One Sweet Moment by Maggie Craig

One Sweet Moment is much more than a romantic novel set in 1820s Edinburgh. It is also a window into the lives of the poor and rich members of society in this city of two halves. When troubled orphan Kate meets upper-class university medical student Andrew, their lives will never be the same again. But will their love be strong enough to survive the class divide?

An accomplished historian and novelist, Maggie Craig brings to life the dreadful living conditions within the vaults beneath the South Bridge and takes the reader on a thrilling journey to the past. I thoroughly recommend One Sweet Moment.

I asked Maggie the following questions:

Do the vaults still exist in present day Edinburgh?

Oh yes, and there are several sets of them. My story is set in the South Bridge vaults, which run at right angles back from Edinburgh's Royal Mile, under the street we now call South Bridge. A couple of tour companies will show you around these dark and atmospheric spaces and there are one or two pubs where you can experience a section of the vaults.

The fictional Pearl Fisher in One Sweet Moment has its real counterpart in Bannerman's pub in the Cowgate, a popular student howff. Go in there and you can see the vaults and the foot of the underground close which features in the book.

How much research did you have to do for this novel?

Quite a lot; time-consuming but not difficult. I absolutely love the research. I spent time in the vaults getting the lie of the land and imagining the story, looked up the original plans for South Bridge and contemporary accounts of the Great Fire of Edinburgh of 1824 in Edinburgh Central Library, read John Prebble's The King's Jaunt for so many wonderful details of King George IV's visit to Edinburgh in 1822, a pivotal event for what you might call Scotland's public image.

One particular aspect of the research I enjoyed for this book was looking up the newspapers of the time. You can get so much period detail from the adverts, whether they're telling you about a shop on South Bridge Street way back when called The Gilded Balloon, or that a cargo of melons has just been landed at Leith from Holland, or that the dressmakers are recommending gold or silver lama [and that's how they spelled it] for your new gown for the royal visit.

I was surprised to find your hero using the F-word in 1820. Was that deliberate?

Well, the F-word was certainly in use at that time. It has a long if not illustrious history. Robert Burns used it in his bawdy verse and it appears in Francis Grose's 18th century dictionary, The Vulgar Tongue. Richard has to mind his ps and qs at home so when he's outwith that rather polite domestic sphere, he tends to let rip. I didn't consciously make that decision, the earthy language of the book is just how the story told itself.

Language is an important strand in the book. There's a scene where Richard apologizes to Kate for using a much milder swear word in front of her and she snorts in derision. As a girl who works in an oyster cellar, she hears foul language every hour of the day but she's touched by his apology, it shows that despite the social gulf between them, he sees her as a young lady, worthy of his respect. The foul language her uncle uses towards her, in contrast, shows that horrible man's contempt for her.

Did you have any problems with the publisher allowing some Scottish dialogue?

No, this is really funny. One Sweet Moment is published by a London house and they were all for the use of Scots. The use of Scots versus Scottish English and Standard English is something I enjoyed very much while I was writing.

I should say that the book isn't written in Scots but some characters are quite broad in their speech although not difficult for a non-Scot to understand, I don't think. I always do my best to make things clear from the narrative context or by how another character replies. I love Scots, it has wonderfully descriptive words whose Standard English equivalents sometimes just don't sound vibrant enough to Scottish ears!

Other characters do what many Scots do. Having a guid Scots tongue in your heid is a compliment but the ability to switch registers and adjust according to the situation and to whom you're talking is inbuilt. Again, it's another strand of the book, that as Kate and Richard get to know one another they start adopting each other's words and turns of phrase and I had a lot of fun with this.

Are you writing any other novels in this period?

At the moment I've gone back in time to Edinburgh of the 1740s, writing a novel set in the run-up to the Jacobite Rising of 1745. I'm spending some time in 1820s Scotland in my current non-fiction WIP, looking at the Radical Rising of 1820. It was a fascinating time, hovering on the cusp of the modern world but carrying so much of the baggage - and colour - of the older one.

Thanks a lot for those brilliant answers, Maggie. You’ve given us some great insight into the novel and its setting, as well as useful research hints.

Maggie Craig is an accomplished author of Scottish historical fiction and well-researched non-fiction. Find out more about Maggie and her other books on her website. All her books are available on Amazon.

Happy Christmas and Flair for Words

Wishing a very happy Christmas to one and all, whatever you are doing over the festive period. Stay warm and safe, and take care if you have to travel through snow or ice.

I thought I’d leave you details of a splendid little writing publication that some of you might want to check out. Flair for Words is run by Cass and Janie Jackson - they might be familiar to readers of Writers’ Forum as they have a regular column there.

One of the things I most like about them, and their bi-monthly publication, is their positive attitude to writing and being published. They are also well-published realists, but I’ve always believed in being positive and I love their whole philosophy. Their strap-line is “You’ve got to have a dream” Yes! They provide much help to make that dream come true.

Check out Flair for Words – perhaps it will ignite your creative spark next year.

Have a wonderful Christmas,
Rosemary

The Figurehead by Bill Kirton

Set in Aberdeen in 1840, The Figurehead is a novel I have no hesitation in recommending. The sights, sounds and people of the period are brought to life by an accomplished author. Beginning with a suspicious death, the plot involves a whodunit and why, the carving of a figurehead for the new ship, the social differences between ordinary people and the gentry, and a tentative love story. All with the background of sea-faring, Victorian Aberdeen.

Although all the characterisation is well done, I was impressed by Bill Kirton’s handling of the female characters, especially the heroine, Helen, who is determined to fight some of the restrictions imposed upon women in that period.

I asked Bill the following questions:

The carving of the figurehead is lovingly depicted. Is that one of your own passions?

Yes. In fact, as part of my research for the book, I joined a carving class and made a couple of figureheads of my own, just to try to sense what John Grant felt as he created his figures. Carving’s still a hobby.

I also joined the crew of the Christian Radich for a trip from Oslo to Leith and even got to steer her under sail. It was magical.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

That’s easy, but it’s a toss-up between two – both women – Helen and Jessie. They’re from different social classes but similar in many ways – mainly through the strength they show in a patriarchal society. In the end, it has to be Helen because she’s less willing to accept the reduced role society expected of women then.

The novel obviously involved much research. How easy, or difficult, was it?

Not difficult at all. I’ve already mentioned the practical aspects of it. In terms of documents and so on, I found an ordnance survey map of Aberdeen in the library. It was dated 1840 so that decided the time frame and I started reading the local papers for the time. Fascinating, absorbing stuff – the adverts, the trials, the offers of emigration – it gives a real feel for the city at that period.

Then there were the books about building ships, the fact that the Scottish Maid, launched exactly 100 years before my own birthday – to the day – had the first ever ‘clipper bow’. And Aberdeen today, with obvious reservations, isn’t so different architecturally, from the Aberdeen of 1840. Archibald Simpson was at his height then.

Are you writing more novels in that period?

I have several different projects and completed books and stories with publishers at the moment, as well as a probable commission for another non-fiction book for Pearson, but when things settle down, I’m looking forward to writing a sequel to The Figurehead. For a start, John and Helen need to sort out their relationship and, more importantly, Helen is anxious to get involved in her father’s business. She has some revolutionary ideas about passenger arrangements on the transatlantic voyages. Then there’s the visit of a theatre troupe and the solution to the mystery of the killing of John’s fiancée. Isn’t it fun being a writer?

Thanks a lot for the excellent answers, Bill. I’m looking forward to reading more about Helen and John – and I did wonder what had happened to John’s fiancée!

Bill Kirton is a well-published writer of crime novels, academic non-fiction, drama and children’s stories. Find out more about him on his Website, and at his Living and Writing Blog. The Figurehead is available as a paperback and a Kindle e-book from Amazon.

Christmas Film Review Competition

Here's an interesting, quirky competition from Best for Film - Write Christmas. The brief is to write a film review of the greatest Christmas film never made!

Unleash your creativity and send your fantastic/funny/brilliant imaginative film review in by 24th December 2010.

Rosemary

Christmassy Films for Cold Winter Days

I like to watch a TV programme or film while ironing – it makes it much less of a chore. Since the snow and ice have kept me in more than usual, I had no excuse not to get a pile of ironing done. Since there was nothing decent on TV, I watched my old DVD of ‘Little Women’ – the one with Winona Ryder as Jo, Susan Sarandon as the mother and a young Kirsten Dunst as Amy.

A brilliant choice for a cold, snow-white afternoon! Apart from the fact the story takes place around Christmas, with beautiful winter scenery, it’s such a ‘feel good’ film that my eyes were watering (and not from the cold) even before Beth’s sad demise. I’ve always loved the book and film versions but I was struck again by the very distinct characters of the girls, and the way the mother (and author of course) acknowledges how tough it was for women in those days.

I’m sure many of you must have favourite films for this time of year and I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘It’s a Wonderful Life ‘is among them.

Keep warm and safe,
Rosemary

Words with Jam

I’m highlighting an excellent e-zine that wings its way to my inbox each quarter, as I was reading another few pages from the October issue this morning (I’m a bit behind with all kinds of magazines). It's delivered to subscribers’ inboxes as an online magazine with turnover pages, but you can also download it as a Pdf.

Subscribing to it is easy and free. The magazine itself is informative, interesting, sometimes irreverent – and always entertaining. There are interviews, essential tips for writers, stories and much more.

You can find all the details here.

Happy reading,
Rosemary

E-Readers and E-Books

I never thought I’d be giving e-readers a second look yet, if at all – I’ve always loved everything about real books too much. Surely nothing could beat opening up a crisp new book and settling down to turn the pages. Why would I ever want to read a novel on a screen?

Welcome to the second decade of the 21st century, where such musings are now being heard all over the country. So my husband and I decided to try it out and bought a Kindle between us as a joint birthday present. All the books from my Canadian publisher are released as e-books first and I want to read some of the North American authors I’ve got to know on the chat forums.

Well, big surprise: I liked it immediately. In fact, since I’m more ‘techy’ than my husband, he hasn’t even bothered to study it yet and it’s fast becoming my kindle! I’d read about the special e-ink that makes it read more like a print page than a computer screen, and I have to agree with that. There is no glare at all from the page - even in sun apparently, though I’ll need to wait until summer to test that.

It’s amazingly neat, thin and light and very comfortable to hold. Turning pages (forward or back) is a matter of pressing the button down either side. You can change the size of font, which is a huge consideration for people with less than perfect sight. And after it’s been switched off, you can go straight back to where you left off. I haven’t taken one to bed yet, as I’m reading a huge paperback there just now, but I'll try it soon.

The most magical thing of all is the ease with which you can access the Amazon book store and download books in seconds. Far too easy and convenient, but think how great that is for the authors! It stores a few thousand books at a time, the battery life is superb and it comes wi-fi enabled. What a difference it will make to travelling with books.

Okay, this is not meant to be an advertisement for one particular e-book, but it’s the one I happen to have. There’s also the Sony e-reader, the Nook (Barnes & Noble) and the I-Pad, all of which will have their own advantages. Meantime, I’m getting to know my new toy. So far, I’ve only downloaded a friend’s book and I’m greatly enjoying the reading experience (and the book!) during the evenings. I now have a list of North American authors to try next and this will be the easiest way to buy and read their books.

I’d be delighted to hear if anyone else has experience of any of the e-readers, positive and negative!

Rosemary

National Short Story Week in November

Great news for all short story writers and wannabe writers, as the first National Short Story Week takes place from 22nd to 28th November.

There’s an excellent National Short Story website which covers everything to do with writing, reading and listening to short stories – and they aim to update it with more information.

Worth checking it out!
Rosemary

Prima Magazine

I'm in this month's Prima Magazine (November)! So I thought I would share all the opportunities available in this friendly publication.

Prima is a lovely monthly magazine that's not quite as expensive as some of the other glossies. It's very down to earth and packed with some great features and practical recipes. There's a real family feel to the publication, with lots of reader participation.

Here are a few opportunities worth checking out in the magazine:

Readers' Tips appear in a variety of sections and earn the sender £25. There is often a dedicated page of tips on a particular subject - in the November issue it's Top Beauty Tips.

Home Life page where readers can share ideas, tips and recommendations.

Readers' Kitchen page for sharing recipes and tips.

Letters Page - also a monthly reader's poem.

The other great section is called Prima Extra. In addition to lots of puzzles and prizes, they offer £25 for photographs, plus the following sections.

Extra Wise Words - £25 for words of wisdom.

Short Stories of around 400 words, which seem to be creative real-life stories. The winner receives £200 and several runners-up receive a year's subscription to Prima.

I'm lucky enough to be a runner-up in the November issue of Prima which is out now - really looking forward to my year's subscription.

Definitely a great value magazine.
Rosemary

Link to New My Weekly Guidelines

The new guidelines for the next few months of submissions to My Weekly are now posted on the Womagwriter blog.

Please note they are only accepting stories from those previously published in My Weekly.

Rosemary

New Writing Scotland

A little reminder that the closing date for submissions to New Writing Scotland must be in by 30 September 2010. This is a prestigious publication which accepts all forms of writing: autobiography and memoir; drama; poetry; political and cultural commentary; short fiction; travel writing. No full-length plays or novels, but they will accept self-contained extracts. Maximum length preferred is 3,500 words. Their 'Invitation to Authors' states that writers must be resident in Scotland, or Scots by birth, upbringing or inclination!

The usual layout is required: double spacing, one side of A4 sheets and secured at top left corner. No name on manuscript - provide a covering letter with all details. Enclose a SAE if you want it returned, if unsuccessful.

Post entries to: New Writing Scotland, ASLS, 7 University Gardens, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QH. No email submissions.

Good luck,
Rosemary

Woman's Weekly Guidelines

I notice in the current Woman's Weekly Fiction Special (13 August -24 September) that fiction editor Gaynor Davies states they "need new writers all the time" and she gives a link to their Writers' Guidelines.

Good to know this is one magazine that writers can still rely on, even if it's a difficult market to get exactly right. I've always enjoyed reading their stories so it's a matter of keep trying!

Good luck,
Rosemary

New Romance Blog

I really value the followers I have on this reading and writing blog, those who leave comments and all those other people who bother to read the posts. Thank you one and all!

I'm still continuing with this blog, to share information of interest to writers. But I've also started a new blog for my alter ego - new Regency romance author, Romy Gemmell. I'll be adding more to it gradually and it will make the time go in faster until my novel, Dangerous Deceit, is published next May.

Please drop in and have a look when you have time, leave a message, or even become a follower! You can find me at Romy's Regency Romance.

Thanks again,
Rosemary

Plotting Novels (Snowflake Method)

There is no doubt that writers approach the creation of novels in a variety of ways; some like plotting in advance, some (like me) have only a vague idea and start writing to see where it goes.

A writing colleague shares the Snowflake Method of plotting on her blog and it makes fascinating reading. So if you're stuck on to how to get started, or you want some tips on how to progress, check out Amber's blog here.

Enjoy,
Rosemary

Romance is not Dead

Of course it's not, at least not in the world of books. Romantic novels are still one of the most popular genres of fiction - from the classic Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte stories to the most ultra-modern Mills and Boon.

So for all those budding romance writers out there, Mills and Boon are running a competition to find a new romantic novelist (thanks for the link, Michael). It's called New Voices, as they are wanting to find a brilliant unpublished novelist.

You don't have long to get started. The contest runs between 6th September and 30th October and there are various stages of submission and judging which are outlined in their website.

Full details from Mills and Boon.

Good luck,
Rosemary

The Beauty of Blogging

Do you have a blog of any kind? Or perhaps you just read other people's blogs when something of interest catches your eye. I love blogging, even if it's sporadic, because it's a great way of sharing information and gathering new tips about the writing world. Of course, there are blogs that are pure entertainment in between the useful bits - a certain Mr Malone of May Contain Nuts comes to mind.

Anyway, most blogs have this list down the side called (unsurprisingly) My Blog List. It highlights the other blogs that person follows and shows any updated entries. And it's a great way to find interesting blogs you never knew existed. I've finally come across agent Rachelle Gardner's blog and I'm bringing attention to it here. It is seriously good, full of information, and a must for anyone looking for an agent or publisher. Even if she doesn't look at the type of books you write, you'll still get the inside story on that side of the business, and occasional posts from other authors. Even better, she gives her full submission details on the blog.

Check it out at Rachelle Gardner Literary Agent. The link will take you straight to her post on what she is looking for in her Rants & Ramblings blog.

Rosemary

Novel Competition for Inspirational Romance

Rose & Crown Inspirational Romance publisher is running a New Novel Competition and the deadline has been extended to 31st October 2010. The novel can be between 40,000 and 150,00 words, but it must be a Christian Inspirational Romance to suit their guidelines. This is a UK publisher.


As might be expected, this is an imprint for the type of romance that absolutely does not go anywhere near the bedroom door! That aside, it can be set in any period and they cover most genres, apart from sci-fi, gothic and horror. Although at least one of the characters must practise the Christian faith, the novel does not have to be overtly Christian. And romance must be pivotal to the story.

At least it’s a different type of novel competition! Full details are on the Rose & Crown website for anyone interested.

Rosemary

First Novel Success!

Well, it has happened at last - I've had my first book accepted! My Regency novel, Dangerous Deceit, is being published by the Canadian company, Champagne Books. I'm absolutely thrilled as this was my very first novel and I've been trying to find the right publisher for years. But not as diligently as I might have been, since I'm also writing contemporary women's fiction and children's novels, in addition to short stories and articles. Now, however, I'm keen to write more historical romance and perhaps build a different personna (and eventually blog) for that type of writing. The company has already expressed their hope that we'll have a long and happy relationship. And I do too!

So, interesting question: do I spread myself around too much, or is it beneficial to have a finger in so many pies? I guess it depends on the writer's nature. I need the variety to stop me being bored, and because I love writing in very different areas. However, maybe novel success comes a little quicker if a writer concentrates on one book at a time and puts everything into selling it.

I don't have answers, as we are all different. But, already, this first novel success has made me want to develop the longer fiction so that another novel might be taken by a UK mainstream publisher. I guess every bit of success is encouragement to keep going!

I'll post the cover art, and more details, once they're available.

Meantime, I'm coming back down to earth.
Rosemary

Link to New My Weekly Guidelines

The My Weekly guidelines for October/November/December are hot off the press. All the details can be found on the Womagwriter blog.

Rosemary

Haiti - six months after the earthquake

Monday, 12th July 2010 was exactly six months since the Haiti earthquake. So far, sales of 100 Stories for Haiti has managed to raise about £3000 for the Red Cross.

The devastation on the island is far from over. If anyone would still like to contribute by buying the paperback, e-book, or audiobook, please check out the website.

You can also listen to the podcast.

Thank you,
Rosemary

Woman's Weekly - Link to Updates

The excellent womagwriterblog has some updated guidelines for Woman's Weekly. Please note that they only take emailed submissions from regular contributors. I received the ordinary guidelines which state that submissions should be sent to: Fiction Department, Woman's Weekly, IPC Media, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU.

Rosemary

The Lady/National Trust/M&B Short Story Competition

The Lady magazine is running an interesting short story competition in conjunction with the National Trust and Mills & Boon.

The romantic story of 1,500 to 2,000 words should be based on, or in, a National Trust property.

Closing date: 31 July 2010. The winning story will be published in The Lady in late summer.

Entries to: Edwina Langley, Short Story Competition, The Lady, 39-40 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9ER.

Good luck,
Rosemary

BBC Writersroom

For anyone hoping to publish drama of any kind, the BBC Writersroom offers several opportunities to have your work read. The site also lists comprehensive tips on writing plays, short films, comedy and so on. There are good guidelines about submitting work to some of their ongoing soaps and dramas.

If you don't know how to lay out a drama script, then check out the section headed 'read scripts' for samples. Full submission details are given and they even explain what happens to submitted scripts.

Well worth a look for aspiring dramatists!
Rosemary

Writing Magazines - Mslexia

Okay, I'll say right off that Mslexia is for women writers only. While not exactly feminist, it does sometimes contain articles highlighting some of the difficulties women writers often face in comparison to male writers. And I'm not going to argue the case for or against here! Suffice to say we all have enough of a struggle to actually get published these days.

Available quarterley, either by subscription or in some shops, Mslexia is a little more literary in tone than other writing magazines. But it does offer a few opportunities to be published. Each issue contains a New Writing section for poetry and short stories. The theme is given in the previous issue and a new guest judge is chosen for each competition. There is also a Flash Fiction story in each magazine, with a maximum of 150 words and, again, the theme is given in the previous issue.

Another slot is Curious Incidents which is a non-fiction autobiographical piece of 850-900 words to a given theme. Other submissions are welcome, including Book Reviews and One I Love.

Full details are on the Mslexia site and in the magazine. The next New Writing submissions are for the annual Open Poetry Competition, closing date 26th July 2010.

Rosemary

My Weekly Pocket Novels

The following are the updated guidelines for My Weekly Pocket Novels, although I don't know if they've changed. This seems like a good in-between idea for those writers (like me) trying to make the leap from short stories to novels. The exclamation marks were on the guidelines:

Love! Romance! Passion! Adventure! Avid fans of romantic novels can get their fix from My Weekly Pocket Novels. Two published every fortnight. We look for stories with a strong, developing romance between two identifiable characters. Within the time it takes to read one of the novels, we would like the reader to share and experience the breathless/breath-taking excitement of a growing relationship.

• Do: Create characters our readers can identify with, rejoice with or grieve with. They can have flaws.
• Do: Thrill and intrigue the reader. You have two hours (roughly) to take the reader through a gamut of emotions and resolve the dilemma, mystery, pitfalls and obstacles.
• Do: Include a heart-stopping moment! Key moments to consider: She realises she likes him; she thinks he is lost to her forever; that second-chance moment when she realises happiness can be hers…THE KISS! Some questions you might like to answer: How can she resist him? How did he misjudge her? What kind of a woman is she?
• Do: Set our pulses racing (ooh la la!) BUT remember we want passion, not pornography!
• Do: Use dialogue so the reader can participate in the story’s development rather than being told in large chunks of straight narrative.

Plot: There can be a secondary plot to help develop the romance. For instance, there are often complications and misunderstandings between the hero and the heroine, or there is something vital at stake, such as a child, an inheritance, a relationship etc. Crime and intrigue can feature, as long as they don’t distract from the developing romance.

Who: Our heroines vary in age from their early twenties to middle-age and are compassionate and morally sound. They are more modern in their relationships, thoughts, feelings and experiences when the novel has a contemporary setting.

Where and When: Stories can be set anywhere in the world and can be contemporary or historical.

How: The story is usually told from the woman’s point of view, although occasionally it is from the man’s.

Presentation: Please send in a synopsis and the first three chapters in manuscript form or via email. If we wish to proceed, we will ask you to send in the full novel electronically.

Word count: around 30,000 words, no more than 32,000. Double spacing, double quotes, single space only between full stop and next sentence. No tabs or page breakers. If accepted for publication the completed novel must be presented electronically in a format compatible with ours (i.e. Word or rich text format).

Please address: For the Attention of Maggie Seed.
Please send to: My Weekly Pocket Novels D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd., 80 Kingsway East Dundee DD4 8SL Email: myweekly@dcthomson.co.uk

All the best,
Rosemary

My Weekly Updated Guidelines (for Aug/Sep)

The following guidelines are hot off the computer from Liz Smith this morning. She is very apologetic about the time she is taking to get back to people, but she is now the only member of the fiction buying team. And she will definitely respond to everyone as soon as she can. She was interested in one my stories I emailed just over a year ago, but I only sent it to another magazine last week! So it may be more than six months before hearing about a sale. These are the updated guidelines (I've abridged it slightly for space).

• Only one manuscript per month. Email, postal addresses, phone numbers etc should be marked on the manuscript
• Please pay attention to the story lengths as they are important
• For your manuscript to be considered, it’s imperative you mark prominently on your envelope or email into which category your story falls and how many words it is. If you don’t do this, I’m afraid your work can’t be considered.
• Our author box has changed. Can you please now give me 30 words about your inspiration? Please include this on your manuscript or Word document.
• Remember NOT to include any formatting such as tabs or page breakers in your Word document.
• Not looking for any more sci-fi themes in any of the categories, at the moment.

PRESENTATION
As we now edit on screen, please take a moment to check your manuscript and ensure that:

• Double quotes (“…”) are used for dialogue throughout
• You have avoided excessive use of ellipses (…) and exclamation marks
• There are only SINGLE spaces between words and sentences (please eliminate all unnecessary spaces)
• If you are emailing your story, make sure it is as a Word attachment and not in the body of the email
• You are enclosing only a SINGLE MANUSCRIPT, not several at once, and that your story is in a standard plain type of 12pt.
• All manuscripts must be typewritten, with accurate wordage supplied.
• Still low on Family stories with children at the moment – 1200 words.

LONG READS (2,500-3,000)
- Emotionally engaging
- Light and shade
- Strong continuous plot
- Intrigue - Interwoven plot lines
- Complex relationships
- Recognisable people in recognisable situations
- Escapist - Adventure - Balance of surprise vs expectations

Twist In The Tale (between 1400 and 1600 words)
- Particularly looking for light-hearted themes, or very moving - “clues” must not be misleading
- Positive, pleasant outcome - characters well rounded, need not all be likeable - revenge must not be vindictive
- A nice surprise instead of a “con”
- Ensure crime themes have emotional engagement and some sympathetic characters.

Coffee Break (700 Words Only)

• Particularly looking for light-hearted or very moving themes
• No surprise endings right now as I have enough
• Include a frisson of excitement, hint of passion
• Character studies
• Unusual, offbeat subject
• Humorous - conversation – can be all dialogue - a moment in time - pulse racing, without being sexually explicit

Romance (1200 words + 2000 words)
- looking for light-hearted or very romantic themes
- believable characters
- unusual theme/situations
- try not to be too predictable
- doesn’t have to have a standard happy ending
- engaging dialogue
- must still be hopeful - inspiring - light and shade work well - try to ring the changes with themes
- convincing emotions

You can send your work by email to myweekly@dcthomson.co.uk or lsmith@dcthomson.co.uk or by post to: The Commissioning Fiction Editor, My Weekly, D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd., 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL. Most important! If one of your stories has been accepted already, please mark the email for the attention of Liz Smith.

Good luck,
Rosemary

Leaf Books New Writing Magazine

The independant Welsh publisher, Leaf Books, has produced its first Writers' Magazine, available now. Leaf Books has been running various competitions in different genres for many years, and publishing cute little books that can be held in the palm of the hand.

I've just received a copy of the new magazine (subscriptions or one-off purchase online). It's bigger than A5 and is perfect bound with a good thick, glossy cover. I've only had a quick look so far, but it has interviews with well known writers, features about writing, competitions and previous winners, tips and listings. It seems a very good buy at £6 for one copy which includes a £3 voucher for one of their competitions. I also received one of their tiny little books free with the magazine. A year's subscription (3 issues) costs £15.

Worth checking out the magazine, and the competitions, on their website.
Rosemary

Stories for Candis Magazine

The new issue of Writers' News (June 2010) contains a piece about Candis. The family magazine is now accepting unpublished short stories of between 2,300 and 2,500 words. They particularly want stories with clever storylines that keep the reader guessing, twist in the tail, and tightly written whodunnits.

However, there is still room for stories about modern love, families and friendship. No children's, sci-fi, or stories from an animal or ghost viewpoint.

It is a competitive market which uses only 12 stories a year. Payment is £300. Email as an attachment, or in the body of the email to: fiction@candis.co.uk  Full submission details are on the Candis website and can be printed off.

Good luck,
Rosemary

Audio Version of Haiti Book Now Available

Delighted to announce that the BBC Audiobooks America version of the twenty Stories for Haiti is now available to download from Audible.

Wonder what the narrators sound like. Only one way to find out!

Glimmertrain

Glimmertrain is a short story market in the US which offers a variety of competitions throughout the year. They also have certain months when they accept Standard Submissions, which are free to enter. The other competitions have an entry fee, but the reward is much higher prize money.

Submissions are made online and, once contributors register, you can keep a check on whether or not your story has been read. It seems to be a very worthwhile publication, although I have yet to order a copy to do proper market research of the type of stories they have published!

Full submission details are on their excellent website.

Why not give it a try.
Rosemary

Writers' Village

I want to mention the excellent Writers' Village website, as many short story writers may not be aware of it, and its quarterly short story competition. Run by John Yeoman, author and a creative writing lecturer, the next short story competition deadline is 30th June 2010.

As well as first, second and third prizes, there are also ten generous 'shortlisted winners' prizes of £10. All winning entries are published online. I was lucky enough to be one of the shortlisted winners in the 2010 spring competition, and all winning entries from this and the previous competition can now be read on the website.

In addition to the competitions, there is the opportunity to receive regular email tips on what makes a good short story. Full details can be found here.

Good luck,
Rosemary

Link to Update on That's Life Fast Fiction

There is a new editor of That's Life Fast Fiction in Australia, which was mentioned in this month's Writers' Forum. Further details on submitting stories are on the excellent Womag blog.

Rosemary

Audio Version of Stories for Haiti

It has just been confirmed that a digital audio version of some of the stories from '100 Stories for Haiti' has been produced by BBC Audiobooks America.

Twenty of the stories (unabridged) are included and I’m so delighted my story, ‘Reshaping the Past’, is one of them! They have been narrated by actors from different countries and the audio version was made in California.


'Stories for Haiti' will be available to download from 15th April from online retailers including iTunes and Amazon. As before, all proceeds are going to the Red Cross. Stop Press: the date has been changed to 1st May due to technical hitches.

Further details can be found here.

Rosemary

Crime Writing Opportunities

There are a couple of crime writing opportunities that came to my attention recently. One is for a short story competition, and the other is a publisher who is accepting crime novels.


Alibi Short Crime Story Competition

This is for a short crime story of between 2,000 and 5,000 words. Author Stuart MacBride has provided the opening sentence: ‘In my opinion, those who beg for mercy seldom deserve it’. Closing date is 15th May 2010. Three finalists will win tickets to the famous Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, including accommodation.

The winner will be announced at the weekend. Overall prize is 100 crime books, a Sony e-reader and the winning story published as a special downloadable e-edition.

Full details are available online, where stories can also be submitted.

Crème De La Crime

This is a well known small independent publishing company which is looking for high quality crime novels – and they particularly encourage first time crime novelists. These can be set in modern times or in the past and should be 70,000 to 80,000 words.

They have a very comprehensive list of the kind of novels they do and don’t want on their website. Rather than advances, authors receive Royalties on their work and it’s encouraging to see that they target the UK and the US.

Send the first 10,000 words of the novel, plus a 1000 to 1500 word synopsis. Full details of their submission requirements can be found here.

Good luck,
Rosemary

New Love Stories, USA

I was delighted to receive a copy of the May/June New Love Stories Magazine from the US today, which contains one of my short stories. This is the first one I've had published in this magazine, but I hope it won't be the last. I had taken a reduced price subscription to the magazine last year so I could read the kind of stories they publish. It was well worth it, as it encouraged me to rewrite one of my longer stories I thought might suit the magazine - I updated it, made it slightly longer and added a bit more spice.

This is another of the magazines highlighted by Writers' Forum in the past, when Sue Moorcroft interviewed the publisher, Ron Victor. NLS is a very good little publication which is filled with short stories and next to no advertising. This issue has 9 stories and they prefer those between 3000 and 5000 words. They must be stories of male/female love and romance but can be any setting or period, and they do like some stories with a little sexual content (not overly graphic)!

They won't accept previously published stories and you must include a short synopsis. Put all contact details on the first page. Email your story to: submit@newlovestories.com. Include the story title within the subject line of the email. On acceptance, you will be asked to sign and return a contract (which they email to you) stating the story has never been published. They send a copy of the magazine on publication.

If you write love and romance stories, then I would definitely recommend trying New Love Stories. The publisher is still Ron Victor and the editor is now Suzanne Robyn. Check out their website for full details.

Good luck,
Rosemary

Writing Magazines - Writers' News/Writing Magazine

Two of the most respected writing magazines which have been around for many years, Writers’ News and Writing Magazine are invaluable resources for freelance writers. I’ve been a subscriber for more years than I can remember and I wouldn’t want to be without them each month. Writers’ News is available by subscription only and offers page after page of up-to-date market news, competition details and anything else that might be of interest to working freelancers.

An added incentive is the monthly ‘subscribers only’ short story and poetry competitions. I was delighted to find out that I’ve won second prize in a recent competition. The story will be published on their website in the next month or so. Even if you don’t enter the competitions (I only do so occasionally), you get a theme which could trigger off an idea.

The other advantage of having the magazine sent to your door each month is that Writing Magazine is included for subscribers.

Writing Magazine is available to buy in the shops. It focuses more on articles that are helpful to writers of all abilities. Several well known writers have a regular monthly column and there are always interesting ‘one-off’ articles. Judith Spellman conducts an in-depth monthly interview with a well known author, allowing us insight into how other writers work, or how they got started. Again, there is a monthly short story competition and usually a poetry competition. Several years ago, I won the prestigious Annual Love Story Competition, and that did wonders for my confidence as a writer.

Full details of both magazines are available from the Writers’ News website.

Happy writing,
Rosemary

Ireland's Own

Another short story acceptance this week - this time from Ireland's Own. This is another of the magazines which Writers' Forum highlighted last year; there was an interview with the editor, Sean Nolan, by Sue Moorcroft.

So, I was checking through the submission requirements the other day and realised that one of my family stories might just suit this magazine. I polished it up and emailed it to Sean. It was accepted within two days. Lovely man. Think I'm on a roll just now! Or I've finally put all my market talks and research to good use for my own work.

Sean Nolan is looking for stories of around 2000 words, written in a straightforward style - a good yarn. He does like an Irish orientation if possible, but like mine, many stories could be taking place anywhere. It needs to be sent in the body of the email to: irelands.own@peoplenews.ie

Good luck,
Rosemary

The Weekly News

I've just had my first acceptance of a short story at The Weekly News, and I thought it might be helpful to post an update on requirements.

This is a family newspaper from DC Thomson which comes out weekly and should be available in most newsagents and supermarkets - somewhere beside the newspapers. There are three short stories in every issue: one full page story of up to about 1500 words and two half page stories. It tends not to publish straight romance, but seems to favour ghost stories, twist in the tail, mysteries and general entertaining stories that would appeal to men and women.

At the moment, submissions should be made to Billy Higgins: whiggins@dcthomson.co.uk. I'm always talking about market research and I learned something with my own submission. BH does not like first person stories but prefers them in the third person. So when he asked if I could change my story into third person and he would look at it again, I did it at once. And he accepted it the same day. It pays to do what an editor asks!

Rosemary

Writing Magazines - Freelance Market News

Freelance Market News is produced by the Writers Bureau, who provide one of the most established correspondence writing courses. FMN is available to any writer on subscription.

It is a slim newsletter type of publication which is sent out 11 months in the year. It is also one of the most invaluable sources for markets, both in the UK and overseas. In addition, it highlights current competitions, magazine filler opportunities and Editorial Changes, even more helpful in the current climate.

Subscribers have the chance to enter a monthly competition, which alternates between short stories, articles, poetry, limericks and so on and the winner receives £50. There is also the opportunity to submit one piece of work each year for a free professional critique, reduced entry fee to the annual Writers Bureau Competition, and membership of the Association of Freelance Writers.

I thoroughly recommend Freelance Market News. And for working writers, it accepts (and pays for) articles on any aspect of writing. I have an article on 'Finding Ideas for Writing' in the March issue.

See the website for full details of subscription and submission.

Rosemary

My Weekly Guidelines

My Weekly has produced a new set of guidelines for submissions.

Full details, courtesy of womagwriter, here.

Rosemary

Publication Day!

100 Stories for Haiti is now available after all the amazing work and dedication of Greg McQueen and his team of editors, and the outstanding efforts of the publisher.

Buy now from: Smashwords (e-book)
                      Bridge House Publishing
                      Waterstones
                      WH Smith
                      Amazon

Ask for it in bookshops and they might stock it in the shop!

Rosemary

The Book!

It's amazing to see an actual copy of 100 Stories for Haiti lying on the publisher's desk. It has all happened so quickly and it will be available from 4th March. Lots of publicity is being done up and down the country in various newspapers, magazines and on blogs. Can't wait to read the stories!
Order a copy here.

Guest Post from Greg McQueen

I’m delighted to welcome Greg McQueen here today. He is the inspirational force behind the fundraising book 100 Stories for Haiti. Welcome Greg. Over to Greg...


I am not going to rattle on today about how the book was made ... Well, maybe a bit.

Maureen Vincent-Northam refers to herself (mostly) as a non-fiction author. She co-wrote The Writer's ABC Checklist, and wrote The Greatest Genealogy Tips in the World. What follows is an extract from her award-winning children's story, Betsy Fudge & the Big Silence.

Like all the writers included in 100 Stories for Haiti, Maureen donated her story to the book for free. The paperback costs £11.99 + P&P. Like all books, it's a big clump of paper and glue, it costs money to make, costs P&P to send it in the mail. This one costs £3.80 to make. PayPal and banks take a cut for sending money back and forth, nothing we can do about that. So approximately £7.50 goes to charity if you order it directly on the website.

I say approximately because ... Bank fees change. PayPal fees change. The price of making a book can change. In our case, I hope for the better ... The more people who order the book, the less it costs to make. You're already familiar with that concept, right? Of course, it's called "bulk buying." More orders means Bridge House Publishing order more copies from the printers, which means they cost less.

If you buy the book on Amazon, or order it in a shop, there are more links in the chain, so to speak, more companies taking fees for selling the book. It's difficult to be exact, but it could be as little as £1.50 going to charity if you buy it from a retailer.

I don't want you to feel bad about that. Buy the book where you feel comfortable. I started this project with the aim of raising money. Somewhere along the way it also became about raising awareness. Haiti will need our help for a long time to come. Every time someone sees the book, whether it's on their shelf at home or online or in a shop or library, they'll be reminded of why 100 writers gave their stories for free to help one of the most poverty-stricken places on the planet.

Okay. Enough from me. Enjoy a bit of Betsy Fudge!

Betsy Fudge & the Big Silence

By Maureen Vincent-Northam

Well okay, so I talk a little.

Fact is, I totally have to tell all my friends everything about my life. There is SO much interesting stuff they absolutely need to know. For example, how I am an almost-mega-famous-actress and also how my little brother invented pizza-flavoured ice-cream (do NOT ask).

Oh, all right. I admit it. I do find it close to impossible to keep it totally zipped, even when Miss Wiley says: ‘HUSH! Betsy Fudge, this is QUIET time’.

But it’s not like I chatter non-stop.

So it is totally unfair when know-it-all Neville Nugent tells everyone I could win prizes for yakety-yakking. He also says I could never win a bean for keeping silent. I’ll bet you anything that is what put The Idea into Miss Wiley’s head.

‘We are having a Big Silence on Monday,’ she announced ever so casually. ‘The winner will be the pupil who can remain silent for the whole school day. The prize…’

(There had to be some good news).

‘…will be tickets to Amazing Mazes Mania.’

I could hardly believe it. Amazing Mazes Mania! Sweet!

I also could hardly believe this. Silent for a WHOLE DAY!

What was Miss Wiley thinking? She totally must have flipped her lid, gone bonkers and lost every single one of her marbles.

I mean, no talking. At all. How was I supposed to communicate? I would need to have a fool-proof plan because I absolutely had to win those Amazing Mazes Mania tickets.

Only a crazy person could waste a TOTAL weekend thinking about school. So okay, call me crazy. But getting my hands on that prize was going to be worth it.

I snuck a look at my brother’s Code Book for some inspiration (Toby is a secret agent in his spare time).

There was a chapter on Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. You know the sort of thing: 2 birds, a triangle, some squiggles and a goat = this pyramid is private – keep out.

The pharaohs and mummies were clever at reading little pictures (which was handy for them). But there is a total shortage of clever pharaohs and mummies in my class (which is not handy for me).

Then there were the secret tapping codes. Dot – blip – dash – dot – blop. But the blips and the blops all sounded the same and could easily get mixed up.

And not only that. Tapping codes can seriously damage your free time. For example, when Toby sent dot-dash messages through the bedroom wall Mum got totally spooked and thought his room was haunted. She refused go in there for ages, even to make his bed. Toby was NOT amused because making beds takes up a lot of valuable secret agent time.

No, blips, blops and dots were not a good idea. So I scrapped that one, too.

I liked the semaphore flags. In fact I like flags, full stop. We got to wave a Union Flag on a stick last year when the Queen visited our town. She waved back. But she didn’t have a flag on a stick. Maybe Her Majesty looks in a mirror and waves a Union Flag at herself in private.

Yes, semaphore flags might be a good way to communicate. But would Miss Wiley understand that I was signalling ‘the answer is 27’ and NOT ‘I am dying to go to the toilet’.

Then it dawned on me. The absolutely perfect answer. And it was totally brilliant. I would no longer be just an almost-mega-famous-actress; I would become the greatest mime artist in the history of the universe.

Know-it-all Neville had brought the hugest writing pad ever.

He wrote: I am going to win.

I mimed: On your bike!

He wrote: The Amazing Mazes Mania tickets are mine.

I mimed: In your dreams!

He wrote: You don’t stand a chance, blabbermouth.

I mimed a pig.

All day long he wrote messages. He posted them everywhere. For example, on my locker. And in my book bag. And inside my lunchbox.

Neville Nugent had totally taken a wrong turning on the road to maturity.

On the other hand, Jessica Dooley is the politest girl in our class. She was also the first one to break the silence. Sometimes being polite isn’t the cleverest thing to be, especially when Miss Wiley is handing out the reading books. Saying ‘Thank you’ was Jessica’s BIG mistake.

No, this keeping silent lark was NOT going to be easy.

-----

Ah, don't you hate it when that happens?! Well, click here, do some good, and you'll get to read the end of this story very, very soon.

Next stop: Teresa Ashby's blog, A Likely Story

And you can find out more about Maureen Vincent-Northam on her site.
Thanks for allowing me on your site, Rosemary. I am enjoying this blog tour a whole-heck-of-a-bunch!

Thanks very much, Greg. Look forward to reading the rest of the story and all the others.

Writing Short Stories for Radio

I've just read a great article on Writing Short Stories for Radio by Sue Moorcroft, which gives a good run down on the kind of stories suitable for broadcast.

You can read the article on Sue's blog here.

Good luck,
Rosemary

Writing Magazines - Writers' Forum

I'm going to highlight a few writing magazines now and then, as I think it benefits all writers to have access to a good magazine which keeps us up to date and provides advice and opportunities.

The first one I would recommend is the monthly Writers’ Forum Magazine. Full of interesting articles on the craft of writing and the experiences of published writers, it also offers a monthly short story and poetry competition.

From the March 2010 issue, Sue Moorcroft takes over as head judge for the story competitions, with Jan Jones. To mark the change, subscribers to the magazine can have FREE entry to the story competition by email for a trial period, with the option of a personal critique for £5. Non-subscribers may enter for £6. There is good payment for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners!

The poetry competition entry is £5, with a monthly first prize of £100. There is also the fun ‘First Draft’ section on the letters’ page, where readers have the chance to receive £25 for ruining a passage from a famous novel - an exercise in proof reading. Every published letter on the page receives a lovely Moleskin notebook.

Full details of Writers’ Forum here. You can also buy it in most large newspaper shops.

Happy writing,
Rosemary

Preorder 100 Stories for Haiti

The brilliant cover is now ready for 100 Stories for Haiti and the book can be preordered from the official website.

All the authors' names are printed over the whole cover, from front to back and spine. The book should be a good read! Even better to know that all the money is going to the Red Cross for the relief work in Haiti.

It would be great if as many people as possible could support the project by buying a copy.

No More Mulberries by Mary Smith

I am so glad I read this book. Knowing little about Afghanistan, whether before or after the Taliban, mention of the country usually means war and repression as portrayed by the media.

No More Mulberries, however, is an exceptional novel. Set during 1995, this is a story of some of the ordinary people living in the rural areas of Afghanistan. It is also the story of Scottish health worker, Miriam, who adopts the country as her own after marriage.

Miriam’s story begins, as any good novel should, at a moment of crisis, when her second marriage, to Dr Iqbal, is put under increasing strain, while Miriam has yet to confront the ghosts of her past and the death of her beloved first husband. In the midst of her personal concerns is the struggle to bring modern health practises and teaching to the remote mountain villages. Dr Iqbal has his own ghosts to confront if he and Miriam are to stay together.

Only someone with intimate knowledge of the area and the people could write with such honesty and authority. Mary Smith worked for many years in Afghanistan and has evoked the sights, smells and culture of the country so well that I was living every moment of the novel in that fascinating and ruggedly beautiful land.

The author is a professional journalist and the story is very well written and carefully structured, allowing the reader glimpses into Miriam’s Scottish past, while exploring her two Afghan marriages and the cultural differences she now faces as a woman. Smith explains part of her motivation for the novel: “I particularly wanted to counteract the western media's portrayal of life for Afghan women. I don't deny there are huge problems there, but to give the impression that all Afghan women are hapless, downtrodden victims does them a disservice - they deserve more.”

The novel ends as the Taliban are becoming a real threat to the country, and it is testament to the author’s storytelling ability that I was fearful for all the people I had met through the pages of the novel.

This book deserves to be read widely, if for no other reason than to enjoy a good story. But it also brings the ordinary people of a war-torn country to life and perhaps offers some understanding of their plight.

Mary Smith is also author of the non-fiction book Before the Taliban: Living with War, Hoping for Peace. Visit her website for more details of the author and her writing.

Rosemary

Writing a People's Friend Pocket Novel

For those writers who are more used to short stories, but want to write the longer fiction of a novel, a People’s Friend Pocket Novel might be a useful ‘go-between’. At 50,000 words, it is shorter than the normal 80,000 to 100,000 words of most mainstream novels.

But, given that short stories usually range from around 800 to 3,000 words, how easy is it to write a novel of this length? And is it any easier to be published in this way?

To find out some of the answers and learn from someone else’s experience, I put some questions to Gill Stewart, writing as Gillian Villiers, who has published two novellas with People’s Friend, Rachel’s Coming Home and Tomorrow’s Promise.

Gill’s novellas are a very good read with some excellent characterisation, and they are as multi-layered as any novel.

Why did you choose to write the novella length?

I started writing full length novels but after hearing someone from PF speak at a SAW conference I thought I'd like to have a try at writing for them. My first novella was written specifically for them, to their length, but the second one was a longer novel that I shortened. That was actually harder work!

Did you have to submit the whole story at once?

The first time I submitted the first 7,000 words. I had a very helpful reply suggesting some minor changes and encouraging me to finish the novella, but with no guarantee of accepting it. The second one I sent in complete, after I'd finished the changes.

Does the word count have to be exact?

People's Friend pocket novels are 50,000 which is nearly a full length novel! I think they will probably accept up to 1000 words over the limit. My Weekly Story Collection pocket novels are around 30,000 (maximum 32,000).

Can it be set in any period?

My Weekly SC do a mixture of contemporary and historical (mostly Regency I think) but People's Friend seem to be mostly contemporary.

Any other tips for writers wanting to try this route?

Read a few of the current publications. PF have a very specific style and they have some very particular 'NOs' including: NO serious illness, NO marital break up happening currently, NO sex, NO swearing. Stories must have warm, likeable characters, preferably be multi-generational, have a strong romance element and have a happy ending. Any 'bad' characters must be redeemed during the course of the story.

Thanks a lot, Gill, for this great insight into writing a People’s Friend Pocket Book. Perhaps some of us will be inspired to aim for this market.

I've found the following information given out at the RNA Conference in July. Send a synopsis and the first couple of chapters to: People's Friend Pocket Novels, DC Thomson & Co. Ltd, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.
Rosemary

100 Stories for Haiti

Delighted to announce that this fundraising effort for Haiti is almost ready for sale. The short story book will be available as an e-book and in print during February. All proceeds will go to the Red Cross for their work in devastated Haiti.

I'm so pleased that one of my own stories, 'Reshaping the Past', is to be included.

For a full list of stories and authors, and up to date news, check out the 100 Stories for Haiti website.

Hope they raise thousands!
Rosemary

Websites for the Freelance Writer

One of my Suite101 writing colleagues has posted a valuable list of 100 Best Websites for the Freelance Writer.

If you are considering expanding your writing to cover the online market, then have a look at her article here as she provides a very good outline of the possibilities available.

As I mentioned in the previous blog post about Suite101, online writing for the web is certainly one of the most popular growing outlets for writers these days, particularly in the US.

Worth a look!
Rosemary

Newspaper Fillers

I don’t read many newspapers but they are often a good source of writing ideas and market opportunities. The Telegraph was brought to my attention by a writing colleague whose article won the weekly competition. The second one I found by accident when I bought the Guardian one Saturday.

There may well be many more such opportunities in newspapers; I just haven’t come across them yet!

The Telegraph

This an online competition to email a travel related piece of no more than 500 words. The prize is £200 in the currency of your choice from the Post Office. The site has a good list of previous winning articles so you can get a feel for the kind of thing they like.

Full entry details, terms and conditions can be found here.


The Guardian

The Saturday edition has a Family Life section, where there is the opportunity to send in your favourite Snapshot, recipe for We Love to Eat, or song for their Playlist, all revolving around family life or memories. They pay £25 for each one they publish (it’s gone down from what it used to be!).

Full details from the newspaper. Read some of those published on their website to get an idea of what they want.

Good luck,
Rosemary

Publishing with Lulu: Ann Burnett and Loving Mother

Perhaps it's not surprising that many novelists are turning away from conventional publishers, given the depressing stories we hear about the whole business.

One alternative publishing route is Lulu.com, the online publisher of a great variety of books. With Lulu, the author retains complete control of all aspects of their publication, from cover to text and the book is sold on the site. Authors also have the option to buy an ISBN number and promote their books through online sites such as Amazon. They may also buy editing services.

One author who took the Lulu option is Ann Burnett, who published her first novel, Loving Mother, with Lulu during 2008. The title is cleverly ambiguous and suits the theme of the mother and daughter relationship, which is very well portrayed.

It is an uneasy relationship, when the formerly married daughter, Janis, returns to live with her difficult mother. The situation is made even more fraught when someone from the mother’s past turns up and causes irrevocable change to their lives. Most mothers and daughters will identify with some of the emotions and fears the women experience.
I asked Ann about her publishing experience with Lulu.com

What made you decide to publish your book through Lulu?

I had written a book as part of my M.Phil course in Creative Writing and I felt it was a shame to have it mouldering away in a drawer in the filing cabinet. I had sent it out to a few publishers but with no success. Then I read a couple of articles in The Author and UK Writer (magazines for members of the Society of Authors and the Writers' Guild) about writers who had used Lulu. One made it sound so easy I thought that surely I could do that. So I did - except it took me far longer than I anticipated and along the way I had to learn an awful lot about the business of publishing.

Are you happy with the result?

Yes, on the whole. It's nice to see all my work in the form of a book instead of a pile of paper. I had to design the covers myself and as I am in no way artistic, it wouldn't pass muster by professionals. But I feel the cover photo represents an important aspect of my book and as such, I'm pleased.

How easy did you find the marketing of the novel?

I didn't. I had no idea about how to go about marketing it. I had postcards made giving details of the book and sent them out to libraries and in all my Christmas cards and I achieved some sales that way. But really, I can't say I've tried very hard to get it sold. In a way, I didn't aim for that; I only really wanted to see what my manuscript would be like in book form.

Would you do it this way again?

Yes. And this time I'd make sure I knew more about marketing.

Any tips for writers on using Lulu?

Proof read, proof read and proof read. Get as many people as you can to read it over and spot any typos etc. You'll be amazed at the number that are found. I read my book out loud, I read it from the back to the front, I checked and checked and still I've missed a couple of things. And do all this before you even think of putting it up on Lulu. If you can convert your files to pdf (which is what Lulu does when you upload your ms) then you can check what the layout will be like before it goes on Lulu.

As Ann added:
"Lulu has lots of possibilities. You don't need to write a book to use it. You can make albums of special family events, make books of bedtime stories you make up for your kids, publish your poetry, recipes, whatever you like. And it's not expensive."

Thanks a lot for that great insight into publishing with Lulu, Ann. Good luck to all who give it a go.
Rosemary

Children's Book Publishers

For those who are writing children’s books, there are two publishers I know of who are accepting unsolicited submissions. There are no doubt others but I don’t have up-to-date details for anyone else at the moment. A good book on children's writing is Linda Strachan's Writing for Children.

Little Tiger Press

Little Tiger Press is a publisher of picture books. Their website is lovely to look at and they have a good selection of books to explore. The age range is from 0-7 years and stories should be no more than 750 words. They must be sent as hard copy, rather than email. They seem to be keen on animal stories but have a look at their online catalogue to get an idea of what they publish.

Writers don't have to illustrate their own books when sending a picture book story to a publisher. However, Little Tiger Press also accepts unsolicited illustrations from those working in that field.

Piccadilly Press

Piccadilly Press accepts different types of children’s books. Picture books are for 2-5 years and should be from 500 to 1000 words. They mention that the books are 32 pages, which is quite normal in children’s books.

They also publish books for the 8-12 age range, with a variety of subject matter, especially everyday issues with humour. Teenage books should be for the 11-15 age range and are 25,000 to 35,000 words.

Piccadilly Press also publishes a range of non-fiction books for teenagers, mainly light-hearted in tone. They accept submissions by post or email.

Might be worth a try, especially when they are actively accepting new submissions. But remember to study their requirements first!
Good luck,
Rosemary

Shortbread Short Stories

The Shortbread Short Story website began a couple of years ago when bookseller William Thomson and Robin Pilcher, son of Rosamunde, wanted to showcase the short story. Some people might remember hearing about it at the SAW one year.

It has grown immeasurably over the last year, with well over 600 stories now online. You have to join the site to be able to submit stories or to read them. It’s easy and free to join, and well worth doing if you enjoy writing stories and have yet to find a market for them. I’ve only posted one so far but I’ll be considering it again. I know most of us want to be paid for our published stories, but sometimes a story just won't fit any print publication.

There is no payment, but there is the exposure of having your fiction published online, in some good company. Many of the stories have been selected and downloaded as an audio version. All kinds of short stories are welcome, including children’s stories. The author chooses which category their individual stories best suit.

There is a short piece by Rosamunde Pilcher on the website, about writing short stories. It might be a good site on which to gain some confidence in publishing short stories and, of course, you can read the other stories already there.

Like many other online sites, Shortbread is constantly growing and evolving, so this might be a good time to become involved.
Rosemary

Sweetwater Creek by Anne Rivers Siddons

It is good for writers to read different types of novel, as it stretches the imagination and shows the variety of styles used in published work.


Sweetwater Creek is a novel I read during a cruise holiday last year. I love picking a random book from the ship’s library and seeing where it takes me. I choose which one to try by reading the blurb on the inside or back cover. If the plot and setting sound enticing enough, then I start reading.

I rarely go by the first paragraph or page as I’m willing to give any novel a chance, if it sounds appealing enough! Occasionally, I have to give up if the story doesn’t hold me once I’m several pages in, but I’ve found some wonderful books this way which I otherwise wouldn’t have known.

Sweetwater Creek is one of the best novels I've read, yet it doesn’t have a very exciting plot, or big adventure or thriller elements. But the characterisation and descriptive setting are stunning. Although I knew nothing about the area, the Low Country near Charleston, I felt as though I'd been there by the end.

The story is quite gripping in an understated way. Twelve year old Emily is a lonely child whose mother has disappeared. Her favourite, book-loving, brother has died, leaving another huge gap in her life. Left on an ageing plantation with her distant father and two other hunting-mad brothers, where they raise and train the legendary Boykin hunting spaniels, Emily finds her own space accompanied by her constant companion, her own spaniel Elvis.

It is a magically descriptive setting and Emily has an almost mystical connection with the dogs, Elvis in particular with whom she mentally communicates. One of Emily’s favourite places is where the dolphins come in at certain times of the year, to Sweetwater Creek, and there is some lovely lyrical writing here.

But things are about to change. When older, more sophisticated, but troubled, Lulu Foxworth arrives on the plantation, from her own much grander estate, Emily’s father is bewitched into thinking she is a way into Charleston society. Lulu’s stay on the plantation both alarms and intrigues Emily and her sheltered life will never be the same again. Her magical world is about to become entwined with real life.

With a compelling story and beautiful writing, Anne Rivers Siddons brings twelve year old Emily to life and gives the reader a coming-of-age story that is emotional and memorable.

Flash Fiction Markets

There has been a huge increase in flash fiction opportunities over the last few years, and it’s a genre that seems to be getting ever more popular. As the name suggests, it is quick, short fiction. This can be anything from 50 words to a surprising 1000 words.

I’ve come across several markets - some paying, some regular competitions, and some just for fun. I’m posting as many as I can think of at the moment!

Txtlit: Text a story from your mobile phone in no more than 160 characters, including title, spaces and punctuation. There is a monthly theme on their website. It costs £1 entry, plus standard call charge (taken from your mobile) and the prize is £50.

CBA: An annual fiction competition for all Commonwealth countries. Maximum 600 words. Closing date for 2010 is 31st March. Free entry.

ReadingWriters: Regular competitions – the current one is for a story of no more than 500 words and the theme is ‘snow’. Hurry with this one as the closing date is 15th January. Free entry online.

Paragraph Planet: Just for fun. Email a 75-word paragraph which, if accepted, will be published online (I’ve had one on it).

Mslexia (women only): Regular flash fiction section, no more than 150 words. Current theme is ‘harness’, to be in by 12th February.

Leaf Books: Regular competitions on various themes. Current ‘Mini-memoir’ comp of up to 1000 words to be in by 15th January. Also ‘Writing about Writing’ comp for up to750 words (can be any genre on the subject of writing) – to be in by 31st January.

Art-inspired comp: Sponsored by the National Galleries of Scotland and ES Union etc. Up to 1000 words (or poetry) to be sent in by 22nd January. See website.

Good luck,
Rosemary

Crime Writer & Dundee International Prize Winner Chris Longmuir

I’m always inspired by writers who’ve won a major competition, or who have published their first novel. So, it is even better to speak to an author, Chris Longmuir, whose first crime novel was published after winning the prestigious Dundee International Book Prize 2009.

Dead Wood, published by Polygon during 2009, is an excellent novel by any standards. It was inspired by a real life murder case in 1970s Dundee, but it is a contemporary story with completely fictional characters.

A strong female protagonist, Kara is a memorable character who unwittingly becomes embroiled in a police investigation after she stumbles across the bodies of some murdered women in a wood. To add to the thriller element, Kara is also wanted by the local gangster, to whom she owes money, and her life is in danger from all sides. And with the gangster’s daughter being one of the murder victims, he is all out for revenge.

One of the strengths of the book, apart from its cracking story, is the characterisation of the gangsters which adds an interesting element to this crime novel.

Like many of the best actors, Chris Longmuir was hardly an ‘overnight success’, having written and published short stories and articles for many years. Not to mention the other unpublished novels hoping to see the light of day. So was her greatest success, so far, worth the wait? I asked Chris the following questions.

What has it meant to you, winning the award and seeing your first novel published?

“It was absolutely marvellous winning the Dundee International Book Prize. It was totally unexpected because I had assumed they would be looking for a more literary entry, and I don’t consider my work to be literary. What I want to achieve is a really good story, a page turner, and they don’t usually hit the literary button. All the feedback I’ve had from readers so far is that I have succeeded in my aim, which pleases me immensely. The money prize, although very nice, was not the main reason I entered the competition. It was the lure of publication, the thing that most unpublished novel writers want, to see their book in the bookstores. There is nothing quite like seeing your book smiling out at you from the shelves of bookshops. It’s like giving birth to a new baby after multiple miscarriages.”

Are you now looking for an agent? Or do you have one?

“I thought that finding an agent would be easy after winning such a prestigious award, and with a fast selling book that went through its first print run in less than 6 months. But it hasn’t worked out like that and I am still looking for someone to represent me.”

Any advice for other first time novelists?

“My main advice to other first time novelists is: a) take expert advice from relevant people, other writers or editors rather than friends and family, or even a literary consultant; b) believe in yourself and your ability; c) above all – persevere, don’t give up.”

Thanks to Chris for taking time to give such great answers to the questions. Dead Wood is well worth the read and certainly deserves to have won this major prize. I’m looking forward to her next novel.