Do you know any market news? Have you heard about any free to enter writing competitions? Or come across calls for submissions or other opportunities?
Are you researching, writing, subbing? Had any acceptances or rejections? Still waiting to hear back on outstanding submissions? Do you have a question? Can you offer tips or encouragement to other writers?
Any other writing related news, questions and comments are also welcome and appreciated. As well as allowing us all to share information, help and encourage each other, comments show editors, competition organisers and others that the blog is read and will therefore be more likely to answer my questions, or provide information for me to share with you.
Feel free to use these photos as picture prompts. If you'd like written writing prompts, short exercises and story/scene suggestions then you might find this book useful.
Thanks to Sharon Boothroyd for letting me know Best are again running their Christmas short story competition.
I squinted at the small print and couldn't see the rights grab clause they used for the last one. Hopefully that was just a blip.
21 comments:
Thanks Patsy and Sharon for the photos and comp info. I’ve just found this competition, The Welkin Mini. Deadline 1st December, free to enter, for micro fiction and creative non-fiction up to 100 words. With prizes. Feels like a good little writing project to have a go at!
https://www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize/welkin-mini
For anyone based in Birmingham, writer Philip Holyman still has a week left of his month-long project True Voyage is Return at The Exchange (opposite the city library). You can book one-to-ones with him or other professional writers, get tickets for author chats and submit work to a city anthology (I think there will only be one big copy on display so not ‘published’ as such, might also be online - no payment). Philip is also blogging about the challenge he set himself of writing a 90,000 word novel in a month, so even if you’re not local that might be of interest.
https://philipholyman.com/true-voyage-is-return
Thanks for all the information, appreciate as always. No real news haven't been submitting much either - a part time course takes up a lot of my free time. I expect to write & submit more over the winter though. After submitting a couple of times to Best competition I enquired if it was actually open to ROI residents. Got a cheerful 'great question, never been asked that before, will refer to our legal depart & revert back to you' reply. From that day (about 2 years ago) to this I've had no response despite a gentle reminder!
@ Fiona - thanks for those details. I'll post a reminder about the Welkin thing in a future post.
I bet there are loads of things local to each of us which might be really interesting / useful. I used to attend some near me, but got out the habit and now don't hear about many. I should put that right.
@ Sheelagh - Isn't int annoying when you don't get answers? I've just checked the t&cs and it does just say UK, not UK and Ireland as some do. It also mentions complying with English law.
The IWSG is supplying the prompts in January for the weekly Reedsy writing competition. Let you know the details soon.
Thanks for the information. That's interesting about Best. I stopped submitting to them after the rights difficulty but may give this one a go again now.
I haven't submitted to any mags recently but have been giving some of the competitions a go. Thanks so much to all who let us know about them.
Thank you, Patsy and Sharon for the Best reminder. I have one ready, so, all good :) Also, thank you, Fiona. Not so sure I'm good for the up to 100 words but could give it a go.
I was chuffed to have been shortlisted for two Writing Magazine comps - and again, always the bridesmaid... ah, well.
Well done, Marguerite. Very nice to be shortlisted, at least you know you are on the right track.
Thanks for the info, Patsy. Very much appreciated as always. I haven’t written much this summer, though I’ve been tweaking a few older stories. Especially one where I never felt the ending was right (probably why it was rejected).
I have got back into the swing of things this month though. I also have a story ready to send to the Best Christmas competition now that the rights issue has changed (was going to carry it over until next year and sub elsewhere).
Good luck to everybody with their submissions.
Michael
Thank you, Patsy. And Sharon for the Best Competition.
My news is that my TPF debut, 'Do you remember?' was published in the Special. I often struggle to come up with a title I'm happy with (anyone else??). Except for this story, which I called 'Time to Remember ' and was rather pleased with. Until they changed it!!!
Congrats, Marguerite.
Good luck to all.
HB
Pick me up weekly mag has now ceased trading, although there will still be monthly specials. They didn't publish fiction but if you sent out fillers, it's a regular outlet gone. It was published by future media.
I've submitted a Christmas story to Woman's World in the USA, but that's been it for writing over the past few months. Unfortunately, my local library has ceased its subscription to Woman's World, meaning I can no longer read the stories. I only read the two short stories so it's not worth taking out a subscription myself. Annoying, as it's so important to keep an eye on the market you're writing for.
Sorry, the above comment was from me, Liz
Many thanks for the competition news. I’ll try both of them.
My own news is that I was excited to get an acceptance from TPF. It had been with them for some months, so I hope that might give hope to others who have been waiting for a while to hear about a submission.
Thank you, Sheelagh and HB :) Funny thing is, the stories shortlisted are NOT in my usual genre! Proves you should sometimes take a risk, maybe. Very irritating about the title, HB - but TPF - well done! I think I'd be a bit miffed if I'd come up with what I thought was a good title and then it was changed. Still... TPF :) And Marian - congratulations. Perhaps blogger contributors on this blog could get together and write a book: TPF: This Worked That Didn't!
@ Liz You can buy individual online copies of US woman's world though if you just want to buy the odd one, I purchased one to see what it was like.
@Sheelagh - thanks for that info. I had no idea. Will definitely buy one occasionally. Liz
I've just heard from Andrew Shaw that he's going to publish a story of mine that he's had on hold since June 2022 in WW in February 2025! Never give up hope!
@Maisie that's brilliant news & it also means there's hope for a story accepted in November 2021. I've withdrawn & reworked a couple that I thought might work elsewhere but not possible for others, so it's great to think there is real hope for them
June 22| - that's brilliant, Maisie! never give up on the 'hold' pile, eh :)
Good news, Maisie. Andrew’s had one of my stories ‘on hold’ since Sep 21, so there’s hope for it yet.
Michael
Thanks Patsy and Sharon for the information about the Best Competition. I've had a go. You have to be in it to win it...!
Post a Comment