I’ve been busy (as always) with book sales and other appearances. And still had time to win the Indie Author Project’s prize for the statewide contest in Connecticut for my novel, A Beginner’s Guide to Starting Over. I was surprised and delighted, since it’s for indie-published authors only, and since I entered in May, I’d forgotten all about it when they contacted me in October. Check out the IAP in your own state to see if you can enter next year.
And speaking of indie ventures, the new indie bookstore, Black Rock Books has asked me to be part of their Holiday season by coming to sign books on December 14 from 5-8. They’re in Black Rock, CT, and a very welcome addition to the book-loving scene, so if you’re local, please support them!
There are more writing events on the event page.
In honor of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), editing software ProWritingAid is offering 50% off their annual or lifetime subscriptions. You can try the software for free, and then decide. The lifetime deal for their Premium Plus package is a good value at $249. The sale ends on November 28.
My publisher, Atmosphere Press, is a hybrid publisher, which means that you pay them to publish your book, which I found a lot easier than self-publishing. I had control over every aspect of the process, and I keep almost all my royalties. They’re offering a generous $1000 discount off their publishing packages, valid until November 30. If you’re interested in publishing your novel with a professional publisher, but haven’t got the time to find an agent or get accepted by a traditional publisher, this might be for you. Check it out here. And you can see their publishing contract before you submit your book so you know exactly what you get. It’s the only publisher I know that does this.
Erica Verrillo, whose newsletter I’ve quoted before, has a number of interesting contests to share, mostly expiring at the end of November. Visit Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity. to sign up for her monthly newsletter, which also includes events for writers (free and paid). Here are a few of the contests.
Six Word Wonder. Genre: Stories, memoirs, poems, and jokes that are exactly 6 words. (You can enter up to 4) Prize: $100. Deadline: November 30.
Servicescape. Genre: Short story or nonfiction up to 5,000 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: November 30.
Hudson Review Short Story Contest. Genre: Short story up to 10,000 words. Prize: First prize is $500. Second and third prizes are $250. Winning stories will be published in The Hudson Review. All entries will be considered for publication. Payment at regular rates. Deadline: November 30.
F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: November 30.
Spark Award to members of the SCBWI, for children’s books independently published. The Spark winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize. The winner and honor recipients (if applicable) will receive Spark seals to display on their book, the opportunity to teach a digital workshop about their publishing journey, the chance to be featured in the SCBWI online bookstore and publicized through SCBWI social networking sites. The winners will also get the opportunity to attend any virtual conference of their choice tuition-free (other than for extras such as critiques and intensives). .Genres: Fiction and nonfiction. Prize: Envy. The SCBWI is our most prestigious national organization (US) for children’s book and YA writers. Deadline: November 30.
Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to “revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful.” Genre: Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize: $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: November 30. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
UNT Rilke Prize. 
Restrictions: US citizens or residents. Open to authors with at least two prior published books of poetry. Genre: Book of poetry published between November 2022 and October 2023. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: November 3
Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers. Restrictions: Open to writers aged 16–18. Genre: Poem. Prize: Full scholarship to The Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop, an intensive two-week summer seminar for writers aged 16–18. Deadline: November 30.
The Moth Poetry Prize 2023, one of the biggest prizes in the world for a single unpublished poem, is open for entries. The prize is open to anyone (over 16) from anywhere in the world, as long as the work is original and previously unpublished. There is no line limit, and the poems can be on any subject. This year’s judge is Hannah Sullivan. Deadline December 31
Authors Publish has produced a list of 23 Memoir Publishers Open to Direct Submissions Memoir publishers that don’t require an agent to submit are few and far between. However, there are still options out there. Some are old and respected, others are new and still figuring things out. As with all lists of publishers, due your due diligence before you decide where to submit.
They also have a list of 39 Themed Calls for Submissions These are themed calls and contests for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for 39 outlets – some outlets are open more than one call. Some of the themed calls are: burning up/burning down; blight; home; overcoming; Carpe Noctem; freedom; brides of Dracula; uncharted waters; AI, Robot; and gifts.
How to Revise for Publication by Aliya Bree Hall. The free book is a short guide to getting your creative writing ready to send to agents, editors, and publishers. IT’s offered by the terrific Authors Publish. Get Your Free Copy Here
Radio show and podcast Writers on Writing has aired interviews with authors, literary agents and publishers since 1998. You can find a list of episodes here. They talk about a little of everything, novels, short stories, memoir, poetry and more. They focus on the art, craft, and business of writing. Worth a listen.
Keep writing!
