Could YOU be the next Agatha Christie? Now the Mail gives you the chance with the return of our novel writing competition that could land you a £20,000 book deal
dailymail.co.uk – Friday March 31, 2017
Have you ever dreamed of writing a book that becomes a bestseller? Could you be the next Agatha Christie, queen of the crime novel? Well, here's your chance to make that fantasy come true.
Last year, we launched the Daily Mail First Novel competition with the prize of a £20,000 publishing deal with one of the world's biggest and most respected publishers, Penguin Random House.
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Friday March 31, 2017
Publishes: Essays; Fiction; Nonfiction; Poetry; Reviews;
Markets: Adult;
Preferred styles: Literary
Online journal publishing poetry, fiction, essays, reviews and visual art. Send up to five poems, or up to two pieces of prose up to 8,000 words, or one review between 300 and 1,000 words.
New Literary Agency Listing
firstwriter.com – Thursday March 30, 2017
Handles: Fiction
Areas: Adventure; Fantasy; Mystery; Religious; Romance; Sci-Fi; Suspense; Thrillers
Markets: Adult; Children's; Youth
Treatments: Commercial; Literary
Our mission is to help authors become traditionally published. We represent commercial fiction that is well-crafted. We work closely with authors to ensure their book is in the best presentable form. Our publishing connections come from numerous conferences, luck, and genuine care. We do not charge reading fees as we adhere to the Association of Author Representatives' Canon of Ethics.
Missing Oxford comma shows why writing skills matter
ft.com – Wednesday March 29, 2017
“For want of a comma, we have this case.” So begins a ruling this month by David Barron, a US Court of Appeals judge, deciding in favour of five Maine truck drivers who claimed they had been wrongly denied overtime payments by a dairy company with an inadequate grasp of English punctuation.
How to get a job in digital publishing
thebookseller.com – Wednesday March 29, 2017
No doubt you’ve heard many times about how competitive publishing is - and I’m not going to say otherwise. However, as someone ‘on the inside’ who recruits new employees for entry-level roles in the ebooks department at Penguin Random House, it’s part of my job to hold open the door for newcomers. Who might just be you.
7 Tips For Writing A Bestselling Science Fiction Novel
femalefirst.co.uk – Monday March 27, 2017
Don’t try to write a best-selling book. Because you can’t. One, if you just try to copy the current set of bestsellers, you’re already behind. If you can spot a trend, it’s because you’re behind it. Two, because no one really knows what things are going to be bestsellers. Publishers spend a lot of money promoting books that they want to be huge that don’t sell, while other books seemingly come out of nowhere and just perch on the top of lists.
‘Writing is not about youth but about spark’
irishtimes.com – Monday March 27, 2017
I’ve noticed recently that letters to young writers are becoming fashionable, for example, Colum McCann’s forthcoming book. But, in my case, I didn’t get my first story published till I was 30 and my first collection launched till I was 37. I wasn’t so much a late starter as a late knuckle-downer. So, this piece is for the not-so-young writers who should still go for it and make an impact on the world. Here are my pearls of wisdom (hopefully not paste):
Short story contest – deadline delayed
firstwriter.com – Sunday March 26, 2017
The deadline for firstwriter.com's Thirteenth International Short Story Contest has been delayed by one month to May 1, 2017, to allow for last minute entries.
Eight reasons that even a good book is rejected by publishers
scroll.in – Sunday March 26, 2017
Several years ago, as an aspiring novelist with stardust in my eyes, I used to spend most of my waking hours in Yahoo’s Books and Literature chatroom in the company of fellow aspiring writers. I clearly remember how one of the main topics of conversations used to be the number of rejection slips one had received on that particular day (or the previous week), agents/publishers who had requested a synopsis or proposal, and those who had just not bothered to respond. All of us were united by the looming sense of uncertainty, suspense, and the palpable realisation that the odds were firmly stacked against us.
Today, having spent more than seven years on the other side, first as a consultant and then an agent, I think many writers have wrong notions about rejections. While most books are rejected because of poor quality and incompetence (as they should be), there are several other factors that play a role in publishing decisions. And these affect “good” books too.
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Friday March 24, 2017
Publishes: Fiction;
Areas include: Adventure; Science;
Markets: Children's
Publishes books that allow kids to experience science through adventure and discovery. Submit complete ms by email.
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