Thursday’s Post-Publication Post: Self-Interview Re: The Jewish Book NETWORK & Meet the Author Programs

by Erika Dreifus on
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Q. Erika, what is the Jewish Book NETWORK?

A. Well, Erika, according to the Jewish Book Council’s website, “The Jewish Book NETWORK is a membership organization of close to 100 participating sites, JCCs, synagogues, Hillels, Jewish Federations and other related organizations that host Jewish book programs. Through this NETWORK, the Jewish Book Council is able to provide extensive resources to the program coordinators, including introduction to authors interested in touring Jewish book festivals, advice from experts on topics that affect a book program, and a chance to learn from the experiences of others in the field. “

Q. And what is “Meet the Author”?

A. Again, right from the source: “Each year the Jewish Book Council sponsors a conference for all Jewish Book NETWORK members and their lay leaders in conjunction with the annual BookExpo America. This conference begins the new season of book festival planning. In addition to workshops and networking among the NETWORK members, the annual conference includes a program called Meet the Author. Through this event, authors are invited to speak to the members of the Jewish Book NETWORK in the hopes of touring and visiting with the Jewish book programs that are represented.”

Q. So what does this have to do with you? Your book? (more…)

The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers: #BEA11 Edition

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled
  • Maybe you’ve heard about a little gathering taking place in New York this week? Something called BookExpo America? No? In that case, you may want to read this primer for some background. (hat tip to Jessica Strawser)
  • If you’re feeling left out because you aren’t attending BEA, don’t worry. I live here in New York, and I’m not attending either. But I am staying semi-informed by following online coverage, including occasional monitoring of the #BookExpo and #BEA11 hashtags.
  • Attention, reviewers and book bloggers: Just because you’re not going to BEA doesn’t mean you can’t find out which titles will be out later this year. Check out Barbara Hoffert’s BEA Galley & Signing Guide for some information nuggets. (Yes, you’ll have to do some detective work about pub dates, but at least this can get your started.)
  • Complementary conference info: a guide to BEA parties that don’t appear to require invitations.
  • A number of other literary events take place in tandem (officially or unofficially) with BEA. One of these is the Jewish Book NETWORK conference, which features a Meet the Author program. Tune in tomorrow for an account of my Meet the Author debut, which took place on Sunday.

    • Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled
  • From WritersWeekly.com: “We’re out of features so QUERY US! WritersWeekly pays $60 on acceptance for features averaging around 600 words. See our guidelines HERE.”
  • Descant (Canada) has announced two new calls for submissions. First, for an issue themed “Masala,” the journal “is looking for the stories of the Indian Diaspora, its triumphs and its tragedies. Essays, poems, fictions, memoirs, and art work which show the ways in which the Indian peoples connect with one another worldwide and also differentiate themselves from and yet are still linked to modern India.” Submission deadline for “Masala” is August 15, 2012. Then, for an issue on “The Hidden City,” the journal will focus on “that which escapes first notice in the world’s myriad urban landscapes. From buried rivers to underground habitats to the city’s silent/silenced citizens to the city transformed by darkness, we want your best creative work on the creatures, geographies, and societies that elude our surface experience.” Submission deadline for this issue is June 15, 2012. Pays: $100 (presumably in Canadian dollars) on publication.
  • In the Snake is a new online magazine currently seeking short fiction submissions, up to 10,000 words. “Please do not submit novel excerpts unless they are self-contained as works of fiction. We are especially interested in stories that focus on character development, perception of self, and interpersonal relationships that reflect the nature and of the human experience. All genres are accepted.” Pays: $50. (via @femministas)
  • Houstonians, Writers in the Schools (WITS) is looking for creative writing teachers. “WITS is looking for 10-12 writers who can teach the joy of creative writing to young people. Employment is part-time, typically 2-6 hours of teaching one day a week from September – May. A yearlong commitment is required; however, writers who are selected to be on the WITS roster are not guaranteed immediate teaching opportunities. The pay is $55 per teaching hour. In addition to teaching, the job duties include preparing lessons, responding to student work, and compiling anthologies of student writing at the end of the school year. We are looking for writers and educators with teaching or mentoring experience who can convey their passion for the written word in ways that are relevant for Houston-area children. In particular, we are seeking bilingual writers, but others are encouraged to apply as well.” Deadline: August 1, 2011.
  • I’m busy putting finishing touches on the June Practicing Writer newsletter. As usual, the newsletter will feature lots of paying calls and no-cost competitions. I’m especially delighted that this issue also includes an interview with novelist Tayari Jones. If you’re not yet a subscriber, sign up! It’s free, and we keep e-mail addresses private.
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Mass.) is looking for a Communications Specialist, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum (N.Y.) seeks a Communications Manager, and Boise State University/Boise Public Radio invites applications for an Online Reporter.

    • Friday Find: Rejection Letters Received by Dan Menaker

    by Erika Dreifus on
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    If you don’t know who Dan Menaker is, here’s a bit of background, from the bio on his website:

    At The New Yorker, Daniel Menaker was the first editor to publish such newcomers as Michael Cunningham, David Foster Wallace, Susan Minot, George Saunders, Ann Packer, Michael Chabon, and Allegra Goodman, and he also worked with well-recognized authors such as Max Frisch, Stanislaw Lem, Alice Munro, Elmore Leonard, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Pauline Kael. In 1995, he moved to Random House as Senior Editor, and in 2001 he became Executive Editor at Harper Collins, returning to Random House as Executive Editor–in-Chief in 2003 and working with such authors as Billy Collins, Elizabeth Strout, Gary Shteyngart, Curtis Sittenfeld, Nassim Taleb, Benjamin Kunkel, Reza Aslan, Colum McCann, and Sister Helen Prejean. He left Random House in 2007.

    Menaker is the author of two books of short stories (two of which won O. Henry Awards) and a novel, The Treatment….

    Which really does make the set of (redacted) rejection letters that he received for his memoir all the more intriguing.

    Enjoy the find, have a good weekend, and see you back here on Monday.