IWSG Anthology Contest Winners

Today’s the first group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! for 2019. It’s time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Try to visit a few new new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The co-hosts today are Patricia Lynne, Lisa Buie-Collard, Kim Lajevardi, and Fundy Blue!
 

The #IWSGPit Twitter pitch is once a year now – and the next one is on January 15!
Note that hundreds of agents and publishers will be checking the hashtag that day.
To find the rules and list of genre hashtags, visit the #IWSGPit page.
The IWSG Admins will be monitoring the feed. Get those Twitter pitches ready – you have two weeks!

The WEP Challenges for the year:
(Please ignore the listing in the newsletter.)

IWSG Anthology Contest Winners

The big moment everyone has been waiting for – the announcement of the IWSG winners. Here are the stories and authors that have been selected for our fourth anthology:

Oddly Suited by LG Keltner
Sea of Sorrows by AV Brown
Behind the Catcher’s Mask by Jennifer Lane
A Diver’s Ball by Angela Brown
Fearless Heart by Deborah Solice
The Dark Charade by CD Gallant-King
The Cog Prince by Elizabeth Mueller
Flower of Ronda by Myles Christensen
Remedy by Chelsea Ballard
Charleston Masquerade by Carrie-Anne Brownian 

The top story has the honors of being included in the title. LG Keltner’s story came out on top! The official title of our next anthology – Masquerade: Oddly Suited. Congratulations, LG. (She was also in the top spot for our first anthology, Parallels: Felix Was Here.)

The IWSG Admins spent many hours reading the entries and fourteen were sent to our special judges. We certainly wish to thank them for taking time away from their own work to read the entries:

Elizabeth S. Craig, author
Kelly Van Sant, agent at Red Sofa Literary Agency 
Elana Johnson, author
DL Hammons, Write Club founder
S.A. Larsen, author
Kristin Smith, author
Gwen Gardner, author and previous IWSG anthology winner

Look for Masquerade: Oddly Suited late spring! 

Congratulations to all the winners! Are you gearing up for #IWSGPit? Are you excited about the anthology winners?

IWSG Twitter Pitch & Anthology Contest

Hey IWSGers! There is so much going on in our world right now. Can you believe it's a new month? Another opportunity to share what's going on in our world and to offer encouragement to those writers whose spirit may be flagging. This month's co-hosts are Nicki Elson, Juneta Key, Tamara Narayan, and Patricia Lynne.

On July 19, we have the Twitter Pitch Party and you can find the details here. Be sure to hone those pitches for the many agents and publishers who will be watching. You never know if this will be your lucky break.

In a few months, the IWSG Anthology Contest will be open. This time, the genre is young adult romance. Watch out for September 5, which is when the theme will be announced.

Today's optional question is: What are your ultimate writing goals, and how have they changed over time (if at all)?

I find that the more books I've published, the less time I have to write. One of the things I believe in is setting aside time to write. It may not be every day, but it is a fixed part of my schedule. I have to admit, I've been slacking off, but ultimately, I want to become disciplined about writing at least 1,000 words each day.

If I sprint for a half hour or just over that, I'll reach that goal. My long-term aim is to finish all the stories I've started writing, plus completing the series I've started. If I keep my discipline and focus, and set-time lines, I'll achieve a major chunk of my goals. They haven't changed much over time, but I do need to stay on course.

What are your goals? How are they different now, than say five years ago?

IWSG News

We've gone through almost half the year already and now it's the time of month for a posting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Join us by going here. Post your fears and neurosis (if you have them) and encourage other writers. Captain Alex's  awesome team this month is made up of Beverly Stowe McClure, Tyrean Martinson, Tonja Drecker, and Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor!

N.B. Next month, because of July 4^th holiday in the U.S., we'll post on Tuesday, July 3.

The IWSG has some upcoming events:

Yes, it's time to start thinking about the next anthology. My how the time flies!

Genre: Young adult romance

Theme: This will be revealed on September 5, along with the judges and other details.

Previous anthologies:

Parallels: Felix Was Here

Hero Lost: The Mysteries of Death and Life

Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime.

Your short story might be included in the fourth anthology! Be sure to start preparing yourself.

There is also the IWSG Twitter Pitch coming on July 19, so stay tuned for that. 

Optional question this month: What's harder for you to come up with, book titles or character names?

For me, the story title usually comes to me first. Then, I'll spend a little time thinking about the characters' qualities and find suitable names for them. Each book is different so this doesn't happen the same way every time. What about you? 

2017 IWSG Anthology Contest Winners Announced

 Today’s the first posting day of the year for the Insecure Writers Support group. On each first Wednesday, writers are encouraged to share their doubts and encourage others. If you’re interested in signing up, go here.

The wonderful co-hosts for the January 3 posting of the IWSG are Tyrean Martinson, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Megan Morgan, Jennifer Lane, and Rachna Chhabria!

January 3 optional question - What steps have you taken or plan to take to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?

So far, I’ve made a listing of all the books I hope to produce in 2018. The titles are in a planner and are noted according to the months they will be on the market. I’ve also gone ahead and started plotting a couple of stories. What have you done, to date?

The 2017 IWSG Anthology Contest winners are listed below.

Until Release  - Jemi Fraser

The Tide Waits – Rebecca M. Douglass

Center Lane - Christine Clemetson

One More Minute – Mary Aalgaard

Reset – Tara Tyler

Three O’Clock Execution - S.R. Betler

The Little Girl in the Bayou - J.R. Ferguson

Cypress, Like the Tree - Yolanda Renée

Gussy Saint and the Case of the Missing Coed - C.D. Gallant-King

Special Mention: Heartless – C. Lee McKenzie

And the grand prize winner is: A Stitch in Crime – Gwen Gardner  

Look for the anthology, Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime, late spring, 2018.

Note: Our Special Mention story is for IWSG Admin, C. Lee McKenzie, who did not participate in the reading or judging of any of the entries. Her story made the top ten from the judges and will be included in the anthology.

Look out for the next #IWSGPit, which will be Thursday, January 18, 2018!
8:00 am - 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time 

Here’s how it will work. Create a Twitter-length pitch for your completed and polished manuscript and leave room for genre, age, and the hashtag. On January 18, Tweet your pitch. If your pitch receives a favorite/heart from a publisher/agent check their submission guidelines and send your requested query. 

The IWSG is now on Instagram! Look out for #theiwsg writing Wednesday posts Link: https://www.instagram.com/theiwsg/
Follow and spread the word.

So, what d'you have planned for your writing in 2018? Planning to participate in the Twitter pitch? Will you be participating in the Instagram Challenge?

Exciting IWSG News!

Today is IWSG post day. As we do each month, we share our insecurities and offer encouragement to other writers who may need it. Today’s hosts, along with Captain Alex are Christine Rains, Dolarah @ Book Lover, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Yvonne Ventresca, and LG Keltner!

August question - What are your pet peeves when reading/writing/editing?

In terms of writing and editing, the only peeve I have with myself is starting the job without some kind of outline. It wastes time when I have to go back and check through the manuscript for make and model of vehicles, where characters live, as well as their habits. It makes the job so much easier if I note this from start. 

In reading a work not my own, it's hard to enjoy a story when it is riddled with typos or inconsistencies.

Exciting IWSG News!

The IWSG pitch party was a wonderful event with #IWSGPit trending on Twitter on the day. If you didn’t get to participate, not to worry, you’ll have another opportunity in January.

As always, there is something coming in the pipeline with the IWSG. In October, on our IWSG post day we’ll have another contest! Post a photo of yourself (or your alter ego) with any of the IWSG swag or with the IWSG logo. 

After you post, leave a comment on the IWSG website’s post or the IWSG Facebook thread with a link to your photo. (All blog, Facebook, Goodreads, and newsletter members are welcome to participate, but your photo must be posted on a blog or Facebook to qualify.) 

The IWSG site admins will visit each post and pick the top three for some awesome prizes, which are listed below.

Third place – EBook of A Change of Mind and Other Stories by Nick Wilford, eBook of The Remnant by William Michael Davidson, eBook of Cling to God by Lynda R. Young, eBook of Already Home by Heather M. Gardner, and eBook of Dragon of the Stars by Alex. J. Cavanaugh. 

Second place – The entire eBook collection of the Totem series by Christine Rains, eBooks of Princess of Las Pulgas by C. Lee McKenzie, audio book of CassaSeries by Alex J. Cavanaugh, eBook of Black and White by Nick Wilford, and your choice eBook from J.L. Campbell. 

Grand prize winner - IWSG website interview, IWSG newsletter spotlight, IWSG pinned tweet for one week, C. Lee McKenzie's Featured Follower for the month, the IWSG Goodreads book club eBook for October/November, a short chapter critique, and a pair of IWSG erasers. 

We have some great IWSG swag – pens, mugs, magnets, erasers, etc. All proceeds will be used to fund the upkeep of the IWSG site.

Last, but not least, on August 24th at 2:00 pm EST, Chrys Fey will be participating in a LIVE YouTube interview with Evan Carmichael, an entrepreneur who she'll be interviewing about his book Your One Word and getting some great advice for IWSG members. You'll be able to watch the interview live HERE. You can set a reminder if you click on the link, or you can watch it later. The video will be uploaded in the August 30th IWSG newsletter issue. Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xf6dTwSZr4

IWSG News!

Today is another IWSG post day and boy do we have news for you! On the first Wednesday of each month, writers everywhere share their insecurities and give encouragement to others. Our co-hosts today are Christopher D. Votey, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Fundy Blue, and Chrys Fey!

  

April Question: Have you taken advantage of the annual A to Z Challenge in terms of marketing, networking, publicity for your book? What were the results?

For me, not really, but I have had the benefit of exposure through other writers who have featured books as their A-Z Challenge theme.

The IWSG book club has decided on its first read, and you have until the end of May to read it. If you haven't joined the IWSG Goodreads Book Club as yet, do so now!

In May, the 2017 IWSG anthology will be released - Hero Lost: The Mysteries of Death and Life. Twelve fantasy stories featuring a lost hero will be on sale for your reading pleasure. Don't forget to follow the Lost Hero blog here. 

On July 27, the IWSG Twitter Pitch - #IWSGPit will take place. The list of agents and publishers is growing, so don't miss this opportunity to pitch your work to industry movers and shakers.

Here's hoping you have no insecurities today, but if you do, what are they?

Announcing the IWSG'S Twitter Pitch

Today is the March IWSG post day when all of us share our insecurities or offer encouragement to those in need of it. You can sign up to be part of the group here.

The co-hosts for this month's IWSG are Tamara Narayan, Patsy Collins, M.J. Fifield, and Nicohle Christopherson!

A couple of things: Remember the IWSG is now offering even more cool swag, so be sure to visit the Merchandise Page and get your stuff.

This month's question (optional) is: Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?

The answer to this question is sort of yes for me. The story I used wasn't that old, but I did have a paranormal short that I wrote for a Halloween challenge hosted by Denise Covey in 2013. It's been several years anyway, so when the opportunity came to be involved in a paranormal boxed set, I dusted off that story and expanded it into Phantasm. The experience was a good one and taught me that everything has its use with time. What about you? Have you reworked any manuscript from the past?

And we have good news, the IWSG will be hosting a Twitter Pitch Party!
Hashtag:  #IWSGPit
Date: July 27, 2017
Time: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Time

All writers and authors are invited to participate. Please see the rules below. as shared on the IWSG blog.

Create a Twitter-length pitch for your completed and polished manuscript and leave room for genre, age, and the hashtag. On July 27, Tweet your pitch. If your pitch receives a favorite/heart from a publisher/agent check their submission guidelines and send your requested query. Sample Tweet from #PitMad:

Many writers have seen their books published from a Twitter pitch - it’s a quick and easy way to put your manuscript in front of publishers and agents. 

Rules: 

Writers may send out 1 Twitter pitch every 1 hour per manuscript. 

Publishers/Agents will favorite/heart pitches they are interested in. Publishers can either Tweet basic submission guidelines or direct writers to their submission guidelines. (Writers, please do not favorite/heart pitches.)

Pitches must include GENRE/AGE and the hashtag #IWSGPit. 

Ages: 
#C - children’s
#MG - middle grade
#YA - young adult
#NA - new adult
#A - adult
Genres: 
#AD - adventure
#CF - Christian fiction
#CO - contemporary
#F - fantasy
#H - horror
#HI - historical
#LF - literary fiction
#MCT - mystery/crime/thriller
#ME - memoir
#NF - non-fiction
#PB - picture book
#PN - paranormal
#R - romance
#SF - sci-fi
#WF - women's fiction

List of participating publishers & agents will be shared soon. Please join us and spread the word! 

Here's hoping today will be a great day for you. With is being Ash Wednesday, I'm off to Mass. Catch you later!