Most of the photos were taken in NT gardens, but the last one is from mine. I'm really pleased with that colour combination. You could say it's the crowning glory of my garden! ;-)
Free entry competition news
Thanks to Alyson for the link to this competition. They'd like short stories which “Building Communities in the Face of Climate Change” and offer a $1,000 top prize.
The Scottish Book Trust have monthly (very) short story competitions. You're given a prompt and asked to write 50 words. The winning entry is published and its author will receive a mug. It's a fun way to get started with competitions, or to get you writing if you're feeling a bit stuck.
Womag news
The People's Friend now want a few more 3,000 word stories. My latest response, an acceptance, came after just ten days and that was for a 3,000 worder.
There are changes coming at My Weekly, as the current fiction editor Susan is to become overall editor. I don't yet know what impact, if any, this will have on writers.
Thanks to Lindsay for sharing this interesting link which may, or may not, shed some light on what's happening at DCT.
The next scheduled post will be 20th May.
28 comments:
Anyone up for this job?
https://www.dcthomson.co.uk/vacancies/fiction-editor-magazines/
@ Lindsay - thanks for that. I'll add it into the post.
Lovely photos, Patsy. Yes,I have had a couple of 3000 word successes with TPF recently so it seems to be the length to go for at the moment for a quick response. Oh and if I were 20 years younger and lived in Scotland I'd be all over that job! :) X
Thanks for all the information Patsy some interesting details there. Love your photos especially of the irises. Spending more time in the garden at the moment and less time at the laptop myself but that is the joy of Spring into early Summer.
Yes that job & Scotland does sound like a writer's dream though of course you'd soon find yourself so busy that you wouldn't have a minute to write at all! So I'll dream on.
Congratulations on the acceptance.
Spring has definitely hit here.
Some of these competitions/challenges look good - thank you :) I found this in Writing Magazine https://www.marlboroughlitfest.org/2023-love-books-competition-entry-details/ which requires 750 words on why 'this' is your favourite book. I really must look in to climate change stories - it seems they are a topic for many a comp nowadays.
Pictures - lovely as always, Patsy :) and congrats on TPF acceptance.
Yes congratulations Patsy on your TPF acceptance especially in such a short timeframe. I'm not sure about writing 3000 word stories though I suppose it's not something I've ever tried
Thanks for the competitions, Patsy and congratulations on your sale to TPF. I've also sold them a 3000 word story this week and A POCKET NOVEL! This last was a challenge to myself to see if I could do it.Obviously the challenge will now be to see if I can do another one...
Alyson
Thanks for the competition news and congratulations to everyone on their acceptances. I've got a 3000 word story in for consideration at the moment and the one I've just finished has also come out at that length, which was just luck because quite often mine seem to fall more naturally nearer the 2000 words length!
Thanks for all the information and photos. That colour scheme in your garden in fabulous! Some good news this week - the time I spent editing and resubmitting earlier in the year is paying off. I had an acceptance from Yours for one of my re-worked stories.
There's been a lot in the news this week about generative AI, such as ChatGPT, and it does make me nervous. How threatened are the rest of you feeling?
Thanks for another inspiring and informative post, Patsy. The photos are gorgeous. Congratulations to you, Alyson and Maisie on your recent successes! Like Maisie, I am somewhat perturbed by the prospect of AI supplying stories for publication and would be interested to hear what others think and feel about this. Spring is in the air round my way,too - on my walk this morning I saw a baby squirrel and some moorhen chicks. Happy writing to all.
AI: Hmmm... we have to bear in mind they're not sentient. If 'they' manage to program emotions in to these things, then perhaps we have something to fear. Inanimate pontifications, say, in a magazine... wouldn't be able to pick up on that?
@Maisie and @Eirin - I do have some concerns around AI, but more around what it could be capable of in the future. I think people forget it's not just about publishers being able to acquire AI content cheaply/free for books/magazines - it's more that everyone will be able to generate their own stories/books by using it. So someone looking for a personalised bedtime story for their children can generate one using ChatGPT or its successor. Etc.
However, AI threatens more than just the writing/publishing industry. Governments simply aren't prepared for the mass unemployment AI could generate across a huge range of professions/trades. I'm not sure what we'll all do if AI takes over work, creativity, etc.
@ Ruth - Congratulations on the sales!
@ Sheelagh – Yes, it's an out in the garden time of year!
@ Alyson – Oooh, well done! I've not managed a pocket novel (yet?) So far I've not had a proper try. It's hard to come up with an idea that's interesting enough for the word count, but not so complicated it stops being an easy read and/or needs more words than required for a pocket novel.
@ Marian - 2,000 seems to be my usual natural length too!
@ Maisie - well done for getting a rewrite accepted. That must have been satisfying.
Re the job with DCT – It does have a certain amount of appeal, but apart from not have any suitable qualifications or experience, I don't have time for a proper job>
My feeling about AI is that the first few books will sell, because people will be curious, and some people will have fun creating their own. Then I think (hope!) the novelty will wear off and most people will want books written by humans.
Where I do think it could replace people is as a source for low cost articles to fill free magazines and online space. I suspect quite a lot of that is already created by quickly rewriting press releases or other people's work. A computer could probably do a reasonable job of that – but not of adding anything unique.
Just to say that quite a lot of us don't seem to be hearing back from April at BOWW. Some haven't heard since February.
Some fear that this lack of contact indicates that it's end of the road for the mag. Personally, I wouldn't jump to conclusions.
She has explained that she handles other Future media titles and is very busy, plus we've had Easter, the King's Coronation (with probably, special mags)and bank holidays.
Unless it's officially announced, we can't assume anything.
Out of interest, it would be good to know if anyone here has heard from April within the past 2- 3 weeks.
@Sharon - no, despite a gentle nudging email...
Alyson
@ Sharon, I too have heard nothing further since receiving an acceptance and responding to same on March 13th. Personally I didn't think too much about it as I just assumed April will get back when she is ready to actually use the accepted piece, at least that's what I am hoping will happen.
I have a story coming out in BoWW this week and have been paid for it. I was in touch with April about it all last month. I have 2 other stories with her, but no response on those. I think she works only one day a week on BoWW, so I imagine she's very busy.
I subbed a story to April on 24th March and haven’t heard anything since. (That’s if it actually gets accepted). Like Sheelagh said, perhaps she only gets in touch when she’s about to publish. Also, bearing in mind WW’s policy of having to wait up to 16 weeks for a response.
Michael D
Ah right. Many thanks everyone.
I guess we just have to be patient!
I also feel that since the information was posted on here, it stands to reason that she's probably been submitted a lot more material.
She's accepted 4 of mine, but they haven't been put on the system yet.
It's very interesting to read all your thoughts on AI. I agree with Liz that it will have far-reaching consequences across many aspects of society. In terms of our writing, I think you're probably right, Patsy, in that it's likely to affect different types of article more than fiction. Let's hope! It's certainly something to watch across all areas of our lives.
This was posted in a FB group earlier: https://www2.societyofauthors.org/2023/05/04/the-soa-publishes-magazine-submissions-code-of-conduct/ re the Society of Authors putting together a code of practice for magazines. Any thoughts?
I was contacted by April BOWW who likes a story but suggestions some changes so I did those and sent back but that was two months ago and submitted two more since and radio silence 🤔 WW seem not much better as they have accepted three of mine ‘on file’ for the last year but nothing. I’m just concentrating on finished my debut novel - the short story mag market is slowing declining sadly. Regards, Charlie
I know the market isn't huge, but it is still there.
As for A1 - if the fiction eds ask me stop sending in work in because they're switching to AI instead - so be it.
But at the moment, they're not, so I'll continue.
There's 2 mags that have closed lists but there are mags that have open lists, too. I have an updated list, if anyone wants it.
When we're waiting for decisions, the trick is to sub more out, so your chances become higher.
If you could provide an updated list, Sharon, I’d appreciate it, and I’m sure other bloggers would too.
Michael D
If there have been any changes since I last updated the submissions database on here I'd appreciate knowing, so I can make any changes needed.
Ally27
@Patsy Congrats on your TPF acceptance. I am still holding out for that elusive TPF acceptance but will try my hand at a 3,000 word story. I'm not sure if I'll be able to manage that many words but it's worth having a go. Thank you, as always, for keeping us updated with writing news.
Thank you to those who have posted writing challenges/competitions. I have already entered a couple of them. I have to say that coming up with a 50 word story featuring an apple, was a fun writing challenge. Really, I'm after the mug. I think it would look fab on my desk:)
Happy writing!
I've sent my 'open mags' list to Patsy.
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