Windshift for Writers & Windshift Press

August

As the song goes …"The lazy, hazy days of summer …" and so it has been here on the BC coast. Weeks of temperatures above the seasonal norm have brought concerns about water levels and forest fire possibilities as well as languid days at the beach. Our constantly changing world reminds us of even more themes to explore in our fiction and non-fiction writing. I saw in the book trade news recently a book under contract with a title like What to Do if There Is a Robot Invasion. I used to think that was just fiction.

Apologies for the lateness of this month's newsletter but moving the office turned out to be a bigger undertaking than I had anticipated. Things are back to normal now leaving us time to get back to working with writers and publishing books.  Sandra

Writing Tip: - Sharing your writing with a group of writers can be the most valuable thing you can do prior to sending your writing off to a publisher, agent, competition or magazine. A good critique allows you to look at the work with fresh eyes. Don't have a group. So start one. Put a notice up in your local library or bookstore and soon you will have more prospective group members than comfortably fit around your dining-room table.

Markets:
Canadian Writer's Journal is seeking submissions for their forthcoming semi-annual short fiction contest. Deadline: September 30, 2004. Contact: Canadian Writer's Journal, P O Box 1178, New Lisgard, Ontario, Canada, P0J 1P0. Details: http://www.cwj.ca/fiction.htm

Small Poetry Press seeks entries for their 2004 chapbook contest. A prize of $1,000.00 US and 100 chapbooks will be awarded to the winning entry. Send 24 - 28 pages of poetry. Deadline: September 1, 2004; Contact: Small Poetry Press Chapbook Contest, P O Box 5342, Concord, CA 94524, USA; Details: http://www.smallpoetrypress.com

Inkwell is accepting submissions of poetry, fiction and memoirs for their current reading period [August 1, 2004 - November 30, 2004]. Poems up to 40 lines and fiction up to 6,400 words should be mailed to the respective editors. Contact: Inkwell, Manhattanville College, 2900 Purchase street, Purchase, NY 10577, USA; Details: http://www.inkwelljournal.org

Glimmer Train seeks new literary short fiction. Payment ranges from $500.00 - $2,000.00 US. Details: http://www.glimmertrainpress.com

The Mochila Review is seeking short fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry for their Spring 2005 issue. Deadline: August 31, 2004; Contact: The Mochila Review, Missouri Western state College, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, MO 64507, USA; Details: http://www.mwsc.edu/eflj/mochila/index.htm

Oyez Review seeks creative non-fiction, poems and short fiction. Deadline: October 1, 2004; Contact: Oyez Review, attn: Janet Wondra, School of Liberal Studies, Roosevelt University, P O Box 29, 430S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605-1394 Details: http://www.roosevelt.edu/oyezreview/

Paper Street seeks fiction and poetry for two 2005 issues. Deadline: August 31, 2004. Contact: paper Street, P O Box 14786, Pittsburgh, PA 15234-0786; Details: http://www.paperstreetpress.org

Under The Sun seeks creative non-fiction submissions for its Summer 2005 issue. Reading period from August 15, 2004 to December 31, 2004. Details: http://www.tntech.edu/underthesun

Brick & Mortar Review seeks poems for their forthcoming poetry contest. Prizes of $1,000.00, $250.00 and $100.00 US awarded. Deadline: August 31, 2004; Contact: Brick & Mortar Review, Poetry Contest, 1463 E. Republican St. #116, Seattle, WA 98112; Details: http://www.bmreview.com

One Story seeks submissions for its annual short story contest. Prize: $300.00 US; Deadline: September 1, 2004; Details: http://www.one-story.com

Cue Time - Every month we include a couple of writing ideas to help you kick start your writing sessions.

1. Take a story idea and try to write it in another genre. For example if you are a romantic fiction writer try your hand at science fiction or fantasy. If you are at travel writer try your journey as contemporary fiction.

2. Clean out your junk drawer. Come on now, everyone has one. Take the most unusual found object and write a poem, story or article about it.

Industry News: Is book reading dead? You and I may not think so but according to the American National Foundation for the Arts survey only 56.5% of adult Americans read a book in 2002. During the same period ten years earlier 60.9% read a book. That means that more than 4 out of 10 Americans do not read even one book during the year.

The answers offered in this column are the personal opinions of the staff at Windshift for Writers. They are in no way meant to take the place of the professional advice you may need to seek for your specific query.
Questions and Answers

Q. What is a novella? Is it a short novel? - Sheri J.

A. A novella is a hybrid and lies somewhere between a short story and a novel. In length it runs between 20,000 and 50,000 words. It is not a popular form and it would not be advisable for a first time writer to attempt one. A publisher might accept one from a well-known and prestigious writer but it would be almost impossible for anyone else to get a novella published.

Win a FREE place at one of our Workshops - Writers who wish to host a workshop can do so by inviting interested friends and acquaintances to a venue (It could be your dining-room table.) and providing the coffee. If you host a workshop, your participation is free. Check the Workshops page for further details.

Home News: Windshift Press has out-grown its present location and moved to a larger brighter office space [see new address below. E-mail addresses remain the same]. We have increased our staff by two editors, three cover designers and two people who do layout. We have added seven new authors and are currently considering adding ten more spaces for the Spring 2005 list. Our revised website will be up by the end of September. These are exciting times in publishing.