Wednesday, August 1, 2018

IWSG & Two Exciting Announcements!

It's the first Wednesday of August, which means it's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group, created by Alex J. Cavanaugh.



The IWSG exists to provide support for writers online. Get support, give support, meet fellow writer/bloggers. Just click on Alex's name above to sign up then post on the first Wednesday of each month. Be sure to visit others to lend your support, too!

Speaking of which, this month's co-hosts are  Erika Beebe,Sandra Hoover, Lee Lowery, and Susan Gourley! Be sure to pay them a visit.

This month's optional question: What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey?

Honestly, everything that's happened has been a learning experience that's gotten me to where I am now. The only thing I can think of right now is to not let anything you learn or experience deter you from your writing journey. It's fine to take a break and digest things, but always come back to your art.


Before I jump into the announcements, it's time for my monthly submissions. Each month for IWSG, I post my submissions stats to keep myself accountable. In July:

6 submissions
2 acceptances
4 rejections
11 currently on submission



We at the IWSG have a surprise for you this month. We're announcing the anthology theme a month early!


The 2018 Annual IWSG Anthology Contest

Word count: 3500-6000

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Theme:

Masquerade

A Masquerade can be a false show or pretense, someone pretending to be someone they aren't. It can be a ball, a fancy dress party, it can be a mask. Open to interpretation.

Submissions accepted: September 5 - November 4, 2018

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted (Double spaced, no page numbers), previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter IWSG group.

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges who will be announced September 5.

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.






There's more! The IWSG is partnering with WEP (Write...Edit...Publish). You can participate on your blog or Facebook. Let's have some fun!

WEP posts are the third Wednesday of every second month, so the next posting is this month.

This month's theme is Change of Heart. Some suggestions for the theme are as follows:


  • a commitment made when a prospect looked attractive, 
  • a decision on a course of action, and then regrets and reluctance to follow through,  
  • an engagement, a date, a diet plan, a chore someone said they’d do and didn’t follow through,  
  • a strip poker-game. Or maybe a gamble with super-high, panic inducing stakes, 
  • a break for independence that once made, gives pause for second thoughts,
  • a bolt for the grass-always-greener pasture and then wanting to vault-n-turn right back,
  • a broken relationship where one/both parties regret the loss
  • something offered, then withdrawn.  
And now for the links. Bear in mind I'm not endorsing these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence before submitting.



Accepting Submissions:

Splickety Publishing Group is seeking flash for Spark with the theme of Lab Coats and Love Letters. 300 to 1000 words. Pays $.02/word. Deadline August 24. 

Qommunicate Publishing is seeking short fiction with the theme Geek Out. Queer meets geek. Up to 5000 words. Pays $5 per printed page. Deadline August 31.

Rogue Blades Entertainment is seeking fantastical crime noir for Crazy Town. 3000 to 7000 words. Pays $25. Deadline September 1.

Goblin Fruit is seeking fantastical poetry. Pays $15. Deadline September 1.

Blood Bound Books is seeking horror short fiction about furries (either Furries or anthropomorphic critters) for Burnt Fur. 1500 to 7000 words. Pays $.03/word. Deadline September 1.

Barnhouse is seeking poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, and flash fiction. Up to 2000 words. Pays $20. Deadline September 1.

Will you be submitting to the anthology? What's your advice to new writers? Do you take part in WEP? Have you submitted anything this month? Any of these links of interest?

May you find your Muse.

*Flourish One, Horizontal Clip Art by OCAL, clker.com


24 comments:

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Taking a break, stepping back, re-evaluating are good things to do once in awhile. Helps us see our writing path more clearly.

Tamara Narayan said...

I'm taking a break this summer and putting my creativity into gardening. It's nice to actually finish something tangible for a change.

Bish Denham said...

I've been on a long break. I need to get back into the swing of things...

The Cynical Sailor said...

I'm loving this year's anthology theme :-) I'm looking forward to taking a little break once I get the draft of my next book out to beta readers. But I have to make sure it isn't too long of one.

Jen said...

I love your advice. It IS good to process all the information you read, it's good to take breaks but the most important thing you can do is come back to your work and write. As long as I'm writing, I can't get to caught up in the negativity that my inner critic likes to call out to me. The more the words flow, the further away that old critic gets.

The anthology theme is not at all what I write but I do enjoy a challenge. Maybe I'll give it a go :) Sounds like fun!

Cheers,
Jen

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

There is so much to learn it can be intimidating. And we keep learning all the time as we try to keep up with all the changes in publishing.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Great things are happening!
I stayed away too long and it's been tough to get back into the flow.

cleemckenzie said...

I'm always impressed by your submission schedule.

I'm still not back into social media as used to be, and I'm not sure I will return to my old schedule.

Loni Townsend said...

Yeah, learning through experience is what shapes us into who we are!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Some of those learning experiences I wish I could've avoided though.

G. B. Miller said...

Actually, I would tell people to stay away from vanity publishing.

Michelle Athy said...

There are a few things we can warn new authors away from...but everyone has to find their own journey.

Meka James said...

Taking it all as a learning experience is a good outlook. I have had things that have derailed me, but I am trying to find my way back.

Jemi Fraser said...

There are so many stepping stones along this journey but I haven't been deterred yet either :) Having too much fun!

dolorah said...

It can be hard to filter out everything we learn. It can be overwhelming and distracting.

John Wiswell said...

Cool! I hope that anthology cracks it all up!

Some beginners advice:
1) Finish stories so you get practice at all parts of the thing rather than over-exercising your ability to begin things.
2) Don't save ideas until you're "better." Write what's appealing now. Keep growing. You can write another version of the same idea later - if you don't wind up selling this one.
3) Submit. Don't self-reject; let editors and agents do the rejecting.

Olga Godim said...

Yes, perseverance is the key to success for every artistic type. Nice post.

Heather R. Holden said...

Great advice! Definitely important not to get deterred. And that's awesome how you received two acceptances this month. Congrats!

Sandra Hoover said...

Nice post! I agree that a writer's number one job is to WRITE! Congrats on a productive July! Have a great weekend!

JEN Garrett said...

Hmm... the wheels are turning on WEP... let's see what my creative factory will produce!

https://lexicalcreations.weebly.com/

Anonymous said...

Excellent advice. So many writers reach points of frustration and think the answer is to quit. But it's not. Stepping away for reflection and rest is good, but we always need to come back to our passion.

Juneta key said...

I thinking about trying story for the anthology although not sure about the genre, but I may try anyway. Have not done WEP yet. Love the way you include the places accepting submissions. That is so cool. Happy belated IWSG day.

Crystal Collier said...

I'm debating penning an entry for the anthology. It's not a super serious thought because life right now is beyond ridiculous, but it is a thought, so that's something. =)

DMS said...

Great advice! Sometimes we just need to take a break and then get back to our art. :)
~Jess