Free Teleclass: Painless Negotiation (No, really!) for Writers

Just a quick note to let you know about the next free teleclass brought to you by the International Association of Professional Ghost Writers.

May 18: “Painless (No, Really!) Negotiation for Writers” (with business coach Mary Ellen Bates)
Many more things are negotiable than we may think; in fact, much of life involves negotiation. And the effects of not negotiating can be cumulative. This presentation helps you identify who is “the boss of you”, develop your ability to “reframe” challenging situations, and build tools to enhance your negotiation skills and approach every situation as negotiable.

Mary Ellen Bates is a librarian of fortune and strategic business coach for knowledge entrepreneurs. She established Bates Information Services (www.BatesInfo.com) in 1991 and enjoys her work more than should be legal. She has written six books and innumerable articles on the information industry, she blogs at www.LibrarianOfFortune.com and she tweets sporadically at www.twitter.com/mebs You can see a slide deck of her “Painless (no, really!) Negotiation” presentation at www.BatesInfo.com/extras She, her partner and their dogs live in the boondocks of Colorado.

The details for this event are as follows:

Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Time: 2 PM Eastern (1 PM Central, Noon Mountain, 11 AM Pacific)
Cost: Free!

To register for this class and receive an e-mail with call in information, go to http://iapgw.org/upcoming-events

To your success,
Mary Anne Hahn

Monday Miscellany for May 10, 2010

Hello and a belated happy Monday to all!

Does life ever get in the way of your writing?  I think that’s probably the number one reason some writers don’t get things written–everything else in our lives seem to jostle for first place on our priority list.  Families, jobs, bills, chores, etc., etc.  Sometimes it seems as though, even when we do find time to write, we have no energy left over for it.

I totally get that.  My limits get stretched to the max this time of year, from now until early September (as I “whined” about this morning on my Facebook page), and it seems that writing tends to get relegated to the back seat of my busload of things to do.  At least that’s been true over the past few summers…but I don’t want that to be the case again this year.   I simply must build time into my days to write, no matter how hectic things get, or how tired I feel.  Like exercise, I always experience a sense of well-being after I get something written, even if it’s just a few sentences.

Can you identify with this and, if so, how do you handle it?

Below you’ll find this week’s list of writing contests.  Here’s to your writing success.

Mary Anne

Multiple Categories

The 2010 New Ohio Review Prize in Fiction and Poetry

Prose entries must be no longer than 25 pages double-spaced. Poetry entries are limited to four individual poems.

Prizes: 1st $1,500, 2nd $500 in each genre.

Deadline: Postmark May 15, 2010

Fees: $20 per entry (includes subscription)

http://www.ohio.edu/nor/submis.htm

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New Millennium Awards for Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction

No restrictions as to style, content or number of submissions. Previously published pieces accepted. Fiction or Nonfiction word limit: 6,000 words. Short-Short Fiction word limit: 1,000 words. Poetry limit: up to three poems, not to exceed five pages total.

Prizes: 1st $1000 per genre

Deadline: June 17, 2010

Fees: $17 (includes purchase of book)

http://www.newmillenniumwritings.com/awards.php

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The Teacher’s Voice 2010 Chapbook Contest

Submit 16-24 pages of any combination of poetry, short story or creative nonfiction.

Prizes: 1st $200 honorarium and 50 copies, 2nd $100 Book Award, 3rd $75 Book Award

Deadline: August 20, 2010

Fees: $20 (includes copy of book)

http://www.the-teachers-voice.org/page/page.cfm/teachersvoicechapbookcontest

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Fiction

Science In My Fiction

Submit a science fiction or fantasy short story which is inspired by a scientific discovery or innovation made or announced within the past year. Word limit: 2,500-10,000 words

Prizes: 1st $250, 2nd $100, 3rd $50. Winners also receive subscription.

Deadline: June 30, 2010

Fees: None

http://crossedgenres.com/simf/contest/

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The Smoking Poet Third Annual Short Story Contest

Submit a short short story consisting of no more than 4,000 words.

Prizes: 1st $300, 2nd $100, 3rd $50

Deadline: May 31, 2010

Fees: $10

http://www.thesmokingpoet.net/id22.html

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2010 Family Circle Fiction Contest

Submit an original fiction short story of no more than 2,500 words. Two unique entries allowed.

Prizes: 1st $750 + Prize package, 2nd $250 + prize package, 3rd $250 + prize package

Deadline: Postmark September 8, 2010

Fees: None

http://www.familycircle.com/family-fun/crafts/2010-family-circle-fiction-contest-rules/

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Writers’ Village 2010 Best Writing Competition

Submit a prose fiction in any genre up to 3000 words.

Prizes: 1st £150 ($242), 2nd £30 ($48), 3rd £20 ($32). Ten further prizes of £10 ($16)

Deadline: June 30, 2010

Fees: £5 ($8) per entry. Unlimited entries accepted.

http://www.writers-village.org/

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Charlotte Writers’ Club 2010 Elizabeth Simpson Smith Short Story Contest

Send 3 copies of an original, unpublished story between 1500-4000 words. One entry per author accepted.

Prizes: 1st $500, 2nd $200, 3rd $100

Deadline: Postmark May 28, 2010

Fees: $15 (members), $20 (non-members)

http://www.charlottewritersclub.org/Elizabeth%20Simpson%20Smith%20Contest.htm

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2010 Hillerman Mystery Competition – Novel Contest

Submit previously unpublished works of book length (no less than 220 typewritten pages or approximately 60,000 words).

Prizes: Possible contract for publication and royalties of the winning manuscript

Deadline: October 31, 2010

Fees: None

http://www.wordharvest.com/novel_contest.php

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Faith and Fiction Retreat Writing Contest

Submit your “First 1,000 words” (Fiction/Non-Fiction genres) and a full synopsis.

Prizes: 1st: Fifteen minute pitch with the pitch session panel, 2nd: 10 minutes, 3rd: 5 minutes

Deadline: May 28, 2010

Fees: $35

http://christianfiction.blogspot.com/2010/05/faith-fiction-writing-contest-announced.html

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British Fantasy Society Short Story Competition 2010

Any kind of fantastical story is welcome. Stories must not exceed 5,000 words.

Prizes: 1st: £100, 1 year membership & publication, 2nd: £50, 1 year membership & publication, 3rd: £20

Deadline: May 31, 2010

Fees: Free for members. £5 for non-members

http://www.britishfantasysociety.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=366&Itemid=43

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Poetry

2010 Dream Horse Press National Poetry Chapbook Prize

Submit 20-28 paginated pages of poetry.

Prizes: $500 and 25 copies of chapbook

Deadline: June 30, 2010

Fees: $15

http://home.comcast.net/~jpdancingbear/dhpcontests.html

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The Annual Hotmetalpress Contest

One submission per entrant

Prizes: $100 and publication on hotmetalpress.net

Deadline: May 31, 2010

Fees: $15

http://www.hotmetalpress.net/PoetryPrize.html

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2010 Happy Hour Poetry Awards from Alehouse Press

Submit poetry on any topic in any form. Maximum 40 lines per poem.

Prizes: 1st: $1000, 2nd-5th: $100

Deadline: July 1, 2010

Fees: $15 per batch of 3 entries

http://alehousepress.homestead.com/AlehouseContest.html

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The Lindberg Foundation’s International Poetry For Peace Contest 2010

Submit up to three poems of no more than fifty lines each.

Prizes: $500

Deadline: July 15, 2010

Fees: $10

http://lindbergpeacefoundation.org/Registration.htm

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The Connecticut Poetry Award

Send up to 3 unpublished poems, any form, 80 line limit.

Prizes: 1st: $400, 2nd: $200, 3rd: $100 (plus publication)

Deadline: Postmark May 31, 2010

Fees: $15 per 3 poems

http://ct-poetry-society.org/contests.htm#ctawardguidelines

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Spire Annual Spring Chapbook Contest

Submit 21-30 pages. One poem per page.

Prizes: $500 + 20 copies and publishing contract

Deadline: May 31, 2010

Fees: $20

http://www.spirepress.org/submissions.html

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Nostalgia Press Heart Poetry Award

Submit 3 insightful, expressive, unpublished modern prose poems

Prizes: $500 and publication

Deadline: June 30, 2010

Fees: $10

http://www.nostalgiapress.com/guidelines.htm

Can Coaching Help Your Writing Career?

In order to succeed as a freelance writer, you need to wear many hats in order to launch, run and grow your business. Besides doing the actual writing for your clients, you most likely perform your own marketing, do your own filing, serve as a one-man or one-woman research department, act as your own project manager, save your own business receipts and maybe even do all your own accounting. Some of these hats that you wear probably don’t fit you as well as others, right?

Of course, the ideal world would be one where we could outsource all those functions that we don’t do well or find distasteful—much like why other people hire us to write for them. But for those business functions that we either keep because we can’t afford to hire someone to do them, or hang onto because we really want to do them better, there exist some pretty affordable options out there to get coaching on them from experts.

One of these options is to join what are known as monthly coaching clubs in the area of expertise where you want or need help. While many business and success coaches can and do charge some eye-popping fees for their time and programs, the ones who form clubs put coaching within our financial reach by holding sessions with and providing tools to multiple clients simultaneously, and by charging palatable monthly rates.

While the concept has grown tremendously on the internet, it’s by no means new. Weight Watchers, for example, is a type of coaching to help people learn to change their approaches to food and exercise. Toastmasters International has provided people with a place to hone their public speaking skills for nearly 90 years. On the Web, I performed a quick search and found a coaching club to manage and eliminate debt (http://www.debtfreecoachingclub.com/ ), increase productivity (http://www.theproductivitycoachingclub.com/ ), learn how to write for children (http://www.cwcoachingclub.com/ ), and even one with the intriguing name of “What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know™ Coaching Club” (http://www.whatyouknowisworthmorecoachingclub.com/ ). As you can see, these clubs pretty much run the gamut.

I personally belong to a couple coaching clubs and have found them to be worth every penny. First of all, not only do I get the opportunity to learn from and ask questions from some pretty successful people, I also get to expand my professional network with the other members in the club. You never know whose ears might perk up when they hear that there is a ghost writer in their midst! The two I belong to are:

Robert Middleton’s Action Plan Marketing Club  (click the “Marketing Programs” tab at the top of the page). Robert targets independent professionals trying to market their services both on- and off-line. Not only are his twice monthly 90-minute coaching calls worth their weight in gold, the club includes a step by step marketing tutorial, recorded interviews with other marketing experts, help with forming your own mastermind group, and a place where you can upload your professional profile so that others can find you and your services. At $29 a month, which you can cancel at anytime, I can’t imagine a better bargain.

Stephanie Frank’s Success IQ Inner Circle. While I can only make every other one of her weekly coaching calls, I still get more than my money’s worth from my membership (besides, I can always catch the call I miss afterwards because they’re all recorded). In fact, I still can’t believe she coaches every week for only $27 a month! Stephanie’s program focuses on ways to eliminate any roadblocks we place in the way of our own success, and I find her enthusiasm contagious. Besides the calls, the club contains a library of audios on topics ranging from peak performance and goal-setting to self-confidence and time management. I always walk away from the Tuesday calls feeling pumped up and motivated.

So if you find there’s an area in your life where you and your writing career can use a boost, perhaps joining a coaching club is a way that you can get the help and guidance you need within your budget.

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