Sticky Notes Blog

A blog of writing news, tips, and inspiration from Fat Plum

Apple Valley Review accepting submissions for Spring 2007

The Apple Valley Review: A Journal of Contemporary Literature will continue to accept submissions of poetry, short fiction, and essays for the Spring 2007 issue until February 16, 2007. The Apple Valley Review is a semiannual online literary journal. Additional information, including previously published work and complete submission guidelines, are available at www.applevalleyreview.com.

Posted by Cindy on October 24, 2006
This entry was posted in the following categories: Calls for submissions
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Annual Creative Nonfiction Festival

November 6-11th is the 412: CREATIVE NONFICTION FESTIVAL: in Pittsburgh, PA. This year's theme: Can YOU Handle the Truth? Ethics in Writing.

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Posted by Julie on October 23, 2006
This entry was posted in the following categories: Coming attractions
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Calls for Submissions

Here are a few publications looking for your stories and articles:

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Posted by Julie on October 23, 2006
This entry was posted in the following categories: Calls for submissions
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Mystery Saturday is October 14

Received from the Ligonier Valley Writers:

Do you like to read mysteries? Would you like to write one? Join us Saturday afternoon, October 14, from 2:00 to 5:00 PM when Ligonier Valley Writers and the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library present Mystery Saturday at the Library.

To kick off the celebration, Barb Miller will give a free workshop from 2-4 PM on how to write a mystery novel or short story. Barb will discuss plotting, characterization, and point of view. She’ll run a brainstorming session where the group will come up with scenarios and characters. She’ll also answer questions about stories you’re working on.

From 4-5 PM, members of the Greensburg Writers Group will sign their mystery anthology, The Phantom Detectives. Whether you like cozies or hardboiled noir fiction or anything in between, this will give you a taste of your favorite kind of mystery.

The mystery anthology writers include Marge Burke (and her crime-solving dog, Tazz), Linda Ciletti, Rebecca Dunn, Judith Gallagher, Ed Kelemen, Barb Miller, Mary Ann Mogus, Craig Schlechter, Ron J. Shafer and J. E. Wynn.

And keep an eye out for the latest issue of LVW’s literary magazine, the Loyalhanna Review. For more about any LVW events and publications, visit www.ligoniervalleywriters.org .

Posted by Cindy on October 11, 2006
This entry was posted in the following categories: Coming attractions
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A Fresh Spot for Personal Essays

Whether you're looking for a market for your personal essay or just enjoy reading great pieces, check out FRESH YARN , the online salon for personal essays. Every month the site presents six new personal narrative essays from writers in various fields — TV, film, journalism, fiction — as well as other creative types. It is created, hosted and edited by award-winning author Hillary Carlip, whose latest memoir is Queen of the Oddballs: And Other True Stories from a Life Unaccording to Plan

Posted by Julie on October 11, 2006
This entry was posted in the following categories: Online publishing
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How to make a pretty book

I've been exploring Blurb, a self-publishing system that helps you create hardcover books.

To publish with Blurb, you compose your book in their custom software, BookSmart. BookSmart includes a number of design templates and starter text. The focus is on books neavy in pictures: coffee table books, travelogues, cookbooks, family albums, and the like. There's a pre-designed template for blog books, if you want to preserve your online musings on paper. Text-only templates aren't yet available but are coming soon.

The software is a little slow -- at least on my Mac Powerbook G4 -- but it's intuitive to use and flexible despite being template-based. At it encourages you to stick to a consistent design style, which helps the final product be polished and high-quality.

Once you've composed the book, you send it to Blurb and order however many copies you want. At $29.95 each for up to 40 pages, and more for longer books, they're not cheap. There are discounts for bulk orders, but even so this isn't the way to write yourself into a retirement nest egg.

This isn't the cheapest self-publishing option, but I'd recommend it for small batches of gift books -- a family album or cookbook, baby shower gift, anniversary gift. The convenience is striking.

I haven't seen a finished book, and of course that's the proof of the pudding. But if I create one soon -- maybe a holiday gift? -- I'll report back here on the results.

Have you had personal experience with Blurb or any other self-publisher? Share your story in the comments.

Posted by Cindy on October 09, 2006
This entry was posted in the following categories: Publishing
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Third Annual International Dance With Words Poetry Contest

Third Annual International Dance With Words Poetry Contest Announced

Top 10 to be published in: Volume Three of Dance With Words Poems From Word Dancers, Spring 2007 and in May's Issue of www.Palabras-Press.com

First Prize:
10 Perfect Bound, 30 - 60 page Poetry Book, Published by Palabras Press and Promoted for three months via a banner ad on www.Palabras-Press.com OR $100.00 CAD

Second Prize:
5 Perfect Bound, 30 -50 page Poetry Book, Published by Palabras Press and Promoted for three months via a banner ad on www.Palabras-Press.com OR $50.00 CAD

Third Prize: $25.00

NOTE:
Each of the winning poems will be published on www.Palabras-Press.com

Email entries to: admin@Palabras-Press.com
Send Submission Fee to:
Palabras Press
113 Hounslow Dr, NW
Calgary, Alberta
T2K 2E6

More information, including the list of judges and contest guidelines, is available at the Dance With Words website.

Posted by Cindy on October 07, 2006
This entry was posted in the following categories: Calls for submissions
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