Check out these wonderful presses! Saturday's Western Maryland Independent Literature Festival was an incredible experience.
I had the pleasure of carpooling to the festival with fellow author/playwright Roger Banks.
Roger, via Seven Stories Theatre Company, is directing the world premier of Sam Graber's "Freedom Tower," 8 p.m. Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in the Tanner Theatre at the Monongalia Arts Center (MAC) here in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Note: I'll be posting more on this soon. In the meantime, mark "Freedom Tower" on your calendars!)
Sending much love, friendship & appreciation to Roger for the great conversation and sharing the entire Indie Lit Festival experience.
I also want to extend a huge thank you to everyone whose time, energy and hard work made The Western Maryland Independent Literature Festival possible: Gerry LaFemina, author and director of the Center for Creative Writing at Frostburg State University; Michelle Yost (The Eighth Square) poet, story writer and volunteer outreach coordinator at the Center for Creative Writing.
Moreover, I want to thank EVERYONE who is involved with the festival through the Center for Creative Writing, Frostburg State University, the Alleghany County Library System and the downtown Frostburg community. Appreciate everyone who made the Indie Lit Fest possible. The entire festival was very well organized, everyone helpful, and all the events were easy to attend in downtown Frostburg.
I particularly enjoyed the highly informative, interactive panels I attended:
Thanks to my fellow co-panelists for the Community Reading/Writing Groups panel, Michelle Yost and Nina Forsythe, along with the poets/writers who attended our panel. We had a lively discussion about community writing groups. I'm thankful for everyone sharing their work, projects and more. I particularly enjoyed learning more about Nina's poetry and her engaging work bringing poetry to young people in the community.
In addition to the panels/group discussions, everyone did their fair share of networking, publication reading and more at the many tables set up by the presses inside the Lyric Theatre. Presses displayed books/journals and shared submission guidelines/promotional materials.
I was happy to catch up with longtime friends and presses I know from my work with Morgantown Poets, including Morgantown-based 10X3 plus poetry journal editor Sue Ann Simar; Fairmont, West Virginia's Kestrel editor Donna Long (note: Kestrel 30 celebration is Oct. 25-26); as well as associate editor Christine Stroud from Pittsburgh's Autumn House Press. Likewise, it's always good running into Gary Vincent and Rich Bottles Jr. of Bridgeport-based Burning Bulb Publishing.
I enjoyed meeting numerous regional presses/people I hadn't met before. The variety and volume of presses in our Appalachian/mid-Atlantic areas is impressive. Seeing all these presses gathered in one place definitely broadened the horizons of this local indie writer. I could see how thriving the indie press scene truly is in our region, and this filled me with new energy to write and publish. I encourage others to check out these indie presses and consider submitting your work.
As always, I'm deeply thankful for all my readers here at theodorewebb.com. Many readers of this blog are always looking for new ideas and publishing opportunities, so I'll continue to share and provide that kind of information. I only ask that you also in turn share this post, my website and my work with others. If you know any presses in the Appalachian or mid-Atlantic regions that I've missed, then be sure to comment below and share the links/info.
Here are some of the incredible presses I had the opportunity to speak with directly during the festival. Truly, there were so many amazing presses, I wish I had the time and space to talk about every one. Be sure to check out these publishers. Submission guidelines are found on most presses' links/websites:
APPALACHIAN INDEPENDENT: Citizen journalists giving voice to a diverse Appalachian community. Jeff Henry, editor.
BACKBONE MOUNTAIN REVIEW: The annual literary journal from Western Maryland and the surrounding region. Jennifer Merrifield, managing editor; prose and poetry editors, Steven Sherrill and Jack Dubose.
CAKETRAIN: Based in Pittsburgh; editors: Amanda Raczkowski, Joseph Reed.
INK PRESS PRODUCTIONS: Ink Press Productions is a collaborative project devoted to the community of art. Directed by Tracy Dimond and Amanda McCormick.
CODORUS PRESS: Codorus Press is a small, independent publisher of high-quality literary fiction, genre fiction and non-fiction. Wayne Lockwood, Codorus founder.
EVOLVED PUBLISHING: Formed in the second half of 2011, Evolved Publishing is headed by Lane Diamond and D.T. Conklin.
EXTER PRESS: Publishes BIG PULP MAGAZINE. Bill Olver, editor; Bill Boslego, associate editor (editorial); Phil Good, associate editor (art direction/production).
FREEDOM FORGE PRESS, LLC: Freedom Forge Press is a small publisher seeking to publish high-quality fiction and non-fiction that promotes the themes of freedom, independence, and the spirit of the individual. Val Muller, editor; Eric Egger, founder.
FREE STATE REVIEW. "The literary journal appears twice yearly in print. Our focus is place and experience. We look for authors who live the poem—story—essay before they write it." Editors: Hal Burdett, J. Wesley Clark, Barrett Warner,
Raphaela Cassandra.
GRUB STREET: Published out of Towson University. The magazine is nationally recognized and has won many awards given by the Columbia Press Association.
HYACINTH GIRL PRESS. Micro-press, publishes up to six poetry chapbooks each year; specializing in handmade books of smaller press runs. "We consider ourselves a feminist press and are particularly interested in manuscripts dealing with topics such as radical spiritual experiences, creation/interpretation of myth through a feminist lens, and science." Margaret Bashaar, editor/founder.
INTRIGUE PUBLISHING: "After over 10 years of publishing mystery and thriller novels we are now expanding our interests into other genres. We have included Young Adult (YA), Urban Drama and Sensual Romance." Denise Camacho, president; Austin S. Camacho, chief operating officer.
LITTLE PATUXENT REVIEW: A journal of literature and the arts. Laura Shovan, editor.
After over 10 years of publishing mystery and thriller novels we are now expanding our interests into other genres. We have included Young Adult (YA), Urban Drama and Sensual Romance.
PAYCOCK PRESS: Based in Arlington, Va. Publishes GARGOYLE MAGAZINE: Edited by Richard Peabody.
PM PRESS: Seeks to create radical and stimulating fiction and nonfiction books, pamphlets, T-shirts, visual and audio materials to entertain, educate and inspire. Craig O'Hara, co-founder; Ramsey Kanaan, co-founder/publisher.
POST MORTEM PRESS: "With over 60 books in print since opening in late 2010, Post Mortem Press has grown from a distraction against the worries of a corporate career gone awry to a successful independent publishing concern."
Eric Beebe, founder/publisher; Stephanie Beebe, consulting partner.
SAMSARA MAGAZINE: Samsara is open to submissions from October 1, 2013 to January 31, 2014. A. David Fulcher, editor. L. Flach-Fulcher, assistant editor.
TATE PUBLISHING & ENTERPRISES, LLC: Christian-based, family-owned, mainline publishing organization with a mission to discover and market unknown authors.
THE BROADKILL RIVER PRESS. "We are interested in publishing in our pages that which rises above the ordinary." Editor and Publisher: James C. L. Brown.
THE FOURTH RIVER: A publication of the Chatham University MFA in Creative Writing Programs. Submissions read Sept. 1 through March 15. Corey Florindi, managing editor; Peter Oresick, editor-in-chief.
THE GETTYSBURG REVIEW: Published via Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pa. Mark Drew, assistant editor.
THE IDIOM MAGAZINE: Free underground magazine with poetry, short fiction, and essays. Mark Brunetti.
WASHINGTON WRITERS' PUBLISHING HOUSE: A non-profit organization that has published over 50 volumes of poetry and nearly a dozen volumes of fiction. The press sponsors an annual competition for poetry/fiction writers living in the Washington-Baltimore area.
In addition to all these excellent presses, I also had the pleasure of personally meeting (or further discovering the work of) these interesting authors and individuals (forgive me if I accidentally right now don't happen to get every single person I met at the entire festival onto this list; if you were there & I didn't happen to meet you, or talk with you extensively, just get in touch & I'll update this blog as soon as I can):
Last, but not least, here are a few links I found over the weekend to some interesting groups, events, programs, projects, additional festivals and more:
I've done my best to share valuable links, opportunities and information here with my beloved readers at theodorewebb.com. Be sure you check out of them this week.
If I've inadvertently left out any press or author from this blog focused on the Western Maryland Independent Literature Festival, then contact me at twebb4502@gmail.com. Authors, publishers, etc. are welcome to contact me at this email address.
Again, if any of my readers know of any additional opportunities, feel free to share in the comments below.
SHARE, SHARE, SHARE this post via your Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and more.
THEODORE WEBB is the author of the Dystopian fiction series/book, "The STARLING Connection," along with the short stories, "DESPERATE ENGINE" and "FAMILY HOUR."
CONTACT Theodore Webb on:
Twitter https://twitter.com/STARLINGCONNECT
Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/theodorewebbauthor
CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW TO READ FREE SAMPLES OF WEBB'S STORIES:
I had the pleasure of carpooling to the festival with fellow author/playwright Roger Banks.
Roger, via Seven Stories Theatre Company, is directing the world premier of Sam Graber's "Freedom Tower," 8 p.m. Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in the Tanner Theatre at the Monongalia Arts Center (MAC) here in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Note: I'll be posting more on this soon. In the meantime, mark "Freedom Tower" on your calendars!)
Sending much love, friendship & appreciation to Roger for the great conversation and sharing the entire Indie Lit Festival experience.
I also want to extend a huge thank you to everyone whose time, energy and hard work made The Western Maryland Independent Literature Festival possible: Gerry LaFemina, author and director of the Center for Creative Writing at Frostburg State University; Michelle Yost (The Eighth Square) poet, story writer and volunteer outreach coordinator at the Center for Creative Writing.
Moreover, I want to thank EVERYONE who is involved with the festival through the Center for Creative Writing, Frostburg State University, the Alleghany County Library System and the downtown Frostburg community. Appreciate everyone who made the Indie Lit Fest possible. The entire festival was very well organized, everyone helpful, and all the events were easy to attend in downtown Frostburg.
I particularly enjoyed the highly informative, interactive panels I attended:
- The Publishing and Art panel with Ian Williams, Jamison Odone, Wayne Lockwood, Ashley Anderson, Jessica Dotson, and Ashton Cutright; and,
- The Publishing: A How to Guide with Paverti Tyler, Gerry LaFemina, Laura Shovan, and Denise Camacho.
Thanks to my fellow co-panelists for the Community Reading/Writing Groups panel, Michelle Yost and Nina Forsythe, along with the poets/writers who attended our panel. We had a lively discussion about community writing groups. I'm thankful for everyone sharing their work, projects and more. I particularly enjoyed learning more about Nina's poetry and her engaging work bringing poetry to young people in the community.
In addition to the panels/group discussions, everyone did their fair share of networking, publication reading and more at the many tables set up by the presses inside the Lyric Theatre. Presses displayed books/journals and shared submission guidelines/promotional materials.
I was happy to catch up with longtime friends and presses I know from my work with Morgantown Poets, including Morgantown-based 10X3 plus poetry journal editor Sue Ann Simar; Fairmont, West Virginia's Kestrel editor Donna Long (note: Kestrel 30 celebration is Oct. 25-26); as well as associate editor Christine Stroud from Pittsburgh's Autumn House Press. Likewise, it's always good running into Gary Vincent and Rich Bottles Jr. of Bridgeport-based Burning Bulb Publishing.
I enjoyed meeting numerous regional presses/people I hadn't met before. The variety and volume of presses in our Appalachian/mid-Atlantic areas is impressive. Seeing all these presses gathered in one place definitely broadened the horizons of this local indie writer. I could see how thriving the indie press scene truly is in our region, and this filled me with new energy to write and publish. I encourage others to check out these indie presses and consider submitting your work.
As always, I'm deeply thankful for all my readers here at theodorewebb.com. Many readers of this blog are always looking for new ideas and publishing opportunities, so I'll continue to share and provide that kind of information. I only ask that you also in turn share this post, my website and my work with others. If you know any presses in the Appalachian or mid-Atlantic regions that I've missed, then be sure to comment below and share the links/info.
Here are some of the incredible presses I had the opportunity to speak with directly during the festival. Truly, there were so many amazing presses, I wish I had the time and space to talk about every one. Be sure to check out these publishers. Submission guidelines are found on most presses' links/websites:
APPALACHIAN INDEPENDENT: Citizen journalists giving voice to a diverse Appalachian community. Jeff Henry, editor.
BACKBONE MOUNTAIN REVIEW: The annual literary journal from Western Maryland and the surrounding region. Jennifer Merrifield, managing editor; prose and poetry editors, Steven Sherrill and Jack Dubose.
CAKETRAIN: Based in Pittsburgh; editors: Amanda Raczkowski, Joseph Reed.
INK PRESS PRODUCTIONS: Ink Press Productions is a collaborative project devoted to the community of art. Directed by Tracy Dimond and Amanda McCormick.
CODORUS PRESS: Codorus Press is a small, independent publisher of high-quality literary fiction, genre fiction and non-fiction. Wayne Lockwood, Codorus founder.
EVOLVED PUBLISHING: Formed in the second half of 2011, Evolved Publishing is headed by Lane Diamond and D.T. Conklin.
EXTER PRESS: Publishes BIG PULP MAGAZINE. Bill Olver, editor; Bill Boslego, associate editor (editorial); Phil Good, associate editor (art direction/production).
FREEDOM FORGE PRESS, LLC: Freedom Forge Press is a small publisher seeking to publish high-quality fiction and non-fiction that promotes the themes of freedom, independence, and the spirit of the individual. Val Muller, editor; Eric Egger, founder.
FREE STATE REVIEW. "The literary journal appears twice yearly in print. Our focus is place and experience. We look for authors who live the poem—story—essay before they write it." Editors: Hal Burdett, J. Wesley Clark, Barrett Warner,
Raphaela Cassandra.
GRUB STREET: Published out of Towson University. The magazine is nationally recognized and has won many awards given by the Columbia Press Association.
HYACINTH GIRL PRESS. Micro-press, publishes up to six poetry chapbooks each year; specializing in handmade books of smaller press runs. "We consider ourselves a feminist press and are particularly interested in manuscripts dealing with topics such as radical spiritual experiences, creation/interpretation of myth through a feminist lens, and science." Margaret Bashaar, editor/founder.
INTRIGUE PUBLISHING: "After over 10 years of publishing mystery and thriller novels we are now expanding our interests into other genres. We have included Young Adult (YA), Urban Drama and Sensual Romance." Denise Camacho, president; Austin S. Camacho, chief operating officer.
LITTLE PATUXENT REVIEW: A journal of literature and the arts. Laura Shovan, editor.
After over 10 years of publishing mystery and thriller novels we are now expanding our interests into other genres. We have included Young Adult (YA), Urban Drama and Sensual Romance.
PAYCOCK PRESS: Based in Arlington, Va. Publishes GARGOYLE MAGAZINE: Edited by Richard Peabody.
PM PRESS: Seeks to create radical and stimulating fiction and nonfiction books, pamphlets, T-shirts, visual and audio materials to entertain, educate and inspire. Craig O'Hara, co-founder; Ramsey Kanaan, co-founder/publisher.
POST MORTEM PRESS: "With over 60 books in print since opening in late 2010, Post Mortem Press has grown from a distraction against the worries of a corporate career gone awry to a successful independent publishing concern."
Eric Beebe, founder/publisher; Stephanie Beebe, consulting partner.
SAMSARA MAGAZINE: Samsara is open to submissions from October 1, 2013 to January 31, 2014. A. David Fulcher, editor. L. Flach-Fulcher, assistant editor.
TATE PUBLISHING & ENTERPRISES, LLC: Christian-based, family-owned, mainline publishing organization with a mission to discover and market unknown authors.
THE BROADKILL RIVER PRESS. "We are interested in publishing in our pages that which rises above the ordinary." Editor and Publisher: James C. L. Brown.
THE FOURTH RIVER: A publication of the Chatham University MFA in Creative Writing Programs. Submissions read Sept. 1 through March 15. Corey Florindi, managing editor; Peter Oresick, editor-in-chief.
THE GETTYSBURG REVIEW: Published via Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pa. Mark Drew, assistant editor.
THE IDIOM MAGAZINE: Free underground magazine with poetry, short fiction, and essays. Mark Brunetti.
WASHINGTON WRITERS' PUBLISHING HOUSE: A non-profit organization that has published over 50 volumes of poetry and nearly a dozen volumes of fiction. The press sponsors an annual competition for poetry/fiction writers living in the Washington-Baltimore area.
In addition to all these excellent presses, I also had the pleasure of personally meeting (or further discovering the work of) these interesting authors and individuals (forgive me if I accidentally right now don't happen to get every single person I met at the entire festival onto this list; if you were there & I didn't happen to meet you, or talk with you extensively, just get in touch & I'll update this blog as soon as I can):
- Jim Breslin: Author of the short story collection, “Elephant,” http://jimbreslin.com/about
- Rick Campbell: Poet/author of "Dixmont," (Autumn House Press); "The Traveler’s Companion" (Black Bay Books); "Setting The World In Order" (Texas Tech Press); and "A Day’s Work" (State Street Press)
- Sid Gold: Poet/author of "The Year of the Dog Throwers" (BROADKILL RIVER PRESS)
- Marvin Josaitis: Author of "Pennies from a Heav'n" (TATE PUBLISHING)
- Holly Karapetkova: Poet and Children's Author: Author of "Words We Might One Day Say," http://karapetkova.com
- Christopher McGee: Reference and instruction librarian Alleghany County Library System
- Scott B. Pruden: Freelancer and author of "Immaculate Deception," http://scottpruden.com
- Steven Sherrill: Author of "The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break," http://stevensherrill.com/
- Laura Shovan: Maryland poet, author and educator, http://www.laurashovan.com
- Pavarti K. Tyler: Award-winning Genre-Bending Author: http://www.pavartiktyler.com
Last, but not least, here are a few links I found over the weekend to some interesting groups, events, programs, projects, additional festivals and more:
- Council of the Alleghenies: http://www.councilofthealleghenies.org
- One Vision Many Voices: Using the Arts and Humanities to Spark Dialogs for Change: http://www.appindie.org/index.php/appalachian-culture/55-appalachian-culture/3037-one-vision-many-voices-a-series-of-events-and-community-art
- Nightsun Writer's Conference: July 24-27, 2014, http://www.frostburg.edu/cwcenter/workshops/nightsun-writers-conference
- Other Worlds Literary Conference: Nov. 7-10, 2013, St. Augustine; Florida Literary Arts Coalition: http://www.floridarts.org
I've done my best to share valuable links, opportunities and information here with my beloved readers at theodorewebb.com. Be sure you check out of them this week.
If I've inadvertently left out any press or author from this blog focused on the Western Maryland Independent Literature Festival, then contact me at twebb4502@gmail.com. Authors, publishers, etc. are welcome to contact me at this email address.
Again, if any of my readers know of any additional opportunities, feel free to share in the comments below.
SHARE, SHARE, SHARE this post via your Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and more.
THEODORE WEBB is the author of the Dystopian fiction series/book, "The STARLING Connection," along with the short stories, "DESPERATE ENGINE" and "FAMILY HOUR."
CONTACT Theodore Webb on:
Twitter https://twitter.com/STARLINGCONNECT
Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/theodorewebbauthor
CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW TO READ FREE SAMPLES OF WEBB'S STORIES:
 So many amazing presses! |  Our region is flourishing! |
