Do you have any womag news?
Are you researching, writing, subbing? Had any acceptances or rejections? Any other news?
Feel free to use the as a picture prompt. If you'd like other writing prompts, short exercises and story/scene suggestions then you might find this book useful.
Free entry writing competition news
I'd love to hear your competition news.
Do you have writing tips to share, questions to ask, or suggestions for this blog?
Not news but a query. Is it true The People's Friend comp takes all rights? Does this mean if I send a story in they own it and can publish it anywhere they like?
ReplyDeleteAB
@ AB - Yes. That's what the rules say.
ReplyDeleteThis only applies to the competition. They don't take all rights for regular submissions, even those they publish.
This is exploiting new writers who have no clue about rights. They did, however, say they wanted more content. Is this how they're going to do it? Fill pages full of free competition entries? That's truly disgusting. Still, I suppose the thrill of being used, I mean published, will be enough.
ReplyDeleteNEN
I psyched myself up to do longer - and submitted to Anansi and Parsec - we'll see... Pleased I was able to produce something longer. Protocol: if you get a standard rejection email from a mag, should you 'reply'? I get that you should if they have given anything else, feedback or personal comment, but if it is just a standard? What do people do? I daresay they don't want swamping with lots of emails??? Thank you.
ReplyDelete@NEN – I don't agree with it, but this rule is quite common in competitions. Usually the organisers don't use, or even want, all the rights, they just have that in their standard terms and conditions because the legal team have persuaded them to cover themselves. I very much doubt that the pages of the magazine will be filled with competition entries used without pay.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, they could use them if they wished and whether or not they do, the author will have lost that story for good. I always advise people not to give up all rights, but the choice is theirs.
@ Marguerite – Well done for getting those entries in!
ReplyDeleteNo, don't reply to standard rejections. As you've guessed, you'll just clog up the editor's inbox.
I've submitted to two competitions and am now psyching myself up to submit two more stories to magazines - I still get very nervous actually pressing that send button!
ReplyDeleteI've decided not to enter the PF competition. I continue to submit to them, but had the standard rejection email after one working day again this week. Do you think they actually read all submissions? The response is so quick that I do wonder. The plus side is that I can instantly submit elsewhere. At the other end of the spectrum is 'Yours' where we have to wait for a whole year before we're sure it's a rejection.
ReplyDeleteI've get a few stories and poems 'out there' - just waiting to see if any of them get accepted.
Nothing to report on the fiction front - but then I've barely written anything so far this year. I have a couple of ideas now that I'm tinkering with, and hopefully they'll become submissions at some stage.
ReplyDeleteI have, however, successfully pitched a couple of features to TPF, which I'll be working on soon, and I'm very happy about that.
Thank you, Patsy. I thought as much re the rejections. I am sure New girl on the block and I toggle between the same websites ;) I, too, can't believe you have to wait a whole year as suggested from the automatic reply from 'Yours'.
ReplyDeleteMy only news isn't something to boast about. PF rejected a submission the day after I sent it. Was it so very bad? Ah, well onwards and upwards.
ReplyDeleteI haven't submitted anything recently so on the positive side faced no rejections speedy or otherwise. I can empathise with that feeling when you get an instant rejection for something you sent off with great hope. I suppose part of the problem is that you might feel reluctant to send it elsewhere because you're not sure if there is something glaringly wrong with it or is it just that an editor is overwhelmed or more inclined to go with established authors.
ReplyDeleteThe Yours/ Yours fiction submissions - they state a year to cover themselves, but from experience, acceptances arrive in around 3/ 4 months.
ReplyDeleteSo after 4 months, I assume it's a no.
But if people prefer to wait a year to be sure, that's fine.
I recently subbed a story to WW so fingers crossed. I also subbed a Christmas story to Yours Fiction last week. (Yes, it’s that time of year again!) I have a few other stories that I’m busy tweaking, and will get round to subbing them in due course.
ReplyDeleteMichael D
I recently subbed a story to WW so fingers are crossed. I also subbed a Christmas story to Yours Fiction last week. (Yes, it’s that time of year again!) I’m busy tweaking a few other stories, and hope to sub them in due course.
ReplyDeleteMichael D
I got a rejection from my editor TPF despite getting the thumbs up but Angela felt it still wasn’t quite right, even after a rewrite. I’m disappointed but not giving up so going to tweak it and send to another mag - onwards and upwards I say. Nothing else to report.
ReplyDelete@ Marian – I'm pleased to report that feeling nervous before submission is something which eases over time.
ReplyDelete@ New Girl – I think they do read all the submissions and totally agree that a quick rejection is far better than waiting a year for the same thing.
@ Liz – Oh, well done for the features!
@ Marguerite – A year isn't the longest wait I've had for responses, not by a long way!
@ Unknown – A rejection may not mean the submission was bad, just that it wasn't quite right for that market.
@ Sheelagh – I don't believe that the speed of rejection is any reflection on the quality of the work. Editors don't have time to spend days considering each submission – one reading is probably enough in most cases.
@ Sharon – I'm one of those who prefers to wait, but I think you're right that an acceptance to YOURS, if there is to be one, will generally come within a few months.
@ Michael – Yep, summer is just about to start, which means Christmas stories must be sent soon.
@ Anonymous – Bad luck. I know how frustrating it is to get so close and still get a no.
I submitted a short story to a competition this week, and while I was writing it an idea popped into my head for a longer story that I hope will work as a pocket novel. It's ages since I've written anything longer than a short story. Really enjoying the challenge.
ReplyDeleteI had an acceptance this week from TPF :) Currently working on a new submission to them as well.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know when Yours Fiction is next coming out? JJ
ReplyDeleteMy news is I asked The People's Friend a question and never got a reply. Is anybody else having problems?
ReplyDeleteBM
JJ, I believe it’s out on July 7th.
ReplyDeleteMichael D