Submit a Christmas Romance Novella to White Rose!

Thought I would post a link to this great opportunity from the lovely White Rose Publishing. A Christian romance publisher who offers both print and kindle editions, White Rose has issued a call for novella submissions as part of their 2011 holiday book line. Stories can be a minimum of 15,000 words and a maximum of 25,000, and must feature a Christmas theme. The deadline for submissions is May 1st. For full guidelines, check out the original post from the White Rose Blog. Happy writing!

My Kindle Publishing Experiment

Happy Monday from the Paper Doll! I hope everyone's March is off to a good start--only eleven more days til spring :) Which means there will soon be a lot more distractions to compete with writing time. But what else is new?

So let's see...it's been almost a month now since I published a novella length eBook with Amazon's Digitial Platform Text. And you know what? Its actually been a pretty rewarding experience, one worth sharing a bit about on the blog.

First off, let me say that I am not an advocate of most forms of self-publishing. I realize this is a sticky issue and also a very personal one for those who choose to go that route with their work. But I've always felt it was a risky venture, in which the author invests heavily with little promise of breaking even, much less making a profit from their work.

Publishing with Amazon kindle is free, however and includes fair royalty options. It allows you to set your own price for the book and to view your sales at any time. And if you don't have the software or the inclination to design a cover for your digital book, the site provides free images to choose from.

Will you make a million? Probably not. Will you make an income even? Unlikely.

Most important, should it replace your efforts to establish a relationship with a publishing house or literary agent? In my opinion: NO.

But it does offer struggling writers a chance to get their work in front of potential readers. It also makes it easy for writers and readers to interact via online forums and the Author Central Page. And it teaches new writers how to handle PR for their books.

All very positive and doable. And who knows? If your writing is polished, professional, and enjoyable, you might establish a loyal fanbase. One willing to follow your work no matter where its publishing home lies.

Exciting Contest for Unpublished Romance Writers!

Hello everyone!

Thought I would share a link to the Great Beginnings Contest, which I submitted an entry to this very afternoon. Sponsored by the Utah Chapter of Romance Writers of America, this is a nice opportunity for both published and unpublished writers.

For a fee of $10, writers can submit up to the first 5 pages of their novel. The categories include: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense, and Young Adult. Hurry over and check out all the details--the entry deadline is March 1st!

2011 Hillerman Mystery Short Story and Novel Competitions

Hello all! After a long holiday break (and some major procrastinating) the Paper Doll is back to scope out more writing news and information. And for this week's post, she's found some pretty cool writing contests for wannabe mystery writers.

For you short story writers, the Hillerman Mystery Short Story Contest is open to submissions from now until August 15th, 2011 (this goes by snail mail, so the earlier the better). Stories must be previously unpublished, 2,500 words or less, and must be set primarily in New Mexico. There is a $20 entry fee. The winning entry gets these super cool prizes: publication in an issue of New Mexico Magazine, $1,000, and two tickets to the awards ceremony at the Tony Hillerman Writer's Weekend.

For the more ambitious among us, there is the Hillerman Mystery Novel Competition. This one requires a manuscript approximately 60, 000 words that is set primarily in the Southwestern US. The complete manuscript goes by snail mail and must be received/postmarked no later than June 1, 2011. The winning entry receives a standard publishing contract from St. Martin's Press, as well as an advance of $10,000.

Whew! Those are some hefty requirements right? But the opportunities are great for the truly serious writer. Be sure to check out the above links for the full contest guidelines and entry forms.

And if you're a mystery lover who's not familar with Tony Hillerman's critically acclaimed and award winning detective novels, be sure to check those out as well. Set in the Four Corners region of the US, these complex and often chilling stories feature Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, two members of the Navajo tribal police.

Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations Donna B! You've won a pdf copy of Only in Novels. I'll be emailing it to you shortly. Thanks so much to everyone who entered their name in the drawing.

Romance eBook Giveaway!

Hi everyone,

I thought it would be fun to do an eBook giveaway for the Christmas season. My story Only in Novels is an inspirational romance from White Rose Publishing. Here's a blurb:

When a simple mistake lands bookstore owner Lannie Maxwell with the wrong author for her book signing, she wonders if her tiny business is destined to fail. Instead of Ms. Modern Homemaker--an author sure to multiply the bookstore's gross revenue--Lannie finds herself stuck with D.E. Hensen, an unorthodox and infuriating adventure novelist. The dashing D.E. is determined to help Lannie rescue her struggling business, but his outlandish ideas threaten to turn her world upside down. Can the two put aside their differences to save the store...and find their own version of happily-ever-after?

If you would like to sign up for a chance to win a free pdf copy of Only in Novels, then leave a comment below. And if you also visit Writing in a Cordwood Cabin and leave a comment there, your name will be entered twice. The giveaway starts on Monday Dec 6th. You must be signed up by midnight on Thursday Dec 9th. The winning name will be drawn randomly and the winner announced on Friday Dec 10th.

Thanks much and Merry Christmas!

A Great Blog For Wannabe Authors!

I had to do a post on this fun, super helpful writing blog---Miss Snark's First Victim. The creative and clever blog runner is an aspiring authoress who writes children/young adult fiction. And she gives other wannabe writers a fantastic opportunity once every month or so: the chance to have an excerpt of their completed manuscript critiqued (and maybe even requested) by a literary agent!

Pretty cool, right? Especially if you've already been thinking of submitting your polished manuscript to the agenting world. The blog explains the process way better than I could, so head over and check it out. Good luck!