136 Days Left as 2024 Winds Down
Authortunities #75 │August 17—September 14
Here are your author opportunities organized by date and emoji, plus…
Extra interview with Joe Mynhardt of Crystal Lake Entertainment.
Becky Spratford reveals librarian secrets for Halloween in July
SFPA seeks new Star*Line editor.
🌳What’s in this issue?
In the famine of submission calls, I have learned a lot from all the workshops and classes I’ve been taking. The subs may be sparse, but there are still some good ones, namely You, Human, Vol. 2, edited by Michael Bailey and Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki and the 21 Futures: Financial Fallout Anthology competition. The SFPA Speculative Poetry Contest will be closing at the end of the month as well, so get your poems in. Finally, HWA Secretary Becky Spratford leads an excellent discussion on “The Halloween Librarians and You: How the HWA Library Committee Can Help Authors at Any Stage of Their Career” for the HWA’s final Halloween in July presentations.
🍃Bullet Points
Proud to have a story in Weird Fiction Quarterly's new Road Trip 2024 issue just out! Featuring 51 authors and poets with your ticket to the bizarre, horrific, absurd, and wonderfully weird. Find your copy on Amazon here.
On this week’s Extra podcast take a little trip to Crystal Lake (horror fans are chuckling right now) with Joe Mynhardt of Crystal Lake Entertainment. Listen here.
Speaking of podcasts, remember last week’s guest? If you didn’t get enough of
then you’ll be happy to know he made an appearance on Draft2Digital’s YouTube with “Self Publishing Roadmap for Success” and launched his new book #1 on Amazon Advanced Self-Publishing for Authors: A Guide to Author Success and Platform Growth.Jean-Paul Garnier is wrapping up his time as Star*Line editor. Let our Executive Committee know of your interest by August 31 at sfpa-exec@googlegroups.com. Don’t hesitate to question directly about the duties involved at starlineeditor@gmail.com.
Melissa Haun shared this well written guide she wrote on “How to Make Your Writing More Sensitive – and Why It Matters.” Recommended reading.
Not much to report for the Space and Time and the MG call. So many great submissions came in, we are still sifting through them. I hope to announce the MG selections by the end of September.
Ryan Aussie Smith (aka my husband) is on a push to make Twitch Partner, so any likes, follows and lurks appreciated. Thank you everyone! He streams Saturday-Tuesday here: Twitch.tv/Aussiemanplays.
Anyone familiar with Mighty Networks? I’m looking at that social platform to host both the upcoming Authortunities Expo (Nov. 2) and an ongoing online community of authortunists. Let me know if you’ve used it in the comments.
And finally, how about a poll? This is open to all subscribers, forever.
I find author opportunities everywhere, I want to give special credit to some of my favorite sources here. angelaysmith.com/subscribe
Comments, questions, compliments or concerns?
🦝This calendar is organized by emoji! Use [ctrl F] to find what you want fast.
🟢 opening subs
🔴 closing subs
⭐ networking
💼 conference
🎤 open mics
🎓 education
♻️ reprints
🏆 awards
💰 grants
🟢 BookLife runs the Indie Spotlight feature, a thematic roundup of self-published books from a broad range of genres and topics, both online and in print in Publishers Weekly magazine. Every month's Indie Spotlight is open to all types of books: fiction and nonfiction, adult and children's, secular and religious, written and graphic. As long as the subject matter matches the month's topic, a book can be included. For September, submit picture books and other illustrated titles, including graphic novels until September 1.
https://booklife.com/about-us/booklife-s-indie-spotlight.html
🟢 The SFPA Speculative Poetry Contest is open until August 31 to all poets, including non-SFPA-members for speculative poetry in any form. Prizes will be awarded for best unpublished poem in 3 categories. Winning poets will be awarded $150 First Prize, $75 Second Prize, $25 Third Prize and publication on the SFPA website for first through third places in all categories. $3 entry fee, the contest is chaired by Angela Yuriko Smith and judged by Stephanie M. Wytovich.
https://www.sfpoetry.com/contests.html
🟢 Reedsy Prompts is open until the following Friday for short fiction between 1,000 - 3,000 words based on one of five prompts. Writers have until the following Friday at 11.59 pm EST to enter. No fee to enter and have work posted. $5 fee to be eligible for the $250 cash prize. New prompt every Friday. This week’s prompt is: Save the Date 💌.
https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/
⭐🎓 AUG 17 · PARSEC, Pittsburgh’s premier Science Fiction & Fantasy Organization, welcomes the public to their monthly meetings held the third Saturday of each month beginning at 12:30 pm EST. Virtual Zoom meetings are available for those unable to attend in person.
https://parsec-sff.org/monthly-meetings/
⭐ AUG 17 · Halloween in July presents “The Halloween Librarians and You: How the HWA Library Committee Can Help Authors at Any Stage of Their Career.” Becky Spratford leads the conversation with helpful inside POV from real librarians, namely Meghan Bouffard, Konrad Stump, Clay McLeod Chapman, Jocelyn Codner, and Yaika Sabat. A fundraiser to support the Horror Writers Association’s scholarships and the University of Pittsburgh Horror Studies Archive.
https://www.pledge.to/2nd-annual-halloween-in-july
🎓 AUG 17 · Writing Ghost Stories If you’ve ever fancied writing your own supernatural tales, then this day course could be for you! Over the course of the day you will be exploring atmosphere, characterization, pacing and more, giving you the complete toolkit to send a chill down the spine of your readers. Organized by Alex Davis events. Class costs £30.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/writing-ghost-stories-tickets-902323071597?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
⭐🎤 AUG 18 · Rattlecast livestreams, is part interview and open mic with a prompt-based open mic. Hangout with Rattle editor Timothy Green and Katie Dozier. Each Rattlecast begins with an interview, a writing prompt, and poets reading from the last week’s prompt. | Rattlecast at 8 pm EST.
⭐ AUG 18 · GoIndieNow presents This Week In Indies for 2024 a weekly Sunday chat show that covers issues relevant for Indie artists and the scoop on who is publishing what and where you can get it. Broadcasting every Sunday at Noon ET/11a CT/10a MT/9a PT.
⭐🎓 AUG 19-23 · Writing Romance Mastery Summit Join 25+ world-class writing, publishing, and marketing experts for candid insight on the romance industry today. This event will bring together the best writing, publishing, and marketing experts in the industry to teach you about becoming a more successful romance author. Free pass for a limited time.
https://paulajudithjohnson.com/registration
🎓 AUG 20 · Hard Truths: Book Writing Competitions Understanding how contests actually work and what types of projects typically resonate is essential to any writer looking to compete—the story idea, the quality of the writing sample, the voice of the author, etc. Book Pipeline execs Matthew J. Misetich, Ciara Duggan and Jeanne Veillette Bowerman offer insider tips on writing competitions from the perspective of the readers behind them. Free registration, 4-5 p.m. PT | 7-8 p.m. ET.
https://symposium.pipelineartists.com/hard-truths-book-writing-competitions/
🎓 AUG 20 · Secrets of Suspense—Hank Phillippi Ryan is the latest offering from the Outliers Online Ongoing Writers Conference where all classes are taught by working, best-selling authors with two classes per month, every month on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays. “USA Today best-selling author and Emmy-winning investigative reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan will show you how each element of your story can be tightened, twisted, and focused to intrigue, surprise and delight your readers--and have them turning the pages as fast as they can. With practical advice and specific tips, Hank will guide you through the secrets of suspense.“ Costs $45.
https://www.outlierswritinguniversity.com/ongoingconference
⭐🎓 AUG 21 · POV Mastery A three-class series on crafting powerful narrative perspectives taught by Tiffany Yates Martin, this course delves into the four most prevalent storytelling perspectives in today’s fiction publishing market and will explore how to create the most effective perspective to tell your story and deeply engage your readers. Three live sessions: Aug. 21, Aug. 28, and Sept. 4 at 1 p.m. EDT. Classes cost $25 each or $65 for all.
https://janefriedman.com/pov-mastery-with-tiffany-yates-martin/
🎓 AUG 21 · BookBub Ads: From Basics to Advanced Strategies Unlock the full potential of BookBub Ads in this comprehensive webinar featuring Brian Berni of Fiction Marketing Academy. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your existing campaigns, this session will equip you with the knowledge and tactics to elevate your book marketing game. Free.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvc-mpqDssGtSnnxsO_C0tiZHB66sxL4TT#/registration
🎓 AUG 21 · 10 Strategies for Marketing Your Book Join Jack Shilkaitis from Bookfunnel live for 10 unique strategies you can use to market your books and grow your audience. Free.
⭐ AUG 22 · Halloween in July presents “How To With Agents” for #throwbackthursday. Literary agents Alec Shane (Writers House), Becky LeJune (Bond Literary Agency), and Maeve MacLysaght (Copps Literary Services) explain information on how to approach agents and improve your chances. A fundraiser to support the Horror Writers Association’s scholarships and the University of Pittsburgh Horror Studies Archive.
https://www.pledge.to/2nd-annual-halloween-in-july
🔴 AUG 23 · Rattle Magazine’s “Poets Respond” challenge calls for poems inspired by “a news story or public event from the previous week, and has been written in the time since.” Selected poems will appear as the Sunday poem at Rattle.com which appear to over 10,000 people via RSS feed and daily email service. Poets will receive $100 and a free print magazine subscription. Each week's deadline is Friday midnight PST.
https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/30232/poets-respond-online
⭐🎓 AUG 23 · Rattle Magazine’s livestream Poetry Critique of the Week Rattle's editor hosts a livestreamed poetry critique on YouTube and Facebook, offering suggestions and feedback. The viewing audience is encouraged to participate. The goal is to help us all become better poets through the honest sharing of our reactions, similar to the experience of an MFA roundtable workshop. Critique of the Week | April 19, 2024 at 4 pm EST.
https://www.youtube.com/@RattlePoetry/featured
🟢 AUG 23 · Reedsy Prompts calls for short fiction between 1,000 - 3,000 words based on one of five prompts. Writers have until the following Friday at 11.59pm EST to enter. No fee to enter and have work posted. $5 fee to be eligible for the $250 cash prize. New prompt every Friday.
https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/
⭐🎤 AUG 25 · Rattlecast livestreams, is part interview and open mic with a prompt-based open mic. Hangout with Rattle editor Timothy Green and Katie Dozier. Each Rattlecast begins with an interview, a writing prompt, and poets reading from the last week’s prompt. | Rattlecast at 8 pm EST.
🎓 AUG 25 · Why Nonfiction Book Proposals Often Fail Using examples submitted by attendees (that's you!), Jane Friedman will discuss how proposals can be strengthened and revised for a chance at greater success in this free presentation.
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SjOje7MsQvmw3TequXh_Ew#/registration
⭐ AUG 25 · GoIndieNow presents This Week In Indies for 2024 a weekly Sunday chat show that covers issues relevant for Indie artists and the scoop on who is publishing what and where you can get it. Broadcasting every Sunday at Noon ET/11a CT/10a MT/9a PT.
🔴 AUG 25 · Off Topic Publishing’s Poetry Box closes to submissions of poetry to be sent out as a physical card with tea and chocolate to subscribers. Payment is for $30 CAD.
https://offtopicpublishing.com/opencalls/
⭐ AUG 27 · Tiny Oblivions and Mutual Self Destructions Book Launch Join Maxwell I. Gold and Angela Yuriko Smith as they discuss the release of Gold’s newest prose poetry collection, Tiny Oblivions and Mutual Self Destructions. Discover cosmic horror through a poet’s lens and find out what really scares these two poets and how they use their craft to explore big ideas and small. This event will be hosted by HWA president John Edward Lawson and will include a reading and giveaway.
🎓 AUG 27 · From Pen to Profit: Mastering Book Writing and Digital Marketing This exclusive webinar with Nick Thacker, founder of Book Career in a Year. This insightful Q&A session will dive deep into the art of book writing and the science of digital marketing for authors. Free.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vcOGhrTotG9L84gloXNQuEKrUEUqdCF9y#/registration
⭐ AUG 28 · The Muse's Mic Hosts James Bryant and Nik Macioci talk poetry and writing with Gregory Seth Harris. Includes audience Q&A and the Fill in the Blank game where a member of the audience will have a chance to win a gift card of their choice.
https://www.facebook.com/spofest/live/
🎓 AUG 28 · Intro to Boosted Promos Join Jack Shilkaitis from Bookfunnel live for an introduction to Boosted BookFunnel Group Promos and how they can benefit you as an author. Boosted Group Promos are promos hosted on the BookFunnel dashboard in which the organizer collects payment from participants for the purpose of advertising the promotion to readers (often times on Facebook). Boosted promos are a great way for organizers to bring more traffic and an affordable way for authors to get their books in front of more readers. Free.
⭐ AUG 29 · Halloween in July presents “Weird and Wonderful: The HWA Mental Health Initiative” for #throwbackthursday. Hosted by Lauren Elise Daniels with panelists Lee Murray, and Dave Jeffery, a look into the HWA’s Mental Health Initiative and how writers can break the stigma surrounding mental health in our work. A fundraiser to support the Horror Writers Association’s scholarships and the University of Pittsburgh Horror Studies Archive.
https://www.pledge.to/2nd-annual-halloween-in-july
🔴 AUG 30 · Rattle Magazine’s “Poets Respond” challenge calls for poems inspired by “a news story or public event from the previous week, and has been written in the time since.” Selected poems will appear as the Sunday poem at Rattle.com which appear to over 10,000 people via RSS feed and daily email service. Poets will receive $100 and a free print magazine subscription. Each week's deadline is Friday midnight PST.
https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/30232/poets-respond-online
🟢 AUG 30 · Havok is closed for flash fiction to the theme of “Remember November” in “all five genres: mystery, science fiction, humor, thriller, and fantasy.” Payment is $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology; no payment for online publication.
https://gohavok.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/
🟢 AUG 30 · Reedsy Prompts calls for short fiction between 1,000 - 3,000 words based on one of five prompts. Writers have until the following Friday at 11.59pm EST to enter. No fee to enter and have work posted. $5 fee to be eligible for the $250 cash prize. New prompt every Friday.
https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/
🔴♻️ AUG 31 · Short Story on Substack is closed for short stories from 6- 10,000 words in any genre. Payment is $100 + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Selected story to be announced on the 15th. Reprints welcome.
https://shortstory.substack.com/
🔴 AUG 31 · Rattle Magazine’s Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge closes for ekphrastic poetry in response to selected visual art posted on their page. Two winners receive $100 and publication online.
https://www.rattle.com/ekphrastic/
🔴🏆 AUG 31 · The BookLife Prize for fiction closes for “unpublished or self-published books–works for which the author has subvented the cost of the book’s publication–in the English language” for a chance at a cash prize of $5,000 and a profile in Publishers Weekly. All entrants will receive a Critic’s Report, which includes a score and a brief written critical assessment of their novel by a Publishers Weekly reviewer.
https://booklife.com/about-us/the-booklife-prize.html
🔴 AUG 31 · After Happy Hour closes for “online issues, we accept fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, visual art, photographs, graphic narratives, and any combination thereof.” Payment is $10.
https://afterhappyhourreview.submittable.com/submit
🔴 AUG 31 · The SFPA Speculative Poetry Contest closes to all poets, including non-SFPA-members for speculative poetry in any form. Prizes will be awarded for best unpublished poem in 3 categories: Dwarf (poems 1–10 lines, prose poems 0–100 words); Short (11–49 lines, prose poems 101–499 words); Long (50 lines and more, prose 500 words and up. Winning poets will be awarded $150 First Prize, $75 Second Prize, $25 Third Prize and publication on the SFPA website for first through third places in all categories. $3 entry fee, the contest is chaired by Angela Yuriko Smith and judged by Stephanie Wytovich.
https://www.sfpoetry.com/contests.html
🔴 AUG 31 · 21 Futures: Financial Fallout Anthology competition closes for stories up to 3k words about what economic and “catastrophic failures will we see in the next 100 years'' The 21 best stories will feature in the anthology and will be eligible to win the following prizes: 1st place: $1,000 + feature interview, 2nd place: $100 + podcast appearance, 3rd Place: Book haul + podcast appearance, and 4th to 21st place: Featured in anthology + anthology copy + launch appearance. Entry fee is purchasing a copy of 21 Futures: Tales from the Timechain [https://amzn.to/3JMUBJ2]
https://21futures.com/submissions/
🔴 AUG 31 · Broken Sleep Books closes for non-fiction prose pamphlets (up to 150 pages). Payment is 10% royalties, with the author receiving five (5) free author copies and a 50% discount on future purchases. Simultaneous submissions.
https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/submissions
🔴 AUG 31 · The Other Stories Podcast closes for 2,000 word speculative fiction on the theme of “THE TAROT. Pull a card; tell a story.” Payment is $15 GBP.
https://theotherstories.net/submissions/
🔴♻️ AUG 31 · Siren’s Call eZine closes for short stories, flash fiction, drabbles, and poetry within the horror/dark fiction genre to the current theme of “Halloween.” Reprints welcome. No payment. Advertise for only $10 for a full page ad to 35,000 readers.
http://www.sirenscallpublications.com/ezine.htm
⭐ AUG 31 · Halloween in July presents “All About the Bram Stoker Awards.” James Chambers is joined by Lisa Morton, Laura Blackwell, and Alex Hofelich to talk all about the prestigious Bram Stoker Awards®. A candid look at one of the most celebrated awards in the horror genre. A fundraiser to support the Horror Writers Association’s scholarships and the University of Pittsburgh Horror Studies Archive.
https://www.pledge.to/2nd-annual-halloween-in-july
⭐🎓 AUG 31 · Master Class: Revision Strategies for Writers with NY Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry from 10am - 1 pm PST (1-4pm EST) via ZOOM. Revisions are what make a story come alive. This masterclass will show you how to transform your work through different drafts, but also how to work with editors, interpret and apply their notes, and craft something that has the best chance of selling in today’s market. Workshop costs $50. Proceeds benefit no-kill animal shelters.
https://www.jonathanmaberry.com/workshopdescriptions.cfm
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