An actual post!

I did get to write a post this week, even if I am finishing it off at the last minute.

These photos were taken by me, but not in my garden.  btw, the photo in last week's post was of brown hares, as I'd not captured any fluffy bunnies with the camera. I'm guessing you all thought I'd mixed them up and are too polite to correct me.

Did you witness the eclipse?

Free entry writing competitions

Here's a competition for plays. The theme is climate change. If the current weather has inspired you, then in you're in with the chance of winning £15,000.

Thanks to Eirin for telling me about the Sunday Post short story competition, as it closes on Friday September 18th. "Entrants must be amateur writers and not selling their work on any platform. "

You have 1,500 to 2,000 words. I don't think there's a big cash prize, but winning this one could be a useful boost to a newish writer hoping to go on to be published.

And thanks, Dee - you know why!

Womag news

I believe Best have a Hallowe'en competition, but haven't seen a copy of the magazine yet. I'll update this post if/when I do.

Eirin has also told me that the cut off date for registering stories with ALCS in time for March payments has moved forward a little, to 31st October. If you'd been intending to sign up with them and not yet got around to it, now would be a good time. Here's why you might want to join.

Oh crikey!

It's Saturday already and I have nothing prepared for a blog post. I'd offer a fluffy bunny by way of apology, but this is the nearest I've got. Will it do? Will you forgive me?

More importantly, what have you been up to? I've mostly been editing the next Little Mallow novel, although I did pause to dash off a short story to send to My Weekly and make a submission to Ulverscroft.

Have you had any successes, or other writing news?

Some better news

You may remember that after I'd posted about TABFF using stories, I was contacted by a journalist who quoted me, and some of you, in an article. I've since been contacted by someone at the BBC! I gave a statement, but haven't heard back so don't know if anything will come off that. I also had another email, which some of you may be interested in. I've copied it, with permission.

Hi Patsy,

I hope all's well with you! I am writing on behalf of Ulverscroft Ltd, a specialist large print publisher.

I saw the sad news regarding AI use in Fiction Feast, which led me to your blog, and it concerned me that this will leave less space for womag writers and their creativity. 

At Ulverscroft, I acquire rights for a large print list - Linford Romance (Linro), which publishes shorter romances (typically 25-60k words). I was wondering whether yourself or other womag writers would be interested in publishing with us? I realise that the Fiction Feast stories tend to be shorter than the typical Linro length, but if you have something slightly longer that wouldn’t fit the magazine submission guidelines, that could work really well.

Please feel free to share this with your peers, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Very best wishes,

Ceri

Ceri Jones

Publishing Executive - Large Print Lead

Ulverscroft Ltd

If you wish to submit something, you can send a pdf or Word document, saying you saw the info on this blog, to editorial@ulverscroft.co.uk 

As a guide to the style, they often use MW and TPF pocket novels, although Ceri told me she can consider titles with 'a bit of spice'. They pay royalties only, with no advance. Their books are often available in libraries, so plr payments are a possibility.

I know that not everyone will have something suitable to submit, but isn't it nice that something positive just might come from all of this for a few of us?

The photos are all from my garden this week. Some plants are suffering, but these have coped with very little water, including none at all for the 15c days I was in France earlier this month.

AI news

I seriously hope this isn't going to be a regular blog section, but I thought you might be interested to know that a BIG name has got involved with the Take a Break Fiction Feast issue. (alternative link)

Sorry, I hadn't realised that you can't see this without an Instagram account. Short version - TABFF are replacing ALL writers with LLM (AI) and this is pretty rotten as they're a big magazine and don't pay writers much anyway. Richard says 'It's crazy'. I think some of their info is out of date (they pay 'low hundreds' per story - I wish!) and they may have confused TAB FF with the weekly mag.

Womag news

Sharon tells me there will be a September issue of TABFF. Neither of us have heard of anyone being asked to submit work. Have you?

Free entry writing competitions

Thanks to Sharon for this competition for empathy boosting stories of up to 550 words. You can submit poetry or prose, in written, video or audio formats. 

This competition is for horror novellas of up to 40,000 words. The prize is $300 plus royalties.

Other publication opportunities

Untold Tales of the Round Table want Arthurian stories, without Merlin as the central character, for an anthology. 4,000 - 10,000 words. Payment is per word.

Hot, hot, hot

It's been very hot and I've been very busy working on my latest novel – which is why there's only a short post today.  By way of apology, I've made something to cool you down. The photo is a clue!

Other publication opportunities

Thanks to Alyson for sending me the link to Flame Tree Fiction. Definitely not womag and a bit niche, but it is a paying market.

Something random!

Ever wanted to give your character a really wacky name, but weren't sure anyone could actually be called that? Here's a site which allows you to check whether a name would be legal in the UK. Thanks to Charlie for sending the link.

Ant thanks to Marguerite for this link for plausible sounding landline numbers which aren't actually in use.

Summer writing sanctuary

Thanks (again!) to Alyson for sharing the details of this free summer writing sanctuary.  Does it look like something you'd like to participate in?

I'm back!

I'm back home from my travels for a while – although obviously I reserve the right to dash off somewhere at a moment's notice. Unless that happens, and probably even if it does, the blog will return to regular weekly posts with various free opportunities for writers, and womag news when there is any.

Free entry writing competitions

Protopian Prize is for optimistic stories set in the future. They should be 500 to 6,000 words. There's a $5,000 prize in each category, plus publication.

Thanks to Dee for sending these details. As she says, both the competition on the New Writers website look interesting. Competition open to UK residents only.

Green Dragon Guild of London Poetry Prize 2026

Deadline: 23.59 (UK time) on Wednesday 29 July 2026

• Entry Fee: FREE
• Prizes: The winning entrant will receive: 1. Cash prize of £100; 2. Your work set to music by composer David Yardley and performed by professional musicians at the “Of Carols & Chimeras” concert on Friday 20 November 2026; 3. Complimentary tickets to the concert; 4. Standard 50% royalties from any future performances or recordings of the musical work that uses your lyrics
• Word Limit: 50 lines
• Theme: Chimeras
• Category: Poetry Competitions

Other (ie NOT womag) publication opportunities 

Story Unlikely are accepting submissions until 14th October. They pay 8 cents a word with a maximum payout of $350 (or 1 cent a word for reprints). They consider any genre, but don't want anything excessive.

My news

I have a new book out! (Yes, I'm back at that again too.)

A brief break from blogging

This is the brie I bought the day we arrived in France. We're not allowed to bring dairy products back, so I'm I have work to do. Delicious work.

Sorry for the cheesy pun in the title, and that there's not much of a post from me today. I'll be back home next week, and things will be back to what passes for normal round here.

Please chat amongst yourselves – especially if you have good news to share, or cheese based jokes, puns, and general remarks.

Last minute update! I've been alerted to the fact Press Gazette have published an article on TABFF's use of AI. It appears this blog, and those who comment here, are the top source of information on the subject!

Bonjour!

We're in France on another trip in the van. A short one, mainly for Gary's work this time. I don't think the one hour time difference is quite enough to account for me having lost all track of time and not getting around to writing a post. The lack of good news probably also has something to do with it. (If you missed the latest bad news, you can find it here.)

This morning I had a message from someone who has been writing womag type stories for years and is thinking of putting them into a collection to sell on Amazon. One of her reasons is she feels AI stories are taking over, and she'll find it even harder to get them published, so may as well try herself. As I've produced lots of such books myself, she wondered if I had any tips. Well yes. The first is, don't expect high sales. Secondly, it's not for everyone – and most definitely not something you 'should' do unless you actually want to. Thirdly, here's how I did it.

This post isn't just for her – it's for all of us wondering whether AI will make our human creativity worthless, and what we can do with our existing stories and any we may write in the future. What do you think? Are their still readers for short stories written by humans, and if so, how do we reach them?

Please note – I only know of one womag market using AI to 'create' stories. As far as I know, the other publishers have not decided to take this route, and still do value human creativity, and those who use it to produce content for them.

The future of TAB's Fiction Feast

Here's an email I received today. As I told Rebecca I wished to share any information received from her on this blog, and I've not been asked to keep this to myself, I'm sharing it here.

Hi Patsy

I hope you’re keeping well.

 

We were in touch recently to let you know about the pause in commissioning on Fiction Feast, and I wanted to share a further note with you as several writers have asked me about what will happen to the magazine.

 

We have been reviewing how best to support its long-term future and exploring opportunities in our current editorial and operational approach. 

 

So, the July issue of Fiction Feast has been created using a combination of stories – some writer commissions and some in-house creations from the Fiction Feast team. 

 

We have also introduced the use of AI tools exclusively for our in-house stories, so our editorial team has more time to do what they do best and focus on quality and creativity.  And we will be exploring this further in the coming weeks.

 

Again, I wanted to tell you how much we all value the enormous contribution you have made to Fiction Feast, and your kind words to the team.

 

Wishing you all the best for the future.

Rebecca

Update - This blog post has now been linked to in an article on the subject of AI in TABFF. As that might mean new readers finding the blog, I'd like to point out that it regularly contains information on writing fiction for magazines, usually has links to free entry writing competitions, and even stuff about me and my writing. If you're new here, welcome! I generally post on Saturdays. If you have questions or would like to add to the conversations, please do so in the comments.

It's summer!

Gosh, it's warm, isn't it? I'm so lucky to have the sea so close. We've walked down and chucked ourselves in several times this week.

I'll sprinkle this posts with refreshing glimpses of cool water for anyone who might benefit. (Not all taken on my daily walks!)

A quick reminder - this is how this blog works.

Free entry writing competition

Thanks to Alyson for sending the link to this haiku competition. The theme is sight, and the prize is $25 sent via Paypal.

Call for Submissions

Thanks to whoever told me about Poplar and Prose. Was it Fiona? Sorry, my memory isn't great even when it isn't melting! I got in touch, and was sent this –  I’m looking for 100-word stories that celebrate summer — inspired by nature and rich in imagery. This could include stories about family, relationships, vacations, and summer memories to give you a few examples of what I’m especially interested in. 

This is for Poplar & Prose, a literary lifestyle brand, featuring pieces that make the ordinary moments feel a little richer, inspired by good books and the outdoors. I’d love to highlight one or two amazing writers in August through a featured Journal post.

Authors always retain the rights to their work. I simply ask for non-exclusive permission to publish the piece on Poplar & Prose. Contributors are also free to publish elsewhere.

While I’m only able to provide a token .03/word payment, contributors will be credited alongside a short author blurb and linked work/socials if desired.

To get a feel for the brand, you can visit PoplarandProse.com.

By July 15 8pm EST, submissions, along with a 2–3 sentence bio, can be sent to: contact@poplarandprose.com

Thanks so much for your interest, and I look forward to reading about your summers!

Womag news

There will be July and August issues of TABFF. I don't know about after that.

A good excuse

That big block of text below gives me an excuse to break it up with lots of photos! In the hope it's warm and sunny when you read this, I've chosen cooling water and ferns.

Free entry writing competitions

Thanks to Alyson for this 100 word competition. First prize is $100, with smaller runner up prizes. As it's American, try not to put too much colour into it. ;-)

I found the following writing competition. I couldn't manage to find something to link to, so have copied the details below. No prize is mentioned, but there is a prize for another competition connected to this event (shared in last week's post) so there might be.

The Highclere Castle Book Festival Writing Prize 2026 To mark the inaugural year of the Writing Prize, budding writers are challenged to inhabit the mind and spirit of a famed author of the past. Whether inspired by the quiet intensity of a governess, the wit of a social observer, or the brooding sensibilities of a romantic poet, entrants must compose a diary entry as though they themselves were that writer, capturing not only their voice, but their time. 

Each submission, no more than 1,000 words, should unfold as a private reflection: intimate, immediate, and true to the era in which the chosen writer lived. Consider the concerns of the day, the constraints of society, and the inner life that shaped their work. What would they confide to the page, when no one else was listening? We are not looking for imitation alone, but imagination, writing that breathes with authenticity while revealing something new. Entries will be judged on originality, voice, historical sensitivity, and emotional depth. 

The winner will be announced at the Highclere Castle Book Festival in October. Take up your pen. Assume another life. And write as though history itself were watching. Entries to both competitions close on Friday 18th September and winners will be notified before the prize giving on Sunday 4th October at the Highclere Castle Book Festival. 

Prizes will be presented by Lady Carnarvon and Elizabeth Kirby from Hampshire Life.  Terms and conditions for entrants can be found at: www.highclerecastle/bookreadersawards.  

It's done!

It's taken many more weeks than it should have been days, and been ludicrously stressful – but the office is done! 

Concentrating on my writing whilst it's all been going on hasn't been easy, so I've used the time to sort out more of the photos from our recent trip. These were taken near the end on the Farne Islands.

Free entry writing competitions

Thanks to Alyson for this short story competition. The theme is titles, max word count 1,500 and the prize £100, plus a book.

Do you like writing book reviews? (If so, please review one of mine!) There's £500 on offer for a review of books in various categories in this competition. It does look as though they expect winners to attend their event.

Womag news

The TABFF rejections continue! I got 10 all at once - all of them submitted in 2024. Some of them previously rejected. Some previously published in the magazine. Some given up on after the period the guidelines told us we were to do that, subbed and published elsewhere. 

I asked what would happen with stories accepted but not yet published ad got this reply - "Any stories we publish will be paid for in the normal way. Any unpublished submissions can be sold elsewhere. If you need any further information let me know." 

That didn't come from Alice. Neither have any of the mass rejections, as far as I'm aware. If you have questions you'd like me to raise, please put them in the comments and I'll pass them all on together.

Thanks to Maisie Bishop for forwarding these guidelines, recently sent out by The Simple Things. They used to take unsolicited submissions, then went to commissions only. It looks as though they've had a rethink about that!

The Simple Things

Fiction submissions

National, monthly, lifestyle magazine The Simple Things is proud to run a piece of flash fiction every month. We are always delighted to receive submissions, provided they fit the below criteria.

TONE: Please take a look at our latest issue
(available from newsagents, larger supermarkets, WHS, M&S, Barnes & Noble in the US, and as a digital version) to familiarise yourself with our overall content.

As you’ll see, we’re rather obsessed with nature/food/family/friends/home/crafts/nostalgia/simple pleasures. Stories should ideally refer to at least one of these obsessions in some way – but please don’t cram too many in, or feel obliged to deliver, for example, the tale of a middle-class family reconciled through crochet, chickens or a home-cooked dinner (we’ve had quite a lot of those recently…). Feel free to approach things from a new, oblique angle.

Sex and death are best avoided.

Humour is very welcome (though not essential). Melancholy is fine, but the story should ultimately strike – and this is probably the most important thing to bear in mind - an upbeat (though not cheesy) note.

Please keep titles 3-6 words long if possible.

WORD COUNT: 600 words.

FEE: £100

EMAIL AS WORD DOC TO: eithne.farry@gmail.com

HEARING BACK FROM US: If we decide a story is just right, we’ll be in touch as soon as possible. However, due to time constraints and heavy submissions it may not always be possible to reply personally to every unsuccessful submission. We’ll try, but if we can’t - please forgive us, and know that we are very grateful to you for sharing your words with us.

Thanks! We look forward to reading you.

The Simple Things.

The little things

We're now back home (which doesn't mean the travel photos will stop!) and appreciating those little things which you take for granted until you spend a few weeks in a campervan – unlimited water, hot water without advance planning, a bed which is always level and ... I'd like to say a proper office, but we have to wait a little longer for that.

We had an amazing time, probably helped by being very lucky with the weather, and definitely picked a good time of year to visit Scotland.

Free to enter writing competitions

Thanks to Suzan Lindsay for the link to this competition from The Welkin Press. They want up to 100 words. There are 5 themes and the best in each will win £30.

And thanks to Fiona for this one from Curtis Brown on the theme of landmarks. They want a few more words - up to 300, and offer a potentially bigger prize of a Curtis Brown gift voucher valued at £300, and a year's membership to The Writing Studio.

Other publication opportunities

If you write short literary fiction (3,000 to 8,000 words) you might be interested in submitting to One Story. They pay $5,000.

Thanks to Fiona for pointing out that Myslexia "have lots of submission opportunities and for most you don’t have to subscribe to the magazines."

You might be interested in...

The latest issue of Writing Magazine has, amongst many other things, 'tips on writing for the womag market'. It includes alternative markets and uses for womag type fiction. In case you missed it, last week Liz Filluel wrote a post about using work originally written for womags in a completely different way.

Here, here and here, are examples of how I've re-homed some of the stories I've had published in magazines over the years.