This month’s issue is fat with resources and opportunities for the freelance writer and the hopeful as well as the published author. Herein, you’ll find job boards for writers, conference directories, tips for launching your own magazine, dozens of markets for writers plus a directory listing hundreds and hundreds of poetry markets.
Here’s What’s New – 8 publishing changes and new mags
Opportunities for Freelance Writers — fiction, nonfiction and poetry plus several job boards and a huge directory of poetry markets
Opportunities for Authors – dozens of publishers seeking manuscripts
Book Promotion Opportunities – A list of 7 plus a directory of conferences
Resources for Writers and Authors – Launch your own magazine
Going, Going, Gone – 6 to report
Here’s What’s New
Best Life Magazine will relaunch after closing for three years ago. The target audience is men with a pretty hefty income. I couldn’t locate information about the new launch at their website—but it should be available by the time you are reading this edition of the WPN Market Update.
Poisoned Pen Press is not accepting submissions at this time. The Poisoned Pencil, however, is seeking submissions. Learn more about this young adult mystery publisher here: http://thepoisonedpencil.submittable.com/submit
Long Island Parent Magazine will combine with Suffolk Parent and Nassau Parent. No word on what the new title will be.
Family Fun is back. Instead of Disney, Meredith is now publishing it.
Fairways + Greens is now Golf Getaways. http://fairwaysandgreens.com
Mapletree Publishing is not currently accepting submissions.
Oxford University Press is not accepting submissions at this time.
Harvest House Publishing no longer accepts unsolicited queries, proposals or manuscripts.
Opportunities for Freelance Writers
The Fantasy Gazette uses articles of under 200 words. They don’t pay. But if you have a fantasy or science fiction book, you might be able to get someone to write a review to be posted in The Fantasy Gazette. Their readers are your audience, after all. Learn more here http://www.fantasygazette.net. Contact Dave Wolverton at contributions@fantasygazette.net.
Esquire, Working debuted in October. Check it out at http://www.esquire.com/features/working-2012 While I don’t see submission guidelines at the Esquire site, I notice that they have a listing in the 2013 Writer’s Market. They buy a few nonfiction and fiction pieces per issue and they pay well.
From New Pages at http://www.newpages.com/classifieds/calls, I found these opportunities for freelance writers:
Second Voice offers three literary prizes, $1,000, $500, and $250, for fiction by immigrants who write in English but grew up within another language and culture. They are interested in short stories and novel excerpts of 7,000 words or less from established and new writers. Submissions are free and can be posted at http://tsrpublishing.submittable.com/submit under the anthology link.
The Dying Goose is seeking submissions for their online literary magazine. They feature short story fiction (1500-7500 words) or creative nonfiction (1500-15000 words). The stories are published in a “real-time” format once they have been accepted. http://thedyinggoose.com
Bellevue Literary Review plans a special theme issue on Multiculturalism (Fall 2013). They’re seeking fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that explore health, illness, and healing through a cross-cultural lens. Prose (up to 5,000 words), Poetry (up to three poems). Deadline 2/1/13. For details and submission guidelines, visit http://www.BLReview.org
War, Literature & the Arts invites submissions in fiction, poetry, art, creative nonfiction, and critical essay that explore the intersection of conflict and art. Celebrating its 24th year centered at the United States Air Force Academy, WLA publishes established and new writing voices in each issue (in print and online). Please visit, read, and submit to WLA at http://www.wlajournal.com.
Cactus Heart seeks new and original poetry, fiction, nonfiction, book reviews, art & photography for Issue #3, due out in early February 2013. They want spiny writing & art—sharp, relentless, coursing with energy and able to thrive in the harshest of places, all while maintaining a vulnerable, succulent interior. Make us swoon. Open: October 1-November 30.
Full guidelines: http://www.cactusheartpress.com/submit/
Questions: sara@cactusheartpress.com
Antiphon is now accepting submissions of poetry for Issue Five, to be published in December 2012. They have a general theme of Time but they welcome well-written poems on all subjects. See guidelines for details: http://antiphon.org.uk.
Red Savina Review aligns with Heidegger’s notion that, “Language is the house of Being. In its home man dwells. Those who think and those who create with words are the guardians of this home.” They are accepting submissions for Spring 2013. Seeking previously unpublished poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. They like “writing that challenges you, the writer: writing that drags you out of your comfort zone, refuses to stroke your sense of self-esteem or advance your career, writing that DARES you to let it have its say.” Send polished but evocative work. Visit http://www.redsavinareview.org for guidelines. Online submission deadline: December 31, 2012
Stone Highway Review looks for innovative poetry and prose. They are interested in hybrid writing, cross-genre, work that does not fit in a specific category. In particular, they are looking for work that is emotionally provocative, bold, and different. They say, “We want what we haven’t read before.” And they urge women and other underrepresented writers to submit. http://www.stonehighway.com Online submission deadline: December 31, 2012
Vine Leaves Literary Journal is calling for Issue #05 vignette submissions. “A vignette is a snapshot in words that focuses on one element, mood, character, setting or object.” They accept prose, poetry, script, and artwork/photography for the cover and/or interior of the issue. All vignettes accepted for publication online will be considered for The best of Vine Leaves Literary Journal 2013 print anthology. They are also accepting reviews of short fiction and/or poetry published by small presses for our blog. For more information and submission guidelines, please visit: http://www.vineleavesliteraryjournal.com. Deadline November 31, 2012
Emrys Journal, published annually since 1984, invites submissions of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry related to the theme “Journey” for its thirtieth anniversary edition, to be released in spring 2013. Submit at emrysjournal.submittable.com August 1 – November 1 (no fee); also, see http://www.emrys.org/blog/emrys-journal/submission-guidelines. Prizes of $250 will be awarded for outstanding fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry.
Plume’s editors read constantly and publish monthly the very best poetry available, nationally and internationally: twelve poets, one poem each issue. Previous issues include contributions from Alicia Ostriker, Amy Gerstler, Stuart Dybek, Carl Dennis, Denise Duhamel, Terese Svoboda, G.C. Waldrep, Thomas Lux, Nin Andrews, Kimberly Johnson, Charles Bernstein, Christopher Kennedy, Jean-Michel Maulpoix, Rae Armantrout, Maureen McLane, Stephen Dunn, Elaine Equi, Linda Pastan, Lawrence Raab, Donald Revell, Keith Waldrop, Peter Cooley, Jay Parini, Peter Meinke, and Mary Sarishvili, Angie Estes, and more. They recommend that you read their submissions guidelines and their Mission Statement in full before submitting: http://www.plumepoetry.com.
Wordrunner eChapbooks publishes four online collections annually of fiction, poetry or memoir, each featuring one or two authors, and the occasional anthology by multiple authors. No fee to submit. Authors are paid. For their Winter 2012 Memoir issue, submit a collection of prose narrative/memoir essays (from 5 to 12 pieces, 500 to 3,500 words each, up to approximately 16,000 words total), from October 1 through November 25. Details, guidelines: http://www.echapbook.com.
Glassworks literary magazine, publishing digitally and in print, seeks poetry, fiction, nonfiction, craft essays, hybrid forms, and new media (photography, video, audio, multi-modal, etc.) for its general issue. They are also accepting work for a themed issue: “utility and beauty.” General deadline: December 15, 2012. Themed deadline: March 1, 2013. Previously published work considered for themed issue. Read guidelines at http://www.rowanglassworks.org.
Astrophil Press, a publisher of literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, critical, and hybrid works will read submissions from September 1, 2012 through November 30, 2012. There is a $20.00 reading fee, but all work will be thoughtfully considered. Please go to: http://astrophilpress.com/index.php?id=17 for details. Astrophil Press has published critically acclaimed and timeless authors such as: Brian Evenson, Keith Abbott, Ellen Welcker, David Gruber, and Eric Olson. Check their website for complete catalog details.
Are you looking for a writing job? I visited http://www.indeed.com and found the following jobs available.
- Writers’ assistant in New York. Doesn’t seem as though there’s a lot of writing work involved—but it sounds as if you get to hang out with a successful writer and watch how he or she works.
- There’s a job for a part-time weekend news anchor in Cincinnati. They require someone with creative writing skill.
- The American Heart Association in Los Angeles needs someone who is good at press releases and media kits.
- Here’s one that sound interesting and writerly: “Online editor who will be required to publish several articles per day.” They want someone who is a strong writer and editor. This job is available in the Long Island area.
- Walmart in Georgia wants to hire someone who can communicate well through writing as well as verbally. Can you speak Spanish?
- Here’s a job in Georgia for a Spanish speaking individual who can conduct interviews,
FlipDog Job Search at http://www.flipdog.com also posts jobs for writers. There’s one for a writer-editor in Maryland; a writer/communications coordinator in Florida; a technical writer in Rochester, NY and a proposal writer in Dayton, Ohio, for example.
We list job boards fairly often. In case you haven’t checked our archives lately, here are a few for you to visit:
http://www.writejobs.com
http://www.simplyhired.com/a/jobs/list/q-Writing
http://www.writingcareer.com/writingjobs/index.php
http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/writing
Who says you can’t get your poetry published? While I was conducting research for this issue of the WPN Market Update, I located a site with 974 markets for poetry. If you write poetry, you really must check this out. http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/pbonline.html
Opportunities for Authors
Opus is a new imprint of Applause Books. They will publish fiction and pieces related to the performing arts. http://www.halleonardbooks.com
Black Heron Press in Washington state publishes generally four titles per year. They publish both fiction and nonfiction—but their nonfiction topics are limited to military and war. Submit fiction manuscripts in genres including science fiction, young adult, erotica, literary, confessions and military/war. Please do not send them anything via email—mail your query letter or proposal package to Jerry Gold at POB 13396, Mill Creek, WA 98082. http://www.blackheronpress.com.
Whiskey Creek Press publishes fiction. They are particularly interested in science fiction, fantasy and romance at this time. http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com. If you have an erotic manuscript, send it to Whiskey Creek Torrid at http://www.whiskeycreekpresstorrid.com.
Here is a site listing several publishers for children’s books that accept unagented and unsolicited manuscripts. http://childrensbookhub.com/unsolicited-unagented-submissions
List of children’s book publishers. http://loutreleaven.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/childrens-publishers-accepting-unsolicited-manuscripts
Here’s a real find—lists of traditional book publishers worldwide in a variety of categories, including academic, catholic, children’s, erotica, guidebooks, fiction, true crime, poetry and more. http://myperfectpitch.com/book-publishers-accepting-submissions
Samhain Publishing is seeking horror manuscripts and they particularly want good writing. Here, you’ll find their submission guidelines. http://www.samhainpublishing.com/submissions
WhiteFire Publishing publishes both fiction and nonfiction that is academic in nature. http://whitefire-publishing.com/submissions.html
Book Promotion Opportunities
Untreed Reads has added to their list of distributors. http://www.untreedreads.com
The November edition of WPNews features how to have a successful writers’ conference. Who should attend a writers’ conference? If the conference focuses on book-writing and publishing, it would be someone who is thinking about writing a book, someone who has a book manuscript in hand as well as someone who has a published book and is seeking ideas for promoting it. Make sure you choose the right conference for your particular needs. Before filling out the application, ask yourself if you want to meet with one or more agents. Do you need help with book promotion? Are you just starting out and you need help understanding more about the publishing industry? Maybe you are in the process of seeking a publisher. Study the conference website to make sure you will get what you require from the conference you are considering.
I’ve attended numerous writers’ conferences and book festivals with a workshop/program option. Here are some tips to help make your first (or 101st) conference a success:
1: Get plenty of rest so you are up and wide awake for every session you want to attend.
2: Hydrate so that you are less likely to get sleepy toward the end of the day.
3: Eat sensibly and regularly.
4: Participate as much as possible.
5: Network with other writers/authors and speakers.
6: Talk about your book project and hand out promo material/biz cards.
7: Express interest in the work others are doing.
8: Take plenty of notes.
9: When appropriate, ask questions. But pay close attention so you aren’t asking for information that has already been covered.
10: Pick up handouts and study them.
11: If you got a lot out of a session, consider purchasing the author’s book on the topic.
12: Send thank you notes to those speakers and other attendees who were particularly helpful.
Here are a few online directories that list writers’ conferences.
http://www.allconferences.com
http://www.bvents.com
http://writing.shawguides.com
http://writersconf.org
If you want to find a conference close to you, you have a trip planned in another state or you would like to visit family somewhere specific, use your favorite search engine to locate a writers’ conference in that area. Type “writers conference” plus “Jacksonville, Florida,” for example, or “writers conference” plus “Los Angeles” plus “June.”
Read WPNews to get some tips for how to make the most of those conferences you attend.
Additional book promotion ideas you might think about pursuing this fall, into winter, might include the following:
- Seek out appropriate regional magazines in which to promote your book, publish reviews, and so forth.
- Set up a book signing at an unusual (but relevant) venue—pet store, poetry reading or slam, library, toy store, park during a concert, farmer’s market, kitchen store, etc.
- Bundle your book with another book (or two), or a related item.
- Plan a home party. Read page 45 of my book, Promote Your Book, for some ideas. http://www.matilijapress.com.
- Be a guest blogger at several sites related to the theme or genre of your book.
- Arrange to speak or conduct a workshop at an upcoming local writers’ conference.
- Deliver a few slightly damaged books to the hospital waiting room or doctor’s offices or corporation lunch rooms. Be sure to include ordering information.
Resources for Authors and Freelance Writers
There are many new magazines being launched every year. If you’ve ever thought about starting a magazine, you might be interested in what long-time magazine publisher, Knight Kiplinger of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and SmartMoney Magazine has to say. For example, he suggests that you consider your advertisers. Is there a segment of advertisers who would benefit from reaching your readership? Who are your readers, why would they read a magazine on this topic and where will you find them? Kiplinger says that most of those who dream of starting a magazine do not know the expenses of running a print publication. Check out Mr. Magazine’s blog post for September 28, 2012 and scroll down to catch this interesting interview and Kiplinger’s Recipe for Launching a New Magazine. http://www.mrmagazine.wordpress.com Kiplinger started his career in finance in the 1970s and became the editor-in-chief for the Kiplinger magazines which were started by his grandfather in 1920.
Find additional information about launching your own magazine at http://www.magazinelaunch.com
Going, Going, Gone
Nintendo Power is closing
Remedy has quit publishing
Team Xbox has folded
Critters USA will not publish their annual issue in 2013
Urbanite has gone out of business
Thoroughbred Times has closed