March is the renewal month, where momentum starts to rise again. Here are some literary events, writer meet ups, and contests to put on your radar!

Workshops & Craft Events
These are excellent for skill development, networking with peers, and getting inspired.

“Artifacts: A Fiction Workshop” – Tuesday, March 3, 6–9 PM
In-person fiction workshop with Clif Travers (Portland) — great for fiction writers working on novels or short stories.

“Into the Unknown” — Generative Writing Workshop – Tuesdays, March 3–24, 6–9 PM
A 4-week online workshop focused on creative exploration and finding new writing voices/styles.

“Intro to Personal Storytelling: Finding Your Voice” – Thursdays, March 5–Apr 16, 6–9 PM
Six-week in-person workshop at Mechanics’ Hall in Portland — useful for deepening narrative craft and storytelling confidence.

“The Smallest of Things: Writing Flash Fiction” – Saturday, March 14, 10 AM–1 PM
Short-form fiction craft focus — great if you want to hone tight storytelling skills.

Spring Fiction Workshop – “Spring Clean Your Story” – Thursday, March 26, 6–9 PM (online, multi-week)
Revise and strengthen stories with guided feedback.

Community Writing Meet-Ups & Author Conferences
These are informal but valuable for building community and sharing work:

World of Wonders Workshops – Saturday, March 7, 2–4 PM, Camden Public Library
A free multigenre creative writing workshop for writers of all levels.

World of Wonders Workshops – Saturday, March 28, 1–3 PM, Bangor Public Library
Another session of the multigenre workshop hosted in partnership with libraries and creative facilitators.

Mechanics’ Hall Book Discussion Group – Tuesday, March 3, Noon
A discussion group in Portland — good casual meet-up with readers and thinkers.

Maine Crime Wave is an annual conference for crime writers organized by the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, featuring numerous authors, notably founded by Brenda Buchanan. It highlights crime fiction, noir, and mystery writers based in Maine, with past participants including Paul Doiron, Kate Flora, Bruce Robert Coffin, and others. Note: the early bird registration ends March 4!

Also: Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance provides “GATHER” meet-ups where writers just talk shop, brainstorm events, and connect (groups in Bangor, Portland, Lewiston/Auburn, Damariscotta, and more). Keep your eyes open for the March 18 GATHER meetups.

Contests & Deadlines (March)

Plunkett Poetry Festival Contest – Deadline March 1, 2026
Hosted by University of Maine at Augusta — accepts poems of all styles. (Contests labelling specific genres don’t always list dates early, so check periodically for updates.)

Lastly--What's New with DIY Book Marketing for Maine Authors?

After launching in early January, I've now done two free Zoom author sessions on the Do's and Don'ts for Pitching Maine Media and essential marketing best practices for a Maine Author Launch Checklist. The unexpected bonus is that we formed mini communities of Maine writers with each session, who are now dedicated to following each other on social media! Stay tuned, because we’re going to do these free presentations again in the spring at a different time, 5:30 p.m. Go over to this post on our Facebook page and let us know in the comments which times work best for your work schedule!

New this month--a professionally designed one pager that works as your book's resume
If you need a polished, professional one-page author sheet, but don’t have design experience—or even a design program, this customizable pink-and-white Canva template helps authors quickly create a clean, industry-standard one-pager that’s also does double duty for media kits, bookstore pitches, events, press outreach, or social media promotion.
Only $10-making it affordable for indie authors! Find it HERE

To access this template, you need to have a free account at Canva (www.canva.com)
It comes with a Word document of instructions.
Ideal for the genres: Romance/Romantasy, Women's Fiction, Cozy, Chick-Lit, Historical, Non-fiction.

Barreling into the coldest month of this year, use this time indoors to plan ahead and focus on the approaching warmer months for marketing and selling your books. 

Here are some resources this month that will help you sharpen your skills. Many of these are also ideal as artist/author crossover skills.

Freelancing in Changing Times – MWPA Business of Writing Workshop

• When: Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 • 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Where: Online
• What: This one-day workshop from the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance (MWPA) focuses on the business side of writing — excellent for published authors who want to sharpen their platform, diversify income, or learn new professional strategies. Topics often include freelance models, industry trends, and adapting your author business for changing markets. 

Learn more: www.mainewriters.org/calendar/freelancing

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Networking & Professional Community Building
GATHER Events – MWPA Community Networking

• When: Held periodically (e.g., informal social meetups continuing in February)
• Where: Various in-person locations across Maine & online options
• What: MWPA’s GATHER series brings writers and literary professionals together in a casual setting to talk work, industry trends, and opportunities. While not strictly “marketing classes,” these meetups are excellent places to build peer networks, find collaborators, and hear what other published authors are doing in terms of promotions and outreach. 
• Learn more: www.mainewriters.org/gather

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Lights Out Gallery and the Maine Arts Commission are hitting the road with the Creative Career Lab, a new statewide series visiting eight towns plus one virtual session in Feb/March to share resources, build skills, and strengthen local creative networks.

What You’ll Gain

• Build professional skills in a welcoming, informal setting
• Create or update a CreativeGround artist directory profile
• Learn about Assets for Artists, including free webinars and funding resources
• Explore the Artists Thrive framework for sustainable creative careers
• Connect with Maine Arts Commission tools, grants, and services
• Learn about arts advocacy efforts through the Cultural Alliance of Main

Find a session near you!

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DIY Book Marketing for Maine Authors is hosting a free Zoom webinar:
Do's and Don'ts of pitching Maine Media (Feb 24 1 p.m.)

How to boost your chances of getting media coverage for your book in Maine.
Kay Stephens, a Maine journalist and author, has spent the last 20 years working in newspapers and magazines, and has been on both sides of the book pitch. This Zoom webinar gives you the insider best practices, common mistakes to avoid, and the key elements every reporter and editor wants to see. Use this webinar to build a strong, personalized pitch that shines through the dozens of press releases that media outlets get each day. Followed by a Q&A session.
Join us on Tuesday, February 24 at 1PM

Note: please follow DIY Book Marketing for Maine Authors on Facebook for more updates about this upcoming workshop.
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IPNE Conference
February 20–21, 2026 | Virtual
https://ipne.org/conference-home
Focused on independent publishing and business of books, with sessions relevant to book marketing and networking. Run by the Independent Publishers of New England, this virtual conference is perfect for authors exploring small press models or operating as their own micro-press. The accessible online format makes it easy to attend from anywhere. Best for: Authors exploring small press models or operating as micro-publishers.

Follow  DIY Book Marketing for Maine Authors on Facebook for more daily marketing tips and free resources. 

January is all about fresh starts.

The key to marketing is consistency, so let's get started on some goals! 

In January, pick one or several to-dos:

• Join a local writers group or workshop.
• Submit to writing contests with January deadlines
• Attend (or live-tweet/blog about) a literary seminar or festival
• Host or participate in micro-events or Instagram writing prompts

Local Maine Events
in January, check out the following writer's groups and events. Even if you're shy, decide to get out there and meet people. I don't do "networking," and I rarely talk about my books unless someone asks, but I do ask writers what their books are about and why they are passionate about their subject matter.

And as a result of a few conversations with other authors this fall, I got invited to a podcast and to a literary cafe. So, you never know! Go into a room full of people you don't know and just strike up a conversation.

Springvale Public Library Writers Group – Writing, peer feedback, and prompts.
Jan 15, 2026 in Springvale, ME. Sanford

Creative Writing Deep Dive (Southern Maine) – Four-week writing class with feedback & craft focus. Meets Thursdays Jan 8, 15, 22 & 29.

Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance Gather Events – Monthly meetups across Maine for literary connection and informal writing community time (Bangor, Blue Hill, Brunswick, Damariscotta, Lewiston/Auburn, Lubec, Midcoast, South Portland).

Literary Contests with January Deadlines
Maine-focused

• Maine Literary Awards - Annual contest honoring Maine books published in 2025. (Closes February 1, 2026.)

Nationwide

• Erma Bombeck Writers’ Competition – Nonfiction contest + workshop win (deadline Jan 6).
• Magazine 1 PoetryLife Contest – Poetry contest with publication & reading invitation (deadline Jan 10).
• Driftwood Press In-House Poem & Short Story Contests – Publication prizes (deadline Jan 15).
• William Saroyan International Prize for Writing – $5,000 award (deadline Jan 30).
• swamp pink 2026 Prizes – Fiction, nonfiction, poetry publication & cash (closes Jan 31). NewPages.com

Please like and follow our new Facebook page for more Maine-focused marketing tips and resources!

And if you're ready to get started on making some book assets, check out our home page to see what's available.