Over To You

I think / hope that I've now made it possible for you to subscribe to this blog and get new posts sent to you by email. There's a purple box thingy on the top right of the page. Give it a try if you like! (You can also do the same thing with the blog on my website, if you happen to fancy that.)

UPATDE This does seem to work, although the email notifications don't arrive until several hours after the post goes live. 

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 the blog, and help me to keep it going!

It takes time to find new free competitions every single week and it's very difficult to keep track of markets I don't submit to. Your support through sharing information, and leaving comments, makes a big difference. (Never worry you're telling me something I know – reminders are welcome!)

Womag news

If you claim ALCS (money you're entitled to if you're a UK citizen who has work published in magazines) then make sure you update your claims before the end of the month, so you don't miss out on any payments.

Free entry competition

This is from Best. I don't think I can make the t&c's big enough to read, so the highlights are - only one entry per person. First prize £500, two runners up of £200. All rights are taken from prizewinning stories, but not on all entries.

Over to you

 

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 the blog, and help me to keep it going!

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.

They have a normal, ongoing story comp as well that's 800 words.  

It's free to enter but again, they take all rights to the winning story."

From Alyson Hilbourne "Best have just announced their Halloween/spooky competition. 1200 words - something that will leave readers with goosebumps by 28th September."

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.

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?

Over To You

 

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 the blog, and help me** to keep it going!

* It can be very reassuring to know we're not the only person who gets rejections, finds something confusing, or has doubts. It's also very encouraging when people we've heard of and know are real people, something like us, win competitions or get published.

** It takes time to find new free competitions every single week and it's very difficult to keep track of markets I don't submit to. Your support through sharing information, and leaving comments, makes a big difference. (Never worry you're telling me something I know – reminders are welcome!)

Over to you

 

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 the blog, and help me** to keep it going!

* It can be very reassuring to know we're not the only person who gets rejections, finds something confusing, or has doubts. It's also very encouraging when people we've heard of and know are real people, something like us, win competitions or get published.

** It takes time to find new free competitions every single week and it's very difficult to keep track of markets I don't submit to. Your support through sharing information, and leaving comments, makes a big difference. (Never worry you're telling me something I know – reminders are welcome!)

Free entry poetry competition

Thank you to Fiona for sending me the link to this very interesting poetry competition. The challenge is to write an artfully awful poem (I can do half of that!) There's £100 first prize.

Over to you

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 the blog, and help me** to keep it going!

* It can be very reassuring to know we're not the only person who gets rejections, finds something confusing, or has doubts. It's also very encouraging when people we've heard of and know are real people, something like us, win competitions or get published.

** It takes time to find new free competitions every single week and it's very difficult to keep track of markets I don't submit to. Your support through sharing information, and leaving comments, makes a big difference. (Never worry you're telling me something I know – reminders are welcome!)

Publication opportunities

Thanks to Marguerite for telling us about this competition from Dusty Attic. They're looking for previously unpublished short stories and poems which are spooky, fantastical, or both. They pay $10.

If you'd like to read some (slightly) spooky stories as inspiration, I have lots here!

Over To You

  

Do you have any womag news?

Any market news? 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.

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.

Don't forget to check the submissions database for details of which magazines publish fiction under what terms, and how to submit.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. As well as allowing us all to share information, help and encourage each other, comments also show editors, competition organisers and others that the blog is read and will therefore be more likely to provide information for me to share with you.

(Edited to say - there will be one more post before Christmas, then I'll be taking a break until sometime in the New Year year.)

Over To You

 Do you have any womag news?

Any market news? 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.

In case you missed it, there's some quite vague, but positive sounding news from The People's Friend here. What do you think they're up to? I'm guessing anthologies, or maybe audio books or a podcast ... OK, I have no idea!

Sorry that I'm not responding to comments or tracking down much info for the blog at the moment. I'm totally fine myself, as is Gary, but a family member has problems and doing what we can for them is taking up a lot of our time. I've managed some writing, and have tweaked my website a bit. 

I changed hosting companies so was forced to sort it out or have it offline until I did. Luckily two brilliant friends have been helping me with reassurance and technical advice.

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.

Don't forget to check the submissions database for details of which magazines publish fiction under what terms, and how to submit.

Free entry writing competition news

Thanks to Fiona for the link to the Love Letters to London competition. There are four prizes of £500 on offer – which makes me feel suddenly fond of the place! There are classes for poetry and not poetry.

Thanks to everyone for your comments which offer support and encouragement to me and each other. That's always appreciated, but even more so when I can't respond as much as I'd like.

Over To You

  

Do you have any womag news?

Any market news? 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.

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.

Don't forget to check the submissions database for details of which magazines publish fiction under what terms, and how to submit.

Free entry competitions

On the Premises have a flash fiction competition. You have 25 - 50 words on the subject of food, and the prize is $35. You could buy something really nice to eat with that!

Thank you to Sharon Boothroyd for the link to this poetry competition, which offers a £100 prize.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. As well as allowing us all to share information, help and encourage each other, comments also show editors, competition organisers and others that the blog is read and will therefore be more likely to provide information for me to share with you.

Over To You

Do you have any womag news?

Any market news? 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.

Free entry writing competitions

Thanks very much to Sharon Boothroyd for the link to this ghost story competition with a £100 prize. The stories should be set where you live. I'm really tempted to write a haunted campervan tale – I'm currently in mine, so surely that would count?

This competition is for a book (any genre fiction or non fiction) about a person with a chronic condition or disability. The book must be published between November last year and October this year - self published is fine. There's a £1,000 prize.

This competition is just for novels. They must be the first book by an author over 40. It can be published or unpublished. The prize if £4,000.

And this one is for short stories. £2,000 prize.

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.

Don't forget to check the submissions database for details of which magazines publish fiction under what terms, and how to submit.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. As well as allowing us all to share information, help and encourage each other, comments also show editors, competition organisers and others that the blog is read and will therefore be more likely to provide information for me to share with you.

Over To You

 Womag news

Here's another helpful blog post from Lucy at The People's Friend, this time with advice for success with our submissions there.

Sharon Boothroyd kindly shared this information as a comment to my last post –I've just heard that, due to changes at the magazine, the future of fiction in the monthly Your Cat is uncertain.

The former ed doesn't know if fiction will feature or not, so if anyone has any stories earmarked for there, it'd be a good idea to sub them elsewhere now.
I've contacted the current ed, and they haven't replied to my enquiry. I was passed onto the former ed instead, who explained the situation. (There's often useful information shared in comments, and I can't copy it all over, even if I remember, so it's worth catching up on those from the previous post when you read a new one.)

Do you have any womag news?

Any market news? 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.

Free entry writing competition news.

Thanks to Helen Yendall for links to this six word competition with book tokens as prizes, and this short story competition. Both close at the end of the month.

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.

Don't forget to check the submissions database for details of which magazines publish fiction under what terms, and how to submit.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. As well as allowing us all to share information, help and encourage each other, comments also show editors, competition organisers and others that the blog is read and will therefore be more likely to provide information for me to share with you.

My womag news

I've had two responses from TPF this week (one yes, one no) for stories submitted less than three months previously - which is a perfectly reasonable turn around time, so it looks as though things are improving. The acceptance was my 50th with that magazine. If you'd like to know even more about my writing life, you can find it here.

Over To You

 

 Do you have any womag news?

Any market news? 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.

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.

Free entry writing competition news

Thanks to Fiona for sending the link to this short story competition which offers publication and a cash prize.

This short story competition has a £100 prize.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. As well as allowing us all to share information, help and encourage each other, comments also show editors, competition organisers and others that the blog is read and will therefore be more likely to provide information for me to share with you.

The next scheduled post is next week - 22nd July.

Over To You

 Do you have any womag news?

Any market news? 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.

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.

Calls for submissions

Fanatical are looking for "unpublished sci-fi, fantasy and horror stories of between 2,000 and 6,000 words." They pay £20. That doesn't seem a lot for the amount of work involved!

Free entry competition news

On the Premises are running another competition. This time there's a picture prompt (see that and other rules by clicking on 'guidelines'. The prize is $250

Thanks to Sheelagh for mentioning a different competition to me. I'm not posting a link, as it had a $75 entry fee – something we both initially missed. Has anyone seen a higher entry fee, and would you consider paying that amount?

Womag/competition news

Thanks to Sharon Boothroyd for this – The regular Yours mag have launched a short story story comp. Details are in the mag. 

Max 850 words, and it's an open theme and genre. 
Closing date, July 3rd and it's free to enter. 
The only drawback is that they take the rights to all entries. So you lose the rights to your story just by entering.

I hate the way some competitions become rights grabs in this way. There's no need for it – they don't take all our rights when they publish stories they buy from us, so why would they want them for failed competition entries?

My news

I've had a reply about my story which was accidentally credited to the wrong person in TAB's Fiction Feast. No one at the magazine has responded, but ALCS have agreed I can still claim through them in the normal way.

Edits on my cosy mystery novel, Disguised Murder In Little Mallow, are going well, and I have a new short story collection out. Days To Remember is available as an ebook, paperback or to be read through kindle unlimited. As I hope the title suggests, the 24 stories are about special days in the lives of the characters. (The first story is set in the same location as the novel I'm working on.)

A reminder – I regularly post on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month but, as you may have seen from my last post, I'll add in extras if something interesting, important or urgent pops up in between (and I'm able to get it uploaded.) Any guests posts would also go between those dates. When I know an extra post is coming up, I'll try to let you know on the previous one.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. As well as allowing us all to share information, help and encourage each other, comments also show editors, competition organisers and others that the blog is read and will therefore be more likely to provide information for me to share with you.

The next scheduled post is 1st July.

Over To You

 Do you have any womag news?

Any market news? 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.

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.

Don't forget to check the submissions database for details of which magazines publish fiction under what terms, and how to submit.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. As well as allowing us all to share information, help and encourage each other, comments also show editors, competition organisers and others that the blog is read and will therefore be more likely to provide information for me to share with you.

Over To You

 

Do you have any womag news?

Any market news? 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.

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.

Don't forget to check the submissions database for details of which magazines publish fiction under what terms, and how to submit.

Other markets news

Anyone write fantasy short stories? If so, you may be interested in this call for submissions. Payment is £25, or possibly £50.

Free entry competition news

Here's a competition for micro fiction, which offers a €750 prize.

This competition has a prize of £1,000. It's for detective fiction between 15,000 and 20,000 words. No fat shaming allowed (why would anyone do that?)

Thanks to Fiona for passing on this –

This year's Love the Words competition is open and your entry (or further
entry) is warmly encouraged!

As ever, the comp is free to enter, and is part of International Dylan
Thomas Day. Any age of writer may take part, and there are some wonderful
book prizes for winners courtesy of Parthian Books and Infinity Books UK.

This year's theme is 'dream', inspired by Thomas's Under Milk Wood, the
famous 'play for voices' which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.

Find out more about the competition and how to enter:
https://www.discoverdylanthomas.com/portfolio-items/love-the-words-poetry-competition-2023-online

Thank you to everyone for your comments. As well as allowing us all to share information, help and encourage each other, comments also show editors, competition organisers and others that the blog is read and will therefore be more likely to provide information for me to share with you.

Over To You

Do you have any womag news?

Any market news? 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.

My womag news

Sharon Reid who usually edits Yours Fiction has bought a story from me to go in a Yours Easter special pull out thing (possibly not the official description.) This sale is extra to those in the regular magazine. Maybe they'll be doing more of that kind of thing, perhaps a coronation special as Elizabeth suggested in the comments of the last but one post, so the temporary halt of Yours Fiction won't be such a blow?

Free entry competition news

Thanks to Fiona for sending this link for a short story competition with publication and $500 as the top prize. On the home page it states entries must be unpublished.

And this is from Vivienne Moles  – Fictionette is looking for subs and competition entries.  Lipstick and Lies is under this umbrella.

There's a lot included in the subs - short story, flash, micro, poetry and novellas. 

Competitions are varied according to the schedule, currently 'flash' - 150-700 words by 31.3.23

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.

Don't forget to check the submissions database for details of which magazines publish fiction under what terms, and how to submit.

For those who didn't see my comment on Thursday's post –   I have a policy of only giving out information which is already available online (even if it's usually hard to find) or which the editor or whoever has given me permission to share.

In some cases there may be value in sharing information that can't be obtained elsewhere, but on balance I feel this blog can be most useful if those suppling me with information trust me only to share what they want shared, or which is already 'out there'. I'm not just protecting editors. If I, for example, happen to learn your pen name or any personal details, I wouldn't pass those on to anyone without your permission.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. As well as allowing us all to share information, help and encourage each other, comments also show editors, competition organisers and others that the blog is read and will therefore be more likely to provide information for me to share with you.

The next scheduled post is 1st April.

Over To You

Over to you posts are back! They're primarily intended as a way to share womag market information and to help and encourage each other with our writing, but questions and comments on any writing related subject are welcome on any post.

If lots of us share information this could become a valuable resource for us all and I'll continue to post them on the third Saturday of every month. I'm also trialling posting links to free to enter competitions and other writing news and opportunities on the first Saturday of the month. Again I'll make a decision on whether or not to continue based on the response each one gets. This does mean that some things would become out of date before I can share them. (I'll try to post them on the womagwriter twitter account.) If there's breaking news I feel needs to be shared, and I have time to do it, or there are guests posts or anything else which doesn't fit into one of the two regular posts they'll come out on a different Saturday, but generally I'll only be posting on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month.

When time (and internet connection when I'm travelling) allow, I'll reply to blog comments, but this might not always possible. Please do continue to answer any questions raised here if you can, and generally respond to other comments in the way some of you have been doing and keep this a useful and positive community for all those writers who value it. 

So, over to you...

Do you have any womag news?

Any market news? 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.

Womag news from me –

You may have seen news reports of job losses and title closures at DC Thomson. That's unpleasant news for all those involved. Fortunately, as far as I've been able to discover The People's Friend and My Weekly aren't directly impacted.

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.

Don't forget to check the submissions database for details of which magazines publish fiction under what terms, and how to submit.

My news

I've had a couple of rejections from stories submitted last year to Yours – not the response I wanted of course, but so much better than waiting years for a reply, or never hearing back at all.

A story submitted to The People's Friend has been passed onto the next stage. I'll try to be patient about that one! I've also had an acceptance from TAB.

Thanks to my cake fuelled research, mentioned in a previous post, I'm making good progress on my latest cosy crime novel.

Nine of my ebooks are currently available to download for 99p (99c) from Amazon.