Weekly Scratch: Awards, Opportunities, Self-publishing, Critique

Howdy, folks!  I hope that you are working on your stories and getting ready to send out.  

On to our local news. We have a schmooze coming up -- October 26, 2011, 9:30 AM Critique (bring  copies) and 10 AM (meeting) at the College Station Barnes and Noble.  Schmooze topic: Critique Group Advantages--Panel. How are our critique groups going? We will share ideas and handouts.

Our conference is also coming up folks.  Here is the link. Sign up!  It's going to be fab.  Here's the scoop:

Connections & Craft Conference!

November 12, 2011 A&M United Methodist Church
417 University Drive
College Station, TX 77840

AWARDS

From PW, The finalists for the 2011 National Book Award in Young People's Literature were announced on Wednesday. The nominees are: Franny Billingsley, Chime, edited by Kathy Dawson (Dial), Debby Dahl Edwardson, My Name Is Not Easy, edited by Melanie Kroupa (Marshall Cavendish); Thanhha Lai, Inside Out and Back Again, edited by Tara Weikum (Harper); Albert Marrin, Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy, edited by Michelle Frey (Knopf); Lauren Myracle, Shine, edited by Susan Van Metre (Abrams/Amulet); and Gary D. Schmidt, Okay for Now, edited by Virginia Buckley (Clarion).

OPPORTUNITIES

To celebrate the release of the trailer for her Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies book, Deborah Halverson is giving away a critique of the first 20 pages of a fiction manuscript of any genre. No picture books. Click the link to the giveaway details.

Here is an opportunity for science fiction writers at Carina Press. Dust off those 18000 to 35000 holiday science fiction novellas and give them a polish. Perhaps the is the break you need.

A local storyteller is going to be in town. This may be of some interest to you.  Here are the particulars:

Who: FREE for all! Lyn Ford will be performing and also demonstrating how to use storytelling in K-8 classrooms. Teller of "Home-Fried" Tales
Where: CSISD Transportation Center (Rock Prairie Rd)
Date: Wed, Nov. 9, 2011
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Contact: Nancy Self, n-self@tamu.edu.

SELF-PUBLISHING

Is self-publishing a new door into traditional publishing market? Here is an interesting article at Alan Rinzler's site with opinions from top editors.

Self-published author is so yesterday; it's all about indie authors now. Here's a roundup of tips and tricks that will rock your indie world from Shelli Johannes' MARKET MY WORDS. 

CRITIQUE

Here is an awesome discussion from YA Oasis. A group of authors pick apart a query letter to make it all sparkly and shiny.  Check it out.

Here is a structure plan to online critique groups at Roni Loren's WRITING BLOG that you may find eye opening.

Here is an article from a blogger called The Art of Critiquing that you find helps you keep it real.

The views expressed here are my own, and not necessarily those of the SCBWI.

Weekly Scratch: Opportunities, Blogging, Tracking

Howdy, folks!  Hope your work is humming.

Don't forget to sign up for the SCBWI-BV Conference. We have an editor, an agent, and world class authors on the slate.  Here is the link. Sign up!  It's going to be fab.

Here's the scoop:  2011 Connections & Craft, November 12, 2011 A&M United Methodist Church
417 University Drive, College Station, TX 77840. Don't miss it.

Check out our own Sherry Garland's blog: In to the Woods We Go.  Some great stuff there about query letters.

OPPORTUNITIES

Join R.L. Stine for Dinner--FREE at    Tre Trattoria on Thursday, October 6!
Preceeded by: WORKSHOP -Overcoming Writer's Block: An Interactive Writing Workshop for Adults with R.L. Stine

October 6, 2011, 5:00 - 6:15pm

Where: The Magik Theatre++

Cost: $60 seatting limited to 50 participants)    

Registration: Call The Magik Theatre 210.227.27 or go to www.magiktheatre.org for more information

Writer Who Care: The 50/50 Project

How does it work? Working with CARE INTERNATIONAL, Writers who CARE: the 50/50 PROJECT will allow anyone who makes a donation of $50.00 to submit 50 pages double-spaced of a work-in-progress for a 1-2 page critique by one of the participating authors.  All donators wishing a critique must have access to e-mail and the Internet for correspondence with a published author in order to qualify. Authors and donators will be matched on a first come, first serve basis as long as slots are open. The project is also open to those wishing simply to make a donation to this worthy cause. 

Local Conference --The Dean of Faculties and Associate Provost is proud to announce and invite you to attend the 2011 CALLALOO CONFERENCE, which will take place at Texas A&M University (College Station, October 12-14) and The Menil Collection (Houston, TX), October 15, 2011. This event is free and open to the general public.  If you attend this international conference you will be delighted and inspired by  some of the best artists and intellectuals currently living in the United States. For additional information about Callaloo and the 2011 CALLALOO CONFERENCE, visit: http://callaloo.tamu.edu

Registration is open now for summer classes and workshops at Gemini Ink in San Antonio.

http://geminiink.org/

The Founder's Workshops at the the Highlights Foundation were not "highlighted" at our Schmooze.

http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/pages/current/FWsched_preview.html

BLOGGING

Some link to useful tools to help you blog:
www.addtoany.com
www.sharethis.com
www.addthis.com
http://FeedBurner.com
http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/like/
http://technorati.com

TRACKING

Interested in some free submission tracking software? Check out SONAR.

Want a submisson tracking app for you iPad or iPhone?  Try Story Tracker.

A basic tracking spread sheet. Downloadable.

The views expressed here are my own, and not necessarily those of the SCBWI.