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FOOTNOTES
January 22, 2019
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In This Issue:
Manuscript Contest; Upcoming Classes; Member News; & More
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Hello writers!
There's no feeling like reading manuscript pages you've recently revised and realizing, "Yes, I nailed them." But here's one feeling that might match it: those same pages winning you entry to the 2019 Agents & Editors Contest and a consultation with the agent who selected them as the winner in their category.
And, there are 10 categories, which means 10 winners.
As a 2018 conference attendee said, "I thought my book had merit, but I had no idea how to get from writing it to getting an agent. The A&E Conference took me from nowhere to having five interested agents in three days. It was a big success for me."
The 2019 Manuscript Contest is open for submissions. The deadline to enter is Thursday, January 31. You can enter with two options: to receive a critique of your entry (regardless of whether you win) or to simply enter with the chance to win (with no critique). No other contest in the country offers you feedback and the opportunity to get your work in front of a literary agent.
Best yet, you don't need a finished manuscript to submit, only a short synopsis and the opening pages. For full details, click the graphic below.
Good luck, everyone!
Michael Noll
-Program Director
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This month, we're hosting panel discussions, author events, and craft discussions around the state. Don't miss these great free events! Click the event titles below for more information.
Wednesday, January 23
BookPeople, Austin, TX
Our Executive Director, Becka Oliver, will facilitate a conversation with Houston author and WLT member, Chris Cander, in celebration of her new book,
The Weight of a Piano
.
Kirkus
called the novel "deftly plotted and well written...Cander grabs the reader." Note: To get a book signed, a copy of the event book must be purchased from BookPeople.
Friday, January 25
Brazos Bookstore, Houston, TX
Panel discussion will offer strategies for kicking off a new or renewed project, featuring award-winning children's author Varsha Bajaj, Texas Monthly Executive Editor Mimi Schwartz, short story writer Bryan Washington, and memoirist Jessica Wilbanks.
Saturday, January 26
Hallettsville, TX
Presentations on the craft of writing with award-winning novelist Carol Dawson and Young Adult author Joy Preble.
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ONLINE CLASS
Submitting 101: Everything You Want to Know about Submitting to Journals and Magazines But Were Afraid to Ask
Thursday, January 24, 2019
6:30 to 9:30 p.m. CST
Get in-depth insights into the many aspects of submitting one's work for publication. This class will examine the basics of where and how to submit short stories and essays, cover letters, keeping track of submissions, dos and don'ts, helpful tips, and how long it will take to receive a response. Learn what editors look for in submissions, which venues might be a good fit for your work, when to contact and how to interact with editors, whether or not to pay submission fees, and how to pitch an essay to a magazine that doesn't accept general submissions. In short, this course will take a thorough look at every step in the sometimes overwhelming process of sending your work into the world.
Registration closes Thursday, January 24, at 5 p.m. CST. Everyone who registers will have access to the class recording for one week.
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IN-PERSON CLASS
Crafting Openings That Will Hook Readers
with Lindsey Lane
Saturday, January 26, 2019
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
Learn specific techniques (Point of View, Voice, Setting, Character) to make the openings of your stories compelling. A great beginning gives readers enough details so they know where they are but not so many that you kill their curiosity.
In this class, participants will dig in and examine the openings of published writers to see what makes readers lean in. The instructor and class will also look at the openings of some class members' stories and discuss specific ways to revise to make the openings more irresistible.
Online registration closes Thursday, January 24, at midnight. Walk-in registrations will be accepted as space allows.
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ONLINE CLASS
Publishing 101: What Authors Need to Know About the Business
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
6:30 to 9:30 p.m. CST
Demystify the inner workings of the publishing business for authors, whether you're approaching your first publication or simply want a better understanding of the business side of things. Topics covered will include how responsibilities are divvied up within a publisher (as well as what responsibilities are the author's), how to understand the terms of your contract, how your books' finances and rights work, how to interact most effectively with your editor and publicist, and much more about what to expect all the way from submission through publication.
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CLASS PACKAGES
In-Person Class Package
Everyone who registers for this package will also receive a complimentary registration to an online class of their choice.
Includes classes on Opening Pages, Revision Strategies, and Line Editing
Registration closes Thursday, January 24, at midnight.
Online Class Package
Choose any four classes in 2019 for only $160
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Events
Britta Jensen's (Austin) YA science fiction novel,
Eloia Born
, has its launch party at the Writing Barn in Austin, TX on January 26th from 5-8pm. Britta will read and perform songs from the book, there will be a Q&A with questions from the audience, and a book signing. RSVP here.
Best selling, award-winning author
Kat Kronenberg
(Austin, TX) and BookPeople in Austin, Texas will be celebrating the launch of Kat's second book,
Love Big
, on Sunday, January 27th at 2:00PM. We would be beyond thrilled to have fellow Writer's League of Texas writers join in the fun.
Community Member News
Kallisto Gaia Press is open for submissions of Texas related poetry for the 2020 Texas Poetry Calendar through February 20, 2019. We are also accepting submissions of Fiction, Poetry, Flash Fiction, and Narrative Nonfiction for The Ocotillo Review through March 31, 2019. We offer monetary compensation to all poets and writers we choose to publish. See
our
website
for more info.
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Writer Classifieds
Looking for a writing group or critique partner?
Look no further than our Writer Classifieds. Current Writers' League members can submit their name, contact information, and additional details to be included as a listing on a private page on our website.
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Coming Up @ WLT
Classes, Free Programs, Deadlines, and Other Events Across the State
January 23
BookPeople, Austin, TX
January 24
Online Class
Registration closes Thursday, January 24, at 5 p.m. CST. All registrants will have access to the class recording for one week.
January 25
Brazos Bookstore, Houston, TX
January 26
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
Online registration closes Thursday, January 24, at midnight. Walk-ins will be accepted as space allows.
Friench Simpson Memorial Library, Hallettsville, TX
January 28
January 30
Online Class
February 2
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
February 5
Online Class
February 7
Online Class
February 9
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
February 12
Online Class
February 13
Writers' League of Texas Offices, Austin, TX
February 16
ACC Highland, Austin, TX
February 19
Online Class
February 23
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
March 2-3
ACC Highland, Austin, TX
March 9
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
April 2
April 13
Dublin Public Library, Dublin, TX
May 25
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
St. Edward's University, Austin, TX
June 28-30
Hyatt Regency, Austin, TX
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This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.
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Writers' League of Texas classes and workshops are also funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts - Investing in a Creative Texas. For more information, go to
www.arts.texas.gov
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This project is also supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities,
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