CIP December 2023 issue

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT CAROLYNE VAN DER MEER WWW.CANADIANINDEPENDENTPUBLISHERS.CA

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content 4 EDITOR’S NOTE MANAGING EXPECTATIONS 6 INDIE BOOKSTORE MOSAIC BOOKS: A FAMILY AFFAIR 10 AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT CAROLYNE VAN DER MEER 14 BOOK PROMOTION How to choose the right narrator for your audiobook 18 INDUSTRY NEWS WRITING-RELATED NEWS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY 22 WRITING COMPETITIONS

Canadian Independent Publishers December 2023 Volume 1, Issue 3

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Snookbooks Publishing PO Box 30101 Mississauga RPO Cityside, ON L4Z 0B9

Subscription Rates (6 issues) Canada: 1 Year: $75.00+HST Publisher and Editor Andrew Snook 647.779.8946 asnook@ canadianindependentpublishers.ca

The opinions expressed in this publication may not reflect those of the editor and publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. Any advertising is subject to the approval of the publisher and they have the right to reject any advertising that does not meet the publication’s standards. Any advertising approvals given do not imply endorsement of any products or services advertised.

No part of this publication my be republished without consent of the publisher or editor.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

O

I also understand the internal pressures we can create from wanting to get our next book into the hands of our readers. I’ve had fans of the first two novels from my Remy series reach out and ask when the next book will be available. Every time this happens, I feel re-energized and want to get it written as quickly as possible, but I also need to be realistic about my expectations and what I promise people.

My reality involves running a full-time content creation business, taking care of three small children, running this publication, and finding time for my wife and I to connect. While fiction writing is a major passion of mine, I have other priorities that need to come first (this is why I typically work on my fiction between the hours of 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. It’s the only time slot I have available). So, instead of telling my readers a 100-per-cent guaranteed publication date, I thank the readers for their support and let them know that I’m working on the book, and that I will try my best to update my social media channels with how it is progressing.

Not a perfect answer, I know. But hey, at least it’s honest. And hopefully, that will be enough to satisfy my readers while I embrace the beautiful grind and try and get my draft to the finish line.

Happy reading and writing!

n November 30, I woke up at 4 a.m. and was excited to run down to my office and jump on my current fiction project: Book 3 of the Remy Delemme Series.

That morning marked the final day for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), where writers attempt to write a 50,000-word novel in a single month. I’ve always wanted to try tackling this challenge, but never felt like it was feasible given my work-life schedule.

Without any real expectations of writing an entire book, I decided to quietly participate in the challenge. I dedicated whatever time I could between 4 to 7 a.m. during weekdays when I wasn’t sleeping or working, and on my weekends when I wasn’t running after my three kiddos. The end result was surpassing the 25,000-word milestone on Book 3 of The Remy Delemme Series, which puts me close to halfway to a completed draft. While this may not be a full-length novel, I was able to make significant progress with the book, which made me quite happy.

Without any internal pressures being placed on myself, it was a very relaxing and enjoyable experience. Sometimes as writers, I think we place unrealistic goals on ourselves to get projects completed by enforcing made-up timelines – I know I have!

While this additional pressure might help drive you towards the goal of a completed draft, don’t push yourself to the point where fiction writing becomes an unenjoyable experience.

After all, aren’t we all writing fiction because it’s one of our passions?

If you have a traditional publisher expecting your book written by a specific time, then you obviously need to adhere to strict deadlines – you can’t leave them hanging!

Andrew Snook Editor and Publisher 4

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INDIE BOOKSTORE

w

hile many independent bookstores start out as mom-and-pop shops, few remain family affairs over time. But Mosaic Books, nestled in the heart of downtown Kelowna, B.C., has been owned and operated by the same family for close to 30 years.

The Neill family, who are second- and third-generation booksellers originally from the Greater Vancouver Area, purchased the store from its original owners in 1995. Michael and Michele Neill run the Okanagan Region’s largest independent bookstore – which boasts more than 8,000 square feet of space – with their two children, Trevor and Alicia. Since purchasing the bookstore from the original owners (the bookstore was first opened in 1968), the Neill family have grown Mosaic Books to the point where it stores more than 17,000 new adult and kids titles in-store, as well as over 6,000 bargain-priced, publisher clear out, or remainder titles.

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Mosaic Books was not originally located in downtown Kelowna, it was run off a quiet side street in the city. But the family decided a move into the downtown core was necessary shortly after serious competition showed up on their doorstep.

“When Indigo came to town, probably around 2000 or 2001, they put in a huge box store in a mall (Orchard Park Shopping Centre), explains Alicia Neill, who is the store’s manager.

“We noticed the sales were starting to drop, so my parents made the big

Mosaic Books is the Okanagan Region’s largest independent bookstore, boasting more than 8,000 square feet of space. Originally opened in 1968, the bookstore is located in downtown Kelowna, B.C., and is run by the Neill family, a multi-generational family of booksellers.

Photos courtesy of Mosaic Books.

MOSAIC BOOKS: A FAMILY AFFAIR

By Andrew Snook move and moved us to a much larger location on the main drive of downtown, which is the location we’re at now (411 Bernard Avenue). It’s a much bigger store.

That was our saving grace, for sure,” she says.

Growing up in a family of booksellers, it comes as little surprise that Alicia found herself involved in the family business at a young age.

“It was lots of fun. I would come in when we’d get some bargain books that needed to be cleaned off, and I’d go in the back and clean them all. There were lots of good memories,” she says.

Alicia says her parents never pressured her or her brother to follow in their footsteps.

“They didn’t ever pressure us into working at the store. It was something they wanted us to figure out ourselves. I started working here part-time 18 years ago when I was in high school, and just kind of stuck with it after that. It was always really enjoyable,” she says.

“My parents always loved the

store, and you could feel that, so it didn’t feel like work. It was a big part of our lives.”

When a bookstore has navigated the retail storm for more than 55 years, it’s because the ownership has learned to change with the times. Mosaic Books has certainly done that, particularly since the Neill family took over operations.

The family wasn’t afraid to try new things to improve their readers’ shopping experiences. For a significant period of time, Mosaic Books ran a coffee bar serving fresh sandwiches and scones.

“We used to have the coffee bar for about 10 years, but we closed that around 2008,” Alicia says.

“We’ve kept ourselves mainly as a general bookstore, but there have been changes, especially technologically. Our website’s online ordering is probably our biggest change.”

The bookstore’s online store offers readers access to more than 10 million titles with most arriving in store for pick up within three to five business days.

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During the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, online ordering spiked at the store. Since the end of the pandemic, online ordering is still a significant part of the store’s revenues, but many customers have returned to in-person shopping. However, one change with the behaviours of in-store shoppers is that they still rely on Mosaic Books’ website as a helpful resource.

“It’s become more of a stock-checking tool now,” Alicia says. “Instead of people phoning us to make sure that we have stock before they come down, they’ll just check the website and make sure we have it. I’ve also noticed customers in the store on their phones. I’ll ask them if they need help finding anything, and they’ll have our website on their phone and say, ‘I know you have three of these in store,’ and they’ll just show me our website. They’re trying to use it to shop in-store, and to find things themselves, which is quite different.”

By using the website as a re-

INDIE BOOKSTORE Bookmanager has grown significantly with Michael running the company alongside Alicia’s brother, Trevor.

“They have about 500 stores in Canada and the U.S.,” Alicia says.

“We are seeing a huge resurgence of independent bookstores in the U.S. They have a big waitlist to get the software from them. They’re growing like crazy. It’s a really successful tool.”

Alicia Neill says stores like Mosaic Books can continue to thrive by focusing on offering a fun shopping experience. source for checking stock, customers have freed up significant amounts of time for employees to focus on other work.

“That’s been a really big help for us over the years,” Alicia says. “The website is a modern tool, and it’s up to date. If we sell something that we store, it updates the website that second. It’s very accurate, so I think people appreciate that.”

As an added bonus for shoppers, Mosaic Books started carrying board games five years ago.

The remainder section of the store has also been a significant contributor for the store’s revenues.

“It’s really popular for people that are reading multiple books a week,” Alicia says.

Software specialists One unique aspect of Mosaic Books that makes it stand out from its peers is that the bookstore’s owners are also software developers. In 1986, Michael Neill developed his first inventory software for helping manage his family’s bookstore locations in the Lower Mainland.

“My father was part of a family business, Black Bond Books in the Lower Mainland. My grandmother, Madeline Neill, started those stores. My Dad ran them with his sisters for a while in the ’80s, and then he sold off his share because he got into computer programming,” Alicia recalls. “He developed a system for his mother to help her out with her bookstores. That’s where Bookmanager came from.”

Bookmanager is a software company offering unique pointof-sales and inventory programs to independent bookstores. It’s unique because it is developed by experienced booksellers. When the Neill family moved to Kelowna in 1995, Michael wanted his store to be the guinea pig for the software company, Alicia says.

“He knows what booksellers need.

So, for a lot of years, my mother ran the bookstore and he ran the software company. The biggest success for them is having that physical store to test things out,” Alicia says.

Since the company’s inception, 8

Looking to the future While Alicia acknowledges the challenges that most independent bookstores face, like online shopping via sites like Amazon, she believes stores like Mosaic Books can continue to thrive by focusing on offering a fun shopping experience to customers.

“I think if you have good customer service and have the stock, you should have no problem, but it’s still tough,” she says, adding that her staff are a big part of the store’s success. “My staff are really good at what they do.

They’re strong readers and they love giving recommendations. We also have a lot of little shelf toppers all over the store. Every time they read something, they put a little review or something on the shelf. The store definitely feels very curated and very local. I think it’s really enjoyable, you can find lots of funny displays. The staff are having lots of fun, and we just let the staff drive the displays for the most part, because they’re in tune with what people want to read.”

Going forward, Alicia doesn’t have aspirations of expanding. She’d prefer to focus on continuing to offer a strong reader experience for the store’s loyal customer base.

“I am happy with the size that we’re at, we have steady growth.

I don’t want to get too big,” she says. “I just want to keep up with the community, still be a book-centric store, be interesting, and keep having a wonderful staff. Those are my goals.”

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

Pen name: Carolyne Van Der Meer Recently published books: • Broken Pieces: Hospital Experiences (2023) • One Week’s Worth But A Lifetime More (2022) • Sensorial: A Poetry Collection(2022) • Heart of Goodness: The Life of Marguerite Bourgeoys in 30 Poems (2020) • Journeywoman (2017)

As a Canadian independent author, I understand the need to wear many hats to earn a living as a writer and editor. Another Canadian who understands this is Montreal’s Carolyne Van Der Meer. Carolyne has been working in corporate communications and public relations for 30 years, while spending her spare time freelancing as a journalist and features writer for a wide variety of magazines and journals. She also spent a decade as a lecturer for McGill University, worked as an independent scholar, and is a published author.

Carolyne published her first book, Motherlode: A Mosaic of Dutch Wartime Experience, with the Wilfrid Laurier University Press in 2014. The book is a collection of short stories, poems and essays, in which Carolyne offers her reinterpretation of her mother’s experiences, as well as the experiences of others, who spent their childhoods in Nazi-occupied Holland or were deeply affected by wartime in Holland.

Carolyne has also published multiple collections of poetry, including Journeywoman (Inanna Publications, 2017); Heart of Goodness: The Life of Marguerite Bourgeoys in 30 Poems (Guernica Editions, 2020), which was awarded second prize in the Poetry category of the Catholic Media Association’s 2021 Annual Book Awards and was shortlisted in the The Word Guild’s 2021 annual Word Awards; Sensorial: A Poetry Collection (Inanna Publications, 2022); and two chapbooks: One Week’s Worth But A Lifetime More (2022); and Broken Pieces: Hospital Experiences, co-authored with long-time friend and fellow poet Michael Farry in 2023.

I had the opportunity to chat with Carolyne about her career as a writer and what inspires her to produce her beautiful and moving poetry.

Current place of residence: Montreal, Que. Website: www.cvdmcommunications.com Instagram: @carolynevdm A chat with

CAROLYNE VAN DER MEER

By Andrew Snook

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As a communications professional, published author and poet, writing is a big part of your life. Did you always imagine yourself writing for a living?

Like so many of us writers, I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I still have some of those journals filled with short stories and poems, and they’re all pretty awful – which I’m sure most writers would say about their early work.

I think I had various ideas as a kid and young adult about what kind of a writer I would be, but I don’t think I ever thought I wouldn’t be a writer.

When I finished high school, I did a B.A. in English, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it. But at the time, it seemed like the way into a variety of options.

When I finished my undergraduate degree, I had applied to the graduate program at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) for journalism and was accepted. I considered going, but I had also got offered a corporate job in Montreal. I decided to take the job to lighten my student loan burden. And so, I came to Montreal and then life happened.

I met my husband, and the rest is history, as they say.

In addition to writing, you also spent a decade as a lecturer in the Public Relations and Communications Management Program at McGill University.

Was teaching always an interest as well?

I had wanted to become an academic. So, I did my M.A. in English Literature at Concordia University part-time while freelance writing for magazines and working corporately. Afterwards, I got accepted to a PhD program, which I worked on for many years and wrote a good part of my thesis. But then I came to the conclusion that I didn’t want to be a professor after all. I think that had I finished my PhD, I would have felt pressure to be an academic, and then I would have never explored poetry. So, I think that was a significant crossroads for me.

I know you wrote poetry when you were very young. What led you back to poetry as an adult?

It was about 15 years ago. In 2008, I really started to pursue poetry with interest. That was the first year that I had a poem published in a journal.

I had cancer when I was in my early twenties, Hodgkin’s Lym11

phoma – and I carried that around with me for a long time before writing about it. When I got back into poetry around 2008, one of the first poems I wrote was about my treatment – that writing process was incredibly healing. And I still feel like it’s one of the best poems I’ve written (ABVD, published in Ars Medica first, then Journeywoman and then in Broken Pieces: Hospital Experiences).

So, why did I come back to poetry? I think if I had to be somewhat specific about a moment, it’s probably because I had not processed a lot of the experience of my illness, and it gave me a way to do it. It just felt like the right kind of thing for me to write.

You recently created an audiobook version of Motherlode: A Mosaic of Dutch Wartime Experience, your book published by Wilfrid Laurier University Press in 2014. This is a unique collection of written works. Can you share how this project came about?

Wilfrid Laurier University asked me to narrate the audiobook, which was really fun. But I hadn’t looked at the book for many years because I think authors don’t

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT their memories were much more complete. But my mother and I set off on a journey together. Through correspondence (she lives in Belleville, Ontario), I got her to tell me about her childhood. We spent many months writing letters, through which she told me everything that she could remember about her childhood.

Both of her parents – my grandparents – worked for the Dutch Resistance. Her mother hid Jews during their passage through the Netherlands to get them out of the country and into Belgium – and into the network to leave Europe. They had a false floor between the first and second storeys of their home. My grandfather was a shoemaker, and this was the space where he would store leather goods for his shoemaking business. It was apparently large enough to hide three people. My grandmother was subjected to regular visits from the SS – yet no one was ever discovered. I think she must have been an extraordinary woman to do what she did.

That project was the beginning of my writing. But the book I wrote is not just poetry. It’s poetry, short stories and essays, and some journal entries that document how I went through this process with my mother, as well as visiting the Netherlands – what I saw, and how it made me feel. Wilfrid Laurier University Press published Motherlode as part of their Life Writing series, which was delightful.

Broken Pieces: Hospital Experiences is a unique kind of poetry collection. Can you tell me a little about how this project came to be?

With Irish poet and dear friend Michael Farry, we created a chapbook that explores hospital experiences. Mine were very serious (related to treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma), his were a little lighter.

Michael had a hip replacement last year and wrote a series of poems about his operation – which were quite tongue-in-cheek and absolutely brilliant. We decided to launch the chapbook in Ireland to coincide with a visit I had planned for the spring.

Not only was it great fun to do this project together, it also provided an opportunity for a reading and allowed us to bring some members of Ireland’s very active poetry community together.

tend to reread their own books! This allowed me to reacquaint myself with my own work, and with the journey that I made with my Mom – this was emotional for me because she is so much older now and wouldn’t be able to take on such a project with me.

The impetus for the book was my son, who, when he was younger, had often asked, “What really happened with Oma’s family? What really happened to them during the war?” I thought if I didn’t explore this story, the legacy would be lost, we’ll lose the stories. They’re a cultural inheritance of a sort. So I set about preserving them.

I’d gone to the Netherlands in 2010 and done some research. A large part of that book is about my mother’s experience as a child in wartime Holland during the Nazi occupation. When the war ended, my mother was seven. I also interviewed a number of people who were older than her, so a lot of 12

You are set to launch another collection of poetry. Can you tell me a little about your latest collection and what inspired you to write these pieces?

My latest book was just published by Ekstasis Editions, a Victoria, B.C.-based literary publisher. It’s called All This As I Stand By and it groups 47 of my more recent poems, which all, in one way or another, look at what seems to be ordinary or everyday – but if we look more closely, there is much more going on than meets the eye. I think that is what interests me

most as I write: all the things we aren’t noticing, and which often carry more significance than we realize.

Maybe my underlying message is that we need to pay more attention to the details, we need to stop and look and listen a bit more.

Motherlode https://www.wlupress.wlu.ca/Books/M/Motherlode

Do you have any upcoming projects that you would like to share?

I’ve written a lot of poetry in the last few years, and I am considering experimenting with other genres.

I’ve been focusing on the flash essay most recently.

I’ll see where that takes me.

Heart of Goodness: The Life of Marguerite Bourgeoys in 30 Poems https://guernicaeditions.com/products/heart-ofgoodness-the-life-of-marguerite-bourgeoys-in-30poems

Journeywoman https://www.inanna.ca/product/journeywoman

Sensorial: A Poetry Collection https://www.inanna.ca/product/sensorial-a-poetry-collection/

You can check out Carolyne Van Der Meer’s written works at the following websites:

All This As I Stand By http://www.ekstasiseditions.com/ 13

BOOK PROMOTION

T

By Brian Cliffen he spoken word breathes new life into your book, and your choice of narrator has a profound impact on the quality and effectiveness of the finished product — regardless of what’s actually on the page.

The right audiobook narrator can create an immersive experience for the listener. Getting it wrong can render the content flat, leaving the potential for powerful, intimate storytelling untapped. Listeners will miss out on the nuances that make your book great if you don’t consider what’s best for your target audience, genre, or what makes your book unique; your choice of narrator is where all that planning and forethought is made tangible.

As an audiobook production service provider, our audio team’s experienced production liaisons work with authors to expertly match their book’s production needs with the voice talent most capable of translating their words into the audio medium. As such, we have a wellspring of advice to share for those going through this essential step of the audio production process.

That’s why, in this blog post, we’ll 14

explore the key factors to consider when selecting the ideal narrator for your audiobook.

Decide whether to self-narrate or hire a professional Your first decision should be whether you’ll self-narrate or hire a professional narrator. While many audiobooks might find the greatest success by enlisting the services of an experienced professional, there are plenty of cases where the right narrator is actually you.

Nonfiction titles — where the author speaks directly to the listener — are a perfect scenario for you to speak for yourself. There is no surer way to connect with listeners than coupling your words with your own voice to bring an authenticity and passion to your work that a voice actor would be challenged to provide.

The very idea of an author narrating their audiobook can be a valuable selling feature for listeners. Many specifically seek out audiobooks narrated by the author for memoirs or autobiographies because they recognize that no matter how skilled a narrator

is at reading someone else’s words, it can disconnect the narration. In contrast, genres like historical ficthem from the experience. tion may call for a narrator who can adopt a more However, when your audiobook is better served with reflective and period-appropriate tone. Matching the a performance (i.e., a narrative with a lengthy cast of narrator’s tone to the genre helps create a cohesive diverse characters like in an epic fantasy), it’s recand immersive listening experience. ommended to seek the services of a trained profes- • Pace: A distinct quality of many genres is the book’s sional. While it might be enticing to save money by pace. If you’ve written an action-packed thriller, your asking a family member or friend to voice your work, novel will undoubtedly benefit from a narrator with when it comes to something so important — the an energetic tempo and heightened sense of urfirst impression of your work — you shouldn’t settle gency. In the case of a fantasy book that emphasizes for less than an experienced voice actor. worldbuilding or intricate plots, you would be better A professional narrator is also likely to have a better served with a narrator who can navigate a more meaunderstanding of the nuances of audiobook produc- sured and deliberate pace to give listeners a chance tion, how to manage their time efficiently, and ways to absorb the nuances of the story. The voice work to provide a richness and emotional depth to your needs to be consistent but not monotonous. words — all of which allows them to translate your vision into a polished final product.

Ensure ease of communication and collaboration Communication is key when working with a narrator.

Know your audience You should be able to collaborate effectively to ensure The first step in wading through the plethora of that the audiobook meets your creative vision. Before qualified candidates to find the right narrator for making a decision, have a conversation with the naryour audiobook is to understand your target audirator (or audiobook production team) to discuss your ence. Are you targeting young adults, seniors, or a expectations, their preferred working style, timeline, more niche market? Specific demographics often any specific requirements, and your concept for the respond better to a certain kind of narrator. The project. narrator’s voice should resonate with your audience It’s important that the narrator is open to feedback and allow them to connect with the content. and willing to make adjustments as necessary, such For instance, if your audiobook is a military historical as altering pronunciation or re-reading sections novel with a predominantly male readership, a male (called “pickups”) that don’t capture the intended narrator might be a more suitable choice. On the emotion. A good narrator will take the time to underother hand, if your audiobook is a technical manual, stand your book, its characters, and the overall narraa neutral and professional voice may be more tive style. appropriate.

Listen to audio samples Appeal to your genre Before finalizing your choice of narrator, it’s essential As mentioned in the introduction, genre plays a to listen to samples of their work. Listening to these significant role in the selection of a narrator. Each samples will give you a good sense of the narrator’s genre has its own unique listener expectations for style, voice quality, and their ability to engage listenthe style, tone, and pace of narration: ers. While listening to samples, authors should pay close attention to several key elements to make an • Style: Different genres can often demand distinct informed decision: narrative styles or “performances.” A narrator might affect different voices to distinguish between char• Voice Quality: Assess the narrator’s voice for its acters or use dramatic acting skills (such as whisper- natural qualities, such as tone, pitch, and timbre. Is ing, sighing, or sounding tearful) to bring emotional their voice pleasing and well-suited to the material? moments to life. A light-hearted romantic comedy Is their enunciation clear and steady? Does their style may find more success with an upbeat, conversaresonate with the intended mood and genre of your tional style of narration. More informational books, book? It’s important that the narrator’s voice aligns on the other hand, might rely on an even, consistent with the essence of your narrative. Different genres delivery. and subject matter may require distinct narration • Tone: The tone of narration creates the atmosphere styles, so ensure the narrator is a good fit for your of the audiobook. For a genre like horror, a narrator specific project. who can convey tension or fear in their voice could • Vocal Range: If your book involves multiple characestablish a tense mood that keeps listeners enters, pay attention to how the narrator handles difgrossed. A comedic memoir will rely on a narrator ferent voices and accents. The ability to differentiate who can deliver the jokes effectively throughout characters effectively can enhance the listening ex15

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perience and make the story more engaging. Some books may have characters of different genders, ages, and backgrounds, so a narrator with a wide vocal range can bring these characters to life most effectively.

• Engagement: A skilled narrator not only captivates the listener’s attention, but also conveys emotion effectively to add depth and authenticity to the story, making it impossible to stop listening. Pay attention to their ability to maintain a compelling narrative style throughout the sample.

Ultimately, the goal is to find a narrator whose voice and delivery enhance your book and grab hold of your audience. Careful consideration of these factors will help you select the perfect narrator to bring your words to life.

Choosing an audiobook narrator is the most impact-

ful decision in the production process. It’s much like selecting a lead actor for a film — their voice infuses your story with energy and in turn represents it. Remember that a narrator is the connection between you and your listeners.

By thoughtfully considering all the elements discussed here, you can set the stage for an audiobook that creates a captivating and memorable listening experience so that your book resonates with your audience long after the last word is spoken.

Brian Cliffen is the marketing manager for FriesenPress. This article has been republished with permission from FriesenPress.

For more tips on marketing and promotion, visit: www.friesenpress.com.

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INDUSTRY NEWS MANITOBA GRANTS PROGRAMS AVAILABLE The Manitoba Arts Council has a couple of grants programs available for Manitoba-based writers. Here are details: Learn – Travel/Professional Development The Travel/Professional Development program supports professional artists and arts/cultural professionals in all disciplines for activities related to the development of their practice or careers.

For more information or to begin the application process, visit: https://artscouncil.mb.ca/grants/travel-professional-development.

Create The Create program supports the creation of new work or development of works in progress in all disciplines by professional artists and arts groups.

What you can apply for: • Workshops • Specialized training • Mentorships • Public readings • Presentations

What you can apply for: • Creation • Creative research • Project development

Who can apply: • Professional artists • Arts/cultural professionals • Indigenous Knowledge Keepers

Who can apply: • Professional artists • Indigenous Knowledge Keepers • Professional arts groups

Grant amount: • Up to $1,000

Grant amount: • Emerging artists – up to $7,500 • Established artists – up to $15,000

Deadlines: • January 15 • March 1 • April 15 • June 1 • July 15 • September 1 • October 15 • December 1

Deadline: February 15 and October 10.

For more information or to begin the application process, visit: https://artscouncil.mb.ca/grants/create.

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DarkLit Press signs with AIG for film and TV representation Regina, Saskatchewan-based, small press horror publisher Darklit Press works with authors of horror, suspense, and dark fiction from around the world, and its efforts to recruit, identify, and develop manuscripts from emerging genre authors has made the company a name brand independent publisher in horror fiction.

Launched in 2022, Andrew Robert sought to provide a platform and editorial support for marginalized and underrepresented authors in the category and has seen a passionate and growing readership quickly emerge for Darklit’s prolific output.

Their authors have been recognized by the most prestigious horror fiction awards bodies, including the Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, Lambda Literary, and Splatterpunk awards.

Authors on the Darklit roster include: Bram Stoker Award nominee Ross Jeffery; Splatterpunk nominee Steve Stred; Aurealis Award nominee Zachary Ashford; critically-lauded author and editor Caitlin Marceau; and Tyler Jones, who recently was recognized on the annual Esquire’s Best Horror Books list.

Acclaimed authors Yolanda Sfetsos, John Durgin,

Mike Salt, Tim Meyer, and Scott J. Moses have also recently joined forces with Darklit, with its library growing rapidly into 2024 and beyond.

IAG represents this deep bench of horror novelists across the board for film and television media sub-rights, and is actively shopping all of its titles for adaptation.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with IAG for film and TV representation.

This partnership marks a significant milestone for us, providing an incredible opportunity to transform the unique voices and visionary stories of our authors into captivating visual narratives. This is not just a win for DarkLit Press, but for horror and dark fiction enthusiasts everywhere, eagerly awaiting new, compelling adaptations,” says Andrew Robert, owner/operator of DarkLit Press.

Darklit joins a spate of high profile signings for IAG’s Media Rights Division in recent months, including Janet Evanovich, the Mario Puzo Estate, Margaret Atwood, Alice Hoffman, Barbara Kingsolver, William Gibson, and Jeffrey Toobin.

Source: Darklit Press.

submissions OPEN for War of the Words Competition The Alexandra Writers’ Centre recently announced the War of the Words Story Competition, which is now open for submissions.

The competition is sponsored by the Darlene Louka Memorial Prize.

The winners will be announced during the When Words Collide writing conference, taking place from August 16 to 28, 2024 at the Delta Calgary South in Calgary, Alberta.

For the submission guidelines and rules, visit: www.alexandrawriters.org/war-of-the-words-storycompetition.html.

For more information on When Words Collide, visit: www.alexandrawriters.org/when-words-collide-2024. html.

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AUTHORS’ corner Dungeon Jest BY Andrew Snook As court jester of the Kingdom of Opulentos, you, Stultus Insanis Rusticus (or “Stulty,” as you are known throughout the kingdom), have lived your life for one purpose: to entertain the royal family. The happiness you have brought the kingdom has made you the most popular fool in the realm.

That is, until now . . .

After a minor misunderstanding, you are punished with a seemingly impossible quest: to obtain the fabled Ruby of Power. Armed with nothing but your wit and a few basic items, you must brave a labyrinth, battle monsters, avoid deadly traps, and retrieve the artifact for the glory of the King and Queen Opulentos.

This is a choose your fate, dice-rolling battle book where every decision could be your last . . .

Learn more at: https://snookbooks.myshopify.com.

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WRITING COMPETITIONS INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARDS Deadline to submit: december 30, 2023 www.independentpressaward.com Next Generation Indie Book Awards Deadline to submit: February 14, 2024 www.indiebookawards.com Next Generation Story Awards Deadline to submit: February 28, 2024 https://storyawards.co Independent Publisher Book Awards Deadline to submit: March 16, 2024 www.ippyawards.com WRITER’S DIGEST SELF-PublisheD Book AwarDS Deadline to submit: APRIL 1, 2024 (EARLY BIRD) www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/selfpublished-book-awards CANADIAN Book CLUB Awards Deadline to submit: July 31, 2024 https://thecanadianbookclubawards.ca

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