Opportunities in the Great Big Literary World

Song of the Day: It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas by Johnny Mathis

    Hello all! I’m really into the Christmas spirit this year, and in honor of that I’ve decided that I’m going to give away Christmas presents in the form of Books to two of my followers! Read on to find out how you can win! I’ll also be featuring Christmas Music on the blog until Christmas!

Contests:

1. The 2011 Breakthrough Novel Award

    Amazon.com along with Penguin Group and Create Space announces the fourth annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. The contest is open to general fiction and young adult fiction. There will be one winner for fiction and one winner for YA. Each winner receives a contract with Penguin and a $15,000 advance! (Wowzer!) Your novel must be unpublished or previously self-published. The contest will start accepting submissions on January 20, 2011 until February 6, 2011. For more information on how to enter, please visit the link below.

http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Novel-Award-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=332264011

2. Racquel Writes Book Giveaway

    In the spirit of Christmas, I will give away a book to two of my followers. All you have to do is leave a comment on any one of my blog posts this week. You MUST also be a follower of my blog. I will randomly select two people to win a book of their choice, as long as the book is in paperback (hey, I’m not made of money!). Everyone will have until Friday December 17, 2010 to be eligible.

Conferences:

1. San Francisco Writer’s Conference 

     The conference is scheduled for February 18, 2011- February 20, 2011. Attendees will be able to choose from a full schedule of workshops, panels, and sessions that fit their personal writing needs. There is an “Ask a Pro” session where writers can ask questions and pitch books to New York and California editors. This session is included in the cost of registration. Attendees will also have the option of purchasing a special Speed Dating for Agents Session for an additional $50. Here writers can pitch book ideas one-on-one to New york and California Agents. The conference will have pitch contests, open mic readings, a Gala Welcome Party, and “over-the-top networking.” They also feature an Indie Publishing Contest offering writers a chance to win a publishing package. AND attendees can receive free feedback on their work from freelance book editors! The cost of the conference is $595. It’s a little pricey, but it seems to be worth it. They also offer scholarships to a select few. For more information visit their website.

http://www.sfwriters.org/ 

Don’t forget about the Black Fox Fiction Contest going on now! We are in the process of building a new site and will be featuring new poetry and flash fiction on a weekly basis. Stay tuned for details! Good Luck and Happy Writing!