WriteByNight Turns 10!
Posted by David Duhr in 
Discussion questions: It’s WriteByNight’s ten-year anniversary this week! So we’re going to celebrate ourselves. As for discussion questions: What do you see, or what would you like to see, in WriteByNight’s future? Is there anything we don’t yet offer that you think might be helpful? What can we do to enrich your writing life? Let us know in the comments. Or if you’d like to share a favorite WriteByNight memory from the past ten years, we’d love to hear about it! read more
“Making Your Book Awesome”: Nick Courtright & Atmosphere Press
More than six years ago, Nick Courtright walked into our writing center in Austin, Texas, for an interview and walked out as a WriteByNight writing coach and consultant.
Since then, Nick has been a very busy man, publishing two books of poetry, taking over as co-editor at Gold Wake Press, and launching his own hybrid press, Atmosphere. Through it all, he’s been a valuable WBN coach and consultant.
And as of late 2018, WriteByNight partners exclusively with Atmosphere to offer WriteByNight clients the chance to bypass the slush pile and get their book straight into the hands of Atmosphere’s executive editor: Nick Courtright.
Nick and I recently had the chance to chat about Atmosphere, WriteByNight, our partnership, and the future of both of our organizations.
Four years ago you launched Atmosphere. Not to be too general, but how’s it going so far?
It’s going great! Each year has been better than the year before it, and I feel really confident that this will be our best year yet. It’s funny, because unlike some publishers who start with big-dollar ambitions, I started Atmosphere Press almost accidentally. I was working with a talented poet who didn’t want to endure the ordeal that is literary publishing’s ceaseless rejection tornado, and because I had years of experience in putting out books with Gold Wake Press, I asked him what he would think of my publishing his book for him. That was how Atmosphere was born — out of service to an author — and from that accidental origin something really wonderful has been built. I’m the author of two books myself, and I think the core value that Atmosphere started with — helping authors — is a big differentiator for us. read more
Congrats to WriteByNighters, Part 2!
While you’re heading back this weekend from your Thanksgiving travels, why not read up on some more recent success stories from your fellow WriteByNighters.
As you’ll recall, a few weeks ago we posted about some upcoming books from our talented clients, and asked if there were any others we should know about.
There are! And here are a few of them:
Caroline Bock‘s debut story collection, Carry Her Home, was selected by the Washington Writers’ Publishing House for its 2018 Fiction Award, which includes a cash prize and publication. The book was released in mid-October, with a book launch event at D.C.’s venerable bookstore Politics & Prose. (Which would be a great place to buy the book.) read more
Congrats to WriteByNighters!
Continuing our series on publication and our new publication assistance services, we have a few fun announcements to make, and some congratulations to dish out to a few hard-working WriterByNighters.
First, congratulations to Bridget Farr! Bridget’s middle grade novel, Pavi Sharma’s Guide to Going Home, has been sold to Little, Brown & Company. Pavi is a foster child who starts her own business helping other foster kids navigate the system; but when a fellow foster kid is placed with a family with whom Pavi had a terrible experience, Pavi must help her avoid the same fate. Pavi Sharma’s Gide to Going Home is set for publication in the fall of 2019.
Bridget worked with WriteByNight’s Resa Alboher in book coaching, and is currently working on a new novel in coaching with Jessamine Chan.
New Publication Assistance Services!
We have some exciting news: We’re expanding our publication assistance services!
In addition to our existing services designed to help you on the path to traditional publication, we’re adding three new options for those of you interested in self-publication or hybrid publication, or for writers deciding which route to publication is the best fit:
1) If you’re considering self-publishing your book and want some guidance on how to deal with this overwhelming option—the costs, the technology, the marketing, and beyond—our new Self-Publishing Coaching will teach you the ins and outs in as little as one session.
2) We’ve partnered with hybrid publisher Atmosphere Press in order to help you bypass the slush pile and fast-track your query straight to the executive editor — longtime WriteByNight coach and consultant Nick Courtright!
3) If you’re not sure whether traditional, hybrid, or self-publication is the right path for you, our new Publication Consultation will help guide you. We’ll read your manuscript carefully and then meet with you one on one to discuss its prospects for publication and to plan a course of action for turning those prospects into reality. read more
I’ve Never Read Philip Roth
The big lit news this week was the death of Philip Roth. His Great American Novel has been on my list forever, due to the baseball and despite its reputation as not great. I also have friends who swear by his long story or novella “Goodbye, Columbus.” I’ve never read a single word of Roth’s. Not defiantly or anything–it just has never happened.
I’ve also never read any fiction from a writer often mentioned in the same breath, John Updike.
While we’re at it, I’ve never read Moby-Dick or any James Joyce novel or To the Lighthouse. I’ve never read The Sound and the Fury, Frankenstein, or Middlemarch.
1984, Brave New World, War & Peace, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. read more
What Are You Reading & What Should I Read?
We are finally beginning to consider the idea of beginning to begin the process of beginning to get initially settled into our new apartment. We still have plenty of arranging to do, but if everything works out properly, next to one of our sunny windows we’ll have… a fresh new reading nook!
Now I’m going to need some recommendations on what to read in it. read more
My New Podcast — Yak Babies
Hey, so, I’m on a new books podcast about books and writing. It’s called Yak Babies.
Why? I don’t really remember. I think we just liked the way it sounds. Plus yak = talk, and we’re basically just a group of adult babies.
And it gave us the chance to create the handsome nerdy yak mascot you see on the left.
If you want to get right to it, our first two episodes are available now. Here are a few spots to find us:
Podbean: https://yakbabies.
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.
Soundcloud: https://
Or plug this RSS link into your favorite podcasting app: https://yakbabies.
Together We Make Stronger Art
TL;DR version: Basically I just riff about how WriteByNight is turning eight years old and how I draw inspiration from you telling us how we inspire you. You know what, just read the post. It’s not even TL this week, I swear!
One of the things we’re most grateful for is that we chose WriteByNight over some of the other options we threw around: Composite Monster, for one. Shibboleth! Exquisite Corpse; Flyleaf; Wanderjahr. My goodness.
This weekend, WriteByNight turns eight years old.
I looked up eighth anniversaries and discovered that the traditional gifts are bronze and pottery. According to this one website, “Bronze is created by combining two different metals, copper and tin, to make something strong and beautiful.” And then “Pottery symbolizes how your relationship grows and changes into something even more amazing with each year, the way that a lump of clay is shaped by an artist.”
I’ll spare you any lengthy analogies. The gist: Together we make stronger, more beautiful art. read more
The Texas Observer Short Story Contest
I don’t have much to tell you about this week. I’ve been plugging away at my own project, and also helping put together the Texas Observer short story contest, our seventh year running. The winning writer gets $1,000 and publication in the Observer‘s October issue, as well as online. Finalists will also be eligible for online publication.
This year’s guest judge is Deb Olin Unferth, author of four books and presently a creative writing professor at UT-Austin. Her recent story collection, Wait Till You See Me Dance, has gotten rave reviews from all corners.
Deb tells us, “In short fiction I look for a voice that feels original, clear and urgent, and for a situation under pressure.”
So keep that in mind, if you choose to enter. read more
Q&A With Joe Giordano
Today we’re pleased to run a Q&A with Austin author Joe Giordano, whose latest novel, Appointment with ISIL, an Anthony Provati Thriller, was released June 15 by Harvard Square Editions.
We talked with Joe about the long road to publication, the publication process, and how it feels to release a new book out into the world.
After the interview, check out Joe’s bio as well as some links to his work.
Any questions for Joe? Leave ’em in the comments section below and we’ll see if we can’t bring him back here to provide some answers.
WriteByNight: Can you give us some background on your career as a writer? How you got started, how long you’ve been at it, a bit about your publishing history?
Joe Giordano: One of the positions I held before I became a writer was to run a business in Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa out of Athens. I developed a deep sense of history and the desire to write an historical fiction about the Ancient Greek-Persian Wars. Thirteen years ago, I tackled the task. My prose was terrible; I needed to learn how to write. read more
The WBN Story Club Returns! (Maybe)
TL;DR version: If you’re interested in being a member of the WBN story club, read on! If you’re not, well, there ain’t much point in you reading on. Here’s what I’m looking for input on: What kinds of stories should we read? Is one story and discussion per month a casual enough pace? What would you be looking to get out of such a club? Let us know in the comments below. If you don’t have any input but are interested in joining the club, just leave a comment saying “In.”
A couple of weeks ago, when I asked to hear about your favorite books and favorite movies about writers and such, I also extended the idea of reviving the years-dormant WBN Book Club, resurrecting it as a short story club instead.
A few of you expressed interest, with a desire to learn more before committing.
So what follows is what I envision for this story club. I’d also very much like to get your input and ideas, because this will be a group thing. (Kinky.)
If enough of you are interested in this idea, we’ll give ‘er a whirl.
If you don’t have any ideas on any of this, but you want to be involved, simply comment “In.” read more