How I got published

Welcome...

Here at WM Towers, we always love to hear from

Star interview: Frances Hardinge

Even as a child, Frances Hardinge knew she wanted to

Beat the bestsellers

Tony Rossiter shows how a northern writer made his breakthrough

Shelf life: SHAMIM SARIF

Which books would you save in an emergency? Author, screenwriter

SUBSCRIBER SPOTLIGHT

‘Following a four-year research, writing and publication journey, it was

CIRCLES’ ROUNDUP

‘Formed in 2014 to support and encourage local writers on

Crime file: Alison Gaylin

A perfect memory is a blessing and a curse for

ANGELA MARSONS

Early WM competition wins spurred the crime author on to

My writing day: Jason Hewitt

Saying yes to everything is a problem for playwright, actor

On writing: Blaise Pascal

If you’re writing a letter or (more likely these days)

Editorial calendar

Las Vegas landmark Caesar’s Palace casino hotel opened with an

Random inspiration... Magazines

Picking up a new magazine can lead to a fresh

Beginners: Write what you want

You’re your own boss, so don’t dither, just be honest

Winning rhymes

Judge Alison Chisholm highlights the winning entries from our Open

Summer casts a spell

A sense of place informs a reader’s poem, workshopped by

Poetry from A Z to

The HEXAMETER is a line of six metrical feet. Iambic

Rhyme time

Construct your poem in strict rhyme with advice from Doris

Grumpy Old Bookman

Keeping on top of publishing developments is much easier than

Publishing behind the scenes: Starting with the End Point

Peter Breakspear, Weymouth, won our competition in association with Matador

The novelist’s Highway Code

Before you embark on your novel, make sure you know

Beyond the Bard

Celebrating Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary, Jan Moran Neil suggests using his

Pace yourself

Breathless and action-packed or slow and emotive? Helen M Walters

Under the microscope

Author and lecturer James McCreet puts a reader’s first 300

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

What is a sense of place, and how do you

I need to tell you…

Letters and other forms of communication offer a variety of

I wish I’d known…

Novelists tell us what they wished they’d known right at

Road to Nowhere

Iraked my fingers through my spiky blonde hair. My tongue

Writing for children: A sprinkle of magic

Give your children’s stories a magical sparkle with advice from

Features desk: Basic features

Get to grips with ‘the best job in journalism’ with

Research or productivity?

The relationship between writing and research is important and needs

Technology for writers: Prime numbers

Researching accurate data and presenting it in easy-to-understand format are

PUBLIC LIBRARIES ONLINE

The library is surely your first research stop, but they

Travel writing know-how

Travel problems can sometimes do the writer a favour says

WHAT’S YOUR FIVE YEAR PLAN?

Helping your achieve your writing ambitions, Gary Dalkin highlights the

Ten top tips: The darling buds of May

Whilst the thought of two extra days off work may

Novel Ideas

For every piece of advice you are given about writing,

Understand your... contract

Secured a publishing deal? Make sure you understand its terminology

SNATCHES FROM A SUMMER SONG

Subscriber Veronica Bright takes a ‘novel’ look at the Swanwick

How to be more than a writer

Writing is a big part of the job, but multitasking

CREW’S IN CHARGE?

Deciding which project to tackle next left Lorraine Mace with

Open short story winner

Andrea Wotherspoon lives in Thurso, Caithness, where she works in

Circles’ roundup: Home improvements

Give group members an assignment to complete at home to

PEN PUSHERS PLAYING WITH CHRONOLOGY

I was recently running a workshop with a creative writing

Miscellany

Journo nostalgia, serial returns, Jo Nesbø’s retreat, ‘real’ fantasy and

Letters

We want to hear your news and views on the

Helpline

Email your queries to Diana (please include home-town details) at:

Behind the tape

Introducing two new experts to answer your crime queries, both

Webbo

Has your attention been grabbed by a story spreading online?

Computer clinic

Co-authoring text online has never been easier, says PC trainer

Beat this bestseller

One first-time author will win a publishing contract with Bonnier

Higher state of literary consciousness

Author Neil Griffiths has launched a new literary award, the

Hold out hope for funny writing

The Liverpool Hope Playwriting Prize has returned for 2016, offering

Spice up your short stories

Cinnamon Press’s Annual Story Prize is open for entry to

UK MAGAZINE MARKET

Family Tree magazine is the newest addition to the magazines

Samhain shutting down as sales decline

Samhain Publishing, a primarily digital US romance publisher that has

Wells worth entering

Wells Festival of Literature has announced its international creative writing

FLASHES

James Waldron succeeds Jennifer Richardson as editor of Chemist+Druggist. He

GLOBAL CHILDREN’S MARKET

Charlesbridge is an independent US publisher producing high-quality children’s books

Plays in pubs

Pintsized Plays is open for entries to its 2016 writing

Sit on this comedy writing opportunity

International comedy writing competition The Sitcom Mission is inviting entries

Say yes to Yeovil

The Yeovil Literary Prize is open for entries for this

UK NON-FICTION MARKET

September Publishing is a boutique non-fiction publishing company launched last

It’s a Funny Old World

Some jaw-dropping mid-20th century advice for wives – concerning such

FLASHES

Robert Wright edits The Scots Magazine and welcomes features (500-1,500

GLOBAL SPECFIC MARKET

Now over 200 editions strong, Cast of Wonders is a

Inspirational Christian stories wanted

The topic for Today’s Christian Living magazine’s 2016 Writing Contest

Heritage tales

The Castle to Cathedral to Cashmere writing competition is inviting

Good bye, Good Book Guide

The Good Book Guide, which launched in 1977, has closed

UK NATURE MARKET

As a magazine that is well respected and read by

A sea change for a creative future

Creative Futures Literary Awards for marginalised writers are open to

UK WICCAN MARKET

Three Drops from a Cauldron is a UK webzine specialising

FLASHES

The Greenwood Tree is the monthly magazine of the Somerset

GLOBAL CHILDREN’S MARKET

Peachtree Publishers is an independent US trade book publisher specialising

Parlez-vous poetry?

The David Burland Poetry Prize, which is for poems in

Flash your fiction here

US-based Splickety Publishing Group has three magazine imprints open for

Shoot to win

Shooter literary magazine has launched the Shooter Short Story Competition

UK FICTION MARKET

Leading independent publisher Accent Press is launching is new young

And another thing...

‘A great first sentence is very important. In a novel,

FLASHES

Steve Fowler,editor in chief of Auto Express weekly motor magazine,

UK LITERARY MARKET

Submissions open in May for New Writing Scotland 35, the

A happy reign

WritersReign’s Open Short Story Competition is open for entries, with

Show off your Sunderland shorts

The Sunderland Short Story Award is a new creative writing

Book Talk

INTRODUCTIONS

Weekly print title Drapers, edited by Keely Stocker, is the

GLOBAL SPECFIC MARKET

American small press Sanguine Press editors Ereika Collins & Bernard

FLASHES

Runners’ World monthly magazine is edited by Andy Dixon. He

GLOBAL YOUNG WRITERS’ MARKET

Voiceworks is an Australian quarterly featuring exciting new writing by

Make connections with writing by and for children

Stories By And For Children is a new creative writing

Wig out for this poetry competition

The competition, which is part of the annual Wigtown Book

The Dickens of a competition

The annual Dickens conference will take place in Aberdeen from

GLOBAL SPECFIC MARKET

Award-winning US fantasy and SF monthly Clarkesworld features interviews, thought-provoking

Insights for authors at London Book Fair

Writers heading to London Book Fair will be able to

New prize for unpublished debuts

The First Novel Prize is a new competition for unpublished

What do kids read?

Renaissance Learning’s eighth annual What Kids Are Reading survey, which

Odd stories wanted

Currently up to issue 10, US website Bourbon Penn is

FLASHES

Honiton & District Midweek Herald invites readers to have a

GLOBAL POETRY MARKET

Emerging and established poets are invited to submit to Canadian

Championing literacy

The Ruth Rendell Award is a new prize from the

Terror comes to Swansea

Swansea & District Writers’ Circle Horror Anthology Competition invites entries

INTERNATIONAL ZINE SCENE

Based in Florence, The Sigh Press is an online quarterly

GLOBAL SF MARKET

Editors Corie and Sean Weaver are reading for the third

FLASHES

Fergus Colllins edits BBC Countryfile magazine. There are prizes for

GLOBAL TRUE-LIFE MARKET

Always in need of good nonfiction, true life stories –

E-sell and resell

Amazon is working to redress one of the biggest disadvantages

AWAY FROM YOUR DESK

Demfest is a new festival of democracy from Gladstone’s Library,

UK CHILDREN’S MARKET

Lantana Publishing is a new, dynamic publishing house with a

Survivors’ stories

Survivor is a new anthology of science fiction and fantasy

FLASHES

The Vegetarian, the quarterly magazine of the Vegetarian Society, is

Big book prizes

Frances Hardinge, this month’s star interviewee (p16) has been shortlisted

GLOBAL FAITH MARKET

Ruminate is a nonprofit US Christian quarterly where readers and

Spawn poems for Frogmore Press

The Frogmore Poetry Prize, unique because it pays its winners

UK TECH MARKET

Android Magazine, published 13 times a year by Imagine Publishing,

Judging by the title

The winner of the 2016 Diagram Prize for Oddest Book

Reading group faves

Last year The Reading Agency conducted a nationwide survey of