Book Promotion Tips and Writing Contests

Cathy Yardley's "How to Create a Promotion Plan 'Story'" and Sharon Bially's "Simple Promo Tip: Call Your Book By Its Name" are two excellent posts about book promotion. They definitely gave me some good ideas, and I hope they do the same for you.

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The deadline for the WOW! Women on Writing Winter 2015 Flash Fiction Contest is coming up soon - February 28th! With a literary agent as the guest judge and lots of great prizes, why not give it a try? Good luck!

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I admit it. Since my story, "The Empty Nest," appeared in the original Hint Fiction anthology (ed. Robert Swartwood, 2010,) I have a special place in my heart for the form. So this contest, sponsored by West Hartford Libraries, really drew my attention. The deadline isn't until May but why wait? Give it a shot!

Giveaway! - A Few of the Tortoises' Favorite Things - Giveaway!

Every once in awhile, Larry and Mrs. Larry like to make their presence known here on the blog (they're the silent partners of this writing team.) and their favorite way to do that is by having a giveaway.

Now, don't get excited. They will not be giving away any romaine, radicchio or basil. However, they do want to share some of their other favorite things:

Their favorite book: Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer edited by Robert Swartwood (W.W. Norton). The tortoises have also guaranteed that I will sign my story's page if the winner would like.

Their favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption. A DVD of one of the best movies based on a Stephen King novella. This is according to the tortoises, who may be a bit biased...

Their favorite story: "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption". This is one of four amazing novellas in the Stephen King collection, Different Seasons, a paperback of which will go to one of the winners.

How to enter: Leave a comment in this post telling us about...um...something related to tortoises, hint fiction, or Stephen King. (Did you ever save a tortoise crossing the road? Don't know what hint fiction is? Too scared to read a SK novel? It's pretty wide open.) You have until Friday, October 7th at 12 noon EST to enter. Larry and Mrs. Larry will choose three names out of a bowl and I'll announce the winner some time over the weekend.

Good luck!

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

The other day, C. Hope Clark wrote a post called "Why Bother?" and it was about the doubt a lot of writers often experience.  My favorite part was where she talked about readers taking the time to let writers know how much the writers' words meant, how that one comment could be the thing to keep that writer going.

I experienced this myself just the other day - in two different ways.  I'm in between writing projects, feeling a little lost and unsure and uncertain (big surprise!) when my husband tells me I better get a pen and my signing hand ready.  Someone he used to work with made a special trip to his new office to drop off three (yes, three!) copies of Hint Fiction: An Anthology in 25 Words or Fewer for me to sign for gifts she was giving to some big readers in her life.  In that one moment she managed to make my day - probably the rest of my year, too.

Over the last few evenings, my husband had barricaded himself in his home office, working on a secret Christmas gift for me.  All I knew was that scissors and tape were involved.  (This worried me because neither my husband nor I are very artsy-craftsy but since no blood was shed, I figured it was okay.)  Well, he couldn't wait until Christmas so I got one of my gifts - one of the best gifts! - early.  My husband had made me a Hint Fiction collage!  It had quotes from some of the reviews, pictures of the book's cover and of my story and of where we saw it on the shelves in two bookstores.  It also had a picture of Larry and Mrs. Larry reading/eating it.  Now, every time I look at it, I not only see my husband's love and pride, but I'm also reminded of something I am truly proud of accomplishing. 

This holiday season, I wish all my fellow readers the joy of great stories and the knowledge that you too have the power, the gift, of using your own words to make the day/week/month/year of a writer whose work you enjoy. For all my fellow writers, I wish you the joy of acknowledgment and encouragement and support. 

Happy Festivus, everyone!

This Wednesday . . . A Winner!

And the winner of Hint Fiction:  An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer (W. W. Norton, 2010) is...

SALLY

Congratulations, Sally!  Go ahead and shoot me an email at MadelineMora-Summonte[at]hotmail[dot]com with your address and let me know if you'd like me to sign my story's page.

Here's how the choosing of the winner went - 

As you can see, it started out well.  Mrs. Larry is all ready, Larry is on his way.  But then...

Mrs. Larry decided to eat the bowl and Larry, well, he got distracted...

...and they both ended up eating the plant.  So, my husband ended up picking the winner because it would be 2011 before the tortoises wandered back to the bowl.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered.  I really appreciate you all stopping by and I enjoyed "meeting" some new people.  I hope you all come back and visit me and the tortoises again!

Contest Winner To Be Announced...

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and entered the giveaway for the Hint Fiction Anthology.  The winner will be announced Wednesday the 8th so make sure you come back to see if you're a winner!  (The tortoises are working on it but they're pretty slow...)

A Hint of a Contest

Happy December 1st!  To celebrate the beginning of the month, the fact that it's Wednesday, that I've won NaNo, that my Christmas shopping is almost finished, etc., I've decided to host a giveaway.

The prize = a copy of Hint Fiction:  An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer (W.W. Norton, 2010.)  It's a nifty little book that's received positive reviews in a number of places, including NPR and The New Yorker.

(And if you'd like me to scrawl my signature across my story, 'The Empty Nest," I'll be happy to oblige.)

How to enter = just leave a comment in this post.  You don't have to get fancy unless you want to.  A hello.  Some haiku.  A book recommendation.  A favorite quote or scene from a TV show.  Whatever.  You choose.

You have until midnight eastern standard time on Friday, December 3rd to leave your comments.  I know it's a short amount of time, but hey, it's a short book.  After that, all the names will either go into some fancy database thingy or into a hat where either Larry or Mrs. Larry will (somehow) pull out a winner. The winner will be announced next week so be sure and check back.

Good luck!  

Happy Hint Fiction Anthology Day! (Belated, but still...)

It's official - Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer is out!  (Its actual birthday was November 1st.)

Now, I've seen it for myself, but I still can't believe that my story, "The Empty Nest," is between the same covers as work by Joyce Carol Oates and Peter Straub and Tess Gerritsen.  And, after reading the entire book, I am also so proud to be alongside some truly amazing stories by other "emerging writers."

You should be able to find the anthology on the shelves of your local chain bookstore or you can order it from the usual suspects - Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders.  But don't forget your local independent store!  My favorite independent has the anthology on the shelf, facing out. (That's a big deal - it's like face time for a book.)

Thanks to everyone who's bought it, talked about it, and read it.  Thanks, too, to everyone who read one of the stories and was moved by it in some way - whether you loved it, or were puzzled by it, or your heart ached because of it.  If you were moved, the story served its purpose.

Motivational Monday Quote

ROOT FOR YOUR FRIENDS

Stephen J. Cannell

Today's quote is particularly meaningful to me.  Last week, I let people know how excited I was that Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer is available for pre-order and that my story is included in the pages with great writers such as Joyce Carol Oates.  The congratulations and positive responses from all of you were overwhelming.  It reminded me, too, of how easy it is to support and encourage one another, not only in our careers but also in our lives.  So, thank you again, and know that I'm rooting for all of you, every day.   

The Ultimate Flash Fiction Package Contest!

Robert Swartwood, editor of Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer, is running a great contest over on his blog.  The winner receives eight - yes, eight! - anthologies of short fiction, including the fantastic Hint Fiction Anthology, and five runners up will get the amazingly superb Hint Fiction anthology (can you tell I'm a little biased?)

It's easy to enter, so if you'd like a chance to win some free books, check it out here!

Motivational Monday!

Here it is, the last week of September.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready for October - cooler weather (fingers crossed!) and a crispness to the air.  I'm also looking forward to November - whoo-hoo, NaNoWriMo!  But before we get to those things, let's get this week off to a good start...

Literary agent Nathan Bransford wrote his 1000th post and had a fun contest to celebrate it. 

Over on Rachelle Gardner's blog, she wrote "10 Ways to Annoy a Literary Agent" BUT she titled the comments "Ways to Annoy a Writer."  I laughed out loud at some of them and nodded wholeheartedly at others.  Good stuff all around.

I'm going to toot my own horn here and remind everyone the Hint Fiction Anthology comes out this November.  Hmm, maybe I'll do a little giveaway here in November...but then again, maybe I won't.  Don't take that chance!  Pre-order it now. :)

Have a great day and a wonderful week!

The HINT FICTION Anthology Has Arrived -- But Not At My House

It has, however, arrived at editor Robert Swartwood's house.  Here's a sneak peek:

Ack!  Somewhere between those green covers, somewhere in those pages, is my story, 'The Empty Nest."  But I'll have to wait until November to find out where exactly!  Thank goodness for pre-ordering.

Motivational Monday!

Whether you're taking today off or getting some work done, here are some motivating items to get your week off to a good start...

Agent Jessica Faust over at Bookends, LLC has a great post - "Put on Your Game Face" - that really applies to most of life's situations, not just writing conferences.

Congratulations go out to pal Stacy Post - she's got a story up at  Smories!  Check out her post for more info about the story and how to vote on it. 

More congrats go out to Donna Volkenannt and Beth Cato - they both have stories in an upcoming special edition of Chicken Soup for the Soul collection!  Check out their respective blog posts for more information and release dates. 

Robert Swartwood's blog post, "Hint Fiction's Front, Spine and Back," shows a better shot of what the Hint Fiction anthology will look like when it's released November 1, 2010.  When I see the words W. W. Norton New York - London and the blurb by Jodi Picoult, I don't know whether to laugh or cry!  Is my story really going to be in there?!

Have a great week of reading and writing!

Motivational Monday!

The older I get, the more I find myself quoting "Seinfeld."  I used to worry about this until I read agent Nathan Bransford's post, "Writers, Authority, and The Keith Hernandez Rule."  Not only did it make me feel better to see someone cool and hip and groovy reference "Seinfeld," but the post also made me laugh out loud.  Oh, and it taught me something about writing, too.  

Congratulations go out to Stacy Post, whose story will be up at Smories this September.  This is the site where cute kids read the stories out loud.  I can't wait to hear it!

Editor Robert Swartwood announced that the Gotham Writers Workshop has a Hint Fiction writing contest going this fall - check it out if you're interested in trying your hand at some hint.  Oh, and the special Hint Fiction issue of Wigleaf  is out - Swartwood called it "a literary appetizer of sorts."  (I can't wait for the Hint Fiction anthology - and not just because I'm in it.  I mean it.  Really.)   

Now go forth and write!  And read!  And laugh!  And eat some chocolate!  And write some more!  And...

Motivational Monday!

Well, here we are, the last Monday in July.  The summer is really moving along!  Although, here in Florida, summer lasts a LOT longer than it does in some places. But - and this is where some of the "motivation" comes in - I put up with the heat now so I can walk on the beach in January.  Everything's a trade-off.

People - other than me - do still read for pleasure!  Check out Stacy Post's Readers in Transit for proof.

Cathy C. Hall dishes up some southern hospitality in her essay about being polite in Deep South Magazine.

Another blurb has shown up for The Hint Fiction Anthology -

“The stories in Robert Swartwood’s Hint Fiction have some serious velocity.  Some explode, some needle, some bleed, and some give the reader room to dream. They’re fun and addictive, like puzzles or haiku or candy. I’ve finished mine but I want more.” — Stewart O’Nan, author of Last Night at the Lobster and Songs for the Missing

(The anthology, which includes my story, "The Empty Nest,"  is available this November but pre-order it from your favorite bookstore now - you don't want to be the only one who hasn't read it, do you?!)  

About to Burst . . . About a Blurb

As if I wasn't already excited to be included in W.W. Norton's upcoming Hint Fiction Anthology... 

As if I wasn't already thrilled to see my story, The Empty Nest, nestled among stories by amazing authors such as Joyce Carol Oates, Tess Gerritsen, and Peter Straub...

And now, there's this: the first blurb (as seen on editor Robert Swartwood's blog) about the anthology, a blurb by none other than best-selling author, Jodi Picoult -

“The perfect story collection for all of us with too little time on our hands is a brilliant reminder of the magic that happens when you string the right words together.  A must-read for anyone who is or wants to be a writer.”

I could absolutely burst...but I won't, because then I'd miss out on holding the anthology in my hands.  And reading it, of course.  I'm not just going to stare at...well, maybe for a little while.

(The anthology will be available November 2010 but - hint, hint! - you can pre-order it over at Amazon and Barnes and Noble!)