Evesham Festival of words are running a limerick competition, with a £25 book token as the first prize.
The first prize for this flash fiction competition from FCES is $20,000! There are runner up prizes too. Entries accepted from anywhere in the world.
For this competition from Bath Spa University you just have to say why you love your favourite book, poem or play to win £300. You don't even have to write the answer – you can record it instead if you prefer.
My writing
Here's one of my short stories you can read for free.
Womag news
Yesterday I received a copy of Ireland's Own in the post and discovered they'd published a story I'd submitted last October. Usually, if they're going to use a submission, I hear back within a couple of weeks. I'm sure in this case that it was just an oversight or technical glitch. Fortunately I'd not since sent it anywhere which only takes unpublished work, so it was a nice surprise without any potential drawbacks, but that might not have been the case.
This isn't the first time I've not known about a story being accepted until I've seen it in a magazine, or got a payment. It happened with my very first submission and as far as I can remember at least three times since. More commonly (although not actually common) is to hear back about a story long after the usual response time.
When considering whether or not to re-submit a story elsewhere, keep in mind that neither editors nor technology are infallible. Just because you usually hear within a few weeks doesn't mean you always will. If the editor usually sends rejections then, after a suitable period, query any non response. With those who say that after a certain period stories can be assumed to be rejected then wait at least as long as they say, even if you've always had any acceptances much more quickly. If the magazine uses social media, has a blog or sends out contributor emails, check these in case they contain news of a delay or change in the way they handle submissions.
If you do discover that, for any reason, you've submitted a story somewhere that you've since realised you shouldn't have sent, contact the editor immediately, marking the email as urgent and explain what has happened. The sooner they know, the less of a problem it's likely to be.
12 comments:
Thanks for posting these Patsy
Thanks Patsy.Alesys on the look out for competitions!!
Thank you for your constant lookout for all thing free to enter! I will read the story later :) Thank you.
Thanks so much, Patsy - I always the blog - even if I rarely comment. Re the latest post. I submitted a serial to Yours Magazine in mid- December and have heard nothing. Should I assume they're not interested? It's the first time I've submitted to them, so I don't know the norm.
Thanks, Patsy.
Alyson
Hi Patsy, the link in the second comp seems to be wrong (or is it me?)
@Sophie, I too subbed to Yours in December and have heard nothing (my one acceptance form them took about 4-5 months) and have reluctantly assumed they are not interested! But I did read somewhere they could take up to a year!
Loved 'Crazy Cat Lady!
Patsy, both links seem to be for the limerick competition.
@ AlysonF, ChrisC, Marguerite and AlysonH – you're welcome! Thanks for commenting.
@ Sophie – Yours (as opposed to Yours Fiction) do usually respond although it can take up to a year. When you submitted you should have got an automatic response informing you of that. Check your emails – if you didn't get that then there may have been a delivery issue and it wasn't received.
Most of the responses I've had from Yours came at about the six month point, so hopefully you'll here soon, but it wouldn't be safe to assume it's a no until after the stated period is up.
@ New Girl – Thank you. It was fun to write – one of those where the whole idea just appeared in my head.
@ Anonymous – you're right. I've fixed it now. Thanks for letting me know.
Hi Patsy,
Re your submission to Ireland's Own last year, if it was a submission to their annual writing competition I find that often happens i.e. that it may just appear (if you are lucky) in a copy of the Ireland's Own, after which you will receive a complimentary copy of the mag followed by payment soon after. Just so you know.
All the best
S
@ S – Thanks. It was regular sub, but perhaps it got mixed in with the competition entries? I'm sure I'll be paid soon.
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