Seeks Travel Writers Support!

World Famous Finalist Christina Santos seeks travel writers support this week!

Christina Santos is hiking the grueling 500 mile Camino de Santiago while desperately trying to accrue hundreds of travel blog followers.

The 25-year-old California-native and writer/blogger for TangoDiva.com is in Northern Spain now and just learned she is a TOP 10 FINALIST in the Entirely World Famous in New Zealand competition. She's up against two other people for the top spot and if she wins, she will embark on an all-expenses-paid three month journey through the South Pacific islands.

Her self made travel video submission is why she is a potential winner.

Christina's deadline to have the most people following her blog is noon Tuesday, Sept. 8 in New Zealand (that's Monday, Sept. 7 at 5 p.m. in California).

While she's exploring the country, Christina will post blogs in a pro-tourism effort for New Zealand and for Entirely Kiwi, the company organizing the competition.

Christina's blog is at http://entirelyworldfamouschristina.blogspot.com/.

As a fellow solo traveler - please vote/follow Christina- and help her live her dream!

Travel Writing & Photography Weekend

A weekend of travel writing and photography at a great location in Norfolk, where sea, sand and hopefully some sun, will inspire you to write and photograph this beautiful area.

Travel writing is being able to convey in a written form a sense of place, adventure and atmosphere. To be a travel writer doesn’t mean you have to jet off around the world, as fantastic and glamorous as that may seem, it can simply be recounting a visit to your local town or village, about a day trip, mini break or holiday. This workshop encompasses the basic skills you need to write an informative and interesting feature or article about somewhere you’ve been and how to improve your general article writing skills.

Your writing tutor, Caroline Foster is an experienced freelance writer and tutor. Caroline regularly writes features for a number of national and regional publications on a wide variety of subjects.

In 2006, Caroline was awarded ‘Writer of the Year’ by the Writers Bureau.
Caroline guarantees not only will students enjoy the writing and photography workshop they will take away valuable tips and techniques that they will be able to apply to all their future writing including how to get published and paid.

About the photography workshop
There's no doubt some people have an innate ability for composition, but it's not exclusive to them. We can all learn a few simple ground rules to give our photographs thatsomething extra. On your photography dayyou will learn the four simple principlesof good photography, which will help you to improve your image taking. There will beplenty ofopportunity to practise in the fabulous surroundings of thevenue, guided by your tutor. It doesn’t matter if you shoot film or digital, or if you only have a modest compact camera, the same rules apply.

Your photography tutor, Bryan Shaw is a freelance photographer whose work has been published in a range of photography magazines, including Practical Photography, Photography Monthly, Black & White Photography, Outdoor Photography and Pentax User. Bryan has also had images selected for inclusion in Trinity House calendars for 2008 and 2009.
Bryan spent 10 years as a business and personal development trainer, and has successfully run a number of photography workshops, so you'll be in good hands.

Date: 14-15 March 2009
Time: 09:30am
Location: Le Strange Arms, Hunstanton, United Kingdom

Cost: £185 per person inclusive (excludes travel)
Extra night £55 B&B

Includes: coffee on arrival, morning coffee, lunch, evening meal, overnight accommodation, cooked breakfast, morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea and cakes plus travel writing and photography tutoring, one workshop each day inclusive of materials. Students should bring along their own camera.

Contact Phone: 01473858429
Email: info@cwgroups.org.uk

TRAVEL WRITING COURSE IN TUSCANY

Travel writing, food writing and wine writing are some of the most appealing genres of nonfiction, calling on all of an author's skills-dramatic scenes, character sketches, concrete detail, point of view, scene by scene construction-to compose compelling, engaging travel narratives. This six-day intensive travel writing class will introduce you to essential techniques of travel, food and wine writing and give you expert, insider advice about how to submit and publish finished travel stories.

In addition to learning these skills, you'll dine at outstanding restaurants, visit some of the world's best wineries, and explore fascinating historic sights. You'll enjoy exclusive behind-the-scenes tours unavailable to the general public. Best of all, you'll receive up-to-date story ideas from local industry experts that you can turn into finished travel, food and wine stories by the end of the course and submit to newspapers and magazines for publication.

The six-day (May 24 - 30) travel writing class will take place in Montalcino, one of the most beautiful medieval hill towns in Italy, and the epicenter of the nation's new wine and food scene. The cost will be US$2600 per person, including accommodations and most meals. (Single supplement, US$450 per person) Plane fare, transit to and from Montalcino and some meals extra (see itinerary on www.thewritersworkshop.net/travel.)

To enroll, please send Nicholas O'Connell a non-refundable deposit of US$800 to 201 Newell St., Seattle, WA 98109. Enrollment is limited to 10. For more information, please contact Nicholas O'Connell, 206-284-7121, nick@thewritersworkshop.net, www.thewritersworkshop.net/travel.

Nicholas O'Connell
The Writer's Workshop
206-284-7121
nick@thewritersworkshop.net
www.thewritersworkshop.net/travel

Travel Writing Workshop

Date: 04 March 2009
Time: 12:00 - 13:00
Location: John Deutsch University Centre, McLaughlin Room, Union & University, Kingston, ON
Host: Queen's University International Centre (QUIC)

Verge: Travel with Purpose http://www.vergemagazine.org/
Writers, editors and travellers from the Canadian Verge Magazine will talk to students about travel writing.

Verge is Canada's magazine for people who travel with purpose. The authoritative resource for Canadians wanting to work abroad, study abroad or volunteer abroad.

Contact Phone: 6135332604
Email: quic@queensu.ca

The Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Awards

Deadline: May 01, 2009

Writer's Digest is now accepting entries for the 17th Annual Self-Published Book Awards. Giving away more than $17,000 in prizes. Also new for 2009, you can register and pay for your entry online.

THE PRIZES:

ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER will be awarded $3,000 cash and promotion in Writer's Digest and Publishers Weekly. The editors of Writer'sDigest will endorse and submit 10 copies of theGrand Prize-Winning book to major review housessuch as The New York Times and The Washington Post. In addition, Book Marketing Works, LLC will provide a one-year membership in Publishers Marketing Association, guarenteed acceptance in a special-sales catalog providing national representation through 1800 salespeople selling to non-bookstore markets, guaranteed acceptance by Atlas Books (a top distributor to wholeslaers, chains, independents and online retailers), six hours of book shepherding from Poynter Book Shepherd Ellen Reid and guaranteed review in Midwest Book Review.

10 FIRST-PLACE WINNERS will receive $1000 cash and promotion in Writer'sDigest. In addition, Book Marketing Works, LLC will provide a guaranteed review in Midwest Book Review, a one-year membership to Book Central Station, the eBook Beyong the Bookstore, a Publishers Weekly book by Brian Jud and a copy of Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers by Shel Horowitz.

Plus, all Grand Prize and First Place winners will receive book-jacket seals to promote the award-winning status of their book, promotion on the Writer's Digest Web site at writersdigest.com, a copy of The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing, 4th Edition by Tom and Marilyn Ross, $100 worth or Writer’s Digest Books and a Notable Award Certificate.

HONORABLE MENTION WINNERS will receive promotion at www.writersdigest.com, $50 worth of Writer's Digest Books and a Notable Award Certificate.

All other entrants will receive Certificates of Participation, a brief judge's commentary and a listing with a link on the Writer's Digest Web site, provided an accurate URL is provided.

THE CATEGORIES:

• Mainstream/Literary Fiction
• Genre Fiction
• Nonfiction
• Inspirational (Spiritual, New Age)
• Life Stories (Biographies, Autobiographies, Family Histories, Memoirs)
• Children's Picture books
• Middle-Grade/Young Adult books
• Reference Books (Directories, Encyclopedias, Guide Books)
• Poetry
• Humor

Click here for details or to enter online

All winners for the 16th Annual Awards (the deadline was May 1, 2008) will be notified by October 13, 2008. Results will not otherwise be made public until they are published in the April 2009 issue.

Check out the April 2008 issue of Writer's Digest for a look at the winners of the 15th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards. Click here for a list of winners and entrants.

Writing Contest: PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award (US$10,000)

Prize: US$10,000

Deadline: December 16, 2008.

This prize will go to the author of a distinguished book of general nonfiction possessing notable literary merit and critical perspective and illuminating important contemporary issues which has been published in the United States during the previous two calendar years. The book should possess the qualities of intellectual rigor and importance, perspicuity of expression, and stylistic elegance conspicuous in the writings of author and economist John Kenneth Galbraith, whose four dozen books and countless other publications continue to provide an important and incisive commentary on the American social, intellectual and political scene.

Who Is Eligible:
A candidate’s book of nonfiction must have been published in the United States between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008. Candidates need not be U.S. residents. Biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs are not accepted.

Nominations are welcome from writers, publishers, editors, and literary agents. One need not be a Member of PEN to submit a nomination.


How to Apply:

1.) Pay the US$50 entry fee online and proceed to checkout. If paying by check, skip to step 2.
2.) Fill out the online submission form and click "submit."
3.) Mail three copies of the candidate's book, your printed submission form, and proof of online payment or a check to:

For more information, click here.

Road Junky 2008 Gonzo Travel Writing Contest: Hell Trips

This is not about romantic getaway, places you fell in love with, gorgeous mountains, best food, etc. The Road Junky 2008 Gonzo Travel Writing Contest is all about the nightmare & worst rip-off stories, the hell trips when everything that could go wrong did. About your worst journeys, your near-death experiences, when you were robbed, beaten up, extorted, heartbroken or brainwashed.

Contest Guidelines

1. Stories should be between 800 and 1500 words and sent as .doc or .rtf files.

2. No fiction.

3. Enclose your name, age and whatever you consider to be your nationality.

4. Please, please have a good read of Road Junky first. It’ll improve your chances if you know what kind of voice we look for. “How My Photos of Niagara Falls Got Deleted” is unlikely to win.

5. Closing date for entries is December 31st 2008. Winners will be chosen when we’ve recovered from our hangovers.

Prizes

First Prize – $400
Second Prize – $200
Third Prize – $100

More info here.