SCWA / The Quill / June 2025
A Newsletter of the South Carolina Writers Association
June 2025
Message from the President
OUR EVOLUTION
Happy June, everyone!
We are officially halfway through this year and seeing all sorts of changes. A few months back, which only feels like a few weeks, I went to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, which had a temporary exhibit on the evolution of the cellphone. True to form, your SCWA president geeked out because I work in phone analysis. They showed the inner parts of phones, a tower of classic phones, such as the Nokia and the Razor flip phone. They even had a pay phone!
Recently, SCWA participated in the Piedmont Publishing Symposium with our friends at Hub City Press, University of North Georgia Press, Clemson University Press and University of South Carolina Press with host Wofford College. I had the honor of introducing the “Book Production Panel” on what happens between signing a book deal and the publish date. These two events got me thinking about the evolution of our writing projects.
When we write, an idea sparks in our heads and begins to take on a life of its own. We get it all on paper and fuss with it because we are on a journey with this project vs it just going how we think it should. As we write we learn who our story is. We then enter the favorited editing stages, where we enter the teenage years of our story, allowing it to grow and become the story it needs to be.
After molding this story, we send it out in the world, and this life we have created begins to change again and evolve to maturity, getting ready for the masses. Book production becomes the last stage of evolution that shape and build out the muscles to make your book ready for taking on the world.
The fun of writing is seeing your spark come to life and watching how it evolves into the Shakespeare amazingness that everyone has in them. The fun of evolution is there is no one path and seeing all the different ways we get to the other end of the path.
May the muse be ever in your favor.
President Ash Smith, left, and administrator Laura Corbin represented SCWA at the inaugural Piedmont Publishing Symposium recently.
PIEDMONT PUBLISHING SYMPOSIUM A SUCCESS
On May 28 and 29, SCWA partnered with our publishing friends in the inaugural Piedmont Publishing Symposium.
Hub City Press, University of South Carolina Press, Clemson University Press and University of North Georgia Press along with host Wofford College presented the symposium designed to provide authors with a learning and networking opportunity among the publishing community in South Carolina and the larger Southeast region.
What I loved about PPS was this sense of working together to further our cause of supporting South Carolina writers and bringing together the writing community. We are a tribe and it takes a village to get stories and writings out into the world. And come together we did! We also saw that we have a strong Southeastern publishing world.
We came together to learn about publishers, book production, what is the right track for you and marketing. There was a great conversation on AI. I also learned that it’s okay to find the platform that is authentic to you rather than just social media.
The community aspect of the symposium and the chance to network and get to know partners in writing was an important part as well. SCWA also represented at PPS, and I was so excited to get to interact with our members who came to further their craft and support this symposium. I also got to have a great time meeting new people and working with everyone.
We met many and learned a lot and spent time with great publisher friends. Didn’t get to make it this year? That’s all right - it’s going to happen again next year!
Ash Smith
President
president@myscwa.org
Publications
SUBMIT TO THE PETIGRU REVIEW THROUGH AUG. 23
The submission window for The Petigru Review is now open. TPR welcomes submissions of original fiction, nonfiction, poetry and art from members of the South Carolina Writers Association and the public at large. The reading period for all genres will close on Aug. 23.
The 2025 edition of TPR will be a themed issue focused on “Taste of the Carolinas.” Submissions need not be set in South Carolina, nor need they be written by South Carolina authors, nor do they need to focus on food or drink. However, preference will be given to pieces that engage that thematic element in some way.
The submission fee for each general submission is $3, payable through Submittable at thepetigrureview.com/submit.
Please follow these guidelines:
Prose: Submit only one piece of short fiction or nonfiction. Prose narratives must not exceed 5,000 words in length. All prose submissions should be double-spaced.
Poetry: Submit no more than five poems. All poems must be submitted in a single file.
Files for all prose submissions must be uploaded to Submittable in either a .doc, .docx or .pdf format.
Art: Submit no more than five pieces. All art must be submitted in a single file and in a digital format.
Files for art submissions must be uploaded to Submittable in either a .tif, .gif, .jpg or .png format.
STUDENT GINNY PADGETT AWARD IN CREATIVE WRITING
Student submissions for the Ginny Padgett Award in Creative Writing also continues through Aug. 23.
Questions regarding submissions to TPR should be directed to:
Managing Editor/Fiction Editor: Andrew Geyer (ageyer@usca.edu)
Assistant Editor/Nonfiction Editor: Sara Sobota (ssobota@coastal.edu)
Poetry Editor: Sydney Bollinger (hello@sydneybollinger.com)
BECOME TPR’S BLOG EDITOR
The Petigru Review is looking for a volunteer editor for the publication’s forthcoming blog. The editor will work closely with Sydney Bollinger, SCWA Publications Director, on developing, managing and assigning blog content to writers.
We want to create a dynamic space to share what’s going on in South Carolina’s literary community. Think author interviews, book reviews, SCWA member spotlights and feature stories about South Carolina and its writers.
Interested SCWA members can reach out to publications@myscwa.org for more information.
SHARE YOUR WRITING SUCCESS
SCWA’s Marketing Team wants to feature member writers and their work on SCWA’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Fill out the survey linked below to share your writing successes.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Events and Education
VIRTUAL TWO-DAY CONFERENCE SET AUG. 15-16
SCWA is excited to host "The Joy of Writing: Partners & Performance," from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16.
This two-day virtual event features sessions necessary for writers ready to dig into the business of writing. Learn how to navigate the landscape of modern publishing, how to monetize your work, and how to approach writing like a job.
With keynote talks from Jonathan Haupt and Jodie Cain Smith, this event also features sessions on how to perform your work at readings and open mic and get involved in the literary community.
Registration for SCWA members is $125 and $150 for nonmembers.
Zoom link provided upon registration.
AUTHOR’S TOOLBOX
BAKER ROGERS: "THE IMPORTANCE OF QUEER VOICES IN RESEARCH"
Join us for this Author’s Toolbox at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 19, via Zoom as Baker Rogers presents “The Importance of Queer Voices in Research.”
Rogers is the owner of Queer Haven Books in Columbia. They are also a full professor of sociology at Georgia Southern University. Rogers was born in South Carolina, and it has been their goal to get back to their home state and help provide resources for the queer community - resources they wish they had coming-of-age in South Carolina. This goal is what led to opening Queer Haven Books. Through their research and their work with the bookstore and beyond, Rogers advocates for the importance of queer voices, community and space, especially in the South. Queer Haven Books is South Carolina's only queer bookstore, and Rogers hopes that all queer people can find something they need at the bookstore, whether that's information, resources, escape, friendships, community or something else.
Also, make plans to attend the final Author’s Toolbox at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 17, with agent Renee Fountain, discussing “Platform Building for Introverts.”
Members, free; nonmembers, $25. The Zoom link will be provided upon registration.
SUMMER SERIES IS BACK
SCWA’s popular virtual Summer Series is back! Plan to join us at noon every Tuesday from through Aug. 5 for a variety of topics and presenters.
Members may attend free; register for any or all sessions. Nonmembers pay $10 per session or $70 for all remaining sessions.
Here is the schedule of speakers and topics:
June 10: Finding Calm in the Chaos of Today's Social Media Demands, Becky Muth
June 17: The Heroine’s Journey, Nancy Allen-Mastro
June 24: What are Literary Agents Really looking for?, Amy Collins
July 1: Family Poetry: Healing Our Past, Art Turfa and Susanna Rich
July 8: Marketing for Writers: Search Engine Optimization, Keywords and Website Discoverability, Sydney Bollinger
July 15: Writing a Series, Jodie Cain Smith
July 22: Writing for Young Readers, Dakota McElhinny
July 29: Writing All Things Canine, Barb Magera
Aug. 5: How to Write a Cozy Mystery, Sheila Hudson
Kasie Whitener
VP/Events & Education
Special Notification
It has come to our attention that several people recently have received emails from someone posing as SCWA President Ash Smith. Please know that neither Ash Smith nor SCWA will email you requesting money in the form of gift cards. If an email looks suspicious, please contact Laura Corbin, administrator@myscwa.org, to confirm whether it’s a scam.
The South Carolina Writers Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary organization, receives support from the South Carolina Arts Commission and our members, furthering our mission to offer a supportive environment for people to become better writers. SCWA is grateful for this support. Donate to help SCWA to enhance our ability to provide quality programs and services to writers in South Carolina and the region.