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Madame Lola's Marvelously Amazing Medicine Show

by Cathy T. Colborn

Giveaway ends November 13, 2014.

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Poem up at Burlesque Press

Photo: Cathy T. Colborn

Hello,
There are a few announcements to be made here, but at the moment, I am running around for my family. I will be back later with a much longer blog post.

For now, in this moment, I want to send you to an amazing link that is run by amazing people.
My poem, Appalachian is up at Burlesque Press. The poem is a triptych. A triptych is a set of three, but in this creative case, I put a modern spin on it. The poem is two separate works that tell individual sides of a story that can be combined to reveal the truth. Please go to this link and read it: http://burlesquepressllc.com/2014/03/14/appalachian-by-cathy-colborn/

WRITERS! I would love to see your take on a triptych. Like I said, it can be written many ways. Research the process and see what you get. Some people are very artistic with the form. If you would like to send a link to your poem or check out my guidelines at Phillyflashinferno.com, (my literary journal), that would be awesome (please go to the link for guidelines only). Please submit the poem and author bio to phillyflashinferno@gmail.com.
As always, I LOVE to hear from you.

More later, BIG NEWS! Stay posted!
Catt

Temple Radio Slot Cancelled Due to Weather! More dates coming soon!

Announcement: Radio slot cancelled due to weather. More info to come on rescheduling. Keep warm. Be safe.

Announcement: Due to the weather, the Temple radio show may or may not go on without us. It's dangerous out there. I'd have to walk a mile to the train, and I can't break anything. Postponed date pending. More info soon. Thanks for almost tuning in, friends=) — feeling down.

Cathy T. Colborn on Temple Radio! (SORRY, CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER)

Cathy T. Colborn on Temple radio, this Monday, Feb. 3rd, Whipradiotu.com @ 8.45P.M. Readings, discussions, and plain old silliness. The WragsInk crew and my squeaky tones piercing the sound waves...tune it in. Turn it up.

Happy New Year, Happy New Writing Goals

"New Year Flowerworks," Photo by Cathy T. Colborn

First, great news! I have been published in an anthology by WragsInk called, Strangers of Different Ink.   I've been busy promoting the collection and finishing up my MFA, so sorry if I haven't posted in a while. Strangers is available on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Different-McKinley-Colombo-Finocchiaro/dp/0983045488/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388956393&sr=8-1&keywords=strangers+of+different+ink

Please buy a copy or pass the word to fans of short story collections, because the tales are really great. Leave a review. It will be much appreciated. I have an article on my short historical fiction piece in Strangers of Different Ink here: http://wragsthinks.wordpress.com/2014/01/03/strangers-of-different-thinks-a-quick-word-with-cathy-t-colborn/

This news has inspired me to once again bring up two things: making connections online and succeeding at your writing goals. Two things which I've written about in recent blogs, but if you haven't read those here's a short recap.

Online Submission Love
Don't post your best stuff online, but send your best stuff to online publishers. It's a fine line. I know. The only way I can warn you without preaching too much is to say that once you post online (even Facebook or Twitter or personal blog), you're published. Therefore, if you wish recognition online before being in a printed book (without screwing yourself), please consider one of the many online journals. There's a publisher for everything. Be patient. Subscribe to places like Duotrope or peruse lists of open submissions online. Buy a copy of the Writer's Market. It's heavy and a bit of cash, but it's updated every year and easy to maneuver. Nothing is left for guessing. It'll payoff. You'll build an author bio and if patient enough, you may end up in a "best of" print anthology. I speak from experience. Two times.
How about starting by submitting your work to my journal, Philly Flash Inferno.

Ongoing theme: The Seven Deadly Sins/redemption. You can find guidelines and archived issues here: phillyflashinferno.com. Just be kind and don't hate if your stuff is not what we're looking for. Always remember writing is subjective. Grow a thick skin or die. Don't burn bridges...we're in this together...and all of that.

Now for some recap on New Year Writing Resolutions Rules that are worth a try:

Here are my top five suggestions:

1) Make a Short Term Writing Goal

Short term...meaning just that.

Example: "Within the next few months I'd like to have at least one acceptance letter."

Start with a low number. If you pass it (or even reach it), you'll really savor the reward.

2) Make a Long Term Goal for the Year

You don't have to abandon the idea of the Award Winning, Accepted Movie Rights book. Instead, you can make other things happen while the big hit awaits. If it doesn't happen, you'll find you've made many small successes (like added to that art/writing bio they always ask for).

3) Don't Throw in the Writing Towel if You Immediately Make Your Short/Long Term Goal

Okay, so maybe it's getting close to the end of the year, and you didn't get that book deal, but in February, you made a spread in "Insert Some College Review Here." That doesn't mean sitting around the rest of the year without rebirthing the rebirth. Don't just sit on the couch watching Real House Wives of Atlanta marathons with a feedbag of Doritos. Keep submitting and see how far you can go past the original number of goals you set.

4) Don't Sellout to Make Your Goals

Just because we have them down on paper, electronically, or sworn to a friend over a holy book-why sell yourself short and check (or overwrite) it off the list? If you don't like what the company that's taking your submission is about (or editing in your piece) then why sellout for the sake of credit or chore setting? Sometimes it's just about the writing and not about making a buck. The buck is nice, but there are a lot of places that you'll be lucky if you get a PDF copy of your work (let alone small cash). Changing the message of your piece to get "writing street cred" is totally not the way to go.

5) Prepare for Next Year's Writing Rebirth in the Fall

I did very well last year with going beyond my short term goals in both my writing and art. I think in ten places I submitted each, I received three acceptances in each category. I didn't sit on the couch and eat a hefty bag of caramel popcorn with Saturday cartoons. The submitting machine kept working on surpassing my short term goals. When the Fall leaves slowly started to let go, so did the fierce submitter, and I started to reflect and make a rough list for January 2014. That didn't mean I abandoned the writing tree I planted, I just watched its color fade and let go...piece by piece. I checked my inbox diligently and tried to get an idea of who was looking for Spring submissions (Remember: editors are always a season or two ahead).

So there you have it. I made a long term goal of being in a short story print collection in 2013 and it happened by October. I didn't make the big one for my novel being published in 2013, but I got a maybe for 2014. See? Keep pushing. Never enough. Never settle. You can make your dreams come true, but the publishers are not going to knock on your door. So keep knocking out those submissions and be heard!

Peace, Love and Luck in the New Year,

Cathy T. Colborn

"Don't Just Phone It In"-Getting Published Online, Watching Another Online Poem Go into Print, and Push to Publish 2013

[One of my promotional canvases I painted for my steampunk novel, Madame Lola's Marvelously Amazing Medicine Show 
Bonnie the Human Butterfly 

Cathy T. Colborn 2013]

First of all, new hairdo (what can I say, I'm human). More importantly, a poem I got published online has now made its way into a Print Anthology: Big River Poetry Review, Volume One, Edited by John Lambremont, on LuLu.

This has inspired me to write and speak about "just phoning it in" and not doing your best at submitting to online journals and E-zines. Believe me, years ago, I got a lot of eye rolls when I said I self published my chapbooks and my writing credits were mostly online. Today, self publishing has lost its bad juju, but I feel there is still some on the online journals. My bio now says otherwise.

Let me be clear, I am not saying to go willy-nilly and start posting your best work on Facebook or Twitter. No, I am not even saying get on your author blog everyday and post everything you got. I am saying, however, if you have nothing in your bio yet...to try online journal submissions. You can still submit the work to print and otherwise (if the words"multiple submissions accepted"are in the guidelines). Good things happen from this, I swear.

Several of the poems I have sent online have made their way into print anthologies. Also, some editors may have read your work and may want to reprint with permission into their own collections. I am going to be hypocritical again, sorry it is my split personality, and say that one day, I did post a poem (not one of my best but a decent one) on Facebook with a rant. Next thing I knew, I had an editor from a mutual writing group asking me to submit some things. I got published in two of their upcoming print anthologies. Still, I wouldn't post the poem I had been grueling over in five poetry workshops and have stayed up until three in the morning for several nights onto FB. No way!

Ugg! I am tired talking about me (and this is my blog) and lecturing (you probably are also), so I am going to tell you somewhere I will be appearing as an Editor of Philly Flash Inferno (my online, but soon to be print journal;), BUT more so you can have an opportunity to push your own work (with me or otherwise).

Last October, I wrote a blog about my newbie adventures at Push to Publish, a conference created by Philadelphia Stories. This year, I am honored to be one of the Editor Speed Daters! Since I am not a book publisher, I cannot consider a book-length work, but I can give advice on getting published online (or print now that I have a few under my belt), and maybe even comment on your work and consider those items for Philly Flash Inferno. If not my journal, explain how I made my way into the scene and what benefits and problems you will face. I am considering having a few handouts of really edgy, and cool markets for both poets and fiction writers. I will have a list of writing groups in the area. I promise to make your five minutes count, go over your work, listen to your concerns, but leave you with the basic rules and current news that would otherwise eat up your promotion time. I hope it works. I guess we will hear if it doesn't haha.

So I am going to give you the link to Push to Publish again, because if you do have a book-length work and get there early enough, you will find several popular editors who will take you on a writing speed date. Please go back and check out my blog for tips and troubles you may encounter as a newbie! There are tons of great things going on at P2P and you can blink and opportunity is lost. Also, go to the Philadelphia Stories website to keep updated on the poetry and fiction events and contests for prizes (more cool and current opportunities to get your name out there). Here are your links:

Push to Publish:http://www.philadelphiastories.org/push-to-publish
Philadelphia Stories (main page): http://www.philadelphiastories.org

Thanks for stopping by...keep those computer/typewriter keys and camera shutters clicking,
Catt Colborn