We had an interesting meeting yesterday, and I canvassed people to see how they felt about Zoom versus in-person Meetups. The general consensus was that Zoom worked better, because we had people coming from New York and New Jersey (and occasionally from even more exotic locations), who might not otherwise be there. So, I plan to keep these going on Zoom. If you’d like to join a WrtersMic or Writers Rendezvous, let me know via the contact page and I’ll make sure you get the link.
And to begin with, no matter where you are, feel free to join me on June 2 at 6pm for a Zoom conversation with member Elizabeth Chatsworth about her best-seller, The Brass Queen – a steampunk fantasy adventure – with an award for best banter between characters. I’ll be asking her about her writing and publishing process too. Register here for more details and the link.
#PitMad is a Twitter event (established in 2012) occurring on a quarterly basis where authors not represented by a literary agent are challenged to condense a pitch for their unpublished manuscript into the length of a tweet. The next one takes place on June 3 from 8am-8pm. Interested agents will connect with you to ask for more information, if you’re lucky. Twitter is all about the hashtags. To figure out how it works, search Twitter for the hashtag above and get your bearings. There’s a bit of a learning curve, but this article by Holly Garcia will help.
The Kindle Storyteller Award is an international literary competition celebrating the outstanding writing of authors who self-publish their work through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) between May 1 and August 31, 2021. The winner, selected by readers alongside a panel of expert judges, is awarded a prize of £20,000, plus mentoring support and a dedicated marketing campaign on Amazon UK. It’s open to American residents.
The Wesleyan Bookstore in Middletown, Connecticut, is offering a special chance to join Lin-Manuel Miranda, Quiara Alegria Hudes, and Jeremy McCarter for a very special In the Heights Virtual Book Launch on Tuesday, June 15 from 8:00 to 9:00pm ET on Zoom. Sure to be an unforgettable conversation on creativity, community, and finding home, this is your chance to hear directly from the creative team behind the timeless story of how one neighborhood — Washington Heights — can speak to the world. The eagerly awaited follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller Hamilton: The Revolution, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new book gives readers an extraordinary inside look at In the Heights, his breakout Broadway debut, written with Quiara Alegría Hudes, soon to be a Hollywood blockbuster. Admission is complimentary with your purchase of the book ($40)
CrimeCONN is back. This annual conference for mystery writers and mystery lovers features a number of best-selling authors, including Kate White (The Fiancee), Luanne Rice, (The Shadow Box), and Cara Black (Murder in Bel-Air). It will take place virtually over three weeks: June 3, 10, and 17 at 7pm. Better yet, this year the conference is FREE, but you need to register for each session individually. I recommend it for writers in any genre, since topics include Write Outside Yourself (don’t write what you know), Breaking our of Genre Tropes, and We Gotta Get Out of This Place. Moderators and panelists include best-selling authors, experts in writing craft, and much more. Fast, easy, and murderously good fun. Click here for more information.
Hippocampus Magazine publishes non-fiction work and is holding its annual in-person conference August 13-15 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The event — designed just for creative nonfiction writers — features three days of sessions that explore the craft of creative nonfiction; marketing, platform, and publicity; and living a balanced writing life. The cost of $489 includes all sessions and four meals, but not hotel or transportation.
The 2021 Gotham Writers Conference will be happening on Zoom October 15-17. The conference is unusual in that anyone can attend Days 1 & 2, but you must apply and be selected to participate in Day 3 which offers a chance to really connect with agents at their Pitching Roundtables. Each “table” has two agents and pre-selected writers with book projects in specific genres. You spend four and a half hours with your “table”—pitching, reading pages, and discussing your work. Check the link above for more information on Days 1 & 2 – Panels and Presentations. Register here. $145 for days 1 & 2, and $395 for Day 3.
There’s more information to come on Monday. Until then, keep writing. And if you need a little encouragement, join me for the Monday Morning Write-ins – details on the events page.
