Friday, November 20, 2015

publicize religion books coming out Feb 1-July 31, 2016

Publishers Weekly invites publishers of religious books coming out Feb 1-July 31, 2016 to inform them so they can include these books in a free listing sent to potential purchasers. More info here: http://tinyurl.com/oe8ycak .

 

 

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .

 

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Guess who has his first children’s book coming out soon. Here’s the story: http://tinyurl.com/pj4o4lo

 

 

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .

 

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

picture book: illustrate before submitting or not?

Suppose you’ve written a children’s picture book. Should you have it illustrated before you submit it to publishers & agents for consideration? Editor/author Robert Bacon of The Perfect Write discusses this question in his latest newsletter:

 

“There are two schools of thought for Picture Book material, and one is that the author should also be the illustrator, or have one on his or her hip, or that the publisher--if the story is strong enough--will provide an illustrator after the book is signed.  My personal experience with the Picture Book market is limited, but I tried very hard to find an illustrator a couple of years ago for a client who, in my opinion, possesses a terrific premise.  My search ranged from free-lancers to a well-known newspaper cartoonist.  Alas, no one could meet the demands of my client, who eventually settled on a famous European illustrator.  Yes, it requires substantial wherewithal to do this, so a search of this magnitude is certainly not for everyone, but what I learned above all else is that matching up an illustrator is just as complex as finding the right editor; meaning, it's also a horses for courses environment.  I had to charge a straight hourly rate for my time, as there's no other way to do this sort of work, but I found it impossible to land a publisher for my client if the material wasn't already illustrated, which is the point of this entire section.  Hence, any subscriber reading my comments on whether or not I feel that a Picture Book should be illustrated prior to submission now knows my sentiments.

 

However, ignoring the challenges presented by the Picture Book subgenre, YA, and Children's material in particular, seems to be rolling along stronger than ever.  I wrote some years back that I believed that it would be difficult for the digital medium to take print books out of little kid's hands, as the feely-touchy part is impossible to replicate in a virtual setting.  This might change over time, or it could become less an issue as even the littlest children become tech oriented, but until a fold-out or a bas-relief picture can be simulated and "touched," I'm holding to my opinion that the printed book, especially in softcover, will continue to resonate with children.”

 

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .

 

Friday, November 6, 2015

writing opportunity: ONE THRONE magazine

ONE THRONE magazine is published in the Yukon City of Dawson by former Toronto lawyer George Filipovic. It’s open to submissions of stories, etc. Here’s the link:  http://www.onethrone.com/#!submit/c2q4 .

 

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .

 

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Canadian democracy & the media

The Dalton Camp Award is for essay exploring Canadian democracy & the media: http://www.friends.ca/DCA/ .

 

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .

 

writers retreat in Iceland

Interested in a spring 2016 writing retreat and tours in Iceland? Learn more by plugging the words Iceland Writers Retreat into your browser. There’s also a contest whose winner will get a free trip to this retreat. Details are here: http://icelandwritersretreat.tumblr.com/post/128183802454/win-a-free-writers-retreat-in-iceland

 

 

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .

 

Sunday, November 1, 2015

writing opportunities: Elite Critiques

The newish periodical Elite Critiques is open to submissions of stories, articles, art, poems, and interviews. See their guidelines for the December and January issues below.

http://elitecritiques.com/submissions/december-guidelines/

http://elitecritiques.com/submissions/january-guidelines/

 

 

 

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .