Poetry Reading

Mentoring Program
You've written your poem, play, novel, short story, or song and need some input. Members of the Midwest Writing Center can participate in our Mentor Program, where we pair emerging writers with established writers for critiquing, advice and resources. Contact us for more information! Membership is required. mwc@midwestwritingcenter.org

Quint City Poets meets every first Wednesday of the month, year round, 7-9 p.m. at the Bettendorf Library, 2950 Learning Campus Drive, in Bettendorf. You can read your own poetry, other poems you like, or simply listen and enjoy. If you would be interested in an informal, user-friendly, stimulating group, check us out! For further information, contact Katherine Searle at searle@quintcitypoets.com.

Meets on the third Monday of each month at the Davenport Public Library at 10:00 a.m. The contact person is Bette Kulas at 563-322-2401.

If you are interested in forming a critique group for those interested in writing for children and young adults, please contact the Midwest Writing Center.

This group meets on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 10 a.m. at Dewey's Cafe the Bettendorf Library. Work with award winning writers and published authors. If you wish to read, please bring a maximum of 5 pages double spaced. This is an informal free workshop. Contact Steven Lackey 309-792-8992 for more information.

The local chapter is affiliated with Romance Writers of America. The local dues are $15.00 per year. The group meets on Tuesdays from 6:00-10:00 at the Hauberg Civic Center, 1300 24th St., Rock Island, Illinois. Prospective new members can contact Theresa Davis via e-mail Theresa.Davis@groupo.com or by phone 309-314-8726.

This group meets at the Center monthly. They are actively seeking new members. If you are interested
contact Patricia Blackman at paddy@toltecincorporated.com

Writing as Healing Writing Women's Group--Writing As Healing Women's Group sponsored by Midwest Writing Center based on book 'Writing as a Way of Healing' by Louise DeSalvo. Meets 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month 7pm at the Bettendorf Libray. Conducted by Dr.Jenna Hobbins. No charge. Donations accepted.

Monthly Bucket List Meeting for all ages-write dreams, goals and desires then share accomplishments with others. Sponsored by the Midwest Writing Center and meets the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Bettendorf Library. Check room assignment. No charge. Donations accepted. Facilitated by Dr. Jenna Hobbins

The Midwest Writing Center is proud to sponsor the Mississippi Valley Poetry Chapbook Contest. Please see link http://www.midwestwritingcenter.org/Chapbook%20Contest.htm for details. Submissions accepted from May 1 until July 31.

We recently decided that we’d like to open up Boomerful.com to more writers. We’re looking for a few especially talented Baby Boomer women who would like to write articles for us on a volunteer basis. They can write from their homes, and they’ll get a byline and have a regular opportunity to share their input on Baby Boomer life with other Baby Boomer women.

We do ask that volunteer applications submit three short writing samples (articles, preferably) for our consideration. Applicants can send their samples to editor@boomerful.com. This would be a great opportunity for a person who has retired and wants to enter the world of writing, or maybe someone who has always wanted to do some writing on the side, and is looking for an opportunity to give it a try.

2008 MOONBEAM CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARDS NOW OPEN - www.MoonbeamAwards.com
“Celebrating youthful curiosity, discovery and learning through books and reading.”

Announcing the call for entries into the second annual Moonbeam Children's Book Awards, designed to honor the year's best children’s books, authors and illustrators. The new book awards program is accepting entries until August 16th, 2008 for books with 2007 or 2008 copyrights or that were released in 2007 or 2008, and is open to authors, illustrators, and publishers of children’s books written in English and intended for the North American market.

Click here to download complete guidelines and entry form:
http://www.moonbeamawards.com/Moonbeam2008GuidelinesEarly1.pdf

Presented by Jenkins Group and Independent Publisher Online, the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators, and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading. Awards will be given in 29 categories covering the full range of subjects, styles and age groups that children’s books are written and published in today.

Click here to view last year's results, photos, etc: http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1192

To learn more about the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards visit www.MoonbeamAwards.com or contact Jim Barnes, Awards Director: jimb@bookpublishing.com; 1.800.644.0133 x1011

============================================================

Entering your book titles in awards programs -- and winning -- brings credibility, publicity, prestige, and personal satisfaction. It can extend your publicity campaign, get you a whole new round of attention from the press, and open new doors with distributors and vendors.

Awards do influence reviewers and buyers. A 1999 Cookbook category IPPY finalist was discovered this way, and 187,000 copies were sold to a pharmaceutical company. A cookbook winner in our inaugural 1997 contest has reordered stickers continually and the book keeps on selling, thanks in part to the gold seal on the cover.

Winners are featured prominently in our monthly newsletter, which goes out monthly to over 7,000 subscribers worldwide, many of whom are editors, agents, buyers, booksellers and librarians, and appear indefinitely at www.IndependentPublisher.com. We distribute a results program at BookExpo, and send the results press release to an additional 500 media outlets.

"Winning the silver award last year (Useppa, a Passage in Time, 2007) improved our ability to market the book in a multitude of ways. It gave us credentials that we used in our public relations and marketing; it made a real difference in our ability to get book signings and presentation opportunities; it enabled us to get radio and TV interviews; and often people selected to purchase the book because of the silver award medallion sticker. We actually had a couple of people return the book because their book did not have the medallion sticker. It also made the author and the artist feel appreciated and honored, and gave us a reason to celebrate their success!" - Chris Ludwig, Passages Press

"The fact is award stickers help to convince buyers to purchase. I've seen this happen with librarians -- when faced with two competing titles and a limited acquisition budget the librarians will take the one that won an award, any award, over the title that doesn't have an award to its credit. I'm confident that this same phenomena works for bookstore patrons browsing the shelves as well." - Jim Cox, Midwest Book Review

**************************************************************************************************************

Bill Truesdell, advertising and business writing/consulting (http://www.billtruesdell.com) is seeking nicely crafted pieces of about 600-800 words in these catagories: Family Fun, Calling All Seniors and The RV Life. He is also interested in travel-themed general articles that may not fit exactly within these categories.

He says, "Although I cannot pay for submissions at this time, appearance on my site is a wide-open opportunity for new and beginning writers to gain publishing credit. Interested parties should visit the site to get an idea of exactly what is needed and e-mail me for a copy of my Guidelines for Writers." www.tripswithatwist.com

Sleuth's Ink mystery writers organization of Springfield, MO invites you to
enter our monthly contest. Short and sinister are our basic guidelines.
Word limits vary, please check each months information. Please distribute
this information to your membership and any other interested writers you may
have contact with. Thank you and good luck!

************************************************

REACH MONTHLY CONTEST:
Enter your own work only.
Type your name, address, phone number and title on a cover sheet.
Prepare in standard manuscript format with only the title, no names, on each
numbered page. Please read monthly prompts carefully for word limits.

You may enter more than one story, but each story requires a separate entry
fee.
If you would like your story returned, include a SASE.

Entry in the contest serves as authorization for possible publication of the
winning entries in the
annual book of contest winners put out by Sleuths' Ink.

**********************************
GOOD LUCK!

This contest is open to all writers in Missouri and the eight states that
share a border with Missouri.

Entry fee is $3.00. Cash prizes will be awarded to a 1st and 2nd place
winner plus a winner from the Sleuth's Ink membership. In the event that a
Sleuth's Ink member wins either 1st or 2nd place, the membership place will
become a 3rd place prize.

Bookmark our website to check for complete guidelines, click on "coming
event," future contests and announcement of winners which will be posted
shortly after our monthly meeting the 2nd Saturday of each month.

www.geocities.com/cparrott@sbcglobal.net/sleuthsink.html

####################