Writer Mama Riffs on Raising A Writing Career Alongside Your Kids

Well, if you like this giveaway–and I know you do ;)–you probably want to shuffle on over to Writer Unboxed and check out there contest that is going on now until September 14th.

Seriously, I thought my giveaway is good, but check this out: The eccentric fiction writers over there are giving away an entire set of 2008 Market Guide to one writer.

Yes, you read that right.

There only one small thing you have to do. It’s so small and easy for just about any writer to do that I’m not even going to say it here.

Hint: Mamalicious was mine.

Get it?

You’ll have to go there and see for yourself. And then do it. It takes less than five minutes. How totally awesome is that?

If you want, come back here afterwards and thank me.

I got an e-mail today (actually, I think she had to send it twice because I was on vacation last week) asking if Writer Mama would be helpful to moms in the UK.

Guess what I said.

Well, I wasn’t going to say, “No,” right?

So, of course, I said, “Sure, it is. I spent fourteen months on the darn thing…it better be,” or something like that.

And then today, by coincidence, I read a clipping that my agent, Rita Rosenkranz, sent me from Publisher’s Weekly’s June 25th issue. Seems that Writer’s Digest Books is launching a 2008 U.K. Writer’s Market.

What great timing!

And hooray for Lauren, the mom who contacted me. She can use the 2008 U.K. Writer’s Market right along with the suggestions in WM. And most of the rest of the suggestions are via Internet or books she can likely get through U.K. Amazon.

Kudos to the folks at Writer’s Digest Books, who continue to impress me with their great ideas. I can’t wait to tell Lauren.

Here’s the links, if you would like to order Writer Mama and Writer’s Market U.K. together. I’m thinking you can probably get free shipping this way.

Writer’s Market U.K.

Writer Mama (in the U.K. — Only three left in stock today!)

Enjoy the freedom of the short form and see your story in print.  The Whidbey Student Choice contest is looking for prose poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction, and children’s literature.  Anyone can enter–regardless of age, education, or country of origin.  The only catch is that the piece must be fewer than 1,000 words. Every month a new student judge takes the reins, and every month it’s a struggle to pick a single favorite out of the field.  The winner receives $50 and the winning piece is published on the Whidbey Student website.

If you’ve never entered before, do it now.  If you’ve sent us a little gem in the past and it didn’t win, send it again.
Once the judge finds something he/she loves, loves, loves, the mailbox on the student website closes, so don’t delay.  For full details and guidelines, go to www.whidbeystudents.com.

MOM WRITER’S LITERARY MAGAZINE is celebrating its two year anniversary by going to print format.  The “many faces of motherhood” are presented in a “down-to-earth, thoughtful, complex, humorous, sincere, penetrating, and raw” tone, covering creative nonfiction essays, book reviews, writer profiles and interviews, visual art, and poetry.  Samantha Gianulis is editor-in-chief of this quarterly publication, which debuts in print with its Summer issue.  A distribution of 6,000 copies is through independent bookstores and by subscription…

SM THE MAGAZINE FOR SINGLE MOTHERS offers “information, products and services that draw from modern practices and ancient philosophies ­ a broad spectrum of content that will help single mothers successfully manage their lives, mind, body and spirit.”  Topics include beauty and fashion, health and wellness, legal issues, finances, family perspectives, and celebrity interviews.  Publisher Crystal Jennings oversees this bi-monthly publication, which debuted with the April/May issue.  25,000 copies are distributed nationally by subscription and on newsstands…

I spied these markets in Wooden Horse’s weekly e-zine.

Wooden Horse Publishing

To subscribe: Go to http://www.woodenhorsepub.com and click on “Sub/scribe” in the left column.

I must have not taken my vitamins…because I can’t find anywhere in this blog where I announced the details of the Writer Mamas (and Papas) “When writing and parenting collide” contest.

Did I announce it in my zine, but not in my blog??? Did I not announce it at all but just think that I did? I know not.

Seriously, am I on drugs or have I just been crazy-busy?

Never mind, I think I know the answer to that…and it’s not drugs.

And for those of you who were so wonderful as to participate (and I’ll have more to say to you later), I’m so sorry if I dropped the ball! That is what I call a big DOINK.

Here’s the scoop…

The winner of the Writer’s Digest Magazine contest, When Writing and Parenting Collide, will be announced in the October 2007 issue of Writer’s Digest Magazine.

FYI, those magazines come out waaaay before the cover date. I bet it will be on stands by mid-September, if not sooner. At least, that’s when I would watch for it.

Or, if you like, you can subscribe and be among the first to get it. And I’m not just saying that because I’m sure WD would love for me to say it (they would).

I’m saying it because it’s true.

So there it is. The scoop. Oh no, wait. There’s more.

Okay, so the winning essay will be published in Writer’s Digest, and the second and third place winners will be published right here in my blog.

I will post them on October 1st.

Exciting! I can’t wait. (And sorry again if I kept you hanging!)

I had so much fun judging the WD contest for writer mamas and papas that we decided to launch a fun, easy, small-fee contest as a fundraiser for Writers on the Rise.

The reason? I’m allergic to ads. Don’t want ‘em in my zine or on my blog. At least not for the time being. So, Sage Cohen, WOTR managing editor and I put our heads together and this is what we came up with—an awesome, exciting, motivating contest that we hope will galvanize our readers to produce, produce, produce this summer.

I know I plan on writing my buns off this summer. How about you? And in that same vein, I’ll have more tips on writing and submitting the type of articles that are suggested in section two of Writer Mama and in my class, Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff.

So if you need some motivation to be more prolific this summer, enter our contest. You may do so as many times as you like. And then submit those puppies!

In the meantime, I’d like to hear from you. What questions do you have about writing and submitting short pieces for publication? I’ll answer one a week, all summer long.

Speaking of “clean up”…back to cleaning my office! Whew. What a mess…

If Literary Mama recommends it, then so do I. (Even though I really haven’t had a chance to look closely at all the detail—full disclosure.)

But if you have time, check out this scriptwriting contest and comment here. Inquiring mommy-minds want to know.

http://inthemotherhood.fanlib.com/

I know that Writers on the Rise columnist Abby Green has written about real life vs. TV life in her blog, Diary of a New Mom.

What do you think?

Have you heard about this conest? It sounds pretty swanky to me.

And I like swanky, even though it’s not a word that describes my everyday life.

76th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition

For 76 years, the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition has rewarded writers just like you for their finest work. Best of all, we’re giving away more than $30,000 in cash and prizes!

Win a trip to New York City !

GRAND PRIZE: $3,000 cash and a trip to New York City to meet with editors or agents. Writer’s Digest will fly you and a guest to The Big Apple, where you’ll spend three days and two nights in the publishing capital of the world. While you’re there, a Writer’s Digest editor will escort you to meet and share your work with four editors or agents! Plus, you’ll receive a free Diamond Publishing Package from Outskirts Press.

Late Entry Deadline: Friday, June 01, 2007.

For entrants paying with a credit card, we will accept manuscripts submitted online. Manuscripts in the script categories must be submitted via regular mail.

Compete and Win in 10 Categories!

• Inspirational Writing (Spiritual/Religious)
• Memoirs/Personal Essay
• Magazine Feature Article
• Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.)
• Mainstream/Literary Short Story
• Rhyming Poetry
• Non-rhyming Poetry
• Stage Play (* submission by mail only)
• Television/Movie Script (* submission by mail only)
• Children’s/Young Adult Fiction

Entry Fee: Poems are $10 for the first entry; $5 for each additional poem submitted in the same online session. All other entries are $15 for the first manuscript; $10 for each additional manuscript submitted in the same online session.

Add $2 per manuscript to all entries postmarked after Tuesday, May 15, 2007. Entries postmarked after Friday, June 01, 2007, will not be accepted.

More info at:  https://www.writersdigest.com/contests/annual/76th/ 

That’s the topic of my “success story” that appears in today’s issue of WritersWeekly.

View the entire article here.

Subscribe to WritersWeekly here. You’ll receive a free e-book on how to become a freelance writer with over 100 markets!

Why not send in your own success story? Editor and publisher Angela Hoy pays $30 for each one, miraculously, upon acceptance (!!!). I believe she is always looking for good success stories.

I can almost guarantee it will be the fasted paycheck you ever get for writing, once your piece is accepted, of course. Send your submissions to: Angela Hoy

As always, before you submit, read and digest some success stories that have already achieved publication. It will make all the difference.

And hey, if you know about other fast-paying editors, please, list them in the comments section!

If you would like to sign up to receive it in your inbox, simply click here and you will be directed to a page where you can subscribe.

This will also serve as the location in the blog for your comments on the first issue.

I look forward to reading your comments!