As always, feel free to use my photos as writing prompts. If you prefer words to images for that purpose take a look here.
Womag / free entry competition news
From Sharon Boothroyd "Prima are running a crime story comp that's free to enter. The CD is 27th October. You are given an opening to start the story (written by a published novelist) then the writer has to finish it. I think they take all rights to the winner.
Thank you, ladies!
Womag news
Also from Alyson, are a couple of tweets she spotted from The People's Friend.
Here's a shout out from Fiction Ed Lucy! We're now looking for stories from mid-January onwards for the weekly, and from spring onwards for our specials.
We're also looking for 3500 word stories of any genre. Please remember seasonal stories must be sent in six months in advance.
38 comments:
Thanks Patsy, Sharon and Alison for the competition info (and super photos Patsy).
Catching up after being away. Was shortlisted in the latest Globe Soup competition and had a few ‘sorry not this time’ emails, but plough on!
Looking at the previous blog comments on Readly, wondering if people know that you can share your subscription? My son, husband and sister all use my account, so it gets well used.
And scrolling through My Weekly on Readly I spotted the All About You page. I sent off two photos and short captions - one of a circus trapeze artist and another of shadow figures waving on a beach - then a few weeks later got a cheque for £25. I’m still waiting to find out which one they chose!
Me again! Forgot to say, thank you to whoever listed the Inclusive Voices competition on here. I started my entry, but the word limit was 550 and I felt I couldn’t squeeze my story into it. I sent the longer, finished story to PF and it was accepted.
I’d never have written a story about someone with failing hearing and eyesight without the prompt of the competition theme.
As the first prize in the competition is an Echo Dot (which I don’t want) and the second a £20 voucher, I feel I definitely won!
Well done, Fiona. Think I might have mentioned the Voices comp... Being a Globe Soup finalist is wonderful. Was that the flashback comp? The winning story was wonderful!
I sold two stories to TPF yesterday both 3500 words - I guess that's the length they were reading and hence the call out.
Alyson (not Alison!)
Thank you, Patsy, and everyone for the comps and info.
Congratulations to those with successes. Unfortunately, no such good news to report, but as Fiona says, plough on.
I wasn’t surprised to hear (from Sheelagh in last week’s comments) that TPF Writing Hour has finished but thought the abrupt way it ended was quite shocking and not very ‘Friend’-like.
Well done to all with positive news. I don't have anything to report. Reading the t&C's in the prima crime comp, it looks like they take the rights to every entry, but I could be wrong. I don't know what hearst intend to with every entry.
Good morning , thank you for all the Womag and competition news, and congratulations Fiona.
Re comments last week. Interesting to read about Readly, and also what you can access with a library card. I hadn’t realised that. Thank you Sharon and Marguerite. People are who comment on this blog are so supportive and helpful.
Also, in the Prima ongoing 800 word monthly competition, Hearst states that by entering the competition the copyright, and all other rights in respect of the entry, shall be assigned to them. Dee
Congratulations Alyson re TPF acceptances.
Oh dear, just noticed an extra 'are' appeared in my comment. I pressed Publish too quickly...! Dee
Another of those... don't get me started topics! I wrote to Hearst a while ago re the Prima rights - for everything, published or not, to clarify - twice - ignored! I might try again, once a week, every week, until I get an answer! 😠
Re: the normal 800 words prima comp.
I contacted Prima last year and they said that actually, despite what it states in the mag, they take the rights to the winning entry only (I've kept the message, just in case).
I don't know if they've simply copied their T&C's over to this crime competition. Either way, the T&C's are not clear in either comp.
Thank you, Sharon. That makes sense, surely? Surely they don't want everyone's story to make into feature films and live off the film rights. I think it is probably a bit of the legalese that's used for other components of the mag that's just got scooped up in the short story comps. Anyway, a thank you to Sharon and Alison for all the details. I so wish I could sustain 3500 words! I must try.
Congratulations to Fiona and Alyson 🙂. Nothing to report here except I've already submitted two for the Crowvus Ghost stories (paid) for end of September and keep slogging away at the WM ones... with no luck. Several now shortlisted but that's it. And yes, I have tried to analyse the ones that have been shortlisted. They are not my natural type (science fictiony type things that have a unique take). I'm really not into science fiction!
Letters I've had printed (in WM) have, without exception, been things I've been passionate about and it shows through.
That's an almost surreal photo, Patsy. Very atmospheric.
Thanks all & congratulations to everyone who has had good news. Ive nothing to report myself I'm afraid. Thanks to Marguerite I've sorted out borrow box from the library though despite access to thousands of magazines, including Woman's Weekly TPF is not one of them so I'm taking Sharon up on her kind offer to let me know if she sees something of mine. I often buy it but I could easily miss especially if it's published in a special as my local newsagents don't stock the special. Thanks again Sharon.
Thank you, Sharon. Dee
Thanks to everyone here for all the useful information and well done to those with successes to report. Not much news from me. I have a story due out in WW in October and another in early February. I updated my files yesterday ...mostly regarding unsuccessful competition entries. Oh well on we go...I recently sent an entry to the Good Housekeeping novel competition. It was fun to do but that will.probably be the end of it.
I also have a story due out in WW in October as well as a Christmas one early December. I have a halloween story that I’m currently tweaking for the Best short story competition. It seems to be a little later this year that I actually thought I’d missed it. So pleased that I haven’t.
Picking up a copy, I always like to read the winning entries of the previous competitions. I didn’t recognise any of the writer’s names, and as somebody on this blog previously said, they’re obviously not writers who subscribe to this blog. (I must admit I don’t subscribe as much as I should). But I always read it and appreciate the work that goes into it. Thank you, Patsy, and to others who contribute with news and updates. Congratulations to everybody who’s had acceptances.
Michael
Congratulations to Fiona and Alyson on recent successes - it's always encouraging to hear good news. Thanks, Patsy, as always for keeping this blog going - I was sad to learn of the People's Friend Twitter Hour ending, so this place is now even more of an essential meeting place for us womag writers. (I hope it is OK with you that I recommended it as a go-to place for writing camaraderie, at the end of the PF final hour.) It's lovely to see both 'old' and new voices on here - I started commenting after Helen Yendall mentioned on her lovely blog some years ago that reading a blog but never commenting was a bit like dining regularly in the same restaurant but never leaving a tip! This pushed me to start commenting both there and here, having previously watched from the sidelines, and I'm so glad. I don't always comment, because sometimes I don't think I have anything fresh or insightful to say, but I check in every week and love to hear everyone's news.
@ Fiona – Well done!
I think encouraging us to write something we might not otherwise have written is a big advantage of writing competitions , and as you've discovered we can still get a good result even if we don't win – or even enter in your case!
@ Alyson - Ooops, sorry! I've fixed it now (and made it look as though it's Fiona's mistake not mine, so sorry to Fiona too!)
@ Anonymous – I didn't see how it ended, but I know they've not always had a good experience with twitter. Maybe there's a good reason for stopping it?
@ Sharon - You're probably right as they've stated that before. I don't think they really want all the entries, but that doesn't help those who lose their rights.
@ Dee - Different libraries offer different services. It's worth investigating what's on offer at yours.
@ Marguerite – The taking all rights on everything annoys me too. They don't actually want all the rights to every single entry, just try to cover themselves against every eventuality.
Ah sorry for the wrong name Alyson - my phone thinks you’re the friend I usually text and changed it for me.Yes, it was the flashback competition and agree the winning story was great. Congratulations on your PF stories!
@ Sheelagh - I've found the same, that the specials often aren't as easily available as the weekly magazines.
@ Sue - If you had fun, it was worth doing it for that alone. But fingers crossed something else comes of it.
@ Michael - congratulations on the sales.
I think it's a good idea to win the winning stories from regular competitions we hope to enter. As with reading a few current copies of magazines we wish to submit to, it can give us some pointers about style and popular themes.
@ Eirin - I agree that it's encouraging to hear good news. It reminds us that real people really do sell stories and win competitions. (I agree too about the tipping in a restaurant. Of course nobody is expected to pay any money here but comments saying people found the blog useful, and contributing information when that's possible are hugely appreciated and encourage me to continue.)
I'm very happy for people to come here and chat about writing, share info, ask questions, encourage others etc in the comments. As an experiment, I'll set up some extra general discussion posts and see how they go.
I'm very
Just to let everyone know that Hazel Meredith-Lloyd, one of the People's Friend writers, is going to keep the writing hour going on X, using the hashtag #PFWritingHour. The idea is that those of us who attended will continue to meet up and chat as on previous Tuesdays. Hazel suggested a few other social media options, but the consensus was to remain on X. So, please check in on Tuesday at the usual time if you're free.
@Eirin - your tipping in restaurants analogy amused me somewhat as tipping isn't a thing in Australia.
I was going to mention the writing hour as well.
Everything’s been quite quiet for me, but I did have an acceptance from Best of Woman’s Weekly. However, I’ve also got stories which have been on submission for quite a long time, so I’m pretty sure they’re going to be rejections! It’s all swings and roundabouts!
Hi. Does anyone know if Crowvus has an ISSN? I was delighted today to hear they have selected a story of mine for their journal. I heard about them on here so thank you to whoever mentioned them. I think it was Marguerite but not sure. Anyway, they don't pay but I am not sure if I may be able to claim ALCS.
Congratulations, Sue! I've also had a story accepted by Crowvus today and, like you, heard about the journal through this blog so thank you from me too. I'm fairly sure it was mentioned on here that there is an ISSN so we will be able to claim ALCS but someone else may be able to confirm that.
Me too! Congratulations Suzan and Sue. Yes, they have an ISSN which is on the publication (as in, they did for the one earlier in the year, so I would expect so.)
Sorry, think it's an ISBN - still all good for ALCS.
Just after my previous post, I also heard from Crowvus, so it’s thank you from me too. I’m delighted to know I’ll be with others from this blog - congratulations! I hadn’t thought about an ISBN, so that’s another thank you.
“Let’s strive to be better in September!” – Charmaine J. Forde #quote
I have a novella coming out on the ninth. And a post about condiments planned on the A to Z site. Hope you're well!
J Lenni Dorner (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author and Co-host of the April Blogging #AtoZChallenge
Good morning - and congratulations!
I also heard that my story has been accepted by Crowvus.
Thank you Marguerite for mentioning their Journal on this blog.
Dee
Sorry I haven't been on for ages. Good to catch up with all your news. Thanks for the competitions. I might have a go at the Hallowee'en one.
I wish I could remember where I find these sometimes! I won't unless I write it down at the time. It was probably the Christmas ghost stories Crowvus competition about 3 years ago mentioned in Writing Magazine. Glad you are a full-time member (!) of Patsy's blog now ☺️.
Thank you - pleased to be here Marguerite!
Dee
Thank you Marguerite for the confirmation about Crowvus and the correction about ISBN. It certainly appears that this blog will be well represented in the next edition!
@Liz - Thanks. I spotted this after attempting my own version, so I'll go with plan B (I don't yet know what that is!)
@ Marian - Well done for the Best of acceptance.
@ Sue, Suzan, Marguerite, Marian, Dee Well done all of you for your Crowvus successes. It's lovely to hear so much good news.
@ Lennie - Oh, exciting. Congratulations on the novella. Great quote.
@ Maisie - good luck if you do try it.
We seem to have taken it over!
Congratulations to all with crowvus acceptances. I subbed 2 stories but I've had no luck. I'll try again later when their next submission window opens.
At the risk of asking people to repeat themselves, what exactly is crowvus??
Sorry, Sheelagh! It's a small publishing group based in Scotland. It seems to be a family but they ran the Hooded Journal a while back (a couple of years?) but it seems to have developed into a paperback book, for which the subs have been asked. On the website, the next window is Jan 1st, not sure when it closes, theme to be announced. The earlier one this year was science fiction and then, this one, cosy romance. I only picked them up via a Christmas ghost story competition that ends end of September 3 years ago. Currently there is no fee for our subs, but as mentioned, we can claim through ALCS. I cannot emphasize enough how helpful ALCS is as I learnt via some 15-20 different inputs to Secret Attic, simply because it had an ISSN.
That's brilliant Marguerite, thanks for that explaination & congratulations on your success (& everyone else's too). I hope I'll be able to purchase on Amazon anon? I'd love to read all the contributions from this blog. And yes ALCS is so worth it for anyone who had published anything in UK even if you're not resident there yourself. A great scheme.
Yes, Sheelagh, available on Amazon. :)
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