Top 8 Benefits of Attending the San Francisco Writers Conference
Unlike Tony Bennett’s famous song, I didn’t leave my heart in San Francisco. I met new friends and found renewed hope while attending the 2018 San Francisco Writers Conference (SFWC). The event offers many benefits. Let me focus on the top eight advantages.
Arts Agencies & Library Services Face Defunding (Again)
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) are facing defunding under the Trump administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2019.
Forest Avenue Press Open to Unagented Submissions for One Month
Forest Avenue Press will accept unagented, unsolicited submissions from Feb. 14 to March 14, 2018. The Portland, Oregon-based publisher is seeking literary fiction. “Our titles are infused with a fresh, complex, sometimes nutty, and often wondrous approach to storytelling,” the publisher said on its website.
Newly Launched Staunch Book Prize Reflects #MeToo Movement
In the wake of the #MeToo movement against sexual assault and harassment, a new book prize is seeking thrillers in which “no woman is beaten, stalked, sexually exploited, raped, or murdered.” Submit your manuscript to the Staunch Book Prize, the writing contest for our times.
Best of 2017: “Baby Driver” & “Lady Bird” Offer a Fresh Take on Old Tropes
In 2017, two films featuring young protagonists broke the mold to give same old same old tropes a fresh take. In “Baby Driver,” the creative use of music made it an extraordinary heist film, while the unlikely focus of “Lady Bird” on mother-daughter relationship set it apart from other coming-of-age movies. The two films are among the best and most original of last year’s crop of films.
Forget about Snowflake—it’s time for “Up Lit” and Other New Words
Snowflake is last year’s cliché, while Brexit is so 2016. It’s time for a fresh batch of new words, or at least newly repurposed words.
Neither Predictive nor Prescriptive, “The Bestseller Code” is Anything But
We’ve all read about studies that made us scratch our heads—research results that told us things we already knew, such as a healthy diet is key to living longer and people who exercise are in better shape than couch potatoes. “The Bestseller Code” is one of those studies.
Small Presses: 3 Publishers Want Literary, Romance, Speculative Novels
New year, new opportunities! You may submit to these publishers even if you don’t have a literary agent if your manuscript falls under these categories: literary, romance, and speculative.
Top 5 Blog Posts: Prologues, Literary Snobs, & Unagented Submissions
Time sure flies! Since this blog’s launch on Feb. 15, 2014, I’ve published 255 articles on writing, reading, publishing, books, and movies. The five most popular articles focus on effective prologues, signs of a literary snob, and publishers that accept unagented and unsolicited manuscripts.
In Praise of the Lowly Comma
One tiny comma can sometimes make all the difference when it comes to the meaning of a sentence or a contract for that matter. Strunk and White advocated for the Oxford comma in their classic book, “The Elements of Style,” while the AP Stylebook doesn’t require series comma. If you’re an Oxford-comma proponent like me, a recent federal court ruling will reinforce your position. The following articles will help make my case on the importance of the lowly comma.