Awards for Texas Authors. Dreamers Sticker. Blood Business Launch.

The Texas Institute of Letters Literary Awards

The Texas Institute of Letters (TIL) annually sponsors several literary contests to honor Texas writers or creative works about Texas.  According to La Bloga friend and esteemed author Sergio Troncoso, here are the basic rules for all TIL awards:

Each year the Texas Institute of Letters awards more than $20,000 to recognize outstanding literary works in several categories. Eligibility for the awards requires that the author be born in Texas or have lived in Texas for at least two consecutive years at some time. A work whose subject matter substantially concerns Texas is also eligible.

Troncoso, respected for his support of other writers, especially authors traditionally isolated from the world of literary publishing, recently announced that he had permanently endowed at TIL the Sergio Troncoso Award for Best Work of First Fiction ($1,000). That's an amazing thing to do and La Bloga congratulates Sergio and TIL for their support of new writers and literature.

From the TIL website, here's a list of the submission rules, the various TIL categories, and the judges:

The Texas Institute of Letters has named its distinguished judges for its literary contests, which are now open for submissions. Judges will select finalists and winners in thirteen categories for the best works published in 2017. Winners will be awarded a total of more than $23,000 at the TIL’s annual meeting, to be held on April 6-7, 2018 in San Antonio. 

To submit works for award consideration:
 1. Complete online contest entry form and pay entry fee ($20 for book awards / $10 for short story & journalism awards): https://form.jotform.us/71805100339145
2. Submissions of works must be mailed to the appropriate judging committee members. Addresses are listed below. Since there are three members for each committee, you will need to send a copy of the work to each judge. Include a brief note inside explaining which contest the book is being entered for.
3. Authors or their representatives should not have any contact with judges other than to submit work to each judge.
4. A book can only be entered in one category.
5. Submissions must be postmarked no later than January 2, 2018.
6. All works entered must be published in a print format during 2017: Unpublished manuscripts and online publications will not be considered.
7. To be considered, an entry must be the first published version of the work.
8. A person or publisher may enter only one work per author per contest category for the writing contests; a person or publisher may enter only one work per designer for the book design contest. In other words, a publisher may enter different works by different authors or designers in one category but cannot submit more than one book by the same author or designer in one category.

 CONTEST CATEGORIES AND JUDGES

Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction ($6,000) 
Pati Griffith, 7707 13th NW, Washington, DC 20012
Alicia Gaspar de Alba, 1506 Meadowbrook Rd. Los Angeles, CA 90019
Steven G. Kellman, 302 Fawn Dr. Shavano Park, TX 78231-1519  

Sergio Troncoso Award for Best Work of First Fiction ($1,000)
Pati Griffith, 7707 13th NW, Washington, DC 20012
Alicia Gaspar de Alba, 1506 Meadowbrook Road, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Steven G. Kellman, 302 Fawn Drive, Shavano Park, TX 78231-1519

Carr P. Collins Award for Best Book of Non-fiction ($5,000)
Judyth Rigler, 1735 Avenida Alturas NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110-4944
Cary Clack, 1010 Locke #1305, San Antonio, TX 78208
Skip Hollandsworth, 6225 Glendora Ave. Dallas, TX 75230

Ramirez Award for Most Significant Scholarly Book ($2,500)
T. Lindsay Baker, USPS only no UPS or Fedex, PO Box 507, Rio Vista, TX  76093
José Limón, 3618 California Ave. Long Beach,  CA 90807
Ellen Riojas Clark, 930 East Sunshine Dr. San Antonio, TX 78228
 
Helen C. Smith Memorial Award for Best Book of Poetry ($1,500) 
Geoff Rips, 1311 Ardenwood Dr. Austin, TX 78722
Emmy Pérez, Creative Writing Program, ELABS 125, UTRGV, Edinburg, TX 78539
Chip Dameron, 4853 Lakeway Dr. Brownsville, TX 78520

John A. Robertson Award for First Book Of Poetry ($1,000)
Geoff Rips, 1311 Ardenwood Dr. Austin, TX 78722
Emmy Pérez, Creative Writing Program, ELABS 125, UTRGV, Edinburg, TX 78539
Chip Dameron, 4853 Lakeway Dr. Brownsville, TX 78520
  
Edwin “Bud” Shrake Award for Short Nonfiction ($1,000) This prize is for the best article or essay appearing in print newspapers, journals, or magazines. Multiple articles by a single author may be submitted — with a total not exceeding 10,000 words.
Rod Davis, 1503 Scottsdale Dr. Leander, TX 78641
Dick J. Reavis, 2902 Maple Springs Blvd. Dallas, TX 75235
Macarena Hernández, 3112 Willowbrook St. Waco, TX 76711

 Kay Cattarulla Award for Best Short Story ($1,000)
Gerald Duff,, 2 Foxmoor, Lebanon, IL 62254
C.M. Mayo, 1530 P B Lane # M1820, Wichita Falls, TX 76302-2612
Kathi Appelt, 1907 Comal Circle, College Station TX 77840
 
H-E-B/Jean Flynn Best Children’s Book ($1,000) and H-E-B Best Young Adults Book ($1,000) and Denton Record-Chronicle Best Children’s Picture Book ($1,000)
David Bowles, 4717 N FM 493, Donna, TX, 78537
Bryce Milligan, 627 E Guenther St. San Antonio, TX 78210
Oralia Garza de Cortes, 101 Running Brook Dr. Austin, TX 78723

Soeurette Diehl Fraser Award for Best Translation of a Book  ($1,000) Given biannually. Books published in 2016 and 2017 are eligible for consideration.
Marian Schwartz, 1207 Bickler Rd. Austin, TX  78704
Robin Davidson, 2540 Goldsmith St. Houston, TX 77030-1816
Curtis Bauer, 2802 22nd St. Lubbock, TX 79410
 
Fred Whitehead Award for Best Design of a Trade Book ($750) Note that this award is not based upon the book’s size or financial support from sponsors. It is an award for a trade book – emphasis on trade book – showing the designer’s craft including ingenuity of concept restrained by a limited budget, i.e. the usual amount a press might spend on book production without any extra funds. Please do not submit expensive, over-sized art, coffee table, etc., books for this award.
Lonn Taylor, UPS or FedEx only: 308 North Buckeye St. Fort Davis, TX 79734
Laura Wilson, 10621 Strait Lane, Dallas, TX 75229
Barbara Whitehead, 2513 Janice Dr. Austin, TX 78703

The Texas Institute of Letters is a non-profit established in 1936 to promote interest in Texas literature and to recognize literary achievement. The TIL’s elected membership consists of the state’s most recognized and serious writers of fiction, poetry, journalism, and scholarship. The membership includes winners of the Pulitzer Prizes in drama, fiction, and nonfiction, as well as prizes awarded by PEN and dozens of other regional and national award and grant-giving institutions.

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MoveOn.org is offering a free Dreamers sticker with the option to purchase more as a fund raiser for the campaign to pass the Dream Act.  Go here to get yours.

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The grift. The scam. The double-cross. Blackmail and burglary; murder and larceny. Blood Business tracks the underbelly of human nature through the muck of our lesser angels in twenty-seven crime stories set in this world...and beyond.

Join Hex Publishers' editors Josh Viola and Mario Acevedo, contributing authors Carter Wilson, Mark Stevens, Jeanne C. Stein, Warren Hammond, Betsy Dornbusch, Manuel Ramos, Sean Eads, Dean Wyant, Aaron Michael Ritchey, Angie Hodapp, Jason Heller, and artist Aaron Lovett for an evening of horror, mystery and crime.

They will discuss and sign Blood Business: Crime Stories From this World and Beyond

Later.

Manuel Ramos is the author of several novels, short stories, poems, and non-fiction books and articles. His collection of short stories, The Skull of Pancho Villa and Other Stories, was a finalist for the 2016 Colorado Book Award. My Bad: A Mile High Noir was published by Arte Público Press in 2016 and was a finalist for the Shamus Award in the Original Paperback category sponsored by the Private Eye Writers of America.