Seven Quick Takes: Volume 22

Tuscany Press Edition & Giveaway

Linking up with Conversion Diary for this week's 7 Quick Takes Friday.

-- 1 --

Tuscany Press is accepting manuscripts for the 2013 Tuscany Prize for Catholic Fiction.  Genres include novels, novellas, short stories,and young adult novels.  If you've got a manuscript lying around, or one that needs just a bit more polish, send it on over.  If they like your work, they might offer you a publication contract aside from the Tuscany Prize.  So even if it's not 100% ready for submission, you might be letting the right people know that you have a skill and to expect more from you in the future.

-- 2 --

They've recently put up an author's page so you can get to know the people behind the award-winning fiction.  We range from all over the country (and out!) and vary in race, gender, age, and ethnicity; but the one thing we have in common is a Catholic vision of art and literature.  Some of them have links to blogs and such, so you can even get in contact.

-- 3 --

And here's a comprehensive essay addressing what is Catholic fiction?  We may be inclined to think Catholic fiction requires convents and rosaries, or indiscreet moral stands such as the writings of Michael O'Brien and Regina Doman (both good authors), but the category is actually much wider.

-- 4 --

The founders are looking for ways to promote Tuscany Press and her sister projects CatholicFiction.net and CatholicInk.com, so if you work with or for a university, library, Catholic parish, or other organization that you think would benefit from an event with Tuscany Press, get in contact.  Or you can let me know, and I can contact them for you.

-- 5 --

Tuscany Press has ties with the prestigious Catholic literary magazine Dappled Things.  Some of the authors for Tuscany have also published in Dappled Things, and the editor of Tuscany Press, Joe O'Brian, is active with DP as well.  So this is a strong and growing Catholic sub-culture, with truth and beauty as its aim, but not at the expense of art.  See Pope John Paul II's Letter to Artists.

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Tuscany Press is currently looking for a freelance Fiction Substantive/Line Editor.  Requirements include:

1.) Experience with Book publishing  

2.) Experience with Substantive/line editing

a.) analyze the manuscript 

b.) Work in the manuscript 

c.) Address issues:

i.) Story Arc 

ii.) Character Development

iii.) Chaptering and pacing 

iv.) Transitions 

v.) Fictional Dream Issues 

vi.) Beginning, Middle and end 

3.) Knowledge of John Gardner and the Fictional Dream – also The Art of Fiction 

4.) Know of Flannery O’Connor and Mystery and Manners

Do you know of anyone who needs work or is interested?  I assume at this stage that they're going to prefer a practicing Catholic, but I don't actually know.

-- 7 --

I'm giving away my copy of 2012 Tuscany Prize for Catholic Fiction: Collected Short Stories.  Want to be eligible?  Here's what you have to do:

• comment on this post saying that you'd like to be included for the random drawing
• in the following week, write a brief post or paragraph advertising Tuscany Press on your blog/Twitter/Facebook/internet platform to help support its mission and get the word out

That's it!  I'll sign and address the book however and to whomever you want!  Okay?  Okay!  Thanks so much ahead of time for participating.