many other companies.

Maiden’s Veil is my first full-length published novel. I have two new novels in the works. The Herbalist is a young adult novel set in fifteenth-century Wales that tells the story of a young woman on the run from an arranged marriage who becomes a healer.The Reluctant Occultist follows the psychological arc of a skeptical woman who joins a school of magic and mysticism, where she comes to realize her own power and the dangers in ignoring its influence.

As well as creating content for a living, I also write book reviews for Kirkus and Chanticleer Book Reviews & Media, and my travel writing looks to pick up again in 2013. My editing services tackle everything from readying manuscripts for publication to proofreading fishing magazines. Photography is more a strong love than a profession, but I do have a dozen or so of my photographs displayed at Swedish Hospital Issaquah (in Seattle).

http://www.lisacostantino.com

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2 More Writing Contests

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Monthly TWITTER Writing Contest

Scribendi.com is hosting a writing contest. The first day of every
month at 11 AM, we will announce the topic. Entrants must write a
140-character-or-less tweet, mention @Scribendi_Inc, and summarize the
topic. The contest closes the last day of the month at 11 AM.
Summarize This! promotes concise and precise writing skills in a
fresh, fun way http://www.scribendi.com/summarize_this

Prizes range from free editing to Scribendi.com swap

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Neil Postman Award
Rolling Deadline. Although primarily known as an educationist and a media critic,
Neil Postman was, at his core, a “noticer”—and he particularly noticed what we do
with metaphor and how metaphor shapes and creates our cognitive world.

Postman maintained that words (and words, in truth, are metaphors) are
as much the driver of reality as they are the vehicle. Consequently,
metaphor was not a subject to be relegated and limited to high school
poetry units wherein a teacher drones on about the difference between
“like” and “as” and considers the job finished. For Postman, the study
of metaphor was unending and metaphors were as crucial as they were
omnipresent; they served to give form to and dictate experience. In
honor and remembrance of Neil Postman, who died on Oct 5, 2003, we
have established the Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. The motivation
for the award is simple and two-fold: To reward a given writer for his
or her use of metaphor, and to celebrate (and hopefully propagate)
Postman’s work and the typographical mind. Each spring the editors
will choose one poem from all of the submissions received by Rattle
during the previous year.

The author of the chosen poem will receive $ 500.

There are no entry fees or special submission guidelines. Send
up to 5 unpublished poems plus a self-addressed & stamped envelope
(SASE) to: Rattle, 12411 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604.
To browse previous winners, and for information on how to submit
electronically, visit: http://www.rattle.com/poetry/prize/about/

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Book Award Deadlines January and February

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There are many benefits for authors to participate in writing contests and awards:

• The award website posts usually a list of participating books and names of authors
• It gives you a great opportunity to talk on social media & on your blog or website about your partizipation
• Some contests even seek votes publicly over the internet let additionally to the jury
• Literary awards such as Dzanc Books/Guernica have very attractive prizes, such as travel to Europe and a scholarship

If you win or be short-listed in an award you certainly can use this fact to advertise for and print it on your books cover, or even place a badge on it and on any promotional material, including your website or blog, casting a positive light on your book.

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Eco Arts Awards
An ecologically themed arts competition. The literature category accepts poetry, essays, novellas, short stories, and well developed blog posts. Maximum no more than 5,000 words.
Awards: $1000 for first place, plus gifts for 2nd and 3rd place.
Entry fee: $30. Deadline: January 15, 2013.
http://www.ecoartsawards.com
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The Dzanc Books/Guernica Intl Literature Award
is granted yearly to the best fiction, poetry, or nonfiction. Any work with a global bent is welcome. Awards: The winning piece will be published in Guernica, one of the best literary and cultural magazines on the web, and the winner will receive a full scholarship (airfare, tuition and lodgings) to the DISQUIET International Literary Program in Lisbon, Portugal, to take place June 30 – July 12 2013. Finalists and other select entrants will be offered partial scholarships.
Entry fee: $15. Deadline: January 31, 2013.
http://www.disquietinternational.org
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Fourth Annual Spirit First Poetry Contest
Accepted themes: Meditation, Mindfulness, Silence, or Stillness. Awards: $175, $125, $75. Winning poems will be published on the Spirit First website, the Spirit First blog, and in a Spirit First newsletter (authors retain full rights to their poems).
NO entry fee. Deadline: January 31, 2013.
http://www.spiritfirst.org
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2013 Summer Literary Seminars Unified Literary Contest for fiction
Short story or novel excerpt, nonfiction: maximum 15 pages, poetry up to 3 poems per entry. Awards: Publication plus expense-paid packages to attend programs in Vilnius, Lithuania (summer 2013) or Nairobi-Lamu, Kenya (December). Entry fee: $17. Deadline: February 28, 2013.
http://sumlitsem.org/contest.html
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Annual Writers-Editors International Writing Competition
Nonfiction – published & unpublished; Fiction – Short Story & Novel Chapter; Children’s Literature; Poetry. Awards: $100, $75, $50.
Entry fee: $3–$20.
Deadline: March 15, 2014.
http://www.writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/Contest_Guidelines/contest_guidelines.htm
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2013 Bristol Short Story Prize
Stories can be on any theme or subject and entry can be made online via the website or by post. Maximum length 4,000 words. Awards: 1000 plus £150 Waterstone’s gift card; £700 plus £100 Waterstone’s gift card; £400 plus £100 Waterstone’s gift card; 17 further prizes of £100 for shortlisted stories. All 20 shortlisted writers will have their stories published in the Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 6. The winning story will, also, be published in Bristol Review of Books magazine. Entry fee is £8 per story. Deadline: April 30, 2013.
http://www.bristolprize.co.uk

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Third Annual Dan Poynter’s Global Ebook Awards
For e-books released during 2011, 2012, or 2013 in more than 95 categories. The “Guru” of self-publishing (real self-publishing that is) started this award and is for sure a fountain of promotional opportunities. Accepting entries from e-book authors and publishers.Award: Multiple publicity opportunities. Entry fee: $79;
Deadline: April 30, 2013.
http://globalebookawards.com
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More writing contests and awards can be found at Canadian Authors Organization and Creative Writing Contests.  As always:  Read the fine print before you submit!

When entering a writing contest, you gain experience, and you get feedback on your writing. It boosts your self-confidence, which in turn encourages you to write more.  Good luck to all of you!

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If you would like to get more support in all things publishing, have your book intensively promoted and learn how to navigate social media sites – or to learn how you can make yourself a name as an author through content writing: We offer all this and more for only $159 for three months! Learn more about this individual book marketing help: http://www.111Publishing.com/Seminars
Or visit http://www.e-book-pr.com/book-promo/
to advertise your new book, specials, your KDP Select Free Days or the new Kindle Countdown Deals.

Please check out all previous posts of this blog (there are more than 970 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.
Thanks a lot for following:

@111publishing
http://www.111publishing.com
http://www.e-Book-PR.com/
http://www.international-ebooks.com/
http://bit.ly/VmtVAS 111Publishing @ Google+
http://pinterest.com/111publishing/

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Book Contest: Try New England Book Festival

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The grand prize for the 2012 New England Book Festival winner is $1,500 cash and a flight to the awards ceremony in Boston in January, 2013. Submitted works will be judged by a panel using the following criteria:

1. General excellence and the author’s passion for telling a good story.
2. The potential of the work to reach a wider audience.

The 2012 New England Book Festival will hold its annual program honoring the best books of the holiday season on Saturday, January 19, 2013 at the Omni Hotel in Boston. We are currently accepting speaker proposals and exhibitor applications for the day festival.  Entry forms are available online at newenglandbookfestival.com/enter.html

The competition is currently accepting entries in the following categories: non-fiction, fiction, children’s books, biography / autobiography, young adult, how-to, cookbooks, science fiction, photography / art, poetry, spiritual works, compilations/anthologies, gay, unpublished stories and wild card (for books that don’t neatly fit elsewhere). All entries must be in English. Books published on or after January 1, 2010 are eligible. E-book entries are welcome.  Multiple submissions are permitted but each entry must be accompanied by a separate form and entry fee.
$50 Entry Fee. Deadline is November 25, 2012.

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If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts of this blog (there are almost 570 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Follow on Twitter: @111publishing

And don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks, Doris

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Canada Writes Contests

Alberta Tourism

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CANADIAN SHORT STORY PRIZE

Canada Writes, with partners CBC, Canada Council for the Arts, Air Canada’s enRoute magazine and The Banff Centre, are pleased to announce the Grand Prize winner will receive $6,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts, and will have his/her story published in Air Canada’s enRoute magazine and on the Canada Writes website.

She or he will also be awarded a two-week residency at The Banff Centre’s Leighton Artists’ Colony, and will be interviewed on CBC Radio. The 4 runners-up will each receive $1,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts, and their stories will be published on the Canada Writes website.

Submissions to the short story category must be between 1,200 and 1,500 words.  A fee of $25.00 (taxes included) for administration purposes is required for each entry. Deadline to submit: November 1, 2012. This prize is awarded once a year to the best original, unpublished short story, submitted to the competition. All Canadians can participate. The competition is blind. A jury composed of well-known and respected Canadian authors will select the Grand Prize winner and 4 runners-up.

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POETRY

The First Prize winner will receive $6,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts, and will have his/her poetry published in Air Canada’s “enRoute” magazine and on the Canada Writes website. He or she will also be awarded a two-week residency at The Banff Centre’s Leighton Artists’ Colony, and will be interviewed on CBC Radio’s “The Next Chapter” with Shelagh Rogers.

This prize is awarded once a year to the best original, unpublished, poem or poetry collection submitted to the competition. All Canadians can participate. The competition is blind. A jury composed of well-known and respected Canadian authors will select a 1st place winner and 4 runners-up.

The 4 runners-up will each receive $1,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts, and their stories will be published on the Canada Writes website. Submissions to the poetry category must be between 400 and 600 words.  A fee of $25.00 for administration purposes is required for each entry.

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Waterfall at Moraine Lake

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About the Banff Centre
The first-prize winners in the Short Story, Creative Nonfiction and Poetry categories in both English and French Literary Prizes will be awarded a two-week residency at The Banff Centre’s Leighton Artists’ Colony.  All meals at The Banff Centre are included, as is access to The Banff Centre’s events and performances.  Winners must use their residency within one year of the prize award, at a time that the prize winner and The Banff Centre both agree upon.

Writers have been polishing their words at The Banff Centre in the heart of the Canadian Rockies since the 1930s. The Centre is a hot-bed of creativity, providing time, tools, and mentor-ship for the creation of new work in all artistic disciplines. The Centre’s varied Literary Arts programs are led by some of Canada’s top writers, including Ian Brown, Daphne Marlatt, Nino Ricci, and Fred Wah — Canada’s Parliamentary Poet Laureate. Writers, emerging and seasoned, gain input and inspiration in a retreat setting. Programs are offered in fiction,
nonfiction, poetry, digital literature and innovative forms, and spoken word.

More Grants for writers in Canada:
http://www.canadacouncil.ca/grants/writing/ri127227329682968750.htm

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If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts (there are more than 520 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Follow on Twitter: @111publishing

And don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks, Doris

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2 Great Writings Contests

LADIES HOME JOURNAL Personal Essay Contest

NO ENTRY FEE !
Tell Us About the Day That Changed Your Life
Ladies’ Home Journal is a community that shares stories — and we’re dying to hear yours. If you win our essay contest, we’ll give you $3,000 and the chance to have your essay published in the Journal. You’re free to interpret the topic in whatever way you like, but remember that we value creativity and clarity above all. Essays will be judged on their emotional power, originality, and the quality of their prose. The manuscript may not be previously published and may not have won any prize or award.

They should be no more than 2,000 words and ideally typed or written in a Microsoft Word document. You can enter the contest by e-mailing your submission as an attachment (with your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address) to LHJessaycontest@meredith.com or by mailing a copy to Personal Essay Contest, Ladies’ Home Journal, 805 Third Ave., 26th Fl., New York, NY 10022.
Deadline is December 7, 2012.
Rules for this contest: http://www.lhj.com/lhj/file.jsp?item=/contests/2012-essay-contest

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New Orleans_SourcePDPhoto

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Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Fiction Contest

$25 Entry Fee
Our Annual Fiction Contest accepts submissions by mail and online from June 1 through November 15 each year.  Grand Prize:

• $1,500
• Domestic airfare (up to $500) and French Quarter accommodations to attend the next Festival in New Orleans
• VIP All-Access Festival pass for the next Festival ($500 value)
• Public reading at a literary panel at the next Festival
• Publication in Louisiana Literature
• Top ten finalists will receive a panel pass ($75 value) to the next Festival.

Open only to writers who have not yet published a book of fiction. Published books include self-published books with ISBN numbers. Those who have published books in other genres besides fiction remain eligible. A submission is one original short story, written in English, up to 7,000 words. Do not include professional resumes or biographies with your entry. Entries are judged anonymously; the judges only consider manuscript quality.

http://www.tennesseewilliams.net/contests/2012-fiction-contest

 

Why Not Partizipate in the Indie Book Awards?

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Evening St.Lawrence Stream

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Indie Book Awards is calling all indie book authors and publishers – including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors.

Entries are now being accepted for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the most exciting and rewarding book awards program open to independent publishers and authors worldwide who have a book written in English with a 2012 or 2013 copyright date.

These awards are:

• Open to independent authors and publishers worldwide
• The largest not-for-profit awards program for independent publishers
• Enter books released in 2012 or 2013 or with a 2012 or 2013 copyright date
• 60 categories to choose from
• Cash prizes and fabulous awards
• Exposure of top 60 books to leading New York literary agent
• Gala awards reception held at a world famous landmark in New York City
• Earn recognition and receive other benefits from having an award-winning book

Learn about the chair persons and judges for this award and get all your questions to details answered.

Good luck for your submission!

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If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts (there are more than 520 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “LIKE” next to it. There is also the “SHARE” button underneath each article where you can submit the article to Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, Tumblr and StumpleUpon.

Follow on Twitter: @111publishing

And don’t forget to spread the word on other social networking sites of your choice for other writers who might also enjoy this blog and find it useful. Thanks, Doris
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Ever Applied for a Writers Grant? Try These:

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Dreaming of writing full time, but just don’t have the money to make the writer’s life a reality? Grants for aspiring writers might offer the aid to supplement your income until you will get established. Many organizations offer grants for writers to help them to complete their projects or help even during emergencies. 
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Stephen King’s “The Haven Foundation”
He writes: “I was struck by a careless driver and nearly killed while taking my daily walk. It was ten months before I was able to work productively again. My friend Frank Muller, suffered terrible head injuries as a result of a motorcycle accident. My response to this has been the creation of The Haven Foundation.”
Applications and all supporting documentation for the current round of grants must be received no later than November 23rd, 2012. All applications received after that date will be held for the next round of grants.
http://www.thehavenfdn.org/

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California Writers Award
The California Writers Exchange contest introduces emerging writers from California to the New York literary community and provides them a network for professional advancement. Every third year, writers in California are invited to submit manuscripts. Judges review the entries and select a winning poet and fiction writer. Winners are flown to New York City for an all-expenses-paid, weeklong trip to meet with literary agents, editors, publishers, and writers, and to give a public reading. Includes $500 stipend.
Deadline August 31, 2012
http://www.pw.org/about-us/california_writers_exchange_award

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Louisiana Cultural Grants
The Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation Economic Opportunity Fund (EOF) is designed to increase the entrepreneurial capacity and economic health of cultural economy producers. These funds are targeted to unique opportunities to earn income that are not a part of the applicant’s regular work or programming. Louisiana’s cultural economy is defined as the people, enterprises, and communities that transform cultural skills, knowledge, and ideas into economically productive goods, services, and places. It includes: visual arts and crafts, performing arts, film, digital media, music, culinary arts, design, traditional culture bearers, entertainment, LITERARY ARTS and humanities, architecture and historic preservation.
Deadline August 31, 2012
http://culturaleconomy.org/

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Sustainable Arts Grant
Our program focuses on awards to individual artists and writers with families. Specifically, the applicant must have at least one child under the age of 18. We welcome applicants from anywhere, but will give some preference to residents of the San Francisco Bay area. Sustainable Arts Foundation Writing Award: $6,000. There will be multiple winners for each award. Additionally, we will be awarding a number of smaller $1,000 Promise Awards to those applicants whose work may not qualify for the main awards, but nonetheless demonstrates both skill and potential. The foundation offers awards in two major categories: visual arts and writing. We encourage writers working in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry to apply.
Deadline September 1, 2012
http://www.sustainableartsfoundation.org/apply

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Helen McCloy MWA Scholarship
The Helen McCloy/MWA Scholarship for Mystery Writing seeks to nurture talent in mystery writing—in fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting. The scholarship ($500) shall be used to offset tuition and fees for writing workshops, writing seminars, or university/college-level writing programs taking place in the U.S. in summer, fall or winter of 2013 or early spring 2014. Applicants must select a specific writing class/workshop/seminar to which scholarship funds would be applied.
Deadline: February 28, 2013
http://www.mysterywriters.org/?q=AwardsPrograms-McCloy

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Funding for workshops by Poets & Writers
To support as many literary events as possible, we generally grant no more than $1,500 to organizations in New York State and California, and $500 to organizations in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, New Orleans, Seattle, Tucson, and Washington, D.C., during the course of our fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). Decisions on maximum grant amounts are based on the availability of funds and are made at the discretion of Poets & Writers. Grants for readings or spoken word performances range from $50 to $350. Grants for workshops range from $100 to $200 per session. We encourage organizations to match our payments to writers, but this requirement may be waived if there are extenuating circumstances.
http://www.pw.org/content/funding_readingsworkshops

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newARTS Wiscounsin
newARTS can act as a fiscal receiver for Brown County-based arts initiatives. Most independent artists and small or new arts organizations lack the important 501(c)(3) tax status that makes public grants and private donations legal and desirable. newARTS welcomes applications from either short-term but impactful projects as well as new initiatives seeking their own non-profit status, as a way to support the creation of new projects, until there are financial and structural plans in place for the initiatives to sustain their own non-profit status.
http://www.newartscouncil.org/FiscalReceivership.html

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National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowships
Through Literature Fellowships to published creative writers and translators of exceptional talent in the areas of prose and poetry, the Arts Endowment advances its goal of encouraging and supporting artistic creativity and preserving our diverse cultural heritage. Creative Writing Fellowships enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. Grants are for $25,000. Deadline in March.The next awards will be for fiction or creative nonfiction. Translation Projects enable recipients to translate work from other languages into English. Grants are for $12,500 or $25,000, depending upon the artistic excellence and merit of the project. Deadline is January 2013.
http://arts.endow.gov/grants/apply/Lit.html

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The Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation
The Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation awards yearly grants to playwrights who submit full-length plays, screenplays, musicals or operas. All works submitted must present the gay and lesbian lifestyle in a positive manner and be based on, or inspired by, a historic person, culture, event, or work of art. Writing contests close on November 30th of each year. Grants are $1,000 and are not limited to a single winner. The Foundation also offers grants (usually of $1,000) to production companies to offset expenses in producing gay-positive theatrical works based on history. Submission deadline is November 30, 2012.
http://aabbfoundation.org/

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Library of Virginia
The Carole Weinstein Prize in Poetry, founded in 2005, is given each year to a poet with strong connections to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The $10,000 annual prize recognizes significant recent contributions to the art of poetry and is awarded on the basis of a range of achievements in the field of poetry. Also awarded at the Celebration are the Annual People’s Choice Awards for the best works of fiction and nonfiction by a Virginia author and the Whitney and Scott Cardozo Award for Children’s Literature. Voting for this year’s People’s Choice Awards has closed. Finalists for the 2012 Library of Virginia Literary Awards have been announced. The winner in each category will be announced at the Awards Celebration on October 20, 2012. Nominations are now being accepted for the 2013 awards.
http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/litawards/nominate.asp

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Thanks, Doris
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Hyper Smash

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