Survey

There's a poll over there --->

Sorry, with my usual technological brilliance, I've made it tricky to read. The choices are:

I write womag fiction and have had some published.
I write and submit womag fiction, but haven't had anything published - yet.
I'd like to write and submit womag fiction.
Other

If you could click on the answer which best suits you, and then on the 'vote' button, I'd be very grateful. The survey is anonymous and you don't need to be a blog follower to take part.

I'm asking because I'm very nosey. If I was a bird, I'd probably look like this.

Please feel free to add more info in the comments.

Yours magazine guidelines

SHORT STORY (FICTION) GUIDELINES
YOURS is always looking for good short stories. Every submission is read but we receive more than a hundred manuscripts a month and are able to publish only one short story per issue.
Please allow up to six months for reply and enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope if you would like your manuscript to be returned. Submissions should be 1000-1,200 words long and not have been published elsewhere before. Manuscripts must be TYPED on one side of the paper and the title page must include the following:

• 100 - 150 word synopsis.
  
• An accurate word count.
  
• Your full name (and real name if you write under a pen name), address
  and telephone number
  If we can’t use your submission and you would like it returned to you please enclose a SAE with enough postage to cover the cost of the submission/s.
  KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
  It is essential that you study three or four published stories in YOURS before writing anything for us.
  Many manuscripts are rejected because, although they may be well written, the stories are aimed at a completely different market, such as younger women or a largely middle-class readership.
  Read several issues of YOURS. This will give you a good idea of the type of reader you should be writing for and the general tone we use.
  Our readers range in age from fifties upwards, with most in their mid-sixties and seventies. They are mostly women, although YOURS is read by some men, so don’t ignore their interests!
  GOOD SUBJECTS
  Some of the most popular themes with YOURS readers are romance, families, grandchildren, nostalgia and wartime comradeship. A lot of our readers did war work and/or had husbands
  

or boyfriends serving in the Forces. Don’t be limited to these subjects though; the style and tone of what you write about must appeal to our readers as much as the content.
The first line of your story should grab the attention; it is all too easy to start a story with a bang, which quickly turns into a damp squib by the end of the first page. Keep up the reader's interest until the end or they will not bother to get that far - and a brilliant surprise ending will not make them read it in the first place.
WHAT TO AVOID
Avoid stereotypical images of older people as ill, frail and lonely. Make sure your story is plausible and realistic and do not rely on unlikely coincidences. Try and avoid the hero turning out to be a cat or dog.
Avoid downbeat subjects such as death, widowhood, illness and loneliness, or write about them in a positive way that does not dwell on negatives.
Try not to rely on obvious plot devices such as twists in the tale and memory flashbacks. These are very common and, unless cleverly written, can be predictable. A good story does not always need a surprise.
REMEMBER THIS
Always think of YOURS readers, not just as older people, but as ordinary human beings who have experienced everything in life - childhood, growing up, starting work, falling in love, friends and family, joy, sorrow, heartache, longing and laughter. YOURS readers have their own interests and needs which match their years of experiences but many of their hopes, fears and dreams are shared by all of us and they still enjoy a good story.
Send your manuscript to*: Short Stories
Yours Magazine
Bauer Media
Media House
Peterborough Business Park Peterborough, PE2 6EA
Or by email to: yours@bauermedia.co.uk (Subject: Short Story Submission) – email submissions must include contact telephone number and address details.
All successful submissions are accepted on an All Rights basis that gives Bauer Media exclusive copyright
*PLEASE NOTE: If you would like us to return your submission, please include an SAE with the correct postage amount on it. We regret that any submissions without an SAE will not be returned.

Yours also give some advice on getting published in other ways as well as their non-fiction guidelines here.

Sweet success

Allas magazine are one of the few who still send complimentary copies. I can't actually read Swedish,  in fact sometimes I have a great deal of trouble working out which of my stories they've published, but I instantly recognised this one.

Isn't that illustration great?

What kind of illustrations do you like best – or don't you take much notice of them when reading stories?

On a less cheery note, My Weekly are closed to fiction submissions until the end of the year.

Woman's Weekly (and WWFS) guidelines.

These guidelines for Woman's Weekly and the Fiction Special aren't new, but they're still current. (Yep, I'm still sorting out all the stuff Blogger removed!)

From Story Idea to Reader

This rather marvellous book will be available soon. It includes an entire chapter on writing for womags – by a writer I'm sure many of you will have heard of ;-) There's also lots about finding ideas and the time to write, grammar, formatting work, creating characters, competitions, self publishing ...

It will be out in time for Christmas (in paperback as well as in ebook formats) so start dropping those subtle hints now ...

Patsy to Patsy

No, I'm not talking to myself this time... Another Patsy has asked a question on the 'got a question?' page.

Hi Patsy

I've nearly finished writing a short story that involves the main character (teenaged boy) arriving at self-knowledge through getting drunk for the first time. Trouble is I'm now wondering if mags like People's Friend and Woman's Weekly will consider a story involving alcoholic consumption.
If you or anyone else could advise me I'd be most grateful.

Patsy 2

I have seen mentions of people drinking alcohol in some of the magazines. It seems fine for an adult to have a few glasses of wine, even one too many. Not sure if it would be acceptable for a teenage to do it though. What do you think?

More on blogs etc

Thanks to everyone who responded to my query about blogs and websites. I've decided to set up a new page for this – eventually, when I get round to it ...

If you know of any blogs or websites you feel might be useful to other womagwriters, please put the link and brief description in a comment. It's fine to suggest your own blog.

I'll post up the list here and it will include the first dozen which are mentioned in comments to this post. As I come across more (and get the time) I'll update it – which could involve deletions as well as additions.

This photo isn't of a blog ... it's a log!

Update. The page is now live. It will be updated with suggestions posted as replies to this post and possibly with other useful ites and blogs I come across.

For inspiration?

Penny A suggested I post up occasional pictures or short poems to act as story prompts. Great idea, Penny - thank you. I'll give it a go and see how much interest there is. Anyone have a suggested name for this feature?

Photos are no problem – I take loads. My poetry is another matter ...

If there are any poets out there who'd like to contribute something, please email me. I'll be happy to include a photo of the author and link to their blog if they wish, but that's not compulsory.

Poems can be writing related, thought provoking, inspiring, funny or downright weird. They contributor MUST hold the copyright to any submitted poem, but it's fine for it to habe been published elsewhere.

If you like word prompts then take a look at the Wednesday word of the week on my other blog.

How do you find inspiration for your stories?

YOU (South Africa) updated guidelines.

South African magazine YOU have updated their submission guidelines. (I know the date says 2015, but I checked them very recently and they still had out of date information on them then.)

I think this bit is new too –
"NB! WE ONLY ACCEPT SHORT STORIES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PUBLISHED IN OTHER SOUTH AFRICAN PUBLICATIONS OR ON THE INTERNET."

The photo isn't of you, it's of me!

Allas update

Thanks to Simon Whaley for letting me know that the editor of Allas magazine has confirmed they WILL consider stories which have been previously published outside of Sweden. He's also the man we have to thank for providing an English translation of the guidelines.

Hmmm, wonder was his music collection looks like?

There's no need to translate the story as they accept submissions in English. For UK writers Allas pay £100 direct into your bank account.

Submissions should be sent to lotta.gustavsson (at) allas.aller.se

Jacqueline Zacharias

If anyone knows of a Jacqueline Zacharias who has submitted stories to Dreamcatcher magazine, can they ask her to contact the editor, John Gilham. 

On a related note, when submitting work anywhere, other than competitions requiring anonymous entry, do make sure your full contact details are on the covering letter or title page, so that if the editor has good news to give you, they'll be able to get in touch. You might like to consider putting your email address in the header or footer too, in case one sheet gets detached.

If an editor can't easily contact you, they might well give up and try someone else.

ISSNs

You might find this link useful if you're trying to find the ISSN so you can register your stories with ALCS.

You are doing that, aren't you?

Blogs and websites

One of the things which vanished when Blogger threw a wobbly, leaving behind a crumbling ruin, was the list of womagwriter's blogs.

Would it be useful to have that back?

If so would you prefer a short list, compiled by me, of interesting blogs I know about – or a separate page where people could add details of their own blogs and websites?  Or maybe you can think of an even better way of providing this information?

Anything else you'd like to see on this blog?

Possible market

Alfie Dog Fiction are currently open to short story submissions. (Submission window closes on October 16th.) They publish stories in a huge range of genres and are willing to consider previously published work (assuming of course the author has retained the right to offer it). Perhaps you'll find a first home for a story which wasn't quite right for a womag, or a second home for one which was.

Please follow the submission guidelines - and be aware that not all work is automatically accepted. If it isn't considered right for Alfie Dog then it may be rejected, or a rewrite requested, even if it's been published before. Payment is on a royalty basis.

I have over 100 stories up on the site myself. For a free taster of stories by several authors (including me), click here.

My Weekly Pocket Novels - guidelines and helpful hints.

Maggie Swinburne has kindly supplied not only the guidelines for the My Weekly Pocket Novels,
which she edits, but also some very useful tips about what she does and doesn't like.

What makes me happy is having lots of thrills and drama; turmoil and emotional adventures, having a great heroine and an attractive hero. Cake!

I really hate:
Bad weather
Pesky kids
Old people being depicted as past it

Would like a change from: Heroines with red hair and green eyes as so many of them have these desirable attributes.

The word count of 50,000 words is flexible either way, but no more than 55,000 or less than 48,000 please.

I am so pleased when there is interest in the Pocket Novels.

Happy Writing!