Windshift for Writers & Windshift Press

March – I think of March as such a hopeful month. It is also a very busy month. New growth and new ideas appear everywhere. There are many opportunities to celebrate the month – St. Patrick’s Day [17th], Spring Equinox [21st], Easter [27th] and more. As we nurture the new plants in our garden and the new ideas in our heads we should take a moment to nurture ourselves. If we are kind to ourselves, then our creative spirit cannot help but sore in this warmth. It is time to turn over the earth in your inner garden and discover your new beginnings. Happy digging~!
Sandra

Writing Tip: – As an author you are often admonished to write what you know. Nowadays with such rapidly changing buyer preferences you really need to be aware of the marketplace before you spend months or years producing a book. The fashions in fiction change with the seasons. Where is Chic Lit now? As for non-fiction subjects you need to be really sure that there is nothing like your book already on the market or that what you have to say about your subject has a new fresh hook.

Markets
Indiana Review's 2005 Poetry Prize - Send no more than four poems per entry, 15 pages maximum. All entries considered anonymously. Details: http://www.indiana.edu/~inreview/general/prize.htm

Anamnesis Poetry Chapbook Award Competition – Deadline: March 15, 2005. Details: http://www.anamnesispress.com/contest.htm

The Kenyon Review Prize in Poetry – Open to all poets who have not yet published a full length collection of verse. Deadline: March 15, 2005. Details: http://www.zoopress.org/poetry/kenyonreviewprize.html

Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards – The winning poems will be published in The Paterson Literary Review. Deadline: April 1, 2005. Details: http://www.pccc.cc.nj.us/poetry/Prize/2004/2005_Allen_Ginsberg_P.html

Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry - the annual award given by Nimrod International Journal Deadline: April 30, 2005. Details: http://www.utulsa.edu/nimrod

Glimmer Train - Accepts mainstream short story submissions. Pays $500 US. Details: http://www.glimmertrain.com/writguid1.html

Edinburgh Review - seeks unsolicited submissions of short fiction and novel extracts. Also publish poetry and critical material. Short stories should be up to 3,000 words. Details: http://www.englit.ed.ac.uk/edinburghreview/submissions.html

AGNI Magazine seeks submissions. Details: http://www.agnimagazine.org . Also AGNI Online an electronic complement to the print magazine, features weekly postings of new Web-only fiction, poetry, essays, and interviews.

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

1. Writer’s Walk. Use some of your writing time to take a walk. It is a great space to work out writing problems and to let new ideas surface.
2. Keep drama on the page. As life is happening to you write it down. You may never use the exact event in your writing but you will have explored your emotional reaction to it.

Industry News: The Frankfurt Book Fair has named India as the show's guest of honor for 2006. It's the first time that the same country has been featured twice (India was honored in 1986 as well). In a recent statement Book Fair chief Volker Neumann said that the rapid development of the publishing industry on the sub-continent made it one of the most interesting markets in the world. India is one of the leading producers in the software market and of movies.

Canadian bookseller Indigo has indicated that it has had a 17% increase in sales and the best holiday season yet. They credit this change due to sales of IPod products.

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. I think I have studied the markets for my writing very carefully and yet I keep getting rejections. What am I doing wrong? – Norman P.

A. You don’t say what you write but it holds true for both non-fiction and fiction writing that you must read back issues of the publication. You should also find out how much fiction or how many articles the magazine buys in a calendar year. If they only buy eight short stories they will probably only publish one or two that are not by ‘known names’. If your piece is seasonally specific or subject specific they may require very long lead times. Christmas stories and articles are often chosen the previous June. Much of this information is available on the publication’s website.

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: For those of you living on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland of BC you might want to take in CAMPBELL RIVER'S WORDS ON THE WATER 2005, March 11 – 13th, at the Maritime Heritage Centre. A wide range of top name authors will be on hand for workshops and speaking events. Details: http://www.wordsonthewater.ca

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