iUniverse Writing Contest Basics for Indie Authors

When you have written creatively or professionally for any particular length of time, you have probably heard of writing competitions. Peer recognition after all is a common aspiration for writers throughout the literary establishment, especially so with iUniverse.

While some writers join writing competitions for the purpose of bagging the prize, most however are content with the experience and feedback they get. It also helps their entry gets shared as part of the organizer’s online content, or if it makes the cut and get published in an anthology of the best contest entries.

For these reasons, competitions are quite popular.

How do you join? 

Find a competition, write your entry, edit, edit, edit, then sign up, pay the fee, and submit the finished work. And after that, wait. Always remember to be patient, because, as with anything worth while, it takes time for the judges to read plenty of entries. In due course, the winners will be announced and the prizes presented.
Most contests focus on a specific genre. Seek out one with which you feel a strong connection, as well as one that doesn’t require a lot of research. You’re going to have a deadline that can't be missed.
As soon as you find a competition that suits your abilities, you need to consider a few things.

How much is the entry fee? 

Say you decide to pay to join, make sure that it's not some ridiculous amount. Under $20 is normal for a competition that is limited to fewer than 10,000 words. Consider paying more than that amount if the contest you intend to join is more prestigious and the cash prize considerably larger..

Who's on jury duty?
 
Considering how the event organizers will essentially be putting a stamp of approval on your work, it is very important to determine their credibility in the literary circles you intend to be active in. It helps to have some recognizable publishing industry names and literati on the jury list to lend luster and legitimacy to the prize.

What's up for grabs? 

Sometimes just being in the competition and having your work recognized is enough. But it’s always nice to be compensated, especially if you’ve paid an entry fee or if the project is going to be part of a published collection.

Lastly, here are five quick tips:

Craft a killer title. The first thing judges and readers ever see is your book's title. So it makes a lot of sense to pour all your creativity into the title.

Keep your eyes on the prize. Keep to the contest criteria laid down by the prize jury and organizers.

Go pop fiction. If it's a “writing competition”, popular fiction will probably win, requiring an engrossing plot.

Be bold. Don't hesitate to create larger-than-life characters that can catch the eye of judges and readers alike. Normal is far too boring for the general readership.

Watch your punctuation! And remember to edit, edit, edit.

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iUniverse debut author Susan G. Muth gets brilliant reviews!

Source: iUniverse Blog

iUniverse is so pleased for Susan G. Muth who recently self-published her debut novel “The Beach at Herculaneum” with us; not only is she receiving 5 star reviews from readers but Blueink Review has just given her and her book a rave review.

Amazon says: “Finished in a day!”

“Finished in a day! The characters dialogue and descriptions were so clearly written, it was like watching a story. Will definitely read this again!”

This review is from: “The Beach at Herculaneum”

By Chelsea January 6, 2013 (Amazon Verified Purchase)

Blueink says: “A gorgeous book from iUniverse”

“The Beach at Herculaneum” by Susan G. Muth

“A mother’s mourning is a lonely business, but sometimes another voice can break through the seemingly unbearable grief. In her dramatic and moving debut novel, “The Beach at Herculaneum”, Susan G. Muth calls on voices from centuries past to inspire a healing journey.

Muth introduces Anne McCarthy on the shores of present-day Lake Michigan, where her husband and son were killed in a tragic accident. Seeking solace, Anne makes her way to a convent retreat, but she’s haunted by visions that she can’t ignore. Apparitions appear to her from the ancient city of Herculaneum. They tell the story of another family — Daphne, Marcus, and Alexander — in the days before Mount Vesuvius’s fateful eruption buried their bustling city in ash.

It’s not unexpected that Anne must travel to Italy to solve the mystery of these visitations and heal her grief, but the seamless way Muth intertwines the parallel stories of Daphne and Anne is most surprising and welcome. She alternates between the women’s perspectives, managing to maintain their distinctive voices and still craft a cohesive story. Anne’s unexpressed grief builds up to the boiling point just as Daphne’s family is threatened by the real-life equivalent: an exploding volcano.

Expert pacing keeps the story moving, and the spooky events at Herculaneum’s archaeological dig sustain the sense of mystery. Muth balances the action with romance, as Anne entertains a possible relationship with a handsome young archeologist and Daphne celebrates her husband’s triumphant return from war. In both cases, the dialogue flows naturally and accurately evokes the time and place.

The Beach at Herculaneum is a true page-turner, and readers will feel as if they are racing against time to save the lives of these courageous heroines.”

Susan G. Muth is a lover of all things beautiful and mysterious. She has many pursuits and interests; a stage director and drama coach, an actress, a portrait painter, a horse trainer, a singer, a dog agility enthusiast. She holds an MFA from the University of New Orleans and has published journal articles, short fiction, and poetry. “The Beach at Herculaneum” is her first novel. See Susan on Facebook.

iUniverse publishing congratulates self-published author, Susan G.Muth and trusts that she goes on to have even greater success with this book and all her future writing and publishing endeavors.

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Climate change expert calls readers to action in new book

MIDHURST, Ontario (PRWEB) November 30, 2012

With recent events like the election season and the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, the issue of climate change has become a hot topic in the media and in the minds of many people. In his updated edition of “Comprehending the Climate Crisis: Everything You Need to Know about Global Warming and How to Stop It” (published by iUniverse), physician, author and environmental expert Bradley J. Dibble gives readers a comprehensive overview of the climate issues facing the world today.

The amount of information and data on climate change is overwhelming. Hoping to make the subject more accessible to the layperson, Dibble gathers information from numerous sources and presents them in a neatly organized educational package, arming the public with information to save and protect the planet from harm.
More than anything, Dibble wants to help people do whatever they can to contribute solutions to the climate issues facing the planet. Although his book is factual and impartial – he tends to let the science take the helm rather than emotion or rhetoric – Dibble also includes practical advice to get people thinking about what they can do around the house or, on a larger scale, in business and industry.

“Global warming and climate change are real and are happening right now,” explains Dibble. “People need to make changes if we are to avert major climate-related disasters. As a physician I care most about people’s health, and this is above all a health issue for everyone on the planet. The time to act is now, so people need to understand this issue now.”

“Comprehending the Climate Crisis” has been selected for inclusion in the iUniverse Star program, which recognizes excellence in writing and commercial success.

“Comprehending the Climate Crisis”
By Bradley J. Dibble, MD
Softcover | 6 x 9in | 212 pages | ISBN 9781938908224 |
E-Book | 212 pages | ISBN 9781938908231 |
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Bradley J. Dibble, MD received his medical degree in 1990, followed by specialty training in cardiology. He practices in Barrie, Ontario. In 2009, he was appointed by the federal minister of the environment to the Sustainable Development Advisory Council. In 2012 he received training from Nobel Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore and now gives frequent talks to the public on climate change. Dibble lives in Midhurst, Ontario, with his wife, Katherine, and two sons.

iUniverse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is the leading book marketing, editorial services, and supported self-publishing provider. iUniverse has a strategic alliance with Indigo Books & Music, Inc. in Canada, and titles accepted into the iUniverse Rising Star program are featured in a special collection on BarnesandNoble.com. iUniverse recognizes excellence in book publishing through the Star, Reader’s Choice, Rising Star and Editor’s Choice designations—self-publishing’s only such awards program. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, iUniverse also operates offices in Indianapolis. For more information or to publish a book, please visit iuniverse.com or call 1-800-AUTHORS. For the latest, follow @iuniversebooks on Twitter.

Read Full Story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/11/prweb10180942.htm

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Why Digital Publishing is the Best Thing to Happen to Self-Published Authors

Even as writers and readers buzz in social media circles about the latest success story and unknown authors continue to leverage success through digital releases, the traditional publishing world has still been hesitant to jump fully on board.

Fortunately, many marketers and self-help gurus are leading the way with aggressive digitization of their books into e-books and offering them at heavy discounts (sometimes even for free!) which increasingly evens out the playing field in favor of independent authors exploiting the benefits of digital publishing.

While e-books are exploding in popularity, many aren't fully aware of what it is and whether or not they should be reading them, much less making them, and how to do either effectively.

Advantages of e-books and e-readers

The best thing going for readers in digital publishing is not the books, but the technology. The crispness of Apple's new retina display technology notwithstanding, dedicated e-readers from Amazon (Kindle) and Barnes & Noble (Nook) have embraced sophisticated digital ink technology, which doesn't rely on backlight and has a resolution twice as good as your typical laptop. This offers the reader an enjoyable reading experience without the eyestrain.

For authors, the game changer is the ease at which your book can be shared and marketed. Especially wonderful is that many e-book sellers let readers to download enough of the text to get hooked, anytime, anywhere.

E-books are quite easy to figure out, even your average reader will find it intuitive enough to obtain and use. You need only download those promotional Portable Document Format documents (PDFs) in exchange for an e-mail address or head over to the distributor of your choice, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Apple. Readers with voracious appetites for books may find this a bit more confusing as a multitude of competing formats vying for the attention of a number of platform specific devices have flooded the market.

Formats and formatting

Although there is a standard format, EPUB, as recommended by the International Digital Publishing Forum, here is where the story gets complicated. A quick look at the Wikipedia page on e-book formats leaves one with the impression that the wheel has been created, recreated, beaten into a horseshoe, and then melted into ball. Some are out-of-date, such as Microsoft's LIT while others are common in specialty areas such as science or are utilitarian formats, such as Microsoft Office document formats PDF and web-style HTML.

What's the problem?

Keep in mind that static formats like PDFs or word documents usually don't translate well to portable devices due to display ratio, as anyone who has tried to open one on their smartphone can attest. The key is that e-books should work like web pages and utilize separate files to display content and color. There are no page breaks, so the content streams freely, giving an uninterrupted flow, and are easily resized.

Pads, Pods, Nooks, and Kindles-oh my!

Now, toss into the menagerie the penchant for corporations to favor proprietary technology, and the plot only thickens. The simplest way to get to the bottom of this is to list which formats the major e-book readers support:

• The Amazon Kindle supports AZW, TPZ, TXT, MOBI, PRC and PDF natively, HTML and DOC through conversion.
• Apple's iPad or other tablets can handle EPUB, PDF, HTML, DOC, plus iPad Apps, which could include Kindle and Barnes & Noble readers.
• The Barnes & Noble Nook can read EPUB, PDB, PDF.

Everybody supports EPUB as their primary e-book format, except for Amazon's Kindle. This is very important as presently Amazon is arguably the biggest retailer and publisher of digital content.

What about writers?

It's important to know that converting your manuscript to digital format is not a simple matter of drag and drop. Outside of getting really cozy with HTML and CSS so you can accurately translate the formatting and style to the text, it's best to hire a professional service, which iUniverse provides. Although there are some third-party options that will convert your word document into one of the popular e-book formats, prepare for results that could vary from acceptable to horrid. And while you can always convert your book to PDF, you are ignoring the advantages that book aficionados most love about their dedicated digital reader.

For more writing tips, head over to the iUniverse Writers Tips and learn from the experience of iUniverse Author Focus.

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