IWSG Anthologies: IWSG Twitter Pitch

Showing posts with label IWSG Twitter Pitch. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

How Did the IWSG Begin?

by Alex J. Cavanaugh

On September 7 of this year, the IWSG will celebrate its twelfth year. Twelve years! Considering where we began, that’s just incredible. And just where did it begin?

via GIPHY

Here is its story.

I’d noticed blog posts from writers mentioning their doubts, concerns, and lack of confidence. I also saw the positive replies they received and realized that the writing community offered an abundance of support. Writers want to see other writers succeed. An email exchange with another author led me to tell him that he needed an insecure writer’s support group. That’s when the lightbulb came on!

What if we posted as a group every month? The group would act as a form of therapy, letting writers post about situations where they need encouragement or to offer words of encouragement to others if they have experience. I tossed out the idea to my fellow writers and on September 7, 2011, we launched the monthly blog posting of the IWSG.

On the first Wednesday of every month, we share our thoughts about writing on our blogs. We also have an optional monthly question to assist with member's posts, which can be found on the Sign-Up page. But it’s become a great way for members to not only receive support, but to stay in contact with one another.

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group has grown since conception. Over 130 people are a part of the blogging community that posts on the first Wednesday of every month, known as IWSG Day. (At one point, that number topped out at around 330.)

The group has expanded beyond blogging into other forms. We have a Facebook Group with 5000+ members, an Instagram group with 1200+ followers, and a Twitter account with 12,100 followers. Our free monthly newsletter, which has featured industry experts like Jane Friedman and Sandra Beckwith, has 700+ subscribers. We have an IWSG Goodreads Book Club as well. And of course, the website boasts thousands of links to other great writing sites and databases.

For several years now, we’ve run a Twitter pitch event, #IWSGPit, every January. Many writers have signed with a publisher or agent as a result. (IWSG Admin Diane Wolfe, who runs Dancing Lemur Press, has signed four authors from #IWSGPit!)

We offer two free guides for writers: The Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s Guide to Publishing and Beyond and The Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s Guide to Writing for Profit. Our anthology contests have produced seven books - Parallels: Felix Was Here, Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life, Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime, Masquerade: Oddly Suited, Voyagers: The Third Ghost, Dark Matter: Artificial, and First Love: The Art of Making Doughnuts.

We even have our own merchandise which include pens, magnets, and a T-shirt! All profits from those sales goes into paying for the domain and IWSG site. Otherwise, it’s all volunteer-run and with no ads.

I and the other administrators are actively pushing the group to greater heights. Nothing is impossible when insecure writers band together. And we welcome to suggestions and requests; whatever it takes to make the group better for writers!

Alex J. Cavanaugh works in web design and graphics. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is known as Ninja Captain Alex and is the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. His Cassa books are Amazon Best Sellers and winners of the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award.

Website -- Insecure Writers Support Group

Facebook -- Instagram -- Twitter

#IWSGPit -- IWSG Merchandise

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

In the Spotlight: Stephanie Espinoza Villamor ~ Author of "Artificial"

The IWSG Anthology blog will be featuring posts from each of the contributing authors in Dark Matter: Artificial over the next few weeks. We’ve asked them to share a little about how they came up with their stories and preview what’s to come!

Stephanie Espinoza Villamor on her short story, “Artificial.”

I’m beyond thrilled to be included in the IWSG anthology, and honored to have my story in both the title and cover art! While I’ve been writing in a variety of genres since I was a kid, this was my first official science fiction story. Don’t get me wrong, I love sci-fi. But I'm more familiar with children’s fiction, like contemporary middle grade and young adult fantasy. When I saw the genre announced for the IWSG annual anthology contest I thought, “I’m in over my head!” Still, I was committed to participating since I didn’t get a chance the year before--I was busy having a kid of my own! So each night while my son slept I brainstormed science fiction.

Being a librarian who saves everything, the first idea I came up with was an archive. I wanted to explore a future where smartphone data is saved and accessible for posterity—anyone can look up someone’s life and learn from the thousands of pictures stored on their phone. My original protagonist visited this public archive to solve a mystery using clues from such photos. The problem was, I couldn’t figure out who my protagonist was. I got stuck on the details of the mystery. I just couldn’t get “into” the story.

Then one night while Baby snoozed in my lap the idea hit me. What if, instead of an archive, phone data is saved into a person? I’d recently read my friend’s thesis about artificial intelligence and her analysis of a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “The Measure of a Man” (about sentient android, Data). I’d also previously played the video game Detroit: Become Human, all about artificially intelligent androids. This type of sci-fi character intrigued me, and suddenly my story fell into place. Best of all, I was excited to tell the story from the AI’s perspective.

“Artificial” explores the purpose of artificial intelligence in society, our human connections, and what makes something “real.”

Teenager in between Star Trek cosplayers

A 17-year-old Stephanie with cosplayers at the
annual Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Blurb:

Bryan’s role as an AI is to help Lina, not befriend her. But as his memories spark questions about the past, he finds himself growing closer to Lina in the present.

Excerpt:

There is nothing but dark.

Then I’m awake in Lina’s living room. I recognize Lina’s apartment from the photos she uploaded to give me a memory. I recognize Lina because her photos come up the most in my mind. Every photo of her face has been tagged with her name, and my technology allows for instant recall from my data storage. I can’t read through all my data at once, but if I’m asked a question or put in a new situation, I can scan through the data to answer, act, or solve problems. That is what an AI is for.

This is what Lina tells me. She says artificial intelligence has come a long way. Her grandmother’s AI was a voice-activated computer that searched its data storage to answer questions. Her mother’s AI had a disembodied voice that could permeate the entire house and access the Internet in under .6 seconds. But I am the next level of smart home, designed to access stored data and online information while looking as welcoming as possible. I am not a cold, disembodied robot. I am a friend.

“So, that is my role,” I say slowly, hearing my own voice for the first time. It is warm, inviting, and almost familiar. “To be your friend.”

“Yes,” Lina says, then quickly shakes her head. “No. Um, that might sound weird to people. An AI is more like...a live-in personal assistant. God knows my life needs some assisting.”

Stephanie Espinoza Villamor is a librarian writer mom who lives with her husband and young son just outside Las Vegas. As a child she wrote her own books on dot matrix printer paper, and later started publishing in school magazines and newspapers. Ultimately, she earned a master's degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University, and now works as a college eLearning Librarian. She writes stories inspired by her supportive family and Hispanic heritage, especially for middle grade and young adult readers.

Don't forget that today--Wednesday, January 20--is IWSG Twitter Pitch Day! There's still time to get your tweets out. Complete and polished manuscripts can be pitched via Twitter, just leave room for genre, age, and hashtag: #IWSGPit. If your pitch gets a favorite/heart from a publisher or agent, you can check their submission guidelines and send them your requested query!

Speaking of Twitter, you may be seeing Tweets lately from Dancing Lemur Press promoting each of the stories in Dark Matter: Artificial. The ebook is already available for preorder on Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble!

Exploring the mysteries of dark matter… Dark Matter: Artificial, an @TheIWSG anthology Amazon - https://t.co/hnGoz9Z8Of
Kobo - https://t.co/ZtoUSVJKHL pic.twitter.com/SRrjzdq1E9
— Dancing Lemur Press (@DancingLemurPre) January 12, 2021

Coming on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 . . .

Next up is C.D. Gallant-King, who shares his backstory for “Space Folds and Broomsticks,” about a pair of bumbling siblings in deep space....

Thursday, January 7, 2021

Prepare for Ignition! "Dark Matter: Artificial" is about to Liftoff!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

And it is already happier than the last one.

I have great hope for the coming days, weeks, and months;

and I feel the weight of heavy black clouds lifting,

starting with the potential end of this tragic pandemic.

One of the exciting things on the horizon is the release

of the 2021 IWSG anthology on May 4th!

Congratulations to the ten talented IWSG members

whose stories are included in this anthology:

Artificial by Stephanie Espinoza Villamor

Space Folds and Broomsticks by CD Gallant-King

Rift by Kim Mannix

The Utten Mission by Steph Wolmarans

Sentient by Tara Tyler

One to Another by Deniz Bevan

Resident Alien by Charles Kowalski

Nano Pursuit by Olga Godim

Resurgence by Elizabeth Mueller

Vera’s Last Voyage by Mark Alpert

A thank you to our awesome publisher:

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is fortunate to have L. Diane Wolfe

and Dancing Lemur Press to publish our sixth anthology.

This spunky dynamo and DLP published the first five anthologies

using Dancing Lemur Press imprint Freedom Fox Press.

Here's a peek at what readers have to look forward to:

Dark Matter: Artificial

An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology

Discover dark matter’s secrets…

What is an AI’s true role? Will bumbling siblings find their way home from deep space? Dark matter is judging us—are we worthy of existence? Would you step through a portal into another reality? Can the discoverer of dark matter uncover its secrets?

Ten authors explore dark matter, unraveling its secrets and revealing its mysterious nature. Featuring the talents of Stephanie Espinoza Villamor, C.D. Gallant-King, Tara Tyler, Mark Alpert, Olga Godim, Steph Wolmarans, Charles Kowalski, Kim Mannix, Elizabeth Mueller, and Deniz Bevan.

Wikimedia: "Dark matter is invisible. The effect of gravitational lensing

causes multiple images of the same galaxy.

A ring of dark matter has been suggested to explain this.

In this image of galaxy cluster (CL0024+17) the dark matter is seen in blue."

Preliminary publication data:

Release date: May 4, 2021

Print ISBN 9781939844828 $14.95

EBook ISBN 9781939844835 $4.99

Science Fiction: Collections & Anthologies (FIC028040) / Space Exploration (FIC028130) / Genetic Engineering (FIC028110)

186 pages

A huge thanks to our hardworking judges:

A panel of agents, authors, and editors handpicked ten tales that will take readers on a journey across time and space.

Dan Koboldt, author and #SFFpit founder

Lynda R. Young, author

Colleen Oefelein, agent, The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency

Damien Larkin, author

Ion Newcombe, editor and publisher

Julie Gwinn, agent, The Seymour Agency

David Powers King, author

A huge thanks to our Ninja Captain:

Without the vision and hard work of IWSG founder Alex J. Cavanaugh,

none of this would be happening!

He is one amazing and generous spirit!

Visit Alex at

http://alexjcavanaugh.com/

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh

What to read while you're waiting:

Let me recommend any and all of the first five IWSG anthologies.

2016 2017 2018 2019

2020

Coming on Wednesday, January 13, 2021 . . .

Our next post will introduce the talented authors of Dark Matter: Artificial.

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

Upcoming IWSG Events . . .

Ready to try your hand at a Twitter pitch? Then join us January 20, 2021 for #IWSGPit - https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-twitter-pitch.html

And polish, polish, polish those pitches. Good luck!

For some excellent tips check out Alex J. Cavanaugh's post:

Twitter Pitch with Gusto!

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Twitter Pitch With Gusto!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group has a special event coming

on January 20, 2021: Its annual IWSG Twitter Pitch!

And today we have just the person to explain all things Twitter Pitch,

IWSG founder and science fiction writer Alex J. Cavanaugh.

His expertise can help you pitch your manuscript to publishers and agents.

Twitter Pitch With Gusto!

by Alex J. Cavanaugh

If you are a writer preparing to query your manuscript or you’ve been in the trenches awhile, you’ve probably heard the term Twitter pitch party. Maybe you’ve participated in one with no results. We can help you prepare and get the most out of an event.

What is a Twitter pitch party? It’s an event put together by an organization for writers to pitch their manuscripts to agents and publishers on Twitter. Writers pitch their manuscripts in a tweet with the appropriate hastags, and agents and publishers heart the ones they are interested in seeing. It usually occurs over the course of a day, allowing time for multiple pitches and time for agents and publishers all over the world to check the feed. It gives writers an advantage over those sending in unsolicited submissions because when they query a manuscript that received a heart during the pitch, it’s been requested!

Each Twitter pitch party has its own set of rules, but here are the general guidelines:

* One pitch per hour. Writers can send multiple pitches if they are for different

manuscripts.

* Use appropriate hashtags. Those pitching should use the hashtag of the

Twitter pitch (for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, it’s #IWSGPit),

the hashtag of the genre (#SF for science fiction, #R for romance, etc.),

and the hashtag of the age group (#YA for young adult, #A for adult, etc.).

* Only agents and publishers interested in a manuscript are allowed to heart

the tweet.

* Writers can retweet their fellow writers’ pitches.

* No images allowed in tweets.

Who is a Twitter pitch party geared towards? Any writer with a complete and polished manuscript that is not committed to an agent or publisher. Writers should also check the guidelines and be sure their manuscript’s genre fits the event. No need to pitch a young adult adventure book during a science fiction Twitter pitch!

Before the event, compose several tweets. There’s not any room for fluff in a 280 character tweet. Plus all appropriate hashtags need to be included, which makes it even shorter. A pitch needs to convey the story in one to three lines and pack a punch in the process.

What needs to go into the pitch? Debra Dixon says to always include Goal-Motivation-Conflict in any manuscript pitch. You probably also heard about including the “who-what-where-when-why-how” in a pitch. But in approximately 200 spaces, you need to identify the main character, his motivation or goal, and the crisis. Composing several different pitches lets you try each one several times during the day, and you’ll know by hearts which ones are the most effective.

Before the event, it’s also best to run those pitches past others. Send them to your critique partners or a couple trusted writer/author friends. The more pitches you can compose for them, the better. They can help you narrow down the best three or four. There are also online groups and forums where you can post your pitches for feedback. Polish those pitches right up until the day of the party.

The day of the event arrives – you’re ready! Be sure to double-check the times and the rules. When the pitch opens, send out your first pitch, and pitch again at the appropriate intervals. Remember, no images and only retweet your fellow writers’ pitches – don’t heart them. Keep an eye on the feed to see what is being pitched and who is hitting the heart button on those tweets. Check on your own pitches periodically for hearts. If you get a heart, that means some agent or publisher is interested in your manuscript. Get excited!

The event will end, but that’s not the complete end. Don’t send out any more tweets, but do keep checking earlier ones. Some agents and publishers can’t tune in the day of the event but they search the hashtags later for manuscripts of interest. A heart could turn up several days after the party.

It helps if you can research agents and publishers before the event, but that’s not always possible. (You can research them during the event as their hearts appear on pitches.) But if you’ve received some hearts, check out those agents and publishers before sending them anything. Check their site and Google their name. You can search Critters Workshop http://critters.org/c/pubtips.ht and SFWA http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/ for them as well. Make sure it’s someone you can trust and that they offer what you want in terms of publishing.

After receiving a heart, go to their Twitter page. Often agents and publishers will post exactly what they want to see if they have clicked the heart on your Tweet. Then go to their submission guidelines on their website. Just because they hit the heart button doesn’t mean you can just query them any old way. Follow their guidelines on their site and for the Twitter pitch event. Unlike an unsolicited query though, yours has been requested! So be sure to note in either the subject line or in the email that they hit the heart button during the pitch event.

Several things can happen after a Twitter pitch party. Those with hearts on their pitches get to send in queries. Those queries can turn into partials or full requests. They might even turn into a signed contract for a manuscript! (My own publisher has signed four authors from Twitter pitch parties.) But what happens if there are no hearts? That usually means one of two things—either timing was bad and the right agents and publishers weren’t watching the Twitter feed or that the pitches still weren’t quite right. Don’t despair! Learn from the event. Keep polishing those pitches. Get outside help to make them shine. (And of course, keep sending out query emails and letters.) There is always another Twitter pitch party on the horizon.

Ready to try your hand at a Twitter pitch? Then join us January 20, 2021 for #IWSGPit - https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-twitter-pitch.html And polish, polish, polish those pitches. Good luck!

IWSG's Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh

Bio

Alex J. Cavanaugh works in web design, graphics, and technical editing. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, which hosts #IWSGPit every January. He’s the author of Amazon Best-Sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, CassaStorm, and Dragon of the Stars. The author lives in the Carolinas with his wife.

Visit Alex at

http://alexjcavanaugh.com/

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh