THERE IS STLL TIME!!

Please Join Us

41st Southeastern Writers Workshop 

June 17-21, 2016 

Epworth by the Sea 

St. Simons Island, Georgia

Contests Deadline EXTENDED!

The SWA Board of Directors has extended the deadline for submitting work to our contests. 

The new deadline is May 28 by 11:59pm.

The 9 Contests are:

• The Hal Bernard Memorial Award for Novel
• The G.T. Youngblood Award for Short Fiction
• The Vega Award for Speculative Short Fiction
• The Julie L. Cannon Award
• The Bill Westhead Memorial Award
• The Angel Award for Holiday Seasonal Writing
• The Thomas Max "You Are Published" Contest
• The Award for Excellence in Inspirational Writing
• The Humor Award

Don't miss out on all the CASH PRIZES!  See the submission guidelines here!

Register today!

41st Southeastern Writers Workshop 

June 17-21, 2016 

Epworth by the Sea 

St. Simons Island, Georgia

WIN SOME CASH! FINAL DAYS!

The Countdown Is On!

The deadline for submitting to SWA's 9 Workshop Contests is May 15 (@11:59pm)!

The 2016 Contests

• The Hal Bernard Memorial Award for Novel
• The G.T. Youngblood Award for Short Fiction
• The Vega Award for Speculative Short Fiction
• The Julie L. Cannon Award
• The Bill Westhead Memorial Award
• The Angel Award for Holiday Seasonal Writing
• The Thomas Max "You Are Published" Contest
• The Award for Excellence in Inspirational Writing
• The Humor Award 

★  NO Entry Fees* ★  Cash Prizes  ★

See the complete guidelines here.  Look at some of our happy 2015 winners!  That could be you!

Register today!

41st Southeastern Writers Workshop 

June 17-21, 2016 

Epworth by the Sea 

St. Simons Island, Georgia

*Contests are open to workshop attendees only.

WIN SOME CASH!!!

Join us for the 41st Southeastern Writers Workshop, June 17-21, and you can submit any or all of our contests ~ for FREE!

Register for one day or all four ~ there's no minimum requirement!  And there a so many contests to choose from!  Do you have a novel, a short story?  Maybe humor, inspirational or personal narratives?  No matter!  There's a contest for you!  And best of all...

Every contests awards CASH PRIZES!!

2016 CONTESTS:

• The Hal Bernard Memorial Award for Novel
• The G.T. Youngblood Award for Short Fiction
• The Vega Award for Speculative Short Fiction
• The Julie L. Cannon Award
• The Bill Westhead Memorial Award
• The Angel Award for Holiday Seasonal Writing
• The Thomas Max "You Are Published" Contest
• The Award for Excellence in Inspirational Writing
• The Humor Award

The submission DEADLINE IS May 15, 2016.  

Read the full guidelines on our website.

41st Southeastern Writers Workshop 

June 17-21, 2016 

Epworth by the Sea 

St. Simons Island, Georgia

5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Southeastern Writers Workshop

The staff and faculty of the Southeastern Writers Workshop strive every year to make the Workshop the BEST tour days of your writing life. Here are a few things you can do to make your time even better.

Enter to win a  scholarship!  

TWO are available - Student and Adult! Deadline is April 18.  Read the details.

Enter as many of the contests you can!  

Nine contests offered and each has at least one cash prize!  Deadline is May 15.  Full guidelines are here.

Submit up to three manuscripts for evaluation for FREE! 

Each evaluation comes with a 15-minute one-on-one consultation. Deadline is May 28. Submission guidelines are here.

Go to ALL the classes!

We have gathered some of the best writers and industry professionals in the country.  You can learn something from everyone that may lead you to literary success from all of them. Find faculty bios and the class schedule is here.

Network!  

Over meals, between classes, in the bookstore, at the evening socials. There is plenty of time built in to network with fellow attendees and faculty members. If you don't have a writing family, you can build one at our workshop.

Check out our website - southeasternwriters.org - for all you need to know about the Southeastern Writers Workshop, June 17-21 at Epworth-by-the-Sea, St Simons Island, GA!

Register Today!

Would you like to attend the 41st Southeastern Writers Workshop TUITION FREE?

You could be here!

Win one of two scholarships to the SWA Writers Workshop!

Here’s how to enter:

• Student Writer: ages 15-25 and enrolled in high school or college.  If the student writer is under 18, a parent or guardian must accompany him/her.
• Adult Writer: age 18 or older
• Submit a 500-word essay describing your journey as a writer and how attending the 41st Southeastern Writers Workshop will change your writing life.  Include why you are the most deserving of the scholarship.  Student Writers must include the name of their school or college.
• The entry deadline is midnight on April 18th. Please email your entry to purple@southeasternwriters.org with a subject line of SWA Student Scholarship or SWA Adult Scholarship.
• The scholarship pays for tuition only.
• Winners will be announced May 1st

Why you should attend the 41st Southeastern Writers Workshop:

• Full access to Jeanie Loiacono, CEO and President of the Loiacono Literary Agency, and Bob Babcock, Founder and CEO of Deeds Publishing
• Specialty classes: Screenwriting, Young Adult, Marketing and more
• 3 free manuscript critiques by our faculty of award-winning writers
• Contests with cash prizes
• Sell your books in the Workshop Bookstore

Registration is now open!

Join Us For Four Of The Best Days Of Your Writing Life!

41st Southeastern Writers Workshop ~ June 17-21

Epworth-by-Sea ~ St. Simons Island, GA

southeasternwriters.org/Writers_Workshop.php

REGISTER TODAY!

Our Faculty includes:

Agent-in-Residence: Jeanie Loiacono, CEO and President of the Loiacono Literary Agency
Publisher: Bob Babcock, Founder and CEO of Deeds Publishing
Keynote Speaker: Janet Sheppard Kelleher, author of the best-selling Big C, little ta-ta

Novel Writing with Shamus Award Winner David Fulmer
Nonfiction Writing with Jedwin Smith, a 2-time Pulitzer nominee
Plus…
• Young Adult Fiction: Michele Roper (a.k.a Gillian Summers)
• Screenwriting: Michael Lucker
• Commercial Writing: Peter Bowerman (a.k.a. The Well-Fed Writer)
• Marketing: My Write Platform

Other Features:

FREE Manuscript Critiques!
Contests with CASH prizes!


Scholarships Available! ~ purple@southeasternwriters.org for details

41st Southeastern Writers Workshop: Contests with Cash Prizes!!!

41st Southeastern Writers Workshop ~ June 17-21 

All attendees of the 41st Southeastern Writers Workshop are eligible to enter our many contests.  And you can write just about anything you want: novels, short fiction, essays, funny stories, true stories, stories with a Southern flair, stories set in other worlds!  And best of all....

There is MONEY to be WON !!!

Contests include:

• The Hal Bernard Memorial Award for Novel 
• The GT Youngblood Short Fiction Award
• The Vega Award for Speculative Short Fiction 
• The Julie L. Cannon Award
• The Bill Westhead Memorial Award
• The Angel Award for Holiday Seasonal Writing
• The ThomasMax “You are Published” Contest
• The Award for Excellence in Inspirational Writing
• The Humor Award 

Click here for complete descriptions and guidelines.  Deadline is May 15.

Contests are open to attendees ONLY.  Click here to learn more and to register.

So You Want to Enter a Writing Contest…(and you want to win?)

First, I’d like to say how extremely appreciative and honored I am to have won first place for my novel submission at the SWA Southeastern Writers Workshop in June of this year. Honored and terribly surprised. Blown away might be more accurate. In my jubilance, I’m sure I was the loudest recipient in the history of the conference. 

I had to force myself to enter the contest. You know how that is, right? Dipping your toe in the water and actually accepting the challenge of sinking or swimming, whether for a short story or a longer manuscript, is just plain scary. Scary and risky. Scary because you have to put yourself out there, and risky because somewhere way in the back of your creative writer’s mind is that little voice that says, “why bother and don’t do it. Somebody might not like what I write.” 

People, we have to go for it anyway. You have to close your eyes, hold your nose, and jump in with both feet. When you do, try these suggestions to make swimming in that deep pond a little easier and possibly successful. You just might end up floating on top of that water. 

1. READ AND FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES.  Down to the very last detail. These are the rules and regulations, word count, correct font and formatting, number of pages, everything the contest wants you to do including how to send your work and where and to whom to send it. Make sure you know your deadlines. Contests organizers do not waiver on deadlines.

2. READ THE GUIDELINES AGAIN. I write them down on a tablet in my own words, and make them handy during my process. I read somewhere that half of the submissions for contests are rejected right off the bat merely because people do not follow directions for the specific requirements and guidelines. That’s not a good reason for a rejection.

3. SUBMIT A FLAWLESS ENTRY. If there are no specifics or requirements for formatting your work, I would suggest checking out the Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript by Chuck Sambuchino and the Editors of Writer’s Digest Books. The book’s standards make it easy to submit a flawless entry.

4. DON’T RUSH. Take your time with a new piece, or re-vamp an older work and make it better; make it the best. Allow yourself plenty of time for editing and re-writes. Then read it aloud and edit it again. The more the merrier. Me, I’m a compulsive re-doer. I have to make myself to stop and hit the SEND button. 

5. WRITE FROM YOUR HEART NOT WITH THE AIM OF WINNING. Think about the fact that someone is going to read your work. To me, that is the coolest thing. Then you have no choice but to write your best work. You will submit your very best work.

Good luck to all who take the risk!

Jody Herpin, a southern writer, mother, Grams, watercolor painter, and lover of life, lives in Kennesaw, Georgia, with her husband, Mike Boggioni, and their Mini-Aussie, Bella. In June 2015, Jody won First Place for Novel Submission for her first novel, Weather Permitting, at the SWA Southeastern Writers Workshop. Catch her blog at www.jodyherpin.wordpress.com and like her at www.facebook.com/authorjodyherpin.

Last Minute Submission Information

Hey y'all! I know we usually post about submissions and contests well before the deadlines in order to give all of you plenty of time to write and edit your stories/poems before you send them in. 

Well, this is not one of those times. But! If you have something ready to go and you would like to submit your short fiction or poetry to a contest where you might win £500 and either an agent consultation  for your fiction or a mentorship for your poetry, as well as publication in the respected Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual. For more information, click that link up above and get cracking on those submissions! The deadline is this Sunday (the 31 of August), so you only have a few days to enter! 

If August 31 seems too soon, how about September 1? That gives you a whole extra 24 hours to prepare something to submit to Dancing With Bear Publishing's October anthology that will be specifically about breast cancer in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. They are looking for stories both from survivors and from family members and friends of those who have had the disease. If you have been affected by breast cancer, please think about submitting to this anthology. For more information and how to enter, click the link above. 

We do hope that everyone who is able to submit does, and we'll be sending you all well wishes this holiday weekend! And, if any of you are chosen for either anthology, let us know! We'd love to post about that, or any other exciting news you may have here on the blog. Send any and all emails to swapurplepros@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you and good luck! 

2014 Southeastern Writers Workshop Awards Night

We wrapped up the 2014 Southeastern Writers Workshop with our Awards Night: Celebrating the Great American Author!  And celebrate we did!

Guest speaker Darrell Huckaby gave a rousing rendition of Johnny Cash's "Ragged Old Flag" and had us in stitches as he recounted his first forays into the literary life.  President Lee Clevenger introduced new SWA Board members, passing the torch -- literally --to (photo l-r) Meredith Brown - The Purple Pros editor; Patrick Hempfing -treasurer; and Sandra Giles - secretary/registrar.  Alex Christle joined the Board the next morning at the Board meeting, taking on the manuscript coordinator and webmaster job. Lee and Kay Eaton (also pictured) are retiring from the Board.

But the real stars of the night are our WINNERS!  We had 13 contests with cash prizes up for grabs this year.  Thank you to our contests sponsors for their loyal support of SWA!

The Hal Bernard Memorial Award For Novel - sponsored by H.W. "Buzz" Bernard
1st:   Behind the Mask by Dana Ridenour
2nd:   The Rose and the Spider by Z.J. Czupor
3rd:   Illusions by L. M. W. Bro
HM:   The Refugee Territory by Tiffany Chacon

The Past Presidents’ Romance Award - sponsored by Debra A. Brown
1st:   Harvest by Linda Joyce
2nd:   Between Nowhere And Lost by Alexandra Christle

The Edna Sampson Award Of Excellence For The Best Novel By A First Time Attendee - sponsored by Vicki Hinze, Cheryl Norman & Marge Smith
Behind the Mask by Dana Ridenour

The GT Youngblood Short Fiction Award - sponsored by Adrian Drost
1st:   Bobby’s Battle by Linda Joyce
2nd:   Encounter With Yesterday by Susan Lindsley
HM:   The Bridge by Dana Ridenour

The Microcosm Award - sponsored by Charlotte Babb
1st:    Rivalry by Micki Morency
2nd:   Innocence by Dawn Burr
3rd:   View of a lifetime by Jody S. Herpin

Lines Of Worth Award - sponsored by Margaret Pennycook
Nonagenarians by Mary Stripling

The Julie L. Cannon Award - sponsored by Cheryl Walz & Frances Ruffin
1st:   To Fall Off The Mountain by Edward D. Anderson
2nd:   Me And Woot And The Redbone Hound by Susan Lindsley
3rd:   The "Write" Way by Georgia Mellie Justad

The Bill Westhead Memorial Award - sponsored by John House
1st:   The Legacy by Sheila S. Hudson
2nd:   My Personal Journey by Micki Morency
3rd:    From My Mouth by Patrick L. Hempfing

The Angel Award For Holiday Seasonal Writing - sponsored by Lee & Emily Sue Harvey
1st:   A Very Southern Tradition by Sheila S. Hudson
2nd:   The Most Wonderful Time by Patrick L. Hempfing
3rd:   Devilishly Good Skeleton Soup by Carol Dumas

The ThomasMax “You Are Published” Contest - sponsored by Lee Clevenger
When Darkness Fell by Susan Lindsley

The Very Merrie Bosom Buddy Award - sponsored by Janet S. Kelleher
1st:   Jonas Rules For Cats by Amy Wethington   
2nd:   Joy To The Fish That Got Away by Mary Stripling

The Award For Excellence In Inspirational Writing - sponsored by Mary Stripling
1st:   Grief by Micki Morency
2nd:   Broken Wings by Sheila S. Hudson
3rd:   Claiming Our Gifts by Candi Deal
HM:   The List by Patrick L. Hempfing

The Cappy Award For Humor - sponsor by Cappy Hall Rearick
Flower Power by Sheila S. Hudson

2014 SWA Winners!

SWA Writers Workshop starts Friday!

Have you packed?

The atmosphere of the workshop is casual. It's a beach resort community so shorts and tees rule. Just be sure to bring some nice party clothes for the Awards Ceremony. And you may want to try one of the fabulous local restaurants. 

Did you submit manuscripts for evaluation?  

You should bring a copy of each manuscript with you to the workshop. The faculty only have electronic copies. It may be helpful to have a hard copy available during your conference. 

Don't worry if you missed the deadline!

If you didn't submit a manuscript, bring some of your work with you. Agent Carlie Webber will be available all week to meet with attendees. Editor Chuck Sambuchino will be available Saturday and Sunday to meet with students. And many of the evaluating faculty will have extra appointments you can nab, plus you could have lunch, dinner or even breakfast with an instructor. Try to get all the feedback you can get from these professionals. 

The motto of SWA is "Writers helping writers."  That's why we do this, why these instructors are here. We all want to help you become the best writer you can be. 

We'll see you Friday!

Pitch Your Book Ends Sunday!

Hurry!

Submit a 1-page query anonymously, but put your contact info and proof of registration in the body of your email. Write Query Evaluation in the subject line, attach the query to your email in a Word file and send to evaluation@southeasternwriters.org  Your query will be evaluated by our Agent-in-Residence Carlie Webber during the SWA Writers Workshop.

Pitch Your Book until 

Sunday, June 1 at 11:59 pm!

Workshop Sneak Peek: Awards Night

Celebrate a Great American Writer...YOU!

Put on your best party clothes and come celebrate the Great American Writer in all of us at SWA Writers Workshop's Awards Night, Tuesday, June 17!  We will hand out the contests prizes and a few surprises!  Plus syndicated columnist and best-selling author of nearly a dozen books, Darrell Huckaby will be our special guest, bringing his down home humor and unique reflections on life in the South “the way it was, the way it used to be, and the way it ought to be.” 

Once these ceremonies are completed, the party will continue (if attendees wish) at the King & Prince Resort on the beachside of the island, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  This informal "After Party" is the ideal wind-down after an intense and exciting workshop! 

Don't Miss It!

Seats are Still Available!

Click Here!

Time is Running Out!

The Submission Deadline is May 15! 

15 Contests with CASH prizes!

THREE FREE Manuscript Evaluations!

Due in One Week -7 Days!

Open to Registered Workshop Attendees Only!

More Info and Registration on Our Website!

Time is Running Out!

Workshop Sneak Peek: Manuscript Deadline is TWO WEEKS away!!

The Southeastern Writers Workshop, June 13-17, 2014, offers registered attendees ample opportunities to share their work and receive feedback or cash prizes.  And submission deadline is May 15!  The SWA Workshop is one of a few, if not the only, workshops that offer free manuscript evaluations and we offer THREE for FREE!

Manuscript Evaluation Categories (choose 3)

• Poetry - Evaluator: Peggy Mercer 
• Novel - Evaluator: Bob Mayer 
• Short Fiction - Evaluator: C.D. Mitchell  
• Nonfiction - Evaluator: Dahlynn McKowen
• Juvenile - Evaluator: Peggy Mercer

See the full guidelines on the SWA website.

Pitch Your Book

In addition, our Agent-in-Residence Carlie Webber wants a 1-page query from Workshop attendees, submitted anonymously, but put your contact info and proof of registration in the body of your email. Write Query Evaluation in the subject line, attach the query to your email in a Word file and send to evaluation@southeasternwriters.org

15 Contests with CASH prizes

Attendees may enter any and all contests.  The full contest descriptions are here.  Submission guidelines can be found here.

• The Hal Bernard Memorial Award for Novel 
• The Past Presidents’ Romance Award
• The Edna Sampson Award of Excellence for The Best Novel by a First Time Attendee (Selected from entries to the Hal Bernard Memorial Award)
• The GT Youngblood Short Fiction Award 
• The Microcosm Award  
• Romantic Flash Fiction Award  
• Lines of Worth Award  
• The Julie L. Cannon Award 
• The Bill Westhead Memorial Award 
• The Angel Award for Holiday Seasonal Writing 
• The ThomasMax “You are Published” Contest 
• The Very Merrie Bosom Buddy Award 
• The Dr. George L. Sheppard Memorial Award 
• The Award for Excellence in Inspirational Writing 
• The Cappy Award for Humor  

Submission Deadline is May 15! 

Open to Registered Workshop Attendees Only!

More Info and Registration on Our Website!