I'm not sure why they're doing this, as they're not short of writers, but it really is a great opportunity for someone. If I'd seen this as a new writer I would most definitely have entered.
If you're thinking of having a go, do visit their website to check all the details (I couldn't find the page) to check you're eligible. If you are, I strongly suggest buying the current issue and the special and reading them thoroughly before writing your story.
Once you have a draft of your story get the next copy, read that and then your story to try to gauge if it fits. As they're asking for something 'suitable for the Friend', I don't think this will be the time to push the boundaries.
Good luck if you do enter!
Update - There's now a post on TPF fiction editor's blog about this. (Thanks, Alyson)
40 comments:
https://www.thepeoplesfriend.co.uk/2024/01/05/terms-conditions-10k-bursary-writing-competition/?fbclid=IwAR0DLHKN2TBCypvZBIo2NGr6Y5yF1305QKKybz37yCmhHgPOT3EKo-Q9ikg
These are the terms and conditions.
Alyson
Sadly, I'm not eligible for the PF competition but it looks like a great opportunity. Maybe they are just aiming to give something positive to impoverished writers!
They're paying a lot of money to one new writer, enough perhaps to help them towards a full time career, yet haven't put the regular pay rates up in a very long time.
Category winners, again new writers, will be awarded a prize well above that of regular writers.
There will be a lot of entries for this comp – and I'm certain they'll be read ahead of those from regular contributors, who'll have to wait months for replies and their lower pay rates.
Am I the only person who has been writing for them for years who now feels unappreciated and as though us old hobbyists aren't wanted, and our 'Friend' now wants fresh young proper writers instead?
Old, fed up, part time writer.
Still trying to get my head round this to be honest - a bursary for one short story? Why not pay their ‘normal’ writers a bit more? Also, so many excluded. It has to be a new writer (because you old b*ggers are worthless at this point!) No sign of ‘means testing’ either, so it might be 10K going to somebody who really doesn’t need it to further their career at all. They’ll use it to pay for their ninth holiday of the year, I bet. It’s just a massive pointless prize then, isn’t it? Not a bursary, not helping a poor downtrodden writer at all. Also, they can barely cope with subs as it is, with regulars waiting over six months to hear about their work. It’s madness. Utter madness. Hang on everybody, the Titanic’s setting sail.
IHPF
@ Alyson – Thank you. I've added that link into the post.
@ Lindsay – Sadly lots of us aren't eligible. I almost said they'd be swamped if they opened it up to everyone, but thinking about it I expect they'll get a huge numbers of entries anyway.
@ Old, fed up and IHPF – TPF have always prided themselves on encouraging writers and I'm sure that's the intention here – but yes, it does seem that new writers get priority over those who've been writing for them for years - decades in some cases. We're not automatically wealthy simply because we've been writing womag fiction for a long time!
I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking this is all a bit skewed. As someone who is older, it is probably inappropriate for me anyway... I'm not exactly launching my career... and as everyone above has said, so much for ONE story? One of the others did this with a newspaper 18 months ago. Perception of bursary looking attractive on mag's CV? Sorry, Patsy - we've all been a bit negative so far :(
Like Lindsay I'm not eligible for this either as I'm not a UK resident. Seems like a good opportunity for some writers, though I suppose it depends on how one defines 'an amateur writer.' As a matter of interest how do you define that??
Personally though I have had a good experience with the People's Friend & am truly grateful for having some of my stories selected for publication over the past year (once I managed to get the first one over the line) & picking up some valuable writing tips via the website & my assigned editor. In a cut throat world they have largely remained accessible and open to young & old, new & established writers & that has to be a good thing.
I agree that this seems rather bizarre.
To me, the 10 grand would have been better spent on employing a part -time , maybe freelance, extra fiction team member. Bring back Abbey!
They'd be able to plough through the TPF pile of work and the decisions about work with them would be finally be given out.
Some of us womag writers are confused about the precise t& C's.
It needs to made clearer, however I'm sure most of us are excluded from entering, which is a shame.
I think a prize of lower value in a normal story competition would have been a better idea.
I heard from a reliable source that mag publishers have budgets to consider, so how the heck they have managed to find 10 grand is a bit of a mystery.
Interesting that they will have runners-up prizes for over and under-30s. I’m sure that might bring PF to the attention of younger writers - and therefore potential readers too. With the biggie and quite a few other prizes on offer I would think there will be loads of entries, but that top one seems a misfit with the current rates paid for stories. It’s higher than a lot of the major short story competitions - the Bridport first prize is £5,000 - and way more than most bursaries offered by writing organisations like New Writing North.
That's pretty amazing. It's a lot of money. Don't we all wish we had that in the beginning?
Just read the Terms and Conditions for this. I'm probably being dense but I'm confused about what constitutes an 'amateur, unpublished writer'. Does this mean that entrants should never have published a single story anywhere?
The T&C's are not very clear at all.
I mean, if you've had a household hint published in a mag and was paid £5, are you then classed as a professional, paid writer?
What about the people who run blogs but have ads on it? Does that make them a paid writer?
What about self published authors?
Or you've had a letter or a poem published in a local paper or a parish magazine... what if you won a cash prize in a story competition 10 years ago? It goes on...
Exactly Sharon. More clarification is definitely needed.
@ Marguerite – I think it's totally understandable that people are surprised and disappointed that so much is being offered to a potential new writer when the 'oldies' are still on the same pay rate they have been for years and restricted in the number of submissions we can make. It doesn't feel quite fair – I'm sure a lot of us would welcome the chance to win £10,000 to help boost our writing careers.
@ Sheelagh – You're quite right that it's a good opportunity for someone and I'd urge anyone who is eligible to have a try. And yes, it's a good thing that TPF still accept submissions from everyone, rather than having closed lists.
@ Sharon – I hadn't thought of them taking on a part time editor, but personally I think that would have been a great use of the money.
@ Fiona – Maybe getting younger writers, and therefore readers, interested in the magazine might be part of the reason behind this idea. I do hop that works - more readers would be good for all of us. But yes, however you look at it, £10,000 is a lot of money for one story.
@ Alex – Yes and Yes!
@ Sue – There's no standard definition to what's considered 'amateur' or 'unpublished'. A person might sell stories regularly yet still have another job and consider writing a hobby, and opinions vary as to whether self publishing or posting work on social media counts as published.
@ Sharon – I guess they mean someone who hasn't had a short story published – but it's not clear. If that's right, could successful novelists who've not previously written short stories enter?
In the interests of balance ...
This really is an excellent opportunity for all the winners and runners up.
The competition is free and is NOT a rights grab.
Assuming that reading the entries doesn't mean that regular submissions go unread, this doesn't make the position worse for existing writers.
This screams 'we want to make a big noise'.TV ads and TV spots to follow? If so, think of the amount of entries. It might not even lead to more magazine sales since most will simply be chasing the insane amount of money on offer. Most entries will be awful and unsuitable too, I suspect. It's a folly that will affect their loyal writers, but who cares about them?
AM.
PF and other mags have always paid a pittance, that's why writers need bursaries. Not that PF believes for a moment anybody writes for a living, it’s just a little hobby, isn’t it?
Marie B
Just to add -I've read the t & c's and it states that the winning entry and runner up entries are subject to editing.
So you may feel chuffed with yourself for writing something fab but if it's chosen, be aware that the published version of your story may not be what you expect to see.
Amateur writers may not realise this.
This is a brilliant opportunity for a new writer. We all (readers as well as TPF) need new writers coming through. It's a difficult environment for new writers to break into at the moment, especially if they're interested in writing for the womags. Winning such a prestigious contest will raise their profile and the amazing prize money will enable them to devote time to their writing. I urge anyone eligible to enter to have a go.
However, it's impossible to look at this prize money and not contrast it with TPF's pay rates, which have been the same for years, despite the sharp increases in the cost of living. An existing TPF writer would need to sell 91 stories at their top rate in order to earn £10,000. Is this one story, from an unpublished writer, really worth the equivalent of 91 stories from existing writers? On top of that, the category prizes and runners-up will also receive more money for their stories than existing writers on the top rate.
The other issue, as someone mentioned above, is that it's not so long that the TPF lost a number of staff. As a result of these cuts, waiting times have grown longer and there have been typos and editing issues with the magazine that used not to be a problem. Putting that £10,000 towards a part-time salary for another fiction editor or would have benefited everyone.
Pondering
‘Be aware that the published version of your story may not be what you expect to see.’
From what I’ve heard, PF now make every story look like it came from an amateur, so the amateurs have no need to worry.
Marie B
Lucy told us on her blog last year that there was going to be a new opportunity for both established and unpublished authors.
Well, here's the incredible opportunity for one amateur, unpublished author, but what about the opportunity for established authors?
This is just a massive kick in the teeth for writers who have spent years honing their craft and are struggling to sell their work because so many mags have closed.
An Old Disillusioned Writer
Oh dear, what an upset this has caused!
I understand the many concerns raised, but to put the opposite point of view, this is a fantastic opportunity for an aspiring writer.
A WRITING BURSARY to help someone achieve the writing prowess you have already attained. Isn’t that something to applaud?
To have a story published in a magazine like TPF is a privilege many can only dream of.
But this is such a massive amount of money - for writing one 2000 word story!
And the editors are now going to be spending hours reading the entries whilst continuing to ignore subs from very experienced writers.
And they took on loads of new writers last year, so why do they need more?
An Old Disillusioned Writer
I'm hopeful this is only part 1 and that something equally good for established writers will soon be announced. If that's the case, what would you like to see?
The same really, but it'd be open for all established story womag writers (including published fiction TPF writers) and writers keep all rights to their work.
There should be no strict age restrictions for entrants, either (starting at 17 is fine).
To me, it's irrelevant how old entrants are.
It just needs to be a magazine story aimed at adults and TPF.
However, saying that, I'm just wondering about this category they have for the under 30's.
How many people aged under 30 actually read TPF?
Just out of interest, does anyone here know anyone aged 30 and under who buys it? I don't.
How about a 10K prize for the best 2000 word story that's already been subbed but not read?
I agree it is a fantastic opportunity and I, too, would have jumped at the chance. But I'm just wondering how PF staff would feel if their job (and make no mistake, this is a job for many of us) was given to an inexperienced intern for a week, who was then paid a hundred times their salary and praised to the heavens for the brilliant job they had done?
Would they have a bitter taste in their mouths, even as their boss assured them they were still very much valued members of staff and the backbone of the company?
Disgruntled Writer
Faster response times and a pay rise would be fine, since I doubt they have another 10K lying around.
This writing bursary is not means tested.
It isn't awarded to a promising writer on a low income or on benefits.
The lucky person who wins it could be extremely affluent, for all we know.
There's no learning opportunities,development, support, writing courses or mentorship attached to it.
The person can simply blow it on whatever they fancy - a holiday, a car. To me, a bursary should be something they helps you progress in a writing career.
All this person needs to do is write a 2,000 word story to clinch this amazing prize.
There's no motivation or incentive for them to write another word ever again.
'That helps you progress in a writing career...' sorry!
According to X, PF will answer questions on Thurs in a blog post.
JS
Must admit I wouldn't mind a bursary like that even though I'm an established writer! It's a huge amount of money for one story.
The bursary will really help the winner, though. It's challenging to find time/headspace for writing if you're working or have children or are looking after elderly parents. A bursary like this could give a new writer a chance to work part-time for a while, or to pay for childcare, cleaning or some other help, thus freeing up time for writing. So this is a great opportunity for whoever wins it.
Copyright issues have now been pointed out by a member of my group.
JS
I've looked at the t&cs and don't see anything alarming – but as with every competition, people should always read these carefully themselves and be happy that they understand and agree before deciding to enter.
I do think it's quite ambiguous in places, such as 'amateur writer' and in 14a regarding exclusive right to first publication in any media and then adding in People's Friend products. And I agree that the money could be better spent elsewhere. (Isn't it more than £10,000, by the way? Including the runners up and the category winners, I make it £12,700. Definitely a small wage for someone, excluding on-costs.)
But as for why they can justify offering one writer so much for one story instead of hiring a part time freelance fiction editor or raising the rates for existing contributors or whatever, it will likely depend on where the money is coming from.
If it's a grant or if it's been tied up with legalese, then they might only be able to offer it as a 'bursary' or to an 'amateur' (however they define it), etc, and it will be very clear on what the money can be spent on and what it shouldn't be spent on.
Or that's my understanding. And it depends, as I say, where the funds are coming from.
I pity new writers trying to understand the rights. It appears PF want the first serial rights of ALL entries. Then you can't do anything with your story until they take them (paid, unpaid, who knows?) Hope they clarify it tomorrow.
JS
Hi, can somebody explain to me if this means PF take all first rights from all entries? Does this mean if somebody doesn't win, they can't send their story to another magazine and sell first rights because PF already hold them? Therefore, all none-winning entries are pretty much stuck and useless? I have asked them to clarify but just got sent a link to the same details.
Intellectual Property
14. You agree to grant the DCT the following rights in respect of all entries you submit for the full period of copyright including all renewals, reversions, extensions and revivals of such period:
(a) The exclusive right to first publication in any Media (as defined below), in any language, anywhere in the world in The People’s Friend magazine, or any People’s Friend website or social media account at DCT’s discretion.
(b) Following DCT’s first use as described in Clause 14(a) above, the non-exclusive, transferable right to reuse, republish and retransmit your entry or entries in any Media, in any language, anywhere in the world, in The People’s Friend magazine or brand extensions, or any People’s Friend website or social media account at the DCT’s discretion and without further payment to you. These rights will continue to apply and cannot be revoked.
(c) The right to translate, amend, cut or alter your entry as DCT sees fit in accordance with the DCT’s normal editorial practice.
(d) The non-exclusive right to use, store, publish and/or transmit your entry or entries in internal archives and databases managed and used by DCT.
(e) The non-exclusive right to permit third parties to use, store, publish and/or transmit your entry or entries in their external archives and databases for research purposes only. External archives and databases offer access for research purposes to material from a wide range of sources. They are usually accessible on-line but also in other Media. Examples of such external archives include Lexis Nexis and Factiva.
(f) The non-exclusive right for DCT to syndicate your entry or entries subject to payment to you of 50% of all net revenues received by DCT and attributable to such entry or entries.
(g) A right of first refusal (not to be unreasonably delayed) to publish a collection of works in book form (in any format including, but not limited to, printed, electronic and audio books) where the entry or entries you submit form the sole or majority part of such collection (a ‘Book Collection’).
(h) For the purposes of this clause 14, “Media” means any present and future media formats, including but not limited to print publications, digital products, websites, apps, audio publications, electronic publications and interactive publications.
15. For the avoidance of doubt, except as expressly granted herein, all rights to the entry or entries of whatever nature throughout the world will be retained by you (including copyright).
16. Without prejudice to the right of first refusal in Clause 14(g) above, in certain circumstances we may look to publish a Book Collection. Any publication of a Book Collection by us would be subject to new contractual terms to be agreed between you and DCT (including relating to additional payments to you).
17. In certain circumstances, it may be necessary to publish a photograph of you for publicity, promotion or other activity relating to your entry. In the event that this is required, you grant DCT permission to publish a photograph of you of its choosing.
18. If we make any changes to or jointly contribute to an entry you will not be entitled to use the jointly created or edited version of such entry yourself or authorise any third parties to use it without DCT’s prior written consent.
Thanks, BDW
It's not a privilege at all IMO. Selling a story to a magazine for money is a business transaction. I think that mindset - that they're almost doing us a favour by accepting a story - is in part what leads us as writers to be treated as badly as we are.
When experienced writers are having difficulty clarifying the IP terms, then
newer writers, who might enter, probably won't understand them either; or believe they say one thing, when actually it's the opposite.
Saying the author retains copyright, while the other IP terms make the possibility of reusing the story elsewhere, limited, if not non-existent, isn't good either.
The terms have been written in such a way as applying to every entry, not just the winners.
The PF team probably won't have had much say in this, as it's the publisher's lawyers who create the terms and conditions and protect the company, not the entrants.
T&Cs are being updated apparently.
JS
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