Harlequin Starts Imprint for Young Adult Fiction

Tez Miller's blog reports Harlequin is starting a new imprint for teens and looking for manuscripts. They accept unagented submissions, so looks like a wide open new market.

Romance category sales are up 83%, and fantasy books are doing well, so they're a frigging publishing spotlight in an otherwise inky economic cave.

How to Land an Agent Online Seminar

On January 15, 2009, the Writer's Digest company is offering a one hour online seminar on How to Land an Agent in the new year. The cost is $199. Just FYI. I've never participated in one, so I can't say if it's worth $199 for an hour.

Top 7 Awesome Things About Being A Writer In a Bad Economy

Ramen, My Ramen by Tricia Grissom

7.  We already consider ramen noodles a food group.

6. We understand life is unfair. After all, Joe the Plumber has a book deal.

5. Words are free and can earn us money.

4. Auto company bailouts, bank failures, Barak Obama's funny eyebrows - it's all just writing material.

3. My memoir on being broke and evicted that nets me a spot on the New York Times bestseller list.

2. What do you mean everything's hopelessly difficult in the publishing industry economy, and we'll never get published another job? You've shocked our delicate sensibilities.
 
1. We've already been laid off, rejected, and underpaid. Bring it on.

Writers Market and Get Known Before the Book Deal for 50% Off

You can get any Writer's Digest writing book from F+W Publications for 50% off with coupon code WD1224. The code is good until December 24, 2008.

That means you can get the 2009 Writer's Market for $15.50 + S&H or Writer's Market Deluxe, which includes a book plus a one year subscription to the Writer's Market website, for $25.00 + S&H. Not bad. A one year subscription to just the website is $29.99. I tried out the coupon and it worked just fine. It's $30.31 with shipping and tax - about a buck cheaper than Amazon with their free shipping over $25. If you're ordering a book that costs under the Amazon $25 total, it's a much better deal.

I also recommend Christina Katz's Get Known Before the Book Deal which you can pick up for the bargain price of $8.50 + S&H. (It's $11.55 on Amazon). I'm currently reading it and she has great advice for building the all important author platform. Writers will need to be even more marketable than ever in the current economy, so I'm studying up. You can watch Christina's YouTube Promo below for more information.

Reporter Wanted for O'Fallon/Dardenne Prairie

Nick's Gingerbread House

Here is a Craigslist ad looking for a reporter to cover the O'Fallon/Dardenne Prairie Area in Missouri. You have to snail mail your resume and writing sample - no email applications.

Snow Day and Facebook

Tessa's Gingerbread House

Actually it was an ice day, but I'm not complaining. I'm going to make sugar cookies now. Something I only do once a year because let's face it. I've got no sucrose biscuit self-control.

Nothing really significant to report today. I'm actually starting to use facebook, so if you wanna be my friend (she whines) I am there under my alias Tricia Grissom. My posts may be spotty until Christmas. Today is the last week of class and then the Christmas Dance ensues.

Blogs With Insider Info on the Publishing World

Fat Snowman From My Tree by Tricia Grissom

O.K. Sick child at home. So rather than writing a blog today, I'm totally glomming onto Nathan Bransford's excellent post rounding up the week in publishing. He lists lots of insider blogs and other great articles for writers. So check it out if you want to stay on top of what's going on in the biz.

Christian Writing Contest and Dog Stories Contest

Dog Dreams by Bob Marley 753 Creative Commons

C. Hope Clark has a blog post about a no entry fee short fiction contest focused on dogs, and Christian Writers' Market has info on a fiction contest for authors to express their belief in God through the art of writing.

Book Seeks Rejection Letters

Author Bill Shapiro is looking for rejection letters for a new book slated for 2010.

Other People's Rejection Letters is his follow up to Other People's Love Letters: 150 Letters You Were Never Meant to See, which sounds like something I'll put on my book wish list.

Let the rejection purge begin.

Update on HQ Magazine

McGraw-Hill representative Lisa Jaycox was kind enough to give me a more specific description of HQ magazine. Turns out it isn't just about green building, but also on ways that office/building design can help businesses perform better. That may include green practices, but it also has the broader focus of the best design possible for the work environment.

The Winter 2009 issue launched on Tuesday, December 2nd and another issue will come out in June. If you want to get a feel for the magazine, there's a digital version of the Winter 2009 issue on their website.

McGraw-Hill Launches HQ Magazine

Bettencourt Green Building Supplies by greenbk Creative Commons

Let's hear it for the cojones on McGraw-Hill for launching a new magazine in the unnatural disaster that is our economy. HQ is a new magazine focused on green buildings created to make employees skip down the halls in productivity delight while the company pays less for the light bill.

It officially begins in June 2009, but they've already sent out one promo issue.

Saturday Writers Celebrates Writing for All Ages and Christmas Party

This Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 10 a.m., Saturday Writers will recognize the winners of our children's and teens' writing contests and host a workshop  and book signing by children's writer Jody Feldman, author of The Gollywhopper Games. We will meet at the St. Peters Community and Arts Center, located at 1035 St. Peters Howell Road.

From the website:
"Everyone who participated in the contest and entered a story is invited to the St. Peters Community and Arts Center, located at 1035 St. Peters Howell Road, at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 6. Jody Feldman, children’s author of The Gollywhopper Games (www.jodyfeldman.com), will present a program for parents, teachers, and students. She will also give out the awards and participation certificates, and she will have a book signing after the awards’ ceremony. Door prizes, a raffle, and refreshments will be provided.

Look below for a more detailed schedule. We hope you can all join us. (Children do not have to come to the entire morning to receive their awards, but we hope they will. Jody is a wonderful speaker and teacher. In the past, some children have been dropped off or had one parent stay for the program/workshop, and the rest of the family came at the awards’ ceremony time. That is great, too! Whatever works best for your family, we encourage."

After the workshop, we'll be having our Christmas party at 1 p.m., so bring a covered dish to share and a writing book for our white elephant gift exchange. See the schedule of events below.

THE SCHEDULE

10:00 am Registration and refreshments at the St. Peters Community and Arts Center
10:25 am Welcome, Announcements, Introduction, and Jody Feldman speaks
11:00 am Break into workshop groups/ more refreshments/ door prizes given
11:10 Third and fourth graders and their parents will do a writing activity with Jody Feldman
12:00 Workshop over, get ready for awards’ ceremony, more door prizes given
12:15 Awards Ceremony for Third and Fourth graders and Teen Writers
12:45 Jody Feldman sells and signs her books
Members of Saturday Writers:
1:00 Saturday Writers Christmas Party--Potluck and White Elephant gift game

Coffee and Critique December Schedule and Free Book Contest

From Donna V.
Here's the Coffee and Critique schedule for December:

Tuesday, Dec 2 & 16 - 10:00 a.m. till noon
Tuesday, Dec 9 & 23 - 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Tuesday Dec 30 Meeting optional. We can discuss if anyone wants to meet that day.

Donna is also hosting a contest. She'll give away Cup of Comfort For Christmas: Stories that celebrate the warmth, joy, and wonder of the holiday (A Cup of Comfort) to anyone who emails her with "Santa Wore Cowboy Boots" in the subject line.