IWSG: How to Win Your Spot in the Anthology Contest

UPDATE: For those who visited earlier, my blog post is now up at the Insecure Writer's Support Group anthology blog!

It's December 5th, and the last post of the year for the Insecure Writers Support Group event. If you'd like the join, you can sign up HERE.  Thanks to our host Alex Cavanaugh and this month's co-hosts: J.H. Moncrieff, Tonja Drecker , Patsy Collins, and Chrys Fey!

Today I'm posting about "How to Win a Spot in the IWSG Anthology Contest" over at the Insecure Writer's Support Group Anthology Blog. 

Please join me!

#IWSG Anthology: I'll Be The Judge Of That

WE HAVE NEWS!

But first...

It's September's Insecure Writer's Support Group event! Occurring on the first Wednesday of every month, writers post about their insecurities, or share news, and of course support our fellow writers. You can join HERE.

Many thanks to our host, Alex Cavanaugh, and to the many co-hosts that help make this event happen every month. This month's co-hosts are: Toi Thomas, T. Powell Coltrin, M.J. Fifield, and Tara Tyler! 

This month's optional question is: What publishing path are you considering/did you take, and why?

I chose self-publishing to begin with. It allows your work to get out into the world quicker and of course you have more artistic control over your work. It's also more work because you're in charge of everything from writing and editing, to formatting, book covers and then the dreaded marketing!

HOWEVER, after winning the 2017 IWSG Short Story Anthology Contest (Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime), and being published by Dancing Lemur Press, I became a hybrid author. I find dabbling in both self-publishing and traditional publishing very appealing--sort of the best of both worlds!

AND speaking of the IWSG Short Story Anthology Contest, guess who's been invited to judge this year's contest?! 

It's ME!

I am so thrilled and honored to be asked. And the company I'll be keeping? Let's just say that I am totally fangirling right now, but I'll try to keep it together lest I make a fool of myself like Lucy Ricardo. 

Check it out!

The 2018 Annual IWSG Anthology Contest

Word count: 3500-6000

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Theme: 

Masquerade

A Masquerade can be a false show or pretense, someone pretending to be someone they aren't. It can be a ball, a fancy dress party, it can be a mask. Open to interpretation.

Submissions accepted: September 5 - November 4, 2018

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted (Double spaced, no page numbers), previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter IWSG group.

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges. This year, we are honored to have seven incredible judges:

Author Elizabeth S. Craig

Author Elana Johnson

Agent Kelly Van Sant, Red Sofa Literary Agency

Author S. A. Larsen

Write Club founder, D. L. Hammons

Author Kristin Smith

Author and previous anthology winner, Gwen Gardner

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.

Which publishing path have you chosen?

Will you be entering the #IWSG Anthology Contest?

#IWSG: Pitfall Avoidance Advice

It’s the 8th Insecure Writer’s Support Group of the year. No worries, though, you can sign up any time by clicking on the link. We post on the first Wednesday of every month. 

Thanks to our host, Alex Cavanaugh, and our co-hosts this month: The awesome co-hosts for the August 1 posting of the IWSG are Erika Beebe, Sandra Hoover,Susan Gourley, and Lee Lowery!

This month’s optional question is: What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey?

I have a simple bit of advise, really. If you want to get published, it’s all about rewriting and editing. And when you're done with that, edit, edit, and edit some more. How many times, you ask? I probably went through my short story that I submitted to the IWSG Anthology short story contest about a 100 times. I'm serious! Each time I went through my story I found something new to change or correct, or something that could have been said better, or a weak verb to toss. 

Typos and misspellings will get you booted right off the bat, so if you want a publisher or reader to continue reading, you can't make rookie mistakes. And then polish your story until it's squeaky clean. Make a self-editing checklist. Better yet, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers is a goldmine. Use it and avoid the most basic pitfall; an unpolished manuscript. 

This is the process I went through to win the feature spot in Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime!

What is your best pitfall avoidance advice?

#IWSG and Spring into Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime

This is a combined post of the Insecure Writer's Support Group monthly event and the Insecure Writer's Support Group short story anthology release!

If you want to join this awesome group, please go HERE. 

Thanks to our host Alex Cavanaugh and our co-hosts for putting this together every month: M.A. Timar, J. Q. Rose, C.Lee McKenzie, and Raimey Gallant!

May 2 question - It’s spring! Does this season inspire you to write more than others, or not?

Easy Answer! With Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime releasing today, I'm pretty stoked with spring right now! I'm so honored and proud to be part of this group of awesome authors too. 
There is something for everyone in this anthology. Cozy Mystery? Crime Noir? Thriller? 
We gotcha covered. 

So that's a big YES! Spring is inspiring me right now. 

Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime

Can a dead child’s cross-stitch pendant find a missing nun? Is revenge possible in just 48 minutes? Can a killer be stopped before the rescuers are engulfed by a city ablaze? Who killed what the tide brought in? Can a soliloquizing gumshoe stay out of jail?

Exploring the facets of time, eleven authors delve into mysteries and crimes that linger in both dark corners and plain sight. Featuring the talents of Gwen Gardner, Rebecca M. Douglass, Tara Tyler, S. R. Betler, C.D. Gallant-King, Jemi Fraser, J. R. Ferguson, Yolanda Renée, C. Lee McKenzie, Christine Clemetson, and Mary Aalgaard.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these eleven tales will take you on a thrilling ride into jeopardy and secrecy. Trail along, find the clues, and stay out of danger. Time is wasting…

Mystery & Detective/Crime/Thrillers

Print ISBN 9781939844545 eBook ISBN 9781939844552

Get your copy today!

Amazon, B&N, Kobo, ITunes

GoodReads

Tick Tock Mysteries Blog

Facebook

HOW IS YOUR SPRING GOING? 
ARE YOU INSPIRED TO WRITE?

Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime cover reveal

My last Insecure Writer's Support Group post didn't come right out and say that I won a much coveted spot in their short story anthology contest. Instead I pointed to links and hoped you'd follow them to find out my good news. I think I was still in shock. Am still in shock. Someday I'll write a post about it. When I have words. But right now I'm still speechless.

I want to thank the Insecure Writer's Support Group admin for hosting this event and for being the go-to industry support and resource that writers need.

Also, many thanks to Dancing Lemur Press for publishing our stories. Their reputation is equal to the IWSGs and speaks for itself.

And, finally, thanks so much to the admin and judges who donated their time to read all the submissions.

* * * * *

And now, on to the cover reveal!

Take a look at this amazing cover. It makes me want to dig my hand into a bin of lemon drops! Or are those really lemons drops...?

The clock is ticking...

Can a dead child’s cross-stitch pendant find a missing nun? Is revenge possible in just 48 minutes? Can a killer be stopped before the rescuers are engulfed by a city ablaze? Who killed what the tide brought in? Can a soliloquizing gumshoe stay out of jail?

Exploring the facets of time, eleven authors delve into mysteries and crimes that linger in both dark corners and plain sight. Featuring the talents of Gwen Gardner, Rebecca M. Douglass, Tara Tyler, S. R. Betler, C.D. Gallant-King, Jemi Fraser, J. R. Ferguson, Yolanda Renée, C. Lee McKenzie, Christine Clemetson, and Mary Aalgaard.

 Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these eleven tales will take you on a thrilling ride into jeopardy and secrecy. Trail along, find the clues, and stay out of danger. Time is wasting...

Release date is May 1, 2018!

* * * * *

I read all genres of mystery, from procedural to cozy and paranormal.

Are you a mystery fan?

What is your preferred sub-genre?