Thursday, March 29, 2007
LIGHTHOUSE BOOK AWARDS CONTEST CLOSED
FYI, I sent this out to our NE Florida Region this morning.
Those of you who waited until the last minute to enter the Lighthouse Book Awards are out of luck. Contest coordinator Terri Ridgell informed me yesterday we were close to our maximum limit of 80 entries, and would surely surpass it today. Any entries arriving after that will be returned unopened.
This is an amazing, and unexpected, turnout for a first-time contest, and I want to thank everyone for their support and wish you the best of luck. We will now distribute the entries among the preliminary judges. Remember, the top three finalists in each category will be forwarded to the acquiring editors in those categories for final ranking. Our finalists will be announced at the May 19 conference.
If you haven’t registered for the conference, you might want to do so soon, as we are limited to around 75 people by the size of the meeting rooms. For more information, go to http://www.windrusher.com/Conference.html.
Victor DiGenti
FWA Regional Director
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
FWA ST. PETE APRIL MEETING
FWA presents “Blogging for Beginners” with Lary Crews
Blogs are the new "magazines," but you are in charge of what gets published. Discover an interesting way to promote your work and reach out to an unlimited audience.
Since November 2005, Lary Crews has been employed as an analyst/writer by the Institute for Corporate Productivity [i4cp], formerly known as the Human Resource Institute, in St. Petersburg . His primary subject areas include: Flexible Work Arrangements, Work Ethics, Productivity, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Retirement Benefits, and Health Promotion and Wellness. Supported by a team of researchers, proofreaders and editors, he and his fellow analysts summarize published business information for large companies, worldwide. Lary and the other analysts are mostly telecommuters, working from their home offices.
He has two blogs at present: A Rational Baby Boomer (www.larycrews.org) and Hand-Drummer (under construction), which addresses his only hobby: playing conga and bongo drums semi-professionally.
From 1983 to 2005, Lary pursued a full-time freelance writing career from Sarasota FL, writing more than 1,000 magazine articles, monthly newspaper and magazine columns and four published books. He wrote a regular humor column for Tampa Bay Magazine, articles for a dozen other magazines and newspapers and was also a Staff Writer for Sarasotan Quarterly and the Florida Business Journal.
Mark your calendar for Thursday, April 12 at the St. Petersburg Main Library, 3745 Ninth Ave. North, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The meeting is free and open to the public. Arrive by 6:30 to meet other writers and to network.
For more info, contact, Richard Budin, Florida Writers Association St. Petersburg Group Leader, DickBudin@juno.com. Phone: (727) 461-3897
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
PENUMBRA POETRY & HAIKU CONTEST
PENUMBRA POETRY & HAIKU 20th ANNIVERSARY CONTEST sponsored by the Tallahassee Writers' Association. Deadline JUNE 30 2007. Up to $200 in cash prizes and publication in annual contest anthology. Mail entry with fees of $5 per poem and/or $3 per haiku to: TWA Penumbra, PO Box 15995, Tallahassee, FL, 32317-5995. Contest email and complete entry guidelines at sponsor web site www.tallahasseewriters.net
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition
Entries are now being accepted for the 27th annual Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition, created to recognize and encourage the efforts of writers who have not yet achieved major-market success. Writers will compete for a $1,000 firstprize, $500 second prize, and $500 third prize in this internationally acclaimed competition. Several honorable mentions are also awarded each year. Stories in all genres of fiction are welcome. Maximum length is 3,000 words, and writers retain all rights to their work. The final deadline is May 15, 2007;winners will be announced at the end of July. For complete guidelines, please visit www.shortstorycompetition.com, e-mail Calico2419@aol.com, or send an SASE to the Lorian Hemingway Short StoryCompetition, P.O. Box 993, Key West, FL 33041.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
SUCCESS FOR FORMER TAMPA GROUP LEADER
Former 2005 Tampa Group Leader and group leader for the Young Writers of East Pasco, Tracy Akers has an amazing success story to relate. If anyone out there has good news about themselves please sent it to Regional Director Eugene Orlando at tpg@EugeneOrlando.com. I'll post it here and we can all celebrate.
"The Fire and the Light, Book One of the Souls of Aredyrah fantasy series by FWA member Tracy A. Akers, has won the Bronze Medal for Young Adult Literature in the 1st Annual Florida Book Awards. The awards program was established in 2006 to honor the best of Florida literature, and is coordinated by The Florida State University Program in American and Florida Studies, and co-sponsored by the Florida Center for the Book, State Library and Archives of Florida, Florida Historical Society, Florida Humanities Council, Florida Literary Arts Coalition, Florida Library Association, "Just Read, Florida!," Governor's Family Literacy Initiative, Florida Association for Media in Education, Florida Center for the Literary Arts, And Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America.
In addition to being named a winner in the Florida Book Awards, The Fire and the Light has been named a Finalist in the Young Adult Fiction Category of ForeWord Magazine's 2006 Book of the Year Awards. Foreword Magazine is one of the largest trade journals showcasing independently published works. Their awards program is designed to discover and promote books based on editorial excellence, professional production, originality of the narrative, and the value the book adds to its genre. Winners will be announced June 1 at Book Expo America in New York City.
Ms. Akers is a former teacher of students with language learning disabilities, but now writes and publishes full time. She is an active member of Florida Writers Association, was the 2005 Tampa Group Leader, and established and currently leads Young Writers of East Pasco, a group for writers grades 6-12. Other memberships include Florida Publishers Association, The Independent Book Publishers Association, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She is a scheduled presenter at this year's FWA Conference.
The Fire and the Light, Book One of the Souls of Aredyrah Series, begins the saga of two boys from very different cultures who learn they are bound not only by blood, but by a prophecy that will define their lives and change their world forever. Five books are planned for the series which explores what can happen to individuals and societies when mythologies evolve into opposing religions. Also a finalist in the USABookNews Best Books 2006 Awards, The Fire and the Light is receiving excellent reviews and recognition for its message of tolerance and the consequences of prejudice. For more information about the author and her series, visit www.soulsofaredyrah.com."
Eugene Orlando
FWA Regional Director/Hillsborough County
"The Fire and the Light, Book One of the Souls of Aredyrah fantasy series by FWA member Tracy A. Akers, has won the Bronze Medal for Young Adult Literature in the 1st Annual Florida Book Awards. The awards program was established in 2006 to honor the best of Florida literature, and is coordinated by The Florida State University Program in American and Florida Studies, and co-sponsored by the Florida Center for the Book, State Library and Archives of Florida, Florida Historical Society, Florida Humanities Council, Florida Literary Arts Coalition, Florida Library Association, "Just Read, Florida!," Governor's Family Literacy Initiative, Florida Association for Media in Education, Florida Center for the Literary Arts, And Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America.
In addition to being named a winner in the Florida Book Awards, The Fire and the Light has been named a Finalist in the Young Adult Fiction Category of ForeWord Magazine's 2006 Book of the Year Awards. Foreword Magazine is one of the largest trade journals showcasing independently published works. Their awards program is designed to discover and promote books based on editorial excellence, professional production, originality of the narrative, and the value the book adds to its genre. Winners will be announced June 1 at Book Expo America in New York City.
Ms. Akers is a former teacher of students with language learning disabilities, but now writes and publishes full time. She is an active member of Florida Writers Association, was the 2005 Tampa Group Leader, and established and currently leads Young Writers of East Pasco, a group for writers grades 6-12. Other memberships include Florida Publishers Association, The Independent Book Publishers Association, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She is a scheduled presenter at this year's FWA Conference.
The Fire and the Light, Book One of the Souls of Aredyrah Series, begins the saga of two boys from very different cultures who learn they are bound not only by blood, but by a prophecy that will define their lives and change their world forever. Five books are planned for the series which explores what can happen to individuals and societies when mythologies evolve into opposing religions. Also a finalist in the USABookNews Best Books 2006 Awards, The Fire and the Light is receiving excellent reviews and recognition for its message of tolerance and the consequences of prejudice. For more information about the author and her series, visit www.soulsofaredyrah.com."
Eugene Orlando
FWA Regional Director/Hillsborough County
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
FWA NEWSLETTER ONLINE
You can reach all the news of the Florida Writers Association by going to their blog. Just go to http://www.floridawritersnewsletter.blogspot.com
NE Florida FWA Sponsors Unpublished Novel Contest
Lighthouse Book Awards
Unpublished Novel Competition
Beginning writers can strive for years to catch the attention of an editor or publisher. Because of that, this competition, sponsored by the northeast region of the Florida Writers Association, will place the top three entries in each category in the hands of legitimate acquisition editors working for major publishing houses. This could be the Big Break you’ve been looking for.
Contest Rules: Open to all writers whose entry has not been contracted/published with any publisher.
Fees: $35 per entry
Multiple entries are allowed
Fee will not be refunded in the event of disqualification or withdrawal
DO NOT SEND CASH
Make checks payable to: Florida Writers Association
Contest Rules: Open to all writers whose entry has not been contracted/published with any publisher.
Fees: $35 per entry
Multiple entries are allowed
Fee will not be refunded in the event of disqualification or withdrawal
DO NOT SEND CASH
Make checks payable to: Florida Writers Association
Categories:
Mysteries/Suspense/Thrillers
Fiction-General
Young Adult
It is the author's responsibility to enter the work in the correct category.
Submissions:
Submit three (3) copies of the first thirty pages of the manuscript and three copies of a one-page synopsis
Finalists will be announced at the FWA conference at the Ponte Vedra Library on Saturday, May 19, 2007.
Please note that the contest is limited to the first 80 entries only.
Send submissions to:
Lighthouse Awards Competition
P.O. Box 17024
Fernandina Beach, FL 32035
Judging:
First round judges will follow a standard evaluation form and are encouraged to write their comments on the forms and on the manuscripts.
Two of the submitted manuscripts will be evaluated by different judges, the third sent on to the final judge if you are one of the three finalists per category. The top three (3) scored entries in each category will advance to the final round.
Manuscript Guidelines:
1-inch margins
Double-spaced
White paper only
12 point font (Courier or Times New Roman)
One line header on each page: Title & Category on left side, page number on the right side
Contestant’s name MUST NOT appear on any of the pages, including title page, of the manuscript.
Bind manuscript with a binder clip or large paper clip. Do not staple or bind in any other way.
Deadline:
Entries must be postmarked by close of business, Friday, March 30, 2007
Entries received after this date will be ruled ineligible by the competition judges and returned to sender.
Contest is limited to the first 80 entries only!
Entries arriving with Postage Due will be discarded.
Finalists will be announced at the Conference on Saturday, May 19.
Send entries by U.S. Mail, but no entries requiring a signature as proof of delivery will be accepted.
Awards:
Since this is, above all, an opportunity to place your work before a legitimate editor, the real prize for all entries will be the written evaluations of the preliminary judges, and the opportunity to have your work read by an acquiring editor.
All finalists will receive a Certificate of Achievement
Each winner will receive free entry to next year’s NE Florida conference
Check List:
Signed & dated entry form
Payment (one check may be submitted for multiple entries; please indicate this on entry form)Include a USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope with adequate postage (STAMPS only) for return of score sheet and entry. No metered, FedEx, or UPS returns accepted. No score sheet/entry will be returned without SASE.Mark the SASE with the title and category of the entry. Please don’t send cash or money orders for postage.Optional - SAS postcard if you wish to be notified of receipt of your entry.
Multiple entries may be submitted in one envelope, but a separate entry form is required for each different entry.
Friday, March 02, 2007
TWO FWA ONE-DAY CONFERENCES
MELBOURNE ONE-DAY CONFERENCE
MARCH 10, 2007
10:00-5:00
PELICAN BEACH CLUBHOUSE
1495 Highway A1A, Satellite Beach, FL
Cost to Members of Florida Writers Association or Space Coast Writers' Guild: $ 39.00Cost to Non-members : $59.00Presented by: Mary Brotherton and Daniel Griffith
Members of Florida Writers Association & Space Coast Writers Guild
Conference Schedule
Nobody’s Mouse
March 10th Writers Conference
10:00 to 10:15 a.m. Welcome * Mary Brotherton
10:15 to 11:15 a.m. Workshop 1 * Frank Cavelli * "From Genesis to Armageddon: A Book: the Idea, the Production, the Marketplace”
11:15 to 11:30 a.m. * Break
11:30 to 12:30 p.m. Workshop 2 * Lee Boyland * “What New Authors Need to Know"
12:30 to 1:15 p.m. * Lunch
1:15 to 2:15 p.m. Workshop 3 * Valerie Allen * “Methods of Mega Marketing”
2:15 to 3:15 p.m. Workshop 4 * Grace Granozio * The Gift of Encouraging Words: the Silver Box"
3:15 to 4:15 p.m. Workshop 5 * Pat McDonough * "Editing Your Writing Like a Pro"
4:30 to 5:00 p.m. * BreakdownTo Register, please print and fill out the following form. Mail the filled out form with your check or money order to the address shown, to reserve your space at this exciting new Conference. We look forward to seeing you on March 10th.
(Copy and paste to your word processor)
Name:___________________________________
Address:_________________________________
City, State, ZIP:____________________________
Phone: ______________
Email:___________________________________
Website:_________________________________
Are you published? _______________________
If yes, is it printed, audio, or ebook? _________
If yes, what is the title?______________________________________________________________
If Yes, who is your publisher?________________________________________________________
Have you published articles or columns?______
Where have your written works beenpublished?_________________________________
Member of Florida Writers Association? _____
Member of Space Coast Writers Guild? ______
www.floridawriters.net — www.scwg.org
To join, add dues, FWA $45, SCWG $35 $_____
Member FWA or SCWG Conference Price $39.00 Non-Member Conference Price $59.00 $_____
Conference Checks payable to "FWA"Check Amount $________
Mail to: Writers Conference1345 East Scots AvenueMerritt Island, FL 32952Dan.Griffith@FloridaWriters.net
NE Florida Region Hosts One-Day Conference
It’s time to tune up your writing skills and fuel your passion for the written word with an intensive one-day conference presented by the NE Florida chapters of Florida Writers Association. New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry will keynote the conference, titled Shift Your Writing into High Gear, on Saturday, May 19 at the Ponte Vedra Library from 9:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
The conference is for rookies and pros alike, and will bring together a team of veteran authors and presenters to help educate and motivate writers. The presenters will cover a variety of subjects from screenwriting to plot development, from writing short stories to tips on revision.
Early-bird registration through April 30 is only $40 for FWA members and $60 for non-members. After April 30, the conference fee increases to $50 for FWA members and $75 for non-members. Ten minute one-on-one appointments are also available with any of the presenters except Steve Berry for $20 per session. The fee includes a box lunch, morning and afternoon refreshments, and an invitation to the May 18 Book Fair. The Book Fair will feature author panels, a question and answer session with agent Susan Graham, and book signings.
Advance conference registration is requested, and the registration form may be downloaded from the FWA website, www.floridawriters.net.
The conference includes the following workshops:
Screenwriter Sharon Cobb on Writing the Hollywood Thriller; Sandra McDonald on The Perils of Plot; Dr. Darien Andreu on The Long & Short of Short Story Writing: Suddenly Short is More; Queries, Outlines, Proposals, Oh, My! with Carol D. O’Dell; Steve Berry on Back Roads & Fast Starts, a look into how Berry conducts his research for his international thrillers and how to write opening chapters that keeps the reader turning the page; Jumpstarting the Revision Process with editor Camille Cline; in Tension Headaches, thriller authors Lynn Sholes and Joe Moore provide tips on how to build more tension into your books; and finally, agent Susan Graham will discuss The Top Ten Reasons Why Agents Say No and How to Avoid Them.
Go to www.fwapontevedra.blogspot.com for the complete program schedule and presenter information.
The Northeast Florida region of the Florida Writers Association is also sponsoring the Lighthouse Book Awards, a competition for unpublished novels. The competition is limited to three categories of fiction: Mysteries/Suspense/Thrillers, Fiction-General, and Young Adult. Finalists in each category will be judged by acquiring editors from major publishing houses, and announced at the lunch break of the May 19 conference. There is a link to the contest rules and contest entry form at www.fwapontevedra.blogspot.com, or contact Terri Ridgell, Competition Coordinator, at terri@taridgell.com, or NE Florida Regional Director, Vic DiGenti, at windrusher@comcast.net
