Market | Cathy C. Hall Writes

Found some interesting things this week, so no time to dilly-dally about…

A big Thanks and shout out to my techno-genius bud, Bill Elder, who told me about Daily Booth. It’s a social network that prompts you to catalog your life, one day at a time, through pictures of your face. That’s right, your face. Kind of like the picture booths you see in the malls, only it’s online and allows you to hook up and network with other Daily Boothers and their faces. I have a fantabulous idea for this application, sort of with my face, but not exactly with my face (because even though I am cute as a button (see my face), it takes work to get me looking this cute. Who’s got time for that every day?) So stay tuned! And check out Daily Booth if you just can’t get enough of yourself.

But if you’re not so much into pictures, you should check out Ralan’s, a fantabulous site filled with markets, contests, anthologies and such. I used to check Ralan’s on a regular basis, but then my computer went AWOL (Is she still harping about that? Yes, she is.) and I lost all my bookmarks. Slowly but surely, I’m getting them back where they belong. And thank goodness I remembered Ralan’s, ’cause the markets and such are of the speculative fiction variety (one of my faves for short stories) AND the humor variety (Coincidentally, another big fave). So, if humor and spec fiction is on your Writing To Do List, then zip over to Ralan’s.

And finally, I came across a little tidbit about President Obama and his tweetin’ while he was on the campaign trail. Really? The President on Twitter? Seriously? With all that man has to worry about and he’s busy coming up with 140 character tweets??? Wonder if he’s still tweetin’? ‘Cause if he is, I’m definitely signing up with Twitter.

Then I can say, “Oh, yeah. Me and the President…we’re like this (picture my face, cheek to cheek with you-know-who).”

I’ve got to get my little old self to the Springmingle Conference in Atlanta this evening, but I wanted to leave you something before I go. Something Southern, sort of like Southern Breeze, which is the SCBWI chapter sponsoring Springmingle. (Am I the only one that thinks Springmingle is a little, I don’t know, rushing the season, for a conference in February???)

So, here’s a call for submissions from “Sweet Tea and Afternoon Tales,” which is sponsored by the Gulf Coast Writers Association. And according to their info sheet, they’re “eager to include voices from many southern states.”

And that could mean little old me, from Georgia. Or you, if you’re from Mississippi, Alabama, Caroline-anywhere below the Mason Dixon Line (okay, I just flashed back to eighth grade cheerleading and one of my favorite cheers. Now, I’m flashing back to how I didn’t make the squad. A perfectly good flashback ruined.)

Anyway, the GCWA will accept most genres, except the usual genres relegated to the Island Of Misfit Fiction (erotica, graphic violence, etc.). BUT, stories must be set in the South and capture a Southern tone (how convenient for little old me!) AND, they’ll consider previously published stories. There’s no entry fee, but you’ve got to work fast! Deadline is March 15, 2009!

You can get all the little old details here. And now, I’m gone like the wind. (Um, I couldn’t help that one. It’s better than another cheer, though, right?)