Hey Kids! "The Body Swap Writing Contest"

YA Author Linda Joy Singleton is hosting

"The Body Swap Writing Contest" for young writers aged 9-19.

Here's the scoop:

In Dead Girl Walking, Dead Girl Dancing and Dead Girl in Love, 17-year-old Amber swaps bodies with Ms. Popularity, Ms. College-Girl and her very own best friend.

Question: If you could temporarily trade bodies with anyone, who would you choose? Why? And what do you think the experience would be like?

Answer this question in 300 words or less, then submit your entry to: lindajoysingleton@yahoo.com, stating that this is your original writing and that you have permission from your parents/guardian to enter and share your work on this author's blogs. Include your age, full name, and contact information (email/address).

Contest ends on July 31st. 1st place and honorable mention winners will be announced in August on this blog.

FIRST PLACE: $100 plus AUTOGRAPHED BOOK! A panel of published authors will select the winning entries. Five honorable mentions will win either a free Dead Girl, The Seer, or Strange Encounters book of their choice, autographed by Linda Joy Singleton. The winning entries will be posted on LJS's blog(s).

Entrants must between ages 9 to 19. One entry per person.

Please share this announcement with librarians, teachers, parentsand any young writers you know. If you have questions, email lindajoysingleton@yahoo.com

Ink Splash Youth Writing Workshop

Join the editors of Indigo Editing & Publications, publisher of the Ink-Filled Page literary journal, and special guest Jan Underwood, author of Day Shift Werewolf, for an inspiring day of literary creation.

The day will include group writing activities in English and Spanish* as well as personal creation time. We’ll also workshop one of your stories, highlighting your writing talent and offering suggestions for further exploration. Light refreshments will be provided.

This workshop is geared toward young adults in grades 6–12.
When: Saturday, February 7, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Where: Writers’ Dojo, 7518 N. Chicago Ave., Portland
Cost: Free/$15 suggested donation. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Community of Writers.
Bring: Five copies of a story to workshop

Space is limited, so register early! Register at www.indigoediting.com/inksplash.

*Participants do not need to be fluent in both languages to attend.

Trend Spotlight: Young Adult Book Sales to Rise

As the economy declines, every area of our lives is affected. Book sales have been dropping which makes the task of submitting a manuscript to be published all the more daunting. Many authors have turned to self-publishing or print-on-demand services like Lulu Publishing. (Check out Ken Arnold Books for a local example of this and some great reads!) Of course this requires a bit of marketing and business know-how that working with a publishing house would handle. There’s good news for young adult writers, though.

Despite the fall of book sales overall, young adult books will continue to sell and even grow this year. So polish your writing and schedule a free initial consultation with our newest editor, Andrea Deeken, who specializes in children’s books, or with our senior editor, Ali McCart, who specializes in young adult fiction and nonfiction.

Hot books right now:

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Trend Spotlight by Adriel Gorsuch, Indigo Editing, LLC