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.