New Literary Agent Listing: Isabel Mendia
firstwriter.com – Tuesday November 30, 2021
Interested in representing a range of nonfiction, including cultural criticism, narrative reportage, politics, and history.
New Magazine Listing: the6ress
firstwriter.com – Monday November 29, 2021
Publishes poetry, art, and word art. See website for submission windows and issue themes.
Writing for our young readers is the most important fiction of all
independent.ie – Sunday November 28, 2021
Some years ago, the novelist Martin Amis gave an interview in which he asserted that the only circumstances under which he would write a children’s book were if he had suffered a serious brain injury. “In my view,” he said, “fiction is freedom and any restraints on that are intolerable.”
Leaving aside the fact that it’s ridiculous to think that writing children’s fiction places any restraints on the author at all – if anything, it has the opposite effect – the most surprising element of the quote is Amis’s haughty disregard for young adult fiction. One could make the case that it’s the most important fiction of all. After all, is there a serious adult reader or writer out there who has not enjoyed a lifetime of reading because they discovered a love of books when they were young?
The Brontës, the Shelleys, Kingsley and Martin Amis: new research suggests literary relatives share similar writing styles
theconversation.com – Thursday November 25, 2021
From Jane Austen to James Patterson, every author has their own way of writing. And that writing is often discussed in terms of “style”. Essentially, style refers to “how” something is written – it is more concerned with form than content. So when, for example, someone remarks that they “enjoyed the story” but “didn’t like how it was written”, they are commenting on the style.
If you want to see an example of different styles in action, just compare something like The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien to Ulysses by James Joyce. The Hobbit is written for a general audience, it’s a good old-fashioned story told through clear, accessible language. Ulysses is a more difficult read, full of obscure terms, complex phrasing, and cryptic references to other materials.
New Magazine Listing: Angela Poetry Magazine
firstwriter.com – Wednesday November 24, 2021
Accepts poetry submissions from everyone on Earth and orbiting spacecraft. Publishes poems that are curious, humorous, and generally on the lighter side of life. Read the Submissions page and follow the guidelines to submit.
The long and short-form of it: podcasts that will teach you how to write
theguardian.com – Tuesday November 23, 2021
Whether you are plotting, drafting, staring at a blank page, or keen to get tips from the pros … if you want to be an author, there’s a podcast for that
New Yorker Fiction
In this monthly podcast, a celebrated writer selects a short story from the New Yorker’s archive to read and discuss with the magazine’s fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. The pleasure here lies as much in the pairings of authors with material as it does the stories themselves: Margaret Atwood reading Alice Munro, or Andrew Sean Greer reading Dorothy Parker, or Tessa Hadley reading John Updike. There is much to be learned about the craft and discipline of short fiction writing from the subsequent discussions, too. A recurring point: fewer words is always better. Also, check out The New Yorker: The Writer’s Voice, where writers read their own stories.
Longform
Approaching its 10th anniversary [...]
New Magazine Listing: View From Atlantis
firstwriter.com – Tuesday November 23, 2021
Primarily interested in speculative poetry (fantasy, science fiction, supernatural horror, etc), but literary poems and poetry from other genres will be considered as long as they fit the issue theme. Prose poems and flash fiction will also be considered. Please check the website for themes and submission periods. Submissions sent outside of submission periods will be deleted unread.
Writers' Handbook 2022 now available to buy
firstwriter.com – Sunday November 21, 2021
The 2022 edition of firstwriter.com’s bestselling directory for writers has just been released, and is now available to buy both as a paperbook and an ebook.
The directory is the perfect book for anyone searching for literary agents, book publishers, or magazines. It contains over 2,500 listings, including revised and updated listings from the 2021 edition, and over 400 brand new entries.
Lowis moves to Viney Agency
thebookseller.com – Saturday November 20, 2021
Amberley Lowis has been appointed literary agent at the Viney Agency.
Lowis previously worked as an agents' assistant at Abner Stein for five years and as an editorial assistant at Kyle Books.
She said: "I feel very lucky to have worked with such brilliant colleagues at Abner Stein and have learnt so much from them. I'm delighted to be joining the Viney Agency and I very much look forward to working with Charlie and further expanding the agency over the coming years."
Agency founder Charlie Viney said: "Amberley’s experience and drive stand her in very good stead to substantially add to the agency in the future and I’m thrilled that she is joining us."
Lowis will take up her new role in December.
How to turn your November draft into a polished manuscript
pe.com – Thursday November 18, 2021
November is a month electric with writing energy. There is NaNoWriMo, of course. This column has encouraged writers to ‘win’— that is, to write 50,000 words in 30 days. But it’s also Memoir Writing Month, National NonFiction Writing Month (NaNonFiWriMo), November Poem-a-Day Chapbook Challenge, and National Blog Posting Month. So whatever it is you’re writing, you’re probably getting close to your self-defined finish line.
If you complete any of the above challenges, congratulations. Those are accomplishments to be sure. What they are not is finished products.
Get the free newsletter | Submit a news item or article | Get Writers' News for your website
