Wednesday 14 November 2012

First Cheque for Writing part 2

I proudly took my $25 cheque, for seventh place in the '81st Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition' Children and Young Adult short story section, to the bank to day and got a surprise.

I knew that I'd lose some value with the exchange from US dollars to Australian, $23.21. What I did not know was that the bank would charge me $10 to deposit the cheque into my account. Is charge is to cover the, supposed, cost of applying to the USA to get the money. So now it's $13.21. Considering that the entry fee for the competition was $20, I actually lost $6.79. You can see why I'm in this for the money!

I'm very proud of this award, my first, and I'm very happy to have received my cheque for writing. I made a copy that I hope to frame one day. I also got a lot of other benefits from the award, 12 months free subscription to the magazine, free membership to a number of good web sites for writing, my story printed in a book and much more. However, if you are looking to make money, US competitions do not seem to be the way to do it. Although, first place was $1000, well a little over $900 after the exchange rate, fees and charges.



  


Tuesday 13 November 2012

My First Cheque For Writing

Today I received my cheque for coming seventh in the Young Adult and Children's short story section the the 81st Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. the cheque, posted from the USA, is for $25. It cost me $20 to enter the contest. The story is called, 'Leprechaun Yours Australia', which will soon be printed in a book of all the prize winners from the contest. I'll be getting a free copy.

One thing I'm not sure of is, do I have to declare it as income? I know that the $100 I'll be getting for my story, 'Crossroads', at 'In fabula-divinos' will be income, it's payment for the right to publish the story. However, I don't know if money won in a contest is the same. Hopefully, my accountant will know.

I had thought that my Leprechaun story would be my first story to be printed in a book. However, it's been beaten by the story I entered in the Unicon Freecon Short SF & F Story writing competition. The story, 'A Matter Og Technique', is story 8 in the booklet released my the Freecon organizer. You can see it in the picture of the booklet's front cover.

Interestingly, this story also came in seventh. For seventh place I will be getting a cheque for $17. Considering that it only cost me three dollars to enter the Freecon competition, I'm actually going to get a greater return from this little comp. than what I got from the big international contest.

Writer's Digest, $20 entry, 7th place, $25 prize = $5 profit.

Unicon Freecon, $3 entry, 7th place, $17 prize = $14 profit.

Writing is a funny business.

Thursday 1 November 2012

My story is Publish!

I was excited when my story, "Crossroad", was accepted for publication on In fabula-divino.

I was amazed by how much better my story, Crossroads, could be with good editing.

I was Ecstatic when the In fabula-divino publisher (Nicole Murphy) said that Crossroads was ready to be published.

But NOW that Crossroads is actually published, my joy is beyond words.

Just in case you missed all the others, here is the link to my story, Crossroads, so that you can read it and find great joy as well. ;)

Just to make myself clear, please go to http://thetaletellers.wordpress.com/ and read my story.

I really hope that you enjoy it.