Writer's Digest newsletters and Writer's Digest Poetry Awards, early bird deadline 2 October

The early bird deadline for entry is 2 October for the Writer's Digest Poetry Awards, full details below:

Enter your best poem for a chance to win $1,000 in cash, a feature in Writer's Digest, national recognition and more!

 

POWERFUL IMAGERY, PROVOCATIVE EMOTIONS, POETIC JUSTICE    Give your best poem-32 lines or fewer-the chance to make a statement in the pages of Writer's Digest! Enter the Writer's Digest Poetry Awards, and you could win $1,000 in cash, a spotlight in Writer's Digest, national recognition and a lot more.  Channel your passion for poetry, and show us your best work in the style of your choice.

ENTER TODAY

 

Plus tips on writing about death, a new agent alert and more from Writer's Digest.

 

Why Point of View is So Important for Novel Writers   The narrator's relationship to the story is determined by point of view. Each viewpoint allows certain freedoms in narration while limiting or denying others. Your goal in selecting a point of view is not simply finding a way to convey information, but telling it the right way-making the world you create understandable and believable. The following is a brief rundown of the three most common POVs and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Read More...

This is the Easiest Way to Get Paid to Write - Even if You've Never Written Before   Whether you want to earn a little money on the side or get paid handsome fees on a regular basis, making a living as a well-paid writer couldn't get any easier... even if you don't have any prior experience. Not available on Amazon or anywhere else, The Little Black Book of In-Demand Writing Careers reveals the 9 most in-demand ways to write your way to success. Perfect for writers of all levels of experience. Take Pat McCord, a once struggling novelist who now has 15 titles published... all because she was able to "write away" her financial worries and focus on her passion of writing. You can find out how she did it and turn your dream of writing into a reality. Download your FREE copy of The Little Black Book of In-Demand Writing Careers here.

Staying Positive While Writing About Death and Tragedy   Through writing my new memoir-Rethinking Possible: A Memoir of Resilience, June 2017-and other weekly columns, I've come to learn that articulating my thoughts about death, tragedy, or life-changing loss requires a unique approach. Here are ten tips to keep your spirits up when writing about deeply emotional content:    Read More...

I Landed 4 Book Deals in 1 Year With No Agent: Here's How I Did It   Guest columnist Susan Cushman shares her story of landing four book deals with four different publishers in one year, with tips for how you too, can juggle multiple projects at once.    Read More...

TOM HOWARD/ MARGARET REID POETRY CONTEST Top prize for a poem in any style: $1, 5 00. Top prize for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style: $1, 5 00. Deadline:  9/30.  Judge: S. Mei Sheng Frazier. Sponsored by Winning Writers, one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest). Submit: winningwriters.com/tom poetry

New Agent Alert: Julie Dinneen of D4EO Literary   Literary agent Julie Dinneen of D4EO Literary is open to queries! She is seeking literary fiction and upmarket general fiction, women's fiction, and historical fiction.    Read More...

See results of the largest self-publishing survey ever conducted We collected the insights of about 8,000 aspiring writers and published authors that revealed their book promotion strategies, tactics, and results. Yours free. Only from BookBaby Download your free guide.

Agent One-on-One: First Ten Pages Boot Camp   STARTS AUGUST 24! In this invaluable event, you'll get to work with an agent online to review and refine the first ten pages of your novel. You'll learn what keeps an agent reading, what are the most common mistakes that make them stop, and the steps you need to take to correct them. The best part is that you'll be working directly with an agent, who will provide feedback specific to your work. Here's how it works. Read More...

Your Weekly Writing Prompt   A Broken-Hearted Song: You're the lead singer/songwriter of a band that's working on its debut album. You're one song short, until you're longtime significant other unexpectedly breaks your heart. Filled with sadness, you compose a song that expresses how you feel-and that song completes the album. Write the lyrics to that song. Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments here ....

Brian A. Klems Follow @BrianKlems Brian A. Klems is the senior online editor of Writer's Digest and author of the popular gift book Oh Boy, You're Having a Girl: A Dad's Survival Guide to Raising Daughters.

Don’t let this opportunity slip away.

 

This year’s Writer’s Digest Annual Conference kicks off this week—August 18, to be exact—and if you want to be there, now is the time to register. Seats are selling out and prices increase after August 17. Make the most of your time with Donald Maass’s Emotional Craft of Fiction workshop on Thursday. Take it as a standalone option or add onto your existing registration. This all-day intensive goes beyond showing and telling to help you create an emotional journey for readers. #WDC17 is three days of inspiration, networking, craft and career insights, and much more. Register to join us before it’s too late! GET TALKING: #WDC17 TITLE SPONSOR SPONSORS

Get specific feedback on your work from a current literary agent on August 24

 

As many writers know, agents and editors won't give your work more than ten pages or so to make an impact. If you haven't got them hooked by then, it's a safe bet you won't be asked for more material. Make sure you've got the kind of opening they're looking for! In this invaluable event, you'll get to work with an agent online to review and refine the first ten pages of your novel. You'll learn what keeps an agent reading, what are the most common mistakes that make them stop, and the steps you need to take to correct them. The best part is that you'll be working directly with an agent, who will provide feedback specific to your work.

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: On Thursday morning, August 24, you will gain online access to a special 60-minute online tutorial presented by agent and editor Paula Munier. It will help you clarify what you should be looking for in your work. You will also be notified by email which agent you'll be working with on the start date, 8/24, by 5 pm ET. While we accept agent requests, we cannot guarantee that you'll be assigned to that agent. All agents have the ability to provide feedback in all genres. Students may take Thursday and Friday to revise their pages, which are due to be sent to their assigned agent no later than 10:00 am (ET) on Saturday morning, August 26 . (The word count of submissions is strictly limited to 2500 words and it should be submitted in the body of their email, not as attachments). Participating agents from Talcott Notch Literary include Paula Munier, Gina Panettieri, and Saba Sulaiman. (All times noted are Eastern Time). All pages with notes will be returned to participants by 10:00 AM (ET) Sunday morning (August 27). You'll work to revise your pages based on the agent's specific feedback. On Sunday, August 27th from 1 pm - 4 pm EST , Paula, Gina, and Saba will host an online discussion board. This is your golden opportunity to ask your burning questions about craft and improving your writing, as well as industry topics like trends, markets, working with agents and more. Keep in mind, this is a lively, fast-paced learning environment which will give you an immense opportunity to learn not only from your faculty but from the other participants' questions, so please pose questions which won't require your instructor to stop the discussion to reread your boot camp submission in the middle of the Q&A, but otherwise, consider the faculty your treasure trove of industry secrets at your disposal!  By 11:59 PM (ET) Sunday night on August 27, you'll return your final revised pages to your assigned agent for review. Agents will spend the next week reading the revised submissions assigned to them and will provide a final brief one-or-two sentence critique of your progress no later than September 3. Any one of them may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise. *All attendees should have the first 10 pages of their novel finished and ready to submit to the agent prior to the beginning of the event. In addition to feedback from Paula, Gina, or Saba, attendees will have access to "An Agent's Tips on Story Structures that Sell," an on-demand webinar by Andrea Hurst.

Boot Camp Runs: 8/24 - 8/27   $199.99   Learn more

ABOUT TALCOTT NOTCH LITERARY AGENTS: Gina Panettieri is President of Talcott Notch Literary Services, and has worked as an agent for 25 years. She currently represents a full range of adult and children's fiction and nonfiction, with an emphasis in fiction on YA, MG, mystery, women's fiction, historical fiction, and book club fiction. She currently represents an eclectic range of writers, encompassing everyone from a former head of Security and Intelligence for NATO Europe, to CEOs of major corporations and Deans of major medical schools, to stay-at-home writer moms and amazingly talented teens. Paula Munier,  Senior Literary Agent & Content Strategist at Talcott Notch Literary, has broad experience creating and marketing exceptional content in all formats across all markets for such media giants as Disney, Gannett, Greenspun Media Group, and Quayside. She began her career as a journalist, and along the way added editor, acquisitions specialist, digital content manager, and publishing executive to her repertoire. Before joining Talcott Notch, she served as the Director of Innovation and Acquisitions for Adams Media, a division of F&W Media, where she headed up the acquisitions team responsible for creating, curating, and producing both fiction and nonfiction for print, ebook, eshort, and direct-to-ebook formats. Paula's most recent book The Writer's Guide to Beginnings: How to Craft Story Openings That Sell is now available in paperback and as an eBook. Saba Sulaiman is looking primarily to build her Middle Grade and Young Adult lists, and is particularly interested in contemporary realistic stories. Memoirs and humor are of interest to her as well. She's also actively seeking category romance (all sub-genres except paranormal), literary, upmarket, and commercial fiction, tightly plotted, character-driven psychological thrillers, and cozy mysteries à la Agatha Christie. Saba is taking a limited number of students for this boot camp.

Learn how to get an agent and what an agent does

 

How to Succeed as a Children's Book Writer, Part 2   You've been working on writing children's books, with your eye on future goals of signing with an agent and getting published. But everything seems so intangible and distant when you're focused on coming up with the one perfect manuscript. In Part 2 of this two-part tutorial, you will learn how you really get an agent, what an agent really does, Read More...

Writer's Digest Tutorials   Writer's Digest Tutorials Members enjoy full access to all tutorials featured in this newsletter, as well as every tutorial on the site. For only $199 you gain access to all Writer's Digest's writing tutorials for an entire year. That means you have access to all 300+ current tutorials and all the new tutorials created throughout the year.

New Releases

How to Succeed as a Children's Book Writer, Part 1   PREVIEW   Making Your Children's Book Shine and Stand Out Above the Rest   PREVIEW

How to Write Short Stories & Use Them to Further Your Writing Career   PREVIEW   Fearless Writing   PREVIEW

Writer's Digest Membership Options   $25 MONTHLY $199 Annually   300+ WD Tutorials are immediately available for viewing, and at least one new tutorial is added weekly.

Sue Johnson Sue is an Instructional Designer for Writer's Digest. She lives with her Corgi/Dachshund (Dorgi), Dori, and three kitties. Follow her on Twitter @sueajohnsonco.

Plus an agent spotlight, writing prompt and more from Writer's Digest.

 

It's Never Too Late: On Becoming a Writer at 50   The year I turned 20 I sat down and made out my bucket list, jotting down the decade birthdays-30th, 40th, 50th, and so on-and beneath each entry what I hoped to have accomplished by that date. Longevity not being a strong family trait, I figured I had maybe five decades to make my life's dreams come true. Read More...

How Being an Editor Helped Me Be a Better Writer (and Vice Versa)   As a debut novelist who's also a full-time nonfiction editor, I've tried hard to keep my editor and author hats separate. From nine to five (and then some), my job is to publish beautifully illustrated and quirky nonfiction at Penguin Books. I squeeze in writing in whatever hours I can carve out on the side and on weekends.    Read More...

Seeking material for film and TV adaptation. The 2017 Book Pipeline Competition: next deadline August 15th. Recent contest winner "I am Raymond Washington" was optioned by producers. $10,000 awarded. Learn more and submit at bookpipeline.com.

Agent Spotlight: Caroline Eisenmann   Caroline is looking for upmarket and literary fiction, as well as nonfiction, including reported narratives, cultural criticism, essay collections, and history and biography with a surprising point of view. In fiction, she is particularly drawn to work with emotional impact, novels driven by intimacy and relationships, and stories that grapple with our current cultural climate.    Read More...

See results of the largest self-publishing survey ever conducted We collected the insights of about 8,000 aspiring writers and published authors that revealed their book promotion strategies, tactics, and results. Yours free. Only from BookBaby Download your free guide.

The Elements of a Revise and Resubmit Request from an Agent   The dreaded Revise and Resubmit request from an agent-it's not a no. Instead, think of it as an opportunity to hone your work, because this agent sees potential in your manuscript.    Read More...

Unlock the potential of your manuscript! Helga Schier, PhD, published author and professional editor offers effective, personalized, constructive and comprehensive editorial services. Contact: withpenandpaper@verizon.net, www.withpenandpaper.com, 310.828.8421

Agent One-on-One: First Ten Pages Boot Camp   STARTS AUGUST 24! In this invaluable event, you'll get to work with an agent online to review and refine the first ten pages of your novel. You'll learn what keeps an agent reading, what are the most common mistakes that make them stop, and the steps you need to take to correct them. The best part is that you'll be working directly with an agent, who will provide feedback specific to your work. Here's how it works. Read More...

Your Weekly Writing Prompt   Soccer Threat: You're a star soccer player for your country's national team. Your team has made it to the finals of the World Cup. Just before kickoff, you are hit by a wadded up piece of paper that is thrown at you from the stands. You pick it up, open it and there's a note: "I've kidnapped your spouse. If you don't lose today's game, you will never see him/her again." What do you do? Write this scene. Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments here ....

Brian A. Klems Follow @BrianKlems Brian A. Klems is the senior online editor of Writer's Digest and author of the popular gift book Oh Boy, You're Having a Girl: A Dad's Survival Guide to Raising Daughters.

 

The tools you can use now to set goals to put yourself on a path to publication

 

How to Succeed as a Children's Book Writer, Part 1   You've been working on writing children's books, with your eye on future goals of signing with an agent and getting published. But everything seems so intangible and distant when you're focused on coming up with the one perfect manuscript. Part 1 of this two-part tutorial, helps you realize the tools you can use now to set goals to put yourself Read More...

Writer's Digest Tutorials   Writer's Digest Tutorials Members enjoy full access to all tutorials featured in this newsletter, as well as every tutorial on the site. For only $199 you gain access to all Writer's Digest's writing tutorials for an entire year. That means you have access to all 300+ current tutorials and all the new tutorials created throughout the year.

New Releases

How to Write Short Stories & Use Them to Further Your Writing Career   PREVIEW     Fearless Writing   PREVIEW

Point of View: Whose Story is This, Anyway? Part 1   PREVIEW   Point of View: Whose Story is This, Anyway? Part 2   PREVIEW

Writer's Digest Membership Options   $25 MONTHLY $199 Annually   300+ WD Tutorials are immediately available for viewing, and at least one new tutorial is added weekly.

Sue Johnson Sue is an Instructional Designer for Writer's Digest. She lives with her Corgi/Dachshund (Dorgi), Dori, and three kitties. Follow her on Twitter @sueajohnsonco.

If your career and confidence could use a boost, you need to enter this competition!

 

E-Book Authors: Enter the Competition That Could Revolutionize Your Career You've published your book to fit the evolving lifestyle of the modern reader-on the go and always plugged in. Don't let your eye for innovation go unnoticed. Celebrate your e-Book in the pages of Writer's Digest with the Self-Published E-Book Awards! If you win, you'll be on your way to the Writer's Digest Annual Conference with $5,000 in your pocket, in addition to a spotlight in the magazine celebrating your win! Now all that's left for you to do is choose your category and enter your best work by September 5!

ENTER NOW

Plus women's fiction advice, literary agent info and more from Writer's Digest.

 

Why You Should Have the Tenacity of a Weed as a Writer   Debut author, Corabel Shofner, explains why she believes it took her 64 years to become a traditionally published author, and why writers should never give up. Read More...

When Does Black Women's Fiction Become Just Women's Fiction?   When does black women's fiction become just women's fiction? To answer that question, we'd first have to establish the difference between the two. Some might argue that it's the characters, others might say themes or cultural perspective. After reflecting on this for years, I concluded that the biggest thing that separates women's fiction and black women's fiction is about 10 to 20 feet of floor space. And I'm not being glib; I'm serious. Just hear me out.    Read More...

Agent Spotlight: Stephanie Hansen, Metamorphosis Literary Agency   This agent spotlight features Stephanie Hansen, owner of Metamorphosis Literary Agency. Remember, newer agents are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is likely building his or her client list.    Read More...

See results of the largest self-publishing survey ever conducted We collected the insights of about 8,000 aspiring writers and published authors that revealed their book promotion strategies, tactics, and results. Yours free. Only from BookBaby Download your free guide.

6 Keys to Writing a Compelling Historical Novel   Writing the historical novel brings several unique challenges. Tailoring these techniques to your historical novel will help you capture and hold your readers' attention. Read More...

LAST CHANCE TO JOIN! The 3rd Annual Mystery & Thriller Online Writing Conference   Writer's Digest University is pleased to present an exclusive online event for mystery & thriller writers! On August 5th and 6th, our 3rd Annual Mystery & Thriller Online Writing Conference will provide expert insights from SIX award-winning and best-selling authors on the finer points of how to write within the mystery and thriller genres. Spend the weekend learning techniques for honing your craft from seven different published authors*, then (if you choose) pitch your novel via query letter to a literary agent specifically looking for material in the mystery or thriller genre. The agent will provide you with a personalized critique of your query - and maybe ask to see more. Read More...

Your Weekly Writing Prompt   Finish This Sentence #7 - You'd Never Believe Me: Finish this sentence (and then write the story that accompanies it): You'd never believe me if I told you that I _____________, but it's true and I can prove it. Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments here ....

Brian A. Klems Follow @BrianKlems Brian A. Klems is the senior online editor of Writer's Digest and author of the popular gift book Oh Boy, You're Having a Girl: A Dad's Survival Guide to Raising Daughters.