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11 MIN READ TIME

How I got published

Interview by Dolores Gordon-Smith

Adam Brookes, whose second book Spy Games came out last November, shares his path to publication

‘I never intended to write fiction. I did try in my late twenties and the result was awful, so I threw it away.

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Writing Magazine
January 2016
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EDITOR’S LETTER
Welcome...
Every month at Writing Magazine, we strive to give you
RESOURCES
Miscellany
Christie’s secrets, cookbooks coming up, cowboy croquet, the pleasure of
Letters
We want to hear your news and views on the
Excuse me officer
Not sure where to go next with your crime novel?
Webbo
Webbo has been scanning the virtual world for solutions for
Computer clinic
PC trainer Greta Powell casts her eye over the upgrade
Helpline
Your writing problems solved with advice from Diana Cambridge
WRITERS’ NEWS
Screenwriters see red
Red Planet Pictures will launch its search for a new
A chance to write
Writer Kit de Waal is funding a fully-paid scholarship for
A Laureate’s legacy
The Edwin Morgan Award, which is awarded biennially, is open
UK MAGAZINE MARKET
MMM, ‘The Motorhomers’ Magazine’, is Britain’s bestselling motorhome and motorcaravan
Small mag beats big names
Independent British online magazine Holdfast has beaten heavyweight competition from
Short, brief or both
Artificium, the journal of new fiction and poetry, is inviting
FLASHES
Cycling Active has been relaunched by publishers Time Inc and
UK NON-FICTION MARKET
Splendid Publications is the new boutique non-fiction imprint of Splendid
Shelley survives
A lost poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley has been acquired
The White prize for sci-fi writers
Every year the free-to-enter James White Award welcomes entries of
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL MARKET
A quarterly journal concerned with environmental issues, Earth Island Review
On the rocks
Testimonies of the Rocks: The Hugh Miller Writing Competition is
It’s a Funny Old World
Anew book, Dull Men of Great Britain (Ebury Press) by
FLASHES
David Linkie edits weekly newspaper Fishing News, and welcomes illustrated
GLOBAL TRAVEL MARKET
Based in Germany, Hidden Europe is a travel magazine with
Got (the sands of) time to enter this competition?
Hourglass Literary Magazine is an annual, bilingual print and digital
Do you fit the bill?
Shropshire-based boutique publisher Platypus Press seeks to ‘unearth innovative contemporary
UK SMALL PRESS MARKET
Wrecking Ball Press is a small, Hull- based press with
Spy stories with a difference wanted
Comma Press is inviting entries of short fiction on the
Worldwide drama on the airwaves
Entries are invited from writers outside the UK for the
FLASHES
Launched in 2014 as digitalonly, iShoot now appears in print
UK TV AND SF MARKET
Telos is an independent UK press that publishes non-fiction guides
Hampstead Theatre closes window
Hampstead Theatre has changed its submissions policy and will now
GLOBAL LITERARY MARKET
The Pedestal Magazine is the grand old dame of literary
Big winners this month
Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie’s novel Half of a Yellow Sun has
And another thing...
‘Writing is selection. Just to start a piece of writing
FLASHES
Roger Borrell edits Lancashire Life, a monthly country magazine which
UK CURRENT AFFAIRS MARKET
The website of the New Statesman magazine has a pool
On the multimedia cutting edge
For writers who want to experiment with multimedia work, Razor
Criminal initiation
Independent Brighton-based publisher Myriad is celebrating its tenth anniversary, and
Book Talk
Introductions
MG Enthusiast, edited by Simon Goldsworthy, is the world’s bestselling
Grist to the writer’s mill
Grist Books, the small press at Huddersfield University, is running
FLASHES
Marcus Janssen has followed Mike Barnes as editor of Fieldsports
GLOBAL LITERARY MARKET
Poetry, fiction and creative non fiction are wanted for the
Bad dreams in the bazaar
Horror maestro Stephen King will pick the winner of the
By George, it’s political prize time
The Orwell Prize, the UK’s most prestigious prize for political
UK GIFT BOOK MARKET
Graffeg is a Cardiff-based independent publisher that typically publishes high
GLOBAL TRUE LIFE MARKET
The Chicken Soup anthology editors are getting into technology and
Women writers wanted
The Weekend Read is part of the For Books’ Sake
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Education in Chemistry (EIC) is a bimonthly for teachers in
GLOBAL SF MARKET
All The King’s Men is to be a new two-volume
A flow of poems
The annual Magma Poetry Competition is open for entries. There
GLOBAL FICTION MARKET
HarperCollins is launching a new global digital imprint, HarperLegend. The
INTERNATIOAL ZINE SCENE
concis magazine is an online and e-pub journal devoted to
FLASHES
The Golf Paper is a new weekly golf newspaper. Editor
UK SF MARKET
Leading UK publisher Gollancz is holding an open period reading
Rewarding history
The Historical Writers’ Association is inviting entries for the HWA
A fantastic win
David Mitchell, the cover star of WM’s November issue, has
United we publish
Pankhearst is ‘an international collective of independent writers’. Formed in
UK TRAVEL MARKET
Priding itself on publishing some 35-40 travel guides a year
Experimental book work
Book Works has announced an open call for submissions for
FLASHES
Hello! Fashion Monthly targets 18-35 year-old women. Editor Judith Herd
GLOBAL LITERARY MARKET
Based in Oregon, literary quarterly Tin House is sold online
African specfic sought
Sub-saharan Magazine is a new online weekly for speculative fiction
Like a hurricane?
US small press Kind of a Hurricane is ‘planning to
INTERVIEWS AND PROFILES
Star interview: Matt Haig
Exploring relationships and humanity is at the core of all
On writing: Alan Bennett
Tony Rossiter explores great words from great writers
Beat the bestsellers
The Booker prizewinner’s pathologist is a stunning creation, says Tony
Subscriber spotlight
‘I’ve wanted to write a book since I was little,
Circles’ roundup
If your writing group would like to feature here, whether
Crime file: Murder Squad
Eerie photographs have inspired a collaborative Murder Squad crime anthology,
Author profile: Stewart Binns
TV producer and military fiction author Stewart Binns knows telling
My Writing day: Frank Barrett
Frank Barrett has been travel editor of The Independent, has
PUBLISHING
Grumpy Old Bookman
Read widely, and don’t be overwhelmed by supposed giants, urges
Technology for writers: Easy ebooks
Get your ebook ready to go out into the wild
WRITING LIFE
Ten top tips: Writing resolutions worth keeping
Ten top tips from writing tutor Liz Gregory
Talk it over: Home moves
Settling into a new house has proven unsettling for one
Novel Ideas
Let yourself off the hook about writing something perfect, says
The business of writing: New year, new you, new pseudonym
Is there a business case for using a pen name?
Writing for children: Healthy competition
Give your children’s book an extra publicity push by organising
FICTION
Fiction: RoMANce
Don’t overlook the man’s role in romance, with advice on
Short story masterclass: Few words, big worlds
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Open short story winner
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Under the microscope
Former police investigator Chris Clement-Green started writing seriously in 2007
Subscriber-only short story winner
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Fiction focus: Mind your language
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Novelists tell us what they wish they’d known right at
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POETRY
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Editorial calendar
Strong forward planning will greatly improve your chances with freelance
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