2012 San Francisco Book Festival Call for Entries

SAN FRANCISCO _ The 2012 San Francisco Book Festival has issued a call for entries to its annual competition honoring the best books of the spring season.
The 2012 San Francisco Book Festival will consider non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's books, compilations/anthologies, teenage, how-to, cookbooks, science fiction, audio/spoken word, history, wild card, gay, photography/art, poetry, unpublished, travel and spiritual works. There is no date of publication deadline.
Our grand prize for the 2012 San Francisco Book Festival is $1500 cash and a flight to San Francisco for our gala awards ceremony and day festival.
Submitted works will be judged by a panel of industry experts using the following criteria:
1) General excellence and the author's passion for telling a good story.
2) The potential of the work to reach a wider audience.
ENTRIES: Please classify your book and enter it in the following categories. Multiple entries must be accompanied by a separate fee for each book.

·  General Non-fiction

·  General Fiction

·  Children's books

·  How-to

·  Spiritual

·  Photography/Art

·  Gay

·  Poetry

·  History

·  Teenage

·  Biography/Autobiography

·  Audio/spoken word

·  Compilations/Anthologies

·  Best Unpublished Short Story

·  Cookbooks

·  Science Fiction

·  Wild Card

In addition to honoring the top selections in the above categories, The San Francisco Book Festival will award the following chosen from submissions:
1) Author of the Year- Honors the outstanding book of the competition.
2) Book Design of the Year - Honors outstanding and innovative design.
3) Publisher of the Year- Honors the top publisher based on materials displaying
excellence in marketing and promotional materials, as determined by our judges.
FESTIVAL RULES: San Francisco Book Festival submissions cannot be returned. Each entry must contain the official entry form, including your e-mail address and contact telephone number. All shipping and handling costs must be borne by entrants.
NOTIFICATION AND DEADLINES: We will notify each entry of the receipt of their package via e-mail and will announce the winning entries on our web site (www.sanfranciscobookfestival.com). Because of the anticipated high volume of entries, we can only respond to e-mail inquiries.
Deadline submissions in each category must be received by the close of business on April 25, 2012. Winners in each category will be notified by e-mail and on the web site. Please note that judges read and consider submissions on an ongoing basis, comparing early entries with later submissions at our meetings.
TO ENTER: Entry forms are available online at sanfranciscobookfestival.com or may be faxed/e-mailed to you. Please contact our office at 323-665-8080 for fax requests. Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable entry fee of $50 in the form of a check, money order or PayPal online payment in U.S. dollars for each submission. Multiple submissions are permitted but each entry must be accompanied by a separate form and entry fee.
Entry fee checks should be made payable to JM Northern Media LLC. We're sorry, but entries must be mailed and cannot be delivered in person or by messenger services to the JM Northern Media offices.
Entry packages MUST include:
1) One copy of the book;
2) A copy of your official entry form or a reasonable facsimile;
3) The entry fee or receipt for online payment;
4) Any press/marketing materials you wish to send. Marketing is used as a tie-breaking consideration by our judges.
Entries should be mailed to:
JM Northern Media LLC
attn: San Francisco Book Festival
7095 Hollywood Boulevard
Suite 864
Hollywood, CA 90028-0893
AWARDS: The San Francisco Book Festival selection committee reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any project.
The 2012 San Francisco Book Festival is part of the JM Northern Media family of festivals, which include the DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books, New York Book Festival and Hollywood Book Festival.

Journalism Society Calls for Award Nominations

New York City, November 2, 2011 The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) is seeking nominations for two endowed journalism awards:   The Arlenes: Books and Articles That Make a Difference and The Donald Robinson Memorial Award for Investigative Journalism. "We hope to expand the pool of eligible work for recognition," said Alexandra Owens, ASJA's executive director. "Independent writing is the lifeblood of a free society, and in today's media environment it's more challenging than ever. These awards recognize the best work of freelance writers who dedicate themselves to truly making a difference with their work." The Arlenes are made possible by the Arlene Eisenberg Memorial Fund, which was established by ASJA member Howard Eisenberg, Arlene's husband. Ms. Eisenberg wrote What to Expect When You're Expecting, as well as other books affecting (and improving) the lives of parents worldwide. The awards are for freelance articles and/or trade books making a documented difference in society by inspiring readers to take action to make a positive change in the world around them. The Arlene Article Award is presented annually for articles published within the last two years. This year the award will be given to articles published in 2010 or 2011. The Donald Robinson Memorial Award for Investigative Journalism is funded by a bequest from Donald Robinson, third president of ASJA. This monetary award goes to a freelance-written article representing exceptional achievement in investigative journalism or exposé writing. Entries for 2012 award must have been published in 2011. ASJA encourages freelance writers -- members and non-members alike -- to submit their work for consideration if they feel it meets the criteria for one of the awards. There is no fee to submit work, and both awards come with a monetary prize of a minimum of $500.  For complete details and submission instructions, visit http://www.asja.org/awards. Submission deadline is January 13, 2012.

William Saroyan Writing Prize Accepting Nominations

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2012 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. Two prizes of $5,000 each are given biennially for works of fiction and nonfiction. The awards, cosponsored by the Stanford University Libraries and the William Saroyan Foundation, are intended to “encourage new or emerging writers and honor the Saroyan legacy of originality, vitality, and stylistic innovation.”

Submit five copies of a novel, short story collection, or work of creative nonfiction published between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2011, with a $50 entry fee. Visit the website for more information, including entry forms, contest rules, and complete guidelines. Go to: saroyanprize.stanford.edu

DEADLINE: Please note that entries must be received on or before January 31, 2012.

If you have additional questions, feel free to contact Stanford University Libraries, William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, Green Library, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-6004. Sonia Lee, Saroyan Prize Administrator: sonialee@stanford.edu, (650) 736-9538.

E-Book Growth Triples in Latest AAP Report

The newest statistics from the Association of American Publishers show that e-books saw triple-digit percentage growth again in July 2011, compared to the same time last year, according to Moco News Net.

The AAP also reported some good news for print books. Adult hardcover sales were up 33.9 percent for July 2011 compared to July 2010. And sales of digital audiobooks are up 26.7 percent so far this year.

SEE ALSO: Over 20 Percent Of Random House U.S. Sales Are Digital. 

2012 New York Book Festival Call for Entries

NEW YORK/AUTHORLINK NEWS/October 11, 2011--The 2012 New York Book Festival has issued a call for entries to its annual program honoring books that deserve greater recognition from the world's publishing capital.

The 2012 New York Book Festival will consider published, self-published and independent publisher non-fiction, fiction, children, young adult, how-to, audio/spoken word, comics/zines/graphic novels, poetry, wild card (anything goes!), unpublished stories, science fiction, horror, photography/art, romance and biography/autobiography works.

Entries can be in English, Spanish, French or Italian and must be published on or after January 1, 2006. grand prize for the 2012 New York Book Festival Author of the Year is $1,500 and a flight to New York for our awards ceremony in June, 2012 in Manhattan.
Additional information and registration forms are available online at www.newyorkbookfestival.com

2011 Book Award Finalists Announced

Book Award Finalists National Book Award Finalists Named New York, NY/October 12, 2011--The twenty Finalists for the 2011 National Book Awards were announced by past National Book Award Winners, Finalists, and Judges in front of a live audience at the new Literary Arts Center in Portland, Oregon as part of Oregon Public Broadcasting's morning radio program, Think Out Loud, and streamed live at www.opb.org/nationalbookawards.    The Winners in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People's Literature will be announced at the 62nd National Book Awards Benefit Dinner and Ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City on Wednesday, November 16. Actor, writer, and musician John Lithgow will host the event. Winners receive $10,000 and a bronze statue; Finalists receive a bronze medal and $1,000. Poet John Ashbery will receive the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, to be presented by poet Ann Lauterbach. Mitchell Kaplan, co-founder of the Miami Book Fair International, will receive the Foundation's Literarian Award for Outstanding Contribution to the American Literary Community, to be presented by writer Walter Mosley. The invitation-only Awards Ceremony is the culminating event of National Book Awards Week. The celebration begins on November 14 with 5 Under 35, the Foundation's sixth annual invitation-only celebration of emerging fiction writers selected by National Book Award Winners and Finalists. On November 15, for the first time, the National Book Awards Teen Press Conference will be streamed live online, from Scholastic in Soho, hosted by acclaimed young adult author and Scholastic editor David Levithan. Streaming will allow students from across the country to play the role of reporters as they direct questions to the five Finalists for the National Book Award in Young People's Literature. That evening, all twenty Finalists will read from their nominated works at the National Book Award Finalists Reading at The New School. The Finalists Reading is open to the public; tickets are $10 and are available through The New School box office by calling 212-229-5488 or by emailing boxoffice@newschool.edu. For more information about the 2011 Finalists and upcoming National Book Awards Week events, visit www.nationalbook.org. Fiction  Andrew Krivak, The Sojourn Bellevue Literary Press Téa Obreht, The Tiger's Wife (Random House) Julie Otsuka, The Buddha in the Attic (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House) Edith Pearlman, Binocular Vision (Lookout Books, an imprint of the Department of Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington) Jesmyn Ward, Salvage the Bones (Bloomsbury USA) Nonfiction Deborah Baker, The Convert: A Tale of Exile and Extremism (Graywolf Press) Mary Gabriel, Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution (Little, Brown and Company) Stephen Greenblatt, The Swerve: How the World Became Modern (W. W. Norton & Company) Manning Marable, Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention (Viking Press, an imprint of Penguin Group USA) Lauren Redniss, Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie, A Tale of Love and Fallout (It Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers) Poetry  Nikky Finney, Head Off & Split  (TriQuarterly, an imprint of Northwestern University Press) Yusef Komunyakaa, The Chameleon Couch (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)  Carl Phillips, Double Shadow (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)  Adrienne Rich, Tonight No Poetry Will Serve: Poems 2007-2010 (W.W. Norton & Company) Bruce Smith, Devotions (University of Chicago Press) Young People's Literature Franny Billingsley, Chime (Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, Inc.) Debby Dahl Edwardson, My Name Is Not Easy (Marshall Cavendish)    Thanhha Lai, Inside Out and Back Again (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers)    Albert Marrin, Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books)    Lauren Myracle, Shine (Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS)    Gary D. Schmidt, Okay for Now (Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Seeking Answers to the Mysterious: Are There Angels Among Us?

Authorlink Audio Interview With Javier Sierra

Are there human-like angels walking the earth today? New York Times bestselling author Javier Sierra explores the question in his heart-pounding new thriller about modern evil, and about mankind's most ancient desire--to communicate directly with the Almighty. What motivates this passionate novelist? AUDIO interview. Read more about Javier.

Indy Publisher Book Awards Call for Entries

 
Calling all independent authors and publishers!

The 16th Independent Publisher Book Awards, conducted annually to honor the year's best independently published titles, are now accepting entries for books with 2011 or 2012 copyrights or released between November 1, 2010 and March 15, 2012. The annual contest is presented by Jenkins Group and their book marketing website, IndependentPublisher.com, headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan.

Entry fee is now just $75 to enter a National category and another $45 if you choose to enter the Regional or E-Book contests. All entrants are considered for the Outstanding Books of the Year Awards at no extra charge.

Early-bird entry fee deadline is October 15, 2011 - save $20 per National category entry.

Entry information and guidelines available online at: http://www.independentpublisher.com/ipland/IPAwards.php

McGraw-Hill to Announce Third Quarter Results

 
NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) announced today that its third quarter 2011 results will be issued on Thursday, October 20, 2011 via news release before the start of NYSE trading. The news release will be available for downloading from http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

Harold McGraw III, Chairman, President and CEO, and Jack Callahan, Executive Vice President and CFO, will host a conference call/webcast at 8:30 AM Eastern time on October 20, 2011 to discuss the third quarter results. They will also update investors on McGraw-Hill's progress toward the Growth & Value Plan and the planned separation into two public companies. The presentation is open to all interested parties and may include forward-looking information.

Webcast Instructions: Live and Replay

The webcast will be available live and in replay through the Corporation's Investor Relations Web site at http://investor.mcgraw-hill.com/phoenix.zhtml?p=irol-eventDetails&c=96562&eventID=4214014. (Please copy and paste URL into Web browser.) The archived replay will be available beginning two hours after the conclusion of the live call and will remain available for one year.

Telephone Access: Live and Replay

The call begins at 8:30 AM Eastern time. Please dial in by 8:20 AM. The passcode is "McGraw-Hill" and the conference leader is Harold McGraw III.

For callers in the U.S.: (888) 391-6568
For callers outside the U.S.: +1 (415) 228-4733 (long distance charges will apply)

2012 Green Book Festival Call for Entries

 
SAN FRANCISCO/AUTHORLINK NEWS/September 21. 2011--The 2012 Green Book Festival has issued a call for entries to its annual competition honoring books that contribute to greater understanding, respect and positive action on the changing worldwide environment.

The 2012 Green Book Festival will consider published, self-published and independent publisher works in the following categories: non-fiction, fiction, children's books, teenage, how-to, audio/spoken word, comics/graphic novels, poetry, science fiction/horror, biography/autobiography, gardening, cookbooks, animals, photography/art, e-books, wild card (anything goes!), scientific, white paper, legal, business, mystery and spiritual.

Entries can be in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese or Italian. Our grand prize for the 2012 Green Book Festival is $1500 and transportation to our May awards in San Francisco OR an equivalent amount donated in your name to the environmental charity of your choice.

A panel of judges will determine the winners based on the following criteria:
1) The overall writing style and presentation of the work;
2) The potential of the work to enhance understanding of the environment and its issues.

TO ENTER: Entry forms are available online at http://www.greenbookfestival.com or may be sent to you by emailing GreenBookFestival@sbcglobal.net.
The Green Book Festival is produced by JM Northern Media LLC, producers of the Hollywood Book Festival, New York Book Festival and DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books.

Erotic Anthology Calls for Contributors

Kingdoms of Desire: Erotic Tales of Fantasy, an anthology edited by Mitzi Szereto, is seeking contributors to the book, which will be published by Cleis Press in autumn 2012.

Kingdoms of Desire: Erotic Tales of Fantasy is a place where lust and legend abound, and adventure, passion and danger entwine. Think mystical lands and creatures, kings and queens, knights and renegades, heroes and villains, warlords, maidens and princesses. Think battles and danger, honor and dishonor, good and evil. Most of all think hearts filled with passion and secret desire.

The anthology is looking for short stories between 3,000 to 6,000 words.

Szereto wants well-developed story lines and well-crafted prose told in a unique voice and containing interesting characters and settings. Think atmosphere, passion, desire… imaginative steamy tales that transport the reader to fantastical realms. Stories from female and male writers are welcome, as are stories containing characters of any sexual orientation.

For more information see Mitzi's blog:

Author Erica Bauermeister Returns to Whidbey Event in October

 
Those familiar with the 2011 Whidbey Reads selection The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister will be pleased to know that come October, they can spend a weekend working with the author. Bauermeister will team with editor Margaret Bendet and poet and author Priscilla Long as part of the Whidbey Island Writers Association’s first annual Writers Lockdown Retreat at the Captain Whidbey Inn in Coupeville.

The event, which is titled First Write the Book! It’s All in the Craft begins Friday, October 21 and continues through Sunday, October 23. Early registration is encouraged as only 24 participants may attend. Registration includes three-days of instruction, lodging and all meals. For complete details or to register visit http://unbouncepages.com/lockdown/ or call the Whidbey Island Writers Association at 360-331-0307.

Pen American Relaxes Membership Criteria

 
New York City, June 29, 2011—PEN American Center, the largest branch of the world’s oldest literary and human rights organization, today announced changes to its by-laws that will open the ranks of its membership. Comprised of more than 3,400 writers, translators, editors, and other literary professionals across the country, PEN is a membership organization devoted to defending free expression and advancing literature throughout the world.

Prior to a unanimous vote by PEN’s board of trustees on June 15, most authors were required to have published two books to join PEN. PEN’s by-laws have now been amended to allow writers to apply for membership after the publication of their first book. Playwrights and screenwriters may join after producing one work in a professional setting. Others in the literary community who have achieved recognition in the field—e.g., publishers, editors, literary agents, scouts, and publicists—may also apply to become members of PEN.

In a letter to PEN members and associate members announcing the amendments, PEN American Center President Kwame Anthony Appiah and Membership Committee Chair John Oakes wrote, “PEN’s membership is the heart of the organization, defining its character and purpose. And so we are pleased to report that PEN’s board of trustees has voted unanimously to amend PEN’s by-laws with respect to its membership guidelines, and to have done so in a way that honors our history and essential spirit while opening our ranks to the fullest part of the literary community.” Appiah and Oakes added, “We’re particularly gratified that the changes to our by-laws will allow us to welcome a younger generation of PEN members, ensuring our ongoing relevance and vitality.”

The decision to amend PEN’s membership criteria was reached after full discussion. PEN’s membership committee unanimously proposed a recommendation to its trusteeship, by-laws, and executive committees, all of which contributed edits and approved the final proposal brought before and ratified by PEN’s board.

Article II will be replaced by the following language: “PEN American Center is an advocacy organization of literary professionals working to defend freedom of expression and to advance the cause of literature worldwide.” Article III as passed reads: “PEN welcomes to its membership all literary writers and those belonging to the larger literary community. Writers should have one book published; playwrights and screenwriters: one work produced in a professional setting; others should have achieved recognition in the literary field. Nominations are not necessary. While admission is at the discretion of the Membership Committee, PEN aims for inclusion, recognizing that a growing and vibrant membership strengthens and informs all of its efforts on behalf of writers and their readers.”

Anyone wishing to apply to PEN may download an application at www.pen.org/join. Completed applications should be sent to membership@pen.org. Annual membership dues are $100. PEN also welcomes associate members, a tier of membership open to all those who support PEN’s mission regardless of professional affiliation. Associate membership remains unchanged in all ways. Annual associate membership dues are $40, or $20 for students. Inquiries about PEN membership or associate membership may be directed to Alena Graedon, Manager of Membership and Literary Awards.

About PEN American Center

PEN American Center is the largest of the 145 centers of PEN International, the world’s oldest human rights organization and the oldest international literary organization. PEN International was founded in 1921 to dispel national, ethnic, and racial tensions and to promote understanding among all countries. PEN American Center, founded a year later, works to advance literature, to defend free expression, and to foster international literary fellowship. Its 3,400 distinguished members carry on the achievements in literature and advancement of human rights of such past members as James Baldwin, Willa Cather, Robert Frost, Allen Ginsberg, Langston Hughes, Arthur Miller, Marianne Moore, Eugene O’Neill, Susan Sontag, and John Steinbeck. To learn more about the PEN American Center, please visit: www.pen.org.

BISG Series on Meta Data a Must for Publishers and Authors

Authorlink has just participated in the Book Industry Study Group's first webcast in a series of four, titled “Selling More Books with Best Practice in Metadata.” This is an excellent series for learning the essentials of product metadata to increase sales and maximize marketing opportunities for print and digital books! to register for the other three webinars in the series at http://www.bisg.org/event-cat-6-webcasts.php#series. Excellent information.

Mystery Writers to Accept eBook Authors, With Many Restrictions

AUTHORLINK NEWS/JUNE 2, 2011--The Mystery Writers of America today announced major changes to its membership guidelines, opening the membership door to eBook and print-on-demand publishers, but with numerous restrictions.

Revisions to the MWA's Approved Publisher criteria now accepts books published solely in e-book format or print-on-demand, but do not permit self-published authors to become active members, regardless of format.

Among a number of restrictions on publishers, the publisher must have paid a minimum of $500 in advances and/or royalties to at least five authors with no financial or ownership interest in the company.

The publisher must have paid a minimum royalty of least 25% of net revenue to authors and must prove they have paid at least quarterly. Author payments must be in monies, not barter or in-kind services.

Read MWA's full membership guidelines for publishers on MWA's blog

Wall Street Journal Announces Key Editorial Appointments

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NEW YORK, April 29, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Wall Street Journal announced today several key editorial appointments.

Alix Freedman, currently the Journal's Deputy Managing Editor overseeing standards and ethics, has been named Page One Editor. She will be responsible for spearheading the agenda-setting coverage that appears on the Journal's front page. A Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, Ms. Freedman will also be responsible for supervising and guiding the Journal's investigative and enterprise reporting efforts. She will continue to report to Robert Thomson, Editor-in-Chief of Dow Jones & Company and Managing Editor of the Journal. She replaces Michael Williams.

Elyse Tanouye has been named Deputy Managing Editor, replacing Ms.
Freedman. Also a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Ms. Tanouye will be charged with the Journal's efforts to maintain and extend the paper's unparalleled reputation for accuracy and fairness. Ms. Tanouye has been the Journal's Corporate Editor since April 2008. In her new role, she will report to Mr. Thomson.

"Alix and Elyse are both great journalists and leaders. There was no tougher reporter than Alix Freedman, and her commitment to investigative reporting and enterprise journalism are renowned," Mr.
Thomson said.

"Elyse transformed the Marketplace section of the Journal and is a beacon of integrity for all at Dow Jones. Her promotion to Deputy Managing Editor is recognition of both her achievement and her important role in overseeing standards and ethics," added Mr. Thomson.

In addition, Dennis Berman, currently Deputy Bureau Chief of Money & Investing, will become Corporate Editor, succeeding Ms. Tanouye. He will oversee news about companies, management and strategy, technology, media and marketing and the art of business. Mr. Berman joined the Journal in 2001 and is one of the editors who shared the 2003 Pulitzer Prize in explanatory journalism for a series on corporate scandals.

Rick Brooks, currently Deputy Editor of Money & Investing, will become Senior Deputy Editor of the section.

"Dennis is a legendary reporter who will bring energy and deep knowledge to his new role, which is at the very heart of the paper.
Rick, a talented and wise editor, will work closely with Francesco Guerrera, our new Editor of Money & Investing," Mr. Thomson said.

ABOUT MS. FREEDMAN

Prior to her most recent role, Ms. Freedman was an Assistant Managing Editor and previously a Senior Editor and the Journal's Investigative Projects Editor. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1996 for her coverage of the tobacco industry and has been honored with numerous other accolades, including the George Polk Award for excellence in journalism in international reporting and two Gerald Loeb Awards, for her reporting on domestic and international topics.

Ms. Freedman joined the Philadelphia bureau of the Journal as a reporter in June 1984. She moved to the New York bureau in 1987, covering the food and tobacco industry and was promoted to senior special writer, doing investigative reporting in July 1991. Prior to joining the Journal, Ms. Freedman worked as a news assistant for the New York Times and as a staff reporter for BusinessWeek magazine.

Ms. Freedman is a graduate of Harvard University with a bachelor's degree in history and literature.

ABOUT ELYSE TANOUYE

Prior to her new role, Ms. Tanouye served as Corporate Editor since April 2008. She and several Journal colleagues won a Pulitzer Prize in
1997 in the national reporting category for the Journal's AIDS coverage. Ms. Tanouye joined Dow Jones in 1988 as a reporter for the Professional Investor Report newswire in New York, later becoming Assistant News Editor. She joined the Journal's New York bureau in 1991.

A native of Honolulu, Ms. Tanouye received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Reed College in Portland, Ore. As a Walter Bagehot Fellow, she earned a certificate of economic and business reporting from the Columbia School of Journalism. She received an M.B.A. from the Columbia Business School.