March Third Thursday
Thursday, March 19, 2020
7:00 pm start
BookPeople (Third Floor)
603 North Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78703
For writers, there is an intense focus on query letters and agents: the first part of the process that will eventually lead to a book for sale to the public. But not nearly as much is known by writers--and even experienced, published authors--about how books are marketed and sold by publishers and bookstores. In this panel discussion, booksellers and sales representatives from publishers will discuss how decisions get made and the chain of events that puts a book on a shelf. Featuring
Brian Contine, Gillian Redfern, and Liz Sullivan.
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The deadline to submit your manuscript to our 2020 Manuscript Contest (where you have the chance to win a FREE registration to our 2020 Agents & Editors Conference!) and our 2019 Book Award is tonight,
March 10 at midnight
! Read more about the contests below, or visit our
website
for the contest guidelines.
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Enter the 2020 Manuscript Contest for the chance to win a FREE registration to the 2020 Agents & Editors conference. PLUS a one-on-one meeting with a literary agent.
Have you been working hard on an unpublished manuscript that's finally ready to see the light of day?
Are you looking for some constructive feedback on your work-in-progress? Would you like the chance to sit down with a literary agent in person?
You're invited to submit the opening pages of your unpublished work along with a short synopsis to the Writers' League of Texas's 20th annual Manuscript Contest.
(And no, you don't have to live in Texas to enter this contest. It's open to everyone, everywhere!)
The winners in each category will receive a complimentary registration to the WLT's 2020 Agents & Editors Conference (yes, you heard us right!) and will meet individually with a top literary agent (and the final judge in their category).
All entrants who opt for a critique--whether winners or not--will receive written feedback on their work.
Best of all, you do NOT need to have a complete, finished manuscript to enter.
All you need are the first (roughly) ten pages of the manuscript plus a synopsis that describes the rest of the book you have planned.
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Calling all Texas authors!
If you published a book during 2019, this contest is for you.
OPEN TO: The 2019 Book Awards Contest is open to Texas authors of books published in 2019. Authors are NOT required to be members of the Writers' League. This contest is open to indie or self-published authors as well as traditionally-published authors.
PRIZES: Winners in each of the five categories will receive a $1000 cash prize, a commemorative award, and public recognition at the 2020 Texas Book Festival in Austin, TX. In addition, five Discovery Prize Winners will receive a $250 cash prize.
MATERIALS: Entry form (online) + 3 copies of book (printed)
ELIGIBILITY: To enter this contest, you must be a Texas author. "Texas author" is defined as anyone who (whether currently a resident or not) has lived in Texas for a period of 3 or more years.
CATEGORIES: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, picture books, middle grade/young adult
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WLT is on the Road!
Once again, WLT is on the road! In March and April, we'll be visiting Houston for the new reading series "Houston Tells It Slant," and our next "WLT's On the Craft of Writing" will be at the Georgetown Public Library! We'll also be visiting Menard, Leon Valley, Big Lake, and Robstown for our
Texas Writes
program. Come on out and say hello!
Friday, March 20, 2020
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
University of Houston Honors College Commons
212 M.D. Anderson Library
Houston, TX 77204
Featuring: Erin Belieu, Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, and Jessica Wilbanks
Saturday, March 21, 2020
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Georgetown Public Library
402 W 8th Street
Georgetown, TX 78626
Featuring: Kate Winkler Dawson and Amanda Eyre Ward
Thursday, March 19, 2020
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Menard Public Library
105 E. Mission Street
Menard, TX 76859
Featuring: Donna M. Johnson and Marshall Ryan Maresca
Saturday, March 28, 2020
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Leon Valley Public Library
6425 Evers Road
Leon Valley, TX 78238
Featuring: ire'ne lara silva and Jennifer Ziegler
Saturday, April 4, 2020
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Reagan County Library
300 Courthouse Square
Big Lake, TX 76932
Featuring: Amy Gentry and Mike Hall
Saturday, April 18, 2020
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Nueces County Keach Family Library
1000 Terry Shamsie Blvd.
Robstown, TX 78380
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REMINDER - LAST CHANCE!
San Antonio Book Festival
April 4, 2020
Central Library & Southwest School of Art
600 Soledad
San Antonio, TX 78205
We're excited to once again participate in the
San Antonio Book Festival
(April 4, 2020), where we'll have 45-minute slots available for members interested in promoting, signing, and selling copies of their books.
Priority will be given to members with recently published books and members who have never previously promoted their books at our exhibitor table at a literary festival. But, we're almost always able to accommodate anyone who requests a slot, so fill out the form even if you've already promoted with us in the past!
DEADLINE: THURSDAY, MARCH 12 at 5 p.m.
Click here
to read the guidelines for consideration and to submit your information.
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Applications now open for the Bess Whitehead Scott Scribes Scholarship!
Since 1991, the
Bess Whitehead Scott Scholarship Fund
has awarded annual scholarships to aspiring journalists and writers. The scholarship program was named for one of the state’s pioneering women in journalism, Bess Whitehead Scott, who died in 1997 at age 107. She had a celebrated career in newspaper reporting, teaching and advertising and continued writing as a freelancer past her 100th year.
In 2019, the Headliners Foundation of Texas partnered with the Bess Whitehead Scott Fund to incorporate the Bess Whitehead Scott Scribes Scholarship into our existing portfolio of journalism scholarships. We are pleased to announce that in 2020, the Foundation will award the $3,000 Bess Whitehead Scott scholarship to a qualified recipient applying directly through the Headliners Foundation.
This year, the Headliners Foundation is proud to continue the longstanding tradition of the BWS Scholarship Fund to benefit the non-traditional student who is seeking education in fields related to journalism and writing. Whether they already have an established career or simply wish to make a change, these applicants demonstrate an interest in pursuing a degree or career advancement through academic study in journalism, communication or a related field. When reviewing the BWS Scholarship applications, the Headliners Foundation’s Academic Excellence Committee will give strong preference to applicants with 10-15 years of professional work experience in journalism, nonfiction writing or a related field.
DEADLINE: March 27, 2020
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Online Class
"The Novel Hatchery: Moving a Novel Idea Into Its First Draft"
with Stacey Swann
Thursday, March 12, 2020
6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Writers often have a great idea for a novel but aren't sure how to dive in. Or they have hit an early wall. No matter the type of novel, this class will increase students' skills and confidence to jump in head first. Discussion will explore pre-writing, roadmaps, opening chapters, and strategies for stakes, theme, and setting.
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Registration closes Thursday, March 12, at 5 p.m. CST. All registrants will have access to the class recording for one week.
This class is part of the "Fill That Blank Page" Online Class Package. To register for the package,
click here
.
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In-Person Class
"Stir Things Up: Creating Conflict in Fiction"
with Brian Yansky
Saturday, March 14, 2020
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Writers use conflict not only to cause tension but to create and develop characters, story and setting. If we drill down into sentences, conflict can even be used to enliven language. If your fiction seems to lose momentum in places or just seems to lack something that you can’t quite put your finger on, the problem might just be that you don’t have enough conflict or the right conflict. We’ll tackle this essential aspect of writing fiction in this class.
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Online registration closes Thursday, March 12. Walk-in registrations will be accepted as space allows.
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Joy H Selak's (Austin) novel,
CeeGee’s Gift, won the 2019 Pencraft Award for Literary Excellence in the category of Young Adult Fiction. An awards dinner and ceremony was held for all winners at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Lake Charles, LA. on January 20th. In 2010, the manuscript for CeeGee’s Gift also won Best YA Fiction from the Writers’ League of Texas.
Rick Treon (Amarillo) is releasing a novella,
Live with the Truth, with Fawkes Press on April 1. It is a Kindle original and prequel to his new series featuring true crime writer Bartholomew Beck, which begins with the July 4 release of
Let the Guilty Pay. Learn more
here.
To submit your news email member@writersleague.org. Announcements should adhere to the following guidelines: third-person, starting with your first and last name, followed by your city of residence, maximum 50 words. We may edit your announcement for style and clarity.
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Program Director / Member Services Director
Sam Babiak
recently picked up
The Body Keeps the Score
by
Bessel van der Kolk
"For a memoirist writing about trauma, this is a must read."
Evan Parks,
Project Specialist
,
recommends
Rules for Being Dead
by
Kim Powers
"This book is drenched with the ghosts of movies at the drive-in, familial drama, and heartache."
Read their full accounts on our blog
here
.
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Coming up at WLT
Classes, Free Programs, Deadlines and other events across the state:
March 12
Registration closes Thursday, March 12 at 5 p.m. CST. All registrants will have access to the class recording for one week.
March 14
Registration closes Thursday, March 12 at midnight. All registrants will have access to the class recording for one week.
March 19
March 20
March 21
March 25
March 26
March 28
April 1
April 4
April 8
April 18
Texas Writes
--Nueces County Keach Family Library, Robstown, TX
April 22
April 25
May 16
June 26-28
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