Grammar Girl has a video message for Ozarks Romance Authors!
July 12, 2011 by admin
Filed under News, Uncategorized
Click on this image to see Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty thank Ozarks Romance Authors members for their support!
We LOVE Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty. We follow her on Facebook, listen to her podcasts, read her books, check what’s new at her web site often, and her new book, “Grammar Girl’s 101 Misused Words You’ll Never Confuse Again,” will be a door prize our our annual writers’ conference in Springfield, Missouri, on July 23, 2011.
If you click on the image above (or on the link below), it will take you to a quick video of Grammar Girl thanking Ozarks Romance Authors members for our support. How cool is that?
Grammar Girl video message to Ozarks Romance Authors
Use Facebook to Comment on this Post
The speakers for our annual conference July 23, 2011, are getting excited!
June 29, 2011 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Eliza Lloyd is one of the authors coming to speak at our annual writers’ conference, and she just gave a little sneak peek on her blog HERE.
In fact, this is the second time she has mentioned our writers’ conference, which is scheduled for Saturday, July 23, 2011, in Springfield, Missouri. We mentioned the other occurrence HERE, along with links to Eliza’s books.
If you like a sexy, steamy read, click on her titles below.
Follow Eliza Lloyd on Twitter! Her Twitter name is @elloydwriting .
Writers’ conferences and conventions of this quality in the midwest are not easy to find. This year’s conference is full of presentations and workshops by award-winning authors, plus our attendees can schedule pitch sessions with a literary agent and publishing house editor from New York City. Opportunities like this do not happen often in the Ozarks! If you would like more details about who will be speaking (and who will be taking pitch sessions) at our conference, click HERE.
Ozarks Romance Authors, a non-profit group for Missouri writers of all genres, was founded in 1987. The regional writers’ group holds its meetings the first Saturday of each month at The Library Station, 2535 N. Kansas Expressway, in Springfield, Missouri.
Visitors are welcome. Your first three visits are free. For details about upcoming meetings, please click HERE.
Our annual conference will be held July 23, 2011, at The Clarion Hotel and Conference Center. To learn more about the amazing lineup of speakers and workshops, click HERE to visit our conference page.
If you have questions about the group, please email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com or call (417) 597-4716.
http://elizalloyd.blogspot.com/2011/06/ozark-writers-conferencejust-around.html
Use Facebook to Comment on this Post
Will we live-tweet from our annual conference in Springfield, MO, on July 23, 2011?
June 20, 2011 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
2009-2010 President Kathy Mullens leads the group during Ozarks Romance Authors' July 2010 Annual Conference. Be sure to be a part of our 2011 conference July 23!
Several folks have emailed and called Ozarks Romance Authors to ask if we will be live-tweeting from our annual conference, which is scheduled for Saturday, July 23, 2011, at The Clarion Hotel Conference Center in Springfield, Missouri.
It seems that a few folks were hoping that they could just check in on Twitter to stay up-to-date with everything the award-winning novelists say during their workshops and presentations.
So, the big question is — Will Ozarks Romance Authors live-tweet from our annual conference?
The answer is, “Sort of.”
Here’s the deal.
We will tweet to let our followers know what’s going on behind closed doors to a certain extent. We’ll let you know who is speaking and, toward the end of the day, we’ll announce the winners of the 2011 Weta Nichols Fiction Writing Contest.
However, we will NOT tweet excerpts of the presentations and workshops.
You may be wondering, “Why not?”
There are several reasons.
1. The presentations and workshops contain material that falls under the copyright of the individual speakers. Out of respect for them, we won’t put their information out there on Twitter.
2. Our attendees are paying a fee to attend the conference. Out of respect for them, we will not divulge the contents of the workshops and presentations on Tw. We hope that doesn’t seem harsh. But, think about it. If you had paid anywhere from $50 to $65 to attend an all-day conference, would you be happy if you knew there were folks out there who were reading the same material that you just heard — for free? Didn’t think so.
There is still time to reserve your seat! If you still have not registered for our annual fiction writers’ conference, click HERE to read all of the details and register at the bottom of the page.
Ozarks Romance Authors is a multi-genre writers’ group, founded in 1987. We are a registered non-profit in the state of Missouri, and more than half of our members have been published.
Meetings are held the first Saturday of each month at The Library Station on North Kansas Expressway in Springfield, Missouri.
Visitors are welcome! Your first three visits are free. Join us for our critique group at 10:00 a.m., lunch at noon, and a guest speaker with a message relevant to the publishing industry at 1:00 p.m.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/OzarksRomance and “Like” us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/OzarksRomanceAuthors.
If you have questions about visiting our group, feel free to email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com or call (417) 597-4716.
Use Facebook to Comment on this Post
2011 Conference Spotlight: Leigh Michaels
June 13, 2011 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Best-selling author Leigh Michaels will speak at a fiction writers' conference in Missouri July 23, 2011
Leigh’s topics for this event include:
* “Things that Stump the Best of Us (Pacing, Backstory, and Transitions)”
* “Playing Fair: When Characters Keep Secrets”
Leigh will also participate in panel discussions during the day with the other presenters.
Who is Leigh Michaels?
Leigh Michaels is the author of nearly 100 books, including 80 contemporary novels, three historical romance novels, and more than a dozen non-fiction books. More than 35 million copies of her romance novels have been published. Six of her books have been finalists for Best Traditional Romance novel in the RITA contest sponsored by Romance Writers of America. She has received two Reviewer’s Choice awards from Romantic Times.
Her work has been translated and published in 120 countries in more than 25 languages, including Japanese, Korean, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, Bulgarian, Russian, Turkish, Hebrew, Greek, Swedish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Africaans, Arabic, Indonesian, and Chinese.
She is the 2003 recipient of the Johnson Brigham Award presented by the Iowa Library Association to an Iowa author for outstanding contributions to literature.
She is the author of “On Writing Romance,” published by Writers Digest Books.
She is the author of non-fiction books such as WRITING THE ROMANCE NOVEL, a step-by-step workbook, and CREATING ROMANTIC CHARACTERS. She is also the author of DEAR LEIGH MICHAELS: A Novelist Answers the Most-Asked Questions about Getting Published, and a cookbook, A TASTE OF LOVE. She has produced audio programs and written magazine articles on subjects of interest to writers in general.
She teaches romance writing on the Internet at Gotham Writers Workshop, www.writingclasses.com. Men and women from around the world have participated in her workshops, and a number of them have gone on to publish their own romance novels with commercial publishers. She is currently an adjunct professor in the School of Communications at the University of Iowa.
She wrote her first romance novel when she was a teenager and burned it, then wrote and burned five more complete manuscripts before submitting to a publisher. Her first submission was accepted and published by Harlequin Books, the first publisher to look at it.
To learn more about Leigh Michaels, visit her online at http://www.LeighMichaels.com
Ozarks Romance Authors, a multi-genre writers’ group, has been a registered non-profit corporation in the state of Missouri since 1987. Meetings are held the first Saturday of each month, and the group’s annual conference is scheduled for July 23, 2011, in Springfield, Missouri.
For a list of guest speakers and their topics, click here: http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/2011-annual-conference/
Use Facebook to Comment on this Post
Frequently Asked Questions About Our 2011 Annual Fiction Writers’ Contest
April 16, 2011 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Each year, Ozarks Romance Authors is asked a lot of the same questions about our annual fiction writers’ contest, which is named in honor of one of our founders, the late novelist Weta Nichols.
As we receive more questions via our Facebook and Twitter pages, we will post the answers here for reference.
Details about the 2011 contest, including guidelines for submission, are available by clicking HERE.
Q: When is the deadline?
A: Midnight USA Central Time on May 23, 2011. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: I don’t write romance. Can I still enter?
A: Yes! Contest is open to all fiction genres. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: I’m not a member of your writers’ group. Can I still enter the #writing #contest?
A: Absolutely! http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Must I live in the USA to enter?
A: No! We’ve had entries from all over the world. They just need to be in English. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Is it true that published authors can’t enter the #writing #contest?
A: No. Pub authors are welcome to enter. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: I placed in another #writing #contest. Can I still enter?
A: Yes, as long as the piece you submit is unpublished. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Who are the judges?
A: Final round judges are lit agent Louise Fury and Avalon editor Lia Brown. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Do I send my entire manuscript to enter the #writing #contest?
A: No, just the first 10 pages. Details here: http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Can I enter your #writing #contest online?
A: Yes! All of the details are here: http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: I’ve never heard of your #writers #group. Are you new?
A: No. We’re a nonprofit in Missouri USA, founded in 1987. http://ow.ly/4mWt9
Q: Isn’t the deadline for your #writing #contest May 16?
A: No, we extended it to May 23, 2011, due to a PayPal glitch. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Is your #writing #contest open to writers outside of the USA?
A: Yes! As long as the manuscript is in English. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: I can’t come to your #annual #conference in July. Will I be disqualified?
A: No! Winners need not be present to win. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Are there prizes available for your #writing #contest?
A: Yes! $100 1st, $50 2nd, $25 3rd. Info here: http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Does the cover page count as 1 of my 10 pages?
A: No. The 10 pages should begin with page 1 of your manuscript.
Q: Should I include my dedication page? It’s very special to me.
A: No. Your 10-page limit is prime real estate. Drop us into the story.
Q: Should I use my favorite font on my submission?
A: No. Instructions are available here: http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: I didn’t see details on single space vs. double space.
A: This is addressed here: http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Is there a theme my novel must follow to be included?
A: No. Any genre is welcome. No non-fiction or poetry.
Q: Can I enter via US mail?
A: Yes, but we prefer emailed submissions, as do most editors.
Q: I’m not good at proofing or editing. Can I still enter?
A: Yes, but proofing and editing are part of the writing process. Judges won’t polish manuscript for you.
Q: I need to include a few paragraphs to set up the story and let the judge know what’s going on. Should I count this page as 1 of the 10 pages?
A: Your 10 pages should be the first 10 pages of the manuscript. There shouldn’t be a need to share info with the judge to set up the story. The story should be strong enough to stand on its own, without explanation.
Q: I entered your contest and I’m thinking about coming to the conference. Can I register online?
A: Yes! Details about the speakers, their topics, and a link to register online are HERE.
Q: I have a really great non-fiction book. I think your judges will really like it. Can I enter?
A: We are only accepting fiction for this contest. If you are interested in submitting non-fiction, Ozarks Romance Authors publishes its own magazine, and accepts non-fiction, fiction, essays, articles, recipes, artwork, and photography by members. If you’re interested in becoming a member in order to particpate in this publication, you are welcome to visit one of our monthly meetings or email us for more information. Click HERE for information about our magazine. Click HERE for information about our monthly meetings, and/or email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com.
Q: How will winners be notified?
A: Winners will be announced at our 2011 Annual Conference scheduled for Saturday, July 23, 2011, at The Clarion Hotel Conference Center in Springfield, Missouri. If you are not able to attend, you will be notified via email. We will ask winners for their mailing addresses so that we can send their certificates and prizes.
Q: I’m interested in entering next year. Will you notify me when submissions are accepted?A: The easiest way for you to find out about our 2012 contest and conference would be to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Click HERE to follow us on Facebook. Click HERE to follow us on Twitter.
Q: I have a question that is not addressed here. How can I get in touch with someone?
A: Email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com, or call and leave a message at (417) 597-4716 and we will return your call.
