Tampa Book Buzz

usf literary journal saw palm is seeking submissions

Received via email:

Saw Palm, a Florida-themed literary journal at the University of South Florida (USF), is seeking art and writing submissions. We’re looking for Florida work—which may include work from anywhere that concerns itself with Florida (images, people, themes), or work from Florida not obviously about someplace else.

All mail submissions must include a SASE. No previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are accepted as long as we are notified of acceptance elsewhere. Deadline is October 15.

You can read about the 2006-07 issue here.

have you voted for the loafies yet?

Have you voted in Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2007 poll yet?  This year, there are 70 categories in which you can pick your local favorites.  (Best Local Blog is a category again this year, hint, hint.)  CL is asking everyone to choose locally-owned and operated nominees instead of mega-chains.  (I own this blog myself, hint, hint.)

Voting ends August 8.  The Best of the Bay 2007 issue comes out September 19.  You must vote in at least 25 categories for your ballot to count.  One ballot per person, please.

Click here to vote.

i want a word

My goodness, I receive the most interesting email these days:

I’ve recently launched a website called I Want A Word, through which I am aiming to produce the world’s biggest ever multi-author book.

Basically, the idea is that I’m looking for 10,000 people to each contribute a single word to the project via the website. When all 10,000 words have been submitted I’m going to add a few more of my own to produce a single, coherent story. At the moment I have absolutely no idea what the book is going to be about - it totally depends on the words that are submitted. It’s exciting though, I have to admit, kind of scary too!

The project is still in its early days but seems to have been generally well received so far and is starting to get a bit of coverage in the press. If you want to find out more about it, check out the site at www.iwantaword.com.

Chemist-turned-wordsmith Chris Baker is looking for 10,000 people to each buy a word of their own choice for the cost of … a guess it’s a British pound?  I don’t have that cool-looking cursive-L symbol on my keyboard.

I took a peek at the words that have been submitted so far.  This is going to be a most unusual book!  (And I’m woman enough to admit that I had no idea what several of the words — including ”congee” — meant until I looked them up.)  Most of the submitted words are either nouns or adjectives.  I think I’ll submit a hard-core, furious action verb to shake things up a bit.

Visit www.iwantaword.com to learn more or to purchase a word.  I believe the words “Lisa” and “Ciurro” are still available….

nation magazine’s student writing contest

From WMNF’s website:

The Nation magazine is looking for original, thoughtful, provocative student voices to tell What Is The Most Important Issue for Young People in the 2008 Presidential Campaign. Essays should be original, unpublished work that demonstrates clear thinking and superior quality of expression and craftsmanship.

There will be five finalists and one winner, who will receive cash prizes, a Nation subscription and publication in the magazine and on the website. The contest is open to students at U.S. high schools and to undergraduates at U.S. colleges and universities. Entries - only one per student - are accepted through May 31. A winner will be announced by September 4. Please send entries to studentprize(at)thenation.com.

For more information visit http://www.lists.thenation.com/.

first chapter writing competition on gather.com

Gather.com has a First Chapter Writing Competition that ends March 15.  It’s “a first-time author’s gateway to publication. One novelist will win a publishing contract with Touchstone/Simon and Schuster, a $5,000 cash prize and promotion by Borders.”

Joining Gather.com is simple, easy and free of charge.  Once you’ve signed up, visit the group First Chapter Competition to read the guidelines, rules and submission instructions. Here’s the link, which I think will work without having to join Gather.com first: http://firstchapters.gather.com/.

If you do sign up at the website, visit me at www.tampabookbuzz.gather.com to “connect” (it’s sort of like “friends” at MySpace).

(Thanks go to local author S.L. Juers for telling me about this competition.  I hope his story is posted on Gather.com soon.  I’m looking forward to reading it.)

tcm’s book giveaway for january

Turner Classic Movies is giving away copies of The Audrey Hepburn Treasures by Ellen Erwin and Jessica Z. Diamond this month.  Click here to enter the sweepstakes.

turner classic movies’ november giveaway

There’s still time to enter the November book giveaway sweepstakes at Turner Classic Movies’ website. This month’s book is Still Moving:The Film and Media Collections of The Museum of Modern Art by Steven Higgins. Click here to enter or to read about this book.

bookreporter.com’s beach bag of books this week

This week’s Beach Bag of Books promotion on www.bookreporter.com features Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell.

Click here to read their review of Lipstick Jungle and to enter the sweepstakes.

this month’s book giveaway on tcm

This month, TCM (Turner Classic Movies) is giving away copies of the new biography of Elizabeth Taylor by J. Randy Taraborrelli titled Elizabeth. Click here to read about this new book and to enter the sweepstakes.

inkwood books’ 3rd annual get caught reading contest

From Inkwood Books’ website:

Inkwood’s 3rd Annual Get Caught Reading Contest!

2006 GET CAUGHT READING PHOTO CONTEST- We are now accepting photos for our 3rd annual Get Caught Reading contest. Send, bring, or email us your favorite original photo of a reader in action for a 20% off coupon and a chance to win big prizes! The Grand Prize includes a $100 Inkwood gift certificate and a poster on our wall. Winner will be chosen August 15.

Visit www.inkwoodbooks.com for more info.