I've just had my sixth anonymous spam comment of the day, following on from 13 yesterday, and have therefore disabled the ability to leave anonymous comments. I didn't want to, as I know a) Not everyone has a Blogger account and b) There are sometimes good reasons for choosing to leave comments anonymously and c) I want to encourage rather than discourage people from leaving comments. However I'm getting so fed up with the spam, it was this or stop the blog.
On the plus side (I do try to find positives!) I probably don't need to moderate comments now, which will save me time and mean they appear immediately.
There is still a way to comment anonymously if you wish. It's a faff, but you can set up a separate Blogger account with a nickname or pen name.
There's no need to have a blog in order to comment here – you can create an account without going on to do that.
If anyone has a brilliant suggestion for avoiding spam and still allowing anonymous comments, please let me know!
Thursday, 26 September 2019
Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Over to you
This month's discussion topic – Which womags do you read? And how do you get hold of them? Subscribe, buy from a newsagent, via Readly, borrow from a friend, in the library, something else?Here's a random photo for use as a story prompt.
Please share success (or otherwise!) report any womag news, tips, advice you may have, make womag related comments or observations and ask questions – and answer them too if you can help.
Friday, 13 September 2019
Oustanding stories and response times.
I know I'm not alone in having had stories accepted by Woman's Weekly on the old terms, eighteen months ago, and not yet used. A month ago I asked for an update, but have not yet had a reply. Oddly even some writers who now submit stories on the new terms, but for the old pay rate, are in the same situation – including the lack of information about the older stories. It seems they're hoping that if they ignore this issue it will go away!
Take a Break have also had some of my stories for quite a time, without being either rejected or accepted. My recent query into these was answered promptly, to say that they are still under consideration, but that if I wished to withdraw them the fiction editor would understand. Slightly frustrating not to get a definite answer, but at least I know they, or the response, haven't just got lost and I'm not being ignored.
Some magazines only respond if they wish to publish the story. With The Weekly News, if you've not heard after three months it's a no. (My story in this mag last week is pictured - thanks, Carrie!) The same applies with any version of Australian magazine That's Life!, but after six months, and Woman's World after four months.
With My Weekly, there's also a four month cut-off period, but the editor also sends out new guidelines every other month and confirms that stories submitted up to a certain date have all been considered. (If you're one of those permitted to submit to My Weekly and don't get these updated guidelines, do ask to be put on the list. They're very helpful.)
The People's Friend always reply to every submission. There's more information on how they do that here. Don't be too disheartened if all you get are the standard rejections. I did too, lots of them over a long period, until I got my first acceptance with them.
South African magazine YOU also reply to all submissions, usually within three weeks. I'm told that Yours also reply – eventually!
Some other magazines don't always reply and have no definite cut of period. These include Ireland's Own and Allas. Prima don't respond to submissions / competition entries unless you're the winner.
Please not, Take a Break, That's Life! and My Weekly only accept submissions from those on their lists of approved authors. The others are open to submissions from everyone. If you'd like to know more about submitting to any magazine, click on its title below this post, or from the list in the right hand column.
Take a Break have also had some of my stories for quite a time, without being either rejected or accepted. My recent query into these was answered promptly, to say that they are still under consideration, but that if I wished to withdraw them the fiction editor would understand. Slightly frustrating not to get a definite answer, but at least I know they, or the response, haven't just got lost and I'm not being ignored.
With My Weekly, there's also a four month cut-off period, but the editor also sends out new guidelines every other month and confirms that stories submitted up to a certain date have all been considered. (If you're one of those permitted to submit to My Weekly and don't get these updated guidelines, do ask to be put on the list. They're very helpful.)
The People's Friend always reply to every submission. There's more information on how they do that here. Don't be too disheartened if all you get are the standard rejections. I did too, lots of them over a long period, until I got my first acceptance with them.
South African magazine YOU also reply to all submissions, usually within three weeks. I'm told that Yours also reply – eventually!
Some other magazines don't always reply and have no definite cut of period. These include Ireland's Own and Allas. Prima don't respond to submissions / competition entries unless you're the winner.
Please not, Take a Break, That's Life! and My Weekly only accept submissions from those on their lists of approved authors. The others are open to submissions from everyone. If you'd like to know more about submitting to any magazine, click on its title below this post, or from the list in the right hand column.
Tuesday, 3 September 2019
Any ideas?
Over on the People's Friend Blog, Lucy Chrichton has asked "Where has all the fiction gone?"
What do you think? Has it just been reduced because of the reasons she suggests, or are there other factors?
As a reader, does the inclusion of fiction make a difference to whether or not you buy a magazine?
What do you think? Has it just been reduced because of the reasons she suggests, or are there other factors?
As a reader, does the inclusion of fiction make a difference to whether or not you buy a magazine?
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