Browsing CategoryThe Writer’s Studio

A Month in Photos (Yes, I’m a Bad Blogger)

I’ve been waiting for the right time to write in great length about my amazing trip to Vancouver, describe my time at The Vancouver Writers’ Fest, which was as unforgettable and dreamy as I had hoped. I wanted to write about the panels and how well they went, the parties and late nights at the hospitality suite with my new talented friends (Saleema Nawaz, Theodora Armstrong, Angie Abdou, Shaena Lambert) and my dear old friends (Nancy Jo Cullen, Naz Hozar), the inspiring events that made me want to go home and write, write, write, how Thomson Highway renamed my book…

My West Coast Mini Book Tour

I’m thrilled to be heading to Vancouver and Victoria for a mini-book tour in a few days. Vancouver is one of my homes (I’ve written about it here). I lived there for eleven years and I still miss it. When I got my book deal I promised my friends in the city that I’d fly there to launch my book after I do my Toronto Launch. But then I ended up having a baby instead. The Best Place on Earth is now six months old, a little old for a launch, but I still wanted to celebrate it with my…

The Writer‘s Studio Guide to Publishing in Literary Magazines and Entering Contests

I’ve been asked by a lot of people lately where they can find the The Writer‘s Studio Guide to Publishing in Literary Magazines and Entering Contests so I decided to repost it. The guide has been recommended by The New Quarterly Blog and  by The Canadian Writer’s Journal. Here’s the original post: When I was Wayde Compton’s mentor assistant in SFU’s Writer’s Studio I offered free consultations to students about how to submit to literary magazines. I figured I knew what I was talking about judging by the pile of rejection letters I’ve received. One student, to whom I showed my geeky, colour…

Readings in Vancouver (Also: a Love Song to East Van)

I love Vancouver. I lived in this city for eleven years, eight of them in East Van. There is nothing quite like East Van anywhere, and for someone like me, that sense of community and belonging in a city half a world away from my home was not something to take for granted. My life in Vancouver was very contained: I worked on Commercial Drive (at Yogis, then at Clove), met Sean on the Drive (drinking coffee and smoking outside Napoli cafe), lived off the Drive (Charles Street, William Street, Napier Street, and Semlin Drive). My favourite coffee shop had…

I Got Myself a Book Deal!

Holy shit! I got myself a book deal! My book of short stories, The Best Place on Earth, will be coming out with HarperCollins in 2013. I have a contract signed, an editor assigned, and a cheque with my name on it. It’s for real. People ask me how it felt, getting that email inviting me to the HarperCollins offices for a ‘chat.’ Did I scream? they ask. I totally screamed. I also cried a little bit. I played Matisyahu in my office really loudly and did a silly dance. I called my mom, my mentor in Toronto (Camilla Gibb), my mentor…

The New Quarterly Recommends My Guide

The New Quarterly, an award winning literary journal, has recently recommended my Guide to Publishing in Literary Magazines on their blog, The Literary Type. They write: “Writer Ayelet Tsabari, a graduate of SFU’s Writing Studio program, has written a detailed guide on how to submit your work to literary magazines: she covers everything, from what to put in your cover letter to what to do with your rejection letters, and in this managing editor’s humble opinion, totally nails it.”

Gurjinder Basran: Winner of the Great BC Novel Contest

My friend Gurjinder Basran, a fellow Writer’s Studio graduate, wrote a beautiful first novel about a young second-generation Punjabi girl growing up in BC. The novel was shortlisted for Amazon.com’s 2008 search for the Next Breakthrough Novel and earned her a place in the Vancouver Sun’s annual speculative arts and culture article, “Ones To Watch”.  I read an earlier version of the novel and loved it. I think we could use more second-generation narratives in Canadian literature. A few months ago I read about a Mother Tongue Publishing Search for the Great BC Novel Contest, and e-mailed Gurjinder the link. I…

The Writer‘s Guide to Publishing in Literary Magazines and Entering Contests

When I was Wayde Compton’s mentor assistant in SFU’s Writer’s Studio I offered free consultations to students about how to submit to literary magazines. I figured I knew what I was talking about judging by the pile of rejection letters I’ve received. One student, to whom I showed my geeky, colour coded submissions binder, my submissions excel sheet and contest deadline calendar, said: “You should teach this.” So when Betsy Warland approached me to write a guide on this topic I was happy to pass the information along. Finally, my borderline compulsive organizational skills pay off. I compiled tips from other submissions-savvy…