An International List of Writing Organizations and Opportunities
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Laura Popp (Mie-ken, 2009-Present) is a current JET who writes fantasy and science fiction for children and young adults, and is an occasional playwright/film maker. Her short work includes a short story titled “In theShadow Realm” and a documentary she made in Malawi. To read about her amazing adventures all over Japan, go to her blog at laurajanepopp.blogspot.com.
Here is a practical list of organizations, market guides, and networking opportunities for jump starting your writing career. My apologies that it is heavy on the America and Speculative Fiction side, but that is who I am and what I write, so that is what I know best. But hopefully everyone can find something useful from this list:
Your best friend for meeting publishers and agents is writers’ and fan conferences, especially if you can get one-on-one consultations! Every state in America has at least one per year. The one I always attend is the Oklahoma Writers Federation Inc. conference the first weekend in May (http://www.owfi.org/). Next year it will be May 5th-7th. It`s one of the best in America. If you happen to live near the Oklahoma area, there is also Tulsa Nightwriters, CrossRoads Writers Critique Group, Oklahoma Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers, Fellowship of Christian Writers, and the Conestoga conference, all of which can be googled. If you live in other areas, simply google “(your state/province/country) writers” and you will no doubt come up with a host of organizations, conferences, and events.
Here are some groups in Japan:
Osaka Readers and Writer`s Club: Meets every Saturday to read and critique:
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=84878668917&topic=13137#!/group.php?gid=35793654598&ref=search
Nagoya Writers: http://nagoyawrites.wordpress.com/
Tokyo Writers Salon: http://ja-jp.facebook.com/posted.php?id=16353897846
Japan Writers Conference: http://www.japanwritersconference.org/ (This year being held in Tokyo October 10th-11.)
The best writing reference, in my humble opinion, is Writers` Market. It comes out every September and you can get it at almost any bookstore (where English is the main spoke language; and where not, you can buy it online). It features over 8,000 book, magazine, script, and poetry editors and agents to buy your writing. You have to get the latest one because it becomes totally obsolete in six months. For a more fluid, long-lasting reference, you can subscribe to www.writersmarket.com. There`s a similar one for Christian Writers called Christian Writers` Market Guide: http://www.stuartmarket.com/ and for kids and teens called Children`s Writers and Illustrators Market: http://www.cwim.com/
Libraries often host events for writers and contests. By winning a number of these contests, I’ve gained some really useful contacts.
A really prestigious sci-fi/fantasy writers group is Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America- commonly called SFWA. http://www.sfwa.org/ In order to join you must have sold three short stories, a novel, or a screenplay in one of those genres to be in it, but it`s really worth it. Even for non-members they are a vast resource for markets and other information.
This is a link to Australian Speculative Fiction markets: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mslee/mag.html. And this one is international: http://www.sff.net/people/julia.west/markets.html
Fangs, Fur, and Fey (http://community.livejournal.com/fangs_fur_fey) is an online community for urban fantasy/paranormal authors. They’re great for networking and critiquing. The Absolute Write is another great online group of critiquers for any writer.
Some agents with very helpful blogs about the industry are Nathan Bransford, Miss Snark, and Kristin Nelson. They actually tell step by step how to submit your work and write a professional query letter, including examples, along with other essential writing, selling, and marketing tools. The Guide to Literary Agents blog is my personal favorite, especially the new agent alerts! http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com
The international Writers of the Future Contest is how a lot of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror writers are getting started these days. If you win (hard, but doable) they really promote your work and send you to a week-long conference with dozens of agents and editors present. http://www.writersofthefuture.com/
For more general genres, there is the international Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest held in February every year. The odds at winning (with 5,000 entrants in both adult and young adult categories) are very low, but even making it to the quarterfinalist round is something you could put on a resume or a query letter to a publisher/agent. That goes for all contests, actually.
Four small to medium press publishers interested in fantasy, science fiction and horror are Zumaya Publications, Yard Dog press, Double Dragon, and Baen Books. They don’t require an agent to submit work to them.
Society of Children`s Book Writers and Illustrators is one of the most prestigious international writing groups in the world and is for authors of work for toddlers to teens. There are three levels of membership depending on your level of publication. They host events, critique groups, and conferences all over the world. I am a member of both the Tokyo and Oklahoma chapters. Here is their website: http://www.scbwi.org/.
For freelance writing opportunities, try checking caigslist: http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites. I`ve had a number of friends who got gigs this way. Here`s a link to an interesting submission request for science fiction writing out of Osaka: http://osaka.craigslist.jp/wrg/1780784902.html. Elance is another one that looks to be quite useful to us writer sorts.
And hopefully that will keep you busy for awhile!
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