Hire Wordhustler.com to Submit Your Work

OK this has got to be the coolest web-based service for writers I've ever seen, and they're locals, so of course I love them doubly now. As a member of Wordhustler.com, they submit your work for you, poetry, fiction, screenplays, you name it. They print, lick, stamp, mail, and even track your submissions. Don't know where to submit, no problem! They have a thing-a-majigee that helps you match your work with places to submit.

I am seething with jealousy that I didn't come up with this idea, and am always impressed with someone who can not only come us with a great idea but actually invest the time and money to make it a reality, especially when it's something groovy for writers.

The one thing I couldn't discern from the site had to do with pricing. For example, currently their price for a project that is "Under 4 pages (Query Letters, poetry submissions)" is $2.99. I wasn't sure if that meant 2.99 per project per place submitted or 2.99 up to a certain number of places to submit. Perhaps they will chime in here and clear that up. If it is 2.99 per project per place submitted, which I presume it is, I can see that getting rather expensive for the writer, especially someone who is submitting a lot of poetry and short-fiction. In that case, it makes more sense price-wise for the screenwriter or novelist. I'd like to see a subscription based pricing option, where the writer gets X number of submissions a month. It would sure motivate me to keep sending stuff out, if I knew I was paying monthly for it and getting a slightly better bulk deal.

That said, a mere $2.99 in lieu of my time printing, licking, mailing, and tracking seems worth it. In fact, I'm digging into my money jar right now and running to the nearest CoinStar machine. You should check them out too. Run. Hurry. Now.

In their own words:

WordHustler Opens Literary Marketplace to World

California-based WordHustler launches its new service that enables writers all over the world to submit manuscripts to US literary markets without ever having to lick a stamp.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - May 19th, 2008 - WordHustler, a writing services company, today launches a web-based application that enables writers all over the world to submit manuscripts to US literary markets. Formed by two Los Angeles writers, WordHustler, available at www.wordhustler.com, provides writers with a bevy of innovative tools designed to help authors of all genres get their manuscripts into the hands of editors and find publishing success. WordHustler offers a free database of over 3,000 community-moderated US literary markets, a submission tracker, a cover letter composer, a project manager, and OS X dashboard widgets for submission tracking on-the-go.

WordHustler doesn't just help writers find places to publish. Indeed, WordHustler will print, ship, and help writers track manuscripts of any length or genre. "What we've done is significant. The main reason that writers don't send their work out more often is actually quite simple: it's a pain," says John L. Singleton, chief architect and co-founder of WordHustler. "First, you have to write something brilliant. Then there's the costly printing, postage, and SASEs. When you're all done you still have to track those submissions and follow up. Otherwise it just ends up wasting a lot of time and money. We invented WordHustler so writers could spend their time writing."

Writer’s Digest - 101 Best Sites

Check out the 2008 Writer’s Digest - 101 Best Sites for writers. Lots of great resources for us writerly types, whether your looking for an agent, resources for writers, or online critique groups. Beware though: one could lose an entire afternoon clicking around on the links.

Premier Book Awards Deadline August 15th

The folks at Premier Book Awards asked us to remind you of their upcoming deadline. In their own words:

Your members may be interested in a reminder that the deadline for the 2008 Premier Book Awards in both fiction and non-fiction is fast approaching. Final entries must be postmarked by August 15, 2008.

With so many new titles published every year it is increasingly difficult for an individual book to stand out. Winning a contest is an opportunity for publicity-exposure for the author and the book. There is no better way to gain credibility and increased sales than to win an award for writing excellence.

Premier Book Awards were established to recognize meritorious works by writers who self-published or had their books published by a small press or independent book publisher. POD books are welcome. The contest is open to selected book length fiction and non-fiction titles with a 2007 or 2008 copyright, published in the English language and targeted for an adult audience in the North American market. There are $100 cash awards for the winners in each category, plus a $500 award each for the best fiction and best non-fiction of the year. Winners also receive a certificate suitable for framing and Premier Book Awards will issue a press release to announce the achievement. Check out the website for details: www.PremierBookAwards.com.

Database of Literary Magazines and Journals

You may already know about this but I just discovered Poets & Writers' superfly listing of literary journals and details of reading times, genres published, and whether or not they accept simultaneous and/or electronic submissions. In their own words:

Poets & Writers | Database of Literary Magazines and Journals: "Connect your poems, stories, essays, and reviews to the right audiences by researching hundreds of literary magazines in our database. Here, you'll find editorial policies, submission guidelines, contact information—everything you need to direct your work to the publications most amenable to your vision."

Click now. Go check it out and submit, submit, submit.

Cat Short Story Contest ~ Got Feline Fiction?

For all of the kitty-loving writers, Fireside Publications of Florida is sponsoring a Cat Short Story Contest. If you have 3,000 words or less dedicated to the furry feline(s) in your life, you may get the chance to see your four-pawed friend immortalized in print. Twenty to twenty-five winning stories will be published after all the stories have been selected, and the winners will receive a complimentary copy of the book. Submit your story, (fiction or non-fiction), and a $2 registration fee, as soon as possible to: Cat Short Story Contest, Fireside Publications, 1004 San Felipe Lane, Suite 200, The Villages, Florida, 32159. The deadline is June 30, 2008. Please go to their website for the rest of the contest guidelines.

Helpful Hints ~

Often writers sabotage their chances of getting published without realizing it. Not utilizing the spell-check feature is one way. Another is by not making sure their work is professional-looking. To help guide your pieces to publication, make sure they look good. Jendi Reiter, editor of Poetry Contest Insider and judge of the Winning Writers poetry contests, has listed several important formatting tips to help guide the writer to success. Along with valuable suggestions regarding fonts & paper, front matter, cover & title pages, table of contents, acknowledgments, text, cover letter, and the famous SASE, she includes links to samples that provide a concrete look at what she means. Take a few minutes to read her Manuscript Tips, and help yourself avoid some of the more typical ways writers can unintentionally stand in their own way.

WordClay Short Story Contest ~

If you have a short story, up to 5,000 words, why not enter it in the Wordclay Short Story Contest? All you need to do is register at www.wordclay.com, and then email your entry and a cover letter to contests(at)wordclay(dot)com before June 1, 2008. Fifteen of the finalists stories will be published in an anthology and the finalists whose work is published will receive a printed, bound copy at no cost. In addition to bound copies, the Grand Prize Winner will receive a check for $500, and the Runner Up will receive one for $250. There's something for everyone at Wordclay: even if you're not a runner up, all non-finalist participants will receive an electronic copy (e-book) of the anthology. You may enter up to three short stories; just be sure they are double-spaced and written in Times New Roman. Go to their website for the rest of the contest guidelines.