2020 Pennwriters newsletter - The Penn Writer January/February 2020

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the Newsletter oF PeNNwrIters INc. JAN/FeB 2020 • Vol. XXIX No. 1

! n o i t c ea h t n i Jo

TITLE:

THIRTY THIRD ANNUAL

PENNWRITERS CONFERENCE DIRECTOR’S CUT : Taking Your Writing From Concept to Finished Product FRIDAY DINNER KEYNOTE

SATURDAY KEYNOTE

JONATHAN MABERRY DATE:

JON SPRUNK

SCENE:

MAY 15-17, 2020 LANCASTER, PA DOUBLETREE RESORT BY HILTON

THURSDAY, MAY 14, PRE-CON INTENSIVE Novel Writing with Jonathan Maberry So, you want to write a novel. You have a good idea, the storytelling urge, and lots of enthusiasm. So…then what?

This full-day intensive is a crash course in the art and science of creating a high-concept novel.

9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Full-day session (includes lunch) 1- 4 p.m. Afternoon-only session (no lunch included)

FRIDAY, MAY 15 7:30 a.m. Registration Opens 8:30-8:45 a.m. Opening Remarks 9-10 a.m. Workshops 10:15-11:15 a.m. Workshops 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Luncheons (Networking; Published Penns) 1:15-2:15 p.m. Workshops 2:30-3:30 p.m. Workshops 3:45-4:45 p.m. Workshops 5:30-7:30 p.m. Keynote Dinner with Jonathan Maberry 8-10 p.m. Read and Critique Sessions SATURDAY, MAY 16 7:45 a.m. Registration Opens; Breakfast; PW Annual Meeting 9:15-10:15 a.m. Workshops 10:30-11:30 a.m. Workshops 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Keynote Luncheon with Jon Sprunk 1:30-2:30 p.m. Workshops 2:45-3:45 p.m. Workshops 4-5 p.m. Panel with Jonathan Maberry, Nancy Springer, Cindy Callaghan, Louise Fury, and Sandy Lu 5-5:30 p.m. Book Signing 8-11 p.m. Saturday After-Hours Social SUNDAY, MAY 17 8:30-9:30 a.m. Workshops 9:45-10:45 a.m. Workshops 11 a.m.-noon Workshops 12:05 p.m. Closing Ceremonies and Basket Drawings

SEE PAGES 8-10 for more conference info!

Pennwriters Annual Writing Contest is Now Open Short stories! Novels! Poetry! Nonfiction! No matter what you write, if you wish to receive critiques from industry professionals, consider entering Pennwriters Annual Writing Contest.

The winners will be announced at the Pennwriters Conference in May. The PeNNWRITeRS ANNUAL WRITINg coNTeST oPeNed JAN. 1 ANd WILL cLoSe oN JAN. 31 AT mIdNIghT. Visit pennwriterswritingcontest.com to read contest guidelines and to submit your entries.

President’s Column Greetings, Pennwriters! Happy New Year and happy New decade!

The new decade kicks off with some exciting changes at Pennwriters. Our new technology platform is being prepared for launch. It will soon deliver a visually appealing, user-friendly website where you’ll be able to find information, register for events like the Pennwriters Annual Conference, Writers Project Runway, and A Writer’s Roadmap, take online courses, ask questions, and connect with other members, among other things. Please keep an eye out for emails from us.

hilary hauck, Area 4 PresIDeNt

As the new site uses a different platform from our previous site, user passwords will not be carried over. We kindly ask you to follow the instructions in the email to create a new sign in and update your profile.

We apologize for the inconvenience, but we sincerely hope you’ll find it to be worth the effort. Immense thanks for the team working tirelessly to prepare the new online platform: Sue Fobes, Stephanie Claypool, Sue Gourley, and Sandy Bush.

We truly hope the new website will enhance your Pennwriters membership experience online, and we also hope you’ll remain committed to in-person events. In-person meetings have always been a vital part of Pennwriters.

If you don’t have a group in your local area, perhaps you could consider creating one. Contact your Area Rep to find out how.

Another big change is that the Pennwriters Annual Conference in Lancaster has a new home! The 33rd Annual Pennwriters Conference will be held May 14-17 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, which offers all the amenities we need, ample event space, and more affortable room rates, similar to the cost of our conference hotel in Pittsburgh.

NotIce: Publication herein of articles, interviews, and news concerning markets, contests, seminars, classes, etc., does not imply an endorsement, recommendation or any warranty given by Pennwriters, Inc. readers are urged to determine for themselves the reliability, integrity, and financial responsibility of those with whom they deal.

The contents of this newsletter are copyrighted ©2019 by Pennwriters, Inc. All rights are reserved. Permission to photocopy is expressly denied. All rights revert to individual authors immediately upon publication. Any time you change your mailing address or email address, please notify Jackie shaffmaster at treasurer@Pennwriters.org. we thank you in advance for helping to keep our member roster current.

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I, for one, am really looking forward to hearing our Friday night keynote speaker, Jonathan Maberry, recount his V-WARS journey, from book to Netflix series. Jonathan will also share his extensive knowledge on novel-writing in a full-day pre-conference intensive. Check our website regularly for Conference updates and follow the Pennwriters Annual Conference Facebook page for the latest news and registration info.

In Pennwriters board news, we welcome Lori Foster as Area 2 Rep. Since joining Pennwriters, Lori has been very active and engaged with the Pennwriters community. We are delighted to have her on the board.

In 2019, online course coordinator and Internet activities coordinator Pauline Drozeski stepped down. Pauline organized an outstanding schedule of classes covering a myriad of themes, by talented and knowledgeable instructors. She also took care of the Pennwriters Yahoo groups and was 2019 Conference Co-Coordinator. I thank Pauline for her years of hard work and dedication to Pennwriters and wish her well in all her future endeavors.

the PeNN wrIter • January/February 2020 • www.pennwriters.org

Board of Directors Best of luck to everyone entering the Pennwriters Annual Writing Contest this month. Submissions for our four categories—Novel Beginnings, Non Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story—are being accepted through Jan. 31.

Not only are there excellent prizes at stake, we also encourage our judges to provide feedback to all entries.

I hope you’ll also continue to learn in the new year. I’m delighted that Sandra Gould Ford is joining our faculty of online course instructors. Author, artist, and educator, Sandra has shared her expertise and art on a national level. Her class, “How to Write a Sonnet (Writing Valentine poems),” in January will appeal to poets and non-poets alike, because, as Sandra tells us, rhythm and rhyme required to create sonnets will stimulate the brain and help all writing, from business letters to fantasy fiction.

In February, Pennwriters regular and favorite Catherine McClean will help you “Make that Pitch,” sharing her simple, flexible guide that quickly gets you to the gold nuggets of information you need to market your work.

We have plenty of opportunities lined up to get together, learn, grow, and succeed. Thank you for making this journey with us!

President Hilary Hauck, 814-659-6191 President@Pennwriters.org Vice President Bobbi Carducci 540-338-5064 & 540-903-6831 VicePresident@Pennwriters.org Secretary Susan Gourley Secretary@Pennwriters.org Treasurer Jackie Shaffmaster, 570-878-7056 Treasurer@Pennwriters.org Author Advocate Ayleen Gontz, 717-359-9279 AuthorAdvocate@Pennwriters.org Acting Webmaster Susan Fobes Webmaster@Pennwriters.org Newsletter editor Heather Desuta, 412-337-6966 Newsletter@Pennwriters.org 2020 conference coordinators Leslie Tobin Smeltz and Ayleen Gontz ConferenceCoordinator@Pennwriters.org Interim Public Relations chair Suzanne Mattaboni PublicRelations@Pennwriters.org Bylaws chair Jean Jenkins, 814-774-0557 BylawsChair@Pennwriters.org

Pennwrite on!

-Hilary

Internet Activities coordinator and online courses coordinator position open OnlineCoordinator@Pennwriters.org

Pennwriters Online website: www.pennwriters.org Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pennwriters/join Facebook Groups: Pennwriters; Pennwriters Annual conference You can also join the Pennwriters linkedIn group and follow us on twitter.

Pennwriters Presents coordinator Denise Weaver, 814-442-4876 PennwritersPresents@Pennwriters.org election chair Dave Freas ElectionChair@Pennwriters.org Annual Writing contest coordinator D.J. Stevenson WritingContestCoordinator@Pennwriters.org coordinator of Area Reps (cAR) Annette Dashofy CAR@Pennwriters.org AReA 1 Rep: Todd Main 814-459-8752, Area1Rep@Pennwriters.org AReA 2 Rep: Lori Foster Area2Rep@Pennwriters.org AReA 3 Rep: Stephanie Claypool Area3Rep@Pennwriters.org AReA 4 Rep: Denise Weaver Area4Rep@Pennwriters.org AReA 5 Rep: Sandra Bush 717-891-6412, Area5Rep@Pennwriters.org AReA 6 Rep: Suzanne Mattaboni Area6Rep@Pennwriters.org AReA 7 Rep: Terry Friedman 610-331-2558 & 843-236-8189 Area7Rep@Pennwriters.org

PW Areas Map

All areas outside of Pennsylvania are Area 7

the PeNN wrIter • January/February 2020 • www.pennwriters.org

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Pennwriters Member News & Accomplishments to shAre Your MeMBer News, email Newsletter@Pennwriters.org with “Pennwriter submission” in the subject line. Please include your Pennwriters Area # in the message.

Area 1 Annette Dashofy’s next release, UNDeR THe RADAR, will be released in February. This is the 9th Zoe Chambers novel!

Paramedic and deputy coroner Zoe Chambers responds to a shooting and discovers her longtime friend, Horace Pavelka, has gunned down a man who’d bullied him mercilessly for decades. ruled self-defense, no charges are filed. When another of his tormentors turns up dead in Horace’s kitchen, Police Chief Pete Adams questions the man’s innocence in both cases... especially after Horace and his girlfriend go into hiding.

While fighting to clear her friend, Zoe is handed the opportunity to finally learn what really happened to her long-lost sibling. What starts out as a quick road trip on a quest for answers leads her to an unfamiliar city in the middle of a november blizzard, where she finds way more trouble than she bargained for. Pete’s own search for his missing fiancée and a missing murderer ultimately traps him in a web of deception. Face-to-face with one of the most cunning and deadly killers of his law enforcement career, Pete realizes too late that this confrontation may well be his last.

Learn more at: www.annettedashofy.com; https://www.facebook.com/annette.dashofy/; https://twitter.com/Annette_Dashofy.

Area 1 Judy Ann Davis released two novellas in her “Musical Christmas Series,” titled JUNe ~ THe PIANIST AND ADeLeNe ~ THe VIOLINIST. Both are contemporary romances with a hint of mystery and set in the fictional town of Bluestone Bluff, New York.

JUNe ~ THe PIANIST: A sweet Christmas novella to warm your heart! When concert pianist June Westberry inherits her late grandfather’s music shop, she returns to her small hometown in new york to renovate and run it. But she never expects to clash with the town’s ornery old music teacher, nettie Jones, who demands she find a lost, 50-year-old holiday musical score. Single parent and contractor, Leo Ciaffonni, enjoys restoring old buildings, and the A# Music Shop with 4

its pretty new owner is no exception. When he’s injured, June finds herself caring for Leo and helping his little daughter bake cookies for her class. As the holidays close in and the shop’s renovations continue, the problems June tries hard to solve only seem to become more chaotic. A# Music Shop is broken into. A harvest recital for her new students requires multifaceted planning. And the perpetrator and the lost musical score have not been found. Will she be able to find peace and order in her new life this Christmas—and the love she’s always dreamed of?

Both books are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play and other sale sites.

Visit https://judyanndavis.blogspot.com for more details.

Area 4 Jen Delozier, writing as J.L. Delozier, will release CON Me ONCe on Feb 5. Her previous novels include STORM SHeLTeR, the awardnominated TYPe & CROSS, and BLOOD TYPe X. “Con Me onCe combines the fun of Marvel with the darkness of DC and the mafia drama of Scorsese.”

-H.P. Holo, author, THe GorDiAn ProToCoL “Con Me onCe is a fast-paced ride full of entertaining characters, rich settings, and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Mob bosses, spy tech, and caped crusaders abound, but the real heart of this story is a friendship that has stood the test of time. Clear your schedule—once you start, you won't want to put it down.” -Sarah Stephens, author, iT WAS ALWAyS you

the PeNN wrIter • January/February 2020 • www.pennwriters.org

Jen has practiced rural and disaster medicine for 25 years.

For inspiration, she turns to science that exists on the edge of reality—bizarre medical anomalies, new genetic discoveries, and anything that seems too weird to be true.

She’s published three thrillers, the first of which was nominated for a “Best First Novel” award by the International Thriller Writers organization. Her short fiction has appeared in the British crime anthology, noirville: Tales from the Dark Side, in NoirCon’s official journal, retreats from oblivion, and in Thriller Magazine.

Her first sci-fi short story won the “Women Hold Up Half the Sky” prize of the Roswell Award and appeared in ARTeMIS JOURNAL. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and three rescue cats. Visit her online at www.jldelozier.com; www.Facebook.com/jldeloziermd; www.Twitter.com/jldelozier.

Area 5 Nancy A. Hughes recently released her fifth mystery novel, THe INNOCeNT HOUR, the sequel to her debut novel, THe DYING HOUR, both published by Black Opal Books.

Vietnam veteran Charlie Alderfer, having defied the odds and regained his health in the VA’s hospice, goes home to resume his well-earned retirement. He hires Ben, an 18-year-old high school senior, to help with heavier chores. The poor, shy kid is a hard-working athlete whom teachers, coaches, classmates and their parents adore. until—Ben’s adoptive parents accuse him of assaulting their ten-year-old bio-daughter. The police and DA, pressured to close 90% of their cases without a trial, lie and terrorize Ben into pleading guilty to something. in return, they’ll make the charges go away. otherwise, he’d go to a super-max prison, labeled a sexual predator. Honest Ben believes them, and makes something up about his early childhood. Charlie, shocked to read the guilty plea in the newspaper, extracts the story from Ben, who has no idea why his parents and the police would do this to him. outraged, Charlie takes Ben to the leading polygraph expert who verifies what Charlie knows of his character. But his family, police and DA refuse to back down. And the test isn’t admissible in court. Charlie hires a criminal lawyer who withdraws the guilty plea. But Ben’s only defense is his word against a sweet little girl’s, which no jury would buy. outraged by the impending

Pennwriters Annual Writing Contest is

NOW OPEN For contest guidelines and to submit your entries, visit

pennwriterswritingcontest.com

miscarriage of justice, Charlie digs into the case, researching the players, their motives, and holes in the prosecution’s case.

He’s appalled that everyone lies, except Ben. Charlie could not anticipate that his digging would expose Ben and himself to mortal danger from a much larger criminal enterprise in progress.

Nancy’s novels are available through Amazon, or ask for them at your favorite bookstore.

Area 4 Jim Lee has learned a valuable lesson about not taking publishing schedules too much for granted.

Neither of the stories that were supposed to be released in September actually appeared. At the last minute, the editors at Sci Phi Journal, decided his satirical SF story “Alien Mating Habits: A Brief Overview” would work better in the December issue, so it should be online by the time you read this. (They did pay him as expected in mid-September, though.) The STRANGe STORIeS anthology that will include Jim’s fantasy/SF blend “Death of a Controversial Word Wizard” has now been repeatedly delayed. He's been assured by the first-time publishers that it will come out, just when is not certain.

the PeNN wrIter • January/February 2020 • www.pennwriters.org

Area 3 Heidi Ruby Miller's third article with The Writer magazine is in the January 2020 issue. It's titled “The In-Betweeners” and is based on one of her classes about the years between middle grade and young adult fiction for Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction MFA Program 5

Remove Your Filters

BY KAthY otteN, AreA 1

What are filters?

Filters, at they pertain to the craft of writing, are words in a sentence that create a kind of barrier, separating the reader from the immediacy of the scene. They are subtle reminders to the reader that they are observing the action rather than experiencing it along with the character.

As writers, we want to involve our readers in the scene.

We want them to connect with our characters. Once they do, they will stick with those characters to the last page.

Here is a list of filter words I keep on a sticky note beside my computer: Thought Realized Hoped Wondered Decided Watched Noticed Knew Remembered Reminded Saw Seemed Smelled Heard Felt Started to Began to Those words don’t need to be removed from your manuscript every time you see one, but think about whether you need them each time. Read your sentence aloud, omitting those filter words. If the sentence sounds fine without them, delete them.

Filter words can usually be spotted paired with the character’s name or a pronoun. She was stomping snow off her boots when she heard her phone ring. What are the filter words? She heard. The author is telling the reader what this character heard. If this is the viewpoint character for the scene, the reader is already in her head. The reader hears what she hears. A good revision would be this: She was stomping snow off her boots when her phone rang.

Try this one. He thought back to when his mom baked and remembered the scents of fresh bread and cinnamon. He thought. He remembered. A good revision would be this: When his mom used to bake, the kitchen was filled with the aromas of fresh bread and cinnamon. Can you see how much more active the sentence is without the filters?

Here’s an easy one. it began to rain.Take away the filter “began to.” What’s left has become rather simple. It rained.

Pretty boring. Now you have room to make the sentence your own. Let your author voice come through.

Rain poured down in giant drops that bounced off the picnic table and pelted the roof of the gazebo.

How many filter words can you find in this passage?

He stared through the open window and saw a cat dart under a picnic table. He noticed the way its tail swished back and forth, back and forth. it reminded him of the pendulum on his 6

grandfather’s clock. A gust blew in and he felt the cold wet hit his face. He stared. He saw. In his point-of-view, the reader sees what he sees—the cat. Noticed—not needed, because the reader is in this character’s point-of-view. Who else would be noticing the cat? Remind—again, when the reader is in the character’s POV, he or she knows who is remembering and thinking. Felt—since the rain is hitting his face, the reader doesn’t need to be told that he can feel it. Show. Don’t tell.

How would you rewrite the paragraph once the filters are removed?

An aside about the word felt. When it’s being used as a tactile word, it is being used correctly. Remember to look for a name or pronoun in front of it. Here is an example of felt as a filter word. Jane felt the best thing to do was to tell the teacher. Jane felt. A good rewrite would be this: The best thing to do was to tell the teacher.

Here is an example of felt as a tactile word. Her damp skin felt cool beneath his fingertips. That is the correct usage of the word felt, the sensation of touch.

These pesky filter words—thought, realized, hoped, wondered, decided, watched, noticed, knew, remembered, reminded, saw, seemed, smelled, heard, felt, started to, began to—can easily sneak into your manuscript. Don’t let yourself get bogged down with a search for these words when you’re still creating and rewriting. It’s more important to create your story and develop your characters. Wait until the revision process, then go through your manuscript again. This step—taking the time to search, delete and revise—will give your story the extra polish it needs to shine. Happy writing.

Kathy otten writes about wounded heroes and feisty heroines. her civil war novel, A PlAce IN Your heArt, was a Northwest houston rwA lone star winner, and her historical western lost heArts was a utah/salt lake rwA hearts of the west finalist. she also teaches fiction writing and is available for manuscript evaluations and editing.

Visit her online at kathyottenauthor.com or kathy@kathyotten.com.

the PeNN wrIter • January/February 2020 • www.pennwriters.org

Part One: Jump Start Your Writing with Articles

BY DIANe heleNtJArIs, AreA 7

There are millions of non-fiction articles filling electronic devices everywhere and the paper publications of old school folks. Blogs, newspapers, magazines, newsletters, websites – all need fodder (or “content”) on a regular basis. Providing this kind of writing can benefit You, the Writer, in ways you may never have dreamed.

Article writing can quickly move you to “published” status. For example, if you desire to become one of Pennwriters’ “Pubbed Pens,” you could achieve this by having a book published, but you can also do it by publishing multiple articles. Achieving publication lends credibility and panache to your writing. You’ll feel more confident calling yourself a writer after your words have been put into print.

Article writers can quickly create a collection of work samples. This gets you over the hump of having no work to share with potential publishers and agents. In addition, you will demonstrate flexibility if you write articles as well as short stories, novels or poems.

Articles offer small victories, but also smaller defeats.

Articles are, by definition, short and usually evanescent.

This makes the world of article writing a rather forgiving arena for errors.

Getting an assignment to write an article is straightforward. An email query, sometimes including proposed photographs and other illustrations, gets the ball rolling. Other assignments might come by phone or in-person conversations. No need for an agent and no need for a complicated proposal. I’ve received a positive response to an email query within hours of hitting “Send” when the topic was a timely match to the publication’s needs. After you publish a few articles, you may become an established contributor to a print publication or online site. Busy editors, trusting you, will often suggest several topics at once for future articles or ask you for a list of topics. They do not need nor want to see an outline or details—just the final copy, please. This lets you concentrate on your writing and not spend a lot of time chasing potential outlets for your talent.

Article writing pays money – not a lot, but some.

This money can be used to fund a portion of your writing expenses such as a research trip, professional membership fees, or at least an ink cartridge or two.

Article writing offers room to experiment with writing styles. By writing for a variety of outlets, you learn to adapt your work to different audiences. each publication has its own style. Article writers need to be flexible. Vocabulary, literacy level, sentence structure and even layouts vary.

You can become a virtuoso.

Article writers have an excuse to explore topics that intrigue them. Maybe you are writing a novel about a World War II American pilot who crashed in Belgium. In researching your novel, you have learned about all sorts of things of which you knew nothing beforehand. Turn those topics into articles, and let your research do double duty.

Write about Antwerp or 20th century Belgian lace. Have fun.

Article writing can let you practice marketing and develop a platform. Most social media sites, especially the “professional” ones, beg the user to promote material for a relatively low cost. These options can help you understand advertising’s potential impact. Promote an article and learn what it costs to get your material out in front of a thousand people. For example, Facebook will promote a post for around $10 for 5 days. You’ll get stats on the results. You can tailor the ad audience by interest and geographic location.

Have you thought about that? Where are your targets living and what do they like? If you develop a niche for your article writing—a single topic you like to write about or publication you like to write for, you may also grow an audience which can translate into a platform for other work.

Article writing can set the stage for your book and other larger works. Putting together articles develops transferable skills. Learning to organize your material, whether you use software or shoeboxes, is always important.

Interviewing skills help in putting together a book just as well as an article. Ferreting out compelling copyright-free images is a skill well worth having.

Not only will you learn to work effectively with editors and readers, you also will get feedback.

Article writing can be used to test the water for intriguing ideas, styles, and topics before you commit to a larger work.

What resonates with readers may surprise you. Better to find out now, after devoting a few days to a subject for an article, than after a few years to a novel.

Coming in the March/April newsletter: Part Two: How to Get Started Writing Articles

the PeNN wrIter • January/February 2020 • www.pennwriters.org

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About the 2020 Annual Pennwriters Conference OPTIONAL ADD-ONS:

BASE CONFERENCE FEES—

THREE-DAY CONFERENCE (Friday through Sunday) Members: $299 through April 1 / $329 after April 1 Nonmembers: $384 • 40+ workshops and sessions to choose from • Buffet breakfast (Saturday) • Keynote lunch with Jon Sprunk (Saturday) • Agent pitch sessions** • “Your Agent For 20 Minutes” appointments ** • Friday evening read-&-critiques** • Book signing (Saturday)

one-day options also available—

FRIDAY ONLY (no meals included) Members: $119 through April 1 / $149 after April 1 Nonmembers: $174 for nonmembers • 20 workshops to choose from • Agent pitch sessions ** • “Your Agent For 20 Minutes” appointments ** • Friday evening read-&-critiques **

SATURDAY ONLY (w/ breakfast & keynote lunch) Members: $159 through April 1 / $189 after April 1 Nonmembers: $239 • 20 workshops to choose from • Buffet breakfast • Keynote lunch with Jon Sprunk • Agent pitch sessions ** • “Your Agent For 20 Minutes” appointments ** • Book Signing

SUNDAY ONLY (half day, no meals) Members: $60 / Nonmembers: $75 • 9 workshops to choose from

Also available: BECOME A MEMBER OPTION: Join Pennwriters at our regular price ($55) when you register for the conference to get the member prices.

** first come, first scheduled

Pricing and schedule are subject to change

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THURSDAY, MAY 14, PRE-CONFERENCE INTENSIVE Novel Writing with Jonathan Maberry So, you want to write a novel. You have a good idea, the storytelling urge, and lots of enthusiasm. So…then what?

This full-day intensive is a crash course in the art and science of creating a high-concept novel. In the morning, we’ll explore how to develop an idea into a plot; how to write a flexible and workable outline; and how the three-act structure fits into the novel. We’ll also talk about developing complex characters, structuring scenes, writing dialog and POV, and doing research to give your novel a strong backbone. In the afternoon, we’ll move on to preparing for the revision process, writing the synopsis, prepping the book pitch, and all the other “writing” that happens once your book is finished. Through it all, we’ll discuss setting useful and stress-free work habits, setting realistic daily word counts and goals, coping with imposter syndrome and insecurity, and managing expectations for a first draft... And much more.

Two options available: 1) Full day session, 9 am-4 pm (includes lunch): $175 for Pennwriters / $199 for nonmembers 2) Afternoon only, 1 pm-4 pm (no lunch included): $75 / $99 for nonmembers

FRIDAY NETWORKING LUNCHEON with our agents and keynotes $28 for Pennwriters / $35 for nonmembers

FRIDAY PUBLISHED PENNS LUNCHEON with Nancy Springer $28 for Published Penns ONLY

FRIDAY KEYNOTE DINNER with Jonathan Maberry $50 for Pennwriters / $65 for nonmembers

SATURDAY AFTER-HOURS SOCIAL Theme: “Wipe Out!” Wear your loudest Hawaiian shirt and join us for a colorful evening. Cash bar on hand, but your ticket comes with a drink or two. Admission: $20

NON-WRITER GUESTS Meals-only options for companions: Friday dinner: $65 Friday lunch: $35 Saturday breakfast and lunch: $70 Saturday After-Hours Social: $20

the PeNN wrIter • January/February 2020 • www.pennwriters.org

DIRECT ACCESS TO LITERARY AGENTS & EDITORS

GUEST AGENTS & EDITORS

Pitch Sessions: One-on-one agent/editor appointments are available at no additional fee. When you register for the conference, writers with finished manuscripts will be able to sign up for 10-minute pitch sessions.

Ronald Gerber / Lowenstein Associates Ronald joined Lowenstein Associates in 2019 as a literary agent and manager of foreign rights, permissions, and contracts, following several years in literary scouting. He is currently building his list in both fiction and nonfiction, focusing on cinematic stories with strong hooks and relatable characters. Ronald is a graduate of Bard College at Simon’s Rock and received his B.A., summa cum laude with high honors, from Clark University. He is a proud native New Yorker. You can find him on Twitter (@Daysleeper95).

Ronald is looking for: Contemporary and historical fiction; Thriller/mystery/detective; Romance; Grounded sci-fi; Short stories; Memoir/biography; Narrative nonfiction; Middle grade. He does not represent: Christian; Erotica; Poetry; Puzzles and Games; Business/investment; Craft/Hobbies/DIY; Health/diet; Technical/How-to; Texbooks; Picture books; Stage plays/screenplays.

Agents will also be leading workshop sessions and participating in panel discussions. Bring your questions about the publishing process and hear these experts talk about the state of the industry.

Agents and editors are also part of our Friday night readand-critique sessions, where you can get feedback on your writing from industry pros.

PLUS... YOUR AGENT FOR 20 MINUTES Want an agent to answer your questions or read your material right now? When you sign with a literary agent, your agent becomes your business partner, often providing you with insight, strategy, and expertise to grow and manage your writing career. This is an exclusive opportunity to meet with literary agent Louise Fury of The Bent Agency or Sandy Lu of the L. Perkins Agency for 20 minutes on a one-on-one basis. In this time, Louise and Sandy will use their experiences to relay opinions and answers to your industry-related questions, and/or review related material, such as the first 5 pages (max) of your manuscript, your query letter, or your synopsis. Please bring printed copies.

There is no extra fee to participate, but the number of slots is limited to 48, and they will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Note these are NOT pitch sessions and neither Louise, Sandy, or Pennwriters can guarantee publication.

All material needs to be double spaced and in 12-pt font.

Sandy Lu / L. Perkins Agency Sandy is looking for submissions that will draw her in with a unique voice, make her miss her subway stop and keep her up all night. She especially loves historical fiction and anything dark, twisted, or with a supernatural bent.

Commercial and upmarket fiction, mystery/crime, thriller, horror, sci-fi/fantasy, and YA. Non-fiction: narrative, history, biography, science, and pop culture.

Louise Fury / The Bent Agency Louise is looking for writers with a unique voice and an unforgettable story, whether it be for kids or adults, fiction or nonfiction. “I’m particularly drawn to manuscripts that are written with an unforgettable voice—this can be deep, dark and gritty or literary, lyrical and emotional. I love unique or unusual formatting as well as art and/or graphics.

Both fiction and nonfiction.” She is also interested in Graphic novels, mysteries and thrillers. “I want highconcept ideas, sports books, humor and pop culture manuscripts. I also love cooking and craft books.”

We will be announcing more agents and editors on our website and Facebook page. Lineup subject to change.

KEYNOTES: Friday Evening Keynote JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times bestselling author, five-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, and comic book writer. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, is in production as a Netflix original series, to debut this Fall, starring Ian Somerhalder. Jonathan writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and action, and he writes for adults, teens, and middle grade. His works include the Joe Ledger thrillers, GLIMPSE, the ROT & RUIN series, the DEAD OF NIGHT series, THE WOLFMAN, X-FILES ORIGINS: DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, MARS ONE, and more. He is the editor of high-profile anthologies including THE X-FILES, ALIENS: BUG HUNT, OUT OF TUNE, NEW SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK, BAKER STREET IRREGULARS, NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD, and others. Several of his works are in development for film and TV. His ROT & RUIN books are being produced as webcomics. He is a board member of the Horror Writers Association and president of the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. He lives in Del Mar, California.

continued on next page...

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Saturday Luncheon Keynote JON SPRUNK is the author of Book of the Black Earth fantasy series (BLOOD AND IRON, STORM AND STEEL, BLADE AND BONE) and the Shadow Saga (SHADOW’S SON, SHADOW’S LURE, SHADOW’S MASTER).

SHADOW’S SON was a finalist for the Compton Crook Award and a nominee for the David Gemmell Award in two categories. Jon attended Lock Haven University where he received his BA in English.

He set out after graduation to become a “serious writer.”

When his first fantasy novel failed to find a publisher, he sought gainful employment in the real world. After a decade of numerous jobs and much soul-searching, he returned to writing and joined Pennwriters. In June 2009, he signed a multi book deal with Pyr Books, finally enjoying some long awaited success. Jon lives in central Pennsylvania with his wife and son. When not writing, he enjoys travel, collecting medieval and ancient weaponry, and pro football.

Friday Published Penns Luncheon Speaker NANCY SPRINGER is a longtime member of Pennwriters and a professional fiction writer who has passed the fifty-book milestone, having written that many novels in genres including mythic fantasy, contemporary fiction, magical realism, and mystery. She has collected starred reviews and other honors until it is no use mentioning them anymore, except maybe for those two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America. Her latest release is GRAND GHOST, women’s literature with a paranormal twist. But her most popular works, no contest, are a series of short novels about Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister. The first ENOLA HOLMES feature film is coming in 2020 from Legendary Productions. Emmy-nominated actress Millie Bobby Brown stars in the brilliant, devious, and daring role of Enola.

CONFERENCE LOCATION AND LODGING DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Lancaster 2400 Willow Street Pike, Lancaster, PA 17602 (717) 464-2711 $115 plus tax per night

Conference Volunteers Needed If you plan to attend the 2020 Pennwriters Conference, please consider volunteering. We have a number of opportunities.

Many jobs take only a few minutes, while others may take more. Positions are available prior to and during the conference. In addition to getting to see what happens behind the scenes, you can interact and network with many accomplished authors and speakers. Some jobs even pair you with agents or editors. MoDeRAToRS introduce a session speaker by reading a short bio (already written and provided to you) and distribute handouts if necessary. TiMeKeePeRS for agent/editor pitch appointments keep the 10-minute sessions running smoothly. PeNN PALS greet agents, editors and speakers, pass out materials and answer questions that arise throughout the event. We will also need a few people to work the ReGiSTRATioN DeSK on Friday and/or Saturday morning. To volunteer for any of these positions or offer help with other tasks, contact Leslie and Ayleen at conferencecoordinator@pennwriters.org.

It’s Pennwriters Election Time

BY DAVe FreAs, electIoN chAIr

In order to send you your online ballot, a current email address must be in our database. Anyone who is unsure can send a quick email to quillracer@pa.metrocast.net with “current email” in the subject line.

Hello, Pennwriters Members. It’s that time of year for elections again. Offices to be filled include President, Vice President, Area 1 Representative, Area 3 Representative, Area 5 Representative, and Area 7 Representative. Anyone interested in running for these offices needs to get a photo (preferably a headshot) and brief bio (approx. 200 words) to me no later than Feb. 1, so your Luddite election chair has oodles of time to put the online ballot together. All members will be able to vote for the President, Vice President, and recipient of the Meritorious Service Award. Members in Area 1, Area 3, Area 5, and Area 7 will also be voting for their area representative. If you are unsure of your area, see the map on Pennwriters website. You will receive the ballot during the first week of March, and the voting will remain open until March 28. If you have questions about the election or voting, please contact the election Chair, Dave Freas at quillracer@pa.metrocast.net.

OPEN POSITION: Online Courses Coordinator We are looking for a volunteer to join the Pennwriters Board as Online Courses Coordinator. For details on what the position entails, please email Hilary at President@Pennwriters.org.

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the PeNN wrIter • January/February 2020 • www.pennwriters.org

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January – How to Write a Sonnet (Writing Valentine poems) with Sandra Gould Ford Learn how to craft a good poem. Each of the 60+ types of poems has its own rules, from the nursery rhyme and limerick to the haiku and palindrome. While we tend to think of sonnets as Shakespearian, with lots of thees and thous, sonnet-writing is still relevant today. The rhythm and rhyme required to create sonnets will stimulate the brain and help all writing, from business letters to fantasy fiction.

March – Historical Fiction with Kathy Otten

September – Flash Fiction with Timons Esaias

April – to be announced

October – Win NaNoWriMo: Part I – Prepare Organize time and space, materials and ideas with Sandra Gould Ford

February – MAKE THAT PITCH – Conference Read and Critique Sessions with Catherine McLean **SEE BELOW**

August – Quilting 101: Plotting from Scratch Using Relationship Arcs with Suzanne Johnson

May – join us (in person) at the annual Pennwriters Conference in Lancaster!

June – Creating A Cast of ThreeDimensional Characters with Annette Dashofy July – TBA with instructor Deanna Adams

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November – Win NaNoWriMo: Part II – Produce From Nov. 1 through Nov. 30, average 8 pages a day of cohesive, organized, 50,000-word-plus drafts with Sandra Gould Ford December – no classes, Happy Holidays!

Visit w w w. p e n nw r i te r s . o r g for details and to register for courses.

Make that Pitch • February 1-29, 2020

BY cAtherINe e. McleAN, AreA 1, worKshoP INstructor

Quiz: which of these is not a pitch? a) A query letter; b) A full synopsis; c) An elevator Pitch; d) Back cover copy for a book, anthology, etc.; e) Brief synopsis; f ) Business Card; g) Descriptive summary for a book publisher; h) Full synopsis; i) Handouts, i.e. brochures, newsletters, book marks, post cards; j) Log Line or Tag Line; k) Query paragraph synopsis Okay, that was a trick question. All of the above are pitches.

For writers, a pitch is about selling or promoting something to someone, thus a pitch takes many forms. However, many writers think creating an effective pitch is equivalent to wearing a blindfold and pitching horseshoes at a stake. The hope is that what is presented as a pitch will favorably impact the targeted agent, editor, or reader. The reality is that misses outnumber hits. It's not about condensing or distilling things. It's about knowing and recognizing the specific kernels of information that are vital to get a desired response—be that response from an agent, an editor, a publisher, or a reader.

Whether you're just starting out on the road to publication or are ready to market your fiction, knowing how to put together a variety of effective pitch is a necessity.

Act now and take advantage of Pennwriters month-long online course “Make That Pitch,” February 1-29.

I teach this hands-on course with real-time help. Find out why I’m called the "Pitch Doctor." Visit me online at www.Catherineemclean.com and www.WritersCheatSheets.com ) To be notified when registration opens, email OnlineCoodinator@pennwriters.org.

INSTRUCTOR BIO: Novelist and short story author Catherine e. McLean has given many online courses and workshops on the craft of writing fiction. Her nonfiction book for writers is ReVISION IS A PROCeSS - HOW TO TAKe THe FRUSTRATION OUT OF SeLF-eDITING. Connect with Catherine at www.Catherineemclean.com, her writers blog at writerscheatsheets.blogspot.com, and her website for writers at WritersCheatSheets.com. the PeNN wrIter • January/February 2020 • www.pennwriters.org

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Area 1

Area 4

todd Main • Area 1 representative 814-459-8752 • Area1rep@Pennwriters.org

Denise weaver • Area 4 representative Area4rep@Pennwriters.org

Meadville Vicinity Pennwriters (MVP) meets 1st saturday, 1-4 p.m. at Java tree cafe, 217 chestnut st. contact Janet wells at wellswoodjanet@gmail.com.

the Inkwell (Altoona Area) meetings have moved to the FIrst tuesDAY of each month, with dinner at 6 p.m. and the meeting at 7:15. the location remains the same at Marzoni's Brick oven and Brewery in Duncansville. contact Denise at Area4rep@Pennwriters.org.

erie Vicinity Pennwriters (eVP) Note two MeetINGs •Meets 2nd saturday, 1-4 p.m. at whole Foods coop (1341 west 26th st., erie – Intersection of 26th street and Brown Avenue) •Meets 4th saturday, 1-4 p.m. at Barnes & Noble on Peach street.

For both, contact todd Main at todd_main@steris.com. shenango Valley Pennwriters (sVP) meets 3rd saturday, 1-4 p.m. at the community library of shenango Valley in sharon. contact catherine Mclean at catherinemclean00@gmail.com.

Fellowship of the Quill (FotQ) meets every thursday, 6:30-10 p.m. at hoss’s (3302 west 26th street, erie). contact todd Main at todd_main@steris.com. corry Vicinity Pennwriters (cVP) meets 1st Mondays, 6:30-9 p.m. at tim horton’s, 7 e. columbus Ave., corry. contact Kathy otten at jersey.vt.1774@hotmail.com.

North east Vicinity Pennwriters (NVP) meets 1st and 3rd saturdays, 1-4 p.m. at Mccord library in North east. leader is Mary ellen humphrey.

the southern Alleghenies writers Guild (Johnstown, PA) Meets 3rd saturdays from noon-3 p.m. contact Jim lee at 814-442-1241 or jimlee.author@gmail.com.

Additional groups meeting in State College: ollI writer's Group meets monthly at the schlow library (211 s. Allen st.). contact rita lumpkins at ritalouise@gmail.com.

Nittany Valley writers Network meets 2nd tuesdays from 6-7:30 p.m. at schlow library.

Nittany Valley writers Network: the early risers meets 3rd wednesday from 7-8 a.m. at the waffle shop on w. college Avenue.

Nittany Valley writers Network: social meets 4th tuesdays from 5:30-7 p.m. at Mad Mex restaurant (240 s. Pugh st.).

Area 6 suzanne Mattaboni • Area 6 representative •Area6rep@Pennwriters.org twin rivers writers Group let’s welcome the twin rivers writers Group as an official Pennwriters critique group. the group meets at 7 p.m. on the third wednesday of every month at the springtown Fire company Building, 3010 PA route 212, hellertown, PA. check out their Facebook page or website: www.twIwG.org. they’re looking to expand membership in their core group. Please contact Area 6 rep suzanne Mattaboni at suzanne@mattaboni.com if you’re in the lehigh Valley/Quakertown/hellertown/upper Bucks county area and would like to join them.

If you are interested in forming a group, contact suzanne.

Area 7

Area 5 sandra Bush • Area 5 representative Area5rep@Pennwriters.org If you are interested in starting a group, contact sandy Bush at Area5rep@pennwriters.org. harrisburg Area Group critique structure: Bring 10 copies of up to 5 pages, double-spaced. All genres welcome.

Meets 4th wednesdays from 6-9 p.m. at the New cumberland library’s back annex (1 Benjamin Plaza, New cumberland). contact carrie Jacobs at carrieinpa@gmail.com or Facebook.com/4thwednesday.

terry Friedman • Area 7 representative 610-331-2558 • Area7rep@Pennwriters.org Blue ridge Group (Virginia) Meetings include critique on request, sharing resources, writing exercises and discussion. Beginning to multi-published writers welcome. Meets 2nd & 4th wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. at the Purcellville library in Purcellville, Virginia. contact Bobbi carducci at VicePresident@Pennwriters.org.

Northern Delaware Group Meetings will be held monthly. All levels of experience are welcome.

For details, email cindy callaghan at callaghancindy@gmail.com.

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Area 2 lori Foster• Area 2 representative •Area2rep@Pennwriters.org Danville Group Meets 1st and 3rd wednesdays, 7 p.m. at the episcopal church on Market street. contact Dave Freas at quillracer@pa.metrocast.net.

the PeNN wrIter • January/February 2020 • www.pennwriters.org

Area 3 stephanie claypool • Area 3 representative Area3rep@Pennwriters.org crItIQue GrouPs:

WRITER’S TOOLBOX eNCoURAGe ACTioN

New!! Aspinwall critique Group work (up to five pages) to be critiqued is emailed to the group at least one week prior to the meeting, pasted into the body of the email, not attached. Print the critiqued texts and bring it with you to the meeting for discussion. the meeting is held on the 1st wednesday of the month at 7 pm at Panera Bread, 942 Freeport road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238 (near Aspinwall) (412) 799-0210. For more information, contact sandra skowron at skow603@yahoo.com. the Pittsburgh east writer's Group small, friendly critique group focusing on fiction. All genres welcome.

Meets on the third saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the first floor meeting room at the Monroeville Public library. contact chuck rakiecz at crakiecz@verizon.net. It is now open to new members. critique Group North eight members writing shorts, flashes, novels. Meets on the second thursday of the month at Perkins restaurant on route 19 in cranberry township from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., including time for lunch. the group is now at full capacity of eight but is accepting candidates for a waitlist. writers interested in critique Group North contact MaryAlice Meli at maryalicemeli@yahoo.com the Bridgeville critique Group Meets the fourth wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. at Panera Bread in the chartiers Valley shopping center. writers of fiction, nonfiction, and at any skill level are welcome. we review one person's work each month. work to be critiqued is sent at least a week in advance. the group is currently full but keeping a waitlist. Anyone who would like to join, sit in on a session, or more info, contact Barb D'souza at barbrett@verizon.net. cranberry township critique Group A small group focused on fiction, mainly novels, meeting at the cranberry library every three weeks on saturdays at 9:30 am. this group has available spaces. For more information contact Amy wagner at amywagner00@gmail.com. south hills critique Group A small group meeting one saturday per month at 10 am in the Galleria of Mt. lebanon. work to be critiqued is emailed one week ahead of the meeting. Published/non-published, fiction/non-fiction, and all genres are welcome. this group is presently full but keeping a waiting list. contact rosemary ray at southside27@outlook.com.

JoIN the AreA 3 YAhoo GrouP Pennwriters who wish to stay informed of Area 3 news and last-minute updates, may join the Area 3 Yahoo Group. Joining allows you to post news of sales and new markets, ask questions, suggest discussion topics, or announce Area events of interest to Pennwriters. to join, email PennsArea3-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

The hardest job for you as a salesperson of your work is that last A of the AIDA model (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action): Action.

To help get a customer to take action and buy, you can offer incentives and reiterate the benefits and needs you deliver.

You can employ a common sales technique called Standing Room Only—which makes customers feel they must take action now before time runs out or the goods are all gone.

You hear it in commercials that say, “Hurry!

Sale ends Saturday!” or “At these prices, they won’t last!” or the classic “Going out of business” sale some companies run seemingly every year. You see it on Amazon.com when they warn shoppers “Only 2 left in stock.”

You see it in author promotions that repeat contest and event deadlines. Your marketing does not have to be too salesy, but the psychological effect must be the same— get the customers to take action to buy.

-from the book Strategic Marketing Made Easy For Writers: Optimize Your Promotions for Bestseller Results

by Dr. Nate hardy, Area 6, available at Amazon.com.

Dear world, I am excited to be alive in you, and I am thankful for another year.

- chArlotte erIKssoN

Your success and happiness lies in you.

Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.

-heleN Keller

the PeNN wrIter • January/February 2020 • www.pennwriters.org

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Market News

coluMN #135

BY JIM lee, AreA 4, AssocIAte eDItor, MArKet rePorts

A wide range of markets this time, some unusual to the point of unique in their focus— schnaffer Press uses fiction (literary, short story collections, historical fiction with current social relevance and crime fiction) and nonfiction (memoirs, biography and autobiography, art and culture, pop culture, world and American history, current events, science, military history and music). In all cases, work is to be for adult readers. It’s owned and run by a former literary agent. lengths: 60,000-100,000 wds. As with many publishers, big and small, they don’t list their pay scale—check with them, may need to negotiate. In any event, you need to query them with a proposal, after consulting their guideline page: www.schaffnerpress.com/submissions.

Nuts & Volts is for the self-described electronics geek. Nonfiction for the hands-on hobbyist, pro design engineers, technicians and experimenters alike. Pay is $100 per printed page, to max of $450. Visit www.nutsvolts.com/writer-guidelines to have their detailed guides emailed to you.

the contemporary Poetry review is an online magazine of poetry criticism. hence, they’re mostly open to review articles and they pay (amount not specified). Visit www.cprw.com/call-for-critics for details, before sending sample reviews and brief bio.

Autostraddle is an online women’s magazine aimed at lesbian, bi and queer females. they pay $25-$100 for articles, largely on culture and history. You need to register before submitting. Info: www.autostraddle.com/about/.

Anime Feminist is a blog that pays $50/article for nonfiction. they want pieces of 1,000-2,000 wds. (though they admit these limits are not rigid), focused on feminist aspects and/or connections to various aspects of Japanese culture. the approximate breakdown is 40% of pieces on anime itself, 40% on manga and 20% on other aspects of Japanese pop culture. editors note that most subs they get are on anime, so the other categories face less competition among writers. they use no fiction and want pitches.

Visit www.animefeminist.com/anifem/contribute-guidelines/ and click on the submission form icon to send query (and later subs).

Mother Jones is a long-running magazine of investigative reporting, timely opinion and analysis of current events. their website uses works to 1,500 wds; the print magazine runs articles up to 5,000 wds. Pay is $1/wd. they need topics of nationwide (not just local) focus and interest. Best if you query via email, after visiting www.motherjones.com/contribute/writer-guidelines/.

Bridal Guide Magazine puts out both print and online editions. It’s all about wedding planning and pays up to $1,000 for articles, 2,000 wds max. they require a query before submitting. Full info: www.bridalguide.com/contact-us.

A bimonthly trade magazine for people in the metal recycling and scrapping industry, scrap pays between $600 and $1,000 for relevant articles. www.scrap.org/home/about-scrap#XeFc7ohKiM8.

National Park is a quarterly needing nonfiction about what is surely obvious. Pay is $1/wd. Download their guides at www.npca.org/3151-magazine-submission-guidelines-for-writersand-photographers . wanderful is a feminist-oriented travel site. Paying $50/article, guides are available at www.shewanderful.com/write/.

Daily science Fiction is a major online market for very short sF (1,500 wds max, shorter has a better chance). they close to subs every year around christmas and New Years, reopening January 2. they pay 8 cents/wd and want only new/unpublished work. they use 5 stories per week (1 posted each weekday), so they’re always in need for good material. sF/F/slipstream all welcome. some dark okay, but no outright horror. the earth Island Journal is focused on environmental issues. they pay 25 cents/wd (max is $1,000, hence a 4,000 wd length limit). www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/page/writers-guidelines.

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VFw Magazine focuses on foreign policy, national defense and veteran’s issues. Pay varies, but it’s reported that rate for commissioned articles usually go from $500-$1,000. they pay on acceptance. the address I was given for guidelines wasn’t working, so getting a recent issue with current info and sub details is advised.

touchstone is a christian journal, self-described as conservative in doctrine, eclectic in content. they pay $125/article and use pieces 3,000-5,000 wds long. www.touchstonemag.com/docs/navigation_docs/guidelines.php. woman’s Day is a major women’s mag paying “top rates” for articles of interest, 650-1,600 wds. Pay is on acceptance. they prefer established writers, but will consider queries from lesser known. Visit www.womansday.com/about/a5/contact-us/ then scroll down the page past the ad crap (yes, sorry, my comment) to reach the actual info. editor Janine A. southard is reading sF/F stories (3,000-7,000 wds) for silk & steel, an e-book subtitled “An Adventure Anthology of Queer ladies.” the parent company is cantina Press. Pay is 8 cents/wd. the idea is each story centers around swashbuckling female adventurers and women they’re attracted to. tales can be set in the historical past, the present day, or the future. certain amount of romance is definitely implied, but no outright erotica or horror is wanted. sub deadline is Feb. 22. Query for reprints. For new stories, visit www.cantinapublishing.com/submissions/. wine Maker serves home/amateur wine makers. they want how-to articles and other related materials, 1,500-3,000 wds.

Pay ($50-$150) varies according to length and complexity of the article. www.winemakermag.com/writers-guidelines. relevant is a magazine about faith, culture and intentional living. their audience is described as “culturally savvy, mostly christian people, generally in their 20s and 30s, who are looking for purpose, depth and spiritual truth.” Articles run 600-1,000 wds in length and payments are 10-15 cents per wd. www.relevantmagazine.com/write.

the PeNN wrIter • January/February 2020 • www.pennwriters.org

Apparition literary Magazine does quarterly themed issues, largely fiction and poetry in the sF/F/h genres. they have relatively short reading periods for each issue. the next one, for the theme of “transfiguration,” is open Feb. 15-28.

Fiction of 1,000-5,000 wds; no firm length limit on poetry listed. Don’t send work outside the specified period. Pay is 3 cents/wd for fiction; flat $30 per accepted poem. Details (including upcoming themes, sub periods and publication schedules) at www.apparitionlit.com/submission-guidelines/. write Naked: A writing life cut open is a blog. they use guest posts and pay $75 each for nonfiction of interest to writers. Pitch article ideas only during open periods. check www.write-naked.net/guest-blog-writers/ for dates when open.

Nobilis erotica is a podcast for erotic sF/F stories. they use works of 2,000 to 6,000 wds and pay is $50 per story. New only and they ask for .rtf format only. they use a submission manager at the following (extremely long) address: www.greensubmissions.com/518/nobilis-erotica/index.php?fbclid= lwAr055MZ9YQwrt8B9A7oP20Muj3duG2yVotw4VNlujqAw5g-tAIKBF7PMuNo (Boy, hope I got that right!) Google it, if not.

Meetings & events Magazines are a string of publications all about event planning, promoting and organizing. they have a Pennsylvania-focused title that wants locally based contributors. Pitch specific story ideas and with the query. they’d like 3 published articles in .pdf as samples of your style/work (so this is more for established writers). they have departments that take pieces up to 700 wds and these pay up to $300. longer features run 1,000-1,200 wds and can earn as much as $600. Info on the outfit is at www.meetingsmags.com/meeting-events-magazines-writers’-guidelines. stocks & commodities: the traders’ Magazine is a trade publication from technical Analysis, Inc. they use articles on computer trading utilities, charting methods, how-to and other stuff of interest to serious investors. Pay is $3 per column inch (in 2-column format) and $2 per column inch (3-column format).

Info: www.traders.com/Documentation/editorial_Dept/authorguide.pdf.

Mysterion is a christian-oriented h/DF e-zine. It appears monthly, publishing one story/issue (9,000 wds max). A new story earns 8 cents/wd; reprints get 4 cents/wd. thing is, they only are open to subs in January and July. the editors are Donald s. crankshaw and Kristen Janz. www.mysteriononline.com/p/submission-guidelines.html.

Galaxy’s edge is a major pro sF/F magazine, but at this writing they aren’t reading subs. when checking on the next open reading period, query subInq@Galaxysedge.com.

Mystery tribune is a crime fiction print magazine with a limited online presence, as well. they want fiction, reviews and other nonfiction. their usual lengths are 3,000-6,000 wds, but this is not firm. they prefer queries and unsolicited subs.

(No pay here. Accepted work receives an “honorarium”). For details, visit www.mysterytribune.com/submissions/. tough is an online crime fiction site. they use fiction (1,500-7,500 wds) and book reviews (1,500 wds max). New material only, and they especially like rural settings. Pay here is a flat fee of $25. they use a sub manager and want all material in .rtf. Guides are at www.toughcrime.com/p/submissions_54.html.

A small press operating since 1994, three rooms Press publishes fiction, nonfiction and YA titles. they say their interests run to “Dada, Punk and Passion.” they reportedly have a good distribution for a smaller press. works 65,000 wds and longer are sought here. Query first. www.threeroomspress.com/submit/.

Info this time comes from Freelancewriting.com, AuthorsPublish.com, the open calls Facebook pages, ralan.com and my personal inquiries. News, tips and other info is always welcome. Contact me via email (jimlee.author@gmail.com) and your contributions will be credited (or not) as desired.

Pennwriters Annual Writing Contest is

NOW OPEN the writing contest will close on Jan. 31, 2019, at midnight, est.

Q

• NoVel BeGINNING—First 10 pages.

Include your genre, so we can match your entry with a suitable judge. $15 entry fee per piece.

• short storY—entries must present a complete story within the allotted 10 pages.

Include your genre, so we can match your entry with a suitable judge. $15 entry fee per story.

• NoNFIctIoN—this includes creative nonfiction, narrative nonfiction and articles. submit no more than 10 pages. Must present a complete piece within the allotted 10 pages. $15 entry fee per piece.

• PoetrY—up to 40 lines per poem. $15 entry fee for up to three poems.

(1, 2 or 3 poems/$15; 4, 5 or 6 poems/$30)

Q 1st Place Prize- either a full registration fee voucher to the Pennwriters Annual conference ($300 value—voucher must be redeemed within two years) or $50 cash.

2nd Place Prize- a choice of half the registration fee voucher to the annual conference ($150 value—voucher must be redeemed within two years) or $30 cash.

3rd Place Prize- A $15 voucher to be used for a free entry in the following year’s writing contest.

Q

contest starts on Jan. 1, 2019, at 12:01 a.m. and closes Jan. 31, 2019, at midnight. entries must be uploaded no later than 11:59 p.m.

Jan. 31, 2019. Please email D.J. stevenson with any questions: writingcontestcoordinator@Pennwriters.org.

For contest guidelines and to submit your entries, visit

pennwriterswritingcontest.com

the PeNN wrIter • January/February 2020 • www.pennwriters.org

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THE

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PA I D Pittsburgh, PA Permit No. 2516

911 W. PARk RD. S L i P P E R y R O C k , PA 1 6 0 5 7

Return Service Requested

Happy 2020! Best wishes for a new year full of writing success and accomplishments!

We thank you in advance for helping to keep our member roster current.

Please take a moment to verify that you’ve supplied Pennwriters with a current, valid email address. log in to your account info at www.Pennwriters.org.

Did you remember to renew your Pennwriters membership? renewals were due by June 30. log in to your account at Pennwriters.org to check your status. If you wish to participate in the writing contest in January, you must be a member.

About Pennwriters

Submissions

The Mission of Pennwriters Inc. is to help writers of all levels, from the novice to the award-winning and multipublished, improve and succeed in their craft. Pennwriters, a not-for-profit organization of more than 400 members from Pennsylvania and beyond, was established in 1988 as a networking organization for published and aspiring writers of all genres. The group offers an annual three-day writers conference and area events and has a strong internet presence, with email groups, online classes and social networks. Authors who meet set criteria are granted Published Author status. For more information about Pennwriters and its members, visit www.pennwriters.org or contact Hilary Hauck at President@pennwriters.org.

NeXt DeADlINe: FeB. 1 The Penn Writer is published bimonthly. Contact Heather Desuta, newsletter editor, at Newsletter@pennwriters.org.

Please share your news, accomplishments, tips, great quotes, book recommendations, etc. Include relevant artwork, photos and book cover images. Word counts—articles: 800 words (1-pg), 1,600 (2-pg). For articles exceeding 1,600 words, contact the editor in advance. Blurb submissions of any length are welcome.

Type “PeNN WRITeR SUBMISSION” in the subject line of your email message, and please include your Area number.

(See the map on page 3.)