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This month learn how to use your senses to improve your writing, get Top Tips on approaching an editor, find out about contributing to our new student Ezine 'Chapter and Verse', see if our Useful Websites really are of any use to you and be inspired!
Hello again and welcome to the March issue.
We have lots of lovely literary goodies to keep you captivated this month, but I would like to start with a heartfelt thanks to all of you who took the time to send in your suggestions for a name for the new Ezine. We have decided on 'Chapter and Verse' and Rob, the new editor, is keen to have submissions from students for inclusion in the magazine. Here's a little introduction from the man himself:
'I was delighted to accept The Writers Bureau invitation to become the first editor of their new Ezine: Chapter and Verse. It is for students and will be written by students. This gives you a great opportunity to be published and begin your writing career.
My name is Rob Innis and I have been a WB student. I now enjoy working as a freelance writer being involved with the writing world, meeting lots of interesting people and seeing my name in print!
We are now ready to start taking student's submissions from all genres including articles, stories, or poems, which fit our first theme: The last hidden beauty in the world.
I am looking forward very much to receiving your work and I hope this theme invokes your talents either in a fictional or factual way, or maybe both. Please take time to research and consider the length of your work bearing in mind it is for an Ezine.
One of the things that I have learnt is to try to seize as many opportunities as possible as you never know where it may lead.'
Please send your submission to candv@writersbureau.com
If you would like to know more about Rob, here's his website http://spainrico.com/
As well as launching the new Ezine we have also started tweeting on Twitter, the social networking site, and you can see what's going on here.
Also this month we have Ten Top Tips on approaching an editor and expert advice from Heather Cooke on putting your senses to good use in your writing in, 'You know it makes sense'. Success stories come from Lynne, a super successful ex-student with 17, yes 17, books already published and 4 more to come in 2009. And we also hear from Phares, an emerging journalist in Kenya.
Useful Websites features an opportunity for you to get work published, this time on a new news website aimed at women, but you guys can have a go too if you like. Could be a very useful springboard! There are also links to a website for crime and mystery writers and the very useful The Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society, a must for all writers!
Next we have a couple of competitions (highlighted by two of our students - thank you!) that you might like to take part in. The first is run by Poetic Republic and is organised to help raise funds for the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), a humanitarian organisation clearing landmines and the such like from areas affected by war. The nice touch with this competition is that it will be judged by you, the entrants. Entry is £6.00 and the closing date is 30th April. The more people who enter, the more the prize fund grows with first prize being 50% of the total prize fund collected. All profits will be donated to MAG. So, tell everyone you know and help a good cause in the process. More information can be found here.
The second is a poetry and short story competition, 'The 3rd Annual Ted Walters International Short Story and Poetry Competition 2009'. Again, you can help a good cause as each entry generates a £1.00 donation to Macmillan Cancer Support. It is £3.00 per entry and 1st prize is £200! Closing date is 31st May. The entry form is available to download as a PDF here.
If you want to expand your writing universe this month you could pop along to the London Book Fair held between 20th and 22nd April. It's 'the global market place for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and digital channels'. With over 25,000 members of the publishing industry attending there will be plenty of time for learning and business. Exhibitors from all over the world will be there with particular focus on Indian markets. There are over 100 seminars to attend covering all the usual suspects, author of the day events plus heaps more. The entrance fee if £40.00, but if you register through the website now you should receive a £15.00 discount. More information can be found here.
If you are out and about in Edinburgh on 24th April you could visit Blackwells bookshop at 53-62 Southbridge and meet up with specialist author Gill Arbuthnot and her publishers Barrington Stoke. They will be discussing their mission to 'create enjoyable, unpatronising books for dyslexic, struggling or simply reluctant readers.' Tickets are free and can be reserved by calling 0161 622 8222 or emailing vanessa.garden@blackwell.co.uk
Lastly, 2nd April is International Children's Book Day (ICBD). Organised by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) it aims 'to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books.' Each year a different national section of the IBBY- this year it's Egypt - is invited to be the international sponsor of the day. The host country invites an author and illustrator to write a message to the children of the world and create a poster. This year's theme is 'I am the world' and the contributor is Hani D. El-Masri.
Have a happy month!
Shelley
P.S. If the ICBD event inspires you to inspire children to read by writing books for them you should have a look at our Writing for Children course - you'll learn all you need from a published children's author on how to get your work into print. You can meet two of our children's writing tutors on their websites, Sandra and Stephanie, to see who you will be working with.
