Take a look behind the curtain at DIY MFA

I'm thrilled to announce that I have joined the DIY MFA crew as a regular columnist! DIY MFA offers advice on writing, reading, community-building, and more. They feature writing prompts, podcasts, and soon there will be a DIY MFA book. 

I'll be writing each month about book publishing, editing, and other aspects of the industry. If you have a book you're considering pitching, or want to learn what it's like on the other side of the writing process, check back for new posts from me and from the rest of the DIY MFA team. 

My first column, "A Walk-through of the Book Publishing Process (part 1)" is up now. Here's a clip from the intro. 

Writers everywhere dream of getting their novels published, but I would wager that when you picture that most anticipated of events, you imagine getting that congratulatory email from your agent/editor and then fast-forward to the black tie launch party a la Richard Castle. The truth is even after the contract is signed, your work as author isn’t quite done yet. In the editorial department alone there are a number of steps between acquisition and publication, and unfortunately, almost all of them require something for the author to do. So let me take you through the process that turns a manuscript into a beautiful, shiny (or matte) new book.

Read the full article here, and if you find it helpful, leave a comment or share on Facebook and Twitter. Enjoy! 

Enter to Win A FREE Advance Copy of SONGS OF MY SELFIE!

You too could have a shiny new copy of SONGS OF MY SELFIE. 

To celebrate a quick end to winter, I'm holding another GoodReads giveaway! Enter to win one of five FREE Arcs of Songs of My Selfie.  

Songs of My Selfie: An Anthology of Millennial Stories is hailed as:

The book you want to read if you are curious about who'll be driving the truck in a few years.  —Ethan Rutherford, The Peripatetic Coffin and Other Stories

Even Cracked.com has something deliciously snarky to say:

 If you want a preview of some writers with brighter futures than the newspapers anticipate, well, here you go. —JF Sargent, Editor, Cracked.com

Enter to win your copy today, and be among the first to discover the freshest voices of the new generation!  Already won a copy? Rate it and review on GoodReads. Help us reach our goal of being among the top books of April 2016!

And follow us on Twitter @SongsOfMySelfie or like us on Facebook for additional updates, giveaways, events, and more.

Our First Songs of My Selfie Gathering

In December, contributor and first place winner of the Quarter-Life Crisis contest, Angus McLinn ("Baby Teeth") and I ("The Edge of Happiness") read from our short stories at 3RP's Prose! Poetry! Party! at Cornelia Street Cafe. Guest judge Meagan Brothers was also a featured reader, sharing a short prequel to Weird Girl and What's His Name!

Afterward, I met contributors Jared Shaffer ("Use Without Pity") and Carolyn Drake ("Pill Pusher") and we spent half the night talking books, literature, and of course, Victorian literature. I'm so excited for this little family of writers and collaborators!

To learn more about Songs of My Selfie, follow us on Twitter @SongsOfMySelfie or on our Facebook page. Preorder your copy of this groundbreaking anthology on Amazon today! 

Enter to Win a Signed Copy of SONGS OF MY SELFIE!

Three Rooms Press is offering five chances to win a galley copy of my upcoming book, Songs of Songs of My Selfie: An Anthology of Millennial Stories! I'll even sign it for you! Discover the collection readers say "cuts right to the heart of this generation."

Enter the contest on Goodreads today! Contest ends on December 16, 2015. 

Prose! Poetry! Party!

Join Three Rooms Press on December 4, for our annual Prose! Poetry! Party! at Cornelia Street Cafe. Our authors will be readings, drinks will be partaken off, raffles, giveaways, signings, etc. It will be a festive night of poetry and prose and great company. 

Angus McLinn and I will be representing our upcoming anthology Songs of My Selfie. I'll be reading from "Edges of Happiness," and Angus will be reading from "Baby Teeth," winner of the Quarter-Life Crisis competition. Plus, Meagan Brothers will be reading from Weird Girl and What's His Name. If you're interested in getting your book published at Three Rooms Press or just want to join an amazing community of writers, this is the event to attend!

Tickets $9 (includes a free drink). Festivities start at 6 and go all night.