Windshift Press & Windshift for Writers

Services Advice Writers Resources

Thought for the Month

"The story of the loss and regaining of identity is, I think, the framework of all literature. Inside it comes the story of the hero with a thousand faces, as one critic calls him, whose adventures, death, disappearance and marriage or resurrection are the focal points of what later become romance and tragedy and satire and comedy in fiction ......" - Northrop Frye, The Educated Imagination

Hello Writers

A new year has stepped across the doorstep. At Windshift for Writers and Windshift Press we are busy making a number of changes. We are in the midst of redesigning our website to make it easier to use and to give you more content. We have changed the format of the newsletter while still offering you a great range of treats in your in-box each month. Check back throughout January to see the changes. Let us know what you think.

So settle at your writing desk and write something for one of the markets below. Enjoy your success when it is published ... Sandra

MARKETS:

4 A.M. Poetry Review - this California based print magazine seeks poetry for its next issue. Guidelines: http://fourampoetryreview.i8.com/

ARC Poetry Magazine -Canada's national poetry magazine seeks submissions. Guidelines: http://www.arcpoetry.ca/submission/

Atlanta Review - seeks poetry submissions. The editors are prize winners themselves. Guidelines: http://www.atlantareview.com/guidelin.htm

Barrow Street - seeks poetry submissions for possible book publication. Guidelines: http://www.barrowstreet.org

Black Warrior Review - features the work of poets, fiction and nonfiction writers. Guidelines: http://www.webdelsol.com/bwr/submit.html

Canadian Stories - seeks memoirs, reminiscences, brief biographies, cartoons, trip accounts, short stories and poems, written by Canadians, about Canada and Canadians. Guidelines: http://www.canadianstories.net/editor.html

The Gettysburg Review - seeks poetry, fiction, and essays from September 1 through May 31 Guidelines: http://www.gettysburg.edu/academics/gettysburg_review/sbmssns.html

The Harpweaver seeks poetry, short fiction, short dramas, personal essays, photography and visual arts. Guidelines: http://www.brocku.ca/english/harpweaver/generalcall.html

The Nashwaak Review publishes original poetry, short fiction, travel pieces, essays, articles and reviews. Guidelines: http://www.stthomasu.ca/publications/nashwaak/sub.htm

Southern Ocean Review an electronic literary magazine published quarterly seeks fiction, poetry, criticism, comment and essays. Guidelines: http://www.book.co.nz/guidline.htm

WRITING TIP:

When a sentence becomes shorter, it is usually made stronger. Observe this in your own writing.

January discount of 10% to all newsletter subscribers

Manuscript Critique -Treat yourself to a critque of your current manuscript. Increase your chances of getting a publishing contract in 2006 by 100%. Ask for details by Contacting Windshift Press

The results of Christmas book sales are beginning to surface. Using three of the largest US chain sellers as bell weathers - Barnes & Noble, Borders and Waldenbooks—they confirm that the top five hardcover adult bestsellers sold a total of approximately 124,600 copies for the week ending December 18. In 2004, same period, same store sales for the top five hardcover adult bestsellers was close to 226,500 units; a drop of 45%.

The results for adult paperbacks: in 2005, sales for the top five paperbacks totaled approximately 146,225, compared to about 102,000 in 2004, indicating an increase of 43%.

James Patterson's Mary, Mary was the best-selling fiction title, selling about 42,500 at the big three. Last year, Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven was the fiction leader, with 104,600 for the same time period. The 2005 nonfiction hardcover leader, Teacher Man by Frank McCourt, sold a little over 37,000 copies at the three chains. The 2004 leader, Jon Stewart's America the Book, sold close to 108,500 copies in the same week.

Outselling all adult books in the final week before Christmas was the trade paperback edition of James Frey's Oprah-approved A Million Little Pieces, selling about 66,750 units. A recommendation from Oprah certainly makes a difference~!

Did you buy books on the Internet this year? Internet sales again rose significantly, estimated by some to be as much as 30% over the same period last year and amounting to perhaps $30 billion US; 30% of US households made purchases online.

Like all publishers, I wish I could predict a bestseller or even the numbers of books of a particular title that will sell. Now that is information worth more than its weight in gold~!

Authors published in 2005 should take take heart because James Frey's A Million Little Pieces was published in April 2003. Books can have a fantastic life years after their publication date.

Note: While every effort is made to check the markets suggested in this newsletter, writers must use their own judgment when submitting their work.

You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed at http://www.windshift.bc.ca or have requested a subscription. This issue maybe distributed f~reely to friends, and writing groups as long as the entire issue is included.

To unsubscribe Contact Windshift Press with unsubscribe in the comments.