GRIND WRITERS NEWS - June 2014 by GRIND WRITERS **

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Grind Writers

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June 2014

Grind Writers News June 2014

BC Writers Autonomous Fan Region

3 Female authors dominating

SIDE

Smashwords bestseller lists

4 Access Copyright : yes you do The perils of laptop note-taking

Are trad publishers avoiding the R-word ?

Royal writing retreat

101 writerly uses for EverNote

‘IF YOU’RE

TWS Reading Series schedule

READY

Wordplay & Twisted Poets: places to go, things to do, people to see

The Surrey Contest

Why would you want to submit to contests anyway?

Submit. (you know you want to) Contests and calls for submissions

CONTEST - Name that genre: Can we take the non- out of non-fiction and then the fiction?

Last Saturday

Make your life easier.

of the month,

Climate change – short story contest

TO READ

Open Mic at The Grind every month, sponsored by ? (not Grind Writers)

7pm

A contest only for women

Grind Writers – where we meet & when.

We’ve looked at publishing from all sides now.

The free-write photo prompt: just try it!

Grind Writers News June 2014

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need to know

autonomous Okay now pour yourself a gin & tonic and open the link.

BC BOOKS

know about Access Copyright.

If you are a published author, or have other published ‘creatives’ such as illustrations or photographs, and you are not registered as an Affiliate with Access

If you’ve published anything, or create drawings, music etc.— it’s to your advantage to find out about Access Copyright. Lucky for us, we have in BC, George Opacic who has attended conferences on AC and has made a study of it. So his knowledge can save you a lot of time in seeing if AC applies to you and your work (and it could earn you regular boodle).

“Access Copyright is working for you to ensure you and your publisher get paid if your work is used by another organization,” says George.

George’s whole article is here.

But is that a good thing? Mark Coker writes: “The other day I was browsing our February 2014 Smashwords bestseller list at Publishers Weekly and realized that all the top 25 bestsellers were written by women. Cool beans.” Is it though? Is that a good thing? Because maybe it means that Smashwords’ readership is mainly female, and is that a good thing? Because wouldn’t that slice your potential readership in half? And by gender. Is that a good thing if you’re not writing romances (which have the highest documented readership of women)? Romance is the #1 bestselling genre at Smashwords. So maybe this is saying that if your novel isn’t a romance, you want to think hard about whether Smashwords is the place for it. Mark Coker asks a lot of good questions in this piece.

Grind Writers News June 2014

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Female Authors Dominating Smashwords eBook Bestseller Lists

Yes Virginia, you actually do need to

A Changing Access©

You’re on a roll getting every word down almost verbatim. Wow. So much faster than a pen. But, uh-oh… what if you learned that you retain info better and longer when you take notes with a pen? What if notetaking in longhand actually confers an advantage?

Are traditional publishers avoiding the R-word? Martin Crosbie wants to know. "A few weeks ago I travelled back in a time warp. I attended a writers festival and discovered there are still some rickety, old fences being propped up by the pomposity of the old gatekeepers." Article here.

“We are all writers but we are all readers first. Irish writer Eimear McBride has won the Baileys book prize for her first novel, A Girl is a Half-formed Thing wuld have no argument with Martin. “There is a contract between publishers and readers which must be honoured, readers can not be underestimated." (Thanks to Andre Gerard for this Guardian article, the rest of which is here.)

From the website Copyediting: Language in the Digital Age

“In Defence of Plain English” here. Someone has to do it. Feeling Royal? A Prince of a place for a writing retreat.

You’re tapping away, taking notes at a worshop or a conference.

If you edit, read the Copyeditor’s Typographic Oath here.

Someone I don’t know—Julie Hunter, an Estate Representative for The Kings [sic] Estate—sent me info on this mansiony place as a possible writers’ retreat setting. I’m not endorsing it (unless Julie wants to offer me a free weekend’s stay to check it out), but it sounds interesting and I know some Grind Writers’ tastes run to the baronial. “The Kings [sic] Estate was originally commissioned by a Prince over 20 years ago. It is constructed of 90% brick on the outside, and concrete and wood for the inside. The exact story of who this Prince was in unknown, and we do know that today it is absolutely an exquisite luxury mansion. Centrally located, yet offers a private estate-like feeling. Sitting on a grand 14,000 sq.ft. lot, The Kings [sic] Estate boasts 7300 sq.ft. of luxury living on 3 spacious levels. The estate features rustic modern furnishings and 5-star sleeping accommodations. The mansion features 4 living areas setup as hotel style lounges, two of them featuring wood burning fireplaces. On the main level you will find a massive kitchen overlooking the valley and Northview Golf Course. The kitchen has a wine bar, stainless steel appliances and a full set of cookware to make a feast. Dine in royal fashion around a 100 year old copper-centered table, that sits under a Swavorski chandelier. There is also a maids room the size of a small Manhattan apartment with 2 ironing boards, 2 irons and washer and dryer.” There’s more – read here.

Grind Writers News June 2014

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“The perils of laptop note-taking:

101 Writerly Uses for EverNote

Sounds like dance or a mantra: Hunter Emkay, Writer Wahroonga Sydney, New South Wales 2076 Australia

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from Hunter Emkay, Writer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; who pubishes TechForWriters, an newsletter and who has one of the best postal addresses ever.

Grind Writers News June 2014

Places to go Things to do People to see

Twisted poets

POETIC JUSTICE

Literary Salon The 2nd Wednesday and 4th Thursday of every month

3-5pm Sunday afternoons in the Back Room at the Heritage Grill, 447 Columbia St., one block west o the Columbia Sky Train Station, New Westminster

Come early to the Heritage Grill for lunch with music, usually jazz. Excellent breakfasts are served till 3 pm. Stay for June schedule:  June 22 – Dominic DiCarlo, Navaro Franco, Franci Louann (host Alan Hill)  June 29 – Sonja Grgar, Deborah Kelly, Janet Kvammen (host Franci Louann) *Plus—an open mic session. We encourage your donations ($5 if you can) to support our poets. Everyone is welcome. Please help our generous host location as well with your orders. We close most long weekends and in July and August. Over the summer, you might enjoy Poetry in the Park, Wednesday evenings, 6:30 at the band shell in Queen’s Park. Visit us on Facebook. Check our website or our features’ bios. More info: Franci Louann, Coordinator for Poetic Justice flouann@telus.net June 21, 2014 604-522-7613 604-837-7613

PANDORA’S BOOK CLUB nd

2 Wednesday of the month 6:30–8:30 pm - Britannia Branch Library 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver

Wor I

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From Franci Louann, PJ Coordinator: “For a good time,” visit www.poeticjustice.ca to see what we’ve got planned for Sunday afternoons in New Westminster.

at The Cottage Bistro 4468 Main Street More info

play W

presented by the Royal Canadian Literary Arts Society

Free Monthly poetry-generating drop-in Prompts provided Not a critique group: “Let’s have some fun!” B.Y.O..T. (bring your own tools) in the Back Room at the Heritage Grill, 447 Columbia St. More info from: secretary@rclas.com

Bring your favourite passages, points of interest, and share your reading experiences. Drop-ins are welcome. Presented by Pandora’s Collective - Hosts: Mary Duffy & Sita Carboni. More info here.

Grind Writers News June 2014

Why would you want to submit to contests anyway?

Contests and calls for submissions

Getting things published in small literary journals, or in anthologies begins to build you a track record.

Sassafras Literary Magazine We will frown or smile upon your piece, and reply within 1 week (2 weeks max) with a muffin or a tumbleweed. Multiple submissions are allowed, but single submissions are preferred. All things minimalistic and mind-slicing wanted. The occasional selfless snark and sneer accepted. True wit appreciated, along with foldable grit, pocket-size memoir moments and frame by frame congeniality. Perspective: any—as long as artfully executed and self reflecting; avoid sending ego balloons and unintended mirroring. Mirrors and led wanted. Gates, doors, and attics most appreciated. THERE’S MORE— READ SUBMISSION GUIDELINES HERE

So, then, when you send your work out, you’re not a totally unknown quantity to publishers. Publishers want to see a track record. They want to see that you have a potential audience for the book they’d be investing in to publish for you. Calls and contests are one way to do that. Having a really successful blog or a huge Twitter follwing are others – and all three are even better. Entering contests or sending submissions to calls, gives you practice in meeting deadlines; reading guidelines and perhaps adapting a piece to fit; and getting all your manuscript ducks in a row. And if you win, it’s great validation. If a piece of yours wins a prize (remember they only get first rights) you may be able to sell a “prize-winning” piece elsewhere, or build your own short story or memoir collection. It’s all good.

Roundup of poetry contests here

“Got a poem?” Submit any subject, any style, any length, any number, any time by email or by mail with SASE. Previously published poems and simultaneous submissions are welcome. The Great American Poetry Show, P.O. Box 69506, West Hollywood, CA 90069. Email: info@tgaps.net. Website: www.tgaps.net (Caveat emptor – check it out). 1966 - An online journal of creative nonfiction, seeks pieces of literary nonfiction with a research component—anything from immersion memoir to nature writing to reportage to travel writing to—? Grind Writers News June 2014

Holler Box Rolling submissions year-round. All submissions are completely free. You may submit in multiple genres. If so, send a separate submission per genre. If your submission does not get accepted you may continue to submit, we encourage it. Please wait at least 30 days before submitting something new. Read the guidelines: https://thehollerbox.submittable.com /submit. Submissions that do not follow the guidelines may not be considered.

(you know you want to)

The Quotable This online magazine wants writerreaders to submit stories based on their monthly prompts. Info here.

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Submit.

For submission guidelines: www.1966journal.org.

Geist Emerging Writer-of-theMonth Emerging writers are invited to submit short written works online. Read the FAQ. Dead Beats The Beats are dead; long live Dead Beats - focused on bringing you the highest quality literature from talented unpublished writers. We are happy to receive submissions from everyone, regardless of experience, of poems, short stories (max. 2000 words), experimental pieces and reviews, the best of which we will publish on the site. If you would like to submit some of your work please send it in the body of an email to: deadbeats@live.co.uk. We aim to reply to all emails, though this may

take some time given the number of submissions we receive. http://www.deadbeats.eu/submission Are you over 60? - Wit and Wisdom of the Sages Have insightful stories you’d like to share with your grandchildren? Great Depression/ WW2/ Vietnam era? Seeking narratives up to 3,500 words. Send manuscripts, or for guidelines email jnjscher@yahoo.com. Anderbo.com -- “Best New Online Literary Journal.” Publishes writers in fiction, creative nonfiction), and poetry. We’re always looking for new voices. We’ll also consider nonfiction features, short memoirs, novellas, published-book excerpts, photography, essays, and photo essays. Now in our 9th year! For submission information and guidelines, visit www.anderbo.com.

Deadline: August 1 (postmarked or emailed) Prize: $1,000 to one winner. Entry fee: $35 CAD for Canadian entries $40 USD for entries from the US - $45 USD for entries from elsewhere. Additional entries are $15 (from anywhere). The Malahat Review invites entries from around the world for its annual creative nonfiction contest. Personal essay, memoir, narrative nonfiction, travel writing... if it's real and creative, we want to read it. The winning creative nonfiction piece will be published in the Winter 2014 issue, and the winner will be interviewed for Malahat lite, the magazine's monthly e-newsletter, in late 2014.

Short Story Contest – Climate Change Theme Deadline: August 30 No entry fee Though the contest is global, we really hope to highlight Vancouver writers and their stories. Winners receive $100 USD in the form of a Paypal payment or Amazon gift card.

cul

2014 Constance Rooke Creative Nonfiction Prize Contest

Changes in Life A monthly online newsletter is seeking personal essays from women of all ages. New writers are encouraged to submit their work. For details and submission guidelines, see www.changesinlife.com. Signature Editions - they only publish Canadian writers: What we do and don't publish: Look through the titles on our website and you'll get a pretty good idea of the kinds of books we're interested in. Where to send your manuscript: We do not accept submissions by fax or e-mail, and do not discuss concepts over the phone. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama - check website for submission guidelines. R The Evening Street Review The ESR is centered on the belief that all men and women are created equal. Reads poetry/prose submissions year-round. Replies in 3 months or less. Sometimes includes comments. Send 4–6 poems or 1–2 prose piece. 7652 Sawmill Rd., #352, Dublin, OH 43016 or editor@eveningstreetpress.com. For contests and guidelines visit: www.eveningstreetpress.com.

Calls and contest – continued page 10

This contest is being hosted by Cli-Fi Books, which archives and features climate change themed books, short stories, and prose. The contest is also allied with 100,000 Poets for Change, an annual event that thousands of artists and authors, from all over the world, participate in each year. The info and rules are here: Story submission form here: Our Google+ Community group here. By September 27, the day of the event, Mary will have announced the winner and prepared a multimedia presentation at Cli-Fi Books with the winning story and all the photos that people send in. She says she’ll “be sure to capture lots of images in Vancouver as well.”

Grind Writers News June 2014

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Submit.

Lets think about those words non-fiction and creative non-fiction. What an awkward, almost anal, name for a genre that says, “You’re a not-something.” It seems to say, your writing will be tolerated but it’s not fiction (or should that be Fiction with a capital F?) so it’s not quite good enough. And that’s before you put a single word on paper. Farley Mowat’s (yes, perhaps a perilous choice given his delicious maxim to “#### the facts”) work is a good example of the genre. Are we to denegrate his great body of work because it’s not fiction, beccause it’s a non-something? Non-fiction by its very name supports a notion from the days of yore that fiction is the Gold Standard of writing. Maybe that was true back in the mists of time. But it’s not true now. No, we need to invent a word now for this genre that has toiled under the white gloves and pillbox hatted shadow of Fiction lo these many decades. It’s an incredibly popular genre nowadays, this writing that is not a “non-“ but a positive something of its own. It’s time to give non-fiction its due.

(sorry, guys)

Room's Annual Writing Contest: 2014 Deadline: July 15, 2014 Categories: Fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction Prizes Per category --First prize: $500 + publication in Room --Second prize: $250 + publication in Room --Honourable mention: publication on Room's website Judges Saleema Nawaz (Fiction) Sonnet L'Abbé (Poetry) Sarah de Leeuw (Creative NonFiction) For more info: http://www.roommagazine.com/node/59

LISTINGS FOR LITERARY MAGAZINES OF EVERY TYPE, EVERYWHERE, FOR EVERYONE: Ctrl+Click me PLACES FOR WRITERS has interesting

Biography has always been non-fiction (mainly). Now we have memoir, how-to books, travel books, books that give us information we need—like all those child-raising books you read when you become a new parent.

resources. For example, “Places to Publish: Can Lit” and “Publishers – Canada.” Plus continuous updates about who’s looking for what.

Creative truth. Could that be the genre? It’s time the truth had its own name. Time it was a something and not a “non.” Non to non, mes amis.

If you have a piece to place, this

So: send in your suggestions. Email address is on the back page.

hunt.

Grind Writers News June 2014

might be a good place to start the

Like “Name That Tune” only it’s “Name that Genre”

A contest open only to women

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CONTEST — Another kind of contest

Make your life easier M ake your

John Chandler of Allandale training provides a free database of Microsoft Word and Excel and

manuscripts better

Windows tips. These are things that can save

you hours of time (more time to write) and are so handy.

Writing Contest

Prizes total more than $4,600 Deadline: September 12, 2014 Winning entries are printed and sold in an anthology during and after the conference. Got a question? Like to purchase a back issue of our Anthology? Email Contest Coordinator kc dyer at contest@siwc.ca. Details, rules and criteria are here: 2014 SiWC Writing Contest Rules and Guidelines Got a story you want to share? Enter the Surrey International Writers' Conference Writing Contest for a chance at one of the richest contest prize packages around.— why not give it a shot? Enter as often as you like. The contest features blind judging in four categories:

1. SIWC Storyteller's Award 2. SIWC Nonfiction Award 3. SIWC Poetry Award 4. SIWC Writing for Young People Award

Regime magazine - Short stories, poetry & performance writing. Not only do they want your work but they offer that you can tack $20 on your submission and they’ll send you back a detailed one-page critique. Note: do your due diligence. Read it all carefully. Full submission info here Coastal Spectator A new arts-based review and commentary site operating independently out of the U. Vic. We want to publish, on our home site, one new poem each week for a year, so if you have a new piece of work -- that is a haiku or up to 25 lines long -- do submit. Read all about it here. Multimedia journal: 5OVER4 5 OVER 4. New multimedia journal seeks cross-genre work made by jazzy, creative people who embrace the unknown. Poetry videos, multi-media sculpture, hand-stitched book art, JPEGs collaged with audio, sound poems via video chat, interactive projects. Live and online events. Web: 5over4.blogspot.com. Email Monique Avakian: monava9@gmaom Pithead Chapel “An online journal of gutsy narratives” We’re looking for engaging stories told in honest voices. Most of all, we want to feel something. We want to reach the last word and immediately crave more. We want your work to leave a brilliant bruise. Send us your gutsiest narrative and we’ll do our best to get your voice heard. Submission guidelines here.

What are you waiting for?

Grind Writers News June 2014

Ongoing calls cont’d

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Submit.

Subterranean Blue Poetry Subterranean Blue Poetry is an Internet Poetry and Art Publishing Café. We thrive on new original words and New Age art. All poets and their poetry are welcome and we are especially looking for homegrown poets from the Canadian first nations/American Indian Community; Quebec; small town Canada; international poets and anyone who was ever considered “the other.” New Age art offerings are for the masthead of each issue. Read all info here.

Grind Writers Group

We’ve looked at publishing from all sides now This month we wrapped up our ongoing mini-workshops on ways to publish, with sessions on:

Meeting Schedule

The Collaborative Process of Writing & Publishing a Series

WHERE WE MEET

with swashbuckling author of Traitor’s Blade, Sebastien de Castell

The Grind Gallery Café 4124 Main Street at 25th Ave. In the back room   10 am–12:30 pm PLEASE TRY AND BE ON TIME WHEN WE’RE HAVING A MINI WORKSHOP

He was also part of a real “bootcamp” style critique group and he explained how to run one of those for writers who are serious about getting published. He told us about his 8 Expert Readers - "who help you make your strongest book:"

WHY WE MEET

Concept Reader

Industry Reader

HOW WE MEET

Craft Reader,

Market Reader

Literary Reader

Proof Reader

THANKS to Mr & Mrs Kim, the Grind’s owners.

Genre Reader

Distribution Reader

They’ve kindly let us meet in the Back Room for the last 7 years. And cudos to them for their support of the arts in general.

and explained the role of each Reader in the process of getting that manuscript from the author's computer to the bookstore shelf. Read more about Sebastien’s 8 Expert Readers and what each does for you on the Grind Blog here.

The Grind provides gallery space to many local artists.

and then a very informative mini on Indie Print Publishing with André Gerard, founder of Patremoir Press, author of Fathers: A Literary Anthology André talked about why he chose print self (indie) publishing vs his other options, about how Fathers became a massive learning journey – and, of course, a labour of love.

Nobody knows.

Appreciate if you buy something while you’re there to support the Grind and their support of us Please email before you attend for the first time. We occasionally meet outside.

2014

"It took me 10 years from beginning to end.” He walked us through the entire process from creating his manuscript to getting artwork, permissions, quotes for printing it (POD vs hard copies); to distributing and promoting it. André sometimes hired process mentors or professionals, but he's still had to do much of the work himself. Would he do it again? Would you be up for it? Read more about Andre’s indie publishing process on the Grind Blog here.

Grind Writers News June 2014

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Check the Grind Writers blog for dates through to the end of the year

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Sebbastian explained the intricacies of getting a 3-book deal (which he did—with Penguin—first time out!).

free write photo prompt Set the timer. Don’t think it.

Just start writing..

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Keep going No stopping. No editing (that comes later). Just keep going in the flow. Forget everything else and just write. Just write. 15 minutes.