IWSG: Services Needed - Writers Need Each Other

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 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. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

JUNE 5 QUESTION - In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of offering/service do you think the IWSG should consider offering to members?

MY ANSWER - There are so many things IWSG members have been good about offering that I would love to see continued or brought back. First, I wish we still offered the annual anthology contest. This was great motivation to work both individually and as a group. This contest often inspired ideas, creativity, editing, design, layout, marketing, blogging, education, and fun. This was a great way to cheer each other on, even when we were not personally participating or selected for an issue. Secondly, the IWSG readers group disappeared. It would be nice if we could bring this back, but highlighting books of members so we could share marketing and reviews. We did this some, but it would be nice to return to it. While I was not able to participate in everything both of these opportunities afforded, it was nice to know they were there and to jump in to support when able. While many of us still offer recommendations, words of support, cheerleading, etc. it does not appear to happen on the same scale as when both of these options were available.

What about you? In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of offering/service do you think the IWSG should consider offering to members?

Final Call for IWSG Anthology Submissions

This is the last week to send a submission to this years IWSG anthology contest.

Guidelines and rules:


Word count: 5000-6000

Genre: Sweet Romance
Overall, your story should be clean of offensive material, including profanity, vulgarity, excessive violence, or sexually explicit or suggestive scenes.
Elements in your story should focus on romance, not on sex, which should be kept “behind closed doors.”
The overall plot should lead to a positive and uplifting outcome, also known as "happily ever after."
Absolutely no erotica or pornography.

And please note RWA's definition of romance:
Definition: Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel. An Emotionally Satisfying and Optimistic Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love.

Theme: First Love

Submissions accepted: May 7 - September 1, 2021

To learn more, check out: https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/the-2019-annual-iwsg-anthology-contest.html

Have you submitted this year? Do you plan to do so?

2021 Annual IWSG Anthology Contest

 The Seventh Annual IWSG Anthology Contest!

Guidelines and rules:

Word count: 5000-6000

Genre: Sweet Romance - publisher says these can be Contemporary, or Historical

Theme: First Love 

Submissions accepted: May 7 - September 1, 2021

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted (double-spaced, no footers or headers), previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your full contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter IWSG group. You must belong to at least one aspect of the IWSG to enter.

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

Our official judges:

Author Nancy Gideon
Nancy Gideon is the award-winning bestseller of over 70 romances ranging from historical, Regency, and series contemporary suspense to dark paranormal and horror, with a couple of produced screenplays and non-fiction writing books tossed into the mix. She’s also written under the pseudonyms Dana Ransom, Rosalyn West, and Lauren Giddings.

Agent Caitlin Blasdell, Liza Dawson Associates
Caitlin Blasdell has been a literary agent with Liza Dawson Associates since 2002 with a focus on commercial fiction. Before becoming an agent, she was a senior editor at HarperCollins Publishers.

Author Susan Gourley
Susan Gourley is traditionally published in fantasy and science fiction romance using the name Susan Kelley. She is currently serving as the President of the Pennwriters writing group renowned for the annual conference.


Agent Melissa Gaines, Victress Literary

Author Jennifer Lane
Jennifer Lane writes sports romance and romantic suspense with a psychological twist. She has published nine novels and two short stories, including Behind the Catcher’s Mask as part of the IWSG Masquerade Anthology.

Agent Rachel Beck, Liza Dawson Associates
Rachel Beck joined Liza Dawson Associates in January 2020 after working at a boutique literary agency for four years. She has been in the publishing industry since 2009 and worked at Harlequin editing romance novels for nearly six years before transitioning her skills to the agent world in order to be an advocate and champion for authors.

Author Chrys Fey
Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes series, a unique concept blending romance, crimes, and disasters. Hurricane Crimes, Book One, is an award-winning romantic-suspense novella.




Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Dancing Lemur Press' imprint, Freedom Fox Press, next year in the IWSG anthology. (Please see their site for general submission guidelines.) Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.

This is our seventh anthology contest! Previous titles include Dark Matter: Artificial, Voyagers: The Third Ghost, Masquerade: Oddly Suited, Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime, Hero Lost, The Mysteries of Death and Life, and Parallels: Felix Was Here.

Dark Matter: Artificial

The newest Insecure Writer's Support Group anthology publication releases next week. Be sure to order your copy now so you can be among the first to read it.

Discover dark matter’s secrets…

What is an AI’s true role? Will bumbling siblings find their way home from deep space? Dark matter is judging us—are we worthy of existence? Would you step through a portal into another reality? Can the discoverer of dark matter uncover its secrets?

Ten authors explore dark matter, unraveling its secrets and revealing its mysterious nature. Featuring the talents of Stephanie Espinoza Villamor, C.D. Gallant-King, Tara Tyler, Mark Alpert, Olga Goldim, Steph Wolmarans, Charles Kowalski, Kim Mannix, Elizabeth Mueller, and Deniz Bevan.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents, authors, and editors, these ten tales will take readers on a journey across time and space. Prepare for ignition!

Amazon.com: Dark Matter: Artificial eBook: Villamor , Stephanie Espinoza, Gallant-King , C.D., Tyler, Tara, Kowalski , Charles , Godim, Olga, Mueller, Elizabeth, Alpert, Mark, Wolmarans, Steph, Mannix, Kim, Bevan, Deniz: Kindle Store

Don't forget to join us for the next posting of the INSECURE WRITER"S SUPPORT GROUP on May 5. You can check out the official blog for more news and updates on the annual anthology competition at Insecure Writer's Support Group (insecurewriterssupportgroup.com)

Have you ever submitted to an anthology? Have you read one of the IWSG publications? Which release was your favorite? 

Twitter Pitch, Anthology Contest Winners, and Blurb Contest Results

First of all, don't forget, the IWSG Twitter Pitch event, is happening on January 20th. 

Create a Twitter-length pitch for your completed and polished manuscript and leave room for genre, age, and the hashtag. On January 20, Tweet your pitch. If your pitch receives a favorite/heart from a publisher/agent check their submission guidelines and send your requested query.

If your new year's resolution is to see your book published, the IWSG is here to help! Many writers have seen their books published from a Twitter pitch - it’s a quick and easy way to put your manuscript in front of publishers and agents. 

For more information, check out the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J.
Cavanaugh. Again, that website is: https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

Secondly, you can also see the results of the yearly IWSG anthology contest there. Congratulations to those ten authors who will have their short stories published in the anthology: Dark Matter: Artificial

Release date: May 4, 2021
Print ISBN 9781939844828 $14.95
EBook ISBN 9781939844835 $4.99
Science Fiction: Collections & Anthologies (FIC028040) / Space Exploration (FIC028130) / Genetic Engineering (FIC028110)

Finally, a short time ago I shared The QueryLetter.com Writing Contest, which just wrapped up. It was a huge success, with a total of 3,847 submissions!

They've announced the winner and runners up and posted the top 10 blurbs here: https://www.queryletter.com/post/announcing-the-winner-of-the-2020-queryletter-com-writing-contest

Since so many authors are working on their own blurbs, I thought you might like to view a few of their favorites. There's a lot to learn from these expertly crafted blurbs. Let me know what you think.

Are you participating in the Twitter Pitch> Did you submit to the anthology contest? Did you like the winning blurb? Which one interested you the most? Are you working on your own blurb?

IWSG Anthology Contests

The 2020 Insecure Writer’s Support Group Annual Anthology Contest is now open!

The genre is science fiction and the theme is "Dark Matter".

Word Count: 4500 - 6000.

See the site for full details, including deadlines, judges, prizes, entry, etc.: http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

Previous years anthologies are still on sale, including the latest:

Voyagers: The Third Ghost

Journey into the past…

Will the third ghost be found before fires take more lives? Can everyone be warned before Pompeii is buried again? What happens if a blizzard traps a family in East Germany? Will the Firebird help Soviet sisters outwit evil during WWII? And sneaking off to see the first aeroplane – what could go wrong?

Ten authors explore the past, sending their young protagonists on harrowing adventures. Featuring the talents of Yvonne Ventresca, Katharina Gerlach, Roland Clarke, Sherry Ellis, Rebecca M. Douglass, Bish Denham, Charles Kowalski, Louise MacBeath Barbour, Beth Anderson Schuck, and L.T. Ward.

Juvenile Fiction - Historical / Action & Adventure / Fantasy & Magic

Print ISBN 9781939844792

eBook ISBN 9781939844736

Goodreads

Print and eBook:

iTunes Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

For more information on this anthology, or the ones that came before it, you can visit the website - IWSG Anthologies 

Will you be submitting to the new contest?

IWSG: Rituals

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 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. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive.Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

May 6 question - Do you have any rituals that you use when you need help getting into the ZONE? Care to share? 

My Answer - I don't really have any rituals. The same thing doesn't always work for me. Sometimes the words freely and quickly - pure inspiration and emotion. Other times, it's like trying to pull myself out of quicksand. I just refuse to give up. People often ask me how I handle "writer's block". I simply say "Exercise, read a book, watch a good movie, listen to great music, travel – anything that gets you away from the work and relaxed. Then return with a fresh mind and renewed energy."

Today is also the announcement about the new IWSG anthology and contest. All information is available on the IWSG page listed above so be sure to head over and check it out!

How about you? Any particular rituals that help you get into the writing zone?

IWSG Anthologies and Contest

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Annual Anthology Contest is now open!

The genre is middle grade historical – adventure/ fantasy and the theme is voyagers.

See the site for full details: http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

And the previous anthology is now on sale!

Masquerade: Oddly Suited – an IWSG Anthology is available now! Find it here - Barnes and Noble, Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Goodreads

Find love at the ball…

Can a fake dating game show lead to love? Will a missing key free a clock-bound prince? Can a softball pitcher and a baseball catcher work together? Is there a vampire living in Paradise, Newfoundland? What’s more important—a virtual Traveler or a virtual date to the ball?

Ten authors explore young love in all its facets, from heartbreak to budding passion. Featuring the talents of L.G. Keltner, Jennifer Lane, C.D. Gallant-King, Elizabeth Mueller, Angela Brown, Myles Christensen, Deborah Solice, Carrie-Anne Brownian, Anstice Brown, and Chelsea Marie Ballard.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will mystify and surprise even as they touch your heart. Don your mask and join the party…

Will you be submitting to the new contest?