Category: Articles

Contests for Already Published (Poetry) Books – Updated October 2025

by Bernadette Geyer, posted in Articles, Contests

Contests-for-poetry-books

.

If anyone knows of additional contests for already published books (or galleys), please post a comment and I will add to the list.

——————————–

Recent update in December 2024: Added the Edna Meudt Poetry Book Award and Julie Suk Award. Removed the Devil’s Kitchen Reading Award and the Milton Kessler Poetry Book Award. Fixed some broken links.

——————————–

BOOK AWARDS FOR POETRY BOOKS

Note: advice of most of these contests is to submit book as soon as possible during submission period.

Continue reading “Contests for Already Published (Poetry) Books – Updated October 2025” →

Dos and Don’ts When Seeking Book Blurbs

by Bernadette Geyer, posted in Articles, Tips for Writers

I wrote the featured article for the 6 June 2025 issue of FundsforWriters, published weekly by Hope Clark, in which I offer tips based on my own experience soliciting blurbs for my books and writing blurbs for others. Below is a short excerpt.

Continue reading “Dos and Don’ts When Seeking Book Blurbs” →

Developing a More Efficient Submission Process

by Bernadette Geyer, posted in Articles, Tips for Writers

I wrote the featured article for the 4 April 2025 issue of Funds for Writers, published weekly by Hope Clark, which shines a light behind the curtain of how I changed my process for submitting writing to magazines to open more time for writing. Below is a short excerpt.

Continue reading “Developing a More Efficient Submission Process” →

Gargoyle publishes my essay “A Condensed Timeline of My Life Plotted through My Relationships with Libraries”

by Bernadette Geyer, posted in Articles, Essay, Essays

Gargoyle 8 InstagramGargoyle Magazine published my essay “A Condensed Timeline of My Life Plotted through My Relationships with Libraries” on July 1, 2024. Below is an excerpt from the piece, and I honestly hope this essay inspires many people to learn more about the movie Library Wars and to watch it! Here’s an excerpt…

“Books have encouraged revolutions but, on a smaller scale, books have also served to open the world to people who cannot travel. I never traveled outside of the United States until I was 29 years old. But thanks to my library card, I had read stories from around the world. I read about other cultures and histories. I learned that there was a world outside of the small town in which I was raised. I learned that there were other religions. Other beliefs. Other ways of living.”

Read the entire essay here.

The Smart Set publishes my essay “Saudade for Library Book Sales”

by Bernadette Geyer, posted in Articles, Essay, Essays

TSS-Cover-ImageThe Smart Set published my essay “Saudade for Library Book Sales” on May 2, 2024. Below is an excerpt from the piece, which not only waxes poetic about my love of these events, but offers strategies for survival at one. Here’s an excerpt…

“On bag day, I could pick up any book that looked like an interesting read. I’d go back to the poetry section, then move to fiction again, then browse into biography, cookbooks, art history, gardening, and even into self-help. The wish list didn’t matter here, just whether a book caught my attention or not. On $5-a-bag-day, I judged books by their blurbs, their condition, and — yes — by their cover.”

Read the entire essay here.

How to Help Grandma Understand the Rules of Her Granddaughter’s Sport

by Bernadette Geyer, posted in Articles

I wrote an article for Your Teen Magazine, in which I provide tips for parents who want to help grandparents connect better with their grandkids over the sport they love. Below is a short excerpt from the article, which was published on March 6, 2023.

Continue reading “How to Help Grandma Understand the Rules of Her Granddaughter’s Sport” →

Preparing for Computer Problems as a Writer

by Bernadette Geyer, posted in Articles

I wrote the featured article for the 19 September 2022 issue of Funds for Writers, published weekly by Hope Clark, in which I provide insights based on my own experiences as a writer who lost many documents due to computer issues. Below is a short excerpt.

Continue reading “Preparing for Computer Problems as a Writer” →

How to Break into Travel Writing without Traveling

by Bernadette Geyer, posted in Articles

I wrote the featured article for the 19 August 2022 issue of Funds for Writers, published weekly by Hope Clark, in which I offer tips for people who want to break into travel writing but can’t (or don’t want to) travel. Below is a short excerpt.

Continue reading “How to Break into Travel Writing without Traveling” →

Bios: The Subtle Art of Bragging

by Bernadette Geyer, posted in Articles

I wrote the featured article for the 22 July 2022 issue of Funds for Writers, published weekly by Hope Clark, in which I offer tips on how to format a bio as a writer and what types of information should go into the summary. Below is a short excerpt.

Continue reading “Bios: The Subtle Art of Bragging” →