After 45 1/2 years of working in fiction, LizSmith, fiction editor at My Weekly has decided to retire. She'll leave on December 18th.I'm sure I'm not the only person who'll miss her. Liz always responded to every submission (although as a one woman fiction team she did have to restrict these) giving reasons for any rejection and often suggesting improvements to the story.
Last year I was lucky enough to meet Liz in person and if anything she's even nicer than she seems online.
Best wishes for the future, Liz!
Liz's replacement is Karen Byrom, who has worked for DC Thomson for thirty years.
Hello, Karen. I, and many others I'm sure, look forward to working with you.
12 comments:
Best wishes to Liz and Karen. For a minute there I thought you had the job, Patsy.
Have a really Joy-Filled retirement Liz - you sent me the kindest, most encouraging rejections I`ve ever had! (far more than the stories deserved).
Very best Wishes for the future, and to Karen in your new post.
I met Liz nearly 30 years ago when I was a very nervous and green young writer and she was just as nice and kind in person as she is in her letters and emails. I feel truly privileged to have worked with her over the years and I will miss her. Happy Retirement, Liz - and congratulations and best wishes to Karen xx
Best wishes for a happy retirement, Liz! And a big welcome to Karen.
Best wishes for the future, Liz - it was a pleasure to know and work with you! Thanks for taking the time to critique stories and for all your encouraging words. You will be missed. Also sending good luck wishes to Karen.
Goodbye Liz and thank you for all your encouragement and help with my writing over the years. I've loved working with you and will miss you. You were very kind to me when my Mum died and I'll never forget that. Have a wonderful retirement. I look forward to working with Karen.
Wishing you all good things and more, Liz. With your kind words you made me feel good about my writing on so many occasions. All good wishes, Kate Hogan.
Welcome to Karen, too.
I've met Liz a couple of times and she is a truly lovely lady. Can't believe she's retiring but I do wish her well - she deserves it!
Thanks for the update Patsy,
I wish Karen all the best in her new position. With a change of editor I'm wondering if My Weekly will have a more lenient submission policy. . A belated holiday season to you but I hope you and the others on this fantastic site have a great New Year. Alan
I'm guessing that if the new editor does make changes she'll wait until she's setlled in first. Opening up submissions would greatly increase her workload and as there are almost 200 'regular' contributers there's probably no urgent need for her to encourage more.
I've only just discovered that Lovely Liz has gone - she's been so encouraging and helpful to me also over the years. I had lunch with her and 'The Team' on her 37th Anniversary of working at DCT and only last night was wondering what she's up to! (Guess who hasn't submitted anything for a couple of years!!!)
Karen is no newcomer to DCT - she used to be my editor at People's Friend and has had short stories published herself - so we're definitely in safe hands there!
Wishing both of them the very best for the future
(Erm ... maybe I should start submitting stories again!)
Celia! Hello, haven't heard from you for ages. How are you?
Yes, time to start subbing again.
Post a Comment