Saturday, 19 July 2025

Over To You - and some free reads

 

Please share writing related news – successes and failures, details of free entry writing competitions, updates about the womags you submit to, any other publication opportunities, and raise any queries you may have. All these things will help other readers of this blog, and help me to keep it going!


Free entry writing competition news


Here's a competition for funny poems. You can send in a written version, or film yourself performing it. I'm almost tempted to try the latter option. The prizes are book tokens.



Promotion opportunity


If you've ever been published by Bridge House, then you're able to submit your writing news for their blog and newsletters. (The blog post is an old one, but the link appeared in the current newsletter.) Thanks to Fiona for passing on this info.


My news

It's been a bit hot for much writing lately. The photos in this post are an indication of what I've been doing instead.


I'm doing a couple more those promos aimed at enticing readers onto my newsletter mailing list, and thought some of you might be interested in some of the free reads on offer. (You can, if you'd like to, download and read the books using devices other than kindles - laptops, tablets etc.) 
You can, of course, unsubscribe at any time.


For those who enjoy short stories, here are a selection of individual stories and collections which are free when you sign up to the authors' newsletters - https://books.bookfunnel.com/short-story-smorgasbord/d0i6qzkuhv



And this one is is for longer works - whole books or sample chapters - 
https://books.bookfunnel.com/freejulyreads/6nqmo5v36v

Do any of you produce your own writing related newsletter? (If you'd like to, put a sign up link in the comments and I'll put clickable links in a future post.)


Discussion topic
- do you subscribe to any author newsletters? What do you like / dislike about them?




Saturday, 12 July 2025

Having a lovely time!

 

We're away in the mobile writing retreat / campervan, in part to celebrate our wedding anniversary, at the moment. Depending on the weather, I'm either writing a lot or not at all. 

Free book!

My book With Love And Kisses, a collection of 24 short stories, is currently free to download. I'm hoping that making it free will lead to a few more reviews as for some reason, this book has hardly any.



Saturday, 5 July 2025

More free entry writing competitions

Free entry writing competition news

Thanks to Ruth for the link to this competition from the Scottish wildlife trust. They're looking for up to 1,000 words in any form on the theme 'from source to sea'. You can write in English, Scots or Gaelic. (I confess, that despite sometimes having needed a translator for my mother-in-law, I hadn't realised Scots was a separate language!) There's a prize bundle of stuff likely to appeal to wildlife lovers. UK residents only.

Thanks to Sharon Boothroyd for sending this - 

In case you can't read the small print, it says unpublished (when it comes to novels) UK residents without an agent, over 18  only. Self published is OK.

Sharon and Alyson both found this short story competition. It's open to everyone, they want up to 550 words featuring braille, audio , community, or all three. The first prize is an echo dot. Second prize is a book token. The fact I understand the second one but don't know what the first does probably says something about my age, or technical abilities. Honestly, you're lucky this blog doesn't come in the form of totally unreadable handwritten notes.


Thanks to Aly Rhodes for sharing the details of this short story competition. They're looking for a murder mystery story with a fun twist. 

I asked the organiser for clarification on the rules and have been told, 'It’s open to anyone over 18 with an original story that’s not published elsewhere."

Calls for submissions

Thanks to Liz for the info that Flametree are looking for romantic fantasy submissions for two anthologies. They pay 6p per word for first publication and 4p for reprints.