|
|
 Writing from the Center The official literary magazine of Kansas Authors Club Prose - Poetry - Visual Art Free for members and students (Kansas secondary & post secondary) Open for Submissions: March 1 - April 30, 2025
2025 Theme: Balance  From Member Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg:
Do you write book reviews for publications, blogs, podcasts, or other sources? Or do you host writers with new books on blogs or podcasts? I have a hard-won new book coming out July 17 from Mammoth Publications – The Magic Eye: A Story of Saving a Life and a Place in the Age of Anxiety – and I would love to connect with you about the possibilities (I can also send you a PDF of the book and its cover pronto). Here’s a little about the book: Harriet Lerner calls The Magic Eye "....a luminous, poetic meditation on survival, community, and resilience. With tenderness and humor, her memoir speaks to the fierce beauty of holding on to life, to land, and to hope when the odds seem insurmountable. A deeply human story, this book is a testament to courage and the power of place that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.” The Magic Eye encompasses a mythic, quirky, and timely journey with a cast of unforgettable friends that make surviving the odds—both the danger of invasive cancer in a body and invasive development vying for tallgrass prairie—possible. Crossing through the pandemic, this memoir is guided by tenderness, curiosity, and more than a dash of magic as Mirriam-Goldberg writes of giving endangered turtles names such as Gandalf and Harrison Ford, undergoing surgery to insert a radioactive disk in her eye, outsmarting a tornado, and the Rube Goldbeg contraption of the body. The Magic Eye investigates what it means to reinhabit our bodies and ecosystems. You can also see the press release here. The following question came up during our 2nd Tuesday Social. It is an important distinction and we wanted to clarify for new members.
Q: I was waiting to submit my published book to the contest on April 1, and now I see that the "preferred deadline" for submission was March 1. Am I too late to enter? A: Good question! This is an important change to the 2025 contest guidelines. First, members need to be aware that there are two sets of contests that Kansas Authors Club sponsors annually. The first is our Book Awards. We have eight awards for PUBLISHED books. In 2025, eligible books were published between June 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024. We are honoring the June 15 deadline, but as we are introducing the announcement of finalists for this contest, we would prefer to receive your entries ASAP. Click here for Book Awards guidelines. Read the whole thing before entering! ONLY Kansas Authors Club members are eligible for the Book Awards contests. It is OKAY to join today and submit your book for the competition. The second set of contests are our Annual Literary Contests with categories for youth and adult writers. These contests are open to all Kansas Authors Club members (regardless of where you live) and to ANY Kansas resident. If you live in the state of Kansas, you do not need to be a member, but adults will have to pay a little more to enter the contest. There is no charge for youth to enter the contests. Eligible entries for this contest are short, never-before-published pieces of prose and poetry (there are several categories, review the guidelines for specifics). Submissions for the Literary Contest are always open from April 1 to June 15. Start on this page and take the time to read the guidelines before you submit. Check out the video at the bottom of the page that walks you through the submission process. From member Beth Gulley: Authors club members are invited to the Cavalier Conference on Writing and Literature April 11. The theme is The Future of Storytelling. Jose Faus is the keynote speaker. Proposals for individual presentations are still being accepted. For more information see the website: https://www.jccc.edu/conferences/cavalier-writing/  The Cavalier Conference on Writing and Literature will be held Friday April 11 at Johnson County Community College. This year's theme is "The Future of Storytelling" and the keynote speaker is the poet and artist Jose Faus. While the conference is broadly aimed at English and Writing teachers, all are welcome to attend.
From the conference website: "As teachers of literature and composition, we often focus on the usefulness of narrative or storytelling. Not only are students often more inspired by this genre, but even the "driest" and most analytical writing benefits from author's deliberate use of story. Whether used as a hook device, anecdotal evidence, a means of persuasion or the structure for epic stories and poems, the future is built by stories. How might we reimagine storytelling for future audiences? How has technology changed storytelling? What are the stories we need to hear and to tell today? What are ways we can include a broader range of stories in our classrooms? We invite you to share your thoughts as we talk through these questions and workshop solutions to form stories and connections that transcend boundaries." Registration is live here: https://www.jccc.edu/conferences/cavalier-writing/ For those who like to plan ahead, the guidelines for our 2025 writing contests have been updated and are now available on our website. Note that our literary contests are for short form, never-before-published work. If you are looking for details about our published book awards, click here. Kansas Authors Club Annual Writing Contests Open for Submissions April 1 through June 15 All residents of the state of Kansas are invited to enter the annual literary contests of the Kansas Authors Club. Entries in 18 categories of prose and poetry are accepted April 1 to June 15 with cash prizes presented at the Kansas Authors Club Writing Retreat on October 5, 2025. Winners who cannot attend the awards ceremony will receive awards by mail after the event. All residents of the state of Kansas are welcome to enter, and those who are members get discounted entry fees. Members of the club may reside anywhere in Kansas and beyond. New in 2025
Read the complete guidelines for details. 18 categories in prose & poetryDear Authors, I am grateful for your efforts, organization, and enthusiasm! If you have not experienced the Short Story Dispensers, visit the Wichita Art Museum and the Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. You can also access Select a Short Story at your convenience. If you know anyone interested, please share. An author can create an account and submit a short story. Although no royalties will be awarded, this is another opportunity to promote literacy. Thanks for going beyond the books! Cheers! Carmaine Ternes Librarian, Author, Editor, Presenter "A child who reads will be an adult who thinks!" Climate Stories Project StoryCorps One Small Step  To all members who have published a book June 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024. Please carefully review our updated consolidated Book Award Guidelines before entering a 2025 book contest. Significant changes have taken place.
Published Book Awards Eight Categories Cash Awards For the 2025 Award Year Submissions Accepted: NOW through March 1, 2025 (encouraged), June 15 (final)  L U C KHello Friend!
We are currently collecting true stories for the LUCK issue of 105 Meadowlark Reader. You have until December 31 to get your stories submitted. Guidelines below. Happy Holidays from 105 Meadowlark Reader! What we’re looking for, in general: Your true stories about Kansas told in an engaging way. Pull us in, make us feel something. Make us laugh or make us cry. Be creative. Use dialog. Careful word choice and fresh imagery is valued. Write your stories in any of the persons (first, second, third). Eligible writers: We are looking for true stories about Kansas written by Kansans, therefore you must be a Kansas resident or have lived in Kansas at some point in your life. Theme for Issue #9 (November 1 - December 31, 2024 Submission Period): Luck Word count: Let’s say 100 - 3,000 words, give or take. How many words does it take for you to tell your story? We want original, never-before-published pieces. No simultaneous submissions, please. 105 Meadowlark Reader does not accept AI-generated stories. Have fun: When a writer enjoys the process, that positive energy comes through to the reader. Publishing rights: We are asking for First North American Serial Rights. Payment: Payment is currently $10 per story and one contributor copy of the journal. How to submit: File types accepted: .doc, .docx, .rtf Manuscript Preparation: Use standard formatting for your entry. This means:
Include your author bio at the end of your entry. Your name as printed in this bio is how we will refer to you in the rest of the journal. (Exception: Feel free to use titles and degree designations in the bio, but those titles will not be included in the byline, per Meadowlark style.) Your bio should include:
Author Photos:
Limit: you may enter up to two (2) stories per submission period. Submit via Submittable - Meadowlark Press Submission Manager  Choeofpleirn Press is hosting a harvest-oriented poetry contest this month, and will publish 8 poems selected from the submissions on our website, www.choeofpleirnpress.com, in November.
Writers and artists in Barton, Pawnee, Rice, Rush, Ellsworth, Russell, and Stafford counties are encouraged to submit their work for publication in Barton Community College's literary annual Prairie Ink, due for a new issue to be published in April of 2025. BCC is looking for "fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, drama, literary criticism, and those graphic narratives that can be successfully reproduced into black and white photography." Submission guidelines can be found on their website. Submissions are open until the Sunday after Thanksgiving - December 1, 2024.  We would love to see all of our members represented in the yearbook. Your literary contribution is your calling card. Introduce yourself. Share an excerpt from a published work or a work-in-progress. We are accepting literary page entries for the 2025 yearbook! Open August 1 through October 31, electronic receipt or postmark.
Every Member having paid current dues is invited to submit ONE literary contribution for the yearbook. That submission can be either prose or poetry. Prose is limited to one printed page (no more than 500 words). Poetry is limited to one printed page (no more than 40 lines including spaces between verses). Read the guidelines in your yearbook or on our Publications page. In partnership with The Daily Yonder, The Milk House is glad to announce the second annual Best in Rural Writing Contest.
Judged by Dr. Chea Parton, the competition is open to fiction and nonfiction entries under 6,000 words. Deadline: September 30th, 2024 The winning entry will receive $500, and the runner up $200, as well as significant exposure. For more details, go to https://www.themilkhouse.org/contest/ Seeking Nominations for Awards of Merit, Service Awards, and Lifetime Achievement Recognition.
Nominate members for service and achievement awards. The nomination form is now online. Deadline: July 1 The Kansas Association of Teachers of English will host its annual conference on November 1 and 2 in Wichita. This year their theme is “Voices from Our Backyard.” In light of the theme, they are looking for local authors who might be interested in exhibiting their books. Here is a link to the proposal site.
Call for local authors: Creativity and expertise thrive in our own backyard, but too often we're looking at the grass on the other side of the fence. We learn from our colleagues, our students, local authors and artists. This year, the Kansas Association of Teachers of English would like to highlight experts and creatives from the Midwest. If you don't think of yourself as an "expert," don't worry! We'd still love to hear from you. We are looking for local/KS/Midwest authors whose works are geared towards students, teachers, and classrooms across the education spectrum (pre-K - post-secondary). Proposal acceptance guarantees authors will be given table space to vend and sign their works, as well as network with educators from around the state. For each day at the conference, KATE requests one book be donated for the conference door prizes. We are now accepting advertising for our 2024 convention. As with recent years, our event sponsors will enjoy the following:
Ad Creation Assistance Available: For $15 more, we will help you create your advertisement. Select "KAC Assistance" for your purchase option. Deadline to be included in Writing From the Center Zine: August 1, 2024 Final Deadline for 2024 Ads: August 31, 2024 Click the button below for ad creation and payment details.
WRITING CONTEST
KANSAS AUTHORS CLUB DISTRICT 7 News Release: District 7 of the Kansas Authors Club is sponsoring their annual Writing Contest for all writers. There are two main categories: Adult (ages 18 and over) and Youth, living in Kansas or members of KAC living in another state. The contest runs from JUNE 1 to AUGUST 15, 2024. You do not need to be a members of D7 to enter the contest. Writers should follow the Literary Contest rules on the KAC website www.kansasauthorsclub.org and click on contests. The theme of the contest is “Words Take Flight, Choose Your Own Adventure.” Writers of prose or poetry are encouraged to follow the theme but do not have to adhere to it. There are four categories for the contest: Prose Theme and Prose Non-theme, Poetry Story Form, and Poetry Non-story Form. Writers should indicate which category their entry(ies) fits into. More than one entry may be made in any one category. The fee for each entry is $5.00 and only typed copies will be accepted; DO NOT SEND BY E-MAIL. Prizes in the amount of $25, $15 and $10 will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners in each category. Honorable Mention in each category will receive certificates. Send entries to: Sheryl Brenn, 892 County Road O, Levant, KS, 67743. Writing From the Center Zine Submissions April 10 - May 31, 2024 The guidlines have been updated to include the following note: work submitted to the Zine in 2024 is also eligible for the 2024 Kansas Authors Club writing contest, as the zine will not be publicly available until convention time. It is also true that pieces published in the zine in 2024, would not be eligible for the contest in 2025.  Contest opens April 1, 2024, and closes June 15, 2024 Submit online at kansasauthorsclub.submittable.com   TLAN is hosting our first in person conference since 2019 and we would love to your feature your creativity, wisdom and experience in a conference workshop or performance.
From now until April 1st, we invite you to submit a proposal for a workshop and/or a small performance that focuses on writing, storytelling, spoken word, theater, songwriting and composing, etc. as well as bringing in other arts such as visual arts, music, dance and movement. (Don't ponder too long—our call for proposals really does close April 1, 2024). Here are 10 reasons to send us your proposal: 1. You're a writer, storyteller, musician, performer, educator, leader, or healer who knows firsthand how words save and change lives. 2. You have (or are ready to develop) a joyful, meaningful, life-enhancing workshop or performance you're ready to share with a deeply appreciative group of humans. 3. Presenting is a great way to build the kind of meaningful relationships that grow your reach. 4. You love witnessing others finding and sharing their truest words in writing or out loud. 6. Your work resonates with our conference tracks: Narrative Medicine/ Healing Stories, Social Transformation, Engaged Spirituality, Eco-TLA, and/or Right Livelihood. 7. There's no other conference quite like the Power of Words, and you want to be part of building and sustaining the community of transformative language artists. 8. You're ready to be part of a vibrant group of presenters, including writers, storytellers, performers, musicians, educators, activists, healers, health professionals, community leaders, and more from throughout (and perhaps beyond) the U.S. 8. You've been presenting workshops or performances for a while and you're ready to bring one to the Power of Words. 9. Your body and soul tell you this is the time. 10. We are your people, and you are ours. Click the text links here or the buttons below to find out more about our Sept. 26-29, 2024 Power of Words conference at beautiful Unity Village in Kansas City, MO and more about submitting a conference proposal. We look forward to reading your proposals! Kitra Cooper and Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg Power of Words Conference Co-Chairs |
How to Submit News:
If you have news of writing events that would be of interest to all Kansas Authors Club members, or if you are a member (dues current) who would like to announce an achievement, please submit your news via this form. Categories
All
Archives
April 2026
|
RSS Feed