New Literary Agency Listing
firstwriter.com – Thursday May 24, 2018
Handles: Fiction; Nonfiction
Areas: Autobiography; Cookery; Historical; How-to; Self-Help
Markets: Children's; Youth
Specialises in nonfiction, though also represents some children's and young adult fiction. Accepts proposals for nonfiction projects only. These should be sent hard copy by post. See website for full guidelines. Sister company provides chargeable services to writers.
Should You Tell People You're Writing A Novel? Reddit Users Offer Their Tips
bustle.com – Tuesday May 22, 2018
Writer's block is arguably the worst thing that can happen to an aspiring author, but coming in at a close second is the frustration of dealing with this question: Should you tell people you're writing a novel? Replying to TheWayDenzelSaysIt on the r/writing subreddit, many redditors expressed reluctance to talk to non-writers about their pet projects. Their answers are both relatable and informative, and I've picked out some of the best for you to take a look at below.
The Internet can be a terrible place, and Reddit gets a bad reputation for housing some of the 'Net's most repugnant denizens, but places like r/writingare safe havens for hobbyists and creatives looking for communities based around their crafts. Seriously, if you're a writer who has no writing friends, hop on Reddit and get you some. Building a strong support network is one of the best things you can do to make sure you achieve your goals, especially if you enjoy writing challenges like NaNoWriMo and StoryADay.
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Tuesday May 22, 2018
Publishes: Fiction
Areas include: Short Stories
Markets: Adult
Preferred styles: Literary
A series of one-story chapbooks, publishing stories between 5,000 and 10,000 words, where work is a central theme.
New Literary Agency Listing
firstwriter.com – Tuesday May 22, 2018
Handles: Fiction; Nonfiction
Markets: Adult; Children's
Handles high quality nonfiction, and adult and children's fiction. See website for examples of the kinds of books represented. Send query by first or second class post to one of the postal addresses shown on the website.
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Monday May 21, 2018
Publishes: Poetry;
Markets: Adult;
Preferred styles: Literary
A webzine featuring all forms of poetry by new, emerging and established poets, showcasing the best of contemporary poetry.
Chambers and HarperCollins launch writing bursary
thebookseller.com – Saturday May 19, 2018
Crime author Kimberley Chambers and HarperCollins have launched a writing scholarship, the 'Kickstart Prize', in association with Peters Fraser and Dunlop (PFD) Literary Agency and CrimeFest.
The prize, announced at Crimefest in Bristol on Saturday (19th May), aims to "kick open doors to writers who need a leg up into the world of publishing", through a £1,000 bursary to help with writing essentials, time with Chambers’ editor, writing tips and feedback, and an offer of representation from PFD.
Ireland's thriving literary magazine scene: space for tradition and experimentation
irishtimes.com – Saturday May 19, 2018
Reading the mission statements of Irish literary journals, a common theme emerges: the desire to offer writers the space to develop ideas that may not otherwise find a platform. From the more established titles such as Dublin Review, Crannóg and The Stinging Fly, which published its first issue 20 years ago this month, to more recent outlets like The Bohemyth, Banshee and gorse, fostering talent new and old is the backbone of “the little magazine”.
A vibrant journal scene with a roots-up feel to it has developed in Ireland in the past decade. There are currently in the region of 30 publications across print and online media seeking submissions multiple times a year. This has coincided with a growing enthusiasm for creative writing in general, with all of the major colleges in Ireland and many other cultural organisations offering programmes ranging from evening courses for beginners to two-year MFAs (Master of Fine Arts).
It Used To Be Perilous To Write Fanfiction
kotaku.com – Thursday May 17, 2018
Fanfiction is hardly a new phenomenon, but that doesn’t always mean it was safe to write. For a time, in certain fandoms, writing fanfiction could get you a letter from a lawyer. Now, however, the internet has given fandom enough leverage to allow the dubiously legal practice of writing about other people’s characters continues to flourish.
Fanfiction, the act of writing original stories based on someone else’s creative work, exists in a sketchy legal space. While derivative and transformative works are technically protected under fair use, many authors do not believe fanfiction falls in that category. Authors that still dislike or disallow fanfiction cite an experience that author Marion Zimmer Bradley had in 1992. Bradley not only liked but encouraged fanfiction in the initial stages of her fandom, but as the story goes, she realized that an upcoming novel of hers would touch on themes that were in a fanfiction she had read, and she reached out to the author to attempt to negotiate a deal so as to avoid a lawsuit. Although not all parties can agree on how much of Bradley’s novel had been written or exactly what the terms of the agreement were with this fanfic author, Bradley said that she decided to scrap the novel rather than risk a lawsuit. This story loomed large in the memories of authors like Anne McCaffrey and George R. R. Martin, who cited it as an example of what can happen if you don’t protect your copyright. While Martin allows fanfiction as long as you don’t send it to him, McCaffrey banned all fanfiction for her series Dragonriders of Pern from 1992 until 2004.
Journalism taught me about facts but writing a novel helped me understand truth
theguardian.com – Thursday May 17, 2018
I thought being a reporter could teach me everything there is to know about the difference between fact and fiction. I was wrong.
I always thought I had a handle on truth. Truth lives in facts, in what we know and can measure and prove. But there is truth beyond that, too – truth that lives in the stories we tell each other.
I learned this from Augustine. He was a friend of mine from Nagaland, a forgotten teardrop of unyielding land wedged between Bangladesh and Burma, high in the foothills of the Himalaya.
It is a part of India often neglected by the rest of the country: rent by a decades-old separatist insurgency that has yielded little appreciable liberty, scarred by drug dependency and high rates of HIV, suffering the dislocation and disconnection so many minorities endure in the face of an indifferent majority.
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Thursday May 17, 2018
Publishes: Fiction;
Markets: Children's
Publishes picture books for children up to 1,000 words. Seeks fresh, original fiction on universal themes that would appeal to children aged 3-8. Generally does not acquire rhyming texts, as must also be translated into German. Send submissions by email as Word document or pasted directly into the body of the email. Authors do not need to include illustrations, but if the author is also an illustrator sample sketches can be included in PDF or JPEG form.
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