2013 Writing Contests
In honor of our past director, Leona Hertel, we are sponsoring our 5th Annual Leona Hertel Awards Contests. Leona worked tirelessly on the Maranatha Christian Writers’ Conference, and we are still blessed today by the seeds she sowed in the lives of fledgling writers.
Your winning submission will earn you $50 in cash, a $50 in credit at our bookstore, and professional editing by our Somersault partners prior to publication on our website.
Follow guidelines carefully. You must be a full-time registrant, and you may submit to only one category. Please include the category, title, and your contact information ONLY on a cover page. Do not put personal information on the pages of the actual entry. Submissions will be forwarded to judges anonymously. All submissions are to be sent to Yvonne Albright, contest coordinator:
Yvonne Albright
2045 Payton Lane N.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
You must be registered before submitting. Deadline for article and devotional submissions is September 1. The short story deadline is August 1. Please follow guidelines carefully to avoid disqualification.
Your winning submission will earn you $50 cash, $50 in our bookstore credit, and professional editing by our Somersault partners prior to publication on our website: www.WriteWithPurpose.org
All winners will be announced at our awards banquet on Friday evening.
WATCH FOR GUIDELINES
Tales of Witches, Kings, and Enchanted Trees
Friday night, conference staff and writers from around the world gathered on Lake Michigan’s shore for s’mores, roasted marshmallows and an evening of story telling. Few things are “more Michigan” than sitting around a fire under a starry sky listening to waves break on the lake shore. Well, we couldn’t see the stars. But as the moon pushed back the clouds, we spun a heroic epic, one sentence at a time. Here are a few pictures from this years memorable evening. Make sure you join us next year.
read moreKeynote Speaker Karen Ball – Fiction Author and Agent w/ Steve Laube Agency
Karen Ball has always loved the power of story. It’s a gift that she’s been able to use that love during 30+ years in publishing to lead several publishers (Tyndale, Multnomah, Zondervan, and now B&H Publishing Group) in building strong and powerful fiction lines. Currently the owner/operator of Karen Ball Publishing Services, LLC, and a literary agent with the Steve Laube Agency, Karen partners with authors to help them refine their craft, thus delivering their stories as powerfully as possible. She’s had the honor of acquiring and...
read moreWendy Wetzel -
Wendy Wetzel is an editor for the trade books division with baker Publishing Group. She has worked in publishing or as a freelance editor for over ten...
read moreDirk Wierenga–Publishing Advisor
Dirk Wierenga is a publishing consultant. In that role, he is Director of Publishing Services for Principia Media, associate with Credo Communications, Manager of Publishing for Exxel Publishing, and owner of Fox River Press which provides an array of publishing services for authors and publishers. Thursday Nonfiction Panel Finding a Great Editor
read moreJohn Topliff – Somersault Publishing Group
John Topliff is general manager for Somersault, Prior to that, John was vice president of strategic product integration at Zondervan, working with bestselling authors, including Philip Yancey, John Ortberg, Anne Graham Lotz, and Rob Bell, to maximize their content across all publishing divisions. His career experience includes positions at Baker Publishing Group, Revell, HarperCollinsPublishers, and Spring Arbor Distributors. John Topliff has aa Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, and a Masters of...
read moreJames Watkins – Vista Press
James Watkin’s mission is “to communicate the gospel of Christ in as creative manner as possible with as many people as possible.” Jim wears more hats than his Aunt Luella! He is: author/contributor to over 30 books and over two thousand articles, book acquisitions editor and editor of Vista for Wesleyan Publishing House, conference speaker throughout North America and overseas, editorial advisor for ACW Press, writing instructor at Taylor University, minister of communications at The River Community Church and most of all,...
read moreGloria Penwell – Representative for AMG publishers
Gloria Penwell’s expertise and love of the writing world comes from years of traveling with her husband, Dan. Together they attended hundreds of writers conferences while Dan was Acquisitions Editor at AMG Publishing. Gloria is the CLASS Christian Writers Conference Assistant Director. She loves to encourage new writers and understands what the writing life is about. Gloria will be representing AMG...
read moreKeynote Speaker Jeanette Taylor – Product Development & Marketing Strategist
Jeannette Taylor is the research & development architect, responsible for product development and marketing strategies, and supervision of all research functions for Somersault Group. With 30 years of strategic marketing and research experience (she started when she was 10), she’s conducted research studies on everything from egg kits to Philip Yancey. She owns the research firm JET Marketing and is an adjunct professor at Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids, MI. Jeannette is the former General Manager of Bibles and Vice President of...
read moreHolly Miller–Author and Editor
Holly Miller is the author of 14 books and 3,000 magazine articles. Her latest project is a third edition of “Feature & Magazine Writing” — a how-to book in use on 48 college and university campuses. Holly is a contributing editor to The Saturday Evening Post, consulting editor for In Trust magazine and teaches the advanced feature-writing class at Anderson University. She has earned awards from the Evangelical Press Association, the Associated Press, Society of American Travel Writers, Midwest Travel Writers...
read moreKaren Neumair–Agent, Credo Communications
Karen Neumair works closely with Credo’s authors, especially women’s issues authors and emerging writers to teens and twenty-somethings, championing them and their projects with editors at leading publishing houses and walking authors through every step of the book publishing process, from idea development and proposal creation to marketing strategies. Karen brings a commitment to excellence and an attention to detail to the team at Credo. Karen was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago before moving to Grand Rapids to continue...
read moreKeynote Speaker David Lambert–Author, Lambert Editorial Services
David Lambert is the author of ten published books, including the gold medallion award-winning Jumper Fables, coauthored with Ken Davis, and the recent novel The Missionary. Five of the ten have been novels. His short fiction has been published in periodicals as diverse as TQ, The Chariton Review, Sand, Virtue, Moody, Guideposts for Kids, and Story. David has an M.F.A. in fiction writing from the University of Montana. He has held a variety of positions in publishing, including managing editor of a youth magazine and founding editor of two...
read moreMaranatha Christian Writers' Conference
Join us for our 36th Anniversary
Wed, Sept 25 - Sat, Sept 28, 2013. Held @
Maranatha Bible and Missionary Conference
Muskegon, MI, 49441. Spend a week amidst the beautiful fall colors on Lake Michigan's shore. Learn about writing, talk with editors & publishers and listen for God's still small voice.
What Conference Will You Attend in 2013?
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