Windshift Press
Newsletter Archives
If you were to ask me which book has most
changed my life I would say that it is Margery Williams's The Velveteen Rabbit
written in 1927. It is a mystical tale of the power of love. I re-read this
small book at least once a year usually at this time. With every reading I
find new depths to the story. It wasn't a single moment in my life that was
changed but it has become a slow evolution over time. We have matured together.
November is a month for coming to our writing from within. Happy digging.
Writing Tip: - Given the length of time that editors and publishers take to respond to author submissions, keeping records becomes very important. Will you remember four to six months from now that your story or novel is still under consideration by Ms. Editor as you go to send it to Mr. Publisher? Record keeping needn't be more that an Excel spreadsheet but could save much effort and embarrassment.
Markets
Michigan Quarterly Review seeks fiction between 1,500 and 7,000 words. Contact: Editor, University of Michigan, 3574 Rackham Bldg., 915 E Washington Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1070, USA. Submission guidelines: http://www.umich.edu/~mqr/
New England Review seeks short stories, short-shorts, novellas, and self-contained extracts from novels; long and short poems; interpretive and personal essays; book reviews, and screenplays. Payment is $10.00 per page. Submission guidelines: http://cat.middlebury.edu/~nereview/guidelines.html
The Paris Review seeks short fiction. Poetry submissions are on hold until April 2005. The editors of this long standing magazine maintain very high standards but are open to unsolicited manuscripts. Submission Guidelines: http://www.parisreview.com/guidelines.htm
Mississippi Review seeks crime fiction of 2000 - 5000 words for their January issue. Deadline December 01, 2004. On-line submissions accepted. Submission Guidelines: http://www.mississippireview.com/upcoming.html
Rosebud Magazine seeks poetry for their New Discovery Poetry Award. Prizes include: $1,000 US first place, $300 US second place, $200 US third place. All entries will be considered for paid publication in Rosebud. Deadline is January 1, 2005. Submission guidelines: http://www.rsbd.net/contests.htm Poetry opportunities: http://www.rsbd.net/Submissions.htm
Hudson Review publishes fiction, poetry, essays,
book reviews and more. Check the submission guidelines for different genre
reading periods. Their guidelines are very precise. Submission guidelines:
http://www.hudsonreview.com/guidelines.html
STORY publishes literary short stories on a quarterly basis. They buy 10-12 stories for each issue, up to 8,000 words. Submissions must include your name, address, and daytime telephone number as well as a self-addressed, stamped envelope. They pay $1,000 upon acceptance for short stories and $750 for short shorts. They buy first North American serial rights, one-time use only. Contributors also receive 5 copies of the issue in which their story appears. Submissions to: Editor, 1507 Dana Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio 45207-1005, USA; Tel: (513)531-2222; Fax: (513)531-1843.
Cue Time - Every month we include a couple of writing ideas to help you kick start your writing sessions.
1. Daydreaming. We all do it. Take your latest daydream, choose a writing genre and create.
2. You can never lose something you've never had. Write a piece with this as your theme.
Industry News: Frankfurt Update: The year's biggest book show drew 6,700 exhibitors, nearly 1000 agents, scouts, and brokers, and some 12,000 journalists to its 8 multi-story display buildings. Fair officials said that 80,000 new publications from 110 countries were shown to some 290,000 visitors.
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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. Can too much rewriting spoil a story? How do you know when to stop? - Valerie M. -
A. Most successful writers do a fair amount
of re-writing. For the most part pruning and tightening a piece of writing
will improve it but you don't want to take the life out of it. One way to
determine if you have found the balance is to put the piece away for a few
weeks and then upon re-reading it decide if you have taken the freshness and
energy out of the prose. Reading it out loud often provides a test to its
spontaneity.
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: Life in the Windshift office has
been very busy this autumn. Recently added to that was a need to develop a
way to step around the painter. The good news is that the walls are now a
warm buttermilk shade which is guaranteed to scare away gray days.