Wednesday, August 1, 2018

#IWSG - August - Anthology news / a new partnership / Goodreads giveaway!



It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! 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. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The awesome co-hosts for the August 1 posting of the IWSG are Erika Beebe, Sandra Hoover, Lee Lowery, and Susan Gourley!

August 1 optional question - What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey? 


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Hello Support Group Members!! Happy August? I really think this year is going by much too quickly and I don't feel like I'm getting anything accomplished.

But, that isn't exactly true. I decided to leave my publisher and I'm currently looking for a new home for my books.

That wasn't an easy decision. Seeing my books come down from online stores...again...is a really sad experience. Losing my pretty book covers was also really hard.

The PROS to my decision will hopefully outweigh the CONS in the long run. Crossing all my fingers and toes that I can find a publisher that will help take me to the next level of awesomeness in my publishing journey.

Keep reading for incredible IWSG news!!



Today we have a special reveal for the 2018 Annual IWSG Anthology Contest! We are announcing the theme one month early.
Here are the details:

Word count: 3500-6000

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Theme:
Masquerade
A Masquerade can be a false show or pretense, someone pretending to be someone they aren't. It can be a ball, a fancy dress party, it can be a mask. Open to interpretation.

Submissions accepted: September 5 - November 4, 2018

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted (Double spaced, no page numbers), previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter IWSG group.

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges, who will be announced September 5.

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title. 


And....WRITE!!!

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The IWSG has also formed an awesome new partnership with WEP – Write-Edit-Publish.
We encourage our members, blogging and Facebook, to join this month’s challenge.




The August WEP Challenge – A Change of Heart
 

Who hasn’t had one? This one’s easy, right?
A commitment made when a prospect looked attractive, a decision on a course of action, and then regrets and reluctance to follow through. It could be an engagement, a date, a diet plan, a chore someone said they’d do and didn’t follow through. A strip poker-game. Or maybe a gamble with super-high, panic inducing stakes. A break for independence that once made, gives pause for second thoughts. A bolt for the grass-always-greener pasture and then wanting to vault-n-turn right back. Something offered, then withdrawn. Myriad ways to go.


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The IWSG Goodreads Book Club’s selection for August/September is The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr

This one is for our memoir writers and anyone who has ever thought of writing a memoir. The discussion will start September 19th and will go to the end of the month, but it will be up indefinitely, so you can hop in whenever you're able.

Book club members have the chance to win a paperback copy of Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell. This is a used copy, but it’s in great condition. One winner will be randomly selected on August 8th, and Chrys Fey will email the winner to get mailing details. All info will be kept private.

To enter, go to this Rafflecopter Form. It’s free to enter, but you have to be a book club member. We will verify this, so join us on Goodreads!

47 comments:

  1. I hope you do find a publisher. The first story was great and it needs to be out there for others to enjoy.

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  2. Good luck with the publisher search. That is a brave move!

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  3. Good luck with your publisher search! I really loved Already Home!

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  4. Here's hoping your books find a loving permanent home soon!

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  5. Lots of exciting things going on in the IWSG world right now. Best to you on your search for a new publisher. Moving forward is always a challenge.

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  6. I hope you find the right publisher for you and your writing, good luck on the search! And I can definitely relate to the dilemma of a change of heart; there's always that fear that if you make a decision, the path not taken leads to a better result. It's too bad we don't have a crystal ball that lets us know exactly what will happen if we make certain choices, but I guess that would make life a lot less interesting (though admittedly easier).

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    1. Thank you.
      Yes, life would be easier, but less interesting. :)
      Heather

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  7. Wow, that has to be really hard to take down your books and start the process again. All the best in finding your next publisher.

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  8. That's very brave to leave your publisher. I have over twenty books with my publisher right now. I could never find another home for them unless I self published and I don't want to do that.

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  9. Making that kind of decision is hard, but no good think in life comes easy. Good luck on finding a new publisher. If you need a cover artist, Seedlings Design Studios has created covers for several indie authors I know, including my book covers for the Family Relics series. Just a suggestion...

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    1. Thank you and thanks for the recommendation!
      That's great!
      Heather

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  10. So sad you had to part ways. It is difficult to get a publisher to take on previously published works, but not impossible, so keep trying.

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    1. Yeah, it's going to be an uphill battle.
      Let's hope!
      :)
      HMG

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  11. Good luck with the next stage of your adventure. Stick to it and I'm sure you'll do great. :-)

    Anna from elements of emaginette

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    1. I appreciate that.
      I'll take all the good luck I can get!
      HMG

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  12. Wow, talk about a huge leap of faith! It takes a lot of guts to leave the known and enter the unknown again, but I trust you know what's best for you better than anyone else does. May you enjoy a safe landing in a very plush publishing pillow.

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    1. Thank you, Susan. I appreciate that. That pillow sounds fun!
      Heather

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  13. The ups and downs of this business make me seasick. I wish you all the best, Heather. Huge decision to make, I know.

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    1. Thank you, Lee!
      I need the wishes and the seasick medicine!!
      Heather

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  14. Crossing my fingers and toes for you too!

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  15. I hope you share your reasons for leaving your publisher in a later post. I would love to hear your thoughts.

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    1. I may write something soon.
      Nothing dramatic, just business.
      TY
      HMG

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  16. Oh dear! I hope you find a new publisher soon!

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  17. Sometimes we know when it's time, but that doesn't necessarily make the decision easy.

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    1. Exactly. I kept putting it off, but it was time.
      HMG

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  18. Parting ways with your existing publisher must have been nerve wracking. I hope it all works out for you, though. Best of luck. Thanks for the post, and happy writing to you. :)

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  19. Wishing you the best as you move forward. Change is hard...but most often the best thing!

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  20. Finding the best home for your books is challenging. Wishing you much success.

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  21. Such a courageous move. I applaud you for taking it, but whew! Here's wishing you success and the best publisher in the market. (If there is such a thing.)

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  22. I thought I commented- but don't see my comment, so maybe I read your post and didn't have time to comment the other day.

    Bravo to you for taking a risk and doing what makes sense. I am sure it has been scary. Wishing you the best of luck finding the right home for your books. :)
    ~Jess

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  23. I wish you well with your search for a new publisher. Big step I'm sure, but I think you know what's best.

    I've had many change of hearts in my lifetime. Sometimes I've reluctantly stayed through in spite of the way I felt, but sometimes I've had to walk away.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out



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  24. All the best in your search for a new publisher, Heather--it was a brave decision on your part.

    Wishing you great success on your oncoming publishing journey.

    I've been offline for a long while, so it is great to visit your blog and catch up on all the wonderful IWSG news.

    Damyanti

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