Cast a SWOON-WORTHY spell

Romantasy is the hottest new genre to have readers devouring pages. Leading romantasy author Stephanie Burgis advises you on how to enchant your readers.

CLIMATE FICTION. Do we have to?

Cli-fi is the new genre everyone wishes didn’t need to exist. Leading practitioner John Ironmonger sets out what it is and how to write it

OFFBEAT ROMANCE: Misshapes & mistakes

Contemporary rom-coms involve relationships and situationships that are gloriously quirky and flawed. Author Lauren Bravo looks at the joys of writing the imperfect romance

THE POWER OF KINDNESS

Award-winning author Kit de Waal talks to Tina Jackson about finding her voice later in life, writing people who are unseen and overlooked, and why her new novel is all about being kind

A I-NEVITABLE?

Alex Davis takes a look at artificial intelligence in science-fiction

Pursuing PATRONS

Can writers have patrons who support their writing business? Simon Whaley chats to two writers about how they use the Patreon platform

A SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO GETTING GENUINE BOOK REVIEWS

Chloe May , operations director at Troubador Publishing, looks at strategies for getting reader feedback

DEAR READER

As writers, we don’t live in isolation (though

OVERSEEING A CRIME SCENE

Former police officer turned best-selling author Neil Lancaster argues that crime writers need to prioritise story over accuracy

HISTORICAL FICTION: Making the past feel real

How do you bring the past to life in your historical fiction? You need to combine research skills with imaginative ones, says author Fiona Keating

REAL LIFE, great stories

LESSONS FROM LIFE

Your writing critiqued

James McCreet applies a forensic micro-critique to the beginning of a reader’s manuscript

TENSE AND POINT OF VIEW: PART FIVE

Writer and tutor Ian Ayris provides a recap of using First and Third Person PoV in your fiction, and examines writing from outside the story with Third Person

MURDER SHE WROTE

Lucy Roth explains why the beginning of her new feminist revenge drama opens with a killing

Firebird takes form

Alison Chisholm is impressed by a set-form poem dealing with the theme of artistic freedom under a repressive regime

Turning POINTS

Margaret James urges you to pay attention to the key moments in your stories where you create change and transformation

Five quick questions 5

When and where did your journey as an

WATCHING THE DETECTIVES

Helen Walters looks at writing short crime fiction, using the earliest example of the form – a short story by Edgar Allan Poe

PICTURE PRIZES!

Amy Sparkes introduces the winners of the Picture Book category in this year’s WM Children’s Book Prize C o ngratulations to everyone who entered the Children’s Book Prize. Read on to find out about our three winning entries.

Nailing it

Lynne Hackles gets her nails done – and material for a crop of new stories

BOURNEMOUTH WRITING FESTIVAL Write By the Sea

Gary Dalkin and Bournemouth Writing Festival Director Dominic Wong reflect on how Bournemouth’s literary history provides inspiration for the festival and for writers today

The world of writing

What goes through a writer’s brain? Readers’ letters and dispatches from the wide world of writing

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: YOUR WRITING

Someone in the shadows

Subscribers’ news

To feature in Subscribers’ News contact: tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk

WINNER

100 WORDS

RUNNER UP

Jane began writing flash fiction and short stories

END OF THE SEASON

IT STARTED WITH A... WINNER

ANNABEL STREETS

The author of books about walking and wellbeing tells Lynne Hackles about starting her day with a walk

CHRIS BRIDGES

The debut psychological thriller author describes how he found his voice when he started drawing on his lived experience of chronic illness and decided to create a character who bust the stereotypes

SHELF LIFE

The historical novelist revisits the books whose beautiful writing most captured her imagination

Rosalind Stopps

Margaret James talks to an author whose books telling the stories of people who are often overlooked always start from the question ‘what if...?’

OPEN PAGES

As this year’s Quick Reads scheme launches on World Book Night, Ann Chadwick looks at the benefits of accessible writing for writers as well as readers

USING A CAMERA FOR RESEARCH

Tarja Moles offers advice on making the most of your smartphone camera as a research tool

London Book Fair 2025: Shifting genres

Monica Chakraverty looks at genre trends and what publishers are hoping will land in their in-boxes

GET PUBLISHED

You’ve read the advice – now get into print! Find the most up-to-date calls for submissions, writing competitions to enter and publishing opportunities to suit you and your writing in our easy-to-navigate news pages

Hooked on hooks

Think of a reason to get editors snapping at your pitch, says Patrick Forsyth

FEEDBACK NOT FEELGOOD

From the OTHE SIDE OF THE DESK

SCRIPTWRITING COMPETITION

The International Audio Drama Competition 2026

SHORT STORY COMPETITIONS

The HG Wells Short Story Competition 2025

ANTHOLOGIES

Air and Nothingness Press The editorial team

COMPETITIONS WITH MULTIPLE CATEGORIES

The Yeovil Literary Prize 2025 The prestigious

GENERAL NEWS

Women’s Prize longlist The 2025 Women’s Prize

NON-FICTION COMPETITION

Anthology Personal Memoir Competition 2025 The international

POETRY COMPETITONS

Indigo Spring Poetry Prize 2025 The Indigo

SHORT STORY COMPETITIONS

Cranked Anvil Flash Fiction Competition 2025 The

LITMAGS

Merganser Magazine Merganser Magazine is a free

WRITER DEVELOPMENT

Jane Gregory Bursaries 2025 Applications are now

INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS INVITING SUBMISSIONS

Sundress Publications Sundress Publications publishes chapbooks

Judicious learning

Patrick Forsyth commends the quest for knowledge but issues a warning

NON-FICTION SUBMISSIONS

Jessica Kingsley Publishers Jessica Kingsley Publishers is

WRITING FOR CHILDREN OPPORTUNITIES

Bath Children’s Novel Award 2025 The international

INDIE MAGS AND WEBSITES ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS

Swing Swing is part of ‘a thriving