We gave away tons of really cool prizes, like free admission to the Con, query and 10-page critiques, even enrollment in the DIY MFA flagship course!

Are you ready to find out who these lucky writers are?

*drumroll*

Registration to Writer Igniter Con 2015

And the winner is… Jules Dixon

Query Critique with Bess Cozby (DIY MFA Web Editor)

And the winner is… Laura Mitzner

First 10 Pages Critique with Bess Cozby

And the winner is… Elizabeth Mitchell

60-minute Tech Consult with Jay Donovan (of TechSurgeons)

And the winner is… Jessica Hansen

One-Year Premium Web Hosting from TechSurgeons

And the winner is… Jen Hogan

DIY MFA 101 Self-Study Course

And the winner is… Niko Bommer

DIY MFA 101 Full Course

And the winner is… Cheryl Beauchamp

Congratulations everyone!

But wait! OMG, everyone’s a winner!

I’m sharing my special conference discount with ALL my word nerds.
Use the code wicon2015speaker to get $50 off the registration price!

Writer Igniter Con 2015
October 24-25

Click the link to learn more or sign up, but hurry!

Registration closes TOMORROW (Friday, Oct. 23) at 5pm ET

The post And the Winner Is… appeared first on DIY MFA.

On Friday night, I clicked “send” on the email to my publisher containing the DIY MFA manuscript. Cue happy dance in 3… 2… 1…

There is still a lot of editing and other work to do before it’s ready for launch, but I’m very excited about this milestone and wanted to share it with you. Plus, one thing I always say is that writers must celebrate their wins.

Will you come celebrate this one with me?

Last week’s webinar was such a success and so much fun, my team and I thought we’d run it again, only this time with a twist. I’ll do a reprise of my “Get The Most Out of a Writing Conference” presentation, but I’m adding something to it. I’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look at how conferences have been instrumental in making this DIY MFA book a reality.

During the Presentation, You’ll Learn…

• The #1 thing you can do at a conference to propel your writing career forward.
• Top tips to get the most out of the experience, before, during and after the conference.
• The biggest mistake writers make when attending events or conferences.

At the end of the Open House event, I’ll open up for Q&A and also introduce you to some other members of the Writer Igniter Con team. In the last few minutes, I’ll tell you a little bit about Writer Igniter Con, which is this coming weekend! Oh, and make sure you stay to the very end because I have a super-secret surprise. (Hint: it may involve a sneak peek at the DIY MFA book cover…)

To register for the Open House, just sign up with your email below.If you signed up for last week’s Open House, you don’t have to do a thing. You’ll get the info for this open house automatically.

Webinar and Open House

Monday, October 19
8pm ET / 5pm PT

Sign up with your email below.

 Plus, there’s a Giveaway!

Enter the raffle for a chance to win a ticket to Writer Igniter Con, and other great prizes! Earn extra entries by tweeting about the conference and helping to spread the word.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post OMG, Come Celebrate With Me! appeared first on DIY MFA.

But eventually, if you want to be able to share that story with others, you have to come back to it. And then, even the thought of trying to make sense of your story’s timelines and characters can seem like an impossible task.

It’s no secret, revising is hard work! The good news is, there are ways to make the process more bearable, like these 5 things we’ll talk about at my #WICon2015 Rock Your Revisions workshop.

1) How Not to Feel Overwhelmed

You can totally do this. We’ll talk about building a game plan to get you from draft zero to draft done.

2) Questions to Get you Started

Sometimes the right question can lead you to just the insight you needed to figure out where to start your revision work. We’ll list some targeted questions you can ask and brainstorm more together.

3) The Revision Pyramid

It’s all about the revision pyramid, a five layered process that will make identifying problem areas in your manuscript and implementing their solutions so much easier!

4) Resources, Resources, Resources

I have some suggestions for gathering the resources you need to help you make the revision process as enjoyable as possible.

5) Why it’s Important Not to Revise Alone

It takes a village to write a book. Seriously. We’ll talk about when and why to build your revision team and who can help you at the different stages of the revision process.

If you’ve ever dreaded opening your manuscript for the first time since you typed “the end” because you know there’s a mountain of work waiting to be done, this workshop is for you. Sign up now! 

………………

Elisabeth Kauffman is a freelance editor in California. Her favorite genres are YA fantasy, sci-fi, and romance. She regularly obsesses over board games, Doctor Who, and Harry Potter. Come share your ideas with her on Facebook and Twitter–@WritingRefinery–and on the web at www.writingrefinery.com

The post #5OnFri: 5 reasons To Attend My #WICon2015 Rock Your Revision Workshop appeared first on DIY MFA.

#1) Your First Five Pages Are Hella Important

I’m the Web Editor for DIY MFA, and a writer, but I’m acquire fiction at Tor books. So I read a LOT of submissions. And as much as it frustrates me as a writer to say it—if I’m not sold on the first five pages, I’m not reading the rest of the book. And I think that’s true across the industry. It’s not because editors and agents don’t love writers and want to read whole books. It’s because they’re just isn’t time.

#2) There are Concrete Ways to Make Better

The good news is—the first five pages have a pretty set structure and in them, a writer needs to make certain promises to the reader. In this workshop, we’ll go over these five promises, giving you a chance to revisit your first five pages and make sure all these elements are there.

#3) Fun Examples

Throughout the workshop, we’ll be looking at openings that worked, openings to avoid, and why they work or don’t. We’ll have broad-ranging examples from YA to horror to women’s fiction, and everything in-between.

#4) First Line Workshop

If your first five pages are important, your first line is critical. After examining what the first five pages should include, we’ll narrow it down even further, going over what your first line should entail. You’ll have a chance to workshop yours with the class.

#5) Prizes!

What? Yes. Throughout the class, we’ll be trying to guess what genre some great first lines come from. There’ll be five chances to win, and each winner will receive a first page critique from yours truly.

So there you have it! Five reasons to be stoked about the First Five Pages workshop at Writer Igniter Con. Spots are going fast, so sign up now!

Bess Cozby writes epic stories in expansive worlds from her tiny apartment in New York City. By day, she’s an Editor at Tor Books, and Web Editor for DIY MFA. Her work is represented by Brooks Sherman of the Bent Agency. Tweet her at @besscozby, contact her at bess@diymfa.com, or visit her website at www.besscozby.com.

The post #5OnFri: Five Reasons to Look Forward to my First Five Pages Workshop appeared first on DIY MFA.

I’m so excited to be a part of it, building from my social media strategy posts to cover a ton of great info for anyone trying to tweet and like their way to a loyal readership.

Here’s a quick teaser of five topics I’ll be covering to help you get as excited as I am:

1) Defining Your Audience

I’ll walk you through some key questions and points of consideration to define your online audience, so you know who you’re talking to with all those tweets, posts, and blogs.

2) Discovering Where You Want To Be on Social Media

At first, establishing your online presence can be pretty daunting, and it’s easy to feel like you need to be everywhere and posting all the time. But you don’t. True story. Instead, we’ll talk through how to find the best places for you to be, based on your temperament and target audience.

3) Real Author Examples

Throughout the presentation I’ll be pulling in examples of real authors who are out there hitting the digital pavement and seeing big returns for their efforts. These awesome writers have cracked the code to find that personal branding sweet spot online, and I’m going to break it all down for you so you can learn from what they’re doing right.

4) The Ever-Controversial Author’s Blog Question

Don’t even Google this question, too many opinions pop up. During my presentation I’ll share my own philosophy on this hot topic to help you decide if a blog is right for you.

5) Ask Me anything, I Dare You.

I mean, I’m not the best person to ask why the sky is blue, but I can refer you to someone.

Anything social media related, though, I’m your girl. Put my years marketing and public relations experience to work! We’re saving time just for you to fire away at me.

These are only a few of the things we’ll be covering during my “Writer’s Guide to Social Media” presentation—not to mention the other awesome stuff my fab colleagues have in store for you over the weekend, and the one and only Gabriela Pereira herself. The weekend event is going to cover everything from story outlining, to revisions, to agent panels, and more.

And it’s online, so you don’t even have to get out of your PJs if you don’t want to. (Really, who ever wants to?)

Are you registered for Writer Igniter Con yet? Don’t miss out—do it now!

By day, Emily Wenstrom, is the editor of short story website wordhaus, author social media coach, and freelance content marketing specialist. By early-early morning, she is E. J. Wenstrom, an award-winning sci-fi and fantasy author whose debut novel Mud was named 2016 Book of the Year by the Florida Writers Association.

The post #5onFri: #WICon2015 Social Media Preview appeared first on DIY MFA.