Friday, October 31, 2014

6 Self-Published Titles Make DBW's Ebook Best-Seller List

Digital Book World keeps track of trends in the digital book market, including digital best-sellers. 

(You can sign up to get their free DBW Daily HERE.)




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From DBW Daily, October 29, 2014

Penelope Ward’s self-published Stepbrother Dearest remains squarely within the top ten, jumping two places into the No. 4 position this week. And Deborah Bladon, also a self-published author, lands not one but three titles on this week’s list–each of them a bargain for readers at just $0.99.

Altogether, there are six self-published titles within this week’s top 25.

The success of those titles contributes to reducing the average price of a best-selling ebook further still, to $6.26, down from $6.91 last week.

Top 25 Ebook Best-Sellers,Week Ending 10/25/14
Rank*TitleAuthorPublisher Price**Change
(1)Gone Girl: A NovelGillian FlynnPenguin Random House $    4.99
(3)Gray Mountain: A NovelJohn GrishamPenguin Random House $   11.99+1
(2)Leaving Time: A NovelJodi PicoultPenguin Random House $    4.99-1
(6)Stepbrother DearestPenelope WardSelf-published $    3.99+2
(8)Burn (Michael Bennett Book 7)James Patterson; Michael LedwidgeHachette $    4.99+3
(4)The Best of MeNicholas SparksHachette $    4.99-2
(7)Deadline (A Virgil Flowers Novel Book 8)John SandfordPenguin Random House $   10.99
(9)Dark Places: A NovelGillian FlynnPenguin Random House $    4.99+1
(15)Blood Magick (Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy Book 3)Nora RobertsPenguin Random House $    6.99+6
10 (5)The Heroes of Olympus (The Blood of Olympus Book 5)Rick RiordanHachette $    9.99-5
11 (11)Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II’s Most Audacious GeneralBill O’Reilly; Martin DugardMacmillan $   11.04
12 (10)Captivated by You (Crossfire Book 4)Sylvia DayPenguin Random House $    7.99-2
13 (n/a)Ruin: Part 2Deborah BladonSelf-published $    0.99New
14 (17)Ruin: Part 1Deborah BladonSelf-published $    0.99+3
15 (n/a)Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and RedemptionLaura HillenbrandPenguin Random House $    4.99New
16 (13)Personal: A Jack Reacher NovelLee ChildPenguin Random House $   10.99-3
17 (25)All the Light We Cannot See: A NovelAnthony DoerrSimon & Schuster $    4.99+8
18 (23)Not That Kind of GirlLena DunhamPenguin Random House $    4.99+5
19 (16)Big Little LiesLiane MoriartyPenguin Random House $   10.99-3
20 (n/a)King of Me (King Trilogy Book 3)Mimi Jean PamfiloffSelf-published $    4.99New
21 (n/a)Rowdy: A Marked Men NovelJay CrownoverHarperCollins $    4.74New
22 (12)Outlander: A NovelDiana GabaldonPenguin Random House $    4.99-10
23 (n/a)SoloDeborah BladonSelf-published $    0.99New
24 (21)Orphan Train: A NovelChristina Baker KlineHarperCollins $    6.99-3
25 (n/a)HardwiredMeredith WildSelf-published $    6.99New
* Previous week’s list rank in parentheses.
** Price reflects minimum price across all retailers throughout the week. Price may vary between retailers and may change throughout the week.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Galway Kinnell, Poet: Dead at 87

Photo: NY Times
On Tuesday, October 28 Galway Kinnell died of leukemia at his home in Sheffield, Vermont. He was 87 years old.

Galway Kinnell was one of the great American poets. He won both a Pulitzer and a National Book Award for his poetry, and should, in my opinion, have joined Robert Frost - whose poems also evoked the fields and forests of New England - among the ranks of  Poet Laureates.

Kinnell was not a subtle poet. His poetry was direct, no-holds-barred, and straight from the gut. He used natural imagery to convey the profoundest of human experiences in a way that defied convention and dragged us back to our roots.

Of his poems, one of my favorites is The Porcupine, which I had the pleasure of hearing him read. One stanza (I can still hear Kinnell's powerful, booming voice) has stuck with me for 30 years.

"I roll
this way and that in the great bed, under
the quilt
that mimics this country of broken farms and woods,
the fatty sheath of the man
melting off,
the self-stabbing coil
of bristles reversing, blossoming outward—
a red-eyed, hard-toothed, arrow-stuck urchin
tossing up mattress feathers,
pricking the
woman beside me until she cries."

Kinnell was a big man, a big poet, and a true son of New England. His voice will be sorely missed,

Read the USA Today article HERE.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Making Your Own Book Cover? Best Free Programs for Graphic Design

Updated 10/6/24

If you have a flair for design, and don't have a lot of cash to spare for a professional service, you can make your own book cover for free.

There are dozens of graphic programs that don't cost a penny and provide high quality graphics. Features range from simple editing tools (rotation, special effects, text insertion) to 3D design and animation. As far as image manipulation is concerned, the sky is the limit.

I've listed some of the most popular (and easiest to use) programs below.

Related posts: 40 Sites Where You Can Get Fabulous Free Photos

Caveat: If you don't have design skills, hire a professional. (A poorly designed cover will sink your book.) This post will help you find a great book cover designer. Most designers on this list are surprisingly affordable!

Should You Hire a Professional Book Cover Designer?

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When designing a book cover, keep in mind the following:

1) Your book cover will appear as a thumbnail, so make sure the title is clearly visible.

2) Don't get carried away with too much detail. Busy cover images get lost in a thumbnail.

3) Advertising studies have revealed that people are most attracted to faces.

4) Avoid white - at least around the edges. Your book cover will appear against a white background.
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Picmonkey - A free photo editor and collage maker that works in your browser. You can get a good idea of what Picmonkey can offer on Pinterest. Features: text, overlays, photo touch up, collage (simply upload images), and editing tools. Picmonkey is easy to use, so if you are a novice, start here.

Paint.net – A free image and photo editing software for Windows based PC's. This program was voted #19 out of the top 100 programs of 2007 by PC World. It has full support for layers and special effects, the tools are top notch and highly recommended by many users. There is a strong online community for support and frequent updates to the software. Comparable to Adobe Photoshop.

Ultimate Paint -  Offers a freeware program with more than a hundred advanced image effects and correction filters. Works with Windows.

Pixelmator - An application for Macs that produces high quality images. It's not free, but you can try it for 7 days without paying a cent. They provide tutorials, support, and a blog to help you get going.

Gimp - A free editing and retouching software program that can be used with Mac, Linux and Windows (anything after XP). Gimp has many of the features of Photoshop: layers, clone tools (to copy pixels), blur and sharpen tools, color gradients, image enhancement, and so on.

Inkscape - A professional vector graphics editor for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It's free and open source. Features include: layers, drawing, text tools, shape tools, moving, and many more. The website has an image gallery and tutorials.

DAZ Studio - A program for making 3D images and animation. Particularly useful for sci-fi and graphic novel illustrations.

iPiccy - This free online program allows you to do just about everything Photoshop does, but without the hassle of trying to figure out how to do it. Very user-friendly. There's no registration; just upload your photo and start editing. (Many thanks to Kristin for the tip!)

Krita -Krita is a sketching and painting program designed for digital artists. Its intended purpose is to provide robust tool for digital painting and creating artworks from scratch. Krita’s tools are most relevant to digital painting, concept art, illustration, and texturing. 

Thursday, October 23, 2014

2 Agents Actively Seeking Thrillers, Romance, Memoir, Horror & More

Updated 4/21/20

Here are two new agents actively building their client lists. Alec would love to see humor, biography, history (particularly military history), true crime, “guy” reads, and all things sports. In fiction he is looking for mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, historical fiction, literary fiction, and books geared toward young male readers (both YA and MG). Cassie is looking for adult novels, plot-driven commercial and upmarket women’s fiction, historical fiction, psychological suspense, cozy mysteries and contemporary romance. In nonfiction, she’s looking for projects in the categories of parenting, mind/body/spirit, inspirational memoir, narrative nonfiction focusing on food-related topics and a limited number of accessible cookbooks.

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About Alec: Alec majored in English at Brown University, a degree he put to immediate use by moving to Los Angeles after graduation to become a professional stunt man. Realizing that he prefers books to breakaway glass, he moved to New York City in 2008 to pursue a career in publishing. Alec quickly found a home at Writers House Literary Agency, where he worked under Jodi Reamer and Amy Berkower on a large number of YA and Adult titles. Twitter handle: @alecdshane.

What he is seeking: Alec is now aggressively building his own list. On the nonfiction side, Alec would love to see humor, biography, history (particularly military history), true crime, “guy” reads, and all things sports. In fiction he is looking for mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, historical fiction, literary fiction, and books geared toward young male readers (both YA and MG). What he is not looking for: Romance (paranormal or otherwise), straight sci-fi, high fantasy, picture books, self-help, women’s fiction, food, travel memoir.

Submission guidelines: Alec accepts e-mail and snail-mail queries (although email is preferable), and will usually respond within 4-5 weeks. Please send the first 10 pages of your manuscript, along with your query letter, to ashane [at] writershouse.com with “Query for Alec Shane: TITLE” as your subject heading – no attachments please! If sending via regular mail, please include a SASE with proper postage.

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Cassie Hanjian of DeFiore & Company

No longer an agent

About Cassie: Prior to joining DeFiore & Company, Cassie worked at Waxman Leavell as an acquiring. Cassie held positions at the Park Literary Group, where she specialized in author support and foreign rights, and at Aram Fox, Inc. as an international literary scout for publishers based outside the United States. She holds a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from the University of South Florida, a Graduate Certificate in Publishing from the University of Denver’s Publishing Institute and an M.S. in Publishing from Pace University. Follow her on Twitter: @Cjhanjian

What she is seeking: Page-turning New Adult novels, plot-driven commercial and upmarket women’s fiction, historical fiction, psychological suspense, cozy mysteries and contemporary romance. In nonfiction, she’s looking for projects in the categories of parenting, mind/body/spirit, inspirational memoir, narrative nonfiction focusing on food-related topics and a limited number of accessible cookbooks. Cassie does not accept submissions in the following categories: science-fiction, fantasy, paranormal, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children’s, literary fiction, poetry, and screenplays.

How to submit: Please submit query and five pages to submissions@defliterary.com. Please include the word “Query” in the subject line. All attachments will be deleted; please insert all text in the body of the email.
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Tina Schwartz of The Purcell Agency

CURRENTLY CLOSED TO UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONS


About Tina: Literary Agent Tina P. Schwartz is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), and is the Co-Rep for her local chapter. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Columbia College (Chicago) in Marketing Communications. After a long career in Radio Sales and Marketing, she turned to her true passion, selling manuscripts. Schwartz started The Purcell Agency in July of 2012 after spending twelve years writing and marketing her own work, along with helping several others get published. She sold her first book contract in 2004, and sold ten nonfiction titles for one author to traditional publishers in the Teen and Youth markets. Since opening the agency, she has sold several middle grade and young adult novels, along with some nonfiction works for teens. 

What she is seeking: Chapter books (all kinds except fantasy); Middle Grade (contemporary/realistic, sports, mystery, humor, multicultural, issue driven [no fantasy]); Young Adult (edgy, issues, contemporary/realistic, light romance, sports, mystery [no fantasy]). Tina is also seeking nonfiction Chapter books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult – all topics. She is not seeking: Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Paranormal or Picture Books submissions at this time.

How to submit: TPAqueries [at] gmail.com. Mention if you are a member of SCBWI. 

To submit nonfiction for a teen or grade school audience: Table of Contents + Intro and sample chapter, author’s credentials. To submit fiction: Query, 1st three chapters + synopsis. No attachments. Include sample work in body of e-mail.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

10 November Writing Contests - No Entry Fee




I am a fan of free writing contests:

1) Having a deadline forces you to finish your manuscript,

2) If you win, you can call yourself an "award-winning author" which is great for your pub cred. (That's like street cred - without the tattoos.)

3) And if the contest is free, what have you got to lose?










The Fountain 100th Issue Essay Contest

Deadline: November 30, 2014

You and Your 100-Year-Old Self

The Fountain invites you celebrate their 100th issue by writing an essay to yourself on your 100th birthday. What would you say to yourself at that age? What would your 100-year-old self tell you back? Would it be a conversation of praise and/or regret? Perhaps praise for the achievements in your career, but regrets about a lost family? Or warnings about the mistakes you made in your projected future or in your past; pitfalls you happened to be dragged into, temptations you could not resist; or celebrations for the good character you were able to display and sustain over a life; a precious life wasted or a life lived as it was meant to be.

• Contest open to all writers worldwide
• Essay word count must be between 1,500 and 2,500 words
• Essays must be submitted through the essay contest page at www.fountainmagazine.com/essaycontest
• Cash prizes:

1st Place - $1,500
2nd Place - $750
3rd Place - $300
Two Honorable Mentions - $200 each
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Creative Loafing's 2015 Fiction Contest “Crush”

Deadline: November 3, 2104

Submit a manuscript of no more than 3,000 words. All works of fiction must in some way incorporate “Crush” — as a theme, a metaphor, or some good ol' fashioned puppy love. Be creative, take risks, and send us your best work. In the words of Ernest Hemingway, feel free to write drunk and edit sober. Either way, the word count is strictly enforced.

1st place, $500

2nd place, $250

3rd place, $100

Deadline is Mon., Nov. 3, 5 p.m.

Winners will be published in Creative Loafing and honored at an awards ceremony.

Entry form and rules click HERE.

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The Culture Trip Award

Deadline: November 30, 2014

"We are offering a $3,000 prize for the entrant whose article attains the highest readership within 3 months of publication. We will also provide every competitor with detailed information on the readership his/her article attracted."

The Prize

• USD $3,000 for the most-read article

• USD $2,000 for the second most-read article

• USD $1,000 for the third most-read article

• Honourable mentions on social media for the 10 most-read articles

Eligibility:

• First or second degree students within final year of degree program; or students who graduated since May 2013

• Interest in a career in art, culture, food, travel sector

Submission Process:

• Send an email to award@theculturetrip.com asap and no later than November 30, 2014, with 'Trial article - topic request' in the subject line, to receive your allocated title for an initial trial article

• Receive your trial article topic within 5 working days

• Submit your trial article no later than December 30, 2014

We will judge the trial articles on quality of writing, structure, research, readability. If successful, you will be invited to submit your competition article(s) asap and no later than January 15, 2015. You can choose your competition article(s) topic(s) as long as it is within The Culture Trip's remit and it pertains to one or more countries. If preferred, The Culture Trip can set you a topic.

We aim to edit and publish successful trial articles (between December 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015) and suitable competition articles (between February 15 and April 15, 2015).

Competition entries will be published between February 15, 2015 and April 15, 2015

Award Ceremony and Press:

• September 30, 2015, London. Flights/transportation and accommodation covered by The Culture Trip (for the three winners)

Writing Guidelines:

For more information on style, formatting and length, please refer to published articles, as well as The Culture Trip’s writing guide: theculturetrip.com/write-articles/
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The Vermont Writers' Prize

Deadline: November 1, 2014

The Vermont Writer's Prize is sponsored by Green Mountain Power and Vermont Magazine, is open to Vermont writers, including seasonal residents and students enrolled in Vermont colleges.

Genres: Short stories, poetry, plays, or essays on the subject of Vermont.

Prize: $1500 and publication.

Read details here.
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Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing

Deadline: November 5, 2014

Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada between July 9, 2014 and December 31, 2014. Self-published books are not eligible.

Genre: A book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life.

Prize: Winner: $25,000; Finalists: $2,500.

Read details here.
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William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grants Program for Unpublished Writers

Deadline: November 15, 2014

Restrictions: Writers must not have published a book, short story, or dramatic work in the mystery field, either in print, electronic, or audio form.

Genre: Mystery stories of the Agatha Christie type - i.e., “traditional mysteries.” These works usually feature no excessive gore, gratuitous violence, or explicit sex.

Prize: Each grant may be used to offset registration, travel, or other expenses related to attendance at a writers' conference or workshop within a year of the date of the award (no later than May 2016). In the case of nonfiction, the grant may be used to offset research expenses. Each grant currently includes a $1,500 award plus a comprehensive registration for the following year's convention and two nights' lodging at the convention hotel, but does not include travel to the convention or meals.

Read details here.

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Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize 

Deadline: November 15th, 2014

This prize is sponsored by the Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival.

Genre: Non-fiction essay between 4 to 10 pages, set in Brooklyn about Brooklyn and/or Brooklyn people/characters.. (Up to 2500 words).

Read details here.

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The Caregiver Story Contest 

Deadline: November, 30, 2014

This contest is held by Shield HealthCare. Their annual caregiver story contest is on “What Makes Caregiving Rewarding?”

Genre: Nonfiction, inspirational.

Prize: Top 3 Story Winner Prizes: $500 American Express Gift Card, One-year subscription to Today's Caregiver Magazine.

Entry form and details here.

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IV Edition of the International Flash Fiction Competition

Deadline: November 23rd. 2014

"Museum of Words"

The slogan of this contest edition will be, Mandela: Words and Concord. The rules of the competition are as follows:

Writers from any country may enter their microfiction into the competition.

Submitted stories must be original creations; writers are free to cover any subject.

Writers may only enter a maximum of two stories. Stories may be written in the following languages: Hebrew, English, Arabic or Spanish.

A first prize of $20,000 will be awarded to the winning story. The three remaining finalist stories in the remaining language categories will receive a $2000 runner up prize.

Stories must not exceed 100 words. Entries must be sent exclusively by filling in the entry form that can be found on the foundation website: www.fundacioncesaregidoserrano.com or www.museodelapalabra.com. All stories entered must be original, unpublished in all means (paper, electronic publications, network...) and have not been awarded in any other contest. Those who do not meet this condition will forfeit the entry.

The author certifies that the story sent is of his own authorship.

The competition will end on November 23rd, 2014 GMT+1, on the International Day of the Word as Bond of Humankind.

The finalists will be judged by a selected jury. The list of finalist’s titles will be published on the website of the César Egido Serrano Foundation.

The César Egido Serrano Foundation reserves the right to publish the finalist’s stories.

The decision of the jury is final.

Entry in this contest implies the total acceptance of their rules.

Texts failing to comply with any of the rules will be disqualified.
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2015 Neltje Blanchan Memorial Writing Award

Deadline: Nov. 17, 2014

Also see: 2015 Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Writing Award for women authors living in Wyoming
The Neltje Blanchan Award, $1,000, is given annually for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script which is informed by a relationship with the natural world.

This award is designed to bring attention to writers in Wyoming who have not yet received wide recognition for their work, and to support emerging writers at crucial times in their careers. Poets, fiction writers, essayists, and script writers who have published no more than one book in each genre and who are not students or faculty members are invited to apply by submitting manuscripts and an entry form by the deadline.

Guidelines for the 2014 Blanchan and Doubleday writing awards

Eligibility:

You may enter if you meet the following requirements:

*You must not be a full-time college student or full-time college faculty.

* You must be at least 18 years old and a legal resident of Wyoming, living in the state for at least ten months of the year, since July 1, 2013.

* To receive an award, you must remain a Wyoming resident until Dec. 31, 2015, living in the state for at least ten months of the year.

*You must not have received a Blanchan or Doubleday award in the last four years. You may apply for these awards if you received a 2013 (or previous year) creative writing fellowship.

* You may not have received a 2015 Arts Council creative writing fellowship.

* You may enter if you have never published a book, if you’ve published only one full-length book of fiction, poetry or nonfiction, or if you have published no more than one book of poetry, one of fiction, and one of nonfiction (self-publication excluded).

Manuscript guidelines
:

* Submit work in one genre only (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction or script).

* Writing may have been previously published.

* Manuscript must be consecutively page-numbered. Include title of work and page numbers on each page.

* Your name must not appear anywhere on the manuscript.

* If you submit more than the allowed page limits (see below), extra pages will be removed; you will not be notified.

* If novel or play/film synopses are part of the manuscript (this is often helpful to the juror), include them in the total page number count.

Length requirements:

* Poetry, maximum length: 10 pages. Type single-spaced, with no more than one poem per page.

* Fiction and creative nonfiction, maximum length: 25 pages. Type double-spaced.

* Drama and screenplays, maximum length: 25 pages. Must be typed and presented in the standard, industry-accepted format for the type of script submitted.

Submission procedures:

* You may enter each competition once only, by Nov. 17, 2014.

After you submit your application:

* Your name and credentials are not available to juror; all manuscripts are identified by number. Juror will not critique individual manuscripts.

* Manuscripts will not be returned.

If you win an award:

* Winners will be notified after Jan. 12, 2015.

* You’ll receive $1,000 (after Jan. 12, 2015). At the discretion of the juror, no award may be given.

* You’ll sign a contract which verifies that you’re eligible to receive this award.

* You must remain a resident of the state through Dec. 31, 2015, living within its borders for at least ten months of the year.

* You’ll need to supply a resume and photograph for publicity, and the Council will ask permission to publish some of your work in its publications.

* You’ll retain the right of publication to the work you produce during the award period.

* You must fill out a final report, due June 1, 2015, which asks questions about how this award helped you and what you accomplished during the year. There are no requirements regarding work you complete during the award period or how you use the funds.

* You will receive an additional stipend to travel to Casper in September 2015 to read your work along with the Doubleday winner and the contest judge at the annual Casper College Literary Conference. 

Monday, October 20, 2014

7 Awards for Self-Published Authors - No entry fees

Updated 10/5/24

While literary contests are increasingly open to self-published authors, only a few of them have no entry fee. (This is because contests are intended to generate income for their sponsors.)

If you do decide to enter a paid contest, make sure its sponsor is worth putting on your resume. (Joe Blow's novel of the year contest will do nothing for your career.)


You can find some paid contests here:

DIY: Book Awards For Self-Published Authors

20 Awards for Self-Published Books

A word to the wise: Some book awards are not only worthless, their sole intent is to generate cash and/or to sell services to entrants. Always read submission guidelines very carefully!

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The Book Designer Monthly Ebook Cover Design Awards

Joel Friedlander's self-publishing site is heavily trafficked, so this contest is well worth entering. There is no restriction on publication date, but the e-books must be published at the time of submission. If you don't yet have a cover for your book, looking at previous winners is great inspiration.
Note: This contest is no longer being held, but you can see past winners. 

Bram Stoker Awards

Any work of Horror first published in the English language may be considered for an award during the year of its publication. The categories for which a Bram Stoker Award may be presented have varied over the years, reflecting the state of the publishing industry and the horror genre. The twelve Bram Stoker Award categories are: Novel, First Novel, Short Fiction, Long Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction Collection, Poetry Collection, Anthology, Screenplay, Graphic Novel, Nonfiction, and Short Nonfiction.

Spark Award

The Spark Award is an annual award that recognizes excellence in a children’s book published through a non-traditional publishing route. You must be a current SCBWI member with membership current through April of the following year to apply. You must have self published a book intended for the children’s or YA market in one of the following categories: Board Book, Picture Book, Chapter Book, Middle Grade, Graphic Novel or Young Adult. The Spark Award is held in November.


Each year, BCALA honors the best self-published eBooks by an African-American author in the United States in the genres of Fiction and Poetry. These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical, and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. Restrictions: Open to African-Americans." Prize: $2,500. The deadline is usually in February.

indieBRAG

"indieBRAG exists to discover talented self-published authors and help them give their work the attention and recognition it deserves. To help indie writers do this, we offer a unique book evaluation and the B.R.A.G Medallion. Unlike award sights, we do not judge books against other books to find one winner. There is no limit to the number of books receiving the B.R.A.G. Medallion. Having the B.R.A.G.Medallion on your cover indicates to readers that your book has gone through this rigorous procedure and is worth their time and money. It is a seal of approval."


This prize is open to all authors who publish their book through Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon.co.uk. There are additional Storyteller awards run by Amazon in: German, French, Italian, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese. Genre: Book. Prize: £20,000. The deadline is usually in August.

The Indie Author Project is a joint venture of IngramSpark, Library Journal, and Biblioboard. Through these contests, libraries are helping local authors get the recognition they deserve for writing great books. Books must be: Indie-published; In an adult fiction or young adult fiction genre; Written by a resident of the contest's region; Available in either ePUB (strongly recommended) or PDF format. 
Prize
  • $1,000 each in adult and young adult categories
  • Minnesota winners will receive $1,000 each
  • Honors at the 2022 Indie Author Day Reception
  • Opportunities to promote your book(s) at public libraries
  • Inclusion in a full-page print spread in Library Journal
  • Opportunities to earn royalties through the IAP Select collection (ePUB format required for eligibility)

Click HERE for additional free contests.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Best-Selling Ebooks Fetch Higher Prices

Both Digital Book World and Smashwords have come out with best-selling ebook lists this week. The majority of best-selling ebooks are published by traditional publishers: Random/Penguin, Hachette and Macmillan. But Penelope Ward's self-published book, Stepbrother Dearest, still holds third place.

Although Amazon maintains that keeping ebook prices low increases sales, these two charts seem to indicate that this is only true for self-published books. More than a third of this week’s overall top 25 titles cost more than $10, whereas self-published titles ranged from $2.99 to $4.99. Note that the majority of Smashwords' best-selling titles are romances.
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Digital Book World Daily, October 15, 2014
Top 25 Ebook Best-Sellers
Week Ending 10/11/14
Rank*TitleAuthorPublisher Price**Change
(1)Gone Girl: A NovelGillian FlynnPenguin Random House $    6.38
(n/a)The Heroes of Olympus (The Blood of Olympus Book 5)Rick RiordanHachette $    8.99New
(8)The Best of MeNicholas SparksHachette $    5.99+5
(2)Stepbrother DearestPenelope WardSelf-published $    3.99-2
(n/a)Deadline (Virgil Flowers Book 8)John SandfordPenguin Random House $   11.99New
(6)Burn (Michael Bennett Book 7)Michael LedwidgeHachette $    9.99
(3)Outlander: A NovelDiana GabaldonPenguin Random House $    4.99-4
(5)Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II’s Most Audacious GeneralMartin DugardMacmillan $    9.99-3
(9)The Maze RunnerJames DashnerPenguin Random House $    5.80
10 (4)Gray Mountain: A NovelJohn GrishamPenguin Random House $   11.99-6
11 (15)Dark Places: A NovelGillian FlynnPenguin Random House $    4.99+4
12 (7)Personal: A Jack Reacher NovelLee ChildPenguin Random House $   10.99-5
13 (11)Edge of Eternity (The Century Trilogy Book 3)Ken FollettPenguin Random House $   11.99-2
14 (10)Captivated by You (Crossfire Book 4)Sylvia DayPenguin Random House $    7.99-4
15 (13)The Complete Gillian Flynn: Gone Girl, Dark Places, Sharp ObjectsGillian FlynnPenguin Random House $   12.79-2
16 (n/a)Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s “Learned”Lena DunhamPenguin Random House $   10.99New
17 (14)Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander Book 2)Diana GabaldonPenguin Random House $    4.99-3
18 (17)The Fault in Our StarsJohn GreenPenguin Random House $    7.40-1
19 (12)Big Little LiesLiane MoriartyPenguin Random House $   10.99-7
20 (n/a)Leaving Time: A NovelJodi PicoultPenguin Random House $   11.84New
21 (21)A Good MarriageStephen KingSimon & Schuster $    4.74
22 (19)Orphan Train: A NovelChristina Baker KlineHarperCollins $    6.99-3
23 (n/a)Voyager (Outlander Book 3)Diana GabaldonPenguin Random House $    4.99New
24 (23)If I StayGayle FormanPenguin Random House $    4.99-1
25 (18)Mean StreakSandra BrownHachette $   12.99-7
Smashwords Bestseller List

RankTitleAuthorISBNGenrePrice
1All For ThisLexi Ryan9781940832951Romance3.99
2Fall To YouLexi Ryan9781940832944Romance3.99
3Filthy Beautiful LiesKendall Ryan9781311020567Romance3.99
4Broken SilenceNatasha Preston9781301920686Romance2.99
5The Seduction 2Roxy Sloane9781311513724Romance2.99
6The Seduction 3Roxy Sloane9781311530370Romance2.99
7Saving AngelBrenda Kennedy9781311884435Romance2.99
8The Seduction 4Roxy Sloane9781310951091Romance2.99
9Betrayed: Book TwoNicky Charles9781311066817Paranormal Romance2.99
10UninhibitedMelody Grace9781311419996Romance3.99
11Mud and GoldShayne Parkinson9781452303802Historical Fiction2.99
12Settling the AccountShayne Parkinson9781452303840Historical Fiction2.99
13Nothing Left to LoseKirsty Moseley9781301339518Romance2.99
14Forever and AlwaysE. L. Todd9781310462849Romance4.99
15A Second ChanceShayne Parkinson9781452303871Historical Fiction2.99
16Drawn 2 - RedemptionLilliana Anderson9781310324413Romance3.99
17Storm ShellsGJ Walker-Smith9780987484567YA Romance3.99
18Second HeartsGJ Walker-Smith9780987484550YA Romance3.99
19Three YearsLili Saint Germain9780992526405Romance2.99
20ElicitRachel Van Dyken9780991587254Romance2.99
21Every Sunset ForeverR.E. Butler9781311041906Paranormal Romance2.99
22Secret NorthGJ Walker-Smith9781311354280YA Romance3.99
23Sweet FallTillie Cole9781310426995Romance2.99
24FableChanda Hahn9781301123575YA Romance3.99
25The Silver SirenChanda Hahn9780996104807YA Romance3.99
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