We had a great Rendezvous get-together yesterday, with two of our members arriving with their latest published books in hand! Congratulations to Alison McBain for her latest novel, The New Empire – an alternative history novel where the Chines have colonized the Americas, not Columbus, and a young Chinese man must choose between following the law of this new land and making a bid for freedom. Libby Waterford‘s latest contemporary romance novel, Take a Bow, is the second in a series, and follows unconventional librarian Mimi Orlando and her no-strings fling Nash Speedwell, her brother’s best friend and star of a television show to be filmed in Mimi’s hometown of Misty Harbor, Connecticut. I love it when my friends are published!
I’m appearing on a panel to talk about hybrid publishing on October 26 from 3:30-5pm EST. I’ll be representing the authors who’ve used a hybrid press (my book was published by Atmosphere Press) and I’ll be among industry experts like Jane Friedman, Brook Warner of She Writes Press, and more. If you think this way of getting your book might be of interest, get more information here.
I know I’ve mentioned Indie Author Day before, but as plans develop, it’s worth sharing some of the events happening at the Norwalk Public Library, CT, on November 4-5. Almost 100 authors have signed up to be there with their books, and there will be readings and signings, as well as some Zoom panels, on Friday, November 4. On Saturday, November 5, The Library has arranged three panels. The first, of special interest to writers, is Paths to Publishing at 10am, which will discuss the various forms of indie publishing (small press, hybrid press, and self-publishing). At 1pm there’s a Writing Your Life: Memoir a memoir writing panel with three authors ready and willing to answer questions about the art and craft of memoir. 
At 2:30, Fiction – Making it Up four fiction writers will talk about how they wrote and published their novels, and at 3:30 member Bette Bono has put together a panel called Writers as Teachers; Teachers as Writers, with three authors who are or have been teachers. Admission is free, and there’s a cafe in the library in case you need fuel!
Gotham Writers Workshop has planned some one-day intensive writing courses for this fall/winter, beginning on October 29. They’re fast, and you can choose from the following formats. NYC One-days—seven hours in person in one day (with lunch break), or two live three-hour Zoom sessions on separate days. Both include brief lectures alternating with writing exercises. There’s also an online weekly intensive of three sessions (each lasting a week) on three consecutive weeks. Written lectures and weekly homework assignments. $165 More info here.
On November 15, at 6:30pm, The Connecticut Press Club and The Fairfield County Story Lab in Westport CT are hosting journalist John Breuning, (editorial page editor for the Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time) and Julie Scelfo, (Fellowship Coach with the Op-Ed project and former staff writer for the New York Times) for an evening entitled How to Publish an Outstanding Op-Ed. CT Press Club member Chandra Bozelko will moderate. Free and open to all. If you would like to attend this event virtually, please email CTPressclub@gmail.com.
The fourth annual 250-word Microfiction Challenge kicks off on November 18 and will challenge writers worldwide to create short stories no longer than 250 words based on genre, action, and word assignments. Feedback from the judges is provided for every submission, writers keep all the rights to the stories they create, and there are thousands in cash prizes for the winners. Sound like fun? Learn more and register here.
More to come on Monday. In the meantime – keep writing!
