Save a small press

Small press Salt Publishing is in trouble, and is asking all those who care about the future of independent publishers to buy just one book. Buy from them direct, from Amazon, from a bookshop, anything. They mostly publish literary short stories and poetry. I don't own any of their books (yet) so can't recommend anything in particular, but go have a look at their list and see if anything appeals.

Depending on the weather...

... this blog will be quiet for a week. Or less, if it rains!

We are off cycle-touring on the Isle of Wight tomorrow. Yes, I know it's hilly. But it's nearby, and we can cycle from home to the ferry. We're carrying tents, sleeping bags etc, so will be well laden. Should be an adventure though - first time the kids have done something like this, and first time for hubby and I since B.C.!

Woman's Weekly Fiction Special

The next issue, out tomorrow, contains the winning story from the Writers' Forum Target Practice competition. So if you were curious - go buy the magazine!

Nicest acceptance ever

Well acceptances are always nice, but I had one today from My Weekly which has kept me grinning all day. They always manage to say something complimentary about your story (even when rejecting!) but this time I think the lovely Liz Smith has surpassed herself.

At the risk of blowing my own trumpet - ah who cares, I'll blow it - she described my story as 'lovely, lovely, lovely and quietly sophisticated'.

Yep, that's me all over. :-D

Lots of goodies...

... in the latest Writers' Forum.

Structure with Della Galton, targetting the Bridport Prize with Sally Quilford, and Meet the Writer with Sue Moorcroft - Teresa Ashby! Now there's a writer whose secrets we'd all like to know (write, rewrite, don't ever think it's easy).

I'm off to a quiet corner for a good read.

The New Writer

I've been subscribing to The New Writer for years, and the latest copy arrived in the post yesterday. I opened it up at the Editorial, to find a mention of this blog! My fame spreads. (It'll spread further in a future issue, because my mate Sally has written an article for them which was inspired by this blog. Cheers, Sally, and well done!)

There's a few good articles in the current issue I thought I should mention to you all. One's about writing for the American market, which seemed timely as I have just recently posted up guidelines for an American mag. A few tips (from the author Heather Parker) worth bearing in mind:

• Check out sites like Duotrope or FreelanceWriting to find more American markets, especially for those stories which aren't right for the women's mags and aren't right for comps either. There's a lot more small press mags in the US than there are here.
• Don't try to write using American spellings. You'll probably miss some! Anyway some markets would prefer English stories to have English spellings, and if they don't they'll do a better job of editing for the American market than you will. Unless you are American.
• There's lots of US markets for fantasy, sci-fi, horror and magic realism - so if that's what you write you might find the right market over there.
• Some American markets particularly like stories set in England.

Another article is by Lynne Hackles, in which she tells us how she began writing, and then why she came to write her new How To book, Writing From Life . It's all about how you can use your personal experiences for profitable writing, from turning a snippet of conversation into a reader's letter, to writing family sagas based on your ancestry research (ooh...!) It sounds so good I've just had to order myself a copy - will review it here when I've read it.

The beauty of gorse

This was a few weeks ago, and the bloom is now fading, but I was inspired to post this photo of my son cycling a local cliff path after seeing Susan's spectacular gorse pictures here. I love gorse. It's so vibrant when in flower - it looks as though the sun's on it even on a dull day. And its vanilla scent is amazing - like burying your nose in a mound of coconut icecream.

Woman's World (US) Guidelines

Woman's World is a US magazine published by Bauer, and it has a fiction slot. I haven't seen a copy of the magazine yet, but will ask my lovely American sister-in-law to send one or two over.

Here are their guidelines for fiction. I have heard it's really difficult for writers this side of the Atlantic to get work accepted in America but could be worth a try, given the markets over here are dwindling.

WOMAN’S WORLD FICTION GUIDELINES

Romance guidelines:

We buy contemporary romances of 800 words. Stories must revolve around a compelling, true-to-life relationship dilemma; may feature either a female or male protagonist; and may be written in either the first or third person. Characters may be married, single, divorced or widowed; should be down-to-earth (no yuppies or jet-setters); and their dilemma should be poignantly or humorously conveyed. Please think carefully about a story's setting, mood and plot, and tell the story with interesting action and dialogue. (Every sentence, paragraph, and scene of the story should deliver more information about your characters and their situation and/or briskly advance the storyline).

We are not interested in stories involving life-or-death matters, nor are we interested in fluffy, flyaway-style romance. When we say romance, what we really mean is relationship--whether it's just beginning or is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The emphasis in our stories is on real life-which is why we do not buy science fiction, fantasy or historical romance.

We pay $800 per romance and retain First North American Serial Rights for six months after publication.

Mini mystery guidelines:

We purchase short "solve-it-yourself" mysteries of 700 words--a count that includes the narrative and the solution. Stories should be cleverly plotted, entertaining cliffhangers that end with a challenge to the reader to figure out whodunnit or howdunnit. The solution to the mystery is provided in a separate box.

Robbery, burglary, fraud and murder are acceptable subjects, but spare the readers any gory details or excessive violence, please! We are also not interested in ghost stories, science fiction or fantasy.

We pay $500 per mystery and retain First North American Serial Rights for six months after publication.

IMPORTANT NOTES!

Manuscripts should be double-spaced in legible size type.

Where to send manuscripts: Fiction Editor, Woman's World, 270 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632. Indicate Mini Mystery or Romance on the envelope.

How to send manuscripts:
(1) You must include a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope to receive a reply. Manuscripts not accompanied by a SASE will be discarded. Note: A #10 SASE is necessary not just for a response, but for your contract if we purchase your story.
(2) Please DO NOT fax or e-mail manuscripts--because such submissions do not include SASEs, we have no means of responding to your submission.

Get to know us: Please familiarize yourself thoroughly with our romances and mini mysteries before submitting your work.

Be patient: Because we receive a tremendous volume of manuscripts, our turnaround time may range from one to six months. If you still have not heard from us after that time, feel free to re-submit your manuscript. Please do not call or write us to inquire about a manuscript's status.


Woman's World is also a rather brilliant graphic novel by Graham Rawle which is entirely composed of actual snippets from women's magazines from the 1960s. It's a work of art as well as a good read, and thoroughly recommended!

Wise Words from Prima

A while back, I blogged about filler opportunities in Prima magazine.

I had an email from them today (I seem to be on a mailing list) requesting fillers for their Wise Words slot. The latest theme is: You know you're getting old when...

They require about 30 words, emailed to wisewords@natmags.co.uk Include your contact details. £25 for each one published.

Now I'm not saying any of you are getting old, but I bet you can come up with some gems!

Sorry for being such a useless blogger...

To make up for it, here are a few writing prompts which hopefully will inspire you. Read between the lines and you might get some hints as to what's been occupying my time lately!

the first sea-swim of summer

Jemima Twine's twelve children

did I really say yes to a triathlon?

wine, laughter and old friends

a secret alchemy

overworked and underpaid

too many clothes and not enough wardrobes

a cousin in Amsterdam