2/22 - A Reading and Conversation with Meagan Brothers, Constance Renfrow, and Rachel Gold

If you're in Lancaster, PA tomorrow, come to the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House at my alma mater, Franklin & Marshall College, for a reading of Weird Girl and What's His Name. Meagan Brothers will read from her LGBT YA novel hailed as "[having] all the makings to become a classic of this generation" (Foreword Reviews). A conversation on the book publishing process will follow, featuring myself and fellow F&M and Three Rooms Press alumna Rachel Gold. There will be a Q&A and book signing afterward. 

The event begins at 7:30 and is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there!

Millennial Writers on Writing on HUFFINGTON POST

Head over to Huffington Post Books to check out my article "Millennial Writers on Writing"! This piece features Songs of My Selfie contributors as they respond to the question: "Why do you write?" Highlighted writers include: Ifra Asad, Tyler Barton, Aaron Thorpe, Tiffany Ferentini, and Xingyue Sarah He.

It begins:

We rarely hear about writers at the start of their journeys -- the ones just beginning to strive publicly, instead of in the quiet confines of their mind. And so, in the spirit of moving forward, of looking to the future of literacy and literature, I asked the young, millennial-aged storytellers included in the forthcoming Songs of My Selfie: An Anthology of Millennial Stories (Three Rooms Press, April 2016) to share their views on writing--to put into words just why they write. Here's what they have to say

Click here to read the article on Huffington Post. And for more millennial responses, check out the full piece on Three Rooms Press. Don't forget to preorder your copy of Songs of My Selfie and #ReadMillennialWriters. 

Citizen Lit Spotlights SONGS OF MY SELFIE

Calling all literatis and book lovers: Head over to Citizen Lit Podcast to hear a sampling of Songs of My Selfie! Hosted by Wilkes University's Jim Warner, this weekly literary and arts podcast has chosen to spotlight Songs of My Selfie, my millennial anthology. Over the course of the next few episodes, Citizen Lit will feature select contributors reading from their stories.

First up is Mina Holmes, reading from "Small Bump" (18:00), alongside an interview with the publishers at Two Dollar Radio: http://bit.ly/20jK6lJ

And today's episode features Tyler Barton, reading from "10 Things I Learned Since College" (19:00): http://bit.ly/1R5c0KB

Check back next Monday for more readings from the Songs of My Selfie team! 

Guest Post: "On Place" Series

Head over to poet, editor, and YA author Kelly Ann Jacobson's blog to read my guest post for her "On Place" series. I talk about using New York as the setting for my short story "The Edge of Happiness," featured in my forthcoming anthology Songs of My Selfie. 

An excerpt:

It’s about being young and disillusioned, and more accurately still, it’s about being young and disillusioned in New York City. I won’t say this story couldn’t take place anywhere else—in any other city in the world—but New York is known as a haven for the young and the creative and those who are lost, looking to be found. It is a home to transplants, and I rely on my reader knowing the mythos of NYC in order to fully understand the narrator’s ambitions—to make it as an artist in the big city—and thus her great anguish: to realize art comes not from place but from within.

Read the whole post at: http://www.kellyannjacobson.com/on-place-series/on-place-constance-renfrow.html#sthash.9MmYcVFl.cfeWE4rx.dpuf

Take a look behind the curtain at DIY MFA

I'm thrilled to announce that I have joined the DIY MFA crew as a regular columnist! DIY MFA offers advice on writing, reading, community-building, and more. They feature writing prompts, podcasts, and soon there will be a DIY MFA book. 

I'll be writing each month about book publishing, editing, and other aspects of the industry. If you have a book you're considering pitching, or want to learn what it's like on the other side of the writing process, check back for new posts from me and from the rest of the DIY MFA team. 

My first column, "A Walk-through of the Book Publishing Process (part 1)" is up now. Here's a clip from the intro. 

Writers everywhere dream of getting their novels published, but I would wager that when you picture that most anticipated of events, you imagine getting that congratulatory email from your agent/editor and then fast-forward to the black tie launch party a la Richard Castle. The truth is even after the contract is signed, your work as author isn’t quite done yet. In the editorial department alone there are a number of steps between acquisition and publication, and unfortunately, almost all of them require something for the author to do. So let me take you through the process that turns a manuscript into a beautiful, shiny (or matte) new book.

Read the full article here, and if you find it helpful, leave a comment or share on Facebook and Twitter. Enjoy!