Happy New Year!

Happy 2018!

I'm wishing us all peace, happiness and correctly placed apostrophes in the year ahead.

What are your hopes for 2018?

The bit in the middle

The few days between Christmas and New Year always have an odd feel to them, I think. I'd assumed magazine editors would all be at home, until I got an acceptance from Woman's Weekly. That made me feel guilty about not working, so I sent off a couple of submissions and got auto responses saying the people concerned would be away from their desks until well into the New Year.

What about you – are you still on holiday or back at work? (If you feel you should be working but can't get motivated, you might like to try this marvellous book .)


Coming soon ... Clare Cooper will be sharing her excellent tips for getting writing fit in 2018.

Season's Greetings

Wishing you all a wonderful Winter Solstice, fabulous Yultetide, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Cheerful Mōdraniht, Joyful Soyal, fun Pancha Ganapati and a good time at any other celebration, gathering, feast or festival you may wish to get involved in.

And if you decide to skip the whole lot and stay in with a mug of tea and a good book, I hope you enjoy doing that.

Here's a mince pie for everyone who has supported this blog through guests posts, comments and sharing links on social media. I really appreciate your support.

Another change at Woman's Weekly

Those of you who're currently able to submit to Woman's Weekly should have heard that the new fiction editor, Danni Dawson is leaving on 12th January. From today onwards, submissions should be submitted to Emma Shacklock, who is the 'new full time fiction coordinator'. Any stories already accepted by Danni will still be used.

Emma is already hard at work buying stories and has just accepted one of mine!

Your Go

Each month I'll be making a posting just like this one, so blog readers can ask any questions*, share any womag news, tips, advice they may have, or make womag related comments or observations.

*If you can answer these, please do.

Have you written anything lately? Had an acceptance or rejection? Got a story in one of the current magazines? Waiting for a reply to your submission?

Contracts

I've said this before, but I think it's worth repeating - If you are asked to sign a contract, PLEASE be sure you understand it and agree to the terms BEFORE signing it.

No reputable publisher will mind you asking questions about points you're not sure of.

If you sign something you don't understand then there's a danger you'll accidentally break the contract terms.

If you don't agree, then say so and don't sign. In some cases it may be possible to negotiate (I've successfully done this in the past when a publisher requested full exclusive rights, which I wasn't prepared to give up.)

Once you have signed (if you do) be sure you keep a copy for future reference.

Might I suggest...

It's the time of year when many of us are asking or being asked, 'What would you like for
Christmas?'. How about asking for, or giving, a subscription to one of the womags which publish fiction?

Just by making the suggestion you're reminding people these magazines exist and are of interest, and if you give one as a gift you may well turn the recipient into a loyal customer. If those of us with a vested interest in keeping them going aren't willing to support them, then who else will?

Another good gift idea (in my opinion) is this very nice writing book.

Are you giving, or hoping to receive, any writing related gifts this year?