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WritersNotes.Net: Helping Writers Follow Their Dreams Through Information, Inspiration, and Encouragement!
The following is an update added to my recent blog post about Iron Pyramid Publications' Writing Contest, which had previously been slated to run from April 1st to April 30th, 2007:
UPDATE 3/19/07: I've just learned that the new contest is open NOW, as R.D. has apparently decided not to wait until April 1st to begin accepting submissions, after all. So, if short stories are your literary 'cup of tea,' sharpen those pencils, fire up those computers, and get a head start on your entry! As far as I know, the deadline is still the same: April 30th.
For more info about the contest, see my March 17th blog post, Iron Pyramid's Latest Writing Contest Winner: 'Yours Truly'! New Contest Coming Soon!
Good luck!
Jeanne
P.S. New to short story writing? Or just a little rusty at it? Have a fantastic idea for a story and the writing skills to pull it off, but just need a little guidance in putting it all together? Check out this link: Short Stories: 10 Tips for Novice Creative Writers. It's a fairly in-depth resource that dissects and explains each element of the literary form--a resource that just might help make you a contender in the highly competitive short story market--not to mention the highly competitive short story contest! Even seasoned short fiction writers can find something of interest here.
Here are two other links that might prove helpful in your quest to win short story contests:
1. Short-Story Competitions: Increasing Your Chances of Winning.
2. Writers-Editors.com Contest Tip Sheet.
I have always said, "A writer must write!" And I still believe this to be true, for this is a natural part of who the writer is. This almost obsessive desire--nay need--for self-expression via the written word is firmly embedded in the deepest recesses of the writer's being--insistently spurring each of us on to share our innermost thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and insights with the world around us. It's as natural as breathing.
Sometimes this may take the form of poetry, as in my own personal poetic glimpse into emotional growth:
Vistas
by Jeanne Dininni
Gazing down the corridor of time, I see a memory.
I strain to touch the innocence of youth, with fleeting ecstasy.
For lurking not so far beyond that realm of sweet naivety
The tears and pain wait silently...so patiently...majestically...
Hanging in my consciousness, like strains of haunting melody,
The image slowly dissipates and drifts into eternity.
And through the mists of joy and pain, the dawning of maturity
Breaks forth on near horizons in a blaze of gentle agony.
Or, it could take the form of prose--either lofty or utilitarian, fiction or fact. It could be mere musings, or it might be critically important concepts which could one day save the world! But, whatever it is, it is inherently ours--or rather inherently us! And this is what makes it special...unique...irreplaceable!
This post is dedicated to all my fellow writers, who pursue their craft with the fierce loyalty born of a passion for self-expression, who faithfully follow their life's calling, their heart's dream, with perseverance wherever it may lead--despite all odds, despite all disappointments, despite all setbacks--knowing deep in their hearts that out there somewhere, at the end of their rainbow, awaits a pot of gold.
To this end, I promise to do my very best to provide you, over the coming months, with all the resources at my disposal to help make your dream come true! While these resources may, at times, be somewhat limited, or possibly somewhat inadequate or inappropriate to your particular needs, I hope you'll bear with me, as I seek the widest range of information possible.
Whatever may at any particular time be lacking in the hard data I am able to amass on your behalf will be more than compensated for by my firm belief in you and your ability to succeed at your craft if you are determined enough to do what it takes to follow your dream. And through encouragement, camaraderie, and a spirit of supportiveness, I hope to help you keep your belief in yourself alive and growing!
Fellow Writers, I salute you! Though as different from one another as night is from day, you are, every one, a special breed!
May many 'Vistas' open before you, and may the inner growth of which my poem speaks come to you gently, softly, providing a shining entry into everything that you can be!
And as you gaze out over the horizon of life, may your future break forth before you in a blaze of radiant glory!
Your friend in the writing art,
Jeanne
P.S. Here's a link to a website with many helps for freelance writers, including grant and contest info, a newsletter, links, and other resources. It also pays $35 per article ($10 for reprints) for work which helps other writers earn money writing. The site is called Funds for Writers...
And here's a link to a site seeking articles about writing and paying $15 per article. If you have any interest in this type of writing, check out Misti Sandefur's Call for Articles to find out what she's looking for. You'll also find some interesting writing-related info and resources on her site, as well.
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
Yes, I Won!
I found it most ironic that, not long after completing and posting my blog entry about MOUTH FULL OF BULLETS, a website that publishes crime-related stories, poems, and articles, I received a phone call from Ron "R.D." Peters of Iron Pyramid Publications informing me that my flash fiction piece, "Confession," a--you guessed it--crime-related story, had just won his website's current Writing Contest.
What a Surprise!
I must confess I was quite amazed by this turn of events, simply because, while I'd figured the story was worth entering into the competition, I truly didn't expect it to win--though, of course, I hoped it would. There's simply too much good fiction out there--and my story was, after all, competing against 63 other stories, many of which were very good. So, needless to say, I felt quite honored to receive both an e-mail and a phone call from R.D. this morning telling me not only that my story had won, but that it was 'superb' and 'writing at its best'! That was truly a great compliment!
You Could Win, Too!
The main reason I share this story here, however, is not simply to tell you that I have won the latest competition at Iron Pyramid or to gloat over the fact, but to share with you what R.D. told me this morning about the next short story competition he will be sponsoring on his website very soon. I was, in fact, surprised to hear how soon he's planning to do it all over again--but pleasantly so: it will run from April 1st to April 30th, 2007.
[UPDATE 3/19/07: I've just learned that the new contest is open NOW, as R.D. has apparently decided not to wait until April 1st to begin accepting submissions, after all. So, if short stories are your literary 'cup of tea,' sharpen those pencils, fire up those computers, and get a head start on your entry! As far as I know, the deadline is still the same: April 30th.]
R.D. also said, in response to my question to that effect, that he is giving some thought to the possibility of offering a Poetry Contest in the not-too-distant future; that is, however, not actually on the drawing board as of yet.
Some Contest Info
Iron Pyramid features 'dark tales,' though the contest is open to all genres! (However, according to R.D.'s Craigslist post publicizing the recent contest, neither erotica nor vulgarity are welcome and, if posted, will be removed from the Forum and disqualified from the contest.) If you haven't already got a story or three written and ready to go (multiple entries allowed,) you have several weeks in which to work on it! Check out the site for samples of the types of writing found there.
Site Navigation Tips
Iron Pyramid's contests are found in the site's Forum, which is where you'll also find info about upcoming contests. The Writer's Contest has its own section on the Forum page, which is where you will be expected to post any entries you'd like to submit for consideration as part of the competition. Check out and familiarize yourself with the Forum page, so you'll be prepared to post your entry when ready to do so.
Other I.P. Posting Opps
In addition to the Writing Contest, there are quite a few other categories in the Forum, such as Poetry, Politics, Business, Humor, and many others too numerous to mention, in which writers' thoughts or works may be posted--so be sure to check these out when you visit, as well.
Give It a Try!
Iron Pyramid Publications' Writing Contest just might be your way to get some well-deserved and much-craved recognition for your work. So, why not check it out!
And good luck!
Jeanne
P.S. Forgot to mention that there's a $50 prize--and no entry fee!
Check out Short Stories: 10 Tips for Novice Creative Writers. It's a great guide to short fiction writing!
And here are two online guides that can help make you more short story contest savvy:
1. Short-Story Competitions: Increasing Your Chances of Winning.
2. Writers-Editors.com Contest Tip Sheet.
Have an itch to write a murder mystery? Or have one you've already written? Or perhaps your forte is penning highly suspenseful crime-related poetry. You might even be more the type who's into writing about crime writing (either the craft or the business.) If any of the above situations describes you, you might just want to check out MOUTH FULL OF BULLETS, a website and online mystery magazine that publishes crime-related non-fiction, poetry and short fiction by writers of all levels.
According to the info in their Submission Guidelines, in the area of fiction, they accept "Mystery/suspense of all types (police procedural, private eye, amateur sleuth, cozies, hardboiled, etc.)" They go on to say, " Basically, if it involves a crime, and it's within our guidelines, we'd love to consider it."
As for poetry, they seek "anything crime-related."
And in the area of non-fiction, they state, "We are open to articles and columns related to mystery writing, seeking representation, editing, writing in general, or anything else that grabs our attention."
They publish four times a year and welcome both new and established writers to submit their work--which, incidentally, must be submitted via e-mail.
While MOUTH FULL OF BULLETS is an extremely low-paying market--in fact, 'nominal' is the word they themselves use to refer to their payments--this market can offer you an opportunity to get your work out there before the public, get it read, and possibly earn you a reputation as a mystery writer, a crime genre poet, or an author of writing-related articles of the criminal variety. And this could be a very good thing!
Though I've never dealt with this website personally and so have no real experience to draw upon in giving advice to the aspiring crime writer where the site is concerned, I have more than once considered submitting work to them myself. However, due to one or another writing project--to be totally honest, coupled with the fact that they are one of the lowest-paying markets--I haven't yet gotten around to doing so.
Yet, there seems something fascinating about them. (Could it be the illustration that adorns the site of a spoon full of bullets being lifted toward a wide-open mouth?)
Whatever it is, I think MOUTH FULL OF BULLETS would definitely be worth looking into for the writer who has any interest at all in crime-related writing!
If you've dealt with this website in the past--or do so in the future--perhaps you would be so kind as to share your experience with the rest of us, via a comment. Your thoughts about the experience would be greatly appreciated by all of us!
This particular site does seem to have some fairly stringent manuscript formatting requirements that any writer who hopes to be published by them would probably do well to note--and follow. (The above links will take you directly to the site's Submission Guidelines page, which contains all the info you'll need to submit your work according to their specifications.)
Best of luck to you!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
If you're looking for a website where you can earn more for your work than at many other sites, give Constant-Content a try. Constant-Content doesn't actually buy your work; instead they sell it for you--in effect, acting as your online literary agent.
This site attracts many different people who are in the market for writing--much of it content for their websites or blogs--though, at times, you will even come across individuals who are looking to purchase writing for publication in various types of print media. At this site, the deal is simple: You provide the written material; they provide the customers. What could be easier? It's the proverbial 'marriage made in heaven'! With this arrangement, everybody wins! The writer earns money, Constant-Content earns money, and the customer gets the desired written material for his or her website or other project. Everybody's happy!
At Constant-Content, you, the writer, are the one who sets the price for your work. Of the price you charge, you will receive 65% each time your article is sold. (C-C receives 10% and their affiliates receive 25%.)
If you sell "usage'" rights, the buyer will be allowed to purchase your writing for a one-time use, which means you'll be free to sell and resell it over and over again. (If your work has appeared elsewhere in print or online, "usage" rights are the only rights Constant-Content will allow you to sell on their site, since they guarantee their customers that any work for which they sell "unique" or "full" rights has not previously appeared anywhere other than the Constant-Content website.)
"Unique" rights means that, after your article is sold, C-C will remove it from their site, because buyers who purchase unique rights want work that will appear only on their website. You will, however retain the rights to your work, and, as with 'usage' rights it will contain your byline (as long as you put your name on the article itself before submitting.)
When you sell "full" rights, which are often referred to in publishing as "all" rights, your work is likewise removed from the site, and the buyer may do whatever he or she desires with your piece--including modifying it, reselling it, and even removing your byline from it and taking credit for writing it.
Of course, depending on which rights you're planning to sell, you'll want to price your work accordingly. You'll also want to charge a reasonable amount for your articles, based on their quality, complexity, length, and nature--and possibly also on your writing and publishing experience, your expertise or credentials in your subject area, and/or your popularity as an author. Obviously, if you charge much more than the average buyer is willing to pay, you might very easily price yourself right out of the market, which will not help you to sell your work. (Of course, there's always the chance that you'll find just the right buyer who loves your writing so much that he or she will be willing to pay a higher price for it--but it may be just as likely that this individual will continue browsing the site for lower-priced content.)
Constant-Content pays authors at the beginning of each month for work sold during the previous month, and payment is made through PayPal. There is a $50 payment threshhold, however, which means that you will only be paid for work sold in the previous month(s) if, as of the date of payment, (generally the first of the month,) your balance has reached or exceeded $50.
The new site is great, and you'll find it very easy to input your work into their templates. (One nice feature of the new site is that you can go back and edit your articles after uploading right up until the time they've been posted to the site for sale. If you find any errors after that, you'll need to contact C-C's editors.)
If you haven't checked out Constant-Content now that their new site is up and running, drop by for a visit. You'll be pleased with the improvements they've made to the site! And if you've never visited Constant-Content, check them out. They're a first-rate marketplace for your work!
Good luck!
Jeanne
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