2008 Novel and Short Story Writer's Market
Editors: Lauren Mosko & Michael Schweer
ISBN: 978-1-58297-498-9
Price: $26.99, paperback
Pages: 638
For more information contact
F+W Publications
Please note Novel and Short Story Writer's Market is an annual, and that F+W Publications and Writer's Digest Books publish many other fine reference books useful to writers.

If you cannot afford these books, check your local library, which might feature reference copies of the latest editions.

Also, www.google.com is a wonderful Web resource. This powerful search engine can help you find the sites of numerous online journals and zines. Typically, these publications will include on their respective sites all necessary contact and policy information for those wanting to submit work for consideration. Here are several tips when using google.com:

• Type a journal's name in the long bar on google.com's home page, and then click "Google Search." Alternatively, you could search by typing key words connected by ampersands and then clicking the "Google Search" button; e.g., "poetry & journal & submission policy & editor," and then "Google Search"
• Begin on the www.google.com home page. Click on "more," then "Directory," "Arts," "Literature," and "Poetry"; links to many sites about poetry and specific journals will promptly appear. You can also click on other links, including several to sites about formal verse, such as Poetry: Meter, Form, and Rhythm at http://www.uncg.edu/~htkirbys/intro.html and Poetry Pointers at http://members.aol.com/lucyhardng/pointers/index1.htm#top.

Of course, you could always visit your local literature librarian and request assistance. Librarians often use google.com in their searches and can greatly help you.

Again, please note Rose Alley Press does not consider or read unsolicited manuscripts, although we wish authors the best of luck finding publishers for their work.

Over time at this site I will recommend various books, poems, essays, zines, Web sites, and venues that help poets and writers generally, not simply those of Rose Alley Press. I will also pass along any news Rose Alley Press authors want to convey. They are fine, gifted folks whose achievements merit recognition.

In the larger literary world, the demise in 2004 of Seattle's Northwest Bookfest made many bibliophiles fear open-to-the-public book fairs in our region might become extinct. I can report this is not true. Indeed, I have exhibited and sold Rose Alley Press books at numerous Pacific Northwest book fairs during the past three years. Some of these events were intended to occur only once; some were linked to events or enterprises that are scaled down or no longer active; some face difficulties and might not recur annually. Several, though, appear to have been successfully launched as annual events.

Most prominent among the successful fairs is one linked to an annual literary festival in Portland, Oregon, called "Wordstock: Portland's Annual Festival of the Book." Indeed, Wordstock III occurred from November 9 - 11, 2007, at the Oregon Convention Center near downtown Portland. It attracted good crowds and offered many fine readings and workshops, in addition to the book fair. Wordstock IV is scheduled to occur November 7 - 9, 2008, also at the Oregon Convetion Center. For more information about Wordstock, visit http://www.wordstockfestival.com. Alternatively, feel welcome to contact Wordstock staff person Erin Ergenbright by e-mail at erin@wordstockfestival.com or telephone the Wordstock office at 503-546-1013.

Other wonderful book fairs have emerged in our region. Most successful, and relevant to a poetry publisher like myself, is the small press book fair at the annual Burning Word Poetry Festival at the Greenbank Farm on Whidbey Island, near Seattle. "Burning Word" is sponsored by the Washington Poets Association and occurs on the final Saturday in April. Indeed, it occurred on Saturday, April 26th, 2008. I had a marvelous time, sold lots of books, and heard much challenging, intriguing verse. Congratulations to the WPA board for another job well done! Original founder Victoria Schouten is returning to help plan next year's event, the fifth Burning Word. Here's hoping Burning Word continues far into the future! For more information, visit www.washingtonpoets.org.

Also, on November 3rd, 2007, booklovers welcomed Tacoma Word!, a brand-new, all-day literary festival at Phoenix Hall in Freighthouse Square, a shopping mall two blocks north of the Tacoma Dome. The event featured workshops, readings, and a book fair. It was sponsored by the Tacoma Area Literary Enthusiasts, or T.A.L.E. for short. For more information about Tacoma Word! and T.A.L.E., contact either Tammy Robacker, at Tamsugah@aol.com or 253-229-3518, or Jessica McGuffey, jessiemcguffey@gmail.com. The Tacoma literary scene is burgeoning, and these fine folks are much of the reason why.

Indeed, Tammy Robacker has helped organize a wonderful new Tacoma arts festival, which includes a book fair and literary performances. It is called "Showcase Tacoma" and will occur from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on August 8th and 9th, 2008. Moreover, in the south Puget Sound region, Gerald and Brendan McBreen have this year organized a book fair within the annual "Auburn Good Ol' Days" festival in Auburn, Washington. The book fair, with accompanying readings, will occur in the Auburn Theater. See the Rose Alley Press "Upcoming Events" page for more details. Thank you again, Tammy, and thank you, Gerald and Brendan!

Here's wishing a long and successful life to Pacific Northwest book fairs and the organizations and enterprises that sponsor them!

Finally, I note the passing of William Dunlop from cancer on October 20, 2005. William was my teacher and mentor at the University of Washington many years ago. I was honored to know him and to publish his poetry. I convey my condolences to his family and friends. Of special interest to his friends and fans is the just-published volume of William's Collected Poems. The book was published by Classic Day Publishing, 2925 Fairview Avenue East, Seattle, WA, 98102; phone: 877-728-8837; e-mail: info@peanutbutterpublishing.com. William's widow, Revelle, and some of his admiring friends produced this volume, which features some previously unpublished poems. Copies of the book sell for $18 and are available at the "Local Poets" section of Seattle's University Book Store, 4326 University Way NE. This fine volume features back-cover blurbs from none other than Jonathan Raban and Margaret Drabble. These esteemed writers rightly valued William not only as a friend but as a great poet. Congratulations to Revelle and all others who contributed to the successful completion of this fine book!