New Look and New Contest!

Check out our new banner above, the icon to your right and our new color scheme.  This was brought to you by Ralph Pierre-Louis, graphic and web designer.  He is available for freelance so if you want to spruce up your website, I cannot recommend him enough.  You can contact him at pierrelouisr1 at gmail dot com.

Ralph got the pictures he used for the banner and the background for our Facebook page, group and Twitter profile from Kieran Colfer.  Thanks buddy for letting us use your pictures.

Final shout out to my sister and marketing adviser, Jackie Mitrovich.  Not only did she introduce me to Ralph, but she gave me a lot of great advice about promoting the blog.  I think we can all expect great things from her in the future.

Remember, feedback is appreciated, so I would love to hear your opinion of our new look.

To celebrate Weekly Update's new look, I am announcing a writing contest!

Rules

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to create an original alternate history scenario involving the photos used in our new background.

Just so you understand, your timeline should include the following events:

1) The Titanic sails into New York City safely in 1912.

2) The Japanese raise their flag over Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima.

3) The Americans raise their flag over the Reichstag.

4) The Soviets plant their flag on the Moon.

Feel free to interpret the pictures/statements above as liberally as possible.

Your submission can be in any format you like (simple timeline, essay, fiction, etc.) as long as you include all the pics.  Please keep all submissions under 40k words, I do not need another novel to read.  All submissions must be sent to ahwupdate at gmail dot com.  Once I get a submission or two I will announce a deadline.  Winner's work will be posted on Weekly Update and be given the chance to promote his or her writings, projects, etc.

Good luck!

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a volunteer editor for Alt Hist and a contributor to Just Below the Law. His fiction can be found at Echelon Press, Jake's Monthly and his own writing blog. When not writing he works as an attorney and enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana.

Weekly Update Needs a New Banner

[Editor's Note: In case you haven't noticed, we have a new banner (see above). Thanks again to everyone who participated, but this post no longer applies.]

Sometime ago I tried to create interest among my more artistically inclined fans by offering a contest to create a new banner for Alternate History Weekly Update.  I wanted something in the style of what Sean and Seb have at the top of their sites.  The only response I received was a shockingly misspelled email from a reader who said he was going to design me a "flag".  After explaining to him, over several emails, I did not want a flag, he responded that he would make me a banner and proceeded to never contact me again.

Despite that setback, I have yet to give up hope.  Alternate History Weekly Update still needs a new banner for both the blog itself and our social networking pages, especially for our Facebook page and group.  So if you have some skills and would like me to showcase your work on the top of this blog, send in your designs to ahwupdate at gmail dot com.

Some guidelines to remember:

• You must incorporate the name of the blog "Alternate History Weekly Update" into the design.  Script and look is up to you, but the name of the blog must be clearly visible.
• Colors are up to you, I am actually considering dropping the blue/white scheme so feel free to go nuts.
• Nothing offensive or copyrighted.
• There is no deadline, but the sooner you submit your design the better chance it has of being selected.

As for compensation, I do not have much to offer.  Those who wished to be paid should contact me via email (ahwupdate at gmail dot com) to express their terms.  Anyone wishing to donate their time and creation will get a banner ad to their site on the front page of the blog.

Good luck and hopefully I will not receive another horribly written email.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a volunteer editor for the Alt Hist magazine and a contributor to Just Below the Law. One of his short stories will be published in the upcoming Echelon Press anthology, Once Upon a Clockwork Tale (2013).  When not writing he works as an attorney in the state of Illinois and enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana.

Breaking News: Banner Contest

Alternate History Weekly Update would like to announce a new contest for anyone with some graphics skill.  As the blog grows and evolves we believe it is now time that we get a new banner for the top of the page.  Right now it is just a large line of text, but we are hoping for something more artistic.

If you wish to submit a banner of your design, here are the guidelines:

• You must incorporate "Alternate History Weekly Update" into the design.  Script and look is up to you, but the name of the blog must be clearly visible.
• Colors are up to you, although I am partial to the blue and white backgrounds of the blog.
• Nothing offensive or copyrighted.
• There is no deadline.  The winner will be notified by email before the banner is posted on the blog. 

The creator of the chosen design will be announced in a special post after the banner is posted. If you have any questions or wish to submit an entry, please email me at ahwupdate@gmail.com.  Best of luck to all who are interested and I look forward to seeing your work!