Women: Write Your Way To Starting Your Own Business!

The Mirassou Winery, a longtime supporter of Women in Business, is sponsoring an essay contest that will net the winner $50,000 in seed money to start her own business. The deadline for their Make Your Dreams Come True With Mirassou contest is December 15, 2007. Your personal essay of 500 words or less should include 1) a description of the new business, 2) consumer appeal to the new business, and 3) a plan to implement the new business.

Dream Quest One Poetry & Short Story Contest

Dream Quest One's poetry and short story contests are open to everyone, and you may write about any subject or theme you like. Short stories should be 5 pages or less; poems should be 30 lines or less. There is a small entry fee, ($10.00 per short story, $5 per poem), and you may enter as many times as you like. Cash prizes for poetry contest winners range from $50 to $250, and short story winners will receive from $100 to $500. The deadline for both contests is December 31, 2007.

VERY Short Story Contest

If you've got a short piece that you've been concerned is not long enough to be published, here's the contest for you: Lunch Hour Stories is accepting submissions for its annual VERY Short Story Contest through December 31st of each year. Winners are considered for prizes as well as publication as part of an anthology in December of the following year. Your stories should be previously unpublished and up to 500 words. There is a $5 reading fee per story or poem, for a chance to win $25, $50, or $100.

Short Story Competition ~

Win big bucks! The L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers and Illustrators of the Future contest awards prizes every quarter, with the next contest deadline being December 31st. Each quarter prizes up to $1,000 are awarded. At the end of the year, a Grand Prize of $5000 is awarded to the Best Short Story and the Best Illustration of the year. All types of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Dark Fantasy are welcome. There's no entry fee for this contest. Simply submit your original prose, up to 17,000 words, by midnight at the end of the quarter, for your chance to win $500, $750, $1,000 and $5,000!

Where Will Love Blossom Next In Your Life?

Life coach Melissa Rosati, whose clients are writers, authors and creative artists, shares this insightful essay about her experience in discovering her own writer's voice. If you believe that "there is no end to the journey inward," you will enjoy reading the starting places she provides for that endless journey.

How to Begin? Where to Go?

Need a little help getting started on your fiction writing? Annette Beveridge-Young, a freelance writer and editor at Savannah Publishing, has compiled this list of 15 suggestions to help writers flesh out your characters and bring the settings of your stories to life.

Eliminating Obstacles ~

If you're interested in writing but just can't seem to find time to indulge in your creative outlet, this article by Mui Tsun, the creator of Inspire Software, might help you to overcome some of the obstacles life places in our way.

For Women Entrepreneurs

If you or someone you know is

• A small business owner who has been in business for several years, or
• Are either dreaming of starting your own business or have been in business less than 2 years, or
• Are a home-based business owner, or
• Are interested in purchasing a franchise or business opportunity

you may be able to pitch a story and parley your insights into a money-earning venture at WomenEntrepreneur.com. They are looking women-specific content that includes challenges women face, why women start businesses, and articles that are written in a voice that appeals specifically to women.

Free Entry Short Story Competition

The deadline for Words Magazine Short Story Competition is not until December 30th, so you have plenty of time to polish your work, up to 2000 words, for a chance to win £100 (or equivalent in your currency, which, in the USA, equals $206.729). You may enter as many times as you like.

Boulevard Online not only accepts submissions, they are sponsoring a short-fiction contest that will net the winner $1500. Entries must be previously unpublished, and the $15 entry fee includes a one-year subscription to Boulevard. Your entry must be postmarked by December 15, 2007, so there's plenty of time to polish up your best work and get it to them. The winning story will be published in the Spring or Fall 2008 issue.

Tongue in Groove Reading - Sunday, Oct. 28

TONGUE and GROOVE- Readings and Music
at the Hotel Cafe, Sunday October 28th - 6:00 to 7:30pm
www.hotelcafe.com


"Tongue & Groove"
A monthly offering of short fiction, personal essays, poetry, spoken word + music. This month: featuring the following writers: Seth Greenland "The Bones", Michael C. Ford "Emergency Exits", Vicki Whicker and others share a poetic collaboration from "Big City Mantra", Kristine Kimmel, Besskepp, and musical guest Chuck Bramlet.

Here's the brilliant and eclectic mix lined up for this months installment of T&G. Seth is gonna read a piece included in the latest Black Clock. He's funny as hell. Besskepp is coming from Pomona to fill the spoken word quotient, another writer is flying in from Central America for his contribution, and Michael C. Ford has been on the scene since reading for Jim Morrison and with Bukowski. The hilarious Kris Kimmel fills the personal essay/story telling slot, and for music Chuck Bramlet is the Johnny Cash for the new millennium. Each and every one is a treasure to behold.

Please invite your friends and family and tell them to get there early before we fill up.

Sunday the 28th of October
6:00-7:30 pm
The Hotel Cafe
1623 1/2 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood, Ca 90028
$5.00


Conrad Romo (323) 937-0136 conrad.romo@gmail.com http://www.tongueandgroovela.com

Nothing Cute Or Sweet ~

Kate Harper Designs is a greeting card company that sells to over 2,000 retail stores throughout the country. They will pay $25 for slogans and card samples, up to 20 words, that have an edgy twist and humor. Say what you really think, and don't be afraid to push beyond greeting card stereotypes.

Helpful Hints For Writing Better Poetry

Kara Ziehl has compiled this Top 10 list of tips for writing better poetry. Clear and to-the-point, these helpful suggestions can guide us to streamlining and strengthening our use of words to make them more forcefully felt.

Coal Hill Review Seeks Submissions

Online publication Coal Hill Review is seeking submissions of previously unpublished poetry until May 1, 2008 for its spring issue. They are looking to gather a wide range of diverse voices and styles, and to explore work outside the traditional limitations of popular trends.

A Chance to Thank Those Who Protect and Serve ~

Our LAPD is having an Open House on November 10! Bring your family to the Free Entertainment and Free Food and see first hand how our mounted officers do field operations! Watch as mounted police capture hardened criminals, and see the canine guard dogs bring down bad guys! Watch a SWAT raid, drive the bomb squad robot, pet the horses and meet some of the LAPD officers who put their lives on the line for us every day. Take this opportunity to meet officers in a friendly environment -- one that doesn't involve you being pulled over for speeding or reporting a robbery.

Call for Holiday Stories

This just in from Helen:

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Christmas Traditions: True Stories of Holiday Celebration

Send submissions to: Helen Kay Polaski (Szymanski) at hkpolaski@yahoo.com

Christmas Traditions: True Stories of Holiday Celebration will be filled with stories that touch the mind as well as the soul as they take the reader on a magical journey through Christmas—past and present—while giving the reader ideas for traditions they might be interested in adapting in the future. Each story will focus on either a well-known holiday tradition or a unique tradition known only to a particular family or community, as well as a touching story that circulates around each individual tradition. (I love traditions and can’t wait to see how your family celebrates Christmas!)

Stories must be first person, true accountings of either shared or unique traditions celebrated by families, communities, and/or groups during the Christmas holiday season, and all must be based on strong individual family/community dynamics, specific geographical location, and/or different cultures and religion. Approximately 70-80 stories (700-1,200 words) will be gathered. (When writing your story please keep in mind that Christmas is the most magical time of the year. I want to see the magic unfolding on the page before me as I read, and so do my readers.)

Payment: upon publication, $75 and a copy of the book (for each accepted story)
Deadline: November 15, 2007

Heart of Glass?

Glass: A Journal of Poetry, is seeking submissions for their first issue. They are looking for poetry that relates to the artistic and creative purity of glass. All styles, forms and schools of poetry are welcome. Payment is in the form of online publication, and there are no submission deadlines, although they do not accept submissions between June 1 and August 31.

Some Thoughts On Writing Free-Verse Poetry

Full-time author and anthologist Lawrence Schimel has published over 47 books in a variety of genres and media. Here he takes the time to share some thoughts about writing free-verse poetry. He includes useful tips & suggestions that, even if only one of them proves helpful to you, is surely worth the time to read.

Inconceivable? Quite the opposite!

Conceive magazine is for any woman contemplating or trying to start or expand a family, by natural conception, fertility treatments & assisted reproductive technologies, or adoption. They are focused on all aspects of fertility, conception and adoption. If you post your story on their website, they will contact you if they decide to feature it in their magazine. And yes: they pay!

Art Noir Exhibit ~ October 17 to November 17

"Dark Art is indeed enlightening," and, if you're inclined toward the wicked, the brazen, and the satirical, there's a special treat in store for you at the NoHo Gallery LA. An exhibit, kicking off with a free Meet The Artist reception, starts this Wednesday evening. The gallery is located in the Lankershim Arts Center at 5801 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, and there is plenty of free parking available.

Self Publishing and Print on Demand

We've heard a few amazing stories lately from people who've had success getting their books published at a traditional publishing house by self-publishing first. It's a controversial topic amongst writers. The people we've talked to all admitted that it was very tough, hard work, and that they might do it differently next time had they known more, so we've compiled a short list of resources on the topic. When a giant such as Amazon.com's BookSurge jumps on the self-publishing/book-on-demand bandwagon by offering programs specifically for self-published books, we thought we'd sit up and listen for a minute or two.

• The Writing Show has two very informative podcasts on the subject. The interview with writer Jeff DeRego is interesting in that he thinks self-publishing is akin to shooting oneself in the foot if one ever wanted to earn money as a paid writer, and he also talks about the work involved and the pitfalls, as well as the difference between self-publishing and print on demand.
• The Humane Self Publishing Blog by the folks at Blooming Twig Books, an internet book publishing house, has a blog from the publisher's perspective about self-publishing process.
• ASJA (The American Society of Journalists and Authors) has an article about one author's experience.
• Here is another article on The Writer Buzz blog on e-publishing versus self-publishing.
• This article on Beneath the Cover, a Web site devoted to "uncover[ing] the book industry" has some excellent information and even lists writers who've successfully self published.
• Here is an article in BusinessWeek about the self-publishing industry.
• This article from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc., offers an alternative to self-publishing, i.e., going directly to a book manufacturer.

There are also quite a few books out there on the topic that are easily found with a quick search on any bookseller site. Ultimately, it seems comes down to making an educated personal decision between going through the traditional submission process or becoming a publisher yourself. If you chose the do-it-all yourself route, you take on multiple roles: writer, editor, designer, layout artist, agent, promoter, printer, and marketer, to name just a few, and now you've become a book publisher as well as a writer, so the question is, how do you want to spend your time?

Crime Writer Contest

Court TV "Search for the Next Great Crime Writer Contest." After a successful 2006 premiere, Court TV has partnered with Borders® and Gather.com to bring the contest back to aspiring authors around the country! Via this unique and innovative contest, Court TV is inviting aspiring authors to submit a complete manuscript of their original idea for a crime novel for the chance to win a publishing contract through Borders, Inc. with a $5000 cash advance.

To learn more about the contest please go to courttv.gather.com for complete details and Official Rules.

Share Your Wisdom

Listen Magazine is aimed toward a primarily teen-age and young adult market, perfect if you've been "through all that", and have wisdom to share that might guide youngsters past harmful influences to a healthy life. They publish six kinds of articles each month: True Stories, Factuals, Positive Alternatives, Personalities & Organizations, Self Help & Social Skills, and Quizzes. Depending on which kind of article you submit, payment ranges from $50 to $150.

For Street-Bike Writer/Riders

Friction Zone, a monthly motorcycle publication with a circulation of 33,000 copies, focuses on local travel, motorcycle information, and rider safety. They publish at least 15 feature articles each month, from 800 to 1500 words in length, for which they pay 20 cents per word. They assign stories based on writer's proposals, and do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Go to their website to check out the rest of their guidelines, and unleash the street-bike-riding wild one inside you.

Allan Ginsberg Poetry Awards 2008

The Poetry Center at Passaic Community College is sponsoring this contest honoring Allan Ginsberg's contribution to American literature. Fortunately, they're asking us not to submit poems that imitate Allan Ginsberg's work ;) Previously unpublished poems should be postmarked by April 1, 2008. First prize is $1000, 2nd prize is $200, 3rd prize is $100, and winners will be asked to participate in a reading in the Patterson Historic District in NJ. So if you're geographically mobile and want some extra incentive to visit your relatives back east, send up to 5 poems plus a $15 submission fee to the address listed on their website.

World AIDS Day Writing Contest

Literary Project Management is sponsoring World Aids Day: A Day With Art writing contest, and is accepting poems, plays and short stories relating to AIDS. Each category will have a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner. Your emails must be emailed or postmarked by October 15, and there is a $5 entry fee. You may enter as many times as you want, and may win in more than one genre, but not more than once in any genre. All proceeds from the event will go to AIDS charities.

Call for Short Romantic Fiction

Judy Thomas contacted us to post her call for short romantic fiction:
The Long and the Short of It is looking for short romantic fiction (no more than 1000 words). No pay, but web exposure and incoming links are yours. Be sure to check their submission guidelines.

Open Mic Every Wednesday Evening ~

If you're inclined toward being on stage to share your work with a live audience, and/or enjoy being there while others do so, then you're sure to enjoy Open Mic Wednesdays at Sunset Junction in Silver Lake. Sign-ups are from 7:30 - 7:45 for a show-time of 8:00. The $3.00 cover charge includes a free drink (of the same or less value), and all proceeds go to a good cause: The Sunset Junction Youth Program. Poetry and comedy performers get 5 minutes of stage time, while musical acts can play 2 songs.

Have You Been Redeemed?

Have you been redeemed, either in a spiritual or secular sense? Has anyone you know? Your cat or dog? (I don't know about you, but some evil kitties I know -- ahem -- could stand a little redemptive intervention). In any case, the Georgetown Review is sponsoring a writing contest with a theme of -- you guessed it -- redemption, and they are very flexible as to how the use of that word is interpreted. Your story, poem or essay may deal with those who find redemption or those who don't. First prize is $1000 and publication. Submissions must be postmarked by November 15, 2007. There's an entry fee of $10 for your first entry, and $5 for each entry thereafter.

Are You Interested in Seeing Your Work Get Published?

The Sun Magazine accepts submissions year-round for it's magazine, and: THEY PAY! $300 to $1500 for essays and interviews, $300 to $1000 for fiction, and $50 to $250 for poetry. Contributers also receive a complimentary one-year subscription to their magazine.

Brewery Art Walk this Weekend

Go check out all the fabulous artists at the Brewery Art Walk this weekend. It's a super fun day and many a famous LA artist have live/work space there!

Novel Contest

First 5000 submissions only!

Amazon Launches Debut Novel Contest
Amazon is getting into the author-writing contest arena, launching the
first Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award today in cooperation with
Penguin and Hewlett-Packard. Amazon will accept submissions through
November 5 and the winner will have his or her novel published by
Penguin, which is also offering a $25,000 advance. PW will serve as
preliminary judges of the material as well.

The contest is free and open to unpublished authors in 20 countries
who have English-language manuscripts (complete contest rules and
requirements are available at www.amazon.com/abna). Amazon, which will
accept up to 5,000 entries, is assembling a panel of customers who
have posted the most, and best, reviews on its site to serve as the
judges for the first round. After the submissions have been cut to
1,000, a team put together by PW will give a full review to each
manuscript, and the review and excerpt will be posted on the Amazon
Web site where customers can read, rate and review the offerings. The
PW team -- of existing and new reviewers -- will be paid to administer
the reviews, and reviewers will remain anonymous. Amazon is paying
PW's administrative costs only.

More Writing Contests!

Our Echo sponsors many writing contests, all of which have no entry or reading fees of any kind. One of these is offered each month for a $100 prize. Winners are selected from posts on their website. Check it out: you literally have nothing to lose!

Let The Writer Beware!

We've all heard of the many scams that target the elderly. Surprisingly, there are also scam artists whose aim is to target the literary-inclined. Those of us interested in earning a little money or gaining a little recognition for our written words should be careful about selecting which contests to enter. Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. provides a webpage well-worth reading for poets and short-story writers alike.

A Question of Style ~ When To Use "That"

WritersDigest.com answers a few basic questions about writing style.

Writing Poetry ~ Helpful Guidelines

John Hewett, at Writer's Resource Center, compiled this list of suggestions which may help you to make your poems stronger and more memorable.

Anything You Say: Tips For Writing Effective Dialogue

Stephen D. Rogers, graduate of the Framingham Police Department's Citizen Police Academy and member of Mystery Writer's of America, Private Eye Writers of America and the Short Mystery Fiction Society, shares some informative guidelines and suggestions on writing dialogue for detective stories and mystery thrillers. Brush up on your Miranda rights and check them out.

Philip Levine Prize in Poetry

If you are not now, nor have never been a faculty member or student at Cal State University, Fresno, and have 48 to 80 pages of previously unpublished poetry that you can have in a binder clip and ready to be postmarked by September 20, 2007, gather those pages together along with a $25 entry fee and send them off to the Philip Levine Prize in Poetry for a chance to win $1500, publication and distribution by Anhinga Press, and 25 author copies.

Essay Contest: Make Us Want To Be You!!

The National Association of Baby Boomer Women and Funds For Writers is sponsoring the FFW annual essay contest with the theme: Make us want to be you. In 750 words or less, send them a remarkable promotional plan for your writing project, or tell them what you'd do with your writing career if you had a year to devote to your passion. You may choose whether or not to pay an entry fee. First prize with a $5 entry fee is $200, for no entry fee the first prize is $50. Deadline is October 31, 2007 and winners will be announced December 1, 2007.

Where Have You Been and What Was It Like?

TravelGlitter online ezine is looking for fun writers that are passionate about the places they visit. Their newsletter follows the same format every day: One city, one theme, and five things to do. If you've been somewhere you love enough to write between 300 to 500 words about, you may be able to gain $10 from your submission.

Abacot Journal Accepting Submissions of Prose Only

The Abacot Journal is looking for your best strange stories under 2,000 words for its inaugural issue.Weird is good, funny is good, dark is good. The deadline for the first issue, which will be online in January, 2008, is December 1, 2007. Check out their website for submission guidelines.

What's the Story? @ Cafe Metropol Tuesday, September 25

This just in from Look LA:

What's the Story? @ Cafe Metropol Tuesday, September 25
Come hear the bold, brave and often hilarious voices of the writer-performers of
What's the Story? Workshop. Originally founded as a solo performance workshop,
What's the Story? has expanded to include people writing for the stage, for the
screen, and for the page. You never know what you'll hear, but we promise a
fascinating mix, fabulous food and drink, and interesting folks.
The monthly Tuesday evenings at Metropol are our opportunity to see how our work
lands with you, our friendly invited audience. Without you, we have no idea what we
are writing. So we invite you to join us every month, and watch our work grow, find
out what happens next.
SEPTEMBER READERS
Jake Arnette • Melissa Bales • Trey Burnette · Marc Goldstein
Stephen Grynberg · Stephanie Stephenson • Karen Taback
Amber Willat • & friends
WHAT'S THE STORY? @ CAFE METROPOL
923 East Third Street LA 90013
Reservations: 213-613-1537
Information: 310-450-1312
whatsthestoryLA.com
Enjoy dinner and drinks and Tuesday half-price appetizers at 7pm.
The show starts promptly at 8pm.
Save the dates this fall @ Metropol
Tuesdays · September 25 · October 23 • November 27

Ladies and Gentlemen: Place Your Bets!!

Laurie Champion, an English professor at San Diego State University, is currently seeking short stories on the subject of gambling. Your stories can deal with any aspect of gambling as long as gambling is the primary aspect. Stories must be between 5 and 30 pages, and fully developed as far as plot, character, theme, conflict, etc. Ms. Champion will be seeking a publisher once she has a collection to submit. Since she's taught creative writing and American literature, as well as editing and co-editing seven anthologies, and has had twelve short stories published to her credit, why not take a gamble and see how far this throw of the dice can take you? Compensation will be negotiated as soon as a publisher has been determined.

A Plethora of Poetry Contests

The Poetry Society of America will be accepting submissions from October 1 to December 21, 2007 in a variety of categories, with a wide range of monetary prizes. PSA sponsors twelve annual awards contests with the winners being honored at their Annual Awards Ceremony, held in New York City in the spring of each year. The reading fee is $15, unless you're a high school student ($5), or a high school teacher/administer submitting an unlimited number of your students poems ($5).

A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words ...

or, in this case, up to 500 words of prose, or 15 lines of poetry. Tattoo Highway is now accepting submissions for their 16th issue, "Sidekicks and Fellow Travelers." First prize in either category is a $30 bookstore gift certificate, and the deadline is January 15, 2008.

Fifth Wednesday Online Journal

Fifth Wednesday Journal is accepting submissions now for their Spring/Summer issue, which will appear in April/May 2008. The deadline for this is February 1, 2008. Fiction, poetry and black-and-white photographs accepted for publication will also be eligible for $35 prizes.