Open call: writers respond to Hurricane Harvey
firstwriter.com – Friday September 8, 2017
From its founding, Gulf Coast has kept its home in Houston, Texas. Its mission to elevate diverse voices from across the globe has always been inspired by the multiplicity and vibrance of the community there. As Houston begins to recover from Hurricane Harvey, Gulf Coast looks to the many artists and writers who have already begun the difficult work of rendering the storm and its aftermath. Gulf Coast wants to provide a platform for these voices. Starting now, they are inviting submissions in response to Harvey. There is no reading fee and accepted work will be published on the Gulf Coast blog.
New Literary Agency Listing
firstwriter.com – Thursday September 7, 2017
Handles: Fiction
Areas: Fantasy; Historical; Mystery; Romance; Sci-Fi; Suspense; Thrillers; Women's Interests
Markets: Adult; Children's; Youth
See website for individual agent interests, and submit using online submission system.
Book doulas: the new way to push your writing into the world
theguardian.com – Wednesday September 6, 2017
“Are book doulas a thing?” asks a writer I know. “I’d love to get one.”
Book doulas are a thing, because where there is a need, there is a service. Traditionally, they were non-medically trained professionals who cared for the emotional wellbeing of women in labour. These days, doulas are used in many other contexts where you may need someone to ease you through a process and provide emotional support, for instance abortion, divorce, death – and, now, for writing books.
Call for Submissions from cahoodaloodaling
firstwriter.com – Wednesday September 6, 2017
Issue #24 – Solitude’s Spectrum
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” —Hemingway
Solitude—whether alone on the road in a car, train, motel room, or a forest trail, or even secluded and tucked away in your home, whether it’s a welcomed moment of peacefulness or a lonely state of despair—times of solitude shape us, recharge us, and break us down to our essence. Sometimes we choose to step away from the world. Sometimes the world breaks us and casts us aside. In those moments alone, if we make the choice to continue and create, true artists are born. We cross a border we cannot uncross and heal through our words, finding ourselves—and sometimes finding new selves in the process. As Hemingway said, sometimes we’re strong in those broken places, and sometimes we’re not. Sometimes that jagged broken part affects us forever afterward.
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Wednesday September 6, 2017
Publishes: Articles; Nonfiction;
Areas include: Women's Interests;
Markets: Youth;
Preferred styles: Positive
Inspirational magazine for young women aged 12-19, devoted to "discovering magic in the ordinary". Interested in hearing from writers and photographers who fall within the target age range; young women aged 12 to 19 interested in being part of a special focus group where they will help generate ideas for content as well as provide feedback on potential topics, designs, and stories; parents of young women in this age range willing to share what kinds of content they would like their daughters to read; and parents who can write thoughtful, reflective articles geared toward young women in this age group.
Amazon's Naggar tells publishers to slash e-book prices
thebookseller.com – Tuesday September 5, 2017
Amazon’s publishing chief David Naggar has said publishers should slash their e-book prices to 99p to sell more books. However, publishers have retorted that this move would be “economically unwise” and would damage the whole book supply chain.
Countdown to Wigtown Book Festival
firstwriter.com – Tuesday September 5, 2017
The Wigtown Book Festival is upon us later this month (22 Sept to 1 Oct 2017).
This year's programme contains a host of literary goodies - from Andrew O'Hagan, Bella Bathurst, Iain Sinclair and Andrew Greig (all Sat 23 Sept) to the award-winning Kapka Kassabova (Sun 1 Oct), Dame Denise Mina (Sept 30), Chris Brookmyre (25 Sept) and former Guardian foreign editor Charlie English's acclaimed The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu (Sat 30 Sept) .
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Tuesday September 5, 2017
Publishes: Fiction; Poetry
Markets: Adult
Preferred styles: Experimental; Literary
Authors wishing to submit should first try and publish a short piece through associated magazine. Particularly interested in work that builds on the archival narrative of the press and magazine, and that challenges and subverts the usual notions of author vs book; fiction vs poetry; text vs image - particularly collaborative, anonymous and self-authored art/text hybrids. Not interested in straight up story-telling or verse poetry. Submit by email only.
Can't Punctuate Dialogue? Consider the Sentence
By G. Miki Hayden
Instructor at Writer's Digest University online and private writing coach
firstwriter.com – Monday September 4, 2017
Whereas everyone is welcome to write without a clue - you do have a computer, after all - unless you start with a strong foundation and build from there, your lack of understanding is going to cost you.
Recently, a student of mine expressed strong irritation when I suggested she learn to punctuate. Yes, I really am that annoying person. Well, the next time I went through her writing, I restrained myself from spending the time and effort on such minor matters as how her sentences were put together. I should simply presume people will be happy to pay for an edit rather than learn some of the basics of writing.
I thought I might start here with the sentence, really for a reason that has to do with punctuating dialogue - the issue on my mind right now. Why? Because while line editing, I've found so many examples of a certain glitch that boils down to a mere misunderstanding of what a sentence is.
New Literary Agency Listing
firstwriter.com – Monday September 4, 2017
Handles: Fiction; Nonfiction
Markets: Children's
Handles fiction and nonfiction for children of all ages, including picture books. Also represents illustrators. Welcomes submissions from debut and established authors and illustrators. Send query by email only, with cover letter, synopsis, and full ms as separate Word file attachments. See website for individual agent details and interests and approach one agent only. Aims to respond to every submission, within six weeks.
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